title: HSTF Investigation Leads to Indictment for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment Tuesday charging Jonathann Uriel Ayala Garcia, 23, with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine after his involvement in a transnational criminal organization (TCO). According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating a Beaverton-based TCO involved in trafficking methamphetamine, firearms, and cocaine. In June 2026, investigators arrested Ayala Garcia after he arrived to sell narcotics. Investigators searched his vehicle and found approximately 16.5 kilograms of methamphetamine and 168.3 grams of heroin. Ayala Garcia was arraigned in federal court yesterday before a U.S. magistrate judge. He pleaded not guilty and ordered detained pending a jury trial scheduled to begin on September 15, 2026. If convicted, Ayala Garcia faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, 5 years’ supervised release, and a fine of $10 million. U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon made the announcement. The DEA and ATF are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Hermann is prosecuting the case. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Portland comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, USMS, IRS-CI, ATF, USPIS, CBP, TSA, U.S. Coast Guard, Oregon Air, Army National Guard Counterdrug program, and Oregon-Idaho HIDTA with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Las Vegas Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt and Possession of Over 23,000 Images and Videos of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident pleaded guilty today to receiving and possessing thousands of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) after a forensic analysis of his digital devices. "By securing this guilty plea, we have fast-tracked justice for victims and ensured that this predator will be removed from our community,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “We will continue to deploy every technological resource available to intercept this type of material and hold perpetrators fully accountable." “Every image or video depicting child sexual abuse represents evidence of a real child, including infants and toddlers, who has endured harm,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office. “The exploitation of our nation's most vulnerable children is unconscionable. The FBI remains steadfast in our mission to identify and apprehend these offenders. In partnership with other law enforcement agencies, we are committed to holding those responsible for these violent online crimes fully accountable.” According to court documents and statements made at court proceedings, from August 27, 2021, to April 4, 2024, Jesse Ross Cowie purchased the entire catalogue of CSAM from a convicted producer of CSAM. The catalogue was predominantly CSAM depicting infants and toddlers. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence. A forensic analysis of his digital devices found over 23,125 images and 1,861 videos of CSAM depicting infants and toddlers, and children under the age of 12. Cowie pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The statutory minimum sentence is five years in prison and statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in prison for receipt of child pornography; and the statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in prison for possession of child pornography. Sentencing is scheduled for October 14, 2026, before United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon. A judge will impose a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Afroza Yeasmin is prosecuting the case. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Felon Sentenced to Prison for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A felon was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to two years and six months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for stealing another person’s loaded firearm then exchanging gunfire with that person. The government recommended a sentence of 71 months’ imprisonment. According to court documents, on August 21, 2025, Shahada Sutton stole another person’s Glock 19 handgun that was loaded with a 30-round magazine. The other person retrieved a second firearm and followed Sutton to an adjacent parking lot, where the two exchanged gunfire in the parking lot. Sutton then drove away and hit a curb. He fled on foot, dumping his backpack that contained the loaded Glock 19 handgun and a loaded Kel Tec Sub2000 rifle in a restroom at a public park. Sutton was on parole at the time of the offense. He had been previously convicted of felonies including carrying a concealed firearm or other deadly weapon and discharging a firearm at or into an occupied structure, vehicle, or watercraft, both offenses occurred in Clark County, Nevada. Sutton pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office made the announcement. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Strange prosecuted the case. ###


title: Española Man Sentenced for String of Armed Robberies that Led to Murder

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Española man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for a 2022 crime spree that left one person dead. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on August 9, 2022, Ricky Eddie Martinez, Jr. , 35, entered the Dandy Burger restaurant in Española, brandished a revolver, and robbed an employee of approximately $160. The following day, Martinez robbed a Shell gas station in Española after displaying a firearm and demanding money from the cashier, taking $352. On August 11, 2022, Martinez robbed a Walgreens in Española. After the cashier was unable to open the register, Martinez became increasingly aggressive, firing a round into a liquor display and wall near the employee before forcibly removing a cash register drawer and fleeing. The employee suffered burns from the close-range gunshot. On August 16, 2022, Martinez entered a Blake's Lotaburger in Española and demanded money from employees. He then jumped over the counter, shot and killed John Doe 2, and assaulted John Doe 3, the victim's brother and coworker, striking him with the firearm and firing at him. John Doe 3 survived but suffered serious injuries. Martinez fled the scene but was arrested the following day. Evidence linked Martinez to additional robberies committed during the week-long crime spree, including incidents at a Chevron gas station in Santa Fe, 420 Emporia Smoke Shop in Española, Chalupp's Pizza in Taos, Family Dollar, and Dollar General. During several of those robberies, Martinez discharged his firearm. At the time of the offenses, Martinez was on federal supervised release following a conviction for assault resulting in serious bodily injury and had absconded from supervision weeks before beginning the robbery spree. Martinez pleaded guilty to three counts of interference with commerce by robbery, one count of attempted interference with commerce by robbery, using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. As part of global plea negotiations with the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office, a result of extensive state and federal coordination throughout the investigation, Martinez also agreed to plead guilty in state court to offenses related to the murder of John Doe 2 and other crimes against John Doe 3. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Española Police Department, Taos Police Department and New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Trembley and Brittany DuChaussee prosecuted the case. Surveillance video from Dandy Burger Surveillance video from Dollar General Surveillance video from Shell Gas Station Surveillance video from Walgreens


title: Two TD Bank Insiders Sentenced for Facilitating Money Laundering, Fraud

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A New York-based former employee of TD Bank, N.A. was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for facilitating a money laundering network’s movement of millions of dollars through TD Bank accounts. A second New York-based former employee of TD Bank, N.A. and another financial institution was sentenced yesterday to 24 months in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and making false bank entries or reports as a bank employee, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. According to court documents, Wilfredo Aquino, 47, of Manhattan, New York, leveraged his position as a TD Bank assistant store manager to facilitate a money laundering network’s movement of hundreds of millions of dollars through TD Bank accounts from 2019 to February 2021. During that time, the leader of the network, Da Ying Sze, also known as David, and his co-conspirators moved approximately $474 million through TD Bank accounts by depositing cash at TD Bank stores in New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere. In February 2022, David pleaded guilty to coordinating a $653 million money laundering conspiracy, operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, and bribing bank employees in connection with financial transactions. During David’s money laundering scheme, Aquino processed approximately 1,680 official bank checks at TD Bank for David and his co-conspirators, totaling more than approximately $92 million. Nearly all of these bank checks were funded with a corresponding cash deposit exceeding $10,000, which triggered TD Bank’s legal requirement to file a currency transaction report (CTR). Although Aquino knew that David was conducting these cash deposits, Aquino never identified David as the “conductor” on the CTR. Aquino also knew that TD Bank had closed other accounts linked to David for suspicious activity; one colleague even warned Aquino that David’s activity “looks like money laundering.” In February 2021, Aquino facilitated three of David’s money laundering transactions, totaling almost $2 million in cash, in a third party’s account. He failed to report David as the conductor of the transactions, thus concealing David’s role in the money laundering scheme. Aquino accepted numerous retail gift cards from David totaling over $11,000 in return for his facilitation of this scheme, including for the three transactions in February 2021. In January 2026, Aquino pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder monetary instruments. According to court documents, from January 2021 through May 2021, Edward Low, also known as “a Mang Wah Low” and “Eddie Low,” 31, of Flushing, New York, accepted bribes and leveraged his position as a TD Bank, N.A. retail employee to fraudulently obtain confidential customer information that he passed to outside co-conspirators, who used it to take over accounts and steal money from customers. Low also processed some of their illicit transactions. In total, Low received at least $26,700 in bribes and facilitated $484,572.16 in fraud at TD Bank. Then, from May 2022 through August 2022, while employed at another financial institution, Low accepted a bribe to falsify bank records to open an account in the name of a shell company. Low’s co-conspirators then used that account to commit at least $47,195 of fraud. In February 2026, Low pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and making false bank entries or reports as a bank employee. U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey; Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Newark Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG) New York Region made the announcement. The Department also thanks the Morristown Police Department for its assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Bank Integrity Unit of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section prosecuted the case. The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s (MNF) mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations. MNF’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system. ### Defense counsel: Aquino – Richard J. Verde, Esq. Low – Michael P. Koribanics, Esq.


title: Redi-Bag USA and CEO Agree to Pay $7.3 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Evaded Customs Duties

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – New York Packaging II LLC d/b/a Redi-Bag USA, a New York-based supplier of custom bags, liners, and packaging, along with the company’s CEO, Jeffrey Rabiea, have agreed to pay a total of $7.3 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by misrepresenting on customs entry forms the country of origin of polyethylene retail carrier bags (PRCBs), thereby evading antidumping duties owed to the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer. “Antidumping duties help protect American taxpayers, workers, and businesses. This settlement agreement shows that our Office will continue to vigorously investigate and pursue allegations that businesses are evading those duties through unlawful conduct.” - U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer To enter goods into the United States, an importer must declare, among other things, the country of origin of the goods, the value of the goods, whether the goods are subject to duties, and the amount of duties owed. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects applicable duties, including antidumping duties assessed by the Department of Commerce. Antidumping duties protect against foreign companies “dumping” products on U.S. markets at prices below cost. During the relevant time period, PRCBs from the People’s Republic of China (China) were subject to antidumping duties. The settlement resolves allegations that Redi-Bag USA and Mr. Rabiea knew that PRCBs they imported and supplied to customers across the United States were manufactured in China and transshipped through Hong Kong. Redi-Bag USA and Mr. Rabiea nevertheless misrepresented on customs entry forms that the country of origin of the PRCBs was Hong Kong, thus evading antidumping duties assessed by the United States under Antidumping Duty Order No. A-570-886 (ADD Order). When applicable, the ADD Order imposed an antidumping duty of up to 77.57% on the value of PRCBs manufactured in China and imported into the United States. The United States alleged that Redi-Bag USA and Mr. Rabiea concealed the PRCBs’ true country of origin by hiding information from others, including the company’s customs broker and CBP, by directing employees to cover up “Made in China” markings, directing the manufacturer to remove “Made in China” markings, and directing the cancelation of orders after learning the orders would be inspected by customs authorities. “Companies that benefit from access to U.S. markets must follow U.S. law, including by paying import duties that protect American manufacturers and workers from unfair foreign competition,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will hold accountable those who evade duties owed to the United States.” “CBP ensures that all companies comply with U.S. customs and trade laws,” said CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott. “With this settlement, we are protecting the integrity of our nation’s borders and holding those who attempt to evade customs duties accountable. We continue to work closely with our partners to safeguard fair trade and support lawful commerce.” The settlement with Redi-Bag USA and Mr. Rabiea resolves a civil lawsuit filed by relator John Maierhoffer, a former contracted sales representative for Redi-Bag USA, under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey and is captioned United States ex rel. Maierhoffer v. New York Packaging II LLC, et al. , Civil No. 21-20170 (D.N.J.). As part of today’s resolution, Mr. Maierhoffer will receive approximately $1,332,250 of the settlement proceeds. This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. In 2025, the Department of Justice launched a cross-agency Trade Fraud Task Force to enhance efforts to combat and prevent trade fraud that deprives the government of vital revenue, threatens critical domestic industries, undermines consumer confidence, and weakens national security. The Task Force augments existing coordination mechanisms within the Department of Justice, leveraging expertise from both the Civil and Criminal Divisions, as well as the Department of Homeland Security, to aggressively pursue enforcement actions against any parties who seek to evade tariffs and other duties, as well as smugglers who seek to import prohibited goods into the American economy. The Justice Department encourages whistleblowers to alert the government to credible allegations of fraud, including utilizing the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act or through the Department’s Corporate Whistleblower Program at CorporateWhistleblower@usdoj.gov using the form available here . The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Department of Justice Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with assistance from CBP’s Office of Associate Chief Counsel, New York, Northeast Region; CBP’s Office of Trade, Trade Regulatory Audit; and CBP’s Industrial & Manufacturing Materials Center, Office of Field Operations. Assistant United States Attorney David Simunovich of the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Gavin Thole of the Justice Department’s Civil Division handled the case. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability. ### Counsel for New York Packaging II LLC: Peter Baldwin, Esq., New York, NY Counsel for Relator John Maierhoffer: Bruce Judge, Esq., Boston, MA redi-bag.agreement.pdf


title: Former Postal Worker and Two Philadelphia Men Admit to Conspiring to Commit Bank Fraud; Mount Laurel Man and Woman Sentenced to Prison for Their Roles in Same Conspiracy

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced that: (i) a former U.S. Postal Service employee admitted to stealing checks from the U.S. mail and selling them to others; (ii) a Philadelphia man admitted to advertising and reselling the stolen checks; (iii) another Philadelphia man admitted to working with others to fraudulently negotiate one of the stolen checks; and (iv) a Mount Laurel man and woman were each sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment for their roles in negotiating checks stolen as part of the same conspiracy. Juawan Reed, 30, of Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania, a former postal worker, pleaded guilty on July 15, 2026 before District Judge Edward S. Kiel to an Information charging him with conspiring to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, theft of public money, theft of U.S. mail, money laundering, and filing a false income tax return. Christopher Hayman, 30, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on July 14, 2026 before Judge Kiel to an Information charging him with conspiring to commit bank fraud. Tyree Holmes, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on June 22, 2026 before Judge Kiel to an Information charging him with conspiring to commit bank fraud. Kharon Parson-Wright, 28, of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, was sentenced by Judge Kiel on June 22, 2026, to 57 months’ imprisonment, after previously pleading guilty to an Information charging him with conspiring to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Yasmene Johnson, 29, of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, was sentenced by Judge Kiel on May 12, 2026, to 57 months’ imprisonment, after previously pleading guilty to an Information charging her with conspiring to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Reed stole checks from the U.S. mail while he worked at the U.S. Postal Service Camden Carrier Annex. Reed sold or otherwise provided some of the stolen checks to Holmes and Dante Ford, who advertised some of the stolen checks on a social media platform and resold them to others. Reed provided other stolen checks directly to Holmes and others for them to negotiate fraudulently. For example, in December 2022, Reed stole a $686,541.88 United States Treasury check payable to a business in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Reed provided this stolen check to Holmes. Co-conspirator Hayman falsely purported to be the CEO of the Pennsauken business in order to open a business bank account in the name of the business. The conspirators then deposited the stolen check, and Hayman withdrew a substantial portion of the funds before the bank detected the fraud and closed the account. In addition to stealing checks from the mail, Reed admitted that he created and used a stolen identity to open financial accounts, which Reed then used to launder some of the fraud proceeds. Reed also admitted that he failed to report on his tax returns hundreds of thousands of dollars that he earned from his crimes. Reed admitted that the bank fraud conspiracy caused an actual loss of more than $2.4 million and an intended loss of more than $20 million. Apart from the checks that Reed stole through his work as a postal worker, Ford, Parson-Wright and others also stole checks from blue U.S. mail collection boxes. Ford and other members of that conspiracy then created counterfeit versions of the stolen checks or altered the stolen checks by increasing the value of the checks and changing the name of the payee either to a member of the conspiracy or somebody else recruited by the conspiracy. Parson-Wright and Johnson admitted that they negotiated and caused to be negotiated the counterfeit or altered checks and then attempted to the withdraw the funds before the bank learned that the checks were illegitimate. This aspect of the conspiracy involved the negotiation of checks at banks across southern New Jersey and elsewhere, with checks written for tens of thousands of dollars. As a separate part of their conspiracy, Parson-Wright connected Johnson with a bank employee who created fraudulent debit cards in the name of victims who held accounts at the bank. Parson-Wright and Johnson used one of the fraudulently-issued debit cards to make purchases and ATM withdrawals in New Jersey. Parson-Wright and Johnson admitted that their roles in the bank fraud conspiracy resulted in actual losses exceeding $400,000 and intended losses exceeding $1,500,000. Ford and three other defendants previously were sentenced in 2025 after pleading guilty to participating in a bank fraud conspiracy involving some of the stolen checks described above. Ford was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment, co-conspirator Donovan Bunch was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment, co-conspirator Tracy Felder-Carter was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, and co-conspirator Quamell Keyes-Griffin was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. For Reed, Holmes, and Hayman, the count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest. For Reed, the count of aggravated identity theft carries a statutory mandatory penalty of two years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment, the count of theft of public money carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, the count of theft of U.S. mail carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison, the count of money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and the count of filing a false income tax return carries a maximum penalty of 3 years in prison. Sentencing for Reed is scheduled for November 17, 2026, sentencing for Hayman is scheduled for November 16, 2026, and sentencing for Holmes is scheduled for October 27, 2026. U.S. Attorney Frazer credited postal inspectors and agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Northeast Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Carpenter, with the investigations leading to these pleas and sentences. He also thanked the Mount Laurel Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Hudnall, for its valuable assistance in the investigation. On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden and Sara Aliabadi of the Special Prosecutions Division. 26-152 ### Defense counsel: Reed: Todd Fiore, Esq., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Holmes: Troy Archie, Esq., Cinnaminson, New Jersey. Parson-Wright: Justin Capek, Esq., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Johnson: Stanley King, Esq., Voorhees, New Jersey. Hayman: Edward Borden, Jr., Esq., Cherry Hill, New Jersey. reed.informaton.pdf hayman.information.pdf holmes.information.pdf johnson.information.pdf parsonwright.information.pdf


title: Federal Court Terminates Consent Decree Regarding the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility After Successful Reforms

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Yesterday, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey terminated the consent decree covering the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility (Edna Mahan), marking the end of federal court oversight under the 2021 decree. The Justice Department and the State of New Jersey jointly moved to terminate the consent decree based on Edna Mahan’s successful implementation of reforms related to sexual abuse of prisoners by staff in the women’s prison, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. “We join our Justice Department colleagues in the Civil Rights Division in applauding the collaborative efforts with Edna Mahan that have resulted in this termination. Edna Mahan’s reforms have been consistent and transformational in addressing sexual abuse.” - U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer “We are proud to recognize Edna Mahan’s sustained progress and commitment to constitutional conditions that protect women from sexual abuse,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We credit the dedicated staff of Edna Mahan who continue to work every day toward preventing sexual abuse of women in its custody.” In 2020, the Justice Department completed an investigation into Edna Mahan under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act. In 2021, the Department and the State of New Jersey entered into a consent decree to address the investigation’s findings that New Jersey failed to keep women prisoners at Edna Mahan safe from sexual abuse by staff, in violation of the Eighth Amendment. After consistent progress over the last five years, Edna Mahan has fully complied with the agreement. Resolution of the Edna Mahan case is another example of the Justice Department’s success in partnering with law enforcement to implement reforms that serve Americans. The United States is represented by Eileen Ulate, Trial Attorney, Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thandiwe Boylan. ### ednamahan.termination.pdf


body_text: Three Charged in Money Laundering Conspiracy Using New Hampshire Business to Conceal Funds CONCORD – An indictment unsealed yesterday charges three men with a money laundering conspiracy related to numerous business email compromise fraud schemes targeting companies throughout the United States. Bill Ying Li, 51, Bing Xun Gong, 56, and Sabir Magdeev, 33, were indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Li appeared in federal court in California yesterday and will appear in New Hampshire for an initial appearance on July 29, 2026. Gong appeared in federal court in Illinois yesterday and will appear in New Hampshire for an initial appearance on July 29, 2026. Magdeev is currently awaiting extradition from Cyprus. According to the charging documents and public record, the defendants are alleged to have conspired to launder proceeds derived from wire‑fraud schemes targeting compromised business email accounts. These compromised accounts were used to change bank payment information in order to divert legitimate payments from their intended recipients to various bank accounts, shell entities, and cryptocurrency wallets controlled by the defendants to conceal the source and ownership of the funds. The charging documents further allege that, beginning in late 2022, the conspirators routed portions of these illicit proceeds through Market Shark LLC, a company registered with the New Hampshire Secretary of State, which they sought to use as an additional vehicle to receive and transfer laundered funds. The defendants are alleged to have conspired to launder more than $3 million in fraud proceeds. The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum prison term of 20 years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John J. Kennedy and Yasir Sadat are prosecuting the case. This action is part of Operation Riptide, an ongoing FBI campaign targeting the criminal actors, infrastructure, and financial networks behind cybercrime, cyber-enabled crime, and fraud against the American people. Last year, Americans reported over $20 billion in losses to cybercrime, a 26 percent single-year increase. Operation Riptide is the FBI’s sustained enforcement response to that threat.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Production and Distribution of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Collin D. Jerabek, 29, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 14, 2026, in federal court in Omaha for one count of production of child pornography and one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Jerabek to 360 months’ imprisonment on the production count and 240 months’ imprisonment on the receipt and distribution count. The sentences will run concurrent to each other. There is no parole in the federal system. After Jerabek’s release from prison, he will begin a ten-year term of supervised release. From on or about December 9, 2023, through on or about January 19, 2024, Jerabek posed as a teenage girl on Snapchat to induce four Minor Victims to provide Jerabek with sexually explicit material. Jerabek collected sexually explicit images of teenage girls from the internet and sent those images to the Minor Victims to convince them Jerabek was a similar-aged female. The Minor Victims each produced for and sent to Jerabek, while he was posing as a teenage girl, visual depictions of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including masturbating and, in at least two instances, anal penetration by an object. In a mirandized interview, Jerabek admitted to knowing the Minor Victims were all under the age of 18. The Minor Victims ranged from 11 to 15 years of age. Jerabek distributed the sexually explicit images sent to him by the Minor Victims to third parties on Snapchat, and in at least one instance, back to the Minor Victim who had sent the image to Jerabek. “Any sex offender that targets Nebraska’s children can expect the same level of prosecution as Mr. Jerabek, which is to say the maximum authorized under the law for these offenses,” vowed U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods. “ Children need more protection now than ever from this type of online predator. We stand ready to provide it.” This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.


title: United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia Prosecuting Multiple Project Safe Childhood Cases

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two men appeared in federal court this week on charges involving child pornography and sex offender registration, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. Robert Allen Welborn, 58, of Joppatowne, Maryland, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for failing to update his sex offender registration. Welborn was convicted of a crime against a child in North Carolina that required lifetime sex offender registration. In 2023, Welborn was living and working in Fairmont, West Virginia, but did not notify law enforcement of his change of address. Brian Richard Pack, 57, of Fairmont, West Virginia, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. According to statements made during the plea hearing, the FBI received a tip regarding the downloading of child sex abuse material leading to Pack’s address. A search warrant was executed on Pack’s home, and officers seized an iPhone, along with multiple flash drives, hard drives, and a laptop, finding more than 500 images and videos containing child sex abuse material. Pack faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Conklin is prosecuting the Pack case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Rhee prosecuting the Welborn case. Investigative agencies include West Virginia State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Marshals Service. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided over the Pack hearing. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh conducted the Welborn sentencing.


title: Baltimore Man Sentenced for Selling Fentanyl

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Baltimore, Maryland man will spend the next five years in federal prison for selling fentanyl in Harrison County, West Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. Paul Samuel Williams, 27, was sentenced today to 60 months for distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Williams, also known as “G,” sold 51 grams of fentanyl for $3,500 in the parking lot of a business in Bridgeport, West Virginia. Williams has a criminal history that includes multiple drug convictions. Williams will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Rhee prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Six defendants plead guilty to conspiracy to steal crude oil in the Permian Basin

body_text: LUBBOCK – Six men and women have pleaded guilty to charges arising from a seven-count indictment alleging that 14 defendants conspired to steal crude oil from Permian Basin oil producers and resell it for significant profit announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. On July 15, Gyardo Gonzalez, 47, Mario Mendoza, 40, Miguel A. Soto, 41, all of Lovington, New Mexico; Luis Rojo, 51, of Seminole, Texas; Diana Marquez Rojo, 47, and Jesus Martin Hernandez-Borja, both of Hobbs, New Mexico; have all pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to steal crude oil. “Oil theft is not a victimless crime. Every barrel stolen weakens our energy infrastructure and threatens our energy security. The defendants placed personal profits and greed over the pocketbooks of Texans,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “My office is committed to continuing to investigate and prosecute these fuel theft schemes.” “Oil theft isn’t a harmless shortcut. It’s a crime that hurts honest producers and disrupts fair markets,” said Eric Kriley, BLM Director of Law Enforcement. “Conspiring to steal and transport crude oil across state lines is a serious federal offense, and today’s guilty pleas show the commitment the BLM and our law enforcement partners have to pursuing these cases.” “In collaboration with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, we were able to disrupt an organized theft group responsible for stealing tens of thousands of barrels of crude oil across Texas and New Mexico,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI will continue to work with our partners to combat the large-scale theft and distribution of stolen goods.” In filed plea papers, the defendants admitted to stealing tens of thousands of barrels of crude oil from producers in Eastern New Mexico and selling it to Louis George Edgett, 69, of Lovington, New Mexico, and Brenden Floyd Strickland, 26, of Hobbs, New Mexico, who are also charged in the case. The defendants further admitted that Edgett and Strickland purchased the stolen crude oil at prices significantly below West Texas Intermediate, most often at between $10 and $15 per barrel. For example, according to plea papers, one conspirator sold 10,975 barrels of stolen crude oil to Edgett and Strickland between June 2022 and July 2024. That oil had an approximate fair market value of $888,975, but Edgett and Strickland paid only $15 per barrel, for a total of $164,625. Another conspirator sold 9,090 barrels of stolen crude oil to Edgett and Strickland during a six-month period between January and June 2024. That oil had a market value of $724,200.30, but Edgett and Strickland paid approximately $136,350. Another conspirator admitted in plea papers that the crude oil he stole was valued at up to $1.5 million. Plea papers also indicated that James Darrell Reid, 65, and Randell Reid, 41, both of Electra, Texas, also charged in the case, purchased the stolen oil from Edgett and Strickland at prices significantly below WTI and transported it across the New Mexico-Texas state line to their business site in Seminole, Texas. The Reids then sold the stolen crude oil to midstream buyers at prices below WTI. Each defendant who pleaded guilty, except for Diana Marquez Rojo, faces up to five years in federal prison. Diana Rojo faces up to three years in federal prison. These defendants also face a $250,000 fine, payment of restitution to victims of the theft, and forfeiture. The Court has not yet set sentencing dates. A seventh defendant, Tavares Montrail Cole, 49, has admitted in filed plea papers to participating in the conspiracy and his rearraignment is scheduled for August 3. The remaining seven defendants who were also indicted in the oil theft conspiracy, some of whom are charged with transportation of stolen property in interstate commerce, face imprisonment for terms ranging from five years up to 65 years imprisonment and millions of dollars in fines. The Bureau of Land Management; FBI; Texas Department of Public Safety-Criminal Investigation Division; Lea County, New Mexico, Sheriff’s Office; and Eddy County, New Mexico Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey R. Haag is prosecuting the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey previously spearheaded this case. An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. The outstanding defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Dallas man sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: DALLAS — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, announced that Demario White, a 40-year-old Dallas man who distributed fentanyl pills to minors, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on July 6. “Let this lengthy sentence serve as a warning that anyone who distributes deadly drugs to children in the Northern District of Texas will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. "Just two milligrams of fentanyl—equivalent to 10-15 grains of table salt—is considered a lethal dose. My office is laser focused on eradicating this deadly drug from our communities throughout North Texas." “Fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered,” said Ivan Carrera, Acting Special Agent in Charge of DEA Dallas. “Selling drugs alone is a serious transgression, but to sell deadly fentanyl to a juvenile is one of the most shocking and callous ways to hurt a community. The sentence handed down to Mr. White is a clear message that the production and trafficking of fentanyl will not be tolerated in our neighborhoods. DEA Dallas and our partners will continue to work together and keep this poison off our streets.” According to court documents, White distributed counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl to a juvenile male. The juvenile male and his friend took the pills and the 14-year-old friend overdosed but survived after medical intervention. The juvenile male told the police that “Mario” provided him and his juvenile friend with seven pills for $35. On April 17, 2024, officers obtained an arrest warrant for White and subsequently executed a search warrant at his residence located on Brookgreen Drive in Dallas. Officers located thousands of counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl during the search of White’s apartment. After his arrest, White told officers that he would obtain 3,000 to 4,000 fentanyl pills at a time and sell each pill for $5. A grand jury indicted White in May 2024 and he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance in March. U.S. District Judge Godbey sentenced White to 240 months in federal prison. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Richardson Police Department, Hickory Creek Police Department, Dallas Police Department, and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phelesa M. Guy prosecuted the case. ###


title: Woman Arrested for Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding an Officer at the U.S./Canadian Border

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Maddesyn Jones, 22, of Copenhagen, NY, has been charged by complaint with assaulting, resisting, or impeding an officer engaged in the performance of official duties. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Acting Special Agent in Charge of the HSI Buffalo Field Office Anthony Patrone, made the announcement. At the Alexandria Bay Port of Entry, Jones defied lawful commands and fled from law enforcement. During the chase, she lost control of her vehicle and came to rest in a ditch. She was subsequently taken into custody. Jones was arraigned June 25 th , 2026, in Syracuse, New York, before United States Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric. “In the Northern District of New York, we have zero tolerance for those who endanger federal officers by refusing lawful commands and fleeing from them,” said First Assistant United States Attorney John Sarcone . “As alleged, this defendant’s actions represent conduct that is unaligned with a nation of laws and Ms. Jones will be held accountable in the court of law.” HSI Buffalo Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone said, “The brazen assault, resistance, and obstruction alleged in this complaint strike at the heart of the rule of law at our border. HSI Syracuse, working alongside our law enforcement partners, remains relentless in defending our officers, securing our ports of entry, and ensuring that those who threaten the safety and integrity of our border are brought to justice.” The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charge filed against Jones carries a maximum sentence of 8 years in prison, a maximum term of supervised release of 3 years, and a maximum fine of $250,000. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute(s) the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. HSI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica N. Carbone is prosecuting the case.


title: Jay Man Arrested and Detained for Transporting Child Pornography

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Albert Leon, age 57, of Jay, New York, was detained June 30, 2026. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Anthony Patrone, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement. The defendant was arrested on June 23, 2026, for transportation of child pornography. Ten Cyber Tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led to his arrest. In making his detention decision on June 30, 2026, U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul J. Evangelista stated that Leon is a danger to the community. “The reprehensible conduct of this defendant – as alleged, highlights the ongoing dangers that can emerge online and reinforce the importance of online safety,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III . “Even more egregious is this defendant was once in a position of trust and swore an oath to uphold our laws and protect our community, which as alleged, he now has violated that trust. I thank the New York State Police and Homeland Security Investigations for their investigative efforts, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for their unwavering commitment to protecting our children and partnership in referring this tip to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.” Acting Special Agent in Charge HSI Buffalo Anthony Patrone said, “The charges alleged in this case — including the transportation of child pornography and the exploitation of children — are horrific. By acting on multiple investigative leads and working closely with our partners at the Northern District of New York, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the New York State Police, HSI Rouses Point has removed a dangerous predator from the community and helped prevent further victimization. Today’s detention ensures the public is safer, and it reinforces HSI’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and pursuing those who would exploit them.” New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “Any adult that takes advantage of a child’s vulnerability for their own personal gain is deplorable. Sexual acts against children have severe physical and psychological effects that gravely impact the victim’s well-being. The State Police will remain united with our law enforcement partners to intercept individuals looking to harm a child in any way.” The defendant faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, supervised release for life, a fine of $250,000, a special assessment of $100, $5,000 per count pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, restitution to victims, and sex offender registration. The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case with assistance from the New York State Police Special Operations Response Team (SORT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Carling Dunham is prosecuting the case. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Amsterdam Woman Pleads Guilty to Attempted Bank Fraud

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – On July 7, 2026, Nikki Vancuren, age 51, of Amsterdam, New York, pled guilty to attempted bank fraud. This action is a part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone, made the announcement. As part of her guilty plea, Vancuren admitted that she used fraudulent passport cards to withdraw or attempt to withdraw money from others’ accounts at banks in New York State for several months in 2022 and 2023. This included on January 19, 2023, when she presented a fraudulent passport card showing identifying information for a real person but the defendant’s photograph and tried to withdraw $4,000 from an NBT bank in Johnson City, New York. “The Department of Justice’s Fraud Division was established to crack down on cases like this,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone. “Those who seek personal profit by defrauding the system will be caught and held accountable. Because of her repeated actions, Ms. Vancuren is now facing up to 30 years in federal prison. I commend the Special Agents at HSI and their local partners for investigating this case and bringing the defendant to justice.” HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone said, “By repeatedly using fraudulent passport cards to access bank accounts that did not belong to her, this defendant attacked the integrity of our financial system and put innocent account holders at risk. Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that HSI Albany and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate those who perpetrate fraud. These crimes erode community trust and financial stability, and HSI remains firmly committed to uncovering, disrupting, and bringing to justice individuals involved in fraud wherever we find it.” At sentencing on November 4, 2026, the defendant is facing up to 30 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $1 million, and a term of supervised release of up to 5 years. This case was investigated by HSI with assistance from Broome County Sheriff’s Office and the Vestal Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Mikayla Espinosa. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.


title: Albany Woman Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Drasana Johnson, age 28, of Albany, has plead guilty to conducting a monetary transaction involving over $850,000 in stolen government funds, approximately $200,000 of which she used to purchase a residential property. This action is a part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) Northeast Region, made the announcement. As Johnson admitted in pleading guilty, in May 2023, she conducted several transactions for Asjid Parvez, another federal defendant guilty of stealing nearly $1 million in federal funds, including the purchase of an $878,698 teller check. The defendant admitted that she personally obtained over $150,000 in connection with the offense. “Hardworking American taxpayers fund countless programs across the nation to aid our fellow Americans, and in this case, to aid hardworking farmers feeding our country. This defendant’s shameless actions defrauded those systems and now she will face up to 10 years in prison,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “Ms. Johnson boldly stole almost $1 million from government funds designed to help our farmers,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli. “Americans expect government funds to be used as intended, and this investigation proves the FBI will work with our partners at every level of law enforcement to ensure they are.” “The defendant in this case defrauded a government assistance program made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act. The program was designed to provide relief for distressed borrowers with certain Farm Service Agency direct and/or guaranteed loans and to expedite assistance for those whose agricultural operations were at financial risk. This investigation should send a message of deterrence that USDA-OIG and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding those accountable who defraud government programs,” said Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge, USDA-OIG. At sentencing scheduled for 11/5/2026 at 11:00 AM in Albany, NY before U.S. District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. Johnson faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.


title: Convicted Felon Who Participated in Exchange of Gunfire Outside Chicago Gas Station Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison

body_text: CHICAGO — A convicted felon who participated in an exchange of gunfire outside a Chicago gas station has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison. On the afternoon of May 27, 2022, MALIK WILLIAMS was standing outside of a gas station on the South Side of Chicago when he fired two shots toward a minivan that was driving nearby. Individuals in the minivan returned fire, and a bystander who was filling up gas in his work van was shot in the leg. The area was busy with traffic at the time of the shooting, and several individuals were present at the gas station, including a woman who was mere feet from Williams when he fired at the minivan. Williams, 29, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to a federal charge of illegal possession of ammunition. Williams had previously been convicted of a felony offense. On July 8, 2026, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger sentenced Williams to nine years in federal prison. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ryan Whalen, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Chicago Police Department assisted in the investigation. “Defendant fired twice at the occupied minivan,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Schied argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Had his aim been true, he would have killed one or more people on purpose. Everyone at that intersection that day is fortunate to be alive, including defendant.”


title: Convicted Felon on State Pre-Trial Release Indicted in Federal Court for Trafficking Fentanyl in Chicago

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

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a man for allegedly trafficking fentanyl in Chicago while on state pre-trial release for a felony drug charge in Cook County, Ill. RISHONE RASPBERRY sold approximately 52 grams of fentanyl to an undercover federal law enforcement agent on May 27, 2026, according to an indictment and a criminal complaint previously filed in the case. The transaction occurred in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago, the charges allege. At the time of the undercover federal drug deal, Raspberry was on pre-trial bond for a pending felony drug charge in Cook County, Ill. related to a drug transaction that allegedly occurred three weeks prior to this federal undercover drug deal. In addition, Raspberry was serving a three-year term of probation for a 2025 felony drug conviction in Cook County. Raspberry, 32, of Chicago, was taken into federal custody on July 7, 2026. The federal indictment charges him with drug distribution. On Monday, Raspberry pleaded not guilty to the charge during his arraignment in federal court in Chicago. U.S. Magistrate Judge Heather K. McShain granted the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s motion that Raspberry be detained pending his trial. A status hearing was set for Aug. 13, 2026, at 9:15 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins. The indictment and detention order were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosive. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Chmura. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. raspberry_indictment.pdf raspberry_complaint.pdf


title: Boone County Man Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine

body_text: ROCKFORD — A Boone County, Ill. man has been sentenced to more than 24 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine. On Oct. 25, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at BRADLEY WALTERS’s place of business, Black Sheep Vintage, in Roscoe, Ill. Inside the premises, officers located more than a kilogram of fentanyl pills, more than 100 grams of pure methamphetamine, more than four kilograms of methamphetamine pills, and other suspected controlled substances. Officers also located a loaded pellet gun modeled to resemble a Glock firearm. A search warrant was obtained after law enforcement made several controlled purchases of drugs from Walters, including at his business the day before the execution of the warrant. Walters, 51, Caledonia, Ill., pleaded guilty in 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. On July 10, 2026, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Walters to 24 years and four months in federal prison. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Todd C. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office participated in the investigation with the DEA. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.


title: Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Meth Conspiracy

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty July 15, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City. Damian Havens, 52, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. At the plea hearing, Havens admitted that between March and May 2026, he and others conspired to distribute methamphetamine in Sioux City. Evidence showed that in those two months Havens was involved in the distribution of more than 1 ½ pounds of methamphetamine. On May 7, 2026, law enforcement was called to check on a suspicious person (and oddly parked vehicle), later identified as Havens. Officers seized about ¼ pound of methamphetamine and an airsoft pistol in Havens’ backpack. Havens admitted he planned to distribute the methamphetamine. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Havens remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Havens faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 26-4026. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Manson Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty on July 15, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City. Tanner Thomas Rokes, age 36, from Manson, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. At the plea hearing, Rokes admitted that from 2021 to July, 2025, in Webster County, Iowa, he was involved in distributing over five pounds of methamphetamine. In May 2025 law enforcement officers received information that Rokes was a pound-level distributor of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers then made multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Rokes. On July 15, 2025, officers stopped Rokes while he was driving without a valid driver’s license. Prior to stopping his car, officers observed Rokes throw 80 grams of methamphetamine out the car’s window. Rokes ultimately stopped the car and officers found additional methamphetamine inside the car. Officers also found the discarded methamphetamine. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Rokes remains free on bond previously set. Rokes faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Fort Dodge Police Department, the Webster County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-03059. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Lake City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison  for Meth and Firearm Convictions

body_text: Clayton Brown, age 34, from Lake City, Iowa, was sentenced in federal court in Sioux City, on July 16, 2026, to 210 months’ imprisonment. Brown pled guilty on March 18, 2026, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Brown has seven prior felony convictions that prohibited him from possessing guns, including three for drugs and two high-speed eludings. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Brown was involved in a conspiracy that distributed at least four pounds of methamphetamine in about eight-months in 2025. Twice in October 2025, Brown distributed over 80 grams of pure methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. During a search of Brown’s home, officers seized a Glock handgun, methamphetamine, marijuana, over $2,000 in cash, and other items related to drug distribution. United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Brown to 210 months’ imprisonment along with a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Brown remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. 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 case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa DCI Laboratory, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-3057. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Illegal Alien Sentenced to Prison for Reentering the United States

body_text: An illegal alien who reentered the United States from Guatemala was sentenced July 14, 2026, to six months in federal prison. Rogelio Morales-Ramos, age 36, from Guatemala, who had been living in Sioux Center, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 21, 2026, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry. At the plea hearing, Morales-Ramos admitted he illegally reentered the United States without permission after having been previously removed from the United States on June 13, 2019. On April 1, 2026, law enforcement officers in Sioux County attempted to stop a car that Morales-Ramos was driving for speeding. He initially failed to stop. After he eventually stopped, Morales-Ramos ran from officers. Law enforcement officers found an open alcohol bottle, additional alcohol, and a fictitious international driver’s license in the car. On April 4, 2026, law enforcement officers found Morales-Ramos at his home in Sioux Center. He again tried to flee from officers before being caught. Officers found more fake documents in the house. Once Morales-Ramos was in custody, officials determined he was a citizen of Guatemala and had previously been deported from the United States three times. Morales-Ramos was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Morales-Ramos was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. 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. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 26-CR-04014. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Fort Dodge Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than 12 years in federal prison. Sally Marie Green, age 52, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 11, 2026, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine. At the plea hearing, Green admitted that from January 2024 through April 2025, she was involved in the distribution of approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine. In April 2025, a cooperating individual told law enforcement officers that Green was a pound-level distributor of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area. On April 1, 2025, law enforcement officers purchased approximately a quarter pound of methamphetamine from Green. That same day, officers searched her house and found an unloaded .45 ACP pistol, ammunition, $3,000 cash, drug distribution items, and approximately 585 grams of methamphetamine. Green was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Green was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Green is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-03050. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Pensacola Tax Preparers Plead Guilty to Tax Fraud Conspiracy & Filing False Returns

body_text: Pensacola, Florida – D’ontrinique K. Johnson, formerly known as D’ontrinique K. Wilkerson, 30, and Tequilla D. Nairn, formerly known as Tequilla D. Robinson, 37, both of Pensacola, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to aid or assist in preparation of false tax returns and to stealing government money and filing false tax returns and three counts of filing a false tax return. Nairn additionally pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of wire fraud. The guilty pleas were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This successful prosecution by my office should be a warning to fraudsters anywhere in the Northern District of Florida: your time is up. If you rip off the U.S. taxpayer by defrauding the federal government, you have punched a one-way ticket for yourself to federal prison. Vice President J.D. Vance is spearheading the whole-of-government effort to combat fraud, waste, and abuse wherever it exists, while the National Fraud Enforcement Division is laser-focused on investigating and aggressively prosecuting frauds against the U.S. Government, and my office will ensure fraudsters pay for their crimes.” On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is 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. Court documents reflect that Johnson worked as a tax preparer for Nairn, who owned and operated First Premium Solutions, a tax return preparation business in Pensacola. Between 2021 and 2023, Nairn and Johnson conspired to routinely prepare fraudulent federal income tax returns for their clients as well as fraudulent personal returns, collectively preventing the payment of more than $192,000 in federal taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service. Nairn and Johnson knew the returns they prepared contained materially false items, such as fraudulent credits or business information, which were never provided to them by their clients. In 2020 and 2021, Nairn also fraudulently filed for and obtained unemployment insurance benefits from both Florida and Virginia by falsely claiming she was not working due to the COVID pandemic and had not applied for benefits from other states, all while working as a tax preparer and not reporting the additional benefits on her tax returns. Johnson’s sentencing is scheduled for July 28, 2026, at 1:00 P.M. and Nairn’s sentencing is scheduled for October 8, 2026, at 9:00 A.M. in Pensacola, Florida, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. If convicted, Johnson and Nairn face up to 5 years’ imprisonment for the conspiracy count and up to 3 years’ imprisonment for each filing a false tax return count. Nairn additionally faces a mandatory consecutive 2 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft count and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the wire fraud count. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes. 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: Federal Sex Trafficking Indictment Filed Against Pensacola Man

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: Pensacola, Florida – Javier Cyree Tyrell Brown, 28, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on one count of commercial sex trafficking, one count of financially benefiting from commercial sex trafficking, one count of using a facility for purposes of racketeering, one count of coercion and enticement for interstate prostitution, one count of interstate transportation for prostitution, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges. Brown appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho for his initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for August 17, 2026, in Pensacola before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. Brown remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending trial. If convicted, Brown faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years’ up to life imprisonment. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Oakland Man Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Commit Human Trafficking On The Oakland Blade

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: OAKLAND — Michael Simon, 37, of Oakland, pleaded guilty in federal court today to Conspiracy to Commit Human Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion. Simon was charged by Information on May 26, 2026, with one count of Conspiracy to Commit Human Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion. In pleading guilty, Simon admitted to engaging in a conspiracy to commit human trafficking on the Oakland Blade and other locations between June 2023 and September 2025. Simon conspired with others to recruit, entice, harbor, maintain, obtain, transport, provide, and advertise Victim 1 and Victim 2, and other victims, knowing that force, threats, fraud, or coercion would be used to cause them to engage in commercial sex acts. Simon agreed that Victim 1 and Victim 2, and other victims, would be advertised online and that they would solicit customers for commercial sex acts and that individuals would pay to have sex with them. Simon and his co-conspirators booked and used hotel rooms in Oakland to harbor and maintain the victims. The hotel rooms were to be used for commercial sex acts. Simon and his co-conspirators used cellular telephones to field phone calls from prospective clients, identify prospective clients for commercial sex acts, and to communicate with the victims about their commercial sex work. Simon instructed Victim 1 and Victim 2 via text message to engage in prostitution. He instructed them to go to specific hotel rooms to engage in commercial sex acts and he instructed them to post online advertisements for commercial sex services. The victims were not allowed to keep the money paid to them for commercial sex. The victims were expected to engage in commercial sex work when they were told, and did not have any say in their hours, their fees, or the location in which they were to perform commercial sex acts. When a victim refused to engage in commercial sex work as instructed or failed to hand over money received for sex work, Simon would physically punish them for non-compliance by physically assaulting them, including by hitting them in their head and face. United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Scott Schelble made the announcement. Simon’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 1, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1594(c). Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ivana Djak is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James and Jessie Chelsea. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Oakland Police Department.


title: Tuscaloosa Man Charged with Christmas Eve Kidnapping

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Tuscaloosa man charged with kidnapping has been arraigned in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Randall Latroy Richardson, 42, with kidnapping. The alleged incident occurred in the early morning hours of December 24, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. By sunrise, Richardson was apprehended and arrested. “The people of Tuscaloosa County and the Northern District of Alabama should be proud of their local law enforcement officers quickly apprehending the defendant following this incident,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. “We now look forward to prosecuting the defendant federally for kidnapping as alleged in the indictment.” “Thanks to the swift, collaborative efforts of our agents and our law enforcement partners, we were able to remove this dangerous fugitive from our community,” said David R. Fitzgibbons, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Birmingham. “We will continue working together to keep our communities safe and to strengthen trust with Alabamians.” “We're grateful this case is being prosecuted federally,” said Tuscaloosa Police Chief Michael Baygents. “Our officers, the Tuscaloosa County Violent Crimes Unit, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office each played an important role in bringing it to this point, and we'll continue working together as the case moves through the federal court system.” The maximum penalty for kidnapping is life imprisonment. The FBI investigated the cases along with the Tuscaloosa Police Department and the Tuscaloosa County Violent Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Cross and Brittany T. Byrd are prosecuting the case. An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Texas Man Sentenced to Nearly Four Years in Prison for Smuggling Six Kilograms of Cocaine

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Texas man has been sentenced for smuggling six kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. U.S. District Judge Annmarie C. Axon sentenced Brandon Azael Lopez, 30, of McAllen, Texas, to 46 months in prison. In October 2025, Lopez pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. “Those who use the interstate highways in the Northern District of Alabama to transport narcotics will be held accountable for their actions,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. “We are grateful for the outstanding interdiction work of the 17 th Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force.” “Drug traffickers are routinely finding creative ways to hide their illicit cargo, but our partners at the 17 th Circuit Judicial Drug Task Force proved that solid investigative work will always defeat these tactics,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge John P. Scott. “To anyone attempting to use Alabama’s highways as a pipeline for poison: no matter how well you think you’ve hidden your drugs, we will find them, and you will go to federal prison.” According to the plea agreement, on December 12, 2023, an agent with the 17 th Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force conducted a traffic stop on Lopez for changing lanes without using a signal on Interstate 20/59 in Greene County, Alabama. The agent told Lopez that he would be writing him a warning. Lopez appeared to be extremely nervous during the conversation. Lopez told the agent that he and his brother were traveling to Charlotte, South Carolina, for three weeks to work for an oil company. When asked by the agent if he meant Charlotte, North Carolina, Lopez agreed that he meant North Carolina rather than South Carolina. The agent asked if he could search the vehicle and Lopez consented. Underneath the front passenger seat, the agent found a new battery jump box; and on the back floorboard, he found a set of jumper cables. The agent looked under the hood and noticed two batteries that had extensive tooling on the battery cable and the nuts holding the cable onto the battery. There were also pry marks and glue. The agent picked up the battery and noticed that it felt significantly lighter than a typical car battery. Upon searching the batteries, agents found six bundles of cocaine, which weighed one kilogram each. DEA Birmingham Division investigated the case along with the 17 th Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany T. Byrd prosecuted the case.


title: Washington woman sentenced to 10 years in prison for trafficking meth into Montana

body_text: MISSOULA – A Washington woman who was funneling meth into Montana was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. Kasey Ann Willard, 52, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided at sentencing. The government alleged in court documents that Willard had been dealing significant quantities of methamphetamine from Washington into Montana. In September 2025, law enforcement arranged to buy meth from Willard through an informant. The informant successfully purchased two pounds of meth from Willard and then asked to buy several more. Willard made the sale and on Oct. 18, 2025, traveled from Washinton to Montana to make the delivery. She was pulled over in Saltese, Montana, where law enforcement found eight pounds of meth in a bag at her feet. Willard had previously been convicted in Washington of distributing methamphetamine in 2009. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Missoula Drug Task Force and the DEA conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Two Montana women plead guilty to drug charges

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA – A woman from Corvallis and another from Helena who were bringing methamphetamine into Montana from Washington admitted to charges, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. Amanda Lynn Montoya, 42, from Corvallis, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Montoya faces 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine, at least five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Cristina Dallas Kunz, 36, from Helena, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Kunz faces 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine, at least five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided at the hearings and will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Both defendants will be sentenced on November 13, 2026 and remained released on conditions pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that Montoya was distributing methamphetamine in Missoula. On May 28, 2026, law enforcement learned Montoya was travelling back to Montana from Washington and arranged a traffic stop to further investigate. Montoya was driving the car, and Kunz was in the passenger seat. In the vehicle, officers found two pounds of methamphetamine and $1,700 in cash. Searching Kunz’s phone, officers found messages detailing plans between Kunz and Montoya to distribute methamphetamine, and their plan to travel to Washington to purchase drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Missoula Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Missouri woman pleads guilty to oxycodone trafficking

body_text: MISSOULA – A Missouri woman who was part of a Chicago-based drug ring that illegally obtained oxycodone from Montana pharmacies admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. Whit’lee Laurie Amari Miller, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute oxycodone. Miller faces 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine, at least three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided at the change of plea. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Miller remained out of custody on conditions pending sentencing which was set for November 12, 2026. The government alleged in court documents that Miller, along with a group of associates, flew into Montana, visited various pharmacies across the state, and used falsified prescriptions to get oxycodone and other controlled substances. Miller and others in the group would give the oxycodone to Brandon Lavelle and Winfrey Jaylan Javier Wash, who then distributed it. Winfrey and Wash, who pleaded guilty to drug charges earlier this month , paid for expenses and directed group members which pharmacies to hit and when to enter. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and DEA conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Billings man sentenced to over 9 years in prison for trafficking meth

body_text: BILLINGS – A Billings man who was dealing meth from his Alderson Avenue home was sentenced to prison yesterday, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. Joshua Mark Rideshorse, 41, who pleaded guilty in February 2026, was sentenced to nine years and five months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to nine years and five months, followed by three years of supervised release, on one count of a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Both sentences will run concurrently. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watter presided. The government alleged in court documents that Rideshorse was dealing methamphetamine he bought in Washington. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force had learned in September 2024 that Rideshorse was possibly trafficking illicit drugs. On Oct. 16, 2024, the U.S. Marshal Service Montana Violent Offender's Task Force arrested Rideshorse at his Billings home on an outstanding warrant and while there spotted drugs, cash, and a pistol in the open. Rideshorse was convicted of a felony in 2022 and is currently prohibited from possessing a firearm. Law enforcement returned with a warrant and searched the house, where they found 4 ounces of methamphetamine, a stolen Smith & Wesson handgun, and $9,783 in cash. 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 Montana comprises agents and officers from a number of federal agencies as well as drug task forces throughout the state, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the U.S. Marshal Service Montana Violent Offender's Task Force conducted the investigation as part of the HSTF. XXX


title: Billings man sentenced to five years for drug-related crimes

body_text: BILLINGS – A Billings man who was dealing cocaine armed with a handgun from a strip mall parking lot was sentenced yesterday, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. Satchel Vernard McDonald, 29, who pleaded guilty in February 2026, was sentenced to 10 months in prison and three years of supervised release on one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He was also sentenced to five years in prison and five years of supervised release on one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The two sentences will run consecutively. U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided. The government alleged in court documents that McDonald, armed with a handgun, was selling cocaine from his car in the parking lot of a Billings shopping plaza. The Billings Police Department received a complaint on Dec. 28, 2023, from a local business on Central Avenue that they suspected drug deals were happening in the parking lot. The business had seen the same Ford Mustang repeatedly pull into the parking lot, meet with other cars, and then leave shortly after. Investigators eventually spotted the Mustang and learned that it was registered to McDonald, who had an address nearby. On Jan. 6, 2024, Montana Highway Patrol pulled McDonald over for speeding. In an interview with law enforcement, McDonald acknowledged he had cocaine and a handgun in his car. He also told investigators he had been dealing cocaine for about six months and that he had cocaine, firearms, and a large quantity of cash at his residence. Investigators obtained a warrant and searched McDonald’s house, where they found an additional handgun, an assault-style rifle, a shotgun, $27,877 in cash, a Rolex, and just under a pound of cocaine. 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department, the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, the Montana Highway Patrol, and the ATF conducted the investigation. XXX