title: CEO of Health Care Software Company Convicted of $1B Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A federal jury convicted the CEO of Power Mobility Doctor Rx, LLC (DMERx) for his role in operating a platform that generated false doctors’ orders to defraud Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs of more than $1 billion. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Gary Cox, 79, of Maricopa County, Arizona, and his co-conspirators targeted hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries who provided their personally identifiable information and agreed to accept medically unnecessary orthotic braces, pain creams, and other items through misleading mailers, television advertisements, and calls from offshore call centers. Cox and his co-conspirators owned, controlled, and operated DMERx, an internet-based platform that generated false and fraudulent doctors’ orders for these items. As part of the scheme, Cox connected pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, and marketers with telemedicine companies that would accept illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for signed doctors’ orders transmitted using the DMERx platform. Cox and his co-conspirators received payments for coordinating these illegal kickback transactions and referring the completed doctors’ orders to the DME suppliers, pharmacies, and telemarketers that paid kickbacks and bribes for the orders. The fraudulent doctors’ orders generated by DMERx falsely represented that a doctor had examined and treated the Medicare beneficiaries when in fact purported telemedicine companies paid doctors to sign the orders without regard to medical necessity, based only on a brief telephone call with the beneficiary or no interaction with the beneficiary at all. The DME suppliers and pharmacies that paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for these doctors’ orders billed Medicare and other insurers more than $1 billion. Medicare and the insurers paid more than $360 million based on these claims. According to evidence presented at trial, Cox and his co-conspirators concealed the scheme through sham contracts and by eliminating from doctors’ orders what one co-conspirator described as “dangerous words” that might cause Medicare to audit the scheme’s DME suppliers. “Medicare fraud undermines the integrity of our nation's most critical healthcare programs, which are relied upon by millions of patients, doctors and honest healthcare professionals.” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O'Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Fraud of this kind wastes taxpayer dollars and increases the cost of healthcare for all Americans. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will relentlessly pursue those who steal from taxpayers and exploit our healthcare system for their own personal gain” “The defendant orchestrated a scheme to defraud government health care benefit programs on a massive scale, creating fraudulent doctors’ orders used to bill insurers over $1 billion,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Americans are all too familiar with junk mail and spam calls that target seniors to steal their personal information and promote waste, fraud, and abuse in our economy. The Criminal Division will continue to aggressively prosecute health care fraud schemes to hold criminals accountable, protect the vulnerable, and recover financial losses.” “Fraud schemes perpetrated against veterans are abhorrent and will be thoroughly investigated,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to combat these schemes to ensure the integrity of VA’s healthcare programs for veterans and their families.” “The defendant deliberately exploited the federal health care system by prioritizing personal enrichment over the medical needs of vulnerable patients,” stated Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “By fraudulently billing the government for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, the defendant not only violated the law but also assaulted the public’s trust placed in health care providers. There is zero tolerance for those who abuse federal health care programs, and HHS-OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to ensure that individuals who engage in such egregious fraud are held fully accountable.” “Medicare fraud and other health care related frauds are, unfortunately, nothing new,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Mark McCormick of the FBI Miami Field Office. “As such, the FBI and our partners devote considerable resources to investigate, arrest, and prosecute those committing this fraud. The victims are U.S. taxpayers - you and me. Our message to those who commit health care fraud and steal from U.S. taxpayers is clear: you will be caught, and you will face justice.” Cox was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, three counts of health care fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, and conspiracy to defraud the United States and make false statements in connection with health care matters. Cox faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud conviction, 10 years for each health care fraud conviction, five years for the conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks conviction, and five years for the conspiracy to defraud the United States and make false statements in connection with health care matters conviction. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. HHS-OIG, FBI, VA-OIG, and DCIS investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Darren C. Halverson and Jennifer E. Burns of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Andrea Savdie and Shane Butland assisted in the prosecution. Trial Attorney Evan N. Schlom with the Fraud Section’s Special Matters Unit provided valuable assistance. The charges contained in an information are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law. 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 . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 23-cr-20271. ###


title: Man Sentenced for Series of Armed Robberies Targeting Construction Workers in Trinidad Neighborhood

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Franco Rawlings Jr., 24, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for a series of armed robberies committed in the Trinidad neighborhood of Northeast Washington, D.C., between May and June 2023. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Rawlings pleaded guilty on August 30, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to two counts of armed robbery, one count of robbery, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. The prison term was announced today by Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur. Following his term of incarceration, Rawlings will serve a period of three years of supervised release. According to court documents, Rawlings conspired with a co-conspirator to identify residential construction sites in the Trinidad neighborhood staffed by Hispanic workers—whom Rawlings and his co-conspirator referred to as “Migos” through text communication—to rob those workers at gunpoint. On April 18, 2023, a victim working as a welder at a home in the 1400 block of Montello Avenue, NE, was approached in an alleyway by Rawlings, who pointed a gun at him and demanded money. Rawlings took the victim’s wallet, which contained $700 in cash. On May 30, 2023, two victims were installing a deck at a home in the 1300 block of Montello Avenue, NE, when Rawlings and his co-conspirator entered through a rear gate. The armed men forced the victims into the basement, then to the ground at gunpoint. Once inside, the victims were robbed at gunpoint. On June 27, 2023, three workers remodeling a home in the 1100 block of Owen Place, NE, were confronted by Rawlings and his co-conspirator. Rawlings pointed a firearm at the victims, ordered them to raise their hands, and, with his co-conspirator, stole U.S. currency before fleeing. On June 28, 2023, MPD officers executed a search warrant at Rawlings’ residence in the Trinidad neighborhood and recovered a loaded Glock 19 handgun, along with clothing matching the clothing depicted in surveillance footage from various robberies. Rawlings was arrested the same day and has remained in custody since. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emmanuel Hampton and Wes Faulkner, who prosecuted the case.


title: North Chesterfield man pleads guilty to stealing mail from a local post office

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A North Chesterfield man pled guilty today to burglary of a post office. According to court documents, on June 7, 2024, officers with the Chesterfield County Police Department responded to a reported break in at a U.S. Post Office in North Chesterfield. When officers arrived, they observed Elijah Holmes, 25, wearing a ski mask and rubber gloves. Holmes was carrying three duffle bags full of mail he had just stolen, including letters, envelopes, and other mail matter addressed to more than 700 individuals. Holmes is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 21 and faces up to five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Summer L. Speight accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Day is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-49.


title: Del City Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison after Setting Fire at Metro Restaurant

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – DANIEL JOB , 38, of Del City, has been sentenced to serve 60 months in federal prison for arson, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. According to public record, on July 27, 2024, crews with the Del City Fire Department (DCFD) responded on reports of a structure fire at a local restaurant. At the business, DCFD encountered and extinguished a small fire near one of the doors of the building, and crews smelled what they believed to be gasoline. Surveillance video taken inside the restaurant showed a subject, later identified as Job, approach the door where the fire was set and bend over and placed something on the ground, just before the fire ignited. After investigators identified Job as a suspect, they executed a search warrant at Job’s home and discovered a backpack with a hydration bladder filled with gasoline. On September 4, 2024, a federal Grand Jury charged Job with arson. On December 17, 2024, Job pleaded guilty, and admitted he intentionally set fire to the restaurant. At the sentencing hearing on June 5, 2025, U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick sentenced Job to serve 60 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Wyrick noted the dangerous nature of the offense involving intentionally setting a fire to the structure of a business. This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Del City Fire Department, and the Del City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan J. West prosecuted the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Two Minnesota Men Working for 21 Days of Peace Indicted for Shooting in North Minneapolis

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Kashmir McReynolds and Alvin Watkins, Jr. were indicted in a three-count indictment charging Watkins with felon in possession of a firearm and McReynolds with disposing of a firearm to a convicted felon and possession of firearm while employed for a prohibited person, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “The people of north Minneapolis deserve peace,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “McReynolds and Watkins were paid taxpayer money to bring peace to the community. Instead, they brought the very violence they claimed to be interrupting. This is outrageous. These defendants will be held to account.” “Armed violence will not be tolerated in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The reckless and deliberate use of firearms endangers lives and fuels fear in our communities. The FBI, along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Minnesota and our law enforcement partners, is fully committed to identifying, investigating, and holding accountable violent offenders who believe they can operate above the law.” According to court documents, on the night of Monday, March 10, 2025, after finishing their shifts for 21 Days of Peace, Alvin Anthony Watkins, Jr., 50, of Saint Anthony, Minnesota, and Kashmir Khaliffa McReynolds, 35, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, recklessly fired approximately 43 bullets into the dark, in a residential neighborhood in North Minneapolis. 21 Days of Peace is an initiative of Salem Inc., which is a non-profit organization funded by the Minnesota Legislature to engage in “social equity building and community engagement services.” According to court documents, gunshots were fired at McReynolds and Watkins by an unknown never-seen shooter. After this initial hail of gunfire from the unknown shooter, no additional gunfire was fired at McReynolds and Watkins. Although McReynolds did not see a person fire the gunshots, he fired numerous rounds in the general direction from which he thought the gunshots had originated, then ran to the other side of the block and continued shooting. He also supplied Watkins with another gun, which Watkins fired a number of times. McReynolds knew Watkins was prohibited from carrying and possessing firearms due to his prior felony convictions. In total, McReynolds and Watkins fired approximately 43 rounds of ammunition. Watkins and McReynolds made their initial appearance in U.S. District Court today, before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Minneapolis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Forbes is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Tulsa man convicted of abusive sexual contact after groping a woman on a flight to Dallas

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: William R. McKelvy, 65, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was convicted Wednesday of abusive sexual contact following a brief jury trial, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson. Evidence at trial showed that McKelvy boarded a Southwest Airlines flight from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Dallas, Texas, on April 25, 2023. On four different occasions, McKelvy groped the breast and inner thigh of a woman sitting next to him. The first time, the victim thought perhaps it was inadvertent contact or that McKelvy was afraid of flying and mistakenly grabbed her. The second time, a few minutes later, the victim forcefully pushed McKelvy away and told him to keep his hands to himself. Undeterred, McKelvy groped the victim a third time. The victim testified at trial that she felt trapped in her seat until McKelvy groped her a fourth time, at which point she yelled, “Get your ******* hand off me, or I will break your ******* hand!” Witnesses testified that this commotion caught the attention of fellow passengers who intervened, telling McKelvy to stop this behavior and to change seats. A passenger flagged down a flight attendant who had McKelvy moved to the back of the plane for the remainder of the flight and arranged for police to meet McKelvy when they landed at Love Field Airport. McKelvy admitted to those officers that he had vaped on the plane. When asked if he was involved in any confrontations with another passenger, McKelvy downplayed his actions, stating only that he had “flirted with this chick” on the flight. McKelvy, who testified at trial on his own behalf, claimed not to remember anything about the incident due to his consumption of alcohol and marijuana gummies before the flight. The jury deliberated for less than 30 minutes before returning a guilty verdict. “No person should have to endure egregious attacks such as this aboard an aircraft, where appropriate behavior is crucial for the well-being of all passengers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “We applaud the swift response of fellow passengers, crew members, and our law enforcement partners in this case to come to the victim’s defense. For her sake and the community’s, we will continue to bring predators like this to justice and deter others from doing so.” “Sexual assault aboard an aircraft is a federal crime investigated by the FBI. It is because of fellow passengers and the flight crew that the defendant was detained and charged for assaulting the victim multiple times,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The public can rest assured that the FBI will thoroughly investigate any federal crime committed aboard an aircraft. We encourage everyone to be air aware and ask that victims or witnesses report an incident to the flight crew immediately.” McKelvy is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8, 2025, before United States Chief District Judge David C. Godbey, who presided over the trial. McKelvy faces a maximum of three years in federal prison. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas Brasher and Madeleine Case are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Gordon of the office’s Appellate Division, and prior contributions of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vince Mazzurco and Michelle Winters.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Man of Robbing Bank in Lake County, Ill.

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a man of robbing a bank in Lake County, Ill. FRANCISCO MARTINEZ entered a First Midwest Bank branch in Round Lake, Ill., on Dec. 20, 2021, and handed the teller a folded piece of paper that read, “40k, 30 seconds, no tricks, go now.” Martinez then raised his shirt, showing what appeared to be the handle of a firearm tucked into his waistband. Martinez briefly grabbed a customer and threatened to take her with him from the bank. The teller complied with Martinez’s demands and handed him cash before Martinez fled the bank. Martinez, 32, of Des Plaines, Ill., was arrested in June 2022 and has remained in law enforcement custody since then. Martinez committed the robbery while on court-supervised release following a prior bank robbery conviction. On Monday, the jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago convicted him of one count of bank robbery, which is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger set sentencing for Aug. 29, 2025. The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Substantial assistance was provided by the Round Lake Beach, Ill. Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The government has been represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jimmy Arce, Adam L. Rosenbloom, and Caitlin S. Walgamuth.


title: Homestead Felon Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Possession of Machinegun and Other Firearm and Drug Trafficking Offenses While on Federal Supervised Release

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Homestead, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 35 years of imprisonment, to be followed by six years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal firearms and narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Erik Addison, 29, on June 5, 2025. “Erik Addison’s blatant disregard for the law and the safety of the community—evidenced by shooting at a police officer and engaging in a shootout in broad daylight, all while on federal supervised release for a prior conviction—demonstrates the need to have dangerous criminals like Addison off of our streets,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti. “This sentence is a testament to the dedication of our law enforcement partners in helping to bring violent traffickers such as Addison to justice. It also serves as a reminder that our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day in service to our communities.” “Stopping criminals like Erik Addison from endangering our communities is a top ATF priority,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “Armed with a pistol with a machinegun conversion device, and carrying fentanyl and heroin, he seriously endangered his neighborhood. Working with our local partners and the United States Attorney’s Office, we are making our communities safer every day.” According to information presented to the Court, on May 8, 2023, investigators attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a vehicle Addison was driving. When the lights and sirens of one of the law enforcement vehicles were activated, Addison reversed his car and struck at least one of the law enforcement vehicles behind him, then accelerated forward, striking another police vehicle and nearly hitting a detective who was on foot, and then drove away, hitting at least one civilian vehicle as he fled. Across a bridge, Addison and his passenger both exited and fled the vehicle by foot, with Addison grabbing his firearm from the rear of the vehicle before running. A Homestead Borough police officer spotted Addison fleeing and followed the defendant in his marked police vehicle, observing that Addison had a firearm and repeatedly ordering Addison to drop the gun. Each time, Addison defied the officer’s order to drop the gun and eventually, rather than complying, fired at the officer. Judge Ranjan, as part of the sentencing proceedings, determined that Addison had the specific intent to kill the officer when firing at him. After shooting at the officer, Addison continued to flee with his firearm, turning the firearm toward another police officer before that officer struck Addison with his vehicle and pinned him against the wall of a building. Addison only then dropped the firearm, which was determined to be Glock semiautomatic pistol with a machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a Glock switch, installed on the rear of the slide. A search of Addison’s vehicle located a black bag in the rear passenger footwell, which contained approximately 28 bricks of heroin and fentanyl, as well as a loaded 9mm extended magazine. Following his arrest for the offenses, Addison was incarcerated at the Allegheny County Jail. On several occasions, officials at the jail found the defendant in possession of synthetic cannabinoids, which is prison contraband. Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan T. Conway and Douglas C. Maloney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the numerous law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Addison. The agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police Department, Homestead Police Department, West Homestead Police Department, and Edgewood Township Police Department. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti also commended the work of the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office in this case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 131 Border-Related Cases This Week

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 131 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city). In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here . A sample of border-related arrests this week: On May 31, 2025, Brenda Esmeralda Sanchez and Marlen Yamille Salmoran, United States citizens, were arrested and charged with False Personation of Immigration Matters and Aggravated Identity Theft. According to a complaint, Sanchez and her adult daughter, Salmoran, attempted to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry with an unaccompanied undocumented child from Mexico by presenting Customs and Border Protection officers with a genuine U.S. birth certificate belonging to Sanchez’s son. Sanchez has two prior arrests for alien smuggling. On May 31, Ricardo Cuevas Diaz and Luis Armando Bojorquez Cazarez, Mexican citizens with border-crossing cards, were arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, when the two men attempted to cross the border at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, Customs and Border Protection Officers found 128 packages containing 133 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the air filter, firewall, roof, quarter panels and rear bed of the vehicle. On May 31, Alexis Nicolas Zamora Raglands and Jorge Luis Prieto Lopez, both Mexican nationals and alleged captains of a panga boat transporting 14 other undocumented immigrants, were arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, the boat was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard about 23 nautical miles from San Clemente Island. Seven of the passengers were also arrested and charged with Attempted Reentry after Deportation. Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community. The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners. Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Staten Island, New York Man Sentenced to 42 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl While on Federal Supervised Release

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 2, 2025, Xavier Parker, 31, of Staten Island, New York was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of 18 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Parker previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and admitted that in February and March 2024 he worked with a co-conspirator to distribute fentanyl in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Judge Sessions also sentenced Parker to 24 months’ incarceration, to run consecutively to the 18-month sentence, for a related supervised release violation. According to court records, the offense involved multiple controlled purchases and additional drugs quantities found hidden on Parker at his arrest, totaling approximately 12.1 grams of cocaine base, 2.2 grams of fentanyl, 0.67 grams of heroin, and 5.6 grams of cocaine. Critically, Parker committed this offense while on federal supervised release following his 2020 conviction in U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont for conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine base. Parker began his supervised release in August 2022, and not even two years later, he was selling drugs again. Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and the Vermont State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Cate and Michelle Arra. Parker was represented by Chandler Matson, Esq.


title: Colchester, Vermont Man Sentenced to 49 Months for Bank Robbery

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on May 30, 2025, Samuel Blatt, 33, of Colchester, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 49 additional months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Blatt has been detained in the custody of the State of Vermont since his arrest on March 15, 2024. Judge Reiss also ordered that Blatt pay $14,100 in restitution. Blatt previously pleaded guilty to the March 5, 2024, robbery of the Union Bank in Johnson, Vermont. According to court records, between February 28, 2024, and March 14, 2024, Blatt committed the robberies of four banks in Vermont, and attempted the robbery of a fifth bank. On February 28, 2024, Blatt entered the M&T Bank in Essex, Vermont and handed the teller a note demanding money, stating that he wanted $100 bills with “No dye packs,” “No bait money,” and “Fast.” Blatt obtained approximately $1000 from M&T Bank. On March 5, 2024, Blatt entered the Union Bank in Johnson, Vermont and handed the teller a note which stated, “Give me all $100’s, $50’s, $20 bills fast, no dye packs.” During the robbery, Blatt stated to bank employees in effect, “This is not a joke, you know what to do, give me all your money.” Blatt obtained approximately $5,300 from Union Bank. On March 13, 2024, Blatt entered a Community Bank in Burlington, Vermont, stated that he was robbing the bank and handed a bank employee a note that stated, “Give me all $100-, $50-, and $20-bills, no dye packs. Fast.” Community Bank employees did not comply with Blatt’s demands, and he left the bank. On March 13, 2024, Blatt entered the TD Bank in Winooski, Vermont, and displayed a note to the teller that stated in effect that he wanted $20’s, $50’s and $100’s but no dye packs. Blatt obtained approximately $600 from TD Bank. On March 14, 2024, Blatt entered the North Country Federal Credit Union in Alburgh, Vermont. Blatt asked a teller, “Can I cash a check if I don’t have an account here?” When the teller told Blatt no, he handed the teller a note and asked “What about this one?” The note stated, “Give me all the 100’s, 30’s and 20’s you have!!!” Blatt obtained approximately $7200 from NCFCU. Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Essex Police Department, the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department, the Winooski Police Department, the Burlington Police Department, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department, the Williston Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Owyang and Jason Turner. Blatt was represented by Assistant Federal Defender Sara Puls.


title: Repeat Offender Unlawfully Residing in Oregon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland area drug trafficker was sentenced to federal prison Thursday for repeatedly possessing and distributing fentanyl. Bexon Javier Calix-Rivera, 21, a Honduran national unlawfully residing in Portland, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release. According to court documents, in January 2023, Portland Police Bureau (PPB) officers first arrested Calix-Rivera after he arrived at a prearranged drug deal in Portland. Officers searched Calix-Rivera’s car and seized thousands of fentanyl pills along with significant quantities of fentanyl powder and heroin for redistribution. Calix-Rivera was booked in the Multnomah County Jail on state charges and released the next day. On May 24, 2024, PPB officers contacted Calix-Rivera in downtown Portland after reports of a person threatening another individual with a firearm. Officers detained Calix-Rivera and seized several hundred fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder, and $1,492 in cash. PPB officers again arrested Calix-Rivera and booked him in the Multnomah County Jail, where he was released on his own recognizance. On June 4, 2024, PPB officers recognized Calix-Rivera from the encounter ten days prior. Officers observed Calix-Rivera carrying a hatchet and engaged in hand-to-hand drug transactions in downtown Portland. Officers attempted to detain Calix-Rivera, but he fled on foot. When officers apprehended Calix-Rivera, they seized fentanyl powder, a firearm, and $755 in cash. PPB officers booked Calix-Rivera in the Multnomah County Jail, and he was released the same day. On June 11, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a six-count indictment charging Calix-Rivera with possession of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine with the intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. On March 12, 2025, Calix-Rivera pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Cassady A. Adams, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 3-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is enough to kill an average adult male. The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state. If you are in immediate danger, please call 911. If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org . Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily.


title: Former Franklin County Jail Deputy Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violation

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A former Franklin County sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus, Ohio, today to depriving an inmate of his civil rights. Matthew Carey, 28, of Grove City, admitted to depriving an individual of their right to be free from a deputy’s deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of serious harm, while acting under color of law. According to court documents, in March 2022, Carey intentionally disclosed a pretrial detainee’s pending charge of rape of a minor to Gmier McCall, another pretrial detainee. Carey knew that disclosing the victim’s charges created a substantial risk that he would be assaulted by others in the jail, and in fact inmates did assault the victim. Carey faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. McCall previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to deprive the victim of his civil rights and also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at future hearings. Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office announced the plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Cameron A. Bell of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Red Bluff Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO , Calif. —Ricardo Gutierrez, 28, of Red Bluff, pleaded guilty today to one count of sexual exploitation of a child, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, in April 2024, Gutierrez used four prepubescent children, including one toddler, to create two videos of the children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Gutierrez screen recorded himself and the child victims on video through Facebook Messenger. Law enforcement was alerted of Gutierrez when a woman he met on the Tinder dating app contacted law enforcement. Gutierrez had sent the woman an unsolicited photograph that depicted a clothed minor female approximately 6-8 years old looking away from the camera accompanied by three face with hand over mouth iMessage emojis. Gutierrez then asked the woman, “You have little neighbors…Little girls neighbor…Pretty.” Gutierrez continued, “I need a girl…Young girl…You have neighbors?... You have nieces?” Gutierrez also sent the woman an unsolicited 17-second video that depicted an adult male engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a minor female approximately 5-8 years old. Between November 2023 and July 2024, Gutierrez distributed several child sexual abuse images and videos to others through his Telegram and WhatsApp accounts, and iMessage. This included the distribution of a video that depicted an adult male engaged in sexually explicit conduct with an infant. Gutierrez also possessed more than 4,800 files depicting the sexual abuse of children on his phone. The files included images of children engaged in sexual acts with adults and other children. This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitnee Goins is prosecuting the case. Gutierrez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins on Sept. 12, 2025. Gutierrez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, restitution 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. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.


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

component: USAO - New Mexico


title: Founder of O.C.-Based Non-Profit Charged in 15-Count Indictment Alleging He Bribed County Supervisor in $12 Million Scheme

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – The founder of a now-shuttered non-profit organization has been indicted on federal charges alleging he bribed then-Orange County Supervisor Andrew Hoang Do to obtain approximately $12 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related funds, pocketed the bulk of that money, then laundered it to avoid detection by law enforcement, the Justice Department announced today. Peter Anh Pham, 65, of Garden Grove, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, six counts of concealment money laundering, and one count of bribery. Also charged in the indictment is Thanh Huong Nguyen, 61, of Santa Ana, who is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of concealment money laundering. Pham is considered to be a fugitive from justice. Nguyen’s initial appearance and arraignment are expected to occur on Monday in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana. “These two defendants are charged with conspiring with a corrupt politician to pad their pockets while the nation suffered under the weight of COVID-19,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “My office and our law enforcement partners will continue our efforts to prosecute individuals who cashed in on government aid intended to help those impacted by the largest public health emergency in a century.” “This conspiracy was a house of cards built on lies, betrayal, and insatiable greed,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Today’s indictments are another critical step in ensuring accountability – and consequences – for those who conspired to use the County of Orange’s COVID-19 funds as their personal ATMs – and to return those stolen funds to their rightful owners – the community for which these funds were originally intended.” According to the indictment that was returned on Wednesday and unsealed today, Pham was a friend and associate of Do, 62, of Santa Ana, who served on the Orange County Board of Supervisors from 2015 until his resignation in October 2024. In that role, Do was one of five supervisors on the Board, which is responsible for the county’s $9 billion annual budget. Do pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, when he will face a sentence of up to five years in federal prison. From June 2020 to October 2024, Do used his official position as a county supervisor to vote for millions of dollars in county funds to be allocated in his district, subject to disbursement at his sole discretion. Do then steered county contracts and grants to Pham and Nguyen, the indictment alleges. For example, in June 2020, Do voted to approve an agenda item that, in part, allocated $5 million in federal COVID-19 pandemic-relief funding to a county nutrition program. As part of this agenda item, Do authorized himself a budget of $1 million to develop that nutrition program in his district, which he could distribute without further approval from the rest of the Board. Eight days after Do voted to approve the agenda item, Pham founded the Huntington Beach-based non-profit organization Viet America Society (VAS). Pham, through VAS, and Nguyen, through a Garden Grove-based group called Hand-to-Hand Relief Organization Inc. (H2H), entered into contracts and beneficiary agreements with the county. In many of these contracts, VAS and H2H falsely represented that they would reimburse the county for any funds not spent for the contract’s intended purpose. In each of the beneficiary agreements, VAS and H2H falsely certified that all funds would be used solely for the grant’s intended purpose. In exchange for Pham’s bribes in the form of payments to his two daughters, Do used his official position as a county supervisor to advocate for VAS and H2H so county employees would approve contracts and beneficiary agreements between the county and these organizations. Do and his staff – including his chief of staff – edited the terms of those contracts and agreements to make them more favorable to Pham and Nguyen. Through the influence of Do and his staff, the county wired funds to Pham and Nguyen. After receiving county funds, Pham and Nguyen transferred most of the money to other entities they controlled. They then spent large portions of the funds to pay personal expenses such as rent and bills, to pay off debts owed by their other businesses, and to make personal investments such as purchasing commercial and residential real estate. Pham and Nguyen also used county funds to bribe Do through payments to his daughters. Pham also used county money to pay the eventual wife of Do’s chief of staff, under the guise that she was providing consulting services to VAS. Do’s chief of staff then used his position in Orange County’s government to help VAS and H2H obtain county contracts, edited the contracts’ terms to make them more favorable to VAS and H2H, and helped those organizations fulfill reporting requirements and get paid. When required to submit invoices to the county to account for how the money was being spent, Pham and Nguyen submitted false documents, claiming to have used all the funds – all solely for legitimate purposes and according to the contracts’ terms. To disguise the funds’ source, Pham and an associate caused checks from county funds to be written to a Westminster-based company called D Air Conditioning Co. LLC. This company then issued checks from its corporate bank account to Pham, Pham’s associate, and one of Do’s daughters. In total, Pham and Nguyen unlawfully acquired approximately $12 million in county funds through this conspiracy. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted of the charges, Pham and Nguyen would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy count, each wire fraud count, and each money laundering count. Pham also would face up to 10 years in federal prison for the bribery count. The FBI, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation, and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Nandor F.R. Kiss and Rosalind Wang of the Orange County Office, Assistant United States Attorney Tara Vavere of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section, and Senior Deputy District Attorney Avery T. Harrison and Deputy District Attorney Anthony J. Schlehner of Orange County District Attorney’s Office are prosecuting this case.


title: Wolcott Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm Offense

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE COLON, 37, of Wolcott, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a firearm offense. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 13, 2024, Waterbury Police arrested Colon after he discarded a privately made 9mm handgun (“ghost gun”) loaded with six rounds of ammunition during a foot pursuit. Colon’s criminal history includes felony convictions in Connecticut for assault, weapon, and risk of injury offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Colon has been detained since his arrest. On February 20, 2025, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon. This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Gresham through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn .


title: Apple Valley Woman Charged with Participating in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – The 72nd defendant in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme has been charged in a federal indictment with three counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “This fraud is outrageous, brazen, and seemingly never-ending,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “As Acting United States Attorney, I intend to put the full weight of this office behind rooting out and prosecuting the shocking and unacceptable levels of fraud in Minnesota.” “Stealing from a program designed to feed vulnerable children is not only criminal — it’s unconscionable,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Today’s indictment underscores our commitment to rooting out fraud that targets taxpayer-funded programs and ensuring those who exploit them are held fully accountable. The FBI, alongside our partners, will not relent in our pursuit of those who seek to profit from deception.” According to court documents, Dorothy Jean Moore, 57, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, launched two purported federal child nutrition program sites in late 2020 under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. According to meal count forms Moore completed and signed, Moore purportedly served 1,500 meals to children a day at each of her sites, which she purportedly operated out of community churches. Through Feeding Our Future, Moore claimed and received reimbursements, in federal taxpayer dollars, for those purported meals. At the same time, Moore claimed that she operated a catering company called Jean’s Soul Food. She claimed entitlement to further federal reimbursements for food she purported to provide from that company to her own sites. However, bank records show that Moore used little of the reimbursement dollars she received to purchase food. Instead, Moore used those funds for other purposes, including to purchase cars and fund an enhanced lifestyle. Moore made her initial appearance in U.S. District Court today before Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Harry M. Jacobs and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Fresno Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Throwing Methamphetamine into Federal Prison Yard

body_text: Garrett Scott Wheelen, 33, of Fresno, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Dena M. Coggins to 12 years and seven months in prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. “Garrett Wheelen brazenly attempted to throw packages containing tobacco and methamphetamine into the prison yard of Federal Correctional Institution, Mendota,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “Federal prisons are tightly controlled, and the FBI works closely with its local, state, and federal partners to ensure anyone attempting to introduce contraband into a prison is held accountable for their actions.” According to court documents, on May 1, 2024, Wheelen arrived at the Federal Correctional Institution Mendota wearing a facemask, baseball cap, and hoodie to conceal his identity. In broad daylight, Wheelen ran to the prison fence and tossed four packages into the prison’s recreation yard. He was quickly apprehended after attempting to flee. The packages contained more than 3 pounds of methamphetamine. Wheelen was on supervised release from a prior federal felony charge at the time. Initially, Wheelen’s plan was to stuff the narcotics inside red squirrel pelts to avoid detection by prison staff. In text messages, he discussed purchasing the pelts and sewing up the narcotics inside. Wheelen, however, abandoned this plan and ultimately tossed the narcotics over the fence without any such effort to disguise their nature. Wheelen was also sentenced to a term of 2 years in prison for his violation of supervised release terms, to run concurrently to his sentence for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mendota Police Department, and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Dhruv M. Sharma are prosecuting the case.


title: Depew man charged with entering secure area at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that that James R. Muench Jr., 45, of Depew, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with entering an aircraft area at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport by forcefully ramming his vehicle through a closed security gate and entering the secure aircraft operational area of the airport. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on May 20, 2025, Muench, driving a pickup truck, breached perimeter access Gate 1 at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport by forcefully driving up to the gate, intentionally crashing and ramming it multiple times, before bending the gate. After breaking through, he then drove to the aircraft operational area without authorization, evading the security procedures or restrictions in place. The vehicle was observed driving through various secure parts of the airport to include the airfield, aircraft taxiways, the passenger ramp where commercial aircraft are usually docked when transporting passengers, and the airport runway where aircraft take off and land. Vehicle access to all these areas is highly regulated. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority police responded to the scene, located Muench, and took him into custody. Muench made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was released on conditions. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police, under the direction of Chief Brian Patterson and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Buffalo man pleads guilty to conspiracy to steal mail and possession of a postal service key

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Antonio Jones, Jr., 25, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiracy to commit mail theft and possession of postal service key, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that on October 2, 2024, Jones conspired with Eric Michael Robinson and Lamor Runell Bolden to steal mail from mail receptacles in Cheektowaga, NY. In addition, the defendants also possessed a key used to open authorized mail receptacles. Jones drove with Robinson and Bolden to a mail facility in Cheektowaga at approximately 1:00 a.m. on October 2, 2024. Robinson drove and Jones and Bolden were passengers. Robinson parked the car behind a row of blue collection mailboxes outside the postal facility, Jones and Bolden got out of the car, and Jones opened the mailboxes with the stolen key and stole mail from the mailboxes while Bolden stood watch. The two then got back into the car and Robinson drove away. A short time later, their car was stopped by law enforcement. At the time the car was stopped, various opened and unopened pieces of mail were found inside. Jones admits that he and his co-conspirators used the stolen key to open mailboxes at other locations around the Western District of New York. Eric Michael Robinson and Lamor Runell Bolden were previously convicted and are awaiting sentencing. The plea is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons. Sentencing is scheduled for October 24, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Sinatra. # # # #


title: Tonawanda woman going to prison for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from her employer

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Erin Martin, 53, of Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of wire fraud, was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Martin has also been ordered to pay full restitution to the Victim in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno, who handled the case, stated that between April 2022, and June 10, 2024, Martin defrauded a business (Victim), located in Amherst, NY, which employed her as a Senior Staff Accountant. Martin reported to the Chief Financial Officer and was responsible for, among other things, ensuring that the Victim’s vendor invoices were paid timely. In furtherance of her scheme, Martin created fraudulent vendor invoices addressed to the Victim. Martin would then make unauthorized electronic funds transfers from the Victim’s bank account directly into her personal bank account, purportedly as payments on the fraudulent invoices she had created. In total, Martin caused 95 electronic funds transfers totaling $440,395.00. Martin used these funds to pay her own personal and family members expenses. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm. # # # #


title: Wasilla doctor, business owner arrested, charged with possessing child pornography

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Wasilla doctor practicing at Alaska Brain Center was arrested yesterday after a federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging him with possessing child pornography. Sponsler also owns Alaska Music and Arts, a music, karate and dance studio for children. U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska According to court documents, on March 17, 2025, Jeffrey Sponsler, 67, knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view a computer that contained child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) depicting a prepubescent minor and a minor who had not attained 12 years of age. The FBI searched Sponsler’s home after they received a tip about Sponsler’s alleged possession of and access to child pornography. From the search, law enforcement seized multiple computers and electronic devices, including desktop computers, laptops, external hard drives, memory cards, DVDs and VHS tapes. The FBI is actively reviewing these devices. Court documents allege that an initial review of the devices revealed they contained videos and images primarily showing adults and minors participating in nude beauty contests. It is further alleged that Sponsler then further edited and enhanced the photos to focus on young girls’ genitalia and created slideshows with the edited images. The slideshow focused on the genitalia of girls roughly 5-12 years in age. Sponsler is charged with one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance June 9, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle F. Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces a up to 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska, Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office and Alaska State Trooper Colonel Maurice Hughes made the announcement. The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Alaska State Troopers are investigating the case. If anyone has information concerning Sponsler’s alleged actions, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously at tips.fbi.gov. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Ivers is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . UPDATE - this release has been updated to correct a misspelling in the defendant's name. ###


title: Jury Finds Man Guilty of Viciously Assaulting a Man Inside His Home

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jaime Robles-Vasquez, 33, of Riverdale, MD was found guilty today by a Superior Court jury for assaulting a man in his home in October 2019, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Robles-Vasquez was found guilty of aggravated assault while armed and related charges, following a five-day trial. Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld scheduled sentencing for August 22, 2025. According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 1:30 a.m., on October 9, 2019, Robles-Vasquez went to the victim’s home in the 600 block of 4 th Place, SW, grabbed a shovel from outside, and proceeded to smash the double pane glass door of the victim’s home. Once inside of the victim’s home, the defendant repeatedly struck the victim on his head and body with the shovel and bit the victim’s thumb. This interaction was all captured on a 911 call the victim made when he first saw the defendant in his backyard in the middle of the night. As a result of being struck on the head with a shovel, the victim sustained multiple injuries, including bleeding in his brain, which required emergency surgery to evacuate the blood. The victim’s wife was also home during this incident, and upon hearing the glass door of her home breaking, she locked herself in the bathroom and called 911. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Katerina Qesari and Negar Kordestani.


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Leading a Methamphetamine Conspiracy within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation  and Rapid City Area

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Guillermo Calderon, a/k/a “Memo,” age 38, was sentenced on June 6, 2025, to 25 years in federal prison, five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. “Methamphetamine is ravaging communities throughout South Dakota, leaving a trail of heartbreaking addiction in its path,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “Calderon played a significant role in perpetuating this problem by trafficking methamphetamine into Rapid City and within the Pine Ridge Reservation. Thanks to our skilled federal and tribal law enforcement partners, Calderon will now spend serious time in federal prison.” “Calderon led a dangerous operation that funneled large amounts of methamphetamine into Pine Ridge and Rapid City, bringing violence and addiction into vulnerable communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Today’s sentencing reaffirms that those who bring cartel-linked drugs into our communities will be brought to justice. The FBI will continue to work with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners to disrupt drug trafficking networks and protect our communities from the devastating impact of cartel-sourced narcotics.” Calderon was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024, and pleaded guilty on March 26, 2025. The investigation showed that Calderon and others distributed significant amounts of methamphetamine in Pine Ridge and Rapid City. Calderon was the leader of the conspiracy, trafficking significant amounts of methamphetamine into the community from Mexican cartel operatives. Calderon utilized firearms and threats of violence throughout his drug distribution scheme. In January 2024, Iowa law enforcement arrested Calderon while he was driving approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine to South Dakota. In sentencing Calderon, Judge Schreier denounced how Calderon’s actions severely damaged the South Dakota community, and found he was the most culpable and violent member of the drug conspiracy. Judge Schreier also noted the drugs Calderon distributed constituted 100% pure methamphetamine and came from a Mexican cartel. This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case. Calderon was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following sentencing.


title: District of Arizona Charges 199 Individuals with Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

component: USAO - Arizona

number: 2025-090_June 6 Immigration Enforcement

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from May 31, 2025, through June 6, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 199 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 74 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 104 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 18 cases against 20 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance, and federal prosecutors also charged one individual for assaulting a Border Patrol Agent. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Recent matters of interest include: United States v. Norberto Rueda-Mancinas : On May 31, 2025, a Border Patrol agent encountered Norberto Rueda-Mancinas walking about three miles southeast of San Miguel, Arizona. When Rueda saw the agent, he tried to run. After a short chase, the agent caught up to Rueda, and Rueda threw his backpack at the agent, hitting him in the head and causing the agent's night vision goggles to cut his face. The backpack was loaded with food and water and weighed approximately 10 pounds. Rueda was arrested and determined to be a citizen of Mexico, illegally present in the United States. He had been previously removed from the United States on April 11, 2025. Rueda was charged with Assaulting a Federal Officer and Illegal Reentry. [Case Number: MJ-25-00620] United States v. Fabian Ramirez-Childs and United States v. Pena-Losada: On May 31, 2025, Border Patrol agents received an alert for a vehicle that was reportedly loaded with suspected illegal aliens. Agents located the vehicle and initiated a stop. As the vehicle yielded, the passenger door opened and two subjects exited and ran into the desert. The driver then sped away, leading agents on a chase for approximately two miles before yielding. The driver was identified as Fabian Ramirez-Childs, a U.S. citizen. The passenger who had remained in the vehicle was determined to be a citizen of Bangladesh, illegally present in the United States. Agents tracked and located the two subjects that had run from the vehicle, and both were determined to be Mexican citizens who were illegally present in the United States. The driver, Ramirez-Childs, was charged with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. [Case Number: MJ-25-00623] United States v. Cesar Ivan Bencomo Varela: In 2021, Cesar Ivan Bencomo Varela submitted an application for a U.S. Passport at the U.S. Post Office in Show Low, Arizona. In his application, Bencomo Varela claimed to be “Joseph David Olivas,” a United States citizen. Bencomo signed the application packet, swearing under oath that the information on the application was true, and that the photograph attached to the passport application was a true likeness of him. An investigation revealed that Bencomo Varela had been using the Olivas identity since 2015 to obtain employment in the United States. On June 3, 2025, Bencomo Varela was indicted on one count of False Statement in Application or Use of Passport and one count of aggravated identity theft. [Case Number: CR-25-08098] United States v. Blanca Esthela Favela-Coronel: On June 3, 2025, Blanca Esthela Favela-Coronel was charged by criminal complaint with Reentry of a Removed Alien. Blanca Esthela Favela-Coronel had been previously removed from the United States in 2014 after being convicted of two counts of felony Attempted Sale of Dangerous Drugs (Methamphetamine) in the Superior Court of Arizona, Coconino County. Favela-Coronel was sentenced to two years of incarceration on each count, to be served concurrently with one another. [Case Number: 25-08325MJ] Criminal complaints and indictments are simply methods by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-090_June 6 Immigration Enforcement # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Woman who defrauded Everett employer of $2.5 million, sentenced to prison for second embezzlement from Kent, Washington employer

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 45–year-old former Kent, Washington, woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to an additional twelve months and one day in prison for stealing from her new employer while awaiting sentencing for stealing from a past employer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. In 2023, Christin Guillory was sentenced to three years in prison for stealing more than $2.5 million from an Everett manufacturing company where she served as accounting manager. After pleading guilty to that crime, and while awaiting sentencing, she secretly stole tens of thousands of dollars from a second employer who did not know about her ongoing prosecution. The court had ordered Guillory to notify her new employer of the prosecution and to provide the probation office with evidence she had done so. Guillory did not tell her employer about her prior fraud as required. Instead, Guillory falsely told the probation office she had informed her employer of the prosecution and had lost her employment as a result. Guillory provided probation with a falsified email to substantiate the false information. Guillory continued to work for, and embezzle funds from, her employer until she reported to prison to serve her sentence. The new employer learned of the prosecution only after Guillory failed to report for work without explanation when she reported to serve her sentence. Guillory admitted to the second theft in February 2025, pleading to wire fraud and concealing material facts from the United States. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “You lied to the court while the court was trying to determine if you were a danger to the community. . . . You are responsible for the actions you took, and those actions have consequences.” “The defendant lied to the court, to the probation office, and to the second company that had unwittingly placed her in a position of trust,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “Instead of disclosing the truth about her federal conviction for embezzlement, Ms. Guillory lied to her employer and once again repeatedly stole money until the day she reported to prison.” According to records filed in the case, after Guillory was fired for a $2.5 million theft from an Everett company, she began work for a company in Kent, Washington. By January of 2023, she was aware that her Everett embezzlement was being investigated by the FBI. She pleaded guilty to wire fraud in May 2023. At the time of her guilty plea, the Magistrate Judge asked about her current employment. Through her attorney, Guillory claimed she had no access to bank accounts or checks. Nevertheless, the Magistrate Judge ordered Guillory to inform her employer of her conviction. Guillory later claimed to her pretrial services officer and other probation staff that she had been fired after informing the company. She claimed that the only employment she had, before reporting for prison, was as a nanny or receptionist. In fact, Guillory never told her Kent employer about the conviction, and she had already begun embezzling from that company. Between January and August 2023, she attempted to steal some $60,000 by altering checks made out to vendors, manipulating the payroll system to increase her own paycheck, or simply writing checks to herself. On her last day at the office, she wrote a check to herself for $3,516. Guillory never told the company she was leaving. When she did not show up for work and they could not reach her, a web search revealed the prior embezzlement case. In recommending that Guillory be sentenced to an additional year of imprisonment, prosecutors wrote to the court, “Guillory exploited her position of trust by secretly funneling tens of thousands of dollars to herself and then covering it up. The offense involved at least 25 transactions. This was particularly egregious because, at the time she was stealing from Victim 2, she was being prosecuted for (and supposedly had accepted responsibility for) the exact same type of conduct that she continued to engage in.” The company was able to reverse some of the transactions but is still owed $42,000. That amount is now added on to the restitution from the earlier case. In 2023, Judge Martinez ordered restitution of $2,536,086 to the Everett company, and $590,850 to the U.S. Treasury for her failure to pay tax on the ill-gotten gain. The cases were investigated by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service: Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI) as well as U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson.


title: Michigan City Fentanyl Trafficking Conspirators Sentenced

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

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Four men have been sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to various fentanyl drug and gun related charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay. Tyler Wood, 23 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana was sentenced to 160 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, and illegal use of a communications facility. Clinton Rouse, 24 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced to 188 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl. Justin Hervey, 27 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced to 125 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and unlawful possession of a firearm. Raquan Perry, 23 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and unlawful possession of a firearm. According to documents in the case, Wood, Rouse, Hervey, and Perry worked together to distribute fentanyl pills throughout Michigan City over a period of approximately 10 months, between October 2023 and July 2024. During the spring of 2024, Wood and Rouse lived with a supplier from Michigan who obtained tens of thousands of pills from the Detroit area that were transported to Michigan City to be sold to buyers with the assistance of sub-distributors such as Hervey and Perry. Law enforcement seized approximately 10,000 of these fentanyl pills during its investigation. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Michigan City Police Department, the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, the LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office, and the DEA North Central Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lydia T. Lucius and Katelan McKenzie Doyle. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Former Franklin County jail deputy pleads guilty to civil rights violation

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Franklin County sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to depriving an inmate of his civil rights. Matthew Carey, 28, of Grove City, admitted to depriving an individual of their right to be free from a deputy’s deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of serious harm, while acting under color of law. According to court documents, in March 2022, Carey intentionally disclosed a pretrial detainee’s pending charge of rape of a minor to Gmier McCall, another pretrial detainee. Carey knew that disclosing the victim’s charges created a substantial risk that he would be assaulted by others in the jail, and in fact inmates did assault the victim. Carey faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. McCall previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to deprive the victim of his civil rights and also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at future hearings. Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin announced the plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Cameron A. Bell of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Dominican National Sentenced to 10 years on Drug Trafficking Charges

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: St. Thomas, USVI – Acting U.S. Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that Ery Rivera Palmer, 39, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy to 10 years’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute 75 kilograms of cocaine and three firearms. According to court documents, on August 28, 2024, at approximately 2:30 p.m., while patrolling the area of Haulover Bay, St. John, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine (CBP-AMO) agents, along with Border Patrol (BP) agents, detected two males walking the beach trail towards the beach at Haulover Bay. One male was carrying an assault-style long gun. Minutes later, the males were observed carrying three black duffel bags up the trail towards a small parking area. A lone gray Acura RDX was then seen leaving the area. Federal agents, with the assistance of the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD), were able to locate the vehicle suspected of containing the two males seen walking the trail. The vehicle was stopped. Rivera Palmer was one of two occupants in the car who matched the description of the two men seen on the trail. As federal agents approached the vehicle, two assault-style rifles were seen on the rear passenger floorboard. A third firearm, a Glock .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine, was found on the driver side floorboard. Neither of the two assault-style rifles had serial numbers. In the rear of the vehicle, agents recovered three duffle bags containing 61 brick-like packages containing approximately 75 kilograms of cocaine. The investigation was conducted by CBP-AMO, BP, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of FBI and VIPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Payne prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands. This effort was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Man Sentenced for Obtaining a Controlled Substance by Fraud and Making a False Statement to the Government

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Paul M. Hughes, 37, formerly of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 4, 2025 in federal court in Omaha for obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and making a false statement to the government. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Hughes to 48 months’ imprisonment for the drug charge and 54 months’ imprisonment for the false statement. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently. There is no parole in the federal system. After Hughes’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Between March 2020 and May 2021 Hughes used his personal information and the alter egos “The Hughes and Company Foundation USA Coalition Company” and “The Hughes and Company Foundation USA Coalition- Virtual Infirmary” for the purposes of submitting false and fictitious information to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to obtain National Provider Identification (NPI) numbers. Specifically, on March 21, 2020, Hughes prepared and submitted an electronic NPI Application that contained false information. CMS relied on the information to make its decision on issuing the NPI numbers. The NPI Application fraudulently represented that Hughes was a physician and Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner. Hughes was issued an NPI number by CMS temporarily. Hughes used the NPI number to submit fake prescriptions to various pharmacies. Between March 17, 2021, and March 19, 2021, Hughes, listing a real doctor as the prescriber, electronically submitted a fraudulent prescription to a local pharmacy requesting at least one Schedule III Controlled Substance. When interviewed by law enforcement, Hughes admitted he submitted the fraudulent prescription to the pharmacy using the doctor’s name. “Fraudulently obtaining and prescribing prescription medications under false pretenses shows a reckless disregard for public health and safety,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Wade Moon, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “We remain committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who attempt to knowingly misrepresent themselves as health care professionals to unsuspecting consumers and the government.” “When individuals pretend to be legitimate health care providers to commit fraud, they undermine the public’s trust in our medical system and compromise the integrity of federal health care programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Kansas City Regional Office. “HHS-OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure those who commit such fraud schemes are held fully accountable.” “Today’s sentencing is the result of multiple state, local and federal components working together to remove an individual who committed egregious crimes,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei. “Paul Hughes falsified information, misled members of the community, and endangered lives. This investigation shows that no matter the length of time necessary, justice will be served for those who inflict harm in our communities.” This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: Winnebago Woman Sentenced for Second Degree Murder and Tampering with Evidence

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Michelle Lee Marr, 50, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 5, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for second degree murder and tampering with documents or evidence. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Marr to 300 months’ imprisonment for second degree murder and 240 months’ imprisonment for tampering with evidence, to run concurrent to the sentence for second degree murder. There is no parole in the federal system. After Marr’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. On March 12, 2022, Marr contacted Winnebago Emergency Medical Services to report the victim was not waking up and requested an ambulance respond to her residence. EMS transported the victim to Twelve Clans Unity hospital in Winnebago, Nebraska. Due to the severity of his injuries, the victim was taken by helicopter to Mercy One Medical Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The medical treatment team at Mercy determined the victim had brain trauma and swelling. Nurses also noted significant amounts of makeup applied to the victim’s face, which revealed bruising when removed, as well as numerous bruises on the victim’s body. On March 13, 2022, the victim succumbed to his injuries. A subsequent autopsy determined the victim’s cause of death to be blunt force trauma and the manner of death to be homicide. Investigation revealed that Marr and the victim were home together the evening of March 11, 2022. There was no evidence the victim ever left the home, and he was found unresponsive in the home on March 12, 2022. Marr claimed to have been passed out from approximately 5:00 PM on March 11, 2022, until finding the victim on March 12, 2022. Social media evidence and evidence from Marr’s phone, found during the investigation, contradicted Marr’s claims. One critical piece of evidence found on Marr’s phone was a picture of the victim, which evidence supports was taken approximately 15 minutes before Marr contacted EMS. In the picture, the victim’s injuries are obscured by what was later revealed to be makeup. During the February 2025 jury trial in which Marr was found guilty, a pathologist testified the victim’s injuries were consistent with inflicted trauma as opposed to trauma which might result from some type of fall. A neurosurgeon testified the injury the victim suffered would have rendered him unconscious almost immediately after the blow. Additionally, a witnesses testified to observing previous incidents of Marr physically assaulting the victim. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Fort Dodge Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Conspiracy

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Aaron StandsAndLooksBack, a/k/a Aaron Woodman, 42, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty June 4, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. At the plea hearing, StandsAndLooksBack admitted that between December 2020 and December 2023, he and others conspired to distribute at least 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine. Evidence also showed that StandsAndLooksBack obtained, by buying or stealing, methamphetamine to distribute to others. StandsAndLooksBack also admitted that he stole sizable amounts of methamphetamine from his mother and resold the methamphetamine to others in the Fort Dodge, Iowa area. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. StandsAndLooksBack remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. StandsAndLooksBack faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Fort Dodge Iowa Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa DCI Laboratory. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-3053. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Cherokee, Iowa, Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: Lance Paul White, 33, from Cherokee, Iowa, pled guilty on June 5, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, to possession of child pornography. At the plea hearing, White admitted to receiving and possessing child pornography. After a CyberTip was received regarding White’s Gmail account, law enforcement established that White had possessed and viewed several graphic videos depicting child pornography. Law enforcement traced the internet activity back to White’s address in Cherokee, Iowa. White engaged in a consensual interview with officers at his home and admitted that he possessed child pornography, and several electronics were seized. Forensic analysis of White’s electronic devices revealed dozens of videos and images of child pornography, as well as several AI or cartoon photographs and videos of child pornography. Evidence further showed that the materials involved prepubescent minors and portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. White remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. White faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and Cherokee Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-4076. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Cerro Gordo County Man Pleads Guilty to  Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: Dustin Burkhardt, 36, from Rockwell, Iowa, was convicted of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine June 5, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. At the plea hearing, evidence showed that on September 29, 2024, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Burkhardt. Law enforcement observed an open container in the vehicle and conducted a probable cause search. Law enforcement located and seized a glass pipe in the center console and a backpack from the front passenger footwell. Inside of the backpack was another pouch which contained four zip-top baggies containing 137.12 grams of pure methamphetamine. Burkhardt admitted that all of the methamphetamine seized belonged to him and he intended to distribute some or all of the methamphetamine to another person or persons. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Burkhardt remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Burkhardt faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, and Iowa DCI Laboratory and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-3015. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.