title: Indictments, Convictions through Guilty Pleas, and Sentencings in Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Prosecutions (May 26 through May 29, 2026)

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney, in conjunction with our partner agencies in the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) announce the following investigative and prosecutorial results for the week of May 26 through May 29, 2026. The HSTF is a permanent, interagency law enforcement task force created by executive order to combat transnational criminal organizations—including cartels, trafficking networks, and foreign terrorist organizations. Indictments: On May 28, 2026, a federal grand jury returned a nine-count indictment charging three Dominican nationals with conspiracy and attempt to import cocaine into the United States from the Dominican Republic. According to court documents, on May 15, 2026, defendants José Manuel Clase-Montilla, Daniel Luis Cuevas, and Pedro Emmanuel Carrión-Sánchez knowingly and intentionally conspired to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Specifically, HSTF seized approximately 178 kilograms of cocaine that the defendants were smuggling in a vessel. Defendant Carrión-Sánchez is facing one count of failure to heave because, while being the person in charge of the vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, he knowingly and unlawfully failed to obey an order by an authorized Federal Law enforcement officer to heave that vessel. In addition, the three defendants are each facing an immigration charge of improper entry by alien. Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Luis A. Valentín is in charge of the prosecution of the case. A copy of the indictment is attached to this press release. 26-217_adc_indictment_redacted.pdf Convictions through Guilty Pleas: On May 27, 2026, Paola Romero-Marín pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine in Criminal Case No. 25-277 (RAM). According to court documents, the defendant attempted to transport kilograms of cocaine through the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. The defendant was arrested on June 13, 2025. AUSA Ryan R. McCabe is in charge of the prosecution of the case. On May 27, 2026, Paul Herrera-Rivera, Jazhiel Ocasio-Herrera, Jean Fernández-Garay and Yander Santos-Ramos pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Paul Herrera-Rivera, Jazhiel Ocasio-Herrera and Yander Santos-Ramos also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking in Criminal Case No. 24-453 (MAJ). According to the indictment, the defendants were charged with participating in a violent drug trafficking organization that operated out of several public housing projects in the Carolina and San Juan areas, including the Sabana Abajo Public Housing Project. Defendants were arrested on December 11, 2024. The court set defendants’ sentencing date for August 26, 2026. AUSA Laura Diaz and Joseph Russell are in charge of the prosecution of the case. On May 28, 2026, José David Serrano-Santiago pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (Count One) and possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy (Count Seven) in Criminal Case No. 25-392 (SCC). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiring to distribute controlled substances in public housing projects and other areas in and around Cayey, Puerto Rico, and with using firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Defendant was arrested on September 26, 2026.AUSAs R. Vance Eaton and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case. On May 29, 2026, Christopher J. Fontanez-Vega pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (Count One) and possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy (Count Seven) in Criminal Case No. 25-392 (SCC). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiring to distribute controlled substances in public housing projects and other areas in and around Cayey, Puerto Rico, and with using firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Defendant was arrested on September 25, 2026. AUSAs R. Vance Eaton and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case. On May 29, 2026, Melvin Germán-Muñoz pleaded guilty to violations of 18 U.S.C. § 2199 and 8 U.S.C. § 1325(a) in Criminal Case No. 26-160. According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with stowing away on a vessel and improper entry by an alien. Defendant was arrested on April 17, 2026. The court set defendant’s sentencing for June 29, 2026. U.S. Coast Guard SAUSA Cody A. McKinney is in charge of the prosecution of the case. Sentencings: On May 26, 2026, Yomvier Torres-Ruiz was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach to 121 months’ imprisonment, to be served concurrently with the state-level sentence in Cr. Nos. ISCR-2022-00597; ISCR-2022-00598; ISCR-2022-00599; ISCR-2022-00600 and ISCR-2022-00601. The Court imposed a term of supervised release of five years. The defendant was sentenced for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to court documents, defendant was charged on March 22, 2023, in Criminal Case No. 23-114 (RAM), and pleaded guilty on February 25, 2026. AUSA Corinne Cordero-Romo is in charge of the prosecution of the case. On May 26, 2026, Luis J. Alvarado-De La Cruz was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Gina Méndez-Miró to five years’ imprisonment for conspiring to distribute between 3.5 kilograms and 5 kilograms cocaine. According to court documents, defendant was charged on May 22, 2024, in Criminal Case No. 24-188 (GMM), and pleaded guilty on February 24, 2026. AUSAs R. Vance Eaton and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case. On May 26, 2026, Luis Marino Medina-Martínez was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge María Antongiorgi-Jordán to 87 months of imprisonment for drug trafficking. According to court documents, defendant was charged on May 4, 2023, in Criminal Case No. 23-178 (MAJ), and pleaded guilty on February 11, 2026. AUSA Antonio Pérez is in charge of the prosecution of the case. On May 27, 2026, Jeorge Jhonney Lara was re-sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge María Antongiorgi-Jordán to 96 months of imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release for conspiring to possess and possessing with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. According to court documents, defendant was charged on April 4, 2023, in Criminal Case No. 23-139 (MAJ), and pleaded guilty on October 31, 2023. AUSA Antonio J. López-Rivera is in charge of the prosecution of the case. On May 27, 2026, Antonio López-Olivencia was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colón to 33 months of imprisonment and 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to court documents, defendant was charged on April 9, 2025, in Criminal Case No. 25-184 (ADC) and pleaded guilty on January 26, 2026. AUSA Laura Díaz González and Andres Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case. Ezequiel Soto Bonilla was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colón to 60 months of imprisonment and 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to court documents, defendant was charged on April 9, 2025, in Criminal Case No. 25-184 (ADC) and pleaded guilty on February 12, 2025. AUSA Laura Díaz González and Andres Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case. On May 28, 2026, Juan Ortiz-Mendoza was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colon to 144 months of imprisonment and 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, the defendant was charged on April 9, 2025, in Criminal Case No. 25-184 (ADC) and pleaded guilty January 30, 2026. AUSA Laura Díaz González and Andres Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case. On May 28, 2026, Jonathan Rodríguez-Acosta was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colón to 120 months of imprisonment and 6 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, the defendant was charged on April 9, 2025, in Criminal Case No. 25-184 (ADC) and pleaded guilty on January 30, 2026. AUSA Laura Díaz González and Andres Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case. On May 28, 2026, Argelis Marcano-Zerpa was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll to 30 months of imprisonment for conspiring to import more than five kilograms of cocaine into the United States, jettisoning property subject to forfeiture, and related charges. According to court documents, defendant was charged on March 6, 2025, in Criminal Case No. 25-114 (SCC), and pleaded guilty to the charges on February 19, 2026. AUSA Lani Lear is in charge of the prosecution of the case. On May 29, 2026, Wanda Vargas-Álvarez was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Gina Méndez-Miró to 12 months and 1 day of imprisonment followed by supervised release term of 6 years for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 200 to 300 grams of cocaine. According to court documents, defendant was charged on May 22, 2024, in Criminal Case No. 24-188 (GMM), and pleaded guilty on October 21, 2025. AUSAs R. Vance Eaton and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case. These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department. ###


title: Anchorage man sentenced to 5 years for receiving child pornography and possessing AI-generated images depicting child sexual abuse

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced today to 5.8 years in prison for receiving child pornography, as well as creating artificial intelligence (AI) generated images depicting the sexual abuse of minors. According to court documents, on Aug. 13, 2024, Anthaney O’Connor, 32, contacted law enforcement to report an active-duty airman’s sexual interest in minor children. O’Connor met this person, Caleb French, 28, on an online dating platform. O’Connor provided law enforcement with two images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) French sent him that depicted prepubescent children. He also provided law enforcement with several text messages between him and French where they discussed viewing CSAM together. The text messages prompted law enforcement to request a full search of O’Connor’s cell phone, where they found messages claiming he could create virtual reality (VR) point of view (POV) CSAM using images of real children that French took in his community. Law enforcement also recovered more CSAM on his cellphone, including six AI/cartoon drawings depicting children. On Dec. 19, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on O’Connor’s residence to recover multiple digital devices. Law enforcement recovered an additional 20 images of CSAM from those devices, some of which were AI generated or depicted prepubescent children. In total O’Connor possessed 32 images and three videos containing CSAM. On Jan. 21, 2025, O’Connor was indicted on one count of distribution of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. On July 31, 2025, O’Connor pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. During sentencing, the Court ordered O’Connor to serve 20 years on supervised release following the completion of his custodial sentence, as well as a $35,000 special assessment. In handing down the sentence, the Court emphasized the defendant’s significant criminal history and that the CSAM industry is consumer driven, highlighting the need for general deterrence so the public understands that possessing or receiving any sort of CSAM could result in serious federal penalties. “Anthaney O’Connor not only received, consumed, and distributed depraved images depicting sexual abuse of young children, but actively collaborated to view the material in virtual reality,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “He boasted about his ability to generate virtual reality simulations using images of real children. Some of the material he possessed was generated by sophisticated artificial intelligence tools. AI used in this criminal manner adds a new element to child sexual abuse crimes. The Criminal Division is already at the cutting edge to curb this dangerous avenue for child sexual abuse.” “Possessing and exchanging CSAM, including AI-generated images of children, is an abhorrent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “Protecting children and dismantling this predatory industry is a top priority for my office, and Mr. O’Connor is another example of our aggressive efforts to stop such disgusting conduct. Let this serve as a clear reminder that we will relentlessly pursue anyone who endangers children, period.” “Protecting our children from the depraved actions of individuals like O’Connor is a top priority for the FBI and our law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Schlegel of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “O’Connor’s possession of real as well as AI-generated CSAM is alarming, abhorrent and will never be tolerated. The FBI will continue working aggressively with our partners to make sure those who harm our most vulnerable are held accountable for their crimes.” French was charged with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography through a separate case. On May 20, 2025, French pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography, and on Oct. 15, 2025, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 20 years on supervised release once his prison sentence is complete. The FBI Anchorage Field Office and United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) investigated the case. District of Alaska Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petersson and Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (“CEOS”) 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: United States Attorney’s Office and FBI Crack Down on Aircraft Lasing as Maui Man Awaits Sentencing

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii, in partnership with the FBI and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is working to identify and prosecute those endangering aircraft with laser pointers. Shining a laser at an aircraft can impair a pilot’s vision—sometimes permanently—during critical moments of flight. These incidents present a serious safety risk to everyone on board the aircraft and to the communities below. “Hawaii has one of the highest rates of aircraft lasing in the nation,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “That is simply unacceptable. Pointing a laser at an aircraft is highly dangerous, illegal, and will be met with the full force of federal law enforcement. My office is committed to working with the FBI and other law enforcement partners, as well as with the FAA, to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.” Federal law treats aircraft lasing as a serious criminal offense. Knowingly aiming a laser pointer beam at an aircraft or its flight path is a federal felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to five years. Where the aircraft is federally operated, lasing the aircraft can also constitute assault on a federal officer. Individuals who aid and abet such conduct, or even those who act as accessories after the fact, may also face federal prosecution. Jesse Kong, 33, of Maui, Hawaii, pled guilty in federal court on April 15, 2026, to being an accessory after the fact to a laser-pointer assault on a federal pilot. He faces up to 6 months of imprisonment for that crime. Kong admitted in his plea agreement to purchasing a laser pointer online and loaning it to an associate who, in Kong’s presence, aimed the laser at a federal aircraft and into its cockpit, disorienting the pilot and interfering with the aircraft’s operations. Shortly after the incident, FBI agents intercepted Kong and his associate, questioning both, and Kong falsely represented that the individuals responsible had already left the scene, thereby assisting his associate in eluding apprehension. Kong is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17, 2026. As Kong’s prosecution shows, the FBI can swiftly track down those responsible for laser strikes on aircraft. Image 1. Still from video footage of aircraft lasing incident involving Kong. Image 2. Still of video footage of individuals near laser origin in incident involving Kong. As video footage of various aircraft lasing incidents demonstrates, shining a laser at an aircraft can significantly impair a pilot’s field of vision and presents a danger to those in the aircraft and on the ground. “Aiming a laser at an aircraft is not a prank; it is a direct assault on the safety of the pilot, the passengers, and everyone on the ground below,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “These high-powered beams can instantly impair a pilot’s vision during the most critical phases of flight, turning a routine journey into a potential catastrophe. We use every resource at our disposal to track the illegal use of these lasers back to the source. If you light up the sky and an aircraft, expect us to come knocking at your door.” “The FBI’s action demonstrates the positive safety impacts of working closely with our law enforcement partners. During the first five months of 2026, we have seen a 10.6% decrease in laser strikes in Hawaii. This is an example of how support of the FAA’s ‘Lose the Laser’ campaign is getting results,” said FAA Associate Administrator for Security and Intelligence Ben Supko. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also warns that laser pointers sold online are often mislabeled as to classification and power output. Devices marketed as low-powered, handheld pointers may in fact emit laser radiation at much higher power levels than advertised. Some handheld devices can start fires and cause severe ocular damage. Pilots and aviation personnel should report laser strikes immediately to air traffic control and the FAA. Members of the public who witness someone pointing a laser at an aircraft are encouraged to contact authorities. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Slack is prosecuting the case.


title: Scam Center Strike Force Announces Results of U.S. & Private Industry “Disruption Week”

component: Criminal Division

body_text: The Department of Justice, through U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, today announced the results of a first-of-its-kind event combining the focus of government entities and private industries to tackle cyber-enabled and cryptocurrency fraud targeting Americans. During “Disruption Week,” the private sector took voluntary action to interrupt millions of social media, email, and internet access accounts used by transnational organized crime actors in Southeast Asia that were being used to defraud Americans, and the government shared information which enabled private sector actors to voluntarily freeze over $3.8 million in cryptocurrency involved in laundering of funds stolen from Americans. “Cyber-enabled and crypto investment fraud is devastating Main Street Americans, wiping out life savings and preying on some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “We will not allow transnational scammers or the Chinese organized crime groups behind them to use America’s internet infrastructure against us or let U.S. companies stand idly by. I formed the Scam Center Strike Force with a goal of bringing private industry into the fight against this threat. When the public demands accountability, corporations respond. Disruption Week shows what is possible when governments and private industry focus their efforts in tandem: millions of scam accounts interrupted, and criminal networks pushed of the U.S. internet platforms on which they rely. This week’s results show our commitment to disrupting these schemes and protecting the American public.” “America is facing an unprecedented threat from industrial-scale, foreign organizations looking to prey on our citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “And unprecedented problems call for novel, bold solutions. As Disruption Week demonstrates, the Department’s Criminal Division will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with U.S. Attorney Pirro and her office, U.S. and foreign law enforcement, and any private sector firms that commit to joining the battle to save American resources from flowing to criminal groups abroad.” “The FBI is going to leverage everything at its disposal to impose cost on criminals stealing from the American people through fraudulent investment schemes that have caused immense harm across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “One of the best tools we have in combatting these illicit actors is our partnerships and they are only getting stronger. We’re preventing further victimization by working with other agencies, our foreign law enforcement counterparts, and the private sector who have all taken part in this Disruption Week.” The Department’s Scam Center Strike Force convened in-person meetings in Washington from May 18 to May 21 with foreign government officials and private industry representatives. Federal investigators from the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) provided information to private sector representatives on specific targets in Southeast Asia, in order to help industry identify infrastructure used to defraud Americans through cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes. Based on the data shared, as well as their own information, and in collaboration with each other, private sector participants voluntarily identified and disrupted scam actors operating on their networks who were violating the provider’s terms of service. Private sector participants included officials from Apple, Coinbase, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Silent Push, SpaceX, TRM Labs, and Zenlayer. Foreign law enforcement counterparts from the Australian Federal Police, Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, New Zealand Police, the Royal Thai Police, and U.K. National Crime Agency also joined Disruption Week. Meta played a key role in coordinating the event and encouraging broad private sector participation to maximize scam compound disruption. The Scam Center Strike Force’s convening of these participants shows the magnitude of disruptions that can occur when there is a common focus on a specific threat and through information shared, including: Disruptions of criminal activity across more than 1.4 million social media and email accounts; Interruptions of malicious IP address traffic and of network connections hosted by scammers; Decommissioning of servers, colocation environments, and hosting infrastructure linked to scam networks operating across Southeast Asia; Identification of multiple scammers and scam platforms, and referrals of the same to U.S. authorities for investigation and possible prosecution; and Arrests of seven scammers in Thailand and the opening of new cases by the Royal Thai Police Anti Cyber Scam Center. The governments and private industry also voluntarily exchanged information about how transnational organized crime operates within U.S. infrastrucure, and developed relationships to enable future disruptions of scams occurring on U.S. networks. “Cyber-enabled and crypto investment fraud is devastating Main Street Americans, wiping out life savings and preying on some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “We will not allow transnational scammers or the Chinese organized crime groups behind them to use America’s internet infrastructure against us or let U.S. companies stand idly by. I formed the Scam Center Strike Force with a goal of bringing private industry into the fight against this threat. When the public demands accountability, corporations respond. Disruption Week shows what is possible when governments and private industry focus their efforts in tandem: millions of scam accounts interrupted, and criminal networks pushed of the U.S. internet platforms on which they rely. This week’s results show our commitment to disrupting these schemes and protecting the American public.” “America is facing an unprecedented threat from industrial-scale, foreign organizations looking to prey on our citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “And unprecedented problems call for novel, bold solutions. As Disruption Week demonstrates, the Department’s Criminal Division will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with U.S. Attorney Pirro and her office, U.S. and foreign law enforcement, and any private sector firms that commit to joining the battle to save American resources from flowing to criminal groups abroad.” “The FBI is going to leverage everything at its disposal to impose cost on criminals stealing from the American people through fraudulent investment schemes that have caused immense harm across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “One of the best tools we have in combatting these illicit actors is our partnerships and they are only getting stronger. We’re preventing further victimization by working with other agencies, our foreign law enforcement counterparts, and the private sector who have all taken part in this Disruption Week.” Cyber-enabled and cryptocurrency investment fraud (referred to by the scammers as “pig butchering”) is among the fastest growing and most financially devastating forms of fraud targeting Americans. In these schemes, victims are cultivated over time and deceived into depositing funds into fraudulent investment platforms that appear to show substantial returns. In reality, all victim funds flow directly to the scammers. The scam continues until the victim runs out of money or discovers the fraud, at which point the scammers cease contact. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), investment scams became the most commonly reported crime type in 2023, with cryptocurrency investment fraud comprising 83 percent of that category. Reported losses from these scams rose from $3.96 billion in 2023 to $5.8 billion in 2024. Reported losses rose 24 percent in 2025 to over $7.2 billion, according to IC3’s newly released 2025 annual report. Those figures, based largely on victim reports, are believed to significantly underrepresent actual losses, as many victims do not report to law enforcement. According to one government report, a conservative estimate of the annual value of funds stolen by scam syndicates worldwide approached $64 billion as of the end of 2023. Many of these schemes are run out of industrial-scale compounds in Cambodia, Laos, and in Burma along the border with Thailand. Criminal syndicates often lure workers to Thailand with promises of high-paying technical jobs, then seize their identification documents and traffic them to work in scam compounds. Within the compounds, trafficked workers are frequently forced to conduct fraud operations against victims in the United States and elsewhere under threat of violence. Public reporting on these compounds has documented beatings, electrocutions, and murder. The Strike Force has taken a number of actions against Southeast Asian Scam Centers, including, among other things, filing criminal complaints against individuals who participated in cryptocurrency investment fraud operations in Burma, seizing cryptocurrency and other infrastructure used to fund and facilitate scam operations, and working with other federal agencies taking action against Scam Center organizations. Although the Strike Force and other government personnel have exchanged information with private industry in the past in an effort to disrupt cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, never before have so many private firms convened for an event dedicated to protecting Americans through voluntarily sharing of information and voluntary action by the private sector. ********************************************** About the Scam Center Strike Force The Scam Center Strike Force was officially launched by U.S. Attorney Pirro in November 2025 to address the growing threat posed by Chinese organized crime syndicates operating scam centers primarily in Southeast Asia. The Strike Force targets cryptocurrency investment fraud, cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering operations that have cost American victims billions of dollars. On March 6, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Administration to prioritize cybercrime, fraud, and predatory schemes draining American families of their life savings. Through the executive order, President Trump is unleashing every available tool to stop foreign-backed criminal networks that exploit vulnerable Americans through cyber-enabled fraud. The Scam Center Strike Force is a critical node in executing the mission outlined in the President’s order. The Strike Force’s founding partners are the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, the FBI, and the U.S. Secret Service, which have now been joined by U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, and HSI-DC, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Alaska, Rhode Island, and Western Washington. The Strike Force works in collaboration with other agencies, including the Treasury and State Departments. The Strike Force works in strategic partnership with private industry and calls on all U.S. businesses to take more proactive steps to protect users from scam operations. The Scam Center Strike Force will use every tool available to help secure Main Street Americans from these scams. With its interagency and public partners, it will educate Americans on how to identify these scams, prevent generational wealth from flowing from America into the pockets of Chinese organized crime, and work with unwavering focus to return stolen funds to victims. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert for the District of Columbia directs the Strike Force, in consultation with Associate Counsel Richard Goldberg of the Department’s Criminal Division.


title: Justice Department Launches Title VI Investigation into DEI Programs at Arizona State University

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today that it launched an investigation into diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at Arizona State University (ASU). Recent viral videos indicating ASU denied equal treatment to students based on race, color, or national origin — while attempting to hide its discriminatory practices from federal scrutiny — prompted the investigation. “No student should be denied access to opportunities or resources because of race, color, or national origin,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The United States is committed to keeping universities free of unlawful discrimination — especially when they try to hide illegal conduct to avoid oversight and compliance.” Federal law requires colleges and universities that receive federal funding to open their doors to students on an equal basis, regardless of race, color, or national origin. ASU is one of the nation’s largest universities and is a major recipient of federal funds. The Division’s investigation will examine whether ASU subjects its students to illegal discrimination through its DEI policies in admissions, recruitment, scholarships, tutoring, and the provision of educational support. The Civil Rights Division has not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigation.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Seeks Potential Victims in Case Against Columbia, Missouri Doctor

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – In April of 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Missouri announced that a federal grand jury charged physician Jonathan Wayne Morris with health care fraud and illegal prescribing crimes related to his clinic, located at 619-621 N. Providence Road, Columbia, Missouri 65203. The indictment alleges that from at least August 6, 2021, to at least April 8, 2025, Morris engaged in a pattern of issuing and causing to be issued controlled substance prescriptions outside of the usual course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose, including by giving controlled substance prescriptions to individuals that, as Morris knew, had substance use disorders and individuals with whom he had sexual relations. The indictment also alleges that from at least May 1, 2019, to at least April 8, 2025, Morris defrauded Medicare and Missouri Medicaid by billing them for services that falsely represented Morris as the rendering provider when, in fact, those services were rendered not by Morris, but by assistant physicians, medical school graduates who have not entered a residency program and therefore require training and supervision by a fully licensed physician. The indictment alleges that, during the same timeframe, Morris caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement to the Medicare and Missouri Medicaid for controlled substance prescriptions that were not eligible for reimbursement, in that such prescriptions were issued other than in the course and scope of professional practice and in violation of federal law. The charges in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. On May 27, 2026, U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen R. Welby issued an order directing the government to employ alternative victim notification procedures so that any member of the community who believes they may be a crime victim is made aware of their potential rights. The government is asking members of the community who believe they may be a victim of illegal prescribing of controlled substances or fraudulent billing practices by Dr. Morris to contact the Victim-Witness Unit at USAMOE.Victims@usdoj.gov. Former patients of Morris or their families may still be facing the aftermath of illegal prescribing of controlled substances or fraudulent billing practices. The victim-witness program provides information, services and support to individuals during federal prosecutions. Case updates will be provided on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmo/pr . Please also be aware of these free, confidential resources that may be of assistance: Always call 911 if it’s a life-threatening emergency. To find supportive services, dial 2-1-1 to call United Way. Operational hours are 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday. If you call after hours, please leave a message. Phone calls will be returned the next business day. 2-1-1 provides information and referral service that connect people to vital community, health and social services provided by a range of nonprofit, government and tribal agencies. SAMHSA has a national helpline to assist with finding behavioral health support or substance use management at 800-662-HELP (4357), TTY: 800-487-4889, or online at findtreatment.gov . Calls are manned 24/7 and are routed to the DHSS Division of Behavioral Health during DHSS operational hours. Help is available 24/7 through Missouri's Crisis Hotline ( https://dmh.mo.gov/behavioral-health/treatment-services/specialized-programs/crisis-services ), 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you or someone you know is in a mental health, suicide or substance use crisis; reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or the 988 Lifeline Chat.


title: Hometown Hero, Gayle Scott, Recognized for Dedication to Victim Justice

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that the District of South Dakota has recognized Federal Bureau of Investigation Victim Specialist Gayle Scott as a “Hometown Hero” for her career serving crime victims in South Dakota. Ms. Scott has served with the FBI for 24 years. Prior to her federal service, she worked with crime victims in a similar role with the Minnehaha County State’s Attorney Office. Ms. Scott brings unique qualities to this work, day in and day out. She exudes warmth and compassion, provides comfort and support, and respectfully encourages participation in the criminal justice process. Throughout her years of service, Ms. Scott has worked with crime victims in hundreds of cases, helping them through difficult investigations and trials. Ms. Scott’s work has directly resulted in victims finding the courage necessary to bring justice to dangerous perpetrators, thereby making our communities safer for all. Ms. Scott was honored during an award presentation held Monday at the United States Attorney’s Office in Sioux Falls. “Gayle Scott is most deserving of this high honor for her tireless work with victims of crime over many years,” said U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons. “With compassion and dignity, she has stood with countless victims and their families, listened to them, lifted them up, and helped them find their voice in order to bring justice to those who have harmed them. It is a true honor to recognize, thank, and celebrate Gayle for her outstanding service to the people of the District of South Dakota. She is truly our Hometown Hero.” “Victim Specialist Scott has dedicated herself, personally and professionally, to the victims of federal crime for the past 24 years,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Her exceptionally dedicated and always humble service to crime victims and witnesses in South Dakota is almost always done behind-the-scenes, but her work is an integral part of the FBI’s mission: to protect the public and ensure justice for all. I thank Gayle and all of the FBI’s dedicated Victim Specialists for the work they do every day to serve victims and survivors.” This award was presented as part of the Department of Justice’s Freedom 250 initiative, a nationwide effort in which United States Attorneys’ Offices across the country recognize individuals whose service, courage, leadership, and commitment have made a meaningful impact in their communities in advance of America’s 250th Anniversary. The award presentation was attended by members of the United States Attorney’s Office, District of South Dakota, members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Ms. Scott’s family.


title: Baker City Man Pleads Guilty to Investment Fraud

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Baker City, Oregon, man pleaded guilty today after stealing his clients’ shares of stocks, selling them, and transferring the proceeds into his personal bank account for almost 17 years, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon. Jeffrey Thomas Higgins, 54, pleaded guilty to investment advisor fraud. According to court documents, from December 2007 through June 2024, Higgins worked as an investment adviser in Baker City. To entice investors, Higgins lied, falsely claiming he purchased stocks on their behalf at deep discounts when he actually purchased the stocks at market value. Higgins then sold the stocks without the investors’ knowledge and stole the proceeds from the sales – transferring the money to his personal bank account. To keep the scheme going, Higgins created fictitious annual statements that exaggerated profits. Statements reflecting the true costs of stock purchases were mailed directly to a post office box controlled by Higgins. As a result of Higgins’ misappropriation of shares, at least fourteen investors suffered losses totaling at least $1.6 million. Higgins faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on December 7, 2026, before a U.S. district court judge. As part of the plea agreement, Higgins has agreed to pay over $1.6 million in restitution. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Chinwuba and Andrew T. Ho are prosecuting the case.


title: Nevada Man Pleads Guilty to Rigging Bids for Healthcare-Related and  Other Air Force Projects

component: USAO - Georgia, Middle

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. – A former employee of a shelving and storage distributor pleaded guilty today to two felonies for conspiring to rig bids and defraud the U.S. Department of War. As the defendant admitted in open court, his crimes related to the sale of shelving and storage products to the U.S. Air Force to service multiple healthcare and operations facilities. According to the information and plea agreement filed in the Middle District of Georgia, Scott G. Srodes, 65, of Las Vegas, Nevada, and his co-conspirators submitted collusive bids for multiple projects at healthcare facilities at Air Force Base Moody in Valdosta, Georgia, and for aircraft maintenance facilities at Air Force Base Nellis in Las Vegas, Nevada. Srodes and his co-conspirators exchanged pricing information prior to submitting them, at times instructing each other exactly what price to quote for certain projects. The projects, which had a total value of more than $1.8 million, were funded through the Defense Logistics Agency’s Facilities Maintenance, Repair, and Operations Program. The guilty plea is the second in an ongoing investigation into bid rigging and fraud impacting U.S. military facilities in the United States. “America’s warfighters deserve the best healthcare, and bid rigging that distorts healthcare procurement deprives them of free and fair competition,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Daniel W. Glad of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force and its partners will continue to hold accountable those whose schemes increase healthcare-related costs in the United States.” “We will pursue and bring to justice those who cheat the federal procurement system, while we work to protect taxpayers and honest contractors from the harm caused by bid rigging,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes for the Middle District of Georgia. “Our partnership with the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division demonstrates our resolve to root out fraud and uphold the law.” “The Air Force Office of Special Investigations remains steadfast in our mission to protect the integrity of Department of Defense procurement processes and safeguard resources critical to the readiness and welfare of our Airmen,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrell Freeman of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Southeast Field Office. “Bid rigging schemes like this undermine fair competition, inflate costs for essential healthcare infrastructure, and ultimately harm the brave men and women serving in our military. Working alongside our partners at the Antitrust Division, DCIS, and DLA OIG, we will continue to vigorously investigate and hold accountable those who seek to defraud the United States.” “Bid rigging on military healthcare contracts undermines the competitive process that protects taxpayer dollars and the service members these facilities exist to serve,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southeast Field Office. “This additional guilty plea reflects the scope of this investigation and the consequences awaiting those who conspire to defraud defense contracting programs. DCIS and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue every individual and company responsible for defrauding the programs that support our nation’s military.” The Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Defense Logistics Agency Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Daniel P. Chung and Christian Neumeister of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section are prosecuting the case, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia. The maximum penalty for a conspiracy to rig bids in violation of the Sherman Act for an individual is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to defraud the United States is five years in prison and a $250,000 criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force . Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards .


title: San Jose Man Sentenced To Over Ten Years In Federal Prison For Robbing And Assaulting A U.S. Postal Service Letter Carrier

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN JOSE – Robert Cordova, also known as Robert Cordona, was sentenced today to 129 months in federal prison for robbing and assaulting a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier. U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman handed down the sentence. Cordova, 51, of San Jose, was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 23, 2025, on charges of federal robbery and assault. He pleaded guilty to both counts of the indictment on March 31, 2026. According to the plea agreement, Cordova admitted that he went inside a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail truck with the intent to steal mail. A USPS letter carrier approached him as Cordova was taking mail. Cordova punched the letter carrier in the face, knocking him to the ground. Cordova then got on top of the letter carrier and continued to punch him several times in the face and head. According to court documents, the letter carrier sustained a broken nose, a fractured orbital socket, and had a permanent metal plate placed inside of his face due to his injuries. Judge Freeman found that Cordova qualified as career offender under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. “Today’s sentence underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting federal employees who serve the public every day. Anyone who attacks postal workers—or any public servant—will be held fully accountable,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime committed in this case. Hardworking people come into your neighborhoods to deliver mail, they deserve respect and protection,” said U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Stephen M. Sherwood. “Postal inspectors will not relent from bringing anyone who harms a postal worker to justice. I want to thank the San Jose Police Department for their excellent response and teamwork and the Northern District of California U.S. Attorney's Office for their determination in prosecuting this case.” The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service for transport to the Bureau of Prisons. In addition to the prison term, Judge Freeman sentenced Cordova to a 3-year period of supervised release. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neal C. Hong is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Sahib Kaur. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by USPIS and the San Jose Police Department.


title: Correctional Officer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bribery and Introduction of Contraband

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – Michael Jason Brooks (37, Citra) has been sentenced by United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber to one year and one day in federal prison for receiving a bribe as a public official and providing contraband to a federal inmate. Brooks pleaded guilty on November 12, 2025. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court records, on June 12, 2024, Brooks was employed by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, as a correctional officer at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County. He knowingly and corruptly sought and agreed to receive and accept a bribe of $3,000 in return for smuggling 177.1 grams of loose tobacco into the federal prison for an inmate. Federal inmates are prohibited from obtaining and possessing tobacco in prison as it is contraband. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.


title: Buffalo man going to prison for his role in narcotics conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Torrance Bailey, 44, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 138 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Between February 2019, and March 2024, Bailey conspired with others to sell significant quantities of cocaine. In March 2020, Buffalo Police and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office executed search warrants at a Mills Street residence, during which they seized approximately 120 grams of fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia. When law enforcement arrived at the residence, Bailey and Sherron Kye were spotted nearby the residence. After recognizing law enforcement, they attempted to flee. Bailey threw the set of keys belonging to the Mills street residence prior to being taken into custody and Kye discarded a bag, which was later found to contain approximately 100 grams of fentanyl. After his arrest, Bailey was found in possession of approximately $3,512 in cash. In June 2023, Bailey was released on conditions and placed on home incarceration while he awaited trial. In March 2024, Bailey sold approximately 27 grams of crack cocaine to an individual working with law enforcement. In addition, he asked the individual to go to the residence of a co-conspirator and pick up approximately 88 grams of fentanyl, but the individual declined. Sherron Key was previously convicted and sentenced. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy C. Lynch and Evan K. Glaberson. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Erika Shields, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Brendan Dunford, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Patrone. # # # #


title: Oahu Man Charged with Threatening to Kill Governor of Michigan and Shoot Up Michigan State Capitol

body_text: HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Ronald Saville, 48, of Honolulu, was charged by criminal complaint on June 1, 2026, with sending interstate communications containing threats. Saville was located and arrested in Abilene, Texas on June 1, 2026. His initial appearance was held in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas on June 1, 2026, and he was ordered detained pending transportation to the District of Hawaii. According to court records, on May 9, 2026, Saville emailed the Michigan State Police identifying himself, referencing the state capitol in Lansing, Michigan, and stating that he was “going to walk in with a gun at A.R. 15 and open fire and kill as many people as possible. I mean what I say I’m not a joke.” A short while later, Saville sent a second email to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer stating, “just to let you know on Tuesday second, Lancy, Michigan is never gonna be the same again going to walk into the state capital shoot it up and kill as many people as possible than that I’m coming for you[.]” Saville called the FBI on May 12, 2026, and told an FBI agent that he wanted to kill Governor Whitmer because of her political affiliation, that he had been conducting online research to plan a trip to Michigan to carry out his threat, and that he still intended to carry out his threat. Saville was previously convicted twice in federal court in the District of Hawaii for making threats toward former United States President George W. Bush in 2006 and toward former United States District Judge Susan Oki Mollway in 2012. If convicted, Saville faces up to 5 years in prison per count and a fine of up to $250,000, plus a term of supervised release. The charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines. FBI is investigating the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Turner is prosecuting the case.


title: Identity thief sentenced to prison

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: WICHITA, KAN. – A Florida woman guilty of identity theft was sentenced to 42 months in prison and ordered to pay approximately $118,000 in restitution to compensate her victim. According to court documents, Marlo Y. Quinones, 57, of Port Richey, Florida, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated identity theft. Twice in February 2022, Quinones used the identity of another person to petition the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Kansas to issue her unclaimed funds belonging to the victim. The victim didn’t give Quinones consent to make these filings. “When criminals use personal information to falsely impersonate you, they often steal not only your money, but also your peace of mind by turning your life upside down. Many victims spend years dealing with the havoc left in the aftermath of identity theft,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “We want people to know the federal government is actively working to prevent identity theft and to prosecute offenders when it happens.” “The bankruptcy system in this country was meant to help people get back on their feet and not to exploit it. The defendant deliberately and willfully took money for personal gain through fraud and deception,” said FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Chris Ormerod. “This sentencing should serve as a reminder that the FBI will relentlessly pursue those who design schemes to defraud our government.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Trustee Program investigated the case. ###


title: MISSISSIPPI WOMAN SENTENCED TO 57 MONTHS IN PRISON  FOR WIRE FRAUD

component: Department of Justice

body_text: Gulfport, MS – A Diamondhead, Mississippi woman was sentenced to 57 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay $928,988.37 in restitution for wire fraud. According to court documents, Bobbie Jean Margiotta, 65, worked as bookkeeper for a physician located in Hancock County, Mississippi. Over the course of nearly seven years, Margiotta stole $928,988.37 from the physician and his companies. Part of her scheme involved the use of interstate wires. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner prosecuted the case. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs


title: Joint Law Enforcement Effort Disrupts Two Multi-State Drug Trafficking Operations; Nineteen Defendants Charged in Homeland Security Task Force Initiative

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two multi-state drug trafficking organizations were taken down today with 13 federal arrests made in Maryland and West Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. “Thanks to the tireless, coordinated work of law enforcement across multiple states, our communities are now safer,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Harvey. “Our focus now turns to ensuring these individuals are held fully accountable for the harm they caused.” “Together ... we were able to collect evidence, execute search warrants, and mete out justice properly to safeguard our communities,” FBI Director Kash Patel said during a press conference in Martinsburg, West Virginia, following the takedown. “We took no shortcuts.” “Tearing this drug operation out from our communities across two states means ridding our neighborhoods of the poison and violence that tears families apart. Months of painstaking investigative work conducted by every partner agency led to unleashing the full force of the law to destroy this network fueling violence and addiction,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec. “The FBI and our local, state, and federal partners state loud and clear: crime will pay a heavy price in this region, and we will not stop in the pursuit of keeping your community safe.” According to two filed indictments, two drug trafficking operations were selling large quantities of cocaine and cocaine base in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties over a two-year period. One operation, led by Rohan Broadie, aka "Glama G," Aneteneh Zewde Terfe, and Marvin A. Taaff of the Baltimore and Greenbelt, Maryland areas, involved 15 defendants and used multiple residences to store and distribute drugs. Members of the group allegedly possessed firearms to support their trafficking activities and handled large amounts of cash in drug proceeds. Omari Obeng Stewart, aka "O," routinely traveled between Maryland and West Virginia to supply, coordinate, and sell cocaine and cocaine base throughout the region. Several defendants are charged in a drug conspiracy involving over five kilograms of cocaine and 28 grams of cocaine base. The second organization, led by brothers Jorfory and Joroy Twyman, of Ranson, West Virginia, worked together to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine and quantities of cocaine base in and around Jefferson County, West Virginia. During the investigation, law enforcement searched multiple homes and storage units, seizing tens of thousands of dollars, cocaine, and luxury items believed to have been purchased with drug proceeds. “Today’s arrests demonstrate the power of partnership in action. Building public safety is a complex challenge that no single agency can accomplish alone. Each agency contributes unique authorities and expertise, and today, that collaboration has resulted in 14 alleged drug dealers being removed from our streets,” said Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf of Homeland Security Investigations Washington D.C. “The landscape is ever-evolving, but Homeland Security Task Force partnerships enable us to confront complex, multifaceted drug trafficking cases with a united front—leveraging our collective strengths to deliver real results.” The defendants in both cases are: Omari Obeng Stewart, also known as “O,” 46, of Greenbelt, Maryland Rohan Lamante Broadie, also known as “Glama G,” 53, an illegal alien from Jamaica Aneteneh Zewde Terfe, 45, of Baltimore, Maryland Christopher Wallace Jones, Jr., 38, of Capitol Heights, Maryland Marvin A. Taaff, 39, an illegal alien from Jamaica Omo-Karo Cooper, 46, of Brandywine, Maryland Traci-Ann Simone Ward, 41, an illegal alien from Jamaica LeeAnn Lopez, 33, of Greenbelt, Maryland Gavin Anthony Johnson, 23, of New Carrollton, Maryland Dante McFalls, 37, of Martinsburg, West Virginia Tabatha McFalls, 40, of Martinsburg, West Virginia Stanley Delano Lum, 41, of Martinsburg, West Virginia Juan Vashaun Payne, also known as “Big Guy,” 51, of Martinsburg, West Virginia Christopher Pasco, 57, of Inwood, West Virginia Jorfory Twyman, also known as “Foy,” 47, of Ranson, West Virginia Joroy Twyman, also known as “Roy,” 47, of Ranson, West Virginia Jennifer Woodsmall, 48, of Summerville, South Carolina Chaz Plauche, 31, of Charles Town, West Virginia Unnamed fugitive Six defendants remain at large. They are Omo-Karo Cooper, Tabatha McFalls, Juan Payne, Christopher Pasco, and an unnamed fugitive. Anyone with information can contact their local law enforcement office. Marvin Taaff was in custody prior to today’s arrests. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. Investigative agencies include the Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the FBI, Pittsburgh Field Office; Homeland Security Investigations; the West Virginia State Police; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Martinsburg Police Department; the Ranson Police Department; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; the U.S. National Guard, Martinsburg; the United States Postal Service - Office of Inspector General, Mid Atlantic Area Field Office; the Bureau of Prisons; the FBI, Washington Field Office; the FBI, Baltimore Field Office; the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department; the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department; the Virginia State Police; the Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington Field Office; and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Information. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia. An indictment is merely an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: District Man Sentenced in Armed Robbery of Beauty Supply Store

body_text: WASHINGTON – George Carr, 24, a convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for his participation in the armed robbery of a Washington beauty supply store, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Carr pleaded guilty on Dec. 9, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan to one count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act). In addition to the 51-month prison sentence, Judge Sullivan ordered Carr to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a sentence of 63 months in prison. “George Carr is a lifelong criminal who has never been held accountable for his actions,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Whether he destroys property, steals, sexually assaults another, or threatens to kill innocent people, the result has always been the same: an extremely lenient sentence that does nothing to deter his behavior or protect the public. Today that changes.” According to court papers, on Aug. 1, 2025, at about 6 p.m., Carr and an unidentified co-conspirator entered Scott’s Beauty Supply in the District, wearing masks. Carr grabbed a store employee by the back of his shirt, pointed a handgun at him, and ordered everyone in the store to the ground. Carr then pressed the firearm to the back of the employee’s head while his co-conspirator demanded cash from another store employee. The pair took about $200 from the register before fleeing. Carr later told law enforcement that he carried out the robbery to repay a debt. Carr’s criminal history includes adult convictions for threatening to blow up a Washington restaurant and kill the people inside, and for assaulting his ex-girlfriend and threatening to burn down her home. Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Satter. 25cr352


title: Aspiration Partners Co-Founder Sentenced to Prison for $248M Scheme to Defraud Investors and Lenders

body_text: A California man who was a co-founder and former board member of Aspiration Partners, Inc., a financial technology and sustainability services company, was sentenced yesterday to 14 years in prison for a five-year scheme to defraud multiple lenders and investors of at least $248 million. “Joseph Sanberg preyed on investors and lenders who believed in his vision of environmentally conscious fintech,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Instead of delivering on Aspiration’s promises, he orchestrated a multi-year scheme involving fake clients, sham payments, and deceptive loan collateral that caused at least $248 million in losses to numerous victims. This sentence holds him accountable and serves as a clear warning to others who abuse trust for personal gain and obtain loans from the financial industry based on lies and misrepresentations.” “This serial fraudster used his Cinderella-like background, impressive educational credentials, and virtue signaling skills to swindle investors and lenders out of hundreds of millions of dollars,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “This criminal case serves as a warning: Anyone can get duped by a con man.” “As evidenced by this case, Mr. Sanberg selfishly put businesses and clients at risk who expected him to provide a valuable service to protect their interests” said Assistant Director in Charge Patrick Grandy of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “Along with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to allocate expert resources to investigate and prosecute all those who take advantage of a position of trust to defraud American businesses.” “Yesterday’s sentencing reflects our commitment to the public,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “The reward for lying, stealing, and falsifying records, is jail time.” According to court documents, Joseph Neal Sanberg, 46, of Orange, California, devised a scheme that began in 2020 and continued into 2025 to use his significant share of Aspiration stock to defraud various lenders and investors. Between 2020 and 2021, Sanberg and Ibrahim AlHusseini , who were both members of Aspiration’s board of directors, fraudulently obtained $145 million in loans from two lenders by pledging shares of Sanberg’s Aspiration stock. In order to secure the loans, Sanberg and AlHusseini falsified AlHusseini’s bank and brokerage statements to fraudulently inflate AlHusseini’s assets by tens of millions of dollars. Beginning in 2021, Sanberg concealed from investors that he was the source of millions of dollars of purported revenue paid to Aspiration through, or purportedly on behalf of, sham customers. Court documents indicate that Sanberg personally recruited companies and individuals to enter agreements with Aspiration in which they committed to pay tens of thousands of dollars per month for tree planting services. The money for these customers’ payments was supplied by Sanberg himself. Sanberg concealed that these payments came from him rather than from the customers. Aspiration booked revenue from these sham customers between March 2021 and November 2022, at the same time Sanberg concealed that he was the source of the payments. As a result, Aspiration’s financial statements falsely and fraudulently reflected much higher revenue than the company in fact received. Nonetheless, Sanberg continued to solicit investors to invest in Aspiration securities into 2025. According to the documents, Sanberg also defrauded other lenders and investors using fraudulent materials describing Aspiration’s financial condition, including a fabricated letter from Aspiration’s audit committee that falsely stated Aspiration had $250 million in available cash and equivalents at a time that Aspiration only had less than $1 million in available cash. Sanberg used these fraudulent financial materials to obtain millions of dollars in additional loans and investments in Aspiration securities. Sanberg’s victims sustained at least $248 million in losses. Sanberg pleaded guilty in October 2025 to two counts of wire fraud. The FBI and USPIS investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Theodore Kneller and Adam L.D. Stempel of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nisha Chandran and Alexander Su for the Central District of California prosecuted the case.


title: Ocala Man Sentenced to Over 11 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Pound of Methamphetamine

body_text: Ocala, Florida – Tyrone Pierson (29, Ocala) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to 11 years and 8 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Pierson pleaded guilty on January 2, 2026. Pierson’s co-defendant, Reshawn Graham, pleaded guilty on April 2, 2026, and is currently scheduled for sentencing on June 25, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, on October 7, 2025, an undercover law enforcement officer negotiated the purchase of a pound of methamphetamine with Graham. Later that day, Pierson met with the undercover officer and told the officer that the source of supply for the drugs had been delayed. The next day, Graham again reached out to the undercover officer and stated that Pierson now had the methamphetamine. Afterward, Graham and Pierson were arrested by law enforcement at a predetermined meeting location for the drug transaction. Pierson was wearing a bag that contained approximately 438 grams of methamphetamine. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. 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.


title: Monterey County Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Attempted Enticement Of Two Minors

body_text: SAN JOSE - Edy Antonio, Jr. was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to coerce and entice two minors to engage in sexual activity. U.S. District Judge Noël Wise handed down the sentence. Antonio, 31, of Salinas, was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 6, 2025, and pleaded guilty on February 9, 2026, to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. According to his guilty plea, on April 21, 2025, Antonio responded to an advertisement on a website dedicated to promoting commercial sex services. The advertisement depicted persons Antonio believed to be two minor girls, ages 12 and 14 years old. Antonio responded via text message and agreed to pay $500 to engage in sexual conduct with the minors. Antonio then traveled to the agreed location at a hotel in Salinas, where he was arrested by Salinas Police Department officers. The complaint describes that Antonio worked as a respiratory therapist at two hospitals in Salinas and Monterey. United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Jeff Brannigan made the announcement. Antonio has been in custody since March 3, 2026. He will begin serving his prison term immediately. In addition to the prison term, Judge Wise also sentenced the defendant to a 15-year period of supervised release which will begin after his term of imprisonment. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Griswold is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Elise Etter. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI and the Salinas Police Department.


title: Nevada Man Pleads Guilty to Rigging Bids for Healthcare-Related and Other Air Force Projects

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: A former employee of a shelving and storage distributor pleaded guilty today to two felonies for conspiring to rig bids and defraud the U.S. Department of War. As the defendant admitted in open court, his crimes related to the sale of shelving and storage products to the U.S. Air Force to service multiple healthcare and operations facilities. According to the information and plea agreement filed in the Middle District of Georgia, Scott G. Srodes, 65, of Las Vegas, Nevada, and his co-conspirators submitted collusive bids for multiple projects at healthcare facilities at Air Force Base Moody in Valdosta, Georgia, and for aircraft maintenance facilities at Air Force Base Nellis in Las Vegas, Nevada. Srodes and his co-conspirators exchanged pricing information prior to submitting them, at times instructing each other exactly what price to quote for certain projects. The projects, which had a total value of more than $1.8 million, were funded through the Defense Logistics Agency’s Facilities Maintenance, Repair, and Operations Program. The guilty plea is the second in an ongoing investigation into bid rigging and fraud impacting U.S. military facilities in the United States. “America’s warfighters deserve the best healthcare, and bid rigging that distorts healthcare procurement deprives them of free and fair competition,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Daniel W. Glad of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force and its partners will continue to hold accountable those whose schemes increase healthcare-related costs in the United States.” “We will pursue and bring to justice those who cheat the federal procurement system, while we work to protect taxpayers and honest contractors from the harm caused by bid rigging,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes for the Middle District of Georgia. “Our partnership with the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division demonstrates our resolve to root out fraud and uphold the law.” “The Air Force Office of Special Investigations remains steadfast in our mission to protect the integrity of Department of Defense procurement processes and safeguard resources critical to the readiness and welfare of our Airmen,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrell Freeman of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Southeast Field Office. “Bid rigging schemes like this undermine fair competition, inflate costs for essential healthcare infrastructure, and ultimately harm the brave men and women serving in our military. Working alongside our partners at the Antitrust Division, DCIS, and DLA OIG, we will continue to vigorously investigate and hold accountable those who seek to defraud the United States.” “Bid rigging on military healthcare contracts undermines the competitive process that protects taxpayer dollars and the service members these facilities exist to serve,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southeast Field Office. “This additional guilty plea reflects the scope of this investigation and the consequences awaiting those who conspire to defraud defense contracting programs. DCIS and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue every individual and company responsible for defrauding the programs that support our nation’s military.” The Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Defense Logistics Agency Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Daniel P. Chung and Christian Neumeister of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section are prosecuting the case, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia. The maximum penalty for a conspiracy to rig bids in violation of the Sherman Act for an individual is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to defraud the United States is five years in prison and a $250,000 criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force . Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards .


title: Two Rochester men charged with narcotics conspiracy in superseding indictment

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Quentin L. Yancey a/k/a Q, 39, and Johnny B. Mays a/k/a Blaze, 41, both of Rochester, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. In addition, Yancey is charged with using and maintaining a drug-involved premises, and six counts of money laundering. According to the superseding indictment, between 2018, and May 26, 2022, Yancey and Mays conspired with Joseph S. Zaso and others, to sell heroin and fentanyl in the Rochester area. The superseding indictment further states that Yancey utilized two Lyell Avenue residences to conduct his drug trafficking activities. In addition, between June and September 2021, Yancey is accused of making three deposits totaling $42,910 into a federal credit union account in the name of a property management company to conceal the proceeds of his drug trafficking activities. Yancey and Mays were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and were detained. Joseph Zaso was previously charged and convicted and is awaiting sentencing. This case was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Buffalo comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Department of Homeland Security Emergency Removal Operations, Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Diplomatic Security Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Louis A. Testani. The superseding indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Forster, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr. 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: Lake County Man Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Firearms Trafficking

body_text: Ocala, Florida – Fernando Munguia, Jr. (24, Leesburg) has been sentenced by United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber to four years in federal prison for making a materially false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm and causing a federal firearm licensee (FFL) to maintain false information in its official records. Munguia pleaded guilty on January 26, 2026. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court records, between January 1 and December 31, 2023, Munguia illegally straw-purchased multiple firearms. For the purchases, Munguia indicated on the mandatory background paperwork that he was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearms. Those statements, however, were false since Munguia had been paid to purchase the firearms on behalf of someone else. Nine of the firearms purchased by Munguia—along with other firearms— were subsequently intercepted by United States Customs and Border Protection on May 27, 2023, when another individual attempted to transport them from Eagle Pass, Texas across the border and into Mexico. Authorities intercepted Munguia’s firearms less than a month after he had purchased them. The firearms and ammunition seized at the U.S. border on May 27, 2023. A subsequent records check by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives showed that between January and November 2023, Munguia had purchased 44 firearms for a total of $23,334.25—an amount representing approximately two-thirds of his reported annual income. The records also showed that his purchases frequently involved multiple, identical firearms of the same model and caliber. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Custom and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson. 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.


title: Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Meet a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity

body_text: Ocala, Florida – Ismael Osbaldo Pedro Tomas (24, Guatemala) has pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Pedro Tomas faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to the plea agreement, between July 22 and August 11, 2025, Pedro Tomas communicated online with someone whom he believed was a 13-year-old child. That individual, however, was an undercover detective with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. During the conversation, Pedro Tomas discussed the sexual activity in which he wanted to engage with the minor, discussed exchanging money for the sexual activity, and ultimately traveled to a predetermined meeting location in Marion County to meet the minor for that purpose. Pedro Tomas was arrested by law enforcement when he arrived at the meeting location. This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Cuyahoga Falls Man Sentenced to 11+ Years in Prison for Committing Child Sexual Abuse Offenses

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: AKRON, Ohio – A Summit County man has been sentenced to federal prison for committing offenses that involved sexual abuse of children. Jordan Gazafy, 35, of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, has been sentenced to 140 months (11.6 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent, after pleading guilty in February to Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct, also known as Child Pornography or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment, pay $162,500 in restitution to 25 known victims, and pay $5,100 in special assessments. After imprisonment, he is required to register as a sex offender. In February 2023, law enforcement was investigating suspected CSAM activity on an internet platform in Summit, Portage, and Medina Counties. Gazafy was identified. According to court documents and evidence presented in court, from January 2024 to February 2025, he was receiving and distributing digital files of the sexual abuse of children. During a search warrant execution of Gazafy’s residence, agents seized his electronic devices. Forensic analysis of these devices determined that they contained more than 25,000 CSAM images. Many were sadomasochistic in nature and included prepubescent children and infants being raped. This investigation was led by the FBI Cleveland Division, FBI Akron Resident Agency and the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District Ohio led the prosecution. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and 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, visit justice.gov/PSC . To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org , or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


title: Acting U.S. Attorney Marck appointed to Attorney General’s Advisory Committee

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche recently appointed Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck to serve on a select and prestigious body of U.S. Attorneys that advises Department of Justice leadership on national law enforcement priorities. Marck’s appointment to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys reflects both his leadership in one of the largest districts in the nation and the important role the Southern District of Texas plays in confronting emerging threats to public safety and national security. The AGAC was created in 1973 and is designed to ensure broad geographic, operational and subject-matter representation and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys on matters of policy, procedure and management impacting offices throughout the nation. Members work through subcommittees and working groups on issues including violent crime, national security, fraud, narcoterrorism and other critical priorities. The AGAC plays a central role in ensuring that the experience of federal prosecutors in the field informs on national Department of Justice strategy. “It is an immense honor to be appointed to the AGAC, and I am deeply grateful to Acting Attorney General Blanche for his confidence and trust in me,” said Marck. “The Southern District of Texas is home to some of the most dedicated federal, state and local law enforcement officers in the country, and I am proud to carry their work and their mission into this important forum.” Marck and other AGAC members met with Blanche and other DOJ leadership in May and will hold the first substantive meeting later this month. Marck will serve alongside U.S. Attorney Dan Bishop (Middle District of North Carolina), U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros (Northern District of Illinois), U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford (District of Oregon), Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine Crosby (Northern District of Alabama), U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine (District of Arizona), U.S. Attorney Michael Dunavant (Western District of Tennessee), First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison (District of New Mexico), First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli (Central District of California), U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon (Southern District of California), U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon (Eastern District of Michigan), U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly (District of Colorado), U.S. Attorney David Metcalf (Eastern District of Pennsylvania), U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro (District of Columbia), U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones (Southern District of Florida) and U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods (District of Nebraska). As Acting U.S. Attorney, Marck is the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Southern District of Texas, responsible for prosecuting and defending the interests of the United States in one of the largest and busiest districts in the nation. Before being appointed Acting U.S. Attorney, Marck served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, overseeing the Criminal, Civil and Appellate Divisions. Prior to that, he was in the National Security and Public Corruption Section where he served as Associate Deputy Criminal Chief, supervising a team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, intelligence officers and support staff in prosecuting complex national security, counterintelligence and cybercrime cases. Marck began his federal career as an AUSA in the Corpus Christi and Victoria Divisions of the Southern District of Texas, where he managed a diverse criminal docket that included charges of illegal reentry, alien smuggling, drug trafficking and other cartel-related offenses. Prior to joining the SDTX, Marck was an Assistant District Attorney in New York City, serving in both the Brooklyn and Bronx District Attorney’s offices. As an ADA, Marck prosecuted a high-volume caseload of major felonies, including murder, manslaughter, robbery and gang assault. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties, more than 10 million people, covers 44,000 square miles and comprises seven U.S. District Court divisions. Headquartered in Houston, SDTX has branch offices in Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo.


title: Three Companies to Pay More Than $4 Million to Settle Lawsuit Stemming from Gender Reveal that Caused Inland Empire Wildfire

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – An Ohio-based smoke bomb designer and importer, and two other companies have agreed to pay more than $4 million to the United States for costs and damages from the El Dorado Fire of 2020, which was ignited as part of a gender reveal photo shoot, burned nearly 23,000 acres, and caused a firefighter’s death. Wholesale Fireworks Corp., a Hubbard, Ohio-based company, and its subsidiary, American Fireworks Warehouse LLC, agreed to pay $4 million to settle claims brought on behalf of the United States Forest Service. A third defendant, Pink or Blue Gender Team Inc., a Florida-based company, has agreed to pay $50,000 to settle claims related to the fire. The fire was ignited on September 5, 2020, by a pyrotechnic device at a couple’s gender reveal party in El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa. The fire spread to the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area of the San Bernardino National Forest, burning a total of 22,744 acres, damaging or destroying nine structures and 15 outbuildings, and killing one firefighter. The couple responsible for the gender reveal party later pleaded guilty to criminal charges in San Bernardino County Superior Court. In September 2023, the United States sued the three corporate defendants to recover Forest Service costs for fighting the fire and the damage it caused to federal land. The United States alleged that the defendants were liable because the fire was caused by a gender reveal smoke bomb that Wholesale and AFW designed, imported, distributed, marketed, and advertised and Pink or Blue distributed, marketed, and advertised that ignited the dry vegetation. The defendants further allegedly failed to safely design and label the smoke bombs and failed to properly warn customers about the fire risk of the smoke bombs, despite being aware of their dangers. These smoke bombs should never have been sold into California, where they are illegal. Assistant United States Attorneys Yujin Chun and Katherine Hikida of the Civil Division handled this matter. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.