title: Modesto Man Indicted for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury on Thursday returned an indictment against Luis Antonio Perez Sigala, 29, of Modesto, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, in August 2026, Sigala possessed a black Makarov handgun and 10 rounds of .380-caliber ammunition. Sigala is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of prior felony convictions. The Merced County Sheriff’s Office and the Stanislaus County Probation Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Langston is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Sigala faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is also part of the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney program, a partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and local District Attorney’s Offices. These attorneys remain employed by the District Attorney’s Offices but work on federal investigations and can prosecute cases in both state and federal court, strengthening efforts to combat transnational organized crime and violent crime in the region. Currently, the District Attorney’s Offices of Fresno, Sacramento, Stanislaus, and Yolo Counties are participating. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Langston serves as a Deputy District Attorney in Stanislaus County. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.


title: Kentucky Woman Indicted on Two Counts for Vandalizing National Mall’s World War II Memorial in D.C.

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – An indictment was returned yesterday charging Melissa Farris, 41, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, with two federal counts related to vandalizing the World War II Memorial on the National Mall on August 13, 2026, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “The World War II Memorial stands as a lasting tribute to the courage of 16 million Americans who served during World War II and the ultimate sacrifice of the 405,399 who gave their lives defending our nation and the freedoms we hold dear. Defacing it is an affront to their service and sacrifice,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “We will use every tool available under federal law to ensure this conduct is met with justice.” On August 27, 2026, a grand jury in U.S. District Court returned an indictment charging Farris with one count of Destruction of Veterans’ Memorial and one count of Destruction of Government Property. A court hearing is scheduled for September 3, 2026. According to the criminal complaint filed on August 14, U.S. Park Police were called about 2 p.m. on August 13 for a report of a disorderly person. A witness told officers that they had observed a woman spray painting graffiti on portions of the Atlantic Theatre Pavilion of the World War II Memorial at the eastern end of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. A United States Park Ranger arrived at the scene and observed foam in the fountain area of the Atlantic pavilion. Multiple people were gathered around the balcony watching a woman shooting video of herself. The woman fled when she became aware of the Ranger’s presence. Orange-colored paint had been sprayed onto the wall with the words: “Clean Hands Dirty $.” Additionally, green-colored paint was also sprayed onto the wall just under the orange spray paint, and pink-colored paint was splattered on the ground. In a trash can near the north entrance of the balcony, law enforcement recovered a white sign with painted letters. The paint used on the sign appeared to match the paint that was used to vandalize the northern entrance balcony. A witness had taken a photo of the woman defacing the Memorial. One U.S. Park Police officer recognized her as someone police had arrested on August 10 for unlawfully camping on federal property near 18th Street NW and Virginia Ave. NW, just a few blocks away from the World War II Memorial. On August 10, as she was being arrested by Park Police, she live streamed the event over her Facebook and Instagram social media accounts on which she identified herself as “Melissa Lovewell.” In a review of Farris’s public social media accounts, investigators discovered that she had recorded multiple livestream videos on August 13. In one recorded video, she allegedly admitted to damaging the World War II Memorial. Before Farris defaced the World War II Memorial, she had allegedly recorded and posted a video in which she stated, “I am cognitively aware and executively (sic) of the choices I am making and I am doing so to push my whistleblower case into the courtroom . . . someone has to make choices that are different and I am accountable for my actions. I am going to make these choices today and I will step foot into the courtroom, and I will wait to be arrested . . . I am accountable for the things that I do and the choices that I make and our government needs to be accountable for their choices too.” The Memorial honors the 16 million American service members who served during World War II, the millions more who supported the war effort from the home front, and the 405,399 Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice during the war. The Memorial contains two main pavilions, the Atlantic and Pacific pavilions, named for the two main theaters of the war. Over four million tourists pay their respect at the memorial annually. Charges in an indictment are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 26cr205 Follow us on Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc


title: D.C. Man Gets Five Years in Prison for Planned Attack in August 2024

body_text: WASHINGTON – Gregory Grooms, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 60 months in prison in D.C. Superior Court for charges related to an assault on a 31-year-old District resident on August 7, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “After this defendant and his accomplice spent hours lying in wait for their victim, they ambushed him at gunpoint, repeatedly pistol-whipped him, forced him to strip, and paraded him naked through his apartment building,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “For this calculated and brutal attack, the Government asked for the top of the sentencing guidelines—13 years in prison. The court imposed five. While we respect the court’s decision, five years does not reflect the full severity of what this defendant did to his victim.” Grooms was found guilty by a Superior Court jury on March 30, 2026, of one count each of conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, and carrying a pistol without a license. Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel ordered Grooms to serve the prison term to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Government recommended a sentence at the top of the sentencing guidelines for a total of 13 years of imprisonment. According to the government’s evidence, on the night of August 6–7, 2024, Grooms and an accomplice drove to the parking lot of the victim’s apartment building and waited in Grooms’ car for more than three hours. At 1:12 a.m., just minutes after the victim came outside to have drinks with a woman in front of the building, Grooms and his accomplice got out of Grooms’ car and walked toward the victim. Grooms and his accomplice pointed handguns at the victim and then repeatedly pistol-whipped the victim in the head and face, leaving the victim injured and bloodied. The assault continued for several minutes as the victim, Grooms, and Grooms’ accomplice made their way inside the apartment building lobby and into an elevator. Once in the elevator, Grooms and his accomplice forced the victim to remove his clothes at gunpoint. Grooms and his accomplice then paraded the victim out of the building, naked from the waist down. On August 14, 2024, Grooms was stopped by police while driving his vehicle; during a subsequent search of the vehicle, a handgun was located under the driver’s seat. Grooms was arrested on August 14, 2024, and has been in custody since. Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorney Michael Roberts, who prosecuted the case. 2024 CF3 008149


title: Sex Offender Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sex Abuse Material

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that RUDOLPH GIRDHARI, 36, of Norwalk, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 123 months of imprisonment and a lifetime of supervised release for possessing child sex abuse material. According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2012, Girdhari was convicted in state court of possession of child pornography in the second degree, and was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment, execution suspended after two years, and 20 years of probation. In 2022 and 2023, an FBI investigation of individuals trading child sex abuse images and videos on Wickr, an encrypted communication service, determined that an email address connected to Girdhari was being used to access two child pornography trading networks on Wickr. On May 2, 2024, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Girdhari’s residence and seized numerous electronic devices including phones, tablets, computers, hard drives, and thumb drives. Analysis of the seized devices revealed more than 2,000 images and videos of child sex abuse. Girdhari has been detained since May 16, 2024, when he was arrested for violating his state probation. On December 3, 2025, he pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of child pornography. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Office of Adult Probation and the Norwalk Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: New York Woman Charged with Trafficking Counterfeit Luxury Watches Imported from China

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, and Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that SI MAN LAM , 43, of Brooklyn, New York, has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging her with offenses related to her trafficking counterfeit luxury and designer brand watches imported from China. As alleged in court documents, between April 2020 to July 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized approximately 74 parcels addressed to the Waterbury residence of Izedin Kimca, or his aliases, that contained counterfeit luxury watches, including counterfeit Rolex, Audemars, and Panerai watches, having a total estimated manufacturers’ suggested retail price of more than $16 million had the watches been authentic. In addition, between February 2021 to April 2022, CBP seized approximately 22 parcels addressed to the Worcester, Massachusetts residence of Denis and Klevis Nako that contained counterfeit luxury watches, including counterfeit Rolex and Cartier watches, having a total estimated manufacturers’ suggested retail price of more than $3 million had the watches been authentic. Between February and June 2021, CBP seized seven packages that were addressed to Lam’s New York residences and contained approximately 378 counterfeit Rolex, Cartier, and other luxury watches having a total estimated manufacturers’ suggested retail price of approximately $6.4 million. It is further alleged that Kimca, Denis Nako, and Klevis Nako operated various websites, Instagram pages, and Facebook pages through which they advertised and sold counterfeit luxury watches that they had imported from China. During the investigation, law enforcement made multiple undercover transactions in which they purchased counterfeit Rolex watches from several of the Instagram accounts for approximately $200 to $300 per watch. The proceeds of the sales were deposited into bank accounts belonging to or connected to Kimca, Denis Nako, and Klevis Nako. Between January 2021 and April 2024, more than $800,000 in funds were transferred from these accounts to Lam. Investigators identified Lam as the individual who was responsible for shipping the watches that were purchased over Instagram, including several of the watches purchased during the undercover investigation. Kimca, Denis Nako, and Klevis Nako were arrested on April 3, 2024. It is alleged that, on April 5, 2024, law enforcement agents interviewed Lam at JFK Airport after she arrived from a trip to Hong Kong. Lam claimed that she worked as a home health care aid and denied having knowledge of the importation and sale of counterfeit goods. Working with others, Lam continued to sell and ship numerous counterfeit watches until approximately May 2026. Analysis of bank accounts associated with Lam revealed that between December 2020 and October 2025, she made more than $2.7 million in payments to freight forwarding companies. Lam was arrested on August 26, 2026. On that date, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of her residence and seized approximately $900,000 in cash. She subsequently appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained. The complaint charges Lam with trafficking in and conspiring to traffic in counterfeit goods and services, offenses that carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Kimca, Denis Nako, and Klevis Nako pleaded guilty to related charges. Klevis Nako has been sentenced , and Kimca and Denis Nako await sentencing. This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the New Haven Police Department, the Watertown Police Department, and the New York Police Department have assisted the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neeraj N. Patel and Shan Patel. 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 toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Haven comprises agents and officers from the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Labor, and Connecticut State Police, with prosecutions led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.


title: U.S. Extradites to Chile Most Wanted Alleged Tren de Aragua Leader Charged with Directing Extortions and Fatal Kidnapping

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – An illegal alien from Venezuela has been extradited at the request of the Government of Chile so that he may be prosecuted on seven charges stemming from his alleged role as a leader of “Los Piratas,” the primary Chilean cell of the Venezuelan transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TdA). Rafael Enrique Gámez Salas, 40, who was surrendered to Chilean authorities on Tuesday, is accused of directing multiple extortions and kidnappings on behalf of TdA, one of which resulted in the highly publicized murder of a former Venezuelan military officer. This extradition brings Gámez, who also has criminal convictions in the United States for human smuggling and illegal reentry after deportation, one step closer to facing justice in Chile after illegally attempting to seek refuge in the United States. “The United States is not a safe haven for dangerous criminal aliens,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Rafael Enrique Gámez Salas should never have been in our country in the first place, but under the Biden administration, open-border policies left the doors wide open, and hundreds of suspected and convicted Tren de Aragua terrorists poured into this country. Gámez Salas’s extradition is evidence of the strong cooperation with our Chilean partners to combat transnational crime, dismantle foreign terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua, and hold members accountable for their heinous criminal acts.” “At the time of TdA leader Rafael Enrique Gámez Salas’s arrest on the Chilean extradition charges, he was finishing a sentence here for illegal re-entry into the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Instead of deporting him to Venezuela, which does not extradite its own nationals, he now will be sent to Chile to face charges there that include murder, kidnapping, and extortion. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs worked extensively with Chilean authorities to extradite this defendant and ensure that another violent, illegal alien who came here unlawfully will be punished for breaking our laws and then go to Chile to face the charges levied there. When governments work cross borders together, all communities benefit and become more safe.” “Thanks to the previous administration’s open borders, a murderous terrorist was allowed to enter our country,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “I commend our law enforcement partners in the United States and Chile for removing this criminal, who will hopefully never see the outside of a prison again.” Gámez, also known as “Adrián Rafael Gámez Finol” and “Turko,” is accused of overseeing the criminal activities of Los Piratas in Chile. According to Chilean authorities, he planned and coordinated kidnappings, homicides, extortions and other offenses on behalf of the TdA affiliate, which included instructing subordinates to obtain necessary resources to execute the offenses and ensuring that financial resources generated for Los Piratas were transferred abroad. Chile sought Gámez’s extradition so that he may stand trial for one count of criminal association, two counts of extortion, two counts of unjustified firearm discharge, one count of kidnapping resulting in homicide and one count of kidnapping for extortion, arising from separate crimes against multiple victims. Chile alleges, among other things, that Gámez, acting under the supervision of senior TdA leadership, directed and planned the February 2024 kidnapping and murder in Santiago, Chile, of a former Lieutenant in the Venezuelan military. According to Chile, members of Los Piratas arrived at the victim’s apartment building in the middle of the night armed with firearms and in a car equipped with a blue light in an apparent attempt to impersonate officers of the Chilean Investigative Police. After using a battering ram to force entry into the victim’s apartment, the perpetrators handcuffed the victim and forcibly removed him from the building and into a car. Around one week later, in response to a tip from a witness, authorities discovered the victim’s body by drilling into the concrete floor of a makeshift dwelling in a housing development elsewhere in Santiago, Chile. The victim’s body was found covered in lime, concealed inside a suitcase, buried in concrete more than three feet deep and sealed beneath a concrete slab. An autopsy determined that the victim’s cause of death was asphyxia due to hanging, and the victim’s body showed signs of suspension by the upper extremities, lesions consistent with torture and partial postmortem dismemberment. Testimony obtained in the Chilean investigation revealed that the victim’s kidnapping and murder was allegedly ordered by leaders of TdA and directed to be paid for from outside of Chile. Additionally, in an intercepted conversation, Gámez allegedly told other Los Piratas members that he had been assigned “from above” the task of coordinating and executing the crime. In support of its other charges against Gámez, Chile also alleges that he played a leading role in an April 2024 deadly armed confrontation that killed a Chilean police officer; February and June 2024 kidnappings for extortion; and a March 2024 attempted kidnapping, among other offenses. In 2023, Gámez was removed from the United States to Venezuela for having entered the United States illegally. He subsequently illegally reentered the United States and was prosecuted for human smuggling by the Val Verde County District Attorney’s Office in Texas. He was convicted in February 2025, after which he was indicted in the Southern District of Texas for illegally reentering the United States. He pleaded guilty to the illegal reentry charge in April 2025 and was serving his prison sentence in the Central District of California when he was arrested on Chile’s provisional arrest request in this matter. Gámez was also subject to an order of removal to Venezuela, which does not extradite its own nationals. On June 30, 2026, following Chile’s submission of a formal extradition request, Gámez consented to extradition, and United States Magistrate Judge Charles F. Eick for the Central District of California certified his extradition to the Secretary of State. The U.S. Department of State subsequently issued a surrender warrant authorizing Gámez’s extradition. Assistant United States Attorney John J. Lulejian and Trial Attorneys Reena T. Mittelman and Ruxandra Barbulescu of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs handled this extradition matter. The United States Marshals Service provided significant assistance in this case and ensured a smooth and safe transfer of custody to Chilean authorities so that Gámez could be transported back to Chile to face trial. Previously, in September 2025, the United States extradited to Chile another alleged TdA member, Edgar Javier Benítez Rubio, who was charged in Chile with multiple offenses arising from this same kidnapping and murder of the former Venezuelan Lieutenant. That extradition matter was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.


title: Two Chinese Nationals Sentenced to Federal Prison for Leading Trans-Pacific $16.2 Million Apple Device Return Fraud

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Two Chinese nationals – one of them an illegal alien – living in the Inland Empire were sentenced to federal prison today for leading a large-scale, trans-Pacific scheme to defraud Apple Inc. through the fraudulent “returns” of thousands of counterfeit iPhones, iPads, and other Apple goods that caused the Cupertino-based technology company at least $16.2 million in losses. Wenhui Huang, 41, of Chino Hills, the group’s ringleader and an illegal immigrant, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison by United States District Judge André Birotte, Jr., who also ordered him to pay $16,239,254 in restitution. Huang pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity. Judge Birotte today also sentenced Yang Song, 39, of Corona, the group’s second-in-command, to 57 months in federal prison, and ordered him to pay $16,997,415 in restitution. Song pleaded guilty in June 2025 to 21 counts of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, in addition to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering for a separate scheme involving the funneling of proceeds of various frauds to overseas. Huang and Song are the final defendants to be sentenced in this case. According to court documents, from at least December 2015 to March 2024, Huang, Song, and others coordinated with co-conspirators in China to smuggle counterfeit Apple iPhones, iPads, and other devices to them and other U.S.-based co-conspirators. The counterfeit Apple devices smuggled to Huang, Song, and others in the U.S. were designed to look like genuine Apple devices and included identification numbers matching the numbers on real Apple products that had been sold in North America, were owned by real people, and were under warranty through Apple’s manufacturer warranty and AppleCare+, Apple’s extended warranty program. The real identification numbers and serial numbers on the counterfeit devices that defendants returned were designed to essentially impersonate the real Apple devices owned by real people throughout the United States – and therefore deceived Apple into replacing the counterfeit devices with real devices under Apple’s warranty programs. Once the counterfeit devices were smuggled into the U.S., the defendants fraudulently returned the counterfeit iPhones, iPads, and other devices to Apple as if they were genuine and had been legitimately purchased, were eligible for Apple’s warranty programs, and as if they were the lawful possessor of the Apple devices. The defendants knowingly and fraudulently represented that the counterfeit Apple devices they returned were genuine but were broken or non-operational and were covered by the company’s warranty programs. Some of the false reasons given to Apple store employees were because the devices purportedly would not power on, were physically damaged, or had other defects. But the defendants knew that the Apple devices they were returning were counterfeit and fraudulently used the identification numbers and serial numbers of real people’s Apple devices to victimize both Apple and the device owners. As part of the scheme, the defendants visited multiple Apple stores throughout Southern California, including stores in Beverly Hills, Sherman Oaks, Pasadena, Irvine, Northridge, Manhattan Beach, Brea, Rancho Cucamonga, Cerritos and at shopping malls such as The Grove in Los Angeles, South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Fashion Island in Newport Beach, and The Americana at Brand in Glendale. In many cases, they visited as many as 10 different Apple stores where they would allegedly return counterfeit devices. Once at the Apple stores, Apple employees either replaced or repaired the counterfeit Apple device with a genuine Apple device during the same visit or, on other occasions, took the defendants’ counterfeit devices and shipped them to a repair center. Apple then shipped to the defendants a genuine replacement Apple device or a repaired device to either an Apple store, where the defendants returned to pick up the new device, or at the dozens of mailboxes at UPS Stores that the defendants rented across Southern California to receive counterfeit devices from China and receive genuine replacement devices from Apple. After successfully returning the counterfeit Apple devices for genuine ones, the defendants shipped the genuine devices to co-conspirators both in the United States and abroad, primarily in China, where the genuine Apple devices were resold at a substantial profit. Federal prosecutors secured six convictions in this case, including for Yushan Lin, 32, and Shuyi Xing, 36, both of Corona, whom Judge Birotte on Wednesday sentenced to 18 months of home detention and 38 months in federal prison, respectively, and ordered to pay $16,239,254 and $17,343,549 in restitution, respectively. Lin and Xing fraudulently returned and attempted to return at least 1,584 counterfeit devices to Apple, causing at least $1,116,544 in actual losses to the company in their part of the overall conspiracy. Two other defendants, Zhengxuan Hu, 28, of Alhambra, an illegal alien, and Junwei Jiang, 39, of East Los Angeles, were previously sentenced to prison terms of 24 months and 36 months, respectively, for their role in the scheme and were ordered to pay $16,239,254 in restitution. Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Los Angeles Police Department provided substantial assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew M. Roach of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.


title: Honduran National Living in San Fernando Valley Arrested on Federal Criminal Complaint Charging Him with Fraudulently Registering to Vote

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Honduran national and lawful permanent resident living in the San Fernando Valley was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with fraudulently registering to vote in United States elections. Darwin Jonathan Rivera Flores, 30, of Winnetka, is charged with two felonies: false claim to U.S. citizenship and fraudulent voter registration. Rivera was arrested this morning and is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. “Noncitizens who commit fraud so they can vote in American elections do so in violation of federal law and should expect to be prosecuted,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Let this criminal complaint serve as a reminder that the Justice Department stands ready to enforce the laws Congress enacted to ensure only American citizens vote in federal elections.” “Today’s arrest is the first of many to come,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Unfortunately, because states like California allow non-citizens to easily register to vote and receive a ballot by mail, there’s no telling how many non-citizens are currently registered to vote. We again renew our request that California immediately comply with our requests to audit their voter rolls so that all voters can have confidence in our elections.” According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Rivera was born in Honduras, entered the United States in 2002, and is present in the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident (commonly known as “green card” holder). He is not a U.S. citizen. In February 2026, Rivera physically disrupted immigration law enforcement operations at the federal building in Camarillo, was issued a misdemeanor citation to which he pleaded guilty and was placed on one year of probation. In April 2026, Rivera sent a federal agent a series of text messages, which read in part, “Your not the good guy I can’t wait until the mid terms you dont have qualified immunity then we can start and indict all you guys one bye one.” Rivera continued texting the federal agent until July 2026. Law enforcement investigated and discovered an online voter registration record in the name of “Darwin Rivera” associated with Rivera’s Winnetka address. Law enforcement also obtained a certified voter registration application number, a voter registration receipt, and a signature image from the California Secretary of State, Elections Division. The voter registration name was listed as “Darwin J Rivera” and listed Rivera’s address in Winnetka. Under the application question of “Did someone help you fill out this form” the answer “no” was checked, and a check mark was provided next to the application wording “I am a U.S. citizen.” Following a declaration under penalty of perjury warning, the voter registration application deadline was dated November 4, 2025. Additional records from California Secretary of State and the County of Los Angeles, the birthplace listed under Rivera’s name was “United States of America.” There is no record of Rivera seeking or obtaining U.S. citizenship. Rivera also has not voted in an election. A criminal complaint contains merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Rivera would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison on each charge. Homeland Security Investigations is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Michael G. Wheat of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.


title: Aspiring Rapper Among 3 Defendants Charged with Scheming to Cash More Than $8.1 Million in Stolen Checks

body_text: LOS ANGELES – An aspiring rapper is among two defendants arrested – and a total of three defendants charged – in a 25-count federal grand jury indictment alleging they illegally possessed more than 50 stolen United States Treasury checks and hundreds of other checks belonging to individuals and businesses, totaling more than $8.1 million, then cashed and attempted to cash stolen checks at lenders throughout Southern California, the Justice Department announced today. Ada William Obayuwana, 31, a.k.a. “ColdheartedAC” and “AC,” of Quartz Hill, is charged alongside Albert Tai Vu, 28, of Westminster, and Cassandra Marie Murrillo, 31, of San Diego, with nine counts of bank fraud. Obayuwana is also charged with three counts of delivering stolen Treasury checks and one count of aggravated identity theft. Vu is charged with five counts of delivering stolen Treasury checks, four counts of money laundering, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Murillo is charged with an additional count of delivering stolen Treasury checks. Obayuwana was arrested and made his initial appearance in Los Angeles federal court on Wednesday. His detention hearing is scheduled for today. He remains in federal custody. Vu was arrested Thursday and is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Murrillo is expected to surrender to federal authorities on Monday in Los Angeles. According to the indictment, from at least April 2022 to December 2023, the defendants illegally obtained and possessed stolen checks totaling more than $8.1 million, including more than 50 stolen U.S. Treasury checks. The stolen U.S. Treasury checks contained tax refunds, veterans’ benefits, and Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits. The defendants then forged endorsements on the Treasury checks or altered names and addresses on the checks for the purpose of stealing them. The defendants opened bank accounts for the purpose of receiving the fraudulently transferred funds. Sometimes, they used business documents mimicking the names and other identifiers of the victims to cash stolen checks. The defendants then deposited stolen funds into accounts at bank and credit union branches in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties. From April 2022 to December 2023, Obayuwana attempted to cash at least three Treasury tax refund checks with a total value of approximately $382,109. He ultimately successfully cashed one of those checks, withdrawing a total of approximately $229,109 in funds that were in the possession, control, and custody of the banks. In December 2023, Obayuwana possessed in his car in Oceanside more than 100 stolen or fraudulent checks, cumulatively worth more than $6.1 million. Among those checks were 48 stolen U.S. Treasury checks worth approximately $2,555,417 in tax refunds, veterans’ benefits, and SSA benefits. Of the checks he illegally possessed, eight were successfully cashed for a total value of approximately $1,701,507. From April 2022 to December 2023, Vu attempted to cash at least six Treasury checks with a total value of $2,151,391 and successfully cashed two tax refund checks worth $772,159. During that period, Murillo attempted to cash at least two checks worth $60,193 and successfully cashed one of them worth $31,405. In April 2023, Vu executed two cashier’s checks – each in the amount of $250,000 – at a bank in Anaheim. He used funds from a None to Lose LLC account that were derived from unlawful activity. The first check was paid out to a co-schemer’s LLC, and the funds were used to purchase a Range Rover vehicle, while the second check was paid to Murillo. Obayuwana and Vu also used stolen identities in furtherance of their bank fraud activities. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each bank fraud count, a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each counterfeit Treasury check- and money laundering-related count, and a mandatory consecutive two-year federal prison sentence for each count of aggravated identity theft. The United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Diane Roldán of the Major Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Hosts 33rd Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Glendale, Arizona

component: USAO - Arizona

number: 2026-150_Four Corners

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine hosted the 33rd Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Glendale, Arizona this week. The three-day event, held at the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Conference Center, brought together over 150 attendees from Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico to train and collaborate on strategies to improve victim services, strengthen relationships between prosecutors, law enforcement, and communities, and discuss issues of concern to the four corners region. Started in 1992, the Four Corners Indian Country Conference already has a rich history in providing a forum for practitioners to express concerns, discuss solutions, and share resources. This year’s conference featured speakers, cultural presentations, and state-based breakout sessions to facilitate the exchange of ideas. “For over 30 years, the Four Corners Indian Country Conference has played an important role in building relationships across state lines and tribal borders to better serve victims,” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “We are honored to have had the opportunity to continue that tradition by hosting this year’s event in Arizona.” The District of Arizona handles one of the most robust Indian Country dockets in the country and serves as the exclusive felony prosecutor for nearly all of the 22 federally-recognized tribes whose reservations fall in whole or in part in Arizona. Next year’s conference will be hosted by the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Utah. RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-150_Four Corners # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Tohono O'odham Man Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years in Prison for Domestic Violence Assault by Strangulation

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – On Tuesday, Jarret Haines, 37, of Sells Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Jennifer Zipps to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Haines previously pleaded guilty to Assault by Strangulation. On Jan. 24, 2025, Haines, an enrolled member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, assaulted the victim by punching her multiple times in the face and then fastening a large zip tie around her neck until she lost consciousness. Her son called 911 and Tohono O’odham law enforcement promptly intervened. “On the heels of the annual Four Corners Conference taking place this week in Glendale, Arizona, prosecutions such as this underscore the USAO’s dedication to working with our partners to protect indigenous victims of intimate partner violence within our native communities,” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. The Tohono O’odham Police Department conducted the investigation, in conjunction with the FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Schmit, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-25-01431-TUC-JGZ RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-148_Haines # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: District of Arizona Charges 293 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Aug. 22 through Aug. 28, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 293 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 149 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 132 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 11 cases against 12 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE- Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Recent matters of interest include: U.S. v. Jesus Antonio Madrigal. Jesus Antonio Madrigal was charged by criminal complaint on Aug. 24, 2026, with one count of Transportation of an Illegal Alien. On Aug. 21, 2026, Border Patrol Agents (BPAs) observed a Honda Accord traveling south on Federal Route (FR) 19, a route that runs from Sells, AZ to the United States border with Mexico. A short time later, BPAs observed the same vehicle traveling north on FR19. BPAs initiated a stop to conduct an immigration inspection, but the driver failed to yield. BPAs pursued the vehicle as it traveled at speeds over 100 mph. BPAs at the immigration checkpoint on State Route 86 deployed spike strips and successfully immobilized the vehicle. The driver was identified as Jesus Antonio Madrigal. The rear seat passenger was determined to be a citizen of Mexico, illegally present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-05507] U.S. v. Jabari Kaleem Mims. Jabari Kaleem Mims was charged by criminal complaint on Aug. 24, 2026, with one count of Transportation of an Illegal Alien for Profit. On Aug. 22, 2026, BPA camera operators observed a BMW pulled over at Border Road and saw one person get into the vehicle. BPAs who were parked further north attempted to follow the vehicle as it passed. The driver, later identified as Mims, ran a stop sign and began accelerating. BPAs attempted to stop the vehicle, but Mims failed to yield. Camera operators maintained a visual of the vehicle and saw Mims pull over. One subject got out of the BMW and ran into the brush on the side of the road. BPAs eventually found the subject, who was determined to be a citizen of Mexico, illegally present in the United States. BPAs continued to pursue Mims, who eventually yielded and was taken into custody. [Case Number: 26-MJ-05508] U.S. v. Jose Manuel Arenas-Pinzon. On Aug. 23, 2026, Jose Manuel Arenas-Pinzon was charged by criminal complaint with Reentry of a Removed Alien. Arenas-Pinzon was previously removed from the United States on June 2, 2021, after being convicted of Transportation of Dangerous Drugs for Sale in the Superior Court of Arizona. Arenas-Pinzon was sentenced to ten years in prison in that case. [Case Number: 26-MJ-3275] A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-149_August 28, 2026 Immigration Enforcement # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Walmart Agrees to Pay $50 Million for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions

component: Civil Division

body_text: Note, the press release has been updated to include quotes from DEA Assistant Administrator Cheri Oz and U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace for the District of Delaware. The Justice Department, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), today announced a $50 million settlement with Walmart Inc. (Walmart) to resolve allegations that Walmart pharmacies illegally filled thousands of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). “Today’s settlement proves this Department is committed to putting Americans’ flourishing first,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “Congress enacted laws to promote responsibility and accountability for companies who dispense controlled substances to protect Americans. This Department will never shy away from vigorously enforcing pharmacies’ obligations to comply with those protections, ensuring that potential profits never justify aiding our Nation’s opioid epidemic.” “This $50 million settlement makes clear that pharmacies have a responsibility to identify and prevent the unlawful dispensing of controlled substances,” said DEA Assistant Administrator Cheri Oz. “Filling illegitimate opioid prescriptions puts patients and communities at risk and undermines the safeguards designed to prevent the diversion and misuse of potentially addictive medications. This settlement addresses past conduct while establishing clear compliance obligations designed to strengthen safeguards and help prevent these failures from happening again.” “Opioid addiction is a crisis, both nationally and in Delaware,” said U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace for the District of Delaware. “Every participant in the health-care system must be aware of the dangers posed by inappropriately prescribed opioids and must be a partner in preventing opioid abuse and diversion. This settlement is another important step in addressing the opioid crisis and ensuring that, when pharmacists and pharmacies see red flags, they meet their obligations under the Controlled Substances Act to stem the tide of dangerous prescriptions.” The government’s complaint — filed on Dec. 22, 2020, and amended in 2022 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware — alleged that since June 26, 2013, Walmart filled invalid prescriptions through the knowing actions of individuals on its compliance team and the knowing actions of its pharmacists. The United States alleged that members of Walmart’s compliance team knew that certain prescribers were operating as “pill mills” but filled invalid prescriptions written by those prescribers anyway. Members of the compliance team allegedly knew of the prescribers’ egregious conduct because Walmart’s own pharmacists reported the conduct to Walmart’s corporate compliance team, including through thousands of “refusal-to-fill” forms. The compliance team, however, prioritized other goals over CSA compliance. As one director on the compliance team acknowledged in an email, rather than analyzing the refusal-to-fill reports, the compliance team viewed “[d]riving sales and patient awareness,” as “a far better use of our Market Directors and Market manger’s time.” Walmart pharmacists also allegedly filled prescriptions they knew were invalid. The pharmacists knew these prescriptions were invalid because they were either written by a known “pill mill” prescriber or the prescriptions had obvious red flags such as dangerous combinations of opioids, “cocktails” of opioids and non-opioids, excessively repeated fills of high-dosages of often-abused opioids, or repeated requests for early fills of often-abused controlled substances. In addition to the monetary payment announced today, Walmart has entered into a memorandum of agreement with DEA to address its future obligations in dispensing controlled substances. This agreement requires Walmart to establish a hotline for both employees and patients to report suspected illegal dispensing of controlled substances, proactively monitor the dispensing patterns of its pharmacies to identify and address potentially illegal dispensing, and establish a process to evaluate prescribers suspected of illegal prescribing. The United States is represented in this matter by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Division Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch (Trial Attorneys Katherine Ho, Kathleen Brunson, and Meredith Reiter), as well as from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Delaware (Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dylan Steinberg and Elizabeth Vieya), Eastern District of North Carolina (Andrew Kasper), Middle District of Florida (Carolyn Tapie), Eastern District of New York (Elliot Schachner). Former Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch Investigator Amanda Graf provided support for this matter. Additional information about the Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at https://www.justice.gov/civil/enforcement-affirmative-litigation-branch . The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.


title: United States Extradites to Chile One of Its Most Wanted Fugitives – An Alleged Tren de Aragua Leader Charged in Chile with Criminal Association, Extortion, and Kidnapping Resulting in Homicide

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Venezuelan national and illegal alien Rafael Enrique Gamez Salas, 40, has been extradited from the United States to Chile, at the request of the Government of Chile, so that he may be prosecuted on seven charges stemming from his alleged role as a leader of “Los Piratas,” the primary Chilean cell of the Venezuelan transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TdA). Chile accuses Gamez Salas, who was surrendered to Chilean authorities on Thursday, of directing multiple extortions and kidnappings on behalf of TdA, one of which resulted in the highly publicized murder of a former Venezuelan military officer. This extradition brings Gamez Salas, who also has criminal convictions in the United States for human smuggling and illegal reentry after deportation, one step closer to facing justice in Chile after illegally attempting to seek refuge in the United States. “The United States is not a safe haven for dangerous criminal aliens,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Rafael Enrique Gamez Salas should never have been in our country in the first place, but under the Biden administration, open-border policies left the doors wide open, and hundreds of suspected and convicted Tren de Aragua terrorists poured into this country. Gamez Salas’s extradition is evidence of the strong cooperation with our Chilean partners to combat transnational crime, dismantle foreign terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua, and hold members accountable for their heinous criminal acts.” “At the time of TdA leader Rafael Enrique Gamez Salas’s arrest on the Chilean extradition charges, he was finishing a sentence here for illegal re-entry into the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Instead of deporting him to Venezuela, which does not extradite its own nationals, he now will be sent to Chile to face charges there that include murder, kidnapping, and extortion. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs worked extensively with Chilean authorities to extradite this defendant and ensure that another violent, illegal alien who came here unlawfully will be punished for breaking our laws and then go to Chile to face the charges levied there. When governments work cross borders together, all communities benefit and become more safe.” “Thanks to the previous administration’s open borders, a murderous terrorist was allowed to enter our country,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “I commend our law enforcement partners in the United States and Chile for removing this criminal, who will hopefully never see the outside of a prison again.” Gamez Salas, also known as “Adrian Rafael Gamez Finol” and “Turko,” is accused of overseeing the criminal activities of Los Piratas in Chile. According to Chilean authorities, he planned and coordinated kidnappings, homicides, extortions and other offenses on behalf of the TdA affiliate, which included instructing subordinates to obtain necessary resources to execute the offenses and ensuring that financial resources generated for Los Piratas were transferred abroad. Chile sought Gamez Salas’s extradition so that he may stand trial for one count of criminal association, two counts of extortion, two counts of unjustified firearm discharge, one count of kidnapping resulting in homicide and one count of kidnapping for extortion, arising from separate crimes against multiple victims. Chile alleges, among other things, that Gamez Salas, acting under the supervision of senior TdA leadership, directed and planned the February 2024 kidnapping and murder in Santiago, Chile, of a former Lieutenant in the Venezuelan military. According to Chile, members of Los Piratas arrived at the victim’s apartment building in the middle of the night armed with firearms and in a car equipped with a blue light in an apparent attempt to impersonate officers of the Chilean Investigative Police. After using a battering ram to force entry into the victim’s apartment, the perpetrators handcuffed the victim and forcibly removed him from the building and into a car. Around one week later, in response to a tip from a witness, authorities discovered the victim’s body by drilling into the concrete floor of a makeshift dwelling in a housing development elsewhere in Santiago, Chile. The victim’s body was found covered in lime, concealed inside a suitcase, buried in concrete more than three feet deep and sealed beneath a concrete slab. An autopsy determined that the victim’s cause of death was asphyxia due to hanging, and the victim’s body showed signs of suspension by the upper extremities, lesions consistent with torture and partial postmortem dismemberment. Testimony obtained in the Chilean investigation revealed that the victim’s kidnapping and murder was allegedly ordered by leaders of TdA and directed to be paid for from outside of Chile. Additionally, in an intercepted conversation, Gamez Salas allegedly told other Los Piratas members that he had been assigned “from above” the task of coordinating and executing the crime. In support of its other charges against Gamez Salas, Chile also alleges that he played a leading role in an April 2024 deadly armed confrontation that killed a Chilean police officer; February and June 2024 kidnappings for extortion; and a March 2024 attempted kidnapping, among other offenses. In 2023, Gamez Salas was removed from the United States to Venezuela for having entered the United States illegally. He subsequently illegally reentered the United States and was prosecuted for human smuggling by the Val Verde County District Attorney’s Office in Texas. He was convicted in February 2025, after which he was indicted in the Southern District of Texas for illegally reentering the United States. He pled guilty to the illegal reentry charge in April 2025 and was serving his prison sentence in the Central District of California when he was arrested on Chile’s provisional arrest request in this matter. Gamez Salas was also subject to an order of removal to Venezuela, which does not extradite its own nationals. On June 30, following Chile’s submission of a formal extradition request, Gamez Salas consented to extradition, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles F. Eick for the Central District of California certified his extradition to the Secretary of State. The U.S. Department of State subsequently issued a surrender warrant authorizing Gamez Salas’s extradition. The extradition matter for Gamez Salas was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Lulejian for the Central District of California and Trial Attorneys Reena T. Mittelman and Ruxandra Barbulescu of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. The U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance in this case and ensured a smooth and safe transfer of custody to Chilean authorities so that Gamez Salas could be transported back to Chile to face trial. Previously, in September 2025, the United States extradited to Chile another alleged TdA member, Edgar Javier Benitez Rubio, who was charged in Chile with multiple offenses arising from this same kidnapping and murder of the former Venezuelan Lieutenant. That extradition matter was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.


title: Two Nigerian Nationals Extradited from Nigeria to the United States to Face Sextortion Charges in North Carolina and Mississippi

component: Criminal Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that two Nigerian men have been extradited to the United States from Nigeria to face prosecution in two separate cases for the financially-motivated sextortion of minors that resulted in the death of teenagers in both the Northern District of Mississippi and the Middle District of North Carolina. “The defendants were arrested in Nigeria as part of a wider operation with the FBI to apprehend sexual extortionists targeting minors in the United States,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Department of Justice and this Administration have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to protecting America’s children from exploitation and sexual abuse. We have strengthened our international law enforcement partnerships to dismantle the foreign criminal networks behind financially-motivated sextortion and identify and prosecute the perpetrators of child sexual exploitation who are directly linked to dozens of American teen deaths by suicide.” “Today’s announcement represents two more high-value targets returned to the U.S. by this FBI through Foreign Transfers of Custody,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Two Nigerian subjects arrested in Nigeria in 2023 - Adebola Festus Adekunle and Mudasiru Afeez Olawale – have now been returned to the United States to face justice after allegedly participating in financially-motivated sextortion of minors - one resulting in the death of a child. Adekunle is charged with the sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, the production of child sexual abuse material, coercion and enticement of a minor, and interstate threats with intent to extort – and Olawale is charged with offenses relating to sexual exploitation of minors, coercion and enticement of minors, distribution of child pornography, and more. They’ve been overseas for three years, but this FBI and our DOJ partners went and got them. Sextortion is a heinous crime targeting innocent people, often young children - and this FBI will stop at nothing to pursue every single individual who harms vulnerable Americans.” “Several weeks ago we announced an undercover operation dealing with child exploitation, which resulted in 70 arrests,” said U.S. Attorney Scott Leary for the Northern District of Mississippi. “Unfortunately, here we are again in an unrelated child victimization case. This time a child died. The dedication involved in this case cannot be overstated. This tragedy was immediately investigated by the Mississippi Attorney General, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, the Starkville Police Department and the FBI. The evidence led agents to Nigeria. Undeterred, the FBI worked with DOJ’s Office of International Affairs for years, and eventually the defendant was extradited from Nigeria to face justice in the United States. We are thankful for the hard work of Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice. Working together, state, federal and international agencies brought us here today.” “Today’s announcement makes clear that we will not rest in our pursuit of justice for victims of sextortion: Three years after the indictment, and almost five years since the conduct occurred, the defendant will finally appear in a U.S. court to face the charges against him,” said U.S. Attorney Dan Bishop for the Middle District of North Carolina. “We are grateful to all the agents, attorneys, and others whose tenacity and steadfast pursuit of justice contributed to the defendant’s extradition.” “Financially motivated sextortion inflicts lasting harm on victims and their families,” said Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Charlotte Field Office. “These schemes often begin with threats and manipulation, but their impact extends far deeper — causing emotional and psychological devastation. The extradition of this suspect proves the FBI’s commitment to pursue those who exploit vulnerable individuals, wherever they may be, and ensures they are held accountable for the profound and lasting damage they cause.” “Sextortion is a serious crime with devastating consequences. Its impact on victims and their families is profound and long‑lasting,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “The extradition of Adekunle sends a clear and unmistakable message: crossing state lines does not erase criminal charges, and international borders do not shield individuals from accountability.” Northern District of Mississippi Charges Adebola Festus Adekunle, 26, of Lagos, Nigeria, has been extradited to the United States from Nigeria to face prosecution in an indictment for the financially motivated sextortion of a Mississippi minor, which lead to the victim’s death. Adekunle is charged with the sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, coercion and enticement of a minor, and interstate threats with intent to extort. He appeared in federal court in Oxford, Mississippi, for an initial appearance today. Adekunle was arrested in Nigeria on Aug. 14, 2023, as part of a wider operation with the FBI to apprehend sexual extortionists targeting minors in the United States. Adekunle faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and mandatory minimum prison sentences on at least two charges. The child exploitation resulting in death charge carries a minimum penalty of 30 years in prison. The case is being investigated by the FBI Jackson Field Office, the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Section and International Operations Division, and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King for the Northern District of Mississippi is prosecuting the case. Middle District of North Carolina Charges Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, 24, of Nigeria, was extradited from Nigeria to the United States to face charges related to the financially motivated sextortion of one minor, and the financially motivated sextortion and death of another minor victim. Olawale was charged by indictment in August 2023, with offenses relating to sexual exploitation of minors resulting in death, enticement of minors, interstate threatening communications, and distribution of child pornography. He appeared in federal court in Greensboro, North Carolina, before U.S. Magistrate Judge L. Patrick Auld today. Olawale was arrested in Nigeria on Aug. 9, 2023, as part of a wider operation with the FBI to apprehend sexual extortionists targeting minors in the United States. Olawale faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and mandatory minimum prison sentences on at least two charges. The child exploitation resulting in death charge carries a minimum penalty of 30 years in prison. This case is being investigated by FBI Charlotte’s Greensboro Resident Agency and the Surry County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Nee for the Middle District of North Carolina is prosecuting the case. DOJ’s Commitment to Detering Financially Motivated Sextortion Both cases are a result of Operation Artemis, the FBI’s surge against financially motivated sextortion rings operating from Nigeria. In coordination with domestic and international law for enforcement partners, the FBI deployed agents, analysts, and forensic experts to Nigeria to confront perpetrators of these deadly schemes — directly linked to dozens of American teen deaths by suicide. This same focused, multi-agency approach now drives a broader national effort to dismantle the foreign criminal networks behind sextortion and other predatory schemes. The U.S. Government’s Financially Motivated Sextortion Campaign Team coordinates across agencies, prioritizes victims, and brings every available tool to bear in its fight to bring to justice those who prey on American families. Adekunle and Olawale were extradited to the United States on Aug. 27, with the assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Legal Attaché in Abuja, and FBI agents from both the Jackson and Greensboro Resident Agencies, who traveled to Nigeria and took them into U.S. custody. The support and assistance of Nigerian security authorities was essential to this effort, notably that of Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Federal Ministry of Justice’s International Criminal Justice Cooperation Department, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If someone you know is being victimized by sextortion, please report to local law enforcement and to the FBI. Learn more about sextortion and find resources for parents, caregivers, and teachers.


title: Russian National Living in Florida Convicted for Scheme to Illegally Export Aircraft Parts from the United States to Russia

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: A Florida resident and Russian national, Alexander Mamonov, 62, was convicted on all charges yesterday following a jury trial related to a scheme to illegally export aircraft parts from the United States to Russia and the state-owned Russian airline, PJSC Aeroflot. “This guilty verdict – on all counts – shows the United States government’s resolute commitment to upholding our export-control laws and to prosecuting those who violate them,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division and our U.S. Attorney’s Offices and law enforcement partners will continue to safeguard U.S.-controlled items from being exported unlawfully.” “Mamonov illegally exported nearly one million dollars of aviation parts to Russia by lying to U.S. suppliers about their destination, and this conviction on all counts holds him accountable,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “The FBI and its partners will continue to prioritize the enforcement of export laws and sanctions to defend the homeland. Let this verdict serve as a warning to anyone considering smuggling U.S. technology to our adversaries.” “Russia cannot evade American sanctions and export controls by routing its purchases through South Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “You cannot put a fake destination on a shipping label and make American export laws disappear. This defendant conspired to secretly funnel nearly $1 million in American aircraft parts to Russia and Aeroflot, then used false destinations and financial transactions to conceal what he was doing. Yesterday, a federal jury held him accountable on every count. We will continue to aggressively pursue those who use our district, our financial system, or American businesses to undermine U.S. national security.” Mamonov was convicted in the Southern District of Florida of 12 counts related to that scheme, including conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), illegal export of items subject to ECRA, conspiracy to commit smuggling, smuggling of goods, submitting false or misleading export information, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen M. Williams scheduled sentencing for Nov. 20. The defendant was charged by indictment in April 2025, alongside Ignat Vakorin of Russia. Vakorin remains a fugitive in wanted status. Following Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce increased restrictions on exports to Russia and issued a temporary denial order barring Aeroflot from receiving U.S.-origin goods. According to court documents and testimony, Mamonov is a former Aeroflot employee who relocated from Russia to South Florida. After the U.S. Department of Commerce increased restrictions on Russian exports, Mamonov conspired with Vakorin to acquire and illegally ship over $900,000 in aircraft parts to Russia and to Aeroflot. Mamonov and Vakorin misled U.S. suppliers into believing the parts were being sent to other destinations, such as the United Arab Emirates and China. This case was investigated by the FBI Miami Field Office with assistance from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Paul Cronin for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Brett Ruff of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Nigerian National Sentenced for Laundering $3.1M in Scam Proceeds

body_text: A Nigerian national was sentenced yesterday to 95 months in prison for his role in a money laundering conspiracy involving millions of dollars tied to various fraud schemes — including business email compromise, romance, and unemployment insurance fraud scams — perpetrated against U.S. citizens. According to court documents, Oluwasegun Baiyewu, 40, of Houston, Texas, led a conspiracy that laundered over $3.1 million in proceeds of various fraud schemes by purchasing used cars with illicit proceeds and then shipping those cars to West Africa. Between approximately May 2020 and October 2021, Baiyewu worked with at least six other co-conspirators in the United States and Nigeria. Using encrypted messaging applications, such as WhatsApp, Baiyewu and his co-conspirators coordinated the receipt and use of illicit money to purchase salvaged cars and then ship them to Nigeria. In one instance, Baiyewu conspired to launder funds obtained from a business email compromise scheme perpetrated against a Puerto Rican renewable energy company, which was tricked into sending approximately $280,000 by wire to bank accounts controlled by fraudsters and money launderers. Baiyewu then worked with his co-conspirators to launder the Puerto Rican company’s money by paying toward the purchase of cars located in the United States that he arranged to export and ship to Nigeria to benefit the co-conspirators. A federal jury convicted Baiyewu in August 2025 of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, through its Cyber-Enabled Scam Initiative (CSI), works to disrupt and stop cyber-enabled criminal networks that prey on Americans. CSI brings together expert prosecutors from across the Division to accelerate the prosecution of cyber-enabled financial crimes, including investment and crypto scams, government imposter schemes, romance and inheritance scams, financially motivated sextortion, lottery and sweepstakes scams, and other predatory schemes. With nationwide jurisdiction and global reach, CSI leverages every available tool to dismantle criminal operations, pursue bad actors, recover criminal proceeds, and obtain justice for victims. The Criminal Division partners with U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country and is a founding member of the Scam Center Strike Force launched in November 2025 by Jeanine Ferris Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and FBI San Juan Cyber Task Force investigated the case, with assistance from the National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force supporting the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force teams. Trial Attorneys Emily Powers and Richard Greene of the Criminal Division’s White Collar and Corporate Enforcement Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Linet Olinghouse for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case.


title: Justice Department Files a Statement of Interest in Support of the Primary Aluminum Smelter Project in Inola, Oklahoma

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Yesterday, the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) filed a statement of interest in a lawsuit brought by the Oklahoma Attorney General, expressing support for the construction of a primary aluminum smelter in Inola, Oklahoma. ENRD’s filing concerns a case where the Oklahoma Attorney General has sued Century Aluminum Company and Aluminum Oklahoma, alleging environmental violations under state nuisance laws. Plaintiff’s allegations concern the federal Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, which require environmental permits for the construction and operation of the primary aluminum smelter. Instead of allowing review of these environmental permits in the first instances, the Oklahoma Attorney General seeks to enjoin construction through this premature lawsuit, threatening vital materials critical to our nation’s defense. “This project advances national and economic security by reducing the country’s reliance on foreign sources of materials critical to the national defense,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of ENRD. “The Department of Justice is committed to supporting military readiness and opposing litigation that subverts environmental regulatory processes established by Congress.” President Donald J. Trump’s recently issued executive order Further Strengthening Actions Taken to Adjust Imports of Aluminum into the United States , recognizing that the quantities of aluminum imported into the United States threaten to impair our national security. Domestic production and supply of primary aluminum is imperative in producing an irreplaceable strategic material that is indispensable to our modern defense manufacturing. The Department of War requires primary aluminum for aerospace and air dominance, ground combat vehicles, naval systems, missiles, and space programs. However, the United States now represents less than 1 percent of the global primary aluminum production. As a result, China, the leading global producer of primary aluminum, has sought to leverage its position in primary aluminum production to gain advantage over the United States. As outlined in ENRD’s statement of interest, the primary aluminum smelter in Inola is the nearest-term solution in combating this national security risk. Once completed, the smelter would be the first constructed in the United States in over 40 years and would rank as the largest primary aluminum production facility in the United States, more than doubling the nation’s output. The Department of Energy recently awarded $500 million in support of this project, recognizing its importance in increasing domestic production of primary aluminum while avoiding an estimated 75 percent of emissions from a traditional smelter. A delay in construction would place the United States at risk of foreign reliance and severely limits our ability to produce the armor, aircraft, and munitions required for national defense. The Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act provide the appropriate mechanism to address environmental concerns raised by the Oklahoma Attorney General. In its filing, ENRD asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma to dismiss the lawsuit, which would otherwise stop construction of the primary aluminum smelter and threaten America’s security by denying access to this critical material necessary for military readiness. Attorneys with ENRD’s Environmental Defense Section are handling this matter.


title: International Shipping Companies Sentenced to Pay $1.75 Million Fine for Concealing Discharges of Oily Waste into Ocean

body_text: A vessel operating company pleaded guilty today in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to charges stemming from the discharge of oily waste into the sea. MSC Shipmanagement Limited, one of the largest shipping companies in the world, pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) for conduct that occurred on the motor vessel MSC Samira III between June 2024 and January 2025. The vessel’s owner, Hong Kong Spirit Shipping and Trading Limited, also pleaded guilty to two counts of violating APPS. Both companies were sentenced to pay a combined fine of $1.75 million and serve four years of probation. Second Engineer Mikhail Tsurikov previously pleaded guilty to violating APPS and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10. “Foreign vessels that enter the ports of the United States and present false documents undermine our efforts to preserve our environment and enforce the law,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We will vigorously protect the integrity of our port state control system against actors who put profit over compliance with the law.” “These companies repeatedly cut corners and covered it up, befouling the marine environment,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “Their violations evidence both a disdain for our country’s laws and a clear case of greed. Shippers who illegally discharge pollutants and doctor their records will be prosecuted and held accountable.” “Deliberately concealing illegal discharges puts our marine environment at risk and undermines the domestic and international regulatory frameworks designed to keep our waterways safe,” said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Roberto Rivera, captain of the port and commander of Sector Delaware Bay. “The Coast Guard remains committed to working with our federal partners to hold operators accountable when they violate the laws that protect our oceans.” “The Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) possesses unique statutory authorities and specialized investigative capabilities purpose-built to address complex criminal conduct in the maritime environment,” said CGIS Assistant Special Agent in Charge Javiel Gonzalez. “When maritime operators engage in criminal deception, falsify official records, and attempt to circumvent federal oversight, CGIS special agents have the technical expertise and jurisdiction to uncover the truth and hold perpetrators accountable. This case underscores our unwavering commitment to maintaining the integrity of our waterways and enforcing the rule of law across the maritime domain.” Between June and September 2024, senior officers in the engine department of the MSC Samira III instructed lower-level crew members to pump oily bilge water from the vessel’s bilge holding tank to the sewage holding tank using portable pumps and hoses. The crew members then discharged the oily bilge water into the sea using the sewage holding tank’s overboard discharge valve. In doing so, they bypassed the oil water separator, a piece of pollution prevention equipment that is designed to prevent the discharge of oily bilge water containing more than 15 parts per million of oil into the sea. Such exceptional discharges of oil are required by U.S. and international law to be recorded in a ship’s oil record book, but the officers in charge of these operations failed to do so. In addition to these discharges of oily waste from the vessel’s sewage holding tank, on several occasions between September 2024 and January 2025, senior engine department crew members also tricked the oil water separator by running fresh water instead of oily bilge water through the equipment’s oil content monitor. Doing so allowed them to discharge oily bilge water directly into the sea through the oil water separator. These discharges were also not accurately recorded in the vessel’s oil record book as required by law. In January 2025, the MSC Samira III made two separate calls in the Port of Philadelphia, where its crew presented the false oil record book to the U.S. Coast Guard. The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service investigated the case. Trial Attorney Lauren Steele of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angella Middleton and Anthony Scicchitano for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case.


title: Brooklyn Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Tax Returns for Clients

component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: A Brooklyn, New York, woman pleaded guilty today to preparing false tax returns for clients. According to court documents and statements made in court, Edris Cust operated a tax preparation business called Cust Tax Service. From approximately 2019 through 2023, Cust prepared false and fraudulent individual tax returns for multiple clients of Cust Tax Service. These returns included, among other false items, false elections for head-of-household filing status, sales of capital assets resulting in losses and rental receipts, as well as inflated rental expenses. These false items resulted in Cust’s clients reporting to the IRS income tax returns that sought refunds they were not entitled to receive or lower taxes than they should have paid. Cust caused a total loss to the IRS of more than $1.4 million. Cust pleaded guilty to one count of willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a false tax return. She will be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis Jr of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) New York made the announcement. IRS-CI is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Richard J. Kelley and Joseph D.G. Castro of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.


title: Alaska Judge Dismisses Challenge to President Trump’s Rescission of Withdrawals Areas of the Outer Continental Shelf from Oil and Gas Leasing

body_text: The U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska earlier this week dismissed the complaint in a case challenging President Trump’s rescission of Biden-era withdrawals of areas of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) from oil and gas leasing. The court dismissed the case for lack of standing. During his final days in office, President Biden withdrew over 600 million acres of the OCS from offshore oil and gas leasing. On his first day in office, President Trump rescinded the withdrawals, allowing those acres of the OCS to be considered in a future offshore oil and gas leasing program. A coalition of environmental groups challenged President Trump’s action, claiming that the rescission of the withdrawals was unlawful and would result in potential imminent harm to the environment from exploration activities. The court rejected the groups’ arguments, finding that there were “no pending applications for [geological and geophysical] exploration activities in any waters outside of the Western and Central [Gulf of America].” The court concluded that the plaintiffs had failed to demonstrate a substantial risk of imminent harm and therefore dismissed the case without prejudice for lack of standing. “The court properly dismissed plaintiffs’ case, because they failed to show an imminent injury from President Trump’s reopening of the OCS,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Where and when energy development will occur depends on a regulatory process that’s still underway and must be allowed to continue. Neither the President’s policy priorities nor industry’s expressions of interest could convert a speculative injury into a concrete one.” Attorneys with ENRD’s Natural Resources Section handled this matter.


title: Illegal alien from Mexico released after 2025 arrest for DUI, is arrested in 2026 for escape, theft, and rape

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 44-year-old citizen of Mexico, illegally present in the U.S., appeared in U.S. District Court in Seattle late yesterday charged with returning to the U.S. following removal, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Between 2007 and 2013, Isidro Ocampo-Cayetano was arrested and removed from the United States five times. Most of the removals were triggered by local arrests for crimes related to DUI. Isidro Ocampo-Cayetano returned to the U.S. at an unknown time following the 2013 removal. In January 2025, Ocampo-Cayetano was arrested in King County based on a Kitsap County warrant for failing to appear on charges of DUI, driving with license suspended, and an ignition interlock violation. Ocampo-Cayetano was not turned over to immigration authorities. On November 2, 2025, Ocampo-Cayetano was arrested by Federal Way Police for Rape in the second degree. Six months later, in April 2026, he was arrested a second time and booked into the King County Jail for escape, theft, and a warrant for rape. Federal prosecutors got a judicial warrant to get Ocampo-Cayetano into federal custody, and he made his initial appearance on that warrant on Wednesday August 26, 2026. “Even with his extensive criminal and immigration history, local jails released this criminal alien rather than turning him over to immigration authorities, which allowed him to allegedly commit rape,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Sanctuary policies have a consequence, and this is it. Fortunately, we were able to intervene this time and prevent this criminal alien from being released – again.” Magistrate Judge Michelle L. Peterson ordered Ocampo-Cayetano detained pending future hearings. Return after removal is punishable by up to two years in prison. The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (HSI-ICE). The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Cáceres. SAUSA Cáceres is an attorney with Homeland Security Investigations specially designated to prosecute immigration matters in federal court.


title: San Antonio Felon Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for ATM Bombings

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

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio felon was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 140 months in prison for two charges related to ATM explosions in September 2025 and his illegal possession of multiple firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. According to court documents, Dustin Jay Ammons, 44, attempted to destroy ATMs at two San Antonio banks on Sept. 12 and Sept. 26, 2025. Surveillance video showed Ammons arriving at the banks in a black Ram 3500 pickup truck, wearing black gloves with a skeleton hand design, a black hooded jacket or sweatshirt, dark blue pants, and black and white training shoes, and placing pipe bombs at the ATMs. The footage from both videos also showed explosions that resulted in unsuccessful breaches of the machines. On Dec. 12, 2025, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a federal search warrant at Ammons’s residence. Inside the garage, agents discovered a homemade explosives lab containing Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN). Agents also located firearms (including a 9mm short-barreled rifle), magazines, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition throughout the house, as well as a pipe bomb in Ammons’s vehicle. ATF queried the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) for Ammons and his address, and found no firearms, short-barreled rifles or destructive devices registered to him. Additionally, Ammons does not possess a license or permit allowing him to possess, manufacture, transfer, or ship explosive materials such as PETN. Ammons has multiple prior felony convictions, including assault/family violence, possession of a stolen firearm, possession of burglary tools, and multiple counts of theft and burglary of a building. On April 30, he pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of transporting explosives. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced Ammons to 120 months in federal prison for the explosives charge and 140 months for the felon in possession charge, both penalties to be served concurrently. The ATF, FBI, and San Antonio Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the San Antonio Arson and Bomb Squad and Bexar County Fire Marshal. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wannarka prosecuted the case. ###


title: Armed Career Criminal with Multiple Violent Felonies found Guilty of Illegally Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – After a two-day trial, a federal jury found Carroll Mobley, 50 , of Memphis, guilty of one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, of the Western District of Tennessee, announced the verdict today. According to information presented in court, on May 2, 2024, detectives with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division executed a search warrant at a Memphis residence. Upon searching the home, detectives found cocaine and digital scales with cocaine residue on them. Detectives also found an HK 9mm firearm that belonged to Mobley, who resided at the residence, in a closet in the master bedroom. In the second phase of the trial, the jury found that Mobley had previously been convicted of three violent felonies that occurred on separate occasions. Under federal law, due to Mobley's criminal history, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition and is subject to the enhanced sentencing penalties under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA). Sentencing is set on December 4, 2026 before United States Chief District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman. Mobley faces a mandatory statutory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and being an Armed Career Criminal (ACC). There is no parole in the federal system. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Convicted felons with a history of violence who possess firearms pose an inherent and imminent danger to the community, and are up to no good. This recidivist armed career criminal is one more gun-toter who will now be removed from our community for at least 15 years, and Memphis will be safer because of this verdict.” This case was investigated by the Shelby County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) Narcotics Division as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jermal Blanchard and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Isihara, of the United States Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps, prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. 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. ### For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Beaver Falls Felon Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Possessing Firearm and Ammunition

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon and was sentenced to 88 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Senior United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone imposed the sentence on Jayvon Turner, 24. According to information presented to the Court, on August 16, 2025, members of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police’s Violence Prevention Unit encountered the defendant on Pittsburgh’s South Side carrying a loaded, stolen 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Turner had previously been convicted on a state robbery charge. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Turner. 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.