title: Punta Gorda Man Charged In Arson Of Jewish Center

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the issuance of a complaint and arrest warrant charging Blake Richard Hoover (31, Punta Gorda) with arson. If convicted on all counts, Hoover faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison. According to the complaint, on or about September 19, 2025, Hoover set an intentional fire at the Chabad Jewish Center located at 424 W. Hendry Street in Punta Gorda, Florida. The Chabad Jewish Center is a Hebrew school and a community synagogue open to all people of Jewish faith. On September 19, 2025, at approximately 10:48 p.m., a fire alarm within the Chabad Jewish Center was activated notifying the fire department. Upon the fire being extinguished and subsequent investigation, it was determined that the fire was an act of arson. In addition to the fire damage, three areas were spray painted with the letter “J” and appeared to have been recently painted. On September 22, 2025, the Punta Gorda Police Department and Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office received information from a person regarding a suspect and continued the investigation. Hoover was identified by the person as having expressed an intent to burn down the Chabad Jewish Center prior to September 19, 2025. The person indicated that Hoover had a hatred towards Jewish people and that Hoover had left his residence on September 19, 2025, and returned that evening with a spray paint can. A gas can went missing when Hoover left earlier in the night and was returned to Hoover’s residence empty. The person confronted Hoover about what Hoover had spray painted and Hoover replied, the letter “J.” A license plate reader captured Hoover’s motor vehicle in the area of the Chabad Jewish Center at approximately 10:09 p.m., prior to the arson. A search warrant was conducted at Hoover’s residence and law enforcement recovered a spray paint can and gas can. A complaint is an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Punta Gorda Police Department, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.


title: Puro Tango Blast Gang Member Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison on Drug and Firearms Cases

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: A previously convicted felon who was a Puro Tango Blast gang member was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for drug and gun charges, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson. In February 2025, Daniel Ortiz 34, of San Antonio, Texas, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, one count of burglary involving controlled substances, and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Yesterday, he was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Karen Gren Scholer. In court documents, Ortiz admitted that in January 2024, he and two codefendants burglarized a MedPlus Pharmacy located in San Antonio, Texas. On the morning of January 11, 2024, Ortiz and his codefendants used the Zello app on their cell phones to communicate before, during, and after the burglary. Zello is a cellular telephone application (app) that works as a secure push to talk radio using cellular networks and Wi-Fi. Ortiz admitted that on the morning of January 11, 2024, one of his codefendants made two false 911 calls with the intent to divert law enforcement officers away from the MedPlus Pharmacy. Following the 911 calls, Ortiz broke into the pharmacy and took quantities of codeine and other controlled substances (see photos below). Ortiz then transported the stolen drugs to the DFW area and attempted to sell them to customers. Ortiz also admitted in court documents that on March 30, 2024, he was operating a stolen BMW X5 traveling with his girlfriend eastbound on Interstate 30 in the DFW area. Police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the stolen BMW and Ortiz fled from the officers at a high rate of speed. During the pursuant, the stolen BMW driven by Ortiz struck two other vehicles as he attempted to flee from officers. Ortiz admitted that after initially alluding police officers, he exited the interstate, abandoned the stolen BMW in a residential area, and fled on foot. Ortiz admitted that when he exited the BMW, he was in possession of a Glock, model 44, .22 caliber handgun. Ortiz fled to a nearby neighborhood and unlawfully entered a residence and attempted to hide. Law enforcement agents surrounded the residence, and Ortiz surrendered after a four-hour standoff. Ortiz is a multi-convicted felon and a Puro Tango Blast (PTB) member. PTB is a violent prison gang made up primarily of Hispanic men from Texas cities. The investigation was conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Dallas Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorneys Rick Calvert and Luis Suarez prosecuted the case. This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's OCDETFs and Project Safe Neighborhoods .


title: Trinitarios Gang Members Extradited from Honduras to Face Rico Charges Related to Four Murders

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Two Honduran nationals have been extradited to the United States to face racketeering charges. Each defendant – both of whom are alleged members of the Trinitarios – is charged with participating in two murders. They are alleged to have been in the United States illegally at the time of the murders and fled to Honduras to avoid federal charges. Elvis Trujillo, 27, and Yeferson Vallecillo Cambar, 23, were arrested in December 2024 in Honduras at the request of the United States and extradited to the United States yesterday. Trujillo and Cambar will appear in federal court in Boston at 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. today. Trujillo and Cambar were each indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of RICO Conspiracy. Trujillo and Cambar are alleged to be members of the Trinitarios criminal enterprise, which is a transnational criminal organization with a large presence in Massachusetts communities. In February 2025 , federal charges were unsealed against more than two dozen Trinitarios members as part of a multijurisdictional takedown. Those charges included specific allegations that the Trinitarios were responsible for over 10 murders taking place over the last decade. Trujillo is charged with allegedly participating in two of those murders. Cambar is charged with allegedly participating in two additional murders According to the charging documents, the Trinitarios are a hierarchical criminal organization, with positions that are known to exist at the state and local chapter level, whose members adhere to a code of conduct. Enmanuel Paula-Cabral, a/k/a, “Nelfew,” a/k/a “Gordo,” “Manny,” allegedly served as the State Supreme of the Trinitarios for Massachusetts, responsible for the entirety of the gang’s criminal activities, coordination with other state leaders and communication with leadership of the Trinitarios in the Dominican Republic. Trujillo is charged with participating in the murder of Juan Espinal in March 2017, and the murder of Mindy Tran in November 2017. The murder of Espinal is alleged in court documents to have been committed by Trujillo and another Trinitario member on the orders of Trinitario leadership. Trujillo and the other Trinitario member are alleged to have ambushed Espinal and fired at him as he walked past, then chased him down and fired more rounds killing him in the street. The murder of Mindy Tran is alleged in court documents to have been committed by Trujillo and another individual during an attempted robbery of Tran during a marijuana sale. Trujillo is alleged to have fired the shot that killed Tran. According to court documents, Trujillo was in the United States illegally and is believed to have consented to removal to Honduras following his conviction in a separate shooting incident in order to avoid charges for his role in the murder of Tran. Cambar is charged with participating in the murders of Jandriel Heredia and Abraham Diaz in September 2023. According to the charging documents, the Trinitarios wrongly believed rival gang members were in attendance at a graduation party and conducted a drive-by shooting that killed Heredia and Diaz and wounded five other surviving victims. The Trinitarios targeted the party to retaliate for the recent death of a Trinitario gang member. Cambar is alleged to have assisted in procuring the vehicle used in the double murder and assisting in the concealment and destruction of evidence after the fact. Cambar is believed to have fled to Honduras to avoid charges for his role in the September 2023 shooting. Cambar was present in the United States during this time without legal status and without inspection at a port of entry. The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Kevin Neal, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy; and Lawrence Police Chief Maurice Aguiler made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and the Andover, Boston, Peabody, Salem, and Manchester NH Police Departments. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs coordinated with authorities in Honduras to secure the extradition of Trujillo and Cambar. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Colombian National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Nationwide Jewelry Theft Ring

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that YESENIA MELENDEZ RINCON, 41, a citizen of Colombia last residing in Kissimmee, Florida, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment for her involvement in an organized jewelry theft ring that targeted mall-based stores and kiosks across the country. According to court documents and statements made in court, from May 2023 through April 2024, Melendez Rincon and several other Colombian nationals burglarized jewelry stores and kiosks in malls and then transported the stolen property or the proceeds from it across state lines. Melendez Rincon and her co-conspirators burglarized jewelry establishments at the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, Connecticut, on October 5, 2023; in Lombard, Illinois on October 17, 2023; in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, on October 27, 2023; and in Henrico, Virginia on November 4, 2023. The total losses from these burglaries exceed $1.33 million. Melendez Rincon typically cased the targeted business, served as a “lookout” during the burglaries, and she was involved in the sale of the stolen jewelry to others. A photo taken in January 2024 and retrieved from Melendez Rincon’s iCloud account shows Melendez Rincon wearing a distinctive heart-shaped ring that was stolen during the Milford, Connecticut, burglary in October 2023. The investigation revealed that Melendez Rincon’s co-conspirators also were involved in the theft of an additional $3.1 million in jewelry from establishments in Paterson, New Jersey, on May 17, 2023; in Mentor, Ohio, on July 21, 2023; in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on August 13, 2023; in Greece, New York, on September 20, 2023; and in Horseheads, New York, on April 18, 2024. Members of the conspiracy also cased additional jewelry stores and kiosks in Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Delaware. To date, none of the stolen jewelry has been recovered by law enforcement. Melendez Rincon was arrested on July 18, 2024. On July 1, 2025, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy. Melendez Rincon, who had been released pending sentencing, was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at the conclusion of the sentencing. She faces immigration proceedings when she completes her prison term. This investigation is being conducted by the FBI New Haven’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force with the assistance of the Milford (Conn.) Police Department, the Hamilton Township (N.J.) Police Division, the Delaware State Police, the Henrico County (Va.) Police Division, the New York State Police, the New York Police Department, the Pensacola (Fla.) Police Department, the Paterson (N.J.) Police Department, the Mentor (Ohio) Police Department, the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Police Department, the Greece (N.Y.) Police Department, and the Lombard (Ill.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Conor M. Reardon. U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and the FBI Field Offices in New York, Dallas, Miami, and Tampa for their assistance.


title: Two Detroiters Charged with Stealing Over $12 Million in Separate Federal Student Aid Fraud Schemes

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT - Two defendants have been charged via criminal complaints for their roles in separate frauds related to Federal Student Aid, announced United States Attorney Jerome Gorgon. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge John Woolley, U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General (DOE-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Megan Howell, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). The first complaint charges Brandon Robinson, 41, of Detroit with wire fraud related to false Federal Student Aid (FSA) claims submitted in the names of other individuals. Robinson was arrested earlier today and appeared in federal court this afternoon on the charges. According to the complaint, Robinson is responsible for leading a years-long scheme to obtain fraudulent Federal Student Aid benefits involving so-called “straw students” who were enrolled for the primary purpose of receiving FSA. Specifically, the complaint alleges that between January 2015 and February 2024, Robinson submitted fraudulent FSA claims for more than 1200 individuals, involving over 100 schools in 24 states. As a result of the scheme, it is alleged that Robinson fraudulently caused more than $16M in FSA benefits to be awarded, with more than $10M disbursed. Additionally, the complaint alleges that Robinson also filed over 100 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims between April 2020 and March 2023, causing the disbursement of over $1M in UI benefits. The second complaint charges Michelle Hill, 48, of Detroit with wire fraud, in connection with a separate FSA scheme. Hill was arrested yesterday morning and made an initial appearance in federal court yesterday afternoon. According to the complaint, between July 2015 and July 2025, Hill devised and executed a scheme to obtain fraudulent FSA benefits involving more than 80 individuals, predominantly enrolled at Wayne County Community College. The complaint alleges that many of these individuals were enrolled in the same or similar degree programs and were taking the same or similar online courses. It is also alleged that Hill herself often completed the coursework on the students’ behalf, to make it appear that the students were progressing toward degrees and prolonging their eligibility for FSA benefits. As a result of the scheme, it is alleged that Hill fraudulently caused more than $3M in FSA benefits to be awarded, with more than $2.5M disbursed. A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigations are completed, determinations will be made whether to seek felony indictments. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John K. Neal and Ryan A. Particka. The Robinson investigation is being conducted jointly by agents from the Department of Education Office of the Inspector General and the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, with assistance from the FBI Detroit – Macomb County Resident Agency. The Hill investigation is being conducted by agents from Department of Education Office of the Inspector General.


title: INKSTER MAYOR’S EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT PLEADS GUILTY TO LYING TO FEDERAL AGENTS

body_text: DETROIT – Former Inkster Mayor Patrick Wimberly’s executive assistant pleaded guilty today to lying to federal agents during their investigation into Wimberly’s bribery scheme, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Saif Alsenad, 33, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, served as Mayor Wimberly’s executive assistant from May 2021, through June 2023. According to the information, in October 2024, Alsenad lied to FBI agents and told them he was not aware that Wimberly had corruptly solicited, demanded, and agreed to accept $100,000 with the intent to assist an investor in acquiring a vacant 13-acre parcel owned by the city of Inkster. At the time he made the statements, Alsenad knew they were false because he knew Wimberly had agreed to accept cash bribes in exchange for Wimberly’s assistance in obtaining the parcel of land for the developer. Alsenad was charged with making a false statement or representation to a department or agency of the United States, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). This charge carries a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. In September 2024, Wimberly pleaded guilty to agreeing to accept $100,000 in cash bribes. He was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. “When law enforcement officers are investigating a crime, lying to them to help shield the offender is never the right decision. This is especially true when those involved are government officials who have a duty to serve the public’s interest, not their own,” said Gorgon. "Today’s guilty plea by Saif Alsenad demonstrates the FBI’s steadfast commitment to investigate those who undermine the public’s trust, regardless of their position or influence,” said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Working for an elected official does not exempt anyone from accountability when engaging in public corruption. I want to thank the members of the FBI Detroit Area Corruption Task Force for their outstanding investigative work throughout this investigation.” The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton P. Brown.


title: Jury Convicts Defendant of Hiding Methamphetamine in Stuffed Animals

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Late yesterday, following a two-day jury trial, Damien Duwjan Shade, age 48, was found guilty of all charged counts in the indictment, that is, one count of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and one count of Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Stuffed animals are symbols of childhood, not vessels for poison,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Turning a child’s toy into a cover for lethal drugs shows the lengths drug traffickers will go to peddle their poison. This verdict ensures there will be consequences.” According to evidence presented at trial, in March 2023, the Rochester Police Department responded to the FedEx facility at the Rochester Airport after learning of three suspicious packages sent from San Diego, California, to two separate addresses in Winona, Minnesota. The packages were all shipped from the same sender—“Trayvon Strange”—and were addressed to fictitious individuals whom law enforcement determined did not live at the stated addresses. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Rochester Police Department arranged for a drug detecting K9 to sniff the packages. The K9 alerted to the presence of drugs inside the packages. Law enforcement received warrants to open the packages. In the packages, law enforcement found six pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside of stuffed animals. The next day, law enforcement placed sensors and tracking devices inside the packages, removing all but a small amount of methamphetamine from each box and replacing the methamphetamine with “filler”—rock salt and other materials—to approximate the original weight of the packages. Law enforcement conducted a “controlled delivery,” delivering the packages to the addresses on the packages. The mother of the defendant’s children initially retrieved the packages and then the defendant arrived at her home to collect the packages, which he believed were full of methamphetamine. Law enforcement searched the scene and found that the defendant had opened the controlled delivery packages. Law enforcement found the controlled delivery methamphetamine and the guts of the cut-open stuffed animals. The defendant confessed. He said that he traveled to California, purchased several pounds meth, and then shipped it back to himself in Minnesota using fake names. He admitted he hid the methamphetamine inside of stuffed animals. He also admitted he had a gun at his apartment, which he was not legally allowed to possess because he is a felon. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Shade’s home. There, they found the third controlled delivery package, unopened, on a chair in the living room. The package contained the stuffed animals, repackaged with the filler material that law enforcement switched out for the methamphetamine. Law enforcement further found a loaded Comanche III .357 Magnum revolver in a dresser drawer, a digital scale, approximately 30 small Ziplock baggies in an unlocked safe, and what appeared to be a drug ledger. A search of the bedroom closet further revealed a stash of over 400 live .357 Magnum handgun rounds and a spent casing. As charged in the indictment, in 2013, Shade was previously convicted of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm in San Diego, California. On September 24, 2025, a federal jury convicted Shade on both charged counts in U.S. District Court before District Judge Michael J. Davis. Shade will be sentenced at a later date. He faces up to life in prison. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Rochester Police Department, the Winona County Sheriff’s Office, the Winona Police Department, and other members of the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team (SEMVCET). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren O. Roso and Syngen Kanassatega prosecuted and tried the case.


title: 43 Members of the Criminal Organization known as a Los Vira’o Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Violations in Cayey, Puerto Rico

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On September 22, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 43 gang members from the municipality of Cayey with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) Guayama Strike Force, with the collaboration of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) and Air and Marine Operations (AMO), the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Today during the arrests, the following agencies provided support: Puerto Rico National Guard, Ponce Municipal Police, Guaynabo Municipal Police, Bayamón Municipal Police, and San Juan Municipal Police. “Thanks to the great investigative work of our law enforcement partners, the important leaders, enforcers and other members of the violent gang known as Los Vira’o are being taken off our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “These arrests reflect our steadfast determination to remove violent gangs from our communities.” “We will not tolerate criminal organizations that continue to threaten the safety and well-being of our communities while profiting from the distribution of deadly narcotics on our streets. These groups show nothing but disrespect for our neighborhoods, our children, and the elderly —taking lives at every turn. Let me be clear: the arrests do not end here. Our commitment and resources are fully dedicated to one mission—eliminating transnational criminal organizations. Not disrupting. Not dismantling. Eliminating,” said Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge, HSI San Juan (Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands). The indictment alleges that from 2021, the drug trafficking organization distributed heroin, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, marijuana, and fentanyl, Oxycodone (commonly known as Percocet), and Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax) within 1,000 feet of the Luis Muñoz Morales and Jardines de Montellano (a/k/a “Greyskull”) Public Housing Projects (PHPs), the Polvorín Ward in Cayey, and other areas throughout Puerto Rico, all for significant financial gain and profit. The object of the conspiracy was to distribute wholesale quantities and street amount quantities of controlled substances at the Luis Muñoz Morales and Jardines de Montellano PHPs, the Polvorín Ward in Cayey, as well as other areas throughout Puerto Rico and the continental United States. The organization referred to itself as Los Vira’o and used other insignia to identify its membership and loyalty, including jewelry, stickers, or tattoos of the letters “LFNM,” which stands for “ La Familia Nunca Muere,” (The Family Never Dies). The top leader of the gang, Efraín A. Planell-Pérez, although incarcerated, used contraband cellular devices to communicate with gang members, hold conference calls and video calls, make electronic fund transfers, and coordinate gang activity. Additionally, Planell-Pérez purchased drugs and guns, gave orders regarding the function of the drug points, ordered murders, resolved disputes, and taught new members how to prepare drugs for sale, among other criminal actions. According to court documents, members of Los Vira’o posted criminal activities to social media both to raise their own status and intimidate rivals. On occasion, some members of the drug trafficking organization purchased commercially available security cameras, installed them in the PHPs, and downloaded corresponding applications to their cellular devices to monitor activity within those PHPs, looking out for police activity and attacks by rival gangs. A group of the founding members of Los Vira’o previously belonged to another drug trafficking organization based in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Those members of Los Vira’o turned against the other Caguas-based gang, and since the inception of Los Vira’o in 2021 have been in a turf war with that other organization, to include coordinated shootings in rival gang territory using automatic weapons and squad-like tactics, killing both intended and unintended victims. It is alleged that members of Los Vira’o carried out violent carjackings using firearms to acquire vehicles to use in murders and other criminal acts. They would refer to those stolen cars as units, and those cars were generally forbidden from being stored inside the PHPs. After use in a murder or other criminal act, gang members would burn the cars or sell them. The investigation revealed that during the conspiracy the defendants and their co-conspirators created a music label and produced music and music videos with lyrics describing specific gang activity, real coconspirators, and real criminal events. Music videos of Los Vira’o feature real firearms brandished in the videos. The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, including as leaders, enforcers, runners, sellers, facilitators, and lookouts. Twenty-seven (27) defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and fifteen (15) of those defendants are facing one count of possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The defendants charged in the indictment are: [1] Efraín A. Planell-Pérez, a.k.a. “Gordo Billar/Billar/Simba/Simbad/el Ocho” [2] David González-Olmo, a.k.a. “Cagüita” [3] Eliezer Rivera-Otero, a.k.a. “Tiki/Tiky” [4] Luis D. Maldonado-Berríos, a.k.a. “Guinea/La G” [5] Miguel Y. Fuentes-Oquendo, a.k.a. “Barba” [6] José M. Rivera-Fuentes, a.k.a. “Che/Cheque” [7] Edgar Antonio Santiago-Vázquez, a.k.a. “Mili/Militar” [8] Julio A. Torres-Roche, a.k.a. “Doctor” [9] José David Serrano-Santiago, a.k.a. “Hacha Vieja” [10] Kris L. Vega-González, a.k.a. “Yandel/Kris Llandel” [11] Miguel A. Olmo-Garcia, a.k.a. “Mine/Bolillo” [12] Yandel O. Bermejo-Rodríguez [13] Jouseph De Jesús-Reyes, a.k.a. “Boti” [14] Juan A. Flores-Lebrón, a.k.a. “Juanki” [15] Noel Nieves-Lora, a.k.a. “Bulin” [16] Cristopher Colón-Viera, a.k.a. “Topher” [17] Joseph A. Torres-Quesada, a.k.a. “Mueca” [18] Zael Y. Lao-Ortiz, a.k.a. “Vieques” [19] Jay L. Diaz-Del Valle, a.k.a. “Jay Livan/El Cantante” [20] Héctor M. Cruz-Ayala, a.k.a. “Gordo Gordo/Gordo Chiquito” [21] Jeremy Ortiz-Díaz, a.k.a. “Millo” [22] Victor M. Cruz-Ortiz, a.k.a. “Papa/El Father” [23] Carlos A. Arroyo-Santel, a.k.a. “Rata/R” [24] Adrián J. Miranda-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Pilo/Pilotito” [25] Rubén M. Torres-Reyes [26] Luis Y. León-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Ika” [27] Kevin M. Torres-Rivera, a.k.a. “Kevo” [28] Edgardo Ortiz-Figueroa, a.k.a. “Pucho” [29] Michael A. Santiago-Cruz, a.k.a. “Colo/Colorao” [30] Christopher J. Nieves-Pérez, a.k.a. “Chucho” [31] José G. Jiménez-Robles, a.k.a. “Joy” [32] Christopher J. Fontanez-Vega, a.k.a. “Lagarto” [33] Endel Gabriel Vidal-Malavé [34] Bryan L. Montalvo-Colón, a.k.a. “Yambra” [35] Luis A. Trinidad-González, a.k.a. “Chivito” [36] Mariela E. Santiago-Cuevas [37] José Orlando Ortiz-Martínez, a.k.a. “Champu de Coco/Vizco” [38] Kenneth O. Claudio-Vega, a.k.a. “Kenny” [39] Jonathan A. Ortiz-Martínez, a.k.a. “Cocodrilo/Orejas” [40] Joseph Vicente-Vázquez, a.k.a. “Joe Cantera” [41] Alejandro M. Tarafa-Fortuño, a.k.a. “Zombie” [42] Rosemary Santiago-Serrano [43] Paola M. Rodríguez-Morales Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, AUSA R. Vance Eaton, and AUSA Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges in Count Seven, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. The defendants charged with possession of machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking in Count Eight face a mandatory sentence of thirty years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the drug trafficking charges. All defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $9,362,160. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Mexican man sentenced for illegal reentry

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Mexican man who was in the United States illegally was sentenced yesterday to a term of time-served and remanded to the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Leobardo Ricardo Torres-Torres, 38, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to illegal reentry. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that Torres-Torres was removed from the United States in November 2016 and never obtained permission to return. On March 24, 2025, he was found in Havre, Montana when Border Patrol agents approached a vehicle registered to a person illegally present in the United States in the Walmart parking lot. An agent asked Torres-Torres if he owned the vehicle, and he admitted he did. He said was working construction in the area, was originally from Mexico, and had no documents that permitted him to enter or remain in the United States. Torres-Torres’s immigration files show he applied for U.S. citizenship in 2002 but presented a fraudulent birth certificate with his application. He was allowed to withdraw the application and return to Mexico. In July 2009, Torres-Torres was found in Arizona and ordered removed after an arrest in Maricopa County for driving while intoxicated. In July 2010, Border Patrol agents found Torres-Torres, again in Arizona. He was convicted of illegal entry, a misdemeanor, sentenced to 30 days in prison, and removed from the United States. In August 2016, Border Patrol agents in Naco, Arizona, found Torres-Torres. He was again convicted of illegal entry, sentenced to 75 days in prison, and again removed from the United States. When he was arrested in Havre in March 2025, Torres-Torres told the Border Patrol he reentered the U.S. in November 2017, near El Paso, Texas. The United States Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Border Patrol. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). XXX


title: Federal Indictment Charges Man with Forging Signatures of United States District Court Judges

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a man for allegedly forging the signatures of two United States District Court judges in court filings. WALTER BRZOWSKI, 67, of Chicago, is charged with eleven counts of forgery in an indictment returned Tuesday in the Northern District of Illinois. Each count is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled. According to the indictment and a criminal complaint previously filed in the case, Brzowski represented himself in numerous civil lawsuits that he initiated in federal court in Chicago. The U.S. District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit dismissed the lawsuits and found that many of Brzowski’s filings were frivolous. In 2021, the Executive Committee of the U.S. District Court in Chicago issued an order placing restrictions on Brzowski’s ability to file new civil cases and warned that violating the order may lead to monetary sanctions or a contempt of court finding. In 2023, Brzowski filed a “notice” in the District Court stating that he was relieved of any previously imposed prohibitions and instructing the District Court Clerk’s Office to “rescind any filing restrictions,” the charges allege. The notice included an attached Executive Committee Order that was purportedly signed by U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer. The District Court determined that Brzowski had forged Judge Pallmeyer’s signature and sanctioned him $25,000, the charges allege. Brzowski allegedly continued to file materials with the Court, including multiple filings in 2025 that contained forged signatures of Judge Pallmeyer and U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall. The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Stern. “The forgery of a judge’s signature is a serious matter and an attack on the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “We will hold accountable those who use forgeries and frauds to undermine the important judicial work of the Honorable Judges of the Northern District of Illinois.” “The defendant allegedly sent fraudulent court orders through the U.S. mail bearing forged signatures of multiple United States District Court judges in an effort to circumvent standing orders and unlawfully twist the legal system to his favor,” said Inspector-in-Charge Mendonça. “Thankfully, Chicago Postal Inspectors uncovered his scheme to delegitimize the rule of law, and brought him to justice." The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. brzowski_complaint.pdf brzowski_indictment_stamped.pdf


title: Former Ohio Deputy Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing an Inmate

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: CLEVELAND – A former Ohio deputy employed at a detention facility has been sentenced to prison for sexually abusing a female inmate in his custody. Damon K. Perry, 53, of Youngstown, was sentenced to 112 months (approximately 9.3 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after he pleaded guilty in May to two counts of sexual abuse of a detainee and two counts of sexual abuse. “Mr. Perry’s abusive and appalling actions against a detainee were a violation of her basic human rights. Using his power of authority to deliberately take advantage of a woman, who he was charged with supervising, is dishonorable and despicable,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio . “We thank the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General for investigating this matter.” According to the plea agreement, Perry admitted to engaging in a sexual act with a female inmate under federal detention at the Mahoning County Jail on two dates in November 2023. The correctional facility, located in Youngstown, Ohio, serves under contract with a federal law enforcement agency to house detainees at their direction as needed. The first sexual act committed without the victim’s consent occurred Nov. 9, 2023, when the inmate was under Perry’s supervision while she was being held in custody. A second incident occurred Nov. 30, 2023, when Perry again engaged in a non-consensual sexual act with the same federal detainee placed under his authority. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio. ###


title: Jury Convicts Kansas City Man of Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was convicted by a federal jury for his role in drug trafficking and the illegal possession of firearms. Brandon R. Haywood, 47, was found guilty on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, of one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and felon in possession of a firearm. On Feb. 4, 2023, law enforcement officers were dispatched to a store in Independence, Mo., regarding a sexual assault. The suspect was identified as Brandon Haywood. On Feb. 15, 2023, Haywood returned to the same store and was arrested by officers. His vehicle was towed from the scene in anticipation of a search warrant. When the state search warrant was executed on his vehicle, investigators located a Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber firearm; the defendant’s wallet; and approximately 30 grams of cocaine in the center console. Prior to this incident, Haywood was convicted of the felony offense of Voluntary Manslaughter in the Jackson County, Missouri Circuit Court. Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., returned guilty verdicts on all charged counts to U.S. District Judge D. Greg Kays, ending a two-day trial. Under federal statutes, Haywood is subject to a sentence of up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashleigh Ragner and Jessica Jennings. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department.


title: Wausau Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Cocaine Trafficking and Illegal Firearms Possession

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Johntay L. Johnson, 40, Wausau, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 8 years in federal prison for maintaining a drug-involved premises, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and distributing cocaine. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Johnson pleaded guilty to these charges on July 1, 2025. In December 2023, investigators with the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force identified Johnson as a cocaine trafficker operating out of Wausau, Wisconsin. Between January and July 2024, a confidential informant purchased two ounces of cocaine from Johnson on seven occasions, with six of the controlled buys occurring at Johnson’s home in Wausau. On September 10, 2024, while executing a search warrant at Johnson’s residence in Wausau, officers located three firearms, cocaine, and marijuana in Johnson’s bedroom. A fourth firearm was recovered in a second bedroom. Officers also discovered over $13,000 in cash, digital scales, and other drug paraphernalia in the residence. Two of the firearms seized had previously been reported stolen. At the time of the search warrant, Johnson was arrested on an outstanding warrant in an unrelated state case. He was charged in state court for the guns and drugs found in his home and released on a cash bond two days later. Two weeks later, and while out on bond, Johnson sold an ounce of cocaine to a confidential informant and then did so again in late November 2024. At sentencing, Judge Conley noted that Johnson’s cocaine trafficking was aggravated by multiple factors, including his possession of multiple firearms, his quick return to drug dealing after being arrested in the middle of this investigation, and his lengthy criminal record that includes five prior convictions for cocaine trafficking. The charges against Johnson were the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force comprised of agents from the FBI, Wisconsin State Patrol, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain Bay Police Department, Wausau Police Department and Wisconsin National Guard Counter Drug Program. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force and the Marathon County District Attorney’s Office also assisted with the investigation. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force is comprised of federal agents from ATF and task force officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case. Federal criminal cases involving drugs and guns are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Manager at Long Island Company Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Stealing from Customer Credit Accounts

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Tony Ream pleaded guilty to wire fraud committed in connection with his employment as a credit supervisor for a Long Island Company (the Company). Over the course of four years, Ream sent wire transfers totaling approximately $1.6 million from the Company’s bank account to a bank account that he controlled, and used those funds for his own personal gain. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Sanket J. Bulsara. When sentenced, Ream faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the guilty plea. “Ream abused his authority and betrayed his employer and its customers to fund his own lavish lifestyle,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “In just a few years, Ream embezzled over $1.6 million and used the stolen money to pay for his wedding, luxury international travel, and for renovations to a restaurant he had opened. Ream will now be held accountable for this egregious conduct, thanks to the diligent work of our Office and our partners at the FBI.” As set forth in court filings and statements made in court, the Company, headquartered in Melville, New York, is an American distributor of health care products and services, and serves as the world’s largest provider of health care solutions to office-based dental and medical practitioners worldwide. Ream was hired by the Company in 2019 to work in its credit department and became a credit supervisor. From approximately October 2020 through November 2024, Ream siphoned corporate funds from customer refund accounts, some of which were inactive, and diverted the funds to his own personal accounts, masking the fraud by recording each transaction as a refund that was issued to a customer. Ream also deceived his subordinates into unwittingly taking steps that facilitated his embezzlement scheme. In total, Ream embezzled approximately $1.6 million from the Company, which he spent on his wedding, luxury international vacations, and a failed restaurant venture in South Carolina. As part of his plea, Ream has agreed to make full restitution to the Company. The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Charles P. Kelly is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samantha Schroder. The Defendant : TONY REAM (also known as “Tony Ream-Hendley” and “Tony Moul Ream”) Age: 34 Greenville, South Carolina E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-179 (SJB)


title: Houston gunmen sentenced to 14 years for armed robberies

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – Two Houston men have been sentenced to significant federal prison terms following their convictions for using a firearm during the commission of two convenience store robberies, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Derian Joel Caesar and Centel Devon Willis Jr. pleaded guilty in April. Today, U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett ordered Willis to serve 14 years in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Bennett noted that if Willis continued to make these decisions following his imprisonment, he will either return to prison or could even end up dead. Caesar was previously ordered to serve 14 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Caesar and Willis admitted that on March 15, 2023, both acted together and used firearms to rob two different 7-Eleven convenience stores in Harris and Fort Bend Counties. In both crimes, Caesar carried a black firearm and took money from the cash drawer, while Willis pointed a black semiautomatic handgun towards the employee on duty. Both have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin R. Martin prosecuted the case.


title: Augusta “Ghost” Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison

component: USAO - Georgia, Southern

body_text: AUGUSTA, GA: On September 25, 2025, a Richmond County man who operated a “ghost” tax preparation business in Augusta, Georgia, has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for defrauding the IRS. Allen Brown , 41, of Augusta, Georgia, was sentenced to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, said Margaret E. Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Brown to pay $1,003,631 in restitution and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. As described in court documents and at sentencing, in 2022 and 2023, Brown and several individuals operated a “ghost” tax preparation business at 1850 Gordon Highway, Suite C, Augusta, Georgia, and at two other Augusta locations including a church and Brown’s residence. Brown operated as a “ghost” preparer because, contrary to IRS requirements he failed to identify himself as a paid preparer on the federal income tax returns that he prepared and filed for his clients. As a “ghost” preparer, Brown fabricated income to qualify his clients for tax credits, claimed fake deductions to boost the size of the refund, and charged clients a fee based on a percentage of the tax refund. Brown did not provide his clients with a copy of the tax returns he prepared, nor did he review the returns with clients before electronically filing them with the IRS. Brown and other “ghost” preparers who worked with him falsified 63 federal income tax returns for clients, causing the U.S. Department of Treasury to issue $1,003,631 in false tax refunds. The tax fraud scheme Brown executed entailed offering clients two filing options, the “Standard” option or the “I’m Not Scared” option. The “Standard” option generally resulted in a fraudulent tax refund of $2,000 - $9,000. The “I’m Not Scared” option resulted in a fraudulent tax refund of $14,000 - $30,000. For the “I’m Not Scared” option, Brown instructed his “ghost” preparers to falsely claim Fuel Tax Credits and falsely report gross income and other expenses on Schedule C and medical and dental expenses on Schedule A with the tax returns. For the “Standard” option, Brown instructed “ghost” preparers to falsely claim Sick and Family Leave Credits and other false items. Brown required his clients to pay him a ten-percent fee of each refund obtained. “Tax preparers have a responsibility to accurately prepare tax returns on behalf of their clients. Brown undermined the American tax system and the trust of taxpayers relying on his expertise,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “The sentence imposed by the Court reflects the serious nature of Brown’s conduct. The criminal tax laws are designed to protect the integrity of the nation’s tax system and to obtain and preserve funds needed for public services. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia works closely with our partners at IRS Criminal Investigation to protect the law-abiding American public and the treasury by stopping this fraud.” “Every year around tax season, ghost tax preparers like Allen Brown and other unscrupulous preparers open up shop to take advantage of unsuspecting taxpayers by convincing them into taking credits and benefits for which they don’t qualify,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are working to protect taxpayers from these unethical tax preparers by investigating and holding them accountable.” This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs, III. For any questions, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.


title: CONVICTED FELON CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF A MACHINE GUN AND OTHER FIREARM OFFENSES

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

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – James Wiley Kelley, Jr., 50, of Altha, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act weapon, possession of a machinegun, and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today. Kelley, Jr. appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick on September 24, 2025, in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for November 27, 2025, before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker. If convicted, Kelley, Jr. faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment for possession of an unregistered NFA weapon, an identical penalty for possession of a machinegun, and up to fifteen years’ imprisonment for possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, with the assistance of the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jason R. Coody is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Repeat Sexual Offender Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Nicholas Richard Lugo, 25, was sentenced today to 180 months imprisonment followed by 15 years’ supervised release for the Distribution of Child Pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “A 15-year sentence cannot undo the harm Lugo repeatedly inflicted on children, but it delivers justice and protection,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “We are prosecuting several cases like this in federal court today, and every one of them is heartbreaking. Minnesota’s children deserve protection, and those who prey on them will face federal consequences.” In 2021, Lugo was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Hennepin County, Minnesota. He received a stayed sentence of 144 months’ imprisonment, 180 days in the workhouse, and five years of predatory offender supervision. In October 2024, while Lugo was on supervision, he obtained a cell phone prohibited by the terms of his release. He used that unauthorized cell phone to download a social media application and receive and distribute images and videos of child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse material, depicting the sexual abuse of young children. The identified images and videos are of real children—real children experienced this abuse, which the defendant downloaded, consumed, and shared for his gratification. Lugo was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before District Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan. When handing down the sentence Judge Bryan noted that this crime is “one of the more egregious crimes we have in our society.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office recognizes the suffering of the victims in this case and in Lugo’s prior sexual abuse case. No child should experience sexual violence and offenders must be held accountable. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Chaska Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead prosecuted the case.


title: Menomonie Man Sentenced to 2 ½ Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Demetrius Howard, 34, Menomonie, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 2 ½ years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Howard pleaded guilty to this charge on June 24, 2025. On December 20, 2024, a deputy with the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office stopped Howard’s vehicle for speeding. After further investigation, the deputy searched the vehicle and found a bag in the backseat that contained a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun. Howard told the deputy that he would have fled if his child was not in the car and further commented that there could have been a “shootout.” Howard claimed that he found the gun by a dumpster the day before and was going to throw it into the water. Howard has a prior state conviction for party to the crime of armed robbery. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition. At sentencing, Judge Peterson found it unlikely that Howard found the gun by a dumpster. Howard then admitted that was not true and that he actively sought out the gun due to threats he was receiving. Judge Peterson reminded Howard that he was prohibited from possessing firearms and said that the crime was aggravated because Howard was on supervision at the time. The charge against Howard was the result of an investigation conducted by the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of federal agents from ATF and task force officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case. Federal criminal cases involving firearms are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: FEDERAL JURY CONVICTS BATON ROUGE MAN OF WIRE FRAUD AND ENGAGING IN UNLAWFUL MONETARY TRANSACTIONS

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis announced the conviction of Oscar Hills, IV, age 53, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After a three-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson, the jury unanimously convicted Hills of two counts of wire fraud and two counts of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions. Hills has been living in Honolulu, Hawaii since 2021. As the evidence at trial demonstrated, between March 2020 and May 2020, Hills submitted several fraudulent loan applications. One of these loan applications was submitted in the name of a supposed business called Bootstate Financial Group under the Payment Protection Plan (“PPP”) program, created by Congress under the CARES Act. Another loan application was submitted in the name of a supposed non-profit called Baton Rouge Teen Summit under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program, expanded by Congress under the CARES Act. In the PPP loan application submitted in the name of Bootstate Financial Group, Hills represented that Bootstate had 40 employees and over $270,000 in average monthly payroll, both of which were material fraudulent representations. The lender relied on these representations by Hills, approving the loan application and depositing PPP loan proceeds of $675,272 into a bank account owned and controlled by Hills. Days later, Hills used $75,500 of these PPP funds to purchase a Dodge Viper. In the EIDL application submitted in the name of Baton Rouge Teen Summit, Hills represented that this supposed non-profit had 25 employees and over $184,000 in annual operating expenses, both of which were false. The SBA relied on these numbers to approve the loan application and deposited $159,900 in total funds to a bank account owned and controlled by Hills. Hills subsequently used $23,272 of these EIDL funds to pay eleven years-worth of unpaid property taxes on his residence. The evidence also demonstrated that this is the second time Hills has been convicted of wire fraud in the Middle District of Louisiana. On April 26, 2010, Hills pled guilty to four counts of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud State Farm, Ascension Credit Union and Eagle Louisiana Federal Credit Union. On March 12, 2011, the late U.S. Chief District Court Judge Ralph E. Tyson sentenced Hills to 33 months imprisonment and ordered him to pay over $89,000 in restitution to his victims. As a result of this most recent conviction, Hills now faces a maximum term of imprisonment of thirty years, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and supervised release per wire fraud count, and a maximum term of imprisonment of up to ten years, a fine of $250,000, and supervised release per money laundering count. This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristen L. Craig and John B. Casey. Anyone with information about allegations of pandemic fraud can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Administrator of Online Group Dedicated to Exploiting Minor Girls Sentenced to 22 Years

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Thomas Ray Hudson, 34, most recently of Grenada, Mississippi, was sentenced last week by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 22 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. The prison term will be followed by a lifetime period of supervised release. Hudson pleaded guilty to this charge on June 10, 2025. In August of 2024, Hudson flew to Minnesota to meet a 13-year-old girl in Burnett County, Wisconsin, whom he was speaking with online. That attempt was thwarted when he could not find her home and got stranded in Minneapolis. Through a law enforcement tip, he was later identified, charged, and arrested. His electronics were searched, and multiple additional victims were identified. Law enforcement ultimately discovered that Hudson was an online administrator of a group with hundreds of members, dedicated to child exploitation. He was also involved in online groups where adult members threatened violence against minor girls who did not create sexually explicit material for the members of the group. At the sentencing hearing, a relative of one of the child victims, who described Hudson as a “monster,” talked about the devastating emotional impact the crime had on the child and her family. She relayed that the child was now afraid to even go outside out of fear that Hudson was coming to get her. Judge Peterson called Hudson’s conduct cruel and manipulative and noted that this was among the worst case of this type that the Court had ever seen. “Today’s sentencing reaffirms my office’s steadfast commitment to protecting our children, the most vulnerable among us, from predators who exploit and harm them online,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Elgersma. Elgersma also praised the extraordinary effort of the law enforcement agents around the country who worked tirelessly to bring Hudson and his cohorts to justice. “Mr. Hudson’s inexcusable actions of exploiting minors online as a group administrator with hundreds of members will not be tolerated,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. “The men and women of the FBI are committed to identifying and investigating those who victimize children. We will continue to leverage resources while working with our local, state, and federal partners to safeguard our communities.” The charge against Hudson was the result of an investigation conducted by the Burnett County Sheriff’s Office; the Kentucky State Police; the Bothell, Washington, Police Department; and FBI field offices across the country, including offices in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Washington, Oregon, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman prosecuted this case. This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. The U.S. Attorney’s Office encourages parents, educators, and community members to talk to children about the dangers of online predators and to review helpful safety resources available to the public, including those found at NCMEC’s NetSmartz website: missingkids.org/NetSmartz/home.


title: Virginia Beach man sentenced to 25 years in prison after “sextorting” two minors and an adult

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court documents, Justin Whichard, 24, extorted two minor victims by chatting online with them, fostering a romantic and sexual dynamic, and threatening to reveal their identities to their families unless they produced CSAM for him. Whichard then used that CSAM to attempt to extort an adult by pretending to be the minors, sending images of the minors to the adult, and threatening to reveal the adult’s identity and engagement with minors unless he transferred money to Whichard. While investigating Whichard for ordering a machinegun conversion device online, law enforcement searched Whichard’s residence on July 26, 2023. Whichard possessed 131 images and 15 videos of CSAM, including infants and toddlers. Whichard’s phone also contained 106 images of animated child exploitive material, as well as a script that specifically requested the production of CSAM. While on bond on state charges, Whichard fled for several months across numerous states. Law enforcement apprehended Whichard in Tennessee in March 2024. Whichard pled guilty on Nov. 5, 2024. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton D. LaForge prosecuted the case. Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Christopher Heck, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. The Virginia Beach Police Department and the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office provided invaluable assistance in the investigation. 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-76.


title: Justice Department Sues Six States for Failure to Provide Voter Registration Rolls

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Today the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced the filing of federal lawsuits against six states — California , Michigan , Minnesota , New York , New Hampshire , and Pennsylvania — for failure to produce their statewide voter registration lists upon request. “Clean voter rolls are the foundation of free and fair elections,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Every state has a responsibility to ensure that voter registration records are accurate, accessible, and secure — states that don’t fulfill that obligation will see this Department of Justice in court.” “States are required to safeguard American elections by complying with our federal elections laws,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Clean voter rolls protect American citizens from voting fraud and abuse, and restore their confidence that their states’ elections are conducted properly, with integrity, and in compliance with the law.” According to the lawsuits, the Attorney General is uniquely charged by Congress with the enforcement of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which were designed by Congress to ensure that states have proper and effective voter registration and voter list maintenance programs. The Attorney General also has the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (CRA) at her disposal to demand the production, inspection, and analysis of the statewide voter registration lists. These lawsuits were filed on Sept. 25, 2025, in the federal districts of the respective states.


title: Baltimore Felon Convicted of Illegally Possessing Firearm and Ammunition

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Jermaine Porter, 34, of Baltimore, Maryland, for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Porter is currently on federal supervised release for a 2018 conviction for possessing a firearm as a prohibited person. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the conviction with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD). On March 3, 2023, BPD’s Northeast District Action Team conducted a traffic stop in the 3900 block of Loch Raven Blvd. Prior to the traffic stop, officers observed Porter moving in his seat, which led them to believe he was hiding something. Officers stopped Porter and removed him from the vehicle. In the vehicle, they found a light blue SCCY CPX-1 9mm handgun loaded with eight 9mm rounds of ammunition on the seat directly underneath Porter’s legs. This is Porter’s second federal felony conviction. Due to his prior felony conviction, Porter is prohibited from possessing a firearm and/or ammunition. Porter is facing a maximum of 15 years in federal prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. District Judge Adam B. Abelson scheduled sentencing for Tuesday, December 16. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney LaRai Everett and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Keelan Diana who are prosecuting the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Mobile Barber Bandits Sentenced for 2023 Armed Robbery

component: Criminal - Violent Crime and Racketeering Section

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Two St. Louis area men have been sentenced for the armed robbery of a mobile barber in Jennings in 2023. U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced Keshaun Smith, 20, of Jennings, to 98 months in prison on charges of robbery and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of the robbery. Smith’s co-defendant, Andrew Giles, was sentenced September 19 to 105 months in prison for the same offenses. According to court documents, on May 8, 2023, the victim, who was a “mobile barber,” went to a home on Garesche Avenue to cut Smith’s hair. When the victim arrived at the home to give the haircut, Smith met the victim outside as he parked his red car. Approximately 15 minutes later, while the victim was cutting co-defendant Keshaun Smith’s hair inside the home, co-defendant Andrew Giles arrived on Garesche Avenue, parked his car on the street, and exited carrying what appeared to be a pistol. As the victim finished cutting Smith’s hair roughly 90 minutes later, Giles and a second co-defendant entered the room where the haircut was occurring. Smith picked up a firearm belonging to the victim and the three defendants robbed the victim of his possessions. During the robbery the victim was struck across his face/forehead area, sustaining a frontal skull fracture. The victim was able to flee the location and subsequently called police. Smith was seen after the robbery walking on Garesche Avenue openly carrying a firearm believed to have been stolen from the victim. The St. Louis County Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI. Trial Attorney Matthew P. Mattis of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri prosecuted the case. This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in St. Louis. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.


title: Orlando Man Sentenced To 6 Years In Federal Prison For Lying To The FBI In Connection With An International Terrorism Investigation

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Islam Doci (Orlando, 47) to six years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in an interview relating to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Doci pled guilty on October 15, 2024. According to Doci’s plea agreement and evidence presented at sentencing, Doci promoted ISIS propaganda online, communicated with ISIS members, sent money himself overseas in support of ISIS, and facilitated the provision of money by others to ISIS. In addition to other pro-ISIS posts, Doci shared a post that stated, “If Islam is terrorism, then O God give me more of this terrorism until the day I die. If Islam is radicalism, then O God, give me more of this radicalism until the day I die.” In online communications with his ISIS associates, Doci celebrated the killing of Americans and likened providing money and other support to ISIS to being at war. When interviewed on two occasions by the FBI in relation to these activities, Doci lied about his involvement with and support of ISIS. “Protecting the American people from terrorist attacks is the FBI’s top priority. I commend the special agents and analysts in this investigation whose proactive efforts and agility prevented the spread of ISIS ideology,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kara M. Wick and National Security Division Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney Andrew J. Dixon.


title: Former State Official and Lincoln Club Owner Indicted

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned an Indictment charging Hobert Rupe, 58, and Brent Zywiec, 45, both of Lincoln, Nebraska, with offenses related to honest services fraud. Rupe and Zywiec were arrested on September 24, 2025. Rupe, former Executive Director of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, and Zywiec, a partial owner of “The Office Gentleman’s Club” and “The Night Before Lounge” in Lincoln, are charged with Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud and three counts of Honest Services Fraud. Additionally, Rupe is charged with two counts of Wire Fraud, and one count of Hobbs Act Extortion Under Color of Official Right. The alleged conspiracy occurred between on or about January 1, 2022, and May 28, 2025. The maximum possible penalty for each of the charges is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a special assessment of $100 for each count. Rupe is alleged to have violated his oath of office as the Executive Director of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission when he allegedly conspired with establishments’ owners to include Zywiec to receive a stream of significant personal and financial benefits in exchange for illegal assistance he provided the owners of the establishments. The alleged stream of benefits included commercial sex acts, cash, and free benefits at the clubs that others pay to receive such as VIP dances, alcoholic drinks, and cover charges. In exchange for these benefits, Rupe would fail to report or investigate numerous liquor license violations that occurred at each establishment and would separately abuse law enforcement resources in an attempt to harm Zywiec’s competitors in Omaha. Rupe is additionally charged with failing to disclose these benefits on his state accountability forms. Finally, there is a count of the Indictment that alleges Rupe extorted a business owner in the community for $65,000 with the understanding that Rupe would provide assistance with helping that business owner retain a liquor license that the business owner would not otherwise qualify for under state rules and regulations. United States Lesley Woods stated, “Public corruption undermines the trust of all Nebraskans in their officials. The citizens of Nebraska are the primary victims of this case. The Executive Director of the Liquor Control Commission should be the official who polices establishments like the ones identified in the Indictment for the benefit of public safety. Furthermore, allowing individuals who should not have liquor licenses to obtain or retain those licenses is a dangerous abuse of power. There are good public safety reasons for many of the rules that govern liquor licenses, and the Executive Director of the Liquor Control Commission should serve as the public guardian against those threats to public safety, not be the enabler of them. Mr. Rupe is alleged to have violated that trust and allowed himself to be unlawfully influenced in the execution of those duties. This investigation was a joint effort with the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Attorney’s Office is grateful to those partners for their tireless efforts on this critical investigation.” Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.


title: Springfield Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking Offenses

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Springfield, Mass. man was convicted today of drug trafficking following a three-day trial in Springfield. Marcus Hicks, 43, was convicted of one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession of cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Jan. 27, 2026. Hicks was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2023 . On Nov. 21, 2022, Hicks possessed 97 grams of cocaine, 15 grams of crack cocaine and two and one-half pounds of marijuana intended for distribution. The charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England, Holyoke Police Chief Brian Keenan and Superintendent Lawrence Akers of the Springfield Police Department made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.


title: Bellevue Woman Sentenced to Nine Months for Embezzlement

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Joya M. Kinney, 45, of Bellevue, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 24, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for one count of embezzlement from an organization that received federal benefits. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Kinney to 9 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Kinney’s release from prison, she will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Kinney was additionally ordered to pay $495,652.13 in restitution. From 2014 until her termination in May 2023, Kinney was the bookkeeper for an incorporated private school located in Nebraska. This school received a Paycheck Protection Program loan in the amount of approximately $302,500 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. As the bookkeeper for the school, Kinney was responsible for handling funds and making financial entries into the school’s accounting system. In May of 2023, an outside auditor reported inconsistencies in the school’s accounting records. When confronted, Kinney admitted to school staff that she had conducted four $10,000 cash withdrawals the auditor identified, which were not authorized by the school. Kinney was then terminated from her position. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted an investigation and found additional financial losses at the school. Specifically, records and other evidence gathered by the FBI showed that between March 2016 to May 2023, Kinney embezzled approximately $452,176 from school funds, which included taking cash, using school funds to pay her personal credit card, making unauthorized purchases charged to the school, and receiving unauthorized checks. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bellevue Police Department.


title: D.C. Inmate Gets an Additional 36 Months for Smuggling Contraband into Jail

body_text: WASHINGTON – Stefon Freshley, 29, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 36 months in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to smuggle a knife, dangerous drugs including fentanyl, and cell phones into the Central Detention Facility (CDF) of the Department of Corrections while he was awaiting trial for his role in the shooting of a 14-year-old boy and his father, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Freshley pleaded guilty June 27, 2025, to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. In addition to the 36-month prison sentence, Judge Timothy J. Kelly ordered Freshley to serve three years of supervised release. According to court documents, in March 2019, Freshley was awaiting trial in two separate assault with intent to kill cases. He was being held in the maximum security units of the CDF where he was housed with other detainees from the Clay Terrace neighborhood that included co-defendants Marcel Vines and Darius Robertson. The Clay Terrace detainees recruited a correctional officer to smuggle contraband into the jail. One of the smuggled containers was intercepted by DOC investigators and included a switchblade, an iPhone, an iPhone charger, eyeglasses, bundles of marijuana and tobacco, rolling papers, gambling dice, three sheets of paper that had been impregnated with a synthetic cannabinoid, and cigarettes. The correctional officer was put on administrative leave. Freshley and the other Clay Terrace inmates recruited a new officer to smuggle goods into the CDF. Prior to a July 2024 smuggling incident, Freshley coordinated the delivery of two unlocked phones into the CDF. One of the phones was used in an apparent attempt to intimidate witnesses in Vines’ murder trial. The post sparked increased courthouse security measures for Vines’ trial. On July 25, 2024, the Department of Corrections conducted two searches of the Clay Terrace inmate units for contraband. DOC staff found, among other things, 269 blue pills which tested positive for fentanyl; 60 cigarettes soaked in an unknown liquid, 255 suboxone strips, seven pieces of paper soaked in an unknown liquid substance, three cellphones; and cigarettes. On Aug. 30, 2024, Freshley was sentenced to 90 months in prison for his role in the drive-by shooting of a 14-year-old boy and his father. Freshley was a passenger in a vehicle with two associates on Dec. 28, 2018, when one of the associates fired about 30 rounds into a moving SUV. The boy was shot nine times, including in the head, abdomen, chest, and back. The father sustained gunshot wounds to his leg and hand. Freshley and his associates fled the scene. The sentence handed down today by Judge Kelly will be served consecutive with the previous 90-month sentence. This case was investigated by the DOC Office of Investigative Services, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold and Sarah Santiago. 24cr520


title: Wolf Point man pleads guilty to assault charges on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Wolf Point man accused of stabbing an individual on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation admitted to charges yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. The defendant, Lawrence George Fast Horse, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of domestic assault by habitual offender. Fast Horse faces 5 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing has been set for January 29, 2025. Fast Horse was detained pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that on August 2, 2024, Lawrence George Fast Horse stabbed Jane Doe in Poplar. Law enforcement officers responded to the scene and observed a stab wound on Jane Doe’s upper back. An officer searched Fast Horse at the scene and located a knife with brass knuckles attached to it in his right-side shorts pocket. A witness provided a verbal and written statement to law enforcement. The witness advised that Fast Horse and Jane Doe were arguing, and Fast Horse pushed Jane Doe from behind. The witness saw Fast Horse attempt to conceal a blade behind his back. Fast Horse was arrested and subsequently transported to the Fort Peck Adult Correctional Facility. Jane Doe was taken to Poplar Community Hospital where she was treated for three stab wounds. Fast Horse has been convicted of at least 5 prior domestic assaults between 2008 and 2020. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Operation Guardian Angel’s Initial Results Reported

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – The United States Attorney’s Office along with its federal law enforcement partners today announced the initial results of Operation Guardian Angel, a program that seeks to neutralize California’s sanctuary state policy and protect Americans from criminal illegal aliens incarcerated in county jails by issuing federal arrest warrants for them. Since Operation Guardian Angel was launched in May 2025, 171 federal arrest warrants have been issued because of this program. A total of 73 criminal illegal aliens have been arrested at local jails. Law enforcement has arrested five criminal illegal aliens at county courthouses for a total of 78 arrests. “This program’s initial results show that my office no longer stands idly by while criminal illegal aliens are released from city and county jails and onto our streets,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “California’s misguided sanctuary state laws and policies only protect criminal illegal aliens, which can no longer be tolerated.” The Central District of California – comprised of the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura – is home to an estimated 1.5 million illegal aliens. Among this population are gang members and other dangerous felons. The goal of Operation Guardian Angel is to neutralize California’s sanctuary state law and policies, which prevent local law enforcement from honoring administrative warrants from federal immigration authorities requesting that criminal illegal aliens be transferred into federal custody. The results of that misguided policy have been tragic. In February 2025, José Cristian Saravia-Sánchez, 30, of Mexico, shot and killed an Inglewood man who tried to stop him from stealing a catalytic converter. Despite the fact he was an illegal alien who had been convicted of vehicle theft, was removed from the United States in 2013, and had been arrested 11 times between June 2022 and August 2024, local law enforcement was prevented by state law from complying with an immigration detainer request. On May 10, 2025, a 6-year-old boy died after his father, Briant Reyes Estrada, 27, an illegal alien from Mexico, left him in a parked car in Paso Robles during a heat wave. Estrada had been arrested two weeks earlier on unrelated state charges but was released from San Luis Obispo County jail and not turned over to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pursuant to SB 54, California sanctuary state law. The San Luis Obispo District Attorney’s Office has charged him with murder and willful harm to a child. Estrada also is charged via federal criminal complaint with visa fraud and would face up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted. Operation Guardian Angel is but one step in the government’s continuing efforts to make America safe again. This program also is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Central Oregon Man Charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: EUGENE, Ore.— Theodore Ernest Jokinen, 48, of Madras, made his first appearance in federal court yesterday after being charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, on September 19, 2025, detectives from the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (CODE) observed Jokinen driving westbound on Interstate 84 near The Dalles, Oregon. Investigators previously received information that Jokinen traveled to Yakima, Washington, and was returning to Oregon in possession of methamphetamine intended for distribution in the Central Oregon area. Jokinen was initially stopped by The Dalles Police Department for a traffic infraction. A certified narcotics detection K9 alerted on Jokinen’s vehicle. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Jokinen’s vehicle. This search revealed roughly ten pounds of prepackaged suspected methamphetamine inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Jokinen is currently on pretrial release in a Jefferson County felon in possession of a firearm case and has multiple prior convictions for delivery of a controlled substance. The case is being investigated by the CODE and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from The Dalles Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and the Mid Columbia Interagency Narcotics Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Andrew R. Doyle, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.