body_text: Today the Justice Department announced criminal charges against five high-ranking members of the United Cartels. Those charged are Juan Jose Farias Alvarez (“El Abuelo); Alfonso Fernandez Magallon (“Poncho”); Luis Enrique Barragan Chavez (“Wicho / R5”); Edgar Orozco Cabadas (“El Kamoni”); and Nicolas Sierra Santana (“El Gordo”). “Today’s charges are designed to dismantle the United Cartels and bring their leaders to justice for unleashing death and destruction on American citizens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Working closely with our partners throughout President Trump’s Administration, we will continue our historic effort to destroy foreign terror organizations and prosecute terrorists wherever they may hide.” “Today’s sanctions action draws further attention to the diverse, insidious ways the cartels engage in violent activities and exploit otherwise legitimate commerce,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Treasury, alongside our partners in U.S. law enforcement, will continue to target every effort by the cartels to generate revenue for their violent, criminal schemes.” “Today’s announcement marks a significant step in the Justice Department’s efforts to totally eliminate the United Cartels and bring its leaders to justice,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This investigation began in a small town in Middle America and led to clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in Michoacán, Mexico. It involved extraordinary policework by our partners, some of whom came under fire in a brazen shootout – underscoring the dangers law enforcement faces every day. This case demonstrates our relentless pursuit of cartel leaders who flood our communities with illegal drugs and terrorize citizens on both sides of the border with violence.” “Today, the Department of State is continuing to fulfill one of President Trump’s first promises when he took office — to stop the brutal criminals who are trafficking deadly drugs into our country,” said Senior Bureau Official Chris Landberg of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. “We are announcing reward offers totaling up to $26 million for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of Mexican narcotics traffickers associated with Cárteles Unidos, a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist.” “Today’s charges reflect the far-reaching impact of transnational criminal networks and the decisive action U.S. law enforcement is taking to dismantle them,” said Acting Executive Associate Director Derek W. Gordon for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. “The United Cartels are responsible for flooding our communities with dangerous narcotics and profiting through violence, extortion, and corruption. ICE HSI, in close coordination with domestic and international partners, led a years-long investigation that traced the cartel’s footprint from clandestine labs in Michoacán to major U.S. distribution hubs. This case underscores our commitment to holding cartel leaders accountable, wherever they operate and safeguarding public safety on both sides of the border.” “The United Cartels has flooded every corner of our country with deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “The indictments announced today exemplify the great work that can be achieved when federal, state, and local forces partner together to confront our greatest law enforcement challenges. What started out as an ordinary drug case in the Eastern District of Tennessee grew into a sprawling multinational investigation that will take down a transnational criminal organization precisely because law enforcement at all levels partnered together enthusiastically with mission-first single-mindedness. We are particularly grateful for our close partnerships with HSI Knoxville, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the 9th Judicial Task Force, and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, without which these results would have been impossible.” According to court documents, the United Cartels is a transnational criminal and drug trafficking organization that controls large areas of Michoacán, Mexico. Acting as an umbrella organization, it unites several Michoacán-based cartels to acquire, manufacture, and distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine for smuggling into the United States. Profits from U.S. drug sales are allegedly used to acquire heavy weaponry, hire mercenaries, bribe local officials, and fund lavish lifestyles for cartel leaders. The United Cartels is among the most prolific methamphetamine producers capable of manufacturing multiple tons every month. Its distribution network spans the United States, with hubs in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City (Mo.), Sacramento, California, Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago, and extends to Europe, Australia, and other regions. On Feb. 20 , the U.S. Department of State designated the United Cartels (Cárteles Unidos), as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, as amended. Court filings allege that Farias Alvarez serves as the top leader of the United Cartels, directing the importation of cocaine from Colombia via air and maritime routes, personally overseeing large shipments to the United States, and imposing a tax on methamphetamine and fentanyl producers operating in his territory. Los Reyes Cartel, allegedly led by Fernandez Magallon, is a Michoacán-based cartel that currently operates under the United Cartels umbrella. As alleged, Los Viagras Cartel, led by Sierra Santana, is another Michoacán-based cartel that until recently operated under the United Cartels umbrella. Orozco Cabadas and Barragan Chavez allegedly each lead armed factions of the United Cartels that enforce cartel control using assault weapons, improvised explosive devices, armed drones, armored vehicles, and foreign mercenaries. The five defendants allegedly participated in decades-long conspiracies to manufacture and distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, to be unlawfully imported into the United States. In addition, Farias Alvarez, Fernandez Magallon and Barragan Chavez are alleged to have carried, brandished, or discharged firearms, including semi-automatic weapons, machine guns, and destructive devices during and in relation to the alleged drug trafficking crimes charged in their indictments. If convicted, all five defendants face maximum penalties of life in prison. The five defendants are still fugitives. The U. S. Department of State announced today that it is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to Farias Alvarez’s arrest and/or conviction; a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Fernandez Magallon’s arrest and/or conviction; a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Sierra Santana’s arrest and/or conviction; a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to Barragan Chavez’s arrest and/or conviction; and a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to Orozco Cabadas’s arrest and/or conviction. Also today, the U. S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced economic sanctions against these five defendants, and the United Cartels (Cárteles Unidos) and Los Viagras as entities. Trial Attorneys Kirk Handrich and Roger Polack of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Quencer for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the cases. This case was the result of an investigation led by HSI-Knoxville within the Region 18 Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF). HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. The objective of the HSTFs is to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) throughout the United States, dismantle cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks, end the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking, with a particular focus on such offenses involving children, and ensure the use of all available law enforcement tools to faithfully execute the immigration laws of the United States. Valuable assistance in this matter was provided by HSI Mexico City, HSI Denver, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Fresno Field Division, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Tennessee 9th Judicial Drug Task Force. Additional assistance was provided by HSI Atlanta, HSI Laredo, HSI Outer Banks, HSI Houston, HSI San Diego, HSI Kansas City, DEA Bogota, HSI Bogota, HSI Las Vegas, HSI The Hague, FBI Kansas City, FBI St. Louis, FBI Sacramento, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and DEA Los Angeles. U. S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Western District of Missouri, the District of Colorado, the Eastern District of California, and the Northern District of Georgia also provided significant assistance in the investigation as part of the HSTFs and DOJ’s Operation Take Back America . *This press release was updated to include additional information about regarding HSTF and partners


title: New Hampshire Police Officer Arrested and Charged with Child Pornography Offense

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Police Officer for the Town of Seabrook, N.H., was arrested today for allegedly receiving child sexual abuse material. John Giarrusso, 49, of Haverhill, Mass., was charged with one count of receipt of child pornography. Giarrusso was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston at 2 p.m. today. According to the charging documents, on or about Oct. 16, 2024 through Oct. 17, 2024 Giarrusso knowingly received video files depicting child sexual abuse on Kik. It is alleged that the victims in these videos appeared to be between approximately five to 11 years old. Last month, Giarrusso was charged by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts with possession of child pornography and distribution of graphic sexual images to a minor. He is currently on bail for the state charges. The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime 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 and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Haverhill Police Department and Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: Four Men – Including Two Doctors – Charged in a $7 Million Illegal Opioid Distribution Conspiracy

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT - An indictment was unsealed today charging two doctors, the owner and operator of a medical clinic, and a patient recruiter with conspiring to illegally distribute prescription drugs, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., announced today. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Reuben Coleman, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, and Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office. Charged in the indictment are: Dr. Shakeeb Chinoy, 55, of Bloomfield Hills; Dr. Sunil Manjila-Varghese, 53, of Ann Arbor; Rommel Harvey, 43, of Detroit; and Gregory Sparks, 42, of Detroit. The indictment alleges that from November 2023 through June 2025, Dr. Chinoy conspired with Dr. Manjila, Harvey, Sparks, and others to issue thousands of opioid prescriptions for supposed “patients” who did not have a legitimate medical need for the drugs. The defendants’ conspiracy resulted in the illegal distribution of Oxycodone, Oxycodone-Acetaminophen (Percocet), Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen (Norco), Oxymorphone, and Promethazine with Codeine, which are among the most addictive and abused opioids that also have a high street value. The indictment further alleges that, Dr. Chinoy and Dr. Manjila issued prescriptions for more than 400,000 dosage units of Schedule II opioids with a conservative street value of more than $7 million. Medicare and Medicaid programs were also fraudulently billed for over $1 million in medically unnecessary prescription drug medications and maintenance medications during this conspiracy. “Doctors take an oath to do no harm and to care for others. These doctors and professionals broke that oath to fill their pockets and used their respected positions of trust to push addictive opiods. They are drug dealers in white coats,” Gorgon said. "Today's indictment of four individuals for their alleged roles in conspiracy to illegally distribute prescription drugs reflects the FBI's unyielding efforts to investigate and disrupt those who violate federal law," said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Exploiting the well-being of our community and the healthcare system for personal gain will not be tolerated. The alleged actions betray public trust and divert critical resources. I also want to thank the members from our FBI Detroit Field Office and federal partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General for their continued work to uncover and dismantle these illegal schemes." “Physicians who exploit their position of trust by overprescribing dangerous opioids for profit place lives at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working together with our law enforcement partners, our agency will not hesitate to investigate and bring to justice those who choose greed over legitimate patient care.” This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Lievense and Darrin Crawford. The Eastern District of Michigan is one of the twelve districts included in the Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit, a Department of Justice initiative that uses data to target and prosecute individuals that are contributing to the nation’s opioid crisis. The case was investigated by special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Gunman for Seven Inside-Job Robberies at Chinatown Walgreens Sentenced to 16.5 Years in Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Kamanye Williams, 26, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 198 months in federal prison for his role as the gunman in seven inside-job robberies of a Walgreens drug store in the District’s Chinatown neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Williams pleaded guilty on March 11 to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery) and pleaded guilty to two counts of using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and aiding and abetting. In addition to the 198-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb ordered Williams to serve five years of supervised release and to pay $7,245.75 in restitution. Joining in the announcement were FBI Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the Washington Field Office Criminal Division and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Williams, Gianni Robinson, and Walgreen’s store managers Michael Robinson and London Teeter committed the inside-job robberies during a nearly eight-month period.on July 18, 2023, Aug. 2, 2023, Sept. 2, 2023, Nov. 10, 2023, Dec. 4, 2023, Jan. 9, 2024, and Feb. 11, 2024. In total, the co-conspirators stole at least $28,983.00 from the Chinatown Walgreens at 7 th and H Streets, NW. The robberies stopped Feb. 11, 2024, when Williams was shot in the chest by a Special Police Officer. Each robbery followed the same modus operandi . A masked gunman entered the store in the evening as cash was transported, or had already been transported, to the Manager’s Office. The gunman either forced an employee to enter the code to the Manager’s Office or accessed the office themselves by entering the code. The gunman robbed whichever employees were present in the Manager’s Office and fled the store through the rear exit. Michael Robinson and Teeter took turns pretending to be the “victim” manager on duty, knowing that the robberies would be captured on internal surveillance footage and later scrutinized by law enforcement. Text messages show the co-conspirators worked to make the robberies look authentic. Gianni Robinson and Williams discussed that Teeter no longer play the role of “victim” unless Williams pretended to assault her. Williams brazenly claimed that he wanted to “go in violently now, I’m tired of this not hitting what we supposed to hit.” Gianni Robinson indicated that his “unc” (Michael Robinson) was prepared to be the victim and be “smack[ed] out” during the robbery. Prior to some of the robberies, Michael Robinson provided Williams with insider knowledge, telling him the number of armed security guards that would be present at a given time, which employees had the code to the Manager’s Office, when cash would enter the Manager’s Office, and the best times to perform a robbery. On Feb. 11, 2024, at approximately 6:28 p.m., an armed Special Police Officer (SPO) was escorting Michael Robinson to the Manager’s Office while carrying cash from the day. As Michael Robinson was unlocking the Manager’s Office, Williams came up and held a gun against the SPO and threatened to kill him. Michael Robinson, Williams, and the SPO entered the Manager’s Office and Williams took the SPO’s handgun. After putting the cash in his bag, Williams attempted to leave the Manager’s Office but a second armed SPO arrived and fired once at Williams, striking him in the chest. Williams was then taken to the hospital. Williams previously was convicted in 2021 in D.C. Superior Court of carrying a pistol without a license following a car-to-car shootout in Northeast that left two men injured and one of them paralyzed. In that case, Williams was sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act to one year of supervised probation. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin with assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Song and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Svetoslavov. 24cr96


title: Baltimore Recidivist Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Firearm and Ammunition by Convicted Felon

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Ethan King, 20, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person and was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD). According to the guilty plea, on February 7, 2024, law enforcement observed surveillance video of King, a previously convicted felon, entering a Baltimore convenience store. While inside the store, King purchased a Glock 19 handgun equipped with an extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device from another individual. Then on March 15, law enforcement recovered the Glock 19 handgun during a search of King’s residence. When law enforcement recovered the firearm, it was equipped with an extended magazine loaded with 31 rounds of 9mm ammunition and a machinegun conversion device. Machinegun conversion devices, also known as “Glock switches,” are designed to convert a semi-automatic Glock-style pistol into a fully automatic firearm. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, ATF, and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Tsuei who prosecuted this case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach .


title: Stamford Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Narcotics

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that DANNY TURKVAN, also known as “Smooth” 54, of Stamford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 46 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics in southwestern Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stamford Police Department identified Rodney Canada, also known as “Supreme,” as the leader of a drug trafficking organization that was distributing large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine in Stamford and elsewhere in southwestern Connecticut. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Canada and others coordinated the street level distribution of narcotics through Turkvan and others. Turkvan, Canada, and several other members of the conspiracy were arrested federally on May 14, 2024. On that date, investigators conducted court-authorized searches at locations in Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport, and Darien, and seized approximately three kilograms of cocaine, nearly 400 grams of raw fentanyl, more than 500 bags of fentanyl, five firearms, a bulletproof vest, and seven vehicles. On April 11, 2025, Turkvan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Turkvan, who is released on a $150,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 16. Canada has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing. This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the Stamford Police Department, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Connecticut State Police, and the Norwalk, Danbury, and Darien Police Departments. The DEA HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford, and Danbury Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia Stolfi Collins and Geoffrey M. Stone through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: MARIANNA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE METHAMPHETAMINE

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Erik Gammons, 42, of Marianna, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday, August 8, 2025, to Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing Methamphetamine and 500 Grams or More of Cocaine. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Methamphetamine addiction destroys lives and ravages communities throughout North Florida, but this trafficker’s days of distributing this poison are over. My office is committed to fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by aggressively pursuing and prosecuting drug traffickers, and I deeply appreciate the outstanding work of our federal and state law enforcement partners to keep deadly drugs off our streets.” Court documents reflect that on May 5, 2025, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in Marianna, Florida. Gammons was an occupant of the vehicle. Law enforcement located approximately 1,798 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 568 grams of cocaine in the vehicle, as well as other items indicative of Gammons’ intent to distribute the narcotics. Gammons faces up to life imprisonment, and a lifetime term of supervision upon release. The case involved a joint investigation by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica S. Etherton and Eric W. Welch. Sentencing is scheduled for October 23, 2025, at 3:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark Walker. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Defendants Charged In Over $200 Million Water Vending Machine Ponzi Scheme And Related Investment Fraud

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton; Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington, Teal Luthy Miller; Inspector in Charge of the New York Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), Daniel Brubaker; and Special Agent in Charge of the Seattle Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), W. Mike Herrington, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment and Superseding Indictment. The first Indictment charges RYAN WEAR, the former owner and operator of Water Station Management LLC (“Water Station”), with securities and wire fraud in connection with WEAR raising more than $200 million from investors by selling them water vending machines that, in many cases, did not exist, and paying promised returns through new investor money. The second, Superseding Indictment charges JORDAN CHIRICO, a former fund portfolio manager and investment adviser, with investment adviser fraud in connection with purchasing more than $100 million of Water Station bonds while concealing his personal financial stake in the company and, eventually, his knowledge of the fraud that had been perpetrated by WEAR. Together, the defendants’ conduct caused hundreds of millions of dollars in losses to Water Station investors and bondholders. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon. “Ryan Wear raised hundreds of millions of dollars through false promises of a water vending machine business that became nothing more than a scam that victimized retail investors, including military veterans,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said. “Jordan Chirico made matters worse by putting his own financial interests before his professional duties, investing clients’ money in Water Station—helping himself and hurting his investors—even after he knew it was a scam. One fraud does not excuse another. With the assistance of our dedicated law enforcement partners and our colleagues throughout the Department of Justice, this Office will continue to aggressively pursue financial frauds on Wall Street and Main Street.” “From the relatively small city of Everett, Washington, to the major financial markets in New York, this fraud scheme had a broad reach,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. “We appreciate our partnership with the Southern District of New York on this investigation.” “The greed and deception of this Ponzi scheme has resulted in the same way they have throughout history, with unwitting investors seeing their hard-earned money grossly misused, and the scammers arrested and held accountable for their crimes,” said USPIS Inspector in Charge Daniel Brubaker. “Postal Inspectors, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate and disrupt criminals from defrauding the American public.” “The scale of this fraud, which resulted in at least $200 million in losses, is simply staggering,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington. “And the deception and obfuscation these two men allegedly engaged in to siphon funds from retail investors, even U.S. military veterans, is absolutely unconscionable. FBI Seattle is committed to working with our law enforcement partners throughout Washington state and the nation to hold accountable those who abuse investors’ trust and defraud them of their hard-earned savings.” According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and Superseding Indictment unsealed today: [1] WEAR operated Water Station as a fraudulent investment scheme, deceiving investors about the nature and profitability of the purported business. He raised over $200 million from retail investors and military veterans through multiple fraudulent solicitations, initially claiming that each investment of $8,500 would fund individual water machines generating passive income. He later raised capital through bonds falsely claimed to be collateralized by numerous water vending machines. WEAR perpetuated the fraud by manufacturing far fewer water machines than represented, selling the same machines to multiple investors, and claiming machines existed when they did not. The deployed machines failed to generate the revenue promised by WEAR. To satisfy questioning investors, WEAR operated a Ponzi-like scheme, using new investor funds to pay earlier investors while siphoning off millions to expand his traditional vending machine business and cover personal expenses. When he could no longer raise sufficient funds, Water Station was forced into bankruptcy in August 2024, causing at least $200 million in investor losses. CHIRICO engaged in a scheme to defraud 3|5|2 Capital ABS Master Fund LP (the “352 Fund”), an investment fund that was part of Jefferies Financial Group’s Leucadia Asset Management. As a portfolio manager entrusted with hundreds of millions in investors’ funds, CHIRICO breached his fiduciary duties by causing the 352 Fund to invest almost $100 million in what he came to learn was a Ponzi scheme while concealing his personal financial stake in Water Station. CHIRICO had a significant personal investment in Water Station, holding a joint venture partnership worth over $7 million. When Water Station needed a capital infusion, the company launched a $70 million bond issuance in April 2022. CHIRICO invested millions of the 352 Fund’s assets without fully disclosing his personal stake in Water Station, his monthly payments exceeding $90,000 from Water Station, or the $1.6 million he had received from referring friends and family members to invest in the company. After investing the 352 Fund’s money, CHIRICO sold his interests back to Water Station without disclosing that he was being paid with bond proceeds originating from, among others, the 352 Fund and its investors. CHIRICO also deliberately omitted other conflicts that jeopardized the fund’s investment, including millions of dollars that WEAR and Water Station owed CHIRICO in loan and note repayments. By summer of 2023, CHIRICO learned of serious issues at Water Station, including the inability to locate thousands of water machines supposedly collateralizing the bonds. Rather than alert investors, CHIRICO—who was personally owed more than $1 million by WEAR—prioritized his own repayment. In January 2024, WEAR admitted to CHIRICO that thousands of machines collateralizing the bonds did not exist, and that WEAR had misappropriated tens of millions of dollars in bond proceeds. Despite learning of this fraud—which another Water Station investor described to WEAR and CHIRICO as “the largest franchise fraud case in the history of the United States”—CHIRICO did not disclose Water Station’s problems to the 352 Fund or its investors. Instead, CHIRICO directed the 352 Fund to buy another $19 million of additional Water Station-issued bonds, some of the proceeds of which WEAR used to repay CHIRICO. From April 2022 to February 2024, CHIRICO received from WEAR and Water Station more than $11 million in joint venture earnings, buyouts, and loan and note repayments. The 352 Fund has not received any principal payments on $106.925 million of Water Station bonds, for which CHIRICO caused the fund and its affiliates to pay almost $100 million. * * * WEAR, 49, of Everett, Washington, is charged with one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. CHIRICO, 41, of Carmel, Indiana, is charged with one count of investment adviser fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the USPIS, FBI, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for their assistance and cooperation in the investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam S. Hobson and Justin V. Rodriguez, along with Dane Westermeyer of the Western District of Washington, are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment and Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. u.s._v._wear_indictment_-_copy.pdf u.s._v._chirico_indictment.pdf [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and Superseding Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment and Superseding Indictment constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: North Carolina Man Who Embezzled $306,000 from St. Louis County Company Admits Defrauding Second Employer

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Thursday sentenced a man who embezzled a total of $501,000 from two companies to 30 months in prison and ordered him to repay the money. Judge Pitlyk ordered Scott H. Foster, 49, of Charlotte, North Carolina to repay $306,199 to the St. Louis County company where he worked as a mid-level executive in human resources. Foster pleaded guilty in February to one count of wire fraud and admitted manipulating the human resources systems to create an employee account for his paramour. Foster triggered wages and benefits totaling more than $273,000 to be paid to his paramour over nearly five years, until Foster was terminated in December 2022. He also used a corporate American Express card to pay for more than $33,000 in personal travel for himself, his paramour and other friends and acquaintances. “Rather than learn from his crimes,” a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow says, Foster’s conduct became “more manipulative and egregious.” After Foster’s guilty plea, the U.S. Attorney’s Office was contacted by a non-profit children’s hospital where Foster had been working since June 2023. After learning about the guilty plea, they investigated and discovered Foster had fraudulently used hospital credit cards for unauthorized personal expenses and travel, the memo says. Foster, who had received a $20,000 relocation bonus to move to the hospital's area after being hired, instead stayed in Charlotte and used hospital credit cards to pay for airfare and lodging to commute to his job. He also used these credit cards for personal travel, and to pay for first-class air travel to St. Louis and a hotel stay when he pleaded guilty in February. Foster’s embezzlement from the hospital did not stop even after he learned he was being investigated for the embezzlement from his first employer. Judge Pitlyk on Thursday ordered Foster to pay $194,855 to the hospital. “Scott Foster absolutely belongs in prison—not just to answer for stealing from two different employers, but to stop him from preying on another one,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “After being fired from his first company and before he could be charged, Foster took a job at a children’s hospital—where he stole again. Employee theft is one of the most common white-collar crimes the FBI investigates, and it destroys trust from the inside. Businesses must protect themselves with strict internal controls, routine audits, and a clear line of sight on every dollar. " The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.


title: St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 107 Months in Prison for Five Bank Robberies and One Attempted Robbery

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a man who committed five bank robberies and one attempted robbery to 107 months in prison. Derrick Snulligan, now 62, of Velda Village Hills, handed a note demanding money to the teller of a bank in Northwoods, Missouri on April 18, 2023. He returned to the same bank and did the same thing on Aug. 28, 2023. On Oct. 13, 2023, he tried a third time, but a teller activated an alarm and told Snulligan to leave. In each robbery, Snulligan was wearing a mask. On June 24, 2024, his notes became more threatening. He handed a note to a Hazelwood credit union employee that read, “I[f] you don’t want to get hurt, go in your drawer and give me 6-one hundred dollar bills, 4-fifty dollar bills, 10-ten dollar bills, and 20-5 dollar bills as quickly as possible,” his plea agreement says. The teller handed cash to Snulligan, who fled. Three days later, Snulligan handed a note to the teller of a St. Louis credit union demanding money. That same day, he committed a similar robbery at a Florissant credit union. His note read, “If you don’t want to get shot I suggest you go in your drawer and give me 30 one hundred dollar bill[s], 20 fifty dollar bills, 30, 20 dollar bills and 40, 10 dollar bills as quickly as possible.” After the final two robberies, Snulligan fled in a blue Buick Encore. Investigators traced the vehicle to Snulligan, who admitted committing the robberies, and seized some of the stolen money from him. He repaid the rest of the money before sentencing. “Derrick Snulligan terrorized bank employees who feared for their lives,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Today’s sentence delivers justice for the trauma he caused.” Snulligan, who is also known as Derrick Jackson, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in March to five counts of bank robbery. The FBI, the Florissant Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Northwoods Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Justice Department Announces Seizure of Over $2.8 Million in Cryptocurrency, Cash, and other Assets

component: Criminal Division

body_text: The Department of Justice unsealed six warrants yesterday in the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Central District of California, and the Northern District of Texas authorizing the seizure of over $2.8 million in cryptocurrency, $70,000 in cash, and a luxury vehicle. All of the cryptocurrency was seized from a cryptocurrency wallet controlled by Ianis Aleksandrovich Antropenko, who is charged by indictment in the Northern District of Texas for conspiring to commit computer fraud and abuse, computer fraud and abuse, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. As alleged in the indictment, Antropenko used Zeppelin ransomware to target and attack a wide range of individuals, businesses, and organizations worldwide, including in the United States. Specifically, Antropenko and his coconspirators would encrypt and exfiltrate the victim’s data, and typically demand a ransom payment to decrypt the victim’s data, refrain from publishing it, or to arrange the data’s deletion. As alleged in the unsealed warrants, the cryptocurrency and other assets are proceeds of (or were involved in laundering the proceeds of) ransomware activity. Those assets were laundered in various ways, including by using the cryptocurrency mixing service ChipMixer, which was taken down in a coordinated international operation in 2023. Antropenko also laundered cryptocurrency by exchanging cryptocurrency for cash and depositing the cash in structured cash deposits. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson for the Northern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Dominique Evans of the FBI Norfolk Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Dallas Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Dallas and Norfolk Field Offices and the Virtual Assets Unit are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Benjamin Bleiberg of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jongwoo “Daniel” Chung for the Northern District of Texas are handling the case, with assistance for the forfeiture provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elyse Lyons for the Northern District of Texas. Significant assistance has also been provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Kosky and Kevin Hudson for the Eastern District of Virginia. CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals and obtained court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds. CCIPS and its partners have also disrupted multiple ransomware groups, preventing victims from having to pay over $200 million in ransom payments. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former High School Coach Pleads Guilty to Attempted Enticement of a Minor

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – Kenneth Wayne Mulkey, a former high school teacher and coach in Sabinal, pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. According to court documents, on Oct. 11, 2024, Kenneth Wayne Mulkey, 43, used the social media application Snapchat to ask another user for their age, sex and location. After the user identified themselves as a 14-year-old boy living in Orlando, Florida, Mulkey stated that he was a 40-year-old football and track coach. Mulkey then requested a sexually explicit photo of the minor. According to the geolocation information contained within Mulkey’s cell phone, Mulkey was within 40 meters of Sabinal High School at the time he sent these initial messages. The following day, Mulkey sent a sexually graphic photo of himself to the user. Mulkey asked questions and volunteered information to the minor that was sexually explicit in nature. He was arrested Jan. 31. Mulkey faces 10 years to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orlando and the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nallely Duarte and Ekua Assabill are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Defendant in Anchorage drug trafficking conspiracy pleads guilty

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man pleaded guilty last week to conspiring with others to traffic fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin in Alaska on behalf of a drug trafficking organization allegedly run by a California inmate . According to court documents, on March 23, 2023, Richard Frye, 36, and co-conspirator Tiffani Couch, 31, drove their other co-conspirator Anna Petla, 25, to the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and dropped her off for departure. Petla entered the airport and attempted to board a flight to Sand Point. Law enforcement officials contacted her inside the airport, searched the backpack she was carrying and discovered nearly 3,000 blue fentanyl pills. Petla also possessed over 80 grams of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officials subsequently contacted Frye and Couch as they waited in their vehicle outside the departure area and detained both. Officers searched the vehicle and found over 500 blue fentanyl pills and over 40 grams of other controlled substances. On June 9, 2023, law enforcement officials contacted Frye and Couch during a traffic stop in Anchorage. Officers searched the vehicle and recovered roughly 1,400 blue fentanyl pills, over 12 grams of other controlled substances and two loaded ammunition magazines. Frye possessed the controlled substances that police seized in March and June 2023 with the intent to distribute them to people in Alaska on behalf of the drug trafficking organization. Law enforcement officials arrested Frye and Couch following the traffic stop on June 9. When Frye was booked into custody at the Anchorage Correctional Complex, staff found a suspicious mass in Frye’s stomach during a body scan. It was later determined that before his arrest, Frye ingested fentanyl and suboxone wrapped in cellophane and condoms with the intent to distribute these substances inside the correctional facility. Frye posted bail and was released but was ordered detained again following a bail hearing in state court on June 23, 2023. On June 25, 2023, correctional officers discovered Frye attempted to body carry roughly 70 suboxone strips into the detention facility with the intent to distribute them inside the facility. Court documents also explain that between December 2022 and March 2023, Frye used a digital money transferring service to send 34 transfers totaling over $8,800 to a co-conspirator’s account. During the same time frame, Frye received nine transfers totaling over $1,000 from the same co-conspirator. Frye is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13, 2025, and faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Co-defendants in this case are as follows: Couch, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty on May 9, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Couch is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 22, 2026. Petla, of Dillingham, pleaded guilty on June 4, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Petla is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 16, 2025. U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford of the District of Oregon made the announcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska has been recused from this case with the exception of certain personnel. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. Clymer from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York has been appointed as Special Attorney to the United States Attorney General to assist with this and other recused cases. He reports to and acts under the direction of the Deputy Attorney General, or his delegee, or U.S. Attorney Bradford in these cases. Special Attorney Clymer supervises personnel from the District of Alaska who have been exempted from the recusal. The Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Division Office and Anchorage District Office, FBI Anchorage Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation Seattle Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Seattle Division and Anchorage Domicile, Homeland Security Investigations Anchorage, Alaska Office, Alaska State Troopers and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephan Collins, Chris Schroeder and Alana Weber are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Rhode Island Businessman Convicted a Second Time on Tax Charges

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Rhode Island businessman was convicted on tax charges today for a second time, admitting that in this most recent matter he failed to pay more than $1.3 million in taxes, penalties, fees, and interest owed to the IRS dating back to tax years 2007 – 2013, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Under the terms of a plea agreement filed with the court, William N. L’Europa, 60, of Cranston, entered a guilty plea today to a charge of tax evasion and he is required to pay restitution to the IRS totaling $1,367,336.08 no later than the date of sentencing in this matter. L’Europa is scheduled to be sentenced on November 12, 2025. In 2012, L’Europa and a business partner were convicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and filing a false tax return. They admitted to the court that they underreported business receipts for tax years 2007-2010, resulting in the underpayment of federal taxes to the Internal Revenue Service of more than $500,000. In January 2013, L’Europa was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison and ordered to file accurate, amended federal tax returns for tax years 2007 – 2011, and to pay all taxes due the IRS. Court documents reflect that in March 2019, L’Europa submitted documentation to the IRS falsely indicating that he had little or no income. As a result, the IRS did not pursue collections of taxes due at that time. Further, in 2022 L’Europa signed an Offer in Compromise to lower his liability for taxes owed for calendar years 2007-2013, knowing that he was understating his actual personal income. The IRS determined that, in fact, L’Europa manipulated the finances and business records for a business for which he worked to have it under report his income and conceal his personal expenditures, including over $10,000 on a motorcycle, $100,000 to discharge a debt owed the State of Rhode Island, $12,000 downpayment on a new truck for his wife, and other personal expenditures paid for through the use of a business credit card paid off with funds from business accounts. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah. The matter was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI. The sentences imposed in this matter will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. ###


title: Texas Mexican Mafia Leader Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison

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

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A Texas Mexican Mafia gang leader was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison for his role in a meth trafficking conspiracy. According to court documents, David Botello, aka Torito, aka Bully, aka Bully-Man, 54, of San Antonio, was a “lieutenant of lieutenants” in the Texas Mexican Mafia throughout the course of a Drug Enforcement Administration-led investigation that began in July 2020. On or about July 28, 2020, Botello was arrested by San Antonio Police during a traffic stop after officers discovered he was driving without a license. Botello was also found to be in possession of approximately 150 grams of methamphetamine, nine new cell phones, and $585. Further investigation revealed Botello was conspiring with other members of the Texas Mexican Mafia to possess and distribute large quantities of methamphetamine. On April 21, 2021, Botello was charged in three counts of a 14-count indictment that included 11 co-defendants. Along with two charges related to meth trafficking, Botello was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. He had previously been convicted for murder and aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Botello pleaded guilty on Dec. 11, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. “This investigation demonstrates our office's commitment to dismantling criminal organizations in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “As a leader of the Texas Mexican Mafia, Botello was responsible for the distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine in San Antonio, enriching himself and his fellow gang members to the detriment of so many of our fellow citizens. We are thankful for the outstanding collaboration of our federal, state and local partners in this case, which coalesced around the common cause of bringing this murderer and gang member to justice. In the Western District of Texas, this is what we do.” The DEA, FBI, San Antonio Police Department’s Gang Unit, Bexar County Sheriff’s Department, Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Criminal Justice-Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Yuen prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). ###


title: Mexican Citizen Living Illegally in Charleston Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Immigration Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Julio Cesar Ruiz-Perez, 21, a citizen of Mexico living illegally in Charleston, pleaded guilty today to possession of a counterfeit Social Security card with the intent to defraud the United States and was sentenced to time served. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has an immigration detainer on Ruiz-Perez so he can be transferred to ICE administrative custody for removal proceedings. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 11, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Charleston residence and encountered Ruiz-Perez. ICE agents confirmed that Ruiz-Perez is a citizen of Mexico and in the United States illegally. Officers found a counterfeit Social Security card in his name during the search. Ruiz-Perez has no legal identification documents permitting him legal status in the United States. Ruiz-Perez possessed the fake Social Security card to verify fraudulently that he is eligible to work in the United States. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case as part of a special unit within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia focused on the immigration enforcement objectives of Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-86. ###


title: FORMER INKSTER MAYOR SENTENCED TO 2 YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR DEMANDING $100,000 IN BRIBES

body_text: DETROIT – The former mayor of the City of Inkster was sentenced to 24 months in prison by United States District Judge Linda V. Parker, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced today. Patrick Wimberly, 51, of Inkster, pleaded guilty last September to demanding $100,000 in bribe payments. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Wimberly served as the mayor of the City of Inkster, Michigan, from 2019 through 2023. In the spring of 2022, Wimberly demanded $100,000 in cash payments to facilitate the sale of property owned by the City (referred to as “Parcel 1”) to an outside party (referred to as “Person A”). Over several months, Person A provided Wimberly with monthly cash bribes to secure the purchase of this property. The monthly payments started at $5,000 but the parties agreed to eventually increase that amount. Person A did not move to increase the bribe payments immediately, leading Wimberly to complain that he was due “10 a month.” As requested, Person A then increased the monthly payments to $10,000. In total, Person A provided $50,000 in cash to Wimberly for the purpose of winning the bid for Parcel 1. The Federal Bureau of Investigation intervened before the property could be transferred to Person A. “We know that an honest leader gives stability to his city and one who is greedy for bribes tears it down. Mr. Wimberly dishonored his office so that he could line his pockets. And we will not let crooked politicians undermine our local government,” said US Attorney Gorgon. "The sentencing of Patrick Wimberly, the former Mayor of the City of Inkster, sends a clear and powerful message that no one is above the law,” said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. "Public Corruption erodes the very foundation of our democracy, and the FBI in Michigan remains steadfast in protecting our community from those who abuse positions of trust. I would like to thank the dedicated members from our FBI Detroit Area Corruption Task Force for their thorough investigative work, along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan for their successful prosecution of this case. The FBI will continue to investigate any allegations of criminal misconduct to ensure that justice is served, and the public’s trust is preserved.” The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Area Corruption Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton P. Brown


title: Seattle Woman Indicted for Murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent in Vermont

body_text: A federal grand jury in the District of Vermont returned a four-count superseding indictment today charging Teresa Youngblut, 21, of Seattle, with the murder of a Border Patrol agent, the assault of two additional agents with a deadly weapon, and related firearms offenses. “As alleged, this defendant shot and killed a United States Border Patrol Agent while he was performing his duties,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We will not stand for such attacks on the men and women who protect our communities and our borders.” “The United States Attorney’s Office intends to continue to honor the men and women of law enforcement, and the memory of Border Patrol Agent Maland, by performing its prosecutorial duties so that justice may be done,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher for the District of Vermont. “The murder of a federal agent is more than a tragic loss,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “It’s an attack on the security of our nation and the safety of our communities. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not rest until those responsible are held accountable. We are all steadfast in our mission to curb violence that endangers both public servants and the citizens we are sworn to protect." According to court documents, on the afternoon of Jan. 20. a U.S. Border Patrol agent conducted a traffic stop of a Toyota Prius on Interstate 91 in Coventry, Vermont. Youngblut and a male German citizen – whose immigration status was in question – were in the car. Days earlier, law enforcement had taken note of Youngblut and her companion when a hotel employee reported that they were wearing tactical gear and appeared to be armed. The same day of the shooting, officers had observed the pair at a parking lot in Newport, Vermont, where the German citizen was seen wrapping unknown objects in aluminum foil. Court documents allege that during the Jan. 20 vehicle stop, both Youngblut and her companion were armed. Youngblut exited the vehicle and, without warning, opened fire, resulting in the death of one of the agents. For the current charges, the maximum penalty is death, and Attorney General Pamela Bondi has authorized and directed the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Vermont to pursue capital punishment in this case. Consistent with that authorization and direction, the Acting U.S. Attorney has filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty against Youngblut. The FBI Albany Field Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Vermont State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in coordination with Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, the Newport Police Department, and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department. Trial Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Dennis Robinson of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher for the District of Vermont 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: Man Sentenced to 360 Months in Prison for Child Exploitation

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Today, United States District Court Judge María Antongiorgi-Jordan sentenced Lionel Albino Galindo to 360 months (30 years) in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, for child exploitation. Albino Galindo, 53, of Vega Alta, PR, was indicted on April 19, 2024, and convicted on six counts of child exploitation on March 11, 2025, after a five‑day jury trial. The jury found Lionel Albino Galindo guilty of one count of coercion and enticement of a minor; one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; one count of sexual exploitation of children; one count for receipt of child pornography; one count for possession of child pornography; and one count of transfer of obscene material to a minor. The charging documents alleged that Lionel Albino Galindo sexually exploited a 13-year-old female minor from February 2024 throughout March 19, 2024. During trial, the government presented evidence that proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Albino Galindo knowingly transported the female minor to engage in sexual activity on several occasions and produced visual depictions of such conduct. The evidence also proved the defendant received child pornography from the female minor and sent obscene material to the minor. In perpetrating his crimes, the defendant used a cellular phone as well as internet instant messaging services, to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce the 13-year-old female minor, to engage in sexual activity, which includes the production of child pornography. U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement. The FBI investigated the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Jenifer Y. Hernández Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit and AUSA Emelina Agrait Barreto prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. ###


title: Manteca Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison His Role in Murder-for-Hire Plot

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jagninder Singh Boparai, 49, of Manteca, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to nine years in prison for conspiring to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. “This defendant met on five separate occasions with a person he thought to be a hitman and provided payments for the services he desired in order to ‘teach a lesson’ to two of his enemies,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. “Fortunately, there was no hitman, and today’s sentence teaches a lesson that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will use all its tools to bring to justice those who endanger the safety of the public.” “The FBI has a zero tolerance for violent crimes and will take action to prevent assaults and homicides from happening,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the Sacramento Field Office. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for their support and collaboration that ensured both the safety of the victims and a successful outcome to a critical investigation.” According to court documents, Boparai conspired with Ramesh Kumar Birla Jr., 47, of Dublin, and Shaminderjit Singh Sandhu, 51, of Tracy, to murder a man with whom they had a dispute. In February 2023, Boparai met with a person he believed to be a hitman at a Starbucks in Manteca. Unbeknownst to Boparai and his co-defendants, throughout their interactions, the hitman was a confidential informant working for the FBI. Boparai told the supposed hitman that the first job involved the assault of another man with whom the defendants were feuding. Once the hitman proved his trustworthiness, he would be given another job. According to court documents, the following day, Boparai met the confidential informant again and offered to pay $6,000 for the assault. In March 2023, in the presence of Birla and another individual, Boparai met with the confidential informant, and Boparai gave the confidential informant $1,000 as a down payment for the assault. After more time had passed, the confidential informant showed Boparai a staged photo of the supposed assault victim lying on the ground covered in bruises, dirt, and blood to indicate the assault had occurred. Boparai said he liked the photo and told the confidential informant that he had two other “jobs,” one of which involved robbing a business, and the other involved making a person “disappear.” According to court documents, in March 2023, Boparai met with the confidential informant to pay the confidential informant $10,000 as a down payment for the murder for hire job. Sandhu provided the second victim’s address, and Boparai instructed the confidential informant that the victim must disappear without any evidence remaining. On March 24, 2023, Sandhu and Birla met with the confidential informant in a parking lot in Manteca. Sandhu and Birla claimed that Boparai was out of town, but Boparai was observed by surveillance remaining in a car in the same parking lot. Sandhu and Birla instructed the confidential informant to kill the victim and take his remains to Mexico in a suitcase. All three defendants were arrested on March 31, 2023, and are currently in federal custody. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Highway Patrol, the Ceres Police Department, the Dublin Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Lathrop Police Department, the Modesto Police Department, the San Joaquin County Probation Office, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office, the Stockton Police Department, the Tracy Police Department, the Turlock Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrian T. Kinsella and Kevin Khasigian are prosecuting the case. Sandhu pleaded guilty to the same charge on July 31, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13, 2025, by Judge Calabretta. Sandhu faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 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. Charges are pending against Birla, and he is scheduled for a status conference on Oct. 23, 2025. If convicted, he faces the same penalties as Sandhu. The charges against Birla are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – A federal grand jury in the District of Vermont returned a four-count superseding indictment today charging Teresa Youngblut, 21, of Seattle, Washington, with the murder of a Border Patrol agent, the assault of two additional agents with a deadly weapon, and related firearms offenses. “As alleged, this defendant shot and killed a United States Border Patrol Agent while he was performing his duties,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We will not stand for such attacks on the men and women who protect our communities and our borders.” “The United States Attorney’s Office intends to continue to honor the men and women of law enforcement, and the memory of Border Patrol Agent Maland, by performing its prosecutorial duties so that justice may be done,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher for the District of Vermont. “The murder of a federal agent is more than a tragic loss,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “It’s an attack on the security of our nation and the safety of our communities. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not rest until those responsible are held accountable. We are all steadfast in our mission to curb violence that endangers both public servants and the citizens we are sworn to protect." According to court documents, on the afternoon of Jan. 20, 2025, a U.S. Border Patrol agent conducted a traffic stop of a Toyota Prius on Interstate 91 in Coventry, Vermont. Youngblut and a male German citizen – whose immigration status was in question – were in the car. Days earlier, law enforcement had taken note of Youngblut and her companion when a hotel employee reported that they were wearing tactical gear and appeared to be armed. The same day of the shooting, officers had observed the pair at a Walmart parking lot in Newport, Vermont, where the German citizen was seen wrapping unknown objects in aluminum foil. Court documents allege that during the Jan. 20 vehicle stop, both Youngblut and her companion were armed. Youngblut exited the vehicle and, without warning, opened fire, resulting in the death of one of the agents. For the current charges, the maximum penalty is death, and Attorney General Bondi has authorized and directed the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Vermont to pursue capital punishment in this case. Consistent with that authorization and direction, the Acting United States Attorney has filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty against Youngblut. The FBI Albany Field Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Vermont State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in coordination with Homeland Security Investigations, United States Border Patrol, the Newport Police Department, and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department. Trial Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Dennis Robinson of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher for the District of Vermont 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: Justice Department Announces Seizure of Over $2.8 Million in Cryptocurrency, Cash, and Other Assets

body_text: The Department of Justice unsealed six warrants yesterday in the U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Texas, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the Central District of California, authorizing the seizure of over $2.8 million in cryptocurrency, $70,000 in cash, and a luxury vehicle. All of the cryptocurrency was seized from a cryptocurrency wallet controlled by Ianis Aleksandrovich Antropenko, who is charged by indictment in the Northern District of Texas for conspiring to commit computer fraud and abuse, computer fraud and abuse, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. As alleged in the indictment, Antropenko used Zeppelin ransomware to target and attack a wide range of individuals, businesses, and organizations worldwide, including in the United States. Specifically, Antropenko and his coconspirators would encrypt and exfiltrate the victim’s data and typically demand a ransom payment to decrypt the victim’s data, refrain from publishing it, or to arrange the data’s deletion. As alleged in the unsealed warrants, the cryptocurrency and other assets are proceeds of (or were involved in laundering the proceeds of) ransomware activity. Those assets allegedly were laundered in various ways, including by using the cryptocurrency mixing service ChipMixer, which was taken down in a coordinated international operation in 2023. Antropenko is also alleged to have laundered cryptocurrency by exchanging cryptocurrency for cash and depositing the cash in structured cash deposits. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson for the Northern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Dominique Evans of the FBI Norfolk Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Dallas Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Dallas and Norfolk Field Offices and the Virtual Assets Unit are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Benjamin Bleiberg of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jongwoo “Daniel” Chung for the Northern District of Texas are handling the case, with assistance for the forfeiture provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elyse Lyons for the Northern District of Texas. Significant assistance has also been provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Kosky and Kevin Hudson for the Eastern District of Virginia. CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals and obtained court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds. CCIPS and its partners have also disrupted multiple ransomware groups, preventing victims from having to pay over $200 million in ransom payments. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Dominican National Indicted for Trafficking Firearms

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Worcester has been indicted by a federal grand jury for trafficking firearms in the Worcester area. Ranfli Felix Garcia Brito, 36, was indicted on one count of dealing in firearms without a license. Garcia Brito was previously charged by criminal complaint on July 17, 2025. He is currently in the custody. According to the charging documents, in April 2025, Garcia Brito was identified as a firearms trafficker selling firearms and ammunition in Worcester. Subsequently, on April 11, 2025, Garcia Brito allegedly sold an AR-15 style rifle and extra high-capacity magazines to an individual cooperating with law enforcement in the parking lot of a Walmart Supercenter in Worcester. During the meeting, Garcia Brito allegedly provided the individual with his phone number in order to arrange future transactions. Five days later, on April 16, 2025, Garcia Brito allegedly met the individual again at the same location and sold another AR-15 style rifle along with another magazine loaded with 28 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition. Garcia Brito is alleged to have met with the same individual in the parking lot on five additional occasions in the following months, during which he sold more than a dozen firearms, multiple large-capacity magazines, ammunition, a silencer and a laser attachment. In total, Garcia Brito allegedly sold over 20 firearms over the course of seven different occasions between April 11, 2025 and July 10, 2025. The charge of dealing in firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division; and Paul Saucier, Police Chief of the Worcester Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Franklin, Mansfield and Auburn Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 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: SAGINAW DRUG DEALER SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON

body_text: BAY CITY — Keino Hughes, 42, of Saginaw was sentenced on August 14, 2025, to 151 months in federal prison for his possession with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Ludington imposed sentence on Hughes following his guilty plea for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. According to court documents, in July of 2024, the Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (BAYANET), including ATF Special Agents, executed a search warrant at Hughes’s residence in Saginaw. Inside the home, they recovered amounts of cocaine and cocaine base, two firearms, two digital scales, and over $17,000 in cash. This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, in conjunction with the Michigan State Police Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Orr.


title: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Almost 17 Years in Prison for Armed Carjacking of 73-Year-Old Victim in Spruce Hill, West Philadelphia

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Zyair Dangerfield-Hill, 24, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond to 199 months in prison and five years of supervised release for the gunpoint carjacking of a 73-year-old man in April 2021. The defendant was charged by indictment in July of that year with one count of carjacking and aiding and abetting, and one count of carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting. In April of this year, he was convicted on both charges at trial. As proven at trial, just after 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, the victim was walking his dog on Pine Street, in the Spruce Hill neighborhood of West Philadelphia, and had stopped to put something in his parked vehicle, when the defendant and his associate walked up and pointed loaded handguns at the victim. They demanded the victim’s car keys, cell phone, and wallet, and threatened to shoot him if he didn’t comply. The victim told them that he didn’t have his wallet or phone on him, but handed over a $20 bill and his car keys. At that time, two other males approached, also pointing their guns at the victim. All four of the carjackers then jumped into the victim’s vehicle, with the defendant in the front passenger seat, and drove away. The Philadelphia Police Department was alerted about the carjacking, with officers arriving on scene a few minutes later. They broadcast over police radio a description of the victim’s vehicle, the four carjackers, and their direction of travel, and two officers on patrol spotted a car matching that description about a mile from the carjacking scene. The officers turned on their lights and sirens and pursued the stolen car, which was driving erratically and at a high rate of speed, soon crashing into yellow metal pillars at 52nd Street and Paschall Avenue. Four males jumped out of the car and took off running, with the officers giving chase on foot. A short time later, the defendant was found hiding behind a motorcycle about three and a half blocks from the crash scene. DNA, latent prints, location data, and other evidence subsequently linked the defendant to the crime. “Dangerfield-Hill participated in the ambush of an innocent stranger in a brazen daylight carjacking, the victim surrounded by assailants pointing guns and shouting threats,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We will not permit armed criminals to prey on people in this city. We’ll continue to work with our partners to put violent offenders behind bars, where they belong.” “Let this sentencing serve as a clear warning to anyone considering violent crime in our city: we will find you, and we will bring you to justice,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “Carjackings are a vicious crime that endanger lives, spread fear, and erode the very fabric of community safety. The FBI will continue working side by side with our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department to protect our citizens and ensure those who commit these crimes are held fully accountable.” The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Weisberg.


title: Two St. Louis Carjackings Lead to Charges

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Two men have been indicted and accused of two carjackings in St. Louis in December, and two women have been accused of aiding one of the crimes. Davion Pruitt, 18, of St. Louis, and Tywone Calvin, 19, of Pine Lawn, were each indicted on July 30 in U.S. District Court in St. Louis with two counts of carjacking and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Mya Reagan, 19, and Evanna Myers-Taylor, 20, face one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Pruitt, Calvin and Reagan appeared in court Thursday and pleaded not guilty. The indictment says all four were involved in the armed carjacking of a 2011 Cadillac Escalade on Dec. 23, 2024, in St. Louis. The indictment says Pruit and Calvin stole a 2017 Chevrolet Trax three days later in St. Louis. Motions seeking to hold Pruitt and Calvin in jail until trial say the first victim met a woman on Facebook and arranged to pick her up in his SUV. She asked him to stop for cigars at a gas station, where two armed men demanded his keys, the motions say. After the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department released the photo of the woman , Reagan was identified as that woman and Myers-Taylor as another passenger in the car, the motion says. The second carjacking victim was alerted by his key fob that something was happening to his vehicle. He went outside and was met by two armed men who took his keys, phone and SUV, the motion says. St. Louis County Police Department officers later spotted the stolen Trax with Pruitt and Calvin inside, the motion says. They arrested Calvin after he crashed the vehicle while fleeing police, the motion says, and arrested Pruitt on Feb. 14, 2025. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torrie J. Schneider is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.


title: Armed Drug Distributor Is Sentenced To 12 Years In Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Antoine Depray Jackson, 54, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 144 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release today on drug and gun charges, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Sheriff Donald G. Brown II of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. According to court records, law enforcement began an investigation into Jackson after he was identified as a drug distributor in the Mecklenburg, Lincoln, and Catawba County areas. On October 4, 2023, a federal search warrant was executed at Jackson’s residence. Law enforcement seized quantities of cocaine base and a loaded KAHR Arms model CT-45, 45 caliber pistol. Jackson has prior criminal convictions, and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm. On February 7, 2025, Jackson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the ATF, the DEA, and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) William Wiseman prosecuted the case. Mr. Wiseman is a state prosecutor with the office of the 26th Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Spencer Merriweather to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. Mr. Wiseman is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.


title: OnlyFans Content Creator Charged With Tax Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Kylie Leia Perez, a/k/a “Natalie Monroe,” with one count of filing a false tax return and four counts of failing to pay income tax. If convicted on all counts, Perez faces a maximum penalty of seven years in federal prison. According to the indictment, Perez was a content creator who operated under the stage name “Natalie Monroe” on OnlyFans, a subscription-based social media platform. OnlyFans allows creators to share various types of content with subscribers, such as photos, videos, and live streams. Creators, like Perez, can monetize their content through subscription fees, pay-per-view content, and tips from subscribers. From 2019 through 2023, Perez earned more than $5.4 million from OnlyFans. Despite this fact, she engaged in a scheme to evade the assessment of taxes by filing a false tax return for calendar year 2019 and failing to pay at least $1.6 million in taxes owed for calendar years 2020 through 2023. 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 Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.


title: Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison

body_text: FORT WAYNE – Brian Britt, 30 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor. Britt was sentenced to a total of 180 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, law enforcement conducted three controlled buys of fentanyl pills from Britt in December of 2022 and January of 2023. During these drug deals, Britt sold a total of about 6,500 fentanyl pills in the parking lot of a downtown Fort Wayne apartment building. In March of 2023, Britt possessed over 400 grams of additional fentanyl for sale in his apartment, and he had a .223 caliber rifle and a .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine to protect and further his drug trafficking. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which has as members the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Phoenix, Arizona, Police Department also assisted in this investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This case was also 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: Orlando Man Sentenced To Five Years In Federal Prison For Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Joseph Anthony Santopietro (48, Orlando) to five years in federal prison for receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Santopietro pleaded guilty on May 5, 2025. According to court documents, Santopietro received CSAM depicting young children from an individual via an instant message app. A conversation between Santopietro and another adult male discussing Santopietro’s sexual interest in minors was also found on Santopietro’s phone. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kaley Austin Aronson and Noah P. Dorman. 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.