title: Convicted Sex Offender Indicted on New Child Sex Abuse Charges

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted a Maryland man, today, in connection with child sex abuse crimes. David Lee Mangum, 29, of Frederick, is charged with five counts of receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), one count of transferring obscene material to a minor, and one count of possession of CSAM. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Deputy Assistant Director William Ferrari, U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) – Office of Investigations, and Sheriff Chuck Jenkins, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO). According to the indictment, during 2025, and early 2026, Mangum utilized internet-based social media accounts to receive visual depictions of at least five minor victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On at least one occasion, Mangum sent one of the minor victims a video of himself engaged in sexually explicit conduct. A subsequent law enforcement search of Mangum’s cellular phone also revealed numerous other CSAM images. Mangum previously pled guilty in October 2021, in Frederick County, Maryland, Circuit Court, to three felony counts related to the filming, soliciting, and promoting CSAM. Mangum received a 10-year prison term, with all but 18 months suspended. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. If convicted, Mangum faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison for each count of receipt of CSAM. In addition, Mangum faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of 20 years for the CSAM possession charge, along with a maximum sentence of 10 years on the transfer of obscene material to a minor charge. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DSS and FCSO for their work in the investigation, along with the Madison Police Department (Wisconsin); Collier County Sheriff’s Office (Florida); Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (Florida); and New York State Police for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven T. Brantley and Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn who are prosecuting the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md . # # #


title: Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Operating Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Pill Factory

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Lawrence, Mass., man was sentenced yesterday for operating a clandestine drug laboratory that manufactured thousands of fentanyl and methamphetamine pills and for possessing firearms that furthered his drug trafficking operation. The defendant fled the United States shortly before his trial. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, 38, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 21 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. In May 2026, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and 400 grams or more of fentanyl; one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Rodriguez was arrested and charged in October 2024 along with co-defendants Ronald Odelyn Tejeda and Erick Pimentel-Cabrera. Tejeda fled the United States after pleading not guilty and is a fugitive from justice. Pimentel-Cabrera pleaded guilty and was sentenced in March 2026. “Carlos Rodriguez ran a full-scale drug factory out of a residential basement, manufacturing thousands of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine and arming himself with dangerous firearms to protect his operation,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “He brazenly documented his crimes – posing with guns, stacks of cash and even filming himself alongside an operating pill press – and then fled the country rather than face justice. The defendant earned every day of this 21-year sentence. It reflects the extraordinary harm caused by flooding our communities with deadly drugs and the serious consequences for those who profit from doing so.” “Counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, along with crystal methamphetamine, are deadly drugs that have no place in our communities,” said Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “This defendant chose to profit from trafficking these dangerous substances while possessing firearms to further his criminal activity. His attempt to flee to the Dominican Republic on the eve of trial demonstrates that he knew he had to answer for his actions. He ultimately pleaded guilty, and this sentence holds him accountable. The DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who traffic these deadly drugs and put our communities at risk.” For more than a year, Rodriguez operated a clandestine drug laboratory in the basement of a Lawrence residence that he leased from his father. There, he used pill presses to manufacture thousands of fentanyl and methamphetamine pills for distribution. During an October 2024 search of Rodriguez’s residence, two electric pill presses, a kilogram press, and about 14 kilograms – or 30 pounds – of pills and powders containing controlled substances were seized. These included thousands of blue fentanyl pills made to resemble oxycodone and thousands more orange methamphetamine pills made to resemble Adderall. It also included more than four kilograms of pure crystal methamphetamine, additional kilograms of powder mixtures containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, and smaller amounts of heroin and cocaine. In addition, about 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl pills were seized from co-conspirator Tejeda during a series of controlled purchases leading up to the October 2024 search. Three firearms – including two that had been reported stolen – as well as nearly $100,000 in cash were also recovered from Rodriguez’s residence. One of the firearms, a Glock pistol, held an extended magazine loaded with 26 rounds, some of which had hollow tips. Rodriguez, who used the street name “Dex,” documented his drug operation on his smartphone. In one selfie-style video, Rodriguez wore a gas mask and displayed an AR-15-style rifle for the camera as a press stamped pills behind him. Another photograph showed Rodriguez posing inside the laboratory with two other firearms, including an Uzi with an obliterated serial number. His phone also contained other images and videos of pills, firearms and large stacks of cash. Shortly before his April 2026 trial, Rodriguez fled the United States for the Dominican Republic. Rodriguez is a U.S. citizen. He was stopped by Dominican authorities as he tried to enter the country after having arrived on a flight from Mexico with a fraudulent Mexican passport and a fraudulent Mexican voter registration card. Authorities returned Rodriguez to Massachusetts two days later, and he pleaded guilty in May 2026. U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and DEA SAC Forget made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew A. Caffrey, III, Amanda Beck, and Annapurna Balakrishna prosecuted the case.


title: Lowell Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Money Laundering

body_text: BOSTON – A Lowell man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a money laundering conspiracy. Hector Nunez, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 45 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In May 2026, Nunez pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and three counts of money laundering, aiding and abetting. Over a two-year period, Nunez laundered or helped launder approximately $688,650 of narcotics proceeds. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement learned that Nunez understood that these funds were the proceeds of cocaine trafficking. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad A. Rocheville of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Belmont Businessman Charged with Aiding the Filing of False Tax Returns

body_text: BOSTON – The operator of a restaurant and apartment building was charged today for allegedly aiding the filing of false tax returns. Demetrios Pseudoikonomou, 55, of Belmont, has been charged with eight counts of aiding the filing of false tax returns. Pseudoikonomou was arrested today and released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Worcester. According to the charging documents, Pseudoikonomou operated a restaurant and apartment building in Boston. It is alleged that between approximately 2018 through 2023, Pseudoikonomou deliberately failed to report more than $1.6 million in gross receipts and rental income for these businesses to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). As a result, Pseudoikonomou allegedly avoided paying more than $520,000 in federal income taxes. It is further alleged that Pseudoikonomou told an undercover agent, who was posing as a prospective buyer for the businesses, that he regularly underreported his gross receipts and rental income to the IRS. When meeting with the undercover agent, Pseudoikonomou allegedly said that his accountant “reports what I tell him…. You’re gonna see on my returns that not everything’s there.” During a subsequent meeting, Pseudoikonomou allegedly said, “You’re not a wearing a wire, right? You’re not a cop, right?” The charge of aiding the filing of false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Athol Man Arrested for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: BOSTON – An Athol, Mass. man has been arrested and charged for allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) following a federal search warrant executed at his home today. Kristopher Ambrozewicz, 35, is charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Ambrozewicz was arrested this morning and remains detained pending a hearing scheduled for Aug. 14, 2026 at 2 p.m. in federal court in Worcester. According to charging documents, during a search of Ambrozewicz’s residence this morning, an on-site review of his cellular phone allegedly revealed several videos depicting CSAM. Ambrozewicz allegedly told law enforcement that he has served as a youth soccer referee and as a referee assigner for the North Quabbin United Soccer Club and that he works part time at CHD Outpatient Behavioral Health Services in Orange, Mass., where he sees both youth and adult patients. Numerous electronic devices including laptops, hard drives and various other electronic storage media were seized for further forensic review. Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or email Centralmareport@fbi.gov . The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, no less than five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance provided by the Athol Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: Parsons man indicted for trying to create child pornography

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging Kansas man with attempting to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court documents, Tyller White, 24, of Parsons was indicted on one count of sexual exploitation of a child – attempted production of child pornography. In July 2026, White is accused of attempting to surreptitiously create a CSAM depiction of a minor victim. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating the case. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . OTHER INDICTMENTS Jeremy M. Green, 42, of Stockton was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigating the case. Hugo Orora-Soto, 42, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Jose Luis Rauda-Diaz, 45, an illegal alien from El Salvador, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after felony conviction. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Pedro Antonio Rosales-Gutierrez, 34, an illegal alien from Honduras, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Ildenfonso Sanchez-Estrada, 24, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of distribution of a controlled substance. Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Convicted sex offender sentenced for distributing child pornography

body_text: KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man previously convicted of sexual exploitation of a child was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for charges related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court documents, David Mark Jones, 35, of Shawnee pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. In February 2023, Jones was convicted in Johnson County District Court of sexual exploitation of a child. His sentence included lifetime post release supervision and lifetime registration as a sex offender. Between February and March 2024, Jones distributed CSAM including images involving a prepubescent minors under 12 years old. “This case is an example of why the sex offender registry is so needed” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Because there are people monitoring sex offenders and checking to see that they are compliant with the rules once they are released, Mr. Jones’ crimes were detected, and now Mr. Jones is going back to prison.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Kansas Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey McCormick prosecuted the case. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Jefferson County felon sentenced to federal prison for gun possession  in the Eastern District of Texas

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

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas –A Nederland man has been sentenced to federal prison for firearms possession in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Christopher Wade Garbett, 40, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Truncale on August 12, 2026. According to information presented in court, in March 2025, law enforcement received information that Garbett was trying to sell three shotguns for $1,200. Garbett has multiple prior felony convictions and is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms. Undercover agents met with Garbett at a motel room in Groves to buy the guns. Garbett told the agents he had already sold one shotgun but would sell the other two firearms to them for $550. Garbett also discussed selling them more guns in the future. 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 Law enforcement seized firearms from the vehicle prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities . This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Nederland Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.


title: Former Oak Ridge National Laboratory Program Director Sentenced To 19 Years For Sexual Exploitation Of A Child In Two Federal Districts

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On August 12, 2026, Andrew Worrall, 56, a citizen of the United Kingdom currently residing in Knox County, Tennessee, was sentenced to 235 months imprisonment by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his imprisonment, Worrall will be on lifetime supervised release, will be required to register with state sex offender registries, comply with special sex offender conditions, and will be deported back to the United Kingdom following his sentence. As part of his sentence, Worrall was also required to sell his Farragut, Tennessee home where he conducted the offenses of conviction. Criminal forfeiture was ordered in the amount of $249,805.29, which is his equity from the sale of the property. As part of the universal plea agreement filed with the Eastern District of Tennessee (EDTN) and the District of South Carolina (DSC), Worrall agreed to plead guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and (e) for the EDTN indictment, and one count of production of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and (e) for the DSC indictment. While at his home on July 7, 2025, Worrall contacted a 17-year-old minor female on the Snapchat application using the internet. Knowing the age of the child, Worrall requested nude pictures of her, to which the child complied. Worrall then requested the child send a video of her inserting a foreign object into her body, again, to which the child complied. On the same day, and continuing into July 8, 2025, Worrall contacted another 17-year-old minor female, who resided in DSC, using his Snapchat account. Worrall had similar communication with the child, asking to prove she was real by sending him pictures. After the victim complied, he requested that she engage in sexual activity on video for Worrall’s pleasure, to which the child complied. “The 19-year sentence in this case hopefully brings a sense of justice and dignity to Worrall’s victims and deters others from committing similar crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “With our federal, state, and local partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute criminals who prey on and sexually exploit minors.” “Worrall’s exploitation of minors is reprehensible,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “This case is yet another example of how U.S. Attorney’s Offices will work together with law enforcement agencies – across this country - to ensure child predators are brought to justice.” “Our investigators will continue doing everything they can to identify and investigate instances of child exploitation within the Department. We know all too well the damage caused by these crimes to our communities, and we will continue working with the Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country to investigate and prosecute the offenders,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Lewe Sessions. The criminal indictments were the result of an investigation by the United States Department of Energy, Office of the Inspector General, led by Special Agents Paul Gilbride and Owen Igo. AUSA Jennifer Kolman of the Eastern District of Tennessee and AUSA Dean H. Secor of the District of South Carolina prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click the tab "resources.” ###


title: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 70 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation; Defendant Recorded Himself Abusing Multiple Victims

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jerome Edwards, 55, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 840 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gerald J. McHugh for the manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography. In addition, Edwards is subject to mandatory registration as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”) and Megan’s Law. The defendant was charged by indictment in September 2022, for memorializing in videos and photos his sexual abuse of several young children between the ages of three and nine years old, and taking sexually explicit photos of another child. He pleaded guilty last December to all nine counts against him. As detailed in court filings, between June 5, 2022, and June 27, 2022, Edwards produced at least 77 images and 54 videos of child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) depicting the victims, which the FBI recovered from his cell phone. The defendant’s conduct came to light on June 27, when one of the victims disclosed the abuse to a sibling and police were called. At the time of these crimes, Edwards was actively wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service for absconding from a residential reentry center in February 2022, after serving a 12-year federal prison sentence for two gunpoint robberies. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov . The case was investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victims Unit and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Harrell.


title: Montgomery County Man, 22, Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing Child Pornography

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Michael Blazo, 22, of Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty this afternoon before United States District Judge John F. Murphy to manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography. The defendant was charged by indictment in December 2024, arising from his online enticement of 10 minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of those acts. As detailed in court filings, in late 2021, local law enforcement investigated a report that a 12-year-old girl in Ohio had texted child pornography to a stranger she met on the internet. The FBI identified the recipient as the defendant, and in April of 2022 executed a residential search warrant at Blazo’s house, where he lived with his parents. The investigation revealed that Blazo frequently posed as a teenaged girl or boy to gain victims’ trust, directing the girls to call him “master” or “mommy” or “daddy.” He advised that he was sexually gratified by watching the girls cause pain to themselves and told agents that he talked to minor girls and solicited these illegal images sometimes multiple times per day. The subsequent review of the defendant’s seized devices revealed dozens of minors with whom he had corresponded online. The FBI confirmed the identities of 10 child victims – ranging in age from just 11 years old to 16 years of age – all of whom manufactured child pornography at the defendant’s direction and sent him the images and videos. Blazo preyed on these girls for more than three years, and as time progressed, he escalated his sexual abuse, demanding that the girls produce sexual images that involved obvious pain and showed their faces. If the victims expressed reluctance or refused, he extorted additional images by threatening to disseminate online the sexual images they had previously sent him. One child pleaded with Blazo, saying that she would kill herself if he distributed her images, to which the defendant responded with continued threats. The FBI also discovered one child whom the defendant not only victimized online but also traveled to and engaged in sexual intercourse. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7 and faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release, with a mandatory minimum term of 15 years’ imprisonment and at least five years of supervised release. Under the terms of his guilty plea agreement, he will also be required to make restitution to his victims. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov . The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.


title: Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty To Unlawful Reentry

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that ALFONSO VALERAS, a/k/a Sebastian Nicolas Eusebio, a/k/a Nicolas Eusebio Sebastian, a/k/a Sebastian Eusebio Nicolas, a/k/a Sebastian Euseibo Nicolas, a/k/a Eusebio Nicolas-Nicolas, a/k/a Mariano Perez-Hernandez, a/k/a Eusebio Nicolas Sebastian, a/k/a of Eusebio Nicloas Sebastia, age 43, a Guatemalan national unlawfully present in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than two years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00. The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Sallisaw Police Department. The Indictment alleged that on July 1, 2026, Valeras, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on February 10, 2006, January 31, 2009, September 10, 2010, and August 12, 2015. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The Honorable D. Edward Snow, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Valeras will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chuck Sullivan represented the United States.


title: Bloods Member Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Gang-Related Shooting at Hamptons House Party and for Selling Fentanyl that Resulted in Death and Serious Bodily Injury

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Bloods member Joshua Crowell, also known as “Twiggy,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary R. Brown to 27 years in prison for assault in aid of racketeering and distribution of fentanyl that resulted in a death. Crowell pleaded guilty to these charges in October 2025. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Raymond A. Tierney, District Attorney, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office (SCDAO); Pete Gizas, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Kevin Catalina, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the sentence. “Joshua Crowell committed acts of violence and sold lethal drugs on behalf of an extremely violent street gang,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “His criminal conduct left three people wounded by gunfire, claimed one life through a fatal overdose, and caused two others to suffer overdose-related injuries. Today’s sentence sends a clear and powerful message that those who terrorize our communities with gang violence and deadly drugs will be held fully accountable for the devastation they cause.” “This defendant unleashed gunfire into a crowded Hamptons house party — wounding innocent people — and trafficked fentanyl that caused a fatal overdose and left others fighting for their lives,” stated HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Gizas. “Today’s sentence reflects the severe consequences of Joshua Crowell’s violent and deadly conduct. These crimes inflicted profound harm on victims, families, and the Long Island community. HSI New York, standing alongside our law enforcement partners, will not allow violent gangs to turn Long Island neighborhoods into battlegrounds or marketplaces for lethal drugs.” "Crowell's actions display a selfish, blatant disregard for the safety of others," stated Suffolk County Police Commissioner Catalina. "He prioritized financial gain by peddling deadly drugs and prioritized gang status over the safety of dozens of individuals. It is my hope this sentence sends a message to others who put their greed above the well-being of the public." “This Bloodhound Brims defendant along with another gang member and an associate indiscriminately fired with pistols and an assault rifle at partygoers in Southhampton. Amazingly, despite three people being hit, no one was killed. This could easily have been a mass murder,” stated Suffolk County District Attorney Tierney. “I thank our federal and local partners for working together to make sure that this defendant was held responsible for that violence, as well as the destruction wrought by the poison sold and multiple overdose deaths caused by this defendant. Suffolk County has no place for those who would terrorize our communities. Today’s sentence delivers accountability and sends a clear message that we will use every available tool to bring violent criminals to justice.” As set forth in the government’s sentencing memorandum and other court filings, the defendant was an avowed member of the Bloodhound Brims set of the Bloods street gang who openly embraced and promoted his affiliation, including through social media posts. In furtherance of the gang’s criminal activities, he engaged in acts of violence and sold lethal drugs. In March 2021, Crowell, along with another member and an associate of the Bloods, traveled to a party hosted by rival gang members at a rental home in Southampton, New York. Upon arrival, they unleashed a barrage of nearly 50 rounds into the residence using two pistols and an AK-47 style assault rifle. Three partygoers were struck by gunfire and injured, though all ultimately survived. Additionally, Crowell and several co-conspirators operated a drug trafficking network that for years sold fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. His fentanyl sales had devastating consequences. At least three individuals overdosed after purchasing fentanyl from Crowell, including one victim who died after using the deadly drug he supplied. The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney James R. Simmons and Special Assistant United States Attorney Donald N. Barclay are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Samantha Schroder and Adam Bernard and Legal Assistant Danielle Rompel. The Defendant : JOSHUA CROWELL (also known as “Twiggy”) Age: 32 Huntington, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-257 (S-1) (GRB)


title: Federal Judge Sends Meth Dealer to Federal Prison for 14 Years

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Sharon Lynn Jones, 46, to 14 years in federal prison for selling meth throughout the Eastern District of North Carolina. Jones pleaded guilty on May 5, 2026, to one count of distributing 50 grams or more of meth. “Jones repeatedly chose to flood this community with meth, and her history shows she had every opportunity to stop,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Our office moved decisively with our law enforcement partners to shut down her operation and protect Duplin County from poison she pushed into Eastern North Carolina.” In May 20125, the DEA and Duplin County Sheriff’s Office identified Jones as a major meth distributor. Investigators conducted four controlled purchases from her during May and June 2025. Later, they stopped her for a traffic violation and found a substantial quantity of crystal meth. Jones agreed to cooperate with law enforcement and was not charged. Over the next two and a half months, Jones continued to sell and possess meth with the intent to distribute. Before these latest convictions, she had two state court convictions in 2024 and 2025 for possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver drugs and eventually received only probation. As a result of those convictions, the federal court system classified her as a career offender. “The Duplin County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA to better serve the citizens of Duplin County, remove drug dealers that are selling large quantities of illegal narcotics, and help stop these deadly drugs from making it to our streets and communities,” said Duplin County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chuck Weaver. “I am grateful for the cooperation and working relationships we have with local, state, and federal agencies.” Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers, II. DEA and the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office partnered in the investigation. A copy of this press release is located on our website . Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:25-CR-00103-M-KS.


title: St. Louis Area Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Maintaining Drug-Involved Premises

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man who pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the maintaining of a drug-involved premises in St. Louis was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison. Aeman Ali, 23, was one of three defendants in the case. Zaki Salman and Haeder Jameel also pleaded guilty and have been sentenced to prison after admitting a role in a conspiracy that resulted in one fatal and one non-fatal overdose in 2022. Salman and Jameel bought drugs in California. Salman advertised the drugs on social media and directed the sale of the drugs from a home in the 4400 block of Ohio Street in St. Louis from August 20, 2022, through Dec. 14, 2022. The men sold real Percocet pain pills and fake pills that contained fentanyl. When Salman was not at the home, Jameel or Ali would handle the transactions. Salman delivered drugs to a minor on Sept. 18, 2022, who thought she was buying Percocet. She suffered an overdose but was saved by multiple doses of Narcan. Salman and Jameel also admitted that the fentanyl purchased by a 16-year-old male on Nov. 19, 2022, resulted in his overdose death. Before his death, the teen exchanged messages with the conspirators regarding the purchase of Xanax or Percocet. When law enforcement officers conducted a court-approved search of the home on Dec. 14, 2022, they found cocaine, MDMA, fentanyl, amphetamine and prescription pills. Jameel answered the door with a loaded .45-caliber handgun that he left on the kitchen table as he ran for the back door. Ali had a limited role in a “drug trafficking operation that proved to be extraordinarily volatile and dangerous,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen wrote in a sentencing memo. Jameel, 23, and Salman, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises. Jameel also pleaded guilty to one count of possession with the intent to distribute MDMA and fentanyl. Salman pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of fentanyl with a serious bodily injury resulting. Salman, of Hazelwood, was sentenced in June to 20 years in prison. Jameel was sentenced in July to 16 years and eight months in prison. Both were also ordered to pay $51,005 in restitution to the parents of the teen who died. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Florissant Police Department, the O’Fallon, Missouri Police Department and the St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen prosecuted the case.


title: Texas Man Guilty of Federal Controlled Substances Act and Interstate Travel Act Violations uncovered during Homeland Security Task Force investigation

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On August 6, 2026, JESUS MARTINEZ, JR. (“MARTINEZ”) , age 30, pled guilty before United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and Distribute, Five Kilograms or More of Cocaine and a Quantity of Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B) and 846, Conspiracy to Import Five Kilograms or More of Cocaine and a Quantity of Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 952(a), 960(a)(1), 960(b)(1)(B) and 963, and Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1952(a)(3), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to court documents, MARTINEZ was a drug courier for Luis Canales, who imported cocaine from Mexico and distributed the drugs throughout the United States, including in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Through investigation, it was discovered that a purchase of 10 kilograms of cocaine was negotiated from Canales and was set to occur on March 17, 2024. Canales informed an individual he believed to be a legitimate purchaser, that his couriers would deliver 6 of the kilograms. Canales contacted the individual he believed to be a legitimate purchaser and provided the cell number of the courier who was in possession of the 6 kilograms. The individual Canales, believed to be a legitimate purchaser, contacted the courier and arranged to meet him in Hammond, Louisiana. On March 17, 2024, the individual believed to be a legitimate purchaser, met with MARTINEZ and another courier in Hammond, Louisiana. The couriers provided the individual he believed to be a legitimate purchaser, a trash bag containing approximately 6 kilograms of cocaine in exchange for $8000.00 for their participation in the delivery and a taped package that the individual he believed to be a legitimate purchaser represented contained $76,000.00. After the sale was completed, Louisiana State Police officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle driven by MARTINEZ . Inside the vehicle were the funds provided to the couriers by the confidential source. “Cases such as this show that the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) New Orleans partnership is the tip of the spear for law enforcement as they systematically dismantle the criminal networks that threaten the security of Southeast Louisiana,” said U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. “Our office, along with a committed team of federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will use intelligence fusion operations to identify, investigate, and prosecute narcotics and weapons trafficking, human trafficking and smuggling, financial crimes, and transnational gangs, wherever they may be found. “Every single day, the FBI and our law enforcement partners engage with dangerous criminals who want to poison our communities," said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “This is a prime example of the efforts we are undertaking to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations. The FBI appreciates the hard work of the Louisiana State Police and the U.S. Attorney's Office in helping us bring this subject to justice.” “Partnerships between local, state, and federal agencies are vital to combating the distribution of harmful narcotics in our communities," said Colonel Frank Besson Superintendent of the Louisiana State Police. "By working together and sharing resources, we strengthen our ability to disrupt drug trafficking and support successful investigations. Louisiana State Police remains committed to these partnerships and to making our communities safer.” For each conspiracy count, MARTINEZ faces a minimum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and at least five (5) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. For the Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering count, MARTINEZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, a fine of up to a $250,000, and up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Each offense also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. MARTINEZ is scheduled to be sentenced on November 19, 2026. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana State Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit. This prosecution 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 New Orleans comprises agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Updated August 13, 2026 for accuracy. * * *


title: Postal Employee Guilty of Mail Theft

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that TAMYA TRAVIS (“TRAVIS”) , age 27, of New Orleans, pled guilty today to a two-count indictment charging her with mail theft. According to the indictment, TRAVIS was working as a mail handler for USPS and stole cell phones that had been sent in the mail. At sentencing, TRAVIS faces up to five years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey set the sentencing for November 17, 2026. The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Christine M. Calogero of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Northern Kentucky Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – A Maysville, Ky., man, Kevin Thomas Lawrence, 34, was sentenced on Wednesday to 130 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Chad Meredith for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. On August 15, 2025, law enforcement arrested Lawernce at a traffic stop in Maysville, Ky. During that stop, officers observed a large item concealed on the person of the vehicle’s driver, Jeannie Riley. Officers found that the large item was a bag containing 105 grams of methamphetamine. A search of the vehicle in revealed numerous small plastic baggies and other drug paraphernalia. Riley admitted that the methamphetamine belonged to Lawerence and that she had hidden it in her pants during the traffic stop to help Lawrence. Riley, Lawrence’s co-defendant, is scheduled to be sentenced on August 19. Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Patrick Boggs, Maysville Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Maysville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Spievack prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. – END –


title: Jury Finds Convicted Felon Guilty of Strangling His Former Romantic Partner and Obstructing Justice

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Tyrell West, 31, of Maryland, was found guilty by a Superior Court jury yesterday of charges stemming from an incident where he strangled and punched his former romantic partner on November 26, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “Tyrell West repeatedly victimized his former partner, including punching and strangling her in front of their child,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “Today’s guilty verdict ensures that a violent offender is being held accountable. My office will continue to pursue justice for survivors and work with our partners to keep our communities safe.” West was found guilty of one count each of strangulation, threats to do bodily harm, simple assault, and obstructing justice, as well as three counts of contempt on August 11, 2026. Sentencing will take place on October 30, 2026, before Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe. According to the government’s evidence, West and the victim began a romantic relationship in 2021 and share one child. In October 2025, the defendant was released from prison following a sentence for unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction). On November 24, 2025, the victim texted West that she wanted to end their romantic relationship. The following evening, the defendant came over to her residence to pick up his belongings. In the early morning hours of November 26, West made a sexual advance to the victim, which she rejected. The defendant became enraged, threatening the victim that he would “break her f*cking face.” He proceeded to strangle her by placing two hands around her neck and squeezing until she lost consciousness. The victim regained consciousness when West punched her in the face, with her child calling out next to her, “Mommy, get up.” The victim grabbed her child and fled to a neighbor’s apartment, where she called 911. Between April and June 2026, West called the victim over 30 times in violation of a court order to stay away from and have no contact with the victim. In one of those calls, he tried to convince the victim not to comply with the trial subpoena. This was not the first time the defendant had assaulted the victim—he assaulted her on multiple occasions in 2022. West was arrested in December 2025 and remains in custody after his conviction. Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Olivia Hinerfeld and Michael Weinberg. 2025 FD3 017538


title: Judge Finds Man Guilty of Assaulting Woman

body_text: WASHINGTON – Bryan Betancur was found guilty today in D.C. Superior Court, following a bench trial for charges related to assaulting a woman on the metro, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “Today’s verdict underscores our commitment to protecting the safety and dignity of every passenger who relies on our public transit system,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “No crime is too small when it involves a person’s sense of security.” Betancur was found guilty of one count of simple assault on August 12, 2026. Sentencing will take place on August 13, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in Courtroom 218. He will remain detained pending sentencing. According to the government’s evidence, on February 28, 2026, the defendant was on the Metro at the NOMA-Gallaudet station riding the train. While on the train, the defendant recorded himself stroking the victim’s hair. Seconds later, he posted the video to his X account. On March 12, 2026, the defendant was arrested and released with conditions that included a stay away from the Metro. Following the defendant’s rearrest for unrelated charges, the defendant was held pending trial. Joining the announcement was Chief Stephen Boehm of the Metro Transit Police Department. This case was investigated by the Metro Transit Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dilan Patel.


title: West Haven Woman Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Enticing Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ELIZABETH JORDAN, 43, of West Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 144 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 12, 2024, Jordan, after sustained pressure from Joshua Bailey, engaged in sexual activity with a minor who was 17 and livestreamed the activity to Bailey using Facebook messenger. A subsequent search of Bailey’s phone revealed a series of screenshots of Jordan and the minor engaged in sexual activity. Jordan and Bailey have been detained since August 2024 when they were arrested for related state offenses. On November 3, 2025, they each pleaded guilty in federal court to enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. Judge Nagala also ordered Jordan to pay $10,000 pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018. On March 27, 2026, Judge Nagala sentenced Bailey to 144 months of imprisonment and ordered him to pay $5,000 pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, and $10,000 pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the West Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang with the assistance of Law Student Intern Reva Kale. U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Ansonia/Milford for its cooperation in investigating and prosecuting 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: Defendant Sentenced to 135 Months in Federal Prison for Unlawful Distribution of Methamphetamine

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – Darrell J. Lindsey, 44, formerly of Peoria, Illinois, was sentenced on August 6, 2026, to 135 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, law enforcement began an investigation into Lindsey’s methamphetamine trafficking in August 2020. That same month, law enforcement seized approximately 52 grams of methamphetamine and multiple firearms and ammunition while executing a search warrant on Lindsey’s residence in Peoria. While Lindsey was out of state, he also shipped methamphetamine to individuals in Peoria. Additionally, Lindsey was implicated in the March 2021 seizure of approximately nine pounds of methamphetamine from a Morton, Illinois, hotel room. In total, between August 2020 and May 2021, Lindsey was accountable for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a total of 69,281 kilograms of converted drug weight, which included 145.5 grams of methamphetamine and 3,449.5 grams of methamphetamine (actual). In sentencing Lindsey, U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley determined that a sentencing enhancement for possession of a firearm during the commission of the offense applied. A federal indictment against Lindsey was filed in March 2024 and a warrant for his arrest was issued. He was arrested in the state of Washington on unrelated state charges in April 2024 and was returned to the state of Illinois for federal prosecution. Lindsey entered into a written plea agreement in January 2026. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshal Service since his arrest. The statutory penalties for conspiring to distribute and possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) is 10 years to life imprisonment, followed by at least five years of supervised release. A fine of up to 10 million dollars is also possible. The Drug Enforcement Administration, assisted by the Peoria, Morton, Pekin (Illinois), Bloomington (Illinois), and Aberdeen (Washington) police departments, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Lindsey is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Three Northern California Men Found Guilty of the Violent Kidnapping and Robbery of Antelope Valley Businessman

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Three Sacramento men were found guilty by a jury today of the kidnapping and robbery of an Antelope Valley businessman, an attack in which the victim was beaten, his home was invaded, and he was abandoned in a desolate part of California. The following defendants were found guilty of one count of kidnapping, one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), and one count of Hobbs Act robbery: Jerome Franklin, Jr., 45, a.k.a. “Rome”; Andrae Hawkins, 41, a.k.a. “Plates,” and De’Andre Lamont King, 31. According to evidence presented at a seven-day trial, on October 27, 2023, the defendants traveled from Sacramento to Lancaster to kidnap the victim from the victim’s workplace. They then beat the victim, zip-tied his hands behind his back, and duct-taped his turban over his face. They demanded $100,000 or more from him, as well as gold and jewelry. They threatened to kill the victim and his family if he did not comply with their demands. While the victim was kidnapped, some of the defendants traveled to the victim’s home to invade it. After the victim’s wife noticed the home invaders on their home security system, she contacted the victim’s phone, which was in the kidnappers’ possession. The kidnappers eventually abandoned the victim in a desolate area. He later was rescued. The jury acquitted Franklin, Hawkins, and King of one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. One of the two vehicles used in the kidnapping – specifically, the one used in the home invasion – was rented by co-defendant Shanjeet Brar, 59, of Sacramento. Brar pleaded guilty in September 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of kidnapping. Brar awaits sentencing. Another defendant in this case, Peter Arafiles, Jr., 31, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty in September 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and is serving a 10-year federal prison sentence. United States District Judge Hernán D. Vera scheduled November 5 sentencing hearings for the defendants, who will face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. The FBI and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler, Jena A. MacCabe, and Brandon E. Martinez-Jones of the Major Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.


title: California Jails Forced to Transfer Hundreds of Criminal Illegal Aliens into Federal Custody One Year into Operation Guardian Angel

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Since its launch last year, Operation Guardian Angel, a program that seeks to neutralize California’s sanctuary state policy, has resulted in 362 arrests of criminal illegal aliens from county jails into federal custody in the Los Angeles area, the Inland Empire, and the Central Coast. The Central District of California, comprised of the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura, is home to an estimated 1.5 million illegal aliens, including gang members and other dangerous felons. Operation Guardian Angel’s goal is to apprehend criminal illegal aliens incarcerated in county jails, whose cooperation is prohibited by “sanctuary state” laws from cooperating with federal immigration officials. SB 54, also known as the California Values Act, signed into law in 2017, limits state and local police cooperation with federal immigration officers and restricts local resources from being used to remove illegal aliens – including violent felons. Operation Guardian Angel works by securing federal arrest warrants for aliens recently arrested by local law enforcement. Once issued, local jails are legally required to honor the arrest warrants and must hand over the criminal illegal alien in their custody to the federal government. The operation began in May 2025 and has resulted in 769 arrest warrants issued, and the actual transfer of 362 defendants – 347 of whom are federally charged with illegally re-entering the United States following removal, or another federal offense. Other federal charges include unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, using a firearm in drug trafficking or a crime of violence, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. “Broken California ‘sanctuary state’ policies endanger the public and cannot go unchallenged by the federal government,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Operation Guardian Angel is an answer to these misguided policies. Through this task force we are forcing California to do the thing it hates most: handing hundreds of criminal illegal aliens into federal custody to face justice and deportation.” “ICE ERO’s mission is to identify, arrest, detain, and remove those who are in the United States illegally,” said Thomas Giles, Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Los Angeles Field Office for Enforcement and Removal Operations. “Unfortunately, California’s politicians are forcing local law enforcement agencies to release criminal illegal aliens back into our communities to create more American victims. Our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office here in the Central District of California through Operation Guardian Angel allows us to keep rapists, gang members, and murderers, who shouldn’t be in the U.S. at all, off the streets of California. We will not be deterred. We are not going away. We will continue to enforce the laws passed by the people’s representatives in Congress here in California and everywhere in the United States.” Among the defendants taken into federal custody under this program are: Jaime Rodríguez Ladesma, 70, of Long Beach, an illegal alien from Mexico who was convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court in October 2023 of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 and who was removed in December 2023. He subsequently illegally returned to the United States and was convicted of being found in the U.S. following removal. He was removed to Mexico in March 2026. Héctor Bueno-Moreno, 55, of San Luis Obispo, an illegal alien from Mexico who was removed in September 2001 and January 2020, whose criminal history includes a 1995 rape conviction in Kern County Superior Court. He was arrested in August 2025 by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office on a bench warrant out of Santa Barbara County prior to his federal arrest. He pleaded guilty last year to improper entry by an alien. He was removed to Mexico in September 2025. Ricardo López Jaramillo, 50, a.k.a. “Sharky,” of Pasadena, a five-times-deported illegal alien from Mexico and gang member whose criminal history includes multiple felony robbery convictions in Los Angeles Superior Court, and a 2007 conviction in San Diego federal court of three counts of illegal entry, for which he was sentenced to three years in federal prison. In November 2025, he was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to a single-count information charging him with illegal alien found in the U.S. following removal. He was removed to Mexico in June 2026. Alejandro Lima Ramírez, 46, a.k.a. “Fidel Garcia Vasquez,” of Santa Maria, a four-times-deported illegal alien from Mexico, whose criminal history includes convictions for drug trafficking, stalking, domestic violence, robbery, theft, and driving under the influence. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office transferred him to federal custody last year after Lima was arrested for drug-and-traffic violations. He is serving a 30-month federal prison sentence after pleading guilty in October 2025 to illegal alien found in the U.S. following removal. Andrés Velásquez Ocampo, 37, of Santa Ana, an illegal alien from Mexico who was deported in January 2019 and was arrested in South Gate in May 2025 on drug charges. His criminal history includes convictions for carjacking and hit-and-run with property damage. He pleaded guilty in November 2025 to one count of illegal alien found in the U.S. following removal, was sentenced to three months in federal prison, he was removed to Mexico in December 2025. In February 2025, José Cristián Saravia-Sánchez, 31, of Mexico, shot and killed an Inglewood man who tried to stop him from stealing a catalytic converter. Despite the fact he was an illegal alien who had been convicted of vehicle theft, was removed from the United States in 2013, and had been arrested 11 times between June 2022 and August 2024, local law enforcement was prevented by state law from complying with an immigration detainer request. While his state criminal case is pending, he also faces federal criminal charges of illegal alien found in the United States following removal and alien in possession of a firearm. Operation Guardian Angel 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, to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Scottsdale Man Sentenced to More than Six Years in Prison for Embezzling Over $10 Million from Employer

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – A former finance director who pleaded guilty to embezzling over $10.7 million from his employer was sentenced on August 10, 2026, in federal court. Mark Latham, 61, of Scottsdale, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to 78 months in prison and ordered to pay $10,752,535 in restitution to his employer. Latham previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Latham accepted a Finance Director role at a local company in 2009 and began embezzling from the company by paying his personal credit card debt with company funds, providing himself unauthorized bonuses, paying for a relative’s apartment with company funds, and directing company funds to his personal bank account. Latham continued this conduct until he was caught in 2025. He concealed his conduct by editing the company’s bank statements to remove payments to himself. Latham used the funds to lead a lavish lifestyle, including spending $39,000 on Super Bowl tickets in 2023, $29,731 on Taylor Swift concert tickets in 2023 and 2024, $46,248 for a room at the Four Seasons Hotel in Costa Rica in 2018, $38,827 on NFL season tickets from 2022 through 2024, and $28,098 on a golf simulator in 2024. In total, over the 17 years, Latham embezzled $10,752,535 from his employer. The FBI’s Phoenix Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aron Ketchel, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-26-330-PHX-DWL RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-135_Latham # # # 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: Utah Man Indicted on Hate Crime Charge for Stabbing at West Valley Mall

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Peter Larsen, 48, of Orem, Utah, was indicted by a federal grand jury today for the federal hate crime of willfully causing bodily injury to a victim because of his actual or perceived religion, in relation to a July 13, stabbing at the West Valley Mall in West Valley City, Utah. The defendant has been detained in state custody since his arrest on July 13. According to court documents, on July 13, police responded to the West Valley Mall for reports of a stabbing. The victim was located inside the mall suffering from multiple stab wounds, including to his neck. An investigation determined that the defendant harbored anti-Muslim views and went to the West Valley Mall specifically for the purpose of attacking Muslims. The defendant purchased a knife from a store inside the mall and went around asking mall employees if they were Muslim. When the victim responded that he was, the defendant began stabbing him. The attack was only stopped through the intervention of bystanders, who detained the defendant until police arrived. “This administration prioritizes protecting the civil rights of all Americans, and we will not tolerate violence motivated by religious hatred,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We thank our law-enforcement partners and those who heroically intervened to stop this attack, and we especially pledge our support to the victim in his recovery.” “Our thoughts are with the victim and the victim’s family, and we wish him a full and speedy recovery,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah. “This administration, my office, and our law enforcement partners have zero tolerance for hate‑fueled violence, particularly this heinous attempted murder. Anti‑Muslim violence is a crime, and it will be met with the full force of federal law to ensure justice for the victim and the broader Muslim community.” “We are deeply mindful of the impact this attack has had on the victim and their family. No one should be targeted with violence because of their religion or faith,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. “Hate-fueled violence harms more than one individual; it sends fear throughout an entire community. The FBI will work closely with our partners to support the victim and ensure this case is thoroughly investigated and ensure accountability.” If convicted, the defendant 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. This case was investigated by the West Valley Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlos Esqueda for the District of Utah and Trial Attorney Milos Jovanovic of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Two Georgia Men and a Chinese National Indicted for  Forced Labor and Related Offenses

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia returned an indictment today charging Zhu Chen, 60, and Jiayi Chen, 31, both U.S. Citizens, and Jianjun Lu, 55, a Chinese national, all residing in Cartersville, Georgia, with forced labor, conspiracy to commit forced labor, and alien harboring. According to court documents, Zhu Chen, together with Jiayi Chen and Jianjun Lu, recruited Chinese nationals through false pretenses to enter the United States on B-1 and L-1 visas to work at Wellmade Industries, a flooring manufacturer in Georgia. Upon the victims’ arrivals into the United States, the defendants kept their immigration documents and had them work 12-hour shifts, six days a week at the Wellmade Industries factory in Cartersville, Georgia. The defendants paid the victims less than promised and did not provide overtime or health benefits. They also threatened the victims with deportation and the imposition of sizeable debts and subjected them to verbal, psychological, and physical abuse. The defendants housed the victims in residences owned by Wellmade even though the victims did not have legal status under their visas. All three defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit forced labor and forced labor. Zhu Chen is also charged with alien harboring. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia, and Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta made the announcement. HSI Dalton, Georgia; Bartow County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations; and Georgia Bureau of Investigations are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leanne Marek for the Northern District of Georgia 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.


title: RentGrow Inc. Agrees to $2.25M Civil Penalty and Injunction for  Alleged Violations of Fair Credit Reporting Act and FTC Act

component: Civil Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that a federal court has entered a stipulated order resolving a case against consumer reporting company, RentGrow Inc., in a case investigated and referred to the Department by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The order imposes a $2.25 million civil penalty judgment and injunction against RentGrow to resolve allegations that it violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the FTC Act in connection with background reports it furnishes to assist landlords and property managers in screening tenants for rental housing. “Tenant screening reports can significantly affect the outcome of a housing application. Consumers deserve to know that the information contained in those reports is accurate, that the reporting is transparent, and that they have a meaningful opportunity to address information that may affect them,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that companies that collect and provide consumer information follow the law and maintain practices that support fair and informed housing decisions.” In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the government alleged that RentGrow failed to maintain reasonable procedures to ensure maximum possible accuracy of the information in its tenant screening reports, failed to disclose to consumers upon request the information contained in those consumers’ reports and the sources of that information, and failed to comply with required procedures when a consumer disputed the accuracy of a report, in violation of FCRA. The government further alleged that RentGrow violated the FTC Act’s prohibition on deceptive business practices by misrepresenting to tenant applicants that upon successful dispute of their report, corrections to or removals of inaccurate information were reported to landlords and property managers. The stipulated order resolving those allegations requires RentGrow to pay a $2.25 million civil penalty and imposes an injunction against it prohibiting the alleged misconduct and requiring related compliance reporting, monitoring, and recordkeeping. The United States is represented in this action by Assistant Director Zachary A. Dietert and Trial Attorney Jordan A. Ryan from the Enforcement Section of the Civil Division’s Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch. Whitney Moore, Jamie Hine, and Kamay Lafalaise represent the FTC. For more information about the Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch and its enforcement efforts visit www.justice.gov/civil/enforcement-affirmative-litigation-branch .


title: Meat Processing Plant and Employees Charged with Conspiring to Violate the Clean Water Act and Discharging Pollutants in Puerto Rico

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: An indictment was unsealed today charging César P. Borges-Arroyo, Neftalí Borges-Gómez, Erison Delgado-Santos, Héctor Fulgencio-Cabrera, and Ganaderos Borges Inc. (GBI), with four violations of the Clean Water Act as well as conspiring to violate the Clean Water Act. The charges relate to the discharge of pollutants from GBI into the waters of the United States. GBI is a corporation in Naguabo, Puerto Rico, that operates a slaughterhouse and meat processing plant. The operations encompass receiving and holding live animals for slaughter, butchering animals (bleeding), initial processing of animals, and operations that produce consumer-ready meat products. According to the indictment, the defendants conspired for the benefit of GBI, to knowingly discharge a pollutant — specifically wastewater from the meat processing waste retention lagoon — into waters of the United States without having obtained a Clean Water Act permit. “We allege that this meat processing plant and at least four of its employees conspired to pump animal flesh, blood, and feces into a creek that flows to the ocean and a public beach,” said Principal Deputy Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “The conduct alleged here sacrifices public health for economic gain, and it is a crime. The Department of Justice will hold violators accountable.” “GBI repeatedly and intentionally violated the Clean Water Act by discharging untreated wastes into the Caribbean Sea at Tropical Beach in Naguabo,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Héctor Ramírez Carbó for the District of Puerto Rico. “This prosecution sends the message that those who purposely undermine federal environmental laws and endanger the environment and Puerto Rico communities will face felony prosecution for their illegal conduct.” “The defendants’ willfully disregarded the complete prohibition on discharges under the Clean Water Act and knowingly sent a disgusting sludge of animal blood and waste, and cleaning products into the Caribbean Sea, only miles from nature preserves, beaches, and a military base. Illegal discharges such as these cause serious harm, jeopardizing the safety and health of the water, wildlife, and human health,” said Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA will ensure that polluters who blight our communities and coastal waters will be held accountable.” Starting in August 2018 and continuing through at least September 2025, GBI president Borges-Arroyo and GBI operator Borges-Gómez directed employees including, but not limited to, Delgado-Santos and Fulgencio-Cabrera to discharge liquid waste from GBI’s waste retention lagoon towards an adjacent creek. They did this by using a submersible pump placed in the waste retention lagoon and connected to a hose, attempting to avoid millions of dollars in annual waste removal costs. GBI generated waste from various on-site processes, including animal intake, slaughtering, hide removal, butchering, and cleaning. The waste included animal blood, hair, tissue, and feces, as well as grease, wastewater, disinfectant, and other liquids used inside the GBI slaughterhouse and processing areas. The mixed waste flowed from the facility to a discharge pipe that emptied into a waste retention lagoon located on the southwest corner of the GBI property. The western edge of the waste retention lagoon is adjacent to a creek which travels approximately half-a-mile to the Caribbean Sea at Tropical Beach in Naguabo, Puerto Rico. GBI held a non-discharge wastewater treatment permit that required liquid waste to be hauled from the facility to a disposal facility. At no time was any waste permitted to be discharged on-site or to any other body of water. The permit expired on July 31, 2019, and they continued to violate the Clean Water Act until at least September 2025. To conceal the illegal waste discharge, the defendants hid the submersible pump and hose when it was not being used and provided false and misleading statements and documents to authorities to hide the illegal activities. The defendants are scheduled to appear before Magistrate Judge Héctor Ramos Vega of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico for their respective initial appearances. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $250,000 in fines for each charge. GBI faces a maximum penalty of $500,000 in fines per charge. EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case with assistance from the FBI. EPA and FBI participate in the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Environmental Crimes Task Force. Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe for the District of Puerto Rico are prosecuting the case. Report possible violations of environmental laws and regulations at epa.gov/tips . You can provide tips anonymously if you do not want to identify yourself. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Brooklyn Bank Manager Sentenced to Prison for Laundering Proceeds of Medicare Fraud for Transnational Criminal Organization

component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: A Brooklyn man was sentenced yesterday to 18 months in prison for conspiring to launder more than $8 million in health care fraud proceeds through a U.S. bank on behalf of a transnational criminal organization (TCO). “The Fraud Division is committed to holding accountable anyone who abuses the U.S. financial system to facilitate fraud,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This sentence makes one thing clear: anyone who helps fraudsters conceal the proceeds of their crimes can expect to face serious consequences. American taxpayers will be protected from those who try to launder criminal proceeds through our banking system.” According to court documents, Renat Abramov, 37, of Brooklyn, New York, a former relationship manager at a U.S. bank branch in the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn, used his position to aid a foreign-based TCO that spearheaded the largest health care fraud case ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice, as uncovered by Operation Gold Rush . The TCO, based in Russia and elsewhere, orchestrated a multi-billion-dollar health care fraud and money laundering scheme to steal from Medicare and private health insurance companies by submitting fraudulent claims for durable medical equipment through dozens of medical equipment companies. These medical equipment companies were owned on paper by nominee owners, many of whom were not lawfully present in the United States, in a manner that disguised the true beneficial ownership and control of the companies by the foreign-based TCO. Abramov acted as a concierge banker for participants in the health care fraud and money laundering scheme. Among other things, Abramov opened bank accounts for the nominee owners of several medical equipment companies, which were then used to deposit more than $8 million in health care fraud proceeds. Once deposited, the nominee owners and their handlers transferred the money into offshore accounts. Abramov also assisted nominee owners with wire transactions and provided information about the status of accounts. In February 2026, Abramov pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case. Homeland Security Investigations New York assisted in the defendant’s arrest. Assistant Chiefs Shankar Ramamurthy and Kevin Lowell, Acting Assistant Chief Sara E. Porter, and Trial Attorney Leonid Sandlar of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted 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. The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: 11 Defendants Charged in Dismantling of Decade-Long Nationwide Marriage Fraud Scheme

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: A two-count indictment was unsealed today charging 11 individuals with conspiring, over the course of more than a decade, to orchestrate more than 1,000 sham marriages to fraudulently obtain immigration status for foreign nationals, primarily citizens of the People’s Republic of China. Some individuals paid up to $100,000 per sham marriage, according to the indictment. “This Department of Justice is rooting out fraud everywhere — including in our immigration system,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The individuals who were arrested today allegedly orchestrated elaborate schemes to illegally obtain citizenship for foreign nationals through sham marriages. Schemes like this are a deliberate affront to the United States and our laws and will not be tolerated under the Trump Administration.” “The defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly operated a nationwide and international, multimillion-dollar marriage fraud scheme, using participants to abuse United States immigration laws for their own profit,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald for the Southern District of New York. “Today’s arrests have dismantled a central component of one of the largest marriage fraud schemes charged in United States history. As this prosecution shows, we and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue those seeking to corrupt and exploit our nation’s lawful immigration system.” “Anyone willing to lie, cheat or steal their way to legal immigration status is a direct threat to America's national security,” said Director Joseph B. Edlow of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is aggressively pursuing marriage fraud schemes and the criminal organizations and ringleaders who profit from them. USCIS will continue to expose fraud, defend the rule of law, and ensure immigration status is reserved for those who truly qualify.” “As alleged, this decade-long scheme turned marriage fraud into an international business model arranging countless sham marriages and causing hundreds of fraudulent Green Card applications to be submitted to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John Condon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “Through the Homeland Security Task Force, HSI and our partners will continue to dismantle criminal networks that undermine the rule of law, exploit federal laws, and profit from fraud.” The defendants were arrested this morning and are expected to be arraigned today. The defendants are: Amy Cheng, also known as “Amy Zhou,” 72, of Brooklyn, New York; Xiao Mei Chan, also known as “Carmen;” 64, of Queens, New York; Christine Lu, also known as “Lily,” 52, of Queens; Jing Yan Ye, also known as “Serene,” 43, of Staten Island, New York; Xiao Yan Chen, also known as “Anna,” 48, of Brooklyn; Gang Zheng, also known as “Michael” and “Mike,” 61, of Queens; Anthony Cheng, 47, of Staten Island; Michelle Duenas, 35, of Staten Island; Angela Duenas, 26, of Staten Island; Sigrid Cetino, 32, of Peekskill, New York; and Erika Johnson, 43, of Ossining, New York. According to the indictment, from at least 2016 through July 2026, the defendants operated a nationwide and international marriage fraud network that arranged sham marriages between foreign nationals — primarily citizens of the People’s Republic of China — and United States citizens. Although based principally in New York City, the network allegedly arranged sham marriages throughout the United States and overseas including in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Vanuatu, and China. The network included facilitators who oversaw the scheme and identified foreign-national customers; recruiters who found willing United States citizens and helped ensure their continued participation; and assistants who prepared immigration paperwork and coordinated the submission of fraudulent lawful permanent residency (Green Card) applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The scheme also relied on marriage officiants, attorneys, tax preparers, insurance providers, and other service providers. Foreign nationals paid facilitators as much as approximately $100,000 for a sham marriage and assistance obtaining lawful permanent resident status. Facilitators, in turn, allegedly paid participating U.S. citizens up to about $30,000 — generally in installments tied to milestones in the Green Card application process — and paid recruiters commissions of as much as approximately $5,000 for each citizen recruited. In total, the defendants and their co-conspirators recruited hundreds of U.S. citizens to enter into sham marriages. A foreign national (left), Anthony Cheng (center), and Erika Johnson (right) in a sham marriage ceremony on or about Jan. 15, 2025. From the indictment. Sigrid Cetino (left), Anthony Cheng (center), and a foreign national (right) in a sham marriage ceremony on or about Dec. 17, 2024. From the indictment. The defendants executed the fraud by pairing foreign nationals with U.S. citizens. The individuals would often meet for the first time immediately before obtaining a marriage license, arranging sham wedding ceremonies, and staging photographs designed to make those marriages appear legitimate. Some examples are below, including a photograph of a sham marriage that took place in China: Photo from a sham wedding banquet, from the indictment. A couple’s staged photo, from the indictment. After the ceremonies, scheme participants manufactured evidence to make the marriages appear genuine, including by staging additional photographs, opening joint financial and utility accounts, filing joint tax returns, and obtaining insurance policies. The defendants and their co-conspirators then prepared and submitted Green Card applications containing materially false statements and, when interviews with USCIS were required, coached the marriage participants on how to conceal the true nature of their relationships and provide false answers to immigration officers. The defendants caused at least hundreds of fraudulent Green Card applications and supporting documents to be submitted to USCIS. Based on the scale and duration of the scheme, the defendants’ network is believed to have collected tens of millions of dollars from foreign nationals seeking lawful permanent resident status. At the time the defendants were arrested, law enforcement executed premises search warrants at multiple locations in New York including Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and Flushing, Queens. The defendants have each been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration fraud, which, if convicted, carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The defendants have also each been charged with one count of conspiracy to encourage the unlawful residence of aliens in the United States, which, if convicted, carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. HSI, Hudson Valley; the FBI, Safe Streets Task Force; the USCIS’s Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate; the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division; and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office are investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jake Sidransky and Reyhan Watson for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case. An indictment merely contains accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Wytheville Man to Serve More than 14 Years for  Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – A Wytheville, Virginia man with criminal convictions dating to the late 1990s was sentenced yesterday to a total of 174 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material. Christopher Matthew Marsh, 49, recently pled guilty in the Western District of Virginia to possessing child sexual abuse material involving infants and toddlers. According to court documents, in 1997, Marsh was convicted in Florida of attempted sexual battery of a minor under the age of twelve and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. As a result of that conviction, Marsh was required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). In 2017, Marsh was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia for violating his registration requirements under SORNA. In February 2025, while Marsh was on supervised release for his 2017 SORNA conviction, the U.S. Probation Office conducted an unannounced search of the motel room where Marsh was staying in Wytheville, Virginia. The U.S. Probation Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation analyzed the contents of one of Marsh’s cell phones. The phone contained approximately 2000 images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and most of the images involved toddlers and infant girls. The analysis revealed that Marsh used the phone to search the internet for images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and download the images. In addition to his prison sentence, the Court ordered Marsh to serve five years of supervised release after prison, and pay $71,500 in restitution to identified victims. First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Probation Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit Pierce is prosecuting the case.