title: Lorton man sentenced to 18 years in prison for sexually exploiting children on Snapchat

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Lorton man was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for sexually exploiting minor girls as young as nine years old and enticing them to create and send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves on Snapchat. According to court documents, between at least May 1, 2021, and May 8, 2024, Jose Alejandro Belmonte Cardozo, 31, used Snapchat to find minor girls and entice them to send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Belmonte Cardozo created different Snapchat accounts depending on the scheme he used to obtain CSAM from the minors. For example, Belmonte Cardozo used a particular account to catfish two 15-year-old girls, convincing them that he was a teenage boy. He sent the minors pictures that he claimed depicted him, but which actually depicted a boy who appeared to be approximately 16 years old. Belmonte Cardozo persuaded the minors to send him CSAM, which he surreptitiously recorded on a second cell phone to avoid the in-app notification. He then saved the recordings to a password-protected hidden folder on his cell phone. Belmonte Cardozo used a second account to convince other minors to send him CSAM in exchange for admission to a phony group chat he purported to administer. Once Belmonte Cardozo obtained CSAM from the minors, he enticed them to send him additional images and videos. Belmonte Cardozo amassed more than 1,000 images and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct on five different electronic devices. On May 8, 2024, he transported two cellphones containing approximately 600 sexually explicit images and videos of minors, into the United States at Dulles International Airport. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. U.S. Customs and Border Protection assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Halper and Zoe Bedell prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-125.


title: Preston County Convicted Felon Admits to Firearms Violation

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Pedro Antonio Pacheco, age 46, of Kingwood, West Virginia, has admitted to the unlawful possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Pacheco was stopped for a traffic violation. The officer noticed a firearm laying on the passenger seat. Pacheco is prohibited from having firearms because of prior felony drug convictions. Pacheco is facing up to 15 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christie Utt is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the West Virginia State Police investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.


title: Mexican National With Prior Convictions Charged For Illegally Reentering The United States

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national residing in Las Vegas made his initial court appearance Monday to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after being removed from the country on three prior occasions. Jose Ricardo Lopez Munoz, 49, is charged with one count of deported alien found in the United States. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 28, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Nancy J. Koppe. According to allegations contained in the criminal complaint and statements made during court proceedings, Lopez Munoz is a citizen and national of Mexico who was previously deported and removed from the United States on November 13, 1995, February 26, 1997, and August 1, 2013, and reentered the United States illegally on or before November 28, 2023. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Lopez Munoz in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 13, 2025. Lopez Munoz has 18 aliases, and his prior felony convictions include: Illegal Re-entry from the U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas; Menacing, from the District Court, El Paso County, Colorado; and Challenge to Fight with use of a Deadly Weapon and with the Intent to Promote Further or Assist a Criminal Gang from the Eighth Judicial District Court, Clark County, Nevada. ICE learned on December 1, 2023, of Lopez Munoz’s presence in the United States. after he was arrested by state law enforcement, in Clark County, Nevada, on November 28, 2023. If convicted, Lopez Munoz faces the maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke made the announcement. The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case. Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form . A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ###


title: Anderson Man Found Guilty of Impersonating Homeland Security Officer and Possessing Molotov Cocktails

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS— A federal jury has found Joshua W. Stearman, 42, of Anderson, Indiana, guilty of unlawfully possessing incendiary bombs, commonly referred to as Molotov cocktails, and falsely impersonating an officer or employee of the United States. According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, on December 12, 2023, at approximately 1:47 a.m., a police officer in Ingalls, Indiana, was dispatched to an address that had recently been vandalized multiple times, including with fires set in the driveway and inside the mailbox at that address. Dispatch received a report of a suspicious man walking toward the house carrying something but who ran back to his red Toyota RAV4 when the house’s security lights came on. The officer located the RAV4 and pulled it over. As the officer approached, Stearman pressed against the window his ID as well as an unknown government identification that included a government seal at the bottom. Repeatedly, Stearman claimed he was a Homeland Security Officer returning from a “mission.” Stearman was wearing black gloves with black duct tape around his wrists. Eventually, Stearman exited the vehicle and was placed in custody. Inside the vehicle, officers found four bottles containing a yellow-brown liquid that gave off an odor of fuel, as well as what appeared to be small pieces of wood or kindling inside of them. All four had a piece of cloth or fabric sticking out from under the cap. Officers also found a lighter in the vehicle. During the trial, experts from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) testified about their analysis of the four bottles. An ATF Forensic Chemist testified that she had analyzed the liquid inside the bottles, and each was found to contain gasoline. Then, an ATF Destructive Device Examiner testified how each of the bottles was designed to be used as an incendiary bomb: The wick is ignited by an open flame and the device is thrown against a surface, with the intent that the ignitable liquid and wooden sticks inside will spread fire to a combustible surface against which it was thrown. Incendiary bombs, commonly known as Molotov cocktails, are a type of destructive device that is generally unlawful to possess under federal law. The ATF and Ingalls Police Department investigated this case, with valuable assistance provided by Lapel, Indiana Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security. Chief U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt presided over the trial and will sentence Stearman at a later date. Acting U.S. Attorney John E. Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nate Walter, who are prosecuting this case. ###


title: Yatahey Man Faces Federal Charges for Sexual Assault

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Yatahey man is facing charges in federal court in connection with a violent sexual assault. According to court documents, on March 29, 2025, Jane Doe reported that she has been sexually assaulted the day before by Fernando Brown , 34, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. Following the assault, Jane Doe was transported to Gallup Indian Medical Center for treatment. When questioned by law enforcement, Brown allegedly admitted to continuing sexual activity after Jane Doe repeatedly told him to stop and also disclosed prior instances of physical violence against Doe. Brown is charged with aggravated sexual abuse and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Brown faces up to life in prison. Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Ramah-Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jordan is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Ventura Man Arrested on Federal Grand Jury Indictment Alleging Fraudulent Representations Regarding Helicopter Parts

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Ventura County man was arrested today on a 10-count federal grand jury indictment alleging his company and he defrauded customers by misleading them as to the nature of helicopter parts, making the customers believe that the parts had fewer service hours than they in fact had. Jared Michael Swensen, 48, of Ventura, is expected to make his initial appearance and be arraigned on the indictment this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Also charged in the indictment is Swensen’s Oxnard-based company, J&J Enterprises LLLP, which did business as “Light Helicopter Depot.” Both Swensen and his company are charged with two counts of wire fraud and eight counts of fraud involving aircraft parts. According to the indictment that a federal grand jury returned on April 10, Swensen and Light Helicopter solicited and accepted work to overhaul and maintain helicopters. In performing the overhaul work, the defendants were expected to remove helicopter parts that had reached or were approaching their life limit and to replace them with new parts, parts that had just been overhauled or parts that had substantially fewer hours in service. After removing helicopter parts – including main rotor blades and main rotor spindles – that were substantially used or near their life limit, the defendants allegedly installed older, not overhauled parts that in some cases were closer to their life limit than they represented. If these parts failed, a helicopter likely would crash. Swensen and his company allegedly made materially false entries in the helicopter’s maintenance logbook and fraudulently altered sales orders and packing slips to correspond with the false entries – misrepresenting the age of the helicopter parts as being years newer than their actual age. The defendants also fraudulently altered Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) release certificates – used to certify that an aircraft part was airworthy – to falsely claim that the certificate was issued more than two years after its actual issuance date. Swensen and Light Helicopter then sent invoices and received payments in connection with this work. The indictment alleges two such fraudulently induced payments from customers in February and May of 2023. The indictment further alleges the defendants made a series of fraudulent representations related to helicopter parts that involved false writings, entries, and records from April 2020 to August 2023. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Swensen would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and up to 15 years in federal prison for each count of fraud involving aircraft parts. Light Helicopter Depot, if convicted, would be fined up to $10 million for each aircraft parts fraud count and up to $1 million for each wire fraud count. The United States Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General is investigating this matter. The FAA provided assistance. Assistant United States Attorneys Dennis Mitchell and Danbee Kim of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud

body_text: Minh Phuong Ngoc Vong, 40, of Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme whereby he conspired with unknown individuals, including John Doe, also known as William James, a foreign national living in Shenyang, China, to defraud U.S. companies into hiring Vong as a remote software developer. After securing these jobs through materially false statements about his education, training, and experience, Vong allowed Doe and others to use his computer access credentials to perform the remote software development work and receive payment for that work. According to the plea agreement, on Jan. 30, 2023, Doe submitted a fraudulent resume in Vong’s name to a Virginia-based technology company for the position of web application developer, which required U.S. citizenship as a condition of employment. The resume falsely represented that Vong had a Bachelor of Science degree and 16 years of experience as a software developer. In fact, Vong had no college degree or experience in software development. On March 28, 2023, Vong participated in an online job interview with the CEO of the Virginia-based company and verified his identity and citizenship by showing his Maryland driver’s license and U.S. passport. Following the interview, the Virginia-based company hired Vong and assigned him to work on a contract for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) involving a particular software application used by various U.S. government agencies to manage sensitive information regarding national defense matters. The Virginia-based company provided Vong with a laptop to use in connection with his employment, and the FAA authorized Vong to receive a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card to access government facilities and systems. Vong installed remote access software on the laptop to facilitate Doe’s access to it and conceal his location in China. Between March 2023 and July 2023, Doe used Vong’s credentials to perform the software development work from his location in China. The Virginia-based company paid Vong more than $28,000 in wages for work performed by Doe, portions of which Vong then sent overseas to Doe and other conspirators. As part of his guilty plea, Vong admitted that the Virginia-based company was not the only company he and his co-conspirators defrauded. Between 2021 and 2024, Vong used fraudulent misrepresentations to obtain employment with at least 13 different U.S. companies, who collectively paid Vong a total of more than $970,000 in salary for software development services that were, unbeknownst to them, performed by Doe and/or other overseas conspirators. Several of these defrauded companies contracted out Vong’s services to U.S. government agencies in addition to the FAA. As a result of Vong’s fraudulent misrepresentations, these government agencies unknowingly granted Vong’s co-conspirators access to sensitive U.S. government systems, which they accessed from China. Vong faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman for the District of Maryland scheduled sentencing for Aug. 28. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Baltimore Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina A. Hoffman for the District of Maryland is prosecuting the case with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorney Alexandra Cooper-Ponte of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section. Under the Department-wide DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative, launched in March 2024 by the National Security Division and the FBI’s Cyber and Counterintelligence Divisions, Department prosecutors and agents are prioritizing the identification and shuttering of U.S.-based “laptop farms” – locations hosting laptops provided by victim U.S. companies to individuals they believed were legitimate U.S.-based freelance IT workers – and the investigation and prosecution of individuals hosting them. Today’s announcement follows successful actions taken by the Department in October 2023 , May 2024 , August 2024 , December 2024 , and January 2025 , which targeted similar and related conduct.


title: Brunswick County Man Sentenced to Over 15 Years for Distributing Child Pornography

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – A Brunswick County man was sentenced today to 190 months imprisonment followed by life supervised release for Distribution of Child Pornography. According to court documents and other information presented in court, Tyler Samuel Godfrey, 33 was simultaneously investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office in 2022 for child sexual exploitation offenses. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received cybertips from social media websites that one of its users was uploading child sexual abuse material. The IP addresses used to upload the illegal material was traced back to Godfrey’s parent’s residence in Cameron and his own residence in Shallotte. In the investigation, law enforcement learned he had previously been investigated for similar conduct in 2018 and 2021. Search warrants were executed on Godfrey’s social media accounts, his parent’s residence, and his own residence. A forensic analysis of the digital devices and content seized showed since 2013, Godfrey has been communicating with underage children over the internet. Godfrey successfully received child sexual abuse material from a least two children and attempted to get child sexual abuse material from other children who refused to do so. During one attempt in October 2021, he sent a 13-year-old child images and videos of child pornography while encouraging her to view and enjoy the material. During his conversations with the 13-year-old child, he graphically discussed fantasies to rape a 10-year-old child. While the evidence of his communication showed he targeted pre-teens and teenage children, his collection of child sexual abuse material included images and videos depicting the rape of infants and toddlers. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Homeland Security investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:24-CR-32-BO. ###


title: Mexican National Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years in Prison for Trafficking 230 Pounds of Methamphetamine and 5 Pounds of Fentanyl

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Isaac Abraham Sandoval Lopez, 36, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff to four years and nine months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, on June 26, 2024, officers stopped Sandoval Lopez for a traffic infraction while driving northbound on Interstate 5 in Fresno County. A subsequent search of his car revealed several bags, suitcases, and backpacks throughout the car containing different types of narcotics. In total, officers seized approximately 230 pounds of methamphetamine, 5 pounds of fentanyl, and 2 pounds of heroin. This case was the product of an investigation by the California Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple prosecuted the case.


title: Elma man pleads guilty to production and possession of child pornography

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Matthew A. Steele, 53, of Elma, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to production and possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 30 years, and a fine of $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that between July 2008, and July 2010, Steele produced images of child pornography with a minor female (victim) on several occasions from the time she was approximately nine years old until she was approximately 12 years old. Some of the images were distributed by Steele to other unknown individuals. On March 11, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at his residence, seizing two electronic devices. A forensic review of the devices recovered numerous sexually explicit images of the victim created by Steele. In addition, 45 images of child pornography, not involving the victim, that Steele obtained over the internet were recovered. Some of the images included prepubescent minors and depicted violence against children. The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Sentencing is scheduled for August 13, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Sinatra. # # # #


title: Arizona Man Sentenced to 15 years after Kidnapping a 13-Year-Old to Engage in Sexual Conduct

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Tadashi Kura Kojima, also known as Aaron Michael Zeman, 29, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment and a lifetime of supervised release, after he kidnapped a Utah teenager to engage in illegal sexual activity. The sentence, imposed by Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr., comes after Kojima pleaded guilty in November 2024 to transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. According to court documents and statements made at Kojima’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, Kojima admitted that between December 26, 2022 to December 28, 2022, he traveled from Arizona and kidnapped a 13-year-old from Utah. They were located in Nebraska and Kojima was arrested. The purpose of traveling was to engage in sexual activity with the victim. See prior press release: Arizona Man Arrested for Kidnapping a Utah Teenager is Facing Federal Charges Including Intent to Engage in Sexual Conduct with a Minor . The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Layton Police Department and Grand Island Police Department in Nebraska. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Rockford Man Sentenced to Eight and a Half Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms

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

body_text: ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to eight and a half years in federal prison for illegally possessing firearms. JOSEPH GARZA, 40, pleaded guilty last year to two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the sentence on Monday during a hearing in federal court in Rockford. Garza admitted in a plea agreement that in 2017 and 2018 he illegally possessed and sold seven firearms, utilizing two co-defendants as brokers for the sales. Garza set the price for the firearm sales and delivered the guns to the co-defendants, who then conducted the sales with the buyer, who was working as a confidential informant for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 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 the ATF Chicago Field Division. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd. Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.


title: Eight Defendants Indicted in International Conspiracy to Bill $10 Million for Fraudulent Market Survey Data

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – An indictment has been unsealed charging eight defendants in connection with an international scheme to bill $10 million in fraudulent market survey data, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces. Each of the following defendants has been indicted on one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud: Frank Hayden, 57, of Evanston, Illinois. Daniel Harriman, 38, of Huntsville, Alabama. Frank Nappo, 55, of Rye, New Hampshire. Ryan Stoudt, 38, of Dallas, Texas. Katarina Grubljesic, 46, of Belgrade, Serbia. Strahinja Grubljesic, 38, of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Archie Ignacio, 46, of Verona, New Jersey. Arvind Iyer, a/k/a S. Aravindan, of Delhi, India. According to the indictment, Op4G and Slice were market research companies based in the United States. Clients would hire the companies to conduct market research surveys. As part of their business model, Op4G and Slice maintained “panels” consisting of individuals potentially eligible to take surveys. In 2014, Hayden, Harriman, and Nappo, who were senior leaders at Op4G, decided to increase company revenues by generating fabricated survey data. To execute the scheme, some of the defendants recruited “ants”, who pretended to be legitimate survey takers but instead were paid a nominal fee for completing surveys that produced fraudulent market research data. Some of the defendants even served as “ants” and fraudulently took large quantities of surveys themselves and received significant payment for their “ant” work. In or around 2018, Nappo, Hayden and others, decided that Op4G should move the fraudulent survey operation to a new company, which became Slice. By 2019, Op4G and Slice began conspiring with Iyer, a senior leader at an international company, SNWare. By 2021, Katarina Grublijesic left Op4G, but she continued to conspire with the defendants using her international company, Bright Analytic Consulting. To evade detection, the defendants, including Stoudt and Ignacio, exchanged instructions with each other and the “ants.” These instructions included directions on how to answer survey screener questions, provided parameters on how long “ants” should remain on surveys, and encouraged the use of virtual private network (VPN) services to conceal real IP addresses. Hayden, Harriman, Nappo, Stoudt, and Ignacio will appear in federal court at a later date. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The FBI led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case. Companies that purchased survey data from Op4G or Slice between 2014-2024 are encouraged to contact the U.S. Attorney’s office at usanh.webmail@usdoj.gov with the subject line “Slice”. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Former State Trooper Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Falsify CDL Test Scores

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A former Massachusetts State Police (MSP) trooper pleaded guilty on Friday, April 11th, to his role in an alleged conspiracy to falsify records by giving passing scores to certain Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) applicants, including individuals who had failed or did not take the CDL skills test as required by federal law. Perry Mendes, 64, of Wareham, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to falsify records, three counts of falsifying records and two counts of making false statements. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for July 15, 2025. In January 2024, Mendes was charged in a 74-count indictment along with five others in the alleged conspiracy and related schemes. Members of MSP’s CDL Unit were responsible for administering CDL skills tests. Test requirements for CDLs are established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The CDL skills test is a demanding, in-person test that consists of three segments: Vehicle Inspection, in which an applicant is tested on their knowledge of the vehicle; Basic Control Skills, in which an applicant is tested on their ability to perform certain maneuvers; and the Road Test, in which an applicant is tested on their ability to drive a commercial vehicle on an open roadway. Only drivers who have passed the test and thereby proved they are capable and qualified to drive a commercial vehicle may be issued a CDL, with the primary goal of public safety. According to the charging document, between in on or about May 2019 and January 2023, Mendes and others conspired to give automatic passing scores to at least 17 CDL applicants on their skills tests regardless of whether they actually passed, using the code word “golden handshake” or “golden,” for short, to identify applicants who would receive special treatment. At the plea hearing on Friday, Mendes admitted to his role in the alleged conspiracy, including that he cut skills tests short for “golden” applicants; that he entered false information on CDL score sheets indicating that certain applicants had passed the skills test when they had not; and that he reported passing scores for applicants he knew had never taken the skills test. On April 7, 2025, former Trooper Calvin Butner pleaded guilty for his role in the charged offenses, and on March 21, 2025, civilian co-defendant Eric Mathison pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion. The charge of conspiracy to commit extortion provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine J. Wichers and Adam W. Deitch of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Browning sex offender sentenced to over a year in prison for not registering and attempting to elude law enforcement

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Browning man accused of not registering as a sex offender as required and attempting to flee law enforcement by leading officers on a high-speed chase was sentenced today to 15 months in prison to be followed by 5 years supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. The defendant, Austin Kade Goings, 27, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to failure to register as a sex offender, a felony, and attempting to elude a peace officer, a misdemeanor. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. In court documents, the government alleged Goings was on federal supervised release following his conviction by a guilty plea to sexual abuse of a minor. In April 2021, Goings was sentenced to 21 months of custody, followed by five years of supervised release. Goings was last released from federal custody following a revocation in early January 2024. Upon his release, Goings failed to update his sex offender registration as required by Montana state law and a warrant was issued for his arrest for violations of supervised release. On July 25, 2024, an undercover law enforcement officer observed Goings driving a vehicle on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Knowing of Goings’ federal arrest warrant, the officer notified other nearby law enforcement. Officers with Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and the Glacier County Sheriff’s Office attempted to initiate a traffic stop of Goings and activated their emergency lights. Goings drove through a stop sign without stopping and reached 80 mph in a 25-mph zone. The pursuit reached 100 mph in a 65-mph zone, with Goings traveling at 100 mph through the Starr School community. Goings was observed swerving and driving down the center lane, and he approached another vehicle head on, forcing the vehicle into a ditch. Law enforcement called the Border Patrol for assistance. Goings led officers on a 45-mile pursuit that stopped just short of the border. There were three other occupants in the vehicle at the time of the stop, including two minors. Officers arrested Goings on his federal warrant. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Marshals Service, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, the Glacier County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Fentanyl distributor gets 13 years in prison

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: GALVESTON, Texas – A 46-year-old Texas City resident has been ordered to federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. John Earl Edwards pleaded guilty Sept. 24, 2024. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown has now ordered Edwards to serve 156 months to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. “Taking fentanyl off the street is good, but taking a fentanyl dealer off the street is even better,” said Ganjei. “This is one less person who makes their living off of the misery of their fellow citizens.” On July 22, 2021, Edwards negotiated the sale of a small amount of fentanyl and arranged to have it delivered on July 22, 2021. The investigation revealed Edwards’ drug distribution also included cocaine, cocaine base and methamphetamine. He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Force and the La Marque Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Cusick prosecuted the case.


title: Ohio Resident Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking of Minor and Coercing Adult Female to Engage in Commercial Sex

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Euclid, Ohio, pleaded guilty in federal court on April 14, 2025, to charges of sex trafficking of a child and coercion and enticement of an adult with the intent that they engage in commercial sex, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Donte Lashawn Cole, 40, pleaded guilty to the two counts before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Cole transported the minor and an adult from Ohio to a hotel in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, to engage in commercial sex. Investigators located condoms, lubrication, cleaning wipes, pregnancy tests, and only a few pieces of clothing in the room used by the minor and similar items in the room used by the adult. The investigation determined that Cole used online advertisements to market the victims for commercial sex services in Western Pennsylvania and elsewhere from April 2023 to October of 2023. Cole directed the victims to engage in these acts and then, immediately afterwards, report all amounts of money earned to him. Cole also controlled access to food, refusing to provide the minor anything beyond fast food if she did not earn him enough money. Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for August 18, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Robert Schupansky and Special Assistant United States Attorney Summer Carroll (Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General) are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. This case was investigated by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Section and Homeland Security Investigations-Pittsburgh, with valuable assistance also provided by the Monroeville Police Department and Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . If you are the victim of human trafficking or may have information about a potential trafficking situation, please call the FBI, local law enforcement, or the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year related to potential trafficking victims, suspicious behaviors, and/or locations where trafficking is suspected to occur. To submit a tip to the NHTRC online, please visit https://humantraffickinghotline.org/report-trafficking .


title: Honduras Man Charged with Illegal Re-entry into U.S.

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A citizen of Honduras has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of illegal re-entry of a removed alien, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The one-count Indictment named Julian Alberto Rios-Andasol, 31, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, on August 17, 2024, Rios-Andasol was found in western Pennsylvania after having been removed from the United States on or about May 30, 2019. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Guilty Verdict Handed Down for July 2024 Carjacking of a Delivery Driver

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Devonte Carter, 30, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of carjacking for an offense that took place on a Southeast Washington street corner in July of 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel scheduled sentencing for July 11, 2025. Carjacking carries a mandatory minimum term of seven years in prison. Carter also faces a statutory minimum term of 15 years of incarceration because he was previously convicted of two crimes of violence. According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of July 10, 2024, the complainant was working as a DoorDash food delivery driver. At approximately 7:25 pm, the complainant, who was driving a motorized scooter, approached the intersection of Cedar and 14th Streets SE. The complainant pulled over to the side of the road to check something on his scooter. At that point, a black car stopped next to the complainant. An unknown suspect opened the back passenger side door and pointed a gun at the complainant. Then Carter came out from the back driver’s side door, went around the back of the car, and ripped the complainant off the scooter. The defendant also took the scooter’s key fob. Thereafter, the defendant drove to a public housing complex located at the 2400 block of Elvans Road SE, where the defendant and others in the area took the scooter for joyrides. An air tag on the scooter led Metropolitan Police Department officers to the housing complex, where the scooter was recovered. The defendant ran from the complex as police began to canvass the area. DNA analysis also linked the defendant to the scooter. In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Martin commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office. Finally, the U.S. Attorney commended Assistant United States Attorneys Caelainn Carney and Michael C. Lee for their work in prosecuting this case.


title: Orleans Parish Man Indicted for Firearm and Narcotics Violations

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – KEITH CALDWELL (“CALDWELL”) , age 41, of New Orleans, was charged on January 31, 2025, in a recently unsealed, three-count indictment, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. Count 1 charged CALDWELL with Possession with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D). Count 2 charged him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Count 3 charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). According to the indictment, on September 28, 2024, Louisiana State Police troopers and federal agents arrested CALDWELL for violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act while he was in possession of firearms. Further investigation determined that CALDWELL was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his prior felony conviction(s). If convicted, CALDWELL faces up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least 3 years of supervised release for Count 1; a mandatory minimum of 5 years up to life imprisonment to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed , up to a $250,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release for Count 2; and up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release for Count 3. CALDWELL also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to all three counts. Acting United States Attorney Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy L. Bell of the Violent Crimes Unit. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Owner of New Jersey Businesses Admits to Fraudulently Obtaining Over $3.2 Million from  The Paycheck Protection Program

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – An owner of several New Jersey businesses admitted to fraudulently obtaining over $3.2 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Daniel Dadoun, 48, of Israel, formerly of South Plainfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch to an information charging bank fraud and money laundering. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From April 2020 through August 2022, Dadoun engaged in a scheme to illegally obtain over $3.2 million in PPP loans for his New Jersey businesses by submitting false and fraudulent loan applications. After receiving the PPP loan proceeds, Dadoun sought to keep the money by submitting false and fraudulent PPP loan forgiveness applications that misrepresented payroll expenses and the number of employees at his companies. In support of the loan and forgiveness applications, Dadoun submitted falsified tax documents and altered bank statements. The charge of bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $1,000,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. The charge of money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, or twice the amount of criminally derived property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for August 13, 2025. U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, New York Field Office, under direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr., special agents of the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, Boston New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly, and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark. The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . ### Defense counsel: Anthony J. Pope, Jr., Esq. dadoun.information.pdf


title: Independence, MO Man Sentenced for $1.4 Million COVID-19 Scheme

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. - An Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for filing a false claim as part of a scheme to fraudulently receive nearly $1.4 million in COVID-19 relief funds from the government. Richard Dean Schiele, Jr., 51, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to a year and a day imprisonment and ordered to pay $130,125.09 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES” Act) provided for an Employee Retention Credit designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll. The Employee Retention Credit is available to eligible employers that paid qualified wages to some or all employees after March 12, 2020, and before Jan. 1, 2022. In his guilty plea, Schiele admitted he filed nine Employer’s Quarterly Tax Return forms with the IRS on April 22, 2023, for a company he formed the same month called Schiele Family Own Distribution. The returns made a total of $1,392,716 in claims for COVID–19 pandemic era credits against the company’s ostensible employment taxes. In reality, Schiele admitted, the company did not have any employees in 2020 through 2022. Based on these false claims, the IRS issued checks totaling $478,890 to Schiele. The Treasury Department recovered $348,764.91 from Schiele’s bank account. Under the terms of today’s sentence, Schiele must pay $130,125 in restitution to the IRS. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.


title: Tyler tax preparer sentenced to federal prison for role in tax refund fraud scheme

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: TYLER, Texas – A Tyler tax preparer has been sentenced to federal prison for her role in a tax refund fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. Karistha Johnson, 38, pleaded guilty to making false and fraudulent statements on a tax return and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on April 15, 2025. Johnson was ordered to pay $1,244,934 in restitution. “The Eastern District of Texas is committed to prosecuting tax preparers who engage in return preparer fraud schemes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. “Schemes like this threaten to disrupt the orderly administration of the income tax system for law-abiding taxpayers, and taxpayers ultimately end up paying the bill.” “Ms. Johnson, in her role as a tax preparer, took advantage of those seeking assistance by filing fraudulent returns,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Dallas Field Office. “By fabricating deductions and business expenses, she filed hundreds of false returns, resulting in more than $1.2 million in fraudulent refunds. The women and men of IRS-CI remain dedicated to safeguarding our tax system and ensuring that individuals who engage in fraudulent activities face the full consequences under the law.” According to information presented in court, Johnson was involved in a multi-year return preparer fraud scheme involving the submission of tax returns containing false and fraudulent statements. Johnson prepared and filed 610 returns from 2017 through 2019 and received $1,244,934 in fraudulent refunds. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld. ###


title: Maryland Return Preparer Charged with Preparing False Tax Returns for Clients

component: Tax Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in Greenbelt, Maryland, returned an indictment, unsealed yesterday, charging a Maryland woman with preparing false tax returns for clients and failing to file her own tax returns. According to the indictment, Zewdi Tsegay, of Burtonsville, ran a tax preparation business called Taxes R Us LLC, which later changed its named to Taxes 4 You LLC. The indictment alleges that from 2018 through 2024, Tsegay prepared and filed with the IRS false tax returns for clients. These returns allegedly included false business losses that benefited the client by claiming false refunds to which they were not entitled or decreasing their tax liability. According to the indictment, the IRS conducted an undercover operation at Tsegay’s business in March 2020. Tsegay allegedly initially prepared the undercover agent’s tax return correctly, which reflected that the undercover agent owed taxes, and then added a fictitious business loss to the return, which resulted in the return improperly requesting a refund. The indictment further alleges that from 2021 to 2023, Tsegay was required to file tax returns for herself but did not do so. If convicted, Tsegay faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for each count of failing to file her own tax returns. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Catriona M. Coppler and Richard Kelley of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Two Men Admit Roles in Armed Robbery of U.S. Postal Service Employee

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Two Essex County, New Jersey men admitted their roles in an armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service employee, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Dyshawn Williams, 28, of Newark, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to one count of conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery and one count of assaulting certain federal officers or employees. Karieem Stamps, 26, also of Newark, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In November 2023, three individuals – including Williams – robbed a U.S. Postal Service employee at gunpoint in Newark, New Jersey. The assailants stole the victim’s cell phone, keys, and wallet – including a credit card and debit card. The robbery impeded the victim from delivering mail, which interfered with interstate commerce. Shortly following the robbery, two individuals – including Stamps – used the stolen debit card to make purchases. Both transactions passed through servers located outside of New Jersey. On August 1, 2024, Stamps – who was convicted of a felony offense in 2020 – possessed a Glock 29 Gen5 handgun bearing serial number CCRT895 with an extended magazine and 26 rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition. As to Williams, the counts of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and assaulting or impeding a federal employee carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. As to Stamps, the count of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine; the count of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year prison sentence; and the count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Habba credited postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Christopher A. Nielsen, with the investigation. She also thanked special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, deputies of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of United States Marshal Juan Mattos Jr., police officers and detectives of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, officers of the New Jersey State Parole Board, under the direction of Chairman Samuel J. Plumeri, Jr., and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli Jacobs of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark. 25-103 ### Defense counsel: Williams: Laura K. Gasiorowski, Westfield, New Jersey Stamps: Joseph Z. Amsel, Newark, New Jersey dwilliams.information.pdf stamps.information.pdf


title: Ashland Doctor Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Misbranded Semaglutide

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: ASHLAND, Ky. – An Ashland physician and owner of Lewis Family Care, Matthew Lewis, 44, pleaded guilty on Monday, before Chief U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning to receiving a misbranded drug and offering it for sale with the intent to defraud or mislead. According to the charges against Lewis, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three drugs with semaglutide as the active ingredient – Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy – to improve blood sugar levels in adult patients with diabetes or, in the case of Wegovy, for weight loss. The FDA did not approve any generic semaglutide drugs. In his plea agreement, Lewis admitted that beginning in May 2023, he purchased non-FDA approved semaglutide from suppliers in California and Georgia to administer to patients at a weight loss clinic. These companies were not registered with the FDA as drug manufacturers or outsourcing facilities of compounded drugs, were not authorized to distribute semaglutide, and were not licensed pharmacies or licensed prescription drug wholesalers. Lewis obtained the semaglutide from these unauthorized suppliers at a significantly lower cost than the legitimate prescription drugs. This non-FDA approved semaglutide sometimes arrived at Lewis Family Care packaged in a vial that contained a warning that the drugs were intended for lab research and development only. The labels failed to provide adequate directions for use, adequate warnings, failed to contain an expiration date, and failed to list its active and inactive ingredients. Lewis took measures to disguise and mislead others as to the unauthorized sources of the semaglutide. For example, he purchased the semaglutide using Venmo, Afterpay, or via phone, and he described the orders on his Venmo payments as “Meal Prep.” Lewis stored the drugs in his office, separate from Lewis Family Care’s other legally obtained medications. He did not inform his patients that he was administering non-FDA approved semaglutide to them. Between May 2023 and February 2024, Lewis Family Care’s weight loss clinic earned $249,044.40 from the administration of this unapproved semaglutide. “Prescription drugs are highly regulated in this country in order to keep patients safe,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Paul McCaffrey. “At a time of increased public interest in weight-loss drugs like Wegovy, Lewis chose profit margins over patient safety when he purchased non-FDA approved semaglutide and administered it to his patients.” “Physicians who administer misbranded drugs that come from outside the secure and regulated supply chain—particularly products that are injectable and pose sterility concerns—not only puts their patients’ health at risk but also violate their patients’ trust,” said George Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who would disregard and jeopardize public health and safety by selling misbranded drugs.” Acting U.S. Attorney McCaffrey and FDA Special Agent in Charge Scavdis, jointly announced the guilty plea. The investigation was conducted by the FDA-OCI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Dunn-Pirio is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced on August 18. He faces a maximum of three years in prison and any applicable restitution. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes. — END —


title: Carnegie Man Charged with Evading Taxes and Willful Failure to File Tax Return

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of tax evasion and willful failure to file a tax return, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The seven-count Indictment named Caesar Tavoletti III, 42, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, Tavoletti evaded taxes for tax years 2018-2020 and willfully failed to file tax returns for tax years 2018-2021. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss of the offense, or both, on each of the tax evasion counts. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney William Guappone is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Colombian National Indicted for Assaulting Ice Deportation Officer

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Colombian national was indicted for assaulting a U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Hector Villegas-Alvarez, 27, of Colombia, is charged with one count of assaulting a federal officer. Villegas Alvarez appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark federal court last week and was detained. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On February 23, 2025, ICE deportation officers identified Villegas Alvarez as an individual without legal immigration status to be deported from the United States. ICE deportation officers stopped Villegas Alvarez and attempted to arrest him. Villegas Alvarez, however, physically resisted arrest and, in the process, forcefully elbowed one of the ICE deportation officers in the face. As a result of Villegas Alvarez’s assault, the victim deportation officer sustained bodily injury, including a broken nose and a concussion from which she suffers severe post-concussion symptoms, including fainting and difficulty breathing. “These charges reaffirm our commitment to protect the law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line for the people of New Jersey every day. Those who choose to attack and assault law enforcement will continue to be met with swift and severe punishment.” U.S. Attorney Alina Habba The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. U.S. Attorney Habba credited deportation officers of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations Newark, under the direction of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris, with the investigation leading to the charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney George L. Brandley of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ### Defense counsel: K. Anthony Thomas, Esq., Federal Public Defender villegasalvarez.indictment.pdf


title: Member of a Violent National Gang Convicted of Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering in Detroit

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – After a week-long trial in federal court, a jury convicted Anthony Zigler, a member of the Almighty Vice Lords Nation of Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering (VCAR), Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced today. Beck was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Evidence at trial proved the Almighty Vice Lords Nation (AVLN) was a sprawling criminal enterprise which committed acts of violence, drug dealing, and other crimes, across the country. The trial involved a member of the Conversative Vice Lord branch of the AVLN. The jury specifically found that Zigler committed a violent prison stabbing to maintain or increase his position within the gang. The evidence at trial showed that Zigler stabbed the victim fifteen times with a prison-made knife in the head, neck, and abdomen, puncturing his lungs. The jury convicted Zigler of VCAR. Zigler faces up to 20 years in federal prison. “The thorough and dedicated work of attorneys in our office combined with the detailed investigation done by our ATF and DPD partners convinced a jury to find a violent and dangerous gang member guilty of serious crimes. With this conviction, our community is safer. Our district’s approach to violent crime investigations and prosecutions works,” Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck said. “Yesterday’s verdict proves once again that the Almighty Vice Lord Nation has been crippled locally and nationally. Their dismantling is another example of how senseless violence is being dealt with in Detroit. Anthony Ziegler's willingness to partake in gang-ordered violence had far-reaching consequences. He now has a federal VCAR felony conviction on his extensive criminal pedigree and should be out of commission for a very long time. Violent acts in furtherance of a criminal organization will not be tolerated in Detroit or in our prisons and will immediately result in delayed freedom, because you’re not going anywhere but back to prison……for an extended period of time,” said ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “The ATF and our federal, state and local partners will continue to target violent gang members wherever they operate, street or prison it makes no difference, if you're pushing violence for your crew, we're coming.” This is the third trial in the Eastern District of Michigan in approximately a year and a half involving the Almighty Vice Lord Nation. In November 2023, three national leaders of the gang were convicted of RICO conspiracy and other crimes, and in April 2024, three gang members were convicted of RICO conspiracy and other crimes, and a fourth defendant was convicted of drug offenses, in federal court in Detroit.


title: Registered Sex Offender Admits Possessing Gun, Approaching Children

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender caught with a pistol after a road rage shooting pleaded guilty to a firearm charge Tuesday. Leroy Richard Walker Jr., 54, also admitted approaching and speaking with two children who were waiting for the school bus on Nov. 28, 2023, in Franklin County. The children told a parent, who called police. As a registered sex offender, Walker knew he was not allowed to be near a school bus stop. On May 14, 2024, Walker pulled up in front of a high school in Franklin County, Missouri and began speaking with a 16-year-old girl who was also waiting for the school bus. He offered her a ride home and dropped her at a commercial business. On the way, he put his arm around the victim. The victim told authorities that she got into Walker’s car because she felt pressured by him and believed he could grab or hurt her. Walker admitted as part of his plea agreement that knew he was not allowed to be near a school. The firearm incident occurred on Nov. 25, 2022, when a driver passed Walker and then pulled in front of him. Walker pulled in front of the other vehicle, began hitting his brakes and then slowed down, pulled alongside the other driver and waved a Taurus pistol. Walker pulled to the road’s shoulder and the victim drove past as Walker fired a shot from the pistol. Walker was then pulled over by Pacific Police Department officers and admitted being both a felon and a registered sex offender and knowing that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Walker has prior felony convictions for first-degree assault, attempted forcible rape, armed criminal action, burglary, tampering, stealing a motor vehicle and escape. Walker, of Franklin County, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16. The crime is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and a fine. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Pacific Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.


title: Former New York Councilman Indicted on Child Pornography Charges

component: USAO - Florida, Southern


title: Fourth Member of Alleged Chicago Robbery Crew Ordered Detained in Federal Custody Pending Trial

body_text: CHICAGO — The fourth member of a robbery crew allegedly responsible for violently robbing multiple liquor stores, convenience stores, and bars in Chicago has been ordered detained in federal custody pending trial. XAVIER HARRIS, 26, of Chicago, conspired with his brother and two others to rob or attempt to rob more than a dozen Chicago businesses in 2023 and 2024, according to charges unsealed last month in U.S. District Court in Chicago. In three of the robberies, Xavier Harris brandished a gun and pistol-whipped victims, including the cashier of a liquor store in Chicago’s Jefferson Park neighborhood, according to a government memorandum filed in support of Xavier Harris’s detention. Xavier Harris was arrested last month. Over the government’s objection, a federal Magistrate Judge ordered him released on an unsecured $10,000 appearance bond and location monitoring. The U.S. Attorney’s Office appealed the release to U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood, who on Monday ordered Xavier Harris to remain detained without bond pending trial. The three other defendants – Xavier Harris’s brother, ARDARIES HARRIS, 27, of Chicago, JORDAN FOX, 25, of Chicago, and ROOSEVELT VEAL, 27, of Rockford, Ill. – were previously ordered detained without bond while they await trial. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, robbery, attempted robbery, and firearm charges. The maximum sentence for each of the defendants is life in federal prison. Ardaries Harris, Fox, and Veal each face mandatory minimum sentences of thirty years, while Xavier Harris faces a mandatory minimum of 21 years. A full list of the 15 robberies and attempted robberies can be found here . The detention order was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, the Illinois State Police, and the U.S. Marshals Service’s Great Lakes Regional Task Force. This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The case was also conducted in coordination with ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago (CGIC), a centralized law enforcement hub that focuses exclusively on investigating and preventing gun violence in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois. “The nature and circumstances of these serious offenses and the weight of the evidence demonstrate the danger posed to the community by Xavier Harris if he is released,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily C.R. Vermylen and Stephanie Stern argued in the government’s detention memorandum. “Xavier Harris committed these robberies with absolutely no regard for human life or human safety.” The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Stamford Man Charged with Narcotics Distribution and Ammunition Possession Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Stamford Police Chief Timothy Shaw today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned a five-count indictment charging SAMUEL ELIE, 48, of Stamford, with narcotics distribution and ammunition possession offenses. The indictment was returned on April 3, 2025. Elie appeared yesterday in Hartford federal court and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on January 22, 2025. It is alleged that law enforcement made three controlled purchases of fentanyl from Elie in December 2024 and January 2025. On January 22, 2025, Elie possessed approximately 142 grams of fentanyl, approximately 212 grams of cocaine, and 50 rounds of ammunition. It is further alleged that Elie’s criminal history includes felony convictions for firearm, drug, robbery, and other offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. The indictment charges Elie with three counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count; one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years; and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Stamford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary G. Vitale. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Former Naval Undersea Warfare Center Employee Charged with Making Threats

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A former employee of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Middletown, Rhode Island, appeared in U.S. District Court in Providence today charged with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. As reflected in a criminal complaint unsealed today, it is alleged that between July 2022 and February 2023, Luis Sanchez Pardella, 38, of Newport, made numerous menacing, and at times threatening, telephone calls to at least eight of his former colleagues at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center. In one such instance, it is alleged that Pardella left a voicemail stating, “I will kill you and your wife when I see you on the street.” It is further alleged that between December 2022 and February 2023, Pardella made multiple threatening telephone calls to the Portsmouth, RI, Police Department, stating that an officer and his wife “will be going to jail,” that “the Portsmouth Police Department is corrupt,” and “write down (name of officer’s wife) is dead write down. The wife of one of your cops is dead. Do you know who (name redacted) is? Write down she is dead.” Pardella appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge today and was released with GPS monitoring and ordered to have no contact with any of the identified victims. A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr., with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton. The matter was investigated by the FBI, with the assistance of the Portsmouth Police Department, Middletown Police Department, Newport Police Department, Providence Police Department, and the Federal Air Marshal Service. ###


title: Glasgow Kentucky Man Sentenced to 30 Years in  Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Children

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Bowling Green, KY – A Glasgow, Kentucky man was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of children. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, and Chief Guy Howie of the Glasgow Police Department made the announcement. According to court documents, Christopher Michael Marsh, 38, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography. Between September 2021 and January 1, 2022, Marsh recorded himself engaged in sexual abuse of an infant, and on January 1, 2022, he distributed the recorded child sexual abuse material. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by HSI Bowling Green and the Glasgow Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Nicholas Rabold, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, and Jo E. Lawless, of the Louisville Office, prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” ###


title: Dominican National Arrested for Assaulting ICE Deportation Officer

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Dominican national was arrested for assaulting a U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) deportation officer, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Darlin Leon, 39, of the Dominican Republic, is charged by complaint with one count of assaulting a federal officer. Leon appeared on March 28, 2025 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court and was detained. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On March 26, 2025, Leon was in the lawful custody of ICE at a facility located in Newark, New Jersey pending removal from the United States. While being processed for removal, Leon struck the victim deportation officer in the head with a closed fist at least four times. As a result of Leon’s assault, the victim deportation officer sustained bodily injury, including lacerations and abrasions to the back of his head. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Douek of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ### Defense counsel: Linda Foster, AFPD, Esq. leon.complaint.pdf


title: Nashville Felon on Probation for Homicide Now Federally Charged with Firearm and Drug Crimes

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

body_text: NASHVILLE – Dejuan Bell, 33, of Nashville, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and cocaine, and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Our efforts in Operation Bond Watch are designed to keep those with violent histories from possessing firearms and putting our community at risk,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “A person previously and recently convicted of killing someone should not have a handgun – period.” According to court documents, on the afternoon of March 18, 2025, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department detectives monitoring Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) cameras saw Bell arrive at the James Cayce Homes. The detectives were familiar with Bell because of his involvement in a 2018 homicide in Nashville. They saw Bell get out of the driver’s seat of a Nissan Altima and walk up to several people who were on porches. Bell was on the MDHA “No Trespassing” list, and he had a suspended driver’s license. On the MDHA cameras, the detectives saw Bell approach the driver’s side door of a black truck that was stopped on South Sixth Street. Bell and the truck’s driver exchanged pills and a plastic bag, then Bell put the pills and plastic bag in his pant pockets and walked back to the James Cayce Homes porches. Bell went back to the Nissan Altima several times. When the detectives attempted to make contact with Bell, he fled on foot. While running from detectives, Bell threw away a firearm that had been in his pants waistband. The firearm, a Glock 23 Gen5, .40 caliber pistol, was recovered, and a search of the firearm’s history revealed that it had been reported stolen. Detectives caught Bell, and during a search incident to his arrest, detectives discovered $2,180 cash and 4.2 grams of suspected oxycodone pills in a plastic bag in Bell’s pants pockets. The Nissan Altima smelled of marijuana and detectives conducted a probable cause search of the car and discovered individual plastic bags of a green leafy substance suspected to be marijuana, a plastic bag containing 4.5 grams of a white/grey powdery substance that field-tested positive for cocaine, and a digital scale in the car’s console. After being read his Miranda rights, Bell agreed to answer questions. Bell admitted he had a manslaughter conviction for which he was on probation. Bell told detectives he had marijuana and cocaine for sale. Bell admitted to purchasing the firearm in the Cayce area approximately two weeks earlier, and that he ran from the detectives because he had the firearm on him. Bell has three prior felony convictions in Davidson County Criminal Court: for Reckless Aggravated Assault, for which he received a two-year sentence; Evading Arrest by Motor Vehicle, for which he received a one-year sentence; and Voluntary Manslaughter, for which he received a six-year sentence, and was placed on probation October 27, 2023. If convicted, Bell faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon charge, up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine on the drug charge, and 5 years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime charge. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel M. Stephens is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # # # #


title: Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Minh Phuong Ngoc Vong, 40, of Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to the plea agreement, he conspired with unknown individuals, including John Doe, also known as William James, a foreign national living in Shenyang, China, to defraud U.S. companies into hiring Vong as a remote software developer. After securing these jobs through materially false statements about his education, training, and experience, Vong allowed Doe and others to use his computer access credentials to perform the remote software development work and receive payment for that work. On Jan. 30, 2023, Doe submitted a fraudulent resume in Vong’s name to a Virginia-based technology company for the position of web application developer, which required U.S. citizenship as a condition of employment. The resume falsely represented that Vong had a Bachelor of Science degree and 16 years of experience as a software developer. In fact, Vong had no college degree or experience in software development. On March 28, 2023, Vong participated in an online job interview with the CEO of the Virginia-based company and verified his identity and citizenship by showing his Maryland driver’s license and U.S. Passport. Following the interview, the Virginia-based company hired Vong and assigned him to work on a contract for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) involving a particular software application used by various U.S. government agencies to manage sensitive information regarding national defense matters. The Virginia-based company provided Vong with a laptop to use in connection with his employment, and the FAA authorized Vong to receive a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card to access government facilities and systems. Vong installed remote access software on the laptop to facilitate Doe’s access to it and conceal his location in China. Between March 2023 and July 2023, Doe used Vong’s credentials to perform the software development work from his location in China. The Virginia-based company paid Vong more than $28,000 in wages for work performed by Doe, portions of which Vong then sent overseas to Doe and other conspirators. As part of his guilty plea, Vong admitted that the Virginia-based company was not the only company he and his co-conspirators defrauded. Between 2021 and 2024, Vong used fraudulent misrepresentations to obtain employment with at least 13 different U.S. companies, who collectively paid Vong a total of more than $970,000 in salary for software development services that were, unbeknownst to them, performed by Doe and/or other overseas conspirators. Several of these defrauded companies contracted out Vong’s services to U.S. government agencies in addition to the FAA. As a result of Vong’s fraudulent misrepresentations, these government agencies unknowingly granted Vong’s co-conspirators access to sensitive U.S. government systems, which they accessed from China. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office. “Mr. Vong put the United States and its citizens in harm’s way by plotting and engaging in this fraudulent scheme. His actions gave unauthorized people access to sensitive U.S. Government systems and national-defense matters,” Hayes said. “As this prosecution demonstrates, we work hard every day with our law-enforcement partners to ensure that we’re keeping our citizens and our nation safe.” “The FBI is warning about an increase in these fraud schemes affecting businesses and organizations around the world,” DelBagno said. “Criminals pose as software workers to illegally access networks, stealing data and sensitive information. Furthermore, the money criminals are paid for their ‘work’, often benefits foreign adversaries. The FBI strongly urges organizations to closely monitor their data, strengthen their remote hiring processes and report any suspicious activity or fraud to the FBI.” U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Additionally, Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina A. Hoffman who is prosecuting the case with valuable assistance from Alexandra Cooper-Ponte, National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section. The U.S. Attorney and FBI Baltimore also thank the supporting federal and local law-enforcement partners that assisted with this case. Under the Department-wide DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative, launched in March 2024 by the National Security Division and the FBI’s Cyber and Counterintelligence Divisions, Department prosecutors and agents are prioritizing the identification and shuttering of U.S.-based “laptop farms” – locations hosting laptops provided by victim U.S. companies to individuals they believed were legitimate U.S.-based freelance IT workers – and the investigation and prosecution of individuals hosting them. Today’s announcement follows successful actions taken by the Department in October 2023 , May 2024 , August 2024 , December 2024 , and January 2025 , which targeted similar and related conduct. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Adel Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Charge

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – An Adel man was sentenced on March 6, 2025 to 18 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Charles Adam Bradshaw, 41, drove from Adel to Omaha, Nebraska to pick up methamphetamine from a Mexican-based source of supply, who facilitated the transactions through local couriers. Bradshaw was on parole for 2021 convictions for eluding and possession of methamphetamine in the Iowa District Court for Dallas County at the time he committed this offense. After completing his term of imprisonment, Bradshaw will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, and DEA.


title: Violent Carjacker Sentenced to Nearly 16 Years in Federal Prison

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: BOISE – Jordan L. Davis, 34, of Nampa, was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for carjacking and unlawful possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced. According to court records, on July 31, 2024, Davis and another individual entered the victim’s home in Nampa, Idaho. Once inside, Davis entered the victim’s bedroom, drew a firearm, pointed it at the victim’s head, and threatened to kill him if he did not comply with Davis’ demands. Davis stole several of the victim’s personal belongings and his vehicle. After the victim called 911, law enforcement found Davis driving the stolen vehicle on the freeway. Davis ignored law enforcement’s attempts to stop him and led officers on a high-speed chase, that at times exceeded 100 mph. Law enforcement eventually stopped Davis after performing a PIT maneuver. When officers approached Davis, they saw him holding a firearm. Davis refused to comply with officers’ repeated commands to drop the firearm and get out of the car. After a nearly 20-minute standoff involving multiple law enforcement agencies, Davis eventually surrendered. “Thanks to the heroic efforts of the Nampa Police Department, the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Idaho State Police, no one was injured during this dangerous incident.” Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott stated. “This sentence appropriately reflects the serious nature of the crimes and ensures that a violent felon is no longer free to victimize members of our community.” “This case is a stark reminder of how quickly violent crime can escalate and put lives at risk,” added Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue. “I’m proud of the courage and professionalism our deputies showed that day, working alongside our law enforcement partners to bring this dangerous individual into custody without anyone being harmed. I appreciate the work of Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott and his team for their work in prosecuting this case and putting this dangerous individual behind bars.” U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Davis to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence and to pay over $37,000.00 in restitution. Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the Nampa Police Department, the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Idaho State Police, which led to Davis’ arrest and subsequent charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morse prosecuted this case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . ###