title: PENSACOLA MAN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR MAIL THEFT

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Rashaad Tariq Lee, 31, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 25 months in federal prison for Unlawful Possession of Stolen Mail and Means of Identification. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I truly appreciate the outstanding investigative work by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service that put an end to this offender’s fraud and theft schemes. Mail theft and identity theft has a devastating impact on the victims of such crimes, and my office will aggressively pursue prosecutions to ensure offenders face maximum consequences for the harm they have caused.” Court records reflect that on February 22, 2024, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office executed a residential search warrant at an apartment Lee resided at and obtained through fraud, utilizing a senior citizen’s identity. Law enforcement located stolen mail, counterfeiting tools, and identification for individuals’ including driver’s licenses, social security cards, stolen and counterfeit checks. Investigators identified 71 additional victims based on the items located and seized from the residence. “This prosecution sends the message that mail theft will not be tolerated, and the perpetrators will be held accountable,” said Acting Inspector in Charge, Bladismir Rojo, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division. “The Postal Inspection Service will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue criminals who victimize postal customers.” “Teamwork delivers results,” said Sheriff Chip W. Simmons, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. “Through our partnership with the US Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, a suspect in a stolen mail and ID case has been sentenced to 25 months. If you steal from our community, you will face justice.” Lee’s imprisonment will be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, meaning if he violates any of the conditions of his supervision, he will potentially face an additional period of incarceration. The case was investigated jointly by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer H. Callahan prosecuted this case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Federal Charges Filed Against Albuquerque Supplier in Major Drug Trafficking Investigation

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man has been indicted on federal charges following a DEA investigation that uncovered a large-scale narcotics trafficking operation in Albuquerque. According to court documents, on August 13, 2025, DEA agents conducted an undercover operation in Albuquerque in which Jose Magana Garcia , a Mexican national unlawfully present in the United States, was identified as a fentanyl trafficker and source of supply. During the operation, Garcia delivered approximately 2,000 fentanyl pills to an undercover officer through intermediaries. Agents later tracked him to an apartment in northeast Albuquerque where surveillance showed him conducting suspected drug transactions and using counter-surveillance driving tactics. On August 27, 2025, agents executed a search warrant at the apartment and found Garcia inside. The search uncovered large quantities of narcotics concealed in a couch, including more than 8 kilograms of fentanyl pills, over 4 kilograms of heroin, and nearly 35 grams of methamphetamine. Agents also recovered packaging materials and prepackaged doses consistent with drug distribution. Garcia is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Garcia faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office Special Investigations Bureau and the Laguna Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Elena Stiteler is prosecuting the case. View the Indictment (Garcia).pdf An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Florida Man Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Prison for $5 Million Fraud Scheme Involving Western Pennsylvania Rental Properties

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A former resident of Hudson, Florida, was sentenced in federal court to 78 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of wire fraud conspiracy, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Paul Andrew Gulbronson, 59, on September 9, 2025. According to information presented to the Court, Gulbronson and his co-defendant/wife, Kelly Bonilla—who remains a fugitive residing in Panama—operated Citrona Homes from Florida and Johnstown, Pennsylvania, between 2017 and June 2019. The defendants used Citrona as a housing scheme in which they induced investors through telemarketing calls and online solicitations to purchase Citrona-owned homes or properties in Johnstown by promising to rent “fully renovated” properties to Section 8 tenants. Citrona bought distressed properties and sold them to mostly out-of-state investors at greatly inflated prices, with the promise that they were renovated, tenant-occupied, and managed by Citrona. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) settlement records revealed that, between June 2017 and June 2019, Citrona purchased over 100 homes for approximately $2 million and resold them for approximately $6 million. Very few of the properties were habitable, and some were vacant lots. Financial and bank records identified over $5.3 million that Citrona received from investors, with the investors having lost approximately $5 million of that amount. “Over the course of several years, Paul Gulbronson misled investors regarding the condition and status of their Citrona Homes properties in order to swindle millions of dollars from those victims, and then—upon learning that he was under investigation for these crimes—fled the United States, leaving dozens of dilapidated properties in his wake,” said Acting United States Attorney Rivetti. “As a result of the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners, Gulbronson has been brought to justice and held accountable for his egregious criminal activity.” “Gulbronson used a series of lies and misrepresentations to defraud investors into believing they had purchased fully renovated rental properties that would provide them with passive income,” said Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge of the Pittsburgh Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “Instead of fulfilling his promises, he used their money to further the fraud scheme and pay for personal expenses, including restaurants, airline tickets, home furnishings, and lease payments for his residences in Florida. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service constantly strives to protect our customers from losing their hard-earned money through mail fraud schemes and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring those responsible to justice.” “Paul Gulbronson willfully engaged in a $5 million fraud scheme to induce individuals to make investments on properties under false pretenses, including false statements that payments would be made with federal taxpayer dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement and oversight partners to vigorously pursue those who seek to profit by abusing HUD-funded programs.” Gulbronson, who did not have an official title within Citrona but operated and controlled Citrona, was directly involved in real estate sales to investors, and oversaw the renovations, or lack of renovations, of the properties associated with Citrona. Gulbronson and Bonilla operated Citrona’s sales office in the Holiday, Florida, area from at least June 2017 through May 2019, which included a call center from which employees placed sales calls to potential investors. Between October 2017 and May 2019, Citrona also had a management office, located at 329 Market Street in Johnstown, which operated the property management side of the business including handling complaints from tenants and investors, collecting and depositing rent payments, coordinating repairs and maintenance, and writing checks to pay employees. Gulbronson and Bonilla used Citrona as a mechanism for enriching themselves by defrauding investors into purchasing unrenovated properties at prices far above fair market value through a series of false pretenses, representations, and promises. Investigators confirmed, for example, that the photos investors were able to view on the company’s website of “available” properties were actually staged and did not accurately depict the investment properties. Gulbronson falsely represented to some of the investors that the properties would be fully renovated at the time of the sale, or that the properties would be fully renovated within a specified period following the sale, when they were not, while some properties were condemned or vacant land when they were sold to unknowing investors. Assistant United States Attorneys Maureen Sheehan-Balchon and Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the United States Postal Inspection Service and Department of Housing and Urban Development–Office of Inspector General for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Gulbronson.


title: Neenah Man Indicted for Child Pornography Production

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on September 9, 2025, a federal grand jury issued a two-count indictment alleging that Jeffrey J. Haskell (age: 26), of Neenah, Wisconsin, used minor children to produce child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a) and 2251(e). According to the indictment, on or about January 11, 2025, and again on or about January 24, 2025, Jeffrey J. Haskell “knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced” minor children for the purpose of “producing a visual depiction” of the minors engaged in “sexually explicit conduct.” If convicted of either charge alleged in the indictment Haskell faces a mandatory 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years’ imprisonment. He could also be fined up to $250,000 per count and would be required to register as a sexual offender under state and federal law. This case was investigated by the Neenah Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. 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 Information Officer Steve Caballero (414) 297-1700 Follow us on X


title: Butler County man sentenced to 29 years in prison for sexually exploiting toddler on Snapchat

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – A Middletown man was sentenced in federal court in Cincinnati to 348 months in prison for sexually exploiting a toddler in Snapchat videos. Daveion Wright, 32, was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024. He pleaded guilty in April 2025. According to court documents, on at least five instances in January 2024, Wright sexually exploited a 2-year-old victim, uploaded videos of the explicit conduct, and shared one video on Snapchat. For example, one 54-second video depicted Wright and an adult female having vaginal intercourse as the toddler victim pushed on Wright’s hips. The other videos showed Wright exposing the toddler’s anus and vagina while Wright had intercourse with the adult female. As part of Wright’s sentencing, the United States detailed in its court filings that local law enforcement received at least three other complaints against Wright involving different child victims between 2019 and 2023, including allegations of inappropriately touching victims at a sleepover. Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division and Middletown Police Chief Earl Nelson announced the sentence imposed on Sept. 9 by Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Sports Park Executives Sentenced To Prison For Municipal Bond Fraud

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that RANDY MILLER and CHAD MILLER, former executives of the Legacy Park sports complex in Mesa, Arizona, were sentenced yesterday to six and five years in prison, respectively, for securities fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with their scheme to defraud municipal bond investors. Both defendants previously pled guilty and were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan. “The significant sentences imposed for this municipal bond fraud, along with the parallel civil fraud action by the SEC, reflect the commitment of our Office, the FBI, and the SEC to hold accountable those who exploit the trust of investors,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Randy and Chad Miller orchestrated a sophisticated scheme that cost bondholders nearly $300 million. Their scheme undermined confidence in the $4 trillion+ municipal bond market that communities across America depend on to finance essential projects. We will continue to fight for the integrity and efficiency of the municipal bond market.” * * * In addition to their prison terms, RANDY MILLER, 70, and CHAD MILLER, 41, were sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay money judgments in the amounts of $7,289,134.89 and $4,798,980.19. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI and thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which resolved a parallel civil action. The case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Courtney L. Heavey and Matthew R. Shahabian are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Collinsville man imprisoned 46 months for pipe bomb

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

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A Collinsville man will spend almost four years in federal prison for making pipe bombs. Jeremy Barr, 49, was indicted in March 2024 by a grand jury sitting in East St. Louis of possessing a destructive device and pled guilty to that offense on May 1, 2025. Barr, who has been detained since his arrest on federal charges, was sentenced in District Court on Sept. 3, 2025. “Improvised explosive devices are inherently unpredictable, unstable, and indiscriminate,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Jeremy Barr threatened innocent lives near a Southern Illinois school, endangering kids, and our community. We thank the brave law enforcement officers who responded, and we pledge to relentlessly pursue bomb makers to protect the public.” Analysis by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), determined that the explosive device was packed with fragmentation that could have caused serious injury or death upon detonation. “The defendant in this case left two pipe bombs in a car parked next to a school for two days, posing a direct threat not only to the school but also the surrounding community,” said ATF Chicago Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon. “I want to commend the swift actions of law enforcement and prosecutors, whose efforts helped avert a potential tragedy. ATF remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to disrupt threats to public safety and hold violent offenders accountable.” As part of his sentence, Barr will pay $15,000 in restitution to his former landlord for damage to the residence caused by the Illinois State Police during execution of a search warrant to determine if other devices might be in the home. According to court documents, there were no additional devices, but evidence of bomb making was found in the basement. The investigation was conducted by the ATF, the Wood River Police Department, the Collinsville Police Department, the Illinois State Police, the FBI Springfield Field Office and the Illinois Secretary of State Police Hazardous Device Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Burke prosecuted the case.


title: Two Plead Guilty to Conspiracy Involving Manufacturing of Counterfeit Pills Containing Fentanyl

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Two Massachusetts men pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to their roles in a conspiracy involving the distribution and manufacturing of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and other controlled substances. Elmidio Crisostomo, 30, of Lynnfield and David Depena, 32, of Lynn, pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencings for Dec. 10, 2025. In November 2023 , both men were indicted by federal grand jury. Crisostomo and Depena used an apartment in Lynn to manufacture counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and other controlled substances. The defendants then distributed thousands of these pills to customers in towns including Malden and Revere. During a search of the Lynn apartment in June 2023, a large hand-crank-style press used for manufacturing pills as well as multiple kilograms of pills and powder containing fentanyl and other controlled substances were recovered. The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lynn Police Department and the Revere Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Honduran National Sentenced to Seven Months in Prison for Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Honduran national, unlawfully residing in Lynn, Mass., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. This is the defendants third conviction for illegal reentry. Douglas Mejia-Romero, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to seven months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In May 2025 , Mejia-Romero pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Mejia-Romero was previously deported on May 15, 2020, and sometime after this removal, Mejia-Romero unlawfully reentered the United States. Additionally, between 2008 and 2020, Mejia-Romero was removed from the United States on five separate occasions. After each removal, he unlawfully reentered the United States. This is Mejia-Romero’s third illegal reentry conviction. In May 2015, he was convicted in the District of New Hampshire and received a nine-month prison sentence followed by two years of supervised release. Thereafter, in April 2020, he was again convicted of illegal reentry, this time in federal court in Texas, and received a six-month prison sentence. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Justice Department Announces Ruling to Protect Military Servicemembers’ Civilian Employment Pension Benefits

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced that the U.S. District Court of Guam ruled in favor of the United States in its lawsuit against the Government of Guam and the Guam Retirement Fund (Guam) to protect servicemembers’ civilian employment pension benefits while they serve in the military. When Guam civilian employees such as teachers and firefighters are called for active military service, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) entitles them to receive certain civilian employment benefits, including pension benefits, during their time of military service. In its complaint, the United States alleges that Guam unlawfully considered military leave a break in service and refused to award servicemembers retirement service credit while they were on military leave. Guam also refused to contribute employer contributions, and to accept employee contributions, while servicemembers were on military leave. “USERRA provides civilian employees with valuable employment benefits while they serve in the military,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Employers cannot deny our military servicemembers these benefits while they sacrifice their time and careers and serve their country.” On Sept. 4, the district court ruled in favor of the United States on its motion for summary judgment, holding that treating the leave as a break in service violates the servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. The court also held that the servicemembers were entitled to receive employer contributions, and to make employee contributions, in the same amounts and manner as employees not on military leave. USERRA protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to reemployment in their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations, provides that servicemembers shall not be discriminated against because of their military obligations, and ensures that servicemembers receive certain civilian employment benefits, including pension benefits, during their time of military service. The Justice Department prioritizes the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s website www.justice.gov/servicemembers as well as on the Department of Labor’s website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra .


title: Columbia Man Charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Columbia, Mo., man with possession of a firearm after a prior felony conviction. Semaj Reshod Clark, 25, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges that on Aug. 10, 2025, Clark possessed a Taurus G3 9mm handgun in Boone County, Mo. Clark has a prior felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo. Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Florida Man Sentenced to 24 Months for Laundering Proceeds of Health Care Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Florida man was sentenced to prison for laundering the proceeds of a health care fraud and kickback scheme involving durable medical equipment (DME) that caused millions of dollars in losses to Medicare and other insurance providers, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced. Thomas Farese, 83, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by 6 months of home confinement. Farese previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz to a Superseding Information charging him with money laundering. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Farese invested in a DME supply company that was owned and operated by Aaron Williamsky, Nadia Levit, and others involved in a large-scale health care fraud and kickback scheme that involved billing Medicare and other insurers for DME—including orthotic knee, elbow, and back braces—that the receiving patients did not want or need. In April 2019, Williamsky, Levit, and others were arrested and charged for their roles in the scheme. Farese learned of their arrests and fraudulent conduct shortly thereafter and communicated about it with his business partner, Patsy Truglia, who has been convicted for his role in the scheme. Farese then received into his bank account $495,000 in proceeds of the scheme. In addition to the prison term, Judge Farbiarz sentenced Farese to three years of supervised release (including the 6 months of home confinement) and to pay $1,314,000 in restitution to the victims. Judge Farbiarz also ordered forfeiture of $495,000, which constituted proceeds of the health care fraud scheme. Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; and the Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction of Christopher Silvestro, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker of the Health Care Fraud & Opioids Abuse Prevention Unit in Newark and Darren C. Halverson, Acting Assistant Chief of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. ### Defense counsel: James R. Froccaro, Esq. farese.information.pdf


title: Springfield Man Sentenced for Meth and Fentanyl Trafficking

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy involving 19 defendants and over $1.8 million worth of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Dontrell A. Powell, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 32 and a half years in federal prison without parole for one count each of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Powell pleaded guilty on Jan. 21, 2025. According to court documents, an investigation into the drug-trafficking organization began on Jan. 17, 2024, when a Trooper with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol searched a vehicle on a car hauler at a truck stop in Oklahoma City, Ok. The Trooper found approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of fentanyl pills hidden in a subwoofer speaker box in the cargo area of a Dodge Magnum. The approximate street value of the drugs was $1,850,000. Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration removed the fentanyl pills from the Dodge Magnum and replaced most of the methamphetamine with sham methamphetamine before conducting a controlled delivery of the vehicle the next morning. On Jan. 18, 2024, Dontrell Powell and his brother, Dreshawn Powell, 28, also of Springfield, Mo., arrived at the parking lot in a 2018 Mercedes Benz GLE, which was registered to Dontrell. Dontrell Powell signed for the Dodge Magnum, which had been shipped from California to Missouri under a false name, and drove it out of the parking lot. Agents followed the Powell brothers and two codefendants to Dontrell Powell’s residence, where they were all arrested. When agents searched Dontrell Powell’s residence they found an Anderson Manufacturing multi-caliber, semi-automatic pistol, two Glock carrying cases, three high-capacity Glock magazines, including a drum-style magazine loaded with 40 rounds of ammunition, several types of ammunition, and approximately $140,000. Agents also located four more large subwoofer boxes at the residence and a loaded Glock, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in the glove box of Dontrell Powell’s Mercedes. Dontrell Powell is the second defendant to be sentenced in this case. His brother, Dreshawn Powell, was sentenced on July 21, 2025, to 190 months in federal prison without parole for one count of aiding and abetting the attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Parsons, Kan., Police Department, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, and the Labette County, Kan., Sheriff’s Department. Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Mexican National With Felony Drug Conviction Charged For Illegally Reentering The United States

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national made her initial court appearance yesterday to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country. Maria Vega-Villalba, 45, is charged with one-count of deported alien found in the United States. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 23, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J Albregts. According to allegations contained in the criminal complaint and statements made during court proceedings, Vega-Villalba is a citizen and national of Mexico who was previously deported and removed from the United States on May 16, 2024, and reentered the United States illegally. Fifteen months after Vega-Villalba was deported, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested her in a targeted operation on August 21, 2025. On January 23, 2023, the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County, convicted Vega-Villalba of Attempt Sale or Transportation for Sale of a Narcotic Drug (Fentanyl). Upon release from prison, an Immigration Judge on May 14, 2024, ordered Vega-Villalba removed. Two days later, she was deported to Mexico. If convicted, Vega-Villalba faces the maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a one-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. Acting United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Acting Field Office Director Jason Knight made the announcement. The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case. Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form . An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ###


title: Independence Pair Indicted for Drug and Firearms Offenses

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Independence, Mo., individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. April Henderson, 46, and Donnell Timley, 51, of Independence, Mo., were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana, along with possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Timley was also indicted for being a felon in possession of firearms. On Aug. 28, 2025, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed a search warrant at Henderson and Timley’s residence in Independence, Mo. During the search, agents found 1.1 kilograms of cocaine, 317 grams of powder fentanyl, 100 fentanyl pills, 10 pounds of marijuana, and 8 ounces of suspected liquid PCP. Law enforcement also found five firearms and over $66,000 in cash. Henderson and Timley were arrested and had their initial appearances in federal court on Aug. 29, 2025. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Siegele. It was investigated by the DEA with assistance from other federal, state, and local agencies including Kansas Highway Patrol, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Independence 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Parolee Indicted for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been indicted for illegally possessing a firearm. Malik Holman, 27, was charged in a single count indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint filed on Sept. 5, 2025. According to court documents, on Sept. 4, 2025, Holman was observed by Kansas City Missouri Police Department detectives in possession of a firearm. Officers detained Holman, located the handgun, and placed him under arrest for illegally possessing a firearm. Holman had met with his state parole officer earlier that day. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Holman has a prior felony conviction for robbery. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Siegele. It was investigated by the Kansas City Missouri Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Brockton Man Pleads Guilty to COVID Unemployment Fraud

body_text: BOSTON – A Brockton man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to submitting fraudulent information in an effort to obtain unemployment benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. Nelson Roche Diaz, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Jan. 13, 2026. In January 2025 , Roche Diaz was indicted along with co-conspirator Dominik Manigo. In May 2020, Roche and Manigo submitted fraudulent claims for PUA on the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance portal. Further, Roche and Manigo submitted fraudulent letters claiming the pandemic had impacted their employment at a restaurant in Boston. Neither Roche nor Manigo ever worked at the restaurant. Roche and Manigo each received over $43,000 in PUA and related funds. Manigo pleaded guilty in July 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 18, 2025. The charges of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Labor Racketeering and Fraud, Northeast Region; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Weymouth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Stone County Sex Offender Sentenced for Child Pornography

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Galena, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender was sentenced in federal court yesterday for receiving and distributing child pornography. Steven Vincent Sanchez, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 200 months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Sanchez to spend 15 years on supervised release following incarceration. On April 22, 2025, Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography. Sanchez has prior felony convictions for statutory sodomy in the second degree and loitering within 500 feet of a public park, and has been required to register as a sex offender. According to court records, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTipline Report after the file sharing service Dropbox discovered a video file containing suspected child pornography. Investigators linked the file to Sanchez and executed a search warrant at Sanchez’s residence in Galena, Mo., on Aug. 7, 2023. Investigators seized several electronic devices and found 234 images and one video depicting child pornography. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Stone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office. Project Safe Childhood 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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”


title: Five Individuals Charged in $20 Million Theft and Fraud Scheme Targeting Hardware and Home Improvement Stores

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: A five-count indictment was unsealed earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn variously charging five defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, access device fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges arise from a more than two-year scheme to fraudulently acquire and resell over $20 million in building and construction materials, and appliances from home improvement and hardware stores throughout Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and elsewhere. The defendants were arrested this morning and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Seth D. Eichenholtz. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matt McCool, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrests and charges. “For these defendants, the tools of their trade were not hammers and nails, but fraud and deception. They enriched themselves by targeting programs designed for hard working consumers and small businesses to buy materials for construction and home improvement,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s arrests serve as a warning to those who try to profit from retail fraud: crime doesn’t pay.” “The Secret Service is proud to help disrupt an alleged criminal syndicate that carried out an elaborate fraud scheme here in New York City, siphoning millions of dollars into its coffers through bad checks in order to procure construction-related materials for illegitimate resale," stated USSS Special Agent in Charge McCool. “I want to congratulate our agents and our partners at both the Eastern District of New York and the NYPD for their hard work in holding these criminals accountable.” “These defendants allegedly deceived credit lenders with bogus bank checks to steal more than the $20 million of merchandise from hardware and home improvement businesses,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “Schemes like this don’t just affect retail corporations – they hurt honest consumers who rely on these programs to purchase trade supplies. I am thankful to the NYPD investigators, our federal partners at the United States Secret Service and HSI, and the U.S Attorney’s Office for shutting this scam operation down and holding these fraudsters accountable.” As set forth in court filings, from approximately July 2023 until September 2025, the defendants and their co-conspirators opened, or caused others acting at their direction to open, hundreds of lines of credit that hardware and home improvement stores made available to customers through the stores’ partner banks. These lines of credit included traditional consumer credit cards, which were designed for individual consumers’ personal use at the stores, and commercial lines of credit, which were aimed primarily for small businesses to purchase goods at the stores. The defendants opened many of these credit lines in the names of other people or on behalf of shell companies that had recently been founded or incorporated, were created in the names of straw owners and/or had no legitimate business operations. To increase the credit limits on their credit lines, the defendants presented paper checks to the stores under the guise of pre-funding the accounts or paying for past purchases. In reality, these checks were linked to bank accounts that had insufficient funds to cover the amounts printed on the checks. Before the checks were rejected, however, the defendants purchased significant amounts of building and construction materials for delivery to their warehouses. In total, the defendants and their co-conspirators stole over $20 million in merchandise, much of which they resold to others. Profits of their scheme were then laundered to offshore bank accounts and used to finance the ongoing operations of their warehouses. The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charges, the defendants each face up to 30 years in prison. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney James R. Simmons is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Asher Martin-Rosenthal. The Defendants : KAI XU Age: 44 Queens, New York ZHI BIN AN Age: 56 Brooklyn, New York XIANG CHEN Age: 39 Queens, New York SONGHAK LEE Age: 35 Queens, New York KANG ZHANG Age: 30 Queens, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-275 (RPK) 25-cr-275_indictment.pdf


title: Cumberland Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Children

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland - District Chief Judge George Levi Russell, III, sentenced Christopher Lawrence Stouffer, age 39, of Cumberland, Maryland, to 20 years in prison, today, followed by lifetime supervised release, for sexually exploiting two minors. Additionally, Stouffer must register as a sex offender for life. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; James Elliott, State’s Attorney for Allegany County; and Chief John C. Ralston, Jr., Frostburg State University Police. According to court documents, over several months, Stouffer used his cellular phone to produce numerous explicit videos of one minor victim beginning when she was 9 years old. Stouffer also installed a covert camera in the bathroom and captured explicit images of another minor victim who was 14. He then downloaded these files onto a hard drive where he kept a collection of at least 800 video files, including depictions of infants and toddlers. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and Frostburg State University Police for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen E. McGuinn and Spencer L. Todd who prosecuted the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Independence Elementary School Teacher Charged With Child Pornography Offenses

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., elementary school teacher has been indicted by a federal grand jury for additional child pornography offenses. Dennis Adlai Hernandez, 28, was charged in a seven-count federal indictment in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Hernandez was previously charged in a three-count criminal complaint with transportation of child pornography, production and attempted production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. Today’s indictment includes those charges and four additional counts of production and attempted production of child pornography. The offenses charged in the indictment are alleged to have occurred between August 2022 and August 2025. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. The FBI is seeking to identify potential victims of Hernandez. If you or your child believes they were a victim of Hernandez, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI. If you are under the age of 18, please have your parent/guardian call on your behalf. Your responses are voluntary. Based on your responses, you may be contacted by the FBI and asked to provide additional information. The FBI is legally mandated to identify victims of federal crimes it investigates. Victims may be eligible for certain services, restitution, and rights under federal and/or state law. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Dunning. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Project Safe Childhood 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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: GAINESVILLE MAN INDICTED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CRIMES

body_text: GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Daniel Reginald Hanna, II, 38, of Gainesville, FL, has been indicted in federal court for one count of attempted distribution of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges. Hanna appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry on September 5, 2025, for his initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida. Trial is scheduled for October 29, 2025, at 8:30 am before Chief Judge Allen C. Winsor in Gainesville, Florida. If convicted, Hanna faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment for each count. This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Gainesville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case 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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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 . The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Three Defendants Federally Indicted for Armed Robbery Spree That Shut Down Fairgrounds of the Minnesota State Fair

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Dylan Charles Jungwirth, age 21, Kenneth Toy Spight, age 21, and Kemonie Hurd, age 18, have all been indicted by a federal grand jury with Hobbs Act Robbery charges. On August 17, 2025, the defendants went on a spree of gas station robberies in a stolen vehicle, using a highly realistic airsoft gun to threaten store employees. Their spree caused the nearby Minnesota State Fair preparations to temporarily shut down. “The State Fair is one Minnesota’s most cherished traditions. It is a time for all of us to come together and celebrate the state and the end of summer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “These defendants brought violence to that celebration with their armed robbery spree. Anyone who does that will see federal charges.” On August 17, 2025, at 5:56am, defendants Jungwirth and Spight robbed a Speedway gas station in Roseville, Minnesota. A few hours later, at 8:34am, defendants Jungwirth, Spight, and Hurd robbed another gas station, this time a BP gas station in Little Canada, Minnesota. At 9:05am, defendants Jungwirth, Spight, and Hurd robbed a third gas station, a BP gas station in Roseville, Minnesota. The defendants robbed all three gas stations at gunpoint. At the third gas station, one of the defendants demanded the cashier’s wallet. The cashier refused and attempted to grab the gun. The defendant then struck the cashier on the head with the gun, resulting in a laceration and burst blood vessel in the cashier’s eye. After the third robbery, law enforcement spotted a suspect vehicle and pursued it into St. Paul, where the defendants crashed their car. One defendant was arrested while the other two fled on foot into the woods. A search ensued. The other two defendants were later arrested. The robberies occurred as preparations were ongoing for the Minnesota State Fair. The pursuit and search took place near the State Fairgrounds. At 10:20am that morning, law enforcement sent out an emergency alert, telling people that the fairgrounds were closed due to police activity in the area and to avoid the area south of the fairgrounds. Law enforcement later issued a second “all clear” alert. The defendants made their initial appearances yesterday afternoon in federal court. All three defendants are detained pending further proceedings. If convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota State Fair Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, and the St. Anthony Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian Weir is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Nogales Man Sentenced to 32 Months in Prison for Pointing Firearm at Border Patrol Agent

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Erik Alberto Beal, 28, of Nogales, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Angela Martinez to 32 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Beal previously pleaded guilty to Assault on a Federal Officer. On April 11, 2024, two uniformed Border Patrol Agents were tracking an illegal alien they saw cross into the United States near Beal’s residence in the border city of Nogales. The agents had split up and were searching around Beal’s residence when a pit bull was released from the side door in the direction of the one of the agents. The agent drew his service-issued firearm at the pit bull and began shouting. Beal then came out of his house, retrieved a semi-automatic handgun from his nearby truck, chambered a round, and pointed the gun at the uniformed agent. A brief, but tense, standoff ensued until the second agent arrived and drew his service weapon at Beal. Only then did Beal put down his gun. The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection, Office of Professional Responsibility. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Micah Schmit and Serra Tsethlikai, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: 24-CR-02352-TUC-AMM-JR RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-146_Beal # # # 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: Providence Man Convicted of Trafficking Cocaine

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Providence man pleaded guilty today in federal court to trafficking in kilos of cocaine, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Eluid Rosa-Escudero, 35, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 10, 2025. The sentence imposed in this matter will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Court documents reflect that a three-month, multi-agency investigation into Rosa-Escudero’s drug trafficking activities culminated on April 10, 2025, with the execution of a court-authorized search of his Providence residence and the seizure of two kilograms of cocaine, $10,000 in cash, and other items associated with the trafficking of narcotics. Leading up to the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement surveilled the retrieval of a package suspected of containing cocaine delivered by the U.S. Postal Service to the front porch of a Providence residence. The package was retrieved by a person who arrived by car and then drove to a nearby gas station where the driver met with Rosa-Escudero, who was in a separate vehicle. As the two vehicles pulled away, Rosa-Escudero was followed by a law enforcement surveillance team to his residence. East Providence Police effected an investigative stop of the car driven by the person who retrieved the package from the porch of the residence, who they then identified as being 15 years old. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine D. Lowell and G. Michael Seaman. The matter is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service Contraband Interdiction and Investigations Task Force, with the assistance of the Providence Police Department, the Pawtucket Police Department, and the Rhode Island State Police. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). ###


title: Debtor Who Led Crypto Investment Scheme Denied Bankruptcy Discharge

component: U.S. Trustee Program

body_text: The U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) recently obtained a judgment denying a bankruptcy discharge of more than $12.5 million to a Texas man who concealed assets and lied in his bankruptcy case to evade his creditors, including investors in his cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme. On Aug. 1, the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas entered a default judgment against chapter 7 debtor Nathan Fuller. Fuller owned Privvy Investments LLC, a cryptocurrency investment company that he used to divert investor funds. Fuller spent a portion of the money on luxury goods, gambling trips, and a nearly $1 million home for his ex-wife, who was involved in the business and with whom Fuller still resided. “Fraudsters seeking to whitewash their schemes will not find sanctuary in bankruptcy,” said U.S. Trustee Kevin Epstein of Region 7, which includes the Southern District of Texas. “The USTP remains vigilant for cases filed by dishonest debtors, who threaten the integrity of the bankruptcy system.” Fuller filed for bankruptcy in October 2024 after a receiver was appointed to take possession of his assets in a lawsuit brought by investors in Texas state court. Following an investigation, the USTP’s Houston office filed a complaint objecting to Fuller’s discharge alleging that Fuller had concealed extensive assets, failed to keep records, and made multiple false oaths regarding his bankruptcy case and a separate bankruptcy filing for Privvy. After being held in civil contempt for failing to comply with court orders, Fuller admitted that he had operated Privvy as a Ponzi scheme and fabricated documentation to advance the scheme. Fuller also admitted that he gave false testimony and falsified bankruptcy documents to hinder the chapter 7 trustee appointed to administer his and Privvy’s bankruptcy cases. Following those admissions, Fuller failed to respond to the USTP’s complaint, leading to a default judgment in the USTP’s favor. As a result, Fuller remains personally liable for his debts – including more than $12.5 million in unsecured debts listed in his bankruptcy schedules – and creditors may continue collections on claims against him. The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 88 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust .


title: U.S. Attorney And HSI Announce Repatriation Of 16th-Century Hebrew Religious Text To Jewish Theological Seminary

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Ricky J. Patel, announced today the repatriation of a valuable cultural artifact, the Chamisa Humshe Torrah (Five Books of Moses), Venice, Giovanni di Gara, 1588, and Haftarot, 1589, Miniature, 162+60 Leaves (the “Di Gara Text”) to the Jewish Theological Seminary of the University of Jewish Studies in Budapest, Hungary (the “Jewish Theological Seminary”) at a ceremony at the Hungarian Consulate in New York City. The ceremony was attended by, among others, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton; Hungarian Ambassador to the United States Szabolcs Takács; Hungarian Consul General Istvan Pasztor; Rector of the Jewish Theological Seminary, Professor Gábor Balázs; and HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “The repatriation of the nearly 450-year-old Di Gara Text to the Jewish Theological Seminary marks the end of the text’s 80-year displacement from its rightful home,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton and HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “The Di Gara Text was looted from the seminary’s holdings during the occupation of Budapest by Nazi forces in 1944 and was found in the Southern District of New York in 2023. Our offices are honored to have had a role in returning this precious text to where it belongs.” According to the stipulated facts in the voluntary forfeiture order, statements made in court filings, and relevant online publications: Giovanni di Gara was a Venetian printer of Hebrew books in the 16 th century. The Di Gara Text is comprised of two works from the Jewish faith: the Chamisa Humshe Torrah (Five Books of Moses) , or the Jewish Torah in book form, and the Haftarot , a series of selections from the Hebrew Bible. An image of the leather-bound Di Gara text is included below. Lelio Della Torre was an Italian Jewish scholar and rabbi who lived from approximately 1805 to 1871. At some point during his life, the Di Gara Text came into Della Torre’s personal collection (the “Della Torre Collection” or the “Collection”). Works in the Della Torre Collection were stamped to indicate that they belonged to the Collection. In or about 1877, after Della Torre’s death, the Collection was sold to the Jewish Theological Seminary. In 1944, in the midst of World War II and the Holocaust, Nazi forces invaded Budapest and seized and occupied the Jewish Theological Seminary, looting its holdings. The Di Gara Text is believed to have disappeared during this period. In March 2023, Hungarian officials notified the Department of Homeland Security that a volume that appeared to be the Di Gara Text was for sale for $19,000 on www.abebooks.com. AbeBooks is an online marketplace used by independent vendors to sell, among other things, rare books. An image of a stamp in the volume was consistent with the stamp used by Della Torre to mark items in his Collection. In April 2023, Special Agents with HSI seized the Di Gara Text, and, on October 4, 2024, U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres issued an order confirming the forfeiture of the Di Gara Text for the purposes of having this piece of cultural property returned to its rightful historical owner in Hungary. * * * Mr. Clayton and Mr. Patel praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents from HSI’s Cultural Property, Art, and Antiquities Squad. Mr. Clayton and Mr. Patel also thanked the Government of Hungary and the Hungarian Inspectorate of Cultural Goods for notifying the U.S. Government of the Di Gara Text’s presence in the Southern District of New York, providing helpful information to effectuate its seizure and forfeiture, and hosting today’s repatriation ceremony. This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Gianforti is in charge of this matter.


title: Charlotte Man Convicted At Trial For String Of Armed Robberies

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Andrew Marquis Jackson, 32, of Charlotte, was found guilty today for a string of armed robberies, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jackson was convicted of three counts of Hobbs Act robbery; three counts of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; two counts of possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; and one count of possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. According to evidence presented at trial, witness testimony, and documents filed in the case, Jackson and his co-conspirators, Joshuan Jon’tavious Blount and Messiah Lynn Blair, robbed at least three businesses in Charlotte at gunpoint. First, court documents show that on January 24, 2023, the defendants entered a Dunkin Donuts located on Beatties Ford Road. Jackson approached the counter and demanded cash from the register. He then fired a shot into the ceiling. Blair jumped over the counter and searched the back office for money. Jackson held an employee at gunpoint while taking money from the registers. Blount was the getaway driver. U.S. v. Jackson et al. – Armed Robbery at Dunkin Donuts Second, on January 27, 2023, Jackson entered a 7-Eleven located on Brookshire Blvd. Upon entering the store, the Jackson fired a shot into the ceiling with a handgun. He then pointed a gun at a store employee ordering him to hand over all the money in the register. Jackson took the money and ran out the store. Blount was inside the store pretending to be a customer during the robbery. U.S. v. Jackson et al. – Armed Robbery at 7-Eleven Third, on February 1, 2023, Blount went into the Family Dollar store located on Beatties Ford Road store to survey the number of people present. Jackson and Blair then entered the store, armed with firearms. The men pointed their guns at the employee behind the counter and demanded money from the register and safe. The robbers proceeded to take all the cash from the registers before they fled the scene. U.S. v. Jackson et al. – Armed Robbery at Family Dollar Jackson is federal custody. At sentencing he faces up to 20 years in prison for each robbery and conspiracy to commit a robbery charge, and a maximum sentence of life in prison for the remaining charges involving possessing, brandishing, and discharging firearms in furtherance of the robberies. His sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Because of his counts of conviction, Jackson must receive a mandatory minimum sentence of 27 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: United States Attorney’s Office Charges 88 Defendants for  Federal Drug Offenses During Summer 2025

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicted 88 defendants between April and August 2025 for federal offenses related to the trafficking of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. These federal charges resulted from sophisticated, long-term investigations carried out by federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies, many of which collaborate through one of the various long-standing drug task forces operating throughout South Dakota. “Drug traffickers who flood our South Dakota communities with illegal narcotics will be met with the full force of federal prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Dakota is proud to work alongside federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to protect the public by disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations. We will continue to use every legal tool available to ensure drug traffickers face significant sentences in federal prison for endangering our communities and fueling addiction.” Leading the effort to identify and dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating in South Dakota are multi-agency drug task forces located throughout the state, including the following: Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force (SFADTF), comprised of the Sioux Falls Police Department, the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), comprised of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, DCI, the South Dakota Highway Patrol (SDHP), and the South Dakota National Guard (SDNG) Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force , comprised of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Division of Drug Enforcement (BIA-DDE), DCI, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety (OSTDPS) Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force , comprised of the FBI, BIA-DDE, DCI, SDHP, SDNG, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, Hughes County Sheriff’s Office, Tripp County Sheriff’s Office, Ziebach County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mobridge Police Department Among the 88 defendants indicted over the course of the last several months were 16 defendants arrested during Operation Snowy Ridge , a two-day, multi-agency drug trafficking takedown in Western South Dakota. The number also includes Defendant Mario Balquier, a large-scale methamphetamine dealer based in Mexico with high-level connections to the Sinaloa Cartel. Balquier, a U.S. citizen, fled to Mexico in 2013 after being indicted on federal drug charges. He was recently taken into custody with the assistance of federal agents from South Dakota following a high-risk fugitive arrest. Examples of significant illegal drug cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office this calendar year, and the federal prison sentences that resulted, include the following: United States v. Rikki Barrowman, et al. : Defendant pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (150 pounds of methamphetamine) throughout Pierre, Rapid City, and several South Dakota reservations and was sentenced to nearly 23 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case. United States v. Guillermo Calderon, et al. : Defendant pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine) within the Pine Ridge Reservation and Rapid City area and was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the FBI, DEA, BIA-OJS, and OSTDPS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case. United States v. Curtis Cummings, et al. : Following a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (fentanyl) Resulting in Death. He was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison; his co-conspirators each received 20-23 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by UNET. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan Dilges and Edward Tarbay prosecuted the case. United States v. Nathan Johnson, et al. : This 24-defendant methamphetamine conspiracy spanned the state and was one of the largest drug conspiracies in South Dakota history. The lead co-conspirators received sentences ranging from 27-36 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the DEA, FBI, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), DCI, the SFADTF, and the SDHP, with collaboration from more than a dozen other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies across the country. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case. United States v. Cory Linderman, et al. : Defendant was part of a group of people who worked together to traffic approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine throughout the Rapid City area. He was sentenced to 23 years in federal prison. Other co-conspirators received sentences ranging from 14-22 ½ years in federal prison. The case was investigated by UNET. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case. United States v. Quantiae Harris, et al. : This 26-defendant methamphetamine and fentanyl conspiracy operated throughout the Sioux Falls area. To date, numerous defendants have pleaded guilty and Defendants Hailey Schneiderman and Heather Downey have been sentenced to 16 years and 10 years in federal prison, respectively. The case was investigated by the DEA, the SFADTF, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce is prosecuting the case. United States v. Misty Stahlhoefer, et al. : This seven-defendant conspiracy involved the distribution of approximately 30-35 pounds of methamphetamine throughout the Pierre area. Misty Stahlhoefer was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison. Other co-conspirators received sentences ranging from 2-18 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Pierre Police Department, the Chamberlain Police Department, and the Lyman County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case. United States v. Calvin Taylor, et al. : Three defendants were charged with Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine) in the Aberdeen area. Two defendants pleaded guilty and one was convicted at trial. Defendants Hillard and Fowler have received 10 years and 25 years in federal prison, respectively. Taylor awaits sentencing. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce is prosecuting the case. The prosecution of illegal narcotics by the U.S. Attorney’s Office is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the United States Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Virginia Nurse Sentenced to Over Seven Years in Prison  for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Virginia nurse was sentenced today to over 87 months in prison and ten years of supervised release for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on an end-to-end encrypted messaging application. He was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine. “The defendant, who occupied a position of trust as a nurse practitioner, used an end-to-end encrypted messaging application to disseminate images depicting the abuse of young children and bragged about the effectiveness of the measures that he used to evade law enforcement detection,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “He thought that he could use technology to hide his crimes, but he was wrong. His sentence today should serve as a warning – to those that would harm vulnerable children, we will identify you, prosecute you, and bring you to justice.” According to court documents, Lucas Fussell, 43, formerly of Onley, Virginia, used the Session messaging application to send and receive numerous videos and images depicting the rape and sexual exploitation of prepubescent boys with another individual. Fussell, who worked as a nurse practitioner, also discussed several of his male patients, including children, in these communications, and boasted about the sophisticated technological measures he took to evade detection by law enforcement. The FBI came into possession of the other individual’s cellphone. In June 2024, Fussell sent an undercover officer nine videos depicting the sexual exploitation of prepubescent boys. Fussell was then arrested in July 2024 and has been detained since. In December 2024, Fussell pleaded guilty to the indicted charges without a plea agreement. Trial Attorney James E. Burke IV of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Courtney for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case. CEOS’ High Technology Investigative Unit (HTIU) provided substantial assistance in investigating the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Baltimore Recidivist Sentenced for Possession of Firearm and Ammunition by Convicted Felon in School Zone

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – Chief Judge George L. Russell, III, sentenced Gary Hall, 34, of Baltimore, Maryland, to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, along with possession of a firearm in a school zone in Baltimore City. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Police Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD). On March 5, 2024, BPD received a report about an armed individual in a convenience store. Authorities later identified the individual as Gary Hall, a previously convicted felon. Upon arrival at the convenience store, the responding officer located Hall walking in the direction of Pimlico Elementary School as students were leaving school for the day. The responding officer pursued Hall and identified the handle of a firearm inside of Hall’s inner jacket pocket. The officer then attempted to stop Hall, but he resisted and engaged in a physical struggle. During the struggle, the officer recovered the loaded firearm from Hall’s inner jacket pocket, but Hall evaded capture. At the time of its recovery, the firearm was equipped with an extended magazine loaded with 19 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Then on March 6, officers responded to a report of a burglary at a residence located a few blocks away from the convenience store. There, responding officers located and arrested Hall in the basement of the residence. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Tsuei and James Hammond who are prosecuting the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Fraudster Who Submitted Over $340,000 in Fake COVID Unemployment Benefits Applications Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Pitt County woman who submitted false pandemic unemployment benefit applications pleaded guilty to theft of government property charges on Wednesday. Shontavia Riddick, 32, faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison when a federal judge sentences her later this year. According to court documents and other information presented in court, Riddick defrauded the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Division of Employment Security (NCDES) by submitting more than 65 fraudulent unemployment benefits claims, requesting more than $340,000 in unemployment benefits. Riddick made false representations on the applications about the applicant’s employment and submitted fraudulent documents to support the applications. “When people lie, cheat, and steal taxpayers’ money that should be used to support actual struggling citizens, it undermines the whole system,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “We cannot allow individuals to loot the cellar to get fat while starving people go without. Not in Eastern North Carolina.” Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the plea. United States Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes is prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:25-CR-19-M. ###


title: Registered Sex Offender Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison For Enticement Of A Minor

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that CURTIS ELLINGTON was sentenced to 25 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern for his enticement of a 15-year-old minor to engage in sexual activity and for committing this offense while being required to register as a sex offender. “Children deserve protection from those who would exploit them,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “There is zero tolerance for this heinous conduct. Our Office will pursue every lead, use every tool, and bring every resource to bear to ensure that predators like Curtis Ellington are removed from our communities. If you suspect sexual exploitation, please reach out to our law enforcement partners.” According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings: ELLINGTON was convicted on or about January 12, 2007, in Orange County Court of Rape in the 1 st Degree: Intercourse with A Person Less Than 11 Years Old and sentenced to seven years in prison. As a result of this conviction, ELLINGTON was required to register as a sex offender. On or about April 7, 2023, ELLINGTON, who had traveled to Orange County, New York, from Kansas, slept at the home of a 15-year-old minor (“Victim-1”). While there, ELLINGTON engaged in sexual activity with Victim-1. Prior to engaging in sexual activity with Victim-1, ELLINGTON engaged in numerous communications with Victim-1 via Instagram in which ELLINGTON discussed his desire to engage in sexual activity with Victim-1. Individuals with information concerning the sexual exploitation of children are urged to call 1-800-Call-FBI. * * * In addition to the prison term, ELLINGTON, 36, of Junction City, Kansas, was sentenced to 15 years of supervised release. Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Middletown Police Department, the Geary County Sheriff’s Office in Junction City, Kansas, the New York State Police, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas in connection with this investigation. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Justice Department Sues Fort Worth-Area Tax Preparation Business and Its Owners

component: Tax Division

body_text: Note: View complaint here . The Justice Department today filed a civil injunction suit in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas. The lawsuit seeks to bar Amberley Ritter, Wesley Franklin, Mark Burkart, Kenneth Garner, and DFW Integrity Taxpros Services LLC, which does business as Integrity Tax Pros, from owning or operating a tax preparation business and preparing tax returns for others. The complaint also requests that the court require the defendants to disgorge the return preparation fees they obtained from preparing allegedly false or fraudulent tax returns. According to the complaint, Ritter, Franklin, and Burkart own Integrity Tax Pros, which operates as tax preparation stores in the Fort Worth area: North Richland Hills, Azle, Watauga, Haltom City, Hurst, and Saginaw. The complaint alleges that Garner acted as the General Manager overseeing Integrity Tax Pros stores. In the complaint, the government alleges that the defendants, and those acting at their direction, prepare and file tax returns to falsely increase their customers’ refunds, and they profit through high and often undisclosed preparation fees — at the expense of their customers and the Treasury. Examples of misconduct by defendants, and those acting at their direction, alleged in the complaint include: Falsely claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit; Fabricating businesses and related business income and expenses; Claiming false education credits; Claiming fabricated COVID-19-related tax credits; Fabricating itemized deductions, including for unreimbursed employee business expenses; Failing to conduct the required due diligence when claiming tax credits, including the Earned Income Tax Credit; and Failing to identify the actual paid preparer of completed tax returns. The Tax Division reminds taxpayers that the IRS has information, tips and reminders on its site for choosing a tax preparer carefully ( Choosing a Tax Professional and How to Choose a Tax Return Preparer ) and has launched a free directory of credentialed federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers taxpayers tips to protect their identities and wallets when filing their taxes. In addition, IRS Free File , a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $79,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronic federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free. The IRS has tips on how seniors and individuals with low to moderate income can get other help or guidance on tax return preparation, too. In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained civil injunctions and criminal convictions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website . An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page . If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details. Ritter - Taxpros Filed Complaint.pdf


title: Former NYPD Officer Turned Forex Investor Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Wire Fraud Scheme

body_text: BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, former New York City Police Department officer Jason Rodriguez was sentenced by United States District Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr. to 36 months in prison for his role in perpetrating a fraudulent investment scheme. Rodriguez, along with his co-conspirator Edwin Carrion, induced over 20 individuals to invest over $4 million with their foreign exchange (forex) trading fund, Technical Trading Team LLC, based on a slew of misrepresentations. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Reyes ordered Rodriguez to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $748,394.00 and to pay restitution of $2,305,256.00. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in November 2024. The sentence was announced by Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI). “Today, the defendant received just punishment for defrauding over 20 individual investors out of millions of dollars of hard-earned money. The defendant violated the trust his clients placed in him by falsely promising them a safe investment opportunity,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue justice for victims of financial crime who fall prey to individuals like Rodriguez who advance their greedy desires at the expense of others.” According to court filings and the defendant’s admissions, Rodriguez and Carrion founded Technical Trading Team in the spring of 2020 and Rodriguez served as the company’s Chief Operating Officer. Rodriguez had sole trading authority over the vast majority of the nearly $5 million raised by Technical Trading Team from over 20 individual investors. Rodriguez and Carrion promised investors annual investment returns ranging from 18% to 24% and convinced investors to invest based on a number of material misrepresentations. Rodriguez and Carrion promised investors that they were making a safe investment; in reality, Rodriguez disregarded numerous safeguards that he promised investors were in place to protect their investments. For example, though Rodriguez and Carrion promised investors that Technical Trading Team had a “loss reserve account” comprised of funds that would not be traded and could be used to repay investors in the event of market losses, no such “loss reserve account” ever existed. Rodriguez also promised investors that Technical Trading Team would never expose more than 1% of Technical Trading Team investors’ funds to market risk at any given time, only to ignore that safeguard as well. Further, Rodriguez promised investors that Technical Trading Team would not hold trading positions open overnight, which Rodriguez ignored on multiple occasions, including once holding a trade open from February 2021 until April 2022, resulting in a catastrophic loss of over $150,000, representing approximately 12.61% of Technical Trading Team’s assets. Once it became clear to Rodriguez that Technical Trading Team could not pay its investors their promised returns using trading profits, Rodriguez turned Technical Trading Team into a Ponzi scheme and began using money from new investors to pay older investors their interest payments and principal redemptions. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Weintraub is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Liam McNett. The Defendant : JASON RODRIGUEZ Age: 38 Bellerose, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-79


title: Citizen Of Mexico Indicted On Illegal Reentry Charge

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Renato Jardines-Santiago, age 37, of Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of Illegal Reentry. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about August 25, 2025, Jardines-Santiago was found in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, after previously having been removed from the United States. The indictment also alleges that Jardines-Santiago had been removed from the United States through San Ysidro, California, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so. He was previously prosecuted in 2019 for illegally reentering the United States after having been removed. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE). Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #