title: New Orleans Woman Sentenced for Federal Controlled Substances Act Violations and Money Laundering

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – BRANDIE ROWE (“ROWE”), age 37, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on March 12, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, a quantity of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. ROWE was sentenced to thirty-six months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee. According to court documents, ROWE and other co-conspirators distributed multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin within the Eastern District of Louisiana. Additionally, ROWE and the co-conspirators traveled between New Orleans, and other states, in order to transport U.S. Currency and narcotics on behalf of a Drug Trafficking Organization. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office and was assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Border Patrol, the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, the Kenner Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the St. John’s Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to over 30 years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: Erik Jeovany Garcia Brizuela, a Mexican national illegally living in the United States, was sentenced to over 30 years in federal prison for his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy that involved approximately 92.4 pounds of methamphetamine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham. On March 11, 2025, United States District Judge Jane J. Boyle sentenced Garcia Brizuela, 35, to 365 months’ imprisonment. According to court documents, in December 2023, Garcia Brizuela pled guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine in 2021, during which he sold methamphetamine to a confidential human source and enlisted a co-conspirator, Melissa Enit Alvarado, to translate between Spanish and English drug-price negotiations and other details such as meeting times and places with methamphetamine purchasers. At Garcia Brizuela’s sentencing hearing, a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation testified that Garcia Brizuela cooked liquid methamphetamine into crystal form for his suppliers from Mexico. Testimony further revealed that, after he stopped cooking methamphetamine, he sold methamphetamine for $3,200 to $7,000 per kilogram. On one occasion, Garcia Brizuela received as much as 40 kilograms of methamphetamine. In all, the methamphetamine for which Garcia Brizuela was held responsible had a wholesale value ranging from $134,000.00 to $296,100.00. Sentencing testimony also revealed that Garcia Brizuela sold heroin, at a price of $14,000 per kilogram, aided by Alvarado’s translation assistance. Melissa Enit Alvarado pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine in September 2022 and was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment on June 23, 2023 by United States District Judge Jane J. Boyle. “Multiple law enforcement agencies worked together to hold the defendant accountable for his leadership role in an organization that distributed a large amount of methamphetamine,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “Drugs inflict our communities with crime and addiction. The FBI thanks our partners for their continued collaboration in disrupting criminal organizations that threaten the well-being of our residents.” Acting U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham praised the joint efforts of all law enforcement agencies involved in the case, including the Dallas Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration Dallas Field Division, the Dallas Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the North Richland Hills Police Department, the Grand Prairie Police Department, the Coppell Police Department and members of the North Texas Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force. Assistant United States Attorney George Leal prosecuted the case. This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Guatemalan National Charged with Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Guatemalan national residing in West Springfield has been arrested and charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Jose Martinez-Lopez, also known as “Amalio Mendez-Molina,” 33, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Martinez-Lopez was arrested on March 11, 2025 and was ordered detained until trial following an initial appearance in federal court in Springfield yesterday. According to the charging documents, Martinez-Lopez is a national of Guatemala. On Aug. 28, 2009, Martinez-Lopez was removed from the United States to Guatemala after he entered the United States illegally at an unknow prior date. Sometime after his removal, Martinez-Lopez unlawfully reentered the United States and was subsequently deported on May 10, 2011. It is alleged that Martinez-Lopez then re-entered the United States illegally for a third time. On Aug. 8, 2011, he was found guilty in Phoenix, Ariz. of human smuggling conspiracy and sentenced to a one-year probationary period. He was subsequently removed from the United States on Aug. 23, 20211. Martinez-Lopez allegedly re-entered the United States illegally for a fourth time. On Nov. 25, 2022 and June 17, 2023, Martinez-Lopez was twice arrested by the Cook County, IL Sherriff’s Office for domestic battery/bodily harm. On June 18, 2023, federal immigration authorities lodged a detainer for Martinez-Lopez. On March 10, 2025, Martinez-Lopez (using the name Amalio Mendez-Molina) was arrested in West Springfield by local law enforcement for assault and battery on a police officer. Fingerprints taken during his arrest allegedly with Martinez-Lopez’s biometrics from his prior encounters with law enforcement. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: California man sentenced in cryptocurrency money laundering conspiracy

body_text: TYLER, Texas – A California man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a cryptocurrency money laundering conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. John Khuu, 29, of San Francisco, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, and was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on March 12, 2025. According to information presented in court, Khuu conspired with others to launder the proceeds of his drug trafficking organization through cryptocurrency. Khuu illegally imported counterfeit pharmaceutical and MDMA (“ecstasy”) pills from Germany then distributed them to customers across the United States, primarily on dark web markets (DWMs). Customers paid for their purchases by transferring cryptocurrency, usually Bitcoin (BTC), from their DWM customer accounts to one of Khuu’s vendor accounts. Khuu and his co-conspirators traded the BTC for U.S. currency and laundered and transmitted the proceeds through hundreds of transactions and dozens of financial accounts. Khuu was indicted on May 18, 2022, in the Eastern District of Texas and charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. On August 17, 2022, Khuu was indicted in the Northern District of California and charged with unlawful importation of a Schedule I controlled substance. On August 19, 2022, agents arrested Khuu pursuant to both warrants at a residence in Garden Grove, California. This effort is part of Operation Crypto Runner, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The cases were investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations, San Francisco, and were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys D. Ryan Locker and Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld for the Eastern District of Texas, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Bisesto for the Northern District of California. ###


title: Nebraska businessman indicted for fraud

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging a Nebraska contractor for allegedly defrauding customers across multiple states by failing to construct buildings after being paid. According to court documents, Bobby Bates Sr., 42, of Grand Island, Nebraska, is charged with two counts of wire fraud. Bates, as the owner of Built Rite Construction, is accused of accepting deposits for construction projects and not starting or completing the work. Between February 2023 and October 2023, he allegedly defrauded customers in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Nebraska, South Dakota, Illinois, Georgia, Alabama, and Texas resulting in total losses of more than $700,000. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask is prosecuting the case. OTHER INDICTMENTS Enoch Kennon, 38, was indicted on one count of felon in possession of a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Christopher Oakley is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Florida Man Sentenced for Biofuel Fraud Conspiracy

component: ENRD - Environmental Crimes Section

body_text: The General Manager of a company that produces and sells renewable fuel and fuel credits was sentenced today to serve 37 months in prison to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release for his role in a scheme that generated over $7 million in fraudulent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) renewable fuels credits and sought over $6 million in fraudulent tax credits connected to the purported production of biodiesel. Royce Gillham worked at a biofuel company based in Fort Pierce, Florida, that claimed to turn various feedstocks into biodiesel. However, when reporting the number of gallons they produced to the IRS and EPA, Gillham and his employer vastly overstated their production volume in an effort to generate more credits. When auditors sought more information from the company, Gillham and his co-conspirators provided false information about their fuel production and customers. Gillham previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and to file false claims. Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement. EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and IRS Criminal Investigations investigated the case. Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Funk for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.


title: Mexican National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry after Deportation

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Mexican man convicted of Illegal Reentry after Deportation. The sentencing took place on March 10, 2025. Celso Diaz-Martinez, 52, was sentenced to time served and ordered to be removed from the United States. Diaz-Martinez was indicted for Illegal Reentry after Deportation by a federal grand jury in November 2024. He was found guilty following a federal jury trial on February 18, 2025. The evidence at trial established Diaz-Martinez is not a U.S. citizen and had been deported from the United States on four prior occasions. Diaz-Martinez was found in Meade County, South Dakota, in November 2024. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Meade County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Lindrooth and Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case. Diaz-Martinez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Kyle Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in the Pine Ridge Reservation and in Rapid City

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Milo Shot With Arrow, age 51, was sentenced on March 7, 2025, to six years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Shot With Arrow was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024, and pleaded guilty on November 13, 2024. Shot With Arrow’s conviction stemmed from the large-scale distribution of methamphetamine in the Pine Ridge Reservation and in Rapid City, South Dakota. Misty Hornbeck and Nathan Tobacco-Clifford were the source of supply for Shot With Arrow and codefendants Malcom Shot With Arrow, Ruben Clifford, and Tasha Rooks. During the course of the conspiracy, Shot With Arrow and several of his codefendants made trips to Colorado to pick up substantial amounts of methamphetamine from Misty Hornbeck and others. Other times Hornbeck would deliver the drugs to Tobacco-Clifford and others in South Dakota. Once the methamphetamine was in South Dakota, it would be further distributed by multiple individuals, including Shot With Arrow. Between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine was distributed during the course of this criminal enterprise. The codefendants’ cases are pending. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of agents from the FBI, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, Martin Police Department, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case. Shot With Arrow was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following sentencing.


title: Terry Cole Nominated to Key Post at the Drug Enforcement Administration

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Department of Justice congratulates Terrance C. “Terry” Cole on his nomination to be the next Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Terry Cole (DEA Administrator Nominee) Mr. Cole has a distinguished record with over 28 years in law enforcement, most recently serving as Virginia’s Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security. Before this post, Mr. Cole served for over 20 years at the DEA, with tours in Oklahoma, New York, Texas, and Washington, D.C. While at the DEA, Mr. Cole also received several foreign assignments to Colombia, Afghanistan, Mexico, and the Middle East. Before joining the DEA, Mr. Cole served as a Naval Academy Blue and Gold Officer. Mr. Cole graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a B.A. in Criminal Justice and holds certificates in Leadership from the University of Viginia and the University of Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business. Mr. Cole has also pursued continuing education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan Executive School for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.


title: Mexican National Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Role in Conspiracy to Distribute Kilograms of Fentanyl and Cocaine and Launder Proceeds

body_text: BOSTON – A Mexican national previously deported twice from the United States was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a conspiracy to distribute kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine and launder the proceeds. Jesus Lopez Medina, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The defendant will also be subject to deportation upon completion of the sentence. In December 2024, Lopez Medina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court filings and proceedings, in August 2023, an investigation began into a drug-trafficking organization based in Mexico that sent kilograms of fentanyl and other narcotics via tractor trailer from the area of Ontario, Calif., to Massachusetts. Law enforcement allegedly began communicating with coconspirator Reginal Cazares, who was based in Arizona. In December 2023, Cazares allegedly directed law enforcement to deliver drug money to Lopez Medina in California. On Dec. 4, 2023, an undercover officer delivered $202,090 drug money, received from coconspirators in Massachusetts, to Lopez Medina in Ontario, Calif. In February 2024, Cazares allegedly directed law enforcement to pick up 13 kilograms of narcotics from Lopez Medina in California. On Feb. 16, 2024, Lopez Medina delivered 4 kilograms of fentanyl and 9 kilograms of cocaine to a cooperating witness in Ontario, Calif. Cazares, along with two other co-defendants have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the DEA Riverside (CA) Office, the DEA Bakersfield (CA) Office, the DEA Tucson (AZ) Office, the San Bernadino County (CA) Sheriff’s Department, the Inland Regional Narcotics Enforcement Team (CA), the Methuen Police Department, and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (Boston). Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Financial Advisor Indicted, Arraigned on Fraud Charge

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A man formerly from Cranston who falsely represented himself as a financial advisor worth a “million dollars in clients” has been indicted and arraigned in federal court on a charge of wire fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. According to an indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court on Wednesday, in December 2017, a Rhode Island couple invested $140,000 with Jason Johnson, 51, the then proprietor of the now defunct W.S. Solutions LLC. It is alleged that within a week, Johnson diverted the funds into two bank accounts that he opened and controlled without the couple’s knowledge. It is alleged that over the next 12 months, Johnson withdrew and spent most of the couple’s invested funds to pay for his own personal expenditures. It is alleged that, over lengthy periods of time, Johnson failed to respond to repeated inquiries from the investors. Additionally, he failed to provide them with any statements of investment activity, tracking reports, or summaries. Instead, he sent them electronic communications assuring them that their accounts were being serviced and that they would receive distributions of profits at some later date. The Certificate of Organization/Registration for W.S. Solutions LLC was revoked by the Rhode Island Secretary of the State on July 22, 2019, for failure to file an annual report. Johnson appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on Wednesday and was released on unsecured bond. A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lee H. Vilker. The matter was investigated jointly by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the FBI. ###


title: Guatemala Resident Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Illegal Reentry into U.S.

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Guatemala pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of illegal reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to time served on his conviction, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Eric Estuardo Hernandez-Ramos, 19. According to information presented to the Court, on January 25, 2025, immigration officials encountered Hernandez-Ramos, who was illegally present in the United States. It was determined that Hernandez-Ramos previously had been removed from the country on December 18, 2023, after illegally entering the United States near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, a few days prior. Hernandez-Ramos remained in immigration custody until February 20, 2025, after he was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service on this charge at his initial appearance in federal court. Hernandez-Ramos will remain detained and be returned to immigration custody. Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hernandez-Ramos. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Final Defendants Sentenced in Large-Scale Retail Theft Schemes

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE - Sentencing hearings for all four individuals convicted for their roles in a large-scale scheme to steal and re-sell high-value products from home improvement stores and other retailers in multiple states were completed today in U.S. District Court in Providence, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. The defendants, all Guatemalan nationals present in the United States illegally, detained in federal custody since their arrest in April 2024, have been convicted and sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy that targeted the theft of building supplies, tools, and clothing. According to charging documents and information presented to the court, the four men were part of an organized group of as many as fifteen Guatemalan nationals who participated in 35 documented incidents of thefts at national home improvement and clothing retail outlets in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Members of the conspiracy stole, and at times re-sold, goods such as electrical wire, flooring, power tools, and other items of high value. However, it is believed that not all members of the group regularly participated in each of the theft operations. The intended loss of the conspiracy is at least $280,000. Court-authorized search warrants were executed on April 12, 2024, at residences in Cranston and Providence, resulting in the seizure of $11,000 worth of stolen goods and $83,000 in cash. Abraham Dayger-Enrique, 25, and Jonathan Jose Amperez-Perez, 32, of Providence, were sentenced today by U.S. District Court Senior Judge William E. Smith to time served (eleven months). Judge Smith also entered judicial orders of removal for both defendants, ordering them promptly removed from the United States to Guatemala. Marvin Estuardo Morales De Paz, 30, of Cranston, a twice-deported Guatemalan national described in court documents as being “the most consistent member” of the conspiracy was sentenced in January to 30 months in federal prison. An immigration detainer has been lodged against Morales- de Paz by ICE. Sebastian Lajuj-Solomon, 31, of Providence, was sentenced in January to time served (nine months). Judge Smith also ordered Lajuj-Soloman removed from the United States and he was deported to Guatemala in January 2025. Abraham Dayger-Enrique, 25, and Jonathan Jose Amperez-Perez, 32, of Providence, were sentenced today by U.S. District Court Senior Judge William E. Smith to time served (eleven months). Judge Smith also entered judicial orders of removal for both defendants, ordering them promptly removed from the United States to Guatemala. Marvin Estuardo Morales De Paz, 30, of Cranston, a twice-deported Guatemalan national described in court documents as being “the most consistent member” of the conspiracy was sentenced in January to 30 months in federal prison. An immigration detainer has been lodged against Morales- de Paz by ICE. Sebastian Lajuj-Solomon, 31, of Providence, was sentenced in January to time served (nine months). Judge Smith ordered Lajuj-Soloman removed from the United States. He was deported to Guatemala in January 2025. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John P. McAdams. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations agents in Providence, with the assistance of HSI agents in Boston, and Allentown, Pennsylvania, and the Providence, Coventry, Warwick, Smithfield, and Johnston, RI Police Departments; Boston, Norwood, Bellingham, Marlboro, Seekonk, Avon, Auburn, MA Police Departments; Montville and Fairfield, CT Police Departments; and the Parkesburg, Downingtown, Lebanon, Wyomissing, and Reading, PA, Police Departments; Nashua, NH Police Department; and Marlboro, NJ Police Department. ###


title: El Paso Man to Spend Nearly 22 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced in federal court today to 262 months in prison for production of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received information that a video depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) had been uploaded to a Dropbox account. NCMEC referred the file to Homeland Security Investigations, which traced the account information to Jose Eduardo Larin, 36. A review of the Dropbox account also revealed additional CSAM images and videos as well as documents displaying Larin’s name and image. A forensic review of Larin's cellphone, obtained from a search warrant in August 2024, revealed 3,207 files containing CSAM. Of these, there were 31 pictures and 31 videos depicting CSAM that had been produced by Larin at this residence involving a five-year-old child. Larin was arrested Aug. 13, 2024 and pleaded guilty Nov. 21, 2024. Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Micaela Glass prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. ###


title: TENNESSEE COUPLE PLEAD GUILTY TO FEDERAL FRAUD CHARGES

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon announced that Haskell Knight, a/k/a “Trey Knight,” age 61, and Emily Knight, a/k/a “Emily Ricciardelli,” age 41, both of Franklin, Tennessee, pled guilty before U.S. District Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick to federal felony fraud charges related to Trey Knight’s Udoxa business and their bankruptcy filings. According to admissions made as a part of their guilty pleas, in 2016 Trey Knight began to look for investment capital for his new business, Udoxa, which claimed to market nutritional supplements. Yet, Udoxa never conducted any actual sales. He and others on his behalf solicited and received $50,000 loans from several victims under false pretenses and then did little to follow through with starting the business. Trey Knight misrepresented the existence of a rich investor, available formation capital for the business, and the strength of the startup, among other things, to get the victims’ money and then failed to use it in the agreed upon manner. Based on the promises made to them, the victims also expected to be paid back with interest and to have the option to gain an ownership stake in a legitimate company. This did not happen. Instead, the money loaned was used in part to pay Trey Knight’s old business debt and his personal expenses. In May of 2017, the Knights filed for bankruptcy in the Middle District of Florida and listed the victims as unsecured Udoxa creditors. In filing for bankruptcy, Trey Knight failed to provide a truthful and complete statement of income, assets and liabilities, as required by law and made numerous false statements under oath at the creditors’ meeting regarding this information. Specifically, Trey Knight failed to disclose significant income from network marketing businesses as well as liabilities owed from prior business ventures and then gave false information under oath about his finances and more during the creditors’ meeting. The Knights both lied under oath at the creditors’ meeting claiming to be unemployed, despite both being employed at the time. These actions prevented the bankruptcy trustee from properly executing the bankruptcy proceeding, leaving the creditors, like the Udoxa victims, with less money than they should have received and allowing the Knights to walk away from debts while keeping significant funds they were not entitled to keep. This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M.P. Thornhill, who also serves as the Deputy Chief of Economic Crimes Unit.


title: Former High School Athletic Trainer Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

body_text: WACO, Texas – A Moody man who had worked as a high school athletic trainer was sentenced in a federal court in Waco to 84 months in prison for possession of visual depictions of sexual activities by minors. According to court documents, Trevor Swift, 57, was employed as an athletic trainer at Lake Belton High School in May 2022 when students, through his office window, observed him viewing images depicting child sexual abuse material on his cell phone. Students recorded Swift’s activities and reported his conduct to administrators. Swift admitted to Temple Police Department investigators that he had viewed sexually explicit images but said they were of adult males and females. He was dismissed from campus and placed on administrative leave. Swift was arrested May 26, 2022 and was convicted in a bench trial July 31, 2024. The investigation included seizure of an SD memory card from Swift’s office at the high school, which revealed pornographic images depicting prepubescent and pubescent children—males and females as young as 5 years of age or younger—engaged in sexual acts. Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. The FBI and the Temple Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Kucera prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Indictment Returned on Unprovoked Attack at Smithsonian Museum

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Kelly Williams, 52, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on a seven-count indictment stemming from an armed attack on January 12, 2025, in front of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). A grand jury indicted Williams on March 12, 2025, on charges of assault with intent to kill while armed, malicious disfigurement while armed, aggravated assault while armed, and other related offenses. Arraignment is scheduled for March 27, 2025. According to the government’s evidence, on January 12, 2025, Williams followed the victim, a tourist from New Zealand, as the victim was walking past the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. Williams approached the victim from behind, pulled her to the ground, and began punching the victim in the face. During the course of the attack, Williams pulled out a knife and repeatedly attempted to slash the victim’s neck, as the victim struggled to protect herself. During the attack, Williams stabbed the victim in the face, causing a serious wound requiring roughly 40 stitches. Williams reportedly ended the attack only after bystanders intervened. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmanuel Hampton. 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: Former Baltimore City Council Candidate Convicted  of Bank Fraud and False Statements in Connection with Scheme to Obtain Nearly $1.7 Million in Economic Injury Disaster Loans  and Paycheck Protection Program Loans

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – After a one-week trial, a federal jury found Nichelle Henson, age 38, of Baltimore, Maryland, guilty of making false statements and for bank fraud in connection with fraudulent applications Henson filed to obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in the names of multiple purported businesses that she had previously incorporated in the state of Maryland. The trial conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly O. Hayes; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Brian D. Miller, Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR). According to the evidence presented at trial, Henson incorporated several businesses with the State of Maryland, including Crowns Construction, LLC; Nichelle Henson Campaign, LLC; One Stop for Services, LLC; Your Friendly Tax Preparation Services, LLC; Women Entrepreneurs Can Succeed, LLC, and Peace of Mind Services, Inc. The Defendant opened bank accounts in the names of some of her businesses and obtained Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the businesses. In 2020 and 2021, she submitted six fraudulent EIDL applications to the SBA for her various businesses that contained false information concerning each business’s gross receipts, costs of goods sold, and number of employees. At the time of the submissions, none of the businesses were operating, and none of the businesses had any employees. As a result of the applications, Henson received $18,000 in United States Treasury funds from the SBA. Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP, administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA also offered an EIDL and/or an EIDL advance to help businesses meet their financial obligations. An EIDL advance did not have to be repaid, and small businesses could receive an advance, even if they were not approved for an EIDL loan. The maximum advance amount was $10,000. During this same period, Henson submitted 12 fraudulent PPP loan applications to three SBA-approved lenders for her various purported businesses. Each of these applications contained false information about each business’s number of employees and average monthly payroll, and each was supported by purported IRS tax forms listing employees and wages that were, in fact, never filed with the IRS. Between April 30, 2020 and June 29, 2020, Henson submitted six PPP applications for her various businesses. One of these businesses was called Nichelle Henson Campaign (the “Campaign”), an entity that was meant to fund Henson’s run for Baltimore City Council. However, at the time of the submission of the application for the Campaign on May 10, 2020, Henson had withdrawn her candidacy – approximately six months earlier, on November 19, 2019. Another entity was called Crowns Construction, a purported construction business located in Baltimore City. This business did not exist in any capacity, and the address used on the PPP loan application was nothing more than a vacant lot. In support of the application for this business, Henson included a fabricated Baltimore Gas & Electric that purported to be for Crowns Construction but was in fact a bill belonging to a neighbor of Henson’s that she had scanned and then doctored using a PDF editing tool. Henson ultimately obtained $998,590 as a result of these six fraudulent applications. On January 19, 2021, Henson submitted six more fraudulent PPP loan applications—this time to M&T Bank—for each of her six purported businesses. Each of these applications contained lies about the existence of each business, the number of their employees, and payroll paid. And each application was supported by fabricated tax documents never filed with the IRS. M&T funded five of the six loans, transferring $676,250 in PPP funds to Henson. Shortly thereafter Henson went to an M&T branch in Baltimore and withdrew $5,000 cash from each of her five M&T accounts where the PPP funds flowed. M&T thereafter froze Henson’s accounts and notified law enforcement about the suspected fraud. Henson used the EIDL and PPP loan funds to support businesses other than the borrowers, such as Wyse Rides, a used car business Henson attempted to open in Dundalk, Maryland. The business never opened. Henson used the PPP funds she received in multiple ways impermissible under the PPP, including for cosmetic surgery, for extensive renovations to her home and a family member’s home, to pay a year’s rent for her personal home, to pay a year’s rent for a new business venture, and to fund other new business ventures, including a used car dealership—which never opened—and to create a cryptocurrency called Subina Coin and, relatedly, to fund an entity called the “Adageyhdi Indian Nation.” In total, Henson obtained $1,694,451 in connection with her scheme to defraud. Henson faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count of Bank Fraud, and a maximum possible sentence of 5 years in prison for each count of False Statements. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox has scheduled sentencing for August 5, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. She will be required to pay restitution to the SBA and the victim financial institutions. The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . United States Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended the FBI and the Office of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, which conducted the investigation on behalf of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force, for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Riley and Joseph Wenner, who are prosecuting the federal case, and Paralegal Specialist Julie Jarman. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. # # #


title: Brooklyn Man Admits To Fraudulently Entering Competitor Laboratory, Destroying And Stealing Equipment

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Brooklyn, New York man admitted to having entered a laboratory business on false pretenses and destroying and stealing that business’ equipment, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced. Eric Leykin, 33, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to a one-count indictment charging him with wire fraud. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Leykin was the CEO of a clinical reference laboratory based in New Jersey. Leykin’s laboratory competed against the victim business, another clinical reference laboratory also based in New Jersey. On June 30, 2022, Leykin bought and activated a prepaid mobile phone and called an employee of the victim business, claiming to be a technician with a vendor that the victim business used to service its laboratory equipment. On that false pretense, Leykin arranged with the victim business’ employee to come to the victim business on the following day, supposedly to service the victim business’ laboratory equipment. On July 1, 2022, the date of the supposed service appointment, Leykin went to the victim business, entered the premises fraudulently posing as a vendor technician, and proceeded to destroy a significant amount of the victim business’ laboratory and computer equipment. Leykin also stole multiple hard drives housed within the victim business’ equipment. The wire fraud count carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of either $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for July 22, 2025. U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. U.S. Attorney Giordano also thanked the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, and the Millburn Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Gilfedder, for substantial assistance provided to the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly, Deputy Chief of the Cybercrime Unit, and Chana Y. Zuckier of the Bank Integrity, Recovery, and Money Laundering Unit. ### Defense counsel: Albert Dayan, Esq.; Robert DeGroot, Esq.; Oleg Nekritin, Esq. leykin.indictment.pdf


title: Tampa Man Arrested For Stealing More Than Half A Million Dollars In COVID Relief Funds

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the indictment and arrest of Terrence Bradford (46, Tampa) for eight counts of wire fraud related to COVID relief funds. If convicted, Bradford faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count. In addition, he faces a forfeiture order of $533,648.32, which represents the alleged proceeds he obtained through these offenses. According to the indictment, between April 2020 and March 2021, Bradford devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by submitting multiple false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications. These programs were some of the sources of economic relief provided for by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Merrilyn Hoenemeyer.


title: Citizen of Zimbabwe, who twice crossed illegally from Canada into Washington State, pleads guilty to gun and drug crimes

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A citizen of Zimbabwe pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to two federal felonies related to his illegal border crossing in the wilderness area between Canada and Western Washington, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Tatenda Banga, 30, was observed twice in 2024 on surveillance cameras near Hozomeen, Washington in the North Cascades. Today Banga pleaded guilty to being an unlawful alien in possession of firearms and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. Sentencing is scheduled in front of U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead on June 12, 2025. According to the plea agreement, on January 3, 2024, the U.S. Border Patrol detection technology captured an image of an armed person entering the United States near the north end of Ross Lake near Hozomeen, Washington. The image shows a person, later identified as Banga, crossing over the border with a longarm shotgun. Later that day Banga is seen defacing another camera near the border. Personnel from the Border Patrol and the National Park Service responded and searched for the person pictured in the surveillance, but the subject fled into the woods and was not located. Agents did find a loaded 12-gauge Winchester shotgun that appeared to match the gun in the surveillance image that the subject left behind during his flight from law enforcement. The gun was traced to a firearms dealer in Montreal, but no fingerprint records matching those on the gun were found at the time. On December 27, 2024, the National Park Service alerted Border Patrol to suspected cross border activity. A National Park Service canoe was discovered near Ross Dam with a machete and food wrappers inside the canoe. RCMP cameras provided an image of someone with a headlamp and backpack moving toward the U.S./Canada border. While driving Highway 20 (the North Cascades Highway) near the south end of Ross Lake, Border Patrol agents noticed Banga walking on the side of the highway. Banga’s appearance matched the appearance of the individual from the RCMP surveillance images. Banga was contacted for an immigration inspection and had no documents to establish that he had legally crossed into the U.S. or that he was legally present in the U.S. When Banga was taken into custody he was found to have scales, gelatin capsules and about 1.4 pounds of MDMA in his possession. It was then that Border Patrol Agents recognized Banga as being the same individual who was recorded defacing cameras in the area nearly a year prior. Border Patrol Agents reran the fingerprints found on the shotgun that was recovered on the U.S. side of the border back in January 2024, and the fingerprints on the gun matched to Banga. Information on Banga’s phone also linked him to the shotgun. Banga admits that he unlawfully entered the U.S. while armed with the shotgun. Being an unlawful alien in possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Judge Whitehead will determine the actual sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol Blaine Sector Anti-Smuggling Unit, National Park Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dane A. Westermeyer and Special Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Collins.


title: Third Member Of Multi-State Gas Pump Skimming Device And Fuel Theft Ring Pleads Guilty To Fraud Charges

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Deyvis Hernandez (37, Miami) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud. Hernandez faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud count, up to 5 years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy count, and payment of restitution to the victims he and his co-defendants defrauded. No sentencing date has been set. According to court documents, Hernandez and his co-conspirators worked together to install skimmers on gas pumps, including gas stations in Alabama, Louisiana, and Northern Florida. The conspirators used the skimmers to illegally obtain credit and debit card account numbers involved with the purchase of fuel by customers at the gas pump. Using the account numbers stolen by the skimmers, they subsequently made counterfeit credit and debit cards and then, used them to purchase large amounts of diesel fuel. During the conspiracy the conspirators drove vehicles that contained a fuel bladder system. This system allowed the conspirators to fake pumping gas into the vehicle’s gas tank when in fact the diesel fuel was being pumped into the fuel bladder system. Analysis by law enforcement of fuel purchases, vehicle tracker data, gas station video surveillance, and real time surveillance of the conspirators determined that the conspirators drove to multiple gas stations throughout Northern Florida. After obtaining the gas, the conspirators offloaded the stolen fuel into 9,500-gallon tanker trucks at a fuel yard. The tanker trucks were arranged in part by Hernandez who was part owner of a gas station in south Florida. Hernandez coordinated the sale of the stolen diesel fuel to locations designated by him to include in south Florida. Deonelky Tabares Cid (36, Tampa) previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy, four counts of wire fraud, six counts of access device fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Luis Edel Trujillo Pena (29, Miami) previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. No sentencing date has been set for either defendant. Co-defendants Luis Ernesto Vigil Ochoa (32, Miami) and Isvaldo Guerra Perdomo (38, Jacksonville) are scheduled for trial in May 2025. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. General Services Administration - Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Bullitt County Felon for Illegally Possessing Firearm

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville returned an indictment on February 4, 2025, charging a local man with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Acting Special Agent in Charge A.J. Gibes of the ATF Louisville Field Division. According to the indictment, Craig Smith, 60, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On November 16, 2024, Smith possessed a Smith and Wesson, model T/C Compass, .308 caliber rifle, bearing serial number TJE4848, and ammunition. Smith was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On April 19, 2018, in Bullitt Circuit Court, Smith was convicted of complicity to theft by unlawful taking $500 or more but under $10,000. On October 15, 2007, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Smith was convicted of theft by unlawful taking over $300. On September 12, 2007, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Smith was convicted of illegal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, cocaine. On January 3, 2006, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Smith was convicted of complicity to burglary in the second degree and complicity to burglary in the third degree. The defendant made his initial court appearance this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Mount Washington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia P. Gomez is prosecuting the case. 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. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Par Funding “Enforcer” Sentenced to 11½ Years in Prison for RICO Conspiracy, Obstruction of Justice, and Retaliation

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that James LaForte, 48, of New York, New York, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney to 137 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release to include 12 months’ home confinement, for crimes committed as part of a criminal enterprise that ran a fraudulent investment vehicle [1] known as Complete Business Solutions Group, Inc., d/b/a Par Funding (“Par Funding”) for a number of years, before it was taken over by a court-appointed receivership pursuant to a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. LaForte was also ordered to pay $2,488,645 in restitution, representing the portion of investor proceeds that he illegally diverted from Par Funding’s numerous investors for his own use through sham merchant contracts and other self-dealing conduct. In February 2024, the defendant, his brother Joseph LaForte, Par Funding’s president and CEO, and Joseph Cole Barleta, Par Funding’s chief financial officer, were charged in an amended second superseding indictment with racketeering conspiracy and related crimes. James LaForte pleaded guilty in September 2024 to racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, and extortionate collection of debt, as well as obstruction of justice, for his violent assault on one of the Par Funding receivership’s Philadelphia attorneys, and retaliation, for threatening several government witnesses. “James LaForte served as one of his brother’s enforcers,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “He not only used threats of violence to collect on Par Funding’s debt, but stalked and assaulted an attorney, in retaliation for that man’s efforts to hold the LaForte family responsible for one of the largest financial frauds in Philadelphia’s history. As today’s sentence shows, this brand of brazen and violent lawbreaking simply won’t be tolerated in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.” “Since its earliest days, the FBI has been dedicated to investigating complex financial crimes,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “James LaForte participated in a criminal enterprise driven by greed and sustained through threats and violence. The FBI is proud to stand with our partners in the pursuit of justice — disrupting these schemes and ensuring restitution for victims.” “The defendant in this case was brought to justice for his participation in a criminal enterprise that caused significant financial harm to numerous investors,” said Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), New York Region. “The FDIC OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue those who commit such egregious crimes that threaten investors and the safety and soundness of our Nation's financial institutions.” Joseph LaForte also pleaded guilty in September 2024 to racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, and related crimes and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 26, 2025. Barleta pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of racketeering conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 2, 2025. This case was investigated by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Newcomer, Samuel Dalke, and Eric Gill. The SEC in Florida investigated and litigated the civil securities fraud charges, which formed the basis of a portion of the Par Funding criminal prosecution. [1] On January 21, 2025, the Court found the Par Funding fraud scheme caused an actual fraud loss of approximately $404,000,000, which it reduced to $288,395,088 after factoring in credit for collateral seized from Par Funding by federal authorities when the investigation became public in July 2020.


title: Personal Assistant Charged in Scheme to Defraud Her Elderly Employers of Nearly $10 Million

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Catalina Corona was arraigned on an indictment charging her with wire fraud, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. While employed as a personal assistant to an elderly married couple (the Victims), Corona forged the Victims’ signatures on checks from various bank accounts and stole approximately $10 million from them. The proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo. John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Leslie R. Backschies, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the charges. “The defendant’s greed knew no bounds, as she brazenly stole millions from elderly victims, using deceit to systematically steal the victims’ money and violate the trust they placed in her,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “My Office is committed to protecting the elderly from fraudulent schemes and ending elder abuse.” “For years, the defendant took advantage of an elderly couple who trusted her to protect them and their interests,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Backschies. “As alleged in the indictment, she repeatedly defrauded these victims out of millions of dollars to enrich herself. Combatting the financial exploitation of elderly Americans remains a priority for the FBI, and we will continue to work hard to identify and disrupt anyone who attempts to target America’s seniors.” As alleged in court filings, between approximately 2017 and 2024, while working for the Victims, Corona repeatedly deposited hundreds of checks written out to cash—made payable to herself—from the Victims’ bank accounts without their knowledge or consent. Many of these transactions took place in Queens and on Long Island within the Eastern District of New York. Corona also posed as one of the Victims when calling the Victims’ bank to request information related to their accounts. In April 2024, one of the Victims received a call from the bank inquiring about checks written out to cash. The Victim explained that she never wrote checks out to cash and ultimately discovered that Corona had been forging checks and withdrawing money from the Victims’ bank account. The investigation further uncovered that Corona was not only stealing funds by fraudulently cashing checks, but was also transferring funds directly from the Victims’ accounts into her own personal accounts. In total, Corona stole nearly $10 million, which she used to pay her credit card bills and to purchase luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Gucci and other high-end brands. Specifically, Corona spent over $1 million on Louis Vuitton items alone, including luggage, purses valued at over $10,000, and apparel. Additionally, in just one day, Corona used over $25,000 in stolen funds for airline travel. The charges in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charges in the indictment, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum of two years’ imprisonment on the aggravated identity theft charge, and a maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca M. Urquiola is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Assistant United States Attorney Michael Castiglione who is handling forfeiture matters. The Defendant : CATALINA CORONA Age: 61 Corona, Queens E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-78 (NGG)


title: Leader of Meth Smuggling Conspiracy Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A Maypearl man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 210 months in prison for his role as an organizer and leader in a conspiracy to import methamphetamine into the U.S. from Mexico. According to court documents, Stetson Lee Spearman, 36, provided his pickup truck to be used to import 3.422 kgs of 100% pure methamphetamine on July 25, 2020 through the Del Rio Port of Entry. Spearman also arranged for co-defendant Linnette Rodriguez-Potter to be the driver and recruited another co-defendant, Joshua Keith Stewart, to drive to Del Rio in order to monitor the drug smuggling operation. Spearman was arrested Dec. 10, 2021 and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to import methamphetamine on April 25, 2022. Rodriguez-Potter was sentenced Dec. 16, 2024 to 168 months imprisonment; Stewart was sentenced Oct. 4, 2024 to 235 months; and Sally Renae Smith , who had coordinated logistics with Rodriguez-Potter through cell phone calls and text messages, was sentenced Feb. 5, 2024 to 292 months imprisonment. Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. HSI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rex Beasley prosecuted the case. ###


title: Man Arrested, Accused of $270,000 Fraud Involving False Concert Claims

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man was arrested Tuesday in Nashville on an indictment that accuses him of fraudulently obtaining $270,000 from a talent booking agency in St. Louis, Missouri with false claims about a concert appearance by a national recording artist. Joshua Adam Eldridge, 37, was indicted February 26 in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on one count of wire fraud. The indictment says that in March and April of 2024, Eldridge made a series of claims, starting with a false claim that he had an existing relationship with the artist and was talking to her about performing at the Afro Nation Detroit 2024 concert. Eldridge sent the booking agency fake screenshots of texts with the artist’s creative director, the indictment says. Although Eldridge did make a request to the artist through a third party, the offer was rejected, the indictment says. After the victim wired $270,000 for the artist to Eldridge, he used the money for living expenses, including airline tickets, clothing and accessories, the indictment says. When the victim confronted Eldridge about a planned concert by the artist the same month in Detroit, Eldridge promised a return of the deposit, bolstering the false claim with a fabricated refund agreement between Eldridge and the artist’s creative director, the indictment says. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. A charge set forth in an indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.


title: Raleigh Company To Pay More Than $2 Million To Resolve False Claims Act Liability Related to Improper Paycheck Protection Program Loan

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – DynPro, Inc., an IT solutions company based in Raleigh, will pay $2,178,254 to resolve its liability for falsely obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Congress created PPP loans to provide emergency financial assistance to American businesses suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the PPP, eligible small businesses could receive forgivable loans guaranteed by the SBA. Regulations provided various eligibility requirements for the PPP, including that to be eligible for a second-draw PPP loan, an applicant was required to have experienced at least a 25% reduction in quarterly gross receipts as a result of the pandemic. DynPro’s second-draw PPP loan application falsely reported that DynPro had experienced a reduction in gross receipts of at least 25%, inaccurately stating the difference between the company’s gross receipts during the second quarter of 2019 and the second quarter of 2020. In fact, DynPro did not experience a 25% reduction in gross receipts, and therefore DynPro was ineligible for the loan. DynPro also falsely certified in its second-draw loan application that “the information provided in [the] application and the information provided in all supporting documents and forms [wa]s true and accurate in all material respects.” DynPro self-reported the conduct to the United States Attorney’s Office, and cooperated with the office’s investigation, including by identifying key witnesses and documents. “The United States Attorney’s Office will use every tool available, including the False Claims Act, to investigate and recover fraudulently obtained PPP loans,” Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar stated. “We will continue to work closely with our partners at the SBA and elsewhere to root out waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer funds.” “The settlement in this matter demonstrates the excellent results achieved through the combined efforts of SBA and the Department of Justice to forcefully respond to PPP fraud. Such fraud unconscionably undermines critical pandemic relief, and SBA continues its enhanced efforts to uncover such misconduct and recover those damages,” said Wendell Davis, SBA General Counsel. Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar announced the resolution, which was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and the SBA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kasper handled the case for the government, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel. ###


title: Ringleader of $6.2M Unemployment Insurance Fraud Sentenced to Nearly 8 Years Prison

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT - Kenny Lee Howard, 32, of Southfield was sentenced to 94 months in prison today for his role in a scheme to defraud state unemployment insurance agencies during the Covid-19 pandemic, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced. Beck was joined in the announcement by Megan Howell, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General. Howard was sentenced by United States District Judge Linda V. Parker. Co-defendant David Davis, 27, of Detroit was previously sentenced and received 30 months in custody. Co-defendant Keila Howard has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. The case remains pending as to co-defendant Stevenvan Ware. All four defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Kenny Howard was also charged with aggravated identity theft. According to court records, between April 2020 and August 2021, Howard and his co-conspirators filed more than 700 unemployment insurance claims across five states, primarily Michigan and California. Once the claims were processed, funds were loaded onto pre-paid debit cards and mailed to addresses controlled by the defendants. Upon receiving these debit cards, the defendants visited ATMs to withdraw cash. Roughly sixty percent of the scheme’s fraudulent claims were successful, resulting in a loss of $6,336,575 to state unemployment insurance agencies. If all the fraudulent claims had been approved, the resulting loss would have exceeded $11,000,000. Acting United States Attorney Beck stated, “The pandemic may be over, but the prosecutions of those who took advantage of government programs during the pandemic are not. This office continues—and will continue—to hold those responsible for these fraudulent schemes accountable for their actions, and today’s sentence is evidence of that important work." “Kenny Howard III and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to defraud multiple state workforce agencies by filing for unemployment insurance in the names of identity theft victims who were not entitled to such benefits. Today’s sentencing affirms the Office of Inspector General’s commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and bring to justice those who exploit U.S. Department of Labor programs,” said Megan Howell, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Particka and Timothy Wyse. The investigation was conducted by the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.


title: Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor Victim

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Daniel Valentin-Morales, 35, of Frederick, Maryland, to 13 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for one count of coercion and enticement. Judge Bredar also ordered that Valentin-Morales must register as a sex offender in places where he resides and is employed, upon his release from prison, pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Jason Lando, Frederick Police Department. According to the plea agreement, Valentin-Morales used the social media application Snapchat to induce a minor victim to send several videos of her performing sex acts. Valentin-Morales then distributed the videos and additional child sexual abuse material videos to others. The investigation revealed that Valentin-Morales was a substitute teacher in Frederick County, Maryland. In August 2020, and again in March 2021, investigators executed search warrants on Snapchat for records and the contents of Valentin-Morales’ account. Investigators learned that Valentin-Morales’ Snapchat account contained more than 200 files of suspected child sexual abuse material. Additionally, investigators uncovered hundreds of chat messages expressing a sexual interest in minors, including with his own students. Valentin-Morales further communicated with minors to entice them to perform sexual acts and/or send him sexually explicit material that he distributed to users. During a subsequent search warrant executed at Valentin-Morales’ home, law enforcement located multiple electronic devices. During law enforcement’s review of a device, they found files containing child sexual abuse material, including images depicting a minor victim. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc . Learn more about Internet safety education by clicking on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and Frederick Police Department for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Aubin who prosecuted the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Union County man sentenced to more than 3 years in prison for $1.4M fraud scheme

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Union County man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 46 months in prison for a $1.4 million fraud scheme involving state agency contracts. Nicholas Price, 45, of Marysville, defrauded three electronic equipment supplier businesses. The related state customers included the Ohio Department of Transportation, Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. As part of his sentence, Price will pay more than $1.4 million in restitution. According to court documents, Price owned Right PriceIT, LLC, an information-technology business registered in Ohio. He accepted money in return for supplying electronic equipment to companies that were awarded state contracts. The state would pay the contracting company, and the contracting company would pay Price, who would broker lower-cost suppliers; however, Price never paid the suppliers. For example, in 2019, Price made an agreement with a company that won contracts to provide electronic equipment to the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. According to the agreement, the company would pay Price funds for the equipment and a profit for Price, who would then purchase the equipment from a supplier to provide to the state. Price never paid the supplier the cost of the equipment, nearly $689,000, despite the state agencies and companies all holding up their ends of the agreement. Likewise, Price engaged in a similar scheme with a business that won a contract to provide electronic equipment to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Again, Price entered into an agreement with the contracting company and a supplier to purchase the equipment and provide it to the state. The state and contracting company provided Price with more than $685,000, and the supplier provided the equipment, but Price never paid the supplier for the equipment. In total, Price engaged in a similar fraud three times, causing a loss of more than $1.4 million. Price then laundered the proceeds of his fraud scheme and sent wires to people who own car dealerships with the expectation that the funds would be laundered through those businesses. Throughout his pending federal fraud case, Price obstructed justice and violated the terms of his pretrial release. On the day of his detention hearing, Price instructed an individual to delete Price’s iCloud account. While out on bond, Price violated the terms of his release by using methamphetamine, cocaine and alcohol. Price was also caught by law enforcement on more than one occasion driving luxury vehicles faster than 100 miles per hour. In one instance, Price drove a Ferrari F8 Spider in a densely populated area near Emerald Parkway and Sawmill Road in Dublin and crashed into two vehicles at an intersection. The driver of one of the other cars suffered serious injuries and had to be removed from his car with the jaws of life. Price’s bond was revoked after the crash, and he has been detained since. Price was arrested on federal fraud charges in March 2024. He pleaded guilty in October 2024 to wire fraud and monetary transaction money laundering. Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Methamphetamine and fentanyl dealer sentenced to 25 years in Corpus Christi

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 45-year-old Houston woman has been ordered to federal prison for possessing and distributing numerous illegal drugs between Houston and Rockport, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Cheri Ann Palmer pleaded guilty Sept. 26, 2024. U.S. District Judge David Morales has now ordered her to serve 240 months for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine in addition to 60 months for possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The sentences will be served consecutively for a total of 25 years in federal prison which will be immediately followed by a three-year-term of supervised release. “The Southern District of Texas does not tolerate drug traffickers,” said Ganjei. “Drugs, especially methamphetamine and fentanyl, destroy lives and damage communities. Our Corpus Christi office did great work taking this dealer off the streets.” On Oct. 2, 2023, law enforcement responded to a disturbance at a local motel. There, they encountered Palmer along with a backpack that contained 388.1 grams of methamphetamine, 3.1 grams of heroin and a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol. Upon searching the motel room associated with Palmer, authorities also discovered an additional 249.9 grams of methamphetamine and 28.45 grams of fentanyl in a box. Palmer admitted that the fentanyl and methamphetamine had been smuggled in from Mexico. The investigation led to Houston where law enforcement witnessed Palmer loading backpacks and containers into a GMC Denali in Houston. A traffic stop and subsequent search resulted in the discovery of 590.76 grams of methamphetamine, 81.5 grams of fentanyl analogue, 71.85 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl, 442 grams of marijuana and 10 grams of cocaine. Authorities also found 1,679 assorted blue, pink and white pills marked M30 intended to replicate Oxycodone pills. However, the pills actually contained fentanyl mixed with traces of methamphetamine, heroin, Xylazine, acetaminophen, benzocaine, caffeine, lidocaine and quinine. The investigation revealed Palmer had been dealing drugs in the Houston area for several years. Palmer has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, Rockport Police Department and Harris County Sherriff Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Yasmine K. Tucker and Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.


title: Hot Springs Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years for Methamphetamine Distribution

component: USAO - Arkansas, Western

body_text: HOT SPRINGS – A Hot Springs, Arkansas man was sentenced yesterday to 151 months in Federal Prison for Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing, which took place in the United States District Court in Hot Springs. According to court records, while conducting narcotics investigations in the Hot Springs, Garland, County area, the 18 th East Judicial District Drug Task Force identified Antwon Lakeith Burns , age 41, as an area drug dealer. On April 10, 2024, Investigators conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Burns. The methamphetamine purchased was sent to the DEA crime lab for analysis, and it was confirmed to be 52.9 grams of pure methamphetamine. On October 7, 2024, Burns pleaded guilty to Distribution of a more than fifty (50) grams of Methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes made the announcement. The 18 th Judicial District East Drug Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations Little Rock investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Daniels prosecuted the case for the United States. Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov .


title: Florida Man Sentenced for Biofuel Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – The General Manager of a company that produces and sells renewable fuel and fuel credits was sentenced today to serve 37 months in prison to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release for his role in a scheme that generated over $7 million in fraudulent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) renewable fuels credits and sought over $6 million in fraudulent tax credits connected to the purported production of biodiesel. Royce Gillham worked at a biofuel company based in Fort Pierce, Florida, that claimed to turn various feedstocks into biodiesel. However, when reporting the number of gallons they produced to the IRS and EPA, Gillham and his employer vastly overstated their production volume in an effort to generate more credits. When auditors sought more information from the company, Gillham and his co-conspirators provided false information about their fuel production and customers. Gillham previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and to file false claims. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) made the announcement. EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and IRS Criminal Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Funk for the Southern District of Florida and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 24-cr-14046. ###


title: Jury Convicts Ohio Man of Multiple Drug Trafficking Offenses

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – An Aberdeen, Ohio, man was convicted on Thursday by a federal jury in Covington for multiple drug trafficking charges. After slightly over one hour of deliberation, following a four-day trial, the jury convicted 37-year-old Gary Cunningham, Jr. of one count of conspiracy with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and eight counts of distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine. According to testimony at trial, law enforcement identified Frederick Overly III, as a source of supply for methamphetamine, and used a confidential informant to make eight controlled purchases from Overly. Each purchase was arranged by the informant calling Overly, who in turn indicated that he would need to get the methamphetamine from his supplier, Cunningham. Each time, Cunningham sold Overly the methamphetamine that Overly subsequently sold to the informant, totaling more than 50 grams. Cunningham was previously convicted of three counts of first-degree trafficking of a controlled substance in Mason County Circuit Court in 2013, and second-degree robbery in Mason County Circuit Court in 2014. Cunningham and Overly were indicted in July 2023. Overly pleaded guilty to his charges in August 2024. Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; jointly announced the conviction. The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tony Bracke and Drew Spievack. Cunningham will appear for sentencing on May 29, 2025. He faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence. — END —


title: Crown Point Man Sentenced to 135 Months in Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: HAMMOND – Adam Lee Taylor, 45 years old, of Crown Point, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to distributing child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay. Taylor was sentenced to 135 months in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $6,000 in monetary assessments that support services for victims of human trafficking and child sexual abuse. According to documents in the case, in November 2022, Taylor distributed a series of videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to members of a group chat on an encrypted messaging platform. Federal agents subsequently executed a search warrant at Taylor’s residence and discovered additional CSAM in Taylor’s possession. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Indiana State Police Digital Forensics Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary D. Heater. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Georgia Businessman Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud and Making False Statements to the Department of Veterans Affairs

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA – Spencer Askew, the founder and former CEO of E-Freight Solutions Worldwide, LLC, a Georgia-based logistics and supply chain company, pleaded guilty to defrauding Vinings Bank in connection with obtaining a $1 million line of credit. Askew also pleaded guilty to making false statements to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in June 2020, falsely claiming that he had a relationship with 3M and could supply the VA with KN95-like masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Askew can no longer avoid the consequences of engaging in a fraudulent scheme that resulted in the loss of millions of dollars and of aggravating his criminal conduct by making false statements to law enforcement,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “This prosecution underscores our commitment to work with agency partners to combat all forms of fraud and deception.” “The defendant in this case was brought to justice for submitting falsified financial information about his companies to financial institutions in order to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars in loans and lines of credit,” said Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles, of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General, Atlanta Region. “The FDIC OIG will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable those who commit such fraudulent offenses that threaten the safety and soundness of our Nation’s financial institutions.” “This guilty plea holds the defendant accountable for his egregious attempt to exploit VA programs and services during a global pandemic,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker, Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG is dedicated to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure schemes like this are uncovered, investigated, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: Askew started E-Freight Solutions Worldwide, LLC in March 2010. E-Freight Solutions was a logistics and supply company that provided a network for carriers and suppliers of goods to partner and arrange the transportation of goods. In May 2015, Askew founded another entity, Techknowlogi Holdings, LLC d/b/a Teknowlogi. Teknowlogi conducted little or no actual business. Between February and April 2018, Askew executed a scheme to defraud Vinings Bank to obtain financing on behalf of Teknowlogi. Initially, Askew falsely claimed to Vinings Bank that he was seeking the financing to acquire another logistics company, SaaS Transportation. But ultimately he obtained the financing by submitting materially false information regarding the nature of Teknowlogi’s business and financial condition. Also, several years later, in June 2020, Askew repeatedly lied to a federal special agent about his ability to provide protective personal equipment – KN-95-like masks – to the VA during the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2023, a federal grand jury returned a sealed indictment against Askew, charging him with bank fraud and money laundering. In April 2024, Askew was arrested in Arizona after crossing the border from Mexico. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Askew agreed to pay more than $6 million in restitution. On March 6, 2025, Spencer Askew, 46, of Newnan, Georgia, pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a federal agency. His sentencing is scheduled on May 15, 2025, at 10:00 am, before Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. This case is being investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex R. Sistla is prosecuting the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Johnstown Man Pleads Guilty to Narcotics Trafficking and Unlawful Possession of Firearm

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. James Dotson, 46, pleaded guilty to Counts One, Three, Four, Five, and Nine of the Superseding Indictment before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around April 2019 to in and around July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Dotson conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, 28 grams or more of a mixture of crack, 40 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl, and quantities of heroin and cocaine. Dotson was one of the targets of a federal wiretap and was intercepted obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others. Further, in and around June 2021, Dotson unlawfully possessed a firearm as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for July 24, 2025. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of not less than 15 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $20 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Dotson. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.