title: Man Sentenced to 260 Months’ Imprisonment for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy Linked to Sinaloa Cartel

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Eric Anthony Rodriguez, 47, was sentenced to 260 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents and the record at trial, Rodriguez conspired with other co-defendants to acquire and distribute hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine. Led and organized by Erick Emilio Diaz-Aguilar, the “Diaz-Aguilar Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO)” operated and distributed methamphetamine throughout Minnesota from April 2024 to March 2025. During a nearly year-long investigation, law enforcement seized approximately sixty pounds of methamphetamine, 1,500 fentanyl pills, and more than $20,000 from various individuals associated with the Diaz-Aguilar-DTO. Additional evidence showed that the Diaz-Aguilar DTO was affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel, a Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO). Rodriguez was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Susan R. Nelson on August 13, 2026. He previously was convicted by a jury on February 10, 2026. Judge Nelson indicated that the sentence reflected Rodriguez’s role as a “crucial workhorse” in the organization. Judge Nelson also noted that the sentence was based on the harm methamphetamine causes to Minnesota communities through addiction and overdose deaths. “Today’s sentencing reflects my office’s commitment to holding drug traffickers accountable. Rodriguez played a significant role in a conspiracy that pushed methamphetamine across Minnesota, and this sentence reflects the seriousness of his actions,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office and the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team (SEMVCET) work collaboratively with local, state, and federal agencies to disrupt and dismantle Drug Trafficking Organizations. This case is one example of positive outcomes achieved when working together. Minnesota and beyond are safer with these dangerous drugs off the streets and the suspects held accountable,” said Tim Parkin, Captain of the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office and Commander of the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team. “Eric Rodriguez’s drug trafficking efforts in Minnesota serve as a reminder of how the Sinaloa Cartel continues to attempt making inroads into our communities,” DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “These weren’t small amounts of methamphetamine that he was moving into and around Minnesota. These were hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl that carry life-altering consequences to those who roll the dice by using these substances.” “This investigation represents two years of dedicated work by BCA agents and our law enforcement partners to stop the distribution of methamphetamine in our communities,” said Drew Evans, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension superintendent. “The effects of methamphetamine reach far beyond those who use it, impacting families, increasing crime and placing additional demands on our health care system. We will continue working together to disrupt drug trafficking and prevent further harm.” This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Minnesota State Patrol, Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Chisago County Sheriff’s Office, East Central Minnesota Drug Task Force, Hastings Police Department, Rochester Police Department, Cannon River Drug Task Force, and the New Prague Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Raphael B. Coburn and William C. Mattessich prosecuted the case. Note: Previous press releases on Rodriguez’s indictment ( April 8, 2025 ) and jury conviction ( February 17, 2026 ) linked here.


title: Georgia Woman Charged in Alleged Tax Fraud Targeting Truck Drivers

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MACON, Ga. – U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes today announced a 54-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week charging a Georgia woman with allegedly defrauding at least 26 people, mostly self-employed truck drivers, in a tax scheme as part of an ongoing National Fraud Enforcement Division investigation led by the FBI and the IRS. Diane Marie Poe, 62, of Loganville, Georgia, is charged by federal indictment in Case No. 3:26-CR-14, filed on Aug. 12, with 32 counts of bank fraud; 14 counts of failure to account for and pay over withholding and FICA taxes; four counts of failure to file a corporate tax return; two counts of making and subscribing a false return; and two counts of federal program theft. Poe faces a maximum of 30 years imprisonment per count of bank fraud; five years imprisonment per count of failure to pay over taxes; one year imprisonment per count of failure to file a corporate return; three years imprisonment per count of making a false return; and 10 years imprisonment per count of federal program theft. There is no parole in the federal system. The defendant's initial appearance will occur at a time determined by the Court. According to the indictment, Poe is the owner of Genuine Financial Services, Inc. (GFS), an accounting and tax preparation service in Walton County, Georgia, that employed several people. The company provided bookkeeping, payroll, and payroll tax services, as well as business and personal tax preparation and filing, mostly for individuals employed in the trucking industry. As part of their services, clients would pay over to GFS their estimated payroll taxes. Poe allegedly defrauded at least 26 individuals, mostly self-employed truck drivers, by accepting payments for tax and filing services she did not deliver, including collecting estimated payroll or trust fund taxes but failing to remit them to the IRS. She is also accused of failing to file her personal and business taxes properly and of failing to pay payroll taxes for her employees. Many of Poe’s clients in the truck business came from word of mouth. If any individuals used GFS tax services or employed Poe for tax services and believe they might be victims of fraud, please call the FBI Atlanta at (770) 216-3000. In addition, anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact the FBI. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement 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 FBI and the IRS are investigating the case, with assistance from the Loganville Police Department, Walton County Sheriff’s Office and the Walton County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Peach is prosecuting the case for the Government. An indictment and criminal complaint are merely allegations of criminal conduct, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Cuban National Pleads Guilty for His Role in an International Alien Smuggling and Money Laundering Conspiracy

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL — A Cuban national pleaded guilty today to alien smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering. According to court documents, Yuniel Lima-Santos, 31, of Tampa, Florida, conspired with others to operate an alien smuggling organization (ASO) which encouraged or induced thousands of Cuban aliens to enter the United States through the southern border and used fraudulent Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and visa waivers. The defendants advertised their smuggling services and bogus visa services across multiple social media platforms to solicit Cuban nationals and other aliens to attempt to illegally enter the United States and fraudulently obtain lawful status in the United States. The ASO advertised services included assisting Cubans with false claims of European citizenship to enter the United States on a European tourist visa waiver or ESTA and filed hundreds of fraudulent ESTA applications with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) using fake addresses and fabricated documents. Cuban nationals are not eligible for the ESTA program, and to obtain ESTAs the defendants made false representations that the applicants had not been in Cuba since 2011. The defendants knew that Cubans are not eligible for the ESTA program, and that the applicants were actually in Cuba at the time the ESTA applications were submitted. The defendant, Yuniel Lima-Santos, furthered the conspiracy by assisting in the logistics of moving aliens from their country of origin, including Cuba, into the United States, such as purchasing international and domestic flights for aliens to transport them towards, into, and throughout the United States. Lima-Santos, along with co-defendant Frandy Aragon Diaz, smuggled five aliens into the United States and admitted to aiding Aragon Diaz with bringing Cuban women illegally into the United States, whereupon they would work in strip clubs to pay off their smuggling debt. In furtherance of the conspiracy’s money laundering crimes, Lima-Santos filed articles of incorporation in Florida for a shell company that had no employees, payroll, or reported income, but were used to move money obtained from alien smuggling and conceal the true source and nature of the ill-gotten funds. As part of the conspiracy, aliens were charged between $1,500 and $40,000 for their smuggling services, and co-conspirators sometimes even chartered private planes to move groups of aliens. Lima-Santos and co-defendants conspired with each other to regularly move funds to companies operating outside of the United States and to other places outside the United States, such as by purchasing international flights for aliens to travel into the United States. Between 2021 and 2024, Lima-Santos transmitted internationally over $600,000 from the United States to purchase flights for aliens to unlawfully enter the United States. Yuniel Lima-Santos pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for financial gain, five counts of alien smuggling for financial gain, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and one count of conspiracy to conceal money laundering instruments. Lima-Santos faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Twelve individuals were charged in a superseding indictment for their roles in the conspiracy. Defendants Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, 31; Miguel Alejandro Martinez Vasconcelos, 31; Layra Libertad Treto Santos, 30; Emanuel Martinez Gonzalez, 29; Walbis Pozo-Dutel, 31; and Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, 32, have all pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Defendant Erik Ventura-Castro, 24, pleaded guilty on May 7 and was sentenced on July 29 to 30 months in prison. Defendants Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, 28, and Gisleivy Peralta Consuegra, 41, are awaiting trial scheduled to begin on September 21. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Director Joseph Edlow of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) made the announcement. The investigation and superseding indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including HSI and CBP U.S. Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 477 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 431 U.S. convictions; and more than 370 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets. HSI Tampa, U.S. Border Patrol Miami Sector, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)’s Fraud Detection and National Security led U.S. investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force. Authorities in the Cayman Islands provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Derry for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Amanda Brown of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Colombian Citizen Sentenced to Federal Prison for Adopting the Identity of a U.S. Citizen to Obtain a Passport and to Vote in an Election

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – Carlos Felipe Jaramillo Grajales (55, Jacksonville) was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger to three years in federal prison for making false statements in an application for a U.S. passport, aggravated identity theft, falsely claiming that a Social Security number had been assigned to him, and falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen to vote in an election. The court also entered a Judicial Order of Removal directing that Jaramillo Grajales be removed to Colombia. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents and information provided at the sentencing hearing, Jaramillo Grajales is a Colombian citizen who used the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of a U.S. citizen to apply for and obtain a passport. He used those same identifiers and claimed to be a U.S. citizen to apply for and obtain a Florida driver license and to register to vote. He then voted in several elections. Jaramillo Grajales first obtained a driver license in the U.S. citizen’s name in March 2003 and subsequently renewed it several times, with the last renewal occurring in February 2024. In April 2003, Jaramillo Grajales submitted an application for a U.S. passport. He identified himself as the U.S. citizen and provided a Puerto Rican birth certificate in the U.S. citizen’s name along with the driver license he had obtained. Based on these fraudulent—but authentic—documents, he was issued a passport in May 2003. He submitted passport renewal applications in February 2013 and March 2023 and a renewed passport was issued each time. In December 2010, Jaramillo Grajales submitted a Florida Voter Registration Application, identifying himself as the U.S. citizen and affirming that he was a U.S. citizen who had been born in Puerto Rico. The registration was approved and he subsequently voted in several elections, including the election held in Duval County on November 3, 2020. The woman who later became Jaramillo Grajales’s spouse entered the United States on a visitor’s visa in September 2003. They married and she later applied for legal permanent residence and citizenship based on the marriage, as her spouse was purportedly a U.S. citizen. The applications were approved and in August 2017, she became a U.S. citizen. Jaramillo Grajales and his spouse divorced in January 2020. In May 2024, Jaramillo Grajales flew to Colombia under his false name and in June 2024, his then-ex-spouse flew to Colombia and filed an application for a K-1 (fiancé) visa on behalf of Jaramillo Grajales under his real name. The visa was approved and he returned to the United States under his real name. Jaramillo Grajales and his ex-spouse remarried in June 2025, and he then applied for permanent residence based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen. “Federal immigration laws serve to safeguard our nation’s borders and protect the integrity of our government,” said U.S. Attorney Kehoe. “Those who seek to circumvent, exploit, or break these laws will be prosecuted fully.” “This criminal illegal alien spent years exploiting a stolen identity of a United States citizen to obtain government documents, claim benefits, and unlawfully participate in the electoral process,” said Homeland Security Investigations Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Hemker. “This conviction demonstrates that identity theft, immigration fraud, and fraud against the integrity of United States government systems will be investigated thoroughly and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. HSI remains committed to protecting victims, safeguarding public institutions, and ensuring that those who abuse our immigration and identification systems are held accountable.” This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.


title: Washington, DC Man Sentenced for String of Armed Postal-Carrier Robberies in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – A Washington, DC man is headed to federal prison for nearly two decades for robbing several United States Postal Service (USPS) mail carriers at gunpoint. U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced DeAngelo Lewis, 30, to 17 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after a federal jury convicted him of numerous charges during an eight-day trial in April. The charges stem from the 2022-armed robbery of seven mail carriers. The charges include the armed robbery of postal carriers; bank fraud; theft of mail; and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) – Washington Division; Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD); and Chief Marc R. Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD). Evidence presented at trial established that beginning in January 2022, and continuing through at least October 2022, Lewis and his co-conspirators robbed seven mail carriers at gunpoint as they delivered mail in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The co-conspirators obtained USPS property which allowed Lewis and his co-conspirators to steal personal and business checks that people placed in the mail. They then altered the checks and negotiated them at various banks, stealing almost $1 million of victims’ money in the process. According to trial testimony, as USPS carriers walked their routes, sorted mail in their trucks, or filled neighborhood cluster boxes, one or more masked individuals approached them. The individual(s) then pointed or flashed firearms and demanded the carriers’ USPS property. During one encounter, a masked individual struck one carrier in the face even though the carrier already complied. Doorbell cameras or business CCTV systems captured at least two of the robberies. Additionally, a black Mercedes sedan and a blue Dodge Challenger — which are cars Lewis was known to drive — were frequently seen leaving the scenes of those robberies. Navigation data seized from Lewis’ phone also revealed that he searched for post offices near each of the robberies shortly before they occurred. Lewis used this information to begin searching for a mail carrier to target in that area. Law enforcement identified Lewis and his co-conspirators after seeing them on bank surveillance cameras depositing stolen and altered checks at various bank-branch locations. Then, when law enforcement searched Lewis’s Marlow Heights, Maryland, apartment, officers found approximately 1,500 checks, with a face-value of nearly $3 million, that he hadn’t deposited at banks. The checks were sorted in envelopes based on where they were stolen from. Postal inspectors found at least 60 instances where Lewis already deposited checks worth nearly $1 million. Law enforcement also found check-altering materials and five of the seven stolen USPS properties in Lewis’ nightstand or on the floor in the apartment. Social media, along with a search of Lewis’ phone, revealed that he recruited others to allow him to use their accounts to deposit stolen and altered checks in exchange for a percentage of the proceeds. Postal inspectors testified that recruiting others via Instagram, Telegram, and other platforms enables fraudsters like Lewis to deposit far more checks than they could get away with if they attempted to use their accounts. On October 27, law enforcement arrested Lewis after officers observed him exiting a white Dodge Challenger. Lewis and two co-conspirators just finished stealing mail from three blue public-collection boxes in Potomac, Maryland. One of the co-conspirators was wearing a USPS shirt. Law enforcement found the sixth USPS property, which was robbed from a mail carrier only a week before in the same area, in the vehicle. Co-conspirators Marking Long, 24, of Washington, D.C. and Enrico Hood-Jackson, 32, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and bank fraud in connection with the scheme. Hood-Jackson also pled guilty to armed robbery and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Both co-conspirators are slated to receive their sentences later this year. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the USPIS, PGPD, and MCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darren S. Gardner and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Jaskiw who are prosecuting the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md . # # #


title: Member of Maryland National Guard Pleads Guilty  to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering

body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – A member of the Maryland National Guard acknowledged his involvement in a money laundering scheme in federal court. This conspiracy laundered funds from at least 33 different victims. Alagborenepakake Opuiyo, 32, pled guilty to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Allison Russo, Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Daniel Wierzbicki, FBI Washington Field Office Counterintelligence and Cyber Division; Special Agent in Charge Jason Scalzo, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General Electronic Crimes Unit (FDIC-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker, Federal Reserve Board Office of Inspector General (FRB-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Washington, DC. According to his plea agreement, from May 22, 2019, through November 28, 2022, Opuiyo conspired to launder funds which were stolen through a variety of fraudulent means, including romance fraud and business email compromise schemes. Opuiyo and his co-conspirators, including some who resided in Maryland, opened bank accounts that served as drop accounts. These accounts were opened or controlled as part of the scheme to receive money from the fraud victims. After receiving the funds in the drop accounts, Opuiyo and his co-conspirators transferred the money to other accounts that either they or their co-conspirators controlled. Additionally, Opuiyo and his co-conspirators directly withdrew money in cash. As a part of the scheme, romance-fraud victims believed they were communicating with individuals on online dating websites. The victims wired thousands of dollars to bank accounts that Opuiyo and his co-conspirators controlled. Opuiyo and his co-conspirators used these bank accounts to initiate account transfers, such as withdrawing cash, obtaining cashier’s checks, and writing checks to other individuals and entities to hide the true ownership and source of the assets. As detailed in the plea agreement, the intended loss totaled $2,951,930.36. The actual loss resulting from these transactions was at least $2,270,668.40. Additionally, the amount of laundered funds that went into bank accounts that Opuiyo controlled was $244,614.35. According to the plea agreement, Opuiyo is required to pay a money judgment of at least $244,614.35, and restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which the parties agree is at least $2,270,668.40. Opuiyo is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman scheduled sentencing for Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2027, at 2 p.m. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, FDIC-OIG, FRB-OIG, DCIS, and HSI for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke Oki who is prosecuting the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud . # # #


title: Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Over a Kilogram of Heroin in HSTF Case

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A Baltimore man pled guilty in federal court, today, to drug trafficking crimes in connection with a drug investigation. Kevin Lomax, 49, is charged with possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of heroin. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division, and Police Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD). According to his guilty plea, in January 2024, DEA agents received information that Lomax, a high-volume drug dealer, was trafficking drugs in Baltimore. Then law enforcement began investigating Lomax’s drug-trafficking activities. On March 19, 2025, DEA agents executed a search warrant on Lomax’s Baltimore home. During the search, agents found and seized more than 1,000 grams of heroin; more than 3,000 grams of cocaine; more than 105 grams of oxycodone; more than 15 grams of MDMA; and 1,787 grams of Psilocin. Additionally, law enforcement recovered three firearms; 25 rounds of ammunition; $151,178 in cash; seven cellphones; a satellite phone; and a journal with ledger notes. If convicted, Lomax faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and maximum of life in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of heroin. A federal district judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This prosecution is part of the 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 Baltimore is comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Maryland; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); the United States Marshals Service (USMS); the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA (W/B HIDTA); the Maryland State Police (MSP); the Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA and BPD for their work in the investigation and thanked the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the 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: Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A registered sex offender from Holyoke pleaded guilty on Aug. 12, 2026, in federal court in Springfield, Mass. to possessing child pornography. Justin Ouimette, 35, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Mark Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Nov. 17, 2026. Ouimette was charged by complaint in May 2025 and has remained in custody since that time. Ouimette was identified as the owner of a Dropbox account uploading child sexual abuse material (CSAM). During the search of Ouimette’s residence, an electronic device was found to contain hundreds of files of CSAM depicting children as young as toddlers. Subsequent searches of Ouimette’s cloud storage accounts, revealed hundreds of additional files depicting CSAM. Ouimette was previously convicted in Massachusetts Superior Court of possession of child pornography in October 2022 and was on state probation when he committed this new offense. Due to Ouimette’s prior conviction, the charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Merck of the Springfield 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 .


title: Ohio Man Charged with Advertising Child Pornography

body_text: BOSTON – A Columbus, Ohio man has been arrested and charged for allegedly advertising hundreds of files depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the dark web. Adam Burley, 42, was charged with one count of advertising child pornography in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts. The defendant will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on a later date. According to the charging documents, since 2025, Burley has posted hundreds of messages sharing files depicting CSAM on the dark web. These files allegedly included CSAM depicting the sexual abuse of young children and toddlers. An initial onsite forensic preview of Burley’s devices allegedly revealed thousands of images and videos files of child pornography. The majority of this content viewed during the forensic preview allegedly depicted children ranging in age from newborn infants to toddlers and included both lascivious posing as well as anal and vaginal rape content. It’s is also alleged that there were also images and videos featuring decapitated children ranging from infants to toddlers The charge of advertising child pornography provides for no less than 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Columbus, Ohio and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, of the Major Crimes Unit and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator is prosecuting the case. The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov . 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: New Hampshire Man Arrested for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

body_text: BOSTON – A New Hampshire man has been arrested and charged in connection with the coercion and enticement of a minor. Daniel Murphy, 50, of Merrimack, N.H., who was charged with coercion and enticement of a minor, made his initial appearance in federal court in Boston today and was held pending a detention hearing scheduled for Aug. 17, 2026. According to the charging documents, in August 2025, Murphy allegedly engaged in a sexualized dialogue on Facebook Messenger with a minor victim living in Massachusetts. It is alleged that he coerced the victim to send pornographic videos and photographs and, in turn, sent obscene material depicting himself to the victim. Over the course of several days, it is alleged that Murphy also repeatedly traveled to meet the minor victim in person. When Murphy’s electronic devices were seized by law enforcement, they were allegedly found to contain pornographic images and video of the minor victim as well as additional videos and images of other minors constituting child sexual abuse material. The charge of coercion and enticement of a minor provides for a sentence of no less than 10 years in prison and a maximum of life; a minimum of five years of supervised release; and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Chief Mark Zimmerman of the North Reading Police Department; and Chief Brian K. Levesque of the Merrimack Police Department (N.H.) made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Nashua Police Department (N.H.). Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Massachusetts Man Charged with Cyberstalking and Threats Offenses

body_text: BOSTON – A Massachusetts man has been charged with allegedly engaging in an extensive cyberstalking and threatening campaign against three individuals, including sending hundreds of harassing emails and repeatedly threatening to shoot and kill the victims and their family members. Patrick McDonald, 33, of Cambridge, Mass. was charged by criminal complaint with three counts of cyberstalking and three counts of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. The defendant is currently in state custody and made an initial appearance in federal court in Boston earlier today. According to the charging documents, McDonald allegedly engaged in an extensive cyberstalking and threatening campaign targeting three individuals following the breakdown of business and investment dealings involving his company, Waev. After the victims allegedly withdrew funding from McDonald and evicted him from a Winchester residence that had been purchased for him to use as a venture studio, McDonald allegedly began inundating the victims with harassing and taunting emails. The campaign allegedly escalated to repeated threats of violence against the victims and their family members, including threats to shoot and kill them unless McDonald was given back the Winchester residence. McDonald allegedly continued sending threatening communications despite harassment prevention orders prohibiting him from contacting certain victims. Among other things, McDonald allegedly threatened to shoot victims “in the face,” threatened to kill a victim’s son, sent an email containing a victim’s home address and a threat to tear the victim’s body apart “limb by limb,” and sent images depicting firearms and shootings. Records obtained during the investigation allegedly showed that one email account used in the campaign sent approximately 193 emails to one victim over a seven-day period and approximately 259 emails to the victim’s attorney over an 11-day period. The charge of cyberstalking provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, including a one-year mandatory period of imprisonment for anyone who commits the crime in violation of a restraining order, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, including a one-year mandatory period of imprisonment for anyone who commits the crime in violation of a restraining order, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; and the Boston, Dedham, Malden, Wayland, Somerville, Cambridge and Hingham Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. 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: Illegal Alien Indicted for Unlawful Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – An Ecuadorian national unlawfully residing in Milford, Mass., has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. The defendant was previously deported from the United States and arrested four times for driving under the influence in Massachusetts. Luis Rolando Clavijo Tacuri, 32, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. The defendant was arrested on a criminal complaint in July 2026 and remains in federal custody. According to court filings, Tacuri was first encountered by immigration officials in October 2015, while he was incarcerated on charges of operating under the influence in Holliston, Mass. At the time, it was allegedly Tacuri’s third operating under the influence offense. Tacuri was allegedly subsequently placed into removal proceedings and deported to Ecuador in December 2016. Sometime after his removal, it is alleged that Tacuri illegally reentered the United States. On May 27, 2024, Tacuri was arrested in Milford, Mass., for allegedly again operating under the influence. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office 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: Convicted Felon from Lakeville Arrested for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Cocaine

body_text: BOSTON – A Lakeville man was charged in federal court in Boston with drug trafficking, following the search of a commercial office building in Lakeville last week. Christopher DiRusso, 55, was charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine. According to the charging documents, on Aug. 5, 2026, during a search of a commercial building in Lakeville where DiRusso appeared to be living inside an office suite, cocaine and drug packaging materials were found in plain view. It is alleged that thousands of counterfeit methamphetamine pills, designed to resemble the prescription drug Adderall, and over 2,000 grams of cocaine, some of which was packaged in a kilogram brick were also found in a closet. According to the charging documents, DiRusso was previously convicted in state court of cocaine trafficking and firearm offenses in 2007 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In 2001, DiRusso was convicted in state court for indecent assault and battery on a child and was sentenced to a total of three years in prison. During last week’s search, investigators allegedly found a copy of DiRusso’s Massachusetts sex offender registration from July 2026, when DiRusso registered as homeless and listed the commercial building as his secondary and work address. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine provides for a sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. 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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Pembroke, Lakeville and Brockton Police Departments, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department and Massachusetts Department of Correction. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Cutshall of the Organized Crime & Gang 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: Brockton Man Sentenced to Nine Months in Prison for Role in Stolen Treasury Check Fraud

body_text: BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced on Aug. 6, 2026, in federal court in Boston for depositing stolen and altered U.S. Treasury checks into shell company bank accounts that he controlled and then withdrawing the stolen money to conceal its origin. Gino Rosario Tyler Alexander Allegra, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper to time served of approximately nine months, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered Allegra to restitution in the amount of $545,090. In May 2026 , Allegra pleaded guilty to four counts of theft of government funds, four counts of bank fraud and three counts of money laundering. Allegra was charged in a superseding indictment in September 2025 and detained pending trial. Allegra obtained U.S. Treasury checks that had been issued as tax refunds to individuals and businesses throughout the United States but were later stolen. Allegra deposited these checks into bank accounts that he opened in the name of World Advance, Inc. (WAI), a Massachusetts shell company with no bona fide operations. The stolen checks were altered to name WAI as a payee instead of the actual taxpayers eligible for the refunds. Allegra also purchased bank checks payable to other shell businesses to conceal the origin of the stolen proceeds and deposited and laundered bank checks that others purchased using other stolen Treasury checks. In total, Allegra stole or laundered more than $1.2 million in government funds. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Michael Carpenter, Special Agent in charge of the U.S. Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Northeast Field Division; and Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Kosto, Chief of the Securities, Financial and Cyber Frauds Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Brazilian National Indicted for Armed Robbery of a Cash Courier

body_text: BOSTON – A Brazilian national, unlawfully residing in the United States on an expired visa, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the armed robbery of a cash courier in Framingham, Mass., in November 2025, which resulted in the theft of approximately $200,000. Helbert Oliveira, 47, was indicted one count of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, as well as brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. Oliveira was previously charged by criminal complaint in May 2026 and arrested in Pompano Beach, Fla., on July 21, 2026 . At the time of his arrest, Oliveira was found in possession of a Glock-43 pistol, a suppressor, gloves, masks and ammunition. According to court records, Oliveira is alleged to have conspired with another individual, Curt Porcher, to rob a cash courier delivering money to a Framingham business. Porcher allegedly served as the getaway driver in a rented vehicle, while Oliveira allegedly pointed a firearm at the victim, taking approximately $200,000. Surveillance footage from the robbery is included below: Prior to Oliveira’s arrest, his alleged co conspirator, Porcher, was charged by criminal complaint in the District of Massachusetts with Hobbs Act armed robbery and conspiracy. He was subsequently indicted in April 2026. The charge of Hobbs Act armed robbery, or conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act armed robbery, provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to any other prison term. Each count also carries a potential $250,000 fine. 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 was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Division and the Marlborough Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aidan Lang of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting Oliveira. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Richardson, also of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting Oliveira’s alleged co-conspirator, Porcher. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Richmond career offender sentenced to over 12 years in prison for federal drug trafficking and firearms crimes

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

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced yesterday to 12 years and seven months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute. According to court documents, after Brian Lamont Jones, 39, sold cocaine to another individual in early March 2025, Richmond Police (RPD) searched Jones’ residence. During the search, investigators found 67.08 grams of heroin and fentanyl, 156.09 grams of cocaine base, and 320.21 grams of cocaine hydrochloride. They also recovered several firearms. Jones has three prior drug trafficking convictions. As a previously convicted felon, Jones cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony prosecuted the case. 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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-135.


title: Recidivist felon returning to prison after latest conviction for illegally possessing a firearm

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Sandston man was sentenced today to five years and five months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court documents, on Jan. 26, a woman asked another individual in a North Chesterfield gas station to call 911 and report that she had been kidnapped. Chesterfield County Police (CCPD) responded and were directed to the woman and Brandon Rashaad Hill, 31, who was with her. When an officer approached Hill and attempted to detain him, Hill pulled away from the officer and hurdled over a fruit stand between him and the exit. As he hurdled the fruit stand, a handgun fell from his waistband to the floor. Hill fled from the gas station but was apprehended by other CCPD officers responding to the scene. As a convicted felon, Hill cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. Among other prior convictions, Hill has been convicted twice previously for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Following his most recent prior conviction, Hill was released from prison on Feb. 28, 2025, but violated his supervised release and returned to prison. He was released again on Oct. 8, 2025, and was on supervised release when he was arrested on Jan. 26. Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Albert Flores Jr. and John C. Blanchard and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah Johansen, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:26-cr-32.


title: Two Convicted Felons Charged With Possession of Ammunition in Connection With Broad Daylight Shooting in Brooklyn

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, a criminal complaint was unsealed charging Jonathan Arboleda and Wilson Martinez with being felons in possession of ammunition relating to a July 21, 2026 gunfight in the East New York section of Brooklyn. Martinez was arrested yesterday and will make his initial appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo. Arboleda is currently in state custody at Rikers Island and will be arraigned at a later date. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrests and charges. “As alleged, these defendants are convicted felons who engaged in a dangerous gunfight in a Brooklyn bodega in broad daylight, endangering the lives of numerous citizens,” said United States Attorney Nocella. “Both defendants have multiple prior felony convictions. Despite repeated encounters with our criminal justice system, each defendant chose to return to the streets to engage in a brazen act of violence. Today’s arrests demonstrate our continued commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to combat gun violence and hold accountable those who illegally possess firearms and ammunition and endanger our communities.” “The shootout at the Brooklyn bodega was a blatant act of violence allegedly carried out by two convicted felons whose actions created an immediate and unacceptable threat to the community. This kind of violent criminal behavior is exactly why the FBI remains firmly committed to removing dangerous offenders from our streets and protecting the American public,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. “As alleged in the complaint, Jonathan Arboleda and Wilson Martinez recklessly put countless lives at risk when they opened fire on each other in broad daylight inside a Brooklyn bodega,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “The NYPD remains focused on working with our law enforcement partners to go after guns and hold the perpetrators of gun violence accountable. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and our NYPD officers for their diligent work to take these criminals off our streets.” As alleged in the criminal complaint and other court filings, on July 21, 2026, at approximately 1:30pm, Martinez entered a bodega store in East New York and immediately pulled out a firearm and started shooting at Arboleda from close range. Surveillance video footage shows Martinez pulling a gun from his waistband and opening fire while bodega employees were within feet of him and in the line of fire of his 9mm bullets. Arboleda then fired shots back at Martinez from the back area of the bodega and ran into the middle of a crowded street while raising his firearm and pointing it at Martinez’s car as it drove away. Arboleda was apprehended at the scene bleeding from gunshot wounds to his right arm and abdomen. Law enforcement recovered multiple spent shell casings and a live round of ammunition on the floor of the bodega. Both defendants have prior felony convictions that prohibit them from possessing firearms or ammunition. The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, each defendant faces up to 15 years in prison. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. As part of the program, U.S. Attorney’s Offices work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and their local communities to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Stamboulidis is in charge of the prosecution. The Defendants: JONATHAN ARBOLEDA Age: 30 Brooklyn, New York WILSON MARTINEZ Age: 41 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-MJ-153


title: St. Louis Man Appears in Court on Fatal 2024 Carjacking

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis, Missouri man appeared in court Thursday to answer charges accusing him of a fatal 2024 carjacking. Terry Thomas, 21, was indicted on July 16, 2025, with one count of carjacking resulting in death, one count of use of a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of causing death through the use of a firearm. He pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday. The indictment accuses Thomas of stealing a Kia Stinger on May 6, 2024, in Jennings, Missouri, resulting in a man’s death. A motion seeking to have Thomas held in jail until trial says the victim was shot five times. The stolen Stinger was found abandoned by Creve Coeur at 2:46 a.m., about six hours after the carjacking. Thomas was arrested by police on June 20, 2024. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torrie J. Schneider is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.


title: Former Manager of Fraternal Order of Police Lodges Sentenced for Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington, Ky., man, Kevin Ryan Straw, 40, was sentenced on Tuesday to 27 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier for wire fraud. According to the information and his plea agreement, between 2021 and 2024, Straw served as President of Metropolitan Lodge 32, Fraternal Order of Police, based in Louisville, Ky., and, at various times, served as the Vice President and Government Affairs Chair of the Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police, based in Frankfort, Ky. Straw devised a scheme to defraud both FOP Lodges and numerous individual victims of money through materially false pretenses, representations, and promises. Straw defrauded individuals through an investment fraud scheme, defrauding at least ten individuals out of a total of $80,340. In addition, Straw misappropriated $49,760 from Metro Lodge 32 through cash withdrawals he falsely claimed were made to transfer the funds to a different Metro Lodge 32 account. Finally, Straw charged $15,501.48 in personal expenses to the State FOP credit card and requested reimbursement from the State FOP for $41,562.97 in travel expenses not incurred. In total, Straw defrauded $187,164.45 from Metro Lodge 32, the State FOP, and the investment fraud victims. In one victim impact statement, the Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police stated, “Ryan Straw was given access, authority, and confidence because of promises he made to our organization. That trust was violated. The harm resulting from such a violation is particularly severe because the Kentucky State FOP relies heavily on trust to function effectively. We ask the Court to recognize that crimes involving dishonesty and abuse of trust have consequences that extend far beyond monetary restitution. They damage institutions, undermine confidence, fracture relationships, and leave scars on the organizations and people affected.” As part of his judgement, Straw was ordered to pay $187,164.45 in restitution. “Law enforcement officers dedicate their lives to protecting and serving others, and they deserve the same protection and integrity from those entrusted to represent them. Straw betrayed that trust by using his positions within the Fraternal Order of Police to defraud the very organization and individuals he was supposed to serve,” said Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Our office will continue to hold accountable those who exploit positions of trust and use them for personal gain.” Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General; and Paul Humphrey, Chief, Louisville Metro Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, and the Louisville Metro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate K. Smith prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. – END –


title: North Carolina Man Sentenced for Cyber Extortion Scheme that Targeted International Technology Company in D.C.

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Cameron Curry, 27, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for carrying out an extensive cyber extortion scheme against a D.C.-based international technology company, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. In March 2026, a federal jury convicted Curry of six counts of transmitting or willfully causing interstate communications with the intent to extort a victim company. In addition to the 24-month prison sentence, Judge Kenneth D. Bell ordered Curry to serve one year of supervised release and to pay a money judgment of $7,540.92. According to filed documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, Curry was contracted to work as a data analyst for approximately six months with the victim company. In that capacity, Curry had access to the victim company’s data files and other personnel and corporate information. Trial evidence established that Curry misused his position to access the victim company’s personnel and other sensitive corporate records, which he then used to carry out the cyber extortion scheme. Curry hatched his extortion scheme after he learned that his contract was not going to be renewed and that he would no longer be employed by the company. According to evidence presented at trial, from Dec. 11, 2023, to Jan. 24, 2024, Curry, identifying himself online as “Loot,” sent over 60 email messages to company employees and executives, threatening to disclose sensitive information unless he was paid $2.5 million dollars in cryptocurrency. Trial evidence further established that the email messages contained threats to disclose sensitive corporate information and employee data, including employees’ personally identifiable information (PII), as well as threats to harm the reputation of the victim company by reporting a breach of its information and publishing the information publicly if the victim company failed to pay him via cryptocurrency. On Jan. 24, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at Curry’s residence, seizing various electronic devices. A forensic analysis of the evidence revealed that Curry was committing the extortion scheme under the “Loot” alias. This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office with significant assistance from and the FBI Charlotte Field Office. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina. USAO-DC 24cr252 USAO-WNC 25cr148 Follow us on X , Instagram , and YouTube Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc


title: Repeat Human Smuggler Pleads Guilty to Immigration Offense

component: USAO - Illinois, Central

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Mexican national, Aureliano Vazquez-Ontiberos, 43, pleaded guilty on August 12, 2026, to being unlawfully present in the United States following a prior removal. In court before U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless, Vazquez-Ontiberos admitted that he had unlawfully returned to the United States following a prior removal and that law enforcement encountered him during a traffic stop in Sangamon County in May 2026. Vazquez-Ontiberos admitted that he had twice been convicted of human smuggling offenses in federal courts, once in 2011 in the Southern District of Texas and once in 2016 in the Western District of Texas. During the hearing, the government presented evidence that Vazquez-Ontiberos’ criminal history contained an aggravated felony, human smuggling, which garners enhanced criminal penalties. Vazquez-Ontiberos remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending a sentencing hearing that is scheduled for December 8, 2026, at the federal courthouse in Springfield, Illinois. Vazquez-Ontiberos faces statutory penalties of up to 20 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. The case investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Lynch is representing the government in the prosecution.


title: Justice Department Finds California Women’s Prisons Fail to Protect Female Prisoners from Sexual Abuse by Staff

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – The Justice Department announced today that it has reasonable cause to believe that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla, and the California Institution for Women (CIW) in Chino are violating the U.S. Constitution by failing to protect female prisoners from sexual abuse and harassment by staff. Investigators uncovered a longstanding pattern of sustained staff sexual misconduct, inadequate safeguards, failures in confidential reporting, improper investigative practices, and insufficient accountability measures. The Department concluded that these systemic deficiencies grievously violate prisoners’ rights under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. Further, CDCR, CCWF, and CIW fail to adequately and effectively implement the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). “Female prisoners have the constitutional right to be free from sexual assault and harassment by prison staff,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice’s investigation revealed that California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation knew of repeated incidents of sexual assault and harassment against female prisoners and failed to protect them. This deliberate indifference to the suffering of female prisoners at the hands of prison staff is illegal, and the Civil Rights Division, in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern and Central Districts of California, will end this brutal abuse.” “These facts are unacceptable,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “California owes a legal and moral duty to safeguard prisoners in its custody. The State must confront the persistent failure of its own employees to prevent and address sexual abuse at these facilities and the systemic breakdowns that have permitted these conditions to persist. This report should serve as a turning point.” “Today’s findings highlight why robust, independent enforcement of federal civil rights laws remains critical,” added Eric Grant, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California. “The pattern and practice described here is exactly what Congress intended CRIPA and PREA to address. I commend the investigative team for its thorough work and urge swift compliance with the remedial measures the report identified.” The Justice Department has provided California with notice of the minimum remedial measures required to address these violations, including expanded camera coverage, enhanced confidential reporting channels, strengthened investigative protocols, improved staff training and monitoring, and implementation of PREA compliant safeguards. If state officials do not satisfactorily address these concerns within 49 days, the Attorney General may initiate litigation under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997 et seq. The Department looks forward to working cooperatively with California to ensure that the State remedies these alleged violations. The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern and Central Districts of California initiated the investigation in September 2024 under CRIPA which authorizes the Department to take action to address a pattern or practice of deprivation of constitutional rights of individuals confined to state or local government-run correctional facilities. From the Central District of California, Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret M. Chen and Alexandra Young of the Civil Division's Civil Rights Section along with Executive Assistant United States Attorney Richard M. Park participated in this investigation. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via phone at (888) 392-9490 or by email at Community.CAWomensPrisons@usdoj.gov . Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s work regarding correctional facilities is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/rights-persons-confined-jails-and-prisons .


title: HSTF Investigation Leads to Tucson Man Being Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Firearm Possession

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Roman Emilio Rascon Jr., 36, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced on Aug. 11, by United States District Judge Raner C. Collins to 78 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Rascon previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. As part of the drug conspiracy, Rascon distributed more than six kilograms of cocaine and possessed firearms when he distributed the cocaine. In addition to serving over six years in prison, the District Court ordered Rascon to forfeit vehicles, firearms, ammunition, and drug proceeds. 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. This HSTF Arizona investigation involved agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, United States Customs and Border Protection, United States Border Patrol, United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-5214-TUC-RCC RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-136_Rascon # # # 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: Tax Shelter Promoter Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud the IRS

component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: A Texas man pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to defraud the IRS by promoting and selling a fraudulent tax shelter. According to court documents, from at least February 2018 until September 2023, Larry C. Conner, 69, of Frisco, conspired with others to defraud the IRS by promoting to taxpayers nationwide an abusive trust tax shelter in which taxpayers diverted nearly all of their income through a series of three purported “non-grantor” trusts and a so-called “private family foundation” for purposes of evading the assessment of taxes owed on that income. Conner promoted the abusive trust tax shelter at in-person seminars to clients in the name of The Business Solutions Group (TBSG). Conner sold the trusts and foundations used in the abusive trust tax shelter for a fee typically ranging from $25,000 to $50,000. Conner admitted that he knew the tax shelters he promoted were fraudulent based on repeated warnings he received from attorneys and accountants that the tax shelter was fraudulent and illegal and his knowledge and receipt of materials that the IRS publishes to educate the public about the illegal nature of abusive trust tax shelters. Conner further admitted to personally using the abusive trust tax shelter from 2016 through 2021, to evade income taxes on about $5.2 million of his income. Conner admitted to promoting the abusive trust tax shelter in concert with the following individuals, among others: a Colorado couple, Timothy McPhee and Marcia Predmore; a Nevada Certified Public Accountant, Weldon Wulstein; a Wyoming-based bookkeeper, Suzanne Thompson; a Mesquite, Nevada man, Roderick Prescott; and an Arizona-based tax preparer, Kent Ellsworth. Conner and his co-conspirators’ caused the filing of false tax returns fraudulently sheltering approximately $156 million in income, which resulted in an approximate tax loss to the IRS of $43 million. McPhee previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, tax evasion, and, in a separate case, wire fraud. He is currently serving a 151-month prison sentence. In a separate five-week trial taking place throughout May-June 2026, a jury found Predmore, Wulstein, Thompson, and Prescott guilty of conspiracy to defraud the United States and other tax-related felonies. All four are scheduled to be sentenced in January 2027. Kent Ellsworth pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a materially false and fraudulent tax return and is pending sentencing in the District of Arizona on Dec. 7. Conner pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 26, 2027, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Lauren K. Pope and Amanda R. Scott, both formerly of the Criminal Division’s Tax 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.


title: Old Dutch Mustard to Implement Comprehensive Compliance Program to Stop Illegal Discharges into Souhegan River Streams in New Hampshire

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Old Dutch Mustard, a mustard and vinegar manufacturing company, has entered into a consent decree, lodged today with the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire, requiring it to implement a comprehensive water pollution compliance program to resolve allegations that it violated the Clean Water Act at its facility in Greenville, New Hampshire. The United States’ complaint, filed on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the same time as the consent decree, alleged that Old Dutch Mustard violated the Clean Water Act on more than 1,700 days between November 2019 and February 2026 by discharging acidic pollutants into a tributary to the Souhegan River. The complaint also alleges that Old Dutch Mustard failed to comply with its stormwater discharge permit and failed to timely provide compliance information upon EPA’s request. Old Dutch Mustard has been the subject of repeated enforcement efforts over the last two decades, including most recently for separate criminal violations of the Clean Water Act, for which the company and its President were sentenced in April. “Today’s consent decree will ensure that this company comes into compliance with the Clean Water Act, leveling the playing field for American businesses,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We are committed to upholding the rule of law, including the Clean Water Act.” “This action demonstrates that EPA will pursue repeat violators and hold them accountable through formal enforcement in court,” said Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This consent decree finally resolves decades of noncompliance with the Clean Water Act by ensuring that the company will comprehensively identify and address all sources of pollution into the tributary that runs through the facility. EPA will achieve compliance with the law.” “Old Dutch Mustard spent years polluting the Souhegan River,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan for the District of New Hampshire. “State and federal government agencies repeatedly attempted to secure the company’s cooperation in keeping the river clean, and those efforts were met with schemes and deception that resulted in both a criminal prosecution and the civil violations set forth in today’s action. Enough is enough. Today’s consent decree will mean close monitoring of the Old Dutch Mustard Company so that we can protect a treasured New Hampshire waterway, and the public, from further pollution.” The Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of any pollutant into navigable waters of the United States without a permit. According to the complaint, Old Dutch Mustard has a two-decade long history of unlawfully discharging its acidic wastewater and stormwater into a stream that flows underneath and in front of the company’s facility in Greenville, New Hampshire. As a result, the company has been subject to enforcement actions by the EPA, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NH DES), and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. The EPA and NH DES have required Old Dutch Mustard to continually monitor the stream at their facility, which flows into the Souhegan River. The Souhegan River is one of 19 New Hampshire rivers that the State of New Hampshire has designated as an important natural resource. According to the complaint, the company’s monitoring results show that, on 1,728 days between November 2019 and February 2026, the stream had high levels of acidity, indicating unauthorized waste- and/or stormwater discharges from the facility. To resolve these violations and ensure that the facility does not continue to unlawfully discharge acidic material from its facility, the consent decree requires Old Dutch Mustard to improve its monitoring to provide for real-time data, thoroughly investigate any future discharges to determine their cause, and implement corrective measures to stop them. The proposed consent decree was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire and is subject to a 30-day public comment period. The complaint and the proposed consent decree are available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees . EPA’s Region 1 investigated this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John Osborn for the District of New Hampshire handled this matter with assistance from Assistant Section Chief Eric Albert of ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section.


title: New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Accessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, man pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to accessing with intent to view child sexual exploitation material involving a prepubescent minor. “The Department of Justice is committed to unmasking child predators and holding them accountable for their devastating crimes,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Yesterday’s guilty plea is another step forward in the continued fight against the evil of child sexual exploitation. As long as this threat to children remains, the Department’s prosecutors and law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to hold responsible those who facilitate the supply as well as the demand.” “Yesterday’s guilty plea is a bittersweet victory, as it acknowledges the victimization of the children depicted in the materials the offender possessed,” said Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy of the FBI’s Newark Field Office. “The FBI will continue its relentless quest to identify and stop those who abuse and exploit children.” According to court documents, Abhishek Vijayakumar, 43, knowingly accessed the illicit material in March 2024. Law enforcement subsequently discovered more than 200 images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including imagery of an approximately three-year-old child being sexually abused by an adult male, when reviewing his electronic devices. Vijayakumar faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on Jan. 6, 2027. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. FBI Newark is investigating the case and received valuable assistance from the Bergen County (New Jersey) Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit. Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Justice Department Finds California Women’s Prisons Violate the Constitution by Failing to Protect Female Prisoners from Sexual Abuse by Staff

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has reasonable cause to believe that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla, and the California Institution for Women (CIW) in Chino are violating the U.S. Constitution by failing to protect female prisoners from sexual abuse and harassment by staff. Investigators uncovered a longstanding pattern of sustained staff sexual misconduct, inadequate safeguards, failures in confidential reporting, improper investigative practices, and insufficient accountability measures. The Department concluded that these systemic deficiencies grievously violate prisoners’ rights under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. Further, CDCR, CCWF, and CIW fail to adequately and effectively implement the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). “Female prisoners have the constitutional right to be free from sexual assault and harassment by prison staff,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice’s investigation revealed that California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation knew of repeated incidents of sexual assault and harassment against female prisoners, and failed to protect them. This deliberate indifference to the suffering of female prisoners at the hands of prison staff is illegal, and the Civil Rights Division, in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern and Central Districts of California, will end this brutal abuse.” “These facts are unacceptable. California owes a legal and moral duty to safeguard prisoners in its custody,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “The State must confront the persistent failure of its own employees to prevent and address sexual abuse at these facilities and the systemic breakdowns that have permitted these conditions to persist. This report should serve as a turning point.” “Today’s findings highlight why robust, independent enforcement of federal civil rights laws remains critical,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California. “The pattern and practice described here is exactly what Congress intended CRIPA and PREA to address. I commend the investigative team for its thorough work and urge swift compliance with the remedial measures the report identified.” The Justice Department has provided California with notice of the minimum remedial measures required to address these violations, including expanded camera coverage, enhanced confidential reporting channels, strengthened investigative protocols, improved staff training and monitoring, and implementation of PREA‑compliant safeguards. If state officials do not satisfactorily address these concerns within 49 days, the Attorney General may initiate litigation under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997 et seq . The Department looks forward to working cooperatively with California to ensure that the State remedies these alleged violations. The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern and Central Districts of California initiated the investigation in September 2024 under CRIPA which authorizes the Department to take action to address a pattern or practice of deprivation of constitutional rights of individuals confined to state or local government-run correctional facilities. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via phone at 1-888-392-9490 or by email at Community.CAWomensPrisons@usdoj.gov . Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s work regarding correctional facilities is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/rights-persons-confined-jails-and-prisons . Note: Read the Notice of Findings here and the Findings Report here .


title: Justice Department and LA County Sheriff’s Department Settle Lawsuit

body_text: Today, the U.S. Department of Justice agreed to a settlement with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LCSD) regarding its procedures for issuing firearm carry permits. LCSD has agreed to bring its procedures in line with the Supreme Court’s landmark Bruen decision. This is a huge win for the residents of Los Angeles County and for the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment requires law enforcement to have objective standards for issuing carry permits and to issue those permits without imposing lengthy delays on applicants. When the Justice Department filed this lawsuit, applicants were waiting an average of over nine months to receive their permits. In response to the lawsuit, LCSD drastically cut those waiting times and is now in compliance with statutory deadlines. “The Justice Department supports our law enforcement partners.” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, “The sheriff acknowledged the problem and devoted substantial additional resources, including new processing software and additional personnel, to cutting waiting times dramatically. We applaud their efforts and are happy to be able to bring this litigation to a successful conclusion!” The Second Amendment Section of the Civil Rights Division enforces the Second Amendment , the Police Pattern or Practice Act ( 34 U.S.C. § 12601 ), and Executive Order 14206 . If you are a current or prospective gun owner and believe that a state or local government has infringed your right to keep or bear arms, please submit a complaint through https://www.justice.gov/crt/second-amendment-section.