title: Upper Marlboro Man Pleads Guilty to String of Bank Robbery, Firearms Offenses

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – Wesley Phillip Wilson, Jr., 44, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, pled guilty to several bank robbery offenses and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The string of armed bank robberies occurred in Maryland and Virginia. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland and Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Washington, DC Field Office, Criminal Division; Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD); Chief Amal E. Awad, Anne Arundel County Police; Chief Marc R. Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD); Chief Douglas W. Keen, Manassas City Police Department; Colonel Peter Newsham, Chief, Prince William County Police Department (PWCPD); and Chief Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD). According to the guilty plea, between November 19, 2020, and December 7, 2020, Wilson robbed four banks and attempted to rob another. On November 19, Wilson kicked off the spree by robbing approximately $1,570 from a Prince George’s County, Maryland bank. During the robbery, Wilson approached a teller station and handed a teller a note that stated “Don’t Be a Hero. I have a gun. No Dye packs tracers or devices in the bag. Do Not push alarm until I leave! If my scanner goes off someone will die. Only Large Bills. Hurry up!! Stay calm 20,000 Now.” The bank teller initially gave Wilson $500, but he demanded more money, so the teller complied, giving him an additional $1,070.70. Then on November 23, Wilson entered an Anne Arundel County, Maryland bank. Wilson approached the teller station and handed the teller a note that stated “Dont Panic. Put all the money in the bag. Don’t hit the panic alarm until I leave or people will die. I have a gun…No dye packs or devices. Your on the clock. Don’t Be A Hero!!” The teller complied, giving Wilson $2,709 before he fled. On November 25, Wilson attempted to rob a Woodbridge, Virginia bank. Wilson approached the teller’s station asking to make a withdrawal. He then tossed an envelope through the opening of the teller’s plastic shield that stated “I have a gun don’t Panic Do Not push the panic alarm until I leave and No one dies. Give me ALL the money from the drawer.” Wilson then reached into his bag and brandished a black handgun in furtherance of the robbery. In response, the teller handed Wilson a withdrawal slip and responded to the threat by attempting to press the alarm button under the desk. As a result, Wilson fled without obtaining any funds from the bank. Then on November 28, Wilson entered a Montgomery County, Maryland bank carrying a shopping bag. Wilson approached the teller station and handed over a note that read, “I have a gun. Do not panic. Give me all the money in the drawer.” The teller complied, giving Wilson giving $3,000, which he placed in the shopping bag before fleeing. On December 7, Wilson entered a Manassas, Virginia bank and approached the teller station. After a brief conversation, Wilson pointed a handgun at the teller, demanding everything in the top drawer. The teller complied giving Wilson the money. Then Wilson approached another bank employee and demanded money. The second employee also complied, emptying a drawer that contained cash and a GPS tracker onto the counter. As the employee put the money into envelopes, a customer entered the bank. Wilson then pointed the handgun at the employee, stating, “You have eight seconds.” He then stuffed approximately $6,135 into a bag before fleeing. Following the bank robbery, law enforcement utilized the GPS tracker to track the stolen money to a shopping center in Manassas, Virginia. Law enforcement found Wilson and informed him that they were detaining him in connection with the Prince William County bank robbery. As an officer placed his hands behind him, Wilson confessed. Upon approaching Wilson’s vehicle, law enforcement spotted various piles of stolen cash inside and then officers eventually found additional stolen money in his pocket. After Wilson’s arrest law enforcement conducted an interview. During the interview, Wilson confessed to the four previous bank robberies and the one attempted bank robbery. Law enforcement searched Wilson’s vehicle where officers discovered proceeds from previous robberies and the Polymer80 9mm handgun and ammunition he used in connection with the robberies. Wilson is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the bank robbery charge and a maximum of 25 years for the armed bank robbery and attempted armed bank robbery charges. Additionally, Wilson faces a minimum of five years and maximum of life—consecutive to the bank robbery offenses—for using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. 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. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, PGPD, Anne Arundel County Police Department, MCPD, Manassas City Police Department, PWCPD, and FCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dawn Williams and Timothy F. Hagan, Jr., who are prosecuting this case, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney John Blanchard, Eastern District of Virginia, for his valuable assistance. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Tennessee Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Employment Tax Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Tennessee, Eastern

body_text: A Tennessee man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to tax crimes and wire fraud for his role in a scheme to claim fraudulent refunds based on false COVID-19 employment tax credits. The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Edward Zanes, of Kingsport, Tennessee, conspired with others to file false tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on the employee retention credit and paid sick and family leave credit, both of which were created by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Zanes and co-conspirators created phony businesses, which lacked any employees or operations, for the sole purpose of claiming the bogus credits. Zanes aided in filing numerous false tax returns for those phony businesses and directed the tax returns to be mailed to addresses he and co-conspirators controlled. In total, Zane and his co-conspirators filed false tax returns that claimed over $3.4 million in tax refunds and received over $1.8 million from the IRS. Zanes is set to be sentenced on Jan. 7, 2026. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of mail fraud, and a maximum penalty of 3 years in prison for each count of aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Trial Attorney Zachary A. Cobb of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Heavener for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.


title: Second Defendant Involved in Conspiracy to Produce  Child Pornography and the Sexual Exploitation of Children Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Michael Bo Peacock, 50, of Denton, Texas, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 480 months (40 years) in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for his involvement in a conspiracy to produce child pornography and the sexual exploitation of children. Peacock was also ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $50,000. Peacock pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography and one count of enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity on November 21, 2024. His co-defendant, Daniel Perryman Collins , 35, of Pineville, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to the same charges and was sentenced in February 2025 to 325 months (27 years, 1 month) in prison for these offenses. This case is the result of an investigation into individuals using the dark web to communicate with others regarding exploiting children on the internet and causing them to produce child pornography. From January to November 2023, Peacock and Collins, both together and individually, for their sexual gratification, caused minor children to produce child pornographic and sexually explicit images and videos of themselves by the use of threats and blackmail. Peacock conducted all of this illegal activity in the Dallas, Texas area, while Collins worked out of the Pineville, Louisiana area. According to information introduced in court, Peacock and Collins both participated in meeting children and coercing/blackmailing the children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and to produce videos of that conduct. Peacock would often contact a minor victim online and through various social media platforms, he and Collins would convince the minor victim to engage in sexually explicit activity and provide a video of that conduct. Peacock and Collins would then blackmail and threaten the victims to provide additional sexually explicit material. As part of the conspiracy, Collins utilized advanced security measures so that those images and materials could not be traced back to himself or Peacock. Peacock and Collins gave each other access to all of the child pornography they had caused minor victims to produce by obtaining an account with an overseas cloud-based file hosting service so they could post and share the child pornography images and videos that they had produced or obtained. Both defendants had an encryption key to use to access the material they had posted to the site. Through their investigation, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Child Exploitation Operational Unit determined that Peacock and Collins exploited over 100 child victims and caused them to create child pornography. These images and videos were posted to their shared file hosting account. On November 16, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Collins’ residence in Pineville. During the search, law enforcement agents obtained access to the cloud-based file hosting account of Peacock and Collins and were able to download all of the child pornography images and videos which they had created and posted to the account. “This sentence should send a strong message to anyone who may be involved in this type of behavior and the sexual exploitation of minor children that this crime will not be tolerated,” said Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “Our office and the state and federal agents who investigate these cases are committed to standing strong together in the fight to end this type of illegal activity in our nation and internationally. We will continue to work to protect our children from being preyed upon by offenders such as this.” “Through relentless investigations and cutting-edge technology, the FBI works every day to uncover hidden networks that exploit children,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director Jose A. Perez. “This case underscores the relentless dedication of the FBI's Child Exploitation Operational Unit to ensuring no predator can thrive at the expense of our children. Offenders like Michael Bo Peacock preyed on some of the most vulnerable members of our communities, and we will stop at nothing to identify, investigate and bring these predators to justice.” The case was investigated by the FBI’s Headquarter-based Child Exploitation Operational Unit, with assistance from the FBI’s New Orleans and Dallas Field Offices, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Danny Siefker and J. Luke Walker. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678 . # # #


title: Dominican National Charged with Forcibly Resisting Federal Officers During Immigration Arrest

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican national has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for resisting multiple federal officers during an immigration arrest. Cesar Pena Pimental, 29, was charged with one count of forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with federal officers engaged in the performance of official duties. According to the indictment, on June 6, 2025, Pena Pimental forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, intimidated, or interfered with federal officers while the agents were engaged the performance of their official duties. The charge of forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with federal officers engaged in the performance of official duties provides for a sentence of up to eight years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The defendant will be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Pandemic Relief Programs, Local Union Chapter

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Tracy Hardy, 52, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge Harvey Bartle III on Thursday on four counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false claim upon the United States. The defendant was charged with those offenses by information, arising from two separate schemes — one to obtain disaster-related loans to which he was not entitled, and another to defraud a union through inflated and falsified bids for a construction project. As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from about May 2020 to May 2022, Hardy participated in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA) and multiple SBA-approved lenders participating in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, established as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted in March 2020. Hardy, the owner of several Philadelphia-based businesses, including Lou & Choo Enterprises, Inc., Hardy & Hardy Holdings, LLC, and Monroe Press, Inc., began working with Person #1, who helped individuals and businesses obtain disaster-related loans with fraudulent financial information. Hardy provided Person #1 with background and financial information related to his companies, and Person #1 prepared and submitted to the lenders the loan applications, falsely inflating financial figures relating to the operations of the companies applying for the loans and drafting false documents to support the inflated figures. As a result, Hardy obtained more than $2 million in pandemic relief funds by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, including: (a) by making false statements about the wages paid to employees of his businesses, the number of employees working for his businesses, the gross revenues of the businesses, the ownership of his businesses, and the intended use of the PPP loan proceeds; and (b) by providing false documentation, such as false tax documents and payroll summaries to support the loan applications. As further detailed in court filings, from about January 2019 to June 2019, Hardy also participated in a scheme to defraud District 1199C, a local chapter of the National Union of Hospital and Healthcare Employees, which represented thousands of healthcare workers throughout the greater Philadelphia area. In early 2019, District 1199C was seeking a construction company to renovate the bar area inside its union hall, located on the 1300 block of Locust Street in Philadelphia. In addition to companies referenced above, Hardy was also the co-owner and operator of a construction company, Manayunk Construction & Development Corporation (“Manayunk Construction”). On or about January 30, 2019, Hardy sent an email to Person #5, an officer of District 1199C, attaching a bid on the letterhead of Manayunk Construction for renovating the bar in the union hall. The bid detailed the work to be performed for a total cost of $47,490. In February 2019, the defendant then submitted to Person #5 a new and inflated bid from Manayunk Construction, and two additional bids that he falsely and fraudulently created, purporting to be from two independent companies. In fact, the bids from those two additional companies were created by Hardy and were entirely fabricated. The second bid from Manayunk Construction was fraudulently inflated by at least $45,000, with the bid accounting for some additional work to be done, as well as generating tens of thousands of dollars in proceeds for the benefit of the defendant and Person #5. Hardy’s bid from Manayunk Construction offered the lowest price of the three bids that he submitted. In March 2019, the Executive Board of District 1199C voted to award the contract for the bar renovation project to Manayunk Construction, based on its low bid of $139,790. Manayunk Construction subsequently completed the bar renovation project and Hardy, through his company, was paid more than $150,000, an amount that was fraudulently inflated by at least $45,000. The case was investigated by the FBI, with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.


title: Cincinnati Man Sentenced for Cocaine Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – A Cincinnati, Ohio, man, Kevin Prince Davis, 46, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning to 180 months in prison, for possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. According to his plea agreement, Davis was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped for a traffic violation traveling on I-75. The officer who made the stop noticed the smell of marijuana from the passenger side of the vehicle. Davis was found with marijuana in his pocked. A search of the vehicle revealed six bricks of cocaine in the rear cargo area. Davis unsuccessfully attempted to flee on foot and eventually admitted to ownership of the cocaine. Davis has a previous federal conviction of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms of cocaine. Under federal law, Davis must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years. Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the HSI and KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. – END –


title: FORMER LEON COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY CHARGED WITH POSSESSING MULTIPLE ILLEGAL FIREARMS

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

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Bill Culpepper, 57, of Havana, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for three counts of possession of a machine gun, three counts of possession of an unregistered firearm/short-barrel rifle, and one count of possession of an unmarked silencer. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges. Culpepper appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick for his arraignment in federal court on September 11, 2025, in Tallahassee, Florida. Trial is set for November 4, 2025 at 8:30 am, before United States Chief District Judge Allen C. Winsor. If convicted, Culpepper faces up to ten years’ imprisonment for each count. The case was investigated by the Tallahassee Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K Mountin. 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: Louisiana Chiropractor Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Health Care Fraud and Unemployment Insurance Fraud Schemes

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Louisiana chiropractor was sentenced today to seven years in prison for his role in health care fraud and unemployment insurance fraud schemes. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dr. Benjamin Tekippe, 40, of New Orleans, was a chiropractor and owner of Metairie Chiropractic & Rehab in New Orleans. Tekippe solicited patients with insurance from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) to visit his clinic by misleadingly offering “free” chiropractic massages for BCBSLA members. Tekippe would typically bill their insurance for the massage, which was generally a full-body massage performed by a massage therapist, and which was not covered. Tekippe would also routinely bill BCBSLA for several other chiropractic services that were either not performed or not performed as billed, including thousands of false and fraudulent claims for chiropractic services he purportedly provided to patients while he was out of the office, including on vacation in Aruba and incarcerated in Arizona and Washington in connection with state charges. When audited by BCBSLA, Tekippe fabricated patient records and instructed his staff to rewrite them in their own handwriting to make it falsely appear that services had been performed as billed. In total, Tekippe submitted over $2.3 million in claims to BCBSLA, and was paid approximately $740,000. Evidence at trial showed that Tekippe spent the fraudulent proceeds on luxury goods and gambling, including over $90,000 at Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans, among other things. In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tekippe submitted weekly certifications falsely claiming that he was unemployed when he was billing for chiropractic services purportedly performed during his claimed unemployment. Through this scheme, Tekippe received $12,952 in unemployment insurance benefits to which he was not entitled. In April 2025, Tekippe was convicted by a federal jury of six counts of health care fraud and one count of wire fraud. In addition to the prison sentence, he was ordered to pay$753,794.36 in restitution. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana; and Special Agent in Charge Jason Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region, Baton Rouge Field Office made the announcement. The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Kelly Z. Walters and Samantha Usher of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Four Defendants Charged with Federal Immigration Crimes

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – A federal grand jury in Huntsville has charged four individuals with immigration crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona. The following defendants were indicted for illegally reentering the United States after having previously been deported: Victor Alfonso Contreras-Gonzalez, 41, a citizen of Mexico; Arturo Ayala-Aviles, 33, a citizen of El Salvador; Jose Jacuinde-Gutierrez , 32, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with illegally reentering the United States after having previously been deported and distribution of cocaine. Marco Antonio Sanchez-Avila, 47, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and an alien in possession of a firearm. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Operation Take Back America partner Homeland Security Investigations investigated these cases. An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.


title: Mexican National With Prior Felony Convictions Sentenced To Prison For Illegally Reentering The United States

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national was sentenced yesterday by United States Chief District Judge Andrew Gordan to 13 months and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after being removed on three prior occasions from the country. According to court documents and statements made during court proceedings, on December 1, 2023, Jose Ricardo Lopez Munoz was found in the United States after he was previously deported to Mexico on November 13, 1995, February 26, 1997, and August 1, 2013. On November 28, 2023, Lopez Munoz was arrested by state law enforcement in Clark County, Nevada, for False Statement to Obstruct Public Officer. Lopez Munoz has previous felony convictions for Menacing out of the District Court, El Paso County, Colorado, in 2002, and for Challenge to Fight with use of a Deadly Weapon and with the Intent to Promote Further or Assist a Criminal Gang out of the Eighth Judicial District Court, Clark County, Nevada, in 2007. After serving over six years in prison he was deported for a third time in 2013. Lopez Munoz pleaded guilty to one-count of Deported Alien Found in the United States. After serving his prison sentence he will be deported to Mexico a fourth time. Acting United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Acting Director Jason Knight made the announcement. The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case. Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form . ###


title: South Bend Man Sentenced to 66 Months in Prison

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Kevin Pope, Jr., 39 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor. Pope was sentenced to 66 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, Pope sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to a buyer in South Bend on five occasions in October and November 2024. Police executed a search warrant at his house in December 2024 and found over 30 grams of fentanyl, a kilogram of pills containing methamphetamine, about 90 grams of cocaine, and over $22,000 in cash. They also found a loaded handgun. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the South Bend Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse.


title: FORMER LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION EMPLOYEE PLEADS GUILTY TO CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT WIRE FRAUD

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis announced that Romney Manuel, age 51, of Prairieville, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Manuel’s conviction is punishable by a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, and a period of supervised release. According to admissions made during his plea, beginning on or about April 2020 and continuing to at least March 29, 2021, Manuel conspired with another to devise a scheme to obtain federal funds in the form of LaCAP grant money from the Louisiana Department of Education. During the course of said conspiracy, Manuel and his co-conspirator made a non-existent childcare provider appear operational and manipulated spreadsheets and data systems utilized by the Louisiana Department of Education in order to steal $74,250 in federal funds. LaCAP grant money is a benefit authorized, transmitted, disbursed, and paid in connection with a Presidentially Declared Major Disaster or Emergency (as those terms are defined in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122)). This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Louisiana State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy S. Johnson. Anyone with information about allegations of pandemic fraud can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Nigerian National Sentenced to Prison for International Scheme that Defrauded Elderly U.S. Victims

component: Civil Division

body_text: Note, the release has been updated to include a quote from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. A Nigerian national was sentenced yesterday to 97 months in prison for his role in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme. According to court documents, Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, 41, was a member of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States over the course of several years. The letters falsely claimed that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died overseas years before. Akhimie and his co-conspirators told a series of lies to victims, including that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and other payments to avoid questioning from government authorities. Akhimie and his co-conspirators collected money victims sent in response to the fraudulent letters through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims, whom the defendants convinced to receive money and forward to the defendants or persons associated with them. Victims who sent money never received any purported inheritance funds. In pleading guilty, Akhimie admitted to defrauding over $6 million from more than 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable. “The Justice Department will continue to pursue, prosecute, and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This case is a testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime. I want to thank our U.S. law enforcement partners, as well as those who assisted across the globe, including the National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service of the United Kingdom, for their outstanding contributions to this case.” “Schemes like this steal not only money but dignity from our seniors," said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. "Our Office stands with victims, ensures their voices are heard, and will relentlessly pursue those who prey on them.” “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting American consumers from being defrauded by Transnational Criminal Organizations,” said Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division. “We have long partnered with the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch to deliver justice and we will continue to do so.” “Defrauding the elderly and other vulnerable populations is a betrayal of not just trust but of humanity,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ray Rede for HSI Arizona. “HSI and our law enforcement partners commitment to investigate criminals who steal money sends a clear message: justice will prevail, and those who exploit others for personal gain will be held accountable. We thank all our partners who assisted in this investigation.” Akhimie is the eighth defendant sentenced to prison in connection with the scheme. District Court Judge Kathleen M. Williams for the Southern District of Florida previously sentenced six additional defendants in a related case. On April 25, the District Court Judge Roy K. Altman for the Southern District of Florida sentenced Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, who was extradited from Portugal, to 97 months in prison for his role in the scheme, describing the defendants’ offense conduct as “an incredibly serious crime” and stating that it merited a substantial sentence because it was important “to stand up for the most vulnerable, for the least protected members of our society who have done absolutely nothing wrong.” USPIS and HSI investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Europol, and authorities from the UK, Spain, and Portugal all provided critical assistance. Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov .


title: Defendant Indicted for Threatening to Murder a Federal Judge,  a Supreme Court Justice, and a Defense Attorney

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Robert Phillip Ivers, age 72, was indicted yesterday in a three-count indictment with threatening to assault and murder a federal judge and a Supreme Court Justice, as well as interstate transmission of threats to injure others, including a defense attorney, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Ivers was previously convicted federally of threatening to kill a federal judge. Ivers was charged by complaint earlier this week and was ordered detained pending further proceedings. “Threats to murder a federal judge, a Supreme Court Justice, and a defense attorney are not just words on a page. They are direct attacks on the rule of law,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “We will not allow violent rhetoric to become routine. When someone threatens our judges, we will answer with swift federal prosecution.” According to the complaint, on September 3, 2025, law enforcement responded to the Wayzata Library in Wayzata, Minnesota, based on a report of a man printing off copies of a manifesto entitled, “How to Kill a Federal Judge.” This man was Robert Ivers. Law enforcement learned that Ivers showed the manifesto to library staff including a page of the manifesto that talked about killing children and had a picture of a gun on it. Ivers also gave library staff a three-page “flyer” advertising his manifesto before he left the library. The flyer stated that the manifesto “is designed to teach extremists on how to plan, train, hunt, stalk and kill anyone including judges, their family members, politicians and more!” It also advertised that the “harsh reality is that judges are going to die.” In investigating the case, law enforcement learned that, on August 28, 2025, Ivers had been reported for concerning behavior at an Episcopal church in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Ivers attended multiple services and told church members that he planned to attend upcoming church events on September 7 (a family picnic and potluck), September 11 (a blessing of children going back to school, with state legislators in attendance), and September 14 (an annual baptism service). Church staff searched Ivers online and discovered his history included past threats of violence, a felony conviction, and racist commentary. Church staff then contacted law enforcement. On the evening of September 3, 2025, the Wayzata Police Department located Ivers and arrested him. During his transport, Ivers claimed that he was having a heart attack. Law enforcement transferred Ivers to the hospital from the jail. Ivers was subsequently released from the hospital later that night. Law enforcement searched Ivers’s vehicle and found, among other things: (1) a photo of the former Pope with crosshairs centered on his head; (2) twenty copies of a spiral bound printed book titled, “How to Kill a Federal Judge” by Robert Ivers; (3) multiple copies of flyers advertising the contents of the book; (4) lists of federal judges; (5) a copy of the Anarchist Cookbook ; (6) a white foam box containing a toy replica firearm, a box of Co2 cartridges, and a container of pellets; and (7) a box of fireworks. On September 5, 2025, Wayzata Police Department re-arrested Ivers. Following his arrest, Ivers was interviewed. Ivers admitted to showing a copy of his manifesto to library staff. Law enforcement asked Ivers if he thought his book would have scared anybody. In response, Ivers shouted: “It was supposed to!” Ivers’s manifesto is 236 pages long. The cover page is entitled, “How to Kill a Federal Judge” and features a photo of a man holding a rifle. In his manifesto, Ivers focused on the perceived wrongs done to him by the judicial system. He discussed these wrongs—and his anticipated revenge—at length. The manifesto contains various types of writings and many disturbing sketches, apparently drawn by Ivers. The manifesto also contains handwritten threats to kill, including threats to kill judges, as well as their children and pets. Ivers made clear his purpose was to instill fear. He wrote, “If this book doesn’t instill fear in you then your already dead.” Many names appear in the manifesto, including the names of federal judges. Ivers fixated on Federal Judge A, who presided over his federal trial, and Federal Judge B, who Ivers was previously convicted of threatening to kill. In the manifesto, Ivers threatens to kill Federal Judge A. Ivers has a long history of threatening judges and others. In 2019, Ivers was convicted at trial of threatening to kill Federal Judge B, a federal judge in Minnesota, in United States v. Robert Ivers , 18 CR 90. Ivers made his initial appearance in federal court on Tuesday afternoon. He is held in custody pending a detention hearing, which will likely occur next week. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Wayzata Police Department, and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota thanks both the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for their assistance and important partnership in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melinda A. Williams is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Texas Man Of Traveling To North Carolina To Engage In Sexual Activity With A Child

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal jury in Charlotte returned a guilty verdict late yesterday against a Texas man for traveling to North Carolina to engage in sexual activity with a child, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The jury also found Rusty Joseph Whittaker, 44, of Austin, guilty of enticing a minor and producing child pornography. U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr., presided over the four-day trial. James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. “Nothing is more important than the safety of our children,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson, “and we will do whatever it takes to protect them. Thanks to the exceptional work of the FBI, CMPD, and the federal prosecutors in this office, this predator was identified, found, and brought to justice, and we will continue that effort.” “An adult who takes advantage of a child for sexual gratification is vile, loathsome, and abominable. We must protect our children and warn them of the dangers of communicating online and meeting someone in person. We hope the victim can receive the care needed to recover and highlight the importance of the FBI Victims Assistance Specialist who can help," said James C. Barnacle Jr., the FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge. According to filed court documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, Whittaker met the minor in an online platform called Antiland, which provides its users anonymity and automatically deletes messages and content shared by its users. Whittaker then moved the conversation to Snapchat, which also automatically deletes messages and content. Using these online messaging platforms, online payment platforms, and other means, Whittaker solicited and viewed sexually explicit images and videos of the victim while continuing to pressure the victim to meet him in person for illicit sexual activity. On May 20, 2023, Whittaker traveled from Nashville, where he was attending a conference, to Charlotte for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual activity with the minor. Trial evidence showed that Whittaker waited for the minor’s father to fall asleep, picked her up from her home, drove her to a hotel, and engaged in sexual activity with the minor. Whittaker provided the minor things of value before driving her back home and dropping her off a distance away from her home, leaving her to walk barefoot. Whittaker remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Under federal statutes, Whittaker is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. Whittaker’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI for their investigation of the case and CMPD for its substantial assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Dominican National Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican man, unlawfully residing in Boston, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Danny Miguel Tejada Hernandez, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy to 37 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In June 2025 , Tejada Hernandez pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Tejada Hernandez was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025 . On an unknown date, at an unknown place, Tejada Hernandez entered the United States unlawfully. On March 9, 2020, in Chelsea District Court, Tejada Hernandez was convicted of one count of possession to distribute a Class A controlled substance, two counts of possession to distribute a Class B controlled substance and one count of distributing/dispensing a Class B controlled substance. Tejada Hernandez was deported in August 2021. Sometime after his August 2021 removal, Tejada Hernandez unlawfully reentered the United States. On Feb. 1, 2024, in Suffolk County Superior Court, Tejada Hernandez was convicted of possession to distribute Class A controlled substance and one count to distribute/dispense of a Class A controlled substance. He is currently serving a three-year state prison sentence on those charges. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Soto of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted case.


title: Miami Woman Indicted on Federal Aggravated Identity Theft Charges

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Miami woman with 16 federal charges in connection with an unemployment insurance (UI) benefits fraud scheme. Tamika Nicole Jones, 33, of Miami, Florida, is charged with eight counts of wire fraud, seven counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of mail fraud. The indictment was unsealed following Jones’s arrest in South Florida by Special Agents with the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, DOL-OIG. As detailed in the indictment, UI is a joint state and federal program that provided monetary benefits to eligible beneficiaries. UI payments are intended to provide temporary financial assistance to lawful workers who became unemployed through no fault of their own. Beginning in or around March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several federal programs expanded UI eligibility and increased UI benefits. This included the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, and the Lost Wages Assistance Program. In Maryland, residents seeking UI benefits submitted online applications. Applicants answered specific questions to establish eligibility to receive UI benefits, including their name, Social Security Number (SSN), and mailing address, among other things. Additionally, the State required applicants to self-certify that they were unemployed, partially employed, or unable to work for a COVID-19-related reason. The Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) relied upon the information from the application to determine UI benefits eligibility. After approval, the MD-DOL typically distributed state and federal UI benefits electronically to a debit card, which claimants could use to withdraw funds and/or make purchases. As alleged in the indictment, from May 2020 to June 2021, the defendant defrauded State Workforce Agencies, including the MD-DOL, by impersonating victim individuals for the purpose of submitting fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance. The defendant used victims’ personal identifying information, including name, date of birth, and/or SSN, to submit applications for UI benefits. If convicted, Jones faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for wire and mail fraud. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison that runs consecutive to any other sentence. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, visit justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared M. Beim who is prosecuting the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: FCI Allenwood Inmate Sentenced to 21 Months' Imprisonment For Possessing Weapon

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: Williamsport-The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Eric Rodriguez, age 32, an inmate in FCI Allenwood, was sentenced yesterday to 21 months’ imprisonment by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann for possessing contraband in prison. According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, Rodriguez was indicted by a federal grand jury after being found in possession of a razor blade with a handle made from electrical tape during a random pat search. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to possessing contraband in prison before being sentenced. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Zenzinger prosecuted the case. # # #


title: New York Woman Admits Depositing $2.7 million in Fraudulent Checks in Missouri, Illinois

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A woman from New York on Friday admitted attempting to deposit $2.7 million in fraudulent checks. Gabrielle Borthwick, 23, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to 12 felonies: six counts of financial institution fraud and six counts of aggravated identity theft. Borthwick admitted as part of her plea that she obtained counterfeit cashier’s checks and the stolen personal information (names, birthdates and Social Security numbers) of multiple people. She then went to a series of banks in Missouri and fraudulently opened, or attempted to open, accounts in the victims’ names without their permission. Borthwick presented the financial institutions with counterfeit out-of-state driver’s licenses that displayed her photograph but contained the victims’ names and dates of birth. To dispel concerns about the out-of-state licenses, Borthwick falsely claimed to have recently moved to Missouri and supplied fake utility and phone bills to support her claims. She then deposited counterfeit cashier’s checks in amounts ranging from $121,260 to $1.4 million. She claimed to run a wedding planning business to allay bank officials’ suspicions about the size of the checks. Borthwick then tried to withdraw cash or electronically transfer funds before the financial institutions realized that the checks were fake. Borthwick deposited checks in multiple Missouri banks and in one bank in Illinois totaling $2,773,280.65. She fraudulently obtained $271,667.98, her plea agreement says. Borthwick is scheduled to be sentenced on December 17. Financial institution fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by two years in prison, consecutive to any other charge and a fine of up to $250,000. She will be ordered to repay the money. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and police departments in Eureka, O’Fallon and Union in Missouri and Edwardsville in Illinois investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf is prosecuting the case.


title: Identical Twins Who Moonlighted as Golf Tee-Time Brokers Charged with Failing to Report More Than $1.1 Million in Income to IRS

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Two identical twin brothers and MRI technicians have been arrested on a 10-count federal grand jury indictment charging them with deliberately failing to report to the IRS more than $1.1 million in income, including money they made from running a golf tee-time brokering business on the side, the Justice Department announced today. Se Youn “Steve” Kim, 41, of Buena Park, is charged with two counts of tax evasion, one count of making and subscribing to a false tax document, and two counts of willful failure to pay tax. Hee Youn “Ted” Kim, 41, of Pomona, is charged with two counts of tax evasion, in addition to three counts of willful failure to pay tax. The Kim brothers were arrested Thursday morning and were arraigned late Thursday afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles. Both defendants pleaded not guilty, and a November 4 trial date was scheduled. A federal magistrate ordered both defendants released on $20,000 bond. According to the indictment that was unsealed Thursday, between 2021 and 2023, the Kim brothers operated a golf tee time brokering business in which they reserved golf tee times online, including at public golf courses, and resold them to members of the public for a fee, frequently in violation of municipal regulations. The brothers marketed, solicited, and communicated with their customers through various social medial platforms, including KakaoTalk, an instant messaging application. As part of their business, the brothers reserved thousands of tee times for resale at numerous golf courses nationwide, including at least 17 different public courses across Southern California. The brothers created a monopoly of Los Angeles and Orange County area golf course tee times by securing the most sought-after early morning slots, often within seconds of their release to the public. As a result, the brothers made it more difficult and more expensive for members of the public to reserve tee times at these courses without paying them an additional booking fee, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kim brothers often directed their golf tee time clients to pay these reservation fees to their personal accounts, including Venmo and Zelle accounts, and then transferred those funds into their personal bank accounts. In June 2022, Steve Kim incorporated Birdie Tour Inc., a Buena Park-based company, and served as its CEO and chief financial officer, while Ted Kim was its secretary. The brothers obtained an employer identification number from the IRS and opened a bank account in the business’s name. In total, between 2021 and 2023, the Kim brothers earned nearly $700,000 from their tee time brokering business. Despite earning substantial income and owing taxes from this business, and from their job as MRI technicians, the brothers willfully failed to report a combined total of more than $1.1 million in income to the IRS for tax years 2022 and 2023. The Kim brothers also accumulated substantial tax liabilities by failing to pay taxes assessed. Rather than using their available funds to pay off their outstanding tax balance, the Kim brothers spent their money on a timeshare in Hawaii, luxury vehicles, and high-end retail purchases from brands such as Chanel, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, and Prada, among other things. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Steve Kim and Ted Kim would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each tax evasion count, and up to one year in prison for each count of willful failure to pay tax. If convicted, Steve Kim faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in federal prison for making and subscribing to a false tax document. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Solomon Kim of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Trucker sentenced after failed attempt to hide cocaine with urine

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 50-year-old Orange resident has been ordered to federal prison for possession with intent to distribute over 23 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Pablo Garcia Ortiz pleaded guilty April 2. U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Ortiz to serve 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing Sept. 11, the court heard additional evidence that detailed how Ortiz attempted to conceal the cocaine from detection. In handing down the sentence, Judge Morales noted the great damage illegal drugs cause American society. By smuggling drugs, Ortiz made himself partially responsible for those harms. On Nov. 1, 2024, Ortiz drove a Freightliner tractor to the Sarita Border Patrol checkpoint. A K-9 alert prompted a referral to secondary inspection. Ortiz delayed exiting and poured a jug of urine inside the cab in an attempt to mask the odor of narcotics. He also accused law enforcement of planting evidence. Authorities ultimately found 22 bundles of cocaine weighing approximately 24 kilograms hidden in a blue toolbox under the bed. The drugs, concealed in a trash bag and cardboard box, tested positive for cocaine. They also found chili powder which is commonly used to disguise the smell of narcotics. A search of Ortiz’s phone revealed evidence of a prior cocaine smuggling event in September 2024. Ortiz was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Izaak Bruce prosecuted the case.


title: Former New Hampshire Police Officer Indicted for Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: BOSTON – A Haverhill man was indicted for receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). John Giarrusso, 49, a former Seabrook, N.H., police officer, was indicted on one count of receipt of child pornography. In August 2025 , Giarrusso was arrested and charged by criminal complaint. He will be arraigned in federal court in Boston at a later date. According to the charging documents, on or about Oct. 16, 2024 through Oct. 17, 2024 Giarrusso knowingly received video files that depict CSAM on Kik. The children in these videos appeared to be between approximately five to 11 years old. The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Haverhill Police Department and Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Armed Felons Sentenced To Five Years In Federal Prison

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Tywon Lavar Hill, Jr. (23, Orlando) and Anjadon Javon Allen (24, Orlando) each to five years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Hill and Allen to forfeit three Glock firearms and ammunition, which were used in the offense. Allen pleaded guilty on May 28, 2025, and Hill pleaded guilty on June 20, 2025. According to court documents, on May 28, 2024, deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office - Gang Enforcement Unit (OCSO-GEU) stopped a sedan driven by Hill. Allen was a passenger in the vehicle, along with a third individual who was wanted on a warrant for state racketeering charges. After the sedan was blocked by police vehicles, Hill and Allen fled on foot. Allen was quickly apprehended. Hill escaped through a retail store’s emergency exit. The third individual complied and was arrested without incident. Inside the sedan, deputies located cocaine, MDMA and methamphetamine, along with two Glock firearms. DNA testing later revealed that Hill and Allen had each left their DNA on the firearms. At the time, both Hill and Allen had prior felony convictions and are therefore prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law. On August 2, 2024, OCSO-GEU deputies were looking to arrest Hill and Allen and found them together at an apartment in Mount Dora. Hill was taken into custody and Allen retreated into the apartment. Allen was later arrested when a resident of the apartment allowed deputies to enter. Another Glock firearm was recovered from inside the vehicle that Hill and Allen were observed using. That firearm also contained DNA belonging to Hill and Allen. This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office - Gang Enforcement Unit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael P. Felicetta and Courtney Richardson-Jones. 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: Former Fort Belvoir soldier sentenced to 15 years in prison for assaulting and permanently injuring a newborn child and raping an adult

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former U.S. Army private was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and one count of sexual abuse. This sentence is to be served consecutively to a 15-year sentence he is currently serving for assault on an infant in violation of Montana law. According to court documents, on June 24, 2012, Austin Blair Johnson, an active duty soldier residing on Fort Belvoir, was watching his infant daughter, identified as Minor Victim 1 (MV1), who was born prematurely only 15 days earlier. MV1 was crying, so Johnson picked her up and carried her, but she continued to cry. While holding MV1 in front of him with one hand under each of her arms, Johnson rapidly and forcefully shook MV1 multiple times before letting go of her, causing her to flip and land on her head. Johnson then picked up MV1 and ran with her upstairs to a bedroom where he woke MV1’s mother, identified as Adult Victim 1 (AV1). Johnson falsely told AV1 that he had accidentally dropped MV1 and that he had successfully broken her fall with his foot. AV1 and Johnson took MV1 to the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital emergency room where she presented with a fever, bruising on her head and shoulder, and blood coming out of her mouth. A CT scan conducted there revealed that MV1’s skull had been fractured. MV1 was transferred later to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Walter Reed Medical Center. MV1 was diagnosed with extensive injuries and remained hospitalized at Walter Reed for the next 10 days. The day she was discharged, MV1 was left in Johnson’s care while AV1 was out. Johnson again rapidly and forcefully shook MV1 and dropped her. MV1 was 26 days old. The following morning, AV1 took MV1 to a previously scheduled follow-up appointment with a pediatrician at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. At the appointment, MV1 began having seizures and was sent directly to the emergency room. MV1 was transferred later to the PICU at Children’s National Medical Center, where doctors discovered myriad injuries, including a second skull fracture, and identified extensive brain damage. When she was finally discharged on July 20, 2012, MV1 was placed in the custody of Child Protective Services, where she remained for approximately 14 months until she was returned to the custody of Johnson and AV1. On June 22, 2015, shortly after her third birthday, MV1 was forced to undergo a hemispherectomy during which the entire left side of her brain was removed in an effort to control her irrepressible seizures. MV1 is now legally blind, non-verbal, and the entire right side of her body is paralyzed. Cognitively, MV1 functions at the level of a mature infant. As part of his sentence, Johnson was ordered to pay over $1.1 million in restitution. In addition to his assaults on MV1, in 2013, at their residence on Fort Belvoir, after AV1 had rebuffed Johnson’s requests to be intimate with her, Johnson proceeded without her consent. AV1 protested and tried to hit Johnson to get him to stop, which he eventually did. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division; and Jake Cameron, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander E. Blanchard prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-151.


title: Dominican National Charged with Forcibly Resisting Arrest

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican national has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for resisting federal officers during an immigration arrest. Eddy Rafael Matos-Lara, 35, was charged with one count of forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with federal officers engaged in the performance of official duties. According to the indictment, on June 16, 2025, Matos-Lara forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, intimidated, or interfered with federal officers while the agents were engaged the performance of their official duties. The charge of forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with federal officers engaged in the performance of official duties provides for a sentence of up to eight years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: St. Albans Man Charged with Illegal Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on August 28, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Richard Bailey Jr., 34, of St. Albans, Vermont, with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Bailey entered a plea of not guilty to the charge during an arraignment on September 8, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Judge Doyle ordered that Bailey be detained during the pendency of this matter. According to court records, on June 2, 2025, police in St. Albans, Vermont were investigating a domestic violence incident involving Bailey. Police in Burlington, Vermont subsequently observed Bailey standing near the alleged domestic violence victim’s place of employment. Bailey fled from police and discarded a fanny pack containing a loaded Sig Sauer pistol with a round chambered. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Bailey is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Bailey faces up to 15 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as the St. Albans and Burlington Police Departments. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Nate Burris. Bailey is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Barclay Johnson.


title: Member of violent Third World Mob gang sentenced to more than 25 years in prison for trafficking more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A member of the local violent criminal organization Third World Mob was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 310 months in prison. Klegewerges Abate, 36, of Columbus was convicted by a jury in August 2024. After an 8-day trial before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr., jurors deliberated for less than six hours before finding him guilty on all counts. Abate, who is also known as “Bells,” “Robell” and “Sosa,” was convicted of conspiring to traffic at least 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, firearms offenses, and wire fraud related to illegally obtaining COVID-19 pandemic relief funds. According to court documents and trial testimony, Third World Mob members brought hundreds of pounds of marijuana into Ohio from other states like California and Georgia to sell in central Ohio. They used U-Haul trucks and rental cars to move the drugs. Coconspirators used rental houses or houses leased or owned in other individuals’ names as “stash houses” or “trap houses” to facilitate the drug trafficking and to store significant amounts of cash from the drug proceeds. For example, in August 2019, Abate and others possessed a suitcase with approximately $940,000 in cash in it in a house on Phlox Avenue in Blacklick. During a November 2022 search of a residence on Chapel Stone Road in Blacklick, law enforcement officials found Abate and two of his co-conspirators, along with more than 700 kilograms of marijuana and three firearms. Third World Mob leaders and members used violence and the threat of violence to maintain authority over their drug trafficking. Surveillance video presented at trial showed Abate, a convicted felon, shooting a man at a restaurant in Columbus. Jurors also heard testimony about numerous shootings, a pistol-whipping, and other acts of intimidation. Abate was also convicted of wire fraud for falsely applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, fraudulently claiming that he had been a self-employed landscaper during the time he trafficked drugs. In total, seven members of the Third World Mob have been charged federally since 2021. Co-defendant Abubakarr Savage, 36, was also convicted at trial with Abate. He was sentenced July 2025 to more than 15 years in prison. Fellow Third World Mob member Menelik Solomon pleaded guilty in November 2023 and was also sentenced to more than 15 years in prison. 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; Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Detroit; and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin announced the sentences imposed. U.S. Attorney Gerace recognized the assistance from the Columbus, and Whitehall, Ohio, and Tucson, Arizona, police departments and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Geraghty and S. Courter Shimeall represented the United States in this case. # # #


title: Defendant who directed mail check theft scheme sentenced to 6 years in prison

body_text: CINCINNATI – Treyvon Alexander, 21, of Georgetown, Kentucky, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 72 months in prison for orchestrating the largest known theft of checks from the mail in Cincinnati. As part of his sentence, Alexander is ordered to pay more than half a million dollars in restitution. According to court documents, Alexander conspired with others, including a postal employee, to commit bank fraud relating to checks stolen from the mail. In total, law enforcement agents identified 1,480 stolen checks with a face value of approximately $7.4 million. Many of the checks were recovered during the execution of search warrants and delivered by the United States Postal Service to the intended recipient without any actual loss. Court documents detail that former postal employee Destiny Neblett, 23, of Cincinnati, was stealing from a mail processing facility during her work hours and turning the checks over to her boyfriend, Lonnel Lucas, 23, of Cincinnati. Lucas then sold the stolen checks to Alexander, who processed them and converted the stolen funds. The stolen mail often included checks to various local companies. Alexander pleaded guilty in February 2025 to conspiring to commit bank fraud. Neblett pleaded guilty in August 2025 and Lucas is scheduled to appear in federal court for a plea hearing on Sept. 30. Dominick S. Gerace, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Former Plant Supervisors Indicted for Discharging Wastes to Nashville Sewer System and Tampering with a Monitoring Device

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: A grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging two individuals for their alleged involvement with bypassing treatment processes and tampering with a monitoring device at a Nashville waste treatment facility. The indictment alleges that Randall Ray Stark, of Texas, and Caleb Warren Randall, of Tennessee, conspired to defraud the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to violate the Clean Water Act. According to court documents, Stark was the Facility Operations Manager and Randall was the Plant Supervisor at the facility operated by Allwaste Onsite, doing business as Onsite Environmental (Onsite). As part of the alleged conspiracy, Stark and Randall directed Onsite employees to bypass treatment processes and discharge untreated and partially treated wastewater into the Nashville sewer system in December 2022 and in January 2023. The indictment further alleges that Stark and Randall tampered with and caused Onsite employees to tamper with a sampling device that the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County placed to monitor Onsite’s compliance with its pretreatment permit. On Aug. 5, Onsite pleaded guilty in Nashville to federal charges relating to the discharges. If convicted, the defendants face a total sentence of up to 17 years in prison, as well as fines, restitution, and supervised release. Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and Acting U.S. Attorney Robert McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee made the announcement. The EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Senior Trial Attorney Matthew T. Morris of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed A. Safeeullah for the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.


title: Seven Arrested for Conspiring with Annandale-Based Doctor, and Others, for Distributing Oxycodone and Promethazine-Codeine Solution

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – Seven people who conspired with doctors, including an Annandale-based doctor convicted of distributing more than 7,000 oxycodone pills, 34,000 milliliters of hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution (also known as “Tussionex”), and 107,000 milliliters of promethazine-codeine solution, were arrested this week. A federal grand jury sitting in Abingdon indicted those arrested on August 26, 2025. Arrested this week were: Obioma Alozie Ndubuka, a.k.a. “Bankroll,” 31, of Gaithersburg, Maryland; Raymono Alfonzo Russell II, 24, of Bowie, Maryland; Cameron Isaiah Lewis, 23, of Bowie, Maryland; Elhadj Malick Diallo, 31, of Silver Spring, Maryland; Zion Oluwademilade Adeduwon, 24, of Bowie, Maryland; Kenechukwu Brian Okwara, a.k.a. “Kene,” 29, of Bowie, Maryland; and Yared Michael Tesfaye, a.k.a. “Yar,” 28, of Montgomery Village, Maryland. The grand jury has charged all seven defendants with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute oxycodone and hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution and obtaining promethazine-codeine solution by fraud, two counts of possessing with the intent to distribute hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution, and four counts of obtaining drugs by fraud. According to court documents, in at least 2023 and 2024, Rotimi Iluyomade, and the named co-conspirators entered into an agreement to distribute more than 7,000 oxycodone pills and more than 34,000 milliliters of hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution to individuals in multiple states. In addition, the co-conspirators agreed to acquire and obtain promethazine-codeine solution by fraud. As part of the conspiracy, multiple individuals visited Iluyomade’s medical clinic to obtain fraudulent prescriptions for promethazine-codeine solution, as well as fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone pills and hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution, also known as “Tussionex.” The individuals provided Iluyomade with lists of multiple “patients” with fake identifying information or different variations of names and false addresses, and requested prescriptions be sent to pharmacies throughout the United States for the “patients” on the lists. At least 70 of the illegal controlled substance prescriptions were transmitted to and/or filled at pharmacies in the Western District of Virginia. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Virginia State Police, the Salisbury, Maryland Police Department, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, the Russell County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Police, HHS-OIG, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland (Greenbelt Division) and Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lena Busscher and Randy Ramseyer are prosecuting the case. Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division made the announcement. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: Defendant Charged with Second Instance of Assaulting a Federal Law Enforcement Officer

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.— Defendant Julie Winters, 46, of Portland, made a first appearance in federal court yesterday after being charged by criminal complaint with assaulting a federal officer and resisting arrest. According to court documents, on August 20, 2025, Winters became hostile when deputies from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) attempted to place Winters under arrest for violating the conditions of her pretrial release for an earlier charge of assaulting a federal law enforcement officer. Winters began to fight and resisted arrest. After several minutes, the deputies were able to handcuff and escort Winters to a holding cell. A short time later in the holding cell, Winters had a medical incident, and the Deputy U.S. Marshals provided immediate care. The Deputy U.S. Marshals removed the restraints as they waited for additional medical personnel to respond. As soon as the restraints were removed, Winters began fighting with the Deputy U.S. Marshals. Winters grabbed a Deputy U.S. Marshal by the hair at the base of the scalp and began to whip the Deputy U.S. Marshal around by the hair. Winters was on pretrial release for a separate incident on June 24, 2025, for which she was indicted on two counts of attempted assault on an officer and intimidation of a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. According to court documents, on June 24, 2025, officers observed Winters attempting to light an incendiary device next to the guard shack of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office. As Federal Protective Service officers engaged with Winters, she pulled a large knife from her backpack and began waiving the blade toward the officers. Winters threw the knife at an officer, but it did not strike the officer. Winters began to flee but an officer deployed a taser, bringing Winters to the ground. As officers attempted to secure Winters, she pulled a second large knife from her waistband. Officers finally disarmed Winters and arrested her. The case is being investigated by the United States Marshal Service and the FBI and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Carjacking Three Vehicles in Chicago

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a man to 22 years in prison for carjacking three vehicles at gunpoint in Chicago and shooting one of the victims. JAMARI EDWARDS carjacked the vehicles in August 2022 in the West Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. The first carjacking occurred in the drive-thru area of a coffee shop, while the other two occurred outside of a convenience store at a gas station. In each of the carjackings, Edwards pointed a gun at the driver and demanded the keys to the car. In the coffee shop carjacking, Edwards shot the driver in the leg after the driver had already given Edwards the key and exited the vehicle. Before shooting the driver, Edwards asked him words to the effect of, “Why are you not scared?” Edwards, 23, of Chicago, was arrested in 2022 and has remained in law enforcement custody since then. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal carjacking and firearm charges. On Sept. 4, 2025, U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins sentenced Edwards to 22 years in federal prison. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Simar Khera.


title: York County Man Charged for Threatening Member of U.S. House of Representatives

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Troy Lamont Rishell, age 48, a resident of York, Pennsylvania, was charged by criminal information for threatening a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. According to Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, between February 28, 2025, and May 20, 2025, Rishell left a series of voicemails with the District Office of a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, with intent to intimidate the Representative while the victim was engaged in the performance of the victim’s official duties. This case was investigated by the United States Capitol Police and the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney K. Wesley Mishoe is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Rishell faces a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and the imposition of a special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by a court after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Federal Grand Jury Charges Three Men with Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio – A federal grand jury has returned indictments charging three individuals with allegedly residing in the United States without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission, in violation of Title 8 U.S. Code 1326, illegal reentry of a removed alien. These individuals are charged in separate cases and not related: Gabriel Raymundo-Bernal, 28, a citizen of Guatemala, was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion, with the most recent being April 4, 2019. On Aug. 25, 2025, he was found in Wood County, Bowling Green, Ohio. Hitai Perez-Jeronimo, 27, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion, with the most recent being July 29, 2016. On Aug. 7, 2025, the defendant was found in Putnam County, Ottawa, Ohio. Rosendo Gomez-Santiz, 35, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion, with the most recent being July 16, 2017. On Aug. 24, 2025, he was found in Williams County, Stryker, Ohio. The investigations leading to these indictments were conducted by U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank H. Spryszak . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Wilmington Man Sentenced to More Than 27 Years in Prison for  Running a Sex Trafficking Operation

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced today to more than 27 years in prison (327 months) for sex trafficking and operating a prostitution enterprise. On February 25, 2025, Christopher Todd Evans pled guilty to the charges. According to court documents and other information presented in court, Evans, 41, operated an “escorting” website and business for over a decade between 2010 and 2022. The business was initially called Cape Fear Entertainers and later called Cape Fear Escorts. Evans rented office space in downtown Wilmington and even made victims sign bogus “contracts” promising not to engage in sex trafficking and prostitution. Through Cape Fear Escorts, Evans prostituted more than 200 adult and minor females. In fact, Cape Fear Escorts was a front for human trafficking and prostitution. Evans used manipulation, control, threats, and occasionally violence to coerce women to prostitute and give him their earnings. He intimidated victims and made them believe that he was well connected and that no one would ever help them. Evans’s exploitation and abuse left countless women struggling with addiction, trauma, and pain. “Evans made money by exploiting these girls and women and exposing them to all manner of depravity and bodily harm,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Monsters who prey upon others have no place in the Eastern District. The lengthy and appropriate sentence in this case is based on the dedicated work of the FBI, our local partners, and federal prosecutors. We thank law enforcement for their great work on this case. The Eastern District and our citizens are safer because this pimp will spend decades in prison.” Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin C. Blondel and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:23-CR-82-M. ###


title: Bucks County Man Charged With Child Sexual Exploitation, Cyberstalking, and Related Offenses

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mark Wills, aka “Lorenzo Guerra,” “Alex Harrison,” “kevthompson2009,” “18kevinmcbride,” and “leonardobrickma,” 61, of Hulmeville, Pennsylvania, was charged by indictment with three counts of use and attempted use of an interstate commerce facility to entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct; three counts of manufacture and attempted manufacturer of child pornography; four counts of distribution, attempted distribution, and willfully causing the distribution of child pornography; one count of possession of child pornography; two counts of cyberstalking of a minor; and one count of interstate threats. Wills has been detained in federal custody since August 12, following his arrest on a criminal complaint and warrant. The indictment alleges that, from about June 2024 to January 2025, the defendant used the internet to knowingly persuade, induce, entice and coerce Minor #1, Minor #2, and Minor #3, all under the age of 18, to engage in, and send him images of, sexually explicit conduct. The indictment further alleges that Wills knowingly used the internet to distribute the visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and that he possessed visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. At least one minor depicted was prepubescent and under the age of 12. Additionally, the indictment alleges that the defendant, with the intent to injure, harass, and intimidate, sent electronic communications to Minor #1 and Minor #3, that caused, attempted to cause, and would be reasonably expected to cause substantial emotional distress to Minor #1 and Minor #3. As alleged, the defendant also transmitted a threat to harm Minor #1 and Minor #1’s family if Minor #1 did not continue to produce sexually explicit material of herself and send it to him. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov . If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment. The case was investigated by the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and the FBI, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.