title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 84 Border-Related Cases This Week

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 84 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city). In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here . A sample of border-related arrests this week: On February 13, Mexican nationals Carlos Cortes De La Cruz and Carlos Cortes Garcia – a father and son who were the alleged captains of a smuggling vessel carrying a dozen undocumented passengers - were arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted the vessel which was dead in the water and riding low under the weight of the passengers, off the coast of Point Loma. Officials deemed the vessel unsafe and transported the passengers to Ballast Point, where the defendants were arrested by Border Patrol. Also arrested were Mexican nationals Jorge Andrade-Guzman, Aristeo Cortez-Abarca, Jose Antonio Lorenzo De La Cruz, Allan Alfonso Mancilla Garcia, Lorenzo Meza Hernandez, Sergio Luis Rico-Ornelas, Ciriaco Rojas-Duarte, Luis Vargas-Vill and Javier Zavala-Paredes. They were passengers charged with Attempted Entry After Deportation. On February 15, Aracely Guadalupe Herrera Gutierrez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 153 packages containing 154 pounds of methamphetamine and seven pounds of fentanyl concealed in the rear bumper of the defendant’s vehicle as she tried to cross into the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. On February 18, John Nixon, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Nixon and a passenger applied for admission to the U.S. in the vehicle lanes of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. Customs and Border Protection officers found the passenger’s identification to be fraudulent. The passenger, Mexican citizen Jose Rosales-Murillo, was arrested for Attempted Entry After Deportation. Rosales-Murillo had been previously removed from the U.S. in 2008. According to the complaint, Nixon claimed he accepted the smuggling job in order to pay off his girlfriend’s $5,000 drug debt. The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners. Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Eleven Gang Members and Associates Indicted on Racketeering, Attempted Murder, Murder Conspiracy and Drug Trafficking Charges

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A four-count indictment was unsealed in the Middle District of Florida charging 11 defendants – all alleged Sex Money Murder-24K (SMM-24K) gang members and associates – with crimes including racketeering (RICO) conspiracy, attempted and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, and drug conspiracy crimes. The gang was active inside and outside of the prison system in the State of Florida. According to court documents and statements in court, SMM-24K members and associates allegedly engaged in extreme violence to retaliate against fellow members for perceived violations of gang rules. For example, SMM-24K members conspired to kill one fellow member for lying about not knowing the location of family members of a rival gang member, resulting in the stabbing and attempted murder of the SMM-24K member in the DeSoto Correctional Institution. SMM-24K conspired to kill a different SMM member, who they accused of lying to and stealing from the gang, by stabbing him around the neck. SMM-24K members also profited from trafficking large amounts of deadly drugs inside Florida Department of Corrections Institutions, by using associates to smuggle the drugs, including methamphetamine, into the prisons. “As alleged, the Sex Money Murder 24K gang, a derivative of the nationally known Bloods gang and a subset of the Sex Money Murder gang, brutally enforced its purported rules, stabbing and attempting to kill three of their own members and one rival who crossed their leaders, and engaged in a sophisticated drug trafficking operation to move large quantities of dangerous drugs into Florida Department of Corrections facilities throughout the State,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We will not rest until every criminal organization like SMM that wreaks havoc in our prison systems is dismantled. Thank you to every federal, state, and local law enforcement agency that came together to dismantle this gang.” “The crimes alleged in this indictment demonstrate the callousness and determination of the SMM-24K gang to perpetuate heinous acts in Florida’s prison system,” stated U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “Even from behind bars, this gang sought to expand their criminal enterprise through violence and illegal activities. Thanks to the diligent investigation and cooperation by our federal, state, and local partners, a major drug trafficking operation was disrupted, and its members will be forced to account for their crimes.” “The FBI’s goal in crushing violent crime is to surge resources and partnerships, to build cases that cut into the capabilities of violent criminal networks, like Sex, Money, Murder 24K.” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office. “When we maximize impact, we disrupt the violence, and ultimately ensure our communities are safer.” According to court documents, SMM-24K created a “hit list” that included identifying and location information of their victims and intended targets, and the accusations against each. As alleged in the indictment, on January 17, 2023, defendant Tyrone Conaway, 37, formerly of Fort Lauderdale, FL, directed multiple SMM-24K members at the DeSoto Correctional Institution to murder an SMM-24K member who allegedly had lied to and stolen from the gang. Less than two weeks later, that SMM-24K member was stabbed inside the correctional facility. On February 23, 2023, defendant Terry Tillman, 38, Orlando, FL, attempted to kill a different SMM member by stabbing that person around the neck while defendant Charlie Martin, 28, Deland, FL, acted as a lookout. Information about both victims was included on the “hit list.” In April 2023, defendants Hernando Thompson, 40, and Alvin James, 30, Orlando, FL exchanged text messages coordinating the murder of a rival gang member. That rival gang member was attacked, and his face was slashed in Apalachee East Correctional Institution. Less than a month later, that same rival gang member was repeatedly stabbed by two inmates on May 24, 2023, after having been moved to Liberty Correctional Institution. According to court documents and statements made in court, SMM-24K is a subset of the Bloods gang, which originated in Los Angeles in the early 1970s. The SMM subset has spread from the Bronx and New York to areas across the East Coast, including Florida, where it operates inside and outside prisons and jails. The indictment alleges an extensive criminal enterprise in which SMM-24K members, including inmates within the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC), orchestrated numerous crimes, including conspiracies to commit murder and drug trafficking within FDOC facilities. If convicted, the defendants face penalties including up to life in prison life in prison for racketeering conspiracy and drug conspiracy; and up to 20 years for conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the Florida Department of Corrections, the Florida Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Trial Attorney Christopher Matthews of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Ruddy and Robert Sowell for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Making Threats Against Law Enforcement and Illegal Gun Possession

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

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio – A 34-year-old man has been sentenced to prison for making threats to harm law enforcement officers, advocating for a violent revolution against the federal government, and for illegally possessing a firearm. Jerime Graham-Woods, of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, was sentenced to 42 months (3.5 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp after pleading guilty last November to the following charges in the indictment: Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person; conviction for Domestic Violence in 2012. Interstate Communications with a Threat to Injure He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. According to court documents, from about June to September 2023, Graham-Woods made several threatening and hostile comments on a popular social media platform which advocated for violence against law enforcement and government officials. Some of these comments included the following: “I can’t wait to be a part of the violent revolution;” “I can’t wait to start shooting law enforcement;” “lotta bodies in my future;” and “I’m very much for shooting police.” Additionally, he made suggestive comments to others encouraging violent actions such as “start killing politicians,” “start killing federal agents,” “let’s just show the government what all of our guns are for. Stop talking and start loading,” and “start shooting.” During the investigation into the dangerous threats, law enforcement discovered a video posted on a popular social media platform depicting Graham-Woods shooting a Heckler & Koch model MP5SD 9mm submachine gun at an indoor shooting range, which he was prohibited from possessing due to his prior misdemeanor domestic violence conviction. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI Toledo Resident Agency. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank H. Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.


title: Long Island Child Therapist Sentenced to 84 Months for Distributing Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Renee Hoberman, also known as “Rina,” a licensed social worker, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joanna Seybert to 84 months’ imprisonment for receipt and distribution of child pornography. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York), and Patrick Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department, announced the sentence. “Today, Renee Hoberman was sentenced for distributing sordid images and videos depicting the horrific sexual abuse of the most innocent and vulnerable members of our society: infants and children,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “The defendant’s access to children has come to an end. Our Office will relentlessly pursue child predators and hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” "The absolute depravity of Renee Hoberman's crimes, committed while she was entrusted as a mental health counselor for children, represents a staggering betrayal of the public trust and a horrific violation of innocent lives,” stated HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Alfonso. “I hope the defendant's sentencing delivers a measure of justice to the Long Island community and offers hope for healing to her traumatized victims, who deserve to know that their suffering has not gone unanswered. HSI New York and our partners relentlessly investigated this case, and we remain unyielding in our commitment to protect vulnerable communities from predators in every form." As set forth in court filings and on the record at the plea and sentencing proceedings in this case, Hoberman used encrypted social media messaging applications to upload, receive, and trade digital videos and images depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including several videos depicting infants six months to one year of age, frantically screaming while being physically restrained and raped by adult males. The defendant also engaged in multiple online “chats” concerning child sexual molestation. In these chats, the defendant, posing as the father of several minor children, claimed to have sex with the children and punish them by getting naked, stripping the children naked, and spanking them while the other children watched. The defendant invited another user to visit “his” family in New York to spank and sexually abuse the children. In addition, the defendant described sexually abusing “his” children and their friends, and then uploaded and sent two videos containing child sexual abuse material, claiming that these videos depicted the defendant’s own children. During the same time period that Hoberman was distributing child sexual abuse material online, she was also working as a mental health counselor for children and adolescents. The defendant was arrested on October 23, 2024 , and pleaded guilty on June 18, 2025 . She has been incarcerated since her arrest. This prosecution is 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Section. Assistant United States Attorney Kaitlin McTague is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Janelle Robinson. The Defendant : RENEE HOBERMAN, also known as “Rina” Age: 38 Plainview, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-463 (JS)


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced to 41 Months Imprisonment for Sending Obscene Videos to Person He Believed was a Fifteen-Year-Old Female

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – MARK BROOKS a/k/a “Baby Nu” (“BROOKS”) , age 35, from New Orleans , Louisiana, was sentenced on February 12, 2026 by United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe to 41 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment and payment of a $100 special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to attempted transfer of obscene matter to a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1470, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to court documents, on or about May 1, 2025, BROOKS contacted an FBI online covert employee pretending to be a fifteen-year-old female named “Ava”. Subsequently, after “Ava” told BROOKS that she was only fifteen years old, BROOKS engaged in a sexually charged, text-based correspondence with her. During their correspondence, BROOKS sent multiple sexually explicit videos to “Ava,” including videos of BROOKS masturbating while at work, and various rooms in a residence. During their correspondence, BROOKS repeatedly discussed meeting “Ava” in person for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts. On May 13, 2025, BROOKS proposed to Ava that they meet at a restaurant near his residence before proceeding to BROOKS’s residence to engage in sexual contact. “Ava” agreed. Law enforcement authorities arrested BROOKS as he walked from his residence to the restaurant. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to 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.projectsafechildhood.gov. United States Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana State Police in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, was in charge of the prosecution.


title: Bucks County Man Sentenced to Over Eight Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offenses

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Christos Sinchuk Rallis, 52, of Warrington, Pennsylvania, was sentenced this week to 100 months’ imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky for child pornography offenses. Judge Slomsky also ordered Sinchuk Rallis to pay $38,000 in restitution to minor victims. The defendant was charged by indictment in January of last year with distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to both charges in August. As detailed in court filings and statements, Sinchuk Rallis actively sought out and shared images of horrific sexual abuse of children, including images depicting rape, torture, or bondage of children as young as infants. A forensic analysis of the defendant’s devices found more than 609 videos and 249 standard images of child sexual abuse material. Sinchuk Rallis committed these offenses while employed as a Bucks County Correctional Officer. Prior to relocating to Pennsylvania, he worked as a San Francisco police officer for 16 years. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to 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 projectsafechildhood.gov . The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ruth Mandelbaum.


title: A Central Point, Oregon, Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Felon in Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: MEDFORD, Ore.—A Central Point, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison today for felon in possession of a firearm after he and his co-defendants targeted an elderly victim and stole over $250,000 worth of gold, cash, and firearms. Jonathan Anthony Kinsella, 53, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. According to court documents, in August 2023, Kinsella, a convicted felon, came up with a plan and solicited his wife and friend to burglarize an elderly victim. Kinsella and the two co-defendants split approximately $103,000 in cash, $180,000 in gold coins, and five firearms. Police executed a search warrant at Kinsella’s residence and found a .40 S & W caliber pistol, a .30-30 Winchester caliber rifle, a Colt .38 Special revolver, and a 12-guage weapon made from a shotgun. On February 1, 2024, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Kinsella with two counts of felon in possession of a firearm. On October 20, 2025, Kinsella pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith Harper prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Hope Hull Man Sentenced in Federal Court for Stealing Firearms from Montgomery Gun Store

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced the sentencing of a Hope Hull, Alabama, man for his role in stealing firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Montgomery. Last week, a federal judge sentenced 22-year-old Ethan Daniel Turner to 70 months in federal prison. Following his term of imprisonment, Turner will serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. According to Turner’s plea agreement and other court records, just after midnight on June 29, 2025, law enforcement officers responded to a burglary alarm at a sporting goods store on North Eastern Boulevard in Montgomery. Upon arrival, officers observed that the store’s front entrance doors had been forcibly rammed open using a vehicle. Two individuals were seen fleeing the business and escaping in a second vehicle, leading officers on a high-speed pursuit. The chase ended when the fleeing vehicle stopped, and the occupants fled on foot. Turner was eventually apprehended and identified as one of the individuals involved in the burglary. As part of his plea agreement, Turner pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm and theft of a firearm from a federal firearms licensee, admitting that he stole two rifles and a shotgun from the sporting goods store. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Montgomery Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle R. Turner and Chelsea Wilson prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes Report

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the one-week period ending February 20, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 67 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326) 9 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324) 59 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) 48 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico. Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for drug trafficking, healthcare fraud, money laundering, human smuggling, burglary, and immigration offenses. In one significant case, on February 13, 2026, Border Patrol agents at the Las Cruces checkpoint on I-25 stopped a tractor trailer driven by Adriana Alejandra Coss , who appeared nervous and claimed she was hauling an empty, locked trailer without a key. A canine alerted to the trailer during secondary inspection, and agents cut the lock, discovering nineteen undocumented individuals trapped inside with no way to exit. Agents also found a cooler bag in the cab containing cell phones belonging to those inside and later recovered a key in Coss ’s former detention cell that opened the trailer lock. Witnesses stated they had paid smugglers, were held in stash houses, and were loaded into the trailer by multiple transporters before traveling nonstop to the checkpoint in cold conditions. The truck’s owner said Coss did not have permission to operate the vehicle and that there was no legitimate reason for the trip. 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. These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process. Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children. The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.


title: Sex Offender Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison For Enticement Of 15-Year-Old Girl In Dutchess County

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that DEREK HASSELBRINK, a/k/a “Derek Spear,” was sentenced to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román for enticing a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. “Sexual exploitation of children is a heinous crime,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “New Yorkers want sexual predators who target minors arrested promptly, prosecuted rigorously, and sentenced in line with horrific nature of their crimes. Thanks to our prosecutors, Hasselbrink will not threaten our children for a long time. If you suspect sexual exploitation, please reach out to our law enforcement partners.” According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings: From at least in or about April 2023 up to on or about July 2, 2023, HASSELBRINK, a convicted sex offender, engaged in sexually explicit message conversations with a 15-year-old girl (“Victim-1”), and traveled to meet Victim-1 near her home in Dutchess County, New York, to engage in sexual activity. Any individuals with information concerning the sexual exploitation of children are asked to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov . * * * In addition to the prison term, HASSELBRINK, 49, of Quincy, Illinois, was sentenced to 15 years of supervised release. Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of the FBI, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, the Quincy, Illinois Police Department, the Adams County States Attorney’s Office, Carroll County Job and Family Services, the Office of the Attorney General of Kentucky, the Springfield, Illinois Field Office of the FBI, and the Canton, Ohio Resident Agency of the FBI in connection with this investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kingdar Prussien is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Former VA Employee Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Almost $200K in Unauthorized Purchases on Work-issued Credit Card

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: CLEVELAND – A federal employee and his accomplice have been sentenced for their roles in a scheme to resell electronic and digital devices that were purchased with a government-issued credit card. Dustin Jagger, 41, of Canton, Ohio, and Damarco McKinley, 26, of Cleveland, were each sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan A. Polster. Last October, Jagger pleaded guilty to Theft of Government Property, and McKinley pleaded guilty to Interstate Transportation of Stolen Goods. Each defendant was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Additionally, Jagger was ordered to pay $198,183.84 in restitution, which includes $29,124.56 to be paid joint and several with McKinley. According to court documents, Jagger worked for the Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), where he used his position as a logistics employee to purchase $198,183.84 worth of iPads, iPhones, and other electronics and goods. Jagger kept some items while reselling others for cash through an online marketplace website. He sold a portion of these items to McKinley, who was stopped on a traffic violation in Indiana while in possession of more than $29,000 worth of electronics that Jagger purchased with the VAMC credit card. McKinley had been on route to Chicago to resell the items. During the investigation into McKinley, federal agents also seized from him: Apple products including 16 iPhones and 8 iPads purchased with the VAMC credit card A Glock 43 handgun with one round in the chamber A loaded magazine Credit cards in other people’s names $4,262 in cash At Jagger’s residence, investigators found additional items that he purchased with his work-issued credit card including speakers, soundbars, adapters, and headphones. “Any federal employee who abuses their position for personal gain, contributes to the erosion of the public’s trust,” said United States Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “We will not tolerate such dishonest actions that waste tax dollars and show disrespect for our veterans. We commend the work of VA investigators, which has led to putting a stop to this egregious behavior.” “These sentences send a message that corrupt VA employees and those who profit from their illegal activities will be rooted out and prosecuted,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Central Field Office. “These fraudulent activities erode public trust and divert taxpayer money intended for our nation’s deserving veterans. The VA-OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this investigation.” This case was investigated by Veterans Affairs-Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Veterans Affairs Police Department, and the Lake County Indiana Sheriff's Department. The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Joines for the Northern District of Ohio.


title: Trinitarios Gang Member Convicted Of Murder, Attempted Murder, And Racketeering

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that a jury found RAMON RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Pollo,” guilty today of murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, firearms offenses, and racketeering conspiracy. The convictions relate to RODRIGUEZ’s participation in the “Shooting Boys” gang (a set of the Trinitarios), the June 21, 2021, murder of Milton Grant during a robbery in Manhattan, and the attempted murder of another victim during that same robbery. RODRIGUEZ was convicted following a two-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who will impose sentence on June 30, 2026. “For years, Ramon Rodriguez—along with members of the Shooting Boys—committed shootings, robberies, drug trafficking, fraud, and witness retaliation throughout New York City,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Worst of all, Rodriguez murdered Milton Grant in cold blood during a robbery, senselessly killing him for his watch, and attempted to murder another innocent victim at the same time. Gang violence poses a grave threat to our communities. Thanks to our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, including the NYPD, whose detectives drove this murder case from the beginning, New York streets are safer tonight.” According to the allegations in the Indictment, public court filings, and evidence presented at the jury trial: From at least 2018 through 2025, RODRIGUEZ was a member of the Trinitarios and an associate of the Shooting Boys, a set of the Trinitarios. The Shooting Boys, who operated primarily in the Bronx and Manhattan, engaged in murders, attempted murders, robberies, drug trafficking, fraud, and witness retaliation. On June 13, 2021, RODRIGUEZ and members of the Shooting Boys committed a robbery outside a Bronx nightclub. During the robbery, RODRIGUEZ shot a man in the leg, causing significant injuries. Just eight days later, on June 21, 2021, RODRIGUEZ and members of the Shooting Boys committed another robbery outside a Manhattan nightclub. During the robbery, RODRIGUEZ shot Milton Grant in the head, killing him, then stole Grant’s watch from his lifeless body. As Grant’s friend ran away, RODRIGUEZ shot at him as well, attempting to kill him. After being arrested and detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, RODRIGUEZ continued to participate in the Shooting Boys gang, including by repeatedly possessing weapons. On December 3, 2023, RODRIGUEZ and other members and associates of the Shooting Boys ambushed, stabbed, and slashed an inmate who was cooperating with law enforcement in order to retaliate against that potential witness and deter others from cooperating. * * * RODRIGUEZ, 21, of the Bronx, was convicted of one count of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; two counts of using, carrying, and possessing firearms—which were brandished and discharged—during and in relation to a crime of violence, each of which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed; and one count of racketeering conspiracy with a special sentencing factor, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. The minimum and mandatory potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing will be determined by the judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations and thanked the New York County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dominic A. Gentile and Jim Ligtenberg are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists William Coleman and Sandy Alcantara.


title: Former Jail Nurse Guilty of Four Fraud Schemes and Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that TONYA DENISE BROWN (“BROWN”) , age 49, of Tangipahoa Parish, a licensed practical nurse pleaded guilty to five felonies on February 12, 2026, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. Specifically, BROWN pleaded guilty to four counts of Wire Fraud, with each count involving a different scheme. According to court records, in one scheme, BROWN obtained money with false promises of assistance with state criminal prosecutions. According to court documents, BROWN used a nursing job at the Tangipahoa Parish Jail to conduct the scheme. In the other three schemes, BROWN defrauded people by claiming that, in exchange for money, she would help them obtain disaster assistance benefits. BROWN also defrauded the HUD-funded Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program, that provided grant funding to homeowners affected by disasters. Additionally, BROWN defrauded FEMA’s rental assistance program that provided grants to help displaced disaster victims pay their rent. Finally, BROWN pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone Hydrochloride pills, a Controlled Substance and admitted that she offered to sell such. BROWN also acknowledged that she lied to the FBI and to a judge regarding this matter. The possession with intent to distribute count, the wire fraud count for false promises of assistance with state criminal cases, and the wire fraud count for false promises of assistance with disaster benefits and are each punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment. The wire fraud counts related to the Restore program and the FEMA rental assistance program are each punishable by up to 30 years’ imprisonment due to enhanced penalties for fraud involving disaster benefits. A fine of up to $250,000 may be imposed for each count except the Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance count, for which a fine of up to $1,000,000 may be imposed. BROWN is subject to at least three years of supervised release and is required to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, per count. United States Attorney Courcelle thanked the FEMA Fraud Investigations & Internal Inspections Division, Fraud Prevention and Investigations Branch for its assistance in this matter. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of Inspector General - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution. * * *


title: Florida Man Charged with Shooting at Uber Driver and Possession of Illegal Firearms and Narcotics

body_text: A Miami man made his first appearance in federal court today after a grand jury in Miami charged him with drug crimes, using and firing a gun as part of the drug crime, and illegal firearm possession by a prior felon relating to his prior felony conviction. “This defendant shot repeatedly at an innocent man who stopped a crime as it was happening,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “It was through the bravery of the Uber driver that police were alerted and able stop the movement of almost a kilogram of pure cocaine from hitting the streets of Miami. The Criminal Division will pursue violent drug dealers in every city in America.” “There is a real and dangerous link between drug trafficking and gun violence,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “According to the indictment, this defendant arranged a drug deal and then fired multiple shots at a rideshare driver. That kind of alleged conduct turns a drug crime into a life-threatening situation in seconds. Federal law treats that combination seriously, with a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years if convicted.” According to court documents, on or about Oct. 29, 2024, the defendant Lester Leon Sanders, 47, of Miami Gardens, allegedly reserved an Uber ride share. When the driver arrived, the defendant and another man loaded three suitcases in the Uber. While this was happening, the Uber driver saw a firearm magazine fall out of Sanders’s clothing. Sanders got into the Uber and he and the driver drove off. Shortly thereafter, Sanders ordered the driver to stop the car. Sanders got out of the vehicle and began shouting. The driver, concerned with what he had observed, drove off without Sanders but with the luggage and other belongings still in the car. Sanders shouted at the Uber driver and fired a gun approximately five times as the Uber driver sped away. The driver then flagged down police and relayed what had happened. Law enforcement arrested Sanders a short time later. Inside of the Uber, police recovered a loaded, large-capacity firearm magazine, 929 grams of almost pure cocaine, six pounds of marijuana, and more ammunition, as well as drug paraphernalia, such as a weight scale and multiple small transparent bags. They also found shell casings in the vicinity of where Sanders fired at the Uber. If convicted, Sanders faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. The FBI Miami Field Office is investigating the case with assistance provided by the Miami Gardens Police Department. Trial Attorneys Jennifer Burns and Jinah Chang of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case. This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Miami. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute offenders and prevent violence. 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: Six More Defendants Charged in International “ATM Jackpotting” Scheme

body_text: [UPDATED] OMAHA — A federal grand jury in the District of Nebraska returned an indictment Wednesday charging six individuals for their roles in a large conspiracy to deploy malware and steal millions of dollars from ATMs in the United States, a crime commonly referred to as “ATM jackpotting.” Eighty-seven others have already been charged, bringing the total to 93 charged defendants. Wester Eduardo Dugarte Goicochea, 43; Mauro Angel Briceno Caldera, 37; Henry Rafael Gonzalez-Gutierrez, 37; and Giovanny Miguel Ocanto Yance, 26, Venezuelan nationals residing in the Houston area were charged, in addition to Jelfenson David Bolivar Diaz, 38, and Arlinzon Jose Reyes Villegas, 21, both Venezuelan nationals, were charged. This indictment alleges five counts including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, bank fraud, bank burglary, and damage to computers. The most recent indictment follows a previous one returned on December 9, 2025, that alleged that Tren de Aragua (TdA), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, conducted jackpotting attacks across America. The December 9, 2025 indictment charged 22 individuals with offenses for their roles in the conspiracy: 13 individuals are charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank burglary and fraud and related activity in connection with computers, and 22 with conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment also alleges that TdA used jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in the United States and then transferred the proceeds among its members and associates to conceal the illegally obtained cash. The indictment alleged a national conspiracy to commit these offenses with crimes committed all over the United States in furtherance of these conspiracies that generated millions in illegal proceeds for the combined defendants and the TdA organization. A related indictment returned on Oct. 21, 2025, charged 32 individuals and alleged 56 counts including one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, 18 counts of bank fraud, 18 counts of bank burglary, and 18 counts of damage to computers. An additional indictment returned on January 21, 2026, charged 31 individuals and alleged 32 counts including one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, 10 counts of bank fraud, 10 counts of bank burglary, and 10 counts of damage to computers. The loss to victim financial institutions was in excess of $100,000 per jackpotting attempt. The overall loss to the victim financial institutions is over $6 million, with at least an additional $1.74 million attempted. If convicted, the defendants face maximum penalties of between 20 and 335 years in prison. The following photographs depict just a few of the alleged ATM jackpotting scheme in progress and equipment used: According to court documents, TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States. TdA’s criminal activities range from drug trafficking and firearms trafficking, to commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other violent acts to advance the organization’s criminal activities. TdA has also developed an additional source of revenue stream through financial crimes that target financial institutions throughout the United States, including using jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in cash. In the past six months, the Justice Department has secured charges against a total of 93 TdA members and leaders with a range of federal offenses that include material support to a designated foreign terror organization, bank burglary, money laundering, damage and unauthorized access to protected computers, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit the same offenses. FBI’s Omaha Field Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Omaha is investigating the case, with assistance from FBI’s Denver, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, Oklahoma, Sacramento, Seattle, and Springfield Field Offices, and the United States Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General, Financial Deposit Insurance Corporation, Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office, Bates County Sheriff’s Office, Sheridan Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Leesburg Police Department, Sterling Heights Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Warrant Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Colombus Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory, Bluff City Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Lincoln Police Department, Gothenburg Police Department, Loudon Police Department, Alcoa Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Milford Police Department, Grand Island Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Papillion Police Department, Central City Police Department, Holdrege Police Department, New York State Police, Berkeley Police Department, Cook County Electronic Monitoring Unit, Aurora Police Department, Austin Police Department, United States Capitol Police, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, City of Rome Police Department, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, McCook Police Department, Nebraska DMV Crime Analysts, Rantoul Police Department, Olathe Police Department, North Platte Police Department, Walla Walla Police Department, Milton-Freewater Police Department, Missoula Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Sidney Police Department, Denver Police, Howard County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Glendale Police Department, Columbia Police Department, Brookfield Police Department, Wauwatosa Police Department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Grafton Police Department, South Milwaukee Police Department, Dubuque Police Department, Fargo Police Department, and Paducah Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska, and Joint Task Force Vulcan. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, Eastern District of California, Southern District of New York, Northern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, Eastern District of Oklahoma and Eastern District of Wisconsin, as well as the Larimer County Attorney’s Office, Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 9th District Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 5th District Attorney General’s Office, the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana State Police have provided significant assistance. This Operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Omaha comprises agents and officers from the FBI and HSI. Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and has now expanded to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and the District of Nevada, as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, USMS, and the Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV. An indictment or a complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Houston resident sentenced to decade in prison for laundering proceeds from $40 million fraud scheme

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 44-year-old man has been sentenced for laundering proceeds from a large-scale bank fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Bun Khath pleaded guilty Feb. 11, 2025. U.S. District Keith Ellison has now ordered Khath to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that the bank fraud scheme involved more than $60 million in loans and that Khath directed numerous participants, including bankers, co-defendants, tax preparers and borrowers. The court also heard evidence related to alleged Medicare fraud he committed while on bond. In imposing the sentence, the court described the offense as a heinous crime. As part of his plea, Khath admitted he opened and maintained shell companies and bank accounts to collect proceeds from the scheme. He also acknowledged laundering the funds by wiring them to accounts controlled by coconspirators. Khath and others carried out the bank fraud by submitting loan applications containing false and fraudulent information and supporting documents, including fabricated equipment sales invoices, income tax returns and financial and bank statements. Previously released on bond, Khath was taken into custody following sentencing and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Another Houston resident charged in the case, Hugo Villanueva, 71, was recently apprehended in Peru and is expected to be extradited soon. The Federal Housing Finance Agency-Office of Inspector General, IRS-Criminal Investigation, FBI and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek prosecuted the case.


title: Five Defendants Charged with Impersonating Immigration Judges, Law Enforcement Officers, and Lawyers

body_text: Earlier today, a five-count indictment was partially unsealed in the Eastern District of New York charging five defendants with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and two counts of false impersonation of an officer or employee of the United States. Three of the defendants, Daniela Alejandra Sanchez Ramirez, Jhoan Sebastian Sanchez Ramirez, and Alexandra Patricia Sanchez Ramirez, were arrested this afternoon at Newark Liberty International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Colombia with one-way tickets. Marlyn Yulitza Salazar Pineda was arrested at a restaurant in New Jersey. A fifth defendant is not in U.S. custody. Daniela and Jhoan Ramirez, and Marlyn Pineda are immigration parolees, and Alexandra Ramirez is in the U.S. on a tourist visa. Daniela, Jhoan, and Alexandra Ramirez are siblings. The four defendants who were arrested will be arraigned tomorrow morning at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Cross-Goldenberg. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D, Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General, and Ryan Hill, Acting Special Agent in Charge, United States Customs and Border Protection, Office of Professional Responsibility, New York Field Office (CBP-OPR), announced the arrests and charges. “As alleged, the defendants undermined the integrity of our immigration system by impersonating judges, law enforcement officers, and lawyers, and targeting vulnerable members of our community who sought to hire attorneys to help them navigate sensitive legal issues,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “The defendants brazenly stole their victims’ money and deceived them by sending fictious documents and holding sham court proceedings. I commend our Office’s prosecution team and the law enforcement agents whose hard work has disrupted this elaborate and outrageous scheme.” Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Fraud Detection, and National Security Directorate; the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; Executive Office for Immigration Review-Office of the General Counsel’s Fraud & Abuse Prevention Program; and the New York State Office for New Americans. “We denounce those who would prey upon people trying to work through the immigration system,” stated DHS Inspector General Cuffari. “We will hold accountable anyone who commits fraud or impersonates government officials. We appreciate all our law enforcements partners that worked to expose this scheme and bring these individuals to justice.” “The Office of Professional Responsibility in coordination with our other federal partners at DHS OIG, CBP Office of Field Operations (OFO), HSI, and DSS were able to stop an illegal scheme impacting hundreds of potential victims and generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in illicit proceeds, which were being remitted to Colombia, the Foreign Terrorist Organization’s base of operations,” stated CPB-OPR Acting Special Agent in Charge Hill. “Impersonating immigration attorneys and U.S. government officials, including CBP and USCIS officers, and U.S. Embassy personnel, to profit on the fear of others is repulsive. These criminals will now face severe consequences for their horrific actions.” As set forth in the indictment and other court filings, the defendants and their co-conspirators portrayed themselves as immigration lawyers and operated a fictitious immigration law firm that they called “ CM Bufete De Abogados Consultoria Migratoria .” After soliciting prospective “clients,” primarily on Facebook, the defendants and their co-conspirators charged their victims fees ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars for nonexistent legal advice and services. None of the defendants or their identified co-conspirators were attorneys admitted or licensed to practice law in any jurisdiction in the United States. After receiving victim funds, the defendants and their co-conspirators pretended as if they were actually representing their “clients.” They transmitted documents that appeared to be official because they included symbols of agencies of the United States government. Some of these documents referenced the victims’ actual cases pending in immigration court and/or reflected that the victims’ pending cases had been successfully resolved. In reality, none of these were legitimate documents issued by any United States government agency. The defendants and their co-conspirators also facilitated sham immigration proceedings, including asylum interviews and court appearances, in which the victims participated via videoconference. In certain of these fictitious proceedings, the defendants and their co-conspirators impersonated immigration judges, agents from CBP and USCIS, and immigration lawyers. They wore judicial robes and law enforcement uniforms and appeared in front of backgrounds that resembled courtrooms and government offices, with agency seals and flags. During these videoconferences, the impersonators asked the victims sensitive personal questions and requested the victims’ personal identifying information. At times, the defendants and their co-conspirators falsely represented that these sham proceedings had resolved the victims’ pending immigration cases. As a result, victims missed their actual appearances in immigration court, which resulted in at least one victim being ordered deported who mistakenly believed her immigration issues were resolved. The order was later reversed. In total, the investigation has identified over $100,000 in fraudulent transactions transmitted by victims to the defendants and other individuals associated with the fake CM Bufete De Abogados Consultoria Migratoria law firm. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Each defendant faces up to 20 years of imprisonment if convicted. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Section. Assistant United States Attorney James R. Simmons is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Special Agent Egbert Simon from EDNY’s Criminal Investigations Unit, Paralegal Specialist Adam Bernard, and Legal Assistant Danielle Rompel. The Arrested Defendants : DANIELA ALEJANDRA SANCHEZ RAMIREZ Age: 25 Ibagué, Colombia and Green Brook, New Jersey MARLYN YULITZA SALAZAR PINEDA Age: 24 Ibagué, Colombia and North Plainfield, New Jersey JHOAN SEBASTIAN SANCHEZ RAMIREZ Age: 29 Ibagué, Colombia and Green Brook, New Jersey ALEXANDRA PATRICIA SANCHEZ RAMIREZ Age: 38 Ibagué, Colombia E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-37 (SJB) us_v._sanchez_ramirez_26-cr-37_redacted_indictment_ecf_no._9.pdf


body_text: Note : Learn about digital and physical indicators of ATM jackpotting, along with FBI recommended mitigations here . A federal grand jury in the District of Nebraska returned an indictment Wednesday charging six individuals for their roles in a large conspiracy to deploy malware and steal millions of dollars from ATMs in the United States, a crime commonly referred to as “ATM jackpotting.” Eighty-seven others have already been charged bringing the total to 93 charged defendants. Wester Eduardo Dugarte Goicochea, 43; Mauro Angel Briceno Caldera, 37; Henry Rafael Gonzalez-Gutierrez, 37; and Giovanny Miguel Ocanto Yance, 26, Venezuelan nationals residing in the Houston area were charged, in addition to Jelfenson David Bolivar Diaz, 38, and Arlinzon Jose Reyes Villegas, 21, both Venezuelan nationals, were charged. This indictment alleges five counts including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, bank fraud, bank burglary, and damage to computers. The most recent indictment follows a previous one returned on Dec. 9, 2025, that alleged that Tren de Aragua (TdA), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, conducted jackpotting attacks across America. The Dec. 9 indictment charged 22 individuals with offenses for their roles in the conspiracy: 13 individuals are charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank burglary and fraud and related activity in connection with computers, and 22 with conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment also alleges that TdA used jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in the United States and then transferred the proceeds among its members and associates to conceal the illegally obtained cash. The indictment alleged a national conspiracy to commit these offenses with crimes committed all over the United States in furtherance of these conspiracies that generated millions in illegal proceeds for the combined defendants and the TdA organization. A related indictment returned on Oct. 21, 2025, charged 32 individuals and alleged 56 counts including one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, 18 counts of bank fraud, 18 counts of bank burglary, and 18 counts of damage to computers. An additional indictment returned on Jan. 21 charged 31 individuals and alleged 32 counts including one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, 10 counts of bank fraud, 10 counts of bank burglary, and 10 counts of damage to computers. The loss to victim financial institutions was in excess of $100,000 per jackpotting attempt. The overall loss to the victim financial institutions is over $6 million, with at least an additional $1.74 million attempted. If convicted, the defendants face maximum penalties of between 20 and 335 years in prison. The following photographs depict just a few of the alleged ATM jackpotting scheme in progress and equipment used: According to court documents, TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States. TdA’s criminal activities range from drug trafficking and firearms trafficking, to commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other violent acts to advance the organization’s criminal activities. TdA has also developed an additional source of revenue stream through financial crimes that target financial institutions throughout the United States, including using jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in cash. In the past six months, the Justice Department has secured charges against a total of 93 TdA members and leaders with a range of federal offenses that include material support to a designated foreign terror organization, bank burglary, money laundering, damage and unauthorized access to protected computers, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit the same offenses. FBI’s Omaha Field Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Omaha is investigating the case, with assistance from FBI’s Denver, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, Oklahoma, Sacramento, Seattle, and Springfield Field Offices, and the United States Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General, Financial Deposit Insurance Corporation, Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office, Bates County Sheriff’s Office, Sheridan Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Leesburg Police Department, Sterling Heights Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Warrant Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Colombus Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory, Bluff City Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Lincoln Police Department, Gothenburg Police Department, Loudon Police Department, Alcoa Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Milford Police Department, Grand Island Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Papillion Police Department, Central City Police Department, Holdrege Police Department, New York State Police, Berkeley Police Department, Cook County Electronic Monitoring Unit, Aurora Police Department, Austin Police Department, United States Capitol Police, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, City of Rome Police Department, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, McCook Police Department, Nebraska DMV Crime Analysts, Rantoul Police Department, Olathe Police Department, North Platte Police Department, Walla Walla Police Department, Milton-Freewater Police Department, Missoula Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Sidney Police Department, Denver Police, Howard County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Glendale Police Department, Columbia Police Department, Brookfield Police Department, Wauwatosa Police Department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Grafton Police Department, South Milwaukee Police Department, Dubuque Police Department, Fargo Police Department, and Paducah Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska, and Joint Task Force Vulcan. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, Eastern District of California, Southern District of New York, Northern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, Eastern District of Oklahoma and Eastern District of Wisconsin, as well as the Larimer County Attorney’s Office, Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 9th District Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 5th District Attorney General’s Office, the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana State Police have provided significant assistance. This Operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Omaha comprises agents and officers from the FBI and HSI. Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and has now expanded to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and the District of Nevada, as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, USMS, and the Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV. An indictment or a complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law


title: Maryland Man Handed Prison Term for Assaulting MPD Officer With ATV

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Gerard Stokes, 31, of Greenbelt, Maryland, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for driving an ATV into an MPD officer on March 15, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Stokes pled guilty to one count of felony assault on a police officer in December 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Errol Arthur sentenced Stokes to 36 months of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release. “Today, my office held accountable a criminal who attacked two Metropolitan Police Department officers by driving into them with his ATV. He will now spend 3 years behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “The assault on any law enforcement officer will absolutely not be tolerated and my office will continue to aggressively pursue criminals who commit these violent, egregious attacks.” According to the government’s evidence, on March 15, 2025, officers were patrolling the area of 1442 U Street NW, Washington D.C., when they noticed a group of individuals on All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) loitering outside of a gas station. The officers drove toward the group at the gas station and got out of their cruiser to approach the group. Stokes then popped a wheelie and drove his ATV directly at two of the MPD officers, clipping one officer in the shoulder and striking the other officer head-on, dragging her under the ATV for approximately fifteen feet. As a result of Stokes’s actions, the officer who was struck head-on suffered multiple lacerations to the head and face, a concussion and a fractured jaw. Detectives were able to identify Stokes as the driver of the ATV based on his distinctive clothing, helmet and blue ATV, which were captured in CCTV footage of the incident. Stokes was arrested on August 16, 2025, and has been in custody since his arrest. Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kadian Carter and Maggie Sullivan, who prosecuted the case. 2025CF3009570


title: Two Individuals Arrested in Connection With Undercover Federal Firearm Investigation in Chicago Suburbs

body_text: CHICAGO — Two individuals have been arrested in connection with an undercover federal firearm investigation in the Chicago suburbs. On Feb. 5, 2026, MATTHEW BARRAZA, 21, of Chicago, illegally sold a loaded handgun to an undercover law enforcement officer for $2,000, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The handgun was equipped with a machine gun conversion device, which allows the gun to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger. Also attached to the firearm was an extended magazine containing 19 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition, the complaint states. During the firearm transaction, which occurred at a gas station in Bolingbrook, Ill., Barraza also sold approximately 127 grams of cocaine to the undercover officer for $3,600, the complaint states. Barraza is charged with unlicensed dealing of a firearm, possession of a machine gun, and distribution of a controlled substance. A separate federal complaint charges EDWIN MORENO, 27, of Chicago, with possessing a machine gun. Moreno possessed the firearm, which was equipped with a machine gun conversion device, on Jan. 15, 2026, while providing what he believed was security for tow operators allegedly conducting a vehicle repossession in Joliet, Ill., the complaint states. Unbeknownst to Moreno, the purported tow operators were undercover law enforcement officers, the complaint states. Barraza and Moreno were arrested on Wednesday. Detention hearings in federal court have been scheduled for Feb. 25, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura K. McNally. The charges and arrests were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Substantial assistance was provided by the Joliet Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Saqib Mohammad Hussain. barraza_complaint.pdf moreno_complaint.pdf


title: New Orleans Man Indicted for Importing Drugs from India

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney David I Courcelle announced today that MARQUEL HORTON , (“HORTON”) , age 41, of New Orleans, was indicted on February 6, 2026, on two counts of violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act. He was indicted in Count One for conspiracy to import tapentadol, a schedule II-controlled substance, into the United States from India, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. §§ 952(a), 960(a)(1) and (b)(3), and 963. He was indicted in Count Two for Conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, tapentadol, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); §841(b)(1)(C), and 846. As to both counts, HORTON faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three (3) years of supervised release. There is also a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count. According to the indictment, beginning on a time unknown, but prior to June 3, 2022, and continuing until the date of the indictment, HORTON conspired with others, both here in the Eastern District of Louisiana, and in India, to import tapentadol from India into the United States. Once HORTON obtained this imported tapentadol, he further conspired with other individuals to distribute the tapentadol throughout the greater New Orleans area. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Control, Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit. ***


title: Tuba City Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Children

body_text: Phoenix, Ariz. – A man convicted of sexually abusing two young children on Navajo Nation was sentenced Feb. 17, 2026, in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. Avery Cody Billy, 30, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 188 months in prison, followed by 180 months of supervised release. Billy previously pleaded guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child. Billy sexually abused two young girls who lived on Navajo Nation. The victims were in first grade when Billy began to abuse them, and he continued the abuse repeatedly over many years. Billy is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. “Avery Cody Billy degraded, hurt and betrayed the trust of two little girls,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “Our Justice system must protect the most vulnerable and hold predators fully accountable for the harm they cause to children. I am grateful for the dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorneys, victim specialists, FBI agents and tribal partners who joined forces to secure this sentence of nearly 16 years. Their commitment also ensures that survivors of abuse receive the critical support and resources they need to heal.” “Protecting our nation’s kids is one of the most formidable missions of the FBI,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke. “This defendant’s unspeakable actions will not be tolerated. This sentencing reflects the dedication of the FBI and our tribal law enforcement partners in assuring offenders like this are held accountable and brought to justice." The FBI Phoenix Division’s Flagstaff office and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-25-8029-PCT-SPL RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-036_Billy # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Newcastle, Washington, man pleads guilty to laundering nearly $100 million in proceeds of investment fraud scheme

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle –A 47-year-old resident of Newcastle, Washington, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to conspiracy to commit money laundering for his scheme to take in fraud proceeds and forward them to coconspirators’ bank accounts and cryptocurrency addresses, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Geoffrey K. Auyeung was arrested on a criminal complaint on August 12, 2024. He was indicted by the grand jury later that month. Sentencing in front of U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour is scheduled for May 12, 2026. According to the plea agreement, Auyeung admits that he set up nine different entities that he used to accept proceeds from investors who thought they were investing in the oil and gas industry. The names of business entities that offered purported investments related to oil and gas were Sea Forest International LLC.; Apex Oil and Gas Trading LLC.; Navigator Energy Logistics LLC.; Terminal Energy International Escrow Service LLC.; Energo Horizons Logistics (EA) LLC.; Legacy Energy Logistics Transport Group LLC.; Green Tree Gateway LLC, Dragon Timbers International LLC; and ANS & Partners International Limited. From at least August 2022 through August 2024, co-schemers convinced victims to send money to what was represented as escrow accounts to purchase oil tank storage in either Rotterdam, Netherlands, or Houston. The schemers indicated that the investors could make significant profits by renting the oil tank storage they obtained to others. However, once the funds came into accounts controlled by Auyeung, the money was quickly moved into other accounts, moved offshore, or was used to purchase cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Tether, USD Coin, and Ethereum, via cryptocurrency exchanges such as Gemini, BitStamp, and Coinbase. Much of the cryptocurrency was further transferred to accounts at the cryptocurrency exchange Binance. The Binance accounts were controlled by the same individual or individuals located in Nigeria and Russia. Victims were not sent any further information on their investment and Auyeung and others simply stopped responding. Auyeung opened at least 81 different bank accounts at 24 different financial institutions. And he opened 19 accounts on eight different cryptocurrency exchanges. Between June 2022 and July 2024, those accounts received $97.1 million in domestic and international third-party wire transfers and other third-party deposits. Law enforcement has traced deposits linked to some 35 different people or entities. Some $24.7 million came from those victims. The government believes that the remaining deposits in Auyeung’s accounts similarly represent fraud proceeds. As Auyeung became more aware of the fraud, he demanded higher commission from the coconspirators. He admits he received at least $4,078,348 in commission payments. Auyeung admits he mislead banks and other financial institutions about the source of the funds and his role in any fraud complaints. Even after Auyeung was indicted in this scheme, he continued to communicate with the coconspirators and with victims who thought they were investing in oil and gas storage. Between August 2024, and December 2025, Auyeung accepted an additional $400,000 in commissions by funneling deposits through bank accounts in his wife’s name. In the plea agreement Auyeung agrees to pay $24,707,031 in restitution. Auyeung is forfeiting approximately $2.3 million in funds and cash seized from his bank accounts and home at the time of his arrest, as well as an Audi SQ8. He further agrees not to contest the civil forfeiture of some $7.1 million seized from various cryptocurrency wallets. He also agreed to relinquish about $300,000 currently in his bank accounts to pay toward his restitution obligation. Conspiracy to commit money laundering – spending, is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend 63 months in prison or the high-end of the guidelines range if it is less than 63 months. Judge Coughenour is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law. The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jehiel I. Baer and Yunah Chung.


title: Former Postal Worker pleads guilty to mail fraud scheme aimed at defrauding state businesses and charities

body_text: Tacoma – A San Jose, California resident pleaded guilty today to mail fraud for his scheme to steal from thousands of businesses and charities with scam letters that appeared to be from state agencies, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Johnny Q. Nguyen, 50, agreed to pay $90,850 in restitution to victims who mailed checks or money orders to his Olympia post office box believing they were paying state required registration fees. Nguyen is scheduled for sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo on May 22, 2026. According to records filed in the case, in the fall of 2024, Nguyen sent mass mailings on fake government letterhead to thousands of entities. The mailings were fraudulent billing statements directing the recipients to send checks to a post office box Nguyen had rented in Olympia, Washington. The letters instructed recipients to pay registration and filing fees for their businesses or charity. Nguyen created a limited liability company called “Business Entities” and induced the victims to make their checks payable to that entity. Thousands of Washington and California victims sent checks, cashier’s checks, and money orders. Nguyen deposited some 350 from Washington victims totaling $82,210. He cashed 60 from California victims totaling $8,640. Investigators were able to seize an additional 1,711 pieces of mail that contained checks and money orders totaling $395,295. After being charged in this scheme, Nguyen appeared in U.S. District Court in Northern California. He was instructed to surrender all passports and appear in Tacoma for arraignment. Instead, on June 24, 2025, Nguyen boarded a flight from San Francisco to Taipei, Taiwan enroute to Vietnam. He used a passport he had failed to surrender to the court. Nguyen was detained in Taipei and put on a flight back to California where he was taken into custody. He was later released on pre-trial supervision. Chief Judge Estudillo can consider the attempt to flee from justice in determining the appropriate sentence. Mail fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend 33 months in prison. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jehiel I. Baer.


title: District of Arizona Charges 179 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Feb. 14 through Feb. 20, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 179 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 112 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 53 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 13 cases against 14 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE- Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Recent matters of interest include: United States v. Kevin Salguero-Chacon . Salguero-Chacon was charged by complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien, Feb. 19, 2026. An Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper observed Salguero-Chacon driving on I-10 westbound. The trooper conducted a vehicle registration check, which confirmed that the car’s registration was expired, and the trooper initiated a traffic stop. The trooper observed Salguero-Chacon in the driver’s seat and several individuals dressed in camouflage lying in the vehicle’s rear cargo area. Border Patrol agents arrived and observed seven passengers inside the vehicle, including two juveniles. Immigration checks confirmed that the seven passengers in the vehicle are citizens of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States, and that Salguero-Chacon is a citizen of Guatemala. 26-8062MJ, Phoenix. United States v. Joel Portillo-Saucedo . Portillo-Saucedo was charged by complaint with Bringing in Illegal Aliens and Re-entry of Removed Alien, Feb. 17, 2026. A Border Patrol agent observed four individuals traveling northbound to I-8, near mile marker 100. The agent encountered the four individuals concealed under large bushes, and upon identifying himself as a Border Patrol agent, two of the individuals fled but were ultimately apprehended. It was found that Portillo-Saucedo acted as the foot guide for the group, receiving $1,000 USD for each illegal alien. The three individuals and Portillo-Saucedo are citizens of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. 26-01116MJ, Phoenix. United States v. Armando Gomez-Talavera . Gomez-Talavera was charged by complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit, Feb. 17, 2026. On Feb. 16, 2026, Border Patrol agents were notified that there was a blue Ford F150 suspected of loading illegal aliens near the border. Agents attempted to stop the vehicle to conduct an immigration inspection, but the truck failed to yield. The agents were later able to locate the vehicle and utilized a Vehicle Immobilization Device (VID) to immobilize the truck. Although the truck had two flat tires due to the deployment of the VID, the driver continued to try to evade the agents. The truck eventually came to a stop and all occupants fled on foot. Border Patrol agents searched the area and apprehended the driver, Gomez-Talavera, and five other subjects, who are citizens and nationals of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. 26-07212, Tucson. A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-037_February 20 Immigration Enforcement # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: New Jersey Couple Pleads Guilty to Illegally Moving $60 Million to Latin America

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey-based couple originally from Colombia admitted yesterday to illegally operating unlicensed money transmitting businesses, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced. Nicholas Ortega Munoz, 23, a Colombian national formerly of Hackensack, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court yesterday to an Information charging him with conspiring to, and operating, an unlicensed money transmitting business. Isabella Valderrama Ospina, 23, a resident of Hackensack, New Jersey, also pleaded guilty before Judge Wigenton to a separate Information charging her with operating and aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Ortega Munoz, Valderrama Ospina, and others used a novel scheme to secretly move money from the United States to Colombia using two fake companies: BLK Graphics Group and Technology SD. The sham companies were built to serve as cash pipelines to move tens of millions of dollars to Latin America and avoid law enforcement detection. At no point were BLK or Technology SD ever appropriately registered as a money transmitting business, as FinCEN required them to be. To carry out the scheme, BLK and Technology SD used a rotating stable of bank accounts at multiple financial institutions to funnel money deposited from pornographic websites and other entities to Latin America. For example, one website allowed online consumers to send “tokens” to pay adult performers for online performances. As part of the scheme, those “tokens” were then withdrawn from the websites and deposited into BLK and Technology SD bank accounts. Ortega Munoz, Valderrama Ospina, and others, then quickly directed the transfer of those funds to shell companies in Colombia. Between April 2021 and June 2025, BLK and Technology SD moved over $62 million in proceeds to accounts in Colombia. The charges of conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and operating and aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business each carry a statutory maximum prison sentence of five years and a statutory maximum fine of the greatest of $250,000, twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain that any persons derived from the offense, or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary loss sustained by any victims of the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing for Mr. Ortega Munoz is scheduled for June 23, 2026. Sentencing for Ms. Valderrama Ospina is scheduled for June 25, 2026. Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy and investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud & Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark. 26-041 ### Defense counsel: Ileana Montes, Esq. (Nicholas Ortega Munoz); Tyler Newman, Esq. (Isabella Valderrama Ospina). valderramaospina.information.pdf ortegamunoz.information.pdf


title: San Francisco Man Sentenced To 20 Years In Federal Prison For Production, Distribution, And Receipt Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Henry Muller, 33, of San Francisco, was sentenced last week to 240 months in federal prison for the production, distribution, and receipt of child sexual abuse material. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen handed down the sentence on Feb. 12, 2026. Muller was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2023. On Jan. 9, 2025, he pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of receipt of child pornography. In pleading guilty, Muller admitted that on July 12, 2022, and July 13, 2022, he unlawfully persuaded a minor victim, Minor 1, to engage in sexually explicit conduct and produced video recordings of that conduct. On July 17, 2022, Muller knowingly distributed via the internet a video of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On October 17, 2022, Muller knowingly received via the internet a visual depiction of another minor victim, Minor 2, engaging in sexually explicit conduct. U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement. Muller has been in custody since his arrest in 2023 and will begin serving his prison term immediately. In addition to the prison term, Judge Chen sentenced Muller to a 15-year period of supervised release, which will begin after his term of imprisonment. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roland Chang prosecuted the case with the assistance of Christine Tian. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.


title: Greenville County Man Sentenced for Straw Purchasing Firearms

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Kelsey Antonio McCallum, 32, of Greenville, has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for straw purchasing guns that were bought in South Carolina and Georgia. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that between March 2018 and June 2022, McCallum bought 93 firearms in 52 separate purchases from firearm dealers in South Carolina and Georgia. McCallum would indicate on the federal firearms sale forms that he was the actual buyer of the firearms, knowing that he intended to sell them to others. McCallum would then transport these firearms to Maryland to sell them to other individuals. Some of the guns were later discovered at crime scenes in Maryland and in other states. McCallum was convicted by a federal jury in 2024 after a two-day trial. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced McCallum to 63 months imprisonment, to be followed by a one-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system 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. This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon prosecuted the case. ###


title: PG County Schools Employee Indicted on Alleged Child Sex Abuse Crimes

body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – A Prince George’s County Public Schools employee made his initial appearance in federal court in connection with alleged child sexual abuse crimes. Xaviour Smith, 28, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, is charged with five counts of producing child sexual abuse material. Smith is also the founder of 1101 Dance Academy, Inc., in Temple Hills, which serves youths aged 8-18. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office, and Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD). According to the indictment, between March and August 2025, Smith persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced three minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Smith exploited the minors for the purpose of producing visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. If convicted, Smith faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each of the five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and PGPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke Oki who is prosecuting the federal case. The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov , or by calling your local FBI field office. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #