title: Nashville Man Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud Fresno County

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Jafaar September Nyangoro, 52, of Franklin, Tennessee, and Peter Bah Acha, 45 of Berlin, Germany, charging them with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud related to a scheme to defraud Fresno County, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, sometime before Sept. 14, 2020, Nyangoro, Acha, and others secretly gained control of an email account used by the finance director of a Fresno nonprofit to submit fraudulent invoices to Fresno County for payment through Automated Clearing House (ACH) transactions. Posing as the finance director, they fraudulently represented to the County of Fresno that the nonprofit’s bank account information had changed and that payments should be sent to an account at a different bank that Nyangoro had recently opened. The County of Fresno updated the nonprofit’s bank account information accordingly. According to court documents, between Sept. 24, 2020, and Oct. 13, 2020, the County of Fresno initiated several ACH transfers totaling over $1.5 million to Nyangoro’s bank account instead of the nonprofit’s bank account. At times, Nyangoro, Acha, and others communicated with each other through various means, including WhatsApp. For example, on Oct. 16, 2020, after Regions Bank reversed some of the ACH transfers for suspected fraud, Nyangoro sent a WhatsApp message: “We’re in deep s***. The last 3 transactions from County of Fresno have been reversed. Please call me ASAP!” This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa is prosecuting the case. Nyangoro was ordered detained by a magistrate judge in Nashville on May 14, 2025, and will make an appearance in Fresno at a later date. If convicted, Nyangoro and Acha face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Former West Virginia Supervisory Correctional Officer Sentenced to more than 17 Years in Prison on Conspiracy and Obstruction Charges

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in covering up an assault by correctional officers that resulted in the death of inmate Quantez Burks on March 1, 2022. Lester, 35, of Odd, WV, was sentenced to 210 months in prison. On January 27, a federal jury convicted defendant Lester on three felony obstruction of justice charges, including conspiracy to tamper with witnesses; witness tampering; and giving false statements. As part of these efforts to cover up the fatal assault other officers committed, the defendant threatened subordinate officers with violence and retaliation, added false statements to multiple officers’ reports, instructed officers to give a false cover story to investigators, and personally gave false statements to internal investigators. The evidence showed that the defendant also provided false information relating to the assault of Burks during a voluntary interview with FBI agents. Seven correctional officers pleaded guilty in connection with the assault of Burks; several of those former officers testified against Lester during the trial. In November 2024, Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks, resulting in his death. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, and Walters are scheduled before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 16, 2025. On August 8, 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to violating Burks’s civil rights by failing to intervene when other officers used unreasonable force. Sentencing hearings for Boothe and Toney are scheduled before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 9. Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. Andrew Fleshman is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk on July 14. On May 8, U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to serve 108 months in prison. “This defendant wrongfully decided to obstruct an investigation into a fatal assault of an inmate,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I am proud of the Criminal Section within the Civil Rights Division and their counterparts in the Southern District of West Virginia for their work on this case.” “On the defendant’s watch, correctional officers killed an inmate, and the defendant conspired with them to cover up their crimes,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virgina. “The defendant violated the public’s trust in the law enforcement system he had sworn to uphold.” The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, investigated the case. Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.


title: Las Vegas Man Indicted For Multiple Armed Carjackings

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man made his initial court appearance Tuesday before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts for allegedly committing multiple violent armed carjackings. According to allegations contained in the indictment, on March 24, 2025, Aerion Warmsley brandished a Taurus 9mm firearm and stole a Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 from a victim by force, violence, and intimidation. The victim suffered a fractured nose. Then, on March 27, 2025, Warmsley brandished the 9mm firearm and stole a Mercedes-Benz GL450 from a victim by force, violence, and intimidation. While fleeing from law enforcement, he struck two pedestrians with the vehicle resulting in serious bodily injury to the victims. One victim suffered a brain bleed and multiple fractures, and the second victim suffered multiple fractures. On the same day, Warmsley brandished the 9mm firearm and stole a Kia Sorrento from a victim by force, violence, and intimidation. Warmsley is charged with two counts of carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, three counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of carjacking. A jury trial has been scheduled for July 14, 2025, before United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro. If convicted, Warmsley faces the maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division made the announcement. This case was investigated by the FBI, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, North Las Vegas Police Department, Henderson Police Department, and the Clark County School District Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Edward Penetar is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Former West Virginia Supervisory Correctional Officer Sentenced to More than 17 Years in Prison for Conspiracy and Obstruction Crimes

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in covering up an assault by correctional officers that resulted in the death of inmate Quantez Burks on March 1, 2022. Lester, 35, of Odd, West Virginia, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. On January 27, 2025, a federal jury convicted defendant Lester on three felony obstruction of justice charges, including conspiracy to tamper with witnesses; witness tampering; and giving false statements. As part of these efforts to cover up the fatal assault other officers committed, the defendant threatened subordinate officers with violence and retaliation, added false statements to multiple officers’ reports, instructed officers to give a false cover story to investigators, and personally gave false statements to internal investigators. The evidence showed that the defendant also provided false information relating to the assault of Burks during a voluntary interview with FBI agents. Seven correctional officers pleaded guilty in connection with the assault of Burks; several of those former officers testified against Lester during the trial. In November 2024, Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks, resulting in his death. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, and Walters are scheduled before U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 16, 2025. On August 8, 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to violating Burks’s civil rights by failing to intervene when other officers used unreasonable force. Sentencing hearings for Boothe and Toney are scheduled before U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 9, 2025. Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. Andrew Fleshman is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk on July 14, 2025. Chief U.S. District Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to nine years in prison on May 8, 2025. “This defendant wrongfully decided to obstruct an investigation into a fatal assault of an inmate,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I am proud of the Criminal Section within the Civil Rights Division and their counterparts in the Southern District of West Virginia for their work on this case.” “On the defendant’s watch, correctional officers killed an inmate, and the defendant conspired with them to cover up their crimes,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “The defendant violated the public’s trust in the law enforcement system he had sworn to uphold.” The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, investigated the case. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-188. ###


title: Dover Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Bank

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, TIMOTHY ABERCROMBIE , 42, of Dover, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to committing bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On April 1, 2025, Abercrombie was charged by Information with bank fraud. According to the Information, from May 2019 through February 2024, Abercrombie was employed as a vice president and loan officer at InterBank in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. During that period, Abercrombie used personal information from the bank’s customers to prepare loan applications, and once approved, deposit said loans into checking accounts opened with the customer’s information, all without the customer’s knowledge or consent. Abercrombie’s scheme defrauded InterBank out of approximately $883,075.66. Abercrombie pleaded guilty to the Information today, and admitted he executed a scheme to defraud InterBank. At sentencing he faces up to 30 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $1,000,000.00. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Brown is prosecuting the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Vacaville Man Charged with Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Michael Keith Rubino, 39, of Vacaville, charging him with producing child sexual abuse material, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, in October and November of 2024, Rubino engaged in multiple sex acts with a 17-year-old female victim. Rubino exploited his minor victim at a residence in Vacaville where Rubino lived. Rubino recorded numerous instances of his sexual abuse of his minor victim using his iPhone. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Vacaville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Rubino faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc .


title: Leader of Prolific Guatemalan Drug Trafficking Organization and Guatemalan Politician Who Supplied Tons of Cocaine to the Sinaloa Cartel Presented in U.S. District Court

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Today, Freddy Arnoldo Salazar Flores of Guatemala, a representative of the Central American Parliament, made his initial appearance in federal court in the District of Columbia. Salazar Flores voluntarily returned from abroad to the United States on May 14. On May 12, Salazar Flores’s alleged co-conspirator and father-in-law, Aler Baldomero Samayoa-Recinos, also known as “Chicharra,” of Guatemala, made his initial appearance. Samayoa-Recinos was arrested in Mexico in March 2025 and extradited from Guatemala to the District of Columbia on May 9. In May 2017, Salazar Flores, 41, was indicted on one count of conspiring with others between 2010 and 2017 to import more than five kilograms of cocaine into the United States from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. Samayoa-Recinos, 58, was charged separately in August 2018. The indictments charging Salazar Flores and Samayoa-Recinos were unsealed in March 2022. According to court documents, Salazar Flores, Samayoa-Recinos, and their drug trafficking organization, known as Los Huistas, acted as a critical link in the illicit supply chain of cocaine from South America to Mexican cartels, and ultimately into the United States. Salazar Flores and Samayoa-Recinos allegedly controlled and operated a sophisticated transportation network within Guatemala—including warehouses, trucking routes, and properties on the Guatemala-Mexico border—to transport cocaine from Guatemala to the Sinaloa Cartel, recently designated a foreign terrorist organization, and other Mexican cartels. As alleged, Salazar Flores received tonnage quantities of cocaine at his warehouses in Guatemala City, and his workers transported the cocaine through farms belonging to Samayoa-Recinos to Mexico for importation into the United States. Between 2010 and 2014, the defendants allegedly received and transported approximately 50 metric tons of cocaine into Mexico for further distribution into the United States. In April 2014, Honduran authorities seized 743 kilograms of cocaine that were allegedly to be sent to the defendants for further transportation. In March 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed financial sanctions on Salazar Flores, Samayoa-Recinos, and other members of Los Huistas. Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Acting Administrator Robert J. Murphy of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made the announcement. The DEA Bilateral Investigation Unit and DEA Guatemala Country Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Marshals Service, and INTERPOL Washington provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Samayoa-Recinos to the United States. The Department of Justice thanks Guatemalan law enforcement for their invaluable support of this case. Trial Attorneys Doug Meisel and Ligia Markman of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are 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 other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Chicago-Area Tax Preparer for Allegedly Fabricating Credits, Expenses, and Deductions on Customer Returns

component: Tax Division

body_text: Note: View the complaint here . The Justice Department filed a complaint in a federal court in Chicago today seeking to permanently bar tax preparer Stacy Thomas, of Orland Park, Illinois, individually and doing business as Rapid Tax Refunds LLC, Rapid Tax Refund Profs LLC, and Rapid Refunds Income Tax Service Inc., from preparing federal tax returns for others. The complaint alleges that Thomas and her businesses prepare and file false federal tax returns that understate her customers’ tax liabilities by claiming false residential energy credits, false Schedule C business expenses, and false charitable deductions. The government further alleges in the complaint that customers interviewed by the IRS confirmed that they never told Thomas they incurred the residential energy or business expenses or made the charitable contributions she reported on their income tax returns, and that Thomas claimed those items without their knowledge or consent. According to the complaint, the IRS estimates that by repeatedly understating their customers’ tax liabilities, Thomas and her businesses have caused the United States to lose nearly $13 million in tax revenue. The Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams , and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS warns taxpayers to avoid “ghost preparers” and lists other improper acts that tax preparers engage in to take advantage of their unsuspecting customers. In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website . An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page . If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.


title: Richardson Man Sentenced to 60 Years for Child Exploitation

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: An 80-year-old Richardson man who sexually abused a seven-year-old was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham. George Kenneth Orton, Jr., of Richardson, was convicted of two counts of sexual exploitation of a child by a jury of his peers in October 2024. According to evidence presented at trial, agents recovered a USB drive and two laptops containing child sexual abuse material at his home. On May 14, 2025, Orton appeared before District Judge Brantley Starr for sentencing. Judge Starr sentenced Orton to consecutive maximum sentences of 360 months on each count, for a total of 720 months in federal prison. Judge Starr described Orton’s conduct against Minor Victim 1 as “unspeakable” and, in handing down the sentence, stated that he found no reason to give Orton less than the statutory maximum on each count, regardless of his age. “The FBI is proud to collaborate with our law enforcement partners every single day to ensure anyone involved in criminal behavior against a child is brought to justice. The significant sentence given to the defendant sends a clear message that crimes against children will not be tolerated,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “Together, through continued vigilance and cooperation, we can prevent abuse and protect the most vulnerable among us.” Acting U.S. Attorney Meacham praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Richardson Police Department in conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marissa Aulbaugh and Brandie Wade prosecuted the case. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative that was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”


title: Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Defacing Religious Property in Vandalism of Synagogue Building

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy and defacing and damaging a religious building, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Talya A. Lubit, age 24, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Lubit and her codefendant, Mohamad Hamad, conspired from July 2024 to July 29, 2024, to damage and deface the Chabad of Squirrel Hill. The Chabad is a center for Jewish educational programming and occupies a building for Jewish religious services in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. In the early morning hours of July 29, 2024, acting on their plan to cause damage to a Jewish institution, Lubit and Hamad spray-painted the words “Jews 4 Palestine” with an inverted triangle onto the exterior of the building with red paint. The inverted triangle first appeared in videos posted online by Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization, of the current fighting in Gaza where it was used to mark an Israeli target about to be attacked by Hamas fighters. The act of vandalism was born from Hamad’s and Lubit’s shared growing animosity towards Israel since the terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, and the war that ensued between Israel and Hamas. In connection with the guilty plea, Lubit agreed to pay full restitution for the damage done to the Chabad property, as well as graffiti that she and Hamad spray-painted on an entry sign to the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh the same day. Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for September 10, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of up to one year in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Pending sentencing, the Court continued Lubit’s bond with special conditions including home detention. Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn J. Bloch and Nicole Vasquez Schmitt are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Lubit.


title: Tango Blast gang members sentenced after leading law enforcement on multiple vehicle pursuits during smuggling attempts

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – Two Tango Blast members have been ordered to federal prison following their convictions of conspiring to transport illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Juan Miguel Regalado, 28, and Samuel Grajeda Jr., 21, pleaded guilty Nov. 12, 2024. U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen has now imposed a 66-month sentence for Regalado. Grajeda previously received a 30-month-term of imprisonment as well as a consecutive six months for violating his supervised release for a previous alien transporting conviction. Both must also serve three years of supervised release following their sentences. The investigation began April 20, 2024, when a group of suspected illegal aliens entered a green Tahoe in the Mines Road area. Regalado was driving and soon led law enforcement on a high-speed chase, during which multiple individuals jumped out of the vehicle. Regalado drove up to 100 miles per hour before driving the Tahoe into the Rio Grande River. Regalado then swam across to Mexico. Over the next several months, authorities continued to monitor the Mines Road area for other possible smuggling attempts. In November 2024, another group of illegal aliens entered a white Ford Taurus parked near Father McNaboe Park within the Mines Road area. Authorities followed until a black Mercedes sedan cut them off. Grajeda and Regalado were the respective drivers. An attempted traffic stop of the Ford Taurus then led to another vehicle pursuit in which Grajeda crashed into an innocent bystander’s vehicle and continued to evade law enforcement. As it ended, law enforcement discovered four illegal aliens and the Ford Taurus abandoned in a north Laredo neighborhood. Authorities then found Grajeda and Regalado within the vicinity of the abandoned vehicle and took them into custody. As part of their guilty pleas, both admitted to their involvement in the conspiracy. “With these sentencings, two less gang members are out on the streets, and a human smuggling operation has been dismantled,” said Ganjei. “Securing the border is the Southern District’s top priority, and we’re delivering.” Grajeda and Regalado will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined at in the near future. Border Patrol-Anti-Smuggling Unit and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Lopez prosecuted the case.


title: Minnesota State Trooper Indicted for Producing and Distributing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota State Trooper Jeremy Francis Plonski was charged today in a four-count indictment in U.S. District Court for the production and distribution of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. Plonski had been previously charged via federal complaint with one count of producing child pornography and had been ordered detained pending trial. Plonski faces a mandatory minimum of fifteen years and up to life in prison if convicted. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office has zero tolerance for public officials who violate federal laws—particularly those laws that protect vulnerable children from sexual abuse,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Plonski took an oath to protect and serve our community. While donning his uniform, Plonski committed one of the most vile and predatory offenses imaginable. This is abhorrent—to Minnesota as a whole and to our law enforcement community in particular. I am proud of the swift and decisive action of law enforcement, who responded immediately and worked cooperatively to take Plonski into custody.” "The conduct alleged in this case is horrifying and a gross betrayal of public trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Law enforcement officers are sworn to protect the most vulnerable among us — not exploit them. When someone in a position of authority commits such an egregious and despicable crime, the damage extends beyond the victim — it shakes the very foundation of our communities’ trust. The FBI and our partners will not hesitate to investigate and bring to justice anyone who preys on children, no matter their badge or title.” “The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is committed to working with our federal, state and local partners to identify and hold accountable those who sexually abuse children,” BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said. “We will pursue anyone who wishes to harm children in our communities.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the FBI for their investigation and hard work, as well as the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Shakopee Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also thanks the Minnesota State Patrol for their work and assistance in safely apprehending the defendant. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel W. Bobier is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Okmulgee Resident Sentenced For Federal Firearm Charge

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

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Wilbert Lamon Rivers, aka Wilbert Lamon Rivers, Jr., age 27, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. The charge arose from an investigation by the Muscogee (Creek) Lighthorse Police Department, the Okmulgee Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On November 4, 2024, Rivers pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on November 4, 2023, law enforcement discovered Rivers in possession of forty rounds of ammunition and a semi-automatic pistol capable of accepting a large capacity magazine after having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Rivers will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.


title: KC Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Fentanyl Conspiracy

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Grandview, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Andrew R.A. Williams, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 15 years in federal prison without parole. On July 31, 2024, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Williams was an associate and co-conspirator of Tiger Dean Draggoo, of Kansas City, Mo., in the distribution of fentanyl pills. Draggoo sold approximately 11,120 pills to Williams between February 2022 and November 2022. Draggoo pleaded guilty In Oct. 2024 and is set for sentencing on Aug. 7, 2025. Williams was also a source of supply of fentanyl pills for co-defendant Alexander Barnett, of Lee’s Summit, Mo. Williams sold at least 418 pills to Barnett between April 1, 2022, through March 5, 2023, and was paid approximately $5,467. Barnett pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison without parole on Jan. 30, 2025. On April 19, 2023, Jackson County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant for Williams’ hotel room. Inside, law enforcement recovered 7 fentanyl pills, approximately 6.13 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, a Springfield Armory, XD-9, 9mm semi-automatic handgun, a Girsan 1911-style, .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, 9mm and .45 caliber ammunition and $1,220 in U.S. currency. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Raymore, Mo., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.


title: Shasta County Man Pleads Guilty to Running a $35 Million Investment Fraud Scheme and Witness Tampering

body_text: Matthew Piercey, 48, of Palo Cedro, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, concealment money laundering, and witness tampering in connection with a $35 million investment fraud scheme, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. Piercey pleaded guilty without a written plea agreement to all 27 of the pending counts and the Court vacated the May 19, 2025, trial date. According to court documents, between July 2015 and August 2020, Piercey solicited investor funds by holding himself out as an investment advisor through his purported investment companies Family Wealth Legacy and Zolla. He made a variety of false and misleading statements to investors about the nature and success of trading algorithms, commissions and fees, investment strategies, the liquidity of investments, and the financial stability of Family Wealth Legacy and Zolla. For example, Piercey marketed the “Upvesting Fund,” an automated algorithmic trading fund that he falsely claimed had a history of success. He took money from numerous investors in this purported fund, but privately admitted to an associate that there was no Upvesting Fund. Running a Ponzi-like fraud scheme, Piercey used some investor money to make payments to other investors. As the scheme progressed, Piercey used a Redding-area chiropractor to conceal his continued operation of the investment fraud and take in new money. In total, Piercey paid back only approximately $8.8 million to investors of the approximately $35 million invested. He used the additional money for various business and personal expenses, including paying a criminal defense firm and buying two residential properties. Few, if any, liquid assets remained to repay investors. According to court documents, when Piercey learned he was under investigation, he took steps to dissuade investors and witnesses from responding to grand jury subpoenas. His actions caused several individuals to delay producing documents, while at the same time, he syphoned off nearly $775,000 from victim investors into a bank account he controlled. On Nov. 16, 2020, when law enforcement agents attempted to arrest Piercey, he fled from arrest and led agents on a vehicle chase through residential neighborhoods and onto the highway before abandoning his vehicle and entering Lake Shasta with an underwater submersible device. After about 20 minutes in the water, he emerged from the lake where he was arrested. After his arrest, Piercey used coded language to communicate with two individuals who visited him in jail. He directed these individuals to take actions with the contents of a U-Haul storage locker he had rented in Redding. A subsequent FBI search of the storage locker revealed that Piercey had rented the locker under a fictitious name, Chadwick Givens, using a fake California driver’s license. The locker contained, among other things, a wig and ₣31,000 in Swiss francs. “Investment fraud schemes like the one led by this defendant can devastate lives, retirements, and undo decades of planning by hard-working people simply looking for a trusted place to invest their money,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith. “Our office will continue to work with the FBI and our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who commit these frauds and who seek to tamper with the grand jury process.” “Many invested their life savings with Matthew Piercey’s companies, not knowing that the claim of guaranteed returns were the empty promises of a Ponzi scheme,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “The FBI agents, forensic accountants, and other specialized personnel work tirelessly to ensure those who exploit the trust of a hopeful public will face serious consequences.” This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Thuesen, Audrey B. Hemesath, Christopher S. Hales, and Kevin Khasigian are prosecuting the case. Piercey is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on Sept. 4, 2025. Two other defendants who conspired with Piercey in the scheme are Ken Winton and Gary Klopfenstein. Winton pleaded guilty in December 2020 and Klopfenstein pleaded guilty in July 2024. Both Winton and Klopfenstein are scheduled for status conferences regarding sentencing on Aug. 21, 2025. Piercey faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, for each wire fraud and mail fraud count; 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each witness tampering count; and 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved, whichever is greater, for each money laundering count. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: Former Suffolk County Jail Officer Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Charges

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Quincy man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to a scheme whereby he falsely claimed to sell repossessed vehicles as a law enforcement officer. Defendant claimed to be a Boston Police Detective, Massachusetts State Police Trooper and County Sheriff. Recardo S. Beale, 34, of Quincy, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Aug. 26, 2025. Beale was charged in March 2025. According to charging documents, Beale was an Officer for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department from approximately April 2021 to November 2021. Between approximately October 2023 and February 2024, Beale claimed to three individuals that as a law enforcement officer, he had access to repossessed vehicles that he could sell at a low price. At various times, Beale identified himself to these individuals as a Sheriff, a Boston Police Detective and/or a Massachusetts State Police Trooper. Beale did not, in fact, hold any of these positions when he made such representations. In reliance on Beale’s false representations, the individuals gave tens of thousands of dollars to Beale for the purported repossessed vehicles. Among the vehicles that Beale falsely promised to sell were a BMW, an Audi and a Mercedes. Beale never delivered any such vehicles as Beale did not have any such repossessed vehicles available for sale. On separate occasions, Beale met with two separate individuals at the Suffolk County House of Correction purportedly to show them repossessed vehicles. During one such meeting on Nov. 17, 2023, Beale met with an individual inside the House of Correction. Surveillance video showed Beale wearing a Suffolk County Correction Officer Academy hoodie, blue tactical pants like those worn by jail guards and black boots also similar to those worn by jail guards. Beale did not show any vehicles to the individual on Nov. 17, 2023, claiming that his superior, was also involved in the sale, and not available. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Office; and Kim Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Merck of the Springfield Branch Office and John Mulcahy of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.


title: Texas woman sent to federal prison for transporting drugs into the United States

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 29-year-old San Antonio resident has been sentenced for the attempted importation of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Shania Nichele Ellis pleaded guilty Dec. 18, 2024. U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen has now ordered Ellis to serve 97 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony that detailed how Ellis knew she was going to Mexico to move narcotics for money. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Ellis made a terrible decision. On Aug. 25, 2024, Ellis drove from Mexico to the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge 1 in Laredo and entered the trusted traveler lane. Authorities subsequently referred her to secondary inspection after learning she was not enrolled in that program. There, they discovered a small access door on the rear liftgate which revealed several bundles of narcotics. A K9 also alerted to the vehicle’s doors where more bundles were hidden inside the panels. Law enforcement ultimately found a total of 44 bundles of methamphetamine, weighing 24.407 kilograms with a 97% purity level as well as two bundles of cocaine weighing 655.6 grams and one bundle of black heroin weighing 494.5 grams. The investigation revealed that a friend had attempted to recruit her via social media to transport the narcotics from Mexico to the United States. While visiting that friend in Monterrey, Mexico, her car went missing. It was returned the following day when she was told to leave. As part of her plea, she admitted she conspired with at least one other person to import narcotics across the border from Mexico into the United States. She has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch prosecuted the case.


title: Shelton Man Admits Producing Child Sex Abuse Images

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROSS DeLIBRO, 54, of Shelton, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to child exploitation offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2024, a detective assigned to the Connecticut State Police Computer Crimes Unit began an investigation into the sharing of child sex abuse images and videos over a peer-to-peer file sharing network. The investigation revealed that an internet protocol (IP) address assigned to DeLibro’s residence in Shelton had been used to download child sex abuse videos. On May 1, 2024, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of DeLibro’s residence and seized his Apple MacBook Air, his iPhone, an external hard drive, and other items. Analysis of the seized items revealed image and video files depicting male children being sexually abused, including two images in which DeLibro appears engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a toddler. DeLibro pleaded guilty to production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for August 14. DeLibro has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on June 11, 2024. This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the Shelton Police Department and the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection’s Division of Scientific Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel George and Nancy Gifford. U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Ansonia/Milford for its cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com . The U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim Advocate can be reached at usact.vns@usdoj.gov or 203-696-3039.


title: Pittsburg County Resident Sentenced For Second Degree Murder

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Timothy Kenneth Barber, age 45, of Hartshorne, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 293 months in prison for one count of Murder in Indian Country—Second Degree. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police. On November 5, 2024, Barber pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on December 20, 2023, Barber killed the victim with a single intentional shot to the head fired at close range from a .22 caliber rifle. The crime occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Barber will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.


title: Two California Businesses and Their Owners Resolve Allegations They Misrepresented Businesses’ Size to Obtain Paycheck Protection Program Loans

component: Civil Division

body_text: JEV&B Services LLC and D4 Inc., two entities with their principal places of business in California, and their owners — William Nelson and Vicki Rollins — have agreed to pay $153,598.90 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting false statements and certifications to obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for which the entities were not eligible. The PPP, an emergency loan program established by Congress in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), was intended to support small businesses struggling to pay employees and other businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the PPP, eligible businesses could receive forgivable loans guaranteed by the SBA. In addition to the SBA’s guarantee, the PPP protected and supported financial institutions by reimbursing the lender’s costs of processing PPP applications. Regulations and legislation passed by Congress set various eligibility requirements for the PPP, including limitations on the size of eligible businesses, so that the limited PPP funds would reach small businesses. In 2021, when Congress authorized a second round of PPP loans, it imposed even stricter size limits. The second-draw PPP loans were limited to businesses with 300 employees or less, including the employees of the applicant’s affiliated businesses. On their PPP loan applications, borrowers were required to disclose their affiliated companies and to state the combined number of employees. Borrowers also certified that they were eligible for the PPP loan and that the information provided was accurate. The United States alleged that JEV&B Services and D4 are companies that, through Nelson and Rollins, have common ownership and management with numerous other companies. Like several of Nelson’s and Rollins’ other businesses, JEV&B Services and D4 obtained first-draw PPP loans, which the SBA later forgave in full. JEV&B Services and D4 also obtained second-draw PPP loans. The United States alleged that JEV&B Services and D4 were not eligible for any second-draw PPP loans because they far exceeded the size limits that Congress placed on second-draw PPP loans. The United States further contended that JEV&B Services and D4 knowingly misled their lender to get the second-draw loans, including by under-reporting the total number of employees, not disclosing their affiliated companies to the lender, falsely certifying that they were eligible for the second-draw PPP funds, and certifying that the information on their applications was accurate when, in fact, it was not. JEV&B Services, D4, Nelson, and Rollins will pay $153,598.90 to redress these allegations, including paying the SBA for the processing fees that the lender incurred and that were reimbursed by the SBA. The companies have also agreed to repay the loans in full, relieving the SBA of liability to the lender for the federal guaranty of the improper loans. The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Ashwani Chawla. Under those provisions, private parties may initiate an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The lawsuit is captioned U.S. ex rel. Ashwani Chawla v. Agathos Support Service, Inc., et al. , Civil No. LACV 22-2798 KK (JCx) (C.D. Cal.). Chawla will receive $11,519.92 in connection with this settlement. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the SBA Office of the Inspector General, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of Capital Access. Trial Attorney Christopher Belen of the Justice Department’s Civil Division handled the matter. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.


title: Drug Trafficker Presented On Federal Charges After Turning Hotel Room Into Clandestine Drug Lab

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Frank A. Tarentino, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced today the presentment of PEDRO MARTE in White Plains federal court on a Complaint charging MARTE with two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “As alleged, Pedro Marte turned a New Rochelle hotel room into a dangerous drug lab. A law enforcement investigation revealed that Marte possessed large quantities of cocaine, and deadly fentanyl. We should all be able to stay in a hotel without worrying about exposure to dangerous and potentially lethal drug trafficking. The Women and Men of the Southern District, together with our law enforcement partners, will do everything in our power to protect our community from those who put innocent lives at risk.” DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino said: “Pedro Marte’s use of his hotel room as a clandestine drug lab not only placed the lives of innocent guests in danger but was reckless and unconscionable. We are thankful to our law enforcement partners and our first responders for their quick actions. Without their immediate response, the results could have been catastrophic.” As alleged in the Complaint: [1] On or about the evening of April 6, 2025, law enforcement and fire department personnel responded to reports of an incident in a hotel in New Rochelle. Upon entering the hotel, they observed damage to 27 rooms. Law enforcement then entered the room where the hotel’s sprinkler systems had first been activated and observed evidence of a significant fire, as well as equipment and materials consistent with a clandestine drug lab for converting powder cocaine into crack cocaine. After determining that MARTE had rented the room in question, law enforcement officers searched the storage locker that MARTE had visited immediately prior to arriving at the Residence Inn, where they found approximately three kilograms of a substance that tested positive for cocaine, 12.2 grams of a substance that tested positive for fentanyl, and drug distribution paraphernalia. * * * MARTE, 47, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the DEA, the New Rochelle Police Department, and the New Rochelle Fire Department. This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmi Schickler is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. u.s._v._marte_complaint.pdf [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Federal grand jury indicts Buffalo man for his role in Jamestown drug conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jason Talley, 46, of Buffalo, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Louis A. Testani, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between 2018, and May 26, 2022, Thayer conspired with Joseph S. Zaso and others, to sell heroin and fentanyl in the Jamestown area. Co-defendants include Andres Pizzaro Campos, Joseph Thayer, Max Pizzaro Campos, Cindy Frank, Edward Leeper, and Jaquez L. Thomas. Joseph Zaso was previously charged and convicted and is awaiting sentencing. Talley was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and detained. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone. 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: Georgia man indicted by federal grand jury on gun trafficking charges

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a four-count indictment charging Devontae Jones, 27, of Atlanta, Georgia with dealing firearms without a license and transferring a machinegun, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. McGrath, who is handling the case, stated that in February 2024, the ATF began investigating Jones, who was believed to be trafficking illegal firearms, including machine guns, from Atlanta, Georgia to the Rochester, NY, area. The ATF conducted a series of controlled firearms purchases from Jones, who shipped the firearms from Atlanta to Rochester. A total 20 firearms, including four machine guns, were purchased from Jones between February and May 2024. Jones was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland and detained. The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ketty Larco Ward, Boston Division. 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: Lackawanna man going to prison for his role in kidnapping conspiracy attempting to force sister to marry in Yemen

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Waleed Abughanem, 33, of Lackawanna, NY, who was convicted of misprision of felony, was sentenced to serve 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles M. Kruly and Maeve E. Huggins, who handled the case, stated that Abughanem is the son of Khaled Abughanem and the brother of Adham Abughanem. On September 8, 2021, Khaled and Adham Abughanem flew from Buffalo, NY, to Guadalajara, Mexico to kidnap Victim 1, who is the daughter of Khaled and the sister of Adham and Waleed. Between September 10, 2021, and April 6, 2023, Waleed, Khaled and Adham Abughanem conspired to transport Victim 1 from the Western District of New York to Cairo, Egypt, and then to Sanaa, Yemen, where they confined Victim 1 for approximately 16 months with the purpose of marrying her to a man not of her choosing. Waleed Abughanem knew Victim 1 was being held involuntarily, and during some of this period, he was present in Yemen. When he was not present in Yemen, Waleed Abughanem instructed his wife to monitor and supervise Victim 1. In December 2022, Waleed Abughanem traveled from Yemen to the United States. When questioned by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as to the whereabouts of his siblings, Waleed Abughanem told the CBP Officer that the Victim was in the United States. By making a false statement, Waleed Abughanem concealed that Victim 1 had been kidnapped and was being involuntarily held in Yemen. Khaled and Adham Abughanem were previously convicted by a federal jury at trial and are awaiting sentencing. Waleed Abughanem’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, under the direction of Diplomatic Security Director Carlos Matus and Deputy Assistant Secretary Paul Houston. Additional assistance was provided by the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Packard, Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, and CPB in Boston, Massachusetts. # # # #


title: Two men arrested, charged with operating large-scale marijuana grow operation in Wayne County, NY

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Ferrydoon M. Ardehali, 55, of Staten Island, NY, and Colby Riggle, 37, of California, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with manufacturing and possessing with intent to distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Duncan, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in January 2025, the DEA began investigating a large-scale illegal marijuana cultivation operation, under the direction of Ardehali and Riggle, on Daansen Road in Walworth, NY. The investigation revealed that the defendants were selling and distributing marijuana to multiple businesses that are New York State-authorized cannabis grow facilities, including in North Tonawanda and Clarence, NY, under the business name Integrity Farms & Greenhouses, Inc. a records check with the New York State Office of Cannabis Management discovered that neither Integrity Farms & Greenhouses, Inc., nor any other business associated with the operation has been issued a New York State license to grow cannabis or hemp. On May 14, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at the Daansen Road property. The complaint states that it was immediately apparent that marijuana was being grown on a large scale, processed, and packaged within the facility. Investigators seized approximately 29,406 growing marijuana plants, and approximately 3,700 lbs. of processed marijuana. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Robert Milby, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Acting Field Office Director Steven Kurzdorfer, U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Buffalo Station Patrol Agent-in- Charge Martin Coombs, Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation New York, under the direction of Harry Chavis, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Eric Butler, the Cuba Police Department, under the direction of Chief Dustin Burch, the Olean Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ron Richardson, and the Salamanca Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jamie Deck. 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: California Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Nearly $2 Million in Two Separate Fraud Schemes

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A California woman was sentenced to federal prison today for stealing nearly $1.3 million in Covid-relief program funds and failing to pay the IRS more than $700,000 in payroll taxes she collected from the employees of a small business in Salem, Oregon. Jamie McGowen, 43, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $2,072,860 in restitution to the IRS and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). According to court documents, McGowen was the owner or partial owner of nine separate companies including Salem Outsourcing, Inc., a payroll processing company based in Salem. Between August 2016 and December 2019, McGowen provided payroll processing services to a small business also located in Salem. During this time, she failed to pay the IRS $705,613 in payroll taxes she withheld from the paychecks of the company’s employees. Instead, McGowen kept the money for herself and used a portion of the funds to, among other things, purchase a 100% ownership stake in the same company whose payroll taxes she had stolen. In a separate scheme, between April 2020 and December 2021, McGowen stole more than $1.2 million from federal relief programs intended to help small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic, including the Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, and Restaurant Revitalization Fund. McGowen made numerous false statements in 15 separate loan applications, including by stating she did not own any other company, inflating the number of employees and revenues, and providing false tax documents. McGowen also falsely claimed on loan forgiveness applications that her companies had used the funds received for payroll. In reality, McGowen transferred the money around her businesses, to her father, and to her personal checking account, and paid off personal credit cards. On October 12, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a seven-count indictment charging McGowen with wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. On December 11, 2024, she pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and bank fraud, and two counts of money laundering. This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). It was prosecuted by Meredith Bateman, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.


title: Ecuadorian Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Wilder Emilio Sanchez Farfan, aka Gato, an Ecuadorian national and high-level drug trafficker, pleaded guilty in federal court today to international drug trafficking charges following his extradition to San Diego January 26, 2024. Farfan had previously been designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059 for materially contributing to the illicit activities of major Mexican cartels to traffic cocaine into the United States. Farfan pleaded guilty to a second superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury on October 30, 2019. In his plea agreement, Farfan admitted that he led an extensive drug trafficking organization that distributed over 450 kilograms of cocaine in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and elsewhere, and that the cocaine was ultimately imported into and distributed within the United States. He also admitted that the organization bribed government officials and used firearms to further their drug trafficking activities. As part of his plea, Farfan also agreed to forfeit over $899,000 of U.S. currency. Farfan is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez on August 11, 2025, at 10 a.m. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle B. Martin and Ashley E. Goff. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s office at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition from Colombia of Sanchez Farfan. DEFENDANTS Case Number 19CR1610-01-LL Wilder Emilio Sanchez Farfan, aka Gato Age: 44 Ecuador SUMMARY OF CHARGES International Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 959, 960, and 963 Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Drug Enforcement Administration Federal Bureau of Investigation


title: Final Defendant in Sexual Assault of a 14-Year-Old Girl Sentenced to Prison

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Nasouh Albasis-Albasis, 27, of West Valley, Utah, was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment and a life term of supervised release after he and one of his co-defendants sexually assaulted a 14-year-old victim in the back of a vehicle, which was recorded and shared on social media in 2017. The sentence, imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell, comes after Albasis-Albasis pleaded guilty on January 23, 2025, to charges involving child sexual abuse material. His co-defendants, Dodjim Leclaire, 32, of Murray, Utah, and his brother Richard Djasserambaye, 29, of Central Republic of Africa, living in Murray, Utah, at the time of the assault, were also sentenced. Leclaire was sentenced to 208 months’ imprisonment and Djasserambaye was sentenced to 181 months’ imprisonment. Both defendants were sentenced to a life term of supervised release. According to court documents and statements made at Albasis-Albasis’ change of plea and sentencing hearings, on September 9, 2017, Albasis-Albasis and his co-defendants Djasserambaye, and Leclaire used the 14-year-old victim to produce sexually explicit images. Specifically, Albasis-Albasis and Leclaire sexually assaulted the severely intoxicated and physically incapacitated minor while Djasserambaye video recorded the violent assaults. Djasserambaye then posted the video on social media. Albasis-Albasis further admitted he had video of the assaults of the victim on his cell phone. The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, West Jordan City Police Department, Salt Lake City Police Department, Sandy City Police Department and Syracuse City Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Owner of local Mexican market pleads guilty to money laundering

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – The owner of a local Mexican market pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to money laundering what she believed were narcotics proceeds. Teodora Meza, 52, of Cincinnati, owns and operates La Marketa, a specialty market on Fields Ertel Road in Cincinnati. Meza uses the store to act as an agent for an international money service business. Meza admitted to sending what she believed were proceeds of drug trafficking via international wire transfers on behalf of clients. According to her plea agreement, from October to December 2023, Meza sent wire transfers to Mexico on behalf of an individual claiming to be a drug trafficker. Meza educated the individual on how to conceal the transfers by structuring them to avoid reporting requirements. The defendant both accepted and provided false information and identities to conceal the nature and source of the funds. In total, Meza laundered $20,000 from the individual throughout a series of wire transfers. Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, announced the guilty plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Brucato is representing the United States in this case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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: Chicago Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine Resulting in the Death of a Young Dubuque Woman

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who conspired with others to distribute large quantities of cocaine that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque, Iowa, woman was sentenced today to more than 24 years in federal prison. Maurice Levelle Randolph, age 45, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a December 5, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of more of cocaine within 1000 feet of several parks and schools in Dubuque between 2017 and April 2021, that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque woman on February 14, 2021. At the plea hearing, Randolph admitted he was a member of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in the Dubuque area near numerous parks and schools. He admitted he brought cocaine from Chicago and then worked with others to distribute the cocaine to customers in Dubuque. On February 14, 2021, one of Randolph’s co-conspirators distributed cocaine to a young woman in Dubuque who went home, used the cocaine and died. Randolph was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Randolph was sentenced to 292 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $13,911 in restitution jointly with two other individuals to the victim’s family. He must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term. The Court also forfeited $17,203 in drug proceeds seized from Randolph. There is no parole in the federal system. Randolph is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Nicole Nagin and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque Sheriff’s Office. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-01013. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Kidnapping and Possessing Ammunition as a Felon and Drug User

body_text: Bobby Rhoden, age 50, from Sioux City, was sentenced today, to 31 years in federal prison, after a 5-day jury trial in April 2024, finding him guilty of one count of kidnapping and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon and drug user. Evidence at trial and sentencing showed the kidnapping began with defendant manipulating the victim – including by threatening her daughter – out of a domestic abuse shelter and into his car. Over the next 36 hours, while armed with a knife and a handgun, Rhoden took his victim’s glasses, brutalized her, and drove her to at least two locations where he terrorized others as well (including a mother and small children). Ultimately, the victim ran out of the garage — zigzagging for her life — as defendant pursued her and fired his gun. A subsequent investigation of the kidnapping revealed live ammunition and a spent casing in the garage where Rhoden lived and which was one of the locations where he held his victim. Additionally, it came to light that leading up to the kidnapping, Rhoden had put a gun to his victim’s head and pulled the trigger, isolated her by taking or breaking her phone, and made recordings, of a sexual nature, of her, without her consent. Also, the evidence showed that during the investigation, Rhoden took steps to influence his victim and, also, his estranged wife by asking them to claim ownership of the firearm, and by hiding the firearm Rhoden has a long criminal history. His past felony convictions include two counts of forgery in Scott County, Iowa, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in Scott County, Iowa and conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. Upon leaving prison Rhoden rearmed and boasted that he had done so and was standing by to blow off someone’s kneecap if he needed to do so. Rhoden was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 372 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Rhoden is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tabaco Firearms and Explosives, the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. The Case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-4073. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Omaha Men Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Calvin J. Carter, 22, and Malik M. Washington, 28, both of Omaha, Nebraska, were sentenced on May 15, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Carter and Washington to 18 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Carter and Washington are released from prison, they each will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Chief Judge Rossiter also ordered both to pay restitution in the amount of $180,315.54. From April 2021 through December 2022, Carter and Washington recruited and obtained bank account information from individuals that owned personal bank accounts at various financial institutions in the District of Nebraska and elsewhere. Through investigative techniques, law enforcement learned that Carter and Washington created counterfeit checks making it appear as though the checks were legitimately issued by businesses to those individuals. They then presented the counterfeit checks to financial institutions, falsely represented the checks to be legitimate. Carter and Washington would then withdraw cash from bank accounts into which the counterfeit checks were deposited. During the duration of this conspiracy, Carter and Washington caused, and attempted to cause, counterfeit checks to be deposited into bank accounts at various financial institutions resulting in the loss of $180,315.54. This case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Man Sentenced for Crimes Committed on the Santee Sioux Nation Indian Reservation

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Mongecka (aka “Monga”) Eastman, 24, originally of South Dakota, was sentenced on May 15, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for assault resulting in serious bodily injury and sexual abuse without consent. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Eastman to 120 months’ imprisonment on the assault case, to run concurrent with the 120-month sentence imposed by Judge Buescher in the sexual abuse case. There is no parole in the federal system. After Eastman’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release on the assault case to run concurrent with a 10-year term of supervised release on the sexual abuse case. In February 2021, Eastman subjected a minor female to a sexual act without her consent. Eastman entered the minor female’s bedroom in Santee, Nebraska, while she was changing her clothes. Eastman then forced himself on the minor victim, twisting her arm to the point of pain and pinning her to a bed before sexually assaulting her. The minor victim later disclosed the sexual assault to a trusted adult, who notified law enforcement. In September 2023, Eastman seriously assaulted an adult male victim in multiple rural locations on the Santee Sioux Nation Indian Reservation, using a minor to assist him in committing the offense. Eastman and the minor hit and kicked the victim, and Eastman repeatedly slammed the victim onto the hood of a vehicle, leaving dents in the metal. The victim sustained serious bodily injuries from the assault which required emergency medical care and hospitalization, including injuries to his liver and nose, a concussion, and a subdural hemorrhage. These cases were prosecuted in federal court because the offenses are felonies which occurred on the Santee Sioux Nation Indian Reservation in Nebraska. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Buffalo man charged with distributing child pornography

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Oscar F. Hernandez III, 23, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A.C. Penrose, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in June 2024, Instagram submitted a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user uploaded two files of suspected child pornography during a Messenger thread with another user. A review determined that the files contained videos of two minor males engaged in sex acts. Subsequent investigation traced the files to Hernandez. In December 2022, Hernandez was convicted of attempted Possessing Sexual Performance by Child less than 16 in New York State Court and sentenced to six years’ probation, to include no utilization of social media accounts. Hernandez made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroder, Jr. and was held pending a detention hearing on May 16, 2025. The complaint of the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 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: Buffalo man who lied during drug overdose investigation going to prison

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Roman Lapp, 50, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of obstruction of justice, was sentenced to serve 41 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that in June 2019, an individual known to law enforcement contacted Lapp, asking for narcotics. As a result, Lapp obtained heroin/fentanyl/acetyl fentanyl from his supplier, Steven Gonzalez, then delivered the narcotics to the individual’s residence. After using the heroin/fentanyl/acetyl fentanyl, the individual overdosed and died. Lapp was initially interviewed by the Buffalo Police Department, during which he identified the source of the narcotics as someone other than Steven Gonzalez. Lapp reiterated this information during a follow up interview with members of federal law enforcement. Later in the interview however, he admitted that he was not truthful about the identity of the source of the narcotics. Lapp then stated Steven Gonzalez was the actual source and that he lied to protect Gonzalez, among other reasons. Gonzalez was convicted and sentenced to serve 188 months in prison. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The sentencing of the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarantino, New York Field Division, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alfonse Wright. # # # #


title: Jefferson County Man Admits to Role in Drug Trafficking Operation in Eastern Panhandle

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Matthew David Viands, age 32, of Summit Point, West Virginia, has admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl and other illicit drugs in the Eastern Panhandle. According to court documents, Viands was a distributor of fentanyl for the organization. Viands also admitted to failing to appear following his pretrial release in the case. Viands faces up to 20 years in prison for the drug charge and faces up to 10 years for failing to appear. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Of the 82 defendants, 80 others have been convicted. Fifty-nine defendants have been sentenced. One defendant, Charles Delroy Singletary, age 44, of Baltimore, Maryland, remains a fugitive. More in a recent release here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/six-more-sentenced-eastern-panhandle-fentanyl-drug-trafficking-operation Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided. Investigative agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Pittsburgh Field Division and Baltimore Field Division); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office; Ranson Police Department; Martinsburg Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Stafford County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Maryland); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Winchester Police Department; and the Clarke County Sheriff's Office (Virginia). This investigation 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: Hancock County Man Admits to Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Lawrence James Reagan, age 40, of Colliers, West Virginia, has admitted to the distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, Reagan, also known as “Larry,” sold methamphetamine in Hancock County. Reagan faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Hancock/Brooke/Weirton Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.


title: Michigan Man Arrested and Charged with Attempting to Attack Military Base on Behalf of ISIS

body_text: A Melvindale man – and former member of the Michigan Army National Guard – was arrested today after he attempted to carry out a plan to conduct a mass-shooting at a U.S. military base in Warren, Michigan, on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization. Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, 19, is charged in a criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and distributing information related to a destructive device. “This defendant is charged with planning a deadly attack on a U.S. military base here at home for ISIS,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of law enforcement, we foiled the attack before lives were lost. We will not hesitate to bring the full force of the Department to find and prosecute those who seek to harm our men and women in the military and to protect all Americans.” “ISIS is a brutal terrorist organization which seeks to kill Americans. Helping ISIS or any other terrorist organization prepare or carry out acts of violence is not only a reprehensible crime – it is a threat to our entire nation and way of life,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Our office will not tolerate such crimes or threats, and we will use the full weight of the law against anyone who engages in terrorism.” “The defendant allegedly tried to carry out an attack on a military facility in support of ISIS, which was disrupted thanks to the good work of the FBI and our partners,” said Assistant Director Donald M. Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to detect and stop terrorist plans aimed at the American homeland or at U.S. interests overseas.” “The arrest of this former soldier is a sobering reminder of the importance of our counterintelligence efforts to identify and disrupt those who would seek to harm our nation,” said Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command. “I commend the tireless work of our special agents and FBI partners who worked together to investigate and apprehend this individual. We will continue to collaborate with our partners to prevent similar incidents in the future. We urge all soldiers to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to their chain of command, as the safety and security of our Army and our nation depends on our collective efforts to prevent insider threats.” According to the complaint, Said informed two undercover law enforcement officers of a plan he had devised and formulated to conduct a mass-shooting at the U.S. Army’s Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM) facility at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan. In April 2025, the two undercover officers indicated they intended to carry out Said’s plan at the direction of ISIS. In response, Said provided material assistance to the attack plan, including providing armor-piercing ammunition and magazines for the attack, flying his drone over TACOM to conduct operational reconnaissance, training the undercover employees on firearms and the construction of Molotov cocktails for use during the attack, and planning numerous details of the attack including how to enter TACOM and which building to target. On May 13 – the scheduled day of the attack – Said was arrested after he traveled to an area near TACOM and launched his drone in support of the attack plan. He will make his initial court appearance today in the Eastern District of Michigan. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will be asking the court to hold Said in pretrial detention because of his danger to the community and the risk that he will flee. Based on the charges in the complaint, Said faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count if convicted. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Salzenstein for the Eastern District of Michigan and Trial Attorneys John Cella and Charles Kovats of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.