title: Lynn Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Stolen Government Money and Making False Statements

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Lynn man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to receiving stolen Social Security benefits and making false statements. James C. Burdulis, 57, pleaded guilty to one count of receiving stolen government money or property and one count of false statements. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2026. Burdulis was charged on March 26, 2026 . Burdulis received approximately $63,959 in stolen Social Security benefits from June 2019 through June 2025 that were intended for a beneficiary that had died. Prior to the beneficiary’s death in May 2019, Burdulis had been appointed as the beneficiary’s representative payee to manage their Social Security benefits and provide regular accountings to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Between June 2020 and June 2024, Burdulis submitted five fraudulent representative payee reports to the SSA under penalty of perjury in which he stated that he spent money received from the SSA on behalf of the deceased beneficiary after their death. Further, Burdulis submitted a fraudulent verification form to the SSA in September 2020 stating that the deceased beneficiary continued to live at the same location. The charge of receiving stolen government money or property provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Amy Connelly, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division . The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.


title: Southbridge Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Cocaine Conspiracy and Possession of a Machinegun

body_text: BOSTON – A Southbridge man was sentenced today for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, including possessing a machinegun and cocaine intended for distribution. Miguel Lopez, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to six years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. In December 2025 , Lopez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine; one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; and one count of unlawful possession of a machine gun. From in or about April 2023 through in or about April 2024, Lopez conspired with others to distribute cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts. On at least four different occasions during that period, Lopez was observed collecting packages suspected of containing controlled substances. On or about Jan. 29, 2024, a package addressed to Lopez was seized and one kilogram of cocaine was found hidden inside. During an April 2024 search of Lopez’s residence, approximately two kilograms of cocaine was found hidden inside a package that had been delivered earlier that day. A Glock pistol with a machinegun conversion device attached to the back along with ammunition, a 30-round magazine and a 50-round drum magazine were also found at Lopez’s residence. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Jason Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Brown of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.


title: Repeat Drug Offender Faces Life After Pointing Gun at Police During Chase

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. – A South Georgia resident with three prior felony convictions for drug distribution is facing up to life in prison after he pointed a loaded gun at a Southwest Georgia police officer as he attempted to flee arrest. Quentin Hall, 30, of Valdosta, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime before Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands on April 8, 2026. Hall faces a maximum imprisonment of life. A sentencing date will be determined by the Court. There is no parole in the federal system. “Armed repeat offenders will face steep federal penalties when they choose to endanger the community with ongoing criminal conduct, especially when possessing firearms,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “This case highlights the constant danger police encounter as they work to keep our streets safe and uphold the law. I commend the Moultrie police officer and all dedicated law enforcement personnel who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our communities and work for justice.” "This case underscores the importance of collaboration between agencies, as we work tirelessly to protect our communities from harm,” said ATF Atlanta’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Davis. According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Hall was pulled over for a traffic violation on Nov. 26, 2024, on 7th Avenue in Moultrie, and didn’t immediately pull over, but instead continued driving and entered the Art Center Apartments. While the car he was driving was still moving, Hall jumped out and ran away holding a bookbag. A Moultrie Police Department officer chased after Hall; Hall threw his bookbag as he ran, then lost his balance and fell to the ground. Hall ignored the officer's verbal commands to lie on the ground and not move, but pulled out a black handgun, pointed it at the officer, and said to “go on” before he turned and ran. The chase continued, with Hall again falling and dropping the gun before picking it up and continuing to run. He ran behind a stairway and eventually surrendered to officers. Law enforcement retrieved the firearm that Hall had pointed at the police officer, which had a round in the chamber. Inside Hall’s backpack, officers found several small baggies containing cocaine and other drugs. Later, Hall admitted to officers that the drugs belonged to him and that the gun was not his, but a family member’s. He said he blacked out when he pointed the gun at the officer. Hall told officers that he was on parole and had been out of prison for 16 months. Hall has three prior drug distribution state convictions, two in Colquitt County, Georgia, and one in Bulloch County, Georgia. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The Moultrie Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica Daniels and Tamara Jarrett are prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Convicted Felon from Fall River Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Drug Offenses

body_text: BOSTON – A Fall River man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and distributing cocaine. Carlos Perez, 40, pleaded guilty to four counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of distributing a controlled substance. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for July 14, 2026. In November 2025 , Perez was arrested and charged. On May 5, 2025, Perez sold cocaine as well as a .45 caliber pistol and ammunition to a cooperating witness. In addition, Perez sold a Sig Sauer, P230 SL, .380 caliber pistol and ammunition on June 2, 2025; a Ruger, Max 9, 9mm pistol and ammunition on June 30, 2025; and a Smith & Wesson, M&P 9 Shield, 9mm pistol and ammunition on Aug. 27, 2025. Perez is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due multiple prior convictions. According to the charging documents, Perez has 61 adult charges on his record and over 15 criminal convictions, including a 2015 state conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Class A Substance, for which he served two years in the house of corrections, as well as two separate convictions for Assault and Battery Dangerous Weapon in 2008, for which he received a two-year suspended sentence and six months in the house of corrections. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distributing a controlled substance provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Fall River and New Bedford Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood .


title: Cuban Man Sentenced for Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy, Possession with Intent to Distribute

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – YAIDEL PLACIDO SALVADOR, (“PLACIDO”), age 40, a resident of Cuba, was sentenced on April 8, 2026, after previously pleading guilty to a superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. PLACIDO was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee. According to court documents, PLACIDO, and other co-conspirators, distributed and possessed with intent to distribute, multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine within the Eastern District of Louisiana. PLACIDO transported kilogram quantities of cocaine into the Eastern District of Louisiana in furtherance of the conspiracy. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Orleans comprises agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office, and assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Border Patrol, the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, the Kenner Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit was in charge of the prosecution. This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) New Orleans as part of Operation Take Back America . HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). * * *


title: Homeland Security Task Force investigation leads to 27-year sentence for Guatemalan man trafficking cocaine in the Eastern District of Texas

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas –A Guatemalan national has been sentenced to over 27 years in federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Crysthian Omar Escobar Angel, 48, a Guatemalan national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine knowing it would be unlawfully imported into the United States. Escobar Angel was sentenced to 327 months in federal prison on April 7, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant. According to information presented in court, in 2015, federal agents identified and began investigating a large-scale drug trafficking organization operating throughout Central and North America. The organization used a sophisticated infrastructure to manufacture and distribute multi-ton quantities of cocaine from Colombia, through Central American countries and into the United States for further distribution. Escobar Angel was identified as managing a portion of those activities in Guatemala and indicted in the Eastern District of Texas in 2019. Based on information presented in court, Escobar Angel was involved in threats of violence including this statement he sent in a text message, “Let me talk with someone I am just going to need some specifics for tomorrow and we will throw some poison on him…. [l]eave that [expletive] to me…. Let’s [expletive] him up….” This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. ###


title: Brazilian National Sentenced for Conspiracy to Obtain Driver's Licenses for Illegal Aliens

body_text: BOSTON – A Brazilian national illegally residing in Boston was sentenced today for conspiring to obtain driver’s licenses for ineligible applicants, principally illegal aliens. Gabriel Nascimento De Andrade, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to time served (450 days in prison). The defendant is now subject to deportation. On March 6, 2026 , the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully produce and possess with intent to transfer identification documents. From in or about November 2020 through in or about September 2024, Nascimento De Andrade and his alleged co-conspirators fraudulently procured driver’s licenses for illegal alien customers who resided in states that prohibited illegal aliens from obtaining driver’s licenses. Prior to July 2023, illegal aliens residing in Massachusetts were not permitted to obtain Massachusetts driver’s licenses. Beginning in 2019, illegal aliens residing in New York became eligible to obtain New York driver’s licenses. Gabriel Nascimento De Andrade and his alleged co-conspirators conspired to fraudulently obtain New York driver’s licenses for illegal alien customers who did not reside in New York, including Massachusetts residents, and after July 2023 to fraudulently obtain Massachusetts driver’s licenses for illegal alien customers who did not reside in Massachusetts. The co-conspirators collected money from the customers in exchange for fraudulently obtaining the driver’s licenses for them. In one instance, on April 24, 2024, Nascimento De Andrade requested and accepted $450 in cash from a customer in the parking lot of a Plymouth RMV location in return for providing the customer with a fake cable bill to provide to the RMV, falsely showing that the customer lived in Massachusetts. In New York, before obtaining a driver’s license, applicants were required to pass a written permit test and complete driver’s education coursework from a New York driving school. Online permit test-takers were required by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV) to take a picture of themselves with a web camera during the test. This was to ensure that the test-taker was indeed the applicant and that there was not a person sitting with and helping the applicant with the test. To avoid the customers having to take the permit tests, Gabriel Nascimento De Andrade and his alleged co-conspirators conspired to obtain several pictures of the customers sitting down, making it look as if the customers were taking the tests. They also allegedly conspired to complete the permit tests for the customers online and, when prompted by the NY DMV to take pictures during the tests, and to upload the pictures that the customers previously provided – purporting to show that it was the customers who were taking the tests, not the defendants. The co-conspirators allegedly conspired to create fraudulent driver’s education certificates of completion, purportedly from New York driving schools, and they conspired to forge the signatures of driving school staff on the fake certificates and to give these documents to the customers to provide to the NY DMV. The NY DMV also required that applicants appear at a NY DMV location and provide documents to prove their identity and residence in New York. The co-conspirators allegedly conspired to meet Massachusetts-based customers at locations in Massachusetts and drive them to NY DMV branch locations. When they arrived at the NY DMV locations, the defendants allegedly gave the customers fraudulent documents falsely purporting to demonstrate that the customers resided in New York. The NY DMV relied on the misrepresentations to issue New York driving permits to the customers. The co-conspirators allegedly conspired to arrange for the NY DMV to mail the permits to locations in New York that were controlled by the defendants and provided the permits to the customers in-person. The defendants then allegedly conspired to schedule road driving license tests for the customers with the NY DMV and, again, drive the customers to New York for them to take the road tests. If the customers passed the tests, the NY DMV sent the driver’s licenses to mailing addresses in New York that the defendants allegedly controlled, and the defendants then provided the licenses to the customers. The defendants allegedly conspired to obtain Massachusetts driver’s licenses for out-of-state residents, in generally the same manner as they allegedly obtained the New York licenses for Massachusetts residents. Collectively, the co-conspirators allegedly fraudulently applied for licenses for more than 1,000 customers, obtained licenses for more than 600 of the customers, and collected at least hundreds of thousands of dollars. Nascimento De Andrade is the third defendant to be sentenced in this case. In September 2025, Cesar Agusto Marin Reis was sentenced to 290 days in prison and, in October 2025, Helbert Costa Generoso was sentenced to nine months in prison. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Jason Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the NY DMV Division of Field Investigation; the Boston, Danbury (Conn.) and Waterbury (Conn.) Police Departments; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut; and the New York State Inspector General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Kennebunkport Man Sentenced for Possessing  Child Sexual Abuse Materials

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Kennebunkport man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing child pornography. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Kevin Rockwell , 41, to 20 years in prison to be followed by life on supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $104,000 in restitution to victims whose images he possessed. Rockwell pleaded guilty on June 10, 2025. In addition, Rockwell was ordered to serve 18 consecutive months in prison based on a violation of his supervised release stemming from his prior federal conviction for transportation of child pornography. He was sentenced to 8 ½ years in federal prison for that offense. According to court records, in November 2024, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Rockwell’s residence in Kennebunkport. Agents recovered a tablet located on a nightstand; a review of the tablet uncovered numerous image and video files of child sexual abuse material, including prepubescent children. Rockwell admitted in an interview that he owned the tablet and acknowledged the files contained on it. The FBI investigated the case. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc ###


title: Illegal alien handed nearly 500-month sentence for distributing drugs and machine guns from South Texas residence after illegally reentering United States

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – Two men have been handed significant sentences related to the sale of cocaine, machine guns and other drugs, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Mexican national Carlos Alberto Garcia-Guajardo, 34, guilty on all 12 counts as charged following a less than three-day trial Dec. 3, 2025. Fernando Patino Jr., 32, Laredo, pleaded guilty prior to trial. Visiting U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle has now ordered Garcia-Guajardo to serve a total of 495 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. Patino received a 30-year sentence to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Garcia-Guajardo acted as a broker for selling narcotics and machine guns. Judge Lemelle considered that Garcia-Guajardo emulated the “gangster” lifestyle and saw images of a Scarface poster hung in Garcia-Guajardo’s bedroom. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Garcia-Guajardo’s illegal status, the number of drugs and weapons involved, that he was a leader in this criminal enterprise and the dangerousness of Garcia-Guajardo’s actions to include discharging firearms near children and from moving vehicles. At trial, the jury heard that Garcia-Guajardo and Patino sold cocaine and firearms, including several machine guns, out of a residential home in Laredo. Testimony revealed details of the undercover operation which led to the discovery of the conspiracy. Starting Jan. 2, 2025, Patino and Garcia-Guajardo began selling cocaine and machine guns to undercover agents while using the sale of the narcotics and firearms to negotiate additional future deals. Evidence also showed Garcia-Guajardo and Patino not only sold drugs and weapons but fired them indiscriminately within their neighborhood and conducted extensive drug trafficking. Both Garcia-Guajardo and Patino drove around Laredo, firing various firearms from the windows of their vehicle. Further, on several occasions, the men had used a minor child to test fire various firearms, including machine guns. In several of these videos, Garcia-Guajardo and Patino were drinking excessively and using drugs. On Jan. 31, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the 3000 block of Monterrey Street in Laredo. At that time, they found Garcia-Guajardo along with Jose Guadalupe Hernandez-Garza, a 27-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, as well as scales, cash in various denominations, crack cocaine and multiple firearms stored near items belonging to young children. Garcia-Guajardo was also convicted of illegal reentry, having been ordered removed from the United States on two occasions, most recently in July 2024. As an illegal alien, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law. Both Patino and Garcia-Guajardo will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Hernandez-Garza admitted to being an alien illegally in possession of a firearm and ammunition and has been ordered to prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Laredo Police Department; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Anti-Gang Unit – Laredo Center and Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Tory R. Sailer and Brandon Scott Bowling prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Suburban Chicago Man Charged With Robbing Undercover Federal Task Force Officer

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged a suburban Chicago man with robbing a federal task force officer during an undercover drug transaction last week. The task force officer was working undercover for the Federal Bureau of Investigation on April 3, 2026, when the officer met with MARCUS LEWIS and a juvenile in a residential neighborhood of Ford Heights, Ill. to buy cocaine from them, according to a criminal complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago. During the meeting, Lewis and the juvenile said words to the effect that they knew the undercover officer “was a cop,” the complaint states. They then beat the officer with a firearm and robbed the officer of $10,000 in government funds that the officer planned to use to purchase the cocaine, the complaint states. Lewis and the juvenile attempted to flee in their vehicle, but it crashed into a responding law enforcement vehicle, the complaint states. The juvenile was quickly arrested, while Lewis fled on foot and was apprehended early the next morning. The juvenile is expected to face charges in state court. The federal complaint charges Lewis, 23, of Ford Heights, Ill., with one count of robbery. Lewis waived his right to a detention hearing and was ordered to remain detained in federal custody pending trial. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 15, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Young B. Kim. The complaint was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jalan L. Jaskot. “FBI task force officers and agents are first responders in the fight against violent crime in our neighborhoods and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “The dangerous and brave work they do requires them to put their lives on the line every day. We all owe our law enforcement agents and task force officers a debt of gratitude for their dedication to the mission and their commitment to public safety. As I have said numerous times during my first year as United States Attorney, we will not tolerate attacks against federal law enforcement officers in the Northern District of Illinois. The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will seek to hold this violent offender accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” “The men and women of the FBI swore an oath to serve and protect the very communities in which they live and serve,” said FBI SAC DePodesta. “Violent attacks on our personnel, which include the elite cadre of embedded task force officer partners, erode respect for the rule of law and compromise the safety of everyone across our country. The FBI, with the full backing of our federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, will ensure that there is no safe haven or amnesty for anyone seeking to harm the very personnel working to protect the American people and uphold the U.S. Constitution.” The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Chicago Man Charged With Threatening To “Shoot Up” United States Secret Service Office

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois has charged a Chicago man with making a threat to “shoot up” an office of the United States Secret Service and “hunt” an agent. On March 19, 2026, MICHAEL KOVCO sent an electronic message via the official White House website that stated, “I’m gonna hunt the secret service agent that comes to my door’s family so he better not tell me any identifying information at all like first or last name or pet name or address or place of work because im going to buy a small concealable firearm and go shoot up his place of work immediately if he tells me anything,” according to a criminal complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The message was sent approximately two hours after a Secret Service agent and two Secret Service task force officers visited Kovco’s residence in Chicago to inquire about a prior threat Kovco had sent on March 17, 2026, the complaint states. Kovco’s prior message, which was also transmitted via the official White House website, threatened President Donald J. Trump and one of the President’s sons, the complaint states. Kovco electronically signed that message as being from “Mr. I’m going to [expletive] kill your child Kovco,” the complaint states. The complaint charges Kovco, 29, with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. Kovco was arrested on April 3, 2026. A detention hearing is scheduled for April 10, 2026, in federal court in Chicago, at which time the government will be seeking Kovco’s continued detention pending trial. The complaint was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Dai Tran, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Chicago Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nina Ruvinsky. “As I have stated repeatedly during my first year as United States Attorney, it is never acceptable to threaten a law enforcement officer, political figure, or a member of their family,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Under my watch, political violence will be dealt with as the serious federal crime that it is. Working closely with our federal and state law enforcement partners, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will find, arrest, and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those responsible for criminally threatening the safety of our public officials and law enforcement officers.” “The U.S. Secret Service’s top priority is safeguarding the President of the United States and all those we protect,” said SAIC Tran. “We take any threats seriously and aggressively pursue them to ensure our protectees’ safety. I commend our agents’ work in bringing this defendant to justice. I want to thank our partners at the Chicago Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois for their help in pursuing this case.” The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The charge in the complaint is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. kovco_complaint.pdf


title: Essex County Man Sentenced to 149 Months in Prison for Robbing Drugstore Employees at Gun Point

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK N.J. – An Essex County man who robbed pharmacy employees at gun point was sentenced today to 149 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release before the Honorable William J. Martini, U.S.D.J., in Newark federal court, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Following a jury trial in October 2025 before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court, Nariq Petes, 27, of Newark, was convicted of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), Hobbs Act robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), and using and brandishing a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(ii). According to court documents and evidence presented at trial: On December 30, 2023, Petes and Xavier Reyes drove together and entered a pharmacy in Livingston, New Jersey wearing black masks and carrying guns. Once inside the pharmacy, Petes and Reyes brandished handguns and demanded prescription drugs. Petes and Reyes took at least 6 bottles of prescription medication. Three days later, on January 2, 2024, law enforcement arrested Petes at his apartment in Newark, where he was found with stolen medication from the pharmacy. In May 2025, Reyes pled guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a) and Hobbs Act robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), and was later sentenced to 111 months’ imprisonment and a three-year term of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka, members of the Livingston Police Department, under the direction of Gary Marshuetz, and members of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, under the direction of Theodore N. Stephens II, with the investigation leading to these convictions. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael K. O’Leary of the Narcotics/International Trafficking Unit in Newark. ### Defense counsel: Pasquale F. Giannetta Esq., Newark


title: Former New Britain Tax Preparer Charged with Tax Fraud Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned a 37-count indictment yesterday charging JESSLY GUZMAN, 36, of Hughestown, Pennsylvania, with tax fraud offenses stemming from the preparation and filing of numerous false federal tax returns. As alleged in the indictment, Guzman, who formerly resided in New Britain, Connecticut, prepared tax returns for clients through her business Jacky’s Multiservices LLC, based in New Britain. In addition, in approximately 2013, Guzman established Molina and Family Construction LLC (“MAFC”), a purported construction business in New London. Insofar as it was ever a going concern, MAFC ceased operations in approximately 2014. During the 2019 through 2022 tax years, Guzman falsified information on certain tax returns she prepared for clients to reduce her clients’ tax liability, increase their tax refund, or increase the size of their tax credits. On some returns, Guzman fabricated Forms W-2 to trusted taxpayer clients that fraudulently indicated that those clients were employees of MAFC. The W-2s reflected false wages from the company and false federal income tax withholdings. Guzman then caused the false W-2s to be filed with the Social Security Administration and the IRS. For some clients, Guzman also prepared and included false Schedules C reporting business expenses and losses, a false Schedule E reporting rental property expenses and losses, and false education expenses, education credits, and child and dependent care expenses. The indictment also alleges that Guzman prepared and filed false tax returns for her and her spouse claiming wages from MAFC and the withholding of federal taxes. The indictment charges Guzman with 33 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a false income tax return, and four counts of make and subscribing a false income tax return. The charges carry a maximum term of imprisonment of three years on each count. Guzman’s arraignment is pending. U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.


title: Medford Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: MEDFORD, Ore.—A convicted felon was sentenced to federal prison today for illegally possessing firearms. Devon James Wright, 31, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. According to court documents, Wright was caught on two separate occasions with firearms. First, on June 23, 2024, Wright was in a car that was stopped for a traffic violation. In Wright’s backpack, police found a semi-automatic pistol and a full magazine. At the time, Wright was on parole for a previous conviction for unlawfully possessing a firearm. Second, on October 26, 2024, Wright was stopped in a stolen vehicle and before exiting placed a loaded handgun inside the purse of another occupant next to a fully loaded extended magazine. On March 6, 2025, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a two-count indictment charging Wright with felon in possession of a firearm. On December 8, 2025, Wright pleaded guilty to both counts. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with assistance from the Portland Police Bureau and the Central Point Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa E. LeRitz and John C. Brassell.


title: Stockton Nurse Practitioner Agrees to Pay $1.4 Million to Resolve Alleged Controlled Substance Act Violations

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: rubinger_settlement_agreement_003.pdf SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced today that Joan Rubinger, a nurse practitioner in Stockton, has agreed to pay $1.4 million to resolve allegations that she violated the Controlled Substance Act on at least 900 occasions by dispensing controlled substances without any legitimate medical purpose and outside the course of professional practice. The United States contends that Rubinger sold prescriptions for controlled substances to individuals who were not her legitimate medical patients, with whom she had not established a bona fide medical provider relationship, or for whom she failed to identify and document a legitimate medical need for controlled substances. “We remain unwavering in our commitment to hold health care providers accountable when they violate their duty to properly prescribe controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “Our community has the right to trust that providers will prescribe these drugs only within the usual course of professional practice and only in accord with the law.” “DEA is committed to preventing, detecting, and investigating the diversion of controlled pharmaceuticals from legitimate sources. Dispensing controlled substances without any legitimate medical purpose and outside the course of professional practice is illegal, and anyone in violation will be held accountable,” said Bob P. Beris, Special Agent in Charge, DEA San Francisco Field Division. This settlement resolves the case against Rubinger, which alleged violations of the Controlled Substances Act. On March 26, 2026, the Court entered a permanent injunction requiring Rubinger to surrender the ability to dispense, or have involvement in dispensing, controlled substances in the future, directly or indirectly, including (a) dispensing or prescribing, or assisting in dispensing or prescribing, any controlled substance; (b) having an ownership interest, including partial ownership, in an entity that is in the business of dispensing controlled substances; or (c) employing any person who dispenses, or assists in dispensing, any prescription for a controlled substances for any person. The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Amin represented the federal government. The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Illegal Alien Sentenced For Unlawful Reentry

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Abraham Suy Suar, age 35, a Guatemalan national unlawfully present in Bryan County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to time served for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien. The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. On February 2, 2026, Suy Suar pleaded guilty in federal district court. According to investigators, on November 17, 2025, Suy Suar, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on September 23, 2014. 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. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.


title: Ten Indian Nationals Indicted for Visa Fraud Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – Ten Indian nationals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with a conspiracy to carry out staged armed robberies of convenience stores for the purpose of allowing store clerks to falsely claim they were crime victims on immigration applications. The defendants were previously charged by criminal complaint in March 2026. The following defendants have been indicted by a federal grand jury with one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud: Jitendrakumar Patel, 39, unlawfully residing in Marshfield, Mass.; Maheshkumar Patel, 36, unlawfully residing in Randolph, Mass.; Sanjaykumar Patel, 45, unlawfully residing in Quincy, Mass.; Dipikaben Patel, 40, deported to India after unlawfully residing in Weymouth, Mass.; Rameshbhai Patel, 52, unlawfully residing in Eubank, Ky.; Amitabahen Patel, 43, unlawfully residing in Plainville, Mass.; Ronakkumar Patel, 28, unlawfully residing in Maryland Heights, Miss.; Sangitaben Patel, 36, unlawfully residing in Randolph, Mass.; Minkesh Patel, 42, unlawfully residing in Perrysburg, Ohio; and Sonal Patel, 42, unlawfully residing in Perrysburg, Ohio. All 10 defendants were previously charged by criminal complaint and released on conditions. Rameshbhai Patel and Ronakkumar Patel have been taken into immigration custody. The defendants are subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. This case stems from an investigation into Rambhai Patel, the organizer of the scheme, and getaway driver Balwinder Singh – both of whom were charged in December 2023 and later convicted in May 2025 . According to the charging documents, in March 2023, Rambhai Patel and his co-conspirators set up and carried out staged armed robberies of at least six convenience/liquor stores and fast food restaurants in Massachusetts and elsewhere. It is alleged that the purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the clerks present to falsely claim that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for U non-immigration status (U Visa). A U Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. In the course of the alleged staged robberies, the “robber” would allegedly threaten store clerks and/or owners with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, while the interaction was captured on store surveillance video. The clerks and/or owners would then wait five or more minutes until the alleged “robber” had escaped before calling police to report the “crime.” The “victims” are alleged to have each paid Rambhai Patel to participate in the scheme. In turn, Rambhai Patel paid the store owners for the use of their stores for the staged robbery. The organizer Rambhai Patel, the “robber,” and the getaway driver, Balwinder Singh, were convicted in May 2025 . The 10 defendants indicted today are alleged to have either arranged with Rambhai Patel to set up each robbery, or paid for themselves or a family member to participate as a “victim.” The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Additionally, the defendants are subject to deportation after any sentence imposed. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of New York, the Western District of Washington, the Northern District of Ohio, the Eastern District of Missouri, and the Eastern District of Kentucky; FBI’s New York, Seattle, Louisville, Cleveland and St. Louis Field Offices; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; Massachusetts State Police; Worcester County District Attorney’s Office; and the Boston, Dedham, Hingham, Malden, Marshfield, Randolph, Somerville, Weymouth, Worcester, Upper Darby, (Pa.), West Pittston (Pa.), Louisville, (Ky.) and Bean Station (Tenn.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Jessica L. Soto of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: East Boston Man Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

body_text: BOSTON – An East Boston man has been arrested and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Three privately made firearms (ghost guns), four machine gun conversion devices, a 3D printer, five magazines and 31 privately made firearm receivers found during search. Angel Negron, 47, of East Boston, was charged with one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Negron was arrested at his apartment on March 31, 2026 and remains detained following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston. According to the charging documents, between Jan. 14, 2026, and March 2, 2026, Negron ordered 29 firearm parts to his apartment via his eBay account. Additionally, on March 3, 2026, Negron allegedly submitted an online complaint to a firearm company, saying that a trigger he purchased from the company’s eBay store did not fire his firearm properly. In that communication, Negron allegedly included a photograph of a firearm with a 3D printed frame: During a search of Negron’s apartment on March 31, 2026, investigators seized three privately made firearms (ghost guns), four machine gun conversion devices, a 3D printer, five magazines and 31 privately made firearm receivers. In 2007, Negron was convicted in Suffolk Superior Court of possession of a firearm without a license and carrying a loaded firearm, for which he was sentenced to 30 months in the house of correction. The charge of felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeffrey Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Boston Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: Illegal Alien Sentenced For Illegally Possessing Firearm And Ammunition

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

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Cesar Gonzalez Falcon, a/k/a Cesar Falcon Gonzalez, a/k/a Cesar Gonzalez-Falcon, a/k/a Cesar Falcon Gonzales, age 41, a Mexican national unlawfully residing in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to time served for one count of Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. On August 26, 2025, Gonzalez Falcon pleaded guilty to the charge in federal district court. According to investigators, on May 12, 2025, Gonzalez Falcon, an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States, and knowing of such status, knowingly possessed a 12-gauge pump action shotgun and four rounds of ammunition. 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. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Gonzalez Falcon was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshal for resolution of an ICE detainer. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.


title: Charlotte Man Who Boasted About Having “The Keys To The Streets” Sentenced To Prison For Bank Fraud

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced to prison today for his role in a scheme involving stolen checks, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Tyrell DeShaun Pace, 32, was sentenced to 35 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. On August 29, Pace pleaded guilty to three counts of financial institution fraud. Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which oversees North Carolina, joined U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement. “Too many checks are getting stolen from the mail,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We continue to aggressively prosecute these cases and appreciate the work our law enforcement partners are doing to put an end to this crime.” According to filed court documents, beginning in April 2022, Pace engaged in a financial fraud scheme by obtaining stolen checks, including checks stolen from the U.S. Postal Service. After he obtained the stolen checks, Pace used text messages, phone calls, and social media platforms to advertise the stolen checks, and to lure people to buy the stolen checks. For example, on September 2, 2022, Pace wrote on social media “I got the keys to the streets,” and with that post displayed a photograph showing ATM cards and stolen checks. Pace also used the stolen checks to engage in fraudulent conduct that would generate large amounts of money. Court records show that Pace altered, forged, and counterfeited checks by, among other means, changing the payable amounts and the names of payees. Pace then deposited the altered checks at various banks and quickly withdrew the funds before the financial institutions could detect the fraud. The total face value of checks associated with the conspiracy was more than $646,600. Pace will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked USPIS for their investigation and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their substantial assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenny Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Texas man receives jail time for walking off designated boardwalk in a thermal area  in Yellowstone National Park

component: USAO - Wyoming

body_text: A Texas man was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to walking off the designated boardwalk in a thermal area in Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Eric Bedient, 50, of Frisco, Texas was sentenced to five days of incarceration on March 31, 2026, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie Hambrick. According to court documents, Mr. Bedient walked directly on several fragile and dangerous hydrothermal features in the Mammoth Hot Springs area. Those features included Canary Spring, Mound Terrace, Palette Hot Spring, and Jupiter Terrace. The sentence reflected the extensive nature of violation, the damage Bedient’s footprints left behind, and Bedient’s failure to educate himself about Yellowstone National Park’s regulations. U.S. Attorney Darin Smith said, “Yellowstone’s thermal areas are among the most dangerous natural features in the world. Mr. Bedient’s disregard for the law could have cost him his life. Prosecuting crimes like this deters others from similar conduct—and from risking becoming thermal soup. We will continue to hold individuals accountable to protect lives and preserve this unique, irreplaceable landscape when their actions threaten these national treasures for future generations.” This crime was investigated by Yellowstone National Park law enforcement officers and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Calmes. For travelers planning to visit YNP this year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reminds the public to stay safe and adhere by all park regulations. Stay on boardwalks Always walk on boardwalks and designated trails. Keep children close and do not let them run on boardwalks. Don't touch thermal features or runoff Even thermal runoff can be extremely hot and cause burns. Hot springs also contain algae, bacteria, and fungi found nowhere else in the world; coming in contact with these life forms can destroy them. Resist the temptation to touch! Swimming or soaking in hot springs is prohibited More than 20 people have died from burns suffered after they entered or fell into Yellowstone’s hot springs. For your safety and for the protection of thermal features in Yellowstone, it is illegal to swim or bathe in any water that is entirely of thermal origin. Pets are prohibited in thermal areas Pets are not allowed in thermal areas or on boardwalks, even if they're on a leash or carried in arms, strollers, or backpacks. This policy exists to protect our pets from being burned or killed in hot springs. Trained service animals that perform tasks directly related to a person's disability are allowed throughout the park and in all park facilities. They must be leashed at all times. For questions relating to Yellowstone National Park, please contact the Public Affairs Office at yell_public_affairs@nps.gov . A Safety Press Kit is available for the media at: https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/safety-press.htm


title: Armed Felon Who Fired Into A Charlotte Apartment Sentenced To Prison

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A convicted felon who fired a gun into an occupied apartment was sentenced today for illegally possessing a firearm, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert Dale Emerson Jr., 37, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 105 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On June 20, 2025, Emerson pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), joined U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. “Firing a gun into an apartment complex where families and children live shows a complete disregard for life and the law,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “This thoughtless act could have killed someone going about their life at home. Those who terrorize innocent people in their homes will face federal charges, and the Court’s sentence today demonstrates they will pay the price.” “Today’s sentence is yet another example of the outstanding partnerships that keep our community safe,” said Chief Patterson. “Working alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the ATF, CMPD remains committed to ensuring that individuals who endanger our residents with violent and reckless actions are held fully accountable. We will continue to pursue every available resource and every collaborative effort to protect our neighborhoods and uphold justice.” According to court documents, on the evening of June 22, 2023, Emerson fired between five and six rounds into an occupied apartment complex from his vehicle. At the time of the shooting, a family, including a child as young as a year old, lived at the apartment. No one was physically harmed as a result of the shooting. Once on the scene, CMPD officers retrieved a shell casing from the road outside of the home. Months later, in the early morning of November 5, 2023, CMPD officers found Emerson asleep in the driver’s seat of his vehicle. Emerson’s vehicle matched the description of the vehicle driven by the perpetrator of the June shooting. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and recovered a loaded Canik TP9SF semi-automatic pistol affixed to the defendant’s right hip, loaded with an 18-round magazine and a round in the chamber. Officers also located a dual magazine pouch with two loaded magazines, each containing 18 rounds of 9mm ammunition, on the defendant’s left hip. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement found a loaded handgun magazine, additional rounds of ammunition, and body armor. CMPD’s Crime Laboratory compared the shell casing collected during the June shooting against the firearm seized from Emerson. A firearm examiner determined Emerson’s pistol fired the shell casing. Emerson has multiple prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled the prosecution.


title: Central Valley Men Indicted for Possession of Approximately One Million Pills Containing Suspected Methamphetamine

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment today against Jose Mendoza, 35, of Merced; Jessy Johnson, 34, of Turlock; and Alejandro Perez, 43, of Crows Landing, charging them with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and other drug trafficking offenses, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, the defendants were part of a drug-trafficking organization that used the U.S. Mail to distribute drugs across the country. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 100 parcels sent by the defendants’ organization. Those parcels contained controlled substances including methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, ketamine, LSD, and psilocybin mushrooms. On March 26, 2026, law enforcement officers from multiple government agencies arrested the defendants and executed search warrants at multiple locations under their control. One location was a warehouse in Turlock that was being used as a stash location. The warehouse contained three pill presses, pans with powders used in manufacturing pills laced with controlled substances, and approximately one million pills containing suspected methamphetamine. Agents also found cocaine, alprazolam (Xanax), MDMA, psilocybin mushrooms, and THC products at the warehouse and other locations under the defendants’ control. The investigation also found approximately $150,000 in cash, as well as information that led them to find and seize multiple electronic wallets that the defendants had used to store cryptocurrency believed to be proceeds from drug sales. To date, law enforcement has seized more than $400,000 in cryptocurrency from wallets under the defendants’ control. This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the San Joaquin County Metropolitan Narcotics Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, the Stockton Police Department, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, the Manteca Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Campbell and Kevin Khasigian are prosecuting the case. If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Two Mexican Nationals Sentenced To Prison For Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Mexican nationals, one of whom was in the United States illegally, were sentenced to prison today for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. During the investigation, law enforcement found evidence of a connection between the leader of the drug conspiracy with Jalisco New Generation Cartel, also known as CJNG. Jesus Miguel Angel Gutierrez-Lopez, 53, who was illegally present in the United States, was ordered to serve 70 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release. Lorenzo Lemus-Orozco, 42, who was legally residing in the United States, was sentenced to 140 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Both Gutierrez-Lopez and Lemus-Orozco will also be removed from the United States after they complete their respective prison sentences. “Prosecuting drug traffickers – particularly those that are illegally in the United States and connected to foreign cartels – is a key priority of my office,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “This is one of many such cases in this focused effort.” According to court records, from February 2024 to February 2025, Lemus-Orozco and Gutierrez-Lopez conspired to distribute kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in Catawba, Caldwell, and Watauga Counties and elsewhere. Lemus-Orozco was the leader of the local drug trafficking organization. Investigators conducted at least five controlled purchases of methamphetamine from the defendants. As a part of law enforcement’s ongoing effort to interdict drug distributors, on December 5, 2024, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol conducted a stop of Gutierrez-Lopez’s truck in Caldwell County. Law enforcement seized almost half a kilogram of methamphetamine from inside Gutierrez-Lopez’s truck and arrested Gutierrez-Lopez. After Gutierrez-Lopez’s arrest, Lemus-Orozco left the United States, traveling to Michoacan, Mexico. Michoacan, Mexico is an area that is often associated with Mexican drug cartel activity. Lemus-Orozco returned to the United States in January 2025. Shortly after his return, law enforcement arrested Lemus-Orozco and searched his trailer in Hickory, North Carolina. In the trailer, law enforcement found approximately 99 grams of methamphetamine, approximately $2,000 in cash, and three firearms. Law enforcement also seized another $1,373 from the defendant’s person. In addition to the drugs, guns, and money found inside Lemus-Orozco’s trailer, police found clothing bearing CJNG branding. Lemus-Orozco and Gutierrez-Lopez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Gutierrez-Lopez also pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine. Additionally, Lemus-Orozco pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine. Both defendants are in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Two Jamestown men charged in superseding indictment with selling fentanyl causing serious bodily injury, Hobbs Act robbery and kidnapping

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging Blake D. Smith a/k/a Sweets, 50, and Willie Graham a/k/a Wu, 45, both of Jamestown, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, Hobbs Act Robbery, kidnapping, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and use of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. In addition, Smith is charged with possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and distribution of fentanyl causing serious bodily injury. Both defendants face a maximum of life in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that according to the superseding indictment, between February 2017, and January 2024, Smith and Graham conspired with Joseph S. Zaso, and others, to sell heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine in the Jamestown area. During the conspiracy, Smith possessed a firearm. Between May 9 and 11, 2023, Smith sold fentanyl causing serious bodily injury to individuals identified as R. P. and D.C. On March 8 and 9, 2023, the defendants kidnapped an individual identified as D.D. and robbed a $25,000 check from D.D. In furtherance of the robbery, a firearm was brandished. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The superseding indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Forster and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Two More Defendants Plead Guilty in Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS –Two more defendants—Suleman Yusuf Mohamed and his brother Gandi Yusuf Mohamed—have pleaded guilty for their roles in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. The number of defendants convicted scheme-wide is now at 65. The brothers were charged in United States v. Mohamed et al. , 24-cr-15 (NEB/DTS), along with five other defendants who pleaded guilty in March. The number of defendants convicted in the Feeding Our Future scheme has now reached 65. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. Suleman Yusuf Mohamed, who pleaded guilty on April 2, 2026, participated in the Federal Child Nutrition Program as a vendor under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. As a vendor, Star Distribution was supposed to provide food to meal distribution sites participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program, including multiple sites operated by his co-defendants. While Star Distribution ultimately received approximately $10.1 million of Federal Child Nutrition Program funds—purportedly for providing food for more than 4.8 million meals—it spent relatively minimal amounts of that money on food. Instead, Mohamed used the money for his own personal expenses and transferred millions of dollars back to others participating in the scheme, including his sister Ikram Mohamed and brother Gandi. Suleman Mohamed pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and has agreed to pay $8,662,287 in restitution. Gandi Yusuf Mohamed pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering today, April 9, 2016. Through his companies GAK Properties LLC and GIF Properties LLC, Gandi Mohamed owned three different buildings that purportedly housed Federal Child Nutrition Program meal distribution sites, including multiple sites operated by his co-defendants. Gandi Mohamed used those companies to receive and launder approximately $1.3 million of his co-defendant’s fraud proceeds, which he has agreed to pay back to the government as restitution. Sentencing hearings for both defendants will be scheduled at a later date. These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Matthew D. Evans are prosecuting these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.


title: California man going to prison for more than 10 years for his role in cross country narcotics conspiracy

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that La D. Huynh, 43, of Chula Vista, California, who was convicted of narcotics conspiracy, was sentenced to serve 126 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that Huynh, a California-based drug trafficker, supplied quantities of methamphetamine, heroin/fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana to other members of the conspiracy, including Jun Martinez, a Jamestown-based drug trafficker. In 2019, after receiving a large amount of methamphetamine, there was a payment issue between Martinez and Huynh, and Martinez stopped taking calls from Huynh. Sometime in 2020, Huynh and Martinez started their narcotics operations again, and Huynh began shipping quantities of cocaine, heroin/fentanyl, and methamphetamine in the mail, from the San Diego, California, area. In September 2020, Martinez traveled to the San Diego area and met with Huynh and co-conspirator Kevin Hughes, receiving large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl. After the transaction, Martinez and Hughes started to travel back to the Western District of New York. During the return trip, on September 15, 2020, an Illinois State Police Trooper stopped Martinez and Hughes. A search of the vehicle yielded approximately 6,359 grams of methamphetamine, 3,157 grams of fentanyl, 2,241 grams of cocaine, and marijuana products. Martinez and Hughes were arrested and charged by Illinois State law enforcement. On October 16, 2020, local law enforcement executed a search warrant at Martinez’s Wescott Street residence, recovering 438 grams of methamphetamine and approximately $62,000 in cash. On July 9, 2021, California law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Huynh, recovering narcotics in the trunk. A search warrant was then obtained. During the execution of the warrant, investigators found two cardboard boxes containing a total of 101 kilograms of cocaine. Defendant Maritnez was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing. Defendant Hughes was previously convicted and sentenced. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Forster, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone. # # # #


component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: Two more defendants—Suleman Yusuf Mohamed and his brother Gandi Yusuf Mohamed—have pleaded guilty for their roles in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced Colin McDonald, Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division, and U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota. The number of defendants convicted scheme-wide is now at 65. The brothers were charged in United States v. Mohamed et al., along with five other defendants who pleaded guilty in March. The number of defendants convicted in the Feeding Our Future scheme has now reached 65. Suleman Yusuf Mohamed, who pleaded guilty on April 2, 2026, participated in the Federal Child Nutrition Program as a vendor under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. As a vendor, Star Distribution was supposed to provide food to meal distribution sites participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program, including multiple sites operated by his co-defendants. While Star Distribution ultimately received approximately $10.1 million of Federal Child Nutrition Program funds—purportedly for providing food for more than 4.8 million meals—it spent relatively minimal amounts of that money on food. Instead, Mohamed used the money for his own personal expenses and transferred millions of dollars back to others participating in the scheme, including his sister Ikram Mohamed and brother Gandi. Suleman Mohamed pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and has agreed to pay $8,662,287 in restitution. Gandi Yusuf Mohamed pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering today, April 9, 2016. Through his companies GAK Properties LLC and GIF Properties LLC, Gandi Mohamed owned three different buildings that purportedly housed Federal Child Nutrition Program meal distribution sites, including multiple sites operated by his co-defendants. Gandi Mohamed used those companies to receive and launder approximately $1.3 million of his co-defendant’s fraud proceeds, which he has agreed to pay back to the government as restitution. Sentencing hearings for both defendants will be scheduled at a later date. These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and HSI. Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 43 Months for Role in Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme Earlier today in Minneapolis, Abdullahe Nur Jesow of Minneapolis was sentenced to 43 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for his role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jesow was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $866,458. According to court documents, from December 2020 through September 2021, Abdullahe Nur Jesow, 65, purported to operate a Federal Child Nutrition Program meal distribution site from his event space, Benadir Hall, located on Lake Street in Minneapolis. The site was ostensibly operated by a non-profit entity called Academy for Youth Excellence, for which Jesow served as Secretary. Between December 2020 and September 2021, Academy for Youth Excellence claimed to have served over 1.7 million meals to children at Benadir Hall. In reality, Academy for Youth Excellence only provided a fraction of those meals. Based on these fraudulent claims, Academy for Youth Excellence and its alleged food vendor, S&S Catering, received $4,286,088 in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Rather than feed children during the pandemic, Jesow misappropriated the funds for his own personal benefit, including for the purchase of a home in Columbia Heights, Minnesota. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.


title: Minnesota Man Found Guilty of Sexually Abusing Subordinate During Training Mission at Army Base in San Bernardino County

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A former member of the Minnesota National Guard was found guilty by a jury today of sexually abusing a subordinate during a training mission at Fort Irwin United States Army base in San Bernardino County. Kelly Boylan, 56, of Minneapolis, was found guilty of one count of abusive sexual contact. He was remanded into federal custody immediately following the reading of today's verdict. According to evidence presented at a four-day trial, in July 2020, Boylan was a member of the Minnesota National Guard and, during a training mission at Fort Irwin, sexually abused a direct subordinate, who then was a 23-year-old woman. Both Boylan and the victim had been deployed to Fort Irwin for one month of training. Boylan was a staff sergeant, which is a non-commissioned officer, and outranked the victim, who was a specialist, which is a junior soldier. In the Army, non-commissioned officers are prohibited from engaging in sexual relationships with junior soldiers because of the military authority they exert over them. The victim reported the attack to the Army’s law enforcement division, which began an investigation that led to Boylan’s arrest and prosecution. United States District Judge Wesley L. Hsu scheduled a July 24 sentencing hearing, at which time Boylan will face a statutory maximum sentence of two years in federal prison. The FBI investigated this matter. The United States Army Criminal Investigation Division provided assistance. Assistant United States Attorneys Neil P. Thakor of the Major Crimes Section and Erin C. Kiss of the Riverside Branch Office are prosecuting this case.


title: Iowa Farmer Sentenced to More Than a Decade in Federal Prison After Cheating Federal Taxpayers Out of More than $1.7 Million

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: An Iowa farmer who defrauded federal taxpayers out of more than $1.7 million in agricultural subsidies, stole multiple identities, and stalked a witness, was sentenced today to 13 years in federal prison. Tanner James Seuntjens, age 33, from Danbury, Iowa, received the prison term after pleading guilty on September 19, 2025, to one count of theft of government funds, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of crop insurance fraud, and one count of stalking. Evidence in Seuntjens’ cases established that, between June 2020 and June 2021, he was a Western Iowa farmer who defrauded the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) out of more than $1.5 million in Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (“CFAP”) grant moneys. Livestock producers qualified for CFAP subsidies on a per head basis that depended upon the producer’s self-certified livestock inventory. Seuntjens filed CFAP applications at three Iowa county USDA-Farm Service Agency (“FSA”) offices that each falsely claimed ownership of thousands of swine. Seuntjens forged the signatures of two other people when filing the applications with USDA. Seuntjens later submitted false documents to USDA-FSA county commissioners who were attempting to verify the USDA payments during so-called “spot checks.” From March 2021 through April 2022, Seuntjens defrauded a South Dakota bank. Seuntjens borrowed funds from the bank as early as 2014 and pledged his accounts receivable as collateral, which included payments from the sales of grain and livestock. As a result, when Seuntjens sold grain and livestock at a cooperative and an auction, the bank required the cooperative and auction to issue two-party checks to Seuntjens and the bank. Seuntjens forged an authorized representative of the bank’s signature on two-party checks at least 20 times and. He deprived the bank of more than $400,000 of its collateral. Seuntjens spent the diverted funds on a combination of farming expenditures, a trip to Cocoa Beach and Disney World, transfers to family members, and large cash withdrawals. Seuntjens committed crop insurance fraud in 2022 and 2023. Crop insurance is a federally subsidized program where farmers may receive payment from an authorized insurer in the event of adverse weather, fire, disease, or price declines. Seuntjens admitted he repeatedly underreported his crop yields during the 2022 and 2023 crop seasons and received crop insurance funds to which he was not entitled. Seuntjens stole an additional $175,000 from federal taxpayers through this crop insurance fraud. In 2023 and 2024, Seuntjens defrauded multiple agricultural suppliers by selling their collateral out of trust. He also sold livestock and grain in a third party’s name to avoid creditors’ liens and judgments. Seuntjens stalked one of the victims of his agricultural fraud case, even though there were no contact orders forbidding him from having contact with that witness. In an unrelated state court case, the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County had found that Seuntjens had assaulted the witness and planted a tracking device on a minor. The Iowa District Court stated the court was “deeply concerned” about the safety of minors if Seuntjens were allowed to have contact with them and issued a no contact order. In August 2025, while the Iowa District Court’s no contact order was in effect, and while Seuntjens also was on federal pretrial release, Seuntjens travelled to Nebraska and placed a tracking device on the witness’s car. Seuntjens admitted he did so with the intent to harass and intimidate the witness and to place the person under surveillance. A federal judge detained Seuntjens for his stalking activity, and the U.S. Marshal held Seuntjens in custody at a local jail. While in jail in late 2025, however, Seuntjens repeatedly contacted the minors. The Iowa District Court found in March 2026 found Seuntjens in contempt of court. Seuntjens has a significant criminal history involving fraud and violence. In 2020, Seuntjens received a deferred judgment for a felony second-degree theft conviction. In 2023, Seuntjens was convicted of third-degree theft and fined after he presented the state court with a bad check to “pay” his restitution obligations in the prior second-degree theft case. In 2024 and 2025, Seuntjens received three additional fines from the state court after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct in three separate cases. Seuntjens received those fines after he put his hands on the victim’s throat causing fingernail markings on both sides of the victim’s neck. He also pushed his victim into a counter, followed the victim around town, called the victim from a blocked number, and violated a protective order. Seuntjens was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Seuntjens was sentenced to 156 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $1,704,434.74 in restitution to the USDA. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Seuntjens is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Vavricek and Shawn Wehde and investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General and Special Investigations Staff. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file numbers are 25-CR-4026 and 25-CR-4052. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Adair County Resident Sentenced For Illegally Possessing Firearms And Ammunition

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that James Michael Young, Jr., age 43, of Bunch, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 2 years of probation for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On October 1, 2025, Young pleaded guilty to the charge in federal district court. According to investigators, Young knowingly possessed 244 firearms and 40 rounds of ammunition on October 29, 2024, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.


title: Hugo Resident Sentenced For Illegally Possessing Machine Gun

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that John Thomas Worthy, age 51, of Hugo, Oklahoma, was sentenced to one year of probation for one count of Possession of a Machine Gun. The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On October 6, 2025, Worthy pleaded guilty to the charge in federal district court. According to investigators, on January 21, 2025, Worthy knowingly possessed a firearm that had been modified to shoot more than one round of ammunition by a single function of the trigger without manual reloading. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.


title: Latimer County Resident Sentenced For Illegally Possessing Firearm And Ammunition

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joshua Wayne Taylor, age 47, of Wilburton, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 13 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Latimer County Sheriff’s Office. On August 27, 2025, Taylor pleaded guilty to the charge in federal district court. According to investigators, Taylor knowingly possessed a .22LR revolver and 53 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition on November 18, 2024, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Taylor will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.


title: Muskogee Resident Sentenced For Assault Resulting In Serious Bodily Injury

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Tommy Lynn Byrd, Jr., age 38, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country. The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muskogee Police Department. On September 30, 2025, Byrd pleaded guilty to the charge in federal district court. According to investigators, on January 9, 2025, Byrd struck the victim multiple times on the head with a hammer. The victim suffered severe scalp contusions and was treated at an area hospital. The crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Byrd will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.