title: New York and South Carolina Men Charged with Conspiring to Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine Base in Rutland

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on September 17, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging James Brown, 43, of Troy, New York, and Lionell Thompson, 40, of Manning, South Carolina, with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, as well as multiple counts of distributing cocaine and cocaine base. Brown and Thompson are scheduled to be arraigned today before Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle in Burlington at 3pm. According to court records, Brown, Thompson, and others conspired to distribute cocaine and cocaine base between July 2024 and September 2025. Brown and Thompson’s conduct in that conspiracy, including the reasonably foreseeable conduct of other members of the conspiracy, involved more than 280 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base. Brown’s conduct in that conspiracy, also involved more than 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. The indictment also alleges that Brown distributed cocaine base on January 30, January 31, February 20, March 27, and April 2, 2025, and distributed cocaine on March 13, 2025. The indictment alleges that Thompson distributed cocaine base on October 8, 2024, as well as February 26 and April 2, 2025. The indictment also alleges that Thompson distributed cocaine on July 16 and October 16, 2024, and March 13, 2025. According to court documents, law enforcement has conducted over 35 controlled purchases into Brown and Thompson’s drug organization and the distribution charges are the result of controlled purchases conducted by a law enforcement confidential informant and an undercover detective. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Brown and Thompson are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Both Brown and Thompson face up to a life sentence of incarceration, with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of ten years if convicted. The actual sentences, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police’s Vermont Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Rutland City Police Department, Vermont National Guard Counterdrug Program, the Brandon Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the New York State Police, the Rutland Town Police Department, New England State Police Information Network, and Capital Region Crime Analysis Center. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jason Turner. James Brown is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon. Lionell Thompson is represented by John-Claude Charbonneau, Esq.


title: Montana man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for engaging in a cryptocurrency money laundering conspiracy

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: TYLER, Texas – A Montana man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a cryptocurrency money laundering conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Randall V. Rule, 73, formerly of Kalispell, Montana, was found guilty by a jury of money laundering conspiracy, money laundering, and a conspiracy to violate the Bank Secrecy Act, following a three-day trial in federal court. On September 17, 2025, Rule was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle. “Special Agents from the United States Secret Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service did tremendous work in their response to the victimization of our citizens, some who lost their life savings. Agents were relentless in their resolve to seek justice for victims,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. “Let scammers and those who facilitate their crimes by laundering the criminal proceeds be on notice: You cannot hide your crimes by using crypto currency; we will find you and we will prosecute you.” “Sophisticated money laundering networks, such as the one in this case, are the path for victims’ funds to be sent to transnational criminal organizations,” said U.S. Secret Service Resident Agent in Charge Brad Schley. “We must continue to dismantle these networks and assist victims with recovery of their losses and the administration of justice. We are honored to work with the team of tremendous prosecutors at the US Attorney’s Office in the EDTX, and I commend them for their dedication and work in seeking a just result in this case.” “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will not tolerate attacks on the United States Mail. These defendants weaponized the mail system to carry out fraud and money laundering, and they have been held accountable,” said Kai Pickens, Inspector in Charge, Fort Worth Division. “Postal Inspectors will relentlessly protect the American public and the integrity of the mail system. I commend our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service, for working decisively with us to stop the illicit flow of funds and secure justice for the victims.” According to information presented in court, Rule and Gregory C. Nysewander, formerly of Irmo, South Carolina, conspired with others to launder the proceeds of wire fraud and mail fraud schemes through cryptocurrency. The defendants converted funds from romance scams, business email compromises, real estate scams, and other fraudulent schemes into cryptocurrency and sent the cryptocurrency to accounts controlled by foreign and domestic co-conspirators. The defendants and their co-conspirators made false representations and concealed material facts, to avoid discovery of the fraudulent nature of deposits, wires, and transfers, such as providing instructions to co-conspirators and victims to label wire transfers as “loan repayments” and “advertising.” Nysewander created videos instructing other co-conspirators how to package money to be shipped without detection for the purpose of laundering the funds. The defendants also made false representations and concealed material facts when completing account opening documents and when communicating with financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges. During the conspiracy, Rule, Nysewander, and their co-conspirators laundered more than $2.4 million and willfully violated the money services business requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act. As a result of the scheme, many victims lost their life savings, and a multi-generational family business was bankrupted. 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). This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys D. Ryan Locker, Dustin Farahnak, and Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld. ###


title: Former State Department Budget Analyst Sentenced to 12 Months for Embezzling More than $650,000

component: Office of the Inspector General

body_text: WASHINGTON – Levita Almuete Ferrer, 65, of Montgomery Village, Md., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 12 months and one day in prison for embezzling more than $650,000 from the U.S. State Department over a two-year period, using the funds to fuel her gambling addiction, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Ferrer, aka Levita Brezovic, pleaded guilty April 30, 2025, to theft of government property. In addition to the 12-month prison term, Judge Christopher R. Cooper ordered Ferrer to serve three years of supervised release, to pay $657,347.50 in restitution to the U.S. government, and to not gamble or visit any casinos Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Benjamin Brockschmidt of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Inspector General, and Deputy Assistant Director George Semertsidis of the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service Office of Special Investigations. As part of her guilty plea, Ferrer admitted that she abused her signature authority over a State Department checking account between March 2022 and April 2024 while working as a Senior Budget Analyst in the State Department’s Office of the Chief of Protocol. She issued 60 checks payable to herself and three checks payable to another individual with whom she had a personal relationship. She printed and signed each check and then deposited all 63 checks, which totaled $657,347.50, into her personal checking and savings accounts. After her guilty plea, Judge Cooper set release conditions, which prohibited Ferrer from going to casinos. But the same day that she pled guilty, Ferrer went to the MGM National Harbor casino. She returned to the MGM a week later, gambling on high-limit slot machines. Once the government learned of Ferrer’s casino visits, it brought her behavior to the attention of the Court. As a result, Judge Cooper revoked her release and ordered her detained pending sentencing. Ferrer perpetrated her embezzlement scheme by abusing the signature authority that she had over a State Department checking account. Specifically, between March 2022 and April 2024 while working as a Senior Budget Analyst in the State Department’s Office of the Chief of Protocol, she issued 60 checks payable to herself and three checks payable to another individual with whom she had a personal relationship. She printed and signed each check and then deposited all 63 checks, which totaled $657,347.50, into her personal checking and savings accounts. Ferrer attempted to conceal her scheme by using a common QuickBooks account at the State Department. After entering her name as the payee on checks in QuickBooks and then printing them, she often changed the listed payee in QuickBooks from herself to an actual State Department vendor. As a result, anyone viewing those entries in the QuickBooks system did not see Ferrer’s name as the payee on the checks unless they accessed an audit trail. This case was investigated by the State Department’s Office of Inspector General and Diplomatic Security Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman with assistance from former Paralegal Specialist Sona Chaturvedi. 25cr108


title: Former Charity Employee Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison for Stealing Nearly $700,000

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Thursday sentenced a former charity employee who embezzled $690,902 over more than a decade to 40 months in prison. Judge Sippel also ordered Joelle Fouse, 58, to repay the money. Fouse was the manager/director of finance and human resources for Promise Community Homes, formerly known as Rainbow Village, a charity that provides housing and resources for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She was responsible for payroll, expense reimbursement and maintaining the charity’s books and records. Fouse caused 71 unauthorized payroll deposits totaling $139,810 and 181 unauthorized expense reimbursement payments totaling $407,186 to be made to her personal bank accounts. She also used the charity’s credit card to make 184 unauthorized personal purchases totaling $133,210. Her theft, and the unauthorized payments, caused the charity to overpay payroll taxes by approximately $10,694. Fouse’s “significant embezzlement” was “in addition to the generous salary and benefits the charity was already providing her,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith wrote in a sentencing memo. “While depriving the disabled residents of the charity of much needed and essential resources, Defendant used the stolen charitable funds for extravagant purchases for such things as vacation travel, expensive clothing and handbags, entertainment, restaurant meals, and to fund her own side businesses which provided her with additional income.” Fouse also lied about graduating college with an accounting degree for years, Goldsmith wrote, when she was actually academically disqualified from continuing in school. In a letter to Judge Sippel, Promise Homes Executive Director Matt Elmore wrote that Fouse’s embezzlement while the charity was “stretching every dollar” and “making difficult decisions about which projects to fund” robbed clients of vital services. The $8,000 of the charity’s money Fouse spent at Louis Vuitton “could have funded a new ramp for a resident who can no longer navigate stairs,” he wrote. The $5,000 she spent on “bottle service at the Ritz-Carlton could have covered urgent repairs-HVAC systems, water heaters, essential appliances-for multiple homes.” Her crime, Elmore wrote, poisoned their workplace and damaged the charity’s reputation. “We are now forced to spend valuable time and resources reassuring donors-many of whom have supported us for decades that we remain trustworthy and financially stable. Every hour we spend restoring confidence is an hour not spent serving our residents,” he wrote. Elmore also said that Fouse was always the first and strongest advocate for raising the rent of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities living on fixed incomes, “because she needed to fund her own lavish lifestyle. That is a level of heartlessness I struggle to comprehend.” Fouse used the money to pay for personal expenses for herself and relatives including travel, clothing, entertainment, restaurant meals and rent payments. To cover up her crimes, she created false financial reports, doctored receipts, made false entries in the charity’s financial records and prevented the charity’s officials from accessing records which would have disclosed her scheme. Fouse worked for the charity from October 2012 through December 2023, when she was terminated and her employer contacted federal authorities. She pleaded guilty in April of 2025 to three felony counts of wire fraud. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith prosecuted the case. Officers of Promise Community Homes cooperated substantially in the investigation.


title: Poplar man appears on triple homicide

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A man accused of killing three people in Poplar on September 11 appeared yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. The defendant, Michael J. Ackerman, a/k/a Michael J. Littlebull, 73, appeared on a complaint alleging he committed three counts of second-degree murder. Second degree murder carries maximum penalties of life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. Ackerman was detained pending further proceedings. The affidavit in support of the complaint alleges an individual called the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office on September 14, 2025, to report Ackerman admitted killing three people in Poplar. Deputies interviewed Ackerman and he said on September 11 he was using methamphetamine with the three victims, believed they were “setting him up,” and shot and killed them with his Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol. Ackerman told the deputies the bodies were in his residence in Poplar. Fort Peck Tribal law enforcement responded to the residence and found the three victims dead from apparent gunshot wounds. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley is prosecuting the case. The investigation is being conducted by the FBI, the Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice, and the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office. The complaint is merely an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. PACER case reference. 25-106. The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html . To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl .


title: Alexandria man convicted of repeat child sexual abuse material charges

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A district court judge yesterday convicted a prior sex offender of distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) while on supervised release. “Following his previous conviction for child sexual abuse material, Antonio Gonzalez knew what he was doing was illegal and knew the consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Instead of embracing a respect for the law and the vulnerable lives it protects, Gonzalez returned to his previous crimes with no regard for those harmed by sexual exploitation. We will tirelessly prosecute anyone engaging in these detestable crimes, and we will continue to pursue anyone who refuses to reform.” “This defendant continued to sexually exploit children online while on court-ordered supervision, following an earlier conviction for similar conduct,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Thanks to the tireless efforts and enduring dedication of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, this defendant has been held accountable for his continued exploitation of children and now faces a fifteen-year mandatory minimum sentence.” According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in April 2024, law enforcement began investigating Antonio Rudy Gonzalez, 41, for distributing CSAM on Kik, a mobile-based messaging platform. Gonzalez sent images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct to multiple other Kik users. In 2013, Gonzalez was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia of distribution of child pornography. Gonzales is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 27, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of fifteen years and up to 40 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema delivered the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Strobbe and Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting 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. 1:25-cr-213.


title: Mississippi Man Convicted of Federal Civil Rights and Arson Charges for Setting Fire to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Yesterday, a federal jury in Gulfport, Mississippi, convicted Stefan Day Rowold on six counts of federal arson and civil rights charges for vandalizing and setting fire to a house of worship. On July 5, 2024, and July 7, 2024, Rowold vandalized and set fire to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Wiggins, Mississippi. Evidence at trial showed that Rowold targeted the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints because of his disagreement with what he believed to be their religious views. During a confession, Rowold admitted to breaking into the building, vandalizing the interior walls of the building with hateful messages, and ultimately setting a fire in the middle of the church’s multipurpose room so they could not hold services. Rowold used the church’s hymnals as kindling for his original fire. Rowold also confessed to breaking into the building two days later to finish the job, and after police had attempted to secure the scene. The second time he broke in, Rowold set another fire using cardboard and a piece of firewood. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon for the Southern District of Mississippi, and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office made the announcement. A sentencing hearing is set for Jan. 14, 2026. Rowold faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison on each of the arson charges, a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison for each of the civil rights charges, and a minimum penalty of ten years in prison for the use of fire to commit a federal felony offense. The FBI Jackson Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the Mississippi State Fire Marshal, and the Wiggins Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner for the Southern District of Mississippi and Trial Attorney Chloe Neely of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Browning woman sentenced to one year in prison for assault on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Browning woman who assaulted an individual on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced yesterday to 13 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Kodie Rae Ground, 30, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that on May 29, 2024, John Doe was sitting in his parked car in Browning, Montana. Kodie Ground knocked on the window and asked for a ride. Although Doe declined to give her a ride, she opened the door, got in the car, and told him to take her somewhere. Ground refused to get out of the car, so Doe said he would take her to the police station. En route, Doe continued to ask Ground to get out of the car, and she continued to refuse. Doe tried to get her out while stopped at a traffic light, and she became angry. Ground beat John Doe on the head while holding an unknown object. She took the keys out of the ignition and exited the car. When Doe got out of the car, Ground threw his keys at him and walked away. Doe went to Blackfeet Hospital because he could not move the left side of his body. A CT scan revealed he had a subdural hematoma (a brain bleed), so he was flown to Benefis Hospital in Great Falls, where he underwent a craniotomy. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the BIA and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services. XXX


title: Rutland, Vermont Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Drug and Firearms Case

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on September 16, 2025, Todd Popovitch, 44, of Rutland, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 48 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 7-year term of supervised release. Popovitch previously pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine base and possession without registration of a firearm governed by the National Firearms Act. According to court records, Popovitch had previously successfully completed state and federal drug treatment court programs before returning to armed drug dealing in 2024. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia Cowles. Popovitch was represented by Natasha Sen, Esq.


title: Preston County Man Sentenced for Federal Child Exploitation Offenses

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Steven David Seeger, 46, of Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 360 months in federal prison for the coercion and enticement of minors for sex and production of child pornography. According to court documents and statements made in court, Seeger was communicating with three identified minor girls, and multiple unidentified minor girls online, persuading them to produce sexually explicit images and videos for his personal gratification. Seeger used his vast computer science knowledge to reach minor targets using multiple social media platforms and auto-generated covert phone numbers to engage in a pattern of abuse. Specifically, Seeger viewed himself as the victims’ master, treating these minor girls as his sex slaves and directing them to produce child sexual abuse material and to write messages related to his ownership over them on their bodies. Seeger’s acts came to light after Texas authorities were alerted that he sent illicit photos of a minor victim as “revenge porn” to her family and friends. Seeger has pending charges in Texas. The child exploitation matter was referred to West Virginia law enforcement once Seeger was identified. “We are thankful one of his many victims came forward, and grateful to the law enforcement agencies who contributed to bringing this repeat and dangerous sexual offender to justice,” stated Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard. “We will continue to seek significant prison sentences for anyone who targets minors online and solicits sexually motivated images and videos from these minor victims.” Seeger will serve a lifetime on supervised release following his prison sentence and he was ordered to pay $24,975 in restitution to his victims. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Virginia State Police, the Preston County Sheriff’s Office, and the Nacogdoches Police Department (Texas) investigated. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Meth Conspiracy

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Alexander Summers, 30, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on September 17, 2025, to 150 months’ imprisonment. Summers pled guilty May 8, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. At the plea and sentencing hearings evidence showed that for about five months in 2023 Summers and others conspired to distribute methamphetamine in the Sioux City, Iowa area. Specifically, on one occasion in 2023, Summers distributed nearly one pound of pure methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. Summers further admitted to trafficking approximately 2 ½ pounds of meth with other sources, and helping another person traffic meth in exchange for a place to live in Sioux City. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Summers was sentenced to 150 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Summers remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-4051. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Defendant Charged In Ponzi Scheme Targeting Harvard Business School Classmates

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging VLADIMIR ARTAMONOV with securities fraud, investment adviser fraud, and wire fraud. ARTAMONOV was arrested today in Elkridge, Maryland, and will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas R. Miller in the District of Maryland. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon. “As alleged, Vladimir Artamonov betrayed investors, including friends and former Ivy League classmates, by promising a low-risk, high-return investment strategy, when in fact he gambled away investor money and paid off previous investors to continue his scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “We will continue to protect the investment markets from schemes that may wear the disguise of sophistication, but in the end are just theft.” “Vladimir Artamonov allegedly misappropriated more than four million dollars in investments from fellow alumni through false assurances of little risk and high reward,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “The defendant allegedly exploited the prestige of a well-respected university and investment company to unlawfully procure investments, which he used to pay for personal expenses. The FBI will never tolerate those who seek to financially enrich themselves by betraying the trust and wallets of their investors.” According to the allegations contained in the Indictment: [1] From at least September 2021 through February 2024, ARTAMONOV defrauded numerous investors who participated in an investment opportunity he called “Project Information Arbitrage.” ARTAMONOV, who graduated from Harvard Business School in 2003 and subsequently worked in the financial services industry, used his professional network to solicit investments from classmates and other alumni of Harvard Business School. ARTAMONOV represented to investors that he would use their funds to execute an information arbitrage strategy focused on investments by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (“Berkshire”). According to ARTAMONOV, due to its reputation, when Berkshire made new investments in publicly traded companies, and those investments became widely known, those companies’ share prices increased significantly. ARTAMONOV represented to investors that he could identify Berkshire’s new investments ahead of their public disclosure in filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by reviewing public insurance company filings made by Berkshire’s affiliates with state regulators. By identifying Berkshire’s new investments and purchasing securities of those companies before the rest of the market, ARTAMONOV claimed he could achieve significant returns with little associated risk. ARTAMONOV raised in excess of $4 million from investors. In reality, ARTAMONOV defrauded investors. Instead of executing the strategy that he had pitched to investors, ARTAMONOV primarily traded in risky short-term options that, for the most part, did not overlap with Berkshire’s investments or otherwise implement the arbitrage opportunity that ARTAMONOV had presented. ARTAMONOV lost millions of dollars in investor funds, often within days of his receipt of such funds. ARTAMONOV then concealed those losses from investors while soliciting additional investments and repeatedly claiming that profitable investments were on the horizon. ARTAMONOV sent messages to one investor assuring him that it was “[a]lmost certain we will make a ton of money” soon, and that they would “brag” about their “crazy gains” at the Harvard Business School reunion. When investors eventually demanded the return of their funds, ARTAMONOV repaid old investors with new investors’ funds, or declined to repay investors altogether. Ultimately, ARTAMONOV returned less than $400,000 to investors. Of the approximately $4 million he raised for Project Information Arbitrage, ARTAMONOV lost most of the funds or used them to pay for personal expenses, including lodging, food and alcohol, and transportation. * * * ARTAMONOV, 46, of Elkridge, Maryland, is charged with one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of investment adviser fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Clayton also thanked the New York Attorney General’s Office, which separately filed civil proceedings against ARTAMONOV, and expressed appreciation for the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Varun A. Gumaste is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. u.s._v._artamonov_indictment.pdf [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: BofA Securities Inc. Resolves Criminal Investigation with Justice Department Pursuant to Part I of the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: BofA Securities, Inc. (BoAS) a North Carolina-based financial institution, has agreed to resolve a criminal investigation involving alleged market manipulation schemes by former BoAS employees pursuant to Part I of the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy (CEP). As part of the resolution, the Justice Department has declined to prosecute BoAS, and BoAS will disgorge approximately $1.96 million and contribute approximately $3.6 million to a victim compensation fund it will establish and administer. The Justice Department’s investigation found evidence that from in or about November 2014 through approximately April 2020, two BoAS traders on the bank’s U.S. Treasuries desk separately engaged in schemes to manipulate the secondary (or “cash”) market, and one of those employees also engaged in a scheme to manipulate the futures market for U.S. Treasuries by entering spoof orders — that is, orders placed without the intent to execute them at the time they were placed. Collectively, these two former employees entered more than one thousand suspected spoof orders during the relevant time period. One of the traders, Tyler Forbes, pleaded guilty in April 2022 to manipulating U.S. Treasury securities prices. In May 2025 , the Justice Department revised the CEP to increase transparency and encourage voluntary self-disclosure. The Justice Department announced today that it resolved its investigation against BoAS after considering the factors set forth in the updated CEP, including (1) BoAS’s timely and voluntary self-disclosure of the misconduct; (2) BoAS’s full and proactive cooperation in this matter, including providing all known relevant facts about the misconduct; (3) the nature and seriousness of the offense; (4) BoAS’s timely and appropriate remediation, including the termination of the junior trader, an internal review of the trading of all traders on its U.S. Treasuries desk, an internal review of its compliance program and internal controls, a thorough and systematic root-cause analysis, significant investment in and improvements to its surveillance programs and parameters, enhancements to its broader compliance program, and the implementation of external testing of its internal controls; (5) the absence of aggravating circumstances; and (6) BoAS’s agreement to disgorge its gains and provide victim compensation. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia of the FBI New York Field Office; and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Criminal Investigations Group made the announcement. The FBI and USPIS are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Sara Hallmark and John J. Liolos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.


title: GRAND BLANC MAN INDICTED FOR  ILLEGALLY PURCHASING FIREARMS FOR OTHERS

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: FLINT – A Grand Blanc, Michigan man was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with illegally purchasing firearms for others, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. Several of the firearms were later recovered from felons and some were recovered at crime scenes. Joining in the announcement was James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) – Detroit Field Division. Charged was Kobe Y. Patterson, 24. According to the indictment, Patterson purchased several firearms from local firearms dealers on behalf of others. When purchasing the firearms, Patterson lied claiming he was the actual purchaser of the firearms when in fact he knew he was purchasing the firearms for others. Patterson was also charged with illegally possessing a machinegun. When a gun buyer lies to a firearms dealer to purchase a gun for someone else this is called a “straw purchase.” Most often straw purchases occur because either the actual buyer cannot pass the required background check, or the actual buyer wants to avoid having their name associated with the purchase. Straw purchasing is a serious threat to public safety because it undermines background check laws and contributes to the illegal gun market. “Patterson’s straw purchases are dangerous because they undermine our ability to keep firearms away from criminals and other prohibited persons,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon. “If you straw purchase a gun, we will prosecute you.” “Patterson is a gun violence enabler! He represents the worst in our community by trafficking firearms to people unable to legally obtain and possess them,” said ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “The message is clear: If personal greed takes you to a place where you illegally traffic firearms, your next destination on your greed journey is federal prison.” This case was investigated by special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, with assistance from the Grand Blanc Township Police Department and the Flint Township Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Vance. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: BAY CITY MAN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL  PRISON FOR ROBBING SUNRISE FAMILY CREDIT UNION

body_text: BAY CITY — Tony McGillen, 45, of Bay City was sentenced today to 152 months in federal prison for robbing the Sunrise Family Credit Union in Essexville, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced. Gorgon Jr. was joined in the announcement by Reuben C. Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Ludington imposed sentence on McGillen following his guilty plea to bank robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. According to court documents, on April 9, 2024, McGillen robbed the Sunrise Family Credit Union at gunpoint. McGillen threatened multiple tellers and got away with $7,901 in cash. Thanks to tips from the community, the FBI in Bay City identified McGillen and arrested him just over two weeks later. "The sentencing of Tony McGillen, who was convicted of bank robbery and brandishing a firearm, demonstrates that tough consequences follow such crimes, including multiple years in federal prison,” said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Thanks to the hardworking members of the FBI Bay City Resident Agency, in partnership with the Hampton Township Police Department, the Michigan State Police and the successful prosecution of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, Mr. McGillen will be off the streets. I also want to extend my gratitude to the members of the community, including local businesses, whose cooperation was instrumental in bringing justice to those affected by this offender.” This investigation was conducted by Bay City Resident Agency of the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Orr.


title: Great Falls convicted felon sentenced to over a year in prison for illegally possessing firearm

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

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls convicted felon who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced yesterday to 16 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Montana Lee Covington, 21, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that on the afternoon of June 1, 2024, Great Falls Police were dispatched to the Grizzly Inn based on reports someone had threatened another person with a gun. When police arrived, they saw the person identified as the suspect in a Jeep in the parking lot. An officer stopped the Jeep and requested the names of the driver and passenger. The driver identified himself while the passenger, Covington, gave a name the officer knew to be false because the officer recognized Covington from previous interactions and confirmed with a booking photo he was the passenger. The officer asked both occupants of the Jeep whether there was a gun in the vehicle, and the driver showed the officer a rifle on the passenger side of the vehicle with Covington. The rifle was taken into evidence, along with 110 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition. Officers spoke with the victim, Jane Doe, who told them Covington had threatened to shoot her. Doe also said she had seen Covington sitting in the passenger side of the Jeep with a rifle, loading a magazine with bullets. Officers also spoke with the driver, who similarly reported Covington had threatened Doe and had been sitting in the passenger seat with the rifle. Covington denied threatening Doe with a gun but admitted telling her he had guns in the car. Covington is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a felony theft conviction in Montana state court for which he received a four-year suspended sentence. His probation and parole conditions from that conviction prohibit him from possessing firearms and ammunition, and he acknowledged he knew felons were prohibited from possessing firearms. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the ATF and Great Falls Police Department. 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 . XXX


title: Waterbury Gang Member Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison

body_text: MALIK BAYON, also known as “Pop” and “Dirt,” 29, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to life in prison, and a mandatory five-year consecutive term of imprisonment, for offenses related to his involvement in the 960 gang, a violent Waterbury street gang. Today’s announcement was made by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Maureen T. Platt, State’s Attorney for the Waterbury Judicial District; P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo. According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address drug trafficking and related violence in Waterbury, the FBI, ATF, and Waterbury Police have been investigating multiple Waterbury-based groups, including the 960 gang. On September 14, 2021, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a 36-count indictment charging Bayon and 15 other 960 gang members with various offenses, including racketeering, murder, attempted murder and assault, firearm possession, narcotics trafficking, and obstruction of justice offenses. According to the evidence presented during his trial: On October 31, 2017, Bayon and other 960 members were involved in a drive-by shooting in the area of Porter Street and Bank Street in Waterbury in an attempt to murder members of a rival gang. An individual was shot and wounded in the shooting. Investigators recovered 17 shell casings from four different firearms at the scene. On November 22, 2017, Bayon and 960 members Zaekwon McDaniel and Tahjay Love shot at Clarence Lewis and Antonio Santos who were in a car at a restaurant in Waterbury. Lewis sped from the scene at a high rate of speed and crashed into a house at the intersection of Wolcott Street and Dallas Avenue in Waterbury. Lewis, 22, and Santos, 20, were pronounced dead at the scene. Shell casings connected two of firearms used during the shooting to the shooting that occurred on October 31, 2017. On December 29, 2017, shortly before 9:00 p.m., Bayon, McDaniel, and Love shot and injured the father of a rival gang member who was taking out the trash in front of his residence. 960 members videoed themselves wearing masks at the scene minutes before the shooting. To promote 960, Bayon and other 960 members made rap videos that glorified gang violence, firearm possession, and drug dealing. Many of the rap lyrics were tied to criminal conduct committed by 960 members. Bayon has been detained since his federal arrest on September 16, 2021. He was flushing fentanyl in a toilet at the time of his arrest, and a search of his residence revealed a firearm, an extended gun magazine and additional gun magazines, and ammunition. On February 14, 2024, a jury found Bayon, McDaniel, and Love guilty of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity with special circumstances, murder in violation of the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (“VCAR”) statute, and two counts of causing death through the use of a firearm and in relation to a crime of violence. The jury also found McDaniel guilty of attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; Love guilty of obstruction of justice; and Bayon guilty of conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute narcotics, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. On September 9, 2025, McDaniel was sentenced to life in prison and a mandatory 10-year consecutive term of imprisonment. Love awaits sentencing. This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, Waterbury Police Department, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Southington Police Department, Watertown Police Department, New Milford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, and the DEA Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey M. Stone, John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Natasha M. Freismuth, and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don E. Therkildesen, Jr. and Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Arroyo, who were cross-designated as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in this matter. This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.


title: Harlem man pleads guilty to sexually abusing a minor on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation

component: Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)

body_text: GREAT FALLS - A Harlem man who sexually abused a minor on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. The defendant, Ivan Daniel Raining Bird, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a minor. Raining Bird faces a term of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for January 29, 2025. Raining Bird was detained pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that John Doe was about 13 years old when he received a Facebook Message from a user who went by “Ivey” and appeared to be a woman. “Ivey” turned out to be the defendant, Ivan Raining Bird, who was in his late twenties at the time. Doe and Raining Bird continued to message, and Raining Bird eventually invited Doe over to his house. When Doe arrived at Raining Bird’s house, he realized Raining Bird was a man dressed as a woman. Doe and Raining Bird shared substances and Raining Bird performed oral sex on Doe. For several months, Raining Bird committed similar assaults on Doe. The FBI investigated Doe’s disclosure of the abuse and interviewed Raining Bird. Raining Bird admitted sharing drugs with teenagers in the past and specifically admitted he knew John Doe was a minor and sexually assaulted him on multiple occasions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Justice Department Seeks Forfeiture of Vehicle Used by a Convicted Sex Offender Who Drove from Maryland to D.C. With Intent to Sexually Abuse a Child

body_text: WASHINGTON — The Justice Department filed a civil forfeiture complaint today against a 2020 Subaru Forester SUV belonging to a convicted sex offender who distributed child pornography before he traveled to the District in the Subaru for the purpose of engaging in sexual contact with a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Kaziah Matthew White, 33, pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2024, to a charge of distribution of child pornography. He was sentenced on May 7, 2025, to 87 months in prison and ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release. White, of Long Lake, New York, communicated online with an undercover officer who had posed as an abusive father offering up his own 10-year-old son for sex with others. In March 2024, White sent the undercover officer more than 100 videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children and toddlers, as well as sadomasochistic abuse involving a blindfolded child. During the chats, White agreed to meet the undercover officer in Washington D.C. for a “playdate” with the fictional child and even bought them Spiderman-themed underwear to wear. White drove the Subaru SUV from Maryland to a coffee shop in D.C. on March 28, 2024, to meet with the purported abusive father. Agents of the FBI-MPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force arrested White soon after arrival. The Subaru SUV is currently in FBI custody and will be transferred to the United States Marshals Service in the District of Columbia. The United States regularly seeks to lawfully forfeit defendant property to punish and deter criminal activity by depriving criminals of property used in illegal activities and to recover the assets so that they may be used to compensate victims. The government is represented in this case by Asset Forfeiture Coordinator Rick Blaylock Jr. for the District of Columbia in conjunction with Deputy Chief Janani Iyengar of the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Section. Former Assistant United States Attorney Jocelyn Bond prosecuted the criminal case.


title: Fort Belknap man sentenced to 7 years in prison for assault on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Fort Belknap man who assaulted an individual with a baseball bat on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 84 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Jeremy Owen Walker, 39, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that on July 15, 2023, law enforcement was dispatched to the emergency room at Harlem Hospital to investigate a possible assault. The victim, Jane Doe, told law enforcement she had been sleeping at her house when the defendant, Jeremy Owen Walker, burst into her room and beat her with a baseball bat. According to Jane Doe, Walker came to the house and left with another person who was not involved in the assault. Walker hit Jane Doe on the head with the baseball bat, and when she put her arms up to protect her head, he hit her arms as well. Walker broke Jane Doe’s arm so the bone was visible, and she was diagnosed with a compound fracture of her left arm and a fractured wrist. She underwent surgery to repair the fractures in July 2023. During surgery, medical hardware was placed in her arm and she experienced prolonged complications from her injury and the hardware. She underwent a second surgery in December 2023 to remove a broken plate and screws from her arm. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services. XXX


title: Prior Federal Felon Is Sentenced To Over 11 Years For Illegal Firearms Possession

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. –Dillon James Surrett, 33, of Flat Rock, N.C., was sentenced today to 11 years in prison followed by two years of supervised release for illegal firearm possession, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Sheriff Lowell S. Griffin of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement. According to court records and proceedings, Surrett was previously convicted of a federal firearms violation and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Court records show that on August 21, 2023, HCSO deputies were executing an arrest warrant against Surrett. Deputies arrived at Surrett’s residence and ordered him to exit. When Surrett opened the door, deputies observed a firearm. Surrett was then arrested, and a search of the premises was conducted. Deputies located four firearms, two of which had obliterated serial numbers, one was a short-barrel 12-gauge firearm, and one was loaded with six rounds of ammunition. Deputies also found 52 rounds of assorted ammunition, drug paraphernalia, over 21 grams of fentanyl, over 76 grams of methamphetamine, and over 12 pounds of marijuana. Surrett pleaded guilty on November 25, 2024, to possession of a firearm by a felon. He remains in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the ATF and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville handled the prosecution. 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: Multi-Convicted Felon Is Sentenced To Seven Years In Prison For Assault Of Federal Officer

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Erik Dezjhion Tillman, 29, of Charlotte, was sentenced to seven years in prison followed by two years of supervised release for assaulting federal officers attempting to arrest him on outstanding warrants, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jamaal Thompson, Chief Inspector of the United States Marshals Service, Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force (CRFTF), joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. According to filed documents and the sentencing hearing, Tillman was wanted on multiple warrants for crimes committed in Mecklenburg County and a felony probation violation in South Carolina for a Strong Arm Robbery conviction. Court records show that, on November 8, 2024, members of a CRFTF apprehension team located Tillman asleep on the passenger side of a parked vehicle. Law enforcement ordered Tillman to exit the vehicle, but Tillman ignored the commands. Instead, Tillman started the vehicle and rammed it into the SUV of the CRFTF apprehension team in an attempt to escape. Ignoring commands of law enforcement and with his car now unable to move further, Tillman got out of the car and escaped through a wooded area. On November 13, 2024, a CRFTF apprehension team located Tillman. He again ran from law enforcement officers and refused to comply with their commands, but was taken into custody by the CRFTF. Tillman will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In making today’s announcement, U.S. attorney Ferguson thanked the CRFTF and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Former Essex County Sheriff’s Officer Admits Bank Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A former Essex County Sheriff’s Officer admitted to his role in a bank fraud conspiracy, United States Attorney Alina Habba announced. Ryan L. Terry, 32, of Piscataway, pleaded guilty on September 11, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas to an Information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Terry, who served as a police officer with the Orange Police Department at the time he conspired to commit bank fraud, was part of a multi-person operation that stole checks from the mail, deposited those checks into bank accounts controlled by the enterprise, and then withdrew the proceeds before the bank or the victims became aware of the illegal activity. For example, in June 2023, Company-1 mailed out a business check for over $50,000. That check was stolen and thereafter the payee information was altered to enable it to be deposited into an account controlled by Terry and his co-conspirators. Then in July 2023, after the stolen check cleared, Terry and his co-conspirators withdrew the money from the account and split the proceeds. Terry then continued to actively recruit other members to the conspiracy. Specifically, he recruited individuals who had long-standing bank accounts to continue the scheme of depositing stolen checks and withdrawing the funds before the bank or the victims of the stolen checks were aware of the fraud. The bank fraud conspiracy and the bank fraud charges both carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentencing is scheduled for January 21, 2026. U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division and Thomas S. Kearney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division in Newark. ### Defense counsel: Charles Simmons, Esq., East Orange, New Jersey. terry.information.pdf


title: Poland Woman Sentenced, Ordered to Repay $165,878 for Theft of Government Money

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Poland woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for Social Security fraud and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud. U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Susie Files , 65, to 36 months of probation and ordered her to pay $165,878 in restitution. Files pleaded guilty on May 19, 2025. According to court records, Files lied to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Maine Department of Health & Human Services (Maine DHHS) for more than a decade. In multiple benefit eligibility reviews, Files falsely represented to these agencies that she and her husband lived separately, and omitted his presence from her household despite knowing that she was required to disclose that information, and that it could affect her eligibility for benefits. Investigators uncovered the deception in March 2023. When interviewed, Files acknowledged that she lived with her husband during this period. Files’ husband, Peter Files, previously pleaded guilty to MaineCare and SNAP fraud on May 8, 2025. He was sentenced to repay $45,615.78 in restitution to those programs on August 25, 2025. The SSA’s Office of the Inspector General and Maine DHHS’s Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit investigated the case. ###


title: East Tennessee Man Sentenced To 15 Years For  Distribution Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Tennessee, Eastern

body_text: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On September 18, 2025, Michael Robert Potter, 38, of Rocky Top, TN, was sentenced to 188 months by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his imprisonment, Potter will be on supervised release for 10 years and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions. As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Potter agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2). According to filed court documents, from April 2023 to May 2023, investigators with the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security Investigations – Internet Crimes Against Children (HSI-ICAC) Task Force conducted online investigations into the trafficking of child pornography. This investigation led to the identification of an IP address utilized by Potter which contained numerous files depicting child pornography and child sexual abuse. In October 2023, a federal search warrant was executed which found Potter to be in possession of several pieces of computer equipment which contained over 20,000 images and over 500 videos depicting child pornography and child sexual abuse. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement. The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by HSI-ICAC and Knoxville Police Department. This investigation was led by HSI-ICAC Task Force Officer Thomas Evans. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click the tab "resources.” ###


title: Former Bank of O’Fallon executive sentenced to prison for swindling $2 million in check kiting fraud scheme

component: USAO - Illinois, Southern

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge sentenced the former second-in-command of the Bank of O’Fallon to 63 months’ imprisonment after he admitted to federal charges for engaging in a fraud scheme to obtain more than $2 million. Andrew P. Blassie, 70, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of interstate transportation of security or funds obtained by fraud. In addition to imprisonment, he was ordered to pay $2,461,887.67 in restitution. “Blassie’s prison sentence underscores the severity of his crimes to betray his clients, employer, family, and community,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “The outstanding work by the investigators and the Bank of O’Fallon’s vital cooperation to dismantle this scheme delivered justice and helped to protect the integrity of our financial system.” According to the indictment, Blassie served as the Executive Vice President for the Bank of O’Fallon and defrauded the bank out of $1,972,887.67 in a check kite scheme from September 2023 through September 2024 during his employment. Blassie admitted to falsely inflating the balance of his personal checking account at the Bank of O’Fallon by depositing checks he knew to be backed by non-sufficient funds. He deposited checks with non-sufficient funds from four personal accounts at three other banks and one credit union into the Bank of O’Fallon account. “The U.S. Secret Service is committed to pursuing criminal actors who seek to rip off law-abiding citizens and undermine our nation’s financial system in the process. This was an outrageous scheme that hurt innocent victims,” said acting Resident Agent in Charge David Bolin, of the U.S. Secret Service’s Springfield Resident Office. “I am proud of our agency’s work in this case. Thanks to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Illinois as well as our federal and local law enforcement partners who helped to bring justice for the victims, including the O’Fallon Police Department.” Blassie paid nearly $2.7 million for personal expenses from the falsely inflated account thus using funds belonging to the Bank of O’Fallon. As the former Executive Vice President, Blassie used his position to conceal his fraud from the Bank of O’Fallon by scrubbing his name and account number from suspected kiting reports. “Today’s sentencing brings justice to the defendant, who violated his position of trust as Executive Vice President at the Bank of O’Fallon. He defrauded the bank of approximately $2 million through a check kiting scheme that he used to enrich himself,” said Special Agent in Charge Vincent R. Zehme, of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Chicago Region. “This case exhibits the FDIC OIG’s steadfast commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to hold bank insiders, and other perpetrators of fraud, accountable for their role in such schemes, especially those that threaten the safety and soundness of our Nation’s financial institutions.” From August 2022 through September 2024, Blassie also persuaded a couple from Lebanon, Illinois, to give him $489,000 of their retirement savings. In return for this investment, Blassie gave the couple two promissory notes. He agreed to pay the couple interest on the notes and used money he obtained through his check kite scheme to pay some of that interest. As security for his promissory notes, Blassie pledged 128 of his and his wife’s shares of the holding company which owns the Bank of O’Fallon. “Today’s sentencing holds accountable and brings to justice a former bank executive who abused his position to defraud Bank of O’Fallon and its customers,” said Don Daley, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Western Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “We are proud to have worked with our law enforcement partners to achieve this result. We will continue to vigorously pursue those who undermine the safety and soundness of our banking institutions.” According to the indictment, Blassie later sold most of these shares and did not use those funds to repay the Lebanon couple. This left the couple with no means of recourse when Blassie later defaulted on the promissory notes. “Bank officials who abuse their positions of public trust for personal gain pose an unacceptable threat to the integrity the Federal Home Loan Bank system,” said Korey Brinkman, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General’s Central Region. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates our ongoing commitment to investigating thoroughly allegations of fraud involving bank officials and supporting the prosecution of those charged with these offenses. We are proud to work with our investigative partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure insider fraudsters are held accountable under the law.” Officials with the Bank of O’Fallon have fully cooperated with law enforcement during the investigation. The O’Fallon Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General made contributions to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Gross prosecuted the case.


title: Arraignment for Man Who Punched His Girlfriend Repeatedly in the Face

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Nyzir Miles, 22, of Washington, D.C., was arraigned today at a hearing before the Honorable Robert Salerno on charges of assault with significant bodily injury and other charges stemming from multiple assaults on his former girlfriend in late 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. A grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia indicted Miles on September 10, 2025, on one felony charge of assault with significant bodily injury, as well as four additional misdemeanor charges: two charges of simple assault and two charges of obstructing, preventing, or interfering with reports to or requests for assistance from law enforcement agencies, medical providers, or child welfare agencies. According to the government’s evidence, on September 2, 2024, around 11:00 p.m., near the 700 block of Decatur Place NE, Miles and his girlfriend had been driving around when they got into an argument and he punched her in the face. Several hours later, Miles again became angry with the victim, and, after taking her cell phone, began to punch the victim repeatedly in the mouth, causing her mouth to fill with blood to the point where the victim was reportedly choking and unable to breathe. An ambulance transported the victim to Howard University Hospital, where she was diagnosed with a dental fracture and several loose teeth, and a wire was inserted to hold her teeth in place. Approximately two months later, on November 10, 2024, Miles again assaulted the same victim and also reportedly interfered with the victim requesting assistance from law enforcement. Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Lieberman and was also investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Janki Kaswala. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Final Los Valles drug trafficking organization defendant sentenced for his role in distributing loads of cocaine into the United States

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Honduran national was sentenced on Sept. 16 to four years in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. According to court documents, Erlis Antonio Leon Castellanos was an important part of an international drug trafficking organization based in Honduras known as “Los Valles” (Valle DTO). The Valle DTO moved multi-metric-ton loads of cocaine from Honduras to Guatemala, before it was moved to Mexico and ultimately the United States. The Valle DTO used helicopters and commercial trucks to transport cocaine from Honduras to Guatemala, where the cocaine was transferred to co-conspirators associated with Mexican drug trafficking organizations that smuggled the cocaine into the United States for redistribution. Some members of the Valle DTO imported smaller quantities of cocaine from Honduras directly into the United States using human couriers, who would travel on commercial airlines. Leon Castellanos owned property near the Honduras-Guatemala border. The Valle DTO sent cocaine loads to Leon Castellanos at his property, where Leon Castellanos stored them before he and other DTO members smuggled the cocaine into Guatemala on its way to the United States. Leon Castellanos began by accepting cocaine loads of approximately 15 to 20 kilograms and eventually accepting loads of hundreds of kilograms at a time. Leon Castellanos also delivered cocaine to another DTO member who was responsible for coordinating the northward travel of the drugs. Between 2011 and 2014, Leon Castellanos personally transported cocaine over the border. He is the final defendant of 15 indicted in the case to be captured and sentenced. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Siddhartha Patel, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Sacramento Field Office; and Christopher C. Goumenis, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Guatemala to secure the arrest and March extradition of Leon Castellanos. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Guatemala to secure the arrest and March extradition of Leon Castellanos. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristin S. Starr and Philip Alito prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs). 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. 1:14-cr-135.


title: September Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments Announced

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the September Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments. The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence. Selvin Leonel Alvarado-Castillo. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Alvarado-Castillo, 46, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Jun. 2004. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Brandon is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-359 Freeman Buchanan. Illegal Possession of a Machinegun. Buchanan, 19, of Wagoner, is charged with knowingly possessing a machinegun conversion device. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Brasher is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-351 Mark Allen Burleson. Second Degree Murder in Indian Country; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Burleson, 44, of Tulsa and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with deliberately and unlawfully killing Heather Martinez. Further, Burelson is charged with using a firearm to assault a second victim, which resulted in bodily injury, and using a firearm during a crime of violence. The FBI, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Ponce City Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Dunn is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-350 Colton Lee Crane. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition After a Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Conviction. Crane, 32, of Grove and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with intentionally assaulting a victim with a firearm that resulted in bodily injury and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Crane is further charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. Additionally, Crane is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition after being convicted of a domestic violence crime. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Wright is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-352 Jose Carmelo Dubon-Pena. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Dubon-Pena, 39, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Jul. 2024. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-353 Edgar Antonio Gomez-Sanchez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Gomez-Sanchez, 36, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Mar. 2023. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Valeria Luster is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-354 Jose Luis Granados Baltazar. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Granados Baltazar, 33, a Mexican national, is charged with attempting to entice an individual he believed was under 18 years old to engage in sexual activity. Further, he is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Jun. 2022. The Owasso Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Michel is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-337 Gerald Craig Jones. Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes; Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition. Jones, 54, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing cocaine with intent to distribute and maintaining a residence for cocaine distribution. Additionally, Jones is charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was convicted of a felony. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-338 David Wayne Licht. Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country. Licht, 47, of Tulsa and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with knowingly receiving and distributing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Further, Licht is charged with possessing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children under 12 years old. The Homeland Security Investigations, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-339 Raymond Thomas McCrary. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. McCrary, 49, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Hockenbury is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-340 Joel Arturo Moreno-Miron. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Moreno-Miron, 30, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Apr. 2014. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Buscemi is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-355 Jose Guadalupe Naranjo-Cruz. Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 Years of Age. Naranjo-Cruz, 28, a Mexican national, is charged with crossing a state line to engage in sexual activity with a child under 12 years old. The Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Nassar and Ashley Robert are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-341 Jose Manuel Ramirez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Manuel Ramirez, 46, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Jul. 2012. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema Onias is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-356 Rusty Dale Reece; Ryan Scott Ervin. Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country; Robbery in Indian Country; Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country; Robbery in Indian Country. Reece, 32, of Miami and a member of the Quapaw Tribe, and Ervin, 32, a transient, are charged with assaulting the victim, causing serious bodily injury, and taking items of value by force, violence, and intimidation. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Field Resident Office and the Quapaw Nation Marshal Service are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Dewhurst is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-342 Gerardo Enrique Renteria-Banda. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Renteria-Banda, 40, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in May 2018. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Scaife is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-357 Aaron Mitchell Robinson. Distribution of Methamphetamine (Counts 1 & 2); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Count 3); Possession of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 4). Robinson, 49, of Sperry, is charged with intentionally distributing methamphetamine. He is additionally charged with maintaining a residence for the purpose of drug distribution and possessing a firearm in relation to drug trafficking. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema Onias is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-361 Jexon Josue Villamil-Sosa. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Villamil-Sosa, 23, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in May 2024. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Harris is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-358 Carrie Williford. Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Williford, 42, of Sand Springs, is charged with attempting to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam McConney is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-343


title: Members of Drug Trafficking Organization Associated with Bloods Street Gang Sentenced to 108 Months’ Imprisonment

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Three members of a drug trafficking organization associated with the Sex, Money, Murder subset of the Bloods street gang street gang were each sentenced to 108 months in prison, Acting United States Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced. Jerry Ross, a/k/a “Molly” (“Je. Ross”), age 47, Luis Delvalle, a/k/a “Lou” (“Delvalle”), age 42, and Joseph Ross, a/k/a “Rock” (“Jo. Ross”), age 43, each previously pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to Informations that charged each of them with conspiracy to distribute large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and heroin. Jo. Ross also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Je. Ross was the leader of the drug trafficking organization, and Delvalle was a manager and supplier. All three received sentences of 108 months in prison. According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court: The Ross brothers, Delvalle, and their co-conspirators are all members and associates of a drug trafficking organization that operated an open-air narcotics market in and around the area of West 3rd Street in Plainfield, New Jersey (“West 3rd Street”). The West 3rd Street drug trafficking organization is affiliated with, and the defendants are members and associates of, the Sex, Money, Murder subset of the Bloods street gang. For several months, law enforcement conducted extensive surveillance of the area, conducted numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, and analyzed telephone records, all of which demonstrated extensive interactions related to drug trafficking between and among the members of the conspiracy. Following the execution of search warrants and arrests of the defendants, law enforcement recovered multiple firearms, controlled substances including fentanyl, and supplies to package and distribute those drugs on the street. All co-conspirators charged in the case, including Je. Ross, Delvalle, Jo. Ross, Pernell White, 37, Jaquay Bell, 36, Andre Gaddy, 32, Jacob Douglas, 43, Tarrell Strond, 43 and Tayeire Thomas, 27, all of New Jersey, have also pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Thomas was sentenced to 48 months in prison and Strond was sentenced to 36 months in prison. The remaining defendants are set to be sentenced in the coming weeks. “These sentences confirm our commitment to eradicating the Bloods and all violent criminal street gangs throughout New Jersey. For too long, this gang plagued the residents of Plainfield with a scourge of drugs, primarily deadly fentanyl, weaponizing addiction for their own personal gain. Every law-abiding citizen deserves to feel safe in their neighborhoods and free from gangs infiltrating their communities,” said Acting United States Attorney and Special Attorney Habba. “My office is committed to our long-standing partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement to eliminate gangs like the Sex Money Murder set of the Bloods, wherever they attempt to gain a foothold. Let these sentences serve as a clear message that if you engage in gang activity, we will find you, dismantle your operation, and prosecute you.” “These sentencings send a clear message: violent criminals who poison our communities with dangerous drugs will be held accountable,” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy. “These convictions are the product of a relentless two-year investigation into a drug trafficking network that put New Jersey families and the American public at risk. As additional defendants await sentencing, HSI remains steadfast in tearing down criminal organizations and protecting the safety of our neighborhoods.” Acting United States Attorney Habba credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations in Newark under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, detectives of the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William Daniel and Chief Harvey A. Barnwell, and officers of the Plainfield Police Department under the direction of Director James Abney and Captain Brian Newman, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked agents with United States Customs and Border Protection for the Port of New York/New Jersey under the direction of Port Director TenaVel Thomas, and officers of Perth Amboy Police Department under the direction of Chief Lawrence Catano, for their assistance with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Goldberg of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit and Rachelle M. Navarro of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering and Recovery Unit in Newark. ###


title: CEO of Georgia Company Convicted in International Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: Miami – A federal jury in Miami convicted a U.S. businessman on September 15 for his role in a nearly five-year long scheme to bribe Honduran government officials and to launder money to secure business for a Georgia-based manufacturer of law enforcement uniforms and accessories. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Carl Alan Zaglin, 70, of Marietta, Georgia, agreed to pay bribes to Honduran officials in order to obtain and retain business with Comité Técnico del Fideicomiso para la Administración del Fondo de Protección y Seguridad Poblacional (TASA), a Honduran governmental entity that procured goods for the Honduran National Police and other Honduran security agencies. “Bribery and money laundering schemes that funnel millions through our District to corrupt foreign officials will be met with the full force of federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This verdict sends a clear message: those who seek to buy influence abroad, distort fair competition, or launder dirty money through South Florida will be held accountable.” “Instead of playing by the rules, Carl Zaglin unfairly sought to get ahead and enrich himself by paying bribes to Honduran officials,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Bribing government officials to win business undermines the rule of law and distorts competitive markets. Today’s verdict reaffirms the Criminal Division’s commitment to rooting out corruption and providing an equal playing field for American businesses.” The trial evidence showed that, between March 2015 and November 2019, Zaglin, the owner and CEO of Atlanco LLC (Atlanco), orchestrated the payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to Honduran officials — including former TASA Executive Director Francisco Roberto Cosenza Centeno (Cosenza) and former TASA Titular Director Juan Ramon Molina — in order to secure contracts with TASA worth more than $10 million. The bribes were paid through Aldo Nestor Marchena, a third-party intermediary then residing in Boca Raton, Florida, who received $2.5 million in payments pursuant to sham invoices authorized by Zaglin. In exchange for the bribes, Cosenza and other Honduran government officials assisted Zaglin, Marchena and others in obtaining contracts for the sale of uniforms and other goods for the Honduran National Police and securing payment on the contracts. Marchena, Cosenza, and Molina all previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme. To conceal the scheme, Zaglin, Marchena, Cosenza, and their co-conspirators used coded and oblique language like “commissions” and “fees” to refer to bribes and “Miami” to refer to Marchena, “the guys” and “the others” to refer to foreign officials, sham “Brokerage Agreements” falsely detailing legitimate services, and they communicated using personal email accounts and encrypted messaging applications. The conspirators laundered the bribes by moving funds from Atlanco to Marchena’s front company in the United States to accounts held for the benefit of Honduran officials in the United States, Belize, and elsewhere. The jury convicted Zaglin of one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), one count of violating the FCPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on both the FCPA count and the FCPA conspiracy count, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Charges in the form of a criminal indictment against Zaglin, Marchena, and Cosenza were unsealed on Dec. 20, 2023. Marchena and Cosenza previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on June 5, 2025 and Aug. 13, 2025, respectively. Molina pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on Dec. 11, 2024. The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in Belize, Colombia, and Spain provided assistance with the investigation. Trial Attorneys Peter L. Cooch and Clayton P. Solomon of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli S. Rubin for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA and FEPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa . ###


title: Naranjito Man that Plead Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Today, United States District Court Judge Silvia Carreño Coll sentenced Dalien Enrique Nieves-Santiago to seven years in prison and five years of supervised release for possession of a pill press die or set used to manufacture counterfeit pills, drug trafficking, and firearms violations. His wife, Zuleyka M. Santiago-Andino also pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and possession of a pill press die and will be sentenced at a later date. Nieves-Santiago, 38, and Santiago-Andino, 35, from Naranjito, PR, were charged in a superseding indictment on December 6, 2023, and pleaded guilty on June 5, 2025. According to court documents, Dalien Enrique Nieves-Santiago pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement to: (Count 1) possession of a punch and die set; (Count 2) conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl; and (Count 5) possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On April 14, 2023, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers in San Juan, Puerto Rico encountered a UPS package while conducting inspections of inbound parcels that were subject to routine border search as they entered the United States. The package, shipped from an address in China, was addressed to defendant Zuleyka M. Santiago-Andino. After an import cargo database search based on the address selector, international shipments records indicated that she received a total of twenty-three (23) shipments between July 3, 2018, and April 8, 2023, at their address in Naranjito, Puerto Rico. All 23 shipments originated from China. Upon further inspection, CBP Officers discovered a “pill die” set inside the package. A “pill die” is used with a pill press to cut and mark narcotic tablets and other such controlled substances in a pill or tablet form and used in the furtherance of manufacturing and distribution of controlled substances including, but not limited to, pills such as Oxycodone. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Juan Agents assigned to the AirTAT agreed to take custody of the pill die, in order to conduct a controlled delivery. The above-mentioned pill die displays the mark “M” and “30”. “30” is an imprint pressed on to Oxycodone Hydrochloride tablets. HSI and DEA agents executed a court authorized search warrant. Among the items seized in the residence included approximately 2 kilograms of a blue colored bonding agent, approximately 302 grams of Xanax pills and a small scale. HSI agents also recovered two firearms: a 9 mm Smith & Wesson pistol, one 9 mm magazine and eleven (11) 9 mm rounds of ammunition; and a loaded .40 caliber Glock pistol, three (3) .40 caliber magazines, and twelve (12) .40 caliber rounds of ammunition next to 1,037 Xanax pills. A laboratory analysis concluded that a total net weight of 286.51 grams from the 1,037 white rectangular pills with “Xanax” imprinted on one side and “2” on the other side. The substances identified in the pills were fentanyl. A total net weight of 1,921.15 grams of the blue bonding agent typically used to manufacture Oxycodone Hydrochloride tablets with the use of a pill die. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, and the Drug Enforcement Administration were in charge of the investigationand their respective Airport Investigations and Tactical Teams (AirTAT). Assistant United States Attorney Luis A. Valentin from the Asset Recovery, Money Laundering and Transnational Organized Crime Unit prosecuted the case. ###