title: Oahu Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening to Kill Governor of Michigan

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Ronald Saville, 49, of Honolulu, pleaded guilty on August 18, 2026, to one count of sending interstate communications containing threats. As admitted in the plea agreement, on May 9, 2026, Saville emailed the Michigan State Police identifying himself, referencing the state capitol building in Lansing, Michigan, and stating that he was “going to walk in with a gun at A.R. 15 and open fire and kill as many people as possible. I mean what I say I’m not a joke.” A short while later, Saville sent a second email to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer stating, “just to let you know on Tuesday second, Lancy, Michigan is never gonna be the same again going to walk into the state capital shoot it up and kill as many people as possible than that I’m coming for you[.]” Saville called the FBI on May 12, 2026, and told an FBI agent that he wanted to kill Governor Whitmer because of her political affiliation, that he had been conducting online research to plan a trip to Michigan to carry out his threat, and that he still intended to carry out his threat. On May 26, investigators located Saville in Kailua, and Saville admitted to sending the emails, stating that he wanted to be taken seriously and be noticed. Saville added that he intended to scare and threaten Governor Whitmer. Saville was previously convicted twice in federal court in the District of Hawaii and was sentenced in 2008 for making threats toward former United States President George W. Bush and in 2013 for making threats toward former United States District Judge Susan Oki Mollway. Saville faces up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, plus a term of supervised release. FBI investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Turner is prosecuting the case.


title: Hampton meth trafficker sentenced to over 10 years in prison

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

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced today to 10 years and six months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, on Sept. 26, 2025, law enforcement took Michael A. Wade, 52, into custody and conducted a search of the residence he shares with his family, including two minor children. Investigators recovered 430 grams of methamphetamine with an average purity of more than 98 percent, as well as drug packaging devices and materials. They also recovered 29 firearms and one silencer. Three of the recovered firearms had been reported stolen. Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke Bresnahan and Amanda L. Cheney prosecuted the case. 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. 2:26-cr-35.


title: Car wash commotion results in federal prison sentence for Beaumont convicted felon

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas –A Beaumont convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Kendrick Deon Ewing, 37, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on August 20, 2026. According to information presented in court, on December 28, 2025, law enforcement responded to a Beaumont car wash where Ewing was involved in a disturbance. As the officer approached, Ewing fled in a vehicle. Later that evening, Ewing was located again and as the officer was speaking to him, Ewing put his vehicle in drive and fled the scene. Ewing evaded officers for over a mile, failing to stop at approximately 14 stop signs, and traveling more than 50 mph in a residential neighborhood, before being apprehended after reaching a dead-end street and fleeing on foot. A search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of two firearms. Further investigation revealed Ewing is a convicted felon and prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities . This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James. ##


title: Beaumont man sentenced to federal prison following neighborhood shootout

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas –A Beaumont felon has been sentenced to federal prison following a neighborhood shootout in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Martinez Lamond Baltrip, 29, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition and was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on August 20, 2026. According to information presented in court, on August 5, 2025, law enforcement responded to a shooting near Avenues G and H in Beaumont. Officers found Baltrip at the scene suffering from a gunshot wound. An investigation revealed Baltrip and the person who shot him had been involved in an ongoing dispute when Baltrip came upon him working on his vehicle. Baltrip approached the individual and pulled out a 9mm pistol and began firing. The other person retrieved a shotgun and returned fire on Baltrip, striking him. Baltrip retreated to his vehicle and called police. Police responded and recovered 9mm shell casings from the scene, which Baltrip admitted to firing. Further investigation revealed Baltrip is a convicted felon and prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities . This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James. ###


title: Beaumont felon sentenced to federal prison after leading police on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle with a stolen gun

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas –A Beaumont convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for firearms possession in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Christopher Eugene Stelly, 23, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on August 20, 2026. Stelly was arrested on September 30, 2025, after leading police on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle in Beaumont. According to reports, law enforcement officers at the intersection of North Major Drive and Dishman Road noticed a stolen vehicle stopped at a traffic light near them. The car suddenly accelerated through the red light and officers pursued in a high-speed chase. Stelly eventually stopped the vehicle and fled on foot into an apartment complex on French Road where he was apprehended. Stelly had a firearm in his pocket that had been reported stolen in 2018. Further investigation revealed Stelly is a convicted felon and prohibited from owning or possessing firearms. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities . This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James. ##


title: Philadelphia Man Charged by Indictment With Assaulting, Injuring a Federal Employee

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Steven Louis, 30, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged by indictment with assault on a federal employee inflicting bodily injury. The defendant appeared in federal court today for an arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Pamela A. Carlos. Louis has been detained in federal custody since his July 21 arrest on a criminal complaint and warrant. The indictment alleges that on July 21, 2026, the defendant forcibly assaulted United States Postal Service employee F.W., hitting F.W. in the head with a heavy metal pipe, while F. W. was engaged in or on account of the performance of his official duties. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison. This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shayna Gannone. 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.


title: Guatemalan National Sentenced to a Year and a Day in Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Two Deportations

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Alvaro Morales-Ortiz, 33, a Guatemalan national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mia Roberts Perez to 12 months and one day in prison for illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the U.S. for a third time. Morales-Ortiz had previously been removed in August 2018, following his arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) for having ignored an immigration judge’s orders to depart the country the year prior, and in November 2023, after ICE located and arrested him in Philadelphia. In September 2025, ICE learned that the defendant was back in the country and had been arrested in Delaware County — at least his third arrest while illegally in the U.S. Morales-Ortiz had been arrested by Philadelphia police in November 2016 and May 2019; both times, he failed to appear in court to answer to the charges against him. This February, Morales-Ortiz was convicted of simple assault and harassment in the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas. At that time, ICE took Morales-Ortiz into federal custody on a criminal complaint and warrant. He was charged by indictment with illegal reentry the same month and pleaded guilty in April. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The case was investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.


title: Candidate for New York City Public Advocate Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, Angela Aquino, a 2025 candidate for New York City Public Advocate, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with her scheme to defraud New York City’s campaign finance system to obtain public matching funds. The proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Vera Scanlon. When sentenced, Aquino faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Nadia I. Shihata, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI); and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the guilty plea. “The defendant, a former candidate for city office, admitted today that she attempted to defraud New York City of $1 million in public funds,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Her brazen efforts threaten the integrity of our local democratic processes.” “New Yorkers deserve a baseline of integrity from candidates running for public office, an attribute this defendant – through her actions – demonstrated she clearly lacked,” stated DOI Commissioner Shihata. “As a candidate for NYC Public Advocate, this defendant attempted to fraudulently obtain $1 million in public matching funds by obscuring the true source of the funds flowing into her campaign committee’s bank account. The defendant also used some of her campaign funds to pay her personal expenses, including rent for her apartment. New York City’s Matching Funds Program is supported by taxpayer dollars, and those who seek these funds must follow the law. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the New York Office of the FBI for their partnership in protecting the integrity of our campaign finance system.” “Angela Aquino's attempt to defraud the City of New York is disgraceful and unacceptable. Any theft of taxpayer money will be fully investigated and prosecuted. In support of the Vice President's Fraud Task Force, FBI New York will continue to work diligently to protect the public from fraud in all forms,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. New York City’s Matching Funds Program The New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) offers a voluntary public-financing program matching small-dollar contributions from New York City residents to candidates for city office. To be eligible for matching funds, candidates must meet a two-part fundraising threshold: first, they must collect a minimum number of contributions of $10 or more; and, second, they must raise a minimum amount of qualifying contributions from residents of New York City. To be eligible for the matching funds program, a candidate for Public Advocate must have raised at least $125,000 from at least 500 qualifying contributors. In addition, cash contributions are capped at $100 per contributor for purposes of qualifying for matching funds. For a candidate to apply cash contributions toward the threshold necessary to become eligible for public matching funds, a candidate’s authorized committee was required to submit contribution cards to the CFB that listed, among other information, each contributor’s name, residential address, employer, and occupation, as well as the date and amount of contribution. The contribution cards also had to be signed by the contributors. Candidates were prohibited from giving false information to the CFB. Candidates were also prohibited from using public matching funds for purposes that were illegal, improper, or not in furtherance of the candidate’s nomination or election. Violation of these prohibitions would render the candidate ineligible to receive public matching funds. Once a candidate met the eligibility requirements to join the program, the CFB would provide the campaign with public funds at a matching rate of $8 to $1. In other words, if a candidate raised $125,000 toward the fundraising threshold, the CFB would provide that candidate with $1 million in public matching funds. The Fraudulent Scheme Aquino engaged in a scheme to obtain $1 million in public matching funds, knowing that her campaign committee was not entitled to such funds. In particular, she took numerous steps artificially to inflate the deposits into her campaign committee’s bank account to make it appear that the committee had met the $125,000 threshold for public funds. In fact, very little of the deposits were eligible contributions from New Yorkers. In the first months of 2025, Aquino’s personal bank account received more than $130,000 that originated from the Philippines. Of this amount, at least $34,000 was a loan to Aquino from a contact there. Aquino, with others, repeatedly withdrew funds from her personal bank account in cash and deposited cash into her campaign committee’s bank account. These contributions were then identified to the CFB as contributions from residents of New York City that were eligible for public matching funds. Contribution cards submitted in support of these supposed contributions, which purported to identify the contributors and included their personal identifying information and their signatures, were falsified. Aquino cycled funds out of, and back into, the campaign committee’s bank account, sometimes using bank accounts of friends and associates as intermediary accounts to obscure the true source of the funds. The purpose of cycling the funds in this way was to make the total amount of deposits into the campaign committee’s account appear higher, such that the total contributions would appear to meet the CFB’s threshold. Aquino used funds from the campaign committee account to pay for her personal expenses, including the rent for her apartment, while falsely reporting to the CFB that the payments were for legitimate campaign expenses. Aquino also lied to federal agents concerning her relationship with the recipients of some of these expenditures. For example, Aquino told federal agents that her landlords helped with petitions and with campaigning, justifying the campaign’s payments to them. In fact, Aquino’s landlords had nothing to do with her campaign. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Zuckerwise and Sean Sherman are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Melissa Bennett. The Defendant : ANGELA AQUINO Age: 47 New York, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-231 (MKB)


title: Sex Offender Caught in State Park with Children Admits Child Pornography Offense

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A sex offender on Thursday admitted being caught with two children in a Missouri state park, triggering an investigation that uncovered child sexual abuse material. Michael E. Barton, 46, of Washington County, admitted in his plea agreement that on Nov. 12, 2023, he was spotted by a Missouri State Park Ranger in Elephant Rocks State Park. The ranger ran Barton’s license plate and learned that he was a sex offender who, by law, is not allowed within 500 feet of a park with a playground. The ranger conducted a traffic stop and spotted two boys, ages 8 and 12, in the car who are not related to Barton. Barton provided the passcode to one of his cellphones, leading the ranger to discover a YouTube account that Barton had not registered and photos of the older boy shirtless. The ranger also found photos of a second phone that included SnapChat conversations with the older boy that included adult pornography. When confronted with the ranger’s findings, Barton ran for his vehicle and grabbed the older boy’s arm but was shocked with a Taser and handcuffed. The ranger found and searched Barton’s second phone, with his consent, and uncovered photos and videos of the older boy, including videos taken with a camera Barton had hidden in his home. Barton pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of failure to update the sex offender registry. Barton is scheduled to be sentenced on November 18. The possession charge is punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison and the failure to register charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The Missouri State Park Rangers and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes 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, 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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Justice Department Awards Nearly $290 Million to Improve Safety

component: Office of Justice Programs (OJP)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS ―The Bureau of Justice Assistance, a component under the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, awarded almost $290 million to support state, local, and tribal governments in criminal justice activities to keep American communities safe. The awards, provided through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, represent the nation’s leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories. For more than 20 years, the JAG program has provided critical funding to support law enforcement’s ability to protect the communities they serve, supporting critical needs such as personnel, equipment and supplies, technology, training, information systems for criminal justice or civil proceedings, and other operational priorities. JAG funding also supports a wide range of programs that strengthen crime prevention efforts and enhance the effectiveness of prosecutors, courts, corrections agencies, and services for crime victims and witnesses. “This funding strengthens our state, local, and tribal partners’ ability to address violent crime, support officers on the front lines, and keep our Nation’s communities safe,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “The JAG Program continues to provide essential resources that help jurisdictions meet today’s public safety threats and uphold the rule of law.” “In the Eastern District of Louisiana, communities continue to be affected by crime and its collateral damage,” said U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. “The allocation of these JAG awards reflects DOJ’s commitment to provide the essential tools necessary for our state and local law enforcement partners to enhance public safety and combat violent crime in Southeast Louisiana.” In addition to foundational uses of JAG funds, specific areas of emphasis were included to the JAG funding opportunities highlighting and encouraging state and local jurisdictions to join federal law enforcement in addressing the most pressing public safety challenges. For Fiscal Year 2025, these areas of emphasis included combatting violent crime, immigration enforcement, safe communities, and safe houses of worship. BJA awarded more than $199 million in state JAG funding across 56 awards and more than $90 million in local JAG funding across 895 awards. From fiscal year 2021 - 2025, across the Eastern District of Louisiana, examples of initiatives supported by these grants include: DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction. Cold Case Investigations and Training and Technical Assistance. Preventing School Violence: BJA’s STOP School Violence. National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative. Body-worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program to Support Law Enforcement Agencies Additionally, grants were awarded to strengthen crime prevention efforts and enhance the effectiveness of prosecutors, courts, corrections agencies, and services for crime victims and witnesses. All recipients for both state and local JAG awards can be found here . About the Office of Justice Programs The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation's capacity to prevent and reduce crime; promote fair and impartial administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking or SMART Office – can be found at ojp.gov . -###-


title: Owsley County Man Sentenced for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LONDON, Ky. – A Booneville, Ky., man, Berlin Hollan, 52, was sentenced to 60 months on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier for receiving child pornography. On September 13, 2024, Hollan received an image of child pornography. Specifically, law enforcement located sexually explicit Facebook Messenger conversations between Hollan and a minor victim. In one of those conversations, Hollan received a sexually explicit image of a minor. Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case was prosecuted 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov . – END –


title: Two Vallejo Felons Indicted in Separate Possession of a Firearm Cases

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Two Vallejo men with multiple felony convictions indicted in separate felon in possession of a firearm cases, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. Christopher Haden Fuimaono, 28, of Vallejo, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Fuimaono was arrested by Solano County Sheriff’s Deputies on August 1, 2026, pursuant to several outstanding felony arrest warrants. According to court documents, Fuimaono initially fled on foot and discarded a firearm during the chase. Deputies arrested Fuimaono and recovered the discarded firearm, which was loaded with one bullet in the chamber and another 10 in an inserted magazine. As a felon, Fuimaono is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Fuimaono’s nine prior felony convictions include three prior state felon in possession convictions. Fuimaono remains in federal custody and is scheduled to appear for arraignment on August 21, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremy D. Peterson. Hazem Naim Awad, 42, of Vallejo, was arrested on July 27, 2026, after Solano County Sheriff’s Deputies located him in a vehicle at a public storage facility in Vallejo. According to court documents, deputies conducted a high-risk arrest and apprehended him without incident. Following his arrest, deputies recovered two firearms in Awad’s vehicle, both of which were loaded and chambered with ammunition. One of the firearms was stolen . As a felon, Awad is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Awad remains in federal custody and is scheduled to appear for arraignment on August 21, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremy D. Peterson. Both cases are the product of investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting both cases. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to making our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.


title: Married Couple Indicted for Bribery and Smuggling Drugs into Kern Valley State Prison

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Rachel Bernal, aka Rachel Bernal Dunn, 48, of Victorville, and her husband, Rodney Dunn, 48, who is incarcerated at Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP) due to a 1996 first degree murder conviction, have been indicted for bribing an employee of KVSP to smuggle fentanyl, methamphetamine, cell phones, and other contraband into the prison, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court records, from January through September 2025, Bernal and Dunn paid a janitor at KVSP over $7,500 to smuggle contraband into the prison. Bernal would meet the janitor at hotels in Delano, where she would give him the contraband and pay him through electronic payments and cash. The janitor would then smuggle the contraband into the prison in various ways, including by concealing the items in his lunch bag. Due to increasing levels of contraband found in KVSP, officials began conducting enhanced security inspections of employees. These enhanced security inspections resulted in the janitor being caught in September 2025. Authorities executed a search warrant on Bernal’s Victorville home on August 20, 2026, after which Bernal was taken into custody. She is scheduled to make her initial appearance on August 20, 2026. Dunn is in the process of being transferred from state custody into federal custody and is scheduled to make his initial appearance on August 28, 2026. This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Office of Internal Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arelis Clemente and Joseph Barton are prosecuting the case. If convicted, Bernal faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as a $10,000,000 fine. Dunn faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as a $20,000,000 fine. Dunn faces higher penalties than Bernal due to his prior murder conviction. The janitor has pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced in December 2025. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as a $10,000,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Three Alleged Members of Wilmington-Based 6ixers Gang Charged with Federal Robbery Offense

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging three Delaware men with Hobbs Act robbery. According to court documents, Jerome Pegram, 19, of Newark; Damire Lee, 22, of Wilmington; and Jeremiah Cunningham, 19, of Wilmington, are alleged to be members of the Wilmington-based 6ixers gang. The three gangmates are alleged to have participated in the armed robbery of an individual at a house party in Dover, Delaware, in March 2026. The gangmates forced the victim to hand over his property, striking him with firearms and their fists, and used a financial application on his phone to transfer money to themselves. Pegram, Lee, and Cunningham are each charged with one count of Hobbs Act robbery. If convicted, the three men face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace and Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the FBI Baltimore Field Office made the announcement. The FBI’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force and the Dover Police Department investigated the case. U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin B. Smith are prosecuting the case. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware . Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 26-cr-129 (RGA). The charges contained in the indictment and preceding criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Convicted Kidnapper Who Put Hit on Victim Sentenced to 45 years in Prison

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. (August 20, 2026) – A Seaford, Delaware, man was sentenced August 17, 2026, to 45 years in prison for kidnapping, carjacking, and cyberstalking. U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews imposed the sentence. According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Ralph Harmon, 26, approached an elderly woman outside her residence in Seaford, Delaware, on January 13, 2023, when he brandished what appeared to be a firearm, placed his arm on the victim, and forced her into her vehicle. Once inside, the victim tried to escape out the passenger door, but Harmon pistol-whipped her to make her comply and remain inside the car. Harmon then left the victim’s residence and drove towards Laurel, Delaware, where he stopped along the way and forced the victim to give over ATM information for Harmon to use. Harmon then crossed into Maryland, pulled over, and sexually assaulted the victim. Harmon forced the victim to lay face down in the front passenger seat, where Harmon tied the victim’s hands with a shoelace before continuing to drive. Harmon took the victim to a residential neighborhood where he forced her to a dock in the backyard. Harmon then shoved the victim, still bound, into the Wicomico River. When the victim surfaced, Harmon pistol-whipped the victim a second time with what Harmon later stated was an intent to kill the victim. After Harmon fled the area, the victim climbed out of the river and received assistance from bystanders. Harmon met with friends and continued to make cash withdraws and utilize the victim’s ATM cards at local shops. Harmon and his friends then went to a tattoo parlor in Salisbury, Maryland, where law enforcement identified the victim’s vehicle. Harmon fled from police, and a black BB gun was recovered during his arrest. While pending trial in the state of Maryland, Harmon utilized a recorded jail phone to attempt to have an associate kill the victim to prevent her from testifying at the state trial. Harmon also contacted the victim numerous times, including eight times around 1:00 am in one night. The victim left her residence out of fear ahead of testifying. Harmon was convicted in the state of Maryland, c-22-cr-23-000054, before being transferred to the District of Delaware for federal proceedings in April 2024. “This was a senseless, random, vicious attack on an elderly victim of our Delaware community,” said U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace. “The Court’s sentence delivers justice and closure for the victim by holding the defendant accountable for all aspects of this violent criminal act; ensuring that he is not a threat to the community for the foreseeable future; and sending a message to any others who might terrorize our community that they will be held responsible by my office and our dedicated law-enforcement partners. This coordinated effort by the FBI, Seaford Police, Salisbury Police, Maryland State Police, and Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office ensured that justice was served.” “This 45-year sentence reflects the seriousness of Ralph Harmon’s crimes,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul. “He violently attacked an innocent woman who showed remarkable strength in surviving the assault. Even after his arrest, Harmon kept trying to harm her to avoid accountability. Thanks to the swift and coordinated work of law enforcement, Harmon will spend the next four decades answering for his violent crimes.” “The victim in this case was a long-term resident of the City of Seaford, who showed tremendous strength and courage throughout the ordeal and prosecution,” said Deputy Chief Tyler Justice, Seaford Police Department. “We are proud of the work done by our detectives and our local, state, and federal partners. The result is justice being served to someone who committed such a needless act of violence to a member of our community.” “We are proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure those who commit heinous acts of violence are held accountable," said Colonel Michael A. Jackson, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police. “This case demonstrates the commitment we share in the pursuit of justice for the victim and her family.” FBI Baltimore, Seaford Police, Salisbury Police and Maryland State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel S. Frey and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Welsh prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-00050.


title: Country Club Agrees to Pay Over $1 Million to Resolve  False Claims Act Allegations of Improper Receipt of  Paycheck Protection Program Loan

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Ferris Pirro, announced today that Secession Golf Club, Inc. (“Secession”) agreed to pay $1,047,991 to resolve allegations that the club violated the False Claims Act when it applied for and received a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) for which it was not eligible. When Congress enacted the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, it authorized forgivable PPP loans to eligible small businesses and nonprofit organizations for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP loan program was administered by the Small Business Administration (“SBA”). At the time of the loan covered by this settlement, certain entities organized under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code were not eligible for PPP loans, including section 501(c)(7) organizations. In 2020, Secession, a country club located in Beaufort, South Carolina, applied for a PPP loan in the amount of $630,750 and certified that it was eligible to receive the loan even though it was ineligible as a section 501(c)(7) nonprofit organization. After receiving the PPP loan, Secession sought and received forgiveness of the entire loan amount. The United States contended that Secession knowingly falsely represented its eligibility to receive the PPP loan, which caused the SBA to pay lender fees to the bank that processed the loan, and to receive forgiveness of that loan. The settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under these provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the recovery. The qui tam complaint was filed by Relator Aidan Forsyth and is captioned United States ex rel. Aidan Forsyth v. Club at Morningside Inc., et al., Civ. A. No. 24-1175 (D.D.C.). Mr. Forsyth will receive a total share of approximately $115,279.01 in connection with the settlement. The civil settlement resulted from an investigation by Assistant United States Attorney Sean M. Tepe and Auditor Timothy J. Hurley with the support of attorney Caitlin J. Kelly of SBA’s Office of the General Counsel. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. Tips and complaints regarding potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or by submitting a NCDF Web Complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . The claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. secession_settlement_agreement_-_fully_executed_8.11.26.pdf


title: Stamford Woman Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison for Selling Drugs and Gun

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that AMONDA MENDEZ, also known as “M-Dot” and “Dot,” 35, of Stamford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 150 months of imprisonment and eight years of supervised release for selling narcotics and a firearm while on federal supervised release. According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2016, Mendez was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 10 years of imprisonment and four years of supervised release for narcotics trafficking and firearm possession offenses. She was released from federal prison in January 2025. Between April and July 2025, law enforcement made multiple controlled purchases of crack cocaine and fentanyl, and one purchase of a loaded .40 caliber pistol, from Mendez. The pistol had been reported as stolen. Mendez was arrested on July 28, 2025. On that date, a search of her person revealed approximately 48 grams of crack cocaine and $1,934 in cash, a search of her Stamford residence revealed approximately 163 grams of crack, and a search of another Stamford residence connected to Mendez revealed $2,456 in cash. Mendez has been detained since her arrest. On May 27, 2026, she pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”). Judge Oliver sentenced Mendez to 120 months of imprisonment for the narcotics trafficking offense, and a consecutive 30 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of her supervised release. This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Stamford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Gresham. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Three More Memphis Gang Members Plead Guilty in Racketeering Case

body_text: In the last month, three members of the Memphis-based gang known as Young Mob or Young Mob Military have pleaded guilty to Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy, robbery, death by firearm, and drug crimes. These defendants ─ Paul Nelson, also known as “Big Paul” and “Paul Walk,” 33; Edgar Smith, also known as “Chuck P” and “Chucky,” 40, and Cedric Jackson, also known as “Ced,” 35, all of Memphis, Tennessee, were indicted as part of a larger investigation against the violent gang that resulted in multiple indictments alleging crimes by those associated with the gang. In total, 20 individuals from the Memphis area were indicted on federal charges. “This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division ongoing commitment to quell the violent crime that plagued Memphis,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As to the Young Mob gang alone, Criminal Division’s partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee has resulted in 20 members and associates of this violent gang have been hauled before federal courts to answer for their crimes, wich include murder, attempted murder, robbery, and large-volume drug dealing, including trafficking in fentanyl. Our commitment to the people of Memphis is unwavering.” “These successful federal prosecutions have significantly dismantled the Young Mob gang here in Memphis,” said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee. “If you are a member of a gang committed to a culture of criminality that terrorizes our community with violence, no matter your role or nickname - your days are numbered - there will be a reckoning." On Aug. 14, 2026, Nelson pleaded guilty to armed Hobbs Act robbery and using a firearm to cause death during the robbery, as well as conspiring to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. As part of his guilty plea, Nelson admitted to the May 13, 2023 robbery at Tug’s Casual Grill in Harbortown, Tennessee. Nelson and two Young Mob members targeted a rap musician affiliated with another Memphis musician and longtime nemesis of Young Mob. During the robbery, Nelson and his accomplice approached the victim and his girlfriend while they were seated at an outdoor table. The male victim fled and was followed by Nelson’s accomplice, who was armed with a rifle. The male victim was also armed and shot the accomplice in self-defense. After the accomplice was shot, Nelson, the wounded accomplice, and co-defendant Jerrod Cox allegedly dropped the dying accomplice off in the parking lot of a fire station: he later died of his wounds. Nelson faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on Nov. 18, 2026. On Aug. 20, 2026, Smith pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy. As part of the conspiracy, Smith agreed that he and other members or associates of the Young Mob criminal enterprise would commit at least two racketeering acts. In particular, Smith agreed with other conspirators that on June 12, 2024 they would commit acts of attempted robbery and robbery, in violation of Tennessee law. Smith also agreed that he other members and associates conspired to distribute and did distribute fentanyl. Smith faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on Dec. 3. On Aug. 20, 2026, Jackson pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy. As part of the conspiracy, Jackson agreed that he and other members or associates of the Young Mob criminal enterprise would commit at least two racketeering acts. In particular, Jackson agreed with other conspirators that on June 11 and 12, 2024 they would commit acts of attempted robbery and robbery, in violation of Tennessee law. Jackson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on Dec. 4. Codefendants Larry Wilson, also known as “L,” and Braxton Beck, also known as “B Mack,” each pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and admitted their roles in the June 11, 2024 attempted robbery and June 12, 2024 robbery at a tattoo shop in Memphis. Beck and Wilson were sentenced to 120 and 87 months in prison, respectively. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Memphis Police Department and Multiagency Gang Unit (MGU) are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Amanda Kotula of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee. This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.


title: Pennsylvania Man Indicted for Conspiring to Defraud the United States

component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania returned a superseding indictment today charging Jimmy Fabian of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with engaging in a scheme to underpay over $7 million in employment taxes owed by his business and filing false tax returns for the business. This indictment supersedes an earlier, August 2025 indictment that charged Fabian and two co-conspirators. According to court documents, Fabian was the president, owner and operator of Celebes Staffing Services Inc. (Celebes), a labor-leasing company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which provided temporary workers to client businesses for a fee, including Companies A, B, and C. From approximately in or about September 2020 through at least in or about June 2024, Fabian and two co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to fraudulently underpay employment taxes by underreporting the number of Celebes’ employees, many of whom were not authorized to work in the United States, and the wages and compensation paid to them. Fabian also caused the preparation and filing of false corporate income tax returns for Celebes, in which he substantially underreported Celebes’ gross receipts and disguised his 100 percent ownership of Celebes by listing a co-conspirator as 50 percent owner. Fabian is charged with one count of conspiring to defraud the United States, thirteen counts of willfully failing to collect, account for, and pay over employment taxes, and four counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns. If convicted, Fabian faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and for each count of willfully failing to collect, account for, and pay over employment taxes, and three years in prison for each count of aiding and assisting in preparation and presentation of false tax returns. IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case. Assistant Deputy Chief Thomas F. Koelbl and Trial Attorney Joseph D. G. Castro of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty to Evading $2M in Taxes

body_text: A Mississippi man pleaded guilty yesterday to evading the payment of more than $2 million in federal income taxes. According to court documents, Eric Brian Rosenberg tried to hide money from the government after he learned that an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) revenue officer was trying to collect the income taxes that he owed. Between 2016 and 2020, in a practice known as “check churning,” Rosenberg repeatedly removed most of the funds from his checking account by purchasing a cashier’s check, and holding that check until he wanted cash. When Rosenberg wanted money, he would deposit the cashier’s check into his bank account, withdraw the cash he wanted, and remove the unspent funds via another cashier’s check. Later, Rosenberg took additional steps to avoid paying the taxes he owed by forming a company, opening a bank account in the company’s name, depositing money into that nominee bank account, and continuing to churn checks. At the same time, from 2016 through 2021, Rosenberg spent over $1 million gambling at casinos. Rosenberg pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 16 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Matthew Hicks of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.


title: Jury Convicts Erosion Control Company, Executive, and Employee for Roles in $100M Price-Fixing Conspiracy

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: A federal jury in Oklahoma City convicted Sioux Erosion Control Inc. (Sioux), its part-owner and vice president, and another employee for participating in a five-year price-fixing conspiracy targeting over $100 million in publicly funded transportation construction contracts across Oklahoma. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sioux, its part-owner and Vice President BG Dale Biscoe, and its employee Randall David Shelton conspired with their competitors in the erosion control industry to raise and maintain prices for products and services between September 2017 and April 2023. Erosion control products and services, including sod, are used to control runoff of soil or rock on highway construction and repair projects. In addition to conspiring to raise prices for sod, the defendants also agreed to allocate contracts across different areas of Oklahoma and rigged bids for projects by submitting intentionally high-priced bids or refusing to bid. “Americans have a right to expect that taxpayer-funded contracts are awarded through fair and honest competition, not secret agreements among competitors,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “The prosecution of these criminals demonstrates the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting public funds, safeguarding the integrity of government procurement, and holding accountable those who put personal profit above the law.” “For years, the defendants stole from taxpayers by rigging bids and raising prices on highway projects across Oklahoma,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Daniel W. Glad of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Yesterday, an Oklahoma jury held the defendants accountable, finding them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This verdict underscores that, if you collude with your competitors to corrupt public procurement, the Antitrust Division and its Procurement Collusion Strike Force partners will work tirelessly to bring you to justice.” “This long-running scheme to fix prices and rig bids on highway construction projects drove up costs for American taxpayers while the defendants lined their pockets,” said Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “The FBI and our partners will aggressively pursue corporations that violate antitrust laws at the expense of the American public. This verdict highlights our commitment to combatting illegal collusion through the justice system.” “Violations of the nation’s antitrust laws will be taken seriously, and those who attempt to circumvent federal bidding and contract regulations will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph Harris of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General’s Southern Region. “Working alongside our partners at the FBI and the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, we will continue to pursue those who cheat the system and ensure that public funds are used as intended — to support a safe, reliable, and cost‑effective transportation system that Americans depend on every day.” During the investigation, a total of six individuals and one company — including Biscoe, Shelton, and Sioux — were charged for their participation in the scheme. Four other individuals — Stanley Mark Smith, Roy Henry Henrich, Ryan Ashley Sullivan, and James Travis Feazel — previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the charged conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing. Biscoe, Shelton, and Sioux were convicted by the federal jury of participating in a price-fixing conspiracy. The maximum penalty for individuals is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The maximum penalty for corporations is a $100 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine. The U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and FBI Oklahoma City Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Marc Hedrich and Matthew Grisier of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section and Senior Litigation Counsel Gary Bell are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force . Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards .


title: Four Members of the “War Room” Charged in Connection with $12M Medicaid Fraud Scheme

body_text: The Justice Department announced today the unsealing of a nine-count Indictment charging Louis Trejo, also known as “Machete;” Kenneth Garner, also known as “KG;” Harold Stevenson, also known as “Bazz;” and Erihk Belis, also known as “Eddie” with racketeering, violence in aid of racketeering, firearms, fraud, narcotics, and money laundering offenses for their roles in a wide ranging racketeering conspiracy involving the fabrication of transportation data used to support over at least $12 million of fraudulent Medicaid claims. The defendants, members of a Bronx-based racketeering organization known as the “War Room,” logged fake rides for Medicaid patients to and from methadone clinics in the Bronx, paid recurring kickbacks to Medicaid patients in cash and drugs, and laundered millions of dollars in fraud proceeds obtained from the scheme. To protect and expand their racketeering conspiracy, Trejo, Garner, and other members of the War Room also engaged in violence against their rivals, including a Jan. 12, 2024, armed home invasion robbery of the leader of a rival fraud ring in Teaneck, New Jersey. Trejo, Garner, and Belis were arrested this morning and are expected to be arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger in Manhattan federal court. Stevenson remains at large. The case is assigned to District Judge John G. Koeltl. “Today’s allegations underscore the troubling connection between benefits fraud and violent criminal networks,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “As charged, the defendants are accused of targeting vulnerable patients, defrauding a critical healthcare program, and turning to violence to protect their fraudulent scheme. I commend the prosecutors and agents of the Southern District of New York for their dedicated work in bringing these serious allegations forward.” “As alleged, members of the War Room perpetrated a massive fraud scheme that preyed upon the addiction of vulnerable Medicaid patients, defrauded a vital federal healthcare program, and caused over $12 million in losses to American taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald for the Southern District of New York. “To protect and grow their scheme, War Room members allegedly peddled deadly drugs, committed an armed robbery against a rival fraud ring, and laundered their profits. Today’s arrests dismantled the War Room’s racketeering operation and demonstrate that we will relentlessly pursue those who defraud federal benefit programs and endanger our communities through drugs and violence.” “These defendants are accused of masterminding a brazen scheme built on greed and exploitation, turning Medicaid-funded addiction treatment transportation into a multimillion-dollar criminal pipeline through fake ride data, GPS spoofing, kickbacks, narcotics, and money laundering,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Pete Gizas of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York Field Office. “Far from a victimless fraud, this alleged racketeering operation exploited vulnerable patients seeking treatment, stole from a taxpayer-funded healthcare program, and injected narcotics and violence into the criminal enterprise. When their profits were threatened, members of the ‘War Room’ allegedly escalated to armed violence, including with a home invasion during which victims were restrained, assaulted, cut, and held at gunpoint. As a co-leader of the Homeland Security Task Force, HSI New York will continue working relentlessly with our partners to expose violent fraud enterprises, disrupt their financial networks, and hold alleged perpetrators accountable.” “The alleged scheme exploited individuals seeking addiction treatment and diverted millions in federal health care funds,” said Special Agent in Charge Naomi D. Gruchacz of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This investigation highlights our commitment to working with Homeland Security Investigations and other law enforcement partners to pursue fraudsters who undermine the Medicaid program and the needs of its enrollees.” “Today’s arrests send a clear message: exploiting Medicaid for personal gain will not be tolerated,” said Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), New York Division. “These individuals allegedly stole millions from a program designed to protect some of our most vulnerable citizens, and in doing so, betrayed the trust of the public. Postal Inspectors will defend against all types of fraudsters, and I commend the hard work and partnership of our federal and state partners to ensure all are held fully accountable under the law.” “These defendants allegedly engaged in a systematic fabrication of data and kickbacks to steal over $12 million at the expense of New Yorkers in need,” said New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. “Medicaid is a vital program, and my office will continue to work with law enforcement to hold people who try to defraud it accountable. I thank the United States Attorney and federal law enforcement for their work with my office to bring these defendants to justice.” As alleged in the Indictment, from at least in or about 2023 through at least in or about 2025, the defendants, led by Trejo and Garner, operated the War Room, a criminal enterprise responsible for generating fake ride data used to support millions of dollars in fraudulent reimbursement claims to Medicaid for methadone clinic transportation services. The defendants operated out of an office in Trejo’s residence they referred to as the “War Room,” and engaged in, among other things, criminal acts involving wire fraud, healthcare fraud, violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, narcotics distribution, robbery, firearms use, and money laundering. To obfuscate their criminal activity, the defendants operated the War Room under the guise of a legitimate charity they called the “Forward Foundation.” In reality, the Forward Foundation was a front for the criminal activities of the War Room. An organizational chart drawn on a white board located inside Trejo’s residence, depicted below, identified each defendant’s nominal role. Trejo, identified as “Lou,” is the “CEO.” Garner, identified as “KG,” is the “COO.” Stevenson, identified as “Bazz,” is an “outreach member m[ana]g[e]r.” Belis, identified as “Erihk,” is “Vice President.” Organizational chart drawn on a white board located inside Trejo’s residence To generate fake ride data to support fraudulent Medicaid claims, the defendants recruited Medicaid-eligible patients from methadone clinics located in the Bronx and Manhattan to sign up for medical transportation rides that are reimbursable by Medicaid, but which were not actually provided to the patients. The defendants entered the patients’ names and information into cellphones equipped with a ride-tracking application meant to be used by drivers to log actual rides. Members of the War Room then used the cellphones to log rides for the patients without providing any actual transportation services. To cover up the fact that the ride data was fabricated, the defendants used a GPS “spoofing” application to falsify the GPS coordinates associated with the pickup and drop-off locations, to make the location data appear as if the rides had been provided. In exchange for the use of the Medicaid patients’ enrollment information, the defendants paid the patients, who were meant to be receiving taxpayer-funded addiction treatment, weekly kickbacks in cash and drugs, including fentanyl and heroin. Using these methods, the War Room’s fraud scheme generated data for hundreds of fake rides per week, which were provided to various collusive New York-area transportation companies, which in turn submitted the fake data to Medicaid to justify the fraudulent claims. The defendants were compensated by the transportation companies for whom they generated fake ride data and then laundered the proceeds to conceal their source and nature. The War Room’s fake rides scheme generated millions of dollars in fraudulent Medicaid claims for the transportation companies. For example, from in or about 2023 through in or about 2025, three transportation companies that made direct payments to the War Room collectively submitted over $12 million in “unmatched” Medicaid claims — that is, claims for medical transportation services for which no medical provider submitted corresponding claims reflecting actual medical services provided. Multiple fraud rings competed for the same patients at the same methadone clinics. To protect the War Room’s profits and expand their reach, Trejo and Garner directed other members of the War Room to commit a home invasion robbery against the leader of a rival Medicaid fraud ring (Victim-1) at Victim-1’s home in Teaneck, New Jersey, believing that Victim‑1 kept millions of dollars in cash fraud proceeds and drugs inside his home. On or about Jan. 12, 2024, at the direction of Trejo and Garner, members of the War Room committed the violent home robbery. Masked and armed with a gun, members and associates of the War Room entered Victim-1’s residence while others waited outside as lookouts. Inside, the robbers used zip ties to tie up the occupants of the residence, including Victim‑1, pistol-whipped one of the occupants, intentionally cut Victim-1’s hands, and held the victims at gunpoint for multiple hours. The robbery crew did not find the large stash of cash or drugs that Garner and Trejo expected but fled with approximately $25,000 in cash and other assorted items. A chart identifying the names, ages, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants, each of whom resides in the Bronx, is set forth below. The statutory minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William C. Kinder, Mostafa Khairy, and Patrick J. Gallagher for the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution. Count Defendants Minium & Maximum Penalties 1. Racketeering Conspiracy Louis Trejo (43) Kenneth Garner (48) Harold Stevenson (59) Erihk Belis (50) Maximum sentence of life in prison 2. Assault with a Deadly Weapon in Aid of Racketeering Louis Trejo (43) Kenneth Garner (48) Maximum sentence of 20 years in prison 3. Firearms Use Louis Trejo (43) Kenneth Garner (48) Mandatory minimum of seven years in prison Maximum sentence of life in prison 4. Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud & Health Care Fraud Louis Trejo (43) Kenneth Garner (48) Harold Stevenson (59) Erihk Belis (50) Maximum sentence of 20 years in prison 5. Wire Fraud Louis Trejo (43) Kenneth Garner (48) Harold Stevenson (59) Erihk Belis (50) Maximum sentence of 20 years in prison 6. Health Care Fraud Louis Trejo (43) Kenneth Garner (48) Harold Stevenson (59) Erihk Belis (50) Maximum sentence of 10 years in prison 7. Conspiracy to Violate the Anti-Kickback Statute Louis Trejo (43) Kenneth Garner (48) Harold Stevenson (59) Erihk Belis (50) Maximum sentence of five years in prison 8. Narcotics Conspiracy Louis Trejo (43) Kenneth Garner (48) Maximum sentence of 20 years in prison 9. Money Laundering Conspiracy Louis Trejo (43) Kenneth Garner (48) Harold Stevenson (59) Maximum sentence of 20 years in prison An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Colorado Man Convicted at Trial of Sexually Abusing a Child on Camera And Advertising the Videos for Sale Over the Dark Web

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury convicted a Colorado man yesterday for conspiring with his wife to film themselves sexually abusing a prepubescent child in Mexico and for advertising the videos for sale online. “Alekzander Bywater left the United States for Mexico and preyed upon the most vulnerable among us, a young child,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Child exploitative hands-on violations are among the most depraved. This defendant and his wife, Anika, perpetrated this heinous crime together, and even tried to profit off their conduct. This case is core to the Criminal Division’s mission of hunting down child predators and removing them from society.” “This guilty verdict holds this defendant accountable for the horrific abuse of a child and for his role in distributing videos that documented that abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Mr. Bywater’s depraved actions cost him his freedom, so now he’ll be separated from society where he can’t harm other children. Our office will continue to work tirelessly with our community and law enforcement partners to ensure that justice is served as we relentlessly pursue and prosecute predators who prey on the most vulnerable members of our community, whether that abuse occurs here or abroad.” “The FBI and our partners are working every day to hold criminals accountable for their participation in child sexual exploitation and abuse,” said Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Division. “Bywater will now face the consequences for his disturbing and illegal actions, and we are proud to have played our part in making that happen.” The jury found Alekzander Quinn Bywater, 32, formerly of Colorado Springs, CO, guilty of conspiracy to sexually exploit a minor outside the United States, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor outside the United States, and two counts of advertisement of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court documents and information provided during the trial, while living in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, Bywater, and his wife Anika, 29, formerly of Gonzalez, Texas, created two separate videos of themselves sexually abusing a young child. In January 2024, on two separate occasions, the Bywaters agreed to create two videos, Video-1 and Video-2, that depicted them jointly engaging in sexually abusing the minor victim in Mexico. Law enforcement officers learned about the conduct when they discovered videos of the abuse circulating on the internet. Alekzander Bywater uploaded Video-1 and Video-2 to Website A, a publicly available website, where he advertised them for sale. Then, on Feb. 6, and 7, 2024, an undercover FBI agent in the District of Maryland purchased and downloaded the videos. Additionally, FBI agents recovered Video-1 and Video-2 from a desktop and laptop that were used to commit the offense. The devices also housed a different video of Alekzander Bywater sexually abusing the minor victim and thousands of CSAM images and videos depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children other than the minor victim. Bywater will be sentenced on a date to be set in the future. Alekzander Bywater is facing a maximum penalty of 150 years in prison for the charges. A federal district judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Anika Bywater was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release in March for conspiracy to engage in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places. She pled guilty to the charges in December 2025. The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit investigated the case, with the assistance of the FBI law enforcement attaché office in Mexico City. Acting Deputy Chief Kyle P. Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Reema Sood for the District of Maryland prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.


title: Albany, New York Woman Charged with ISIS-Inspired Terror Plot Targeting New York State Capitol

body_text: Note: See the complaint here . Jessica Bowie, 35, of Albany, New York, made her initial appearance today in federal court on charges of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, ISIS. “As alleged, Bowie plotted to deploy an explosive device at the New York State Capitol, intending to kill public officials and to destroy ‘as much of the building as possible’ before fleeing to ISIS‑controlled territory in Syria,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division and our law-enforcement partners are committed to the painstaking work of preventing plots like this from succeeding and securing convictions against those who attempt such plots.” “The American people represent an undying spirit of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness — values fundamentally opposed by foreign terrorist organizations such as the one this defendant allegedly pledged her support to,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York. “I am incredibly proud to work side by side with the men and women of the FBI and our law enforcement partners who identified, investigated, and ultimately stopped this defendant before she was able to act on her plot to bring terror to the Capital Region and the United States. My office looks forward to aggressively prosecuting this case and delivering justice for the American people.” “The FBI detected and stopped an alleged plot to attack the New York State Capitol and kill elected officials,” said Operations Director Matt Fodor of the FBI National Security Branch. “According to the criminal complaint, the defendant in this case swore allegiance to ISIS and wanted to follow up with additional horrific acts of terrorism. This case is yet another example of how this FBI is built to not only identify threats of terrorism quickly, but to stop their alleged plots before they are able to harm the American people. I want to commend the FBI Albany Field Office, the Justice Department, and our law enforcement partners for their outstanding work in this case. Cooperation and partnership are essential to protecting the U.S. homeland.” On Aug.19, Bowie was apprehended by law enforcement as she gained possession of what she believed to be an explosive device, with the intent of targeting the New York State Capitol and New York State Senators. Bowie buying items necessary to build an explosive device Through the course of the investigation and as alleged in the government’s complaint, investigators learned that Bowie had intended to conduct the attack before fleeing to Syria to join others in ISIS-controlled territories. She was observed making several visits to the New York State Capitol grounds and taking several photographs of the building. In describing the New York State Capitol building as her target, Bowie stated: “I want to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they are meeting. I want them to lose a lot of important documents as well” and “I want it to have a affect on the American system. And destroy some of the taghut.” Bowie doing reconnaissance on New York Capitol According to the complaint, Jessica Bowie has expressed anti-American messages online. On one account identified as belonging to Bowie, she said, “Praise be to Allah for September 11 th ” and “When I can migrate, I will poison these infidels.” Further, Bowie recorded and disseminated to others online her “Bayah,” or formal oath of allegiance to ISIS. The case is being investigated by the FBI with assistance from the U. S. Secret Service, New York State Police, and Albany Police Department. Trial Attorney Ryan D. White of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Belliss and Joseph Hartunian for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.


title: Lubbock Ponzi Schemers Face Up to 70 Years in Federal Prison Following Guilty Verdict in San Antonio

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A federal jury convicted two Lubbock men in San Antonio Tuesday afternoon for their roles in a massive Ponzi fraud scheme with their already convicted co-defendant Brooklynn Chandler Willy of San Antonio, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Joshua Allen and Michael Cox jointly owned and controlled four investment companies: Ferrum Capital LLC, Ferrum II LLC, Ferrum III LLC, and Ferrum IV LLC. Allen, Cox, Willy and others acting at their direction, solicited victims to invest in these entities. Willy, who pleaded guilty to 10 counts in March , was the owner of Chandler Capital Holdings and Queen B Advisory LLC doing business as Texas Financial Advisory (TFA). Among other services, TFA purported to provide asset management and financial planning services. Allen, Cox and Willy conspired to mislead the victims concerning the security of the investments and concealed their high commissions. Additionally, Allen and Cox lied about the nature of the investments. Hundreds of victims collectively lost millions of dollars. Much of that money went to pay earlier investor-victims, thereby concealing the scheme and attracting additional victims. Much of the money also directly benefited the co-conspirators themselves. On Tuesday, concluding a weeklong trial presided over by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, the jury convicted both Allen and Cox of all four counts: conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and securities fraud. “In the midst of this Ponzi scheme, Allen and Cox collected a handsome fee by telling various egregious lies, even using their self-proclaimed faith and reputation in their community to con the investors they victimized,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “This case shows that within the Western District of Texas and across the Department of Justice, we are resolved to prosecute cases like these where individuals have preyed on the innocence and trusting nature of everyday Americans as Michael Cox and Joshua Allen did here.” “This case took years to unravel: tracing the money, interviewing witnesses, and working with our FBI partners to find more victims of this despicable Ponzi scheme. Allen and Cox preyed on their closest friends, their community, and many others across the country. They took millions of dollars to enrich themselves while devastating lives along the way. To say they violated trust is grossly insufficient — they destroyed it,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of IRS CI’s Texas Field Office. “Our work with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office cannot undo the victims’ suffering, but this verdict may provide some measure of satisfaction that these criminals will pay for their financial crimes. The women and men of IRS-CI will continue to band together with their law enforcement partners to pursue those who commit financial crimes and steal from trusting individuals.” “These convictions send an important message,” said FBI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Daniel Faith. “When someone chooses greed over integrity and abuses the trust of others for illicit personal gain, there are serious consequences.” Now convicted on all four counts, Allen and Cox both face up to 70 years in prison. They were taken into federal custody immediately following the verdict. Their sentencing hearings have not been scheduled at this time. Willy’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 14. She faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the six wire fraud charges, on the one wire fraud conspiracy charge, and on the one money laundering conspiracy charge. She also faces up to 10 years for engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from the wire fraud scheme and a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, which, by statute, would run consecutive to any other punishment. IRS-CI and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Blackwell and Sam Shapiro are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Del Rio Fugitive Self-Surrenders, Makes Initial Court Appearance in Alien Smuggling Case

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – One of the two fugitives indicted for her alleged involvement in an attempted fatal alien smuggling operation that resulted in multiple illegal aliens being found dead inside a shipping container in May is now in custody, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. According to court documents, Karina Garcia, 37, of Del Rio, made her initial appearance in federal court Tuesday afternoon in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Watters. Garcia self-surrendered Sunday at a port of entry in Del Rio, following an investigation led by the U.S. Border Patrol Intelligence Division, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Marshals. Garcia is alleged to have played a key role in the smuggling operation that spanned approximately three years and illegally used cargo trains to smuggle aliens further into the United States after illegally crossing them from Mexico. Each smuggled alien, or their families and friends, paid smugglers in Honduras, Mexico, the United States, and elsewhere between $1,500 and $10,000. Garcia was indicted in July and charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death and one count of aiding and abetting transport of illegal aliens resulting in death. If convicted, Garcia will face up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Eight other defendants were arrested over a multi-day Homeland Security Task Force operation across central and south Texas last month. Mayra Alejandra Huerta was arrested in Del Rio on May 12. Seferino Huerta-Casillas is now the only indicted co-defendant still at large. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Spears, Todd Keagle, and Ashley Ellis-Dotson are prosecuting the case. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; ATF; U.S. Border Patrol; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; as well as local police departments and sheriff’s offices, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. The law enforcement efforts announced today were coordinated and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). JTFA also leads and supports U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs) in the prosecution of crimes related to unaccompanied alien children (UACs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including HSI and CBP/USBP and Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 477 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 431 U.S. convictions; and more than 370 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Springfield Man Sentenced to 84 Months for Assaulting Postal Worker

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court for assaulting a U.S. Postal Service worker. Courtney J. Ellis, 45, was sentenced to seven years, followed by three years supervised release for assaulting a postal worker while they were performing their official duties. Ellis pleaded guilty to the assault earlier this year. According to court documents, on June 18, 2025, Ellis struck the victim on the head with a wooden board while he was delivering mail to Ellis’s address. The victim, who was delivering mail along that route for the first time, was wearing a USPS uniform and driving a marked USPS delivery vehicle. After striking the victim, Ellis yelled that he didn’t belong in the neighborhood and followed him back to his vehicle where he continued to yell at and threaten the victim. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department. Operation Take Back America This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Former Elementary School Teacher  Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offenses

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former elementary school teacher and employee of two area school districts pleaded guilty to 13 child pornography offenses involving 12 minor victims. Dennis Adlai Hernandez, 29, of Independence, Mo., pleaded guilty today in federal court to 11 counts of production and attempted production of child pornography, one count of transportation of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography for offenses alleged to have occurred between August 2022 and August 2025. Under federal statutes, Hernandez is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole on each count of production and attempted production of child pornography and up to 20 years in federal prison without parole on each of the two remaining child pornography offenses. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant 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. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Dunning. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."