title: Hartshorne Resident Sentenced For Unlawful Possession Of Firearms, Ammunition And Explosives

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kelly Von Morck, age 36, of Hartshorne, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for one count of Unlawful User of Controlled Substance in Possession of a Firearm, 46 months for one count of Unlawful User of Controlled Substance in Possession of Ammunition, and 46 months for one count of User of a Controlled Substance in Possession of Explosives. The Court ordered the terms to be served concurrently. The charges arose from an investigation by the Hartshorne Police Department, the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On August 19, 2025, Morck pleaded guilty to the charges in federal district court. According to investigators, on October 20, 2024, Hartshorne Police officers, Pittsburg County deputies, ATF task force officers and special agents, and the OHP bomb squad responded to an explosion in a Hartshorne neighborhood originating from Morck’s residence. Upon arriving on the scene, law enforcement discovered property damage indicating a large explosion and Morck suffering from third degree burns. Morck was life-flighted to a Tulsa hospital for care, where he tested positive for amphetamines, cocaine, cannabinoids, and fentanyl. A lab for making homemade explosives was discovered within the residence, and outbuildings on the property were found to contain bulk quantities of ingredients and precursors for manufacturing explosives, as well as improvised explosive devices, destructive devices, multiple firearms, and ammunition. Investigators securing the crime scene also recovered quantities of methamphetamine, marijuana, LSD, MDMA, steroids, and psychedelic mushrooms. In June of 2025, ATF returned to Morck’s residence with search warrants and discovered Morck, an unlawful user addicted to a controlled substance, in possession of narcotics, a firearm, ammunition, and additional suspected explosives and destructive devices. “The defendant posed a significant and uniquely dangerous threat to himself and his community,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “I applaud law enforcement, especially ATF, for their actions to prevent other potential injuries and hold the defendant accountable for his crimes.” ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner had this to say about Morck’s sentencing: “Homemade explosives present an inherent and significant threat to public safety. The serious injuries sustained by Mr. Morck underscore the extreme dangers associated with manufacturing and handling these devices. Despite those injuries, he continued his efforts to manufacture homemade explosive materials and destructive devices, further increasing the risk to himself and the community. The coordinated response of our task force officers, special agents, and certified explosives specialists was critical in safely processing and mitigating multiple hazardous scenes, preventing additional harm and protecting the public from further danger. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of these offenses and reinforces our commitment to protecting the community. It demonstrates that individuals who endanger public safety through the unlawful manufacture of destructive devices and homemade explosives will be held accountable and that justice will be served.” 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. The Honorable John F. Heil, III, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Morck will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.


title: Venezuelan National Charged with Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Yesterday, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Edixon Briceno Montilla was charged in a criminal complaint with the sexual exploitation of a minor. Montilla was arrested yesterday and made his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho and was ordered detained pending trial. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Pete Gizas, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), announced the arrest. “As alleged, Montilla preyed on minors who he had access to, abused them for his own sexual gratification, and filmed their victimization,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Prosecuting those who victimize children is a priority for the Department of Justice, this Office, and our law enforcement partners.” “Edixon Briceno Montilla’s alleged conduct represents a level of depravity that is difficult to put into words. As charged, he targeted innocent children entrusted to his proximity, sexually abused them for his own gratification, recorded that abuse, and did so while brazenly remaining in this country unlawfully — demonstrating a callous disregard for his young victims and the safety of our entire community. HSI New York is unwavering in our commitment to protecting vulnerable members of our communities from those who would exploit them, and we will continue to aggressively pursue anyone who targets children, wherever they may try to hide," stated HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Gizas. As set forth in court filings and statements, Montilla was identified by law enforcement as the male adult who sexually abused a minor victim in a video depicting child sexual abuse that had circulated on the dark web. Law enforcement executed a judicially-authorized search warrant at Montilla’s residence in Brooklyn, New York, and recovered Montilla’s cellular telephone, which had additional videos that he had filmed and that depict his sexual abuse of another minor victim. The charge in the complaint is an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charge, the defendant faces a mandatary minimum of 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison. If you believe you were victimized by the defendant, or know someone who was, please contact the Homeland Security Investigations Tipline at 1-800-843-5678 or HSI Know2Protect: 1-833-591-5669. This prosecution 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . This prosecution is also 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 U.S. 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. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Sussman is in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant: EDIXON BRICENO MONTILLA Age: 28 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-MJ-142 (JRC) montilla_complaint.pdf


title: Ypsilanti man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for distributing child sexually abusive material

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – James Andrew Tallon, 42, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for receiving and distributing child pornography. U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. was joined in the announcement by Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. From at least September 2023, until his arrest in February 2025, Tallon distributed thousands of images and videos containing child sexually abusive material to other subjects, including material that depicted infants and toddlers. The FBI’s investigation eventually showed that Tallon distributed child pornography to other subjects on every continent except for Antarctica. Receipt and distribution of child pornography each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for first time offenders. “If you sexually exploit children, expect to lose your freedom. This predator will spend the next 10 years in federal prison paying the price for his horrific crimes,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “This defendant distributed thousands of horrific images and videos depicting the abuse of infants and toddlers, perpetuating unimaginable harm to innocent children around the world. I am grateful for the relentless work of our Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force, whose dedication stopped this offender and protected children from further victimization. The FBI will continue using every available resource to identify, investigate, and bring to justice anyone who exploits our children.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary Zurek and Sean King


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Violations

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TERRELL KELLEY (“KELLEY”) , age 34, was sentenced to a ninety-seven (97) month term of imprisonment on July 14, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan. KELLEY was ordered to pay a $600 mandatory special assessment fee and serve a six (6) year term of supervised release upon release from imprisonment, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to court documents, KELLEY previously pleaded guilty to three (3) counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, two (2) counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The aforementioned narcotics and firearms charges relate to three separate incidents, as follows. On August 20, 2020, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers attempted to arrest KELLEY on an outstanding warrant. After a standoff, KELLEY surrendered, and a search warrant was obtained for the residence where he was located. The search revealed $10,000 in cash, a Glock pistol, an extended magazine, assorted ammunition, 21 grams of crack, 8.51 grams of heroin, and 25 Tramadol pills. Due to previous felony convictions, KELLEY is prohibited from possessing a firearm. On December 16, 2021, NOPD officers observed KELLEY conducting multiple hand-to-hand narcotics transactions. KELLEY was apprehended and evidence of the narcotics transactions, including 1.1 grams of crack, plastic baggies, and cash were recovered. These items are consistent with street-level narcotics distribution. Finally, on February 3, 2023, NOPD officers again encountered KELLEY and found him to be in possession of a Glock nine-millimeter handgun, a total of 25 Tapentadol tablets, and $280 cash, all consistent with street-level narcotics distribution. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Greg Kennedy of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution. 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. ***


title: Mississippi Man Sentenced for Conspiracy and Interstate Transport of Stolen Vehicles

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – TERRENCE ROBINSON a/k/a Brian Jacobs (“ROBINSON”) , age 41, a resident of Carriere, Mississippi was sentenced on July 16, 2026, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit the interstate transportation of stolen vehicles, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced ROBINSON to six months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. According to the indictment, ROBINSON, and others, devised a scheme to create fake credit profiles to secure funding for auto loans. The credit profiles used both stolen and fake social security numbers, drivers’ license numbers, and dates of birth. Once they secured the loans, they would purchase vehicles at local car dealerships with no intention of paying back the loans, only to sell the vehicles for their personal enrichment, or use the vehicles for their personal enjoyment. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations, Louisiana State Police, and Pearl River County Sherriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the Narcotics Unit is in charge of the prosecution. * * *


title: Metairie Man Charged with Making False Statements to IRS Special Agents

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – EARL SCHMIT (“SCHMIT) , age 75, of Metairie, Louisiana was charged on July 13, 2026, by bill of information with making false statements to IRS Special Agents, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. If convicted, SCHMIT faces a maximum sentence of five (5) years, a fine of up to $100,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following his release from prison, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division. ***


title: Illegal Alien from Honduras Indicted for Violations of the Federal Gun Control Act

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - OSCAR FIGUEROA-VEGA ( “ FIGUEROA-VEGA ”), age 19, a Honduran national, was indicted on July 16, 2026, for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(A), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to the charging documents, on July 4, 2026, St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office officers responded to a complaint concerning a suspicious person. At the scene, the officer encountered the defendant, FIGUEROA-VEGA , who matched the description provided. After FIGUEROA-VEGA reached into his pocket, the officer conducted a pat down search and found a .380 caliber handgun and a loaded magazine. After arresting him, immigration checks showed he was unlawfully present in the United States and prohibited from possessing a firearm. FIGUEROA-VEGA faces up to fifteen years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. He also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, in investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro Latsis of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution. 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: Honduran Illegal Alien Indicted for Illegal Reentry of a Previously Removed Alien

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – MILTON EDILBERTO ESCOTO-GALINDO (“ESCOTO-GALINDO”) , age 44, a native of Honduras, was indicted on July 16, 2026, for illegal reentry of a previously removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to court documents, ESCOTO-GALINDO , an illegal alien, was found in the United States on June 26, 2026. He had previously been removed from the United States back to Honduras on January 27, 2012. If convicted, ESCOTO-GALINDO faces a maximum penalty of two (2) years, followed by up to one (1) year of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. 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. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Rick Veters of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution. * * *


title: Frankfort Man Sentenced for Cocaine Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Frankfort man, Donald Demil Clay, 50, was sentenced on Thursday to 240 months by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. According to testimony at trial, the investigation as to Clay began with numerous tips to law enforcement that Clay was renting a commercial property in Frankfort that he used to store and to distribute cocaine. After several months of surveillance, law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant at the property used and maintained by Clay. Police seized approximately 4 ounces of cocaine that was concealed in a box affixed to a custom poker table. Clay was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky in July 2014. Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Dennis M. Fetting, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Derrick Napier, Frankfort Police Department, jointly announced the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by HSI, DEA, and the Frankfort Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Bradbury prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. – END –


title: Jacksonville Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Second Time for Bank Robbery

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Bob Pilletto Best will spend the next 240 months in federal prison for his second time being convicted of bank robbery. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down Thursday, July 16, 2026, by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker. On April 1, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an Indictment charging Best, 60, Jacksonville, with one count of bank robbery. On January 8, 2026, Best pleaded guilty to the charge in the Indictment. In addition to the 20-year sentence, Chief Judge Baker also sentenced Best to three years’ supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution to First Arkansas Bank & Trust in the amount of the stolen money. There is no parole in the federal system. On February 6, 2025, law enforcement officers from the Jacksonville Police Department were dispatched to First Arkansas Bank & Trust in reference to a robbery that had just occurred. Once officers arrived at the bank, tellers provided a description of the person who had robbed the bank and that person was later identified as Best. During the investigation, officers were advised that Best entered the bank and proceeded to the counter in the bank’s lobby and behaved in a manner that suggested he was looking for something to write on. Best was advised by the teller that they no longer use paper deposit slips and the teller offered to assist Best at the window. Best approached the teller with one hand tucked under his arm and advised the teller that he had a firearm and instructed her to give him all the $50 and $100 bills in the cash drawer. The teller gave Best $5,300 in denominations of $100 and $50 bills. Once he received the cash from the teller, Best ran out of the bank’s front door. Following the robbery, officers canvassed the area searching for Best. On the following day, February 7, 2025, officers were provided with information that Best may be at an apartment in Little Rock. When officers arrived at the apartment, Best answered the door and stated, “I was the one who robbed the bank.” During a later interview, Best again repeated that he committed the robbery. Best was previously convicted of bank robbery in 2005 in Michigan and was sentenced to a 170-month federal prison term. He also has felony convictions for armed robbery, assault on a prison employee, second-degree forgery, forgery, and theft by receiving. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Police Department. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Lewes Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Drug Charges

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. (July 16, 2026) – A Lewes man was sentenced July 16, 2026, to 70 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). U.S. District Judge Hall imposed the sentence. According to court documents, Brandon Barnes, 38, fled from Lewes Police during a car stop in July 2024. Barnes lost control of his car and struck a utility box before fleeing on foot. Once police caught Barnes, they found numerous blue pills marked “M30” scattered across the floor and driver’s seat of the car, as well as blue pills between the car and where police arrested Barnes. Police ultimately recovered over 500 pressed fentanyl pills. “Fentanyl kills,” stated U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace. “But Brandon Barnes did not let that stop him from peddling the deadly substance to people in the throes of addiction. He will now be spending more than five years in federal prison. That is a just sentence, and we thank our dedicated law enforcement partners at the DEA for taking yet another dangerous drug dealer off the streets.” Philadelphia Division Special Agent in Charge Timothy S. Flaherty said, “Today another fentanyl distributor was held accountable for threatening our local communities. Brandon Barnes sought to profit from causing harm to others. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of DEA, the Lewes Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Delaware, he will instead serve more than five years in federal prison.” "Whether you live in large cities or small beach towns like Lewes, those that sell illegal drugs remain a leading cause of crime and will always be a focus of the Lewes Police Department,” said said Thomas Spell, Chief of Police of the Lewes Police Department. “We want to thank the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their continued partnership in assisting local law enforcement and holding drug dealers like Brandon Barnes accountable for his crimes against our community." U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Agency, with assistance from Lewes Police Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Thurstlic-O’Neill, Samuel S. Frey, and M. David Tambussi Jr. 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. 24-cr-122.


title: Shooter Gets 22 Years in Prison for June 2020 Killing of Father of Four

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jamil Whitley, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in D.C. Superior Court for the shooting death of 32-year-old Kevin Redd on June 11, 2020, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Whitley was found guilty by a jury on May 12, 2026, on one count of second-degree murder while armed, one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of carrying a pistol without a license, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. The Honorable Danya Dayson sentenced Whitley to 22 years and six months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. In its sentencing memorandum, the government asked the court for the top of the guidelines, which is 35 years and four months. “Unfortunately, the sentence imposed today does not reflect the severe harm suffered by the four young children who will now grow up without their father,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “His actions caused extraordinary damage, and my office sought a substantially longer sentence because the brutality of this crime demanded it. The impact on Mr. Redd’s family—especially his children—will last a lifetime, underscoring that violent conduct of this magnitude deserves the strongest response our justice system can deliver. Whitley’s murder of Kevin Redd, a father of four, left a hole in our community that can never be repaired.” According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of June 11, 2020, the victim, Kevin Redd, stopped at the Shell Gas Station located at 4321 Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE. The gas station surveillance video captured Whitley arriving three minutes earlier as the passenger of a vehicle. The surveillance video captured both Whitley and Redd speaking to each other. Eventually, Whitley returned to the vehicle and was driven from the gas station while Redd remained. Thirteen minutes later, Whitley returned to the gas station wearing a surgical mask. Whitley exited the vehicle and approached Redd, then returned to his car with the victim following behind him. Whitley entered the driver’s door and quickly pulled a small object from his pants. As the victim entered the passenger door the defendant sped off causing a vehicle to swerve to avoid hitting him and entered the alley leading to the rear of 4722 Jay Street, N.E. Seconds later, two gunshots rang out and Whitley was captured on surveillance video fleeing the area. Redd was found by responding officers, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and later succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital. Whitley was arrested on August 25, 2021, and has been in custody since. Joining the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro, Assistant Director Cox and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle D. Jackson and Negar Kordestani, who prosecuted the case. 2021 CF1 004848


title: PCP Trafficker Sentenced to 60 Months for Role in Wide-Ranging Narcotics Conspiracy

body_text: WASHINGTON - Kenneth Watts, 59, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 60 months in prison in connection with his role in a conspiracy to distribute phencyclidine (PCP), announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Watts was convicted by a federal jury on May 20, 2025, in U.S. District Court on one count of conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of PCP. In addition to the 60-month prison term, Judge Jia M. Cobb ordered Watts to serve five years of supervised release. According to court papers, a two-year investigation by federal and local law enforcement uncovered a narcotics trafficking network operating in the metropolitan area. The network distributed large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and PCP and relied on firearms to protect its operations and drug proceeds. Watts’s role in the conspiracy centered on obtaining bulk shipments of liquid PCP from a supplier in California. On Sept. 23, 2020, Prince George’s County police intercepted a package containing six kilograms of PCP at a FedEx facility in Maryland. The package was addressed to a fictitious name at an address in Temple Hills, Maryland. Officers conducted a controlled delivery to the address. After the package was dropped off, they observed Watts retrieve it and enter the residence. He emerged carrying a suitcase and drove away. He was pulled over a short distance from the house. Officers recovered the PCP from the suitcase in the truck bed. Laboratory testing confirmed the substance was approximately six kilograms of PCP. A search of Watts’s cellphone revealed text messages with the California supplier, including the delivery address and a fictitious recipient name. His phone also showed he had messaged a co-conspirator asking him to call “asap” the day before the package arrived. Evidence showed the co-conspirator later contacted Watts when seeking to obtain PCP. Co-defendant, James Kinard, 48, of Temple Hills, Md., also was found guilty by the jury on May 20, 2025, on the PCP conspiracy count, and additionally found guilty of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Sentencing for Kinard is pending. Three other co-defendants pleaded guilty before the case went to trial. Melvin Grayson, 52, of District Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine, more than 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and more than one kilogram of PCP and was sentenced to 120 months. Tyrone Ragland, 57, aka “Tech,” of the District, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute one kilogram of PCP and was sentenced to 180 months. Charles Cunningham, 59, of the District, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and was sentenced to 180 months in prison. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar R. Mohanty and Iris Y. McCranie. Police recovered six kilograms of PCP from a suitcase Watts had stashed in the back of his vehicle. 23cr7


title: Wethersfield Woman Charged with Sexually Coercing Minor She Met Online

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, announced that AMILY COLON, 31, of Wethersfield, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging her offenses related to her alleged sexual coercion of a minor she met online. As alleged in court documents, Colon, who identified herself as “Alice,” initiated an online relationship with a 13-year-old boy in New York (the “minor victim”). Communicating primarily through the Discord app, the conversations became sexually explicit, and Colon coerced the minor victim to send her a sexually explicit video of himself. In turn, Colon sent sexually explicit images and videos of herself to the minor victim. On June 26, 2026, Colon traveled to Long Island, picked up the minor victim, brought him to her residence in Wethersfield, and attempted to engage in sexual activity. Colon drove the minor victim back to Long Island the next day, dropping him off a few blocks away from his home. The criminal complaint charges Colon with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, and with transportation of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Each offense carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum of life. Colon appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and was ordered detained. U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a criminal complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This investigation is being conducted by the FBI New Haven Child Exploitation Task Force, the FBI’s Long Island Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, and the Suffolk County (N.Y.) Police Department, with the assistance of the Wethersfield Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexis L. Beyerlein and Nancy V. Gifford. U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for its assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this matter. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Indictment Charges Ansonia and New Haven Men with Narcotic Pill Distribution and Firearm Possession Offenses

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; J. Buck Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Thomas A. Greco, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that HECTOR GONZALEZ , 42, of Ansonia, and DAREL EDWARDS , also known as “Woo,” 48, of New Haven, have been charged by indictment with narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, a long-term investigation revealed that Gonzalez, Edwards, and others were involved in the manufacture and distribution of pills containing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other substances. Gonzalez used multiple tableting/pill pressing machines to manufacture counterfeit pills resembling pharmaceutical grade Oxycodone and Adderall pills and containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, and generic pills in various shapes, colors, and sizes, and bearing logos and designs, which contained various illicit substances, including fentanyl, carfentanil, xylazine, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Gonzalez distributed the pills through a network of associates, including Edwards, who sold them to customers in Connecticut and, using the U.S. Mail, to others out of state. It is further alleged that on March 14, 2025, New Haven Police arrested Edwards after finding him in possession of more than 200 grams of narcotics pills that had been produced by Gonzalez. On May 8, 2025, while he was released on bond in his state case, investigators observed Edwards meeting with Gonzalez for the purpose of acquiring additional pills. Connecticut State Police attempted to stop Edwards’ vehicle after the meeting, but Edwards fled at a high rate of speed before abandoning his vehicle in New Haven. It is also alleged that, in June 2025, Edwards and an associate sold narcotics pills and a short-barreled rifle to an undercover ATF agent. Gonzalez and Edwards were arrested on federal criminal complaints on June 30, 2026. On that date, a search of Gonzalez’s residence revealed three mechanical pill pressing machines, more than two kilograms of fentanyl in both powder and counterfeit pill form, more than two kilograms of methamphetamine, two firearms, approximately $280,000 in cash, and diamond encrusted jewelry. On July 14, 2026, a federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment charging Gonzalez and Edwards with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances. If convicted of this charge, based on the type and quantity of drug narcotics attributed to each defendant, Gonzalez faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and Edwards faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. The indictment also charges Gonzalez with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and Edwards with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled substances. The indictment also alleges that each defendant faces enhanced penalties based on a prior conviction in Connecticut state court for a serious violent felony. In 2007, Gonzalez was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and, in 2004, Edwards was convicted of assault in the first degree. Gonzalez and Edwards have been detained since their arrests. This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the assistance of Homeland Securities Investigation (HSI), the Connecticut State Police, and the New Haven, Hamden, and Ansonia Police Departments. The DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA, and the Bristol, West Haven, Fairfield, Glastonbury, Seymour, and Torrington Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark. 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: Deported Brazilian National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering U.S.

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that FERNANDO GONCALVES DOS SANTOS, 38, a citizen of Brazil, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to unlawful reentry of a removed alien. According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2023, Danbury Police arrested Goncalves, who did not have lawful status in the U.S., in connection with multiple domestic violence offenses. Goncalves was subsequently arrested by Danbury Police in March 2023 for violating a protective order, and in May 2023 for threatening and for violating a protective order. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Goncalves on June 22, 2023. On November 17, 2023, he was removed to Brazil. Goncalves subsequently illegally reentered the U.S. In 2025, he was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court for violation of conditions of release – second degree. ICE arrested Goncalves on a federal criminal complaint on March 27, 2026, in Bethel. Goncalves, who has been detained since his arrest, is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on October 9 in Hartford, at which time Goncalves faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years. This matter has been investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King. 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: Fugitive for 15 Years Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Twenty Counts Related to Tax Evasion and Structuring Financial Transactions

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – Jalal Nimer Asad, 62, of Lindenhurst, Illinois, was sentenced to five years in the Bureau of Prisons and ordered to pay more than $1 million in restitution and a forfeiture judgement of more than $4 million for his role in two different but related criminal conspiracies at multiple businesses within the Central District of Illinois involving tax evasion; mail fraud; and the structuring financial transactions to avoid reporting requirements. In 2009, a federal grand jury returned indictments against Asad and multiple co-defendants in two separate cases. The other defendants were convicted or pleaded guilty years ago, but Asad remained at large overseas for 15 years until his return to the United States in 2023 to stand trial. In September 2025, Asad was convicted on all charged counts following a jury trial. Over seven days of testimony, the government presented evidence establishing that Asad led a group of individuals that owned and operated several convenience and liquor stores in Decatur, Illinois, and Peoria, Illinois. During trial, the government established that Asad and his cohorts kept two sets of books, a true set and a false set, in order to underreport their earnings and pay less in federal, state, and local taxes. The government also presented evidence that Asad structured financial transactions to withdraw more than $4 million in cash without triggering the bank’s reporting requirements. The trial evidence showed that Asad caused much of that cash to be transported overseas. At the sentencing hearing on July 9, 2026, the government presented evidence that Asad had been living in the West Bank as a fugitive from these charges for 15 years. The government also presented evidence that, while Asad had claimed to have significant financial resources prior to his conviction, he claimed at sentencing to have no resources, bank accounts, or assets. At the hearing, U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley found that there was no doubt that Asad was the manager or supervisor of these illegal schemes. Judge Hawley further noted that the more than $1 million that Asad failed to pay in federal taxes was money that ultimately belonged to every American and was designed to support everything from the military to school lunches for children. Asad will remain on bond until his reporting date this fall. The statutory maximum penalties for the offenses of conspiracy to defraud the United States and violate its tax laws, tax evasion, conspiracy to structure financial transactions to evade reporting requirements, and structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements are no more than five years in prison, three years supervised release, a fine of up to twice the pecuniary gain, and restitution. The statutory maximum penalties for mail fraud are no more than twenty years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to twice the pecuniary gain, and restitution. “Asad’s successful prosecution after 15 years in self-imposed exile demonstrates that a defendant should not expect to avoid responsibility for his crimes by fleeing prosecution,” said United States Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore. “The dedicated law enforcement officers who work these cases are committed to ensuring that justice delayed is not justice denied.” “Jalal Asad didn’t just flee the country. He fled accountability,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “While honest, hardworking individuals earn a living and play by the rules, criminals like Asad steal from the very system those taxpayers support. Running may delay justice, but it doesn’t erase it, and IRS Criminal Investigation and its fellow law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who think a border is enough to escape the consequences of their crimes.” “The FBI will not allow individuals to escape the consequences of their actions by fleeing the country,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge Ryan Presley. “For years, Mr. Asad deliberately evaded his duty to report income and pay required taxes, and he attempted to sidestep federal reporting laws by structuring millions of dollars in cash withdrawals. His return to the United States and subsequent conviction demonstrate that avoiding lawful obligations is not a path to evading accountability. The FBI remains steadfast in working with our partners to ensure that those who choose to ignore their financial responsibilities do not escape the consequences of that choice.” The case investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and was carried out with the support of local law enforcement partners, including the Decatur Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Eugene L. Miller and Douglas F. McMeyer represented the government at trial and sentencing.


title: District of Arizona Charges 279 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

component: USAO - Arizona

number: 2026-113_July 17, 2026 Immigration Enforcement

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from July 11 through July 17, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 279 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 56 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 206 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed cases against 17 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE- Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Recent matters of interest include: United States v. Braulio Espinoza . On July 11, 2026, Braulio Espinoza was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. On July 9, 2026, a Department of Public Safety (DPS) Trooper initiated at traffic stop on a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The driver, Braulio Espinoza, did not have his driver’s license. After speaking with Espinoza, the trooper suspected that he was engaged in alien smuggling. Border Patrol was called to the scene and determined that the two passengers in Espinoza’s vehicle were citizens of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. One of the passengers was an unaccompanied minor. [Case Number: 26-MJ-6256] United States v. Ionut Calciu. On July 11, 2026, Ionut Calciu was charged by criminal complaint with Reentry of a Removed Alien. Calciu had been previously removed from the United States on December 17, 2025 after being convicted of Unlawful use of Unauthorized Access Devices in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, Central District of California. In that case, he was sentenced to 9 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release. [Case Number: 26-MJ-6265] The cases are part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-123_July 17, 2026 Immigration Enforcement # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Justice Department awards over $6.1M to Tribal governments, nonprofits, and law enforcement agencies in Alaska this month

component: Department of Justice

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The Justice Department recently announced that the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded nine grants, totaling over $6.1 million, to Tribal governments, nonprofits, and law enforcement agencies located or operating in Alaska. With these recent awards, DOJ has awarded over $97 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025 funding to Alaska to directly support law enforcement, combat violent crime, provide services to crime victims, and bolster their efforts to keep women safe in their state. “Law enforcement, juvenile justice, and victim advocacy programs are essential services, particularly at the state and local community levels,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “The Trump Administration recognizes this commonsense truth and has provided strong support tailored to Alaska’s specific needs. These recent grants are part of a broader effort to make America, and Alaska, safe again.” “Alaska faces public safety challenges unlike anywhere else in the country and meeting them requires solutions that are just as unique and focused,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “In Alaska, federal, state, local and Tribal partners stand shoulder to shoulder to protect our communities. We are pleased to know that these grants will go directly to communities and agencies to improve public safety and provide resources for Alaskans in all corners of our state.” OVW Funding: This month, OVW awarded over $3.9 million in grants to combat violence against women in Alaska. These grants will support services for victims of domestic and sexual violence in and beyond Alaska Native villages, better access to safety and justice for victims with disabilities, training on successful strategies for keeping victims safe and holding perpetrators accountable, cybercrimes enforcement, and programs that involve men and youth in preventing violence against women and girls. These grants follow the Trump Administration’s unprecedented investment of OVW grant dollars in Alaska’s public safety efforts last year. OVW has awarded 45 grants totaling more than $30 million to Tribal and state governments and nonprofit organizations in Alaska to bolster their efforts to keep women safe. OJP Funding: This month, OJP awarded over $2.2 million in grants to the Alaska Department of Public Safety and Alaska Division of Juvenile Justice. The funds will be used to enhance statewide drug interdiction and enforcement through the Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit (SDEU); deliver specialized de-escalation and intervention training to law enforcement including local and tribal police departments, state troopers, Village Public Safety Officers, and the Alaska State Troopers’ Advanced Training Unit; and maintain compliance with the Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention Act, reduce juvenile recidivism rates (specifically targeting Alaska Native juveniles), and improve the juvenile justice system. For more information on the OJP, visit: www.ojp.gov . For more information on the OVW, visit: www.justice.gov/ovw . ###


title: Tennessee Woman Charged with Preparing False Tax Returns

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a Memphis woman with preparing false tax returns for others and willfully failing to file her own tax returns. According to the indictment, between 2021 and 2024, Lynette Hogue prepared and filed with the IRS false and fraudulent income tax returns for clients of the tax preparation business where she worked. These tax returns allegedly contained false and fraudulent items, which generated refunds the clients were not entitled to receive. According to the indictment, Hogue willfully failed to file her own tax returns for these same years, even though she earned substantial income from her tax return preparation business and was required to file by law. Hogue is charged with 29 counts of willfully aiding and assisting the preparation and presentation of false tax returns and four counts of willfully failing to file a tax return. If convicted, she faces up to three years in prison for each false return count and one year in prison for each count of failing to file a tax return. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement. Trial Attorneys Isaiah Boyd III and Matthew C. Hicks of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 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.


title: Pennsylvania Doctor Pleads Guilty to Multiple Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses

body_text: A doctor of internal medicine, Habib Bhatti, 44, of Barto, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to an information charging one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, one count of use of an interstate commerce facility to entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct, two counts of production of child pornography, and two counts of possession of child pornography. According to court documents, in December 2018, Bhatti sexually exploited two minor victims, near Philadelphia, by producing child pornography of them while recording it without their knowledge. In December 2024, he also traveled in interstate commerce, from Pennsylvania to California, with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with two minor victims and to record it without their knowledge. Bhatti also pleaded guilty today to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Following his arrest in September 2025, investigators executing a search warrant found hundreds of images and videos of CSAM the defendant had produced or collected over the years. Bhatti is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 29. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania made the announcement. The FBI Philadelphia Field Office investigated the case with substantial assistance from the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Trial Attorney James E. Burke IV of CEOS and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Kulik for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Miami CPA Charged with Preparing False Tax Return

component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: A Miami-based CPA was arraigned in federal court on Wednesday on charges of preparing a false tax return for the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of a group of related companies that collectively operated a shipping business. According to the criminal information, Luis E. Gonzalez, Jr. became an employee of the shipping business in 2019 and prepared tax returns for several of the shipping business’s companies and several members of the family that owned it. Gonzalez allegedly prepared false tax returns for one of the companies for the years 2021 and 2022, and for an employee of that business for the years 2021 through 2023. These false returns collectively underreported millions of dollars in income. Gonzalez was charged with one count of aiding or assisting the filing of a false tax return. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Jason A. Redding Quinones of the Southern District of Florida made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nalina Sombuntham of the Southern District of Florida 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.


title: Justice Department Complaint Leads to Revocation of Naturalized Citizenship of Bosnia War Crimes Suspect

component: Civil Division

body_text: On July 17, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee entered an order revoking the citizenship of Sead Miljkovic a/k/a Sead Dukic, who hid his true identity to come to the United States in 1996 and, ultimately, to naturalize as a U.S. citizen in 2007. The court found that Miljkovic illegally procured his citizenship because he lacked the requisite good moral character to naturalize, based on false testimony he provided to Government officials. Miljkovic is a former member of the security forces of the short-lived Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia (“APZB”), who was subject to an arrest warrant issued by a court in Bosnia for war crimes against civilians when the U.S. Government granted him naturalized citizenship. The warrant, issued on January 23, 2007, led to an INTERPOL Red Notice alleging that, on June 18, 1994, and while acting as a member of the APZB security forces, Miljkovic physically mistreated civilians who were opposed to the APZB government. According to the Red Notice, Miljkovic and accomplices beat twelve civilians with wooden bats and locked them in a morgue for five days without access to light or water. Miljkovic, who consented to the judgment revoking his U.S. citizenship, has not yet appeared before a Bosnian court on these charges. “This Administration has made it a priority to protect the sanctity of U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Civil Division. “If an alien commits heinous acts and comes here to try to hide from the consequences, we will not permit it.” This case was civilly prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, Denaturalization Unit, with assistance from the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and ICE’s Human Right Violator Law Division, after investigation by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations.


title: Illinois Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation in Nepal

body_text: A Collinsville, Illinois, man pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor in Nepal. According to court documents, Kenneth Joseph Coombs, 58, traveled from the United States to Nepal in August 2016 and sexually abused eight different children while staying at a hotel in that country between August and September of that year. Coombs used a combination of force, involuntary intoxication, and payments to the children to commit the sex acts. Coombs also took photos of some of the children engaged in the sexually explicit conduct he directed. Those photos were recovered from his electronic devices by law enforcement. At the time Coombs committed these offenses, he was required to register as a sex offender based on having a qualifying prior sex offense conviction in the state of Missouri. Upon his return to the United States from Nepal, Coombs was arrested by U.S. law enforcement in September 2025. He has been held in custody since that time. Sentencing is scheduled for October 28. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft of the Southern District of Illinois and Special Agent in Charge Ryan Presley of the FBI Springfield Field Office made the announcement. FBI Springfield is investigating the case and received substantial assistance from the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal, U.S. Embassy Nepal, FBI LEGAT Qatar, FBI LEGAT India, FBI Chicago, Collinsville (Illinois) Police Department, Customs and Border Protection O’Hare International Airport, Kathmandu District Attorney’s Office, and the Nepali NGO Naya Paila. Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly S. Arshi for the Southern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Guatemalan National Extradited to the United States Admits to Role in 2021 Alien Smuggling Mass Casualty Event in Chiapas, Mexico

body_text: A Guatemalan national pleaded guilty to human smuggling charges related to the crash of a tractor-trailer in 2021 that was packed with at least 160 illegal aliens which resulted in the deaths of more than 50 people, including unaccompanied children, and injured over 100 more. The defendant is part of a group of six who were charged in this case. All six defendants have now admitted to their role in a conspiracy to bring illegal aliens from Guatemala into the United States. Tomas Quino Canil, 38, a Guatemalan national extradited to the United States in 2025, acknowledged that he conspired with other smugglers to smuggle and transport illegal aliens, both adults and unaccompanied minors, from Guatemala through Mexico to the United States. “Sadly, this preventable tragedy occurred because of these criminals’ callous disregard for the safety of men, women, and children, and our immigration laws, which resulted in serious injury and death in Chiapas, Mexico,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These defendants exploited vulnerable people and created an atmosphere with deadly consequences, all for money. These events will be investigated and prosecuted with the full resources of the Criminal Division.” “With Quino Canil's guilty plea, every member of this smuggling conspiracy has now been held accountable for one of the deadliest human smuggling tragedies in recent memory,” said U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz for the Southern District of Texas. “These criminals packed more than 150 illegal aliens into a trailer like they were cargo. Fifty people then died at the hands of these foreign criminals. My office will continue hunting down anyone who profits from this trade in human suffering, no matter where they hide or how long it takes to bring them to American justice.” “This case stands as a stark reminder of the extreme dangers and devastating consequences caused by those who treat human lives as mere commodities,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “The callous actions of these smugglers resulted in unimaginable loss and suffering for dozens of families. HSI will relentlessly pursue those who orchestrate and profit from such horrific crimes. The successful outcome of this case would not have been possible without the outstanding collaboration of our domestic and international law enforcement partners, whose dedication and expertise were critical in bringing these criminals to justice and protecting the most vulnerable from exploitation.” Aliens paid Quino Canil and his co-conspirators to be smuggled into the United States. During the previous Administration’s policy to parole illegal aliens into the United States, one of his co-conspirators also facilitated the release of Guatemalan aliens, who were smuggled illegally into the United States, from U.S. immigration authorities, to include unaccompanied minors. That co-conspirator provided co-defendants, including Quino Canil, with falsified scripts and instructions to provide to adults and unaccompanied minors on what to say to immigration officials if apprehended to secure their release. On Dec. 9, 2021, Agapito Jorge Ventura, Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino, Quino Canil and others arranged for the aliens they were smuggling to the United States to be loaded into a tractor trailer that was to transport them through Mexico. Over 150 illegal aliens, including adults and unaccompanied minors, were crammed into the trailer. The vehicle ultimately crashed north of the Guatemala/Mexico border near Tuxtla Guiterrez, Chiapas, Mexico, resulting in deaths and serious bodily injury. Quino Canil, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring and attempt to bring an illegal alien to the United States, placing life in jeopardy, causing serious bodily injury, and resulting in death. He will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Co-defendants Daniel Zavala Ramos, Josefa Canil De Zavala, Alberto Macario Chitic, and Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino, were extradited from Guatemala in 2025 to face charges. Authorities arrested Jorge Agapito Ventura, 33, at his residence in Cleveland, Texas, in December 2024. Zavala Ramos, 42, pleaded guilty on April 7. Canil De Zavala, 44, and Macario Chitic, 33, pleaded guilty on June 11. Agapito Jorge Ventura, 34, and Manuel Zavala Quino, 26, pleaded guilty on July 8. The guilty plea of Quino Canil marks the last of the six defendants to plead guilty to the conspiracy. HSI’s Washington, D.C. Field Office investigated the case in partnership with HSI Guatemala and HSI Mexico. Valuable assistance was provided by HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C.; HSI Houston; HSI Laredo; U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s International Interdiction Task Force; U.S. Border Patrol (USBP); Liberty County Constable, Precinct 6; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Houston; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas; and the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of the defendants. Guatemalan prosecutors from the Office of Public Ministry and Mexican Federal and State authorities including prosecutors from the Republic of Mexico’s Federal Prosecutions Office and the State of Chiapas, with the support of law enforcement officials from both countries, were also instrumental in furthering the investigation. Senior Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Lou Castillo and Jennifer Day for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from HRSP Latin American Specialist/Historian Joanna Crandall. The investigation and charges are supported 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). 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, U.S. Border Patrol and CBP’s Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 465 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 419 U.S. convictions; and more than 363 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets. This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime


title: EyePoint Pharmaceuticals to Pay $4.6 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

body_text: Eyepoint Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (EyePoint) headquartered in Massachusetts, has agreed to pay the United States $ 4,657,463.18 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to certain Ambulatory Service Centers (ASCs) to induce those ASCs to purchase and dispense DEXYCU, an injectable drug approved for the treatment of ocular inflammation following cataract surgery, between January 1, 2019 and March 1, 2023. The United States alleges that following the commercial launch of DEXYCU in 2019, EyePoint induced ASCs to purchase and dispense DEXYCU by implementing an Assurance Program --- whereunder EyePoint would reimburse or compensate ASCs if health insurers denied a claim for DEXYCU or reimbursed DEXYCU below the ASCs’ purchase cost --- and by offering excessive free samples of DEXYCU to ASCs. “Kickbacks by pharmaceutical companies increase the cost of drugs used by patients and paid for by federal health care programs,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Civil Division will hold accountable anyone who pays unlawful kickbacks.” “As we have for years, our Office will continue to hold pharmaceutical manufacturers accountable for paying illegal kickbacks,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Through these efforts, we protect patients by removing providers’ financial incentives to prescribe or dispense products that may not be medically necessary for the patient and protect the public from fraud, waste and abuse.” “Pharmaceutical companies that attempt to boost profits through unlawful kickbacks undermine the integrity of federal health care programs and betray the patients who rely on them,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG). We will aggressively pursue any entity that seeks to corrupt medical decision making and will not hesitate to hold them accountable.” In connection with the settlement, EyePoint entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Through separate agreements, Eyepoint will pay an additional $21,518.68 to certain participating states. The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by AFCE LLC. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. AFCE LLC, et al., v. EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, Inc., No. 21-CV-12071 (D. Mass.) Under the resolution, the Relator will receive $791,768.74 from the settlement. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The investigation and resolution of this matter was handled by Fraud Section Trial Attorney Margaret F. Thomas and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven T. Sharobem. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. Note: View the settlement here .


title: Dallas Seafood Business Fined $250,000 for Falsifying Country of Origin for Salmon

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Seafood Supply Co., a Dallas seafood wholesaler, was sentenced today to pay a $250,000 fine for violating two counts of the Lacey Act. According to court documents, Seafood Supply falsified the country of origin of salmon sold from January 2020 to February 2022. The company would designate Chilean salmon as salmon from Scotland or other European countries. Typically, the Chilean salmon was less expensive than product from Scotland. In addition to the fine, Seafood Supply was placed on probation for three years and ordered to implement an environmental compliance plan. The company previously pleaded guilty on March 4. Seafood Supply has been under new leadership since the time of the violations. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD); U.S. Attorney Ryan R. Raybould for the Northern District of Texas; and Assistant Director Paige Casey of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Office of Law Enforcement, Southeast Division made the announcement. NOAA investigated the case as part of Operation Upstream Diligence. Trial Attorney Christopher L. Hale of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas. ENRD is a member of the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force, a cross-agency law enforcement effort that also involves the Criminal and Civil Divisions’ Fraud Sections, ENRD, the Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide. The Task Force was created to leverage all of the Department’s tools and authorities to prevent trade fraud that deprives the government of vital revenue, threatens critical domestic industries, undermines consumer confidence, and weakens national security. The Task Force is designed to pursue enforcement actions against parties who seek to evade tariffs and other duties, as well as smugglers who seek to import prohibited goods into the American economy. The Justice Department encourages whistleblowers to alert the government to credible allegations of fraud, including utilizing the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act or through the Criminal Division’s Corporate Whistleblower Program at CorporateWhistleblower@usdoj.gov using the form available here .


title: Agricultural Company to Pay Over $10M to Resolve Foreign Bribery Case

body_text: The Scoular Company (Scoular), an agricultural supply chain company based in Omaha, Nebraska, will pay over $10 million to resolve an investigation by the Justice Department into a years-long scheme in which it relied on bribery of Mexican officials to deliver trains of goods across the U.S.-Mexico border. Scoular entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) in connection with a criminal information filed in the Western District of Texas charging the company with one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). “The Scoular Company used customs brokers as part of a long-running scheme at the Mexican border to pay more than $400,000 in bribes to Mexican officials,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “A portion of those bribes ultimately benefited people who helped operate a cartel, even though Scoular did not know about it. This resolution shows that bribery and corruption not only undermine fair play and competition for Americans, but also hurt our national security interests in stopping the scourge of dangerous cartel activity.” “Nothing crosses into or out of Mexico without the approval and payment to Mexican drug cartels. American businesses that engage in any cross-border trade bear a significant amount of responsibility to do so without benefitting those cartels and without threatening our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “The bribery scheme in which the Scoular Company engaged demonstrates the dangerous corporate corruption we in the Western District of Texas are committed to fighting on behalf of the American people.” According to court documents, between 2013 and 2019, Scoular relied on multiple customs brokers to ensure that its shipments of corn and other products successfully crossed from the United States into Mexico. Under Mexican law, those shipments were subject to inspection for dirt, soil, and other impurities. To ensure that Scoular’s shipments successfully transited the border despite inspections that found such dirt, soil, and other impurities, Scoular authorized multiple third-party customs brokers to bribe Mexican officials at the border. At the direction of Scoular employees, and for Scoular’s benefit, those brokers paid bribes of approximately $2,000 per Scoular train and invoiced the bribes back to Scoular for reimbursement of reinspection fees, which Scoular paid. Scoular employees communicated about shipments and bribes via WhatsApp and other means. In total, Scoular authorized bribes of more than $400,000 and avoided fees and costs of more than $6.5 million. As part of the DPA, Scoular agreed to pay a $9,769,521 criminal penalty and $414,351 in forfeiture. Scoular will also continue cooperating with the department in any ongoing or future criminal investigation arising during the term of the DPA. Further, Scoular has committed to implementing a compliance and ethics program designed to prevent and detect violations of the FCPA, and other applicable anti-corruption laws, throughout its operations. Scoular will periodically report to the department on remediation and implementation of compliance measures throughout the term of the DPA. The department reached this resolution with Scoular based on a number of factors, including, among others, the nature and seriousness of the offense and the determination during the course of the investigation, that, unbeknownst to the company or its employees, a portion of the bribes paid in connection with Scoular’s shipments benefited persons associated with the criminal operations of a cartel operating at the U.S.-Mexico border. Scoular did not receive voluntary disclosure credit pursuant to the Department of Justice’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy, because it did not voluntarily and timely disclose to the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section the conduct described in the Statement of Facts. Scoular received credit for its cooperation with the department’s investigation, which included (i) conducting an internal investigation into the misconduct and providing evidence to the department, including detailed factual presentations; (ii) providing information and evidence to the department that identified those involved in the misconduct; (iii) producing and organizing materials in response to the department’s voluntary document requests, notwithstanding certain deficiencies in the early part of the investigation; and (iv) securing counsel for current employees. Scoular also engaged in timely remedial measures, including (i) increasing compliance sensitivity across the organization through enhanced business engagement; (ii) implementing the findings of an external compliance program maturity assessment and an anti-corruption risk assessment, including by restructuring its compliance function and incorporating senior leadership oversight across compliance and business activities; (iii) reducing operational risk by eliminating the use of customs brokers associated with reinspection fees in Mexico; (iv) strengthening risk-based review and monitoring procedures, and coordinating those efforts through the use of specific software tools; (v) updating and launching a revised Code of Conduct, along with several key policies and procedures related to its compliance program, including anti-corruption, bribery, conflicts of interest, and third party management; (vi) improving and implementing risk-based screenings and approval requirements for third-party providers; implementing anti-corruption and audit right provisions in third-party contracts; (vii) implementing revised financial controls procedures that relate to high-risk transactions, and (viii) providing general and targeted anti-corruption training to relevant personnel. In light of these considerations, the criminal penalty reflects a 25% reduction from the bottom of the applicable guidelines range, and the term of the DPA is for a period of three years. In a related case, a customs broker who paid bribes on behalf of Scoular, Carlos Leopoldo Alvelais, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the FCPA on Oct. 23, 2025. Sentencing in that case is scheduled for July 20. The FBI is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Connor Mullin and Assistant Chief William E. Schurmann of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Kanof for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA and FEPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa .


title: Two sentenced in connection with drug trafficking in Seattle’s International District and homeless encampments along I-5

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – Two Seattle-area men were sentenced late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle for drug and gun crimes related to Seattle’s International District and the homeless encampment on I-5 called “The Jungle,” announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Isai Gamboa Pacheco, 56, of Everett, Washington was sentenced to six years in prison and Sang Tran, 55, of Kent, Washington, was sentenced to 66 months in prison. At Pacheco’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said, “Despite a previous conviction for the same offence, you came back to this country and did it again… but on a much larger scale…. You were a source of a significant amount of cocaine to members of this community. Cocaine is one of the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. What you did contributed to that suffering.” “Both these defendants had one job and one job only – selling large amounts of meth and cocaine for distribution in the areas of our community plagued by crime and unhoused, vulnerable people dealing with addiction,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Tran had prior arrests and Gamboa Pacheco had a prior conviction and removal from the U.S. Still their greed kept them selling these poisons and carrying high-powered firearms to protect their drug trade.” “Mr. Pacheco and Mr. Tran sought to profit from the addictions and suffering of others by redistributing huge quantities of dangerous drugs, and both were found in possession of even more drugs, along with firearms, during searches of their residences," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "The FBI and our partners will continue to hold accountable the members of this conspiracy and others like them as we combat drug trafficking and violent crime in Seattle and throughout the state of Washington.” “These defendants fueled addiction and violence by trafficking large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine while arming themselves with high-powered firearms,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Every drug trafficking organization dismantled, and every pound of poison seized makes our communities safer. DEA and our law enforcement partners are relentlessly disrupting the criminal networks, holding drug traffickers accountable, and working to build a Fentanyl Free America.” According to records filed in the case, the investigation began in November 2023, with the Seattle Police, FBI, and DEA focusing on drug trafficking organizations dealing fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in the homeless encampments of Seattle and in drug trafficking areas of the International District at locations such as 12 th and Jackson. Tran was in the first group of defendants arrested in January 2025. During the first arrest operation law enforcement seized 17 firearms and 23 kilos of a suspected narcotic powder. Tran had been heard on the wiretap arranging to purchase a pound of methamphetamine and redistribute it to another individual. When law enforcement searched his home, they found about 330 gross grams of cocaine, a loaded Tauris 12 shotgun, ammunition, and proceeds of his drug trafficking activities in the form of United States currency, jewelry, and Rolex watches. In his garage, investigators found two more rifles. Tran admitted he kept the guns to protect his drugs and drug proceeds. He also pleaded guilty to money laundering for his efforts to hide drug proceeds by laundering tens of thousands of dollars through a nail salon. The second defendant sentenced yesterday, Isai Gamboa Pacheco was arrested in the second takedown involving this drug trafficking conspiracy. Following the January takedown, law enforcement continued the investigation into drug traffickers who were distributing in Washington state. This organization made frequent trips into Oregon and California. In March 2025 alone, law enforcement seized 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 111 kilos of cocaine, 19 kilos of fentanyl powder, 250,000 fentanyl pills, and four kilos of heroin. The street value of the narcotics was nearly $3 million. On May 29, 2025, law enforcement executed 16 search warrants in Federal Way, Vancouver, Everett, Pacific, Tukwila, Kent, Issaquah, Seattle, Woodlake, California and Beaverton, Oregon. Investigators seized more than seven kilograms of cocaine, 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 57,000 fentanyl pills, and 17 firearms. They also seized more than $353,000 in cash Gamboa Pacheco was picked up on the wiretap making kilogram quantity deals of cocaine. When investigators served a search warrant at Gamboa Pacheco’s residence, they recovered more than $16,000 in drug proceeds. Investigators searched two of Gamboa Pacheco’s vehicles and found further evidence of Gamboa Pacheco’s crimes. Inside a Honda, investigators found almost three kilograms of methamphetamine and an unloaded Colt AR15 rifle with a drum magazine. Gamboa Pacheco pleaded guilty in March 2026 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and being an alien in possession of a firearm. In asking for a 90-month prison sentence, prosecutors noted this is Gamboa Pacheco’s second drug trafficking conviction. “Even after being caught previously and after receiving a considerable prison sentence, he voluntarily re-engaged in drug trafficking activities solely for his personal profit. Moreover, while engaging in his drug trafficking activities, he obtained a firearm knowing he could not legally possess it.” Gamboa Pacheco has no legal status in the U.S. and was previously removed to Mexico. This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. The investigation was led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with significant assistance from the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program (HIDTA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Washington National Guard Counterdrug Program. Investigators also worked with the Oregon State Police and Clark County, Washington Sheriff’s Office. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.