title: Iowa City Man and Honduran National Sentenced to 42 years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation and Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man and Honduran national was sentenced on March 26, 2026, to 42 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography. According to public court documents, Martin Edgardo Menjivar, 59, produced and possessed child sexual abuse material of children he had access to. An April 2025 forensic examination of Menjivar’s cell phones showed that he used the devices to view and possess images and videos containing child sexual abuse material. Menjivar has a pending charge for Sexual Abuse, Second Degree, in the Iowa District Court for Johnson County. After completing his term of imprisonment, Menjivar will be required to serve a 10-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa City Police Department and United States Marshals Service investigated the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Justice Department Notifies California of Investigation into Whether Housing Biological Men at Women’s Prisons Violates Constitution

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – The United States Department of Justice today sent a letter of legal notice to California Gov. Gavin Newsom informing him of the commencement of a federal investigation into two state women’s prisons to determine if those prisons unconstitutionally provided housing and preferential treatment to biological male prisoners within those prisons’ walls. The Justice Department will investigate whether California engages in a pattern or practice of violating the constitutional rights of female prisoners incarcerated at the California Institution for Women (CIW) in San Bernardino County and the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Madera County. The investigation will be conducted under two federal statutes: the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA). Today’s letter of legal notice is required under CRIPA. “California’s Transgender Respect, Agency, and Dignity Act has provided none of these qualities to the female inmates of state prisons who have been forced to share space with biological men who are violent felons,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Our Constitution protects women from having their civil rights violated by harmful state legislation wrapped in the language of ‘equity’ and ‘progress.’” “Under my leadership, the Civil Rights Division will not allow women incarcerated in jails or prisons to be subject to unconstitutional risks of harm from male inmates,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “These investigations will uncover whether the dangerous national trend of housing men in women’s prisons has resulted in violations of women’s constitutional rights.” Specifically, the Justice Department will investigate widely reported allegations of deprivation of female prisoners’ rights, including the First Amendment’s guarantees of freedom of speech and free exercise of religion, the Eighth Amendment’s protection from cruel and unusual punishment, and the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. There have been allegations of sexual assaults, attempted rapes, voyeurism, and a pervasive climate of sexual intimidation due to the presence of males in the women’s prison. Since California’s Transgender Respect, Agency, and Dignity Act took effect in January 2021, men in state prisons, including violent felons charged with sex crimes and who have intact genitals, can request transfer to women’s prisons based on self-identification as transgender. The Department has not reached any conclusions regarding allegations in these matters. The Department will investigate CIW, CCWF, and MCC Windham pursuant to its authority to enforce the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA). Under CRIPA, the Department has the authority to investigate violations of prisoners’ constitutional rights that result from a “pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of such rights.” The Department has conducted CRIPA investigations of many correctional systems, and where violations have been found, the resulting settlement agreements have led to important reforms. The Department will also investigate CIW and CCWF under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 2000cc. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Department via civilrights.justice.gov/report . The Department is also collecting information on men housed in women’s jails and prisons anywhere in the country. Individuals can reach the National Initiative Examining the Housing of Biological Men in Women’s Prisons at (202) 616-5939 or SingleSexPrison.Initiative@usdoj.gov . Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt . Today’s letter is separate and unrelated to an existing CRIPA investigation into alleged abuse of female inmates by prison staff at CCWF and CIW.


title: Jury convicts Houston man in relation to fatal fast-food restaurant shooting with machine gun

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON - A 27-year-old local resident has been convicted of possession of a machine gun, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. A federal jury sitting in Houston deliberated for approximately three hours before convicting Tyler John Jordan following a three-day trial. The case involved a deadly shooting that occurred March 16, 2025, at the McDonalds located on North Fry Road in Katy. The jury heard evidence that Jordan and others entered the restaurant intending to start a fight with another group of individuals. During the altercation, multiple bullets were fired into the crowded lobby from a Glock pistol that was equipped with a machinegun conversion device, commonly known as a switch. One of the bullets struck and killed a 61-year-old innocent bystander. The investigation revealed a video on Jordan’s phone showing him holding the weapon approximately five hours before it was used in the shooting. A crime scene investigator and other law enforcement officers testified about how Jordan had attempted to lie numerous times throughout the case. The jury saw evidence that Jordan was a gun fanatic and heard he had previously admitted to possessing the firearm and knowing it was a machine gun. However, the defense attempted to convince the jury Jordan was not aware the gun was equipped with a switch and that his confession was false. The jury did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged. U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett presided over trial and set sentencing for June 25. At that time, Jordan faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing. Harris County Sheriff’s Office and FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as well as Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anh-Khoa Tran and Charles Hagerman are prosecuting the case.


title: New Hampshire Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Barrington, New Hampshire man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition while being a felon. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jonathan Grant , 43, to 12 months and a day in prison to be followed by 2 years of supervised release. Grant pleaded guilty on November 17, 2025. According to court records, in March 2025, Kittery Police Department officers responded to the Kittery Trading Post regarding a potential shoplifting incident. Police were directed to a group of males who had just left the store, one of whom was identified as Grant. Officers searched Grant’s jacket and located a .22 caliber pistol and a box containing 100 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition. Grant was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition by virtue of prior felony drug convictions in New Hampshire. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with the assistance of the Kittery Police Department. Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Guatemalan Man to Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who illegally reentered the United States after being deported as a felon was sentenced today to four years in federal prison. David Pineda-Medrano, age 39, from Guatemala but had been residing in Rolfe, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 29, 2025, guilty plea to one count of being a felony found after illegal reentry. At the plea and sentencing hearings, Pineda-Medrano admitted he had illegally reentered the United States after a June 2022 removal. Prior to his removal in 2022, he was convicted of Attempted First Degree Sexual Abuse and Sexual Abuse of a Child or Minor in the District of Columbia and served more than four years in prison. At some point after his removal, defendant illegally reentered the United States. He was found in Rolfe after he was arrested and convicted of Assault Causing Bodily Injury or Mental Illness when he used an 18-inch machete to strike another in the head with the flat side of the blade, which caused injury, and then placed the blade against the victim’s throat and threated to kill him. Pineda-Medrano was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Pineda-Medrano was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. He is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by Enforcement and Removal Office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-03041. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Mason City Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison. Victor Ineson, age 50, from Mason City, Iowa, received the prison term after November 24, 2025, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. At the plea and sentencing hearings, Ineson admitted that between about April 2024 and continuing to December 2024, he and another utilized the “dark web” to purchase approximately three pounds of methamphetamine which was shipped to them from the U.S. Postal Service for further distribution in the Iowa area. Ineson was previously convicted in 2017 in federal court of manufacturing counterfeit currency. Ineson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Ineson was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Ineson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Clear Lake Police Department, and the Cerro Gordo Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 25-CR-03030. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Nevada Man Pleads Guilty to Second False Tax Return Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Nevada man pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and helping file false federal returns for clients just months after pleading guilty to related charges in a separate case. According to court documents and statements made in court, Michael J. Moore, of Las Vegas, operated a tax and accounting business known as X Tax Pros that he used to promote an illegal tax avoidance scheme. Moore advertised X Tax Pros as being the “only” tax and bookkeeping company specializing in clients from the adult entertainment industry. From approximately August 2025 through October 2025, Moore promised clients he could file tax returns that would eliminate the taxes they owed to the IRS; in fact, the returns he prepared for clients typically resulted in large tax refunds that the clients were not entitled to receive. To carry out the scheme, Moore created fraudulent entries on his clients’ tax returns, including purported losses from business entities belonging to other clients. In most cases, the entities were either defunct or dormant and no longer filed tax returns. In exchange, Moore required his clients to pay him certain fees, often taken directly out of their tax refund. In just three months, Moore’s scheme caused a tax loss to the United States exceeding $250,000. Moore executed the present scheme after he had already pleaded guilty to carrying out a virtually identical scheme, one that caused a tax loss of at least a $3.5 million, in a related Nevada case, United States v. Michael J. Moore , Case No. 2:25-cr-00225-JAD-NJK. While awaiting sentencing in that matter, Moore concealed his identity to avoid detection while continuing his fraudulent criminal conduct. For his latest conduct, Moore pleaded guilty to wire fraud, aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16 and faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for wire fraud and three years in prison for aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return. He also faces a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Patrick Burns of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez of the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case.


title: Violent Ecuadorian Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Illegal Re-Entry Charges

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – An Ecuadorian alien pled guilty in federal court today to illegally re-entering the United States after her prior removal. Vanessa Yalixa Munoz-Baque, 31, pled guilty to the re-entry charges after she was previously removed from the U.S. in August 2023. Munoz-Baque illegally re-entered the U.S., again, on November 3, 2023, and began residing in Frederick, Maryland. Law enforcement discovered her illegally present in the U.S. upon her arrest for attempted murder. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Acting Field Office Director Vernon Liggins, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) – Baltimore Field Office. According to the guilty plea, on September 11, 2024, local law enforcement apprehended Munoz-Baque in Frederick. Authorities charged her with attempted murder and assault after she placed a knife to her victim’s neck and stabbed him in the leg. Then in March 2025, Munoz-Baque pled guilty to first-degree assault and received a 25-year sentence, with all but three years suspended. Munoz-Baque was originally deported after law enforcement apprehended her at the border in Eagle Pass, Texas, on June 17, 2023. Authorities subsequently charged Munoz-Baque with unlawfully attempting to enter the U.S. without inspection. Law enforcement placed her in expedited removal proceedings, and an immigration judge ordered Munoz-Baque’s removal to Ecuador. After her removal, Munoz-Baque never obtained consent from the Attorney General of the United States, or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, for readmission into the country. Munoz-Baque faces a maximum sentence of two years in federal prison for the re-entry offense. Sentencing is set for Thursday, June 25, at 2:30 p.m. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ICE-ERO for its work in this investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason D. Medinger and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Shea who are prosecuting this case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md . # # #


title: Memphis Tax Preparer Indicted for Preparing False Returns and Witness Tampering

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Memphis woman with helping prepare false tax returns for clients and tampering with witnesses in the government’s investigation. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the indictment. According to the indictment: From at least 2018 through 2024, Selma Brinson, 64, owned and operated a tax preparation business that she used to report false items on clients’ tax returns to generate inflated tax refunds. Among other false items, Brinson allegedly reported false fuel tax credits and false claims for residential energy credits on client returns. She received hundreds of thousands of dollars in client fees in exchange for preparing returns. After learning she was the target of a federal grand jury investigation, Brinson allegedly encouraged at least two of her clients to tell federal investigators they did not recall their interactions with her. Even after Brinson’s tax preparation business was expelled from the IRS’s electronic filing program, she allegedly instructed a family member to apply for a new electronic filing number and then used that number to continue preparing and filing false tax returns with the IRS. Brinson is charged with 24 counts of aiding and assisting the preparation of false tax returns and two counts of witness tampering. If convicted, she faces maximum penalties of three years in prison for each count of assisting in the preparation of false tax returns and 20 years for each count of witness tampering. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Caroline Pearson and Max Willner-Giwerc, of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Tax Section, are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Homeland Security Task Force: Waterbury Man Charged with Drug Distribution and Firearm Possession Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ENRIQUE DELLVALLE-PEREZ, 39, of Waterbury, has been charged by indictment with drug distribution and firearm offenses. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, an investigation determined that Dellvalle-Perez was distributing cocaine and crack cocaine in and around Waterbury. On September 25, 2025, a court-authorized search of Dellvalle-Perez’s residence on Bucks Hill Road in Waterbury revealed more than four kilograms of cocaine, a loaded Glock 27 semi-automatic pistol, and other items. Dellvalle-Perez was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on that date. It is further alleged that Dellvalle-Perez’s criminal history includes state felony drug convictions. On March 24, 2026, a grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Dellvalle-Perez with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years; and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Dellavalle is currently released on a $150,000 bond. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Haven comprises agents and officers from the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Labor, and Connecticut State Police, with prosecutions led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut. This investigation includes members of the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force, which is composed of participants from the DEA, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Connecticut State Police, and the New Haven, Waterbury, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, Middletown, and Shelton Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan J. Guevremont and Justyn P. Stokely.


title: Arrest of El Salvadorian Illegal Alien Who Assaulted Federal Officers Rounds Up Maryland Operation Take Back America Prosecutions

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A criminal complaint against an El Salvadorian illegal alien, who attacked federal law enforcement during a traffic stop, is one of several prosecutions the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland recently announced in connection with the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America . Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the prosecutions with Acting Field Office Director Vernon Liggins, U.S. Immigration. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland filed a criminal complaint against Santos Alvarenga-Rodriguez, 47 , for assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers in Howard County, Maryland. According to court documents, law enforcement gave Alvarenga-Rodriguez verbal commands to exit his vehicle, but he refused, leading to a physical altercation that caused injuries to officers. Additionally, a violent Ecuadorian alien pled guilty in federal court to illegally re-entering the United States after her prior removal. Vanessa Yalixa Munoz-Baque, 31 , pled guilty to the re-entry charges after she was previously removed from the U.S. in August 2023. Munoz-Baque illegally re-entered the U.S., again, on November 3, 2023, and began residing in Frederick, Maryland. Then on September 11, 2024, local law enforcement apprehended Munoz-Baque in Frederick on attempted murder and assault charges. In addition, Edgar David Vasquez-Garcia, 34 , a Guatemalan illegal alien, received an 18-month, federal-prison sentence for illegally re-entering the United States. Vasquez-Garcia, 34, pled guilty to the charge after he was previously deported from the U.S. in July 2014. Then in October 2023, law enforcement discovered Vasquez-Garcia back in the U.S. after they arrested him in Edgewood, Maryland, on second-degree assault charges, for which he was later found guilty. U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Cesear Geovany Gomez, 36 , in connection with illegally re-entry charges. According to court documents, on July 28, 2017, authorities deported Geovany Gomez back to Guatemala, but he never sought, nor obtained, the consent of the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of Homeland Security to apply for re-admission. Geovany Gomez was deported from the U.S. on two prior occasions, and following his latest illegal re-entry, he was convicted for first-degree assault in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Also, U.S. District Court Judge Ajmel A. Quereshi sentenced Jairo Mendez-Miranda, 29 , for illegally entering the United States. Earlier this month, law enforcement arrested Mendez-Miranda in Montgomery County, Maryland, after officers checked the license plate of the vehicle he was driving. The officers then discovered a restriction code indicating he may not be legally present in the United States. Authorities previously deported Mendez-Miranda on two other occasions. Additionally, a federal grand jury indicted a Mexican illegal alien in connection with re-entry charges. Fortunado Cuatlatl-Flores, 44 , is charged with illegally re-entering the United States after he was previously removed from the country following an aggravated felony. According to court documents, on February 20, 2026, law enforcement encountered Cuatlatl-Flores in Wicomico County, Maryland, while performing an area-enforcement operation. Cuatlatl-Flores was previously convicted of felony child sexual abuse. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended ICE-ERO and HSI for its work in these investigations. Ms. Hayes also thanked the Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney who prosecuted these federal cases. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md . # # #


title: Kanawha County Man Sentenced to More than 21 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tracey Brown, 46, of Chelyan, was sentenced today to 21 years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for distribution of 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about December 12, 2023, Brown obtained approximately 17 pounds of methamphetamine in the Dayton, Ohio, area and transported the controlled substance to an Elkview, West Virginia, residence where he was living. Brown admitted that he distributed approximately 1 pound of the methamphetamine and intended to distribute the remaining methamphetamine with another person in the Southern District of West Virginia. On December 13, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Elkview residence and seized the remaining methamphetamine. Brown has a criminal history that includes more than 30 convictions for such offenses as malicious assault, assault, escape from work-release, destruction of property and multiple counts each of unlawful assault, battery, and violation of a protective order. “The message should be loud and clear — if you traffic drugs in our community, we will identify you, arrest you, and hold you accountable,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “Thanks to the dedicated and professional police work by our law enforcement partners, Brown was prevented from distributing a massive amount of dangerous drugs in the Southern District of West Virginia.” Capito made the announcement and commended the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Route 119 Drug Task Force for their investigation of this case. The U.S. Route 119 Drug Task Force consists of members of the Mingo County Sheriff's Office, the Logan County Sheriff's Office, the Boone County Sheriff's Office, and the West Virginia State Police. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum and former Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Marsh prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-16. ###


title: Mexican Illegal Alien Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the Country

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Mexican man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for reentering the United States after a prior removal. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Edgar Mandujano-Aguilar , 37, to 12 months in prison. He pleaded guilty on February 5, 2026. According to court records, on November 6, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol Agents encountered Mandujano-Aguilar after he requested assistance from the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office to return to his home country of Mexico. After agents arrived at the Sheriff’s Office, Mandujano-Aguilar stated that he was born in Mexico, was not a U.S. citizen, and did not have any authorization to be in the country. Records checks revealed that Mandujano-Aguilar had been previously deported multiple times from the U.S., including after he had been permitted to voluntarily return to Mexico. Mandujano-Aguilar has been previously convicted multiple times for unlawful reentry after prior removal. U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case with assistance from the Oxford County Sheriff's Office. Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


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

body_text: Chichester Felon Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Firearm Possession CONCORD – Thomas Young, 46, pleaded guilty today in federal court to unlawful firearm possession before U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Sentencing is scheduled for July 2, 2026. According to the court documents and statements made in court, Young was previously convicted of a felony drug offense in New Hampshire. On February 8, 2024, Young sold a firearm and ammunition to a confidential source. The charge of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person provides a maximum prison term of 15 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and not more than 3 years of supervised release. 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. The Federal Bureau of Investigation led this investigation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski is prosecuting the case.


title: “The Monkey Whisperer” Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Primates While on Probation for the Same Crime

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Jimmy Wayne Hammonds (62, Parrish), a/k/a “The Monkey Whisperer,” has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven to nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to violate the Lacey Act and Lacey Act trafficking. Hammonds pleaded guilty on October 23, 2025. The court also ordered Hammonds to pay a $60,000 fine to benefit the Lacey Act Reward Fund and placed a ban on Hammonds from possessing, breeding, selling, transporting, or exhibiting any wildlife. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, Hammonds, despite being a convicted Lacey Act trafficker and on federal probation, ran a business called, “The Monkey Whisperer, LLC,” that specialized in selling primates and other exotic animals. Through his business’s social media account, Hammonds connected with an individual who was an undercover agent. At Hammonds’s request, the conversations moved to an encrypted texting app to discuss potential wildlife sales. Hammonds agreed to sell the undercover agent two common marmosets for $7,400. Hammonds arranged for the transaction to occur in Georgia to avoid law enforcement oversight. The two common marmosets are pictured below. As a result of this prosecution, Hammonds surrendered his ownership of 67 animals to include numerous primate species, muntjac deer, lemurs, kangaroos, wallabies, and otters. Hammonds’ violation of probation hearing will take place on April 2, 2026. This case was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service with substantial assistance from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Claire Favorit and Abigail K. King.


title: Pittsfield Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offenses

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Pittsfield man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield, Mass. to receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Benjamin Shacar, 39, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of receipt of child pornography and one count possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for June 22, 2026. Shacar was charged by criminal complaint in March 2021 . According to charging documents, between August 2020 and March 2021, Shacar received and possessed CSAM. During a search of Shacar’s residence a thumb drive and laptop containing multiple files depicting CSAM were located. During an on-scene interview, Shacar admitted that he viewed and downloaded CSAM from the internet. The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of no less than five years and up to 20 years in prison. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Each charge also provides for at least five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Hampden County Sheriff Nicholas Cocchi; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Pittsfield Police Chief Marc Maddalena made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Neil Desroches and Thomas Barnico of the Springfield Branch Office 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 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Violent International Fugitive Indicted on Federal Firearm and Immigration Charges

body_text: OXFORD – United States Attorney Scott F. Leary announced today that the international fugitive, arrested earlier this week in Lee County, has been indicted on federal firearms and immigration charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi. Adrian Walker, 28, a Canadian national, was indicted for an illegal entry offense and for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. These charges follow Walker’s arrest earlier this week. Walker was wanted by the Toronto Police Services on a Canada-wide arrest warrant for first degree murder and attempted murder, following a May 7, 2024, violent shooting in Toronto, Canada. For that offense, he has been named as a “Most Wanted Person” by the Toronto Police Services. Walker was captured in Tupelo, Mississippi, on Monday, March 23, 2026, by law enforcement agents including the United States Marshals Service (USMS) and their Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). He was initially arrested on an arrest warrant for an immigration violation. U.S. Attorney Leary stated, “As previously stated, this was a serious case. A Canadian national, wanted for murder, entered our country illegally and was living in our midst. This case highlights the danger our law enforcement agents face while doing their job. Our agents and officers work for you and are more than willing to place themselves in harm’s way to protect our citizens. Working together, we can make Mississippi a safer place. A special shout out goes to our partners at United States Marshals Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Good job! Please know that the United States Attorney’s Office has your back.” This case is being prosecuted by Clyde McGee and John Herzog Jr. This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America . 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. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Two Illegal Aliens from Romania Sentenced for Credit Card Skimmer Scheme in Alabama and Mississippi

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that two Romanian nationals unlawfully present in the United States have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a scheme to install credit card “skimming” devices on grocery store point-of-sale terminals across Alabama and Mississippi. On March 26, 2026, a federal judge sentenced 24-year-old Denis Adelin Ionescu, of Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Romania, to 46 months in prison, and 33-year-old Ioan Victor Stanciu, also of Drobeta-Turnu Severin, to 24 months in prison. Ionescu previously pleaded guilty to possession of device-making equipment, while Stanciu pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud. There is no parole in the federal system. According to plea agreements and other court records, in March 2025, law enforcement began investigating the installation of a “skimmer” device on a point-of-sale terminal at a grocery store in Ozark, Alabama. Investigators quickly identified Ionescu and Stanciu, along with others, as suspects in the scheme. A “skimmer” is an electronic device used to capture and store information from credit, debit, or Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards when they are swiped or inserted. After installing these devices, members of the conspiracy, including Ionescu and Stanciu, retrieved the skimmers and extracted stolen account information. The conspirators then used the compromised data to conduct fraudulent transactions, including unauthorized withdrawals and purchases. Further investigation revealed that Ionescu and Stanciu were linked to additional skimming devices installed at retail locations in Dothan, Alexander City, Eufaula, Bessemer, Tuscaloosa, Gadsden, Mobile, Talladega, and Gulfport, Mississippi. In total, the conspirators placed 23 skimming devices at 12 separate locations. Based on the volume of compromised card data, the intended loss was calculated at $1,794,978.36. The actual loss attributable to known fraudulent transactions was $50,978.36. The court ordered restitution in that amount. A co-conspirator, Marian Catalin Matei, 24, also a Romanian national, previously pleaded guilty to possession of device-making equipment and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21, 2026. The United States Secret Service, Bessemer Police Department, and Ozark Police Department investigated the case, with Assistant United States Attorney Joel Feil prosecuting.


title: Lynn Man Charged with Receiving Stolen Government Money and Making False Statements

body_text: BOSTON – A Lynn man was charged today in federal court in Boston with receiving stolen Social Security benefits and making false statements. James C. Burdulis, 56, was charged with one count of receiving stolen government money or property and one count of false statements. Burdulis will make an appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date. As alleged in the charging document, Burdulis received approximately $63,959 in stolen Social Security benefits from June 2019 through June 2025. Additionally, Burdulis allegedly submitted a fraudulent representative payee report to the Social Security Administration in June 2024. The charging document further alleges that Burdulis stated on the fraudulent report that he spent money received from the Social Security Administration on behalf of a beneficiary in 2023 and 2024, but that the beneficiary died several years earlier in 2019. The charge of receiving stolen government money or property provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Amy Connelly, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Austin Felon Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

body_text: AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin felon was sentenced in federal court to 235 months in prison for methamphetamine trafficking and possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons. According to court documents, Blane Spear aka Jonathan Garza, 32, was investigated in June 2024 for selling large amounts of methamphetamine in the Austin area. Austin Police executed a search warrant at Spear’s residence on Aug. 26, 2024, finding him to be in possession of two small bags containing methamphetamine. The search also resulted in the discovery of more than 1,291 grams of methamphetamine, 89 grams of fentanyl, 309 grams cocaine, 159 grams of heroin, and more than $10,000 in U.S. currency. APD also discovered Spear, who had multiple prior felony convictions, possessed 11 pistols, three of which had been reported stolen and one of which was equipped with a machine gun conversion device. Spear was federally indicted on Oct. 15, 2024, and transferred into federal custody on Oct. 29. 2024. The two-count indictment charged Spear with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty to both counts on Dec. 4, 2025. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman sentenced Spear to 235 months in federal prison on the meth trafficking count and a concurrent 180 months in prison for the firearm possession. “This case serves as yet another great example of the cohesiveness that makes our federal and local law enforcement partnerships work as well as they do,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “The Austin Police Department investigated a significant tip that, while rejected by the state, resulted in a great federal case and led to a career criminal being removed from our community for two decades.” "This sentence sends a clear message that those who traffic dangerous drugs and illegally possess firearms will be held accountable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “Acting on a referral from the Austin Police Department, we worked together to disrupt a major drug trafficking operation. Through the FBI Austin Safe Streets Task Force, dangerous offenders are brought to justice—helping keep our communities safe.” The FBI and APD investigated the case with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Guess prosecuted the case. ###


title: Man Admits Being Caught with MCD-Equipped Guns Three Times in St. Louis

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man caught three times with firearms equipped with devices that convert them into machine guns pleaded guilty Wednesday to gun charges. Deverin Myers, 22, of University City, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a machine gun and one count of receiving a firearm while under indictment. On Aug. 21, 2024, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department detectives spotted Myers, who had a pistol equipped with a red machinegun conversion device (MCD) sticking out of his pocket, and other armed men in the 2900 block of James “Cool Papa” Bell Avenue. Myers was arrested and police recovered a Shadow Systems MR920 .40 S&W caliber pistol, loaded with 24 rounds of ammunition. Myers knew that he had an MCD, as he had arrested in possession of an MCD in 2023 and was charged in St. Louis Circuit Court with possession of an illegal weapon in 2024. An MCD converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm. On Aug. 18, 2025, SLMPD officers observed a blue Audi parked in front of a vacant property in the same block of James “Cool Papa” Bell Avenue. When officers approached, the vehicle sped off, violating stop signs and traffic signals. The Audi became disabled in the 3400 block of North 22nd Street and the driver and Myers ran away. Myers discarded a micro-Draco pistol as he ran, and officers later found a Glock 19 pistol equipped with an MCD and loaded with 35 rounds of ammunition in the same location. The Draco pistol had been bought five days earlier, after Myers was indicted and arraigned on the 2024 charge. At sentencing, Myers faces up to 10 years in prison for the machine gun charges and up to five years in prison on the other gun charge. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.


title: Hampshire County Man Convicted of Drug and Firearms Charges Following a Three-Day Trial

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – After a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted an Augusta, West Virginia man today of trafficking methamphetamine and illegally having nine firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. Charles Frederick Muffley, III, 50, was convicted of on all three counts charged in the Superseding Indictment, including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as ice, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and unlawful possession of firearms. The evidence presented at trial established that Muffley played a central role in a drug trafficking operation responsible for distributing several pounds of high-purity methamphetamine throughout Hampshire County and surrounding areas. According to trial testimony, in September 2024, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted a package containing nearly a pound of methamphetamine. That package led them to Muffley, who split drug packages and distributed methamphetamine with other co-conspirators for several months. Following the interception of the pound of methamphetamine, Muffley continued to distribute methamphetamine. Muffley’s home was later searched pursuant to a search warrant. Officers seized methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, six digital scales, cash, ammunition, and nine firearms—including handguns, rifles, and shotguns. Muffley is prohibited from having firearms because of prior felony convictions. “This conviction reflects the serious danger posed by drug trafficking and illegal firearms possession in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. “The defendant not only distributed methamphetamine but also did so while unlawfully possessing firearms. We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable.” Muffley is facing 15 years to life for the conspiracy conviction and up to 30 years in prison for the possession with intent conviction because he has a prior felony conviction for a drug trafficking offense. Muffley is facing up to 15 years for the firearms conviction. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be scheduled by the Court at a later date. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. Investigative agencies include the Potomac Highlands Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; U.S. Postal Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Department; and the Hampshire County Prosecutor’s Office. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration. U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.


title: Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchase Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Isaiah Levi Creasey, 23, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to making a false statement in connection with a purchase of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 25, 2025, Creasey purchased a Glock model 19X 9mm pistol from a licensed firearms dealer in South Charleston. As part of his guilty plea, Creasey admitted that he purchased the firearm for a juvenile and falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that he was the purchaser of the firearm when he knew he was buying it for the juvenile. Creasey further admitted that he intended to deceive the firearms dealer into believing he was the actual buyer of the pistol, and that following the purchase he gave the pistol to the juvenile who was waiting in his vehicle outside of the business. Creasey is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin 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. 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. 2:26-cr-9. ###


title: Minnesota Man Indicted for Filing False Tax Returns

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – An indictment was unsealed on Tuesday charging a Minnesota man with filing false tax returns and filing false claims for refunds collectively seeking more than $500,000 he was not entitled to receive. According to the indictment, Philip Nelson Green, of Crookston, Minnesota, filed false individual income tax returns with the IRS for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021. Each of these tax returns reported one or more false items such as wage information, tax withholdings, and child and dependent care expenses. The indictment also alleges that Green filed a false second amended 2021 income tax return and a false 2022 income tax return, both of which sought more than $250,000 in tax refunds he was not entitled to receive. Green made his initial court appearance Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leo I. Brisbois of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. If convicted, Green faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return and five years in prison for each count of filing false claims. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Daniel R. Glenn and Charles A. O’Reilly of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Tax Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Marshall man armed with Glock-switch sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for $100 robbery

body_text: MARSHALL, Texas – A Marshall man has been sentenced to 100 months in federal prison in connection with a violent armed robbery in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Jaquallon Tyjuan Hargett, 20, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Rodney Gilstrap on March 24, 2026. According to information presented in court, on April 16, 2024, Hargett, armed with a pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device, robbed an individual of $100 at an ATM in Daingerfield, Texas. A machinegun conversion device, also commonly referred to as a Glock-switch, is a small mechanism that can be attached to the rear of the slide of a firearm, converting a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machinegun. “This case demonstrates why we cannot, and we will not, allow Glock-switches to proliferate on the streets of East Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. “This sentence, 100 months in prison for robbing $100 from a citizen of our community, shows that crime simply does not pay on our watch. Law enforcement conducted an excellent investigation that brought this criminal to justice. They have my sincere appreciation.” “Protecting the communities we serve is fundamental to the mission of my agency,” said Daingerfield Police Chief Tracy Climer. “This successful investigation was accomplished through swift collaboration and dedicated investigative work.” “ATF is proud to stand alongside our local, state, and federal partners in bringing this offender to justice,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner. “This case highlights the real and growing danger posed by illegal machine gun conversion devices, which turn firearms into extremely lethal weapons. Through strong collaboration and determined investigative work, we were able to hold a violent offender accountable and make our communities safer. We will continue to prioritize cases like this to disrupt criminal activity and protect the public.” 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. This case was investigated by the Daingerfield Police Department; Marshall Police Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Texas Department of Public Safety and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Farahnak. ###


title: Nevada Man Pleads Guilty to Second False Tax Return Scheme

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS - A Nevada man pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and helping file false federal returns for clients just months after pleading guilty to related charges in a separate case. According to court documents and statements made in court, Michael J. Moore, of Las Vegas, operated a tax and accounting business known as X Tax Pros that he used to promote an illegal tax avoidance scheme. Moore advertised X Tax Pros as being the “only” tax and bookkeeping company specializing in clients from the adult entertainment industry. From approximately August 2025 through October 2025, Moore promised clients he could file tax returns that would eliminate the taxes they owed to the IRS; in fact, the returns he prepared for clients typically resulted in large tax refunds that the clients were not entitled to receive. To carry out the scheme, Moore created fraudulent entries on his clients’ tax returns, including purported losses from business entities belonging to other clients. In most cases, the entities were either defunct or dormant and no longer filed tax returns. In exchange, Moore required his clients to pay him certain fees, often taken directly out of their tax refund. In just three months, Moore’s scheme caused a tax loss to the United States exceeding $250,000. Moore executed the present scheme after he had already pleaded guilty to carrying out a virtually identical scheme, one that caused a tax loss of at least a $3.5 million, in a related Nevada case, United States v. Michael J. Moore , Case No. 2:25-cr-00225-JAD-NJK. While awaiting sentencing in that matter, Moore concealed his identity to avoid detection while continuing his fraudulent criminal conduct. For his latest conduct, Moore pleaded guilty to wire fraud, aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16 and faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for wire fraud and three years in prison for aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return. He also faces a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarom Gregory of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Patrick Burns of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez of the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Federal Jury Convicts Suburban Chicago Man of Threatening To Kill Federal and State Public Officials

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal jury today convicted a suburban Chicago man of making a true threat to kill multiple public officials, including President Donald J. Trump, the 47th and 45th President of the United States. TRENT SCHNEIDER, 58, of Winthrop Harbor, Ill., was found guilty of making a true threat in interstate commerce to injure a person. The jury returned its verdict after a three-day trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The conviction is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. On Oct. 21, 2025, Schneider posted a video of himself on Instagram in which he stated, “People like me have suffered real [expletive] crimes from [expletive] judges, doctors, lawyers, police. They all should be killed. All of them should be executed for what they’ve done . . . I’m going to get some guns. I know where I can get a lot of [expletive] guns and I am going to take care of business myself. I’m tired of all you [expletive] frauds. People need to [expletive] die and people are going to die. [Expletive] all of you, especially you Trump. You should be executed.” The video also included a caption that stated, in part: “THIS IS NOT A THREAT!!! AFTER LOSING EVERYTHING and My House Auction date is 11.04.2025 @realDonaldTrump SHOULD BE EXECUTED!!!” On the same date, Schneider appeared at the Lake County, Ill. courthouse and told the judge presiding over Schneider’s pending foreclosure case that he would burn the courthouse down. The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Dai Tran, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Chicago Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lake County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office and the Winthrop Harbor, Ill. Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hanna Helwig and Paige Nutini. “Let this conviction send a clear message that it is never acceptable to threaten a political figure or a member of the judiciary,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Political violence is not only intolerable, but it is a serious crime. Working closely with our law enforcement partners, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will find, arrest, and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those responsible for criminally threatening the safety of our elected officials and judges.” “Threats of political violence are not a joke,” said SAIC Tran. “They are a federal crime. The U.S. Secret Service vigorously pursues all threats to harm the President of the United States. I am proud of our agents’ work in this case and thank our partners at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Winthrop Harbor Police Department for their assistance in bringing this defendant to justice. I also want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois for prosecuting this case to its conclusion.”


title: Florida Man Admits Running Nationwide Bank Impersonation Scheme

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO –Albert Guerra of Florida pleaded guilty in federal court today to bank fraud and money laundering charges, admitting he traveled across the country impersonating bank employees to defraud victims—many of them elderly. According to his plea agreement, Guerra and his criminal associates obtained bank customer information, called victims and falsely claimed to be investigating fraud at the victims’ banks. He convinced victims to withdraw cash and deliver it to purported bank employees—which were just rideshare service drivers that Guerra sent to retrieve cash from victims and to deliver back to him. Guerra frequently told the drivers they were picking up documents from “my grandma” and “my grandpa.” The plea agreement details how after flying from Houston to San Diego on October 26, 2025, Guerra defrauded at least three victims in the greater San Diego area, collecting $13,000 from one victim, $37,000 from another, and $86,300 from yet another. Just days later, Guerra made a $24,000 cash payment for a Tesla Model 3 in Las Vegas. And in January 2026, Guerra travelled to Portland, Oregon, where he defrauded at least one victim out of $40,000. Guerra is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino on June 18, 2026, at 9 a.m. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric R. Olah. If you or someone you know is aged 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). You can also report fraud to any local law enforcement agency or on the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov . DEFENDANT Case Number 26cr607-JLS Albert Guerra Age: 26 Miramar, FL SUMMARY OF CHARGES Bank Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1344(2) Maximum penalty: Thirty years in prison and $1 million fine Money Laundering – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1957 Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine INVESTIGATING AGENCIES San Diego Elder Justice Task Force Federal Bureau of Investigation San Diego Police Department Portland Police Bureau (Oregon)


title: Phone Sex Operator Charged with Child Sexual Abuse Material Offenses

body_text: Tampa, FL –Debra Jean Schilling (71, Largo) has been charged by indictment with receipt, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). If convicted on all counts, Schilling faces a maximum penalty of 60 years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to the indictment and court proceedings, in her employment as a phone sex operator, Schilling received and distributed CSAM to her clients in furtherance of their sexual conversations. Additionally, she possessed CSAM on her iCloud account. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Honduran National Charged With Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – UBALDO YASIR AMAYA-COLINDRES , age 27, a citizen of Honduras, was charged on March 16, 2026 by bill of information with illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of 8 U.S.C. ' 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to the bill of information, UBALDO YASIR AMAYA-COLINDRES reentered the United States sometime prior to March 1, 2026, after having been previously removed on or about June 13, 2024. If convicted, UBALDO YASIR AMAYA-COLINDRES faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three years supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. 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). U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: D.C. Trio Pleads to Armed Robbery Conspiracy Spanning Six Weeks, 13 Incidents, and Two Jurisdictions

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON -- Three District of Columbia men pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to their roles in an armed robbery conspiracy that involved carjacking victims at gunpoint and targeting fast-food workers, convenience store employees, FedEx drivers, and a GameStop in the District and Maryland over a six-week period in early 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Kanard Bishop, 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery in violation of the Hobbs Act, and to using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Edward Leroy Brown, 26, aka “Shiesty,” and Khalil Boyd, 20, pleaded guilty to the same charges. All three defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison on the firearm count alone, which must run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment. Judge Rudolph Contreras scheduled sentencings for August 5, 2026. “These defendants chose to carry out a campaign of armed robbery and carjackings across multiple communities,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Their calculated pattern of violence put innocent people in harm’s way – this behavior will not be tolerated. Today’s guilty pleas send a clear message: those who terrorize our communities will be brought to justice.” According to court documents, beginning on Feb. 14, 2024, and continuing through March 28, 2024, Bishop, Brown, and Boyd, agreed to rob retail stores and carjack victims at gunpoint across the District of Columbia and Maryland. Over the course of the conspiracy members of the group carried out or attempted at least 13 separate robberies and carjackings. The conspiracy began on Feb. 14, 2024, when Bishop and Brown entered the Big Ben Market in Capitol Heights, Maryland, pointed firearms at an employee, and demanded cash. When they could not access the register, they fled and drove to a nearby McDonald’s, where they opened the drive-through window from the outside and pointed a firearm at an employee before fleeing again. On March 17, 2024, Bishop and another conspirator carjacked two victims at gunpoint in the 4400 block of Southern Avenue SE. The two stole the victim’s 2008 Mercedes Benz, and also robbed both victims of their cell phones, wallet, ID, credit card and $2,000 in cash. The pace of the conspiracy accelerated dramatically on March 20, 2024. In the early morning hours, Bishop and Boyd carjacked a victim at gunpoint in the area of 2000 35th Street NE, stealing his 2018 Dodge Durango. The group then used the stolen Durango to attempt a third McDonald’s drive-through robbery, rob a Denny’s restaurant on Benning Road NE where Bishop ripped a cash register off the counter, rob a 7-Eleven in Landover, Maryland, where Bishop jumped the counter to grab the register, and rob a convenience store in District Heights where they forced an employee inside at gunpoint and stole about $200 and tobacco products. On March 27, 2024, Bishop and Boyd carjacked another motorist at a gas station in District Heights, Maryland, knocking him to the ground during a struggle before fleeing in his 2022 Dodge Challenger. Later that day, Bishop and Boyd approached two FedEx employees, who were working in a FedEx truck at the intersection of Burns Street and G Street SE. Wearing masks and pointing firearms at both workers, they took wallets, cellphones, and four packages from inside the truck. The conspiracy ended on March 28, 2024, at a GameStop in District Heights. Bishop and Brown entered the store, struck an employee, and demanded that workers open the cash registers and the safe. When police arrived, both fled on foot with firearms. A detective shot Brown in the lower body as he fled and took him into custody. Police recovered a loaded ghost gun from Brown -- a privately manufactured firearm with no serial number, untraceable by law enforcement. Bishop threw his loaded firearm to the ground as he fled and was also apprehended. Boyd, who had remained in the stolen Challenger outside the GameStop, fled the scene after police arrived. He carjacked another driver at gunpoint, stealing a Nissan Rogue. While attempting to escape, Boyd crashed into two police cruisers -- one marked and one unmarked -- before abandoning the vehicle and fleeing on foot. Officers apprehended him. Police recovered a loaded Glock 23C .40 caliber handgun from the vehicle. This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office Violent Crime Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force, with valuable assistance from the Prince George’s County Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake J. Ellison. Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Jackson, Alex Schneider, and AUSA Omeed Assefi investigated the case. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parrone who is now with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 24cr179


title: Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Hotel with a Firearm

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – Denzel Demoree’a Prince (28, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in connection with a Jacksonville hotel robbery. Prince faces a minimum penalty of 7 years, up to life plus 20 years, in federal prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, on September 8, 2025, Prince approached a vending machine near the pool at a hotel in Jacksonville. He then walked to the front window that led to the front desk area to speak with an employee at the hotel to request money back from the vending machine. The employee told Prince that he would need to come back in the morning. A few minutes later, Prince knocked on the back window of the front desk area. The employee saw that Prince was wearing the same clothing that he had on moments before, but this time he had a green/camouflage style mask pulled up to his nose in an attempt to conceal his identity. He was also in possession of a firearm. Surveillance video from inside the hotel showed Prince pointing the firearm at the employee before throwing a brick through the window. Prince then climbed through the window, walked behind the front desk counter and opened several drawers before locating the cash register. Prince pulled cash from the register before running out of the rear door. During the investigation, officers identified Prince and obtained a search warrant for his residence. Inside Prince’s home, officers located clothing that matched the description of the robber, including white pants, white shoes, green shorts, and a camouflage bandana. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams.


title: Elk Grove Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Trafficking Heroin and Fentanyl

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Delanious Ward, 57, of Elk Grove, was sentenced today to nine years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, Ward is among seven defendants arrested in 2024 and charged with trafficking narcotics as part of a multi-agency operation targeting cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl traffickers Ward was a manager or supervisor of a vast drug network that stretched to New Orleans, Louisiana. During 60 days of wiretaps, Ward was intercepted trafficking fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, and was found in possession of cocaine and fentanyl upon his arrest. Ward pleaded guilty on Dec. 19, 2024. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron L. Desmond is prosecuting the case. Below is the status of Ward’s co-defendants: On Jan. 16, 2025, Albert Gurley, 51, of Sacramento, was sentenced to seven years in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin,. On March 27, 2025, Manuel Greenhalgh, 33, of Sacramento, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin. On May 15, 2025, Kevin Yancy, 57, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced to two years and 11 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin. On Sept. 19, 2024, Agustin Gonzalez, 63, of Manteca, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 14, 2026. On Oct. 31, 2024, Craig Hunter, 51, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2026. On Oct. 31, 2024, David Byrd, 53, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4, 2026. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.


title: Sacramento Man Charged with Being Felon in Possession of a Firearm as Part of Operation Take Back America

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Damarion Nash, 34, of Sacramento, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, on Jan. 15, 2026, Nash was found in possession of a loaded Colt .45 caliber handgun. Nash is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions in Sacramento County including for attempted robbery, criminal threats, possession of a controlled substance in prison, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The Sacramento Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Ng is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Nash faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would 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. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 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. This case is also part of the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney program, a partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and local District Attorney’s Offices. These attorneys remain employed by the District Attorney’s Offices but work on federal investigations and can prosecute cases in both state and federal court, strengthening efforts to combat transnational organized crime and violent crime in the region. Currently, the District Attorney’s Offices of Yolo, Placer, Fresno, and Sacramento Counties are participating. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ng serves as a Deputy District Attorney in Sacramento County.


title: Chicago Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to  Defraud Active U.S. Military Troops

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Chicago, Il., man was sentenced in federal court today for one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. Dwayne D. Adams, 33, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Judge M. Douglas Harpool, for one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. Adams was sentenced to 27 months incarceration and ordered to pay $165,821.74 in restitution to the victims. Adams conspired with others to defraud United States military service men and women through the use of social media. Adams is the third and final defendant to be sentenced for his role in defrauding active service members of the United States military. According to court documents, Adams conspired with others to contact service members who had recently joined the United States military through various social media platforms. Upon communicating with each military member, a person within the conspiracy would use the information obtained from the social media platform contact to then contact the service member claiming to be a senior military official. In their fake role as a senior military member, Adams and others would tell each service member they were receiving the incorrect salary and were owed more money than they were being paid. Adams and others involved in the scheme advised each victim that they needed to return their prior pay using a cash application. Adams and others told the victims that they would receive a higher salary amount from the military once they returned their prior pay. If a service member followed these instructions, the members of this scheme would take the monies transferred and would never return any monies to the victim. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of the Army - Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Honduran Illegal Alien  Guilty of Illegal Re-Entry of Removed Alien

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – CARLOS ROBERTO GUARDADO-RAMIREZ (“GUARDADO-RAMIREZ”) , age 46, a native of Honduras, pleaded guilty on March 18, 2026, to re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. His sentencing is set before U.S. District Judge Greg Guidry on April 22, 2026. According to court records, GUARDADO-RAMIREZ was found in the United States on December 3, 2025, having reentered the United States without authorization from the Attorney General of the United States after being previously deported on May 4, 2006. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans received information that GUARDADO-RAMIREZ , had been previously removed from the United States and had returned. GUARDADO-RAMIREZ was encountered by ICE Enforcement and Removal Officers in LaPlace, Louisiana on December 3, 2025. GUARDADO-RAMIREZ was arrested by ICE Enforcement and Removal Officers in LaPlace, Louisiana for re-entering the United States after removal. GUARDADO-RAMIREZ faces up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 for re-entry of a removed alien. 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). U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Border Patrol in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution. * * *


title: Exeter Man Sentenced to 58 Months in Prison for Bank Fraud and Ammunition Offenses

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – An Exeter man was sentenced today in federal court in Rhode Island for his role in a bank fraud scheme and being a felon in possession of ammunition, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. Edmilson Rodrigues, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to 46 months in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and being a felon in possession of ammunition, and an additional 12 months to be served consecutively for violations of supervised release, for a total of 58 months’ imprisonment. Rodrigues previously pleaded guilty to the charges on December 19, 2025. “Rodrigues’ decision to engage in yet another check fraud scheme while on supervised released reflects a blatant disregard for the law and for the victims he chose to exploit,” said United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. “This office will not hesitate to hold accountable those who repeatedly prey on others for personal gain and we will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to protect the public.” According to court documents, Rodrigues participated in a multi-year scheme involving stealing mail and generating counterfeit checks. Initially participating in depositing fraudulent checks and withdrawing funds, he later recruited others to do the same, exposing them to potential criminal liability and causing financial harm. Court documents also reflect Rodrigues engaged in related conduct connected to the broader scheme, including travelling outside the area and using false identifying information. His actions were part of an ongoing pattern of fraudulent activity that extended beyond a single transaction. “Rodrigues was still on supervised release for check fraud when he chose to return to his criminal ways and launch yet another check fraud conspiracy. He not only stole checks from the mail but also recruited others to join in his scheme to steal the hard-earned money of innocent people to enrich himself. This repeated disregard for the law has earned him several more years in federal prison,” said Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. “Fraud and financial crime are a top priority for HSI and we’re working alongside our law enforcement partners to help Rhode Islanders keep their money safe.” Rodrigues has prior federal convictions for similar fraud-related conduct. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christine Lowell and Denise Barton. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance of the Providence and Newport Police Departments.


title: Dodson man sentenced to over 5 years in prison for various assaults on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Dodson man who violently assaulted several victims on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 64 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said. James “Jimmy” Has The Eagle, Jr., 41, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to one count of aggravated burglary, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of domestic assault by a habitual offender. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that on July 17, 2024, Jane Doe 1 and Has The Eagle caught a ride to a residence in Lodgepole. Has The Eagle started getting angry at Jane Doe 1 and started beating on her in the vehicle. When they got close to the house, he pushed Jane Doe 1 out of the moving truck and into the street. Jane Doe 1 ran away to hide around the corner of the house, but Has The Eagle found her. He punched her several times, pushed her down on the ground, and then kicked her in the face with his black fire boots. She lost consciousness after the first kick. When she later regained consciousness, she went into the house and locked the door. Has The Eagle tried to get inside a few minutes later, eventually kicking the door in. Jane Doe 1 tried to hide, but he found her in the bathroom closet. As he was screaming that he would kill her, Has The Eagle wrapped a yellow extension cord around Jane Doe 1’s neck and was strangling her. He was screaming with the cord wrapped around both of their necks, yelling that he was going to kill both himself and her. Medical records identify that Jane Doe 1 had bruising to her bilateral temples and forehead, with significant swelling to the left cheek and bruising under her left eye with diffuse tenderness to palpation of her face. The records note there were numerous bruises to Jane Doe 1’s extremities, as well as ligature marks to her anterior neck and bruising on the posterior neck to the left of midline. About a week before the assault of Jane Doe 1, Has The Eagle violently assaulted Jane Doe 2, and their child, Jane Doe 3, in a vehicle on their way to Hays on July 11, 2024. During the drive, he demanded to stop at a house of a known drug user. Jane Doe 2 said no, angering Has The Eagle. Jane Doe 3 began to argue with him and threw a can at him. He flew into a rage and he forcibly grabbed Jane Doe 3, pulling her into the seat with him where he began punching her in the face with his fist. Jane Doe 2 pulled the vehicle over and Has The Eagle dragged Jane Doe 3 across the pavement. Jane Doe 2 went to help Jane Doe 3, but when she opened the door, he hit her in the eye, face, head, and shoulder/upper arm with tire chains. Jane Doe 2 stated it “knocked [her] for a loop” and she felt dizzy. She expressed still feeling the effects of the assault in September, nearly two months later. Jane Doe 3 suffered black eyes and scraping on her arms from when she was dragged out of the vehicle. Prior to the assaults of Jane Does 1, 2 and 3, Has The Eagle had been convicted of at least four domestic assaults. Specifically, he was convicted in 2007 of a misdemeanor Partner Family Member Assault (PFMA) before the Havre City Court, and a second misdemeanor PFMA before the Hill County Justice Court. He was also convicted of Abuse of a Family Member before the Fort Belknap Tribal Court in 2021, as well as Elder Abuse and Assault in 2021 before the Fort Belknap Tribal Court. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Myers prosecuted the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Repeat felon convicted on drug charge by a federal jury going back to prison

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Julio Perez, 65, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 144 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew T. McGrath and Brandon N. Gonzalez, who handled the trial of the case, stated that in June 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perez’s residence, seizing approximately an ounce of fentanyl and nearly $10,000 in cash. The warrant was part of a large-scale narcotics trafficking investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office. Warrants were also executed at multiple locations in both Monroe and Ontario Counties. At the time the search warrant was executed, Perez was on supervised release following federal narcotics trafficking convictions in 2018 and 2002. Perez was convicted of this latest charge by a federal jury in November 2025. With a third narcotics trafficking conviction, the Court determined that Perez is a career offender, resulting in an enhanced sentence. The sentence is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff David Cirencione, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith. # # # #