title: Maine Man Arrested in Missouri After Being Charged with Making False Statements to the Government

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Forest City Township man was arrested on August 21 in La Plata, Missouri, after being charged with making false statements to the Government. According to court records, Gregory P. Heimann Jr. , 51, was indicted in October 2024 for making false statements to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Specifically, Heimann is alleged to have falsely represented to the VA in May 2023 that he had been wheelchair bound since 2004 and was unable to walk or stand. Before the indictment, Heimann had been charged by federal criminal complaint for the same offense. An arrest warrant issued in April 2024. As alleged in the affidavit in support of the complaint, Heimann was documented and recorded walking and standing without the assistance of any mobility devices on numerous occasions in Maine. Following an investigation into Heimann’s whereabouts by the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Maine Violent Offender Task Force, Heimann was arrested in La Plata, Missouri by USMS investigators from the Eastern District of Missouri. The VA Office of Inspector General and the Maine Warden Service also assisted in the investigation. Heimann appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on August 22 and was ordered to remain in USMS custody pending a future court appearance in the District of Maine. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Poland Man Sentenced, Ordered to Repay $45,615.78 for Theft of Government Money

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Poland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for Social Security fraud. U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Peter Files , 60, to 30 months of probation and ordered him to pay $45,615.78 in restitution. Files pleaded guilty on May 8, 2025. According to court records, Files lied to the Maine Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) for more than a decade. In multiple benefit eligibility reviews, Files falsely represented to Maine DHHS that he and his wife lived separately, and he omitted her presence from his household. Files knew that he was required to disclose that information, and that it could affect his eligibility for benefits. When interviewed by federal investigators, Files acknowledged that he had lived with his wife during the relevant period. Files’ wife, Susie Files, previously pleaded guilty to Social Security and SNAP fraud on May 19, 2025. Her sentencing is scheduled for September 18, 2025. The Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and Maine DHHS’s Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit investigated the case. ###


title: Honduran National Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: HAMMOND – Ricardo Castro Murillo, 34 years old, of Honduras, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in two cases, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor. Castro Murillo was sentenced to 37 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $533,043 in restitution. Castro Murillo has no legal status within the United States and will be subject to a separate and immediate removal process upon release from prison. According to documents in each case, on January 11, 2023, Castro Murillo and his co-conspirators used fake identification cards to cash 169 fraudulent paychecks totaling $233,569 at three branches of the same bank in the Northern District of Indiana. The fraudulent paychecks were designed to look like they had been issued by a company that operates dairy farms in the Northern District of Indiana. Almost six months later, on June 23, 2023, Castro Murillo and his co-conspirators used fake identification cards to cash 178 fraudulent paychecks totaling $299,474 at five branches of the same bank and three check cashing businesses in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The fraudulent paychecks were designed to look like they had been issued by a building materials supply company in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “Castro Murillo participated in a far-reaching conspiracy that caused major financial harm to community banks and small businesses across the United States. Due to the unwavering efforts and collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement, Castro Murillo was brought to justice for his role in this scheme,” said Proctor. “The sentence imposed by the court sends a message that there are real consequences for engaging in fraud, particularly in northwest Indiana.” “The illicit actions of co-conspirators to commit bank fraud as they travel throughout the United States will not be tolerated,” said Matthew J. Scarpino, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Chicago. “HSI will continue to partner with our fellow law enforcement agencies to disrupt these types of offenders and hold them accountable for their crimes.” “Sophisticated fraud operations like this require investigative teamwork that spans state lines,” said Sergeant Jeremy Piers, Public Information Officer for the Indiana State Police. “From the first lead to the final arrest, our detectives, troopers, and support staff worked relentlessly alongside federal, state, and local partners to track the suspects’ movements, gather critical evidence, and bring this scheme to an end. This outcome reflects countless hours of coordination and determination, and it sends a clear message: when criminal activity crosses into Indiana, we will work tirelessly with our partners to protect our communities, our businesses, and our financial institutions.” Co-conspirator Luis Banegas Rodriguez was previously sentenced to 27 months in prison for his role in the scheme. These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the Indiana State Police, with valuable assistance provided by the Benton County (Indiana) Sheriff’s Department, the Benton County (Indiana) Prosecutor’s Office, the Poteau (Oklahoma) Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Travis County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office, and the Houston (Texas) Police Department. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven J. Lupa from the Northern District of Indiana and Assistant United States Attorneys Kara Traster and Jordan Howanitz from the Eastern District of Oklahoma.


title: Mishawaka Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison

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

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Kevin Ellis, 41 years old, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor. Ellis was sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, police conducted a traffic stop on a car that Ellis was driving and found a loaded gun with a large capacity magazine, fentanyl pills, methamphetamine pills, marijuana, and a digital scale. Police then executed a search warrant on Ellis’s house in Mishawaka and found more fentanyl and methamphetamine pills. Ellis was a felon and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm. His criminal history includes a prior federal firearms conviction. “Kevin Ellis admitted that he illegally possessed a gun,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor. “He also admitted that he possessed, and planned to distribute, some of the most dangerous drugs available. His case shows that those exposing the citizens of this District to such dangers will suffer the consequences. I thank all the public servants involved in this case for bringing it to a just end.” This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Mishawaka Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius. 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 .


title: Three Hondurans Unlawfully Residing in Oregon Arrested for Trafficking Fentanyl in Downtown Portland

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.— Three Honduran defendants unlawfully residing in Oregon made their first appearances in federal court on Monday after being arrested and charged for trafficking fentanyl in downtown Portland last Thursday on National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. Antoni Yahir Pavon-Rosales, 18, has been charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Cristian Ravolales, 27, has been charged by criminal complaint with distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Kevin Concepcion Ramos-Espinoza, 34, has been charged by criminal complaint with distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents, on August 21, 2025, investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Central Neighborhood Response Team (NRT) and Bike Squad, PPB Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit (NOC), the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF), and the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) conducted a fentanyl enforcement mission in downtown Portland. Investigators observed defendant Pavon-Rosales attempting to sell fentanyl and arrested him, seizing 22.5 grams of fentanyl and $795. The same evening, investigators observed defendant Ravolales engage in drug trafficking and arrested him, seizing 45.9 grams of fentanyl and $579. Investigators also observed Ramos-Espinoza engaged in multiple acts of drug trafficking and arrested him, seizing 14.7 grams of fentanyl and $2,461. Defendant Ramos-Espinoza has two pending delivery of controlled substance cases in Multnomah County Circuit Court. All three defendants made their first appearances in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. All three defendants were ordered detained pending further court proceedings. Arraignments have been scheduled for September 24, 2025. These cases were investigated by the FBI, PPB Central NRT and Bike Squad, PPB NOC, and the CCITF. They are being prosecuted by AUSA Scott Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. CCITF is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program (HIDTA) and is composed of members from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Canby Police Department, Oregon State Police, Clackamas County Parole and Probation, and the FBI. The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives. A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 100 times more powerful than morphine and 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 2-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is potentially 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: Buffalo man sentenced for his role in drug overdose death

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Antonio Gutierrez, 29, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 132 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Richard Antoine, who handled the case, stated that on December 9, 2022, an individual identified as C.R. was found dead of a drug overdose in his Orchard Park, NY, residence. Investigators recovered several items from the bedroom where C.R. was found, including his cell phone, as well as suspected fentanyl and drug paraphernalia. Gutierrez’s DNA was found on a glassine envelope recovered from the residence. In addition, C.R. had frequent communications with a phone number linked to Gutierrez, including in the hours before his death. During this time, their phones were in the same area in the City of Buffalo. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan and the Orchard Park Police Department, under the direction of Chief Patrick Fitzgerald. # # # #


title: Cincinnati man allegedly involved in downtown brawl charged with federal drug crimes

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – A second Cincinnati man charged locally for his involvement in the July 26 brawl in downtown Cincinnati has been indicted by a federal grand jury. Jermaine Mathews, 39, is one of four men charged in a superseding indictment with conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. According to the superseding indictment, Mathews is responsible for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. He is also charged with operating a premises on Kenton Street in Cincinnati for the purpose of trafficking narcotics. Mathews, who was described as a primary “coordinator” of the July 26 brawl in downtown Cincinnati, was on bond after being charged locally with aggravated riot and assault. He was arrested today by federal agents and Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office RENU officials on the superseding indictment. The others charged in this case include Jerome Mitchell, 41, Terence Huff, 41, and Clarence Williams, 42, all of Cincinnati. Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey and Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit announced the new charges. Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Springer is representing the United States in this case. An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Charge

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Lucas J. Lacy, 40, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 20, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for Accessing with Intent to View Visual Depictions of Minors Engaging in Sexually Explicit Conduct. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Lacy to 10 years’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Lacy’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Lacy was sentenced on February 2, 2009, in the District of Nebraska for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. He received a sentence of 60 months’ imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release. On July 16, 2018, Lacy was sentenced in the District of Nebraska for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release. On November 22, 2021, the United States Probation Office conducted a search of Lacy’s residence in Omaha. The search recovered two unauthorized cellphones. One of the phones held at least one image of child pornography. Further analysis of the phone revealed at least 16 internet search terms indicative of child pornography. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. This case was investigated by the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to 250 Months for Distribution of Child Pornography

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Joshua M. Meyer, 44, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 22, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for distribution of child pornography with a prior conviction. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced Meyer to 250 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Meyer’s release from prison, he will begin a 20-year term of supervised release. Meyer was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to each of the six identified victims. On August 18, 2023, Medialab/KIK (KIK) made a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicating a KIK user uploaded files depicting child pornography between June 27, 2023, and July 17, 2023. The IP address associated with the CyberTip resolved to an Omaha residence belonging to Meyer. A member of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force obtained a search warrant for Meyer’s KIK account and, in reviewing the KIK account’s contents, learned Meyer sent the child pornography files reported in the CyberTip to other KIK users between June 27, 2023, and July 17, 2023. During the investigation, KIK made three additional reports to NCMEC regarding users sharing child pornography on the social media application. The IP addresses associated with these reports also resolved to Meyer’s residence. During an interview, Meyer admitted to using the various KIK accounts reported to NCMEC to send child pornography to other KIK users and receive child pornography from other KIK users. Meyer is a registered sex offender. On February 6, 2014, Meyer was convicted of receipt and distribution of child pornography in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska. Meyer was serving a 120-month supervised release term when he distributed child pornography in June and July 2023. Meyer acknowledged possessing a TracFone to circumvent restrictions placed on his known cell phone as part of supervised release. Meyer used this TracFone to access KIK and distribute child pornography. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. This case was investigated by the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.


title: Lincoln Man Sentenced to 10 Years on Drug and Firearms Charges

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Vincent James Foster, 27, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 21, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine along with unspecified amounts of marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinols and for being a felon in possession of eight firearms. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Foster to 120 months’ imprisonment on each count to run concurrently. There is no parole in the federal system. After Foster’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release. Foster will also forfeit $5,597.00 in U.S. currency to the United States of America. Information obtained by law enforcement indicated Foster was involved in the sale of cocaine, marijuana, and tetrahydrocannabinols in the Lincoln area between April 11, 2021, and August 10, 2023. On August 10, 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at Foster’s Lincoln residence. During that search, they found more than 828 grams of cocaine, 1.8 kilograms of marijuana, 86 1-gram THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) concentrate containers, and other evidence of drug distribution. A total of $5,597.00 in U.S. currency was seized from Foster’s car and his residence. Investigators also found eight handguns with magazines and ammunition. Two of the guns were found to be stolen. Foster was prohibited from possessing firearms due to two prior felony convictions in Lancaster County District Court for burglary in 2017 and possession of a controlled substance in 2021. This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.


title: Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska

body_text: Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 10 unsealed Indictments charging 14 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Anthony Masquat , age 20, of Winnebago, Nebraska, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm on or about April 5, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Lawrence Smith, age 31, of Lyons, Nebraska, is charged with failing to register as a sex offender from on or about February 27, 2025, to on or about June 15, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment. Kalam K. Yiel , age 24, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about August 9, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Ketankumar Chaudhari , age 36, of Elkhorn, Nebraska; Rashmi Samani , age 42, of Elkhorn, Nebraska; Amit P. Chaudhari , age 32, of Omaha, Nebraska; Amit B. Chaudhari , age 33, Omaha, Nebraska; and Maheshkumar Chaudhari , age 38, of Norfolk, Nebraska, are charged in a 24-count Indictment. Count I charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, and Amit B. Chaudhari with sex trafficking of a minor and by force, fraud or coercion beginning on an unknown date, but from at least on or about February 1, 2022, and continuing through on or about June 27, 2022. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, and Amit B. Chaudhari with sex trafficking of a minor and by force, fraud or coercion beginning on an unknown date, but from at least on or about December 16, 2024, and continuing through on or about January 7, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, and Amit B. Chaudhari with sex trafficking of a minor and by force, fraud or coercion beginning on an unknown date, but from at least on or about December 16, 2024, and continuing through on or about January 7, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IV charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, and Amit B. Chaudhari with maintaining a drug premises between on or about January 1, 2021, and August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count V charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, and Amit B. Chaudhari with maintaining a drug premises between on or about April 9, 2021, and August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count VI charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, and Amit B. Chaudhari with maintaining a drug premises between on or about March 9, 2023, and August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count VII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, and Amit B. Chaudhari with maintaining a drug premises between June 15, 2023, and August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count VIII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, Amit B. Chaudhari, and Maheshkumar Chaudhari with conspiracy to commit labor trafficking by peonage between on or about January 1, 2022, and August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IX charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, Amit B. Chaudhari and Maheshkumar Chaudhari with conspiracy to commit labor trafficking by peonage between on or about January 1, 2022, and August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count X charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, and Amit B. Chaudhari with conspiracy to commit labor trafficking by peonage between on or about June 1, 2025, and August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XI charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, Amit B. Chaudhari and Maheshkumar Chaudhari with conspiracy to harbor aliens beginning on an unknown date, but from at least on or about January 1, 2021, and continuing through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with harboring aliens beginning on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with harboring aliens beginning on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XIII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with harboring aliens between on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XIV charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with harboring aliens between on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XV charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with harboring aliens between on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XVI charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with harboring aliens between on or about February 28, 2022, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XVII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with harboring aliens between on or about January 1, 2025, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XVIII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with harboring aliens between on or about July 4, 2025, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IXX charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with transporting aliens between on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about June 20, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XX charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with transporting aliens between on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about June 20, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XXI charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with transporting aliens between on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about June 20, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XXII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with transporting aliens between on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about June 20, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XXIII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari and Rashmi Samani with conspiracy to defraud the United States on or about August 1, 2011, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XXIV charges Ketankumar Chaudhari and Rashmi Samani with fraud and misuse of visas sometime after December 12, 2022, but before May 1, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States and were found in the United States, without the Attorney General of the United States or her designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States: Alex Abel Avila Matute , age 34 Ediberto Garcia Donis , age 48 Roberto Carlos Carrillo Garcia , age 37 Benito Perez Mendoza , age 53 The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States following an aggravated felony conviction and were found in the United States, without the Attorney General of the United States or her designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States: Carlos Eduardo Galan Vargas , age 46 Cesar Meza-Marta , age 53 The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Contact Amy Donato at 402-661-3700 for further information.


title: Hugo Residents Sentenced For Interstate Transport Of Stolen Goods

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Matthew Carl Wilson, age 38, and Candice Marie Logan, age 35, of Hugo, Oklahoma, were each sentenced in federal district court for transporting stolen goods across state lines. On April 3, 2025, Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Goods. On August 8, 2025, Wilson was sentenced to 30 months in prison and court-ordered restitution of $285,749.45. On April 15, 2025, Logan pleaded guilty to one Count of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Goods. On August 19, 2025, Logan was sentenced to 8 months in prison and court-ordered restitution of $45,067.00. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Department, and the Paris, Texas Police Department. According to investigators, on January 16, 2024, Wilson and Logan knowingly transported stolen industrial radio equipment from Hugo, Oklahoma, to Paris, Texas. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Wilson and Logan will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.


title: FEDERAL CHARGES FILED AGAINST PENSACOLA MAN FOR FIREARM OFFENSES

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Joshua Dean Hardy, 26, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for two counts of unlawful possession of firearm under the National Firearms Act (NFA), namely two unregistered and unserialized silencers and a destructive device, and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges. Hardy is scheduled for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida, on August 28, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. If convicted as charged, Hardy faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment as it relates to each of the NFA violations, and another five years for his possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer H. Callahan. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Former Tennessee Deputy Indicted for Enticement of a Minor and Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a three-count indictment charging Johnathan Nathaniel Allen, 26, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, for enticement of a minor and production of child sexual abuse material. The indictment alleges that in September 2024 Allen used accounts on Reddit and TextMe to contact a 13-year-old girl in South Carolina. Allen, who was 25 at the time and a deputy with a county sheriff’s office since 2021, posed on the platform as a 14-year-old boy named Josh. Allen used an account on Reddit, and he used that social media account to target minors for sexual exploitation, one of whom was the minor victim. Allen also obtained a virtual phone number through the TextMe platform to facilitate the scheme. Allen targeted and communicated with the victim through both platforms, he told her that he loved her, and he caused the production of sexually explicit content depicting the minor. Allen told the victim that he was proud of her, and that she learned something new she could do. He also requested her to perform additional sex acts, and he told her to delete the messages so no one else would see them. Allen faces a mandatory 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. He also faces supervision for a period of life following any prison sentence, and sex offender registry requirements. He is currently in custody on state charges. He will be arraigned in federal court on Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. before United States Magistrate Judge Paige J. Gossett. The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the York County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Hamilton County, TN Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott B. Daniels is prosecuting the case. All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ### * The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child. The Associated Press Stylebook also discourages the use of the phrase “child pornography.”


title: Former California Superior Court Judge Charged with Sexual Assault and Obstruction Offenses

component: Civil Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced that a federal grand jury in Fresno, California, returned a five-count indictment yesterday charging former California Superior Court Judge Adolfo Corona, 66, with federal offenses for sexually assaulting a 33-year-old court employee (Victim 1), making false statements to cover up the assault, and with obstructing the investigation into allegations that he sexually assaulted a 43-year-old court employee (Victim 2) in his chambers. The indictment alleges that on March 14, 2024, Corona, while serving as a California Superior Court Judge, led Victim 1 into a courthouse stairwell where he sexually assaulted her. The indictment further alleges that Corona, during separate interviews with the FBI and court administrators, made false statements about the circumstances of his assault on Victim 1. Additionally, the indictment alleges that Corona obstructed the investigation into allegations that he sexually assaulted Victim 2. Corona was alone with Victim 2 in his chambers for approximately two hours on Dec. 5, 2023, and she was later found alone in the judge’s chambers after being passed out. The indictment charges that Corona falsely told the FBI that he left Victim 2 alone in his chambers while he drove to pick up a motorcycle. It also charges that Corona attempted to persuade a motorcycle dealership employee to change company records to falsely reflect that he had picked up his motorcycle in order to corroborate his alibi. If convicted, Corona faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison on the sexual assault charge and 20 years on each of the obstruction charges. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California, and Special Agent in Charge Siddhartha Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar for the Eastern District of California and Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Tulsan Retried and Found Guilty of Sexually and Brutally Assaulting a Nun

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A federal jury reconvicted a homeless Tulsa man who kidnapped, sexually abused, and physically assaulted a 72-year-old nun, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. Elga Eugene Harper, 43, was found guilty of Kidnapping in Indian Country; Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force and Threat in Indian Country; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country. According to court documents, in May 2022, Harper showed up at the victim's house unannounced. The victim knew Harper, who was homeless, and she would pay him to help fix things around her house. After explaining to Harper that she had no work for him, Harper requested to use the restroom. The victim allowed him to use the restroom. The victim testified that Harper was gone for a while, and she went to check on him. When she found Harper, he was in her bedroom naked and immediately attacked her. During her testimony, the victim described Harper bound her arms and legs and tied a noose around her neck, all while Harper physically and sexually assaulted her for more than four hours. Before Harper left, he went through her home and took possessions that officers later found. Harper was found guilty during his federal trial in February and sentenced in July 2023. In August, Harper filed an appeal to the Tenth Circuit Court, and the guilty verdict was overturned in October 2024, causing a retrial. While awaiting retrial, the victim passed away. The retrial began on Monday, and a new jury was selected. Law enforcement and witnesses retestified to the events that happened in 2022. The jury heard audio from the 911 call where the victim cried for help and described being physically assaulted. The victim could be heard telling the 911 dispatcher, EMSA personnel, and responding officers that “Elga Harper” was the person who attacked her. A body camera video and photos of the victim's injuries displayed to the jury showed the brutality of the violence that Harper committed on the victim. Harper is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. He will continue to remain in custody until his sentencing is scheduled. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melody Nelson, Valeria Luster, and Kenneth Elmore prosecuted the case.


title: Arizona Man Sentenced to Prison Term for Deadly Drunk Driving Crash

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man was sentenced to 40 months in prison for causing a high-speed drunk driving crash on the Navajo Nation that killed two passengers and seriously injured another. According to court records, on November 14, 2024, Marvin Albert Wauneka , 40, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, drank heavily before reporting to work, where he was too intoxicated to perform his job. Wauneka then went to a Wal-Mart, continued drinking, and later drove and continued to drink with four passengers at speeds of 85 to 100 miles per hour on Navajo Route 54, where he lost control and caused a single-vehicle rollover crash. The scene of the rollover Two passengers were killed at the scene, a third suffered serious injuries but was able to escape the wreckage, and a fourth passenger escaped without serious harm. Wauneka ’s blood alcohol content was measured at .298 upon arrival at the hospital. Wauneka , who has a prior DWI conviction, pleaded guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. He was previously convicted in Navajo Nation Tribal Court and sentenced to 167 days in custody for this offense. Upon his release from prison, Wauneka will be subject to three years of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case.


title: United States Attorney’s Office in Chicago Creates New Section to Prosecute Criminal Healthcare Fraud Violations

component: Criminal - Criminal Fraud Section

body_text: CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced publicly the creation of a new section within the Office’s Criminal Division dedicated to the prosecution of healthcare fraud, which is among the Department of Justice’s top fraud enforcement priorities and the first time the Office has created such a section. The new Healthcare Fraud Section will consist of six federal prosecutors and will be led by Heidi Manschreck, who will serve as the inaugural Section Chief, and Prashant Kolluri, who will serve as the Section’s inaugural Deputy Chief. Both prosecutors have dozens of years of combined experience investigating and prosecuting healthcare fraud cases. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Kelly, Kate McClelland, Alejandro G. Ortega, and Kristin Pinkston have also been assigned to the Section full time. The work of this new section will be in addition to the healthcare fraud-related matters in this district that are being handled by the Healthcare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of the Fraud Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. The Healthcare Fraud Strike Force, which is housed in the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office, is led locally by Assistant Chief Patrick M. Mott and collaborates extensively with the Office. The newly created Healthcare Fraud Section will be tasked with prosecuting defendants in all types of healthcare fraud, such as false and fraudulent claims submitted by transnational criminal organizations to America’s health insurance programs; upcoding and unbundling schemes; scams by providers and individuals against Medicare and Medicaid; fraudulent billing; and illegal kickbacks, among many other healthcare-related frauds and schemes. “Every year, healthcare fraud causes billions of dollars in losses to the federal government and private insurers and siphons off hard-earned tax dollars meant to provide care for people in need,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Since becoming U.S. Attorney, my Office has charged nearly $2 billion in healthcare fraud schemes involving alleged criminal conduct that has stretched across the country, and even transnationally. The newly created Healthcare Fraud Section that I’ve launched will bring greater focus, efficiency, and impact to our efforts in this important program area, which often involves the exploitation of patients through unnecessary and/or unsafe medical tests and procedures.” U.S. Attorney Boutros continued, “In addition, under the direct leadership of our Section Chief and Deputy Chief, our Healthcare Fraud Section and its team of federal prosecutors will continue to closely coordinate and collaborate with the Healthcare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of the Fraud Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and has proven to be a highly effective and dynamic prosecutorial partner. Healthcare providers, gatekeepers, and others who criminally cheat the system will be vigorously investigated, prosecuted, and punished under federal law and pursuant to the Department’s priorities.” In announcing the new Section, U.S. Attorney Boutros acknowledged the cooperation and determination of the Office’s investigative partners, including the FBI, DEA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and other federal, state, and local agencies. The newly created Healthcare Fraud Section will also strengthen coordination with the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, which has partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago and other districts across the country to combat healthcare fraud. 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 $27 billion. Recently, the Health Care Fraud Unit led and coordinated the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in charges against more than 320 defendants nationwide for allegedly participating in various health care fraud schemes involving more than $14.6 billion in intended losses. This was the largest national health care fraud enforcement action in Department of Justice history–and the largest ever in the Northern District of Illinois. “The Health Care Fraud Unit and its U.S. Attorneys’ Office partners continue to build on historic successes in health care fraud enforcement—protecting American taxpayer funds, ensuring programs for our most vulnerable citizens receive what they are due, and safeguarding patients from medically unnecessary procedures and false diagnoses,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Beyond our proven track record of holding individuals accountable, the Health Care Fraud Unit is now for the first time focusing on corporate enforcement in the health care space to ensure that all culpable actors are held responsible. The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has been an exceptional partner and our Health Care Fraud Unit Strike Force in the district is excited to partner with this new unit to increase our collective reach and enhance our ability to protect the American public from health care fraud.” “Healthcare fraud is not a victimless crime,” said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “These complex schemes not only drain critical resources intended to provide care and protect some our most vulnerable citizens, but can also lead to patient harm. The enhanced collaboration and focus this new section brings will enable federal and state law enforcement partners to strengthen our ability to identify and hold accountable those who seek to defraud our federal healthcare programs and keep patients safe.” “The DEA Chicago Field Division applauds U.S. Attorney Boutros's decision to launch the Healthcare Fraud Section,” said Shane Catone, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division. “This will only enhance our capabilities to keep Americans safe from anyone who exploits financial, pharmaceutical, and criminal systems, in collaboration with our federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutorial partners.” “FBI Chicago stands committed with our federal partners to find and prosecute all offenders who perpetrate fraud in our healthcare system and violate the trust of vulnerable people seeking care,” said Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. “Together we are sending a clear message to those who steal from the U.S. taxpayers by committing healthcare fraud: you will be caught and you will face justice.”


title: Southbridge Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Southbridge man pleaded guilty in federal court in Worcester to conspiring to distribute cocaine in Central Massachusetts. Eric Rivera, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Nov. 12, 2025. In November 2024, Rivera was indicted by a federal grand jury along with alleged co-conspirators Luis Sastre Pagan and Miguel Lopez. From in or about April 2023 through April 2024, Rivera participated in a conspiracy that shipped kilograms of cocaine into Central Massachusetts. Specifically, Rivera provided addresses to be used as “drop addresses” for drug packages in Worcester County and drove packages of cocaine to other known drug traffickers in the Springfield area. Over the course of the investigation, four packages related to the drug trafficking organization were seized, each of which were found to contain cocaine. This includes one package seized in February 2023 that was addressed to Rivera and found to contain three kilograms of cocaine. In total, between 15-50 kilograms of cocaine is attributable to Rivera as part of his participation in the conspiracy. Rivera’s alleged co-conspirators have pleaded not guilty and are pending trial. The charge of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the DEA Puerto Rico and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Brown of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case. This effort is 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 . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Battle Creek Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: Guilty Plea Entered on National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey announced that Nazzarie Carmouche-Heath, 29, of Battle Creek, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Carmouche-Heath is scheduled to be sentenced on December 4, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. “I hope everyone knows by now how deadly fentanyl is. Our office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute the drug dealers who sell it. We especially look for cases like this, where the fentanyl was disguised as legitimate medication, a situation that can lead to accidental overdoses by the unsuspecting.” said U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey. In pleading guilty, Carmouche-Heath admitted that in March 2025, at his residence in Battle Creek, he possessed and intended to sell 4,714 blue pills, which were designed to look like the opioid analgesic Oxycodone (M/30), but in fact contained fentanyl, weighing over 470 grams. Carmouche-Heathe also possessed and intended to sell over 600 grams of fentanyl in powder form. He also possessed two firearms found near the fentanyl stash. According to court documents, Carmouche-Heath pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. “Our country continues to be plagued by fentanyl poisonings caused by these counterfeit pills. This defendant entered his guilty plea on August 21, which is National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. Our communities can rejoice in taking another piece of this deadly drug trade off the streets, which will prevent future potential overdoses and tragedy. DEA’s strategic partnerships with the Battle Creek Police Department (BCPD) and other law enforcement agencies are instrumental in stopping this nationwide threat,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derek Ress. DEA and BCPD are investigating this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan McGraw is prosecuting it. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiate 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 Neighborhoods (PSN).


title: Georgia Man Guilty of Conspiracy to Defraud Former Political Candidate and Four Other Louisiana Residents

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that, on August 14, 2025, CHASE DUNCAN CAMPBELL (“CAMPBELL”) , a resident of Cobb County, Georgia, pled guilty before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. According to court documents, from as early as November 2020, and continuing through at least May 2024, CAMPBELL , and others, conspired to: defraud Candidate 1 with fake campaign services; defraud Victim 1 out of approximately $236,867 in fake real estate purchases and associated costs; defraud Victim 2 out of approximately $83,268.05 in fraudulent claims of real estate and title work; and defraud Victims 3 and 4 out of approximately $112,328.18 in connection with a fake legal defense scheme. Among other things, CAMPBELL , and others, utilized numerous fake aliases and occupations, “burner” numbers for text messages and calls, and fraudulent invoices to defraud their victims. CAMPBELL faces up to five (5) years in prison, up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory $100 mandatory special assessment fee. CAMPBELL has agreed to pay restitution of approximately $446,302.23 to his victims. The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney, Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit.


title: Two Charged with Methamphetamine Conspiracy

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Earlier this week, a federal indictment was unsealed charging Kurbin Menaugh, 36, and Robert Terry, 44, with drug related offenses. The indictment was unsealed following the arrest and initial appearance of Menaugh. The indictment alleges that in early September 2021, Menaugh and Terry conspired possess 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The indictment also charges Menaugh with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. If convicted, each defendant faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. Menaugh also faces a five-year, mandatory-minimum sentence of incarceration, to run consecutive to any other sentence of incarceration, for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense. The minimum and maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. Any sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors following a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Kirkpatrick. It was investigated by the Independence Police Department. Operation Take Back America This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Arizona Woman Pleads Guilty to Endangering Children in Drunken High-Speed Crash

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona woman pleaded guilty to assimilated federal charges after a high-speed, alcohol-fueled crash that endangered three young children. According to court records, on May 4, 2024, Avedale Johnson , 40, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, drove intoxicated at speeds over 100 mph on U.S. Highway 491 with three unbelted children under 12 in her car, crashed into another vehicle, and fled from law enforcement. The three unbelted children were unharmed during the incident. Johnson later admitted to drinking vodka before the incident. Johnson pleaded guilty to abandonment or abuse of a child (no death or great bodily harm). Johnson will be subject to up to three years in prison and five years of supervised probation. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting the case.


title: Honduran National Guilty of Reentry of a Removed Alien

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Walter Omar Casco-Lopez (“Casco-Lopez”) , age 36, a native of Honduras, pleaded guilty on August 19, 2025, to illegal reentry of a removed alien, a violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a). According to court documents, Casco-Lopez , an illegal alien, was found in Orleans Parish on November 4, 2019. He had previously been removed to Honduras on or about October 12, 2011. The defendant faces a maximum penalty of two (2) years of incarceration, followed by up to one (1) year of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.


title: August Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments Announced

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the August Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments. The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence. Wilmer Ulvin Aguilar-Miranda. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Aguilar-Miranda, 30, a Guatemalan national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Mar. 2013. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Heign is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-308 Christopher Ray Barrett; Jessica Marie Johnson; Katelyn Mary LeBlanc. Carjacking; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Conspiracy to Tamper with a Witnesses, Victims, and Informants (second superseding) . Barrett, 40, Johnson, 37, both of Tulsa, and LeBlanc, 27, a transient, are charged with taking a vehicle by force. They further conspired to intimidate and persuade witnesses and victims not to cooperate with the investigation. Barrett is charged with brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and for possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Flesher and Jessica Wright are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-024 Joshua Lee Cornog. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Cornog, 43, of Commerce, is charged with intentionally possessing with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-314 Jerry Charles Creek, Jr. Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling and Suffocating in Indian Country (Counts 1 & 3); Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country (Counts 2 & 7); Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country (Count 4); Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force and Threat in Indian Country (Counts 5 & 9); Assault with Intent to Commit Murder in Indian Country (Count 6); Kidnapping in Indian Country (Count 8) (superseding). Creek, 53, of Collinsville, is charged with strangling and assaulting an intimate partner, which resulted in serious bodily injury. He is charged with using a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Nov. 2023 and Apr. 2024. Plus, sexually assaulting the victim by force and threat in Nov. 2023 and Mar. 2024. Additionally, it is alleged that Creek assaulted the victim with intent to commit murder and held her against her will. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Todd is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-259* Cameron David Joshua Cox. Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. Cox, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly receiving, possessing, and distributing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-307 Henry Joseph Jaquez. Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition (Count 1); Kidnapping in Indian Country (Count 2); Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling in Indian Country (Count 3); Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country (Counts 4 & 6); Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence (Count 5); Abusive Sexual Contact by Force and Threat in Indian Country (Count 7). Jaquez, 42, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing several firearms and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. In Aug. 2025, Jaquez allegedly kidnapped, strangled, and assaulted the victim with a taser and a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Dowdell is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-296 Marcus Antonio Jones. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Jones, 46, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory Richard is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-313 John David Landrum. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Landrum, 45, of Quapaw, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wyandotte Nation Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-306 Antonio Juan Paredes. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Paredes, 35, of Tulsa, is an individual who is knowingly required to register as a sex offender. He is charged with failing to register as a sex offender from March to July 2025. The U.S. Marshal Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-305 Issac Eli Pigeon. First Degree Burglary in Indian Country; Kidnapping in Indian Country. Pigeon, 23, of Tulsa and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is charged with breaking into an occupied home with the intent of committing a crime. He is further charged with kidnapping the victim and keeping them from leaving. The FBI, the U.S. Marshal Service, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Buscemi is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-312 Sidney Peter Rivas; Marcus Allen Bearpaw; Michael Anthony Collum; Lindsey Stark Cornell; William Boyd Jones; Jennifer Suzanne Swanson; Juan Carlos Perez-Hernandez. Continuing Criminal Enterprise (Count 1); Drug Conspiracy (Counts 2 through 4); Money Laundering Conspiracy (Count 5); Concealment Money Laundering (Count 6); International Concealment Money Laundering (Counts 7 through 9). Rivas, 46, incarcerated, is charged with organizing, leading, and profiting from the distribution of methamphetamine while in prison. Rivas, Bearpaw, 30, incarcerated, Collum, 41, of Noble, Cornell, 45, of Grove, Jones, 39, and Swanson, 48, of Lindsay, and Perez-Hernandez, 43, is incarcaerate and an El Salvador national, are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and or heroin. Additionally, Rivas, Cornell, Jones, and Swanson are charged with conspiring with others to obtain physical and digital currency from the drug distribution and transferring it to other locations in the United States and Mexico. Rivas and Cornell are charged with concealing or disguising funds received from the unlawful activity. Lastly, Rivas, Cornell, and Swanson are charged with concealing or disguising funds from the unlawful activity and transferring them to Mexico. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the IRS, and the Drug Enforcement Administration are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-295 Alejandro Aguilar Rodriguez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Aguilar Rodriguez, 30, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Jan. 2025. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-303 Jimmy Ray Spencer. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Spencer, 67, of Sapulpa, is charged with possessing with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-294 Jesus Vargas-Gutierrez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Vargas-Gutierrez, 40, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Jan. 2019. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Attila Bogdan is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-304 Gualberto Vega. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Vega, 31, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Further, Vega is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition after being convicted of a felony and in furtherance of drug trafficking. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Scaife is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-302 Raphiel Andrew Williams. Cyberstalking (Counts 1 & 2). Williams, 26, of Tulsa, is charged with causing reasonable fear or substantial emotional distress by using an electronic communication service with intent to kill, injure, harass, and intimidate two victims. The Tulsa Police Department is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Robert and Steve Briden are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-301 Ismael Moreno Zuniga. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Moreno Zuniga, 37, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Wright is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-300 * Jerry Chares Creek, Jr., was tried by a federal jury in November 2025. He was acquitted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; both counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force and Threat in Indian Country; and Assault with Intent to Commit Murder in Indian Country. Creek was found guilty of all other charges.


title: New Orleans Man Guilty of Violating Federal Gun Control Act

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KENNETH JACKSON (“JACKSON”) , age 33, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on August 20, 2025, before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo, to violating the Federal Gun Control Act, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. According to court records, in March 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted aerial surveillance at an apartment complex in New Orleans East and observed a Toyota Camry with damage to the rear bumper parked behind the complex. The aerial surveillance was being conducted as part of an investigation into a murder that had occurred the previous day, and agents believed the Camry to be the same one used in the murder. FBI agents who were watching the apartment complex saw the Camry begin to circle around the side of the complex to leave. An agent blocked the Camry’s exit with his vehicle, which caused the occupants, JACKSON and another male, to abandon the Camry and flee on foot. Both were apprehended by law enforcement shortly after exiting the vehicle. JACKSON had a .45 caliber pistol on his person. JACKSON is a convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms. JACKSON was charged, in a multi-defendant indictment, with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Milazzo set sentencing for January 30, 2026. JACKSON faces a maximum term of fifteen years imprisonment, up to three years supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. 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. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the New Orleans District Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted out of the Violent Crime Unit by Assistant United States Attorneys Liz Privitera and Sarah Dawkins.


title: New Orleans Man Guilty of Carjacking

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RASHUAD FONTENBERRY (“FONTENBERRY”) , age 33, formerly a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on August 19, 2025 before United States District Judge Brandon S. Long to Carjacking, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. Section 2119. FONTENBERRY faces a term of imprisonment of up to 15 years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release following his release from imprisonment, and payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Judge Long ordered a pre-sentence report and scheduled sentencing for December 2, 2025. Court documents showed that on September 5, 2022, the victim of the offense stopped at a local gas station to buy snacks. She parked her car next to the fuel pumps and exited the vehicle. FONTENBERRY quickly approached the victim who was then stopped by a second male perpetrator. As they ordered the victim to surrender her belongings, she noticed FONTENBERRY ’s hand resting near, or on, a firearm. The victim then handed them her keys and cell phone, following which FONTENBERRY and his accomplice entered her car. FONTENBERRY sat in the driver’s seat. When the gas station store customers walked out to see what was happening, FONTENBERRY and his accomplice fled on foot but were later identified by police. 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. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller of the Narcotics Unit is handling the prosecution.


title: 68-Year-Old Moonshiner Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Gun Possession Offenses

body_text: ATLANTA – Michael Ferrell Price, a/k/a “Cheese,” a Cherokee County drug user, has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine from a backwoods shed in which he stored explosive devices, unregistered silencers, machineguns, and other firearms. In an adjacent structure, Price operated an illegal moonshine still. “Price posed a clear danger to the community by selling methamphetamine and distilling moonshine while maintaining an illegal stash of explosive devices and more than 150 firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thanks to the collaboration of federal agents and local law enforcement, Price has been brought to justice for his crimes.” “This case demonstrates the results we achieve when federal, state, and local law enforcement work hand-in-hand,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “By combining resources and expertise, we were able to dismantle a criminal operation that threatened both public safety and the rule of law.” “Stockpiling weapons while trafficking drugs is a recipe for tragedy,” said Major Walter Jones, Director of Drug Enforcement-Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad. “Price’s sentencing should make clear that those who choose that path will face serious consequences.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In September 2024, agents of the Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad began investigating Price for trafficking methamphetamine from his 90-year-old mother’s home in eastern Cherokee County. On October 22, 2024, agents executed a search warrant at the property and recovered more than three ounces of highly pure crystal methamphetamine, several gallons of homemade moonshine, dozens of illegal explosive devices, and more than 150 firearms. Among Price’s 150 firearms were two machineguns, a short-barreled rifle, a privately manufactured firearm without a serial number, five firearm silencers, and a stolen revolver. Because Price was a years-long abuser of methamphetamine, federal law prohibited him from possessing firearms or explosives. On August 21, 2025, United States District Judge Eleanor L. Ross sentenced Michael Ferrell Price, 68, of Ball Ground, Ga., to 87 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. Price was convicted of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by an unlawful drug user, after he pleaded guilty on May 7, 2025. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad. The Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office provided valuable assistance. U.S. Attorney Hertzberg prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at www.justthinktwice.gov and www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Former Columbus, Ohio, Lawyer Sentenced for Making False Statements to FBI

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former Columbus, Ohio, lawyer has been sentenced in the Southern District of Ohio to two years of probation and a $15,000 fine on his conviction for making false statements to the FBI, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Chief United States District Judge Sarah D. Morrison imposed the sentence on Dennis W. McNamara, 74, of Columbus, on August 21, 2025. According to information presented to the Court, McNamara—then a practicing lawyer in the Southern District of Ohio—represented a cooperating witness who provided information into a drug trafficking and sex trafficking organization operating in Columbus. At the time, McNamara was separately engaged in a sexual relationship with a female sex worker. McNamara informed the sex worker that he represented the cooperating witness and provided the woman with details of his client’s cooperation, placing his client at great risk of potential harm. When agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation questioned him regarding his disclosures, McNamara lied to agents about having revealed the information. In imposing the sentence, Judge Morrison emphasized the seriousness of the offense. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio was recused from the investigation and prosecution of this matter; the matter then was assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force, which includes special agents and officers from the FBI, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and Columbus Division of Police, as well as the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of McNamara.


title: Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty To Assisting In The Filing Of False Tax Returns

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Survalarie Harris has pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. Harris faces a maximum sentence of three years. Her sentencing has been scheduled for December 10, 2025. According to court documents, Harris worked as a tax return preparer in Jacksonville. While preparing tax returns for others, Harris knowingly reported false information including false claims of having a business to decrease the amount taxpayers would owe to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and to increase the amount taxpayers would receive as tax refunds from the IRS. IRS agents determined that Harris falsified tax returns in a similar manner multiple times, specifically by creating fictitious business expenses. Despite a lack of documentation from taxpayers, Harris included these fictitious expenses on the tax returns, indicating a net loss for a non-existent business. This would lower the taxpayers Adjusted Gross Income, allowing the taxpayer to apply for an Earned Income Credit, which is a refundable tax credit based primarily on income and filing status. On March 22, 2022, Harris prepared a 2021 tax return for an undercover IRS agent who posed as a customer. During the conversation, Harris told the undercover agent that the agent was going to owe money on her tax return. Harris asked the undercover agent if she did any work on the side, to which the undercover agent stated she sometimes braided hair. Harris told the undercover agent that she could help the undercover agent receive a refund for an additional fee. Moments later, Harris told the undercover agent that she was receiving a refund of $2,950, minus the additional fee. However, Harris did not ask for, and the undercover agent did not provide, any documentation or information associated with business losses or income. Despite the lack of documentation, Harris prepared the undercover agent’s tax return, which indicated a net loss for a non-existent business. Harris understood that the non-existent business net loss would lower the undercover agent’s Adjusted Gross Income to a point that the undercover agent would qualify for an Earned Income Credit. Throughout the investigation, IRS agents learned that Harris had been preparing falsified tax returns on behalf of taxpayers since at least 2018. Agents estimated that Harris prepared more than 900 falsified tax returns between the 2020 tax year and the 2022 tax year. As part of her guilty plea, Harris has agreed that the tax loss to the United States is at least $1,824,279. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams.


title: Former Social Security Employee Sentenced for Trying to Lure Beneficiary Into Prostitution

body_text: BOSTON – A former Social Security Administration (SSA) employee was sentenced today for attempting to coerce a beneficiary into crossing state lines to engage in prostitution. Dae Sung Kim, 36, of Auburn, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to six months in prison and five years of supervised release. In February 2025 , Kim pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to induce a person to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution. “Public servants are entrusted to assist people, not exploit them. This was a brazen abuse of power by a federal employee who used his position and access to sensitive information to prey on a vulnerable woman who had just lost her job. This kind of predatory behavior has no place in public service, or anywhere else,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “This case represents yet another example of my office’s commitment to reduce the demand for commercial exploitation. Mr. Kim attempted to purchase access to the victim’s body and used her vulnerability and his privilege to do so.” “This was a shocking abuse of power by someone entrusted to serve the public. The defendant, while employed as an SSA claims specialist, attempted to exploit a vulnerable, disabled mother seeking to apply for reinstatement of disability benefits after losing her job. This predatory behavior is intolerable,” said Michelle Anderson, Acting Inspector General, Social Security Administration. In March 2024, Kim handled an in-person visit at the Gardner SSA field office from a woman seeking Social Security benefits after losing her job. Approximately 20 minutes later, after redirecting the beneficiary to another SSA field office closer to her residence in another state, Kim utilized his access to her personally identifiable information in the SSA’s computer system to find the beneficiary’s phone number and call her from his personal cell phone. On the call, Kim said he understood the beneficiary was in a “difficult situation” and that “maybe they could work something out that would benefit them both.” During the ensuing investigation, Kim clarified in text messages and a consensually monitored phone conversation that he was proposing to pay the beneficiary for sex and attempted to negotiate a price. Kim continued his solicitation over a period of several months through text messages with undercover law enforcement impersonating the beneficiary, including several requests for nude photographs that were declined. Eventually, Kim proposed that the beneficiary travel from her home outside of Massachusetts to a hotel parking lot in Fitchburg, Mass., to have sex in a car in exchange for $100. When Kim traveled to the hotel parking lot to meet the individual in October 2024, he was confronted by law enforcement. U.S. Attorney Foley and Acting SSA Inspector General Anderson made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations and the Fitchburg and Gardner Police Departments. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan D. O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.


component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: The Justice Department announced that a federal grand jury in Fresno returned a five-count indictment yesterday charging former California Superior Court Judge Adolfo Corona, 66, with federal offenses for sexually assaulting a court employee (Victim 1), making false statements to cover up the assault, and with obstructing the investigation into allegations that he sexually assaulted another court employee (Victim 2) in his chambers. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant of the Eastern District of California, and Special Agent in Charge Siddhartha Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office made the announcement. The indictment alleges that on March 14, 2024, Corona, while serving as a California Superior Court Judge, led Victim 1 into a courthouse stairwell where he sexually assaulted her. The indictment further alleges that Corona, during separate interviews with the FBI and court administrators, made false statements about the circumstances of his assault on Victim 1. Additionally, the indictment alleges that Corona obstructed the investigation into allegations that he sexually assaulted Victim 2. Corona was alone with Victim 2 in his chambers for approximately two hours on Dec. 5, 2023, and she was later found alone in the judge’s chambers after being passed out. The indictment charges that Corona falsely told the FBI that he left Victim 2 alone in his chambers while he drove to pick up a motorcycle. Corona allegedly attempted to persuade a motorcycle dealership employee to change company records to falsely reflect that he had picked up his motorcycle in order to corroborate his alibi. If convicted, Corona faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison on the sexual assault charge and 20 years on each of the obstruction charges. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar for the Eastern District of California and Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. Anyone with information about this investigation is encouraged to contact their local FBI office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or submit a tip to tips.fbi.gov.


title: Jackson Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

component: Department of Justice

body_text: Jackson, MS – A Jackson man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court documents, Domique Desha Mathews, 30, was found by the Ridgeland Police Department to be in possession of two firearms during a traffic stop. One of the firearms was a Glock pistol with an attached machinegun conversion device a/k/a a switch, which converts a pistol into a functioning machinegun and is a violation of federal and state law. Mathews has a previous felony conviction for attempted house burglary. As a convicted felon he is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Mathews was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 11, 2025. He pled guilty to the federal charge on May 21, 2025. Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement. The ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Whiteside County, Ill. Man Sentenced to More than Eight Years in Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ROCKFORD — A Whiteside County, Ill. man has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. THOMAS DUGGER, 55, of Rock Falls, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine. Duggar admitted in a plea agreement that in July 2021 he sold 55.7 grams of methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed a 100-month prison sentence during a hearing on Wednesday in federal court in Rockford. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Shane R. Catone, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.