title: U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones Marks First Year of Transformation, Historic Results, and National Leadership in Southern District of Florida

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – One year after taking the oath of office as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jason A. Reding Quiñones today marked a year of institutional transformation, historic prosecutions, and measurable results across one of the nation’s largest and most complex federal districts. Reding Quiñones was sworn in on August 13, 2025, following his nomination by President Donald J. Trump and confirmation by the U.S. Senate. He was the first U.S. Attorney confirmed during President Trump’s second administration. From his first day in office, Reding Quiñones established three guiding principles for the Southern District of Florida: Protect Americans. Restore Impartial Justice. Defend the Rule of Law. Within his first month, Reding Quiñones reorganized the Criminal Division to sharpen its focus on the threats facing South Florida and the nation. Over the following year, the Office hired 77 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 38 professional staff — 115 new employees — and reduced vacancies by 34 percent. The Office further expanded its enforcement capacity by bringing aboard 47 Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 20 detailees from partner agencies and other components of the Department of Justice. At the same time, the Office increased immigration defendants charged by more than 28 percent, rose to #1 in the nation in white-collar caseload and #1 in Homeland Security Task Force-related caseload, ranked #3 nationally in national-security caseload, and collected more than $160 million in restitution, fines, assessments, and civil recoveries, before accounting for forfeitures. The office also ranked third among the 18 extra-large U.S. Attorney’s Offices in case complexity. “Leadership is measured by results and by the institution you build to sustain them,” said U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones. “In one year, we reorganized this Office, hired 115 prosecutors and professional staff, reduced vacancies by more than a third, built new enforcement capabilities, strengthened our partnerships at every level of law enforcement, and delivered historic results across the full range of our mission. We did not choose between priorities. We built the capacity to pursue all of them.” CASES OF HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE During Reding Quiñones’s first year, the Southern District of Florida prosecuted cases of extraordinary national and historical significance: from an attempted presidential assassination, to the assassination of a foreign head of state, to alleged murders committed by a hostile regime three decades ago, to a new prosecution of one of the Nicolás Maduro regime’s most prominent financial operatives. Ryan Routh: Life for Attempted Assassination of President Trump In February, Ryan Wesley Routh was sentenced to life imprisonment plus seven years for attempting to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald J. Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. A federal jury convicted Routh on all five counts charged in the indictment, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and firearms offenses. Attorney General Pamela Bondi at the time described Routh’s conduct as not only an attack on President Trump, but a direct assault on the nation’s democratic system. The prosecution underscored a fundamental principle of the Office’s mission: political violence has no place in the U.S., and those who attempt to use violence to alter the nation’s democratic process will face the full force of federal law. Jovenel Moïse Assassination In May, a federal jury in Miami convicted four defendants for their roles in the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla, and James Solages were convicted of offenses including conspiracy to provide material support resulting in death, providing material support resulting in death, conspiracy to kill and kidnap outside the U.S., and expedition against a friendly nation. Intriago was convicted of additional export-related offenses. Raúl Castro and Brothers to the Rescue In May, the U.S. unsealed a historic superseding indictment charging Raúl Castro and five other Cuban regime defendants for their alleged roles in the February 24, 1996, shootdown of two unarmed U.S. civilian aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue over international waters. The attack killed Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales. The charges followed renewed work by the Office’s Cuba Prosecution Working Group and represent a significant step in the three-decade pursuit of accountability for the killings. As Reding Quiñones said when announcing the indictment: “The passage of time does not erase murder.” Alex Saab: A New Case and Return to U.S. Court The Office also developed a new federal criminal case against Alex Nain Saab Moran, a longtime financial operative of Maduro’s regime. Saab had previously been prosecuted in the Southern District of Florida before receiving executive clemency by President Biden and being returned to Venezuela in December 2023. Under Reding Quiñones’s leadership, federal prosecutors and the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) developed a new case, secured a new indictment, and brought Saab back before a federal court in Miami. On May 18, Saab made his initial appearance after the indictment was unsealed. The new indictment charges Saab with participating in an alleged international money-laundering conspiracy involving Venezuela’s government-controlled food program and oil. Prosecutors allege that Saab and others bribed Venezuelan officials to secure lucrative food contracts, misrepresented the nature and source of food imported into Venezuela, and used an international financial network to launder proceeds from the scheme. The charges are allegations, and Saab is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Together, the Routh, Moïse, Castro, and Saab matters illustrate the breadth and significance of cases entrusted to the Southern District, from protecting the American democratic process to pursuing international terrorism, foreign-regime actors, transnational corruption, and political assassination. TRANSFORMING THE OFFICE, BUILDING CAPACITY, AND STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS Those results came during a year of significant institutional change. Within weeks of taking office, Reding Quiñones reorganized the Criminal Division to better align prosecutors and supervisors with the district’s principal enforcement threats. The Office subsequently created new enforcement capabilities, strengthened coordination with federal law enforcement, and undertook one of the most aggressive recruiting efforts in its history. During the year, the Office hired 77 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 38 professional staff — 115 new employees in less than 12 months — and reduced vacancies by 34 percent. The Office also added 47 Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 20 detailees, significantly expanding the prosecutorial and enforcement resources available to the district. At the same time, Reding Quiñones made strengthening law-enforcement partnerships a central focus of the Office. The Southern District of Florida deepened its relationships with Department of Justice components and federal law-enforcement agencies, partners across other federal departments, and state and local law-enforcement agencies throughout South Florida. Those partnerships expanded information sharing, embedded prosecutors and partner personnel alongside one another, and enabled coordinated operations targeting violent crime, transnational criminal organizations, immigration offenses, fraud, foreign threats, and other shared enforcement priorities. LEADING THE NATION ACROSS THE FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT MISSION The institutional transformation was accompanied by national leadership across multiple enforcement areas. As of June 30, the Southern District of Florida ranked: #1 nationally in white-collar cases; #1 nationally in HSTF-related cases; #3 nationally in national-security cases; and #3 in case complexity among the nation’s 18 extra-large U.S. Attorney’s Offices. The breadth of those rankings is significant. While expanding immigration enforcement, the Office simultaneously carried the nation’s leading white-collar and HSTF-related workloads and one of its leading national-security workloads. SECURING THE BORDER AND DISMANTLING TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS In September 2025, Reding Quiñones created the Border and Immigration Crimes Enforcement Section (BICE), a specialized prosecution section designed to strengthen South Florida’s federal immigration and border-security enforcement. BICE brought immigration, human-smuggling, narcotics, fraud, and violent-crime expertise together in a coordinated structure working closely with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys from DHS also serve alongside career federal prosecutors in BICE. During Reding Quiñones’s first year, the number of immigration defendants charged increased by more than 28 percent compared with the preceding 12 months. BICE and partner agencies pursued high-speed maritime smuggling ventures, overloaded vessels, kidnapping and extortion schemes, illegal reentry, immigration fraud, and combined narcotics-and-human-smuggling operations. In one prosecution, federal authorities interdicted vessels carrying 168 kilograms of cocaine and 31 unauthorized migrants. The Office also expanded efforts to protect the integrity of American citizenship through denaturalization proceedings involving individuals alleged to have concealed fraud, human-rights violations, child exploitation, espionage, and other serious misconduct. Among those actions, the Department filed suit to revoke the citizenship of Victor Manuel Rocha, the former U.S. ambassador convicted of serving as an unregistered agent of Cuba, and Philippe Bien-Aime, the former mayor of North Miami. Most recently, a jury convicted Tania Rosa Rodriguez of unlawfully obtaining U.S. citizenship after concealing her involvement in a healthcare fraud scheme. PROTECTING AMERICANS FROM VIOLENT CRIME, FENTANYL, AND PREDATORS The Office continued aggressive enforcement against violent offenders, firearms traffickers, fentanyl dealers, child predators, human traffickers, and those who threaten public officials and law-enforcement officers. In July, the Office announced the results of Operation Hurricane, charging 46 federal and state defendants as part of a multi-agency enforcement surge targeting repeat violent offenders in Palm Beach County. The operation seized 94 firearms along with ammunition and significant quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and crack cocaine. Alfonso Guerrero was sentenced to life in federal prison for distributing the fentanyl that killed a Vero Beach man and continuing to traffic fentanyl only days later. Jeffrey Allen Holden, already imprisoned for rape, received a federal life sentence for using a contraband cellphone and false identity to manipulate a 12-year-old South Florida child into producing child sexual abuse material. The Office also prosecuted human traffickers who preyed on foster youth, violent narcotics organizations, firearms traffickers, kidnappers, armed offenders, and individuals accused or convicted of threatening senior government officials. PROTECTING TAXPAYERS, VICTIMS, AND THE AMERICAN FINANCIAL SYSTEM The Office’s #1 national white-collar ranking was reflected in major prosecutions spanning health-care fraud, investment fraud, public-benefits fraud, cryptocurrency, procurement fraud, money laundering, and corruption. In the Department’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, the Southern District of Florida charged 12 defendants in alleged schemes involving more than $4 billion in fraudulent claims. Nationwide, the takedown charged 455 defendants in alleged schemes involving more than $6.5 billion. Other significant results included a 20-year sentence in a $94 million international investment fraud scheme; a guilty plea in a scheme involving more than $52 million in fraudulent Medicare claims; prosecutions involving $35 million in Medicare Advantage fraud and more than $19 million in alleged SNAP fraud; and cases involving cryptocurrency, pandemic-relief fraud, fraudulent nursing credentials, identity theft, and fraud targeting U.S. military operations. During the anniversary period, the Office collected more than $160 million in restitution, fines, assessments, and civil recoveries, before including forfeiture results. DEFENDING AMERICA FROM FOREIGN INFLUENCE AND CORRUPTION South Florida’s position as a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean gives the district a unique responsibility in cases involving hostile foreign regimes, foreign influence, international corruption, sanctions evasion, money laundering, and transnational criminal organizations. In May, a federal jury convicted former U.S. Congressman David Rivera and lobbyist Esther Nuhfer of secretly acting as unregistered agents of Venezuela in connection with a $50 million contract. Rivera was convicted of conspiracy and substantive Foreign Agents Registration Act violations, money-laundering conspiracy, and transactions involving criminally derived property. The Office also charged the corporate entity commonly known as Smartmatic, three company executives, and the former chairman of the Philippine Commission on Elections in an alleged scheme involving more than $1 million in bribes connected to Philippine election contracts. Other international enforcement included HSTF’s Operation Mousetrap, which charged defendants connected to an international cocaine-trafficking network and a 540-kilogram cocaine seizure in Miami. The Office also pursued Venezuela-related financial crime, ransomware and cybercrime, sanctions violations, foreign-agent offenses, international money laundering, and other threats to the U.S. PUBLIC CORRUPTION, FOREIGN INFLUENCE, AND THE RULE OF LAW The Office pursued cases involving public officials, corporate actors, foreign agents, and others without regard to status or influence. During the year, federal prosecutors pursued cases involving current and former public officials, corporate executives, foreign-government actors, violent offenders, sophisticated financial criminals, and ordinary defendants alike. Those matters included the indictment of then-U.S. Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and others for allegedly stealing $5 million in FEMA disaster funds and related campaign-finance offenses; the Rivera convictions; the Smartmatic prosecution; and cases against powerful foreign-regime actors. Charged defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. BUILDING THE NEXT GENERATION The Office also focused on strengthening the pipeline of future public servants at every stage; from high school and college students to law students preparing to enter the profession. In March, the Office launched its inaugural Federal Prosecutor Leadership Academy, a two-day program designed to introduce high school students to public service, the federal justice system, and careers in federal prosecution and law enforcement. The inaugural class welcomed 33 students from 10 Miami-Dade County high schools, giving students direct access to federal prosecutors, law-enforcement agents, and members of the judiciary. The Office also renewed its participation in the Department of Justice’s Pathways Program, creating paid opportunities for college students to work inside the U.S. Attorney’s Office and gain firsthand experience with the Department’s mission and the day-to-day work of federal public service. At the law-school level, the Office strengthened its longstanding law clerk program, expanding programming, mentorship, and substantive opportunities for law students to work alongside federal prosecutors and experience the practice of federal law. Together, these efforts reflect a long-term investment in the institution: recruiting and developing talented public servants today while building a stronger pipeline of prosecutors and professionals for tomorrow. ONE YEAR OF TRANSFORMATION. THE MISSION CONTINUES. The first year transformed the Office’s structure, expanded its prosecutorial capacity, reduced vacancies by more than a third, increased immigration enforcement by more than 28 percent, produced national leadership in white-collar, HSTF-related, and national-security work, and delivered historic prosecutions with consequences reaching from South Florida neighborhoods to Washington, Havana, Caracas, and Port-au-Prince. “I am proud of what this team accomplished, but this anniversary is not a victory lap,” said Reding Quiñones. “The credit belongs to the career prosecutors and professional staff of this Office and to our extraordinary federal, state, and local law-enforcement partners. Our mission in year two is the same as it was on day one: Protect Americans. Restore Impartial Justice. Defend the Rule of Law. ” ###


title: La Jolla Teen Pleads Guilty to Harassing La Jolla Sea Lion

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Tyler Muehl, an 18-year-old from La Jolla who appeared in a viral video repeatedly kicking at a California sea lion in La Jolla Cove, pleaded guilty in federal court today to violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act’s prohibition on harassment of wildlife. “Federal crime. Federal consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement takes all violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act very seriously,” said NOAA-Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement West Coast Division Assistant Director Eric Morgan. “Intentionally striking or kicking a marine mammal is not only illegal—it is dangerous for the well-being of the animal.” According to his plea agreement, Muehl admitted that late in the evening on July 22, 2026, he repeatedly kicked at the sea lion that was peacefully sitting on the sea wall in La Jolla Cove near Ellen Browning Scripps Park. Muehl approached the animal with his hands at high guard as if preparing to box with or fight the animal. As Muehl approached, he referred to himself as “Max Holloway,” the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter. The defendant admitted that he kicked at the sea lion four different times and that he made contact while kicking at the animal. Muehl twice forcefully kicked at the sea lion’s face, which caused the sea lion to rear flinch and immediately recoil. After the second kick, the sea lion turned and tried to flee, but Muehl chased after the animal and kicked at it a third time. As the sea lion tried to get away, it stumbled on the sea wall as it fled. Muehl kicked at the sea lion a fourth time and continued to chase the animal, ending his pursuit only when the sea lion escaped over the sea wall and made it to the beach. Muehl agreed as part of his plea agreement that a video capturing the event was a fair and accurate recording of what occurred. Muehl pleaded guilty to the charge of “knowingly and unlawfully tak[ing] a marine mammal in waters or on lands under the jurisdiction of the United States in that he did harass and hunt” a California sea lion ( Zalphus californianus ). Under the Marine Mammal protection Act, the word “take” includes harassment, which means “any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance which: (i) has the potential to injure a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild; or (ii) has the potential to disturb a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild by causing disruption of behavioral patterns, including, but not limited to, migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering.” The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill L. Burkhardt on October 20, 2026, at 9:30 am. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Allen and Elizabet Brown from the Southern District of California. DEFENDANT Case Number 26CR3151-JO-JLB Tyler Muehl Age: 18 La Jolla, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (misdemeanor) – Title 16, U.S.C., Sections 1372(a)(2)(A) and 1375(b) Maximum penalty: One year in prison and $100,000 fine INVESTIGATING AGENCY National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison  for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on August 10, 2026. Uelingatoni Pahulu, 32, was sentenced to one year and six months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The court further ordered Pahulu to forfeit the firearm and ammunition. Pahulu was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2026. He pleaded guilty on June 1, 2026. The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on November 1, 2025, in the parking lot of a Shop N Cart on N. Minnesota Avenue in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After getting into an altercation with another man, Pahulu drew a firearm from his waistband and fired two rounds into the ground to scare or intimidate the man. Pahulu then drove away. Shortly thereafter, Pahulu was located and apprehended by the Sioux Falls Police Department. Pahulu had been previously convicted of a felony in the State of California. He is therefore prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell prosecuted the case. Pahulu was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Saint Francis Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Saint Francis, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on August 10, 2026. Julian One Star, age 38, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund . One Star was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2026. He pleaded guilty on May 7, 2026. One Star was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in Rosebud Sioux Tribal Court in October 2022. As a result of his conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and update his registration within three business days of relocation or change in employment or student status. In October 2025, One Star updated his sex offender registration to reflect that he was residing at a residence in Saint Francis. One Star left that residence in December 2025 and did not update his registration. An arrest warrant was issued, and on February 17, 2026, One Star was arrested in Rosebud, South Dakota. This case was brought as a 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. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Unit 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 . This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Zachrison prosecuted the case. One Star was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison  for Receipt of Child Pornography

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on August 3, 2026. Alex Badura, 27, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release on each charge. The time in prison and supervised release is to be served concurrently. Badura was also ordered to pay $285 in restitution and $200 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Forfeiture of computers and a cell phone was also ordered. Badura was indicted for the charges by a federal grand jury in January 2026. He pleaded guilty on April 20, 2026. Between November 2024 and September 2025, Badura used generative artificial intelligence to create child pornography of two, 12-year-old children, who were related to him, from real photographs. On September 24, 2025, Badura possessed approximately 200 images and 163 videos of computer-generated child pornography of the two minors. Badura possessed 1,021 media files that appeared to be cropped or cut and pasted to depict the nude breasts of the two minors and on another device possessed 408 media files of computer-generated child pornography depicting the two minors. Badura then posted photos of the two minors on social media platforms with the minors’ identifying information that could have led other users to find them. Badura bragged in chat groups about having these photographs. Badura also possessed images and videos of child pornography depicting other minors. 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 . This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case. Badura was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: McLaughin Man Sentenced to More Than 8 Years in Federal Prison  for Receipt of Child Pornography

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a McLaughin, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on August 3, 2026. Dakota Horned Eagle, 22, was sentenced to eight years and one month in federal prison, followed by seven years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $570 in restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Forfeiture of a desktop computer and a cell phone was also ordered. Horned Eagle was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury in May 2025. He pleaded guilty on April 21, 2026. Between November 2003 and November 2024, Horned Eagle used his cellular phone to receive sexually explicit visual depictions of minors into a Kik account. Many thousands of the files contained on a flash drive depicted minors who were unmistakably under the age of 18. Law enforcement investigators discovered 88 media files that contained child pornography. Horned Eagle’s Kik account also contained discussions with other Kik users about his sexual abuse of female relatives when they were minors and discussions about trading child pornography with other users. 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 . This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox and Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case. Horned Eagle was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Georgia Man Sentenced for Gun Charge from 2023 S.C. Trooper Shooting

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

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Derrick Gathers, 40, of Augusta, Georgia, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm when he shot a patrolman. Eighty months of his 180-month sentence will be served consecutively to his current state sentence. According to statements made in court, on Aug. 16, 2023, Lance Corporal Frazier with the South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP) stopped Gathers for speeding on Highway 78 in Bamberg County. Gathers gave Trooper Frazier a license and vehicle registration, and Trooper Frazier took those items back to his patrol vehicle to run a routine records check. Trooper Frazier had concerns about the authenticity of the driver’s license, and when Trooper Frazier reapproached the driver’s side of the vehicle to investigate, Gathers pulled out a firearm, shot trooper Frazier in the face, and sped away. Trooper Frazier’s injuries were non-life threatening. A Bamberg County Sheriff’s Department (BCSD) deputy was providing support during the traffic stop, and both officers returned fire at Gather’s fleeing vehicle. Gather’s vehicle was located by law enforcement, including by members of the Bamberg Police Department, SCHP, and BCSD. During the chase, Gathers lost control of the vehicle and crashed in Branchville. Gathers was thereafter taken into custody. The Dorchester County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant on the vehicle and found a pistol loaded with 9mm ammunition under the brake pedal. SLED confirmed that the pistol found on Gather’s floorboard matched the firearm used to shoot Trooper Frazier. “This case highlights two realities: law enforcement put their lives at risk every day, and felons with guns pose a serious threat to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We will continue to support our law enforcement partners by federally prosecuting offenders that put law enforcement and the public’s lives at risk.” “An attack on law enforcement is an attack on the entire community,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “Threats against our law enforcement cannot be tolerated, and ATF will apply every resource we have available to help protect our partners.” Gathers has previous felony convictions for 3rd degree rape and 2nd degree criminal possession of a weapon out of New York, both of which prevent him from possessing a firearm or ammunition. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Gathers to 180 months in federal prison. Eighty months of his 180-month sentence will be served consecutively to his current state sentence. One hundred months of the federal sentence will be served concurrently to the state sentence. He will also have a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bamberg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar Fyall prosecuted the case. ###


title: Mexican National Unlawfully Residing in the United States Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Mexican national was sentenced to federal prison today for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Eduardo Misael Garcia-Sanchez, 29, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison and 4 years’ supervised release announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford. In imposing the sentence, the court found that the defendant, based upon his prior drug dealing convictions, qualified as a career offender. “This case showed true teamwork amongst our law enforcement agencies to bring this drug dealer to justice. I am grateful for the partnership and hard work of our law enforcement. With these brave men and women, we are able to disrupt the distribution of dangerous drugs in our Oregon communities,” said Scott E. Bradford, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. According to court documents, On August 5, 2025, investigators with Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF) were investigating a Portland, Oregon area drug dealer. During the investigation, a vehicle operated by Garcia-Sanchez was identified as likely supplying various drug dealers. Investigators followed Garcia-Sachez’ vehicle as it travelled out of Portland, Oregon. An Oregon State Police (OSP) Trooper was able to conduct a traffic stop of Garcia-Sanchez. During the stop investigators observed a large bundle of cash and apparent heroin in the vehicle. Investigators then placed Garcia-Sanchez in custody. Garcia-Sanchez’ vehicle contained a clear plastic bag underneath the driver’s seat containing approximately 10 individual bindles of fentanyl, which appeared pre-packaged for sale. Investigators recovered from the vehicle the approximate totals of; 120.9 grams of fentanyl powder, 51.8 grams of heroin, and $5,349 in U.S. Currency. Following the seizure and arrest, Garcia-Sanchez was taken to the Multnomah County Detention Center in Portland, Oregon and placed on a federal hold for these offenses. On May 12, 2026, the defendant pleaded guilty to Count 1 of the Indictment which charged him with Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl On September 3, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 2-count indictment charging Garcia-Sanchez with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute heroin. This case was investigated by FBI and CCITF with assistance from OSP. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin. The Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF) — led by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office — works to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating in and around Clackamas County, and reduce illegal drugs and related crimes throughout the community. The task force comprises members from the Canby Police Department, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, the FBI, and the Oregon National Guard Counterdrug Task Force. CCITF is supported by funding from the Public Safety Levy and grant funding from the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Portland comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, USMS, IRS-CI, ATF, USPIS, CBP, TSA, U.S. Coast Guard, Oregon Air, Army National Guard Counterdrug program, and Oregon-Idaho HIDTA with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.


title: Honduran National Unlawfully Residing in the United States Sentenced to 21 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Honduran national unlawfully residing in the United States was sentenced to federal prison today for distribution of fentanyl resulting in the fatal overdose death of a Portland man and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford. Gomez-Soto had more than two prior deportations and a prior drug dealing conviction. Hugo Gomez-Soto, 51, was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison and a lifetime term of supervised release. “This case is a stark reminder of the danger fentanyl poses to our community. The defendant was peddling death, and this time it resulted in the tragic loss of a young man’s life.” said Scott E. Bradford, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “Our hearts go out to the victim’s family. Fentanyl is deadly and leaves devastation for families in its’ wake. As this case shows, my office will do everything we can to hold these merchants of death accountable for the destruction they cause to the community and pursue justice for the victims and their families.” “While this sentence is truly justified, no amount of prison time and no amount of restitution will bring back a lost loved one,” said Acting HSI Seattle Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “We want to thank our Portland Police Bureau partners for their work on this case. Together, we can make an impact against those like Mr. Gomez-Soto, who harm our communities with fentanyl and other illegal narcotics.” According to trial testimony, Gomez-Soto sold the victim illicit fentanyl, in the form of powder and counterfeit pills. The following day the victim, a 29-year-old resident of Southwest Portland, used some of the fentanyl and died moments later. On January 25, 2024, a Portland Police Bureau (PPB) officer used the victim’s phone, pretending to be the victim, to buy drugs from Gomez-Soto. When Gomez-Soto arrived at the deal, he was arrested on state charges. At the time of the arrest, Gomez-Soto possessed both fentanyl powder and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. The police referred the case to the Multnomah District Attorney’s Office who charged Gomez-Soto with negligent homicide and multiple counts of delivery of a controlled substance. On May 5, 2025, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office asked the U.S. Attorney’s Office to review the case for federal prosecution. On May 9, 2025, with the assistance of an Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and PPB, a federal criminal complaint was filed charging Gomez-Soto with the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. On June 18, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Gomez-Soto with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. On April 13, 2026, after a six-day trial, a federal jury found Gomez-Soto guilty of distributing fentanyl that resulted in death and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. This case was investigated by the PPB Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit with assistance from HSI and the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott M. Kerin and Nicole Bockelman. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 2-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is enough to kill an average adult male. The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state. If you are in immediate danger, please call 911. If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org . Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Ocean County Man Admits to Defrauding Orthodox Jewish Community Members of More Than $47 Million

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County man admitted to defrauding more than 97 victims of more than $47 million through a Ponzi-like investment scheme, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Leor Moshe, 43, of Tom’s River, New Jersey pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2026. “The defendant turned the trust of his own religious community into a tool for fraud, exploiting personal relationships to fuel a massive Ponzi scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Frazer. “Thanks to the combined efforts of our colleagues at the SEC and federal law enforcement, he has been brought to justice. Our Office will continue to expose financial fraud, protect the investing public, and hold accountable those who abuse positions of trust for personal gain.” “Investment fraud can drain people's bank accounts and also upend their lives. Dozens of victims placed their trust in promises made by Moshe, who admits he used their money to pay off his gambling habit, among other things,” said Federal Bureau of Investigations, Newark Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy. “FBI Newark will pursue anyone who breaks the law to exploit victims, and we will do all we can to bring justice to every victim impacted by fraudsters.” According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Between June 2019 and June 2023, Moshe induced investors to invest in his company, Capital Funding ASAP LLC, by falsely representing, among other things, that their investments would be used exclusively to fund short-term business loans that would generate returns between 9% and 53%. In reality, Moshe used the money to make Ponzi-like payments to earlier investors and for personal expenses such as gambling debts, home renovations, mortgage loans, and car loans. Moshe obtained approximately $47 million from investors, who were predominately members of the Orthodox Jewish community, and used approximately $11 million for personal expenses. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest. U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, and special agents under the Associate Director of the SEC’s New York Regional Office, Thomas P. Smith., Jr., with the investigation. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Fell of the Economic Crimes Unit, and Jennifer Kozar, Chief of the General Crimes Unit, in Newark. ### Defense counsel: Steven Yurowitz, Esq. moshe.information.pdf


title: Bergen County Man Sentenced to 24 Months’ Imprisonment for Covid-19 Relief Program Fraud

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County man, who orchestrated a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $670,292 in COVID-19 relief funding, was sentenced on August 12, 2026, to 24 months imprisonment, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Malak Faltawws, 49, of Rutherford, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark Federal Court to two counts of an Indictment charging wire fraud and money laundering. Judge Padin also imposed the sentence. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From March 2020 through November 2021, Faltawws fraudulently obtained approximately $670,292 of COVID-19 emergency relief funds, which included loans and cash advances meant for distressed small businesses under the EIDL and PPP programs, by submitting false and fraudulent applications, inflating his businesses’ revenue, payroll expenses, and number of employees. After receiving the fraudulent funds, he diverted the proceeds for his personal gain. In addition to the prison term, Judge Padin sentenced Faltawws to three years of supervised release and to pay restitution in the amount of $670,292 and a fine of $10,000. United States Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Jenifer L. Piovesan. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Farhana C. Melo of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. 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. ### Defense counsel: Daniel Goldman, Esq., San Clemente, California


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

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD — 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. This civil case is in addition to earlier criminal charges brought in the District of 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. 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. 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, to which the company and its President pleaded guilty in February 2026. In April 2026, the company’s owner Charles Santich was sentenced to 18 months in prison and Old Dutch Mustard Co. was ordered to pay a $1.5 million fine. “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.” “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.” The Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of any pollutant into navigable waters of the United States without a permit. According to 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. 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 . 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. EPA’s Region 1 investigated this case.


title: Leader of Fentanyl Trafficking Operation Sentenced to More Than Decade in Prison

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Harrison County man was sentenced today for leading a drug trafficking operation responsible for distributing deadly amounts of fentanyl and other substances across North Central West Virginia, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced. Michael Adam Sine, 44, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 145 months in federal prison for selling fentanyl. Sine, also known as “Mike Mike,” led a drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine throughout Harrison County. Investigators determined that Sine supplied five others with controlled substances for further distribution and used several residences, including his own, to store and sell drugs. During searches of Sine’s home and other properties, including a hotel room he rented, investigators seized nearly half a pound of fentanyl, several grams of methamphetamine and cocaine, multiple firearms, ammunition, drug paraphernalia, and cash. The amount of fentanyl recovered contained enough lethal doses to potentially kill nearly twice the population of Harrison County. Sine’s criminal history includes prior convictions for drug trafficking, robbery, and mail fraud. Five additional defendants have been sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy, receiving a combined total of 15 years in prison. They are Kimberly Dawn Goins, 45, of Clarksburg, West Virginia; Caleb Malcomb Daniel Hudkins, 31, of Bridgeport, West Virginia; Rebecca Darlene Keiper, 39, of Clarksburg, West Virginia; Roxanne Parker, 35, of Clarksburg, West Virginia; and Geneva Shantell Shaffer, 38, of Clarksburg, West Virginia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Number one dark web dealer of Oxycodone sentenced to over 13 years in federal prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: FORT WORTH, Texas — U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, announced today that Samad Hamid Castro, 41, from New Jersey, was sentenced to 164 months in prison for the illicit distribution of Oxycodone to the Northern District of Texas and elsewhere. Castro pleaded guilty to distribution of a controlled substance on April 1. “Samad Castro’s opioid trafficking enterprise flooded dangerous pills into North Texas neighborhoods, saturating our communities with an illicit drug that fuels addiction, breaks up families and strains local resources,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Thanks to the decisive work of the DEA and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, we’ve dismantled a nationwide network that exploited the dark web and the mail system.” “Mr. Castro’s actions contributed to the opioid crisis by disturbing dangerous narcotics through sophisticated dark web traffic,” said DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge Joseph B. Tucker. “DEA and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in identifying and dismantling those who exploit technology to profit from addiction and endanger our communities.” “The USPIS strives to provide a safe environment for postal employees and Postal Service customers — the American public. This includes the investigation of illicit trafficking of narcotics through the U.S. Postal Service,” said Inspector in Charge Kai Pickens of the Fort Worth Division. “We are thankful for our partnerships with the DEA and USAO. The USPIS will exhaust every resource to hold individuals accountable, even those who believe the dark web provides anonymity. For over 251 years we have protected the mail system and effectively enforced the laws of this nation.” In plea papers, Castro admitted that from October 2023 through August 2025, he knowingly and intentionally possessed and mailed parcels containing Oxycodone to various of his customers located in Fort Worth, Keller, Euless, Hurst, Mansfield, Watauga, Weatherford and elsewhere. The illicit narcotics transactions occurred through online dark web marketplaces, on which Castro was a listed seller. As part of his plea of guilty, Castro also agreed to forfeit over $700,000 worth of cryptocurrencies, over $10,000 in cash, and a 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Limited—all of which he admitted were proceeds of or derived from his drug-trafficking conduct. Upon conducting a warranted search of Castro’s residence in New Jersey, law enforcement found over 24,000 Oxycontin pills of varying dosages. Many of the recovered pills were mixed together with and concealed in bags of a Polish-branded breakfast cereal. Others were found stored in large prescription-type containers. The criminal complaint also noted that a shipping account associated with Castro shows that by September 2025, Castro had sent nearly 4,000 parcels to over 1,000 separate customers across 48 states plus the District of Columbia. U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman sentenced Castro to 164 months in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system. The Drug Enforcement Administration Fort Worth District Office – Dallas Division’s Synthetic Precursor Enforcement and Regulatory Team and U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Fort Worth Division conducted the investigation, with assistance from DEA Newark – New Jersey Field Division and USPIS Newark Field Office – Philadelphia Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric B. Chen from the Fort Worth Division prosecuted the case. ###


title: Plattsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Deontae Alexander, age 39, of Plattsburgh, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine, more commonly referred to as “MDMA” or “ecstasy.” First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Farhana Islam, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Division, made the announcement. As part of his guilty plea, Alexander admitted that on April 21, 2026, he agreed with Djosaha Azulphar to sell approximately 3.3 kilograms of MDMA to an individual who, unbeknownst to Azulphar, was an informant with the DEA. That day, Azulphar met the informant in Plattsburgh, NY. Alexander remained at a gas station across the street from the meeting, holding a backpack that contained approximately 3.3 kilograms of MDMA that was to be distributed to the informant. Alexander left the gas station with the MDMA and entered the nearby woods where he hid the backpack containing the MDMA near a tree. Approximately two hours later, Alexander returned to the woods and retrieved the backpack from where he had hidden it, though unbeknownst to him, DEA had already located the backpack and replaced the MDMA with rocks. When confronted by DEA, Alexander threw the backpack and attempted to run but was taken into custody. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarcone said, “As a result of this plea, Alexander now faces up to 20 years in federal prison for his role in trafficking illicit narcotics. Working alongside our partners at the DEA, the United States Attorney’s Office remains firmly committed to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting anyone who seeks to profit from distributing dangerous drugs in our communities. Those who choose to push illicit narcotics into our neighborhoods will face serious federal consequences.” “Today’s guilty plea by Deontae Alexander is another example of the DEA’s unwavering commitment to disrupting those who seek to profit from the distribution of dangerous synthetic drugs in our communities,” said DEA New York Enforcement Division Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam. “Alexander attempted to distribute more than three kilograms of MDMA and took deliberate steps to conceal the narcotics in an effort to evade law enforcement. Thanks to the outstanding work of our DEA team, this dangerous supply of illicit drugs was intercepted before it could reach our streets. The DEA New York Enforcement Division remains steadfast in identifying, investigating, and dismantling drug trafficking organizations and hold those individuals who fuel the illegal drug trade fully accountable.” At sentencing, Alexander faces a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 3 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Azulphar has pled not guilty and is scheduled to go to trial on August 24, 2026. Azulphar is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. This case was investigated by the DEA. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Douglas G. Collyer


title: Albany Man Sentenced for Marijuana and Gun Offenses

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Deandre Caldwell, aka “Dilli,” “Dillinger,” and “Dre,” age 34, of Albany, New York, was sentenced on July 29, 2026, to 97 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Farhana Islam, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Enforcement Division; and Anthony Patrone, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. In pleading guilty, Caldwell admitted to being a member of a marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) trafficking organization that cultivated marijuana on a commercial scale in Fresno, California, and shipped thousands of kilograms of marijuana and THC from Fresno to locations throughout the United States, including the Capital Region of New York. Caldwell received packages of marijuana shipped from Fast Pack & Ship at his apartment on Hudson Avenue in Albany. He sold the marijuana and THC edibles out of a “knock spot,” which is a location used to sell marijuana and THC edibles through a slot in the door. In searching Caldwell’s apartment on June 15, 2022, law enforcement discovered marijuana, THC edibles, digital scales, boxes from Fast Pack & Ship, and $15,941 in cash drug proceeds. The apartment also contained a .380 caliber handgun, which Caldwell possessed to protect his marijuana, THC edibles, and drug proceeds, including from potential robbers. Between June 2020 and May 2022, Caldwell received 66 packages containing approximately 306 kilograms, or 675 pounds, of marijuana. First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III said, “Caldwell was engaged in a large‑scale drug trafficking operation that pushed hundreds of pounds of illegal marijuana and THC into communities across the country and into the Capital Region. This guilty plea is the direct result of the outstanding collaboration and tireless work of our law enforcement partners, whose efforts dismantled this operation piece by piece. Let this serve as a clear message to drug traffickers: if you push illegal drugs into our neighborhoods, we will find you, we will shut you down, and you will face the weight of the American justice system.” ATF New York Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo said, “Drug trafficking and illegal firearms are a dangerous combination that threatens the safety of our communities. This sentence reflects the commitment of our law enforcement partners to identifying, investigating, and dismantling the criminal trafficking networks in our communities. We are grateful for the outstanding collaboration among ATF NY Albany, DEA NY, HSI NY and USAO NDNY.” “The sentencing of Deandre Caldwell reflects the consequences for those who choose to profit from operating a large-scale marijuana distribution network while arming themselves to protect their criminal enterprise” stated DEA New York Enforcement Division Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam. “Over the course of nearly two years, Caldwell received hundreds of kilograms of marijuana and THC shipped across the country from California and distributed those drugs throughout New York’s Capital Region. The recovery of a firearm, alongside narcotic and drug proceeds, underscore the dangerous connection between drug trafficking and violence. The DEA New York Enforcement Division remains committed to dismantling drug trafficking organizations at every level, protecting the Capital Region from those who threaten the safety of our communities.” Acting Special Agent in Charge HSI Buffalo Anthony Patrone said, “Deandre Caldwell turned an Albany apartment into a local outlet for a cross-country drug trafficking operation, moving hundreds of pounds of marijuana and THC while keeping a firearm on hand to protect his illicit business. His 97-month sentence reflects the seriousness of bringing large-scale drug distribution and firearms into our communities. HSI Albany is proud to stand with ATF, DEA, the Troy Police Department, and our federal prosecution partners, whose outstanding investigative work helped bring this case to justice.” Caldwell was charged in an indictment with Dwight A. Singletary II, David Singletary, and 22 other defendants charging marijuana distribution and money laundering conspiracies, firearms offenses, and other crimes. Dwight Singletary and David Singletary, who were charged with similar crimes in a superseding indictment, have pled not guilty and are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charges in the superseding indictment are merely accusations. The 22 other defendants have all pled guilty. The ATF, DEA, Troy Police Department and HSI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyrus P.W. Rieck, Dustin C. Segovia, and Nicholas Walter are prosecuting the case. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.


title: South Bend Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison For Controlled Substance Offense

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Keith Jennings, 51 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. Jennings was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. “A drug dealer meant to profit from unleashing nearly 5 pounds of methamphetamine into our community, but a drug canine ruined his plans. On September 15, 2025, law enforcement performed a traffic stop on a truck Keith Jennings was driving. During the stop, a drug K9 alerted on the vehicle. Officers searched the truck and found approximately 2,128.5 grams of methamphetamine in the backseat area. Thanks to the collaboration of the Drug Enforcement Administration, including the DEA Merrillville District Office, DEA Chicago Special Response Team, DEA Detroit Special Response Team, DEA St. Louis Special Response Team, and DEA North Central Laboratory; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Indiana State Police; the South Bend Police Department; St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office; Mishawaka Police Department; the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office led by Ken Cotter; and Assistant United States Attorneys Lydia T. Lucius and Joel Gabrielse, the Defendant has been sent to prison for fifteen years, the drugs have been intercepted, and our state and nation is safer,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred. “A nearly five-pound seizure of methamphetamine is more than just a statistic; it represents thousands of potential deadly doses that will not make it onto the streets of north central Indiana. The arrest and prosecution of Mr. Jennings highlight the strength of our law enforcement partnerships and the resolve we share in confronting those who traffic dangerous drugs into our communities. The Drug Enforcement Administration and its partners are committed to identifying drug traffickers, disrupting their operations, and holding them accountable,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chip Cooke. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Indianapolis comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, IRS, Indiana State Police, and other partners, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Mexican National Sentenced to 6 months in Prison For Immigration Offense

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: HAMMOND - Horacio Alarcon-Roldan, 32 years old, of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to felony reentry of removed alien, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. Alarcon-Roldan was sentenced to 6 months in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. The supervised release term would go into effect should the Defendant remain in, or return to, the United States within that period following expected removal proceedings. According to documents in the case, Alarcon-Roldan has a prior misdemeanor conviction for illegal entry without inspection in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. “The Defendant was previously removed from the United States in May 2013 and showed that he did not believe our nations laws applied to him. He was wrong. Once he is released, the Defendant needs to return home and not violate our nation’s borders again illegally. Thanks to the combined efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District Transit Police, and Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan, the Defendant has been held accountable,” said US Attorney, Adam Mildred. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District Transit Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan. ###


title: Will County Man Who Transported a Minor to Illinois To Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity Sentenced to More Than 27 Years in Federal Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — A Will County man who transported a minor to Illinois from Iowa to engage in criminal sexual activity has been sentenced to more than 27 years in federal prison. In the summer of 2021, RYAN ZELEK communicated with a 13-year-old girl on the social media application Snapchat. Zelek, knowing the girl was 13 years old, drove to Iowa, picked up the girl outside of a movie theatre, and transported her to his residence in Illinois, where he sexually assaulted her. Zelek then drove the victim back to Iowa. Law enforcement later conducted a court-authorized search of Zelek’s electronic devices and discovered thousands of images and videos of child pornography, including sadistic acts being perpetrated against very young children. Zelek, 33, of Wilmington, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to a federal charge of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey sentenced Zelek to 27 and a half years in federal prison. Judge Blakey also ordered Zelek to pay a total of $54,298 in restitution. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ryan Whalen, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Wilmington, Ill., Police Department and the FBI Field Office in Mobile, Ala. provided valuable assistance. “Ryan Zelek raped and brutalized a 13-year-old girl and recorded a video of it on his cell phone,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin M. Pinkston argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant clearly foresaw the consequences of his actions, knew exactly how abhorrent his actions were, and yet abused the minor anyway.” If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-843-5678 or logging on to www.cybertipline.com . The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


title: Multi-Time Felon Who Received 2024 Commutation for Fentanyl Trafficking Nabbed in Large Fentanyl Seizure

body_text: ATLANTA - Walter Lee Muhammad, a multi-convicted drug trafficker whose 2020 sentence for fentanyl trafficking was commuted by former President Joe Biden in December 2024, appeared in federal court today on a new fentanyl-trafficking charge filed in the Northern District of Georgia. “Muhammad is a serial drug trafficker who – despite receiving the extraordinary gift of presidential clemency – continued to deal lethal fentanyl and other dangerous drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thanks to our law enforcement partners, the community is safer with this repeat offender off the street and back behind bars.” “Despite receiving a second chance, this defendant returned to trafficking fentanyl and putting lives at risk,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “The seizure of this significant amount of fentanyl is a reminder that we will continue to hold those who profit from this deadly poison accountable. Through the combined efforts of the Homeland Security Task Force and our law enforcement partners, we will continue working to keep fentanyl off our streets and protect our communities.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On August 5, 2026, DEA agents conducting a narcotics investigation in Atlanta saw Muhammad loading multiple bags of suspected drugs into his BMW. Agents followed Muhammad’s vehicle to Greensboro, North Carolina, where the Guilford County (North Carolina) Sheriff’s Office stopped it. During the stop, a K-9 allegedly alerted deputies to the odor of narcotics, prompting deputies to search the BMW. Law enforcement seized approximately 29 kilograms of suspected cocaine from Muhammad’s vehicle and arrested him. The next day, DEA agents searched Muhammad’s apartment in midtown Atlanta, where they seized two kilograms of suspected fentanyl and seven kilograms of suspected heroin. DEA also searched Muhammad’s southwest Atlanta property and recovered three firearms, including a stolen pistol. Muhammad has multiple prior convictions for drug trafficking. On August 13, 1999, Muhammad was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine; on November 24, 2010, he was convicted of conspiracy to distribute marijuana; and on February 6, 2020, he was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison following his conviction for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. On December 12, 2024, approximately five years after Muhammad’s federal conviction, then-President Biden commuted Muhammad’s 2020 sentence along with the sentences of 1,498 other federal prisoners. On August 7, 2026, a federal criminal complaint was filed in the Northern District of Georgia charging Walter Lee Muhammad, 46, of Atlanta, Georgia, with possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances. Today, Muhammad appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Greensboro, North Carolina. He will appear in the Northern District of Georgia at a later date. He is detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending further proceedings. Members of the public are reminded that the criminal complaint only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with valuable assistance from the Sandy Springs Police Department, Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, and the Greensboro Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Johnny Baer is prosecuting the case. The investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Tennessee Man Federally Indicted for Politically Motivated Arson Under Joint Task Force Vanguard

body_text: Tallahassee, Florida – Ian Nathaniel Grice, 28, of Dixon, Tennessee, has been indicted in federal court for arson and interstate travel in aid of a racketeering enterprise. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge. Grice appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for September 21, 2026, at 8:30 am before United States District Court Judge Mark E. Walker in Tallahassee, Florida. If convicted, Grice faces 5 years and up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the arson count. He faces up to 5 years’ imprisonment on the interstate travel in aid of a racketeering enterprise count. The case is being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tallahassee Police Department, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Investigative and Forensic Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is part of the nationwide National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, which is a White House-directed, interagency effort to integrate federal, state, and local partners in protecting First Amendment rights while targeting individuals and organizations engaged in political violence and is led by the investigative and prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vanguard. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Pensacola Woman Indicted for Arming a Convicted Felon

body_text: Pensacola, Florida – Razhane Harrison, 31, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for transfer of a firearm to a prohibited person. The indictment alleges that Harrison disposed of a Glock 9-millimeter pistol to convicted felon Marcellous Likely-McWilliams III, who pleaded guilty earlier this month to possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge. Harrison appeared in federal court for her arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for September 8, 2026, at 8:00 am before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers in Pensacola, Florida. Harrison faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment if convicted. The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brooke Lindsay. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Air Force Member Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography Offenses

body_text: Tallahassee, Florida – Matthew Fooladian, 25, of Panama City, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count each of distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “These offenses are truly horrific because the innocent children depicted in child sexual abuse material are effectively re-victimized each and every time the images and videos of their abuse are viewed, shared, and distributed online. It remains one of my office’s highest priorities to prosecute these disgusting offenders to the fullest extent of the law to achieve justice for those innocent child victims.” Court documents reflect that in September 2025, the Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) at Tyndall Air Force Base sought the assistance of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) in reviewing a cell phone seized from the defendant. While reviewing the evidence, BCSO located child pornography. With the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and electronic forensic examination by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), law enforcement determined the defendant exchanged child pornography with numerous other individuals via social media applications. Fooladian faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for each count of distribution and receipt of child pornography, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for possession of child pornography. Sentencing is scheduled for September 17, 2026, at 2:00 pm, at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith L. Steer and Joseph A. Ravelo. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Alleged Mexico-Based Methamphetamine Trafficker Transported Back To The United States To Face Federal Charges

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: OAKLAND – The government of Mexico recently deported Julio Palafox, a United States citizen, to the United States where he was arrested by the United States Marshals on a warrant to appear on charges stemming from his alleged involvement in the distribution of methamphetamine in the Bay Area. U.S. Marshals Foreign Field Office (FFO) - Guadalajara coordinated the arrest with the Secretaría de Seguridad Pública (SSP) Jalisco and the Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM). Palafox appeared in court today in Oakland before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ajay S. Krishnan. On July 11, 2024, a federal grand jury indicted Palafox, 34, of Bay Point, CA, in connection with a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. The indictment charges Palafox with multiple counts of distribution of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A)(viii). According to court documents, Palafox is a Mexico-based methamphetamine trafficker that during the period of the conspiracy was responsible for hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine entering the Northern District of California. Palafox has been living in the town of Yahualica in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Palafox was transported back to the United States on July 24, 2026. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anna Y. Park on July 28, 2026, in the Central District of California for an initial appearance and arraignment on the indictment and was ordered detained pending trial. Palafox appeared today before Judge Krishnan for further proceedings in this district and will next appear before the Honorable Araceli Martinez-Olguin on August 17, 2026. “Julio Palafox’s return to the United States from Mexico sends a clear message to drug traffickers everywhere that they can run, but they cannot hide. This was a complex operation, and we are grateful to the agencies whose hard work led to his capture. We remain firmly committed to protecting our communities from the scourge of illegal drugs and will pursue drug traffickers wherever they may be found,” said U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian. “The trafficking of methamphetamine in the United States is an ever-present threat to public safety," said HSI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Jeff Brannigan. “Homeland Security Investigations, as part of the Homeland Security Task Force, will pursue smugglers and traffickers worldwide to protect our communities in the Bay Area and across the country.” “This investigation is a testament to great teamwork. This coordinated action was a combination of increased focus on enforcement, intelligence, and domestic and international collaboration,” said Bob P. Beris, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA San Francisco Field Division. “DEA is relentless in dismantling criminal operations responsible for trafficking poison in our communities with deadly synthetic drugs like methamphetamine. This is another example of a successful operation resulting in arrests and removal of significant amounts of meth. Every arrest we make represents lives saved and communities defended." An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Defendant faces a maximum sentence of a lifetime of imprisonment, a fine of $10,000,000, a lifetime of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by a court only after considerations of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Francisco comprises agents and officers from DEA and HSI, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maya Karwande and Kevin Yeh are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Sara Slattery and Andy Ding. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DEA and HSI, with assistance from the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office and the Salinas Police Department.


title: Hardin man sentenced to over 4 years in prison for possessing child pornography

body_text: BILLINGS – A Hardin man who had downloaded Child Sexual Abuse Material was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison, followed by eight years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. He was also ordered to pay a total of $10,100 in special assessments. Randall Allen Flatlip, 36, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to one count of possessing child pornography. U.S. District Judge William M. Mercer presided. The government alleged in court documents that a cyber tip in July 2022 alerted authorities that Flatlip, who was living in Hardin, had downloaded a video depicting a child under 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Investigators received a search warrant for Flatlip’s email where they learned multiple images and videos had been deleted prior to the search. Investigators interviewed a former roommate who said she once saw Flatlip watching Child Sexual Abuse Material on a mobile tablet. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Bozeman woman pleads guilty to drug charges

body_text: BILLINGS – A Bozeman woman who was dealing methamphetamine admitted to charges Wednesday, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. Raven Renay Thompson, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Thompson faces 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine, five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Lane presided and will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Dec. 9,2026. Thompson remained in custody pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that Thompson was dealing meth for Chad Bachmann, who was sentenced in July 2026 to more than 18 years in prison for drug trafficking. Bachmann was trafficking “large amounts” of meth from Washington, Oregon, and California into Montana and admitted to taking multiple trips to meet with suppliers there. In 2025, Bachmann provided a significant amount of this meth to Thompson and her codefendant Dakota Towner to sell to users in the Bozeman area. Towner pleaded guilty to meth possession charges in June and will be sentenced in October. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich is prosecuting the case. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation.