title: Former IT Professional Sentenced for Possessing and Attempting to Possess Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A former IT Professional was sentenced today for possessing and attempting to obtain child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby sentenced Jonathan Tyler Gross, 37, of Mounds, for Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. Gross was ordered to serve 123 months imprisonment, followed by 20 years of supervised release. Upon his release, he will also be required to register as a sex offender. Judge Shelby further ordered Gross to pay $3,000 in restitution and $10,000 fine. In 2025, Gross worked as an IT professional, and his employer reported to law enforcement that he was fired for having child sexual abuse material on his work computer. The employer told agents they believe Gross was accessing encrypted chat rooms. Agents reviewed the devices provided and found several images and videos of children being sexually abused. From at least November 2022 through his arrest in April 2025, Gross admitted to viewing and possessing images of children being sexually abused and having a sexual interest in children between the ages of 14 and 17. Some of the images found by agents showed children as young as five to seven years old being sexually exploited, including child erotica. The investigation further revealed that law enforcement received a CyberTip from an email provider that Gross was uploading child sexual abuse material to one of the twelve personal email accounts he had. The child sexual abuse material found was sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Child Victim Identification Program . They helped identify at least one known victim. A victim impact statement was provided to the court. Restitution paid by Gross will go directly to the child victim identified. After being indicted in April 2025, a victim came forward. At 15-years-old, the minor victim worked for the Gross family as a housecleaner and babysitter. She reported meeting him through church. Court records show that Gross began grooming her in January 2016, messaging her late at night, and that he contacted her through different aliases on Snapchat. After reviewing Gross’s devices, agents discovered Gross created 22 alias Snapchat accounts from January 2016 through January 2019. During Gross’s plea, he admitted to knowingly engaging in Snapchat conversations with the 15-year-old and to persuading the minor victim to send him sexually explicit photos. Released on bond, Gross was taken into custody after pleading guilty in October. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The $10,000 fine that Gross was ordered to pay goes to the Crime Victims Fund to help provide resources to victims of federal crimes. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Jefferson Parish Man Indicted for Mail Theft

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DEVIN HUTTON (“HUTTON”) , of Kenner, Louisiana, was indicted on January 29, 2026, for theft of mail, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1708, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to the indictment, HUTTON stole mail from mailboxes at an apartment complex in Metairie, Louisiana. If convicted, HUTTON faces a maximum penalty of five (5) years of imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.00. A mandatory special assessment fee of $100 also applies. U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The case was investigated by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Christine M. Calogero of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Former Milford Resident Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Firearm Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MARC ANTHONY ALEXANDER, 45, of formerly of Milford, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in New Haven to fraud and firearm offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2022, a business known as “Traveling Graces, LLC” was registered with the State of Connecticut with Melanie Ham as its registered agent and “Dr. Marc Anthony Alexander” as its manager. Between July 2023 and December 2023, Alexander and Ham misrepresented to a Connecticut resident (the “victim”), who Alexander had met on a dating app, that Traveling Graces was a legitimate business and they were looking for investors. The victim provided two bank checks totaling $167,000 to Alexander and Ham, which they used for their own purposes. In May 2024, Alexander met with an employee of the residential community in which he resided and claimed to be an FBI agent who required additional parking spaces assigned to him for professional reasons. He wore clothing that falsely identified him as an FBI agent, showed a fake FBI identification badge, and possessed a Hellcat 9mm pistol in a holster. Alexander pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. A sentencing date is not scheduled. Alexander’s criminal history includes convictions for fraud and other offenses. In April 2017, he was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 96 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for his involvement in a scheme related to the theft and negotiation of postal money orders that defrauded the U.S. Postal Service of more than $300,000, and his role in a separate scheme that involved the fraudulent sale of financed vehicles, which defrauded lenders of more than $1 million. Alexander was released from federal prison in February 2023. In February 2024, while he was on supervised release, Alexander was arrested by Stamford Police for illegal operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs, illegal operation of a motor vehicle under suspension, illegal operation of a motor vehicle without minimum insurance, and failure to drive in a proper lane. In November 2024, Alexander is alleged to have used a bank statement he manipulated with false information to facilitate the purchase of a vehicle from a car dealership in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Alexander also falsely reported his address to his probation officer, left Connecticut without permission, and opened nine new lines of credit, all in violation of the terms and conditions of his supervised release. Alexander has been detained in federal custody since January 13, 2025. On February 26, 2025, he was sentenced in Hartford federal court to two years of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release. On November 19, 2025, Ham pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She awaits sentencing. This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.


title: JOINT STATEMENT OF FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES REGARDING PILGRIM REST MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH FIRE

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

body_text: TALLAHASSEE — Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, issued the following joint statement: We are actively coordinating with local and state partners regarding a suspicious fire at the Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church in Havana, Florida, and stand ready to offer additional federal resources needed for this state-led investigation. This alleged arson is just the latest in an alarming trend of attacks and threats directed toward our churches, synagogues, and houses of worship nationwide. As made clear by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, we have zero-tolerance for attacks and threats directed at our churches, synagogues, and houses of worship, and the Department of Justice will ensure those vital institutions, and the congregants who gather to freely practice their religion, are kept safe and secure.


title: Mexican national sentenced for smuggling drugs with family in vehicle

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 50-year-old resident of Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico, has been ordered to federal prison after admitting to conspiring to import four kilograms of fentanyl and two kilograms of cocaine from Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Erik Villegas Cusi pleaded guilty Sept. 29, 2025. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now ordered Cusi to serve 51 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence Jan. 29, the court noted the toxic nature of this drug and the effect it currently has on the population of the United States. On Feb. 14, 2025, Cusi approached the International Bridge No. 2 in a sedan with his wife and minor son as passengers. An x-ray of his vehicle revealed anomalies in the center of the car, prompting further inspection. Authorities drilled into the undercarriage and discovered an aftermarket compartment containing six bundles with 4.02 kilograms of fentanyl and 2.05 kilograms of cocaine. Cusi initially denied knowledge of the drugs and claimed a mechanic in Mexico may have been responsible. In the presence of law enforcement, he contacted the mechanic who confirmed he had only performed brake work. Further investigation revealed significant underbody modifications to create the hidden compartment. The muffler and catalytic converter had been removed, reshaped and rewelded before installation. There were also cuts beneath the center console and additional insulation used to seal the compartment after the drugs were placed there. As part of his plea, Cusi admitted he had conspired with others in Mexico to smuggle the drugs into the United States during the family trip. According to documents filed with the court, Cusi knew he was transporting the drugs from Mexico into the United States at Laredo and was then supposed to deliver the drug-laden vehicle to other people in the United States. Cusi has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection, its Laredo Evidence Collection Team and the Drug Enforcement Administration Southwest Regional Laboratory. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Homero Ramirez prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: District Man Pleads Guilty to Domestic Violence Assault and Gun Charges

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Adam Muhammad, 40, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday for assaulting his ex-romantic partner with a knife and unlawfully possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Muhammad pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon (knife) and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction), in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on January 29, 2026. Sentencing is scheduled for April 10, 2026. According to the government’s evidence, on September 16, 2025, Muhammad went to the home of the victim, his ex-romantic partner, on 7 th Street Northwest. The two got into a verbal argument and eventually the defendant grabbed the victim. Fearing for her life, the victim grabbed a kitchen knife. When Muhammad attempted to take the knife from the victim, she slipped and fell on the floor. The defendant secured the knife and got on top of the victim, while she was laying the floor, pinning her in a fetal position and rendering her unable to move. He then dug a finger into her right collar bone with one hand while holding the knife blade to the victim’s neck with the other hand and stated words to the effect of “b***h, I’ll kill you, tell your baby dad you want to die.” In a separate incident only a week later, the defendant was found at an abandoned apartment complex with a loaded pistol on his person. Due to a prior felony conviction, the defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms of any sort. When officers attempted to detain Muhammad, they felt a rigid metallic object protruding from the defendant’s rear. Officers performed a protective pat down which revealed a firearm. The recovered firearm was a black and silver Smith and Wesson 915 9mm handgun and had eight rounds in a 10-round capacity magazine. Muhammad was arrested on September 23, 2025, and has been in custody ever since. Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The assault case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elias Feldman and the unlawful possession case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Franks. 2025FD3015373 2025CF2012222


title: Canadian Citizen Pleads Guilty in D.C. in Sextortion Scheme that Targeted 145 Children in the U.S.

component: Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

body_text: WASHINGTON – Ramanan Pathmanathan, 40, of Toronto, Canada, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with a prolific sextortion scheme that targeted more than 100 young children across the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. Pathmanathan pleaded before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to one count of production of child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. Chief Judge Boasberg scheduled sentencing for May 27, 2026. “Today my prosecutors took a particularly heinous child predator offline,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “Pathmanathan targeted over a hundred children across our country, exposing them to pornography and then forcing them to commit horrendous acts for his own pleasure. Now, the only thing he will be exposed to is the inside of a prison cell. ” “Today’s guilty plea marks a critical step toward justice for over 100 targeted victims in the United States who this predator harmed with his diabolical actions,” said Assistant Attorney General Duva. “For years, while hiding in another country behind a fabricated online persona, he used manipulation, threats, and fear to coerce unsuspecting juveniles into producing and engaging in sexually explicit acts, robbing them of their innocence. We will hold accountable anyone who preys on our children, including those who do it from behind a computer screen to ensure that victims are protected and treated with the dignity they deserve.” According to court documents, Pathmanathan used multiple social media accounts – primarily Instagram and Facebook Messenger – to establish contact with at least 145 young girls and boys. Between at least March 2014 up until the day of his arrest on March 10, 2021, Pathmanathan posed as a teenage boy from New Jersey. Pathmanathan demanded the minor victims engage in sexually explicit conduct while they participated in video chats with him. He directed them to expose their genitals, to penetrate their vaginas, and to engage in sexual acts with dogs, siblings, and other relatives. In almost all the video chats with his minor victims, Pathmanathan sent the children images of adults engaged in sexual acts to show them how to do what he was requesting. Pathmanathan recorded his victims’ sexually explicit conduct and saved the files on his desktop computer. Some of the victims were as young as six-years-old. When the minor victims would decline to continue to engage in sexually explicit conduct or blocked Pathmanathan’s social media accounts, he threatened to send images to the children’s friends or family. On Oct. 27, 2022, Pathmanathan pleaded guilty to similar offenses in Canada, and was later sentenced to 12 years in prison. This case was investigated by the FBI Houston Field Office. The Department of Justice is grateful to the Toronto Police Service for their invaluable assistance. The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division secured the temporary surrender of Pathmanathan from Canada. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Shinskie and Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . 22cr150


title: Former TD Bank Employee Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes, Laundering $5.5 Million to Colombia

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK – A former Florida-based employee of TD Bank, N.A., Leonardo Ayala (“Ayala”), pleaded guilty today to accepting bribes in return for facilitating a money laundering network’s movement of over $5.5 million to Colombia through TD Bank accounts. Ayala, 25, pleaded guilty today before the Honorable Esther Salas in Newark to a two-count Information charging him with conspiring to launder monetary instruments and for receipt of bribes by a bank employee. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11. According to court filings and statements made in court, from June 2023 to November 2023, Ayala, 25, of Homestead, Florida, then a TD Bank employee in Doral, Florida, accepted bribes and leveraged his position to facilitate a money laundering network’s expatriation of over $5.5 million from the United States to Colombia. Ayala, who bragged about being “tapped in with them Venezuelans,” opened fraudulent bank accounts, issued debit cards, unblocked debit cards that TD Bank had restricted due to questionable activity, and provided other banking services to his co-conspirators. In particular, Ayala issued over 150 debit cards to six business accounts that had been opened by a different TD Bank employee in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Those debit cards were then used to make over 10,000 ATM withdrawals throughout Colombia, totaling approximately $4,723,114.64. Ayala’s co-conspirators paid him over $6,000 in exchange for these services, typically either in cash or through a peer-to-peer digital payment network. The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense, whichever is greater. The charge of receipt of bribes by a bank employee carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or three times the amount involved in the offense, whichever is greater. The DEA, IRS-CI, and FDIC-OIG investigated the case. The department also thanks the Morristown Police Department for their assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case. The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system. ### Defense counsel: Peter Katz, Esq. ayala.information.pdf


title: New Orleans Man Indicted for Being a Felon in Possession of Firearm

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KYLE ARMSTRONG, age 23, of New Orleans, was indicted on January 29, 2026, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. If convicted, ARMSTRONG faces a maximum sentence of 15 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release. According to the indictment, on July 19, 2025, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, ARMSTRONG possessed a Canik Model TP9 SF, nine-millimeter handgun, knowing that he had been previously convicted on November 8, 2022 of felonies including, Theft or Receipt of Stolen Mail Matter, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1708, and Unlawful Possession of Postal Key, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1704. U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely an allegation and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Chicago Couple Among Nine Individuals Charged in Federal Drug Investigation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal drug investigation has resulted in criminal charges against nine individuals for allegedly trafficking cocaine in the Chicago area. The investigation, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Chicago Police Department, utilized covert surveillance operations, undercover narcotics purchases, and wiretapped communications to shut down a drug trafficking organization allegedly led by a Chicago couple—JOEL ANDRADE and MARIA BRENDA MORA-HERNANDEZ. A criminal complaint filed this week in federal court in Chicago accuses Joel Andrade and Mora-Hernandez of conspiring to possess at least five kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute. The pair also allegedly possessed two semiautomatic handguns in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes. The seven other defendants allegedly distributed cocaine last year in Chicago or the suburbs of Villa Park, Ill., Addison, Ill., and Rosemont, Ill. Law enforcement on Thursday arrested seven of the defendants and executed court-authorized searches of multiple locations in the city and suburbs. Those defendants have begun making their initial appearances in federal court in Chicago. The two other defendants are in state custody in Cook County and will make their initial federal court appearances at a later time. The charges and arrests were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, and Nicholas J. Roti, Executive Director of the Chicago High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area ( HIDTA ). Substantial assistance was provided by the Illinois National Guard’s Counter-Drug Task Force, Carpentersville, Ill. Police Department, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Aurora, Ill. Police Department, Naperville, Ill. Police Department, Lake County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office’s Special Investigations Group, and Berkeley, Ill. Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Chang and Megan Donohue. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not allow our communities to be exploited by drug traffickers peddling poison,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “We are proud to partner with FBI, CPD, HIDTA, and our many other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to hold traffickers accountable and keep dangerous drugs and illegal guns off our streets.” “The FBI will continue to aggressively combat criminal organizations that degrade our communities by engaging in the trafficking of narcotics,” said FBI SAC DePodesta. “The success of this operation underscores the valuable partnerships the FBI shares with the Chicago Police Department and all members of our Safe Streets Task Force who work together to ensure the safety of our communities.” The complaint charges Joel Andrade, 34, of Chicago, and Mora-Hernandez, 32, of Chicago, with drug conspiracy, drug distribution, and firearm offenses. The other defendants charged with federal drug offenses are RICHARD RUBIO, 33, of Chicago Ridge, Ill., ALEXIS ANDRADE, 30, of Chicago, JEREMY RUSH, 34, of Downers Grove, Ill., DEVONTE JONES, 30, of Chicago, JOSE NAVARRETE, 23, of Chicago, JEREMIE REYES-GONZALEZ, 21, of Cicero, Ill., and ALEXIS GUTIERREZ, 43, of Riverside, Ill. Rubio and Alexis Andrade are also charged with possessing handguns in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes. The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. andrade_et_al_complaint.pdf


title: Georgia Man with Prior Aggravated Assault Conviction Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

body_text: VALDOSTA, Ga. – A South Georgia man with prior assault and drug convictions was sentenced to prison after police found him with a stolen gun following a traffic stop and car crash. Ricky Hill, 39, of Lakeland, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 130 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Sands on Jan. 29. Hill pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Oct. 1, 2025. There is no parole in the federal system. “Convicted felons with violent criminal histories who are caught with illegal firearms will be prosecuted federally, where there is no parole,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “We are working with law enforcement at every level to identify and prosecute repeat offenders with stolen guns.” "This case underscores our commitment to ensuring that individuals with violent criminal histories face the full force of the law. We will not allow convicted felons to jeopardize public safety with illegal firearms,” said ATF Atlanta Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “We are grateful to the United States Attorney’s Office for their steadfast partnership and persistence in cases like this one. Their commitment to pursuing federal charges against violent offenders who are illegally in possession of firearms, sends a clear message that this type of dangerous behavior will not be tolerated in our community,” said Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan. “Working together, we are holding individuals accountable and making our neighborhoods safer for the families we serve.” According to court documents and statements referenced in court, a Valdosta Police Department officer pulled Hill over for driving without headlights or taillights at night on Sept. 16, 2024, on East Hill Avenue. Hill did not have a license and, while holding his phone in his left hand, began reaching under the driver seat, stating he was searching for his phone. The officer observed a magazine for a firearm on the passenger seat of the vehicle and instructed Hill to stop reaching under his seat and exit the car. Hill put his vehicle in drive, accelerated and fled from the traffic stop. Hill then drove his car into a utility pole and ran from his car. Officers located Hill and took him into custody. Officers found a stolen Glock firearm under the front seat, where Hill had been reaching during the traffic stop, along with a 33-round magazine extension, 35 rounds of 9mm ammunition and $2,565 in the car or on Hill. Hill has prior felony convictions for aggravated assault and distributing cocaine. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The Valdosta Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Daniels is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Eight Defendants Sentenced for $1 Million Methamphetamine Conspiracy

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Eight defendants have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. William Lee Bailey, 38, Eric S. Poston, 48, Brandon M. Beadel, 40, Alyssa Enlow, 31, and Donald R. Potts, 65, all of Independence, Mo., Dennis L. Morris, 51 of Raymore, Mo.; and Savannah Smith, 35, and Travis Bailey, 35, both of Blue Springs, Mo., have been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark. Each defendant previously admitted to taking part in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from on or about Aug. 1, 2019, to March 26, 2021. According to court documents, the conspiracy involved the distribution of roughly 105 kilograms of methamphetamine worth over $1,000,000. A search warrant executed at a residence in Independence, Mo., used by the conspiracy revealed a large amount of methamphetamine as well as a surveillance video system that had been recording portions of the residence’s interior. A search warrant executed for the video system and its videos revealed the inner workings of the conspiracy—the conspirators involved, packaging and weighing methamphetamine, conducting drug deals, counting cash, and possessing firearms to further this conspiracy. As to each defendant, the Court imposed the below-listed sentences: William Lee Bailey, who was the leader and organizer of the conspiracy, was sentenced to a 168-month term of imprisonment for the drug conspiracy count, and an additional 60 months for his plea to an additional count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense for a total of 228 months, and ordered to serve four years of supervised release. Poston was sentenced to a 120-month term of imprisonment for the drug conspiracy count, and an additional 60 months for his plea to an additional count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense for a total of 180 months, and ordered to serve four years of supervised release. Beadel was sentenced to a 120-month term of imprisonment for the drug conspiracy count and ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Travis Bailey was sentenced to a 96-month term of imprisonment for the drug conspiracy count and ordered to serve four years of supervised release. Morris was sentenced to a 78-month term of imprisonment for the drug conspiracy count and ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Potts was sentenced to a 72-month term of imprisonment for the drug conspiracy count and ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Smith and Enlow were both sentenced to terms of probation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Foley. It was investigated by the Independence, Missouri Police Department. Operation Take Back America This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Orlando Doctor Sentenced to Two Years for Injecting Silicone Oil into Patients

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – Nhan Pham (55, Orlando) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Antoon II to two years in federal prison for receipt in interstate commerce and proffered delivery of an adulterated device, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Pham pleaded guilty on May 7, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, between 2015 and 2019, Pham, a physician who performed cosmetic procedures, ordered silicone oil online and injected the silicone into his patients for gluteal and buttock enhancement procedures at his office and residence. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the use of injectable silicone for body contouring or enhancement and has issued warnings to the public advising them of the illegality of and health risks associated with silicone injections. Pham inaccurately represented to his patients before performing the procedures that the substance he was injecting into their bodies was “safe,” “natural,” and would dissolve over time. After receiving the silicone oil injections, patients experienced complications, such as sharp and severe pain, discomfort, discoloration, itchiness, burning, inflammation, soreness, and hardness in the injection areas. On September 24, 2019, Pham offered to perform silicone oil injections on an undercover law enforcement agent. This case was investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations and the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and United States Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.


title: Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Anti-Kickback Statute

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Florida man pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. Deane Gilmore, 35, of Brandon, Fla., pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks before U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy, who scheduled sentencing for May 12, 2026. Gilmore was charged in December 2025. From March 2020 through approximately April 2022, Gilmore owned and managed two durable medical equipment companies, Jupiter Medical Associates Inc. and Granite Medical Associates Inc. Gilmore, through these companies, illegally paid telemarketers or call centers who obtained medical information from Medicare beneficiaries to prepare orders for durable medical equipment—such as back, knee, wrist, or ankle braces. The documentation made it appear that medical practitioners were legitimately prescribing the DME to these beneficiaries, when, in fact, these orders were frequently medically unnecessary and based on false documentation. By paying these telemarketers on a per-order basis, Gilmore violated the Anti-Kickback Statute. Over the course of his scheme, Gilmore submitted or caused to be submitted a total of approximately $6.5 million in kickback-tainted claims to Medicare. Medicare ultimately paid out approximately $2.3 million for these kickback-tainted claims. The charge of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. 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; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General; Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Looney of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Surgeon Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 29, 2026, Dr. Calvin Eriksen (age: 47) of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Brett H. Ludwig. Four CyberTips were referred to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) regarding user accounts on the Kik online platform that had received and distributed Child Sexual Abuse Material (“CSAM”). Those tips led investigators to Dr. Eriksen’s home and workplace. Search warrants at those locations revealed CSAM, including images that depicted the abuse of infants and toddlers. Eriksen was also discovered to have been communicating online with an undercover law enforcement agent (“UC”) who was posing as the mother of an 8-year-old daughter. Eriksen repeatedly expressed an interest in sexually assaulting the UC’s daughter and sent a naked photo of himself. At sentencing, Judge Ludwig noted that Eriksen’s sexually deviant behavior was disturbing and that his conduct contributed to a market which perpetuates the abuse of children. Upon completion of his prison sentence, the defendant will spend seven years on supervised release and will have to register as a sex offender under state and federal law. According to United States Attorney Brad Schimel, “We have no higher priority in the criminal justice system than to protect children, and we will continue to devote substantial resources to catching and punishing those who steal their innocence. This case demonstrates the troubling reality that people who prey on children for sexual gratification can come from all walks of life.” “This case is a disturbing example of criminal conduct that scars children for life and compromises the feeling of safety and security that all parents, families and communities deserve to enjoy” said Chief Christopher Garcia of the Brookfield Police Department. “The City of Brookfield Police Department is thankful for the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Attorney’s Office. I am proud to have such outstanding criminal justice partners who are committed to protecting our children and holding people accountable for such egregious crimes.” This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations offices in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and West Palm Beach, Florida, as well as the City of Brookfield Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan J. Thomas. 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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. # # # For further information contact: Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero (414) 297-1700 Follow us on X


title: Portland Resident Pleads Guilty to Damaging Federal Property

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland resident pleaded guilty yesterday to depredation of government property after damaging cameras affixed to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building and setting debris on fire. Alistair Macfarlane Sidener, 20, pleaded guilty to one count of depredation of government property. According to court documents, on June 12, 2025, Sidener intentionally damaged several cameras mounted on the facility by shooting paint at them from a water gun and striking cameras with a long metal pole. Shortly after damaging the cameras, Sidener lit debris on fire that had been placed against a metal gate. On January 28, 2026, Sidener was charged by superseding information with depredation of government property. Sidener faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000, and three years of supervised release. Sidener will be sentenced on May 27, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge. As part of the plea agreement, Sidener has agreed to pay restitution in full. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.


title: Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Distribution

body_text: BOSTON – A Springfield, Mass. man was sentenced yesterday to a decade in federal prison for conspiring to possess more than 400 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Abraham Heredia, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. In October 2025, Heredia pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl. From at least November 2022 to June 2023, Heredia conspired with others to distribute larges amounts of fentanyl throughout Western Massachusetts. On one occasion in June of 2023, Heredia conspired to distribute nearly one and a half kilograms of fentanyl, which was intercepted by law enforcement. The investigation revealed a number of other occasions during which Heredia supplied mid-level drug dealers with large amounts of fentanyl. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Massachusetts State Police; the Berkshire, Hampden and Franklin County Sherriff’s Offices; and the Holyoke, Springfield, Chicopee, West Springfield and Easthampton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches, Chief of the Springfield Branch Unit prosecuted the case. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.


title: Florida Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Conspiring to Launder Money and Distribute Fentanyl

body_text: BOSTON – A Florida man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for drug possession and distribution charges. Wuesley Pelaez Vela, 34, of Tallahassee, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to nine years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In May 2025, Pelaez Vela pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to launder money and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2022 along with five alleged co-conspirators. In 2019, an investigation began into a Colombia-based money laundering organization that was laundering drug proceeds on behalf of multiple drug trafficking organizations. Between 2020 and 2022, Pelaez Vela coordinated with an undercover agent to conduct multiple pick-ups of drug proceeds to be paid out to drug suppliers in Mexico for the purpose of laundering the cash. In total, Pelaez Vela organized 13 money pickups totaling $1,127,573 in drug proceeds. Additionally, in October 2021, Pelaez Vela instructed an undercover agent to purchase fentanyl, provided the undercover agent with photos of the pills and a code phrase to order the pills containing fentanyl. Two packages sent as part of this transaction, which contained over 600 grams of fentanyl, were subsequently seized. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.


title: Undocumented Mexican National Indicted in the District of Utah for Alleged Drug Crimes

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – An indictment was unsealed today after an alleged drug trafficker, living in the United States illegally on an expired Visa, appeared in federal court after he allegedly possessed and distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine in the District of Utah. Jose Cesar Paredes-Davila, 33, a Mexican national living in Utah, was charged by complaint on January 20, 2026. According to the allegations in court documents, beginning in January 2026, the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force (UCMC) initiated a criminal investigation into Paredes-Davila after receiving information he was distributing large quantities of narcotics. On January 15, 2026, law enforcement executed a search warrant on a vehicle believed to be used by Paredes-Davila to traffic drugs. During the search, law enforcement seized 2,196 grams of field-tested positive fentanyl and approximately 615 grams of field-tested methamphetamine. UCMC officers estimated the fentanyl evidence to be approximately 21,000 fentanyl pills. UCMC officers also located $9,124 in U.S. currency and $2,000 in Western Union money orders. As alleged in court documents, UCMC officers also learned Paredes-Davila was using vacation rentals to receive controlled substances in the mail. A United States Postal Investigator ran a rental property address Paredes had been using in Salt Lake City and postal records showed a parcel enroute to a Salt Lake City address that was addressed to “Cesar Paredes.” A search warrant was obtained and executed, and agents seized 3,562 grams of field-tested positive methamphetamine. Paredes-Davila is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and attempted possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. A two-day jury trial is scheduled for April 3, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 7.4 before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated jointly by the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force (UCMC) and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). Special Assistant United States Attorney Peter Reichman of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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 Nashville Auto Dealer and Co-Defendants Sentenced on Federal Fraud Charges

body_text: NASHVILLE – Mark Janbakhsh, 51, of Brentwood, Tennessee, was sentenced yesterday to 42 months in federal prison on multiple federal fraud charges, including Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Bank Fraud, Making False Statements to a Bank, Bankruptcy Fraud, and Making False Statements Under Oath, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Braden H. Boucek. Mark Janbakhsh was found guilty after a jury trial in August 2025. Three other co-conspirators, each of whom had previously pled guilty, were also sentenced for their involvement in the fraud scheme. Ron Janbakhsh, 46, of Niceville, Florida, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, Steven L. Piper, 54, of Nashville, Tennessee, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison, and Christian Quiroz, 46, of Thompson’s Station, Tennessee, was sentenced to 6 months in federal prison. “People who think they can commit fraud against businesses here in Tennessee need to know that our office will prosecute you and that you will go to federal prison,” said United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek. “Middle Tennessee is one of the best places in America to do business and our office is committed to making sure that those who try to ruin that with fraudulent activities are held accountable for their actions.” According to the evidence presented at trial, Janbakhsh was the chief executive officer and majority owner of a car dealership company named Auto Masters. In addition to Auto Masters, Janbakhsh owned several other Nashville area businesses, including Plaza Mariachi. Between approximately 2013 and 2017, Auto Masters had a line of credit with Capital One and First Tennessee Bank (now First Horizon Bank). Janbakhsh conspired with his brother Ron Janbakhsh, and their co-conspirators, Steve Piper and Christian Quiroz, who also worked for Auto Masters, to submit false documentation to Capital One to artificially inflate the value of the company’s collateral which would allow Mark Janbakhsh to draw on lines of credit he was otherwise not entitled to take. During the course of the scheme, Auto Masters fraudulently obtained over $24 million dollars that it was not entitled to receive. From at least 2013 until October 2017, Mark Janbakhsh conspired with Piper, Ron Janbakhsh, and Quiroz to submit false borrowing base certificates to Capital One—by inflating their collateral—so that Auto Masters could take draws on the line of credit that they were not entitled to take. The reason for committing this fraud scheme was simple: Mark Janbakhsh wanted access to additional money to pay for his lifestyle and his other business ventures (as did his brother Ron). Mark Janbakhsh lived a lavish lifestyle—he and his wife drove luxury cars (including a Bentley and Ferrari) and his family took expensive vacations, including to places like Dubai. But the biggest driver was Mark Janbakhsh’s need for money to support his other businesses and, in particular, the construction of Plaza Mariachi. As investigators and bankruptcy proceedings loomed, the evidence showed that Mark Janbakhsh directed company employees to delete data, emails, and other company information that would have shown his fraudulent dealings. Auto Masters declared bankruptcy in 2017, and Mark Janbakhsh lied about the fraud while under oath during the bankruptcy proceedings. When Mark Janbakhsh learned that federal agents who were investigating the fraud were attempting to speak with co-conspirators, he offered Quiroz over $300,000 if he would leave the jurisdiction in order to thwart the investigation. In addition to their terms of imprisonment, Mark Janbakhsh, Steven Piper, and Christian Quiroz were ordered to pay $11,272,521.20 in restitution and to serve one year of supervised release. Ron Janbakhsh was ordered by pay $4,185,478 in restitution and to serve one year of supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christopher Suedekum prosecuted the case. # # # # #


title: Western District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office Adds Nearly 200 More Immigration Cases This Week

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 192 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Jan. 23 to Jan. 29, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for violent crimes, DWIs, and multiple prior removals. Among the new cases, Mexican national Aurelio Murillo-Ruedas was arrested on Jan. 22 in Broadview, Illinois, near Chicago. Murillo-Ruedas became the subject of a human smuggling investigation in El Paso after ICE Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested 26 illegal aliens in a stash house on May 1, 2025. A criminal complaint affidavit alleges that Murillo-Ruedas was identified through WhatsApp communications in which he discussed approximately 12 smuggling schemes and sent a video of himself driving in the snow in or near Chicago. Additionally, a foot guide arrested in November 2024 identified Murillo-Ruedas as the individual he worked for. Murillo-Ruedas was allegedly paid around $6,500 to $7,000 for each illegal alien before he paid his associates who carried out his alien smuggling operations. Murillo-Ruedas is charged with bringing in or harboring aliens. USBP agents arrested Jose Ozuna-Moreno after encountering foot prints of several individuals traveling north in the Calamity Gap area near Sierra Blanca. A criminal complaint alleges that Ozuna-Moreno was found with eight other illegal aliens. Ozuna-Moreno, who was in the country illegally and had prior apprehensions, allegedly admitted to being the foot guide for the group and expected to receive a discount for his own smuggling fees in return for his efforts on behalf of an alien smuggling organization. Ozuna-Moreno is charged with bringing in or harboring aliens. Jose Angel Alvarado-Reyes , a Mexican national with prior convictions for sexual assault and illegal re-entry, was arrested by ICE Enforcement Removal Operations in El Paso during a worksite enforcement operation with ICE HSI and the U.S. Border Patrol. Alvarado-Reyes has been removed from the U.S. three times, the last being in 2005, and is again charged with illegal re-entry. Mexican national Fredy Saligan-Perez was arrested near the Ysleta Port of Entry on Tuesday, after been previously removed to Mexico through Calexico, California in October 2025. In March 2025, Saligan-Perez was convicted in Utah for one count of child abuse with injury and one count of assault. Martin Vaquera-Garcia , also a Mexican national, was arrested at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry when he was allegedly discovered attempting to smuggle a handgun and four magazines from the U.S. to Mexico. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers referred a passenger bus for inspection, and a scan allegedly revealed the magazines in a suitcase belonging to Vaquera-Garcia, who also admitted to concealing a 9mm handgun inside his medical fracture boot. A criminal complaint alleges that Vaquera-Garcia expected to be paid $150 for smuggling the firearm. USBP agents arrested Salvadoran national Danys Ricardo Martinez-Lazo in Eagle Pass. In August 2025, Martinez-Lazo was convicted in Maryland for negligent manslaughter and sentenced to three years of confinement. He was removed to El Salvador on Nov. 24. Mexican national Ramon Mendez-Escamilla was also arrested in Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. Mendez-Escamilla has been removed from the U.S. three times, the last being on Nov. 25, 2025. He has two prior convictions for DWIs and one for assault causing bodily injury to a family member. In Pflugerville, Mexican national Edgar Martinez Rivera was charged with illegal re-entry after he was arrested for allegedly possessing a fraudulent passport. Pflugerville Police discovered the passport during a traffic stop and notified ICE. Martinez Rivera has been convicted of two DWIs, burglary of a building and, most recently, theft. He has two prior removals, the most recent being to Mexico on Jan. 10, 2025. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Maryland Man Charged with Distributing Child Pornography

body_text: WASHINGTON – A complaint unsealed this morning in U.S. District Court charges Brandon Postow, 40, of Maryland, with distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. According to court documents, starting on January 15, 2026, Postow communicated with a user on Telegram regarding his sexual interest in children. Postow, aka “Michael Brandon Russell,” distributed four videos depicting the sexual abuse of teenage and prepubescent boys during those communications. When the Telegram user mentioned that he had a young son, Postow stated that he was interested in sexually abusing the child. Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office. This case is being investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Janani Iyengar. This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . Charges in a complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Five Foreign Nationals Sentenced in January for Illegally Reentering the United States After Deportation

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that five foreign nationals convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this month. Roberto Garcia-Antonio , aka Angel Rondon and Roberto Sandoval-Antonio, 49, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage to 18 months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States once again. Garcia was previously removed from the country five times, and this is his fifth illegal reentry conviction. He was previously prosecuted twice in this District (May 2011 and March 2015) and twice in the Southern District of Texas (January 2013 and November 2016). In January 2025, law enforcement encountered Garcia while executing a state search warrant at a home in Philadelphia and he was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Garcia was charged by indictment with illegal reentry last May and pleaded guilty in October. Ricardo Henriquez Carmona , aka Dario Henriquez, 55, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge to 14 months in prison and one year of supervised release for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again. Henriquez Carmona had previously been removed from the U.S. in the summer of 1997, after pleading guilty to a narcotics offense in the Superior Court of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The defendant subsequently reentered the U.S. illegally and had a string of encounters with law enforcement, accruing convictions, under aliases, for selling drugs, stealing property, resisting arrest, trespassing, and committing aggravated assault. Henriquez Carmona was arrested on a criminal complaint in June of last year, after ICE learned that he’d again entered the country illegally. He was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in July and pleaded guilty in October. Magdaleno Ochoa-Avalos , 42, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mia Roberts Perez to 12 months and one day in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States for the sixth time. Ochoa-Avalos had previously been removed from the U.S. in May 2008, after pleading guilty in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas to homicide by vehicle and serving his resulting prison sentence. He was removed three times in August 2008, after encounters with the U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona, and again in August 2020, following his illegal reentry conviction in the District of South Carolina. In early 2025, ICE received information that Ochoa-Avalos was again in the U.S. illegally. After conducting surveillance to ascertain the defendant’s identity and location, he was arrested in June on a criminal complaint, charged by indictment with illegal reentry in July, and pleaded guilty in September. Luis Urrutia-Noyola , 33, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gerald A. McHugh to time served, approximately four months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again. Urrutia-Noyola had previously been removed from the U.S. in April 2018 after an encounter with the U.S. Border Patrol in California. In March of last year, ICE became aware that the defendant had been arrested by the Oxford (Pa.) Police Department for striking and threatening his domestic partner, and Urrutia-Noyola was then convicted and sentenced in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas. After ICE arrested him in August on a criminal complaint, he was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in September and pleaded guilty in October. Diego Jacome-Esquibel , 51, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer to time served, approximately three and a half months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again. Jacome-Esquibel had previously been removed from the U.S. in March 2012 and April 2012, after encounters with the Border Patrol in Texas and Arizona. Last year, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) learned that the defendant had once again illegally reentered the country. Jacome-Esquibel was arrested on a criminal complaint in October, charged by indictment with illegal reentry in November, and pleaded guilty this month. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and HSI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kwambina Coker, Eileen Castilla Geiger, S. Chandler Harris, Justin Ashenfelter, and Jessica Rice.


title: Fairfield Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Attempted Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: Trevor Clayton Morgan, 34, of Fairfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a minor and attempted distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, in April 2023, Morgan persuaded a minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a video recording. In November 2023, Morgan attempted to distribute the video to another person on the Telegram app. Morgan also knowingly possessed hundreds of files containing CSAM. The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force / Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Delaney prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.


title: California Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Multi-State Identity Theft and Bank Fraud Ring Charges

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Muhammed Drammeh, 30, of Huntington Beach, California, was sentenced on Jan. 27, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Angela M. Martinez to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Drammeh previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud. The defendant and his co-conspirators engaged in a bank fraud and identity theft scheme that targeted individuals and banks in Arizona, Colorado, and California. The co-conspirators unlawfully and without authorization used victims’ personal identifying information and fraudulent identifications to open phony business accounts linked to the victims’ legitimate bank accounts. The two then transferred the victims’ funds from the victims’ legitimate bank accounts to the phony business bank accounts created and controlled by the co-conspirators. Once the victims’ funds were transferred to the phony business accounts, the co-conspirators withdrew the fraudulently obtained proceeds in cash at financial institutions and casinos. Drammeh recruited other co-conspirators to impersonate victims using stolen identities and provided them fake identifications to further the scheme. Drammeh supervised at least one or more co-conspirators when they opened fraudulent accounts in victims’ names and withdrew the funds from banks and casinos. The FBI, Tucson office, conducted the investigation in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Unit, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-00927-AMM-MSA RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-012_DRAMMEH # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Peabody Man Arrested for Theft of Government Money

body_text: BOSTON – A Peabody man has been arrested and charged with fraudulently obtaining over $100,000 in coronavirus relief funds. Jonathan Carpenter, 41, was indicted on one count of theft of government money. Carpenter was arrested yesterday and released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston. According to the charging documents, Carpenter defrauded the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) in 2020 by applying for and obtaining an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act authorized SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small business experiencing financial disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is alleged that Carpenter fraudulently obtained $125,000 in EIDL funds for Homeland Electric, an electrical contractor that had not existed for approximately five years at the time of his application. It is further alleged that Carpenter falsely claimed that Homeland Electric was established on March 1, 2011; had gross receipts of $250,000; and had eight employees as of Jan. 21, 2020. Carpenter also allegedly failed to indicate that he had a criminal record. The charge of theft of government money provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Peabody Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy E. Moran of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: U.S. Attorney Moore Capito Announces Success of Major Immigration Operation in West Virginia

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Moore Capito is commending federal, state, and local law enforcement partners after “Operation Country Roads,” a 15-day enforcement operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), resulted in 650 arrests throughout West Virginia. More than 550 of the arrests during Operation Country Roads involved West Virginia law enforcement agencies assisting ICE through the 287(g) program. West Virginia law enforcement led the nation in daily immigration arrests by 287(g) program participants during at least four days of the operation, which concluded on January 19, 2026. “This operation is a clear demonstration of the strength, discipline, and resolve of our state and local law enforcement partners,” said Capito. “We are delivering on our promise to the people of West Virginia: the law will be enforced. I stand unequivocally with the men and women of law enforcement who put in long hours and do the difficult work required to protect our communities, defend the rule of law, and preserve the integrity of our nation’s legal system.” The 287(g) program delegates to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under ICE’s direction and oversight. To date, 25 West Virginia law enforcement entities have signed agreements with ICE to participate in the 287(g) program, including three state-level agencies and 11 county and local agencies within the Southern District of West Virginia. Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials identified and arrested individuals illegally residing in the United States who present dangers to national security and risks to public safety, as well as those who entered the United States illegally or have otherwise undermined the integrity of U.S. immigration laws and border control efforts. Several of those arrested have serious criminal histories, including convictions for child sex abuse, drug possession and endangering the welfare of children. “This operation demonstrates how strong partnerships between ICE and West Virginia law enforcement agencies enhance public safety and the integrity of our immigration system,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Michael Rose. “By training and supporting our 287(g) partners across the state, we’ve expanded local capacity to identify, arrest, and process illegal aliens while ensuring these authorities are exercised professionally and consistent with the law.” While most immigration enforcement arrests are handled through an administrative process and removal proceeding, multiple arrests during Operation Country Roads resulted in federal criminal charges in the Southern District of West Virginia. These include immigration-related charges against eight individuals resulting from the execution of federal search warrants at a Nitro business and residence on January 16, 2026. The West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard, and the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation are the state-level participants in the 287(g) program. The 287(g) participants in the Southern District of West Virginia also include the Cabell, Fayette, McDowell, Nicholas, Putnam, and Wood sheriff’s offices and the Fayetteville, Hurricane, Oak Hill, Richwood, and Summersville police departments. “The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is always proud to assist our federal partners in the enforcement of the law,” said Putnam County Sheriff Bobby Eggleton. “Illegal immigrant enforcement actions are a way to make our communities safer and that is my ultimate goal and responsibility.” “I appreciate and support our federal law enforcement officers and our involvement to work toward a common goal of safely protecting Cabell County,” said Cabell County Sheriff Doug Adams. “By participating in this campaign, we have been able to successfully assist in removing dangerous fugitives. As always, we remain committed to protecting our citizens both native born and legal immigrants who call our community home.” The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia participated in Operation Country Roads in furtherance of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration as well as achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. ###


title: Franklin men sentenced to over eight years in prison for armed robbery and firearms offenses

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

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – Two Franklin men were sentenced to eight years and four months in prison today for robbery and firearms crimes relating to a 2024 robbery. According to court documents, Leondre Douglas, aka Worm, 27, set up a drug transaction on Oct. 28, 2024, with a marijuana dealer and Janathian Porter, aka Frankboy Nate, Nate, or Nate Dog, 28. When they met for the transaction, Porter robbed the dealer at gunpoint, taking the dealer’s firearm. Porter and Douglas then fled in separate vehicles. On Nov. 1, 2024, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that reportedly had been involved in the Oct. 28, 2024, robbery. Douglas was driving, and three children were inside the vehicle. Officers recovered a stolen handgun from underneath the driver seat. As a previously convicted felon, Douglas cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. On Nov. 12, 2024, a man observed Porter rummaging through the man’s vehicle at his home. The victim entered his vehicle, noticed that a speaker had been stolen, and followed Porter, who was attempting to flee in another vehicle. The victim pursued Porter to the end of a cul-de-sac, where Porter shot at the victim. Shell casings at the scene matched a firearm that a witness reported stolen the same evening from his vehicle near where Porter was observed breaking into cars. Porter is an eight-time convicted felon, including for breaking and entering, grand larceny, buying/receiving stolen goods, eluding/endangering police, and twice each for probation violations and hit and run. Douglas pled guilty on Aug. 25, 2025, to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm. A federal jury convicted Porter on Aug. 26, 2025, of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and being a felon in possession of ammunition. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division investigated this case. The Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation of the Oct. 28, 2024, and Nov. 1, 2024, offenses. The Franklin Police Department assisted in the investigation of the Nov. 12, 2024, offense. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda L. Cheney and Matthew Heck and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nikolas Nelson prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:25-cr-62, 2:25-cr-77, and 2:25-cr-78.


title: Lafourche Parish Resident Guilty of Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – JOHN PAUL GAGE JR. , (“ GAGE JR.” ) age 43, of Des Allemands, Louisiana, pled guilty on January 27, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and a quantity of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. §841(a)(1), §841(b)(1)(A), §841(b)(1)(C), and §846, as well as two counts of illegal use of communications facility, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. §843(b) and Title 18, U.S.C. §2, announced the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Judge Long scheduled sentencing for April 28, 2026. At sentencing, GAGE JR. faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten (10) years, and up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five (5) years of supervised release as to the conspiracy count. For the two phone counts, he faces up to 4 years imprisonment, up to $1,000,000 fine, and at least 3 years supervised release following imprisonment. As to all counts, he also faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. According to the indictment, beginning on a time unknown but continuing until at least June 5, 2024, GAGE JR. conspired with several individuals to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, cocaine and methamphetamine throughout the Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish region of the Eastern District of Louisiana. The conspiracy involved obtaining narcotics from Houston, Texas and transporting the narcotics to Thibodaux, Louisiana. The conspiracy was carried out through wire and electronic communications, and the use of multiple vehicles. On numerous occasions, GAGE JR. used his cell phone to further this conspiracy and distributed cocaine and methamphetamine to numerous customers in Thibodaux, Louisiana. GAGE JR. worked with Linez Green to distribute methamphetamine to customers and also had Yolanda Tillman pay others to help further this conspiracy by transporting drugs. Both Green and Tillman have also previously pled guilty in this case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The United States Attorney’s Office praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisiana State Police, the Thibodaux Police Department, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Atlanta Return Preparers Agree to Permanent Injunction and to Pay Back $600,000 in Ill-Gotten Gains

component: Civil Division

body_text: The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia issued a permanent injunction yesterday against Atlanta tax return preparers Mabika Ilunga, Simon Ilunga Sr., and Simon Ilunga Jr., both individually and doing business as Metro Insurance and Tax Service (together, the Defendants). The injunction bars the Defendants from preparing tax returns, working for, or having any ownership stake in any tax preparation business, assisting others (including family members) prepare tax returns or set up business as a preparer, and transferring or assigning customer lists to any other person or entity. The Defendants agreed to the terms of the injunction and to pay back to the United States $600,000 in ill-gotten gains they received from their return preparation business. According to the complaint, the Defendants prepared and filed tax returns that falsely understated their customers’ federal income tax liabilities by fabricating, among other things: Eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit. Businesses and related business expenses and losses; Education and qualified electric vehicle credits; Unreimbursed employee business expenses; and Dependents and filing status. As a result of the court’s order, the Defendants must post a copy of the injunction at all locations where they conduct business, and post a link to the injunction on their business’s website. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Joshua Wu of the Civil Division’s Tax Litigation Branch made the announcement. Tax Litigation Branch attorney Daniel Causey handled this matter. Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard their personal information. In the past decade, the Department of Justice has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website . An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page . If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Civil Division, Tax Litigation Branch with details.


title: Missouri Man Admits Sexual Abuse of Teen

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A Washington County, Missouri man on Friday admitted sexually abusing a girl and soliciting child sexual abuse material from her. William R. Murphy, 41, of Washington County, pleaded guilty U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of production of child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. He admitted engaging in sexual contact with a juvenile when she was between the ages of 13 and 17. Sometimes Murphy threatened the victim to obtain images from her that constitute child sexual abuse material, his plea agreement says. Murphy is scheduled to be sentenced April 29. Both the U.S. Attorney’s office and Murphy’s lawyer have agreed to recommend 27 years in prison. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who 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: Houston-area resident pleads guilty in stock investment Ponzi scheme

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 40-year-old Mont Belvieu man has admitted to wire fraud in connection with a Ponzi-style investment scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. From January 2022 through August 2023, Carl Channing Spence operated “AEI Financial” from his residence. He solicited friends, acquaintances and colleagues by promising high returns through stock trading specializing in “meme stocks.” Spence promised victims 10 to 12 percent returns by investing in popular stocks during a period of rapid stock market gains. Instead, he diverted funds for personal use and to make purported returns to earlier investors. Once victims provided funds, Spence created fraudulent account statements that falsely showed investment growth and returns which he used to persuade victims to reinvest. In reality, he commingled investor funds into a single account and lost much of the money through unsuccessful trades. The scheme resulted in numerous victims who received fraudulent account statements but never recovered their original investments or promised returns. Spence took in approximately $2.1 million from the known victims. U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal will impose sentencing April 14. At that time, Spence faces up to 20 years in prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Carter and Brad Gray are prosecuting the case.


title: D.C. Man Sentenced to 41 Years in Prison for Brutal Murder and Assault in Capitol Hill

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Julius Worthy, 42, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today, stemming from the homicide of Orlando Galloway and the attack of Shaquia Lewis on April 2, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Worthy was found guilty on November 21, 2025, by a Superior Court jury for second-degree murder, assault with intent to kill, and related offenses. The Honorable Jason Park ordered him to serve the prison term of 41 years and five years of supervised release. According to the government’s evidence, on April 2, 2023, Worthy lived with Orlando Galloway in a one-bedroom apartment in the Capitol Hill area. The evening of the homicide, Worthy returned home and began arguing with Galloway over $20. As Galloway pleaded with Worthy that he would pay him the money, Worthy pulled out a firearm and shot eight times into the apartment, six of which struck Galloway. Worthy then grabbed a kitchen knife from the dishrack and stabbed Galloway five times in the neck. Worthy beat Galloway in the face repeatedly with the firearm, causing a piece of the frame to break off. Worthy then turned to Lewis and stabbed her multiple times while strangling her, causing her to lose consciousness. Worthy remained in the apartment for over an hour with Galloway’s body and Lewis, calling multiple people on his phone to ask for help “cleaning up this mess,” adding that he was “killing two people.” When Lewis tried to escape through the front door, Worthy attacked her again, stabbing her with a pair of scissors. A neighbor across the street heard Lewis screaming, saw Worthy attacking Lewis, and called 911. Officers arrived shortly thereafter, and Worthy fled out the back door. During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Worthy texted multiple individuals in the hours after the homicide, including stating, “I killed two people.” Law enforcement arrested Worthy the following day, April 3, 2023, and he remained in custody since. Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Lawrence and Molly Smith prosecuted the case. 2023CF1002010


title: Double-dealing duo sentenced for mortgage and investment fraud scheme

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two former financial services specialists were sentenced for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud affecting financial institutions relating to their unlawful use of client information to obtain loans. According to court documents, Roberta Leigh Dawson, aka Bird, 63, formerly of Alexandria and current resident of Norlina, North Carolina, was a licensed loan officer with a local mortgage brokerage, and Edward Fitzgerald, 59, of Fairfax, purported to be a financial advisor with an expertise in real estate transactions and investments. Fitzgerald’s clients provided him with access to their money, financial information, and means of identification. Fitzgerald passed his clients’ information to Dawson to obtain fraudulent real estate loans. In some instances, Fitzgerald and Dawson sold their victims’ homes without their knowledge, including to straw buyers. They would then strip out the equity and use it to pay their own expenses, among other things. They also used their victims’ personal information without their knowledge to obtain loans in their names and submitted to financial institutions loan applications that were replete with misstatements. Dawson withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars of victim cash from accounts she controlled after fraudulently diverting the funds into those accounts. Dawson routinely paid Fitzgerald’s credit card, which he used for extravagant travel, luxury items, and daily expenses, with more than $1 million in funds obtained from the fraud scheme. Dawson pled guilty on Sept. 24, 2025, and was sentenced today to two years and six months in prison. Fitzgerald pled guilty on Sept. 16, 2025, and was sentenced on Jan. 20 to five years in prison. The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Russell L. Carlberg and Annie Zanobini and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Hood for the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Pedersen, from Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-145.


title: Nine Charged with Conspiracy to Straw Purchase Firearms

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Jan. 27, 2026, the following nine people were charged by federal criminal complaint with Conspiracy to Commit the Offense of Material False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm: Jorge Alain Corona, 28, of Gilroy, California; Alejandro Corona, 32, of Yuma, Arizona; Jonathan Ventura Bravo, 32, of Phoenix, Arizona; Marvin Agustin Teutle, 29, of Laveen, Arizona; Jesus Roberto Corella Mares, 33, of Mesa, Arizona; Rosario Agustin Teutle, 27, of Buckeye, Arizona; April Denise Corral Aldecoa, 24, of Yuma, Arizona; Linda-Ana Grace Camarillo, 22, of Kalispell, Montana; and Jose Ruben Quiroz, 26, of Yuma, Arizona. “This case exposes a scheme to lie, buy, and funnel dangerous firearms into the hands of nefarious actors, including trafficking firearms across our southern border,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “It is particularly alarming when these weapons are intended for use by criminal organizations. This office will continue working in tandem with our law enforcement partners to block the flow of illegal firearms to those who would use them to harm others.” “Straw purchasers aren’t just lying on a form- they’re often putting firearms directly onto the hands of criminals,” said Shawn Stallo, acting special agent in charge for the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “Straw purchasing is a serious felony that can carry penalties of up to 10 years in jail and a $250,000 fine.” “Straw purchasing undermines public safety by intentionally concealing the identity of the actual offender and defeating lawful safeguards,” said Matthew Murphy, acting special agent in charge for HSI Arizona. “HSI and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the public, thoroughly investigating this criminal activity and reviewing all facts objectively and with integrity — because community safety depends on it.” According to the complaint, between March 2020 and January 2024, defendants acted to unlawfully acquire firearms by making false representations to the firearms seller. Specifically, at the time of purchase, the straw purchaser would sign forms claiming that they were the actual purchaser of the firearm, when in fact they were acquiring the firearm on behalf of another individual. Over the course of the investigation, these individuals conspired to straw purchase more than 15 firearms, including at least three Barrett .50 caliber and 10 belt-fed semi-automatic rifles, which were intended to be smuggled into Mexico. On July 26, 2023, law enforcement was able to seize six of the firearms shortly after they were illegally obtained. On March 24, 2025, authorities with the Government of Mexico seized another firearm identified in this investigation as illegally acquired by this conspiracy. This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. This HSTF investigation comprises agents and officers from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the prosecution being led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Travis L. Wheeler and Bradley Baugher of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Phoenix. A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. CASE NUMBER: 26-3011MJ RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-014_Corona, et. al Photos of firearms seized. # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.