title: Hudson Valley Law Enforcement Symposium – Federal, State, And Local Officials Gather To Combat Violent Crime, Narcotics Traffickers, And Child Sex Offenders

body_text: On January 27, 2026, over 100 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials gathered at the Orange County Government Center to discuss their efforts to combat crime on behalf of the people of New York. Participants included, among many others, the U.S. Attorneys for the Southern and Northern Districts of New York, leaders of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), District Attorneys and Sheriffs from Albany County, Rockland County, Orange County, Westchester County, Dutchess County, Greene County, and Rensselaer County, and senior leaders of the New York State Police. The presentations and discussions focused on combining resources across offices and departments to combat the greatest threats to the quality of life and safety of the good people of the Hudson Valley. Areas identified as requiring a collective effort included: Removing gun-toting career criminals from our streets; Dismantling sophisticated narcotics production and distribution enterprises, including the violent transnational gangs that have invaded communities across the Hudson Valley; Protecting our children from sexual predators. Several case studies involving multi-agency efforts that led to highly successful prosecutions were discussed with an eye toward greater cooperation in the future. The participants also discussed community engagement and community priorities, including “hot spots” where the need for a combination of federal, state, and local resources is most acute. “It is invaluable to hear directly from our state and local partners,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton. “Our principal objective is to deliver a better quality of life, including safe streets, for the people of the Hudson Valley, and we can best achieve that objective if we work in concert with our state and local partners. Together, we have brought—and will continue to bring—our most violent and most dangerous criminals to justice.” “Public safety does not stop at district or county lines,” said Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York John A. Sarcone III. “This symposium underscores the power of strong partnerships among federal, state, and local law enforcement to confront the most serious threats facing our communities—violent crime, narcotics trafficking, and the exploitation of children. By sharing intelligence, coordinating resources, and aligning our priorities, we are better positioned to dismantle criminal organizations, protect the most vulnerable, and deliver real results for the people we serve.” “Drugs, guns, and violent crime are endemic public safety concerns that know no boundaries,” said Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “In order to best protect the residents of Orange County from these ever-present dangers, we must work with our law enforcement partners, near and far. I am grateful not only for all of the law enforcement professionals who attended the symposium, but also for the commitment to work together to serve the residents of the Hudson Valley. This historic event highlights the importance of collaboration in effective law enforcement in the 21 st century.” “This meeting was a tremendous opportunity to gather officials from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to share information and ideas on how we can leverage our resources to identify, investigate, and bring to justice the dangerous criminals bringing harmful narcotics and weapons into our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albany Field Office Craig Tremaroli. “I’m incredibly grateful to all the partners who made the time to attend this important discussion, and I look forward to working together to achieve our shared goal of keeping all our communities safe.” “DEA New York remains steadfast in our commitment to working alongside our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to target those looking to distribute illicit narcotics throughout the Hudson Valley region,” said DEA New York Enforcement Division Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam. “These symposiums provide us the opportunity to gather and collaborate with our partners, which helps strengthen our resolve to enhance public safety and helps protect our communities from drug poisonings which are harming our neighbors.” “HSI New York was honored to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our fellow law enforcement leaders at the Hudson Valley Law Enforcement Symposium, united by our shared commitment to protecting our communities,” said HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso. “Bringing together the strength and expertise of federal, state, and local partners is how we turn the tide against violent crime, drug traffickers, and those who prey on our children. When we unite our resources and resolve, we deliver real results—making the Hudson Valley a safer place for every New Yorker.” “We appreciate our U.S. Attorneys for hosting and participating in this collaborative effort,” said Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s New York Division Bryan DiGiralamo. “ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence, when combined with strong partnerships across all levels of law enforcement, enhances investigations and plays a critical role in reducing violent gun crime and keeping our communities safe.” “Special thanks to our United States Attorneys for the Southern and Northern Districts of New York, and the Orange County District Attorneys’ Office, for bringing together our federal, state and local law enforcement partners for this meeting,” said DEA Northeast Regional Associate Chief of Operations Frank Tarentino. “The DEA is committed to working with all our law enforcement partners across the region in targeting those drug trafficking organizations and individuals who are responsible for the most harm. This is the DEA’s focus, both here and abroad, and we will continue this fight until we have a fentanyl-free America.”


title: U.S. Attorney's Office For The Eastern District Of Tennessee Recognizes National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

component: USAO - Tennessee, Eastern

body_text: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Today the Eastern District of Tennessee observes National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and joins the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) in reaffirming the administration’s commitment to combating all forms of human trafficking and protecting victims and survivors. Human Trafficking Prevention Month presents an opportunity for DHS and DOJ, through Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF) to intensify operational efforts, raise public awareness, and strengthen partnerships across federal, state, and local agencies to disrupt trafficking networks, protect vulnerable individuals, and ensure traffickers are brought to justice. “This Department of Justice is working tirelessly alongside our partners to dismantle human trafficking networks, help survivors, and protect vulnerable populations from being exploited,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under this administration we have seen an increase in human trafficking prosecutions, and during Human Trafficking Prevention Month we reaffirm our commitment to prosecuting traffickers and encourage Americans to report instances of human trafficking in their communities.” “Through the Homeland Security Task Force, President Trump is taking the fight directly to human trafficking networks and disrupting their modern-day slave trade while seizing their assets and arresting their kingpins and foot soldiers. The American people should not have to live in fear of cartels, gang bangers, and foreign terrorists preying upon the most vulnerable among us,” the United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement. “The Homeland Security Task Force is the largest coordinated campaign against transnational criminal organizations in U.S. history, and I’m proud to co-lead it with Attorney General Bondi.” “During Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the FBI reiterates our work with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and national victim-based advocacy groups in joint task forces to protect our communities across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The horrifying reach of human trafficking spreads far and wide. Homeland Security Task Forces are fighting back to disrupt these perilous networks and put a stop to that reach. The FBI will continue our investigations and bring justice to those exploited by human traffickers. “Human trafficking violates the fundamental rights and dignity due to all people, while simultaneously fueling crime and violence in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “In collaboration with our Homeland Security Task Force and all our law enforcement partners, the United States Attorney’s Office is committed to stamping out human trafficking in the Eastern District of Tennessee and vindicating the rights of its victims by prosecuting traffickers to the fullest extent of the law.” In January 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. Section 6 of this order directed the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to jointly establish HSTFs in every state nationwide. The HSTF objective is to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) throughout the United States; dismantle cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks; end the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking, with a particular focus on such offenses involving children; and ensure the use of all available law enforcement tools to faithfully execute the immigration laws of the United States. In January 2026, DHS and DOJ are surging resources to fight and raise awareness about human trafficking, including: Identifying ongoing investigations and prioritizing featured operations across 45 federal locations and 10 state locations with an emphasis on border states. Coordinating with FBI Human Trafficking Squads and multi-agency Human Trafficking Task Forces to conduct victim recovery. Partnering with AMTRAK and FAMS to increase law enforcement resources and distribute posters with QR codes for reporting human trafficking in all station bathrooms and trains. Running advertisements related to $250 million recovery from Backpage to distribute to victims and additional victim restitution efforts by DOL-OIG. Organizing Human Trafficking seminars and outreach events with DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking at high schools and colleges to highlight the role of HSTFs in addressing human trafficking. On August 25, 2025, HSTF officially launched its effort to protect the Homeland with a September Surge encompassing 400 operations nationwide. In just 43 days, HSTF nationwide operations resulted in 3,266 arrests and seizures including: 1,041 Sinaloa members, 856 Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (“CJNG”) members, 641 MS-13 members, 456 Tren de Aragua members, 1,067 weapons More than $3,250,000 in currency Approximately 91 metric tons of narcotics ###


title: Richmond felon sentenced to over four years in prison for federal firearm conviction

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

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to four years and four months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Sept. 18, 2024, Henrico County Police officers found Rashon Lamar Lofton, 40, passed out in the driver seat of a vehicle with the engine running at a fuel pump of a convenient store in Richmond. A passenger was also passed out in the vehicle. After observing indicia of drug use in the vehicle, the officer was removing Lofton from the car when he observed a firearm in Lofton’s pants pocket. The officer placed Lofton in handcuffs and recovered the firearm, which was loaded with nine rounds of ammunition, including a round in the chamber. At the time of his arrest, Lofton previously had been convicted of, among other crimes, possession with intent to distribute marijuana (twice) and assault. As a previously convicted felon, Lofton cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division investigated this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Gilliland, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-12.


title: Brandon, Vermont Man Sentenced to 35 Months for Unlawful Firearms Possession

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on January 27, 2026, Christopher Rantanen, 40, of Brandon, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 35 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Rantanen previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court records, in September 2024, Rantanen was involved in a single car accident on U.S. Route 7 in Pittsford, Vermont. Rantanen denied any drug or alcohol use to responding law enforcement. While an officer wrote Rantanen tickets for numerous traffic infractions related to the crash, fire department officials on the scene alerted law enforcement that Rantanen was slumped over on a nearby bench. Thereafter, officers again asked Rantanen about his drug use, and Rantanen again denied any drug use that day. While waiting for a tow truck to arrive, law enforcement observed drug paraphernalia in plain view inside and around Rantanen’s car. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Rantanen’s car, and located inside the vehicle two handguns (including a privately manufactured firearm), ammunition, fentanyl, cocaine, and assorted drug paraphernalia. A few weeks later, in November 2024, law enforcement encountered Rantanen and another person in a car in Rutland, Vermont when responding to a drug-related complaint. Once Rantanen and the other person were out of the car, law enforcement observed a Glock pistol in the area near where Rantanen had been seated. A search of this car revealed approximately 13 grams of fentanyl and approximately 19 grams of crack cocaine in the area around where Rantanen was seated. First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pittsford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Arra. Rantanen was represented by Lisa Shelkrot, Esq. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Repeat offender felon sentenced to five years for illegal reentry into U.S.

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 31-year-old Mexican national with multiple felonies who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the country again without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Javier Andres Rivera pleaded guilty Nov. 12, 2025. U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison has now ordered Rivera to serve 60 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court considered Rivera’s criminal history and noted that, despite a prior lengthy prison sentence, he has continued to reoffend and has not demonstrated a positive rehabilitative trajectory. Rivera has felony convictions for aggravated robbery with a firearm, possession of more than 50 pounds of marijuana, terroristic threats and illegal reentry. He was first removed from the United States in November 2011 and illegally returned three times. Authorities discovered him again in July 2025 after arresting him for unlawful possession of a firearm. Rivera will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Manitowoc Woman Receives Prison Time  for Money Laundering Scheme Involving Millions

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: United States Attorney Brad D. Schimel announced that on January 27, 2026, Cherie Campion (age: 64) was sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, by United Stated District Judge Lynn Adelman. Campion was also ordered to pay over $10 million in restitution. Campion, through her temporary staffing agency, generated and submitted thousands of fraudulent invoices, causing respective losses of $5,000,000 and $5,389,371.51 for the two companies she deceived. Campion pled guilty to two counts of money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(a)(1)(B)(i). While imposing sentence, Judge Adelman emphasized that this was “significant” misconduct, involving large dollar amounts and lies that continued over the course of years. Judge Adelman also noted that Campion’s crimes were sophisticated and involved “intricate operations,” including the generation of fake financial records; the creation of a fictitious persona to deceive her victims; and Campion’s employment of a “voice modulator” to facilitate her deception. Although Judge Adelman concluded that Campion was unlikely to reoffend, given her age and lack of prior criminal history, Judge Adelman nevertheless believed an imprisonment term was necessary to “promote general deterrence,” and hopefully dissuade other would-be white-collar criminals. “As the Judge said, this should be a message to all would-be fraudsters and embezzlers that they will be caught and imprisoned,” said U.S. Attorney Schimel. “I am proud of the very capable and hard-working investigation and prosecution team that brought this offender to justice.” “Cherie Campion devised an elaborate fraud scheme which caused significant loss to the victims. The sentencing of Campion and the accompanying restitution order of more than $10 million serves justice for the victims of this fraud scheme,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr. “The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to diligently pursue those who defraud and exploit others for personal gain.” “Today’s sentencing of Campion demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who engage in deception and fraud,” said Adam Jobes, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation provides financial investigative expertise in our joint work with our law enforcement partners. Pooling the skills of each agency creates a formidable team to uncover wrongdoing. Today’s actions highlight our collective efforts to enforce the law and protect the public’s trust.” “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service works diligently to preserve the integrity of the U.S. Mail,” said Mary T. Johnson, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “This sentencing reflects the successful teamwork across many federal law enforcement agencies. We want the public to know that Postal Inspectors will aggressively pursue anyone who attempts to use the Postal Service for criminal activity. We will not allow the U.S. Mail to be used to commit fraud, and we aim to keep the mail safe and secure for the American public." “Ms. Campion’s fraud caused significant losses to the two affected companies,” said Special Agent in Charge Vincent Zehme, of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Chicago Regional Office. “This type of sophisticated fraud scheme not only causes losses to the victim companies but also undermines the integrity of our Nation’s banks when fraud proceeds are laundered through our financial systems. Her prison sentence and significant restitution of over $10 million should send a message that FDIC OIG will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to bring these schemes to a halt.” This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Knight. # # # For further information contact: Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero (414) 297-1700 Follow us on X


title: Federal, State, and Local Officials Gather to Combat Violent Crime, Narcotics Traffickers, and Child Sex Offenders at Hudson Valley Law Enforcement Symposium

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: On January 27, 2026, over 100 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials gathered at the Orange County Government Center to discuss their efforts to combat crime on behalf of the people of New York. Participants included, among many others, the U.S. Attorneys for the Southern and Northern Districts of New York, leaders of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), District Attorneys and Sheriffs from Albany County, Rockland County, Orange County, Westchester County, Dutchess County, Greene County, and Rensselaer County, and senior leaders of the New York State Police. The presentations and discussions focused on combining resources across offices and departments to combat the greatest threats to the quality of life and safety of the good people of the Hudson Valley. Areas identified as requiring a collective effort included: Removing gun-toting career criminals from our streets; Dismantling sophisticated narcotics production and distribution enterprises, including the violent transnational gangs that have invaded communities across the Hudson Valley; and Protecting our children from sexual predators. Several case studies involving multi-agency efforts that led to highly successful prosecutions were discussed with an eye toward greater cooperation in the future. The participants also discussed community engagement and community priorities, including “hot spots” where the need for a combination of federal, state, and local resources is most acute. “It is invaluable to hear directly from our state and local partners,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton. “Our principal objective is to deliver a better quality of life, including safe streets, for the people of the Hudson Valley, and we can best achieve that objective if we work in concert with our state and local partners. Together, we have brought—and will continue to bring—our most violent and most dangerous criminals to justice.” “Public safety does not stop at district or county lines,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York John A. Sarcone III. “This symposium underscores the power of strong partnerships among federal, state, and local law enforcement to confront the most serious threats facing our communities—violent crime, narcotics trafficking, and the exploitation of children. By sharing intelligence, coordinating resources, and aligning our priorities, we are better positioned to dismantle criminal organizations, protect the most vulnerable, and deliver real results for the people we serve.” “Drugs, guns, and violent crime are endemic public safety concerns that know no boundaries,” said Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “In order to best protect the residents of Orange County from these ever-present dangers, we must work with our law enforcement partners, near and far. I am grateful not only for all of the law enforcement professionals who attended the symposium, but also for the commitment to work together to serve the residents of the Hudson Valley. This historic event highlights the importance of collaboration in effective law enforcement in the 21 st century.” “This meeting was a tremendous opportunity to gather officials from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to share information and ideas on how we can leverage our resources to identify, investigate, and bring to justice the dangerous criminals bringing harmful narcotics and weapons into our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albany Field Office Craig Tremaroli. “I’m incredibly grateful to all the partners who made the time to attend this important discussion, and I look forward to working together to achieve our shared goal of keeping all our communities safe.” “DEA New York remains steadfast in our commitment to working alongside our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to target those looking to distribute illicit narcotics throughout the Hudson Valley region,” said DEA New York Enforcement Division Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam. “These symposiums provide us the opportunity to gather and collaborate with our partners, which helps strengthen our resolve to enhance public safety and helps protect our communities from drug poisonings which are harming our neighbors.” “HSI New York was honored to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our fellow law enforcement leaders at the Hudson Valley Law Enforcement Symposium, united by our shared commitment to protecting our communities,” said HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso. “Bringing together the strength and expertise of federal, state, and local partners is how we turn the tide against violent crime, drug traffickers, and those who prey on our children. When we unite our resources and resolve, we deliver real results—making the Hudson Valley a safer place for every New Yorker.” “We appreciate our U.S. Attorneys for hosting and participating in this collaborative effort,” said Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s New York Division Bryan DiGiralamo. “ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence, when combined with strong partnerships across all levels of law enforcement, enhances investigations and plays a critical role in reducing violent gun crime and keeping our communities safe.” “Special thanks to our United States Attorneys for the Southern and Northern Districts of New York, and the Orange County District Attorneys’ Office, for bringing together our federal, state and local law enforcement partners for this meeting,” said DEA Northeast Regional Associate Chief of Operations Frank Tarentino. “The DEA is committed to working with all our law enforcement partners across the region in targeting those drug trafficking organizations and individuals who are responsible for the most harm. This is the DEA’s focus, both here and abroad, and we will continue this fight until we have a fentanyl-free America.”


title: Last of Four Individuals Charged in $63 Million Mail Theft Conspiracy, Including Two Postal Employees Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – Four individuals who were charged in an Information last year for their involvement in a $63 million scheme that involved stealing checks from the mail and selling them online have all since pleaded guilty, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced today. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by U.S. Postal Service Inspector General Tammy Hull; Acting Inspector in Charge Sean McStravick, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Detroit Division; Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd, Detroit Field Office, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation; Special Agent in Andrew McKay, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Mid-Atlantic Field Division; and Megan Howell, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Jaiswan Williams, 32, of Rochester Hills, Daquan Foreman, 32, of Eastpointe, Vanessa Hargrove, 40, of Detroit, and Crystal Jenkins, 32, of Detroit, all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid and abet bank and wire fraud. Williams also pleaded guilty to money laundering, and accepted responsibility for $1.5M of fraudulent pandemic unemployment insurance benefit claims submitted between May 2020 and September 2021. Hargrove and Jenkins were United States Postal Service employees who diverted and ultimately stole checks and other negotiable instruments from the mail, including a high volume of tax refund checks issued by the U.S. Treasury. Williams and Foreman were the administrators of the online marketplaces used to sell the checks. According to the Information, postal employees Hargrove and Jenkins would provide the stolen checks to Williams and Foreman in exchange for payments. Williams and Foreman would take those checks and market them for sale via Telegram Messenger, a cloud-based, cross-platform instant messaging application. Prices varied based on the face-value of the checks. One of the Telegram channels, named “Whole Foods Slipsss,” was used to advertise high-dollar checks, while another channel, named “Uber Eats Slips,” was used to advertise lower-dollar checks. “Slips” is a term commonly used in these schemes to refer to stolen checks. Transactions were completed off-platform using a variety of electronic payment systems. Purchasers of these checks would then attempt to fraudulently cash them using a variety of methods. All four defendants face up to 30 years in prison for the conspiracy. Williams also faces up to 20 years on the money laundering charge. Sentencing hearings will be held later this year, in front of U.S District Judge Judith E. Levy, as follows: D-1 Jaiswan Williams: April 14, 2026 D-2 Daquan Foreman: March 3, 2026 D-3 Vanessa Hargrove: March 3, 2026 D-4 Crystal Jenkins: May 27, 2026 This multi-agency investigation was led by the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG), with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI); the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA); and the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Particka.


title: Florida Man Sentenced in Federal Methamphetamine and Firearms Case

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – A former resident of Lebanon, Virginia was sentenced recently to 27 months on federal methamphetamine and firearm charges in U.S. District Court in Abingdon. Brett Lamar Howard, 35, of West Palm Beach, Fla., pled guilty in September 2025 to one count of possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm by a prohibited person. According to court documents, on January 22, 2025, Virginia State Police encountered Howard in Dickenson County, Virginia, which later turned into a traffic stop. A K-9 officer performed a free air sniff of Howard’s vehicle, which led to a search of the vehicle and discovery of a loaded Taurus .357 revolver with an obliterated serial number, 30 rounds of ammunition, approximately 29 grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and 94 small individual plastic bags. Howard admitted the items in the vehicle belonged to him. In addition to prison time, Howard was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and forfeit a Taurus .357 Magnum revolver and assorted ammunition in connection with his convictions. Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Virginia State Police and Dickenson County Sheriff’s Office. Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Senior Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Section Chief with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, prosecuted the case for the United States.


title: Overland Park, Kansas Man Sentenced to 189 Months for Child Pornography

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Overland Park, Ks. man was sentenced on Jan. 27, 2026, by the Honorable Roseann A. Ketchmark to 189 months imprisonment in the Bureau of Prisons to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. Jason M. Shellenbergar, 50, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of child pornography; one count of receipt of child pornography; and one count of possession of child pornography involving a victim under the age of 12. At the time of these offenses, Shellenbergar was living in Independence, Missouri. Shellenbergar will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Child Exploitation Task Force and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Charlotte Drug Trafficker Sentenced To 21+ Years After Being Arrested With Large Quantities Of Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Two Firearms, $10,000 In Cash, And A Stolen Vehicle

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte drug trafficker was sentenced to 262 months in prison today following a federal investigation that resulted in the seizure of large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, two firearms, more than $10,000 in cash, and a stolen vehicle, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, Deontaye Smith, 32, was ordered to serve five years of supervised release. Smith pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing methamphetamine. Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement. According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, on March 27, 2024, investigators became aware that an individual known as “Taye,” later identified as Deontaye Smith, was selling large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and firearms in the Charlotte area. Using a confidential informant, investigators arranged multiple drug buys with Smith, during which they purchased significant quantities of methamphetamine. Court records show that, on July 16, 2024, Smith was indicted by a federal grand jury. On July 25, 2024, ATF agents arrested Smith at his residence. During a subsequent search, investigators recovered approximately 1.6 kilograms of methamphetamine, 633 grams of fentanyl, $10,099 in cash, two scales, and a stolen Dodge Charger parked at the residence. In addition to the drugs, law enforcement recovered powder used to dilute the drugs. Law enforcement further seized two firearms and several rounds of assorted caliber ammunition. One of the firearms was fitted with a machinegun conversion device, or “Glock switch,” and was equipped with a 31-round extended magazine. Smith is in federal custody and will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prison upon designation of a federal facility. In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the ATF. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Lincoln County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Kevin James Murphy, 30, of West Hamlin, was sentenced today to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 11, 2025, Murphy was the front seat passenger in a vehicle pulled over by law enforcement officers in Huntington. During the traffic stop, officers directed Murphy to exit the vehicle and asked if he had any weapons. As part of his guilty plea, Murphy admitted that officers seized a Taurus Model G2C 9mm from his waistband after he told them he had a firearm. Murphy further admitted that the seized firearm was reported stolen, and that officers also seized approximately 29 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, plastic bags, and 9mm ammunition from his backpack in the vehicle during the traffic stop. Murphy also admitted that he possessed and intended to distribute the seized methamphetamine and possessed the seized firearm in connection with that offense. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Murphy knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for attempt to commit a felony-possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance on March 29, 2016, and being a person prohibited from possessing firearms on June 29, 2019, both in Cabell County Circuit Court. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department, the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force. and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-99. ###


title: Eagle Butte Man Found Guilty of Threatening Federal Official

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a jury has convicted Joseph Lafferty, age 68, of Eagle Butte, South Dakota, of one count of Threatening a Federal Official following a 3-day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on January 23, 2026. The charge carries a maximum penalty of six years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, with a violation of a condition of release possibly resulting in two years of additional incarceration on any such revocation, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered. Lafferty was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2025. The evidence presented at trial established that on July 21, 2025, Lafferty threatened to get his gun and kill a federal official employed by Indian Health Service, an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The Defendant made the threat in Eagle Butte, in the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation. “This jury verdict should send a clear message,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “We take threats of violence against public officials very seriously and they will be investigated and swiftly prosecuted under the full force of the law.” This case was investigated by the FBI and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case. A presentence investigation was ordered. Sentencing has been scheduled for April 20, 2026. The defendant was continued on release pending sentencing.


title: Nevada Child Predator Sentenced in the District of Utah to 25 Years’ Imprisonment

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: ST. GEORGE, Utah – A Nevada woman was sentenced today to 300 months’ imprisonment after she sexually exploited a child, recorded the sexually explicit conduct and then distributed it to a co-offender, with whom she had a relationship. Alexandria Marie Wright, 32, of Moapa, Nevada, pleaded guilty in June 2025 to production of child pornography. In addition to Wright’s term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen, sentenced Wright to a lifetime of supervised release. According to court documents and admissions made at Wright’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, beginning on an unknown date and continuing through October 31, 2021, in the District of Utah, Wright began exchanging sexual messages and media with her co-conspirator. In the fall of 2021, Wright and her co-conspirator met to have consensual sex and discussed sexually abusing a child, to whom Wright had access to. On Halloween, Wright brought a four-year-old victim that she knew to her co-conspirator, and they sexually abused the child for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the abuse. The co-conspirator was arrested on August 7, 2024 in Kansas, which led to the recovery of sexually explicit images of the child, and the instant prosecution. “These unthinkable acts will not go unanswered,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “Child predators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. It is our hope that the victim and the victim’s family can move forward knowing justice is served against Wright and that she is removed from society and away from preying on other children.” The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Lola Police Department in Lola, Kansas. Assistant United States Christopher Burton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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: Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Nicholas Kagen Woodin, 34, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 22, 2024, law enforcement officers went to Woodin’s residence to arrest him for alleged violations of his parole. Officers recovered a Hi-Point model C9 9mm pistol under the pillow of Woodin’s bed in his bedroom. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Woodin knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for first-degree robbery in Putnam County Circuit Court on January 17, 2018, possession of a stolen vehicle in Kanawha County Circuit Court on September 6, 2018, and escape from custody in Fayette County Circuit Court on September 13, 2020. Woodin is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), West Virginia Parole Services, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Amy L. McLaughlin 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. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-178. ###


title: Four Chinese Nationals Indicted on Charges of Human Trafficking, Immigration Violations, and Money Laundering Involving Pair of Illicit Massage Businesses in Erie

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: ERIE, Pa. - Four Chinese nationals residing in Flushing, New York, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of conspiracy, human trafficking, immigration violations, and money laundering, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The nine-count Indictment named Shuhua Qiu, 56; Chunlong Lin, 38; Lijuan Zhao, 40; and Ming Zhai, 39, as defendants. According to the Indictment, from at least November 2023 through January 20, 2026, the defendants conspired together to commit offenses against the United States that included the use of a place of interstate or foreign commerce to facilitate, promote, manage, establish, or carry on commercial prostitution; the transport of individuals in interstate or foreign commerce for the purpose of commercial prostitution and the commission of immigration and sex trafficking violations relative to non-citizens kept, harbored, or controlled for prostitution; and money laundering. Specifically, defendants Qiu, Lin, and Zhao owned and managed businesses called “Sunny Spa,” located at 4615 Buffalo Road in Erie, and “Point Spa,” located at 4432 Peach Street in Erie. The Indictment alleges that these businesses were illicit massage establishments where customers were required to pay a “house fee” to meet with a “masseuse” and would then pay “tips” in exchange for commercial sex acts. In many instances, these “tips” were paid in amounts between 100% and 400% of the initial “house fee.” According to the Indictment, the defendants caused those individuals engaged in prostitution to reside within the commercial properties leased by the defendants and within efficiencies located adjacent to the business properties. As part of the conspiracy, defendants Qiu, Lin, and Zhao are alleged to have kept, harbored, or controlled non-citizens as sex workers in violation of immigration reporting requirements under federal human trafficking statutes. Lin and Zhai are alleged to have transported an individual into New York for the purpose of prostitution, with Zhai also having transported an individual from New York into the Western District of Pennsylvania to engage in prostitution. The Indictment further alleges that the defendants opened and maintained bank accounts to manage, promote, and facilitate their illicit massage businesses, and that Qiu engaged in monetary transactions with a value greater than $10,000 with money obtained from the operation of the businesses to purchase the Flushing residence the group shared. “This Indictment represents the culmination of a multi-year collaborative effort involving all levels of municipal, state, and federal law enforcement, as well as the commitment of our office and law enforcement partners—not only during this National Human Trafficking Prevention Month but throughout the year—to combatting human trafficking and protecting its victims and survivors,” said United States Attorney Rivetti. “Homeland Security Investigations-Erie, together with our law enforcement partners, worked relentlessly in a joint investigation to take down an alleged family run sex trafficking operation in Western Pennsylvania through two illicit massage businesses run by Chinese nationals,” said HSI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Eric McLoughlin. “As a result of our coordinated efforts, multiple individuals have been arrested, and significant assets and evidence have been seized. HSI extends our gratitude to FBI-Erie, the IRS, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office who collaborated with us at every stage of this case. This investigation is yet another reminder that there is no place in our communities for illicit enterprises that facilitate sex trafficking, exploit vulnerable individuals, and pose serious threats to public health and safety.” “Investigations like this are about protecting our community,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “The focus of this joint investigation is the criminal operation undermining the safety of our neighborhoods, fueling organized crime, and exploiting the vulnerable behind closed doors. The FBI and our local, state, and federal partners will never stop fighting for an end to victimization and for the safety of our communities.” “IRS-Criminal Investigation is committed to lending our financial expertise and working with our law enforcement partners whenever and wherever we are needed,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Philadelphia Field Office Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty. “I want to extend my sincere gratitude to all law enforcement agencies and commend their exceptional dedication, cooperation, and professionalism,” said Erie County District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz. “This investigation underscores the critical importance and strength of unified law enforcement efforts and shared resolve to identify, disrupt, and eradicate these crimes. We remain steadfast in our commitment to continued collaboration to protect victims, safeguard our community, and eliminate human trafficking and related exploitation wherever it exists.” For the charges involving human trafficking and prostitution of alien persons, as well as money laundering, the law provides for a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. As to the conspiracy and use of a facility of interstate or foreign commerce charges, the law provides for a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants. The United States has filed motions with the Court requesting that all four defendants be detained pending trial. Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Pennsylvania State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Erie County Detectives, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The HSTF for the Western District of Pennsylvania comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Erie Bureau of Police, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, and the Middle Atlantic-Great Lakes Organized Crime Law Enforcement Network, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania. January is designated National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Read a recent news release from the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security recognizing the month here . An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Justice Department Joins Lawsuit Against Racial Discrimination in Admissions at UCLA’s Medical School

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division sought intervention in a lawsuit against the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) over the school’s continued use of race in its admissions policies and practices. The underlying lawsuit against UCLA was brought by several groups, including Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA). In 2023, SFFA won a historic victory against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, in which the Supreme Court determined that U.S. universities were no longer allowed to use race as a factor in admissions decisions. SFFA, and now the United States, allege in this lawsuit that UCLA has continued to use race in its admissions decisions after the Supreme Court’s decision in SFFA v. Harvard. “As the Supreme Court has made clear, admission into our nation’s educational institutions cannot be based on discriminatory racial policies,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s intervention is the Department of Justice’s latest effort to hold our universities accountable for unlawful policy — especially in the state of California.” “Even after the Supreme Court banned race-balancing, the Geffen School kept discriminating by using illegal DEI preferences in admissions,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As the Supreme Court stated more than 80 years ago, a free people, founded on the doctrine of equality, regard distinctions between citizens solely because of their ancestry as inherently odious. This Civil Rights Division will not tolerate such conduct and welcomes the Court’s role in ensuring justice.” “The law is clear: Discrimination on the basis of race is illegal and immoral,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “As a state where so many of its leaders pride themselves on being on the ‘right side of history,’ California can and must do better.” The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, notes that the Geffen School gathers data on the race of its applicants, and uses racial preferences to illegally balance its admissions classes by race such that they will “look like” America. The United States’ complaint notes that, based on admissions data obtained from the Geffen School, large disparities exist between the academic preparation of minority applicants and non-minority applicants. This invidious racism not only violates the U.S. Constitution, but stigmatizes minority applicants as less qualified, and causes the medical school to admit applicants who are substantially less qualified to become medical doctors. This case is brought by the Educational Opportunities Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. You can view the complaint here .


title: Indictment Charges Dubai Resident with Fraud, Money Laundering, and Identity Theft Offenses

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

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 a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned a nine-count indictment SAUL SHALEV, 36, a dual U.S.-Israeli national, with offenses stemming from an alleged scheme that defrauded numerous small and medium-sized businesses and commercial lenders. The indictment was returned on August 20, 2025, and Shalev was arrested in Barcelona, Spain, on September 15, 2025, at the request of the United States. Shalev appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, Shalev holds U.S. and Israeli passports, lived in Brooklyn, New York, until approximately February 2019, and most recently resided in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Between approximately December 2019 and November 2022, Shalev defrauded more than 20 small and medium-sized businesses (“SMBs”). As part of the scheme, Shalev obtained information about commercial loans received by the SMBs and offered the SMBs the opportunity to refinance the loans or to obtain additional financing, either from the original lender or from a new lender. Shalev, using stolen identities and making fraudulent representations, acted as a broker between SMBs and potential lenders. After obtaining new or additional financing for an SMB from a commercial lender, Shalev provided fraudulent payoff instructions to the SMB with respect to a prior loan, causing the SMB to send all or part of the loan proceeds to an account he controlled. Shalev also fraudulently received a commission from the lender. The indictment specifically alleges that In December 2020, Shalev used a stolen identity and posed as a broker between an auto dealership in Ohio and a commercial lender in Connecticut. Shalev caused the lender to make a loan of $343,000 to the auto dealer, caused the auto dealer to make a payoff payment of $190,668.06 to a commercial lender in Colorado that was actually directed to an account controlled by Shalev, and received a commission from the Connecticut lender of $42,000. In August 2021, Shalev used a stolen identity and posed as a broker between a healthcare provider in Indiana and the Connecticut lender. Shalev caused the lender to make a loan of $145,500 to the healthcare provider, caused the healthcare provider to make payoff payments totaling $156,838.85 to the commercial lender in Colorado that were actually directed to an account controlled by Shalev, and received a commission from the Connecticut lender of $18,000. In November 2022, Shalev posed as a broker between a provider of home improvement services in Michigan and a commercial lender in Pennsylvania. Shalev caused the lender to make a loan of $196,000 to the Michigan business, advised the business that the loan proceeds were sent in error, and instructed the business to “return” the proceeds to an account he controlled. It is alleged that Shalev converted stolen funds into cryptocurrency. The indictment charges Shalev with three counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count; four counts of money laundering, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count; and two counts of aggravated identity theft, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of two years on each count. U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Connecticut Cyber Task Force (CCTF), the Stamford Police Department, and the Greenwich Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Spanish authorities provided significant assistance in securing Shalev’s arrest and January 23 extradition. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang.


title: Financial Planner Who Did Not File Tax Returns or Pay Income Tax on Nearly $1,500,000 in Income Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A financial planner who failed to file income tax returns for eight years after failing to do so for seven earlier years was sentenced today to three months in federal prison. Matthew Westberry, age 43, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 22, 2025, guilty plea to two counts of failure to file a tax return. In a plea agreement, Westberry admitted that he did not file a tax return from 2006 to 2012. After being contacted by tax authorities in 2013, Westberry filed delinquent returns for those years and a tax return for 2013. However, he did not pay the income tax he owed for 2008 through 2013. After filing a tax return in 2013, Westberry stopped filing tax returns. He did not file a tax return for any year between 2014 and 2021. During those years, Westberry had gross income of nearly $1,500,000 from his work as a financial planner. He paid no income tax on those earnings during those years. Westberry should have paid more than $250,000 in federal income tax for that income. As a result of his failure to pay income taxes for 2008 to 2013, the IRS placed two liens on a piece of property Westberry had agreed to purchase. Westberry did not go through with the purchase but did not have the liens removed from the property. When the property owner tried to sell the property to someone else, the owner discovered the IRS liens in Westberry’s name. To get the liens off the property, Westberry filed false lien releases with the Linn County Recorder’s Office. He prepared the lien releases to look like they came from the IRS. Westberry was convicted of forgery in state court for filing the false lien releases. Westberry was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States Magistrate Judge Mark Roberts. Westberry was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. Once he is released from prison, he will have to serve an additional three months of home confinement. He was ordered to make $264,502 in restitution to the IRS. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Westberry had paid approximately $36,000 towards restitution prior to his sentencing. There is no parole in the federal system. Westberry was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-cr-00054. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marquize Kuame Damon Scott, also known as “Q,” 27, of South Point, Ohio, was sentenced today to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of 50 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 14, 2024, Scott sold 83.9 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $700 in Huntington. As part of his guilty plea, Scott admitted to conducting the transaction and to arranging it beforehand. Scott also admitted to additional criminal conduct. On June 10, 2024, Scott sold approximately 55 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 2.3 grams of cocaine to a confidential informant in exchange for $500 on Hal Greer Boulevard in Huntington. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff's Office. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-48. ###


title: Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Murder-for-Hire Plot and Stalking a Journalist and Prominent Critic of the Iranian Government

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: Today, convicted murderer Carlisle Rivera, also known as “Pop,” was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his participation in a murder-for-hire plot directed by the Government of Iran targeting Masih Alinejad, a journalist, author, and human rights activist. Rivera previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of conspiracy to commit stalking before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman for the Southern District of New York, who imposed today’s sentence. “Today’s sentence underscores the consequences of conspiring with a regime that relies on violence and intimidation to survive,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division will continue to work tirelessly with its partners to detect and protect against such plots and to hold accountable those who try to achieve the vile ends of the Iranian regime.” “The Iranian government repeatedly targeted a journalist and human rights activist living in New York, but thanks to the good work of the FBI and our partners those efforts failed,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division. “Today's sentencing sends a strong message that anyone who conspires with foreign powers to harm people living in the United States will be held accountable.” “The Government of Iran, a sponsor of terrorism, assassination, and espionage around the globe, has engaged in a campaign of assassination plots in the United States and abroad targeting those who oppose the regime,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. “The Government of Iran hired Rivera through an associate living in Iran to locate and murder Masih Alinejad in cold blood, right here in New York City. The Government of Iran has long sought to murder Ms. Alinejad, a U.S. citizen residing in New York City, because of her efforts to stand up to the Iranian regime and expose its discriminatory treatment of women, corruption, and human rights abuses. Today’s sentence should be a warning to anyone who would cast their lot with the brutal Iranian regime and seek to do their murderous bidding, especially on American soil: You will be stopped, you will be arrested, and you will be brought to justice.” “The Iranian government enlisted a convicted killer to stalk and murder an American journalist and activist, Masih Alinejad, in an effort to forever silence her vocal criticism of its regime,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “Carlisle Rivera served as a hired gun to facilitate the political assassination attempt ordered by an international adversary. May today’s lengthy sentence reflect the FBI’s unwavering stance against any domestic or foreign actor seeking to target our nation’s residents for nefarious agendas.” As reflected in the charging instruments, other public filings, and statements in public court proceedings, in 2024, Rivera was hired by his criminal confederate, Farhad Shakeri, to murder Masih Alinejad on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The IRGC is a military and intelligence organization that directly reports to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and is the Government of Iran’s primary instrument for providing financial and lethal aid to proxy terror groups in the Middle East. Among its activities, the IRGC plots and conducts attack operations outside Iran targeting, among others, U.S. citizens residing abroad and in the United States. Alinejad is one of the IRGC’s principal targets. The IRGC and the Government of Iran’s intelligence services have long sought to kidnap or murder Alinejad because of her efforts to promote gender equality and civil liberties in Iran and to expose the regime’s corruption, oppression, and terrorism to the international community. In 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap Alinejad in the U.S. for rendition to Iran; then, in 2022, the IRGC hired powerful, violent members of the Russian Mob to murder Alinejad. After those efforts failed, the IRGC turned to Shakeri, who hired Rivera to kill Alinejad. Rivera and Shakeri were incarcerated together in the New York State prison system after Rivera’s 1994 conviction for murder and Shakeri’s 1991 conviction for manslaughter. In 2024, Shakeri was living in Iran and was an IRGC asset. Shakeri offered Rivera $100,000 to locate and kill Alinejad, and Rivera agreed. Rivera then recruited his friend, co-defendant Jonathon Loadholt, to assist him in the murder plot. Using money sent by Shakeri, Rivera and Loadholt purchased a firearm and “burner” cellphones. The two men then spent several months attempting to find and kill Alinejad, including by following her to a public speaking event and repeatedly stalking the Brooklyn house where Shakeri and the IRGC believed Alinejad lived. During their efforts to locate and kill Alinejad, Rivera and his co-conspirators shared messages about their progress and photographs relating to their murder plot. For example, in or about February 2024, Rivera and Loadholt messaged about an incoming payment from Shakeri, and then traveled to Fairfield University, where Alinejad was scheduled to appear, and took photographs on campus. In April 2024, Rivera and his co-defendants exchanged a series of voice notes discussing their efforts to locate and kill Alinejad. In one voice note, Rivera told Shakeri that Alinejad was “hard to catch, bro. And because she hard to catch, there ain’t gonna be no simple pull up, unless there[’s] the luck of the draw.” In a subsequent voice note, Rivera referred to the “slammer,” meaning a firearm he had obtained to kill Alinejad. On Nov. 7, 2024, before he could complete his plan to kill Ms. Alinejad, Rivera was arrested. At Rivera's residence, law enforcement agents recovered, among other things, a firearm with a partially obliterated serial number. In addition to the prison term, Rivera, 50, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. In January 2026, Loadholt pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit stalking and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Loadholt is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Liman in April 2026. Shakari remains at large. Investigative work in this case was conducted by the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents and analysts from the FBI’s New York and Washington Field Offices and detectives from the New York City Police Department. The Department of Justice’s National Security Division (NSD), U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Division, and the New York State Police provided assistance. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob H. Gutwillig and Michael D. Lockard for the Southern District of New York, with assistance from Leslie Esbrook of NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Paul Casey of NSD’s Counterterrorism Section.


component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Repeat Health Care Fraud Offender Sentenced for Defrauding New Hampshire Medicaid CONCORD – A Florida man was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for causing psychotherapy sessions to be fraudulently billed to New Hampshire Medicaid. According to court documents, Erik X. Alonso, 55, of Miami, Florida, was convicted in 2015 of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and related offenses in the Southern District of Florida. The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) maintains an Exclusion List that identifies individuals who cannot receive payment from federal health care programs, including Medicaid. As a result of his conviction, Alonso, a psychotherapist, was placed on the Exclusion List. According to court documents, in March 2022, Alonso began working for a telehealth mental health provider based in New Hampshire, through which he provided services billed to New Hampshire Medicaid patients despite knowing he was on the Exclusion List. Alonso also caused the telehealth provider to submit claims to New Hampshire Medicaid for counseling services that were not provided as represented, including in instances in which Alonso requested – and later received – a patient’s assistance with personal tasks. As a result of the scheme, Alonso admitted that he caused New Hampshire Medicaid to pay approximately $173,998 based on false and fraudulent claims. Alonso pleaded guilty on October 23, 2025, to one count of health care fraud. At sentencing, Alonso was ordered to pay $173, 998.83 in restitution. The U.S. Attorney’s Office previously entered into a resolution with the telehealth mental health provider, LifeWorks Counseling Associates, PLLC and its owner, Dr. David Ferruolo, to resolve a parallel civil matter under which they paid $300,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by improperly billing Medicaid for services provided by an individual (Alonso) excluded from the Medicaid program. U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan for the District of New Hampshire, Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of HHS-OIG, and Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks of the FBI Boston Field Office made the announcement. HHS-OIG and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo of the District of New Hampshire and Trial Attorneys Thomas D. Campbell, John W. Howard, and Danielle H. Sakowski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.


title: Huntington Woman Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Tabatha Rae Gardner, 35, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 31, 2024, Gardner sold approximately 3.47 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in a garage behind the residence of Gardner’s grandmother in Huntington. Gardner is scheduled to be sentenced on May 11, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Gardner’s co-defendant, Tina Marie Dixon, 52, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on January 6, 2026, to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 13, 2026. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-172. ###


title: Three North Idaho Child Exploitation Defendants Sentenced to Over Forty Years in Federal Prison Combined

body_text: COEUR D’ALENE – U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced the results of three separate child exploitation cases in North Idaho today. Registered Sex Offender in Lewiston Sentenced to 300 Months in Federal Prison for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Child Jesse Eugene Burnett, 42, of Lewiston, was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison for attempted sexual exploitation of a child. According to court records, in April 2024, FBI agents were contacted by a mother who discovered her 10-year-old daughter had been exchanging sexually explicit images with an adult male on a messaging application. Although the child told the male that she was thirty, the male commented that she looked young. Using legal process, law enforcement identified Burnett, a registered sex offender living in Lewiston. Law enforcement posed as the child using the child’s phone. When Burnett was told by “the child” she was actually only thirteen-years-old, Burnett replied, “so no more pics then.” However, within days, he again requested explicit images. Burnett was arrested in June 2024 and admitted that he believed he was speaking with a child and continued to solicit sexually explicit images. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered that Burnett be placed on supervised release for 15 years following his prison sentence. Burnett will continue to be required to register as a sex offender. U.S. Attorney Davis commended the joint efforts of the Lewiston Police Department, the Des Moines Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Johnson prosecuted this case. Moscow Man Sentenced to 100 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Sex Abuse Material (CSAM) Nathanael Dewayne Jensen, 26, of Moscow, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for possession of CSAM. Court records show that in August 2024, law enforcement received CyberTips from multiple online platforms reporting the presence of CSAM in certain accounts on their platforms. Using numerous search warrants and other investigative tools, law enforcement determined the accounts belonged to Jensen, who lived in Moscow. A search of Jensen’s cell phone pursuant to a search warrant revealed CSAM videos and images on the phone, along with evidence showing that Jensen had exchanged CSAM files with another user. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered that Jensen be placed on supervised release for 15 years following his prison sentence. Jensen will be required to register as a sex offender because of this conviction. U.S. Attorney Davis thanked the Moscow Police Department, the Latah Regional SWAT team, and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office for their collaboration in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Johnson and Special Assistant United States Attorney Madison Allen Gourley prosecuted this case. Culdesac Man Sentenced to 100 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of CSAM Riley Neal O’Brien, 36, of Culdesac, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for possession of CSAM. According to court records, in June 2022, law enforcement received a CyberTip from a social media company reporting that a user of their platform was possessing child pornography. After a thorough investigation, law enforcement identified the user as O’Brien. Law enforcement determined that O’Brien possessed CSAM images and videos on his online account and distributed CSAM to others more than 70 times between March and April of 2022. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered that O’Brien be placed on supervised release for 5 years following his prison sentence. O’Brien will also be required to register as a sex offender. U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the Nez Perce County Sherrif’s Office, the Lewiston Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Johnson prosecuted this case. ###


title: Jersey City Man Admits to Conspiring to Transport Stolen Goods

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Jersey City man admitted to engaging in a conspiracy to burglarize logistics warehouses and transport the stolen goods, Senior Counsel Philip W. Lamparello announced. Derek Spivey, 37, of Jersey City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to transport stolen goods. Spivey also pleaded guilty to violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Spivey conspired with Jamil Bethea, Jamal Reid, Rasheed Sharpe, and others to burglarize trailers at logistics warehouses in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, transport the goods stolen from those warehouses, and sell the stolen goods to others. As part of the conspiracy, burglars stole $50,000 of Department of Defense laptops from a Pennsylvania warehouse in January 2025; $200,000 of high-end perfume from a Pennsylvania warehouse in March 2025; and $20,000 of liquor from a New Jersey warehouse in March 2025. Spivey and his co-conspirators then transported stolen goods into and through New Jersey for the purpose of selling them. The count of conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for June 1, 2026. Bethea, Reid, and Sharpe previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy and are scheduled to be sentenced later this year. Senior Counsel Lamparello credited agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to this plea. He also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Philadelphia Field Division with its assistance in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden. 26-022 ### Defense counsel: Thomas Young, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender spivey.information.pdf


title: Third Defendant Charged in September 2025 School Zone Shooting

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A third defendant has been federally charged in connection with a September 2025 school zone shooting investigation in Las Cruces. According to court records, on September 6, 2025, Las Cruces Police Department officers responded to reports of gunfire at Young Park in Las Cruces, New Mexico. No injuries were reported, but officers recovered multiple spent shell casings from the parking lot. Shortly after the incident, officers encountered two individuals, John Anthony Orta and Steven Mendoza , walking near Hermosa Heights Elementary School while carrying firearms. Both were arrested for negligent use of a deadly weapon and later charged federally with possession of a firearm in a school zone. Handgun located on John Anthony Orta on September 6th, 2025 AR-15 style pistol located on Steven Mendoza on September 6th, 2025 During the investigation, law enforcement obtained search warrants for Orta and Mendoza’s cell phones and reviewed social media messages discussing the Young Park shooting. Those messages identified Luis Angel Ruiz , 22, as the person who fired the shots and claimed ownership of the firearm involved. Investigators linked Ruiz to the firearm through social media posts showing him in possession of the weapon, eyewitness statements, and ballistic evidence. Instagram photo of Ruiz with what appears to be the same AR-15 style piston recovered from Mendoza on September 6, 2025 On September 24, 2025, Ruiz was stopped by Las Cruces police for traffic violations and arrested for driving under the influence. During that stop, officers recovered four firearms from the vehicle, including a handgun with an obliterated serial number. Ruiz admitted the firearms belonged to him. Investigators later identified social media messages in which Ruiz attempted to sell the firearm with the removed serial number. Ruiz is charged with discharging a firearm in a school zone and possession of a firearm with a removed, obliterated or altered serial number. He will remain in custody pending a detention hearing, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Ruiz faces 10 years in prison. On December 29, 2025, Orta pled guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm in a school zone. At sentencing he faces up to five years in prison. Mendoza remains on conditions of release pending trial, which is not currently scheduled. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office's Southern New Mexico Safe Streets Gang Task Force investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department's Street Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo is prosecuting the case. View the Criminal Complaint (Ruiz).pdf A complaint or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Milwaukee Woman Pleads Guilty to Aiding in the Preparation of False Tax Returns

body_text: Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 28, 2026, Jasmeika Simon, (age 33) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, pled guilty to one count of Aiding in the Preparation of False Tax returns, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(2). According to the plea agreement, Simon worked as a tax preparer who prepared and filed federal tax returns for clients for a fee. For the 2021, 2022, and 2023 tax years, Simon electronically filed approximately 361 federal tax returns with the IRS. Of those, approximately 331 contained indicators and evidence of fraud. Most of the 1040 tax returns filed by Simon on behalf of her clients reported materially false income related to business income and losses, household employee wages, and/or ordinary dividends. They also reported a variety of materially false refundable credits and other payments including sick and family leave credits, child and dependent care credits, fuel tax credits, IRC Section 1341 credits, and/or false income tax withholdings. As a result of Simon’s material misrepresentations, her clients received larger refunds to which they were not entitled, which increased Simon’s commissions. Throughout the course of her scheme, Simon intended a loss to the IRS of approximately $3,337,051, and caused an actual tax loss, based on fraudulent refunds paid, of $1,832,477. As a result of her fraudulent conduct, Simon also obtained approximately $234,508 in fees and commissions to which she was not entitled. Simon faces up to 3 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. She will be sentenced by United States District Court Judge Brett H. Ludwig on June 8, 2026. This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter J. Smyczek. # # # For further information contact: Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero (414) 297-1700 Follow us on X


title: Missouri Kindergarten Teacher Admits Possessing Child Pornography

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – A former Farmington, Missouri kindergarten teacher on Wednesday admitted possessing and sharing child sexual abuse material. Erika L. Morton, 37, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of possession of child pornography. She admitted sending child sexual abuse material (CSAM) via the Kik Messenger app. In February 2025, the Missouri State Highway Patrol received a cybertip reporting that a Kik user had uploaded several video files containing images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Investigators traced the account to Morton and interviewed her on June 17, 2025. Morton admitted that she was the Kik user responsible for sending the CSAM and admitted that she used her cell phone to obtain the material while at her home in Ste. Genevieve County, her plea agreement says. Morton is scheduled to be sentenced in April. The charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both prison and a fine. The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft of Minnesota Man

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Guatemalan man residing in St. Joseph, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court today for fraudulently using a Minnesota man’s identity for over a decade to work legally in the United States. Romeo Perez-Bravo, 43, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, to one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of illegal re-entry by an alien previously convicted of a felony. According to the plea agreement, Perez-Bravo began using the victim’s name and social security number to obtain employment at several businesses in St. Joseph, Missouri beginning as early as 2009 up to his indictment in March 2025. The victim discovered the identity theft when he began receiving tax bills from the Internal Revenue Service for unpaid income taxes assigned to his social security number. Perez-Bravo also used the victim’s identity to obtain several Missouri issued identification cards. Perez-Bravo is a citizen of Guatemala and does not have permission to enter, remain, or work in the United States legally. Records indicate he has been deported three separate times, with at least one deportation occurring after he was convicted of a felony. Under federal statutes, Perez-Bravo faces a mandatory two years in federal prison for the offense of aggravated identity theft. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison for the offense of illegal re-entry by an alien previously convicted of a felony. According to federal statute, these prison terms must be served consecutively. 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 Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda K. Hanson. It was investigated by Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General; Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the St. Joseph Mo. Police Department; and the Olivia Mn. Police Department. Operation Take Back America This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Sinaloa, Mexico Man Sentenced to 20 years for Fentanyl Conspiracy

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Sinaloa, Mexico man was sentenced in federal court on Jan. 27, 2026, for his involvement in a fentanyl drug conspiracy. Raymundo Guadalupe Felix-Perez, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 20 years’ imprisonment without parole, 5 years supervised release, and a money judgment of $80,000. Felix-Perez previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl, between Oct. 27, 2020, and Jan. 24, 2023, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in the Western District of Missouri. Beginning the fall of 2020, Felix-Perez sold M30 fentanyl pills to a co-conspirator in the Western District of Missouri. The initial indictment in this matter included two defendants that were charged, Troy Lee Palmer and Dallas W. Hughs, in a six-count indictment including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. During the initial investigation, other members of the conspiracy were identified, including Craig Troester, Dakota Morris, Cassidie Bumgarner, Lucas Coltrain, and Jessica Moody. The final superseding indictment charged Felix-Perez, Joshua Stramel, and Kaden Bernard with the conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl. All members of the conspiracy have been previously sentenced with Felix-Perez being the last. Prior to his indictment, Felix-Perez returned to Sinaloa, Mexico, where he continued to distribute fentanyl to co-conspirators in Missouri, Iowa, Arizona, and Idaho. On June 30, 2024, Felix-Perez was arrested after attempting to enter the United States in the Southern District of California. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Grundy County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office; Trenton, Missouri, Police Department; Northwest Missouri Drug Task Force; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Buchanan County, Missouri Drug Strike Force; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Mercer County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office; Kansas City, Missouri Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Internal Revenue Service. Homeland Security Task Force This operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Drug Enforcement with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.


title: Hays man pleads guilty to assault on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation

body_text: GREAT FALLS - A Hays man accused of assaulting two females on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. The defendant, Lane Blake Kirkaldie, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of simple assault. Kirkaldie faces a term of imprisonment of ten years, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for May 28, 2026. Kirkaldie was released with conditions pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that in the early hours of January 1, 2025, Kirkaldie and a group of people attended a gathering at a house on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. According to witnesses, there was an altercation that resulted in Kirkaldie being told to leave the house. Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 left the house with him. The trio walked to a business in Lodge Pole, which is equipped with surveillance cameras. In one of the surveillance videos, Kirkaldie can be seen throwing things before lunging toward Jane Doe 2. The video also shows him making threatening comments while holding a glass bottle. A different surveillance video shows both Jane Does leave the building, with Kirkaldie trailing them outside. He tried to approach Jane Doe 2, and Jane Doe 1 put herself between them. She held Kirkaldie back as Jane Doe 2 returned inside. After he pushed her away, Kirkaldie struck Jane Doe 1 in the head with the glass bottle, which cut her head badly enough to require stitches. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation. XXX