title: Prolific fentanyl distributor sentenced to six years in prison

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 40-year-old Everett, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to six years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Lamin Saho, aka “Buck,” was a significant fentanyl dealer identified in a wiretap investigation that culminated with fourteen arrests in October 2024 and five additional arrests in late 2025. The drug trafficking ring operated from Kent to Everett and members of the ring frequented two distribution locations in the University District of Seattle. Many of the drug traffickers were armed when guarding their stash or distributing their drugs. The leader of the drug crew was gunned down in the summer of 2024, in front of one of the U District locations. At the sentencing hearing Judge John H. Chun said, “Fentanyl is a dangerous drug that has devastated far too many lives. One has only to walk out on the streets of Seattle to see how it has devastated our community.” “Mr. Saho distributed thousands of fentanyl pills – the calls recorded on the wiretap indicated he had access to as many as 10,000 pills at a time,” said U.S. Attorney Floyd. “Each one of those pills had the potential of killing the user. Our community is safer when we are able to prosecute these drug trafficking rings and get the suppliers behind bars.” “Homeland Security Investigations, working closely with our law enforcement partners, led the investigation that brought Saho to justice and indictments for 18 others,” said HSI Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Together, we are combatting the lethal effects of fentanyl in our communities by identifying, disrupting, and dismantling dangerous networks. Garnering this sentence for one of the defendants in this case shows our commitment to protecting the public and fighting violent crime at every level.” “Drug trafficking and gun violence go hand in hand, and this case highlights the unfortunate reality, peddling deadly fentanyl and weapons in Seattle’s University District posed a clear and present danger to the entire community,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The collaborative efforts of our federal prosecutors along with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners resulted in the dismantlement of this drug trafficking organization and brought us one step closer towards making America Fentanyl Free. DEA is committed to protect the United States from synthetic opioids by disrupting the fentanyl supply chain, reducing its availability, and saving American lives.” The month-long telephone intercepts of Saho’s phone revealed he was one of the most prolific distributors of fentanyl within the drug trafficking group. Even after law enforcement seized 5,000 pills from Saho in a traffic stop, wiretap intercepts show he was wholly undeterred and continued to traffic fentanyl through the end of the interception period. In the yearlong investigation, law enforcement seized 200,000 fentanyl pills, four kilograms of cocaine, 60 firearms, several Glock “switches,” multiple suppressors, and $250,000 in cash drug trafficking proceeds. Members of the drug ring have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from four years to ten years. Cooper Sherman, aka “Coop,” 28, of Seattle, who was a leader in the organization, was sentenced in November 2025 to ten years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Khaliil Ahmed, aka “Bossup,” 28, of Kent was sentenced in August 2025 to six years in prison for two counts of illegally possessing firearms. He was identified as a member of a drug trafficking conspiracy. He was injured in a fatal hookah bar shooting in South Seattle on August 20, 2023. Yohannes Wondimagegnehu, aka “Jon,” 36, of Seattle was sentenced in August 2025 to six years in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He helped staff an apartment on the edge of Seattle’s University District that was a known drug distribution location. Dominique Sanders, 35, of Everett, who served as a redistributor in the organization, was sentenced in September 2025 to six years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Jaquan Means, 46, of Bellevue, who brokered at least two fentanyl transactions, was sentenced in December 2025 to six years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Oche Poston, 32, of Everett, who served as a runner for several fentanyl transactions and conducted other drug trafficking related activities at the direction of leaders within the organization, was sentenced in September 2025 to five and a half years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Patrick Smith, 28, of Seattle, who served as a redistributor in the organization, was sentenced in August 2025 to four years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Anteneh Tesfaye, 41, of Edmonds was sentenced in December 2025 to four years in prison for one count of illegally possessing a firearm. He was a drug redistributor who was supplied by one of the leaders of the drug trafficking organization. At today’s sentencing Lamin Saho was ordered to serve four years of supervised release following his six-year prison term. However, he is a citizen of The Gambia who does not have immigration status in the U.S. and will likely be removed following his prison term. This investigation 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 Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with significant participation by Seattle Police Department (SPD), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington State Patrol (WSP), FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, U.S. Border Patrol, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Bellevue Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Everett Police Department, Renton Police Department, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Washington State National Guard, Washington State Gambling Commission, Yakima County Law Enforcement Against Drugs (L.E.A.D) Narcotics and Gang Task Force, and Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Jensen and Joseph Silvio.


title: Cape Coral Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing and Accessing Child Sexual Abuse Images and Videos

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – Jason Allen Henning (43, Cape Coral) was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell to 10 years in federal prison for possessing and accessing with intent to view images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. He pleaded guilty on July 9, 2025. Henning was also sentenced to a life term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, from April 2022 through January 2024, Henning knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view child sex abuse material that he had searched for, downloaded, and saved from the internet. In 2013, Henning was convicted in federal court of distributing material involving the sexual exploitation of minors. In 2021, Henning began serving his then life term of supervised release. On January 19, 2024, while Henning was on supervised release and subject to a search of his residence, officer from U.S. Probation conducted a search of Henning’s residence and located unauthorized devices. A subsequent forensic preview of the devices revealed files depicting child sexual abuse material and the FBI was contacted to further investigate. Pursuant to a search warrant, the FBI seized and conducted a forensic analysis on Henning’s devices, which revealed images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Oregon Mother and Daughter Facing New Charges Related to Forced Labor and Health Care Fraud

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A grand jury in Oregon yesterday returned a superseding indictment charging a mother and daughter from Tigard, Oregon, with 12-counts of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and forced labor. The indictment alleges that Marie Gertrude Jean Valmont, 67, and Yolandita Marie Andre, 31, coerced the labor and services of three victims, including a minor victim, to work for little or no pay in an adult foster care home. Valmont has separately been charged with confiscating the documents of the victims to compel their labor and services, along with engaging in healthcare fraud by participating in a conspiracy with Andre to request Medicaid “exceptional payments” for additional paid hours for employees while paying the victim employees little to nothing for their labor, lying about the victims’ residence in the home, and falsifying a disability claim for herself that allowed Andre to be paid hourly for providing care to her as a Homecare Worker. Andre and Valmont have also been charged with making multiple false statements regarding healthcare fraud for the same behavior. According to court documents, Valmont and Andre, the owners and operators of Velida’s Home Care in Tigard, allegedly recruited the three victims to travel from Haiti to the United States to work with promises of a nice place to live, and steady and reliable work. Upon their arrival in September 2023, all three were compelled to work long, difficult hours for little to no pay at Velida’s Home Care. Valmont took the victims’ immigration paperwork and controlled practically every aspect of their daily living, which compelled them to work as caregivers in the home. The victims continued working under threats of serious harm until the minor victim disclosed their situation to a medical professional in the summer of 2024. At that point, the Oregon Department of Justice authorities commenced an investigation. In addition, the defendants allegedly requested and received payments from the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) and Medicaid by falsely claiming they needed to pay additional and current employees for more hours for foster care residents with exceptional care needs. Instead of paying the three victims a proper hourly wage, the defendants instead kept the money they obtained from the ODHS and Medicare by paying them little or nothing. Finally, Andre also stated under penalty of perjury that she served as Valmont’s caregiver and submitted claims purporting to be Valmont’s caregiver during times when Andre was either not with Valmont or Valmont was working with others. Moreover, Valmont alleged she was disabled and required Andre’s care while also holding herself out to ODHS as a purported caregiver herself. Committing forced labor and conspiracy to commit health care fraud are each punishable by a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison per count of conviction and force labor requires mandatory restitution. Making a false statement related to health care fraud is punishable by up to five years in federal prison per count of conviction. The FBI investigated the case with assistance from Tigard Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliza Carmen Rodriguez for the District of Oregon and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case. Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org . Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking . An indictment is only an accusation of a crime. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Florida Laboratory Owner Pleads Guilty to $52M Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Genetic Tests

body_text: A Florida man pleaded guilty on Jan. 15 for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting over $52 million in false and fraudulent claims for genetic testing that Medicare beneficiaries did not need and that were based on prescriptions purchased through illegal kickbacks and bribes. According to court documents, Sean Alterman, 38, of Lake Worth, Florida, owned and operated two laboratories, Live Beyond Medical MGMT, LLC and Dynix Diagnostics LLC, through which he purchased doctors’ orders for expensive genetic testing from patient recruiters. The patient recruiters ran deceptive telemarketing campaigns that targeted Medicare beneficiaries and persuaded them to agree to take the tests to justify the fraudulent billing. As part of the scheme, the patient recruiters used a tactic known as “doctor chasing” – faxing physicians false and misleading requests for prescriptions designed to trick them into signing off on tests their patients did not need. The faxes and accompanying materials falsely stated, among other things, that the prescription requests were made on behalf a mutual patient. But they were generated by call centers that deceived the Medicare beneficiaries to agree to the tests without being examined or treated by physicians for the diseases underlying the tests. Alterman’s laboratories billed approximately $52 million to Medicare for the false and fraudulent claims, of which Medicare paid approximately $36 million. Alterman made roughly $5.5 million from the scheme, much of which he received through shell companies he owned called Shivv LLC and Shank LLC. As part of his plea agreement, Alterman agreed to forfeit his Lake Worth estate and a 2022 Rolls Royce Ghost purchased with money traceable to the scheme: Alterman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to offer and pay kickbacks. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16 and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chris Caldwell of the FBI; and Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement. The FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Reginald Cuyler Jr. and Aisha Schafer Hylton of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadya Cheatham for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $9,726,475.43 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2025

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: Kansas City, Mo. – U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price announced today that the Western District of Missouri collected more than $9.7 million in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2025. Of this amount, $9,042,015.71 was collected in criminal actions and $684,459.72 was collected in civil actions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Missouri, working with partner agencies and divisions, also collected $5,514,787 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2025. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. “The attorneys and support staff in our Monetary Penalties Unit (MPU) are committed to collecting on behalf of victims of crime and taxpayers,” Price said. “Through the MPU’s diligent efforts, victims of crime have received restitution for what they lost at the hands of criminal defendants. In the Western District of Missouri, defendants do not – and will not – profit from their illegal activities.” Additionally, the Western District of Missouri worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $8,624,051.35 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $52,264.86 was collected in criminal actions and $8,571,786.49 was collected in civil actions. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.


title: Former NATO Official and Turkish Defense Contractor Indicted for Bribery Scheme Related to Military Contracts

body_text: An indictment filed in the District of Columbia was unsealed on Saturday charging a Turkish national and a German national for an alleged bribery scheme involving contracts with the U.S. military and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO is a military alliance of which the United States is a member nation. “These defendants allegedly engaged in a years-long bribery scheme that tainted construction contracts with the U.S. military and our allies,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Integrity in federal contracting is vital to ensuring a fair competitive process and protecting the public fisc. These charges demonstrate the department’s mission to eliminate corruption that skews procurement contracts away from the best bidder and toward those who can bribe insiders for preferential treatment.” "With a global reach and formidable enforcement tools, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and its partner agencies are committed to pursuing those who exploit the American taxpayer," said Special Agent in Charge Stanley A. Newell of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DOD-OIG-DCIS) Transnational Operations Field Office. "As the criminal investigative arm of the DoD Office of Inspector General, DCIS is dedicated to protecting the integrity of the U.S. military procurement system. Our investigators and analysts work diligently to bring to justice anyone attempting to corrupt this vital process." “This indictment is a significant step forward in our relentless pursuit of integrity within the procurement processes that support our military and NATO operations,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven Ausfeldt of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Europe Field Office. “Our collaboration with DOD-OIG-DCIS, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the FBI, and our international partners underscores our shared commitment to combat corruption in all its forms.” “These charges demonstrate that the FBI is committed to investigating activity that manipulates U.S. contracts and ultimately imposes additional, unnecessary costs on American taxpayers," said Acting Assistant Director Mark Remily of the FBI's Criminal Division. "The FBI will work tirelessly to hold the individuals who engage in this type of corruption accountable, no matter where they are.” According to the indictment, Bahadir Hatipoglu, 50, who resides near Klaipėda, Lithuania, is the owner of companies that received construction contracts with NATO and the U.S. military. Ralf Grywnow, 70, who resides in Zagnańsk, Poland, is a former NATO procurement official. The two men allegedly engaged in a scheme in which Hatipoglu bribed Grywnow in various ways, including by providing Grywnow with cash, a romantic encounter with a woman in Dubai and assistance in constructing and furnishing a house for Grywnow in Poland. In exchange, Grywnow allegedly helped Hatipoglu get contracts with the U.S. military by providing him with falsified reviews that favorably appraised Hatipoglu’s companies’ work with NATO. Grywnow also provided Hatipoglu with preferential treatment in overseeing contracts that Hatipoglu had or sought to obtain with NATO and gave Hatipoglu confidential information related to bids for NATO construction contracts. Hatipoglu and Grywnow were arrested in Lithuania and Poland, respectively, pursuant to provisional arrest warrants. The U.S. Department of Justice is working with Lithuanian and Polish authorities to extradite both defendants to the United States, where they are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. If convicted of any of the charges, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. DOD-OIG-DCIS, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI are investigating the case. Polish and Lithuanian authorities provided significant assistance pursuant to legal assistance treaties with the United States. Trial Attorneys Dermot Lynch, Shy Jackson and Patrick Brown of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Substantial assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law


title: Moscow Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: COEUR D’ALENE – Cameron James Kittell, 21, of Moscow, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. According to court records, in early 2024, law enforcement received a CyberTip from a social media provider indicating that somebody was using their service to transmit or possess CSAM. Using legal process, including numerous search warrants, law enforcement ultimately identified Kittell as the subject of the CyberTip and discovered that Kittell had distributed CSAM on multiple social media platforms. In July 2024, law enforcement located Kittell in Moscow, Idaho and arrested him. On Kittell’s phone, law enforcement found over 500 images and 60 videos depicting apparent CSAM. Forensic evidence showed that the Defendant had paid money to online traffickers for CSAM. Later investigation revealed that the Defendant was seeking childcare jobs online and had been messaging an individual about a childcare job hours before his arrest. Chief District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Kittell to serve 25 years of supervised release following his prison sentence and ordered him to pay $6,000 in restitution to the victims depicted in the materials he possessed. Kittell will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction. U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the Moscow Police Department, the Lewiston Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Johnson prosecuted this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) of the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. ###


title: Montana Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murder-For-Hire Conspiracy, Tampering With A Witness By Killing, Stalking Resulting In Death, And Firearm And Drug Charges

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: RENO – A Missoula, Montana, man was sentenced today to life in prison by United States District Judge Miranda Du following his conviction for killing two people, and firearm and marijuana trafficking charges. “There were no bounds on the defendant’s cruel and violent actions,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “There is no parole in the federal system. The defendant will never walk outside of the prison walls. I want to thank our federal and local partners for relentlessly pursuing this case and ensuring justice for the families and community.” “This was a horrific act of targeted violence. Spurlock's callous and blatant disregard for human life was unconscionable,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Division. “The FBI will never stop pursuing those who threaten our communities' safety. Thanks to the tireless work of our FBI personnel in the Reno Resident Agency and our committed law enforcement partners, Spurlock was located, prosecuted, and will not harm another person in our community again.” According to court documents and evidence presented at a four-week jury trial, Cory Spurlock, and others were involved in an illegal, large scale marijuana distribution business based in Mound House, Nevada. During a marijuana transaction in Mound House, Nevada, on June 19, 2020, Jered Stefansky went missing. Stefansky had traveled to Mound House from Redding to pick up a large amount of cash. The last call from Stefansky’s cell phone was to a number associated with Spurlock and Spurlock became a person of interest in the investigation into Stefansky’s disappearance. Stefansky’s mother never gave up on trying to find her son and appeared on a podcast in late September of 2020 where she discussed her son’s disappearance and the people her son was involved with in the marijuana conspiracy, including Will Larsen and Spurlock. According to testimony, Spurlock listened to the podcast and believed Will Larsen, his partner in the marijuana business, was a rat and needed to die. Spurlock promised a co-conspirator payment for assistance in killing Larsen. In early November 2020, Spurlock traveled to Nevada and California with two co-conspirators. Spurlock and his co-conspirators stalked Larsen and his wife, Yesenia Arriaga Larsen, throughout the Reno and Carson City area and followed them to just outside Bridgeport, California. The Larsens were shot and stabbed to death on November 8, 2020, their bodies left on the side of US Highway 395. Spurlock was also convicted of robbery for stealing the money Will Larsen had in his wallet. Stefansky’s skeletal remains were found in March 2021, at the Rye Patch Recreation area in Pershing County, Nevada. Anthony Chrysanthis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division, which oversees Nevada, said, “This case exposed the ruthless nature of a drug criminal, whose streak of violence could not be quelled. Cory Spurlock, while running an illegal, large-scale marijuana distribution business, stopped at nothing to trample rivals or perceived threats. Today’s sentencing stops him from further terrorizing our neighborhoods. DEA is in lockstep with local and federal partners, who remain committed to safeguarding our communities from the type of violence ushered in by drug criminals.” “The violent actions conducted in this case are heinous,” said Special Agent in Charge John Wester, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). “Public safety is at the forefront of ATF’s mission. This sentencing marks a victory for justice and sends a clear warning to those who seek to orchestrate violence within our communities that their conduct will not be tolerated. Partnerships are the backbone of law enforcement. ATF will continue to work alongside our prosecutorial and law enforcement partners to ensure crimes of this nature are investigated and brought to justice.” Spurlock was convicted at trial in September 2025, of one-count each of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute over 1000 kilograms of marijuana; murder-for-hire conspiracy; tampering with a witness by killing; two-counts of stalking resulting in death, interference with commerce by robbery; and causing death through use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. First Assistant United States Attorney Chattah, FBI Special Agent in Charge Delzotto, DEA Special Agent in Charge Chrysanthis, and ATF Special Agent in Charge Wester made the announcement. The FBI Las Vegas Division, Mono County Sheriff’s Office, DEA, ATF, Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, Carson City Sheriff’s Office, and the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with significant assistance from the Salt Lake City FBI Office-Missoula Resident Agency. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Rachow, Penelope Brady, and Andrew Keenan prosecuted the case. ###


title: Eastern District of Wisconsin Recognizes National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that the Eastern District of Wisconsin joins the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) in observing National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and reaffirming the administration’s commitment to combating all forms of human trafficking and protecting survivors. “This Department of Justice is working tirelessly alongside our partners to dismantle human trafficking networks, help survivors, and protect vulnerable populations from being exploited,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. In the Eastern District of Wisconsin, those partners include fellow members of a law enforcement human trafficking task force headed by the FBI, as well as the multidisciplinary Wisconsin Human Trafficking Task Force, led by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. The investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases is both a national and a local district priority. Since the inception of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000, dozens of traffickers have been prosecuted in the Eastern District of Wisconsin for sex trafficking and forced labor. District court judges in the Eastern District of Wisconsin have often observed at sentencing hearings that trafficking cases are among the most serious of offenses charged in federal court, and the sentences imposed reflect this. One of the district’s more recent and significant sex trafficking trials was that of Samuel Spencer, a 52-year-old Milwaukee man convicted of trafficking numerous Milwaukee area women over a 15-year period by manipulating their cocaine and heroin dependencies, controlling them financially, and physically abusing them. Spencer was convicted at trial of all counts and sentenced to 45 years in federal prison. At sentencing, Chief Judge Pamela Pepper emphasized that Spencer had used some of the worst violence and coercive tactics that she had ever seen to deprive his victims of “their human agency.” The United States Attorney’s Office continues to prosecute human traffickers, including as recently as earlier this month when a grand jury indicted a 35-year-old Union Grove man, Hector Duarte, with sex trafficking and interstate transportation for prostitution. Duarte is alleged to have used force, threats of force, and fraud to cause an adult victim to engage in commercial sex acts between approximately May 31, 2025, and June 25, 2025, in Wisconsin and Illinois. Duarte is presumed innocent until proven guilty, but upon conviction, he would face a mandatory minimum 15 years and up to life in prison. Duarte was ordered detained pending his trial. U.S. Attorney Schimel observed, “human trafficking is the most insidious and difficult to uncover among the crimes we see. Coordination between federal, state and local law enforcement and social service providers is critical. Traffickers rob survivors of their very dignity by exploiting vulnerabilities like addiction, poverty, and the basic need for human connection. They often commit their crimes in plain sight right before our eyes, because survivors are terrified of seeking help based upon the extreme violence and psychological manipulation to which they are subjected. Each of us has a responsibility to educate ourselves about the threat, to protect those at risk of victimization, and to report known or suspected trafficking for investigation and intervention.” The National Human Trafficking Hotline number for tips and requests for assistance is 888-373-7888. This month, DOJ has designated heightened resources to fight and raise awareness about human trafficking. One of DOJ’s current nationwide initiatives, designed to assist in the financial recovery of sex trafficking survivors, is the Backpage Remission Program. This program allows victims who were advertised on commercial sex advertisement sites Backpage.com and CityXGuide.com, which were seized and shuttered by DOJ in 2018 and 2020 respectively, to make claims for compensation. More information can be found here . Petition forms are due by March 31. The DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs is also soliciting grant applications to help communities combat human trafficking and to serve adults and children who have been victimized. Funding opportunities currently available are focused on housing assistance, integrated services for minor victims, prevention of the trafficking of girls, supporting survivor engagement in anti-trafficking programming, enhanced collaborative model task forces, improving outcomes for child and youth victims, and general trafficking victim services. More information can be found at here . # # # For further information contact: Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero (414) 297-1700 Follow us on X


title: The Southern District of Texas Denaturalizes Child Sex Offender

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: On Jan. 22, the Southern District of Texas, McAllen Division, issued an order revoking the citizenship of Mr. Carlos Noe Gallegos, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a child prior to naturalizing and, later, withheld disclosing his illegal acts and accompanying conviction throughout his naturalization process. Prior to naturalizing, Mr. Gallegos sexually assaulted a child younger than 14 years. Years after he naturalized, Mr. Gallegos pleaded guilty to the sexual assault, and the court issued an order of community supervision. Mr. Gallegos’s acts and his concealment of these material facts warranted the revocation of his 2010 naturalization under 8 U.S.C. § 1451. “American citizenship is a privilege that this child-abusing monster never should have been able to attain,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will continue ensuring that anyone who conceals such conduct while obtaining naturalization is found out and stripped of their citizenship.” “Safekeeping the integrity of our society demands that this Administration be allowed to denaturalize monsters who sexually abuse our children,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division The Southern District of Texas held that Mr. Gallego’s willful and knowing sexual contact with a child as described in sections 22.021(b)(1) and 22.011(c)(1) of the Texas Penal Code was a crime involving moral turpitude. Because Mr. Gallego’s criminal conduct reflected negatively upon his character, he illegally procured his citizenship when he was never eligible to naturalize and should not have been naturalized. This case was handled by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, after investigation by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations.


title: San Fernando Valley-Based Rehab Center and Owner Ordered to Pay More Than $1.5 Million to U.S. for Improper COVID-19 Business Loan

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A federal court has granted summary judgment to the United States against JMG Investments Inc., a Woodland Hills-based corporation that runs a rehabilitation center, and its owner, Jeffrey Schwartz, finding that they violated the False Claims Act when they knowingly received and retained more than one Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan prior to December 31, 2020, in violation of PPP rules. United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald on January 15 ordered Schwartz and his company to pay the United States a total of $1,565,294.38 in damages and penalties. “Every pandemic relief dollar improperly used was money other businesses needed to stay afloat,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “My office will continue tracking down individuals and companies who unlawfully took advantage of COVID-19 government aid.” “PPP loans were intended to provide critical relief to small businesses,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to pursuing those who knowingly violated the requirements of the PPP and obtained relief funds to which they were not entitled.” “The favorable ruling in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration working with the Department of Justice and other Federal law enforcement agencies to recover the product of this fraud as well as penalties,” said SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis. The PPP, an emergency loan program established by Congress in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), was intended to support small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. A borrower applying for a PPP loan was required to make multiple certifications relating to its eligibility and compliance with program rules. Among other things, PPP loan applicants in 2020 were required to certify that they would not receive more than one PPP loan prior to December 31, 2020. In August 2024, the United States filed a complaint against JMG Investments and Schwartz alleging that they violated the False Claims Act when Schwartz, on behalf of JMG Investments Inc., improperly received two PPP loans in 2020 in violation of PPP rules, and thereafter knowingly and improperly retained the proceeds of the duplicate loan. According to the government’s complaint, Schwartz and JMG Investments Inc. failed to repay the duplicate loan as they were required, which resulted in a loss to the SBA when it purchased the loan guaranty on the duplicate loan. The district court ruled that the United States had shown it was entitled to judgment on all claims asserted against the defendants and, accordingly, awarded the United States summary judgment. This judgment against JMG Investments Inc. and Jeffrey Schwartz resolves claims brought in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The United States may intervene in the action, as it did in this case. The amount of the whistleblower share in this case has not yet been determined. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Quesenberry v. JMG Investments, Inc., et al. , No. 20-cv-8497-MWF (ASx) (C.D. Cal.). The judgment obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel and Office of the Inspector General. This matter was handled by Trial Attorneys Jared S. Wiesner and Paden R. Gallagher of the Civil Division, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Paul La Scala of the Civil Division’s Civil Fraud Section. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by visiting the webpage of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, which can be found here . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can also report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Bakersfield Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Kyle Matthew Lisman, 29, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possessing stolen mail, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, between January and July 2023, Lisman devised a scheme to steal victim identities to defraud them. In July 2023, he used the name, social security number, and other personal information of another person to fraudulently buy a car at a Bakersfield car dealership. Under the victim’s identity, Lisman purportedly paid $40,000 to purchase the car on the dealership’s website before traveling to the dealership and picking it up. To do this, he presented the dealership with a fake driver’s license created from the victim’s actual driver’s license information but with Lisman’s picture. Lisman also caused other peoples’ mail to be forwarded to his home by filing and submitting fraudulent change of address forms for the mail recipients. In September 2023, Lisman possessed several credit cards, checks, and debit cards in other peoples’ names. Between May and July 2023, he opened credit and debit cards in other peoples’ names and used those cards to withdraw thousands of dollars’ worth of cash and purchases. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case. Lisman is scheduled to be sentenced on April 20, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Lisman faces a statutorily required sentence of two years in prison, a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.


title: Justice Department Files Case to Revoke the Naturalization of Former Peruvian Army Commander

component: Civil Division

body_text: Today, the U.S. Department of Justice and the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the United States District Court in Miami, Florida, against Luis Miguel Fernandez Gaviola, a native of Peru who was charged with eight extra-judicial killings in Peru. Fernandez served as a Deputy in Charge of Infantry in the G-2 of the 31st Infantry Division of the Peruvian military. In this role, he commanded a unit that killed eight residents of the District of Pucará, Peru, in November 1989 based on the victims’ alleged membership in a certain political group, before coming to the United States in 1992 while hiding his horrific past actions. “No one who commits atrocities like these is entitled to the precious gift of U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We owe it to the American people to protect them from human rights violators who abuse positions of power, wherever they engaged in their offensive acts.” “United States citizenship is a profound privilege, reserved for those who obtain it honestly and in accordance with the law,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This civil action alleges that the defendant concealed material facts about his past, including involvement in grave human rights abuses, in order to obtain that privilege. While these are allegations only, our responsibility is clear: when credible evidence shows that citizenship may have been procured through fraud or concealment, the Department of Justice will act to protect the integrity of our immigration system and the rule of law.” In 2003, when he applied for adjustment of status as a permanent resident of the United States, he falsely stated under penalty of perjury that he had no foreign military service and that he had never participated in the killing of anyone because of their political opinion. When he applied for naturalization as a U.S. citizen four years later, he falsely testified under oath that he was never involved in persecution based on political opinion and had never given false or misleading information to any U.S. government official while applying for any immigration benefit. The case was investigated by the Human Rights Violator Law Division, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and will be litigated by the Affirmative Litigation Unit of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Methamphetamine Through the U.S. Mail and at Trolley Creek Park in Fresno

body_text: Isaac James Ocejo, 22, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, between July 2023 and October 2024, Ocejo mailed several packages containing controlled substances, including methamphetamine and fentanyl, from post offices in Fresno to addresses in other states. In total, Ocejo and others shipped more than 10 kilograms of methamphetamine. Ocejo and others also sold large amounts of methamphetamine in Fresno. In September 2024, they brought 15 pounds of methamphetamine packaged in 1-pound bags to sell in Trolley Creek Park in Fresno and sold 10 pounds of methamphetamine in broad daylight. Ocejo and co-defendant Isaac Joseph Estrada were indicted and charged with 18 drug-trafficking related counts. Estrada pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 46 months in prison on Nov. 7, 2025. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case. Ocejo is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on April 20, 2026. Ocejo faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. The actual sentence, however, will 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.


title: Third Defendant Involved in Amarillo Cockfighting Ring Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: A third defendant involved in an Amarillo cockfighting ring was sentenced to nearly a year in federal prison last Friday, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. Salvador Sanchez Chavez, 49, pled guilty in July 2025 to the federal offense of Attending an Animal Fighting Venture related to a February 10, 2024, cockfight at an Amarillo property. He was sentenced on January 23, 2026, to 11 months in federal prison. In February 2025, Chavez and two others, Ivan Herrera Lopez, 45, and Jaime Gamez Resendiz, 34, were indicted for their roles in the animal fighting venture after committing or conspiring to commit acts forbidden by the federal Animal Welfare Act. Lopez pled guilty in July 2025 to Conspiracy to Engage in an Animal Fighting Venture and was sentenced to eight months in federal prison and a $10,000 fine in late October 2025. Resendiz pled guilty in July 2025 to Unlawful Use of Interstate Instrumentality for Promoting or Furthering an Animal Fighting Venture and was also sentenced in late October to eight months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk sentenced each of the three defendants. “Cockfighting is not a sport. It is flat out cruel,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This prosecution and the sentences reflect the seriousness of the defendants’ crimes against animals. Credit to our law enforcement partners for saving these animals before more harm could be done.” “Savagely pitting defenseless animals against each other for sport, gambling or personal enjoyment is cruel and sadistic, and the illicit proceeds are often used to fuel other transnational criminal activity,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “Working alongside our state and local law enforcement partners and the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, we were able to dismantle the criminal organization responsible for operating this illegal gambling operation, hold the criminal illegal aliens who ran it accountable, and rescue the animals from certain death.” According to court documents, deputies from the Potter County Sheriff’s Office responded to complaints of possible illegal activity taking place at a property in Amarillo on February 10, 2024. When they arrived, they observed cockfighting, multiple dead roosters, over 160 live fighting roosters, metal blades or talons used to affix to the roosters’ feet for fighting, syringes and medications used to boost the roosters’ adrenaline before a fight, a marker board for documenting bets, and other items indicative of a cockfighting operation. Court records reflect that Lopez owned the Amarillo property on which he hosted the February 2024 cockfighting derby. He also bred, housed, fed, or sold roosters for the purpose of fighting. Plea documents show that Chavez brought two roosters to Lopez’s property that day to fight, along with blades to be used for cockfighting. Chavez also previously traveled to New Mexico for other cockfighting events and possessed and produced photographs of dead roosters, photos of steroids for animals, and videos of cockfighting on his phone. Additionally, court records show that Resendiz owned a vehicle outfitted to transport roosters, transported roosters to the February event on Lopez’s property, and attended the event. Messages on Lopez's phone included discussions between Lopez and Resendiz about cockfighting derby dates and locations dating back to 2022. The roosters were all collected by Texas Game Wardens and members of the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Amarillo and taken for further care and evaluation. All three defendants are Mexican nationals and entered the United States illegally. As a result of their convictions, each of the defendants is subject to removal from the United States. Homeland Security Investigations, Dallas Field Office (Amarillo Resident Agency), the Potter County Sheriff’s Office, Texas State Game Wardens, the Amarillo Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation along with support from the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Woolam, Anna Marie Bell, and Joshua Frausto (fmr.) prosecuted the case.


component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.— A grand jury in Oregon last Wednesday returned a superseding indictment charging a mother and daughter from Tigard, Oregon, with 12-counts of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and forced labor. The indictment alleges that Marie Gertrude Jean Valmont, 67, and Yolandita Marie Andre, 31, coerced the labor and services of three victims, including a minor victim, to work for little or no pay in an adult foster care home. Valmont has separately been charged with confiscating the documents of the victims to compel their labor and services, along with engaging in healthcare fraud by participating in a conspiracy with Andre to request Medicaid “exceptional payments” for additional paid hours for employees while paying the victim employees little to nothing for their labor, lying about the victims’ residence in the home, and falsifying a disability claim for herself that allowed Andre to be paid hourly for providing care to her as a Homecare Worker. Andre and Valmont have also been charged with making multiple false statements regarding healthcare fraud for the same behavior. According to court documents, Valmont and Andre, the owners and operators of Velida’s Home Care in Tigard, allegedly recruited the three victims to travel from Haiti to the United States to work with promises of a nice place to live, and steady and reliable work. Upon their arrival in September 2023, all three were compelled to work long, difficult hours for little to no pay at Velida’s Home Care. Valmont took the victims’ immigration paperwork and controlled practically every aspect of their daily living, which compelled them to work as caregivers in the home. The victims continued working under threats of serious harm until the minor victim disclosed their situation to a medical professional in the summer of 2024. At that point, the Oregon Department of Justice authorities commenced an investigation. In addition, the defendants allegedly requested and received payments from the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) and Medicaid by falsely claiming they needed to pay additional and current employees for more hours for foster care residents with exceptional care needs. Instead of paying the three victims a proper hourly wage, the defendants instead kept the money they obtained from the ODHS and Medicare by paying them little or nothing. Finally, Andre also stated under penalty of perjury that she served as Valmont’s caregiver and submitted claims purporting to be Valmont’s caregiver during times when Andre was either not with Valmont or Valmont was working with others. Moreover, Valmont alleged she was disabled and required Andre’s care while also holding herself out to ODHS as a purported caregiver herself. Committing forced labor and conspiracy to commit health care fraud are each punishable by a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison per count of conviction and force labor requires mandatory restitution. Making a false statement related to health care fraud is punishable by up to five years in federal prison per count of conviction. The FBI investigated the case with assistance from Tigard Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliza Carmen Rodriguez for the District of Oregon and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case. Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org . Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking . An indictment is only an accusation of a crime. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty .


title: Tohono O'odham Woman Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Child Abuse Resulting in Death

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Stacie Marie Narcho, 47, of Sells, Arizona, was sentenced on Jan. 22, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 15 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Narcho previously pleaded guilty to Child Abuse. According to court records, on or about Nov. 8–9, 2022, on the Tohono O’odham Nation, Stacie Narcho knowingly and intentionally provided a minor with methamphetamine and fentanyl. As a direct result of Narcho’s actions, the victim overdosed and later died. “This case is a stark reminder of the irreversible harm caused when adults expose children to dangerous drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “A young life was lost, and a family was forever changed. The District of Arizona will continue to hold individuals accountable when their choices place vulnerable children at risk and undermine the safety of our communities.” "People who provide highly addictive and deadly drugs, such as methamphetamine and fentanyl, to our youth will face the harshest extent of the law for their actions. This epidemic hurts families, communities, and in this case, took the life of a child," said FBI Phoenix Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Hooper. “We hope this sentence sends a message to anyone who harms our youth, that the FBI will pursue heartless criminals and ensure justice is served.” The FBI, Tucson office, and the Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Walters, District of Arizona’s Tucson office, prosecuted the case. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00440-SHR-JR RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-008_Narcho # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Today, the U.S. Department of Justice and the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the United States District Court in Miami, Florida, against Luis Miguel Fernandez Gaviola, a native of Peru who was charged with eight extra-judicial killings in Peru. Fernandez served as a Deputy in Charge of Infantry in the G-2 of the 31st Infantry Division of the Peruvian military. In this role, he commanded a unit that killed eight residents of the District of Pucará, Peru, in November 1989 based on the victims’ alleged membership in a certain political group, before coming to the United States in 1992 while hiding his horrific past actions. “No one who commits atrocities like these is entitled to the precious gift of U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We owe it to the American people to protect them from human rights violators who abuse positions of power, wherever they engaged in their offensive acts.” “United States citizenship is a profound privilege, reserved for those who obtain it honestly and in accordance with the law,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This civil action alleges that the defendant concealed material facts about his past, including involvement in grave human rights abuses, in order to obtain that privilege. While these are allegations only, our responsibility is clear: when credible evidence shows that citizenship may have been procured through fraud or concealment, the Department of Justice will act to protect the integrity of our immigration system and the rule of law.” In 2003, when he applied for adjustment of status as a permanent resident of the United States, he falsely stated under penalty of perjury that he had no foreign military service and that he had never participated in the killing of anyone because of their political opinion. When he applied for naturalization as a U.S. citizen four years later, he falsely testified under oath that he was never involved in persecution based on political opinion and had never given false or misleading information to any U.S. government official while applying for any immigration benefit. The case was investigated by the Human Rights Violator Law Division, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and will be litigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and the Affirmative Litigation Unit of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation. The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. ###


title: Federal Law Enforcement Executing Search Warrants at Phoenix Locations as Part of a Long-Term Investigation

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX – As part of a months-long criminal investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Arizona, in coordination with other federal partners, is in the process of serving federal search warrants at 15 locations throughout the Phoenix area, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. The search warrants were authorized based on information presented to a federal judge and are being executed as part of a criminal investigation into felony violations of federal law. Additional information will be forthcoming over the next few days as evidence is gathered, reviewed and evaluated for charging as appropriate. This is an ongoing investigation, and information is limited at this time. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Homeland Security Investigations and other federal law enforcement entities in Arizona remain committed to protecting the public and the homeland, upholding the rule of law, and defending the interests of the American people. RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-009_Federal Search Warrants For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Judge finds Billings man guilty of felon in possession of a firearm

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

body_text: BILLINGS – A Billings man who possessed a firearm following a felony conviction was found guilty by a federal judge today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Following a 1-day trial, Cody Lloyd Smith, 42, was found guilty of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The penalties for that crime are up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for May 28, 2026. The government alleged in court documents and at trial that Smith and three others were traveling in Carbon County, Montana on December 8, 2023. Smith was driving. A Carbon County Sheriff’s deputy clocked Smith going 91 mph in a 65-mph zone and pulled him over. The deputy thought Smith might be under the influence and eventually ran his trained K-9 around the car. The dog hit on the car and the deputy seized it and conducted a search on December 9, 2023, the day after the traffic stop. He seized several items, including a Taurus, 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Smith is prohibited from possessing firearms based on his felony conviction in Nevada in 2016 for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Yerger prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF.


title: Eastern District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle Recognizes National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: New Orleans – Today the Eastern District of Louisiana (EDLA) observes National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and joins the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) in reaffirming the administration’s commitment to combating all forms of human trafficking and protecting victims and survivors. Human Trafficking Prevention Month presents an opportunity for DHS and DOJ, through Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF), to intensify operational efforts, raise public awareness, and strengthen partnerships across federal, state, and local agencies to disrupt trafficking networks, protect vulnerable individuals, and ensure traffickers are brought to justice. “This Department of Justice is working tirelessly alongside our partners to dismantle human trafficking networks, help survivors, and protect vulnerable populations from being exploited,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under this administration we have seen an increase in human trafficking prosecutions, and during Human Trafficking Prevention Month we reaffirm our commitment to prosecuting traffickers and encourage Americans to report instances of human trafficking in their communities.” “Through the Homeland Security Task Force, President Trump is taking the fight directly to human trafficking networks and disrupting their modern-day slave trade while seizing their assets and arresting their kingpins and foot soldiers. The American people should not have to live in fear of cartels, gang bangers, and foreign terrorists preying upon the most vulnerable among us,” the United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement. “The Homeland Security Task Force is the largest coordinated campaign against transnational criminal organizations in U.S. history, and I’m proud to co-lead it with Attorney General Bondi.” “During Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the FBI reiterates our work with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and national victim-based advocacy groups in joint task forces to protect our communities across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The horrifying reach of human trafficking spreads far and wide. Homeland Security Task Forces are fighting back to disrupt these perilous networks and put a stop to that reach. The FBI will continue our investigations and bring justice to those exploited by human traffickers. “Human trafficking is a heinous crime that preys on society’s most vulnerable members,” said U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. “Although these crimes typically operate in the shadows, human trafficking can also occur in plain sight. Sadly, it often goes undetected and unreported because victims live in fear of physical abuse, threats, extortion, and other forms of intimidation. Our office, along with a committed team of federal, state, and local law enforcement, supported by engaged community partners, will continue to identify, investigate, and prosecute perpetrators of this insidious crime, and hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” In January 2025, “Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. Section 6 of this order directed the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to jointly establish HSTFs in every state nationwide. The HSTF objective is to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) throughout the United States; dismantle cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks; end the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking, with a particular focus on such offenses involving children; and ensure the use of all available law enforcement tools to faithfully execute the immigration laws of the United States. Since January 20, 2025, the Eastern District of Louisiana has had the following achievements: On December 10, 2025, following a three-day trial led by Human Trafficking Coordinator Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni, a federal jury convicted a 37-year-old New Orleans schoolteacher of Sex Trafficking a sixteen-year-old girl, and of Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Prostitution. On August 13, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted two adult males with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a fifteen-year-old girl, interstate transportation of a minor for unlawful sexual activity, and interstate transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises. On May 15, 2025, Human Trafficking Coordinator Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni charged two women in a Bill of Information for their roles in trafficking a fifteen-year-old girl from Texas to Kenner, Louisiana for commercial sex. AUSA Carboni secured guilty pleas from both defendants. On February 11, 2025, a federal judge sentenced a 25-year-old man to 22.5 years in prison for his role in sex trafficking three minors and two adults through violent beatings and death threats. On May 28, 2025, a federal judge sentenced a 28-year-old man to seventeen years in prison, for sex trafficking a seventeen-year-old victim to New Orleans, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and Houston, Texas, and then boasting about it on social media. On March 12, 2025, a federal judge sentenced a 29-year-old man to eighteen years in prison for sex trafficking a fourteen-year-old girl from Memphis, Tennessee to New Orleans, Louisiana, advertising online her availability for sex, and lying to the victim’s mother about the girl’s whereabouts. In January 2026, DHS and DOJ are surging resources to fight and raise awareness about human trafficking, including: Identifying ongoing investigations and prioritizing featured operations across 45 federal locations and 10 state locations with an emphasis on border states. Coordinating with FBI Human Trafficking Squads and multi-agency Human Trafficking Task Forces to conduct victim recovery. Partnering with AMTRAK and FAMS to increase law enforcement resources and distribute posters with QR codes for reporting human trafficking in all station bathrooms and trains. Running advertisements related to $250 million recovery from Backpage to distribute to victims and additional victim restitution efforts by DOL-OIG. Organizing Human Trafficking seminars and outreach events with DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking at high schools and colleges to highlight the role of HSTFs in addressing human trafficking. On August 25, 2025, HSTF officially launched its effort to protect the Homeland with a September Surge encompassing 400 operations nationwide. In just 43 days, HSTF nationwide operations resulted in 3,266 arrests and seizures including: 1,041 Sinaloa members, 856 Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (“CJNG”) members, 641 MS-13 members, 456 Tren de Aragua members, 1,067 weapons More than $3,250,000 in currency Approximately 91 metric tons of narcotics


title: Fresno Baker Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for SNAP Fraud

body_text: Jorge Luis Rivera, 56, of Fresno, was sentenced today to three years in prison and ordered to pay $3,499,999 in restitution for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud offenses, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, beginning in 2011 and continuing through August 2018, Rivera, the then-owner of El Ranchito Bakery in Fresno, exchanged Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for cash and also accepted SNAP benefits for unauthorized items at the request of customers. Rivera, in exchanging SNAP benefits for cash, did so at significant discount and thereby pocketed millions in ill-gotten profits. Rivera’s sentence was also enhanced as he directed the participation of two lower-level employees of the bakery who engaged in the fraud. The two employees pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and were sentenced last year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chan Hee Chu and Joseph Barton prosecuted the case.


title: Court Sentences Drug Smugglers Caught On The High Seas With Over 1,800 Kilograms Of Cocaine

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: On January 16, 2026, United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced three co-defendants for smuggling approximately 1,828 kilograms of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean following their prior guilty pleas on the charges. Judge Moorer sentenced Wilson Robert Mero-Castro to 108 months’ imprisonment, Ruben Wilson Mero-Vera to 108 months’ imprisonment, and Gabriel Cruz-Joya to 120 months’ imprisonment for their roles in the drug smuggling. Denny Andres Mero Anchundia was previously sentenced to 235 months’ imprisonment. Co-defendant David Alonzo Uribe-Mendoza remains to be sentenced. Court documents show that on March 3, 2025, while on routine patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, United States Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Kimball detected a vessel that was suspected of smuggling drugs. The vessel was without nationality in international waters, had visible packages onboard, fuel barrels on deck, and three outboard engines. The Kimball intercepted the drug smuggling vessel, which became compliant following USCG presence. The USCG boarding team confirmed the packages on board were consistent with cocaine. The boarding team then transferred the six individuals onboard and the cocaine back to the Kimball. Once onboard, the boarding team was able to determine the weight of the cocaine was approximately 1,828 kilograms and the six crew members were brought the United States and charged under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello made the announcement. The case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney George F. May prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case was prosecuted as a part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Five Defendants Plead Guilty To Participating In Federal Drug Conspiracy

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that five defendants in a drug conspiracy investigation entered guilty pleas in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. On December 15, 2025, JORDAN RACHELLE HERBERT, a/k/a Jordon Rachelle Herbert, age 35, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Drug Conspiracy, punishable by a minimum of 10 years to life in prison, and a $10,000,000 fine. On January 20, 2026, WALLACE LORENZO KEMP, age 42, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Drug Conspiracy, punishable by punishable by a minimum of 10 years to life in prison, and a $10,000,000 fine. On January 20, 2026, ASHLEY BROOKE ENYART, age 35, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Drug Conspiracy, punishable by punishable by a minimum of 10 years to life in prison, and a $10,000,000 fine. On January 22, 2026, WHITNEY JANELLE JONES, age 35, of Carter County, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Drug Conspiracy, punishable by punishable by a minimum of 10 years to life in prison, and a $10,000,000 fine. On January 22, 2026, TAYVAUGHN LASHAWN CRUMP, a/k/a Bleu Strreet, age 26, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to a one count Felony Information of Drug Conspiracy, punishable by a minimum of 5 years and up to a maximum of 40 years in prison, and a $5,000,000 fine. The Indictment alleged that beginning in or about August 2023, and continuing until May 14, 2025, Kemp, Herbert, Enyart, and Jones knowingly and intentionally conspired to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and that, as further alleged in a Felony Information, Crump participated in the conspiracy to knowingly and intentionally distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. To achieve the object of their conspiracy, the defendants: acquired and arranged for the transport of fentanyl into the Eastern District of Oklahoma; maintained locations and premises in Carter County, Oklahoma, where they divided the fentanyl for distribution; used electronic communications for purchase and distribution of fentanyl; used automobiles to facilitate the acquisition and distribution of fentanyl; sent and received proceeds derived from the sale of fentanyl via peer-to-peer money transfer applications; collected, stored, and transported sums of Untied States currency derived from the sale of fentanyl; and cultivated customer bases for the common overall goal of buying, selling, and otherwise possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics. The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the pleas and ordered the completion of presentence investigation reports. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentences to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Kemp, Herbert, Jones, and Crump will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Enyart will remain on bond with pretrial conditions of release pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.


title: Nassau County Detective Charged with Attempting to Sexually Exploit a Child

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Robert Sacco, a Nassau County Detective, age 38, of Huntington, New York, was charged yesterday by complaint with attempted sexual exploitation of a child. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Division Craig Tremaroli made the announcement. As alleged in the complaint, in October 2025, Sacco communicated with an undercover law enforcement officer over an online application and encrypted messaging for about four months. During those communications, Sacco expressed his sexual interest in children, discussed meeting the undercover officer and his purported 10-year-old daughter to sexually abuse her, and ejaculated on pictures of the undercover officer’s purported 10-year-old daughter. By January 2026, Sacco suggested video chatting with the undercover officer and the purported child so that Sacco could watch the undercover officer sexually abuse the child for Sacco’s sexual gratification. Sacco communicated with the undercover officer about the sex acts the undercover officer would engage in with the purported child. On January 23, 2026, Sacco signed into a video call on an encrypted application with the intent to watch the undercover officer engage in sexually explicit conduct with the purported 10-year-old child, including oral sex. When the undercover officer told Sacco that the purported child would not come out of her room, Sacco asked if the undercover officer wanted to “postpone.” “The allegations in this case describe a profound betrayal of public trust,” said Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “A sworn law enforcement officer is accused of using an online communications platform to pursue the sexual exploitation of a child and to facilitate horrific abuse for his own gratification. Let me be clear: anyone who preys on children—especially those entrusted to protect the public—will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. No badge, no position, and no title will shield a child predator from justice.” Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli stated: “The details of the allegations against Mr. Sacco are absolutely vile. As a member of law enforcement, Mr. Sacco allegedly broke the very laws he swore to uphold, and now he faces serious charges and significant time in federal prison. The FBI’s Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force will continue to use every resource available to swiftly identify, investigate, and bring to justice these dangerous predators looking to harm our most vulnerable.” Sacco appeared yesterday in Brooklyn, New York, before United States Magistrate Judge Marcia Henry and is detained pending his transfer to the Northern District of New York for an appearance at a later date. The charge filed against Sacco carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The FBI is investigating the case with the assistance of the Colonie Police Department and the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Vickey is prosecuting the case. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Two Area Men Indicted in Connection With Stolen Treasury Check Scheme

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ibrahim Tougouma, 24, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Tyler Glenn-Hayward, 21, of Pennsauken, New Jersey, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to steal government funds, two counts of bank fraud, and possession of stolen mail. Glenn-Hayward was also charged with four counts of theft of government funds. The indictment alleges that, from about May 2024 to August 2024, the defendants conspired, together and with others, to steal and convert to their own use Treasury checks issued by the federal government, to which Tougouma and Glenn-Hayward knew they were not entitled. It was part of the conspiracy, the indictment further alleges, that after coming into possession of stolen Treasury checks, Glenn-Hayward altered and counterfeited the stolen checks, including at Tougouma’s direction, and received payments from Tougouma through peer-to-peer payment apps for doing so. Specifically, on or about May 24, 2024, the indictment alleges that Tougouma, using a messaging app, sent Glenn-Hayward a photograph of a stolen Treasury check (“Check #1”), which had been issued by the Social Security Administration for victim M.O. in the amount of $15,926.25. Tougouma asked Glenn-Hayward to alter the payee information and provide a counterfeit of the valid Treasury check with the altered payee information for Check #1. Glenn-Hayward agreed to do so, stated his price, and, once Tougouma had paid him the $100, he produced and sent to Tougouma two .pdf files of the counterfeit Treasury check for Check #1, with the payee information altered as Tougouma had directed. On or about May 29, 2024, Tougouma caused the counterfeit Treasury check for Check #1 to be deposited at a financial institution via an ATM located in Wilmington, Delaware. The indictment further alleges that, on or about July 11, 2024, defendants Tougouma and Glenn-Hayward exchanged messages discussing the resale of Treasury checks and how to deposit the checks themselves. Glenn-Hayward directed Tougouma to send him a photo of a stolen Treasury check, and Tougouma sent an image of a stolen Treasury check issued by the Internal Revenue Service for victim G.M. in the amount of $173,194 (“Check #2”). Glenn-Hayward altered the payee information on Check #2, copying the rest of the check’s information. On or about July 12, 2024, Glenn-Hayward caused the counterfeit Treasury check for Check #2 to be deposited at a financial institution via an ATM located in Annapolis, Maryland. Additionally, the indictment alleges that, in April 2024, Glenn-Hayward stole and deposited four U.S. Treasury checks totaling more than $6,000 in government benefits to which he knew he wasn’t entitled. If convicted, Tougouma faces a maximum possible sentence of 70 years’ imprisonment and Glenn-Hayward faces a maximum possible sentence of 110 years’ imprisonment. This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. Indictment - U.S. v. Tougouma, et al


title: North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Charges Related to Creation and Distribution of Videos Depicting Animal Torture and Mutilation

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: A North Carolina man pleaded guilty yesterday to crimes based on his involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys. According to court documents, Robert Craig, of Charlotte, conspired with others to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos” which depicted acts of sadistic violence against baby and adult monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera. Craig signed a statement of facts saying he shared a video in which a monkey was mutilated, and other videos shared by the conspirators also depicted mutilation as well as sodomization of monkeys. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, and Assistant Director Doug Ault, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FBI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.


title: Cartel Member Convicted of Fentanyl Distribution and Obstruction

body_text: Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 22, 2026, Jose Cardenas-Salcido (age: 43), of Arizona, was convicted after a bench trial before the Honorable J.P. Stadtmueller of distribution of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A); use of the mail to facilitate a felony, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b); attempted obstruction involving physical violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(a)(2)(B)(i); and attempted obstruction involving corrupt persuasion, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(b)(1). According to the trial evidence, the investigation of Cardenas-Salcido began after law enforcement determined he was responsible for an October 2022 shipment containing over 5,000 pills containing fentanyl. At trial, witnesses described how Cardenas-Salcido supplied pills containing fentanyl to lower-level distributors selling in the Milwaukee metro area. The evidence also showed that the defendant was an admitted member of the Sinaloa cartel, with familial connections to the same. The evidence further showed that after Cardenas-Salcido was detained pending this trial, he attempted to obstruct justice, in multiple ways. First, the defendant offered to supply a fellow inmate with guns and drugs from the cartel, if that inmate would provide the defendant with false exculpatory affidavits. Next, the defendant offered a cartel connection to a different inmate, if that same inmate would kill the witnesses set to testify against him. And finally, the defendant attempted to intimidate the witnesses against him, by sending threatening letters, mentioning his cartel connections, to the witness’s families. In announcing his verdict, Judge Stadtmueller emphasized that this “stand out case” was only made possible by the “gum shoe detective work” of the lead case agent, a Detective Sergeant of the West Allis Police Department, and his colleagues. The defendant will be sentenced on April 24, 2026, by Judge Stadtmueller. This matter was investigated by the West Allis Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine Halopka-Ivery and Kevin Knight. # # # For further information contact: Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero (414) 297-1700 Follow us on X


title: New Braunfels Woman to Serve Prison Sentence, Pay Over $1.25 Million for Wire Fraud

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A New Braunfels woman was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $1.25 million in restitution for wire fraud. According to court documents, Telise Marie Armke, 56, befriended an elderly couple in 2019 and falsely claimed that she was going to receive funds from FEMA due to her home being in a flood zone. As part of her fraud scheme, Armke convinced the couple to “lend” her money to pay property taxes, pay off liens on her home, and pay insurance premiums for her home, as well as various filing fees, attorney’s fees and non-descript contract fees. Armke falsely told the couple that once the payments were made, FEMA would release the funds to her, and she would then pay back any money she received from the victims. In reality, Armke spent the majority of the funds at gas station casinos in and around New Braunfels. Armke was arrested on March 24, 2023, and charged with four counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She pleaded guilty on July 17, 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Orlando Garcia sentenced Armke to 30 months in federal prison and ordered her to pay the victims’ total loss of $1,251,206 in restitution. “Telise Armke is a predator, plain and simple,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “She pestered and harangued her way into the lives of her victims and conned them into giving her money they spent a lifetime earning. In the Western District, we’re committed to holding predators like Telise Armke accountable for their actions and to doing what we can to give their victims some sense of justice.” “The defendant exploited a relationship of trust to obtain money from an elderly couple by falsely presenting the theft as a disaster-related loan, abusing their kindness and good faith for personal gain,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “The FBI will continue to pursue fraudsters who exploit trust. We encourage the reporting of elder fraud to help identify patterns, stop offenders, and protect others, even when losses occur through personal relationships or informal loans.” The FBI investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Porier prosecuted the case. More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. If you believe you or someone you know may have been a victim of elder fraud, file a complaint at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov . For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov . ###


title: FLORIDA ATTORNEY’S RACKETEERING CONVICTION FOR DEFRAUDING NFL PLAYERS & OTHER CLIENTS AFFIRMED BY THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – On January 7, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of Phillip Timothy Howard, 64, of Tallahassee, Florida. Howard is serving a 14-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to racketeering (RICO) in 2023. The affirmance was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. United States Attorney Heekin said, “This defendant repeatedly violated the trust placed in him by his clients, enriching himself by defrauding them of millions of dollars, and continued to try to evade accountability for his crimes even after he was found guilty. As this appellate victory makes clear, my office not only zealously advocates for criminal fraud victims at trial, but also ensures our successful prosecutions stick and criminals are held fully accountable.” Court documents reflect between December 2015 and January 2018, Howard, a Florida attorney, used his Tallahassee law firm Howard & Associates, P.A., to commit wire fraud and money laundering through a racketeering enterprise. Howard defrauded several of his clients, including National Football League players, third-party litigation lenders, and a university professor. In all, Howard fraudulently obtained more than $12 million from his victims. Howard’s appellate attacks on the validity of his prior guilty plea, the total loss attributable to his fraud scheme, and the severity of his sentence were well-rebutted in briefs filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office defending the conviction and sentence. Judges on the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals fully agreed with the positions of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and affirmed the conviction and sentence in an unpublished opinion without requiring oral argument. This conviction was the result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigations, with assistance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Assistant United States Attorney Jordane New handled the appeal before the Eleventh Circuit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen and former Assistant United States Attorney David P. Byron. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .