title: Bringhurst Man Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison For Cyberstalking

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Caleb Bonnell, 20 years old, of Bringhurst, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to cyberstalking, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. Bonnell was sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. “The Defendant terrorized the victim and the victim’s family member using cyberstalking and swatting, which are abuses of human beings through the use of technology. The Defendant will spend some time in jail to think about his vicious choices. From September 2025 through December 2025, the Defendant used various electronic devices to harass and intimidate the victim and the victim’s family member. The Defendant sent hundreds of unwanted text messages, emailed the victim’s school several times, sent over seventy social media messages to the victim’s classmates, and made a threatening statement about the victim on an online application. The Defendant also “swatted” the victim’s residence by making false reports to law enforcement, which caused officers to dispatch to the victim’s home. Technology has the potential greatly serve the public and improve our lives. Here, the Defendant used it for deplorable means and has been punished for it thanks to the combined efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Caroll County Police Department and the San Diego Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius, and we are safer for their combined efforts,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred. "Technology has made it easier for criminals to target victims, but it has not changed the serious consequences of these crimes," said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O'Malley. "Cyberstalking and swatting are dangerous offenses that can terrorize victims, strain public safety resources, and place both innocent people and responding officers at unnecessary risk. The FBI is committed to investigating these crimes and ensuring those who use the internet to threaten or intimidate others are brought to justice." This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Caroll County Police Department and the San Diego Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius.


title: Illegal Alien Faces Federal Charges After Shooting on MARTA Bus

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

body_text: ATLANTA - Guillermo Cruz Velazquez, an illegal alien from Mexico, faces federal charges after a handgun he allegedly carried onto a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) bus in Sandy Springs, Georgia last week fired a bullet that passed through his arm and into another passenger. “Illegal aliens are not permitted to possess a firearm in our country,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office will prosecute criminals who unlawfully possess and misuse dangerous weapons, putting the public’s safety at risk.” “A firearm in the hands of a prohibited individual is a serious threat to public safety,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Benjamin Gibbons. “ATF works closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and apprehend those who disregard our laws and threaten our communities.” “The safety of our passengers and employees remains our top priority. This incident resulted in injuries to an innocent individual, and our thoughts are with those affected,” said Chief M. Scott Kreher of the MARTA Police Department. “We are working closely with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners as the investigation continues. Reckless actions that place the public at risk have no place on our transit system, and we remain committed to maintaining a safe environment for everyone who relies on MARTA.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On July 22, 2026, Guillermo Cruz Velazquez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was traveling on a MARTA bus in Sandy Springs, Georgia, when a firearm allegedly located in his bag discharged a single round that struck a female passenger and himself. After the shooting, the bus pulled over, and Cruz Velazquez allegedly fled the scene on foot. Sandy Springs Police Department officers followed a trail of blood to a nearby parking lot and found Cruz Velazquez with a gunshot wound in his forearm and a bag with a hole in it. From nearby bushes, law enforcement recovered a loaded .45 caliber pistol with a spent cartridge case stuck in the ejection port. Guillermo Cruz Velazquez, 53, of Iztapalapa, Mexico, appeared in federal court today on a criminal complaint charging him with unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien illegally or unlawfully present in the United States. Cruz Velazquez will be held in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending further proceedings. Members of the public are reminded that the complaint only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, MARTA Police Department, and Sandy Springs Police Department, with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Bircoll is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Homeland Security Task Force Investigation Leads to Federal Conviction for Illegal Possession of a Machinegun

body_text: Tallahassee, Florida – Omarion Laparis Rashad, 21, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegal possession of machinegun. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “The Homeland Security Task Force is investing in the safety of our neighborhoods with its whole-of-government approach to rooting out the criminal influence of cartels, trafficking organizations, and foreign gangs in our streets, and with this successful prosecution we are seeing those results. I applaud the excellent investigative work by the Tallahassee Police Department, in close collaboration with our federal law enforcement partners, and I look forward to many more successful prosecutions as we continue the fight to make our communities safe for the citizens of the Northern District of Florida.” Court documents reflect the Tallahassee Police Department executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence on November 25, 2025. Officers found marijuana, synthetic cathinone, and ammunition, along with a Glock .40 caliber pistol that had been converted to fire as a machinegun. A second machinegun conversion device was found in a commercial marijuana bag. The defendant faces up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine. The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain. Sentencing is scheduled for October 1, 2026, at 2:00 pm, in the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF comprises agents and officers from multiple agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Gretna Man Indicted for Federal Firearm Offenses

body_text: Tallahassee, Florida – Shanon Dewynn Robinson, 54, of Gretna, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge. Robinson appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for September 8, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Tallahassee, Florida. Based on his history of prior felony offenses, if convicted, Robinson faces a minimum mandatory 15 years’ imprisonment with a maximum of Life imprisonment. The case was investigated by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with assistance from the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities . The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: California woman sentenced to 18 months for bank fraud

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA – A California woman who defrauded a local bank of over $170,000 was sentenced today to 18 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and restitution in the amount of $170,666, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. A federal jury found Kristin Renee Zelonish Edwards, 39, guilty on four counts of bank fraud in February 2026 after a two-day trial. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The government alleged in court documents and at trial that Edwards defrauded Glacier Bank of over $170,000 by depositing 12 fraudulent savings bonds at four different bank branches in Northwest Montana. Edwards traveled from California to Montana to deposit the savings bonds, making four trips between October 2022 and January 2023. Glacier Bank received notice in February 2023 from the United States Treasury Department that one of the savings bonds deposited by Edwards was fraudulent. Glacier Bank’s security officer called Edwards and informed her of the fraudulent bond. Her response was that she found the savings bonds while going through boxes of her deceased grandmother’s items with her mother. Witnesses testified Edwards never received bonds from her grandmother’s estate. The savings bonds deposited by Edwards that were alleged to have been purchased by her grandmother had issue dates as early as 1980 – seven years before Edwards was born. The fraudulent savings bonds have Edwards’ Social Security Number printed on them, which means, if Edwards’ story were true, her grandmother bought the bonds in Edwards’ name and with Edwards’ Social Security Number years before Edwards was born. The U.S. Secret Service analyzed the savings bonds and found they had several common defects and were not made with the printing presses used for authentic savings bonds. Edwards’ fraudulent savings bonds also share a common source with other fraudulent savings bonds that were deposited in Idaho and Colorado by Edwards’ unindicted co-conspirator. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katy Stack and Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service.


title: Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Production and Attempted Production of Child Pornography

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Christopher Allan Amelsberg, 36, of Minneapolis, pleaded guilty to the production and attempted production of child pornography. Amelsberg pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud on July 27, 2026. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date, and Amelsberg faces a statutory minimum sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment. According to court documents, Amelsberg admitted that between August 2023 through around May 2026, he used text messaging and other internet-based social media and communication applications to engage female minor victims in sexually focused conversations for the purposes of producing or attempting to produce child pornography. In one case, from August 2025 to October 2025, Amelsberg used online messaging platforms to engage in sexually focused conversations and to solicit and direct Minor Victim 1, of whom Amelsberg knew was 15 years old at the time, to produce videos and images of Minor Victim 1 performing sexually explicit conduct. Amelsberg knowingly persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced multiple victims between the ages of 14 and 17 years old and admitted to “trading” lascivious or sexually explicit images of children. The United States has identified a total of at least 12 minor victims of whom Amelsberg solicited and enticed, or attempted to solicit and entice, to produce child pornography and engage in unlawful sexual acts. At the time of this conduct, Amelsberg was on the Minnesota Predatory Offender Registry due to his prior conviction for possession of child pornography. “Amelsberg is a child predator, and today’s plea is an important step towards justice for the victims and families he harmed,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “Protecting children is our office’s highest priority, and we will continue working with federal and local law enforcement to hold accountable those who prey on them.” “Identifying and holding online predators accountable for their actions is one of the BCA’s highest priorities,” said Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans. “Predators like Amelsberg target the most vulnerable members of our society, our children. We must do everything we can to stop them, bring them to justice, and support the victims and families whose lives they have forever changed.” “For years, and while being a registered sex offender, Christopher Amelsberg sexually exploited at least a dozen children from his home in Minneapolis,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Even after a previous state conviction for possessing child sexual abuse material, this defendant did not learn his lesson. Federal charges for child sexual exploitation come with significant mandatory minimum penalties to hold child predators accountable. The FBI, BCA, and our law enforcement partners around Minnesota have and will continue to work together tirelessly to stop child predators, rescue child victims from abuse and exploitation, and help victims on their path to recovery.” Investigators believe there may be additional child victims of Amelsberg’s online sexual exploitation activity. If you or your child has information about online exploitation committed by Christopher Allan Amelsberg, please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or submit information to tips.fbi.gov . This case is the result of an investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI Minneapolis Division with assistance from the Minneapolis Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Austin L. Bowyer. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Former Stetson Resident Sentenced for Firearm Offenses

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A former Stetson man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for being a felon in possession of firearms and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neuman sentenced Marc Karun , 61, to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Karun pleaded guilty on February 15, 2024. According to court records, police found over 60 firearms and more than 14,000 rounds of ammunition while executing a search warrant at Karun’s Stetson home. The guns were found in various places in the house, and some were loaded. One rifle had the serial number removed. Karun was prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior Connecticut felony convictions for sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, burglary, and larceny. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Maine State Police investigated the case. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). 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: Clinton Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Child Exploitation Offenses

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Clinton man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to production and receipt of child pornography, and enticement of a minor. According to court records, law enforcement received information that an individual, later identified as Keith Page , 73, was remitting money via Venmo and PayPal to several individuals identified as being under the age of 18, likely in exchange for child pornography. One of the accounts Page had remitted money to was identified as belonging to a female minor residing in New Orleans, Louisiana. Investigators contacted the minor, who stated that she had been providing sexually explicit images of herself to Page in exchange for money since she was 15 years old. During a subsequent interview with Page, he admitted that he knew the minor female was underage. Page faces a minimum term of 15 years and a maximum term of 30 years in prison for production of child pornography, a minimum term of 10 years and a maximum term of life in prison for enticement of a minor, and a minimum term of five years and a maximum term of 20 years in prison for receipt of child pornography. Page also faces a maximum fine of $250,000 and a maximum supervised release term of life for each count. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit – Special Victims investigated the case. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc . ###


title: West Lawn Man Sentenced To 24 Months In Prison For Trafficking In Stolen Human Remains

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joshua Taylor, age 49, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on July 27, 2026, to 24 months in prison by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann for conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Taylor admitted to his role in a nationwide network of individuals who bought and sold human remains, including remains stolen from Harvard Medical School. Taylor purchased human remains from multiple individuals knowing that those remains were stolen. Other individuals were indicted with Taylor on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen property as part of the same investigation. From 2018 through 2022, Cedric Lodge, who managed the morgue for the Anatomical Gifts Program at Harvard Medical School, located in Boston, Massachusetts, stole organs and other parts of cadavers donated for medical research and education before their scheduled cremations. Lodge at times allegedly transported stolen remains from Boston to his residence in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife, Denise Lodge, sold the remains to Katrina Maclean, Joshua Taylor, and others, making arrangements via cellular telephone and social media websites. At times, Cedric Lodge allowed Maclean and Taylor to enter the morgue at Harvard Medical School and examine cadavers. On some occasions, Taylor transported stolen remains back to Pennsylvania. On other occasions, the Lodges shipped stolen remains to Taylor and others out of state. Maclean and Taylor sold the stolen remains for profit, including to Jeremy Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Jeremy Pauley also purchased stolen human remains from Candace Chapman Scott, who stole remains from her employer, a Little Rock, Arkansas mortuary and crematorium. Scott stole parts of cadavers she was supposed to have cremated, many of which had been donated to and used for research and educational purposes by an area medical school, as well as the corpses of two stillborn babies who were supposed to be cremated and returned as cremains to their families. Scott sold the stolen remains to Pauley and shipped them to Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Several other defendants have previously entered guilty pleas in related cases, including Joshua Taylor, Andrew Ensanian, Matthew Lampi, Katrina Maclean, Cedric and Denise Lodge, and Angelo Pereyra. Lampi was sentenced to 15 months in prison; Pereyra was sentenced to 18 months in prison; Ensanian was sentenced to 6 months in prison; Denise and Cedric Lodge were sentenced to 96 months and 12 months in prison respectively. Katrina Maclean is awaiting sentencing. Additionally, Candace Chapman-Scott, who stole remains from an Arkansas crematorium where she was employed and sold them to Pauley in Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty in Arkansas federal court and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the East Pennsboro Township Police Department, and the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Forsyth County Man Sentenced to 15 Years for  Illegally Possessing a Firearm that was Used During a Highway Shooting Spree

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO – A Winston-Salem, North Carolina man was sentenced today in Greensboro to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to a possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Dan Bishop of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC). JOHN FRANKLIN BARROW, JR., aged 43, was sentenced to 180 months imprisonment plus 3 years post release supervision by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, Chief United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. According to court records, on August 1, 2024, at approximately 2:42 p.m., an eyewitness called 911 to report that he had just witnessed a driver, later identified as BARROW, shoot into a semi-truck as it was traveling on 1-40, causing the truck to go off the road and crash into the tree line. The driver of the semi-truck, who suffered a gunshot wound to the head and shoulder, was treated for life-threatening injuries. He ultimately survived. When later interviewed by law enforcement, the driver stated he did not know BARROW. BARROW is also linked to another shooting that occurred on I-40 shortly afterwards in which he shot towards a truck. The driver was not shot but his vehicle sustained damage as a result of the shooting. That driver also informed law enforcement that he did not know BARROW. Based on eyewitness information, officers responded to a motel in Winston-Salem where they encountered BARROW, armed with a loaded firearm in his pants pocket. BARROW was placed under arrest. During a search of his vehicle, officers recovered approximately 9 cartridge casings and approximately 26 additional live rounds. BARROW’s criminal record dates back to 2002. Prior to his arrest in this case, BARROW received several felony convictions, including Felony Larceny of a Firearm, Felony Conspiracy to Sell Fentanyl, Felony Attempted Breaking and Entering a Building, Felony Manufacturing Marijuana, Felony Obtaining Property by False Pretense, Felony Larceny from the Person, and Felony Attempted Possession of a Firearm by Felon. BARROW pleaded guilty on April 16, 2026, to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). On May 15, 2026, BARROW was sentenced in Davie County to two consecutive 144-to-185-month sentences for Felony Discharging a Weapon into Occupied Property Causing Serious Bodily Injury and Felony Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Bodily Injury, stemming from the shooting of the semi-truck driver. The case was investigated by the Winston-Salem Police Department, Davie County Sherriff’s Office, Forsyth County Sherriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tracy M. Williams-Durham and Randall S. Galyon. ###


title: Lake County Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government Funds and Aggravated Identity Theft

component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: Ocala, Florida – Jose Valles Villamizar (29, Tavares) has pleaded guilty to theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment for the theft of government funds offense and a mandatory consecutive sentence of 2 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft offense. As part of his plea, Villamizar has also agreed to forfeit $73,655.27, which are traceable as the proceeds of his criminal conduct. A sentencing date has not yet been set. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, Villamizar fraudulently used $73,655.27 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) benefits. He personally used the benefits and aided and abetted others to fraudulently use the benefits. SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) program established by the United States government to help low-income individuals and families by providing monthly benefits to purchase food items. SNAP benefits are issued to recipients through Electronic Benefit Transfer (“EBT”) cards. Between September 2023 and February 2025, 650 SNAP applications were submitted in the names of various individuals. All the applications listed residential and mailing addresses that were associated with Villamizar. Once the applications were approved, SNAP benefits were issued under the names of the applicants. The USDA subsequently obtained surveillance footage of Villamizar using the SNAP benefit EBT cards issued in the other names. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Children and Families, and the Florida Division of Public Assistance Fraud. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.


title: Jacksonville Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Bank Fraud and Failing to Appear

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – McKenzie Phillip Storm Scott (30, Jacksonville) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger to three years and six months in federal prison for bank fraud conspiracy and one year and six months for failure to appear, to be served consecutively, for a total of 5 years’ imprisonment. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $21,097.49, the proceeds of the bank fraud conspiracy. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, Scott and others conspired to defraud financial institutions by stealing checks from the United States mail, altering the payees and payment amounts for the purposes of manufacturing counterfeit checks, depositing them into bank accounts belonging to accomplices, then withdrawing as much of the fraudulent checks as possible in cash. The intended loss attributable to Scott’s conduct was approximately $526,000. He obtained $21,097.49 in cash. Scott was due to be sentenced for the bank fraud case on February 7, 2025, but failed to appear for the hearing. He was subsequently indicted for his failure to appear. Law enforcement ultimately located Scott traveling in Las Vegas, Nevada, and arrested him on December 2, 2025. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Secret Service and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.


title: Federal Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of an Inmate and Receipt of a Bribe by a Public Official

body_text: Ocala, Florida – Cornelius Alexander Thompson (38, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a ward in federal custody and one count of receipt of a bribe by a public official. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set. The indictment also notifies Thompson that the United States will seek an order of forfeiture of $24,550, which represents the proceeds of the bribery offense. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court records, Thompson was a public official employed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons as a correctional officer at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Coleman) in Sumter County. Between January 2020 and August 9, 2023, Thompson engaged in a sexual act at the prison with a federal inmate under his custodial, supervisory, and disciplinary authority. Furthermore, between January 2020 and April 29, 2024, Thompson received money to unlawfully smuggle contraband into FCC Coleman for federal inmates. The prohibited items Thompson smuggled into the prison included K2 (a synthetic marijuana), fentanyl, PCP, methamphetamine, ketamine, suboxone, marijuana, cigarettes, and cellphones. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice – Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.


title: Clermont Mortgage Consultant Pleads Guilty in Bank Fraud Scheme

body_text: Tampa, FL – Kenneth Blair (54, Clermont) has pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Blair entered his guilty plea while on pretrial release and awaiting sentencing for a similar mortgage fraud scheme. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, from as early as May 2024, and continuing through July 2025, in the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere, Blair and others devised a scheme to defraud financial institutions by making materially false and fraudulent representations. Blair’s role in the bank fraud scheme included preparing and submitting fictitious and fraudulent paystubs and employment promotion letters for his clients in the names of companies to show fabricated income from employers. This caused the mortgage lenders to approve and fund mortgage loans for otherwise unqualified borrowers in exchange for undisclosed payments to Blair from his clients. The fraudulent mortgage loans were subsequently purchased and guaranteed by government-sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as the Federal Housing Administration. This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor. On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support 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: Maryland Felon Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearm

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland man learned his fate in federal court, stemming from a firearms incident in a convenience store. U.S. District Court Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Tevin Williams, 33, of Halethorpe, to four years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person. Williams, a convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, attempted to conceal a backpack containing the firearm in a convenience store. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office, and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD). According to court documents, on July 28, 2025, a BPD officer performed a business check at a convenience store located in Baltimore. While inside, the officer observed an individual in the back corner of the store standing next to a backpack stuffed between an ice-cream cooler and the wall. The officer asked the individual if the backpack belonged to him and the individual responded, “no.” Then the officer picked up the backpack and immediately recognized the shape and weight of a firearm inside. The officer opened the black backpack and recovered a pistol, equipped with a large-capacity magazine loaded with 14 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Law enforcement later reviewed the convenience store surveillance footage from that day and confirmed that the individual standing near the backpack did not manipulate or possess the backpack prior to its recovery. Instead, further review of surveillance footage revealed that Williams entered the convenience store after an unidentified individual approached him and they walked to the back of the store to the location of the backpack. He reached into the narrow space between the ice-cream cooler and the wall and pulled out the backpack. Williams eventually opened the backpack and handed items to the unidentified individual. THhen Williams closed the backpack and placed it back between the ice cream cooler and the wall. He later admitted that he possessed the recovered firearm and ammunition equipped with a large-capacity magazine. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Tsuei who prosecuted this federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md . # # #


title: Illegal Alien from Guatemala Pleads Guilty to Illegal Re-Entry After Previous Deportation

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – An illegal alien from Guatemala, residing in Beltsville, Maryland, pled guilty in federal court, today, to illegal re-entry after prior removal. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Akil Baldwin, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland. According to federal and state court documents, Bayron Leopoldo Perez Batres, 64, unlawfully re-entered the United States after authorities removed him on three separate occasions. Authorities removed Perez Batres in January 1996, September 2009, and May 2010. Then on Sept. 6, 2024, law enforcement arrested Perez Batres in Maryland on state charges relating to sexual abuse of a minor. Perez Batres pled guilty to the charges on Sept. 2, 2025. At no time did Perez Batres receive consent from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States, as required for him to legally enter the country. Perez Batres faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 10 a.m. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Li and Brooke Oki, along with Trial Attorneys Matthew Thiman and Sean F. Mulryne, Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, who are prosecuting the federal case. The indictment and plea announced today were coordinated and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). JTFA also leads and supports U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs) in the prosecution of crimes related to unaccompanied alien children (UACs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 464 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 414 U.S. convictions; and more than 360 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md . # # #


title: Five Individuals Indicted for Roles in Cross-Country Drug Trafficking and Robbery Conspiracy

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced, today, that five men face indictment in connection with a cross-country drug trafficking operation, which included a plot to rob a California-based narcotics supplier. Tyler Michael "Dink" Watson, 28, of Glen Burnie, Maryland; Akop Akop “Jack” Terzian, 30, Chatsworth, California; Nathan Andrew Jackson, 25, of Glen Burnie, Maryland; Dominick Terrell Johnson, 23, of Glen Burnie, Maryland; and Gary Bailey Jr., 28 of Glen Burnie, Maryland, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Akil Baldwin, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland, and Chief Amal E. Awad, Anne Arundel County Police Department (AACOPD). According to the indictment, from March 2023, and continuing through May 2025, the co-conspirators sought to unlawfully distribute and possess with intent to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine. On multiple occasions Watson, Jackson, Johnson, and Bailey traveled from Maryland to California to purchase controlled substances through Terzian, who would then ship the narcotics back to Maryland for distribution. Additionally, in July 2024, Watson, Jackson, Johnson, and Bailey conspired with Terzian to steal narcotics from a California source of supply. The Maryland co-conspirators purchased drugs from this supplier previously and knew where the controlled substances were stored. The co-conspirators intended to enrich themselves by selling the controlled substances they obtained from the robbery. The Maryland co-conspirators then traveled to California, where they met with Terzian and obtained a firearm to use in the planned robbery. On July 15, the Maryland co-conspirators met with the California source of supply. While holding him at gunpoint, they robbed him of approximately 11 kilograms of cocaine, several bags of marijuana, and U.S. currency. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. If convicted, Watson, Jackson, Johnson, Bailey, and Terzian face a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Additionally, the co-conspirators are facing up to 20 years for conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI, and AACOPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Levin who is prosecuting the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md . # # #


title: Baltimore Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Role in Deadly Carjacking

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A Baltimore man learned his fate in federal court, today, for his role in multiple carjackings, including one that resulted in a murder. U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Antonio Purisima, 25, to 35 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for carjacking resulting in death. Purisima engaged in a carjacking spree with multiple co-conspirators. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office, and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD). According to court documents, in June 2022, Purisima conspired with co-conspirators Jerritt Barron, 24, Jeremy Matheny, 27, and Nefertiti Moore, 23, all from Baltimore, to commit several armed carjackings. On June 15, Purisima, Barron, and Matheny followed a victim from Maryland Live! Casino, in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, to her Glen Burnie residence. After the victim parked near her home, two co-conspirators approached her, as they brandished handguns, and demanded money and her car keys. The two masked suspects then drove away in the victim’s car which was recovered less than one hour later in Baltimore. Then on June 19, Purisima, Barron, Matheny, and Moore, who rode in a black pick-up truck, attempted to carjack a vehicle near an Interstate 95 ramp in Baltimore. Moore exited the truck and flagged down the victim. Then the co-conspirators blocked the victims’ vehicle with their car from entering the ramp to I-95. Purisima and Barron then exited their vehicle and approached the victim. A co-conspirator then shot the victim who later died from the injuries. The co-conspirators then fled the scene. Historical cell site data placed Purisima, Matheny, and Moore at or near the scene of the murder. In May 2026, Judge Bredar sentenced Barron to 40 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and Matheny to 24 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for their roles in the deadly carjacking. As part of the investigation, law enforcement extracted latent fingerprints from the Glen Burnie victim’s carjacked vehicle that matched Matheny and Purisima. Additionally, historical cell-site data placed Matheny and Purisima at Maryland Live! Casino and at the scene of the carjacking. Additionally, when law enforcement arrested Matheny on June 22, they confiscated a cellphone in Matheny’s possession. After searching the phone, law enforcement uncovered photos of Purisima, Barron, and Matheny posing with firearms while at Maryland Live! Casino. The casino’s video surveillance shows the co-conspirators entering a vehicle and then following the victim as she drove her car. 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 . U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended the FBI and BPD, for their work in the investigation, along with the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, for its valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Sippel, Jr., who is prosecuting this federal case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md . # # #


title: Former Washington State Employee Sentenced for Theft of $50,000 from Paid Family Leave and Unemployment Insurance Programs

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington – On July 28, 2026, United States District Court Judge Rebecca L. Pennell sentenced Tasha Hoggatt, age 51, of Valencia, California, to five years of probation, including six months of home confinement, after Hoggatt pleaded guilty to theft concerning programs that receive federal funds. Judge Pennell also ordered that Hoggatt pay $51,403 in restitution and a $4,000 fine. The Plea Agreement can be found here . Based on court documents, between October 1, 2021, and October 31, 2022, Hoggatt was employed with the Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) as a Human Resource Consultant. Between May 16, 2024, and September 19, 2024, Hoggatt was employed with ESD as a Benefits Specialist. While employed with ESD, Hoggatt filed false and fraudulent Paid Family Medical Leave Act applications in her own name and in the name of two family members setting out fictitious medical information and supported by documents with forged doctor signatures. Hoggatt also fraudulently applied for Washington State unemployment insurance benefits between October 31, 2022, and May 16, 2024, while not employed by ESD. Hoggatt falsely represented to ESD that she was unemployed during this period, but she was in fact employed in California. Through her false submissions, Hoggatt stole $51,403 from Washington State’s Paid Family Leave and Unemployment Insurance programs. “Washington State Employment Security Department uses state and federal funds to provide resources for individuals in need. When people take advantage of these programs, they should expect to be prosecuted by United States Attorney’s Office; this is especially true when someone, like Hoggatt, works for the Department,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano. “Tasha Hoggatt abused her position at the Washington Employment Security Department to steal more than $51,000 in benefits meant for workers in genuine need,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. “Today's sentence underscores a simple truth: if you exploit federal programs and betray the public’s trust, my office will pursue you relentlessly. Our dedication to working with our law enforcement partners remains unwavering, as we uphold a rigorous zero-tolerance policy towards any misuse of our systems. Those who seek to exploit these programs will inevitably be identified and brought to justice. Accountability is not just a promise—it’s a guarantee." The case was investigated by Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy J. Kelley. 2:26-CR-00021-RLP


title: South Riding man sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexually exploiting a child

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A South Riding man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. According to court documents, on June 28, 2023, Michael David Seeds, 28, began communicating online with a 14-year-old victim via Discord, an Internet-based text, voice, and video messaging chat forum. Seeds purchased and gifted a new Discord subscription to the victim and created a username for her that included the word “victim.” From July through August 2023, Seeds directed the victim to record images and videos of herself that were sexual in nature. During video chats, Seeds would instruct the victim on how to pose, remove her clothing, and what sexual actions to perform during the live stream. Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jeffrey L. Tyler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa K. Strobbe prosecuted the case. 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. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:26-CR-55.


title: Defense contractor to pay $7.75M to resolve False Claims Act allegations

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Sierra Nevada Company, LLC (SNC), headquartered in Sparks, Nevada, agreed to pay $7.75 million to settle False Claims Act allegations arising from its employment of a government official who, while employed by both SNC and the government, participated personally and substantially in three government contracts awarded to SNC. From July 2019 to June 2020, SNC retained Michael Henry, a Department of War employee with the Joint Staff/J6, as a consultant. As a Joint Staff/J6 employee, Henry was involved in the award of three different government contracts to SNC: (1) a subcontract awarded by the Army in 2019, (2) an indefinite quantity/indefinite delivery contract awarded by the General Services Administration in 2020, and (3) task orders under an indefinite quantity/indefinite delivery contract awarded by the Special Operations Command in 2018. After beginning his employment with SNC, Henry continued to serve as a Joint Staff/J6 employee. In that capacity, Henry continued participating personally and substantially in the contracts by evaluating and obtaining approvals for SNC’s products. While serving as an SNC consultant, Henry also participated personally and substantially in the contracts on SNC’s behalf by recommending SNC’s products for purchase. The settlement announced today resolves allegations that SNC submitted or caused the submission of false claims, false statements, and false certifications in connection with the contracts. The United States alleged that SNC’s employment of Henry and Henry’s participation in the contracts on SNC’s behalf constituted an organizational conflict of interest under the Federal Acquisition Regulation. The United States further alleged SNC knowingly made, or knowingly caused to be made, material false statements, material false certifications, and material omissions concerning the nonexistence of an organizational conflict of interest that induced the award of the contracts. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Fraud Field Office, and the General Services Administration’s Office of Inspector General. This matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Kapoor. In 2025, Henry pled guilty to a one-count criminal indictment charging him with acts affecting a personal financial interest. The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.


title: North Texas men sentenced to federal prison for trafficking fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas

component: Civil Division

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – Two North Texas men have been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Heath Darrian Denson, 28, of Dallas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III, on July 28, 2026. Tyson Lamar Johnson, also known as TY, or TeeWhy, 38, of Plano, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III, on July 28, 2026. According to information presented in court, Denson and Johnson were part of a drug trafficking conspiracy responsible for distributing was thousands of counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area including the Eastern District of Texas. Johnson was also operating a trap, or drug distribution house on McCallum Avenue in Dallas. During a search of the house, a firearm used in support of the illicit drug trafficking conspiracy was found. “The scourge of fentanyl has caused devastation and destruction across all of our communities. Trap houses filled with drugs and guns aren’t just figments of Hollywood’s imagination. They are real, tangible, and active in all of our neighborhoods. Texoma HIDTA will remain committed to assisting all of our partners in helping attack this plague on our society. Texoma HIDTA’s commitment to supporting public safety will remain unwavering,” stated Texoma HIDTA Director Keith Brown. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. This case was part of the Texoma HIDTA and investigated by the Plano Police Department, FBI, and the Texas Department of Public Safety with the prosecution being led by Eastern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Smith. ###


title: Illegal alien from Venezuela sentenced to federal prison in the Eastern District of Texas for trafficking methamphetamine

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – A Venezuelan national, illegally in the United States, has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Anthony Juber Viloria Colina, 32, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant on July 28, 2026. According to information presented in court, on January 22, 2025, Colina was stopped for a traffic violation in Grayson County. After consenting to a search of the vehicle and opening the trunk, Colina fled on foot. Law enforcement discovered 100 individually wrapped “bricks” of methamphetamine in the trunk of the vehicle, totaling approximately 100 kilograms. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Erlandson. ###


title: Former law enforcement officer guilty of sexual exploitation of a child in the Eastern District of Texas

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: TYLER, Texas – A former law enforcement officer has pleaded guilty to child exploitation charges in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Skyler Douglas Laza, 34, pleaded guilty on July 27, 2026, to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love. According to court documents, on at least two occasions, Laza, a former licensed peace officer, persuaded a minor under the age of 12 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating a visual depiction using a cell phone. The terms of Laza’s plea agreement contain an agreed sentencing range of between 40-60 years in federal prison as well as lifetime supervision and sex offender registration. The actual sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Dallas Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Palestine Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucas Machicek. ###


title: Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty To Unlawfully Possessing Firearm And Ammunition

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Angel Roberto Chavez-Nunez, a/k/a Angel Roberto Chavez Nunez, 33, a Cuban national unlawfully present in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than 15 years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00. The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Okmulgee County District Attorney’s Office. The Indictment alleged that on November 4, 2025, Chavez-Nunez, an alien illegally and unlawfully present in the United States and knowing of such status, knowingly possessed six rounds of ammunition and one semi-automatic rifle shipped in interstate commerce. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Chavez-Nunez will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.


title: Co-Defendants Sentenced For Federal Firearms Crimes

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Tyson Gene Williams, 46, of Muskogee, and Tyson Gene Goins, 21, of Wagoner, were sentenced today in federal district court. Williams was sentenced to 57 months for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. Williams pleaded guilty to the charge on October 6, 2025. Goins was sentenced to 51 months for one count of Possession of a Stolen Firearm, and to 51 months for one count of Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment or Information. The Court ordered the terms to be served concurrently. Goins pleaded guilty to the charges on September 10, 2025. The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Checotah Police Department. According to investigators, on April 19, 2025, an officer initiating a routine traffic stop on Williams’ and Goins’ vehicle discovered Williams in possession of two semi-automatic pistols and 27 rounds of ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. During the stop, Goins was discovered in possession of two semi-automatic pistols, knowing that the firearms were stolen. At the time of the traffic stop, Goins was under Indictment for a felony criminal case in McIntosh County District Court. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. The defendants will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.


title: Former Executive Director and Former Employee of Queens Defenders Legal Services Non-Profit Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling Funds

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Lori Zeno, the former executive director of Queens Defenders, a nonprofit legal services organization, and Rashad Ruhani, a former employee of the Organization, were sentenced by United States District Judge Rachel P. Kovner for their roles in a scheme to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars from Queens Defenders. Judge Kovner sentenced Zeno to 43 months’ imprisonment and Ruhani to 57 months’ imprisonment. The defendants were also ordered to pay $656,349.57 in restitution to Queens Defenders and forfeiture money judgments of $187,014.24 (Zeno) and $102,534.27 (Ruhani). Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Nadia I. Shihata, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), announced the sentences. “Lori Zeno brazenly betrayed and abused her position of trust as the director of a nonprofit organization, while Rashad Ruhani worked hand in hand with her to steal funds intended to provide legal services and other critical resources to disadvantaged members of the community,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Instead of upholding the law and serving those in need, the defendants greedily served themselves by spending those funds on luxury goods, lavish travel, and other personal indulgences. Today’s sentences serve as a reminder that our Office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who steal public funds and thereby deprive our communities of essential services.” “Rather than honoring their responsibility to the community and safeguarding the resources entrusted to them, Lori Zeno and Rashad Ruhani chose to embezzle non-profit funds for their own interests. Their actions deprived people who needed and deserved legal support. Today’s sentencing reinforces our commitment to protecting the integrity of the services non-profits provide,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. “Providing indigent New Yorkers with access to quality legal services is essential to ensuring a justice system governed by the rule of law and respect for constitutional rights. Lori Zeno and Rashad Ruhani betrayed their responsibility to help indigent New Yorkers through the City-funded legal services organization that Zeno co-founded and where Ruhani worked. Instead, they chose to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars from the organization, spending lavishly on themselves, including on a penthouse apartment, a vacation to Bali, and extravagant purchases at luxury retailers. Today, they stand convicted and face the consequences of their crimes. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the New York Office of the FBI for working with us to hold accountable anyone who misuses City funds and compromises vital services to New Yorkers.” stated DOI Commissioner Shihata. As set forth in court filings, Zeno co-founded and served as the executive director of Queens Defenders, which provided legal services and community support services to indigent residents of Queens, New York. Zeno hired Ruhani to work for Queens Defenders in October 2023. Between June 2024 and January 2025, Zeno and Ruhani engaged in a corrupt scheme to embezzle funds from Queens Defenders, diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars for their own personal benefit, including spending these stolen funds on foreign travel, expensive meals, luxury shopping, and rent for a penthouse apartment (the Penthouse Apartment). Zeno and Ruhani made extravagant purchases with the Queens Defenders’ credit cards, spending over $10,000 on a vacation to Bali; $1,700 at a luxury resort in Santa Monica, California; $3,300 for an 85-inch smart television to be installed at the Penthouse Apartment; thousands of dollars in food deliveries to the Penthouse Apartment; and thousands of dollars at luxury retailers such as Ralph Lauren and Neiman Marcus. In one instance, Zeno and Ruhani charged over $4,000 to a Queens Defenders credit card to buy a Louis Vuitton designer handbag. As part of the conspiracy, Zeno and Ruhani repeatedly lied to the Queens Defenders, falsely characterizing personal expenses as business expenses to obtain approval for the expenditures. To pay for the Penthouse Apartment, Zeno and Ruhani fraudulently obtained reimbursements from Queens Defenders for over $39,000 in rent by submitting lease documents that were altered to conceal Zeno’s involvement. Zeno also secured lucrative positions at Queens Defenders for relatives and associates of Ruhani who did little or no substantive work, including hiring a woman married to Ruhani as the director of a non-existent “health and wellness” program with a salary of $60,000. As a result of Zeno and Ruhani’s misuse of its funds, Queens Defenders lost its city contract to provide criminal defense services to low‑income New Yorkers. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Russell Noble, Sean M. Sherman, and Brooke Theodora are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Johnson Peow and Daniel Arakawa. The Defendants: LORI ZENO Age: 65 Garden City, New York RASHAD RUHANI Age: 56 Corona, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-182 (S-1) (RPK)


title: Missouri Man Sentenced to Prison for Threatening Social Security Administration Employees

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – A man who threatened employees of the Social Security Administration twice in 2025 was sentenced Tuesday to a year and a day in prison. After his release from prison, Timothy Wells Stevens, 57, will be on supervised release for two years. On Oct. 1, 2025, Stevens was told in a phone call with an SSA employee in Pennsylvania that there was no record showing that he was due payments. Stevens said that if he did not receive payments, “I’m commin’ gunning for you all.” The employee told Stevens that the SSA takes all threats seriously, and he responded “No, I am going gunnin’ trust me, and I’m going to blow up every (expletive) office around here.” About 30 minutes later Stevens called again and reached an SSA employee in California. During that call, he said, “Cause I’m telling you now, if I have to sell my place I’ve owned for 17 years and go live under a bridge, I’m hunting every last one of you (expletives) down and I’m gonna blow you up,” his plea agreement says. Stevens, of Wayne County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to two counts of transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce. The Federal Protective Police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis prosecuted the case.


title: Final Three Defendants in Central Arkansas Drug-Trafficking Conspiracy Sentenced to Combined 29 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Kevin Langel, who trafficked dozens of kilograms of cocaine from Texas to Arkansas, will spend the next 14 years in federal prison. Bruce Smith, who trafficked multiple pounds of methamphetamine from California to Arkansas, will be in federal prison for the next 10 years. And Larry Rogers, who brokered multiple kilogram-quantity transactions of cocaine between drug distributors in Little Rock, will serve five years in federal prison. All three men were sentenced by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky for their roles in a major drug-trafficking organization that ended with guilty verdicts following a six-day trial in February. Today, Judge Rudofsky sentenced Langel, 54, of Pine Bluff, and Rogers, 71, of Benton. On Monday, Judge Rudofsky sentenced Smith, 55, of Hesperia, California. Langel and Smith each received five years of supervised release in addition to their 168 and 120 months, respectively, of imprisonment. Rogers’ 60 months’ imprisonment will be followed by four years of supervised release. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the verdicts. The three men were part of a drug conspiracy that spanned from California to Texas to Arkansas and involved significant amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl. The three were the last of the 18 defendants indicted to be convicted after a trial that ended on February 10, 2026. Langel, Smith, and Rogers were initially indicted in November 2022. A federal grand jury returned a Superseding Indictment on January 6, 2026, charging Smith with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Langel and Rogers were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, with Langel’s charge involving more than five kilograms of cocaine and Rogers’ charge involving more than 500 grams, but less than five kilograms of cocaine. The indictments were the culmination of a multi-agency investigation into drug-trafficking in central Arkansas led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and North Little Rock Police Department. The evidence at trial proved that the controlled substances the three men were selling were ultimately being purchased, and redistributed, by Roderick Toney, 58, of Little Rock. Judge Rudofsky sentenced Toney to 150 months imprisonment on February 25, 2026, following Toney’s guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The investigation revealed that Smith knew individuals in Pine Bluff and came to Arkansas several times during the conspiracy period of 2020 through 2022 to sell and deliver pounds of methamphetamine to Toney. In June and July 2022, at the same time Smith was selling methamphetamine to Toney, Toney was purchasing kilograms of cocaine from Rogers. Evidence at trial detailed Toney and Rogers’ movements on July 14, 2022, when Rogers obtained money from a relative of Toney’s at a car wash and then traveled to a business off Geyer Springs Road in Little Rock where he met with Langel and obtained a kilogram of cocaine that Rogers later delivered to Toney. Rogers and Toney were involved in multiple cocaine transactions. In addition to the evidence that Langel was the source of supply of cocaine that Rogers obtained for Toney in June and July 2022, the United States proved that Langel was engaged in numerous multiple-kilogram transactions of cocaine sourced out of Houston and Dallas in late 2022 and early 2023. Just one such transaction was for $72,800, according to evidence presented at trial, money with which Langel purchased four kilograms of cocaine. During today’s sentencing, Judge Rudofsky said he considered Langel’s criminal history, which included at attempted murder conviction as well as a conviction for Battery, Second Degree, in crafting the 14-year sentence. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Little Rock comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Orleans Field Division, North Little Rock Police Department, and the Sherwood Police Department, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas. This case was investigated by the DEA and North Little Rock Police Department, with assistance from the Sherwood Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Givens and Amanda Fields. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Jury Finds D.C. Man Guilty of Road Rage Shooting

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Marcus Reavenell, 48, of Washington, D.C., was convicted on charges related to a road rage shooting that occurred on May 14, 2025, in Northeast, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Reavenell was found guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful discharge of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, reckless driving, and destruction of property less than $1,000 on July 27, 2026. The possession of a firearm during a crime of violence conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for October 2, 2026, before Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur. According to the Government’s evidence, on May 14, 2025, at the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Division Avenue NE, Reavenell attempted to cut off the victim in traffic before tailgating the victim and driving erratically. The defendant continued to follow the victim until he pointed a pistol out of his van and fired a round at the victim’s work vehicle, striking its rear door. Reavenell then fled the scene in his van. Reavenell was arrested on July 9, 2025, and has been in custody since. Joining the announcement was Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randle Wilson and Kadian Carter. 2025 CF2 007835


title: D.C. National Guard Major Pleads Guilty to Immigration Fraud Scheme and to Theft of Government Money

body_text: WASHINGTON – Collin L. Welch, 40, of Arlington, Virginia, a Major in the D.C. National Guard, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to unlawfully inducing aliens to enter and remain in the United States and to theft of about $54,000 in government money, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Welch pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali to unlawfully inducing aliens to enter and remain in the United States and to theft of government money. As part of the plea, Welch agreed to forfeit a money judgment of $54,000 to the United States. Judge Ali scheduled sentencing for Dec 3, 2026. According to court documents, Welch is a National Guard officer who previously served in the Alaska and D.C. National Guard with prior deployments to Afghanistan and Djibouti. In 2019, despite being married, he began a relationship with a Mongolian national while he was posted to the U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Welch later fabricated a divorce decree to convince the Mongolian woman he was no longer married, and in 2022 married her in Mongolia while still legally married to his wife. In 2024, Welch brought the Mongolian woman and her minor daughter to the United States on tourist visas, and in October 2024 married the Mongolian woman a second time, in Virginia, again while still legally married. After the woman and her daughter’s tourist visas expired in early 2025, Welch knowingly continued to support them financially and house them. When the Mongolian woman asked about her immigration status, Welch fabricated a series of documents, including fake permanent residency approvals, Social Security cards, and a letter falsely indicating military dependent health benefits, to convince her that a citizenship process was underway. None of the documents were ever filed with any government agency. Separately, Welch used his government travel card to submit fraudulent travel vouchers and fabricated receipts for hotel stays and rental cars that never occurred, and used the card without authorization to fund personal travel and to pay for the woman and her daughter’s living and travel expenses, resulting in about $54,000 in unauthorized charges to the United States. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Investigations Unit. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Babu Kaza, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia - Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section. On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support 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. 26cr158 Follow us on X , Instagram , and YouTube Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc


title: Armed Bridgeport Drug Dealer Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ORONDE JEFFERSON, 42, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for a drug-related firearm offense. According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2024, the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and Bridgeport Police Department learned that Jefferson’s associate, Moeties Brown, was selling narcotics in the vicinity of Brown’s residence on Maple Street in Bridgeport. On November 20, 2024, investigators observed Jefferson and Brown at Brown’s residence, and Brown and others engaging in suspected drug sales. Jefferson was arrested on state charges after he was searched and officers found him in possession of 32 individual glassine folds of fentanyl, a ziplock bag containing 71 capsules of crack cocaine, and a loaded Glock 9mm handgun equipped with a loaded high-capacity magazine. Brown was also arrested after a search of his person revealed a distribution quantity of marijuana, and a search of his vehicle and residence revealed more than 100 grams of fentanyl, two handguns, and ammunition. Jefferson was arrested on federal charges on May 9, 2025. On March 23, 2026, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Jefferson’s criminal history includes convictions for robbery, firearms, burglary, and larceny offenses. Jefferson, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on August 25. On May 19, 2026, Brown pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 5. This investigation has been conducted by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Stratford Police Department. The Task Force is composed of personnel from the FBI, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Fairfield, Norwalk, Trumbull, and Westport Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary G. Vitale and Daniel George. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Westlake Man Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Prison for Throwing Rocks and Lighted Debris at CHP Officers During Anti-ICE Riot

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A man from the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for throwing rocks and ignited debris at California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers trapped underneath a downtown Los Angeles freeway overpass – with a CHP vehicle set ablaze during a violent anti-immigration law enforcement protest last year, the Justice Department announced today. Ismael Vega, 42, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who also ordered him to pay $253,415 in restitution. Vega pleaded guilty on April 29 to one count of obstructing, impeding, and interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder. According to his plea agreement, during the evening of June 8, 2025, two days after violence erupted against federal agents enforcing U.S. immigration laws, Vega was part of a large group of protesters on the Main Street overpass above U.S. Highway 101 in downtown Los Angeles. These protesters picked up debris – including cardboard and vegetation – and fireworks, lit them on fire and dropped them over the freeway overpass’s railing, aiming for a nearby CHP vehicle, which was within feet of CHP officers trapped underneath the overpass. Vega admitted in his plea agreement that he knew the officers were under the freeway overpass and that the objects thrown and burning debris dropped onto a vehicle created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to the officers. Multiple times, Vega attempted to help other individuals who were trying to light debris on fire on the 101 Freeway overpass. He lit a large piece of cardboard on fire, held it over the railing to line it up to land on the hood of a CHP vehicle, which it did after he dropped it. Then, as another individual – co-defendant Yachua Mauricio Flores, 23, of Lincoln Heights – poured a liquid increasing the size of the flames, Vega was next to co-defendant Flores and used his hands to motion towards and gesture at the flames. Vega also picked up and threw multiple rocks at law enforcement officers as these officers attempted to clear the overpass. He further admitted that he knowingly engaged in that behavior intending that it obstruct, impede, and interfere with the law enforcement officers and their duties. “This civil disorder stood apart in its magnitude,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “A sergeant in the California Highway Patrol with nearly three decades in law enforcement wrote a statement about how this incident stood apart and the impact it had on him and his son. His experience underscores how violent this incident became and the deep toll it took on all law enforcement present.” Vega is the fifth defendant sentenced in connection with this case . Flores faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison at his August 3 sentencing hearing. The case’s lead defendant, Adam Charles Palermo, 40, of Rampart Village, has a December 14 sentencing hearing scheduled, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The FBI, with assistance from CHP and the Los Angeles Police Department, investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Jenna W. Long and Lana Morton Owens of the National Security Division, and Assistant United States Attorney Sebastian Bellm of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.


title: Ukrainian-Israeli Citizen Sentenced for Multi-Million Dollar  Fake Brokerage Scheme

body_text: Yaroslav Shilkloper, 50, a dual citizen of Ukraine and Israel, was sentenced today to four years in prison for his participation in a conspiracy that utilized a sophisticated phony brokerage-business to scam U.S. citizens out of millions of dollars. Shilkloper was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and $1.43 million in restitution to his victims. According to court documents and statements made in court, Shilkloper and his co-conspirators defrauded victims in the United States of more than $3 million dollars by promising high rates of return on investments made through their “K6 Investing,” “Neotron Holding LTD.,” and “Goldex Technology” companies. As part of the scheme, the defendant provided access to a digital platform that allowed victims to see what they believed were real-time investment performance data. The victims’ money, however, was never invested, but instead diverted and laundered through a series of bank accounts in Ukraine, Georgia, Hungary, Israel, Czech Republic, and elsewhere, all controlled by Shilkloper and his co-conspirators. When victims attempted to withdraw their money, they were prevented from doing so, threatened with legal action, or manipulated into sending more money to the fraud ring. Shilkloper is the first of three defendants charged in the case to be sentenced. He was extradited from Poland after being arrested there in 2023. Today’s U.S. forfeiture order adds to the $2.8 million already previously returned to the victims as a result of forfeiture proceedings against Shilkloper and co-conspirators in the Republic of Georgia. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Office made the announcement. The HSI New Orleans Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Ben Tonkin and Justin G. Bish of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter McCreight for the Southern District of Mississippi prosecuted this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Polish authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Shilkloper.