title: Former Venezuelan General Pleads Guilty To Narco-Terrorism, Weapons, And Drug Trafficking Charges

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and the Acting Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Robert Murphy, announced today that former Venezuelan general HUGO ARMANDO CARVAJAL BARRIOS, a/k/a “El Pollo,” pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein to conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, engaging in narco-terrorism for the benefit of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (the “FARC”), and related weapons offenses. “The deeply troubling reality is that there are powerful foreign government officials who conspire to flood the United States with drugs that kill and debilitate,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios was once one of the most powerful men in Venezuela. For years, he and other officials in the Cartel de Los Soles used cocaine as a weapon—flooding New York and other American cities with poison. In doing so, Carvajal Barrios partnered with a deadly terrorist group to support their combined drug trafficking and terrorism efforts, wreaking havoc on communities throughout the United States and elsewhere. Today’s guilty plea demonstrates our commitment to holding accountable foreign officials who abuse their power to poison our citizens. I commend the extraordinary efforts of our law enforcement allies in the DEA’s Special Operations Division and our other law enforcement partners here and abroad.” “Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios exploited his position as the director of Venezuela’s military intelligence and abandoned his responsibility to the people of Venezuela in order to intentionally cause harm to the United States,” said DEA Acting Administration Robert Murphy. “After years of trying to evade law enforcement, Carvajal Barrios will now likely spend the rest of his life in federal prison. As evidenced in this case, DEA will relentlessly pursue anyone who uses violence, drugs, and intimidation to compromise the safety and security of the United States.” As alleged in the Superseding Indictment, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings: Beginning in at least 1999, CARVAJAL BARRIOS, a Venezuelan citizen and the former director of Venezuela’s military intelligence agency, which was known as the Direccion de Inteligencia Militar (“DIM”), along with other high-ranking Venezuelan government and military officials, acted as leaders and managers of the Cartel de Los Soles , or “Cartel of the Suns.” CARVAJAL BARRIOS and other Cartel de Los Soles members abused the Venezuelan people and corrupted the legitimate institutions of Venezuela—including parts of the military, intelligence apparatus, legislature, and judiciary—to facilitate the importation of tons of cocaine into the United States. The Cartel de Los Soles sought not only to enrich its members and enhance their power but also to “flood” the United States with cocaine and inflict the drug’s harmful and addictive effects on users in the United States. To accomplish these goals, the leaders of the Cartel de Los Soles partnered with leaders of the FARC, a violent terrorist organization based in Colombia that was dedicated to the overthrow of the Colombian government, which was responsible for the production and distribution of the majority of the cocaine that reached the United States. CARVAJAL BARRIOS held multiple positions of public trust in Venezuela that he exploited to benefit the Cartel de Los Soles, including as director of the DIM between approximately 2004 and 2011, and again in 2013. CARVAJAL BARRIOS took advantage of that position to illegally traffic narcotics and support his drug trafficking partners, including the FARC. In or about 2006, for example, CARVAJAL BARRIOS coordinated with other members of the Cartel de Los Soles to dispatch a 5.6-ton cocaine shipment from Venezuela on a DC-9 plane bearing a United States registration number. The plane departed Venezuela and landed in Mexico, where Mexican authorities seized the 5.6 tons of cocaine upon arrival. CARVAJAL BARRIOS also worked with the FARC to coordinate multi-ton drug shipments under his protection; provided heavily-armed security to protect drug shipments; and armed the FARC with automatic weapons and explosives to further the group’s drug trafficking and terrorist activities. To accomplish cocaine distribution on this massive scale, CARVAJAL BARRIOS accepted millions of dollars from drug traffickers. In addition, CARVAJAL BARRIOS participated in violence, including kidnappings and murder, to facilitate this cocaine trafficking and protect his co-conspirators. One of CARVAJAL BARRIOS’s co-defendants in this case has already been sentenced. On or about April 11, 2024, Cliver Antonio Alcala Cordones was sentenced principally to a term of 260 months in prison, after pleading guilty to providing material support, including firearms, to the FARC. Other co-conspirators remain at large. * * * CARVAJAL BARRIOS, 65, of Venezuela, pled guilty to four counts contained in the Superseding Indictment. A table containing the charges and minimum and maximum penalties is set forth below. CARVAJAL BARRIOS is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29, 2025. Count Min. and Max. Prison Term Count One: Narco-terrorism conspiracy Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; maximum of life in prison Count Two: Narcotics importation conspiracy Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison; maximum of life in prison Count Three: Possession of firearms, including machineguns and destructive devices Mandatory minimum of 30 years in prison, which is to run consecutively to any other prison term imposed; maximum of life in prison Count Four: Conspiracy to possess firearms, including machineguns and destructive devices Maximum of life in prison The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing will be determined by the judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit, Miami Field Division, New York Field Division, Madrid Country Office, Bogota Country Office, and Mexico City Country Office; the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Treasury Department, Office of Foreign Assets Control; the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division; the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida; the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs; the U.S. Embassy Madrid; the U.S. Embassy Bogota; the U.S. Embassy Mexico City; and our law enforcement partners in Colombia, Mexico, and Spain. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and July 19, 2023, extradition from Spain of Carvajal Barrios. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley, Kaylan E. Lasky, and Kevin T. Sullivan are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the Counterterrorism Section. Link to a previous press release in this case: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/former-venezuelan-official-hugo-armando-carvajal-barrios-extradited-united-states.


title: Russian National Who Allegedly Lied About Smuggling Undeclared Biological Items Into Boston Indicted by Federal Grand Jury

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Russian national was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with attempting to smuggle clawed frog embryos and embryonic samples into the United States. Kseniia Petrova, 31, a Russian citizen, was indicted on one count of concealment of a material fact, one count of false statement and one count of smuggling goods into the United States. Petrova was taken into immigration custody on Feb. 16, 2025 and was charged by criminal complaint on May 14, 2025 in connection with the federal case. She is currently on pretrial release. According to the charging documents, on Feb. 16, 2025, Petrova arrived at Logan International Airport in Boston on a flight from Paris. Upon her arrival, Petrova was stopped by Customs & Border Protection agents after a law enforcement canine allegedly alerted its handler to the defendant’s checked duffel bag on the baggage carousel. Per protocol, the bag was removed from the carousel and brought to an agricultural secondary inspection area for further screening. There, an officer inspected the contents of the bag and allegedly discovered undeclared biological items, including a foam box containing clawed frog embryos in microcentrifuges, as well as embryonic samples in paraffin well stages and on mounted dyed slides. All individuals are required to declare any articles brought into the United States to Customs & Border Protection at the port of first arrival. It is alleged that, when approached by law enforcement, Petrova initially denied carrying any biological material in her checked baggage. However, when asked again, Petrova allegedly admitted that she was carrying biological material. During an interview under oath, Petrova allegedly claimed to be unsure that she was required to declare the embryos when entering the United States. According to the charging documents, however, Petrova’s phone revealed text messages from an individual identified as one of Petrova’s colleagues informing Petrova that she was required to declare the biological material: “if you bring samples or antibody back, make sure you get the permission etc. Like that link I sent to leon-/group chat about frog embryos because TSA went through my bags at customs in Boston.” It is alleged that in another text message conversation, an individual identified as her principal investigator asked Petrova, “What is your plan to pass the American Customs with samples? This is the most delicate place of the trajectory.” After the principal investigator again asked how Petrova planned to get through customs with the biological samples, she replied: “No plan yet. I won’t be able to swallow them.” The charges of concealment of material fact and false statements provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of smuggling goods into the United States provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office; and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nadine Pellegrini, Chief of the National Security Unit and David M. Holcomb, also of the National Security Unit, are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Swanzey Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison  for Stealing Firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee in Winchester

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Swanzey man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for stealing 18 firearms from Trader John’s Gun Shop in Winchester, New Hampshire, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces. Khale Guillou, 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliot to 18 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. In March 2025, Guillou pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee (FFL). “The defendant stole 18 guns from an FFL and, just days later, shell casings were found in his car. This case highlights the dangerous link between gun thefts and violent crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. “Yesterday’s sentence sends a message that we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who fuel gun violence are held accountable.” “ATF’s collaboration with our industry partners forms the first line of defense against firearms trafficking and diversion,” said Acting ATF SAC Scott Riordan. “ATF prioritizes investigations which both victimize those industry partners and endanger the community by placing guns in criminal hands. This investigation reflects ATF’s commitment to protect federal firearm licensees and ensure firearms in lawful commerce are not diverted for criminal use.” According to the court documents and statements made in court, on the night of July 6, 2024, Guillou broke into Trader John’s Gun Shop and stole 17 handguns and one rifle. Nine days later, Guillou’s car was involved in a shooting in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Law enforcement recovered three of Trader John’s stolen firearms from the trunk of Guillou’s car and spent shell casings from inside the vehicle. Three additional stolen firearms were recovered from Guillou’s home, two of which were also taken from Trader John’s Gun Shop. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation. The Keene, Swanzey, Winchester, and Tewksbury Police Departments provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski prosecuted the case. This effort 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: Middlesex County Woman Admits to COVID-19 Relief Program Fraud

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, woman admitted that she fraudulently obtained Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”), Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), and pandemic unemployment insurance benefits, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Damaris Valerio, a/k/a Damaris Tineo Abreu, 42, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch to an information charging her with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From April 2020 through December 2021, Valerio fraudulently obtained $194,212 in COVID-19 emergency relief funds, which included loans and cash advances meant for distressed small businesses under the EIDL program and PPP, and pandemic unemployment insurance benefits meant for unemployed workers, by submitting false and fraudulent applications inflating her business’s revenues, payroll expenses, and number of employees. After receiving the fraudulent funds, she diverted proceeds from the relief programs for her personal gain. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greater. The money laundering charge count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for October 28, 2025. U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark; Special Agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, and special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General’s Boston-New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly, with the investigation leading to this guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin D. Bleiberg and Fatime Meka Cano of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . ### Defense Counsel: John Russo, Esq, of New York. valerio.information.pdf


title: Felon Indicted for Illegal Possession of a Firearm Following Arrest in Anacostia

body_text: WASHINGTON –Ronald Stevenson Richardson, 29, of the District of Columbia, has been indicted on a federal firearms charge as part of the "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Richardson is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. According to court documents, on May 6, 2025, members of the Seventh District Special Missions Unit (SMU) were patrolling the area of 1509 W Street SE in Washington, D.C., in the Anacostia neighborhood. While on patrol, police observed allegedly Richardson standing at a bus stop with an open container of alcohol at the intersection of 16th Street SE and W Street SE. Richardson was subsequently arrested for possession of an open container of alcohol. During a search incident to the arrest, officers allegedly discovered a firearm in Richardson's undergarments, beneath his waistband. The firearm was identified as a Glock 42, chambered in .380 auto, loaded with one round in the chamber and four additional rounds in its six-round capacity magazine. Richardson is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to a prior conviction in D.C. Superior Court for carrying a pistol without a license outside home/business, establishing him as a felon in possession. This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Truscott is prosecuting this case. The "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" initiative is a public safety effort surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: FRAUDSTER SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR BANK FRAUD AND STOLEN IDENTITY SCHEME

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Rodrick Florence Jr., 35, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced in federal court to 72 months in prison after having previously pled guilty to bank fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. United States Attorney Heekin said: “This case is an excellent example of how coordination between federal, state, and private stakeholders leads to justice for those in our community whose identities were stolen and the federally insured financial institutions that were defrauded. I am proud of the cooperation between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and private sector partners that is key to dismantling large-scale impersonation fraud rings like this one.” Court documents reflect that between 2021 and 2023, Florence possessed the personal identifying information of over 7,500 individuals for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining money from their bank accounts. Florence worked with others to create fake identification and bank cards bearing real people’s information, which he and his conspirators used to access their account funds, including by making cash withdrawals and cashing counterfeit checks at various banks and credit unions through northwest Florida and across the nation. From Navy Federal Credit Union alone, Florence and his accomplices attempted to access the accounts of over 250 of its members and successfully obtained over $335,000 using those stolen identities. Florence was sentenced to 48 months for the bank fraud conspiracy count to be followed by a mandatory consecutive 24 months for the aggravated identity theft count, for a total prison sentence of 72 months. Other members of the conspiracy were previously convicted in state court as part of this joint investigation. Freedom Prince Brown, 32, was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment after pleading to racketeering. Ridel Baptiste Michel, 33, was sentenced to time served (approximately 20.5 months’ imprisonment) after pleading to racketeering. James Matthew Spears, 60, was sentenced to time served (approximately 23.9 months’ imprisonment) after pleading to illegal use of personal identification information, grand theft, and possession of a forged driver’s license. Michelle Moore, 43, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment after pleading to illegal use of personal identification information, grand theft, uttering forged bills or promissory notes, and possession of a forged driver’s license. “Navy Federal commends the efforts to hold accountable those who defrauded our members,” said a Navy Federal Spokesperson. “We fully support the pursuit of justice of the fullest extent permitted by the law.” “We are proud to have worked alongside our federal, local, and private partners in this case, and we commend the efforts of the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Florida and all involved agencies for their dedication to seeing justice served,” said Carrollton Police Department Chief of Police Joel Richards. “The sentencing of Rodrick Florence Jr. sends a clear message that criminal behavior of this nature will not be tolerated. Our agency remains committed to protecting our community and upholding the rule of law through strong partnerships and an unwavering commitment to our mission to provide the public with driven professionals who partner with citizens to create a safe and responsible community.” The sentence was the result of a joint investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Gulf Breeze Police Department, and the State Attorney’s Office for the First Judicial Circuit, with special assistance from the Navy Federal Credit Union Global Security Investigations team and the Carrollton (Georgia) Police Department. The federal case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Forbes, and the state cases were prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Robert Paul Gillespie and Ki McInnis. 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: Gladwyne Investment Adviser Sentenced to Over Eight Years in Prison for Defrauding Clients of More Than $23 Million

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Scott Mason, 66, of Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 97 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage, in connection with two fraudulent schemes that Mason, through his investment advisory firm Rubicon Wealth Management LLC, orchestrated to divert millions of dollars in client funds in order to finance his own lavish lifestyle. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $24,998,596.46 to his fraud victims and restitution of $2,353,355 to the IRS. In January of this year, Mason was charged by information with two counts of wire fraud, securities fraud, investment adviser fraud, and five counts of filing a false tax return, and pleaded guilty to all charges later that month. As detailed in court documents and admitted to by the defendant, Mason — who had a fiduciary duty to make investment decisions in his clients’ best interests — transferred more than $17 million from 13 Rubicon clients to an entity that he owned and controlled, and ultimately used that money to finance his personal expenditures, including international travel, country club membership dues, credit card bill payments, and the purchase of an ownership stake in a Jersey Shore-based miniature golf course. Mason targeted clients with whom he had a longstanding relationship and who trusted him implicitly, including longtime friends and family members, and he often liquidated those clients’ securities holdings in order to finance the fraudulent transfers. He either forged client signatures on distribution authorization forms or omitted all pertinent details of the so-called “investments” when seeking client authorization for the transfers and instead falsely represented that he was investing client funds in diversified short-term bonds. In reality, Mason was converting client funds to his own personal use. He also used a portion of the fraud proceeds to partially repay another Rubicon client from whom Mason gradually misappropriated millions of dollars since 2007, in order to avoid detection by that victim. Even after factoring in the partial repayments, Mason stole a net total of more than $6 million from that additional victim. Finally, Mason failed to report any of his fraud proceeds on his personal income tax returns, generating a tax loss of approximately $3.225 million. “Frauds like the one Mr. Mason perpetrated on his clients damage the trust and integrity of our financial systems,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners continue to strive to protect the honesty of our financial institutions and bring to justice the criminals responsible for deceiving the public through their financial schemes.” “IRS-Criminal Investigation is diligent when it comes to enforcing the laws directed at those who attempt to defraud our nation’s tax system,” stated Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Philadelphia Field Office. “Today’s sentencing shows how seriously the courts take federal tax crimes.” The case was investigated by the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Securities and Exchange Commission's Philadelphia Regional Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Rice.


title: Former Vice-President of Asphalt Paving Company Incarcerated for Bid Rigging

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: A former senior executive of a Michigan asphalt paving company was sentenced today to six months in prison and a $500,000 fine for his role in multiple conspiracies to rig bids for asphalt paving services contracts in Michigan. Bruce F. Israel, former vice-president of Pontiac-based Asphalt Specialists LLC (ASI), pleaded guilty in January 2024 to conspiring with Al’s Asphalt Paving Company Inc. (Al’s Asphalt), F. Allied Construction Company Inc. (Allied), and employees from those companies to rig bids in each other’s favor. Israel is one of seven individuals that have been charged as part of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the asphalt paving services industry. Three companies also have been charged as part of the investigation, which to date has resulted in over $8.7 million in criminal fines. “Bid rigging is cheating, plain and simple,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “By their own admissions, the defendant and his co-conspirators cheated their customers and betrayed the basic notions of free and fair competition, all to benefit themselves. The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will bring to justice all individuals who deprive the public of the benefits of competition by seeking their incarceration.” “Anyone choosing corporate greed over open and fair competition should take note of the sentence handed down today,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Licari of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Midwestern Region. “This result underscores our firm resolve and ongoing collaboration with law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to identify, expose, and dismantle any efforts to undermine the systems that exist to protect consumers.” “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of bid rigging that degrades the competitive process,” said Inspector General Tammy Hull of the United States Postal Service. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those companies that commit fraud by conspiring to engage in anticompetitive practices for personal gain and corporate greed.” According to court documents, the co-conspirators coordinated each other’s bid prices so that the agreed-upon losing company would submit intentionally non-competitive bids. These bids gave customers the false impression of competition when, in fact, the co-conspirators already had decided among themselves who would win the contracts. Israel participated in the conspiracy with Al’s Asphalt from March 2013 through November 2018 and the Allied conspiracy from July 2017 through May 2021. Israel’s former employer, ASI, also pleaded guilty for its participation in the Al’s Asphalt and Allied conspiracies in January 2024. Another former ASI executive, Daniel Israel, pleaded guilty for his participation in the conspiracy with Al’s Asphalt in October 2023, and a third former ASI executive, Timothy Baugher, pleaded guilty for his participation in the Allied conspiracy in January 2025. ASI was sentenced in August 2024 to pay a fine of $6,500,000. The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office and the Offices of Inspectors General for the Department of Transportation and U.S. Postal Service investigated the case. The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office is prosecuting the case. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations .


title: Eureka Chiropractor Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison and Ordered to Repay More than $2.3 Million for Defrauding Medicare

component: Department of Justice

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – Carrie Musselman, 48, of Eureka, Illinois, was sentenced on June 24, 2025, to 20 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $2.3 million dollars in restitution following her convictions on multiple charges related to her scheme to defraud Medicare and twelve other insurance companies. A jury found Musselman guilty of one count of healthcare fraud and five counts of wire fraud after a 13-day trial in February 2025. At the sentencing hearing before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm, the government presented evidence that Musselman, a chiropractor in Eureka, engaged in a multi-year fraud to steal more than $2.5 million from Medicare and other insurance companies. As part of the scheme, Musselman submitted fraudulent insurance claims which indicated that services had been performed by medical doctors when they were actually performed by mid-level providers. That resulted in automatic pay increases for Musselman to which she was not entitled. Musselman also made claims that falsely asserted patients had received services that were never provided. These claims included purportedly providing patients with allergy injections when no such injections were given. Instead, patients were sent home with oral drops that had not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, were considered “experimental,” and had not been proven to be effective. And Musselman misrepresented services that were provided, again resulting in her receipt of payments to which she was not entitled. One of Musselman’s most highly reimbursed services, the placement of an electroacupuncture device, which she falsely billed as a surgically implanted neurostimulator, would not have qualified for any payment but for her deception. Also at the hearing, Judge Mihm found that Musselman had committed perjury in her testimony. In doing so, the judge noted that Musselman’s statements lacked credibility. He stated that Musselman was well aware of the fraud she was committing and that she had directed and encouraged the fraud. “This case should serve as a warning to anyone who would commit fraud against health insurance,” said Acting United States Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore. “We will seek out fraud, waste, and abuse and prosecute those who engage in it. Providers who take advantage of the trust placed in them to line their own pockets abandon their ethical responsibilities and raise health insurance costs for vulnerable patients.” “The submission of false claims undermines the integrity of our federal healthcare system,” said Linda T. Hanley, Special Agent in Charge with the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “We remain committed to holding healthcare providers accountable for complying with Medicare regulations so that enrollees can continue to rely on the program and receive the care they deserve.” “Bad actors in healthcare, such as Dr. Musselman, think they can cover up fraud through clouded paperwork and technical healthcare jargon all while they commit illegal acts such as false claims, fraudulent services, and in this case, services not even rendered,” said Christopher J.S. Johnson, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Springfield Field Office. “This sentencing and ordered restitution are a testament to the FBI’s commitment to working these types of cases. It doesn’t matter how clouded the paperwork, or how many files there are to go through, if there is a victim, then there will be an agent investigating it.” The case investigation was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas F. McMeyer, Bryan D. Freres, and Grace J. Hitzeman represented the government at trial.


title: Lowell Man Arrested for Possessing and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: BOSTON – A Lowell man has been arrested on federal charges of possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Anthony Saint Jean, 34, was indicted on one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Saint Jean was arrested at his residence this morning and made his initial appearance in federal court today in Boston. He has been detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for June 26, 2025. According to the indictment, between March 17, 2024, and Aug. 20, 2024, Saint Jean knowingly distributed online videos depicting CSAM. It is further alleged that Saint Jean possessed CSAM, some of which depicted the abuse of minor victims younger than 12 years old. The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a of up to 20 years in prison, at least 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. Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov . United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lowell Police Department; the Texas Department of Public Safety; and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: TD Bank Insider Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes to Fraudulently Open More Than 100 Bank Accounts

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A former Florida-based employee of TD Bank, N.A. pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for fraudulently opening more than 100 bank accounts, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Jhonnatan Steven Rodriguez, a/k/a “Jorge,” 32, of Naples, Florida, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to a two-count Information charging him with one count of receipt of bribes by a bank employee and one count of making false bank entries. Rodriguez’s sentencing is scheduled for November 25, 2025. According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in Court: In late 2022, Rodriguez began opening bank accounts for unknown individuals in exchange for bribes of approximately $200 to $250 per account. During the scheme, Rodriguez accepted bribes in exchange for fraudulently opening approximately 140 bank accounts, some of which were used for fraud. In carrying out this bribery scheme, Rodriguez would often forge the purported customers’ signatures on account opening documents. To protect his identity, Rodriguez used the alias “Jorge” on a text messaging app to communicate with the individuals seeking bank accounts. The charge of receipt of bribes by a bank employee carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of the greater of up to $1 million or three times the value of the thing given, offered, promised, solicited, demanded, accepted, or agreed to be accepted. The charge of making false bank entries carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents and task force officers of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents and task force officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Caribbean Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Miranda; and special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the Morristown Police Department for its assistance with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit in Newark and Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. ### Defense counsel: Murdoch Walker, Esq. and Serguel Akiti, Esq. rodriguez.information.pdf


title: Michigan Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Drug Distribution and Loan Fraud

body_text: BOSTON – A Michigan man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a conspiracy to import and sell illegal pharmaceuticals, including opioids, and to fund the operation of the scheme by fraudulently obtaining a COVID-19 pandemic relief loan. Donald Nchamukong, 37, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to two years in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Nchamukong was also ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution. In March 2025 , Nchamukong pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States, committing loan fraud and distributing controlled substances. Starting in 2019 and continuing to 2022, Nchamukong and co-conspirator, Doyal Kalita, conspired to distribute drugs to persons in the United States over the internet and using call centers in India. Nchamukong used shell companies, including a purported dietary supplements company and an auto parts supplier, and associated bank and merchant accounts to process sales of illegal foreign drugs, including the Schedule IV opioid, tramadol. Nchamukong and Kalita also received shipments of tramadol from India and reshipped the drug to customers across the United States, including in Massachusetts. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Nchamukong and Kalita fraudulently obtained a $200,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan to fund their illegal drug scheme. In June 2024 , Kalita was sentenced to 10 years in prison for orchestrating the online drug distribution scheme, a technical support fraud scheme and related money laundering. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Fernando P. McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in New York, the Small Business Administration and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil, Deputy Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case. 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 Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form .


title: Serial Hacker “IntelBroker” Charged For Causing $25 Million In Damages To Victims

body_text: The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced the unsealing of a four-count criminal Indictment and Complaint charging KAI WEST, a/k/a “IntelBroker,” a/k/a “Kyle Northern,” with a years-long hacking scheme committed through the online identity “IntelBroker.” WEST, using the IntelBroker identity, conspired with an online group named the CyberN[------], to steal data from a telecommunications company, municipal health care provider, an Internet service provider, and more than 40 other victims. WEST, and his online co-conspirators, took that stolen data, and offered it for sale online for more than $2 million. Collectively, WEST, through the “IntelBroker” identity and his online co-conspirators, caused in excess of $25 million in damages to victims. WEST was arrested in France in February 2025, and the United States is seeking his extradition. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla. “The IntelBroker alias has caused millions in damages to victims around the world,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “This action reflects the FBI’s commitment to pursuing cybercriminals around the world. New Yorkers are all too often the victims of intentional cyber schemes and our office is committed to bringing these remote actors to justice.” “Kai West, an alleged serial hacker, is charged for a nefarious, years-long scheme to steal victim’s data and sell it for millions in illicit funds, causing more than $25 million in damages worldwide,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “Today’s announcement should serve as a warning to anyone thinking they can hide behind a keyboard and commit cyber-crime with impunity; the FBI will find and hold you accountable no matter where you are.” As alleged in the Indictment and Complaint: [1] “IntelBroker” is the online moniker of WEST, who, in concert with his co-conspirators, compromised victims’ (typically companies) computer systems, exfiltrated data from those systems (e.g. customer lists and company marketing data), and then sold the stolen data for profit. WEST accomplished his scheme in connection with his leadership of an online hacking group called the “CyberN[------],” which frequented a particular internet forum (“Forum-1”). Between approximately 2023 to 2025, WEST offered hacked data for sale approximately 41 times; and offered to distribute hacked data for free (or for Forum-1 credits) approximately 117 times. WEST, and his co-conspirators, have sought to collect at least approximately $2,000,000 by selling the stolen data. Based on information received from the victims of these breaches, WEST and his co-conspirators have cumulatively caused victim losses of at least $25,000,000. Based on a review of WEST’s IntelBroker Forum-1 posts, approximately 158 threads started by WEST offered stolen data for sale, for Forum-1 credit, or for free, since in or about January 2023 through in or about February 2025. At least 41 of those 158 public messages sell data from companies based in the United States. Of those 158 messages, approximately 16 provided a specific asking price for the stolen data, which cumulatively totals at least $2,467,000. At least 25 of the 158 public messages invited Forum‑1 users to private message IntelBroker ( i.e. WEST) to negotiate a sales price. The remaining 117 public messages offer hacked data for free to Forum-1 users or in exchange for Forum-1 credits. At least 46 of the 158 public messages indicate that WEST worked in concert with a particular Forum-1 user (“CC-1”) to obtain the data through a “breach” ( i.e. “hack”). WEST’s public messages (as IntelBroker) indicate that he accepts payment via Monero, which is a cryptocurrency that uses a blockchain with privacy-enhancing technologies to attempt to obfuscate transactions and seek to achieve anonymity and fungibility. WEST’s prolific posting (as IntelBroker), and his sales of stolen data, have generated notoriety for the IntelBroker identity within the Forum-1 community. Indeed, from in or about August 2024 through in or about January 2025, “IntelBroker” was identified on Forum-1 as the site’s “owner.” To further his username’s notoriety, WEST has associated different images with IntelBroker but primarily uses the following image as his calling card: WEST’s victims include a U.S.-based telecommunications provider. WEST, using the IntelBroker moniker, sold data from that telecommunications company, which included information about its customers. That data was accessed by WEST by illegally accessing a server which was improperly configured. On or about March 6, 2023, WEST, using the IntelBroker moniker, authored a public message on Forum-1 titled “CyberN[------] [redacted reference to Victim] Database.” In that post, WEST offered for sale data from a municipal healthcare provider which included patient data such as names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, genders, health plan information, employer information, among other information, from the victim’s patients. * * * WEST, 25, a British national, is charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; accessing a protected computer to obtain information, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI and the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. He also thanked the French, Spanish, British, and Dutch authorities for their assistance. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan B. Finkel is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment and Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. u.s._v._west_indictment.pdf u.s._v._west_complaint.pdf [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the Complaint, and the descriptions set forth herein, constitutes only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.


title: Naugatuck Man Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that SEAN SAYER, 22, of Naugatuck, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with child exploitation offenses. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on March 20, 2025, an eight-year-old boy (“the minor victim”) in Oregon contacted Sayer by text message and asked Sayer if he was @fornight_legends on TikTok. Sayer responded affirmatively and, over the next three days, exchanged with the minor victim more than 1,300 messages in which Sayer repeatedly and aggressively demanded sexually explicit images and videos of the minor victim in exchange for playing Fortnite with him online. The minor victim sent Sayer at least 15 videos constituting child sexual abuse material or child pornography. Sayer was arrested on June 18, 2025. It is alleged that a preliminary forensic review of Sayer’s cellphone has revealed screenshots of Snapchat conversations Sayer had with dozens of additional minor victims who Sayer coerced or enticed to send him sexually explicit photos of themselves. Sayer appeared today for a bond hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven. He was released on a $150,000 bond into home detention with location monitoring, and is prohibited from accessing the internet and communicating with, and having contact with, minors. The complaint charges Sayer with production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of 30 years of imprisonment; coercion and enticement of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life; receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and transfer of obscene material to a minor, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, with the assistance of the Eugene (Ore.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary G. Vitale. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Collinsville Man Sentenced for Recording and Sharing Videos of Child Sexual Abuse

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A Collinsville man was sentenced today for Production of Child Pornography and Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge Eric F. Melgren ordered Brady Cort Dozier, 22, to serve 240 months imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Upon his release, Dozier will be required to register as a sex offender. The Judge further ordered Dozier to pay $63,000 in restitution to the victims he exploited through the distribution of pornography. In 2022, Dozier sexually exploited a 10-year-old minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Dozier used a cellphone to record himself sexually abusing the victim. Dozier further admitted to distributing and possessing more than 3,700 files of child pornography. Many of the files contained sadistic child pornography, including acts of extreme violence, and images and videos of infants and toddlers being raped and tortured. Analysts with the Child Victim Identification Program, run by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, identified more than 35 victims in this investigation. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provides assistance and support to families impacted by child sexual exploitation. They offer crisis intervention to families, as well as local referrals for long-term support . Dozier will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Six Men Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana – On May 22, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against five Chinese nationals, three of whom were illegally residing in the United States, as well as a U.S. citizen, on racketeering and drug charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson. The indictment was unsealed on June 4, 2025. Charged in the indictment were HANJIE WU, age 25, from China, YILEI ZHOU , age 35, from China, and ZIHANG ZENG , age 24,from China, LIKE CHEN, age 34 , a naturalized U.S. citizen from China, WEI BIN CHEN , age 34, a lawful permanent U.S. resident from China, and AARON STEELE , age 45, from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. According to court documents, WU, ZHOU, STEELE, WEI BIN CHIN , LIKE CHEN and ZENG were indicted for conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, a mixture and substance containing one hundred (100) kilograms or more of a detectable amount of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846. WU and STEELE were also indicted for traveling between Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi with the intent to promote, manage, establish, carry on and facilitate the unlawful activity of conspiring to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, marijuana, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1952(a)(3). If convicted of the drug conspiracy count, WU, ZHOU, STEELE, WEI BIN CHIN , LIKE CHEN and ZENG face a minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, up to a maximum term of imprisonment of forty (40) years, a fine of up to $5,000,000.00, at least four (4) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. For the interstate travel in aid of racketeering count, WU and STEELE face a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Forrest County Mississippi Sheriff’s Office, and the Picayune, Mississippi Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys André Jones and Nolan D. Paige of the Narcotics Unit. 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: San Juan County Man Indicted for Second Degree Murder

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a San Juan County man with second degree murder after he allegedly shot a man to death in San Juan County, Utah. Chevel Cottonwood, 34, of San Juan County, was charged by complaint on June 11, 2025, and ordered detained by a U.S. Magistrate Judge. According to court documents, on June 10, 2025, Navajo Police Department Officers responded to a 911 call reporting gunfire near the Hovenweep area north of Aneth, Utah, within the Navajo Nation. Upon arrival at a residence, officers spoke with a woman who was allegedly at the residence at the time of the shooting and described hearing gunshots from the living room. She recalled hearing Cottonwood and the victim arguing and then heard another gunshot and saw the flash of the discharge. The woman then went to the living room and saw the victim laying on the floor bleeding from an apparent gunshot wound. As alleged in court documents, responding officers entered the residence and found the victim deceased with a gunshot wound and an empty shell casing next to him. Cottonwood was found hiding in nearby bushes with a loaded magazine and ammunition. A search warrant was executed, and officers seized a 9mm pistol and two 9mm shell casings. Agents also observed bullet holes through the roof of the house that appeared to have occurred at some point during the incident. Cottonwood is charged with second degree murder while within Indian Country and being a restricted person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Cottonwood will have his initial appearance on the indictment on June 26, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. in courtroom 7.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated jointly by the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office’s Monticello Resident Agency. Assistant United States Attorneys Sam Pead and Tanner Zumwalt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearms Offenses

body_text: BOSTON – A previously convicted felon from Springfield, Mass. pleaded guilty today to possessing cocaine intended for distribution and firearms offenses. Pedro Deleon, 32, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine; being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug distribution. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Sept. 25, 2025. Deleon was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2025 . On Oct. 22, 2024, Deleon possessed with the intent to distribute drugs and two firearms. Deleon was previously convicted of a crime punishable for a period exceeding one year. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug distribution provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Matt Lawlor, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; and Colonel Geoffrey Nobel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announced today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.


title: Massachusetts Man Faces At Least 15 Years for Multiple Offenses, Including Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to conspiring to straw purchase firearms, conspiring to distribute controlled substances, and producing child sexual abuse material. According to court records, from late 2020 until at least July 2023, Aden Mohamed (a/k/a “Mike,” a/k/a “AD”) , 26, was among the leaders of a wide-ranging criminal conspiracy to traffic firearms purchased by straw purchasers in Maine to sell to customers in Syracuse, New York and Springfield, Massachusetts. Mohamed was often paid in drugs, primarily cocaine, which he used to facilitate the firearms trafficking activity by paying straw purchasers in drugs for their services. Mohamed regularly bought and sold hundreds of grams per week of cocaine as part of this scheme. During the investigation into the firearms trafficking conspiracy, law enforcement seized Mohamed’s phone and discovered child sexual abuse material on the device. The resulting investigation revealed that Mohamed had compelled two minors into sexually explicit situations for the purpose of producing child sexual abuse material. Mohamed faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the firearms charges, up to 20 years in prison and a maximum $1 million fine on the drug charges, and at least 15 years imprisonment (up to a maximum 30 years) and a fine up to $250,000 on the production of child sexual abuse material charge. The Court may also order him to pay restitution to the victims. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. As part of a plea agreement with the government, Mohamed – a Somalian national – has agreed to the entry of a judicial order of removal, which will result in his deportation from the United States following a term of at least 15 years of incarceration. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the cases. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc . STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her. Project Safe Neighborhoods : 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn . ###


title: International Arms Dealer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Export Firearms to Russia

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, Kyrgyz national Sergei Zharnovnikov pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit export violations. The defendant exported firearms and ammunition worth over $1.5 million from the United States to Russia, in violation of U.S. law. When sentenced, Zharnovnikov faces up to 20 years in prison. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office (BIS-OEE), announced the guilty plea. “The defendant admitted that he purchased American-made, military-grade firearms and re-exported them to Russia,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s guilty plea is the culmination of extensive investigative work, showing that this Office will not allow merchants of lethal weapons to flout U.S. sanctions.” “By his own admission, Zharnovnikov willfully violated U.S. export controls to smuggle American-made firearms into Russia,” stated Assistant Attorney General for National Security Eisenberg. “The National Security Division will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to disrupt illicit arms networks and prosecute those who illegally transfer U.S. weaponry abroad.” “Sergei Zharnovnikov admitted to violating export control laws by exporting US semi-automatic firearms to Russia via Kyrgyzstan. Schemes designed to evade export laws are not only illegal but also endanger our country’s security. The FBI along with our partners will continue our efforts to defend the homeland by bringing to justice any criminal attempting to evade the laws enacted to protect our national security,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. According to court filings and statements made during the plea proceeding, the defendant is the owner of an arms dealer located in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyzstan Company-1). Since at least March 2020, the defendant, together with others, has conspired to export firearms controlled by the United States Department of Commerce (DOC) from the United States to Russia. The defendant exported $1,582,836.52 worth of U.S.-manufactured firearms and ammunition from the United States to Russia. In one transaction, he entered into a five‑year, $900,000 contract with a company in the United States (U.S. Company‑1) to purchase and export U.S. Company-1 firearms to Kyrgyzstan. DOC issued a license for U.S. Company-1 to export firearms to Kyrgyzstan Company-1, but the license prohibited the export or re-export of the firearms to Russia. Nevertheless, the defendant exported and re-exported U.S. Company‑1 firearms to Russia (via Kyrgyzstan), including semi‑automatic hybrid rifle-pistols from U.S. Company-1. According to an export filing, U.S. Company-1 exported semi-automatic rifles from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Kyrgyzstan Company-1 on or about July 10, 2022. On or about November 14, 2022, the General Director of a Russian company that is a client of the defendant executed a tax form listing the same semi‑automatic rifle‑pistols that U.S. Company‑1 had exported to Kyrgyzstan Company‑1, the defendant’s company. The defendant did not apply for, obtain, or possess a license to export or re-export the semi‑automatic pistol-rifles to Russia. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorney Ellen H. Sise is in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, with assistance from Litigation Analyst Rebecca Roth. The Defendant : SERGEI ZHARNOVNIKOV AGE: 47 Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-45 (HG)


title: Texas Business Owner Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief Fraud

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Texas woman was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison for her participation in a scheme to file fraudulent applications for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. According to court documents, between around May 2020, and March 2021, Shantelle Hawkins, 43, of DeSoto, conspired to submit 17 fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of companies she or her relatives owned or controlled. The applications contained false statements about payroll and tax information, which the SBA used to calculate the amount of PPP funds to which the applicant-companies would be entitled. Hawkins used some of the money she obtained from the loans for personal expenses, including to pay off her 2015 Maserati Ghibli luxury car and to purchase property in the greater Dallas area. Hawkins pleaded guilty on Oct. 8, 2024, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. At sentencing, Hawkins was ordered to pay more than $1.8 million in restitution and to forfeit the residence purchased with proceeds from the fraud. Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas; and Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI’s Dallas Field Office made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Dermot Lynch and Kashan Pathan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elyse Lyons for the Northern District of Texas is handling asset forfeiture. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Blanchard Woman Sent to Federal Prison for 22 Months, Ordered to Pay $727,300 in Restitution for Filing Fraudulent PPP Loan Application

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – SHERI LYNN VICKERY , 40, of Blanchard, has been sentenced to serve 22 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $727,300 in restitution for making a false statement to a financial institution, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. According to public record, from April 2020 through December 2021, Vickery worked as an office manager for Coil Chem LLC, a chemical manufacturing company based in Washington, Oklahoma. On April 7, 2020, Vickery submitted an application for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) on behalf of Coil Chem. The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The Indictment alleges that Vickery inflated Coil Chem’s total payroll costs and misrepresented what the PPP loan proceeds would be used for, ultimately causing $727,300 to be transferred into Coil Chem’s operating bank account. Vickery then used the proceeds for impermissible purposes, including to pay off a family member’s personal debts. On September 10, 2024, Vickery pleaded guilty, and admitted she knowingly submitted a PPP loan application that contained false representations. At the sentencing hearing on June 16, 2025, U.S. District Judge Jodi W. Dishman sentenced Vickery to serve 22 months in federal prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, and ordered Vickery to pay $727,300 in restitution. In announcing the sentence, the court noted the nature and circumstances and seriousness of the offense. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Barry prosecuted the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Springfield Man Sentenced to 78 Months for Conspiracy to Traffic Firearms

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for using a straw purchaser to illegally acquire firearms. DeSean L. Franklin, 24, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 78 months in federal prison without parole, to be followed by three years of supervised release. On Nov. 25, 2024, Franklin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms. Franklin admitted to conspiring to receive a firearm from another, knowing that he was prohibited from possessing one. Franklin is one of three defendants in this case who have all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms and is the third to be sentenced. Joseph M. Johnson pleaded guilty on May 20, 2024, and was sentenced to 5 years of probation. Raimaiya L. Tyson pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2024, and was sentenced to 19 months. Johnson admitted to purchasing a firearm that he then transferred to another person, Franklin, who was prohibited from possessing firearms. Franklin was a close associate of an area gang known as “ODB,” who have been linked to a number of violent and firearm offenses. Many of the members of ODB are unable to purchase firearms due to their youth, history of drug use, or other prohibited status and use straw purchasers to obtain them. Investigators with the ATF observed Tyson and Franklin at a gun show in Greene County, Mo., on Aug. 12, 2023. Franklin was prohibited from purchasing firearms because of pending felony criminal charges out of Caddo County, Ok. for unlawful possession of a controlled drug, and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony. Tyson attempted to purchase a Draco pistol but was denied due to pending felony criminal charges out of Henry County, Mo. Later that morning, Tyson and Franklin returned to the gun show with Johnson and Johnson purchased a Micro Draco 7.62 caliber semi-automatic pistol. On Aug. 31, 2023, deputies with the Greene County Sherriff’s Office searched Desean Franklin’s vehicle during a traffic stop and found the loaded Draco pistol which was then equipped with a high-capacity magazine, and three other firearms. Franklin admitted that the Draco pistol belonged to him, and claimed he had purchased it at a gun show. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department. Project Safe Neighborhoods 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.


title: KC Man Pleads Guilty for Computer Hacking

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has pleaded guilty for hacking into the computer system at an area nonprofit. Nicholas Michael Kloster, 32, admitted during his plea that he caused reckless damage to a protected computer owned by an area nonprofit during unauthorized access. Kloster admitted that he entered the premises of a nonprofit corporation on May 20, 2024. Kloster entered an area that is not available to the public and accessed a computer with access to the company’s network. Kloster specifically admitted that he utilized a boot disk to access the computer through multiple user accounts. By accessing the computer in this manner, Kloster was able to circumvent the password requirements by changing the password assigned to one or more users. Kloster was then able to install a virtual private network on this computer. Since Kloster’s intrusion into its computer and its network, the company has sustained significant losses in an attempt to remediate the effects from this intrusion. Under federal statutes, Kloster is subject to a sentence of up to five years’ imprisonment in federal prison without parole, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and an order of restitution. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Heberle and Patrick D. Daly. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. ###


title: Murder Charge Filed Against Teen Who Struck Another Person with a Car

body_text: WASHINGTON – Kyree Young, 17, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with first degree murder while armed – felony murder, that occurred on the morning of May 7, 2025, in Northwest D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Young made his initial appearance before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Robert J. Hildum today, where Judge Hildum found probable cause that Young committed the offense of first-degree murder while armed – felony murder and ordered that Young be held without bond pending trial. The United States is still investigating Young’s accomplices. According to court documents, Young followed the victim from an ATM and struck him with a vehicle, robbed him, and tried to access his financial accounts at the same ATM he had been using earlier. The victim died at the scene. Police later recovered the vehicle and gathered other evidence that led to Young’s identification. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington Field Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Carter. These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Utah Businessman Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding the COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program Out of Over $628,000

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah entrepreneur was sentenced today to 18 months’ imprisonment after he fraudulently obtained $628,307 from a COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan in 2021 by submitting a fraudulent loan application in the name of his business. The COVID-19 PPP Loans were provided to small businesses for funding to meet specific obligations, including payroll and rent during the pandemic. Marcelo Federico Torre, 42, of Draper, Utah, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, and possession of stolen mail on April 10, 2025. In addition to his sentence, and credit for time served, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups sentenced Torre to three years’ supervised release and ordered him to pay $628,307 in restitution. Torre also forfeited a money judgement in the amount of $628,307. According to court documents and statements made at Torre’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, from April 27, 2021 to May 5, 2021, Torre fraudulently submitted a PPP Loan application through U.S. Bank for approximately $628,307 on behalf of his company, Offerworks Inc., a company he owned and controlled. By fraudulently submitting the Loan application, he lied to U.S. Bank and the United States government in order to be approved for the PPP Loan. Some of the false statements Torre made on the PPP Loan application included that his company, Offerworks Inc., had been in operation as of February 15, 2020, when it had not; his company had 37 employees, when it did not; and that Offerworks Inc., had an average monthly payroll of $251,323 in 2020, when it did not. “The amount of money Mr. Torre stole from the U.S. government and taxpayers, which was intended to keep businesses open and provide salaries for employees and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic, is significant and his fraud will not go unpunished,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. “It is our hope Mr. Torre’s sentence will deter him and others who seek to take criminal advantage of government programs meant to help honest and hardworking business owners and their employees during a crisis.” The case was investigated jointly by the U.S. Postal Investigation Service, Draper City Police Department, U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office, Salt Lake City Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). Assistant United States Attorney Todd C. Bouton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud .


title: Iranian National and Wife Federally Indicted After Wife Threatens to Shoot ICE Officers in Tempe

component: USAO - Arizona

number: 2025-099_Eidivand, et al

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – On June 24, 2025, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned an indictment against Iranian national, Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand, 40, of Tempe, Arizona for Alien in Possession of a Firearm, and against his wife, Linet Vartanniavartanians, 37, a United States Citizen from Tempe, Arizona, for Threatening to Assault a Federal Officer. Documents filed in the case allege that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers went to Eidivand and Vartanniavartanians’ Tempe residence on Saturday, June 21, 2025, to administratively arrest Eidivand for failing to comply with a 2013 removal order. Eidivand, an Iranian national, had challenged the removal order on several occasions, but the Board of Immigration Appeals denied those motions repeatedly. Despite the court order to return to his home country, Eidivand remained in the United States for over a decade. When ICE ERO officers arrived at the couple’s residence, they announced themselves and were answered by Vartanniavartanians, who refused to open the door and told the officers to return with a warrant. Shortly thereafter, Tempe Police officers arrived on the scene and told ICE ERO that Vartanniavartanians had called the police and threatened to shoot the federal officers. She claimed that she had a loaded gun and that she would shoot anyone who tried to come inside the house. She also threatened to go outside and shoot ICE officers in the head. When the police dispatcher spoke with Eidivand, he confirmed that there were guns in the home. The following day, June 22, 2025, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and officers from ICE ERO executed a federal search warrant on the residence. Inside the home, agents found a loaded firearm on the kitchen counter and a second loaded firearm on a nightstand. Both Vartanniavartanians and Eidivand were arrested at the scene and taken into custody without further incident. A conviction for Alien in Possession of a Firearm carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both. A conviction for Threatening to Assault a Federal Officer carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. HSI Phoenix, ICE, ERO, and the FBI’s Phoenix Office are conducting the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Addison Owen, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-25-00931-PHX-DGC RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-099_Eidivand, et al. # # # 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: Salem Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice and Coerce Children Online

body_text: EUGENE, Ore.—A Salem, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for requesting sexually explicit materials from undercover law enforcement officers posing as children online and attempting to persuade the purported children to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Gary Wade Ronning, 40, was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison and ten years’ supervised release. According to court documents, in March 2023, Ronning used Facebook Messenger, an online messaging application, to contact an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 15-year-old girl as part of a broader investigation into online enticement of minors. For months, Ronning engaged in sexually explicit communications with the officer, requested sexually explicit images of the purported child, sent sexually explicit photos and videos of himself, and planned a meeting to engage in illicit sexual conduct. However, when it came time for the meetup, Ronning did not follow through with his plans. Between October and November 2023, Ronning communicated with two other undercover officers posing as 13-year-old and 15-year-old children online. Ronning again engaged in sexually explicit conversations, sent sexually explicit images and videos of himself, and attempted to arrange meetups to engage in illicit sexual conduct. During these conversations, Ronning expressed awareness that his actions were illegal and repeatedly reminded the fictitious children not to tell anyone about his plans. On January 18, 2024, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a five-count indictment charging Ronning with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, attempting to use a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. On January 22, 2025, Ronning pleaded guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Redmond Police Department, with assistance from the Salem Police Department. It was prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon. Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov . The FBI Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) conducts sexual exploitation investigations, many of them undercover, in coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. CETF is committed to locating and arresting those who prey on children as well as recovering and assisting victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation. Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org . This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: West Jordan Man Accused of Trafficking Cocaine in the District of Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury returned and indictment today charging a Utah man with drug crimes after federal agents allegedly seized over 4,800 grams of field-tested positive cocaine during an executed search warrant. Evar Mahmood Hashim, 25, of West Jordan, Utah, was charged by complaint on June 12, 2025. According to court documents, beginning in May 2025, the Davis County Metro Narcotics Strike Force initiated a criminal investigation into members of a drug trafficking organization that was believed to be distributing large quantities of narcotics in Utah. During the investigation, agents identified a vehicle believed to be used by the organization to traffic the suspected narcotics. On June 10, 2025, a search warrant was executed on the vehicle, which was located and secured in Juab County, Utah. At this time, Hashim was the driver of the vehicle. During the search of the vehicle, agents seized approximately 4,836 grams of a white powder, which field-tested positive for cocaine. Hashim was taken into custody. Hashim is charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for June 26, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated jointly by the Davis County Metro Narcotics Strike Force and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Special Assistant United States Attorney Kelsy Young of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.