title: Manhattan-Based Investment Analyst Charged With Insider Trading

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging JIANQING LI, a/k/a “JQ,” an analyst at an asset manager specializing in biomedical and healthcare investments, with two counts of securities fraud. LI was presented today before Magistrate Judge Gary Stein. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield. “Jianqing Li allegedly turned confidential information into more than $350,000 in illegal trading profits,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Insider trading is unfair and it’s illegal. It harms our markets and our investors.” “Jianqing Li’s alleged exploitation of sensitive trading information betrayed his employer and established an unfair financial advantage over the unknowing public,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “The FBI maintains its steadfast pursuit of those who abuse their positions to generate unlawful profits.” As alleged in the Indictment: LI made more than $350,000 in illicit profits by trading in stock and options based on material, nonpublic information he misappropriated from the investment fund where he worked. LI was an analyst at a Manhattan-based asset manager specializing in biomedical and healthcare investments, which routinely received nonpublic information from investment banks in connection with its evaluation of investment opportunities in public companies. Rather than honor restrictions on the use of that information, LI repeatedly used inside information to trade securities for his own profit, in violation of his duties to his employer and to the sources of the information. In particular, LI used nonpublic information about upcoming announcements that he expected would increase a company’s stock price to purchase securities for his brokerage accounts—or in the case of information he expected to negatively affect the stock price, to sell short—and then unwound his position soon after the public announcement, in each case for a profit. To conceal his trading, LI violated his employer’s insider trading policies and code of ethics, including by not seeking preclearance for his illegal trades, not disclosing his trading or profits, and falsely certifying his compliance with those policies annually. * * * LI, 40, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of securities fraud under Title 15, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of securities fraud under Title 18, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. Clayton further thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle A. Wirshba is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ^ As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitutes only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Collin County man arrested and charged in the Eastern District of Texas with making threats against the President of the United States

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – A Collin County man has been arrested and charged in the Eastern District of Texas with making threats against the President of the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Ronnie “Chip” Austin, Jr., 56, of Allen, was charged in a criminal complaint with making threats against the President of the United States and transmitting threats in interstate commerce. Austin was arrested on June 4, 2026, and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Aileen Goldman Durrett on June 5, 2026. 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, to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. This case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Rapp. A federal indictment or complaint is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Federal grand jury indicts Jamestown man on narcotics conspiracy charge

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Joseph Fontanez Walker, 35, of Jamestown, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, which carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a 10,000,000 fine. According to the indictment, between 2019 and January 2022, Fontanez Walker conspired with others to sell fentanyl and heroin in the Jamestown area. Fontanez Walker was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and is being held pending a detention hearing on June 8, 2026. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Buffalo comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Department of Homeland Security Emergency Removal Operations, Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Diplomatic Security Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti. The indictment is the result of an investigation by Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Forster. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Joplin Man Charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo. man was charged in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Andre E. Swindell, 41, was charged in a one-count criminal complaint and had his initial appearance in federal court this morning. The complaint alleges that officers with the Joplin Police Department located firearms connected to Swindell while executing search warrants at his residence in connection with a homicide investigation on Feb. 28, 2026. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Joplin, Missouri Police Department. Operation Take Back America This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Santa Monica Man Pleads Guilty to Doxing ICE Lawyer

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Santa Monica man pleaded guilty to a federal criminal charge for doxxing – publishing private or identifying information about an individual on the internet with malicious intent – a lawyer at United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Gregory John Curcio, 68, pleaded guilty to one count of violating the protection of individuals performing certain official duties. Federal law prohibits making certain personal information about covered persons – including federal employees – public. The restricted personal information includes a victim’s Social Security number, home address, home phone number, mobile phone number, and personal email address. In February 2025, Curcio created a Facebook post in which he identified the victim – an ICE attorney – as an ICE agent, posted her home address, and directed others to “swat” her at that address. Curcio also posted the victim’s home address on another social media account with instructions to swat her. “Swatting” is a term used to describe a form of harassment that often involves placing a false emergency call to law enforcement or emergency responders, often reporting a false ongoing crisis or crime at a specific location to prompt a significant law enforcement response. According to court documents previously filed in this case, the victim told authorities that Curcio is a former resident at her mother’s apartment building in Santa Monica. The victim said she never met Curcio, but that he had harassed and threatened her mother for years and engaged in a campaign to harass the victim and her family beginning from at least January 2024. United States District Judge Michelle Williams Court scheduled an August 21 sentencing hearing, at which time Curcio will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Restrepo of the National Security Division is prosecuting this case.


title: Honduran National Sentenced to Six Months Imprisonment After Guilty Plea to Illegal Entry into United States

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA –MAYCOL JAVIER CARCAMO-ANTUNEZ (“CARCAMO-ANTUNEZ”) , age 21, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on June 4, 2026 to six (6) months imprisonment by U.S District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown after pleading guilty to illegal entry into the United States, and avoidance of examination and inspection by U.S. immigration officials, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1325(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to court documents, CARCAMO-ANTUNEZ, an illegal alien, was ordered removed from the United States on January 8, 2026 by an immigration judge in New Orleans. On April 15, 2026, at approximately 7:00am, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers located CARCAMO-ANTUNEZ in a vehicle in Tangipahoa Parish. Officers attempted to apprehend and arrest CARCAMO-ANTUNEZ but he accelerated his vehicle away from the officers, eventually disembarking and barricading himself inside a trailer residence in Tangipahoa Parish for over 13 hours. Immigration enforcement officers then acquired a signed criminal Complaint and Search Warrant, entered the residence and arrested CARCAMO-ANTUNEZ . This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the U.S. Immigration and Customs in investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Rick Veters, of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.


title: FBI Special Agent selected as WDNY 2026 Hometown Hero

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that FBI Special Agent Randall Garver has been awarded the 2026 Hometown Hero award for the Western District of New York. The Hometown Hero award commemorates the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. It honors the enduring ideals of Liberty, Service, and Civic Responsibility. This award is dedicated in recognition of a steadfast commitment to these ideals and an embodiment of the spirit upon which our Nation was founded. “Special Agent Garver is relentless and tireless in his work on behalf of the most vulnerable members of our community, our children,” stated U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “He has been a trusted law enforcement partner to the WDNY for many years and has garnered the universal respect of every Assistant U.S. Attorney that he works with. Special Agent Garver is truly a ‘Hometown Hero.’” Special Agent Garver is head of the Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) Squad. From securing evidence and obtaining search warrants, to assisting prosecutors through litigation, he spends an enormous amount of time ensuring that justice is served. But, in addition to building a successful case, Special Agent Garver is unrelenting in his care for victims, staying in constant contact with victims and their families, earning their trust, and guiding them through a very difficult process. Special Agent Garver is a graduate of West Point and a combat veteran. He spends a great deal of his free time volunteering for veteran organizations and as a youth athletics coach. The Hometown Hero Award is presented to individuals who have made significant and measurable contributions to preserve and/or improve their community. For more information on Freedom 250 and the Hometown Hero award, go to https://freedom250.org/ . # # # #


title: Homeland Security Task Force Case Results in 30-Year Federal Prison Sentence for Oklahoma Drug Trafficker

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – An Oklahoma man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 360 months in prison for trafficking cocaine from Mexico into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons. The Homeland Security Task Force investigation was led by ICE Homeland Security Investigations. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jordy Alexander Amaya, 28, approached the Eagle Pass Port of Entry on Sept. 16, 2024. During an inspection of his vehicle, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered approximately 1.9 kilograms of cocaine. Testimony during the trial revealed Amaya had ties to a Texas-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributes methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. Records also indicate that Amaya previously crossed into the U.S. in a known DTO vehicle in 2022 and 2023. Amaya was indicted in October 2024 on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of conspiracy to import cocaine, and one count of importation of cocaine. He was convicted of all four counts after a jury trial concluded on August 27, 2025. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Warsame Galaydh and William Golden prosecuted the case. 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. HSTF comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; ATF; U.S. Border Patrol; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; as well as local police departments and sheriff’s offices, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. ###


title: New Hampshire Business Owner Sentenced for Obstruction of Justice

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A New Hampshire woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for attempting to obstruct and interfere in a grand jury investigation involving her brother, former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran. Tuyet T. Martin, 56, of Pelham, N.H., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $40,000 fine. In January 2026 , Martin pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice. In June 2024 , Martin was charged along with her brother, Dean Tran. In November 2023 , Tran was arrested and charged in a 28-count federal indictment for his fraudulent collection of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits and his willful omission of consulting and rental income from his tax returns in 2020, 2021 and 2022. As part of the investigation into Tran’s unemployment benefits and tax fraud schemes, an investigation began into a job offer and employment offer letter from Martin to Tran at the New Hampshire-based business where Martin was the owner and the CEO. During a July 2023 grand jury session, Martin provided false testimony regarding the employment offer letter. Tran was sentenced in in January 2026 to one year in prison with 11 months to run concurrent with his current sentence and one month to run consecutive, to be followed by 18 months of supervised release to run concurrent with his current sentence. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Mexican national sentenced to federal prison for immigration violation

component: USAO - Georgia, Southern

body_text: SAVANNAH, Georgia: A defendant illegally inside the United States was sentenced to prison in federal court in the Southern District of Georgia. The sentence was imposed by the Honorable Judge J. Randal Hall, District Judge for the Southern District of Georgia and announced by U.S. Attorney Margaret E. ‘Meg’ Heap. Jose Hernandez-Perez , 41, of Tultepec, Mexico, was sentenced to 37 months in prison followed by immediate deportation after pleading guilty to Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation, a charge applied to an illegal alien present in the United States after at least one prior removal. There is no parole in the federal system. Court records and documents showed that Hernandez-Perez was apprehended during a traffic stop in Screven County and subsequently identified as an illegal alien utilizing biometric data. The defendant was shown to have extensive federal immigration violations dating back to 2010. “This case demonstrates that no matter how many times one may break our laws, criminals will be met with prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “We will continue to identify and bring to justice those who would completely disregard our laws and exploit our borders.” In August 2010, Hernandez-Perez was convicted of Conspiracy to Transport an Unlawful Alien within the United States in the Southern District of Texas and was sentenced to 22 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In July 2012 and again in January 2017, Hernandez-Perez was convicted of Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation, again in the Southern District of Texas, and was sentenced to 35 months and 15 months confinement, respectively. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Screven County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant United States Attorney Kelsey L. Scanlon.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Settlement with Wrightstown, New Jersey Landlord in Fair Housing Act Lawsuit

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. — A Wrightstown, New Jersey landlord has agreed to pay $62,500 in monetary damages to resolve a lawsuit alleging race and national origin discrimination in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA). The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing, including discrimination because of race and national origin. The United States’ complaint, filed on November 13, 2024, alleged that the landlord, Burlington Preservation Associates, LLC (Burlington), had applied an incarceration provision in its lease agreement to discriminate against a Black and Hispanic tenant living in subsidized housing. The incarceration provision in the lease gave landlord or property manager the discretionary authority to change the locks of incarcerated tenants and then evict them. As alleged in the complaint, Burlington took almost immediate action to evict the Black and Hispanic tenant living in subsidized housing during a brief period of incarceration while treating a white, incarcerated tenant very differently. The complaint further alleged that, when the tenant filed a fair housing complaint with a federal agency, the defendant retaliated against him by attempting to evict him a second time and by disrupting the recertification process required to maintain the tenant’s subsidized housing. In addition to paying monetary damages to the tenant, Burlington has also agreed to remove the lease provision at issue in this case as part of the resolution announced today. The case was referred to the Department of Justice after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development received a complaint, completed an investigation, and issued a charge of discrimination. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Millenky. 26-113 ### burlingtonpreservation.agreement.pdf


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 148 Border-Related Cases This Week

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 148 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city). In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here . A sample of border-related arrests this week: On May 30, Luis Andres Pereyda Gonzalez, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 203 pounds of cocaine concealed in the bed of his Ford F-150 truck as he tried to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. On June 2, Lorenzo Mendoza-Hernandez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, Border Patrol agents apprehended Mendoza-Hernandez, an unauthorized alien who was previously deported in 2016 through Calexico, after a brief foot chase about three miles north of the border and eight miles west of the Tecate and Port of Entry. On June 3, Qi Hua He, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, He attempted to smuggle in a Chinese national via the San Ysidro Port of Entry using a passport that had been lawfully issued to someone else. The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners. Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Billings man sentenced to more than 11 years in prison on drug trafficking charges

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLINGS – A Billings man who tried to collect a package from the post office with 6,000 carfentanil pills hidden inside a stuffed animal was sentenced today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. Timothy Christopher Payne was sentenced to 140 months in prison with five years of supervised release on one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He was also sentenced to 48 months in prison on one count of using a communication facility in a felony act related to a controlled substance. The two sentences will run concurrently. Payne, 39, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to the two counts. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents that a suspicious package addressed to Payne’s residence on Lewis Avenue in Billings held just over a pound of carfentanil that Payne intended to traffic. On Oct. 17, 2025, the U.S. Postal Service flagged a package as suspicious that had been mailed to a “George Pina” but addressed to a residence associated with Payne. Investigators filed for a search warrant to open the package and as they waited for approval Payne arrived at the post office to pick up the parcel, using the name George Pina. The day before, a mail carrier had attempted to deliver the package to Payne’s residence but it was too large to fit in his mailbox. The carrier continued on with her route and a few minutes later Payne flagged her down and attempted to retrieve the package. The carrier told him he would have to pick it up at the post office, which is what Payne tried to do the next day. At the post office Payne was told the package had yet to arrive and so he left his phone number, requesting a call once it was ready for pickup. In the meantime investigators received their warrant and opened the package. Inside they found a stuffed animal that concealed a baggie of approximately 6,000 blue pills marked “M 30.” Technicians tested the pills, which together weighed approximately 575.6 grams or 1.2 pounds, and found they contained carfentanil, a synthetic fentanyl analogue. Agents then called Payne and told him his package had arrived. Payne returned to the post office, picked up his parcel and walked back outside. Agents at that point arrested him, to which Payne responded repeatedly, “I knew you guys were here. I knew you guys were coming.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The United States Postal Inspection Service, Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.


title: Mexican Man Gets 16 Years in Federal Prison for Aggravated Smuggling Conspiracy Investigated by Homeland Security Task Force

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A Mexican national with legal permanent resident status was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 195 months in prison for conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. According to court documents, Armando Garcia-Martinez aka “Leche” aka “El Compadre” aka “Mando,” 43, was a recruiter for the alien smuggling organization that transported a family of illegal aliens from San Antonio to Austin in August 2023. In that event, the family, consisting of a man, a pregnant woman, and their seven-year-old child, were taken hostage by the ASO. Defendants sexually assaulted the pregnant woman, threatened to kill the woman’s seven-year-old boy if payments were not made, and they also threatened to sell the woman’s unborn baby if they did not get the money they sought. On July 9, 2023, a relative paid at least $1,000 to the ASO due to the threats made toward the family. Still, the ASO continued to demand payment to different accounts as a condition for the release of the aliens. Beyond his involvement in this particular smuggling event, Garcia-Martinez’s role in the ASO was to get the illegal aliens to drivers in Eagle Pass who would smuggle the aliens to San Antonio or Austin. On average, Garcia coordinated two to three trips per week for codefendants Juan Antonio Flores and Pedro Ruiz Gonzalez. Generally, Garcia-Martinez picked up the illegal aliens belonging to codefendant Anthony Ballones Jr. near the train tracks in Eagle Pass and took them to codefendants Ambar Obregon and Tomas Estrada-Torres. Garcia-Martinez was indicted on April 24, 2024, and arrested May 31. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2024. On Feb. 11, co-defendant Flores was sentenced to 212 months for his role in the case. Co-defendants Edwin Alfredo Barrientos-Mateo and Nelson Abilio Castro-Zelaya were sentenced to 360 months and 180 months in federal prison, respectively. Estrada-Torres was sentenced to 151 months, and Rodolfo Daniel De Hoyos was sentenced to 170 months. Gonzalez, Obregon and Ballones have pleaded guilty and are pending sentencing. Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presides over the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner prosecuted the case. 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. HSTF comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; ATF; U.S. Border Patrol; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; as well as local police departments and sheriff’s offices, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. ###


title: Chiropractor and Former CEO Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Returns

component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: A Puerto Rican chiropractor pleaded guilty today to filing a false tax return related to his use of an illegal tax shelter. According to court documents and statements made in court, Stuart Bernsen, formerly of Westmont, Illinois, was the former CEO and co-founder of a company that managed a network of over 50 chiropractic clinics across the Midwest. Bernsen paid to establish an illegal tax shelter, which he used to conceal income through a series of abusive trusts and a fraudulent charitable foundation. From 2019 through 2021, Bernsen used this tax shelter to avoid paying nearly $1.3 million in tax. The tax shelter was designed to make it appear as if Bernsen had permanently transferred to his trusts and charitable foundation his ownership interest of various business entities, including his chiropractic business. In reality, Bernsen maintained control of the chiropractic business and other business entities, and he continued to benefit from the income they generated. Bernsen used the trusts to make various personal purchases, including personal residences, credit card bills, a luxury vacation and a boat. Bernsen also filed false tax returns for the trusts, erroneously claiming that his personal purchases were tax-deductible expenses related to the administration of the trusts. Bernsen pleaded guilty to one count of willfully filing a false tax return. Bernsen is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2 and faces a maximum of three years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois made the announcement. IRS-CI is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Boris Bourget and Mahana K. Weidler of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.


title: Daleville Resident Receives 35 Year Prison Sentence for Role in Large‑Scale Methamphetamine and Cocaine Conspiracy

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Today, United States Attorney Thomas Govan and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge John P. Scott of the New Orleans Field Division announced that a Daleville, Alabama man has been sentenced for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking organization operating in Alabama’s Wiregrass region. On June 3, 2026, Eric Demetrius King, 42, was sentenced to 420 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. King will also serve five years of supervised release following his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. “This case demonstrates what can be accomplished when federal, state, and local law enforcement work together,” said United States Attorney Thomas Govan. “Our partners played a critical role in dismantling this drug trafficking network, and we will continue working side by side to combat the flow of illegal narcotics into the Middle District of Alabama.” "Today's announcement reflects the tireless dedication of investigators who spent years unraveling a sophisticated network responsible for trafficking vast quantities of meth and cocaine into Alabama,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge John P. Scott. “With the organization's leader facing 35 years in federal prison, and 18 additional defendants being held accountable, we have dealt a substantial blow to drug trafficking in the Wiregrass region. The DEA New Orleans Field Division remains deeply committed to keeping our communities safe and ensuring that those who profit from the illicit drug trade face the full weight of federal justice." According to court documents, in the spring of 2022, DEA, working in coordination with multiple local law enforcement agencies, began investigating a suspected drug trafficking operation in southeast Alabama. Investigators determined that at least 19 individuals, including King, were part of a conspiracy responsible for transporting and distributing significant quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine into the Wiregrass. During the investigation, agents identified King as a major participant who exercised a leadership role within the conspiracy. To date, eight of King’s co-conspirators have been sentenced: • Marco Lionel Agee, 51, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida – 276 months in prison; five years of supervised release • Curtis Antonio Fitzpatrick, 44, of Elba, Alabama – 151 months in prison; five years of supervised release • Alexander Travarez Richardson, 34, of Daleville, Alabama – 135 months in prison; five years of supervised release • Cristion Martinez, 32, of Ellenwood, Georgia – 120 months in prison; five years of supervised release • Steven L. Cole, 50, of Enterprise, Alabama – 97 months in prison; four years of supervised release • Benjamin Maurice Sanders, 51, of Chancellor, Alabama – 78 months in prison; five years of supervised release • Tavon Marquis Davies, 30, of Enterprise, Alabama – 48 months in prison; four years of supervised release • Freddy Rodriguez, 68, of Daleville, Alabama – 15 months in prison; two years of supervised release Sentencing hearings for the remaining ten defendants are pending. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Eufaula Police Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Dothan Police Department, the Geneva Police Department, the Dale County Sheriff’s Office, the Geneva County Sheriff’s Office, theOkaloosa County, Florida Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea Wilson is prosecuting the case.


title: Five Atlanta Men Arrested on International Firearms Trafficking Charges

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

body_text: ATLANTA – Five Atlanta men, including a U.S./Jamaican dual citizen, have been charged with numerous offenses involving the alleged trafficking of hundreds of stolen firearms to the Caribbean. “These defendants allegedly perpetrated a multi-year crime spree in the city of Atlanta—breaking into vehicles and stealing guns—to source firearms to be smuggled out of our country, fueling violence overseas,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thanks to the collaboration between a wide range of federal law enforcement agencies through our Homeland Security Task Force and the Atlanta Police Department, the trafficking ring allegedly responsible for these crimes has been dismantled.” “This multi-agency operation underscores HSI’s commitment to combat the illegal trafficking of firearms and protect our communities both domestically and abroad,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. We will continue to pursue transnational criminal networks who threaten public safety and violate U.S. laws, wherever they operate.” “Among ATF’s top priorities is ensuring that firearm traffickers are aggressively investigated and swiftly brought to justice. This investigation is an excellent example of multiple partner agencies working collaboratively to achieve outstanding results,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Atlanta Field Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is devoted to defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. We remain steadfast in our resolve to seek justice to the end and to keep communities safe,” stated Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Atlanta Division. “This goal is achieved through collaborative investigative efforts with fellow law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, and other information presented in court: On April 2, 2025, HSI and CBP agents at Miami International Airport interdicted a package destined for Georgetown, St. Vincent. The package contained three 9mm pistols, which had not been declared as required by law, hidden in a package containing a queen air mattress. One of the three handguns was reported stolen on March 1, 2025, in Atlanta. A multi-agency investigation conducted by HSI, ATF, and U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security special agents, USPIS inspectors, and Atlanta Police Department officers revealed that the stolen handgun seized at the Miami airport was one of dozens of guns taken during a rash of car break-ins and burglaries allegedly perpetrated by Lorenzo Harris-Brown, D’Anthony Varner, and Albert Brown in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Harris-Brown, Varner, and Brown allegedly broke into scores of vehicles, stole the vehicles’ contents, including firearms, and provided the stolen firearms to Sanchaz Turner. After receiving the guns, Turner allegedly contacted Andre Lalor to sell the firearms. A court-authorized search of Turner’s cell phone allegedly led to the discovery of text messages between Turner and Lalor in which Turner sent Lalor photographs or descriptions of more than 350 firearms. After acquiring firearms from Turner, Lalor allegedly tried to send those guns to contacts in the Caribbean and Canada, but several of Lalor’s alleged shipments were intercepted, resulting in the seizure of dozens of stolen weapons. On May 27, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Andre Lalor, a/k/a “Plug Dre,” 48, of Conyers, Georgia, and Sanchaz Turner, a/k/a “Chezz,” 20; D’Anthony Varner, 23; Lorenzo Harris-Brown, 21; and Albert Brown, 21, all of Atlanta, Georgia, with conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking, trafficking in firearms, possession of stolen firearms, and dealing in firearms without a license. The indictment also charged Lalor with attempted smuggling goods from the United States, failure to notify a common carrier, and failure to file electronic export information. Andre Lalor, Sanchaz Turner, and Lorenzo Harris-Brown appeared in federal court last week following their arrests, and Albert Brown was arraigned yesterday. D’Anthony Varner will be arraigned at a later date. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Department of Commerce - Bureau of Industry and Security, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Atlanta Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Smith and Jamil Favors are prosecuting the case. 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 Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Camden County Pharmacist Charged with Illegally Dispensing Oxycodone; Wife Charged with Making False Statements on Naturalization Application

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County pharmacist was charged in an indictment with unlawfully distributing oxycodone, and his wife was separately charged in a criminal complaint with making false statements on her naturalization application, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. According to the indictment, Charles Suh, 63, was a pharmacist at a pharmacy in Voorhees, New Jersey. On 15 occasions between June and November 2021, Suh illegally dispensed oxycodone based on prescriptions that he knew or should have known were forged. According to the criminal complaint in a separate case, So Yong Suh, 62, who is the wife of Charles Suh, applied to become a United States citizen by submitting an application for naturalization (an “N-400”). An N-400 requires the applicant to swear under penalty of perjury that the information she provided in the application is complete, true, and correct. In her N-400, Mrs. Suh falsely claimed that she had never been arrested or convicted of a crime when, in fact, she had been arrested at least four times. In addition, Mrs. Suh falsely stated that she had never provided any false or misleading information to the United States when, in fact, she failed to disclose a civil suit settlement in her bankruptcy proceeding. Her bankruptcy proceeding was dismissed because she had failed to disclose the settlement. Charles Suh and So Yong Suh made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Skahill in federal District Court in Camden on May 27, 2026. If convicted of unlawfully dispensing a controlled substance, Charles Suh faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment per count. If convicted of making false statements, So Yong Suh faces a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment. U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James; and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, with the investigations. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McFarlane in Camden. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment and the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ### ssuh.complaint.pdf csuh.indictment.pdf


title: Justice Department Secures Resolution with Cleveland Clinic to End Pediatric “Gender-Affirming Care”

component: Civil Division

body_text: Today, the Department of Justice announced another resolution arising from its ongoing national investigation into violations of federal law in connection with sex-rejecting procedures on minors (often euphemistically referred to as “gender-affirming care”). The Cleveland Clinic Foundation (“Cleveland Clinic”) has entered into agreements with the Department and the Ohio Attorney General that include a decades-long commitment to not perform or offer sex-rejecting procedures—which includes the administration of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones—for minors. Cleveland Clinic has also agreed to pay a monetary penalty and, in a landmark commitment, dedicate additional millions to help provide essential medical care for individuals living with the harmful consequences of such misguided medical interventions performed on them as children and adolescents ( i.e. , “detransitioners”). “The Department of Justice is steadfastly committed to protecting America’s children,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “Just as the resolution with Texas Children’s, today’s resolution with Cleveland Clinic furthers that commitment and puts these providers on notice that this Department will vigorously enforce federal law where children are put at risk.” According to the terms of the agreements, which the Department reached in coordination with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Cleveland Clinic—a partner in other Administration priority initiatives—will pay $308,000 to resolve allegations regarding false billings submitted to public and private payors to secure insurance coverage for sex-rejecting procedures on minors. As part of the resolution, Cleveland Clinic has committed $2 million to provide restorative care for detransitioners—the very victims of these predatory and dangerous practices—regardless of their insured status or ability to pay. The agreements come less than a month after the Justice Department announced its resolution with Texas Children’s Hospital (“Texas Children’s”), which the Department secured through a partnership with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. As previously announced, Texas Children’s agreed to pay a $10,000,000 penalty, and, much like Cleveland Clinic’s commitment today, create the first-of-its-kind clinic dedicated to treating detransitioners. Texas Children’s also agreed to permanently cease providing any sex-rejecting procedures to minors. These historic commitments pair the cessation of these dangerous practices masquerading as medical treatment with substantial investments in remediating the destruction they cause and restoring the health of the victims. In working towards this settlement, the United States acknowledged that Cleveland Clinic took significant steps entitling it to credit for cooperation with the Department in its investigation. At all times during the investigation, Cleveland Clinic remained cooperative, proactive, and solution-driven, as highlighted by its multi-million dollar commitment to providing care to the victims who most need it. “I am grateful that institutions like Cleveland Clinic and Texas Children’s have decided to be part of the solution, not part of the problem,” said Brett Shumate, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. “Cleveland Clinic’s commitment to providing millions of dollars towards care for detransitioners is emblematic of just that. I am grateful for this resolution with Cleveland Clinic, but our work is far from over, and our division will continue to work tirelessly to protect America’s children and hold accountable those that have preyed on vulnerable children, whether they be pharmaceutical companies or medical providers.” These matters and the investigations into sex-rejecting procedures on minors are being led by the Justice Department’s Civil Division Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section. The claims resolved by the United States in the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. Cleveland Clinic has denied all allegations.


title: Medicaid service providers sentenced for false statements resulting in overbilling

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – Two sisters were sentenced to prison yesterday following their conviction at trial for false statements made in connection with mental health services billed to Medicaid. According to court documents, Chenelle Wright, 45, of Moyock, North Carolina, owned and operated Community Counseling Resources (CCR), which had locations in Chesapeake and Portsmouth. Wright’s sister, Chaniece Winfield, 40, also of Mayock, was CCR’s clinical director. CCR was authorized to provide after-school mental health services to Medicaid recipients, including therapeutic day treatment (TDT), a type of individualized intervention for children and adolescents with mental, emotional, or behavioral illnesses with symptoms that cause significant functional impairments. Most of the children in the afterschool TDT program were not dismissed from their schools until well after 2:00pm, with some remaining until as late as 3:55pm, and many did not arrive at CCR’s facilities until about 4:30pm. Wright and Winfield instructed and directed CCR employees to falsely claim in progress notes that children were receiving therapeutic services from 2:00pm to 7:00pm and provided progress note “templates” to CCR employees in which the start and end times of 2:00pm and 7:00pm were prefilled. Wright was sentenced to three years and five months in prison. Winfield was sentenced to two years in prison. The FBI’s Norfolk Field Office and the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony C. Mozzi and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nikolas Nelson prosecuted the case. 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. 2:24-cr-35.


title: Company Ordered to Pay $500,000 Criminal Fine for Violating Asbestos Regulations in Michigan

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Note, the press release has been updated to include a quote from EPA. Applied Partners LLC was sentenced today to pay a $500,000 fine and complete a two-year term of probation for the company’s illegal handling of regulated asbestos containing material (RACM) at a site in Saginaw, Michigan. The company had previously pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act’s asbestos work practice standards for its role in demolishing a structure in 2019. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can lead to cancers like mesothelioma and lung cancer or noncancerous conditions like asbestosis. According to court documents, Applied Partners acquired a defunct industrial site in Saginaw in 2018 with the intention of demolishing and scrapping structures on the property before reselling it. In fall 2019, despite knowing that RACM remained in a structure called the Power House, Applied Partners directed another company to begin demolition. Between about Sept. 19 and Oct. 24, 2019, employees of the company performing the demolition used heavy machinery to break apart brick walls and to pull down at least one large facility component covered in RACM from the upper floors of the structure. The demolition was done in violation of numerous asbestos work practice standards. Demolition ceased once regulators performed sampling and informed Applied Partners that it would need to perform remediation of remaining RACM before demolition could continue. “Applied Partners knowingly disregarded asbestos work practice standards designed to protect human health,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Today’s sentence demonstrates that public health is among our highest priorities, and we will prosecute those who violate environmental laws.” “By demolishing an old industrial site with intentional disregard of the asbestos at the site, Applied Partners exposed workers to hazardous asbestos fibers. The asbestos regulations and work practice standards protect Americans from cancer and other harm from asbestos,” said EPA’s Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This prosecution and sentencing shows that companies that profit off of exposing American workers or communities to hazardous air pollutants will be held accountable.” The EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, Environmental Investigation Section, assisted with the investigation. Trial Attorney Rachel Roberts of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine Hemann for the Eastern District of Michigan, and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Samuel Cardick prosecuted the case.


title: High-Speed Pursuit Leads to Nine-Year Federal Prison Sentence for Lawton Man Fleeing with Methamphetamine and Firearm

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – CEDRIC MICHAEL VOS , 31, of Lawton, has been sentenced to serve 108 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. According to public records, on May 16, 2025, officers with the Lawton Police Department attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Vos on SW 16th Street. Vos refused to stop and a high-speed pursuit ensued, during which Vos weaved in and out of traffic, ran stop signs, sped through residential areas, and endangered numerous motorists before jumping out of the vehicle while it was still in drive and running into a field. Officers stopped the vehicle, and after a brief foot pursuit, arrested Vos. More than 18 grams of methamphetamine was recovered from Vos’s person and a stolen, chamber-loaded firearm fitted with a 30-round magazine was found inside the vehicle. Public records further reflect that Vos has prior felony convictions in Comanche County District Court, including convictions for possession of a firearm after previous adjudication and unlawful possession of marijuana with intent to distribute in Case No. CF-2012-505, and possession of a firearm after previous adjudication in Case No. CF-2013-164. On July 16, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted Vos for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Vos pleaded guilty on September 15, 2025, and admitted that he knowingly possessed methamphetamine that he intended to distribute and possessed a firearm despite his prior felony convictions. At a sentencing hearing on June 4, 2026, U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick sentenced Vos to serve 108 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Wyrick noted the need to promote respect for the law and the defendant’s history of repeated acquisition of firearms in spite of his prohibited status. This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lawton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly prosecuted the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Union Leaders Convicted of Racketeering, Fraud, and Embezzlement of Union Dues

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Today a federal jury convicted a North Carolina couple, a Missouri man, and an Ohio man in relation to a scheme involving theft of union-member dues through the award of no-show jobs, lavish travels and dinners charged to the union, unearned vacation payouts, and an unauthorized $7 million loan made to a union-related bank. The jury convicted Newton Jones, 72, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the former President of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Forgers, and Helpers (Boilermakers Union), his wife Kateryna Jones, 33, of Chapel Hill, and the former Secretary Treasurer, William Creeden, 78 of Kearney, Missouri, of violation of the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act. Those defendants, as well as one of the Boilermaker Union’s former Vice Presidents, Lawrence McManamon, 78, of Rocky River, Ohio were convicted of embezzlement from the Union through various means, including: Taking elaborate foreign trips that were not related to Union business – all defendants; Charging personal expenses to the Union, including shopping trips and dinners out – Newton Jones and Kateryna Jones; Paying or overpaying unearned salary and relocation expenses for Newton Jones’s family members – Newton Jones and Creeden; Paying out of unearned vacation – Newton Jones and Creeden; Paying for unauthorized surveillance of Union employees – Newton Jones and Creeden; Making an unlawful $7M loan to a bank at which Newton Jones and Creeden were employed – Newton Jones and Creeden; Theft from the Union retirement plan – Newton Jones and Creeden; Health care fraud relating to unearned benefits provided to Kateryna Jones – Newton Jones, Kateryna Jones, and Creeden; and Wire fraud relating to failure to disclose required payments, outside employment, and conflicts of interest – Newton Jones and Creeden. “The Boilermakers Union members were supposed to get representation out of their hard-earned money used to pay union dues,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “What they got instead is their money wasted on lavish trips and dinners, and unearned vacation payouts for the union leadership. Union dues must be handled with care and used for the benefit of the dues paying members. Union leadership that steals from the American worker will face prosecution, conviction, and prison time.” “The absolute hubris and entitlement with which these defendants stole from American workers is disgraceful,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser for the District of Kansas. “While union members were faithfully clocking-in and out of their jobs, these defendants thought they were unaccountable and were callously gallivanting on extravagant trips that spared no expense. With these convictions comes a reckoning, and we will be asking the Court to hold these defendants accountable for their criminal conduct and impose appropriate sentences of incarceration.” “By using union funds for their private benefit, the fraud committed by these defendants strikes at the very confidence union members place in their leaders to represent their interests,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Omerod of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “The evidence presented in trial demonstrated an elaborate and willful deceit of the Boilermakers Union to fund the lavish lifestyle of their former leaders. The FBI will not tolerate this level of financial exploitation against hard working Americans.” “These union officials clearly violated LMRDA fiduciary requirements with their excessive and extravagant spending and caused great harm to their organization and its members,” said Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Labor-Management Standards Director Elisabeth Messenger. “The conviction of these individuals serves as a strong warning to those who abuse their responsibilities that such violations of union members’ trust will lead to serious repercussions. The department’s new reporting requirements for large unions will go a long way in protecting the financial integrity of labor unions.” “Investigating corruption and ensuring the financial integrity of private health and pension plans, including union plans, is a priority for EBSA,” said DOL Employee Benefits Security Administration Assistant Secretary Daniel Aronowitz. “In this case, Boilermakers officials put their own interests first and misused funds entrusted to them to provide retirement and health benefits for union members and their families. EBSA will pursue those who engage in criminal schemes to defraud private sector benefit plans. We are very pleased to have had the opportunity to work collaboratively with our law enforcement partners.” According to evidence presented at trial, over a 15-year period, the defendants, led by Newton Jones and Creeden, embezzled the funds of the Boilermakers Union including: Over $5 million in unnecessary luxury international travel; Nearly $2 million in salary and benefits to Kateryna Jones and others for no-show jobs, at which they were not required to work, including payment of two years of salary to Kateryna Jones for a period when she resided in Ukraine and was dating Newton Jones; Over $100,000 in tuition, rent, and relocation expenses for members of the family of Newton Jones; Hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash payments relating to fraudulently claimed vacation time; Over $100,000 in restaurant charges by Newton Jones and Kateryna Jones in their hometown; Money spent in unauthorized email surveillance of union employees to defend Newton Jones and McManamon from internal union charges; and $7 million in unauthorized loans from the Boilermakers Union to the bank at which Newton Jones and Creeden had supposed full-time jobs that required little work and were each paid nearly $500,000 per year while they were also being paid a full-time salary from the union. Trial evidence showed that Newton Jones hired his wife Kateryna Jones for a job in which she performed little to no work and received nearly $1.8 million in salary over the course of nine years. Newton and Kateryna Jones also embezzled over $160,000 for date night meals in their hometown of Chapel Hill. Newton Jones and William Creeden embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary and benefits for three of Newton Jones’ family members. These defendants also embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars in the form of improper vacation payouts. In addition, the couple embezzled millions of dollars in unnecessary and lavish international travel from the dues of union members, including conducting executive meetings for no apparent purpose in extravagant hotels in cities like Paris, France and Rome, Italy. The hotel in Paris, France, where the defendants held an executive council meeting for the Kansas-based Boilermaker Union. Creeden and Newton Jones also used their executive positions in the Boilermakers Union to obtain high-level positions at the Bank of Labor, where the union is the majority shareholder. Earning a full-time salary at the bank while supposedly working full-time at the union, Jones and Creeden were paid nearly $4 million in salary and $1.4 million in retirement benefits from the bank. A sentencing date has been set for Sept. 1. Lawrence McManamon faces a maximum of penalty of five years in prison on each count. William Creeden, Newton Jones, and Kateryna Jones each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Department of Labor and the FBI investigated the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Vincent Falvo and Trial Attorney Alexandra Swain of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Faiza Alhambra and Jabari Wamble for the District of Kansas prosecuted the case.


title: Iranian national pleads guilty in scheme to smuggle military related technology to Iran via China

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 44-year-old citizen of Iran pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to federal felonies related to his scheme to violate trade sanctions against Iran, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Reza Dindar, aka Renda Dindar was indicted by the grand jury in August 2014. Dindar was arrested in Panama in July 2025 at the request of the United States. Dindar was extradited to the U.S. in April 2026. Today he pleaded guilty to two counts of export to an embargoed country and two counts of smuggling goods from the United States. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez scheduled sentencing for August 28, 2026. According to records filed in the case, the smuggling in this case violates sanctions against Iran imposed by the President’s Executive Order in March 1995 and reimposed in 2001. The orders prohibit the unauthorized exportation, re-exportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States of any goods, technology, or services to Iran or the Government of Iran; as well as the exportation or supply of goods, technology, or services to persons in third countries knowing or with reason to know that the goods, technology or services are intended for supply, trans-shipment, or re-exportation to Iran. According to the plea agreement, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar managed a business called New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China. The company hid the fact that it was procuring items in the U.S. for companies in Iran. It fraudulently claimed the goods were destined for China. In 2011 and 2012, Dindar and his coconspirators used deception to purchase parts for three military sonar systems from a business in the Western District of Washington. Dindar and his coconspirators claimed the systems would be used by a company in China. In fact, the plan was to ship the parts through China to Iran in violation of export controls. Dindar pleaded guilty to two counts of export to an embargoed country and two counts of smuggling goods from the United States. Export to an embargoed country is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Smuggling goods from the U.S is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security - Office of Export Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case is being prosecuted by assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of Panama to secure the arrest and extradition from Panama of Dindar. Significant assistance was provided by the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).


title: Buffalo man going to prison on cocaine charge

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Rodney Pierce, 38, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, was sentenced to serve 72 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. In February 2020, investigators with the Erie County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit identified Pierce as an individual who delivered cocaine for co-defendant David Burgin. Law enforcement then set up a controlled purchase of cocaine from Pierce, at which time he was arrested. A subsequent search of his vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 1,250 grams of cocaine. Investigators then searched a Grimes Street residence associated with the drug dealing activities, seizing four firearms and ammunition, approximately two kilograms of cocaine, approximately 45 grams of crack cocaine, approximately 17.5 pounds of marijuana, approximately 100 grams of fentanyl, approximately $260,000 in cash, and drug paraphernalia. David Burgin was previously convicted and sentenced. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Buffalo comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Department of Homeland Security Emergency Removal Operations, Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Diplomatic Security Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy C. Lynch and Evan K. Glaberson. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Erika Shields, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Brendan Dunford, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Patrone. # # # #


title: First week of June brings 291 charged in relentless border enforcement actions

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – The Southern District of Texas has filed 285 cases in immigration and border security-related matters from May 29-June 4, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. Of those charged, 79 people face illegal entry charges, while another 179 allegedly reentered the United States after prior removal. Many have felony convictions involving narcotics trafficking, violent crimes and immigration offenses. An additional 27 people face charges of engaging in human smuggling, while the remaining six cases are related to other immigration offenses. Among the new matters are three men from various countries, all charged with felony reentry into the United States after removal. Authorities allegedly found Guatemalan national William Perez-Perez and Mexican national Edgar Guadalupe Cruz-Velasco in the McAllen area without legal authorization to be in the United States. According to the criminal complaints, both had been previously removed April 17 and April 19, respectively. Perez-Perez has a prior conviction for battery on law enforcement, while Cruz-Velasco was convicted of first degree assault and battery. Law enforcement also allegedly discovered Honduran national Osman Adalid Soto Benites near Progreso after he was removed Oct. 31, 2025. Court records reflect he has a prior conviction for failure to register as a sex offender. Another illegal alien charged in a separate case is Mexican national Rafael Pineda-Ruiz. According to the complaint, authorities removed him in September 2005. The charges allege Pineda-Ruiz has a prior conviction for conspiracy to distribute narcotics and was sentenced to 70 months in prison. Law enforcement allegedly discovered him near Roma without legal authorization to be in the country. If convicted, all four face up to 20 years in prison. In addition to the new cases, Mexican national Cruz Alberto De La Garza pleaded guilty to harboring illegal aliens in a Laredo stash house under dangerous conditions that resulted in the death of an individual. The investigation began after two illegal aliens were dropped off at an emergency room, one of whom was pronounced dead. Authorities later discovered 30 additional illegal aliens in a tractor-trailer’s sleeper compartment and determined they had been housed in extreme heat with little to no air conditioning, limited food and water and inadequate ventilation. He faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. A federal jury in Corpus Christi found a mother and daughter guilty of human smuggling. Evidence showed Enedelia Garcia and Ashley Garcia drove the illegal alien through the Border Patrol checkpoint near Kingsville. The illegal alien later testified he had been smuggled into the United States and expected the pair to transport him to Houston. The jury saw evidence Ashley Garcia texted a friend during the smuggling event and said “not to ask” about her trip to Houston. Both women face up to 10 years in federal prison. The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, BP, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners. The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Mexican Alien Overstaying Tourist Visa by 8 Years Sentenced in D.C. for Cocaine Trafficking

body_text: WASHINGTON — Sergio Castillo-Lopez, 29, a citizen of Mexico who was unlawfully present in the United States for eight years, was sentenced today to 12 months in prison in connection with his running a cocaine distribution operation out of his bedroom in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “Sergio Castillo‑Lopez came to the United States on a temporary visa, ignored the law for nearly a decade, and used that time to run a cocaine distribution operation,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This criminal will spend the remainder of his unlawful stay in the United States in a prison cell and will then face deportation proceedings.” Castillo-Lopez, also known as “Sergio Chilel,” pleaded guilty on Jan. 21, 2026, before U.S. District Court Judge Amir H. Ali to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. In addition to the 12-month prison term, Judge Ali ordered Castillo-Lopez to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 27-month prison term. Castillo-Lopez has agreed not to contest his removal from the United States following completion of his sentence. According to court papers, Castillo-Lopez entered the United States on a 30-day visa in 2017 and never left. Castillo-Lopez remained in the United States for approximately eight years and used his residence in Washington, D.C. to possess, package, and prepare cocaine for distribution. On Oct. 9, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Castillo-Lopez’s residence in the 3000 block of Warder Street NW. In his bedroom, officers found nearly half a kilogram of cocaine with a street value of up to $12,000. Some of the cocaine was already broken down into gram-quantity bags for distribution. Officers also seized two digital scales and $3,126 in cash, the bills predominantly small denominations consistent with street-level drug proceeds. The investigation was conducted by Drug Enforcement Administration – Washington Division Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Akhtar. 25cr374


title: Rockford Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Heroin

body_text: ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and heroin. DEMARGIO TRIPP, 36, pleaded guilty earlier this year to distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl and heroin in the Rockford area in 2024 and 2025. Tripp also admitted that in May 2025 he possessed cocaine and other narcotics that he intended to sell to others. On May 27, 2026, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Tripp to 192 months in federal prison. Judge Johnston found that Tripp qualified as a “career offender” under federal law due to multiple drug trafficking convictions in state and federal courts. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of ATF’s Chicago Field Division. The Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance. “Distribution of fentanyl and other controlled substances is a serious and dangerous offense,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora Anderson argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “As a drug dealer, defendant is a direct cause of these problems.”


title: Arrests, Drug Seizures, And Federal Drug Trafficking Charges Surge In San Francisco Through Coordinated Federal-Local Law Enforcement Efforts

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners announced today the results of a surge in federal drug enforcement measures in San Francisco. Between early October 2025 to the end of May 2026, coordinated federal and local law enforcement efforts resulted in the seizure of over 2.2 kilograms of fentanyl, over 840 grams of methamphetamine, over $38,000 in drug proceeds, and approximately 89 arrests in San Francisco. Over the same period, the U.S. Attorney’s Office brought federal criminal charges against more than 40 defendants for drug trafficking in San Francisco. “There are some problems that cannot be solved alone and this was one of them. San Francisco’s open-air drug markets were rending the fabric of the city, but working together with our federal, state, and local partners we have made significant progress cleaning up the streets of our great city and we will continue this important work. We owe the people who live and work here nothing less,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “As we come off a successful Super Bowl and look forward to welcoming the world for FIFA, we hope that visitors will see what our citizens already know that our city and region are stronger and safer than ever.” “The DEA is proud of our relationships with our federal, state, and local task force officers. These partnerships provide a force multiplier in the fight against Drug Trafficking Organizations to save American lives, “ said DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. “The FBI remains fully committed to working side by side with our federal, state, and local partners to disrupt the criminal networks responsible for bringing dangerous drugs into our community. These results demonstrate what we can accomplish when we combine our authorities, intelligence, and resources toward a shared mission. Every arrest and every seizure represents a meaningful step toward improving the safety and well being of the people of San Francisco, and we will continue this coordinated effort with urgency and resolve,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Scott Schelble. “Selling and using deadly narcotics in San Francisco will never be tolerated, and the San Francisco Police Department will continue to work closely with our federal partners to crack down on illegal drug markets across our city,” said SFPD Chief Derrick Lew. “I want to thank our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the DEA for their close partnership in this vital work. While we have more work to do, today’s announcement shows the progress San Francisco is making in taking major quantities of drugs off our streets and holding traffickers accountable.” Many of the federal cases recently charged or resolved involve large quantities of drugs and carry mandatory minimum sentences for the offenders under federal drug statutes. Examples include: Kiet Ly, 46, of San Francisco, who was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 9, 2025. Ly pleaded guilty on December 10, 2025, to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B) and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition as a felon in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), as well as to related supervised release violations. According to the plea agreement, on or about July 19, 2025, law enforcement searched the car that Ly was driving in San Francisco and found 117 grams of methamphetamine and a Glock pistol loaded with seven bullets. Ly was sentenced to ten years in federal prison on May 14, 2026. Martha Alvarado Rodriguez, 50, and Solis Soto Alvardo, 35, both from Oakland, who were each charged by information with one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). According to court documents and proceedings, Rodriguez and Alvardo sold fentanyl to undercover police officers on more than one occasion in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco. A search of their car found 73.9 gross grams of fentanyl, 33.5 gross grams of methamphetamine, and 16.2 grams gross of cocaine base. Rodriguez and Alvardo pleaded guilty on November 5, 2025, and were each sentenced to three years in federal prison on April 22, 2026. Andy Cruz, 40, of Oakland, who was charged on January 29, 2026, by a superseding information with possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B) and failure to appear in court as required. According to court documents and proceedings, Cruz had been selling drugs in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco and elsewhere since 2008. An earlier search of his home discovered nearly one kilogram of fentanyl, 76 grams of heroin, and 25 grams of methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison on March 25, 2026. These efforts expand upon the U.S. Attorney’s Office-led “All Hands on Deck” law enforcement initiative to address endemic drug dealing – in particular of fentanyl and methamphetamine – in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco. Since its inception, the initiative has resulted in over 200 federal drug prosecutions and over 160 convictions, with cases still pending. The recent increased operations involved coordination among the U.S. Attorney’s Office, DEA, FBI, ATF, IRS Criminal Investigations, the San Francisco Police Department, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, and California Highway Patrol. Additional operations are planned in the coming months. A criminal complaint, information, or indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Former Kokomo Police Department Officer Convicted of Sexually Assaulting Minor, Lying to Investigators, and Destruction of Records

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: After a five-day trial, a federal jury in the Southern District of Indiana convicted Sinmi Asomuyide, 33, a former Kokomo Police Department officer today of charges related to his on-duty sexual assault of a 14-year-old and related obstruction. “Police officers are entrusted with extraordinary authority and responsibility to protect the public. The defendant’s reprehensible actions betrayed that trust,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This verdict sends a clear message: officials who abuse their power and violate the constitutional rights of children will be held accountable.” “While this administration strongly supports the men and women of law enforcement who are steadfastly committed to making our communities safe, we will not tolerate those who abuse the powers entrusted to them,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas Wheeler II for the Southern District of Indiana. “The defendant used those powers to sexually abuse a 14-year-old girl and then lied and destroyed evidence to cover up his crimes. The jury saw through his lies and held him accountable for his crimes,” “The defendant used his position of trust and the appearance of assistance to isolate and assault a child, then took steps to obstruct the investigation by destroying records and lying to law enforcement. These actions reflect a complete disregard for the law, the victim, and the public trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue justice for victims and hold offenders fully accountable.” In particular, jurors found Sinmi Asomuyide, 33, guilty of willfully depriving the victim, who was then 14 years old, of her constitutional rights by sexually assaulting her. The jury found that the defendant’s conduct included kidnapping and abusive sexual contact of a child under the age of 16. Jurors also found Asomuyide guilty of lying to the Indiana State Police in attempt to cover up the assault by denying having sexual contact with the victim and lying about the presence of other corroborating evidence. Jurors also found Asomuyide guilty of deleting a messaging application he had been using to communicate with the minor victim prior to the sexual assault in attempt to cover up the assault. Asomuyide faces up to life in prison at sentencing. The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Blackett for the Southern District of Indiana and Senior Sex Crimes Counsel Tara Allison are prosecuting the case.


title: Asheville Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Assault with Intent to Commit Murder and Firearms Offenses on the Blue Ridge Parkway

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – James Tyler Lynch, 23, of Asheville, was sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release last Thursday, for assault with intent to commit murder and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence stemming from a shooting incident that occurred on the Blue Ridge Parkway, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. “The Blue Ridge Parkway is a treasured place where families should feel safe,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “The federal government has a special interest in the safety of our national lands, and this 20-year sentence makes clear that violence will not be tolerated. I very much appreciate the National Park Service for all they do, but particularly for keeping our national lands as the peaceful sanctuary they should be.” “The National Park Service’s Investigative Services Branch has a dedicated team of special agents who partner closely with the Department of Justice, working tirelessly to protect victims and ensure justice is served. America’s National Parks are some of the most extraordinary and pristine places in the country, but crimes can still occur. This sentencing reflects our agents’ unwavering commitment to pursuing justice when they do,” said Neil Gardner, Chief of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, National Park Service. According to court documents and court proceedings, on May 29, 2024, Lynch met the victim at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park in Asheville. Lynch brought with him a loaded Kahr Arms, Model P380, .380 caliber pistol which he had concealed from the victim. After a brief conversation, Lynch told the victim they would give the victim a ride. Lynch instructed the driver of the vehicle to drive to Blue Ridge Parkway, while Lynch and the victim rode as passengers. Near milepost 399 along the Parkway, Lynch told the driver to pull off the roadway onto a dirt pullout, where Lynch told the victim to get out of the car. As the victim was walking away Lynch fired at least six shots seriously injuring the victim. After shooting the victim, Lynch and the driver fled the scene. Court documents show that rangers responded to reports of a gunshot victim lying in the roadway. When they arrived, rangers found the victim who had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his torso, hand, and pelvis. The victim was taken to the hospital and treated for permanent and life-threatening bodily injuries he sustained as a result of the shooting. Special Agents with the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch investigated the case that ultimately led to Lynch’s arrest. Lynch will remain in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex M. Scott of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.


title: Jury finds previously convicted felon guilty of 3 armed robberies

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – A federal jury found a previously convicted felon guilty of seven federal robbery and firearms charges. James Lockridge, 40, of Cincinnati, committed three armed robberies in February 2024. “Lockridge fired shots during each robbery, endangering lives and terrorizing the workers and customers in the gas stations he robbed,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “My Office will not tolerate such violence in our communities. We will continue to aggressively prosecute—and win trials against—defendants like Lockridge. Thank you to the prosecutors and investigators on this case for their excellent work.” The verdict was announced today following a trial that began on June 1 before U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. According to court documents and trial testimony, on Feb. 5, Feb. 10 and Feb. 21, 2024, Lockridge robbed a Cincinnati Marathon gas station. The first and third armed robberies occurred on Gilbert Avenue and the second robbery took place on Montgomery Road. At each of the robberies, Lockridge was masked and brandished the same silver firearm. He fired his weapon and pointed it at store clerks. He also wore the same boots during each robbery and fled on foot towards a nearby apartment complex after the first and third robberies. Lockridge was arrested 11 minutes after the third robbery. Officers discovered the firearm in his waistband. After his arrest, officers located the boots, gloves and other clothing items used during the robberies, as well as a cash register, in and around the space where Lockridge had been residing. As a previously convicted felon, Lockridge is prohibited from possessing firearms. Lockridge was convicted of three counts of robbery, three counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces up to 20 years in prison for reach robbery and an additional 10 years in prison for using a firearm during the robberies. Illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a future hearing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) announced today’s verdict. Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley N. Brucato and Danielle E. Margeaux are representing the United States in this case. # # #