title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Final Sentencings in Major Albuquerque Drug Trafficking Case

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – The final of four defendants has been sentenced for his role in a drug trafficking organization that operated out of various Motel 6 locations in Albuquerque. The sentences mark the conclusion of a multi-agency investigation that began in August 2020 as part of Operation Legend. According to court documents, the investigation revealed that the organization engaged in the distribution of methamphetamine. Members routinely carried firearms during drug transactions and were involved in other criminal activities, including selling firearms and a kidnapping incident. The Motel 6 on Carlisle and I-40 served as a hub for the group's operations. Between January and June 2020, this location generated 233 calls for police service, including reports of firearms activity, armed robberies, and other serious crimes. Four defendants have been sentenced for their roles in a violent drug trafficking organization: Jack Trujillo , 48, the ringleader, was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for multiple counts of methamphetamine distribution, firearms offenses, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Upon his release from prison, Trujillo will be subject to five years of supervised release. Alberto Gomez , 40, received a 11.5-year sentence for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, aiding and abetting the possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Upon his release from prison, Gomez will be subject to five years of supervised release. Cedric Kulka , 26, was sentenced to 8 years' imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Upon his release from prison, Kulka will be subject to three years of supervised release. Christopher Hulsey , 29, received a 15-year sentence for multiple counts of methamphetamine distribution, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Upon his release from prison, Hulsey will be subject to five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jaymie L. Roybal is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Burlington Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing Firearms as a Drug User

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Burlington man was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison for possessing five firearms as a drug user. According to public court documents, Isaac Davon Carter, 31, purchased four firearms on August 5, 2020, from four different guns stores in Burlington, Clive, and Des Moines. Five days later, the United States Postal Inspection Service intercepted a package shipped from Cedar Rapids to California and located ten firearms inside, including all four firearms Carter purchased. In September 2020, law enforcement executed search warrant at Carter’s Burlington residence and located a loaded Glock pistol. Carter admitted he was an unlawful drug user, lied on the ATF form to obtain the four firearms he purchased, and had procured the firearms for another person, who was with him when he purchased them. After completing his term of imprisonment, Carter will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Davenport Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Charges

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. According to public court documents and evidence presented at a four-day trial and sentencing, Paul Antonio Deon Parrow, 41, also known as “Tone,” distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl over nearly a year period in the Quad Cities. Parrow recruited others to assist him in distributing drugs and stored and sold drugs at multiple residences within the Quad Cities. In total, Parrow was responsible for more than 26 pounds of methamphetamine and 145 grams of fentanyl. After completing his term of imprisonment, Parrow will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Former California Police Officer Convicted on Eight Counts of  Sexually Assaulting Women While on Duty

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A federal jury in Fresno, California, convicted yesterday former Sanger, California, Police Department officer J. DeShawn Torrence, 42, of eight counts of deprivation of constitutional rights under color of law for sexually assaulting four women whom he encountered during the course of his official duties. The jury found that the offenses included kidnapping, aggravated sexual abuse, and attempted aggravated sexual abuse, and caused bodily injury. “Law enforcement officers are entrusted with great power to protect the public and keep them safe from harm. This officer’s crimes were an egregious breach of that trust and an appalling abuse of power, as he repeatedly preyed on the women in his community and violated their civil rights,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “We stand ready to investigate and prosecute such crimes with all the tools we have available.” “The FBI Sacramento Field Office is grateful to the brave victims who came forward and trusted us to investigate the allegations of sexual abuse at the hands of a police officer,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “The FBI is deeply committed to working with our partners to thoroughly investigate such cases to protect the American people and preserve public trust in law enforcement.” The evidence at trial proved that Torrence sexually assaulted four women. He kidnapped a 21-year-old woman who was walking to a store to buy groceries for her young children, drove her outside of town in his police car, and sexually assaulted her at an isolated dead end. Torrence forcibly raped a second victim, a 67-year-old woman, after following her into her home during a DUI investigation. With a third victim, Torrence showed up at her door in his police uniform after midnight, entered her apartment, pinned her against the kitchen counter, and sexually assaulted her. Torrence showed up multiple times at the home of a fourth victim, a domestic violence victim, supposedly to investigate a prior domestic violence incident. During those follow up visits, Torrence forced the victim to expose sensitive parts of her body for no legitimate reason, and he sexually assaulted her. The jury also heard testimony that Torrence sexually assaulted a fifth woman while acting in his capacity as a police officer. Five of the counts each carry a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. The three remaining counts each carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Torrence is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kathleen Wolfe of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division made the announcement. The FBI Sacramento Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar for the Eastern District of California are prosecuting the case.


title: Venezuelan Man Charged with Being in the United States Illegally After Having Been Previously Removed by Immigration Officials

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Jorge Humberto Moreno Martinez, 34, of Venezuela, has been charged by criminal complaint with being unlawfully present in the United States after having been previously removed by immigration officials. On January 28, 2025, Moreno appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Moreno be detained during the pendency of this matter. According to court records, Moreno was previously removed from the United States by immigration officials on November 15, 2016, after he completed a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence following his New York felony conviction for burglary in the second degree. At that time, Moreno was advised and acknowledged that due to his criminal history he was prohibited from entering or attempting to enter the United States. Despite that warning, Moreno re-entered the United States and his presence in the country thereafter was in violation of U.S. law. Court records also state that when agents from the Department of Homeland Security attempted to arrest Moreno at a parking lot in Williston, Vermont, on January 27, 2025, Moreno fled in a vehicle, hitting three law enforcement vehicles before travelling at more than 100 miles per hour on a busy street before he was apprehended. As he drove, items were discarded from Moreno’s vehicle. Law enforcement recovered some of those items, which tested presumptively positive for cocaine base and cocaine. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Moreno is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Moreno faces up to 20 years’ incarceration if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Department of Homeland Security, including its Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI"), Enforcement and Removal Operations (“ERO”), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP”) divisions, with assistance from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”). The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Colin Owyang. Moreno is represented by Brooks McArthur, Esq.


title: Former Sanger Police Officer Convicted on Eight Counts of Sexually Assaulting Women While on Duty

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif — On Wednesday, a federal jury in Fresno convicted former Sanger Police Department Officer J. DeShawn Torrence, 42, of eight counts of deprivation of constitutional rights under color of law for sexually assaulting four women whom he encountered during the course of his official duties. The jury found that the offenses included kidnapping, aggravated sexual abuse, and attempted aggravated sexual abuse, and also caused bodily injury. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kathleen Wolfe of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California, and Special Agent in Charge Siddartha Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office made the announcement. The evidence at trial proved that Torrence sexually assaulted four women. He kidnapped a 21‑year-old woman who was walking to a store to buy groceries for her young children, drove her outside of town in his police car, and sexually assaulted her at an isolated dead end. Torrence forcibly raped a second victim, a 67-year-old woman, after following her into her home during a DUI investigation. With a third victim, Torrence showed up at her door in his police uniform after midnight, entered her apartment, pinned her against the kitchen counter, and sexually assaulted her. Torrence showed up multiple times at the home of a fourth victim, a domestic violence victim, supposedly to investigate a prior domestic violence incident. During those follow up visits, Torrence forced the victim to expose sensitive parts of her body for no legitimate reason, and he sexually assaulted her. “Law enforcement officers are entrusted with great power to protect the public and keep them safe from harm. This officer’s crimes were an egregious breach of that trust and an appalling abuse of power, as he repeatedly preyed on the women in his community and violated their civil rights,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith. “We stand ready to investigate and prosecute such crimes with all the tools we have available.” “The FBI Sacramento Field Office is grateful to the brave victims who came forward and trusted us to investigate the allegations of sexual abuse at the hands of a police officer,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “The FBI is deeply committed to working with our partners to thoroughly investigate such cases to protect the American people and preserve public trust in law enforcement.” The FBI Sacramento Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar for the Eastern District of California are prosecuting the case. Torrence is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2025. Torrence faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for five of the counts. The remaining counts each carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: Former U.S. Postal Employee Guilty Of Stealing Mail Contents

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on January 16, 2025, SONIA MILLER (“MILLER”) , age 54, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty to theft of U.S. mail matter by a postal employee, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1709(a). According to court documents, on or about March 14, 2023, MILLER unlawfully removed the contents of several parcels of mail entrusted to her as a postal employee. At sentencing, MILLER faces a maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 5 years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: MEXICAN NATIONAL RESIDING IN GEORGIA CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED PRODUCTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND ATTEMPTED TRANSFER OF OBSCENE MATERIAL TO A MINOR

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that a federal grand jury recently returned a two-count indictment charging Victorino De La Cruz, age 42, of Mableton, Georgia, with attempted production of child pornography and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. De La Cruz appeared for his arraignment and pled not guilty to the pending charges. According to the indictment, between August 8, 2024 and November 22, 2024, De La Cruz knowingly attempted to employ, use, persuade, entice, and coerce an individual he believed was a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Additionally, according to the indictment, on August 11, 2024, De La Cruz, using a means of interstate commerce, knowingly attempted to transfer obscene material to an individual he believed had not attained the age of 16 years old. Attempted production of child pornography is punishable by a maximum penalty of 15 – 30 years in prison, depending on sentencing enhancements. Attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor is punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. De La Cruz also faces potential sex offender registration, supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Anderson. NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office, FBI and USMS Disrupt Contraband Operation at Cibola County Correctional Center with Arrest

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Federal law enforcement arrested two Albuquerque men on Tuesday after executing search warrants that uncovered a significant cache of weapons, drugs, and evidence of an ongoing drug trafficking operation linked to the Cibola County Correctional Center. According to court records, Michael “Gomer” Ernest Garcia , 46, was arrested on outstanding federal and state warrants. A second man, Eric Edwards, 36, was taken into custody on a state warrant. Garcia was the final defendant sought in connection with an investigation into a conspiracy involving both incarcerated and non-incarcerated individuals who formed a drug trafficking network that was introducing contraband into the Cibola County Correctional Center in Milan, NM. During the operation, authorities seized weapons and illegal substances from Garcia ’s residence, including: Sixteen firearms, among them one pistol with a machine gun conversion device, five AR-15 rifles, two AR-15 pistols, and one AK-47 rifle More than two dozen high-capacity magazines Hundreds of rounds of ammunition in various calibers Controlled substances including methamphetamine and heroin Garcia had been evading law enforcement for over two years and was featured on the "METRO 15" wanted poster. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, and David Barnett, U.S. Marshal for the District of New Mexico, made the announcement today. The FBI Albuquerque Division Violent Gang Task Force (VGTF) and United States Marshals Service jointly investigated this case with assistance from the CoreCivic Intelligence Unit and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Paul Mysliwiec and David Hirsch are prosecuting the case. The VGTF is an FBI led task force comprising of agents and officers from the New Mexico State Police, Rio Rancho Police Department, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, and the Albuquerque Police Department. # # #


title: MS-13 member sentenced to life in prison for murders in Virginia and Massachusetts

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Salvadoran national and member of the Uniones Locos Salvatrucha (ULS) clique of the violent Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13) gang was sentenced today to six concurrent life prison sentences and additional terms of years following his conviction on charges relating to his participation in the gang’s criminal enterprise, including six murders and additional murder conspiracies. According to court documents, on Aug. 25, 2018, Elmer De Jesus Alas Candray, aka German Alexander Ramirez Lopez, Buky, and Desquiciado, 27, met other MS-13 members in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to murder an associate of MS-13's Directos Locos Salvatrucha clique, identified in court records as K.A.C. MS-13 leadership in El Salvador had approved the murder because they believed K.A.C. had betrayed MS-13. That evening, they met K.A.C. at the residence of an MS-13 member in New Bedford. After the group ate dinner together, they beat and strangled K.A.C. to death. The conspirators then dismembered K.A.C.’s body, placed his remains in trash bags, and buried the remains in a wooded area near New Bedford. Alas Candray and other conspirators were promoted in the MS-13 ranks for their participation in the murder. In June 2019, Alas Candray and others conspired to murder individuals who frequently gathered to drink in a wooded area in the clique’s perceived territory in Reston. On June 23, 2019, Alas Candray and other members and associates armed themselves with a 9mm firearm, a .45 caliber firearm, and two machetes and traveled to the Hunters Woods area of Reston. The group murdered an individual, identified as J.L.G.M., shooting him and slashing him with a machete. On Sept. 17, 2020, Alas Candray and others devised a plan to lure a young woman, identified as I.J.P.G., to Colts Neck Road in Reston under false pretenses and kill her because they believed she was associated with a rival gang and had disparaged MS-13 on social media. A co-conspirator exchanged messages with I.J.P.G. via Snapchat, pretending to be a member of MS-13’s rival gang. He and another co-conspirator later picked up I.J.P.G. and drove her to Colts Neck Road, where Alas Candray and another MS-13 member were waiting for them. The four co-conspirators killed I.J.P.G. by taking turns shooting her, primarily in the face. In March 2021, MS-13 members and associates conspired to murder an individual, identified as S.A.T.L., because they believed he was a member of a rival gang. On March 11, 2021, Alas Candray and other MS-13 members and associates, surveilled S.A.T.L. in Fairfax County and waited for an opportunity to murder him. Alas Candray and his co-conspirators went to an apartment complex on Winterthur Court in Reston where Alas Candray fatally shot S.A.T.L. On May 30, 2022, Alas Candray and co-conspirators travelled to the Lerner Springs at Reston Apartment Homes and joined others on a footpath behind the complex to patrol the clique’s perceived territory. Shortly thereafter, the conspirators encountered an individual, identified as R.A.P.S., on the footpath. Alas Candray and others murdered R.A.P.S. by kicking him and dropping a large rock on his head as he lay on the footpath. On June 18, 2022, Alas Candray and a co-conspirator picked up an individual, identified as F.R.A.R., from Reston and drove him to Seneca Regional Park in Fairfax County. Alas Candray, and his co-conspirators believed that F.R.A.R. had disrespected MS-13 and violated its rules. After arriving at a pre-selected location in the park, Alas Candray and several co-conspirators murdered F.R.A.R. by beating him with a baseball bat and stabbing him. They then dismembered F.R.A.R.’s body and buried F.R.A.R.'s remains in a clandestine grave. On Aug. 17, 2022, Alas Candray instructed a relative to relay a message to other ULS members and associates. Using coded language, Alas Candray instructed a co-conspirator to get rid of ammunition, warned ULS members and associates that law enforcement had pictures of them, and advised them to move. The relative relayed the message the following day. The jury convicted Alas Candray of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, five counts of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, five counts of murder in aid of racketeering, and three counts of use of a firearm during a crime of violence causing death. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Blanchard, Megan Braun, and Natasha Smalky prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-1789.


title: Monessen Resident Sentenced to Two Decades in Prison for Production of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Monessen, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, on his conviction of production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Stefan Sweeney, 36. According to information presented to the Court, Sweeney produced a video depicting the sexual exploitation of a 13-year-old girl. In imposing the sentence, Judge Wiegand stated that a 20-year term of imprisonment reflected a balance between the defendant’s acceptance of responsibility and the serious nature of his crimes. Assistant United States Attorney DeMarr Moulton prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Kennedy Township Police Department; Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and other local police departments for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Sweeney. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Seattle Woman Sentenced for Assaulting Flight Attendant on Phoenix-Bound Flight

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Aliyah Robyn Stalder, 24, of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced last week to three years of probation by United States Magistrate Judge Alison S. Bachus for assaulting a flight attendant while on board a commercial flight. During her term of probation, Stalder will not be permitted to travel by commercial aircraft without prior approval and must pay a $5,000 civil penalty imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Stalder was also ordered to pay over $8,000 in restitution for her actions. Stalder pleaded guilty on November 14, 2024, to Assault by Striking, Beating, or Wounding on an Aircraft. On February 9, 2023, Stalder boarded a commercial flight from Seattle to Phoenix. During the flight, Stalder attempted to open multiple cabin doors and ultimately had to be restrained by members of the flight crew and other passengers. During the struggle to restrain Stalder, she assaulted one of the flight attendants. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Phoenix Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-00031-PHX-ASB RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-011_Stalder # # # 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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: U.S. Attorney, U.S. Secret Service and FBI Announce Federal Charges Against Albuquerque Man for Making Threats Against President Trump

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury has indicted an Albuquerque man for interstate communications containing a threat against then President Donald J. Trump. The criminal complaint alleges that Tyler Miles Leveque , 37, made multiple threatening social media posts between January 2 and 4, 2025, expressing intent to harm the President-Elect and others at an upcoming rally. The posts included statements such as "y ou and your rich friends are dead no threat a promise " and references to violence at an event reportedly planned for January 19th in Washington D.C. During an interview with agents from the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation on January 6, 2025, Leveque admitted to making the threatening posts and recently purchasing a firearm. Investigators confirmed Leveque had recently bought a gun from a local business. Leveque will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Leveque faces up to five years in prison. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, Ron Emmot, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Albuquerque Resident Office, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The U.S. Secret Service investigated this case with the assistance of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammy Hurtado is prosecuting the case. View the Indictment (Leveque).pdf An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: Pinellas County Man Indicted For Attempting To Entice A Minor To Engage In Sexual Activity

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging David Araujo (57, St. Petersburg) with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Araujo faces a minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Araujo is currently detained pending the resolution of the criminal case. According to the indictment, between July 26 and 27, 2024, Araujo attempted to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual whom he believed had not yet attained 18 years of age to engage in sexual activity. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Chiefland Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. 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: Eleven members of deadly drug trafficking organization sentenced to prison

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – Eleven Virginia residents have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a violent drug trafficking organization that was responsible for a double homicide in Chesapeake. A twelfth defendant is awaiting sentencing. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, between January 2020 and November 2022, Cortney Allen Conley, aka KO, 36, of Virginia Beach, ran a large-scale, violent interstate drug trafficking organization principally based in the Hampton Roads area. The organization frequently sold drugs at “pop-up” shops, which regularly appeared in new locations to avoid detection by law enforcement. In 2021, Conley was robbed at gunpoint at a pop-up on Providence Road in Chesapeake, after which Conley and his co-conspirators were regularly armed while they trafficked drugs. In July 2021, an armed robber attempted to rob a pop-up, and shop workers, including Javaid Akhtar Reed, 27, of Chesapeake, and Aaron Butler Hunter, 38, of Virginia Beach, defended Conley’s drugs and drug proceeds. During the attempted robbery, Reed ordered the attempted robber out of the shop at gunpoint. On May 13, 2022, two armed subjects attempted to rob the organization’s pop-up on Wintercress Way in Chesapeake. Conley and Rashaun Marcquez Johnson, 28, of Virginia Beach, shot and killed the two subjects. During the gun battle, Davian Marcelis Jenkins, 27, of Suffolk, pistol-whipped one of the subjects as the subject lay dying in the foyer. During the shootout, bullets flew across the hall into another apartment and hit a child’s play kitchen. Immediately afterward, Conley and Jenkins removed controlled substances, drug proceeds, and firearms from the pop-up and fled. Conley directed Jenkins to go back to the shooting scene and remove security cameras, which had recorded the shootout. Jenkins removed one camera from the front door of the apartment. Conley then fled the state. On Nov. 8, 2022, Conley was arrested in Virginia Beach at a pop-up he established after the double homicide. During the arrest, Conley jumped from a second story window and tried to run from the police. On April 15, 2024, after a ten day jury trial, Conley, Reed, and Kyron Speller, 29, of Norfolk, were convicted for their involvement in the organization. Conley was convicted of continuing criminal enterprise; possession with intent to distribute marijuana; possession with intent to distribute psilocybin and psilocyn; possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Conley was sentenced today to 40 years in prison. Other members of the organization who were sentenced include: Name Date of Sentencing Sentence Imposed Javaid Akhtar Reed Dec. 23, 2024 14 years, 3 months Corey Melic Blackwell July 12, 2024 13 years Aaron Hunter Sept. 26, 2024 10 years Kasheim Bryant Oct. 31, 2024 7 years Amadeo Ilan Classen Nov. 7, 2024 10 years Davian Marcelis Jenkins Nov. 7, 2024 4 years Jeron D’Nell Cephus July 22, 2024 3 years, 6 months Kyron Speller Oct. 25, 2024 3 years, 5 months Lateya Conley Sept. 25, 2024 3 years Jasmine Deneen Cuffee Oct. 31, 2024 1 year, 3 months Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 21, 2025. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael Feinberg, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan M. Montoya, Joe DePadilla, and Luke Bresnahan prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-147.


title: Florida Businessman Indicted for Tax Evasion

component: Tax Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in Jacksonville, Florida, returned an indictment yesterday charging a Florida businessman with tax evasion, not filing a tax return and not paying taxes. According to the indictment, Phillip Mak, of Jacksonville, was a self-employed businessman who from 2008 through 2020 earned approximately $10.3 million in income. During that same period, Mak allegedly did not pay any federal taxes and, except for two years, did not file tax returns. The IRS allegedly assessed approximately $1.9 million in outstanding taxes, penalties and interest against Mak for tax years 2008, 2009, 2012-2015 and 2019-2020. Instead of paying what he owed, Mak allegedly attempted to shield his assets from the IRS by transferring $1 million in cash to his domestic partner’s bank accounts. In addition, the indictment alleges that Mak, after being interviewed by IRS investigators, transferred ownership of his home to his domestic partner’s trust, created a nominee entity and began depositing his income into a bank account held in the name of that entity. In total, Mak is alleged to have caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $1.92 million. If convicted, Mak faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for tax evasion and a maximum sentence of one year in prison for each charge of failure to file a tax return and failure to pay tax. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Isaiah Boyd and Michael Jones of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Cannizzaro for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Mexican National Charged With Illegal Reentry

body_text: Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Elizabeth Ramirez-Medina (39, Mexico) with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. If convicted, Ramirez-Medina faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison. She was arraigned on January 28, 2025, and is currently detained pending the resolution of the criminal case. According to the indictment, Ramirez-Medina was previously deported from the United States on one prior occasion. After her removal, Ramirez-Medina did not receive the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States. On October 3, 2024, Ramirez-Medina was found to be voluntarily in the United States. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.


title: Justice Department Announces Seizure of Cybercrime Websites Selling Hacking Tools to Transnational Organized Crime Groups

component: Criminal Division

body_text: The Justice Department today announced the coordinated seizure of 39 domains and their associated servers in an international disruption of a Pakistan-based network of online marketplaces selling hacking and fraud-enabling tools operated by a group known as Saim Raza (also known as HeartSender). The seizures were conducted in coordination with the Dutch National Police. According to the affidavit filed in support of these seizures, Saim Raza has used these cybercrime websites since at least 2020 to sell phishing toolkits and other fraud-enabling tools to transnational organized crime groups, who used them to target numerous victims in the United States, resulting in over $3 million in victim losses. The Saim Raza-run websites operated as marketplaces that advertised and facilitated the sale of tools such as phishing kits, scam pages, and email extractors, often used to build and maintain fraud operations. Not only did Saim Raza make these tools widely available on the open internet, it also trained end users on how to use the tools against victims by linking to instructional YouTube videos on how to execute schemes using these malicious programs, making them accessible to criminal actors that lacked this technical criminal expertise. The group also advertised its tools as “fully undetectable” by antispam software. The transnational organized crime groups and other cybercrime actors who purchased these tools primarily used them to facilitate business email compromise schemes wherein the cybercrime actors tricked victim companies into making payments to a third party. Those payments would instead be redirected to a financial account the perpetrators controlled, resulting in significant losses to victims. These tools were also used to acquire victim user credentials and utilize those credentials to further these fraudulent schemes. The seizure of these domains is intended to disrupt the ongoing activity of these groups and stop the proliferation of these tools within the cybercriminal community. Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas, and Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Houston Field Office is investigating the case. The Justice Department appreciates the cooperation and significant assistance law enforcement partners in the Netherlands have provided. Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rodolfo Ramirez for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.


title: Scottish Man Who Transported Child Sexual Abuse Material Into The U.S. Sentenced To 25 Years

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy D. Berger has sentenced Steven Paul McInally (36, Scotland) to 25 years in federal prison for transporting and possessing child sexual abuse material. McInally pleaded guilty on November 1, 2024. According to court documents, on August 25, 2023, McInally arrived at the Orlando International Airport on vacation from Scotland. Upon his arrival, McInally was subjected to a border search where law enforcement found child sexual abuse material on McInally’s cellphone. Some of the child sexual abuse material found on McInally’s cellphone included images of minors that had been taken during a sleepover party that the minors attended at his home. A forensic review revealed approximately 3,900 images and 70 videos of child sexual abuse material on McInally’s cellphone. This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie A. McNeff. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


body_text: Jacksonville, FL — A federal grand jury in Jacksonville, Florida, returned an indictment yesterday charging a Florida businessman with tax evasion, not filing a tax return and not paying taxes. According to the indictment, Phillip Mak, of Jacksonville, was a self-employed businessman who from 2008 through 2020 earned approximately $10.3 million in income. During that same period, Mak allegedly did not pay any federal taxes and, except for two years, did not file tax returns. The IRS allegedly assessed approximately $1.9 million in outstanding taxes, penalties and interest against Mak for tax years 2008, 2009, 2012-2015 and 2019-2020. Instead of paying what he owed, Mak allegedly attempted to shield his assets from the IRS by transferring $1 million in cash to his domestic partner’s bank accounts. In addition, the indictment alleges that Mak, after being interviewed by IRS investigators, transferred ownership of his home to his domestic partner’s trust, created a nominee entity and began depositing his income into a bank account held in the name of that entity. In total, Mak is alleged to have caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $1.92 million. If convicted, Mak faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for tax evasion and a maximum sentence of one year in prison for each charge of failure to file a tax return and failure to pay tax. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Isaiah Boyd and Michael Jones of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Cannizzaro for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Mexican Citizen Pleads Guilty To Illegally Transporting Undocumented Aliens

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Angel Ramon Lopez-Hernandez (36), a citizen of Mexico, has pleaded guilty to being paid to transport undocumented aliens to further their illegal presence in the United States. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. According to the plea agreement, on December 11, 2024, a trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol stopped a Ford Explorer on I-75 in Columbia County. Lopez-Hernandez was driving the vehicle, which contained four passengers. Because Lopez-Hernandez and the passengers did not appear to speak English and because the trooper suspected that Lopez-Hernandez was transporting aliens who were unlawfully present in the United States, he contacted U.S. Border Patrol agents for assistance. At the scene, the agents questioned Lopez-Hernandez and the passengers about their citizenship and immigration status. Lopez-Hernandez and two of the passengers stated that they were citizens of Mexico and that they were illegally present in the United States. The vehicle’s odometer showed that the mileage at the time of the stop was 401,996. Database checks reflected that Lopez-Hernandez had purchased the vehicle on September 22, 2022, and that the mileage at the time of the purchase was 158,016, meaning that the vehicle had been driven more than 9,000 miles per month since Lopez-Hernandez had purchased it. During later questioning, Lopez-Hernandez stated that he was being paid to transport the passengers and admitted that he had previously been paid to transport undocumented aliens, including from North Carolina to Florida. The passengers stated that they had entered the United States illegally and that they had paid for assistance in crossing the Mexican border and being transported to Florida, where they expected to find work. This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.


title: Cybercrime websites selling hacking tools to transnational organized crime groups seized

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A total of 39 domains and their associated servers have been seized in a coordinated effort involving an international disruption of a Pakistan-based network of online marketplaces selling hacking and fraud-enabling tools a group known as Saim Raza (aka HeartSender) operated, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei along with Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI. The seizures occurred Jan. 29 and were conducted in coordination with the Dutch National Police. According to the affidavit filed in support of these seizures, Saim Raza has used these cybercrime websites since at least 2020 to sell phishing toolkits and other fraud-enabling tools to transnational organized crime groups who used them to target numerous victims in the United States, resulting in over $3 million in victim losses. “Almost everyone has a friend or loved one that has been affected by these types of computer hacks,” said Ganjei. “These scams not only target businesses but individuals as well and cause significant hardship to the victims. Even though these people reside abroad, the use of these websites made it easy for them to spread their malicious hacking tools for a fee. However, today we have significantly disrupted their ability to harm others.” The Saim Raza-run websites operated as marketplaces that advertised and facilitated the sale of tools such as phishing kits, scam pages and email extractors often used to build and maintain fraud operations. Not only did Saim Raza make these tools widely available on the open internet, it also trained end users on how to use the tools against victims by linking to instructional YouTube videos on how to execute schemes using these malicious programs, making them accessible to criminal actors that lacked this technical criminal expertise. The group also advertised its tools as “fully undetectable” by antispam software. The transnational organized crime groups and other cybercrime actors who purchased these tools primarily used them to facilitate business email compromise schemes wherein the cybercrime actors tricked victim companies into making payments to a third party. Those payments would instead be redirected to a financial account the perpetrators controlled, resulting in significant losses to victims. These tools were also used to acquire victim user credentials and utilize those credentials to further these fraudulent schemes. The seizure of these domains is intended to disrupt the ongoing activity of these groups and stop the proliferation of these tools within the cybercriminal community. The FBI Houston Field Office is conducting the investigation. The Justice Department appreciates the cooperation and significant assistance law enforcement partners in the Netherlands have provided. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rodolfo Ramirez and Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Lexington Attorney Indicted for Embezzling at Least $2.5 Million

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – An attorney working as a bookkeeper for three Massachusetts companies has been indicted by a federal grand jury for embezzling at least $2.5 million from the companies. David Smerling, 74, of Lexington, was indicted on three counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. He was previously charged by criminal complaint on Jan. 13, 2025. According to the indictment, between January 2016 and May 2020, Smerling embezzled more than $2.5 million from the companies by transferring funds first to a bank account owned by one of the victims that Smerling controlled before moving the money to bank accounts in his own name, or directly from the companies’ accounts to bank accounts in his own name. The indictment also alleges that Smerling concealed his scheme by changing the mailing address on the victims’ bank statements to his home address and refusing to share the online banking password for the victims’ accounts. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Gun Control and Federal Controlled Substances Acts Violations

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TROY LOCKE (“LOCKE”) , age 34, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 15, 2024, by United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter, after previously pleading guilty to nine different counts related to federal drug and firearms violations, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court records, undercover ATF agents made several, camera recorded, controlled purchases of crack cocaine and firearms from LOCKE in July and August 2023. During one of the purchases, LOCKE had a gun in his lap. During another, LOCKE sold an AR style rifle for $1,000 to an undercover ATF agent. After these controlled purchases, the ATF executed a search warrant at LOCKE’s residence and found him in possession of two more firearms, including an assault rifle with an extended magazine. LOCKE had several prior felony convictions, that prohibited him from possessing firearms. In total, LOCKE sold the agents over 120 grams of crack cocaine and illegally possessed three different firearms. Judge Vitter sentenced LOCKE to 120 months imprisonment, ordering that he serve 60 months on each of Counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9, to run concurrently, and another 60 months on Count 5, to run consecutively. Judge Vitter also imposed a 5-year term of supervised release and ordered that LOCKE pay a $900 mandatory special assessment fee. 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 track 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. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. United States Attorney David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel and PSN Coordinator, handled the prosecution.


title: New York Man Sentenced To 60 Months In Prison For Possessing A Firearm In Furtherance Of A Drug Trafficking Crime

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Gabriel Figueroa, age 29, a resident of New York, was sentenced on January 28, 2025, to 60 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, between December 2023 and January 2024, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, law enforcement utilized a confidential informant to conduct three controlled purchases of cocaine from Figueroa. Following the controlled purchases, a search warrant was executed at Figueroa’s residence and law enforcement recovered methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, ammunition, and a Taurus .380 caliber handgun. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Allentown Field Office, the Kingston Police Department, and members of the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. # # #


title: York County Man Sentenced To 80 Months For Drug Trafficking

body_text: HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Shontez Andrews, age 35, of York County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 28, 2025, to 80 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for the distribution of powder and crack cocaine. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Andrews distributed crack and powder cocaine in York, Pennsylvania on five separate occasions between June 23, 2021 and March 3, 2022. On March 23, 2022, during the execution of a search warrant, law enforcement subsequently recovered additional quantities of crack and powder cocaine in Andrews’s Manchester, Pennsylvania home and a vehicle Andrews used. The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), York County Drug Task Force, and the Manchester Regional Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul J. Miovas, Jr. prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. # # #


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced to 45 Months for Federal Gun Control and Controlled Substances Acts Violations

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LOUIS HANDY (“HANDY”) , age 34, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 16, 2025, by United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon after previously pleading guilty to possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm, violations of the Federal Gun Control and Federal Controlled Substances Acts, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court records, the FBI’s New Orleans Violent Crime Task Force, in conjunction with the New Orleans Police Department, observed HANDY carrying a concealed handgun. When uniformed officers approached him to conduct an investigatory stop, HANDY discarded the gun under a nearby vehicle, ran but was caught after a brief chase. After seizing the handgun HANDY discarded, officers searched HANDY’s person and vehicle, finding fentanyl, marijuana, oxycodone, suboxone films, a digital scale, latex gloves, and several hundred dollars in cash. HANDY had several prior felony convictions, that prohibited him from possessing a firearm. Judge Fallon sentenced HANDY to 45 months imprisonment on both the drug trafficking count and the felon in possession of a firearm count, to run concurrently, and ordered that HANDY be placed on supervised release for three years after his release from prison. The Court also ordered HANDY to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $200. 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. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel and PSN Coordinator.


title: Violent Illegal Alien Arrested After Release from Local Jail Despite Federal Arrest Warrant

component: Office of the Deputy Attorney General

body_text: A Mexican citizen who had been in local custody after pleading guilty to assault charges, and was released from custody by the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office after the sheriff’s office refused to honor a federal arrest warrant, has been arrested and taken into custody by federal law enforcement. “The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office in Ithaca, NY, a self-described sanctuary city, appears to have failed to honor a valid federal arrest warrant for a criminal alien with an assault conviction,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. “Yesterday, despite the warrant, a defendant with no legal status and a history of violence was released into the community. Federal agents risked their safety and pursued the defendant in unsafe conditions. Today, they were successful in recapturing the defendant. I applaud the U.S. Attorney’s commitment to investigate these circumstances for potential prosecution, and the efforts of the agents who were able to arrest the defendant under wholly avoidable circumstances. The Justice Department will not tolerate actions that endanger law enforcement and make their jobs harder than they already are, as they work to protect us all. We will use every tool at our disposal to prevent sanctuary city policies from impeding and obstructing lawful federal operations designed to make America safe again and end the national crisis arising from four years of failed immigration policy.” Jesus Romero-Hernandez, 27, was charged in a federal criminal complaint on Jan. 8, 2024, with illegally reentering the United States after a prior removal. Because Romero-Hernandez was then in the custody of the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office in Ithaca, New York, awaiting resolution of New York State assault charges, U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) provided a copy of a federal arrest warrant, signed by a U.S. Magistrate Judge, to the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office. On Jan. 28, after Romero-Hernandez’s New York State assault charges were resolved by his plea of guilty to assault in the third degree and a sentence of time-served, the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office refused to honor the federal arrest warrant and released Romero-Hernandez before ICE-ERO arrived to pick him up and bring him to federal court in Syracuse to be arraigned on the pending federal criminal complaint. Today ICE-ERO apprehended Romero-Hernandez with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The charges in the complaint pending against Romero-Hernandez are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York is looking into the circumstances surrounding his release.


title: Leader of Brockton-Area Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – A Braintree man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to fentanyl conspiracy charge. Jonathan Melendez Decatro, a/k/a “Jacha,” 32, of Braintree, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for May 12, 2025. Pursuant to a plea agreement filed in court, Melendez Decatro will face a sentence of 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Melendez Decatro was indicted in June 2023. During an investigation that began in 2019, Melendez Decatro was identified as the leader of a large-scale fentanyl and cocaine trafficking organization (DTO) operating in the Brockton area, who sourced drugs directly from Colombia, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. On two dates in 2021, packages intended for Melendez Decatro were intercepted by law enforcement and each found to contain a kilogram of cocaine. Additionally, on several dates in the spring of 2023, Melendez Decatro conspired with an individual who resided in the Dominican Republic to distribute in total 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl to another individual in Braintree. It was later determined that the purity of the fentanyl exceeded 50% and also contained xylazine. During of search of Melendez Decatro’s residence, over $10,000 in drug proceeds and clothing worn during the fentanyl transactions were recovered. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Bogota; United States Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; and the Brockton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case. This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: New York Man Sentenced To 32 Months For Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose A. Rodriguez, age 63, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced on January 29, 2025, to 32 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, in December of 2023, Rodriguez was transported from New York to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, by unknown persons who provided him with false identifications and instructed him to make withdrawals form victim bank accounts. In exchange for doing so, Rodriguez was provided a steady supply of drugs. Rodriguez made a total of seven fraudulent withdrawals from victim bank accounts at various financial institutions throughout Lycoming, Tioga, and Centre Counties. Rodriguez successfully withdrew $42,000 before he was apprehended during the course of an attempted $8,000 withdrawal. The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Lycoming Regional Police Department, the Williamsport Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Pharmaceutical Executive Sentenced for Insider Trading

body_text: BOSTON – A former executive of a global pharmaceutical company was sentenced today in federal in Boston for earning more than $250,000 by trading on material non-public information. Dishant Gupta, 41, of Hillsborough, N.J., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to two months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. Gupta was also ordered to pay a fine of $20,000 and forfeiture of $260,078. In October 2024, Gupta pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud. Gupta worked as the Director of Strategy and Operations in the Boston office of a global pharmaceutical company (Company A). In the spring of 2022, during the course of his employment at Company A, Gupta learned that Company A was negotiating to acquire certain assets of a smaller pharmaceutical company based in Boston (Company B), including its leading cancer drug, and that Company A later agreed to acquire Company B outright. While in possession of this material non-public information, and in violation of his fiduciary duties to Company A, Gupta acquired shares of Company B in his own and his wife’s brokerage accounts – in an effort to profit from the eventual public announcement of the transaction. Gupta purchased more than 300,000 shares of Company B over approximately two and a half months. Gupta then sold all the shares he had acquired after Company A announced the acquisition of Company B, earning more than $250,000. The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil complaint against Gupta alleging violations of the securities laws. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Five Arrested in Second Federal Sweep Targeting Asian Boyz Gang for Alleged Drug Trafficking in Lowell

body_text: BOSTON – Four indictments were unsealed today if federal court in Boston charging a second wave of alleged members and associated of the Asian Boyz gang for their roles in a distribution network of homemade methamphetamine pills, branded as “Adderall.” The following five men were arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston later today: Sovath Yern, a/k/a “Stryke,” 35, of Billerica, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; Owen Landry, a/k/a “Oski,” 22, of Lowell, charged with one count was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, aiding and abetting; and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; Zachary Hansen, 29, of Lowell, charged with one count was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; Scott Fournier, a/k/a “S.G.,” 33, of Lowell, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; two counts of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine; and three counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; and Richard Nguyen, a/k/a “Cheese,” a/k/a “Cheeseburger,” 29, of Lowell, charged with two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine. An indictment has also been unsealed against a sixth man currently serving a state prison sentence who will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date: Isiah Lyons, a/k/a “Tank,” a/k/a “Rozay,” 29, of Lowell, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine. According to court records, today’s charges are a continuation of an investigation into the Asian Boyz gang that began in 2021 to disrupt the manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine pills impacting Lowell. It is alleged that a total of over 57,000 counterfeit Adderall pills, consisting of over 18 kilograms of a mixture or substance of methamphetamine, were seized from or purchased from the defendants named in the indictments unsealed today. Previously, in July 2023 , nine members and associates of the Asian Boyz were arrested and charged with conspiracies for drug trafficking and transferring illegal firearms, include machinegun conversion devices. Of the nine defendants, five have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. The charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine each provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine each provide for a sentence of at least five year and up to life in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Greg C. Hudon, Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Billerica, Haverhill, Methuen, North Andover and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN . The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $17,444,425 In Civil And Criminal Actions In Fiscal Year 2024

body_text: SCRANTON – Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus announced today that the Middle District of Pennsylvania collected $17,444,425 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $3,588,583 was collected in criminal actions and $13,855,841 was collected in civil actions . The Middle District of Pennsylvania also worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $5,108,801 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $16,233 was collected in criminal actions and $5,092,567 was collected in civil actions. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working for victims of crime and do what we can to make them whole,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus. “We collect restitution from convicted defendants on behalf of crime victims, we work to forfeit the ill-gotten gains that defendants obtain through illegal means, and we fight to get back money owed to taxpayers in criminal and civil cases. I am proud to say that we have collected millions of dollars over the last year for the taxpayers and for crime victims in our district.” The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. For example: Penn State Health is a multi-hospital system and offers Annual Wellness Visits which are reimbursable through Medicare. In 2023, Penn State Health made a self-disclosure to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office found that between December 1, 2015 and November 30, 2022, Penn State Health submitted claims for Annual Wellness Visits that were not supported by the wellness record. A settlement agreement was entered into in February 2024, in which Penn State health agreed to pay $11,712,336. Defendant Jimmy Tran owned and operated a small food market and convenience store, Asia Market, in Harrisburg, PA. The store was approved to participate in SNAP. From January 2017 – August 2020, the defendant traded SNAP benefits in exchange for cash. The total amount of SNAP benefits that were illegally exchanged for cash is $1,843,534.00. The payment of $299,174.60 was due to forfeiture/restoration. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $1,311,135 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. ###


title: Mexican National Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jose Luis Ramos, 56, of Michoacan, Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to five years in prison for conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, Ramos was intercepted on a wiretap coordinating the delivery of 10 pounds of methamphetamine in Southern California. Two pounds of that methamphetamine was ultimately seized by the FBI in Sacramento. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron L. Desmond and Alstyn Bennett prosecuted the case. Ramos’ co-defendant, Jesus Celaya, was sentenced on Oct. 10, 2024, to 73 months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Phoenix Woman Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Possession of a Machinegun and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Cynthia Solano, 40, of Phoenix, was sentenced this week by United States District Judge G. Murray Snow to 87 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release, for her involvement in a transnational firearm smuggling organization. On August 14, 2024, Solano pleaded guilty to Possession of a Machinegun and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Between February 2022 and January 2023, Solano conspired with others to conduct financial transactions which were designed to conceal proceeds generated from the sale of firearms trafficked from the United States into Canada. After the proceeds were received, Solano used the proceeds to purchase additional firearms. Beginning in late December 2022, Solano gathered 87 firearms in Phoenix which she intended to deliver to other members of the organization in Michigan. On January 3, 2023, Solano was driving near Springfield, Illinois when she was contacted by the Illinois State Police. The Illinois State Police troopers searched her vehicle and found 87 firearms, individually wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper. One of the firearms was equipped with a machinegun conversion device (also known as a “Switch”) attached. A machinegun conversion device converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm. After Solano was arraigned in Arizona, she was placed on pretrial release. She later removed her electronic monitoring device and fled to Mexico. Through the efforts of the United States Marshals’ Office, she was captured by law enforcement in Mexico and removed to the United States to face prosecution. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The OCDETF Arizona Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Arizona Army National Guard, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Pima County Sheriff’s Office, and the Scottsdale Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00408-PHX-GMS RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-012_Solano # # # 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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Assault on woman sends Browning man to prison for more than three years

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Browning man who admitted to beating and then using a belt to assault a woman on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today to three years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Briar Joseph Crawford, 29, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to assault with a dangerous weapon. Chief U.S District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that on Aug. 6, 2023, Crawford went to Glacier National Park go fishing with the victim, identified as Jane Doe. After consuming alcohol, Crawford and Doe argued, and the conflict escalated to Crawford assaulting Doe over several hours. At one point, Crawford removed his belt, wrapped it around Doe’s neck, grabbed it and lifted her weight off the ground until she blacked out. Doe suffered numerous injuries from the prolonged assault. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation. XXX


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced For Maintaining Drug Involved Premises

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JENNIE L. JAMES (“JAMES”) , age 67, a resident of Warren, Arkansas, was sentenced on January 28, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to maintaining a drug-involved premises, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 856(a)(1). JAMES was sentenced to twelve months and one day imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. According to court documents, JAMES maintained her residence, and assisted her son and co-defendant, Jerad M. Barrett, in using the residence to cultivate and distribute kilogram quantities of marijuana. Agents also located communications between JAMES and Barrett related to the distribution, packaging, and relocation of narcotics within the Eastern District of Louisiana. During the investigation, agents recovered approximately 940 kilograms of marijuana, stored in plastic bins and barrels, both from within the residence and other storage units. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana State Police, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Hudson County Man Charged With Online Enticement Of A Minor

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County man has been charged with enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual conduct, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced. Ryan Niksa, 34, of Jersey City, New Jersey, was charged in a one-count complaint with enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. He had an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court on January 29, 2025, and was ordered detained. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Since in or around August 2024, Niksa communicated with a minor victim located in another state through social media applications and text messages. Niksa and the minor victim exchanged sexually explicit photos and videos. Niksa expressed his desire to live with the minor victim, discussed traveling to the minor victim’s home state to be with her, and discussed running away with the minor victim to another country where they could evade law enforcement. Enticement of a minor carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine. Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez, with the investigation leading to the charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Thompson of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ### Defense counsel: Shaiba Rather, Assistant Federal Public Defender niksa.complaint.pdf


title: Austin Area Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years for Selling Counterfeit Pills

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: AUSTIN, Texas – A Del Valle man was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for distributing fake oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl. According to court documents, between May and June 2023, Gabriel Cecilio Osorio, 22, was investigated for distributing fentanyl-laced, fake oxycodone pills. As part of the investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration agents orchestrated two controlled purchases of pills from Osorio, resulting in the acquisition of 100 pills in the first transaction and 3,000 pills in the second. DEA obtained and executed a search warrant, and on June 22, 2023, Osorio was arrested outside of his residence with approximately 5,000 pills. Inside the home, agents found another 3,700 pills, a money counter, a digital scale, four firearms, and $45,701 in cash. In addition to the 10-year prison term, Osorio was ordered to forfeit $45,701.00, four firearms, and assorted jewelry that were seized during the search. “Gabriel Osorio's sentencing today continues this office's work to stem the tide in the greater Austin area of the illegal drug distribution of fake pharmaceutical pills containing fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Fentanyl poses a significant threat to communities across this district and the United States, and I am grateful to the many federal, state and local law enforcement agencies who join us in prioritizing these very serious drug crimes.” The DEA, Texas Department of Public Safety, the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office, Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgetown Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Castillo prosecuted the case. ###


title: Two Men Indicted for COVID Unemployment and Loan Fraud

body_text: BOSTON – Two men were arrested for allegedly submitting fraudulent information in an effort to obtain loans through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. Dominik Manigo, 25, of Weymouth, and Nelson Roche Diaz, 28, of Brockton, were indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of wire fraud conspiracy, and on one count each of wire fraud. Manigo and Roche appeared in federal court in Boston on Monday. According to the charging documents, in or about May 2020, Manigo and Roche allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for PUA on the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance portal. Further, Manigo and Roche allegedly submitted fraudulent letters claiming the pandemic had impacted their employment at a restaurant in Boston. Manigo and Roche each allegedly received over $43,000 in PUA and related funds. The charges of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Labor Racketeering and Fraud, Northeast Region; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Weymouth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: East St. Louis Woman Sentenced to Serve 10 Years in Prison for Transporting Controlled Substances to Pemiscot County

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Thursday sentenced Georgia R. Phillips, 49, of East St. Louis, Illinois, to 120 months (10 years) in federal prison for the offense of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. Court records reflect that Phillips was pulled over for a traffic violation on Interstate 55 in Pemiscot County last May. During the stop, officers discovered large quantities of controlled substances in her vehicle, including approximately four ounces of crack cocaine. After being placed under arrest, Phillips admitted she was traveling from East St. Louis to deliver the controlled substances to an individual in Hayti, Missouri. The pair met in prison while serving a previous sentence for a drug-trafficking crime. At her guilty plea hearing last year, Phillips admitted that she intended to distribute the controlled substances. After serving her sentence, Phillips will be placed on a three-year term of supervised release. This case was investigated by the Pemiscot County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the Government.


title: St. Louis County Felon Admits Gun Charge

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon caught video calling a jail inmate while displaying firearms pleaded guilty to a gun charge Thursday. In June of 2024, Bruce Donta Robinson, 28, contacted an inmate at a detention facility in Pulaski County, Illinois via video call. During the call, Robinson can be seen with what appeared to be two semi-automatic weapons. Robinson is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing firearms. He was also on supervised release from a prior gun crime at the time. After reviewing the video call, the FBI obtained a court-approved search warrant for Robinson’s St. Louis County residence. Agents found a loaded Polymer 80 semi-automatic pistol with no serial number and a large capacity magazine, a loaded Glock .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol with a laser attachment and a stolen Rock River Arms AR-15 pistol with a large capacity magazine. Robinson pleaded guilty to one felony count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charge carries a potential penalty of up to 15 years in prison. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce 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.