title: Drug Dealer Sentenced To Six Years In Federal Prison For Conspiracy To Distribute Methamphetamine And Heroin, Money Laundering

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Jonathan Ponce was sentenced yesterday to a total of 72 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, international money laundering, and money laundering conspiracy. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen handed down the sentence. Ponce, 34, a U.S. citizen who previously resided in Mexico and in the South Bay, was initially charged by complaint on Aug. 21, 2019, and by indictment on Aug. 29, 2019, on the drug charges. He was separately indicted by a federal grand jury on June 24, 2021, on the money laundering charges. On Nov. 14, 2024, Ponce pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, five counts of international money laundering, and one count of money laundering conspiracy. According to court documents and proceedings, Ponce sold or arranged for others to sell on his behalf approximately 14 pounds of methamphetamine and 1.6 pound of heroin over the course of 13 drug deals. He also laundered over $30,000 in funds obtained from illegal activity by sending the proceeds to Mexico via money services businesses using false information. Ponce has remained in custody since his arrest and was remanded into custody following sentencing. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Chen ordered Ponce to serve five years of supervised release to begin after his prison term is completed. United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris made the announcement. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Yeh prosecuted the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DEA.


title: Amherst man pleads guilty to selling cocaine and fentanyl that resulted in serious bodily injury to two individuals

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Lloyd Smith, 25, of Amherst, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to distribution of cocaine and fentanyl, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Duncan, who is handling the case, stated on May 27 and 28, 2023, Smith communicated by Snapchat and text message with an individual identified as K.W about purchasing narcotics. On May 28, 2023, Smith met K.W., and another individual identified as J.D., to sell them narcotics. After using the narcotics, J.D. lost consciousness. Smith carried J.D. out of his vehicle to J.D.’s vehicle, where he left J.D. K.W. also lost consciousness at the time. After receiving a 911 call from a good Samaritan, Amherst Police responded to the scene of the overdose, finding K.W. and J.D. unconscious and unresponsive in a vehicle. Both individuals survived. Amherst Police found two baggies in K.W.’s pocket, which both tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl. The baggies were purchased from Smith. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Chamberlin and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division. Sentencing is scheduled for November 3, 2025, before Judge Vilardo. # # # #


title: Jamestown man going to prison for narcotics conspiracy

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Santos Santiago, 49, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of narcotics conspiracy, was sentenced to serve 132 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that in November 2023, investigators conducted a controlled purchase of fentanyl from Santiago. On November 8, 2023, a search warrant was executed at the Van Buren Street residence of Santiago and his wife Anabell, during which law enforcement seized cash, a quantity of fentanyl, pills, and drug paraphernalia. As law enforcement was securing the apartment, Santiago attempted to destroy his fentanyl causing a large amount of fentanyl to go airborne. Two officers inhaled the cloud with one experiencing physical effects requiring medical attention. In March 2024, investigators conducted two more controlled purchases of fentanyl from Santiago. In April 2024, another search warrant was conducted, this time at a residence on Whitley Avenue in Jamestown. During that search, investigators recovered fentanyl, crack cocaine, two loaded 9mm pistols, ammunition, $30,369.00 in cash, drug paraphernalia, a switchblade knife, and oxycodone tablets. One of the pistols was reported stolen in June of 2023. Charges remain pending against co-defendant Anabell Santiago. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson. # # # #


title: Rochester woman sentenced for her involvement in a swatting incident

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Dawnn Marie Walters, 53, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to computers, was sentenced to serve one year probation, to include six months home detention, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland. Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that in August 2023, law enforcement commenced a local swatting call investigation in the Rochester area. Swatting involves and individual making a false report of a serious crime, such as a hostage situation or active shooter, in order to send a SWAT team or law enforcement response to a targeted location. The swatting call in this case involved individuals pretending to be another individual identified as C.F., stating that they had shot someone and provided C.F. parents’ address as the location they had shot someone. During the investigation, law enforcement discovered several conversations that Walters took part in online, discussing targeting C.F. and her devices. In one of those conversations, Walters agreed to assist a co-conspirator in accessing C.F.’s device. With Walters assistance, the co-conspirator gained access to C.F.’s online accounts, including C.F.’s personal email account. After accessing the email account, an email was sent from C.F.’s personal email account to multiple Monroe County Legislators and New York State Assembly members. The email included C.F.’s name, telephone number, and photographs of deceased children. Other emails sent from C.F.’s email to New York State Assembly members included threats to “shoot up some schools in New York,” which were meant to cause law enforcement to investigate C.F. as the emails were sent from C.F.'s personal email address. The sentencing is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm and the Orleans County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Christopher Bourque. # # # #


title: South Florida Man Who Visited Colombia as a Child Sex Tourist Sentenced to Life in Prison

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A Miami man was sentenced to life in federal prison after pleading guilty to traveling to Colombia for the purpose of having sex with minors. According to court documents, law enforcement officers stopped Stefan Andres Correa, 42, on the jet bridge at Miami International Airport as he attempted to board a flight to Bogota, Colombia. During an outbound border search, officers discovered nine cellular phones in Correa’s possession. A search of the cellular phones uncovered over 100 videos of Correa having sex with over 50 minors. The minors were between 11 and 17 years of age. A search of one of the cell phones also revealed a text message exchange with a sex trafficker in Colombia, who Correa agreed to pay $300,000 Colombian pesos (the equivalent of $75 U.S. dollars) to arrange for commercial sex with children that were 10 to 12 years old. “The United States of America will always seek to protect children near and far,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “This prosecution and this sentence should serve as a warning to any predator who is trying to travel through our District to prey on children. We will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. A life sentence for this conduct is entirely appropriate. Predators such as Correa are a scourge upon humanity, and must be dealt with accordingly.” “To the brave survivors, your courage was the driving force in this case, and I hope that the life sentence of this predator brings you some measure of justice and relief,” said Jose R. Figueroa, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Miami. “This investigation underscores the global and horrific nature of child sex trafficking and the importance of international cooperation to end it. I thank our federal and Colombian counterparts for their steadfast dedication and reiterate HSI’s continued commitment to holding those who prey on minors fully accountable.” HSI Miami investigated the case with assistance from HSI offices in Cleveland, Ohio and Bogota, Colombia, as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogota, Colombia also provided critical assistance. Major Crimes Deputy Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Astigarraga prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org . The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration, or an investigative agency. Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential, and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously. To report online child sexual exploitation visit https://report.cybertip.org/ or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in partnership with HSI and other law enforcement agencies. To learn more about the National Resource Hotline, visit http://www.humantraffickinghotline.org . To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking, visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 24-cr-20186. ###


title: Big Island Resident Arrested and Charged with Possessing Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Firearms, and Explosives

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced today that Shannan Hostetler, 54, of Pahoa, Hawaii, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute and manufacture methamphetamine, possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, unlawful possessions of firearms, and unlawful possession of explosives. An initial appearance in federal court is scheduled for June 30, 2025. Earlier this year, the Hawaii Police Department received a community tip indicating that a known narcotics trafficker was frequently visiting Hostetler’s property under a suspected arrangement to stash firearms, money, and narcotics. On June 24, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant on Hostetler’s Pahoa properties. The search resulted in the seizure of, among other things, a Glock 43 handgun, shotguns, a bolt-action rifle, cocaine, and both oil and crystalized methamphetamine, as well as materials suggesting a methamphetamine-conversion lab was being operated on the premises. During the search, bomb-squad personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Maui Police Department, and the Kauai Police Department assisted case investigators by clearing and seizing suspected explosive devices from the premises. If convicted of the charged offenses, Hostetler faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and fines of up to $10 million. The charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines. Less than 24 hours after the law enforcement concluded its search of Hostetler’s properties, an interested third party—having learned of the search— contacted investigators and turned over twenty more firearms, including at least five AR-15 style assault rifles, a 45 ACP carbine, a 12-gauge shotgun, and a 6.5 Grendel tactical rifle outfitted with a scope and bipod. Some of the firearms were loaded with extended magazines. The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Hawaii Police Department, with assistance from the Maui and Kauai Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Slack.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to 103 Months for Possession of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Brian G. McAtee, 43, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 24, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for possession of child pornography. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced McAtee to 103 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After McAtee’s release from prison, he will begin a seven-year term of supervised release. McAtee was also ordered to pay restitution of $3,000 to each of nine identified victims totaling $27,000. On January 5, 2023, Discord, Inc. made two reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicating a Discord user uploaded images depicting child pornography. The IP address associated with the CyberTip resolved to an Omaha residence where McAtee resided. On January 31, 2024, Nebraska State Patrol Investigators contacted McAtee at his Omaha residence. McAtee agreed to speak with investigators and acknowledged using Discord. McAtee admitted having child pornography on his cell phone and voluntarily provided the phone to investigators. McAtee provided the phone’s passcode and showed investigators where he had child pornography on the phone. After observing child pornography on McAtee’s phone, investigators seized the cell phone and obtained a search warrant for the phone. Investigators forensically extracted and analyzed McAtee’s cell phone and the phone’s SIM card. McAtee possessed at least 696 child pornography image files and 115 child pornography video files. The files included pornographic images and videos involving prepubescent children, including infants and toddlers, adults having sex with children, and depictions of sadomasochism. 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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol. ###


title: Omaha 20-year-old Sentenced for Selling Firearms to a Felon

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

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Erixon O. Menjivar-Alfaro, 20, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 25, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for selling firearms to a felon. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Menjivar-Alfaro to 51 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Menjivar-Alfaro’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Between April 11, 2023 and October 3, 2023, Mejivar-Alfaro sold four firearms to a confidential source working for the Omaha Police Department. Menjivar-Alfaro knew the confidential source to be a convicted felon. All firearm sales occurred in Menjivar-Alfaro’s vehicle. On three occasions, Menjivar-Alfaro met with the confidential source at a Walmart parking lot near 50th and L streets in Omaha. On April 11, 2023, Menjivar-Alfaro sold the confidential source a Mack-11 pistol; on May 17, 2023; Mejivar-Alfaro sold the confidential source a Glock 43 handgun; and on September 7, 2023, Menjivar-Alfaro sold the confidential source a Glock-style Polymer80 9mm handgun with a high-capacity magazine On October 3, 2023, Menjivar-Alfaro sold the confidential source a Mini Draco 7.62x39 caliber AK-47-style pistol with a high-capacity magazine and ammunition outside of a residence near 20th and A streets. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Omaha Police Department.


title: Federal grand jury indicts Buffalo man for possession of a machinegun

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Luis Mercado a/k/a Yvng Fabii, 24, of Buffalo, NY, with possession of a machinegun and possession of a firearm with a removed, altered and obliterated serial number. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti, Louis M. Testani, and Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, on February 9, 2024, Buffalo State University police officers responded to an altercation during a men’s basketball game. While officers were trying to identify the parties involved, Mercado began to run away. When confronted by law enforcement, he stopped running, raised his arms, and stated, “I got the thing on me.” When questioned as to what he had, Mercado stated, “I got the joint on me.” During a pat down on Mercado, officers found a loaded pistol with a suspected machine gun conversion device and extended magazine. Law enforcement later learned that the firearm had a defaced serial number. The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Two Buffalo men charged with fentanyl possession

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Antonio Martinez, 43, and Dominic Daniels, 38, both of Buffalo, NY, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. In addition, Daniels is charged with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Martinez and Daniels were identified as individuals believed to be engaged in narcotics trafficking during an investigation by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office. On June 25, 2025, a search warrant was executed for vehicles and residences on Townsend Street and Easton Avenue in Buffalo, associated with and utilized by the defendants for drug trafficking activities. During the searches, investigators seized approximately 2,123 grams of suspected fentanyl, approximately 144 grams of suspected fentanyl pills, approximately 38 grams of crack cocaine, $16,000 in cash, two loaded firearms, drug paraphernalia, and six cellular telephones. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alphonso Wright, the U.S. Probation Department, under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Timothy Englert, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Guatemalan Man Pleads Guilty to Immigration Violations in Waco

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: WACO, Texas – A Guatemalan national pleaded guilty in a federal court in Waco to one count of failure to notify of an address change and one count of failure to carry his alien registration on his person. According to court documents, Pablo David Cajti-Tzoy, was arrested in Temple on June 21 after being encountered by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Waco Fugitive Operations Team. Immigration records indicated Cajti-Tzoy entered the U.S. through Houston in October 2019 as a Temporary Agricultural Worker (non-immigrant H-2A) and was issued a Form I-94 with authorization to remain in the U.S. until Jan. 3, 2020. The last address he provided to the Department of Homeland Security was a location in Immokalee, Florida, where he claimed to reside. Since Dec. 30, 2021, however, Cajti-Tzoy has lived at an address in Harker Heights, Texas. Cajti-Tzoy was not in possession of his I-94 when he was encountered by ICE officers. He also failed to notify the Attorney General in writing of his new address and address change within 10 days. As misdemeanors, both charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 days in federal prison. U.S. Magistrate Judge Derek T. Gilliland sentenced Cajti-Tzoy to time-served. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. ICE investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Frazier prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). ###


title: International Arms Dealer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Export Firearms to Russia

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Yesterday in federal court in Brooklyn, Sergei Zharnovnikov, 46, of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit export violations. The defendant exported firearms and ammunition worth over $1.5 million from the United States to Russia, in violation of U.S. law. When sentenced, Zharnovnikov faces up to 20 years in prison. “By his own admission, Zharnovnikov willfully violated U.S. export controls to smuggle American-made firearms into Russia,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to disrupt illicit arms networks and prosecute those who illegally transfer U.S. weaponry abroad.” “The defendant admitted that he purchased American-made, military-grade firearms and re-exported them to Russia,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s guilty plea is the culmination of extensive investigative work, showing that this office will not allow merchants of lethal weapons and Russia to flout U.S. sanctions.” According to court filings and statements made during the plea proceeding, the defendant is the owner of an arms dealer located in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyzstan Company-1). Since at least March 2020, the defendant, together with others, has conspired to export firearms controlled by the U.S. Department of Commerce from the United States to Russia. The defendant exported $1,582,836.52 worth of U.S.-manufactured firearms and ammunition from the United States to Russia without the required licenses from the Department of Commerce. In one transaction, he entered into a five‑year, $900,000 contract with a company in the United States (U.S. Company‑1) to purchase and export U.S. Company-1 firearms to Kyrgyzstan. The Department of Commerce issued a license for U.S. Company-1 to export firearms to Kyrgyzstan Company-1. The license, however, explicitly prohibited the export or re-export of the firearms to Russia. Nevertheless, the defendant exported and re-exported U.S. Company‑1 firearms, including semi‑automatic hybrid rifle-pistols, to Russia via Kyrgyzstan without the necessary approvals. According to an export filing, in connection with the defendant’s contract with U.S. Company-1, U.S. Company-1 exported semi-automatic rifles from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Kyrgyzstan Company-1 on or about July 10, 2022. On or about Nov. 14, 2022, the General Director of a Russian company — a client of the defendant — executed a tax form listing the same semi‑automatic rifle‑pistols that U.S. Company‑1 had exported to Kyrgyzstan Company‑1, the defendant’s company. The defendant did not apply for, obtain, or possess a license to export or re-export the semi‑automatic pistol-rifles to Russia. Zharnovnikov traveled from Kyrgyzstan to the United States on or about Jan. 18, 2025. The defendant traveled to Las Vegas, where he attended the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show to meet with U.S. arms dealers. The FBI New York Field Office and Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen H. Sise for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Litigation Analyst Rebecca Roth of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.


title: Atlanta Men who Robbed Greenville Jewelry Store Sentenced to Federal Prison

body_text: GREENVILLE, S.C. — Two Atlanta men have been sentenced to federal prison for the armed robbery of a Greenville jewelry store. Tony Nico Clark, 35, was sentenced to nine years and Dedrek Jaquon Hale, 30, was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years. Evidence obtained in the investigation showed that on the afternoon of May 17, 2023, three men robbed a jewelry store located in Greenville. The robbery began when Clark, who was not wearing a mask, approached the door to the store that was locked between guests and was allowed in. Clark then held the door for two masked men, who rushed into the store brandishing handguns and ordering the employees and customers to the floor. One of the masked men, who remains unidentified, broke display cases using a hammer, while Hale used his handgun to smash the glass on the cases. Surveillance footage showed the men pointing their guns at employees and customers as they snatched jewelry from the broken cases. Clark stood nearby calmly calling out the time remaining before the men needed to exit the store. The robbers fled in a waiting car and returned to the Atlanta area. Through careful investigation, law enforcement was able to tie Clark and Hale to the robbery using DNA and other physical evidence. Clark and Hale were arrested in October of 2024 and, in March of this year, pleaded guilty to robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce and to using firearms in furtherance of a violent crime. United States District Judge Jacquelyn D. Austin sentenced Clark to 110 months imprisonment, and sentenced Hale to 115 months imprisonment, with both sentences to be followed by five-year terms of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. The court also ordered each defendant to make restitution of over $140,000. The investigation was led by the FBI Columbia field office, with assistance from the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the Greenville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Schoen is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced To Prison For Illegally Possessing A Firearm

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Tocorey Gibbs (39, Jacksonville) to 32 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony. Gibbs was found guilty after a bench trial on March 19, 2025. According to court documents and records, on January 10, 2024, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) were on patrol in the Lackawanna neighborhood in Jacksonville and observed Gibbs riding a bicycle without a headlight. When officers stopped Gibbs, they saw that he was armed with a pistol. Officers seized a loaded .40 caliber pistol from Gibbs’ pocket. A records check revealed that Gibbs had just been released from prison after serving 15 years for aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Cuban men arrested for roles in nationwide multimillion-dollar auto theft ring

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – Two Cuban nationals have been taken into custody on charges related to the exportation of stolen motor vehicles, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Sadiel Noa-Aguila, 42, and Miguel Baez-Echevarria, 36, resided in Pharr and Las Vegas, Nevada, respectively. Noa-Aguila is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker in McAllen at 9 a.m., while Baez is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brenda Wexler in Las Vegas. According to the criminal complaint unsealed upon their arrests, authorities launched an investigation in 2024 that uncovered a large ring linked to numerous vehicle thefts nationwide. The charges allege the vehicles were primarily stolen from major metropolitan airports and surrounding areas, including Las Vegas; Phoenix, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Texas cities including Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. As part of the scheme, co-conspirators allegedly used electronic devices to steal the vehicles and reprogram key fobs. They then equipped the vehicles with fraudulent license plates or altered vehicle identification numbers before reselling them, according to the charges. Several vehicles were also allegedly exported to Mexico through ports of entry in Hidalgo County and El Paso. Noa-Aguila allegedly attempted to export one of the vehicles, a 2022 GMC Sierra AT4 through a port of entry in Hidalgo County Oct. 1, 2024. It had been reported stolen in Denver the previous month, according to the allegations. The charges allege Baez is linked to the theft of at least 15 additional vehicles and estimates the organization stole vehicles worth millions of dollars in total. Both are charged with aiding and abetting the exportation of stolen motor vehicles which carries a maximum 10-year-prison term, upon conviction. Baez also faces charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering for which he could receive up to 20 years in federal prison. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are conducting the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Texas Department of Public Safety, Dallas Fort Worth Airport Department of Public Safety, Tarrant County District Attorneys’ Office and Tarrant County Regional Auto Crimes Task Force as well as sheriff’s offices in El Paso and Hidalgo Counties; Otero County, New Mexico; Broward County, Florida; and police departments in El Paso, Houston and Pharr; Las Vegas; Phoenix; Salt Lake City; and Denver. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roberto Lopez Jr. is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhood . A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Former Medical Doctor Charged with Naturalization Fraud

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a former medical doctor with naturalization fraud, for providing false answers on a U.S. citizenship application and during an in-person interview. According to the factual allegations in the indictment, Yousif Abdulraouf Alhallaq, 46, of Canton, was born in Kuwait but was a Jordanian citizen at the time he entered the United States on an H1B visa in 2006. In 2011, Alhallaq filed an application to become a permanent resident of the United States, which was approved and granted him lawful status. Since approximately 2012, Alhallaq worked as a medical doctor in Northeast Ohio. Then, in December 2014, the defendant poisoned a victim who was pregnant with his child, in an attempt to terminate the pregnancy without her knowledge. On March 18, 2021, Alhallaq was indicted in the Stark County Court of Common Pleas and charged with one count of attempted murder and two counts of felonious assault for trying to purposely cause the termination of the victim’s pregnancy and knowingly causing serious physical harm to the victim and her unborn child. In September 2021, Alhallaq pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to four years in prison. Before Alhallaq was indicted and sentenced in 2021, Alhallaq mailed a federal application in late 2017, Form N-400, to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. In the application he submitted “no” answers to the following questions: 14C - Were you ever involved in any way with killing or trying to kill someone? 14D - Were you ever involved in any way with badly hurting, or trying to hurt a person on purpose? 22 - Have you ever committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit a crime or offense for which you were not arrested? In March 2018, Alhallaq continued with the process of applying for U.S. citizenship and was interviewed by an immigration officer to review the previously submitted naturalization application. Under oath, the defendant verbally confirmed answers to questions 14C, 14D, and 22 as “no” which matched those initially submitted by mail. On May 4, 2018, the defendant became a naturalized U.S. citizen during a ceremony in Stark County, Ohio. The grand jury charges that although Alhallaq knowingly committed acts of attempted murder and felonious assault against his unborn child in 2014, he nonetheless proceeded to sign his naturalization application in 2017 and then provided verbal confirmation to an immigration official during an interview in 2018 and in both instances attested to the truthfulness of the information he provided, which resulted in being granted U.S. citizenship. Alhallaq faces a maximum of up to 10 years in prison for naturalization fraud. If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, his role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). This case is being prosecuted by Matthew W. Shepherd for the Northern District of Ohio. An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Wakpala Woman Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison  for Killing Her Mother within the Standing Rock Reservation

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Wakpala, South Dakota, woman convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on June 23, 2025. Malania Rose Fast Horse, age 25, was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Fast Horse was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2025. She pleaded guilty on March 6, 2025. Fast Horse quarreled with her mother in their Wakpala, South Dakota, home, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, on Christmas Eve 2024. Fast Horse lost her temper and stabbed her mother several times in the chest, arm, and hand. Fast Horse ambled to her grandmother’s home next door and told her grandmother and brother she had stabbed her mother. She then grabbed some cigarettes and left. Fast Horse’s brother ran next door, finding his mother lying in a pool of blood on the floor, alive but incoherent. Although EMS was promptly dispatched, Fast Horse’s mother later succumbed to her injuries. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case. Fast Horse was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to Role in Romance Scam and Money Laundering Scheme

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Nigerian national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his involvement in the theft of more than $2.5 million from six romance scam victims by transferring their money to cryptocurrency accounts that he controlled. Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, 35, of Abuja, Nigeria, pleaded guilty to mail fraud, aiding and abetting money laundering and money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Sept. 23, 2025. Nwadavid was arrested in April 2025 after arriving on a flight from the United Kingdom to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. In January 2024, a federal grand jury in Boston indicted Nwadavid on charges of mail fraud and money laundering. According to the charging documents, “romance scams” recruit victims through advertisements for online relationships on dating or social media websites. Individuals perpetuating romance scams create fictitious profiles and then use them to gain victims’ trust through a purported romantic relationship. Perpetrators then direct their victims to send money or to conduct financial transactions involving other victims’ money under false pretenses, such as an urgent need for money to secure a multi-million dollar inheritance or to pay for an unexpected hospitalization. Between in or about 2016 and September 2019, Nwadavid participated in romance scams that tricked victims into sending money abroad. In an effort to conceal the ultimate recipient of the victims’ funds, a victim from Massachusetts was tricked into receiving funds from five other victims around the United States. The victim then passed the funds to Nwadavid through a series of cryptocurrency transactions. Nwadavid repeatedly accessed accounts in the victim’s name from overseas, to transfer the victims’ funds to accounts he controlled at LocalBitcoins, an online cryptocurrency platform. The mail fraud charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the loss to the victim, restitution and forfeiture. The money laundering charges provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the laundering transactions, restitution and forfeiture. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth B. Kosto and Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Bullhead Woman Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison  for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon within the Standing Rock Reservation

body_text: ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Bullhead, South Dakota, woman convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on June 23, 2025. Kaitlyn Shantell Left Hand, age 27, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Left Hand was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. She pleaded guilty on February 26, 2025. On July 2, 2024, Left Hand saw two women brawling in Bullhead, South Dakota, which lies within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. Left Hand and a passerby decided to wade into the affray, intending to break it up. Their good intentions went awry. Left Hand, panicked, drew a small knife and stabbed one woman in the head and the abdomen and another woman in the back. The injured women needed stitches, but nothing further. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case. Left Hand was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Convicted Sex Offender Indicted for Naturalization Fraud

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on Tuesday charging Anibal Rios Lavias, 30, a U.S. citizen born in Mexico, with naturalization fraud. The indictment alleges that Lavias lied about his criminal conduct on his application to obtain U.S. citizenship. According to the indictment and previously issued court documents, Lavias is alleged to have made knowingly and materially false statements under oath and penalty of perjury during a naturalization interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS). In response to the questions “Were you EVER involved in any way with any of the following: … [f]orcing or trying to force someone to have any kind of sexual contact or relations?” and “Have you EVER committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense for which you were NOT arrested?” he answered “No.” Lavias took the oath of citizenship and naturalized on May 4, 2018. On March 19, 2024, in the Superior Court of North Carolina in Alamance County, Lavias pleaded guilty to five counts of statutory sexual offense with a child by an adult. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of between 300 and 420 months and ordered to register as a sex offender. Lavias confessed to having committed the crimes between February 25, 2018, and February 26, 2023. The victim was five years old when the abuse began. He was not arrested until after he naturalized, so immigration officials were unaware of his crimes prior to granting citizenship. Lavias is charged in a two-count indictment with naturalization fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison as well as the automatic revocation of his U.S. citizenship. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. Officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division assigned to the Document Benefit Fraud Task Force are investigating the case as part of Operation False Haven , an ongoing initiative designed to aggressively target egregious felons who fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick is prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-00152-BO-RJ. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: Philadelphia Vertical Farmer Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Tax Evasion

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty yesterday to wire fraud and tax evasion. The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: John (Jack) Griffin of Philadelphia was the principal and founder of Second Story Farming Inc., which did business as Metropolis Farms. Second Story Farming had several lines of business, including growing crops in vertical farms to sell to customers, developing sustainable vertical farming technologies, and selling vertical farming systems to customers. Vertical farming refers to a practice of growing crops vertically and in horizontally stacked layers. In 2017, Griffin, through Second Story Farming, sold vertical farming systems along with the equipment, supplies, materials, and operational instructions necessary to operate them to two companies. Before entering into the contracts, Griffin provided financial projections to them that grossly overstated the anticipated revenues that could be generated by the vertical farms and grossly understated the anticipated expenses necessary to operate the vertical farms. In reliance on the financial projections, the companies each paid Second Story Farming to set up vertical farms for them. Rather than use those funds to provide them with vertical farms, Griffin used most of the money to pay his own personal expenses and operate Second Story Farming’s research and development line of business. In 2017, Griffin earned income from his work at Second Story Farming. Despite being legally required to file a tax return for that year, Griffin did not do so. Griffin tried to conceal that he received any income in 2017 by, among other things, withdrawing cash and paying personal expense from his business’s bank accounts and transferring funds from his business to his wife, and withdrawing cash from Second Story Farming’s business bank account. Griffin is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 22. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the wire fraud charges and a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the tax evasion charge. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Catriona Coppler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis Weber for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.


title: British Man Sentenced to 42 Years in Prison for Three Counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child

component: Department of Justice

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A British man, Scott West, 40, of Manchester, United Kingdom, was sentenced on June 23, 2025, to 42 years in prison following his convictions for three counts of sexual exploitation of a child. At the sentencing hearing, the court was informed that West and another co-conspirator created an account on a popular social media platform in which the two men pretended to be a young woman. Both men used the account to reach out to young boys to solicit sexually explicit photos. Multiple minors contacted by West were in the Central District of Illinois. When a victim responded by sending sexually explicit photos to the account, West would solicit more photos, threatening to expose the victim if he did not comply. Independently, West would meet children online and engage in similar behavior, knowingly soliciting sexually explicit photos from underage boys in multiple different countries. Also at the hearing, U.S. Chief District Judge Sara Darrow found that the offense involved the knowing misrepresentation of a participant’s identity to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct. West was indicted in December 2022, and a request was made to the government of the United Kingdom for his extradition in June 2023. He was extradited to the United States in October 2024 by the United States Marshals Service and remained in their custody after United States Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley ordered his detention. West pleaded guilty in January 2025. The statutory penalties for sexual exploitation of a child include not less than 15 years and up to 30 years’ imprisonment per count, to be followed by not less than 5 years and up to a life term of supervised release on each count. Judge Darrow further ordered that West serve a ten-year term of supervised release. “West manipulated and preyed upon children on two continents in his quest to fulfill his own sexual desires.”said Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Seberger. “This extradition and sentence ensured that his American victims received justice in the United States for his crimes. We will continue to work with law enforcement across the globe to bring justice to victims of abuse.” “Adults should protect children, not prey upon them online as the predator in this case did to victims in multiple countries. The sentencing in this case reflects the heinousness of this man’s insidious actions to threaten and harm kids,” said Michael Kurzeja, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Springfield Resident Office. “The Secret Service is committed to keeping children safe online and pursuing crimes committed against them. Thanks to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Central District of Illinois, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Greater Manchester Police Serious Crime Division in England, the Illinois State Police and all of our local law enforcement partners for helping bring this defendant to justice.” The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from the United Kingdom. The United States Secret Service and the Greater Manchester Police Online Child Abuse Investigation Team in England investigated the case, with assistance from the Illinois State Police and several local Illinois police departments and sheriffs’ offices: the Geneseo Police Department, the Colona Police Department, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, the Kewanee Police Department, and the Moline Police Department. Significant assistance was also provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seberger represented the government in the prosecution. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) encourage parents to discuss online safety with their children and to ask for help from adults or professionals if they have experienced threats online. Children should know it is always okay to speak with a trusted adult if something they are experiencing online makes them uncomfortable. For more information contact gethelp@ncmec.org . NCMEC also has a CyberTipline for reporting child sexual exploitation.


title: Burlington Man Charged After Possessing a Loaded Firearm on Church Street

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Noor Mohamed, age 25, of Burlington, Vermont has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of ammunition. Mohamed is currently in State of Vermont custody and his initial appearance in federal court is not yet scheduled. According to court records, shortly after 2:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 21, 2025, Mohamed caused a disturbance with a firearm on Church Street in Burlington. When officers from the Burlington Police Department (BPD) attempted to detain him, he ignored their orders and physically resisted. Instead of complying with the officers, Mohamed reached into his waistband to grab the loaded firearm that he possessed, resulting in an intense and perilous physical struggle between Mohamed and law enforcement over the gun. As law enforcement struggled with Mohamed to detain him and gain control of the firearm, a large, confrontational, agitated crowd formed around officers, creating an increasingly unsafe and precarious scene. Eventually, officers were able to handcuff the defendant and gain possession of the gun, which was a Glock-style handgun with scratch marks where a serial number should have been located, loaded with thirteen rounds of ammunition, including a round in the chamber. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Mohamed is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Mohamed faces up to 15 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. “The responding Burlington Police officers demonstrated bravery and skill by safely disarming Mr. Mohamed, despite his vigorous resistance and the presence of the agitated crowd,” said Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work closely with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to help protect our communities.” Drescher also commended the investigative work of the Burlington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Interim Chief of the Burlington Police Department, Shawn Burke, stated: “This incident highlights the dangers our officers face and their selfless commitment to keeping Burlington safe. We deeply appreciate our federal partners for seeking to hold Mohamed accountable and to reduce his ability to further victimize our community.” The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Cate. Attorney information for Mohamed is not yet available. 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: Headed to Prison: Disbarred South Florida Lawyer Who Stole Client Funds

body_text: MIAMI – A federal district judge in Ft. Lauderdale sentenced disbarred lawyer John Spencer Jenkins yesterday to 33 months’ imprisonment for misusing more than three quarters of a million dollars of his clients’ money. According to plea documents and information provided during the sentencing hearing, Jenkins’ clients wired funds into his law firm’s Interest on Trust Account (“IOTA”) business account and general business account for the purpose of receiving legal services from Jenkins. In relation to his representation of one client’s estate, Jenkins admitted that the executor of the estate wired funds into his business accounts so that Jenkins would manage the distribution of the assets among his client’s designees. However, Jenkins wired those funds into separate accounts for his own personal use. During the sentencing hearing, Judge David S. Leibowitz emphasized the importance of holding accountable people with Bar cards because they are uniquely situated with holding the public’s trust as licensed attorneys. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami made the announcement. FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Altanese Phenelus prosecuted it. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-CR-60172-DSL. ###


title: Former High-Ranking New York State Government Employee and her Husband Charged with Accepting Kickbacks in PPE Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: BROOKLYN, NY – A federal grand jury in Brooklyn yesterday returned a second superseding indictment that added charges against Linda Sun and her husband and co-defendant Chris Hu related to a fraudulent scheme involving procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) by the New York State (NYS) government at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the scheme, Sun steered contracts to vendors with whom she had undisclosed personal connections, and she and Hu received millions of dollars from the vendors, including some in the form of kickbacks, which Sun did not disclose to the NYS government. The new charges against Sun and Hu include honest services wire fraud, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, bribery, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Additionally, Hu is charged with tax evasion. The defendants will be arraigned on Monday, June 30, 2025. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI New York), announced the new charges. “As alleged, Linda Sun not only acted as unregistered agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China, but also enriched herself to the tune of millions of dollars when New York State was at its most vulnerable at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “When masks, gloves, and other protective supplies were hard to find, Sun abused her position of trust to steer contracts to her associates so that she and her husband could share in the profits. We demand better from our public servants, and this Office will continue to hold accountable public officials who enrich themselves at the expense of the New York taxpayers.” Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the New York State Office of the Inspector General, the New York State Police, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) for their work on the case. He also thanked the New York State Executive Chamber for its cooperation with the investigation. “During a global pandemic, Linda Sun allegedly leveraged her authority within the New York State government to secretly steer contracts to selective PPE vendors in exchange for millions of dollars in kickbacks to her and her husband,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “This alleged scheme not only created an unearned and undisclosed benefit for the defendants and their relatives, but it also exploited the state's critical need for resources in a health crisis. The FBI will never tolerate any public official who abuses their position to profit at the expense of others, especially when their objectives align with foreign agendas.” “Not only did Sun allegedly use Chinese money and her influence in New York State to benefit the Chinese government, it is further alleged that she used her position to steer multi-million-dollar contracts to companies controlled by family members and friends. With this investigation, this husband-and-wife team with supposed ties to corruption has been rooted out, and they will soon understand that in legitimate government spending, there is no friends and family discount,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis. As alleged in the superseding indictment, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic and while working with the team of NYS government employees responsible for obtaining PPE, Sun used her position of influence with the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to coordinate the NYS government’s purchase of PPE from vendors located in the PRC. In addition to certain vendors referred by the PRC government, Sun referred two vendors (the Cousin Company and the Associate Company) that were not recommended by the PRC government but rather had ties to Sun and Hu, while claiming falsely that these, too, were referrals from components of the PRC government. In reality, the Cousin Company was operated by one of Sun’s second cousins, and the Associate Company was operated by Hu and one of Hu’s business associates. With Sun’s assistance, the Cousin Company and the Associate Company each entered into multiple contracts with the NYS government worth millions of dollars apiece. Sun, the Associate Company, and the Cousin Company did not disclose to the NYS government (1) the fact that Sun and Hu had relationships with the Associate Company and the Cousin Company, or (2) that Sun and Hu received a portion of the profits that the Associate Company and the Cousin Company made as a result of their contracts with the NYS government for PPE, including through kickback payments from the Cousin Company. To conceal her relationship with the Cousin Company from procurement authorities at the NYS government, Sun falsified a document to suggest that the Jiangsu Department of Commerce had recommended the Cousin Company. On or about March 20, 2020, Sun and other NYS government officials received an email from the U.S. representative to the Jiangsu Trade & Business Representative Office in Albany, New York suggesting four PRC-based vendors who were able to provide PPE for the NYS government. On or about March 21, 2020, Sun forwarded herself an altered version of the email in which she replaced the first suggested vendor—a vendor that produced ventilators—with the Cousin Company and wrote that the Cousin Company was recommended by the Jiangsu Department of Commerce. On or about March 24, 2020, in an email with the subject line “Already VERIFIED by Linda Sun,” Sun wrote to NYS procurement officials that the Cousin Company “came recommended by Jiangsu Chamber of Commerce,” that the representative had helped “screen potential vendors,” and that the Cousin Company’s surgical mask was the “gold standard.” Below Sun’s message was what purported to be quoted text from the Jiangsu Chamber of Commerce’s email recommending vendors. However, the email in the quoted text was the altered email. In connection with the Cousin Company contracts with the NYS government, a spreadsheet maintained on Sun and Hu’s personal computer indicated that the Cousin provided payments to Hu (and Sun) totaling approximately $2.3 million during 2020 and 2021. These kickbacks from the Cousin Company represented taxable income. Hu did not report these payments as income to the U.S. government, as required, or pay taxes on this income in Forms 1040 for 2020 and 2021 that he filed on behalf of himself and Sun. In part, Hu laundered the income from the Cousin Company by having the Cousin make $1.5 million in payments in three $500,000 increments from another entity that the Cousin owned (the Cousin Entity) to U.S. accounts at a financial institution. Hu created these accounts in a close relative’s name instead of his own on April 29, 2020, two days before the final $6 million payment from NYS government to the Cousin Company. Sun also arranged for the Associate Company to be a vendor for NYS government contracts. On March 14, 2020, Sun wrote an email with the subject “Mask suppliers” to other members of the NYS government PPE task force with procurement authority and listed the Associate Company as a potential supplier. Sun subsequently communicated with the Associate Company by email to obtain a price quote for the contract and provided a status update to the NYS government about the contracts with the Associate Company. A computer owned by the defendants contained a NYS internal document tracking various state PPE contracts, broken out by vendor. One of the fields in the document contained, for each company, an answer to the question “why did we do business with this vendor?” For the Associate Company, the answer to the question was listed as: “referred by Chinese chamber of commerce.” However, there was no such referral for the Associate Company. According to a spreadsheet found in one of Hu’s electronic accounts, the total profits Hu expected to reap from the contracts that the Associate Company and the Cousin Company had with the NYS Department of Health totaled $8,029,741. Hu marked the column for these expected profits with the word “me.” The new charges are in addition to the existing charges against Sun, which include violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering, and the existing charges against Hu, which include money laundering conspiracy, money laundering, as well as conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of means of identification. The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon, Robert M. Pollack, and Amanda Shami are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Trial Attorney Eli Ross from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Litigation Analyst Emma Tavangari. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Mantell of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters. The Defendants : LINDA SUN, also known as “Wen Sun,” “Ling Da Sun,” and “Linda Hu” Age: 41 Manhasset, New York CHRIS HU Age: 40 Manhasset, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-346 (S-2) (BMC) linda_sun_chris_hu_s-2_indictment.pdf


title: Burley Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: POCATELLO – Michael Allen Montoya, 40, of Burley, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today. According to court records, the investigation began when the FBI became aware that a person, later identified as Montoya, was distributing child sexual abuse material through an online social media platform. The FBI also learned that during online chat conversations, Montoya had discussed his sexual interest in children and had exchanged child sexual abuse material with other offenders. The FBI referred the investigation to the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (“ICAC”). The ICAC obtained a federal search warrant for Montoya’s Burley residence. During a forensic examination of Montoya’s electronic devices, ICAC located numerous files of child sexual abuse material. ICAC also discovered that Montoya had produced explicit images and videos of himself sexually abusing an infant and an 8-year-old child in his care. “Law enforcement in Idaho has zero tolerance for those that target children for abuse and exploitation.” Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott said. “As this case illustrates, images of child sexual abuse material are not just images – they are evidence of sexual abuse committed by predators like this defendant. I am thankful that we have outstanding professionals in the ICAC, the FBI, and our office that are dedicated to protecting Idaho’s children and ensuring this type of abhorrent conduct results in significant prison sentences.” “Our commitment to protecting children from abuse is unwavering,” said Idaho Attorney General Labrador. “I am grateful for our ICAC Task Force and the partnership we have with Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott’s office. By working together, we can continue making Idaho safer by investigating, arresting, and prosecuting one bad guy at a time.” Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also sentenced Montoya to lifetime supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution to his victims. Montoya will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction. Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the cooperative efforts of the Idaho ICAC Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rupert Police Department, the Idaho State Police, the Minidoka County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cassia County Sheriff’s Office, which led to the charge. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kassandra McGrady and Erin Blackadar. 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. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Milton Man Indicted On Drug Trafficking Charges

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Justo Melendez-Morales, age 44, of Milton, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 22, 2025, for charges related to drug trafficking. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about February 26, 2025, through May 9, 2025, Melendez-Morales sold and possessed approximately 38 grams of cocaine in his Milton apartment, which he maintained as a premises for drug trafficking. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Zenzinger is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The maximum penalty under federal law for the offense is 30 years and a fine. A sentence for this offense may also include a period of supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Arizona to Evansville Fentanyl Trafficking Operation Dismantled, Landing Two in Federal Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: EVANSVILLE— Two men have been sentenced to a combined 16 years in federal prison for their roles in a drug trafficking operation responsible for pumping thousands of counterfeit fentanyl pills from Arizona into Evansville. Deriontai Mathis, 31, of Evansville, has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Ernest Gilbert, 38, of Arizona, was sentenced in July of 2024 to five years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of fentanyl and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. According to court documents, between September and November of 2022, Mathis and Gilbert conspired together to buy and sell thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills. Gilbert, who resided in Arizona, would obtain the pills, ship or otherwise transport them to Indiana, and then fly to Indiana and drive the pills to Mathis in Evansville. On November 10, 2022, during a search of Mathis’s residence, investigators recovered nine plastic bags containing ten thousand counterfeit M-30 fentanyl pills hidden inside of a child’s toy car, a camouflaged backpack that contained $56,800.00 in cash, a body armor vest and nine firearms. During a search of another residence Mathis used to store his contraband, officers recovered three additional handguns and a 12-gauge shotgun. In 2015, Mathis was convicted for being a drug abuser in possession of a firearm, thereby prohibiting from ever legally possessing a firearm again. This investigation also led to the discovery that Jeremial Leach was a customer of Mathis, purchasing counterfeit fentanyl pills for $10 per pill. In May of 2024, Leach was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for dealing fentanyl resulting in at least three overdoses and a teen’s death. See: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/pr/evansville-snapchat-fentanyl-dealer-responsible-least-three-overdoses-and-teens-death “The sentences imposed here should serve as a warning: these poisons kill—and selling them will earn you decades in federal prison,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Our office remains committed to working hand in hand with our state, local and federal partners in order to keep our communities safe, hold drug traffickers accountable, and stop the flow of deadly substances into our neighborhoods.” The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Evansville-Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force and Evansville Police Department investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young. Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Wheatley, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Justice Department Opens Investigation into the University of California System for Race- and Sex-Based Employment Practices

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into the University of California (UC) system, including its individual campuses, concerning potential race- and sex-based discrimination in university employment practices. The University of California’s “UC 2030 Capacity Plan” directs its campuses to hire “diverse” faculty members to meet race- and sex-based employment quotas. These initiatives openly measure new hires by their race and sex, which potentially runs afoul of federal law. The Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section will investigate whether the University of California is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, sex, and other protected characteristics, pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. “Public employers are bound by federal laws that prohibit racial and other employment discrimination,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Institutional directives that use race- and sex-based hiring practices expose employers to legal risk under federal law.” The notice letter is available here .


title: Topeka man indicted for alleged assault on Tribal land

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with committing an assault on Tribal land. According to court documents, Wesley Reel Bennett, 23, of Topeka was indicted on one count of assaults within maritime and territorial jurisdiction. In June 2025, Bennett is accused of assaulting and seriously injuring a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation within the confines of its Tribal territory. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribal Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hunting is prosecuting the case. OTHER INDICTMENTS Hector Alvarado, 55, of Topeka was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hunting is prosecuting the case. Kenneth Norman Baker, 41, of Baxter Springs was indicted on one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Two Convicted for their Roles in Multi-Million Dollar Transnational Telephone Scam

body_text: ATLANTA - Pradip Parikh, 67, of Valley Stream, New York, and Alpesh Patel, 40, of Louisa, Virginia, have been convicted for their roles in a scam that defrauded unsuspecting Americans out of millions of dollars after a five-day jury trial. “This case involved a scheme to defraud multiple victims – many of whom were elderly – and to callously rob them of their hard-earned savings,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The defendants and their conspirators within and outside the United States enriched themselves through government-imposter scams designed to exploit the public’s inherent trust in federal institutions. The jury has spoken, and Parikh and Patel will now be held accountable for their crimes.” “These defendants deliberately preyed on some of our most vulnerable citizens—particularly the elderly—by impersonating Social Security officials and exploiting their trust,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit performing the duties of the Social Security Administration (SSA), Inspector General. “This telephone imposter scheme defrauded millions of Americans and caused real harm to individuals who believed they were protecting their benefits. Today’s convictions send a clear message: we will relentlessly pursue those who weaponize fear and deceit to commit fraud, and we thank our law enforcement partners for helping bring these perpetrators to justice.” “These defendants targeted mostly older adults to cheat them out of their savings,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “This sentencing should make it known to individuals that protecting our most vulnerable community members is critically important, and we will hold accountable those who engage in these sorts of egregious fraud schemes.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2022, Pradip Parikh, Alpesh Patel, and eight others were indicted for running, promoting, and profiting from an India-based call center scam targeting Americans. The fraudsters typically identified themselves as Social Security Administration employees, telling the victims that their Social Security Numbers had been compromised in connection with criminal activity and promising to help “protect” their assets. Upon luring the victims to agree to this offer, the fraudsters directed the victims to send money to bank accounts controlled by Parikh, Patel, and other conspirators. During the defendants’ trial, a 70-year-old victim from New Jersey testified that one of the conspirators told her that she would be arrested and lose all her assets if she did not transfer funds to accounts that the caller designated. In response, the victim transferred more than $600,000 of her lifesavings to multiple banks accounts, including $150,000 to an account called “JDM Management” that Parikh controlled. A recently widowed mother of eight testified that she transferred over $300,000 to JDM Management’s account as part of the scheme. Parikh then laundered the funds, retaining thousands for himself and transferring the balance to a conspirator. Other victims testified that they wired money to an account called “Seven Points Agency” that Patel controlled. Evidence admitted during trial revealed that the Seven Points Agency account was opened just before scam victims began wiring money into it. More than $100,000 was deposited into the account in the span of two days, and Patel immediately diverted those funds to a conspirator after keeping approximately $10,000 for himself. Pradip Parikh and Alpesh Patel were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two substantive counts of money laundering. The jury convicted Patel of all the counts. Parikh was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering and two substantive counts of money laundering. The conspiracy to commit wire fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment, and the money laundering counts each carry a maximum penalty of ten years of incarceration. In determining the actual sentence, the court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders. Sentencing hearings for the defendants will be scheduled at a future date before United States District Judge William M. Ray II. This case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Angela Adams and Special Assistant United States Attorney Diane C. Schulman are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is part of the Department of Justice Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force. The Strike Force focuses on investigating and prosecuting defendants associated with foreign-based fraud schemes that disproportionately affect American seniors. These include romance scams, phone scams, mass-mailing fraud schemes, and tech-support fraud schemes. For further information on these scams, see https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/senior-scam-alert . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Texas Business Owner Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief Fraud

body_text: A Texas woman was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison for her participation in a scheme to file fraudulent applications for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. According to court documents, between around May 2020, and March 2021, Shantelle Hawkins, 43, of DeSoto, conspired to submit 17 fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of companies she or her relatives owned or controlled. The applications contained false statements about payroll and tax information, which the SBA used to calculate the amount of PPP funds to which the applicant-companies would be entitled. Hawkins used some of the money she obtained from the loans for personal expenses, including to pay off her 2015 Maserati Ghibli luxury car and to purchase property in the greater Dallas area. Hawkins pleaded guilty on Oct. 8, 2024, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. At sentencing, Hawkins was ordered to pay more than $1.8 million in restitution and to forfeit the residence purchased with proceeds from the fraud. Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas; and Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI’s Dallas Field Office made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Dermot Lynch and Kashan Pathan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elyse Lyons for the Northern District of Texas is handling asset forfeiture. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that John “Jack” Griffin, 62, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney on Wednesday to wire fraud and tax evasion charges. As detailed in court documents and statements made in court, Griffin was the principal and founder of Second Story Farming Inc., which did business as Metropolis Farms. Second Story Farming had several lines of business, including growing crops in vertical farms to sell to customers, developing sustainable vertical farming technologies, and selling vertical farming systems to customers. In 2017, Griffin, through Second Story Farming, sold vertical farming systems, along with the equipment, supplies, materials, and operational instructions necessary to operate them, to two companies. Before entering into the contracts, Griffin provided financial projections to them that grossly overstated the anticipated revenues that could be generated by the vertical farms and grossly understated the anticipated expenses necessary to operate the vertical farms. In reliance on the financial projections, the companies each paid Second Story Farming to set up vertical farms for them. Rather than use those funds to provide them with vertical farms, Griffin used most of the money to pay his own personal expenses and operate Second Story Farming’s research and development line of business. In 2017, Griffin earned income from his work at Second Story Farming. Despite being legally required to file a tax return for that year, Griffin did not do so. Griffin tried to conceal that he received any income in 2017 by, among other things, withdrawing cash and paying personal expense from his business’s bank accounts and transferring funds from his business to his wife, and withdrawing cash from Second Story Farming’s business bank account. Griffin is scheduled to be sentenced on October 22 and faces a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the wire fraud charges and five years in prison on the tax evasion charge. This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis Weber and Trial Attorney Catriona Coppler of the Department of Justice’s Tax Division.


title: Mexican National Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Laundering $5.5M

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Mexican national was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in the collection of drug proceeds in the United States and the repatriation of those proceeds or their equivalent value to Mexico as part of a money laundering conspiracy. According to court documents, Jose Manuel Martinez Gomez, also known as Meno, 52, of Guadalajara, Mexico, served as a “money broker” in an organization that conspired with drug traffickers to launder money for them in Mexico. Martinez personally brokered contracts to launder approximately $5.5 million and used a network of co-conspirators to pick up the drug proceeds all over the United States. Martinez then directed the transfer of the funds to Mexico via cryptocurrency and kept a percentage for himself as a fee. As a direct result of the money laundering contracts brokered by Martinez, The Drug Enforcement Administration Lexington Field Office and its partners seized approximately 3 kilograms of fentanyl, 52.77 kilograms of cocaine, 7,078.63 kilograms of unconverted methamphetamine in the form of charcoal lumps, 170 gallons of unconverted methamphetamine in the form of coconut oil, 140 kilograms of methamphetamine and 15 gallons of liquid methamphetamine. The DEA also seized $1,352,160 in bulk U.S. currency. The DEA Lexington Resident Office investigated the case, working closely with the Detroit Field Division and Rocky Mountain Field Division and assisted by DEA offices in Mexico, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Birmingham, Chicago, Cincinnati, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Louisville, Baltimore, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Portland, Columbia, and Rapid City, with the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. Trial Attorney Elizabeth R. Rabe of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Deputy Criminal Chief Gary Todd Bradbury of the Eastern District of Kentucky prosecuted this case.


title: Texas Woman Arrested After 20 Pounds of Cocaine Seized at New Mexico Checkpoint

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Texas woman is facing federal charges after U.S. Border Patrol agents seized more than 20 pounds of cocaine from her vehicle during a checkpoint inspection south of Alamogordo, New Mexico. According to court documents, on the afternoon of June 16, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Aurelia Madrid-Marquez , 51, at the Highway 54 checkpoint located South of Alamogordo, New Mexico, driving a minivan with Illinois license plates. During routine questioning, agents conducted a canine inspection of the vehicle, which resulted in a positive alert for narcotics. A subsequent search revealed seven vacuum-sealed bundles containing a white powdery substance concealed in the driver-side floorboard area. Field tests confirmed the substance to be cocaine. Madrid-Marquez is charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and will remain in third party custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Madrid-Marquez faces up to 10 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, and Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Aragon Martinez is prosecuting the case. View the Criminal Complaint (Marquez).pdf A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former HUD Employee, Who Moonlighted for Two Other Federal Agencies, Admits Making False Claims

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Crissy Monique Baker, 45, a federal employee from Fairfax, Virginia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to making false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims in connection with claiming to work more hours for the government than she actually did. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Acting Inspector General Stephen Ravas of AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General, FBI Assistant Director in Chief Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Smith with the Department of U.S. Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. Between October 2021 and May 2025, Baker worked as a management and program analyst for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. According to court documents, from October 2021 through July 2024, Baker held multiple full-time government contractor positions to perform human resources services for other federal agencies but did not seek approval from HUD to engage in this outside employment. Through this years-long scheme, Baker billed the government more than 24 hours in a single day between her employment with the federal government and contractors. The estimated loss to the government was $225,866. Between September 2021 through April 2023, Contractor-A employed Baker to perform full-time work as a human resources assistant for AmeriCorps. From May 16, 2022, until Dec. 2, 2022, Contractor-B employed Baker to work full-time as a human resources specialist for the National Institutes of Health. Because of her scheme, Baker willfully caused the contractors to submit false claims to the U.S. Government for hours that she did not actually work. In addition, Baker submitted timesheets to HUD certifying that she worked hours for the government agency that she never actually did. For example, in June 2022, Baker certified through timesheets to HUD, Contractor-A, and Contractor-B, that she worked 26 hours per day on 13 workdays out of a total of 21 workdays that month. Since Baker teleworked in all three positions, she was able to conceal her employment with HUD and the two contractors from each other. U.S. District Court Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan scheduled sentencing for Sept. 30, 2025. This case was investigated by the Offices of the Inspector General for the following agencies: AmeriCorps; Housing and Urban Development; the Department of Energy; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; the Department of Homeland Security; the General Services Administration; the Department of Health and Human Services; and the Department of Treasury (Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration), the Department of Defense (Defense Criminal Investigate Service), and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, along with the FBI Washington Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Hart and Kondi Kleinman. 25cr172