title: Alien Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the Country

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Luis Armando Tamaquiza Bastidas, 43, of Ecuador, pled guilty Tuesday, July 28, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Richard J. Fortunato, Acting Chief Patrol Agent, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, made the announcement. Tamaquiza Bastidas had been arrested two previous times for entering the United States illegally. Most recently, in October 2025, he was arrested in Texas and was subsequently deported later that year. On May 24, 2026, Tamaquiza Bastidas was arrested after crossing the United States-Canada border near Churubusco, New York. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated , “The failures of the previous administration’s border and immigration policies created openings that allowed illegal aliens to enter our nation by the millions. This defendant exploited those gaps and has already been deported twice. On his third attempt to illegally enter the United States, he was stopped thanks to President Trump’s strong policies and the men and women at U.S. Border Patrol. He will now serve a federal prison sentence and, once completed, will again be deported.” Acting Chief Patrol Agent Richard J. Fortunato said, “I commend the agents of Swanton Sector for their hard work in contributing to the successful prosecution of those who commit crimes along our nation’s borders. Our efforts help protect and improve the quality of life for border communities and for those in the interior of our country.” United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino sentenced Tamaquiza Bastidas to two months’ imprisonment. Following his sentence, Tamaquiza Bastidas is subject to deportation. United States Border Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Whalen prosecuted the case.


component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Emmerson Versain Velasquez-Hernandez, age 25, of Guatemala, pled guilty on Tuesday, July 21, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Acting Chief Patrol Agent Richard J. Fortunato of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector made the announcement. Velasquez-Hernandez was previously arrested in 2024 for entering the country illegally and was subsequently deported. On May 4, 2026, he was found in the country following a traffic stop in Franklin County. Velasquez-Hernandez had not sought or received permission from the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission into the United States. First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarcone said, “Illegal aliens who enter the United States unlawfully pose a real and immediate risk when their identities and intentions are unknown. This defendant had previously been removed for illegal entry and again chose to violate U.S. law by reentering the country. Thanks to the efforts of our partners at the U.S. Border Patrol, this individual will be returned to Guatemala.” Swanton Sector’s Acting Chief Patrol Agent Richard J. Fortunato said, “I commend the agents of Swanton Sector for their hard work in contributing to the successful prosecution of those who commit crimes along our nation’s borders. Our efforts help protect and improve the quality of life for border communities and for those in the interior of our country.” District Court Judge Elizabeth C. Coombe sentenced Velasquez-Hernandez to time served based on the two and a half months he has spent imprisoned on the charge since his arrest. Following his sentence, Velasquez-Hernandez is subject to deportation. U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Cheung prosecuted the case.


title: Afghan National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Re-Entry

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Khan Afsar Ahmadzai, age 30, of Kabul, Afghanistan pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry into the United States and was immediately sentenced. The announcement was made by First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, and U.S. Border Patrol's Swanton Sector Acting Chief Richard J. Fortunato. As part of his guilty plea, Khan Afsar Ahmadzai admitted that on June 3, 2026, he entered the United States from Canada by walking across the international boundary near Champlain, New York, avoiding United States Immigration and Customs inspection. Khan Afsar Ahmadzai was subsequently apprehended by United States Border Patrol Agents. First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarcone said, “This defendant has repeatedly attempted to violate U.S. immigration laws. This Administration is delivering on its commitment to secure our borders each and every day. Thanks to the vigilance of our partners at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, he was apprehended and arrested. Following his sentence, Ahmadzai will be subject to deportation.” Swanton Sector’s Acting Chief Patrol Agent Richard J. Fortunato said, “I commend the agents of Swanton Sector for their hard work in contributing to the successful prosecution of those who commit crimes along our nation’s borders. Our efforts help protect and improve the quality of life for border communities and for those in the interior of our country.” Prior to this case, in May 2026, Khan Afsar Ahmadzai had entered the United States at the Port of Entry near Niagara Falls, New York, but was denied entry by immigration officials. Khan Afsar Ahmadzai was subsequently returned to Canada. Immediately following his guilty plea, Khan Afsar Ahmadzai was sentenced to 51 days in jail. This case was investigated by United States Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Anderson.


title: Mexican National Sentenced For Felony Reentry of a Removed Alien

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: HAMMOND – Jose Zapata-Ramirez, 35 years old, of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to felony reentry of a removed alien, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. Zapata-Ramirez was sentenced to time served of approximately four months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release which would take effect should Zapata-Ramirez remain in, or return to, the United States within that period following anticipated removal proceedings. “Zapata-Ramirez was stopped by the Porter Police Department for committing a traffic violation with a fictitious Texas license plate affixed to the back of his vehicle. An investigation revealed that he was an illegal alien who was previously deported in April 2014. By his own admission, he returned to the United States in 2022 without inspection by an immigration officer. He clearly has no respect for our nation’s laws, borders, or sovereignty. Once he is released, Zapata-Ramirez must return to his home country and not return to the United States illegally. Thanks to the combined efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Porter Police Department, and Assistant United States Attorney Steven J. Lupa, this defendant has been held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Mildred. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Porter Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven Lupa.


title: Florida Man Indicted for Allegedly Swindling Victims From Illinois in Fraudulent Investment Scheme

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — A Florida man who previously resided in Illinois has been indicted for allegedly swindling numerous individuals in a fraudulent investment scheme. MAKAIO’ KEKOA falsely informed victim investors, including four individuals residing in the Northern District of Illinois, that he had the ability to invest their money in short-term, high-yield investment opportunities, when, in reality, Kekoa knew that no such investment opportunities existed, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Instead of investing the victims’ money, Kekoa misappropriated the funds for his personal use, including gambling, the indictment states. From 2019 to 2022, Kekoa allegedly caused the victim investors to incur cumulative losses of at least $180,000. Kekoa, formerly known as “Lorenzo Hood,” “Lorenzo Chryssikos Hood,” or “Zo,” 39, of Wimauma, Fla., is charged with two counts of wire fraud. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Tuesday in federal court in Chicago. A status hearing was set for Sept. 24, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin. The indictment 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 Hillsborough County, Fla. Sheriff's Office provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kartik K. Raman. 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. Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and must also order restitution to the victims. kekoa_indictment.pdf


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Man for Allegedly Conspiring to Traffic Fentanyl and Cocaine in Chicago

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

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a man for allegedly conspiring to traffic fentanyl and cocaine in Chicago. JAYLIN ARNOLD, 28, of Chicago, conspired with four other individuals to distribute fentanyl and cocaine in Chicago from January to June of 2025, according to an indictment returned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The indictment seeks forfeiture from Arnold of three handguns and associated ammunition. Arnold’s arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled. Arnold was recently convicted of a firearm crime in state court in connection with the June 5, 2025, police chase that led to the shooting of Chicago Police Department Officer Krystal Rivera. The four alleged co-conspirators—DASHAWN POWELL, 40, TARELL SMITH, 39, JOSHUA THOMAS, 42, and BERNARD SPENCER, 33, all of Chicago —were indicted separately earlier this year on federal drug conspiracy and related firearm charges. They have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial. All five defendants are currently being held in law enforcement custody. The indictment was 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 & Explosives. The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. arnold_indictment.pdf


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Illegal Alien for Allegedly Possessing Eight “Molotov Cocktail” Destructive Devices in Chicago Suburb

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a man for illegally possessing eight “Molotov cocktail” destructive devices in a Chicago suburb earlier this month. On Aug. 1, 2026, in Mokena, Ill., HAMED ALSAIDI knowingly possessed eight glass liquor and beer bottles containing an ignitable liquid and a wicking component in the form commonly referred to as a “Molotov cocktail,” according to an indictment returned today in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The indictment charges Alsaidi with eight counts of possessing an unregistered destructive device. Each count is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison. Alsaidi, 31, who most recently resided in Oak Forest, Ill., is an illegal alien in the United States and currently in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled. The indictment was 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 & Explosives. The Mokena, Ill. Police Department and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Davis Price Shugrue. 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. alsaidi_indictment_stamped.pdf


title: Asbury Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who illegally possessed cocaine was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison. Marcus Allen Thomas, age 37, from Asbury, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 18, 2026, guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. In a plea agreement, Thomas admitted he possessed cocaine that he intended to distribute. On April 12, 2025, investigators searched Thomas’s home in Asbury. Investigators found approximately 6.14 pounds of marijuana and approximately 101.56 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine in the basement bathroom. Thomas was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Thomas was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment and fined $5,500. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Thomas is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, Dubuque Police Department, Asbury Police Department, 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-CR-01046. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Alleged Mastermind of $165 Million Cryptocurrency Ponzi Scheme Facing Federal Charges after Deportation from Fiji

body_text: GAINESVILLE, Ga. - After allegedly perpetrating a $165 million Ponzi scheme, fleeing to Fiji, and being deported back to the United States, Edward Zimbardi will appear in federal court today to face wire fraud and money laundering charges. “Zimbardi allegedly tricked thousands of people to invest in his ‘Crypto Program’ with false promises of enormous returns. Instead, he spent the money on risky currency trades, payments to early investors, and treating himself to a house and expensive vehicles,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “When his scam imploded, he allegedly tried to evade federal prosecution by fleeing to the other side of the world. Thanks to law enforcement and diplomatic authorities in Fiji and the United States, Zimbardi is back on American soil and will face trial.” “Zimbardi allegedly preyed on trusting individuals through a complex scheme to separate people from their hard-earned money and then reportedly fled more than 7300 miles to the South Pacific,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Scammers are trying everything they can to defraud people out of their hard-earned money, but the FBI is doing everything we can to make sure they don’t succeed, no matter where they hide.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between June 2022 and August 2023, Edward Zimbardi allegedly created and promoted an alleged Ponzi scheme called The Crypto Program. In his promotional videos and websites, Zimbardi allegedly told investors that The Crypto Program was an opportunity to invest in advertising packages with a guaranteed 25% monthly return. Investors were encouraged to pay for their advertising packages by moving cryptocurrency into wallets Zimbardi secretly controlled. Together, thousands of investors sent more than $165 million to those wallets. Instead of using investments to buy advertising packages, Zimbardi allegedly gambled more than $34 million on risky foreign currency bets and lost substantial money. To keep the Ponzi scheme going, Zimbardi allegedly used funds from later investors to pay earlier investors. Finally, he allegedly spent at least $10 million on personal expenses, including buying a house for his son, purchasing luxury vehicles, and making alimony payments to his ex-wife. When The Crypto Program imploded in August 2023 and victims lost their invested funds, Zimbardi traveled to Hawaii, Fiji, and other locations around the world. In July 2025, after becoming aware of the FBI’s investigation, he fled to Fiji and lived there for over a year. In May 2026, Zimbardi canceled plans to attend his son’s wedding in Virginia after suspecting—correctly—that FBI agents would attempt to arrest him there. On August 14, 2026, after Fijian authorities learned of the charges against Zimbardi, they deported Zimbardi to the United States, in coordination with the FBI and U.S. Department of State. On July 8, 2026, Edward Zimbardi, 59, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, was charged in a federal indictment with twelve counts of wire fraud, twelve counts of money laundering, and one count of money laundering conspiracy. He will appear before a federal magistrate judge in Los Angeles, California later today, and the Government will argue he should be detained in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending further proceedings in the Northern District of Georgia. Individuals who invested in The Crypto Program are encouraged to provide victim information to the FBI at http://fbi.gov/thecryptoprogram . The FBI will contact victims at a later date regarding further proceedings, including potential documentation needed for restitution. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Substantial assistance has been provided by the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs; the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Overseas Criminal Investigations Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Suva, Fiji; the Fiji Ministry of Immigration; the Fiji Police Force; the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission; the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Georgia Secretary of State; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Assistant United States Attorney Bethany L. Rupert is prosecuting the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Tallahassee Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Methamphetamine

body_text: Tallahassee, Florida – Tyler D. Ogden, 27, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to six years in federal prison for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our excellent state and federal law enforcement partners continue to work hard every day to stop the flow of drugs into our communities. Meth, in particular, has had a devastating impact on our District for several years, and this successful prosecution is yet another step toward delivering the safe, drug-free streets that the citizens of the Northern District of Florida deserve.” Court documents reflect that in April 2025, during a Tallahassee-area undercover law enforcement operation, the defendant purchased methamphetamine. Later, the defendant separated four ounces from a larger quantity of methamphetamine and distributed the controlled substance. “Methamphetamine is trafficked regularly in the Florida Pan Handle and our agents and law enforcement partners are very active in this region,” said Special Agent in Charge Daniel Escobar, DEA Tampa Field Division. “Like Mr. Ogden, we have brought many criminals who sell this poison in our communities to justice.” The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain. 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: Tallahassee Man Indicted for Bank Robbery

body_text: Tallahassee, Florida – James Dalton Bryant, 54, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for bank robbery. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge. Bryant appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for October 5, 2026, before District Court Judge Robert L. Hinkle. Bryant faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted. The case was jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin. 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: Gainesville Man Sentenced to 144 Months in Federal Prison for Spree of Robberies

body_text: Gainesville, Florida – Antrell Jermaine Hillard, 33, of Live Oak, Florida, was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to steal postal keys, theft of postal keys, and postal robbery/assault. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This serial, violent felon has shown that the only way we can keep our communities safe from his criminality is by keeping him behind bars in federal prison, so that is exactly what we will do. I appreciate the excellent investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FBI, and Alachua County Sheriff’s Office that supported this successful prosecution. The Department of Justice launched Operation Take Back America to devote our full might toward removing the perpetrators of violent crime from our streets, and my office will continue to deliver aggressive prosecutions like this to accomplish that task.” Court documents reflect that between March 21, 2025, and March 29, 2025, the defendant conspired with others to steal Postal Service keys in Gainesville and Ocala. The defendant planned and participated in three separate incidents involving the theft of keys directly from United States Postal Service carriers while they were delivering mail. In one of the incidents, the defendant snatched a key that was still physically connected to the carrier’s belt, causing it to break from the carrier’s belt. The court also found that shortly before the postal robberies, the defendant held a man at gunpoint during an armed robbery of a Gainesville convenience store. “This sentence should serve as a warning to anyone who is considering committing a violent crime against a U.S. Postal Service employee.” said Bladismir Rojo, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division. The Inspection Service will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure that those who chose to engage in these types of crimes will be held accountable.” “This sentence holds Hillard accountable for his actions and serves as a reminder to those who choose to commit serious crimes,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue working together to investigate and pursue dangerous offenders who threaten our communities.” Upon his release, Hillard will be subject to three years of supervised release. The case involved a joint investigation by United States Postal Inspection Service, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hapner and James McCain. 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: U.S. Attorney’s Office Files Opening Brief for Appeal in United States v. Abrego Garcia

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Today, August 17, 2026, the United States filed its opening brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in United States v. Abrego Garcia asking the appellate court to reverse the district court’s order dismissing the indictment and to reinstate the case against Abrego Garcia. As described in the United States’ brief, the decision to seek an indictment against Abrego Garcia for human smuggling was made by career prosecutors based on the evidence, the law, and their firm belief that there is proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Abrego Garcia had committed the offenses charged. The indictment and prosecution of Abrego Garcia in the Middle District of Tennessee was not vindictive and the evidence before the district court established that it was not. Instead, the evidence in the district court proved that charges were brought against Abrego Garcia because, in the view of career prosecutors, the evidence conclusively established that he had committed a serious crime, and not for any vindictive motive. While the United States respects the district court, the United States argues in today’s appellate brief that the district court did not follow the relevant Supreme Court and Sixth Circuit precedent in making its decision to dismiss the indictment against Abrego Garcia. The ruling marks a dramatic expansion of the power of courts to dismiss serious criminal charges based on subjective assessments of a prosecutor’s motivations and is an unwarranted intrusion into the Executive’s powers and responsibility to protect the public. Therefore, an appeal is necessary to seek review of the district court’s decision and ensure that federal law is followed appropriately. The link to the full brief can be found here: 26-5555_appellants_opening_br_filed_copy.pdf


title: Lebanon Man Indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Timothy Cassidy, age 33, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania and Menominee, Michigan, was indicted on August 12, 2026, by a federal grand jury for failing to register as a sex offender after relocating to Maryland. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that from May 2025 through the present, despite being required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), Cassidy traveled in interstate commerce from Pennsylvania to Michigan and failed to register his address as required by SORNA. This matter was investigated by the United States Marshals Service (USMS). Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: California Man Sentenced To 92 Months For Pharmacy Burglaries

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BOISE – Andrew Rumbo-Ochoa, 28, of Santa Clara, California, was sentenced to 92 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. According to court records, Rumbo-Ochoa conspired with others to burglarize pharmacies and steal controlled substances to sell. Rumbo-Ochoa and his co-conspirators drove from California to Idaho to commit the crime. On May 22, 2025, Rumbo-Ochoa and his co-conspirators were seen on surveillance footage outside a pharmacy in Montpelier, Idaho. Later, on May 22, they broke into a pharmacy in Grace, Idaho and stole Schedule II controlled substances, including 345 pills containing hydrocodone, 200 pills containing hydromorphone, and 5,773 pills containing oxycodone, with the intent to distribute the substances. In March 2025, Rumbo-Ochoa travelled with others to Missoula, Montana. On March 10, 2025, they broke into a pharmacy in Missoula, and stole Schedule II controlled substances, including 1,593 pills containing hydrocodone, 565 pills containing oxycodone, 80 pills containing hydromorphone, 194 pills containing methylphenidate, and 1,591 pills containing amphetamine. Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Rumbo-Ochoa to serve 3 years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Rumbo-Ochoa pleaded guilty to the charge on April 30, 2026. U.S. Attorney Davis made the announcement and commended the work of the U.S Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Caribou County Sheriff's Office, the Caribou County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Missoula Police Department, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darci Crane prosecuted the case. ###


title: Colombian national pleads guilty to a money laundering conspiracy

component: Criminal - Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Colombian national pled guilty today to a seven-year money laundering conspiracy involving the purchase of consumer electronics using drug proceeds. According to court documents, from January 2018 through March 2025, Andrelio Castaño Rojas, 55, conspired to launder drug trafficking proceeds using a currency exchange scheme. Rojas opened U.S. bank accounts for two of his U.S. companies and arranged for his business accounts to receive drug proceeds through bank wires and bulk cash deposits. Rojas used these funds to purchase consumer electronics that he exported to Colombia. Rojas pled guilty to a money laundering conspiracy. He faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 22, 2027. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Matthew Allen, Chief of Operations of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), made the announcement. The DEA Norfolk and Miami Field Divisions are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Hudson for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Yuliana Reyes and Mark Irish of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) are prosecuting the case. MNF’s 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 Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit investigates and prosecutes sophisticated money laundering schemes involving financial facilitators, gatekeepers, and other individuals and entities laundering criminal proceeds, and litigates complex civil forfeiture cases to recover assets on behalf of victims. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-21.


title: Tahlequah Resident Sentenced For Child Neglect

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lloyd William McDaniel, age 36, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to a term of 1 year and 1 day imprisonment for one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country. The charge arose from an investigation by the Tahlequah Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On October 14, 2025, McDaniel pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on November 13, 2023, while responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of a child under the age of 18, McDaniel willfully and maliciously failed to protect the victim from exposure to illegal drug possession and use. The crime occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. McDaniel will self-report to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility on September 16, 2026, to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Muzljakovich and Sarah McAmis represented the United States.


title: Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty To Unlawful Possession Of Firearm And Ammunition

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Martin Aranda Zavala, a/k/a Martin Misael Aranda Zavala, age 29, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Illegal Alien in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, punishable by imprisonment for up to 15 years and a $250,000 fine. The Indictment alleged that on May 6, 2026, Zavala, an alien, was found in possession of one semi-automatic pistol and 15 rounds of ammunition, knowing that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Zavala will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chuck Sullivan represented the United States.


title: Georgia Felon Accused of Possessing Guns, 53 Kilos of Cocaine in St. Louis County

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from Georgia has been arrested and accused of possessing about 53 kilograms of cocaine and two firearms. Chad E. “J-Bo” Brown, 54, was charged by complaint in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on August 14 with one count of possession with the intent to distribute more than 10 kilograms of cocaine. He appeared in court Monday. The complaint and affidavit say that the day before Brown’s arrest, the Drug Enforcement Administration learned of a cocaine shipment that had arrived in St. Louis and suspected that Brown was using a St. Louis County home as a drug stash house. Agents conducted a court-approved search of the home on August 14 and found about 49 kilos of cocaine in duffel bags in a bedroom closet and four more kilos in the kitchen, the affidavit says. Two guns were found in a bedroom. A charge set forth in a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and was initiated by the St. Louis Gateway Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Delworth is prosecuting the case.


title: Boone County Man Sentenced for Distribution of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – A Hebron, Ky., man, William Mason Fryman, 26, was sentenced on Monday to 150 months by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning for the distribution of child pornography. In May 2025, Fryman began communicating with undercover agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over Telegram in an effort to trade sexually explicit videos of minors. During the conversations, which spanned several months, Fryman sent over 15 videos of child sexual abuse material to the undercover agent. On December 9, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Fryman’s residence and arrested him. When he was interviewed, he admitted that he was the individual communicating on Telegram and that he had used other online platforms to communicate with other individuals who were interested in trading child sexual abuse material. Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Leonhard prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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 . – END –


title: Guilty Plea in Spree of Violent Armed Carjackings in the District, Maryland, and Virginia

body_text: WASHINGTON -- Taurian Anderson, 21, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with his role in a conspiracy to commit a series of armed carjackings in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Anderson pleaded guilty before Judge Beryl A. Howell to one count of conspiracy to commit carjacking, one count of carjacking and aiding and abetting, and to two counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Judge Howell scheduled sentencing for Jan. 29, 2027. According to court documents, Anderson and his co-conspirators began their spree of carjackings on Aug. 9, 2024. At about 12:11 a.m., Anderson brandished a handgun, approached a DoorDash delivery driver on the 4200 block of East Capitol Street NE, and ordered the driver out of his Hyundai Elantra. About 3 hours later, at 3:30 a.m. on August 9, 2024, Anderson and a co-conspirator approached a Toyota Corolla on the 4200 block of Dupont Terrace SE. The duo ordered the driver out of the car at gunpoint and said to leave all belongings behind. The co-conspirator got behind the wheel of the Toyota and drove off in the car. On Sept. 7, 2024, about 1:26 a.m., Anderson and his co-conspirator traveled in a stolen vehicle from the District to Silver Spring. A driver was parking their vehicle, a Honda Civic, on the 8000 block of Eastern Avenue. Anderson and his co-conspirator blocked the Civic, preventing it from moving. When the driver exited the Civic, one of the conspirators pointed a firearm and ordered the driver to “get on the ground.” As the victim was lying on the ground, the duo grabbed his iPhone, wallet, and the keys to his vehicle and house. The victim, a professional musician, pleaded with them to let him get his saxophone out of the car. The duo refused. As the victim attempted to grab his instrument, one of the conspirators began to drive away in the car and dragged the victim approximately five feet down the road before he let go of the saxophone. The carjacking duo fled the area and returned to the District. An hour later on Sept. 7, 2024, about 2:40 a.m., Anderson and his co-conspirator were in the 6700 block of New Hampshire Ave., in Hyattsville, Maryland. A driver had just parked a Toyota Prius on the block when the duo approached in the Honda Civic they had just carjacked. One of the conspirators pointed a firearm at the Prius driver while the other punched the driver twice. The Prius driver surrendered their iPhone, two laptops, credit cards, house keys, and the keys to the car. Following the carjacking, the co-conspirators took the carjacked Prius back to the District. Anderson then exchanged text messages with an unidentified individual in an attempt to sell the Prius and two other vehicles. On Oct. 4, 2024, at about 12:15 a.m., Anderson and co-conspirators traveled to the 3000 block of South Jefferson Street, Falls Church, Virginia. One of the co-conspirators walked up to the driver’s side of a parked and occupied Dodge Charger and tried to open the locked door. The conspirator then tapped on the glass of the driver’s door with a firearm, at which point the driver put the Charger in drive, stepped on the gas, and fled. Fifteen minutes later on Oct. 4, 2024, about 12:35 a.m., Anderson and his co-conspirators traveled to 5000 block Columbia Pike, Falls Church, Virginia. Four people were standing outside of a Credit Union. Anderson and his co-conspirators approached them. Anderson and one of his co-conspirators, both of whom were armed, held the four at gunpoint and ordered the group to get on the ground and empty their pockets. The bandits took the group’s phones and the keys to one of the group’s Toyota Prius and drove the stolen car to the District. On October 4, 2024, less than an hour later at 1:20 a.m., Anderson and a co-conspirator approached a driver at the BP gas station on the 5000 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE. Anderson pointed a gun at the driver’s face and demanded the keys to his Infiniti. Anderson got behind the wheel of the Infiniti and started to drive away from the gas station. The co-conspirator entered the driver’s seat of a nearby Mercedes-Benz and drove away in the same direction. Later that day, about 4:03 p.m., a Metropolitan Police Department helicopter located the carjacked Infiniti moving recklessly through traffic. At Independence Avenue SE and East Capitol Street SE, the Infiniti collided with another vehicle but fled the scene. In the area near RFK stadium the vehicle became stuck in heavy traffic. Anderson and his co-conspirator abandoned the car. U.S. Capitol Police apprehended the co-conspirator in a nearby recreational field. Anderson, still armed, ran under the Whitney Young Memorial Bridge and then into the Anacostia River, placing his handgun on his head. Members of MPD’s Emergency Response Team and MPD negotiators responded to the scene. Around 6:42 p.m., Anderson dropped the weapon into the river, surrendered to officers on the scene, and was placed under arrest. This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Taskforce. The U.S. Capitol Police, Prince George’s County Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department, and Fairfax County Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Helfand is prosecuting the matter. 24cr486 Follow us on X , Instagram , and YouTube Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc


title: Venezuelan Sentenced to 18 Years for Robbing Denver Jewelry Store at the Direction of Tren de Aragua

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jesus Lara del Toro, 22, of Venezuela, was sentenced to 216 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution after pleading guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in connection with the armed robbery of the Joyeria El Ruby Jewelry Store. Lara del Toro pleaded guilty without a plea agreement. According to the indictment and facts established at sentencing, Lara del Toro and others entered the Joyeria El Ruby Jewelry Store on West 38 th Avenue in Denver on the afternoon of June 24, 2024. During the robbery, employees and customers were held at gunpoint, several employees were beaten with firearms, and nearly $4 million worth of gold and jewelry were stolen. Multiple victims were injured in the attack. The suspects were later located in the El Paso, Texas, area. The defendants in this case, including Lara del Toro, committed this crime acting under the directives of international Tren de Aragua (TdA) leadership. “The District of Colorado continues to pursue the total elimination of the Tren de Aragua gang in Colorado, and sentences like this send a strong message that we will not tolerate this violence in our communities,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “I hope the victims of this violent attack take some solace in justice being served as these criminals are sent to federal prison.” “The violent crime behind this case and HSI’s broader Denver-area investigation into Tren de Aragua marks the beginning of the end for this criminal group,” said HSI Denver Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen. “The professionalism of HSI Denver and El Paso agents, along with our FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office partners in Colorado and Texas, demonstrate the strength of a whole-of-government law enforcement approach.” “The video surveillance of the jewelry store robbery was shocking in its violence, prompting an immediate action from local and federal partners. The crew that planned and carried out the robbery knew people would be inside, and they fully intended to terrorize anyone present during the robbery's commission,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski. “The FBI Violent Criminal Enterprise Task Force in collaboration with our partners tracked them down and brought them back to face justice. This sentence reflects the decisions the defendant chose to make.” Two other defendants, Jean Torres-Roman and Newman Castillo Delgado were previously sentenced. A fourth defendant will be sentenced later this year. United States District Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the sentencing. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Denver, the Denver Police Department, the FBI Denver Field Division, FBI El Paso Field Division, Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector, Texas Department of Public Safety, El Paso Police Department, and West Texas Anti-Gang Center. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Leah Perczak. These cases are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Rocky Mountain HSTF comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Internal Revenue Service, Office of Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); United States Marshals Service (USMS); Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); United States Citizenship and Immigration Services; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement / Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE/ERO); and United States Customs and Border Patrol with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. Case Numbers: 24-CR-00247-NYW and 25-CR-00331-PAB


title: South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking in Massachusetts

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A South Carolina man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking between January and August 2023. According to court documents, Alexander Smalls, 27, of Beaufort, South Carolina, conspired with co-defendant Christy Parker, 28, and others to use physical beatings, threats, intimidation, sleep deprivation, starvation, and other means to coerce at least one adult victim to engage in repeated commercial sex acts in and around Fall River, Massachusetts between January and August 2023. Starting in January 2023, Smalls and Parker forced and coerced the adult victim to engage in repeated commercial sex acts by physically beating, threatening, and verbally abusing her. They also imposed manufactured debts on the victim, gave and withheld alcohol causing the victim to experience seizures, and threatened to have the authorities take the victim’s minor child away from her. When Smalls was incarcerated on unrelated charges in March 2023, he continued coordinating with Parker and participating in the sex trafficking conspiracy from jail until Parker’s arrest in August 2023. “This defendant used deplorable means to compel the victim to perform commercial sex acts for the financial benefit of himself and his codefendants,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His conduct was cruel and predatory in multiple ways, which included physical beatings and threatening to separate her from her child. This partnership between the Criminal Division and the District of Massachusetts will ensure that those who victimize people through human trafficking in Massachusetts will be investigated and prosecuted.” “Alexander Smalls took extraordinary steps to target and exploit a vulnerable victim and continued to do so from jail, after he was taken into state custody on a separate offense. His ruthless predilection to exploit others for his own financial gain is simply heartless and reprehensible,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “My office stands strong in its determination to protect our community from sex traffickers.” “Smalls and his associates brutally trafficked women, using every cruel and inhumane tool they could to coerce them into commercial sex for their financial benefit,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Grimming of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England. “This case shows the insidious tactics traffickers use, slowly gaining the trust of their victims before brutally betraying them. With cases like this, we choose to focus not solely on the cruelty of the perpetrators, but also on the resilience of the survivors. We hope today’s plea brings a measure of justice and sense of closure to those Smalls victimized as they continue to heal.” Five of Smalls’s co-defendants were previously convicted, and four have been sentenced. Tyreik Reid, 22, and Cory Primo, 44, were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sentenced to 70 months in prison, followed by 60 months of supervised release. Avvani Jeffers, 24, was convicted of two counts of forced labor and sentenced to 18 months in prison, followed by 24 months of supervised release. Tre’sean Reid, 23, was convicted of one count of forced labor and sentenced to time served, followed by 24 months of supervised release. Christy Parker pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and one count of sex trafficking of a minor. Parker is awaiting sentencing. Smalls pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 9. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The HSI Boston Field Office and the Fall River Police Department are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley-Cunniffe for the District of Massachusetts are prosecuting the case.


title: Justice Department Investigates William & Mary’s Scholarships & Student Benefits For Unlawful Race-Based Criteria

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today that it is opening a compliance review into the College of William & Mary (W&M) to determine whether the school’s scholarships and student benefits include racial criteria that violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin. “Awarding scholarships or offering coveted opportunities to students based on the color of their skin is illegal and offends the guarantees of our color-blind Constitution,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will find out if scholarships or other student benefits at William & Mary favor applicants of certain races. The Department will not turn a blind eye to race-based preferences, however they are packaged or portrayed by universities.” The “W&M Scholars” program for first-year undergraduate students includes a scholarship “covering at least the full cost of in-state tuition and fees.” Applicants with an “interest in diverse people and perspectives” receive “top consideration.” W&M School of Education (W&M SOE) offers the need-based Martha L. Muguira Fellowship to graduate students and gives a “preference” to Hispanic or Latino women. And the W&M SOE doctoral-level Holmes Scholars program gives “future education leaders of color” mentorship, access to job fairs and position announcements, as well as national-level professional development benefits such as policy/advocacy training and opportunities to present their research. W&M Law School (W&M Law) offers the Lemon Legal Scholars Program (LLSP), a “multifaceted financial and mentorship opportunity” for graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who are admitted to W&M Law’s J.D. program. Through LLSP, W&M Law offers up to five full-ride scholarships — covering tuition and fees — which appear exclusively earmarked for HBCU graduates. Recipients also receive networking opportunities, one-on-one academic advising regarding course load and bar exam preparation, and access to special events with W&M Law faculty, senior administrators, and alumni. W&M Law also advertises the “Reaching Back Scholarship” — a need-based scholarship that has a “preference” for HBCU graduates or those “who contribute to the diversity” of W&M Law. The Civil Rights Division has not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigation. Note : Read the Department’s Notice Letter here .


title: Colombian National Pleads Guilty to a Money Laundering Conspiracy

body_text: A Colombian national pleaded guilty today to a seven-year money laundering conspiracy involving the purchase of consumer electronics using drug proceeds. According to court documents, Andrelio Castaño Rojas, 55, of Colombia, from January 2018 through March 2025, conspired to launder drug trafficking proceeds using a currency exchange scheme. Rojas opened U.S. bank accounts for two of his U.S. companies and arranged for his business accounts to receive drug proceeds through bank wires and bulk cash deposits. Rojas used these funds to purchase consumer electronics that he exported to Colombia. Rojas pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy. Sentencing is set for Jan. 22, 2027. He faces a maximum penalty of 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 Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Chief of Operations Matthew Allen of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made the announcement. The DEA Norfolk Resident Office and Miami Field Division are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Yuliana Reyes and Mark Irish of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Hudson for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting 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 Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit investigates and prosecutes sophisticated money laundering schemes involving financial facilitators, gatekeepers, and other individuals and entities laundering criminal proceeds, and litigates complex civil forfeiture cases to recover assets on behalf of victims.


title: Attorney General Blanche Launches New Process to Restore Federal Firearm Rights

body_text: As one of his first actions as Attorney General, Todd Blanche today finalized a federal regulation and launched a new process allowing eligible individuals who are prohibited from possessing firearms to apply for restoration of their federal firearm rights. “The Second Amendment is not a second-class right, and the federal government should not permanently deprive Americans of a constitutional right without regard to whether they pose a danger to public safety,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This rule establishes a rigorous, commonsense process that protects the public while giving deserving Americans a real path to restoration.” “President Trump keeps making history - this time by his unprecedented restoration of firearms rights to millions of Americans” said U.S. Pardon Attorney Edward Martin. “Over the past months, we have worked at the direction of Attorney General Todd Blanche to build a program to give a pathway for restoration for the 30 million Americans who have lost their Second Amendment rights. We are proud to serve and defend our great Second Amendment.” For more than three decades, the statutory process Congress created under 18 U.S.C. § 925(c) was effectively unavailable to most individuals seeking relief from federal firearms disabilities. The final rule restores a functioning process for the individualized consideration Congress authorized and advances President Trump’s directive to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans. Under the final rule, restoration of firearm rights is neither automatic nor guaranteed. Each applicant must establish to the Attorney General’s satisfaction that the circumstances giving rise to the prohibition, together with the applicant’s record, reputation, and subsequent conduct, demonstrate that the applicant is not likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety and that granting relief would not be contrary to the public interest. The Department will consider the facts and circumstances of each application, while maintaining strong presumptions against relief for individuals whose crimes, conduct, or status demonstrate heightened risks to public safety. Absent extraordinary circumstances, violent felons, registered sex offenders, illegal aliens, and other individuals who present an ongoing danger will remain presumptively ineligible for relief. Any relief granted under the rule removes only applicable federal firearms disabilities and does not override independent restrictions imposed by state law. The final rule, as submitted to the Office of the Federal Register, is available here . This rule will take effect thirty days after publication in the Federal Register. Individuals seeking restoration of their federal firearm rights may visit the Justice Department’s Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Program website at www.justice.gov/ffrr for eligibility information, application instructions, and access to the Department’s application process.


title: Madison Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm While On Supervision for Armed Robbery

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Johnell L. Britt, 28, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to a total of 62 months in prison. Judge Conley sentenced Britt to 48 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and to 18 months in prison, to be served consecutively, for violating the terms of his supervised release. Britt pleaded guilty to the firearms charge on April 27, 2026. On December 11, 2025, law enforcement searched Britt’s apartment and found a firearm concealed in a bag. An analyst with the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory confirmed Britt’s DNA was on the firearm. Britt later admitted that he picked up the firearm and put it in the bag. At the time of the offense, Britt was on federal supervision for an armed robbery conviction. At sentencing, Judge Conley considered Britt’s history of endangering people, having been convicted of armed robbery on two separate occasions. Judge Conley noted that Britt presents a danger to society and that his willingness to possess a firearm despite his prior convictions and supervision status was a reckless decision. The charge against Britt was the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force and the Madison Police Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the State of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lennon prosecuted this case. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Escapee Sentenced to Additional Prison Time

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Joseph Hoult, 39, Urbana, Illinois, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 10 months in federal prison for escaping from a community corrections facility. Hoult’s sentence will run consecutive to his remaining undischarged sentence. Hoult plead guilty to this charge on July 8, 2026. On December 20, 2013, Hoult was sentenced to federal prison by a judge in the Central District of Illinois. Hoult was transferred to a community corrections facility in the Western District of Wisconsin on October 24, 2025. On November 30, 2025, Hoult removed his GPS monitoring device and escaped from the community corrections facility. Hoult remained undetected until his arrest on March 18, 2026. At sentencing Judge Conley explained that a period of additional incarceration was warranted given Hoult’s troubling decision to escape. The charge against Hoult was the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Reinhard prosecuted this case.


title: August term of the Federal Grand Jury returns indictments for firearms and immigration charges

body_text: SAVANNAH, Georgia: Multiple defendants have been indicted by the August term of the federal Grand Jury in the Southern District of Georgia for firearms offenses and immigration violations. Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, announced the indictments. Those facing federal charges include: David Griffin , 34, of Guyton, Georgia, indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Alton Vincent , 25, of Augusta, indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and for False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm. Kadeem Amir Wicker , 35, of Wrightsville, Georgia, indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Jordin Alonso-Romero , 25, of Mexico, indicted for being an Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm. In addition, 10 men are charged with Re-entry After Removal or Deportation, a charge applied to an illegal alien present in the United States after at least one prior removal: Wilfredo Portillo-Aguirre , 32, a citizen of El Salvador illegally in the U.S., arrested in Wayne County. Patricio Perez Barrera , 40, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the U.S., arrested in Chatham County. Oscar Cardoza-Reyes , 41, a citizen of Honduras illegally in the U.S., arrested in Camden County. Alexander Cortez-Sanchez , 35, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the U.S., arrested in Wayne County. Victor Cruz-Anaya , 40, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the U.S., arrested in Liberty County. Melzar Oved Gomes-Maradiaga , 35, a citizen of Honduras illegally in the U.S., arrested in Chatham County. Jair Gomez-Torres , 30, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the U.S., arrested in Effingham County. Jose Ricardo Rodriguez-Carillo , 44, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the U.S., arrested in Camden County. Oscar Silvano Toga , 37, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the U.S., arrested in Glynn County. Eustaquio Tolentino-Ramirez , 34, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the U.S., arrested in Camden County. Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. The cases listed above have been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and local law enforcement agencies. These cases are being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olivia C. Brame, L. Alexander Hamner, Matthew A. Breedon, Lyle J. Burnham II, Joshua Kyle Davis, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Olsen.


title: New Orleans Felon Sentenced For  Distributing Pure Methamphetamine

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LUIS MORALES (“MORALES”) , age 36, was sentenced on August 13, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to 66 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, along with a $300 special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to three counts of distributing more than five grams of actual methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to court documents, in August of 2023, MORALES sold methamphetamine to individuals he believed to be legitimate buyers on three separate occasions. In total, MORALES distributed more than 120 grams of methamphetamine that was between 96%-99% pure. MORALES also sold to the individuals he believed to be legitimate buyers, a firearm. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. ***


title: Honduran National Indicted For  Being Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LUIS FELIPE POSAS-VILLAFRANCA (“POSAS-VILLAFRANCA”) , age 27, a Honduran national, was indicted on August 13, 2026, for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(5)(A) and 924(a)(8), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to the indictment, on or about June 22, 2026, POSAS-VILLAFRANCA , an alien who is illegally and unlawfully present in the United States, possessed a Taurus Model G3XL nine-millimeter caliber handgun. If convicted, POSAS-VILLAFRANCA faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shannon Kippers and Lorcan Connick of the General Crimes Unit are handling the prosecution. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. * * *


title: Justice served in bulk meth attempt: Casper resident sentenced to more than 12 years

component: USAO - Wyoming

body_text: CASPER, Wyo. — A Casper woman will serve more than 12 years in federal prison for her role as a distributor in a multi-county drug trafficking ring, federal officials said. Alysha Ann Dahl, 33, of Casper, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence Aug. 11 in Casper. According to federal court documents, the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI), with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and multiple state and local agencies, investigated a drug trafficking organization operating in Wyoming and Colorado. Law enforcement intercepted and arrested Dahl Nov. 10, 2025, near Casper. After a search of the vehicle she was traveling in, investigators found scales, syringes and nearly half a pound, or about 205 grams, of methamphetamine. Agents determined Dahl distributed more than 11 pounds of methamphetamine during the conspiracy. A federal complaint was filed Jan. 23, and she was taken into federal custody Jan. 28. Dahl waived indictment and pleaded guilty to information May 19. Dahl provided a factual basis in support of her guilty plea in which she admitted that on or about October 17, 2025, she was within the District of Wyoming when she knowingly and intentionally possessed 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine. She knew the substance was methamphetamine, and she intended to unlawfully distribute it to others. DCI, DEA and HSI investigated the crime and Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the case. U.S. Attorney Darin Smith said, "This operation proves that we will not let illegal drugs tear apart our communities. By working closely with local and state police, we are taking dealers off the streets and protecting Wyoming families. Our combined forces will continue to track down and punish anyone who brings these dangers into our neighborhoods."


title: Florida man convicted of defrauding a Wyoming bank and passing a counterfeit U.S. Treasury check

body_text: Daniel Keith McDougal, 37, of Florida, was convicted by a federal jury of passing a counterfeit U.S. Treasury check, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States. The trial lasted five days and was held before U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in January 2023, McDougal and Kennard Bouk traveled from Florida to Wyoming for the purpose of passing a counterfeit U.S. Treasury check valued at $560,625 at a Cheyenne bank. Sentencing is scheduled for October 26, 2026. McDougal faces a maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment, followed by at least 3 years supervised release, a fine up to $1.5 million dollars, and restitution. "We will not allow out-of-state fraudsters to target Wyoming financial institutions. This verdict shows that no matter how far you travel to commit fraud, federal law enforcement will find you and bring you to justice," said U.S. Attorney Smith. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and the United States Secret Service investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming prosecuted the case. Case No. 26-CR-00168


title: Woman Sentenced to Two Years for Embezzling From Jackson County School District

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Danielle Mittermeyer, 47, Conrath, Wisconsin, has been sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to two years in federal prison for embezzling money from a federally funded organization. The prison term will be followed by three years of supervised release. As part of her sentence, Mittermeyer was ordered to pay $261,690 in restitution. Mittermeyer pleaded guilty to the charge on May 7, 2026, and paid restitution before sentencing. Mittermeyer previously worked as the business official for the School District of Alma Center-Humbird-Merrillan, also known as the Lincoln School District. In that role, she was responsible for making payments for the district, collecting and depositing cash, and tracking finances. Between 2021 and 2025, she embezzled more than a quarter million dollars through a variety of means, including skimming cash and using district funds to pay the balance on her personal credit card. She concealed her criminal conduct from the district and its auditors by duplicating invoices from legitimate vendors, altering check reports presented to the school board, setting herself and her credit card company up as vendors in the district’s accounting software, and keeping a second (fraudulent) cash receipt book. At sentencing, Judge Peterson explained that Mittermeyer’s conduct was not the result of a one-time mistake or lapse of judgment. She embezzled money over multiple years, even as she attended meetings where the district’s resulting financial difficulties were discussed. Judge Peterson did not accept Mittermeyer’s assertion that she did not realize the scope or impact of her crime while she was committing it, noting that Mittermeyer is an accountant and knows how to track money. Her conduct, according to the judge, rose to the level of “almost cruelty.” The charge against Mittermeyer was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan R. Stelljes prosecuted this case.


title: Wausau Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Sher Khang, 41, Wausau, Wisconsin, has been sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 5 years in federal prison for possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine intended for distribution. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Khang pleaded guilty to this charge on May 27, 2026. On October 2, 2025, a confidential informant purchased 27 grams of methamphetamine from Khang in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. Following the purchase, investigators stopped Khang’s vehicle and recovered 320 grams of methamphetamine, $400 in cash, drug packaging, and an item that appeared to be a homemade weapon. In imposing a sentence, Judge Peterson noted that Khang’s criminal history and prior performance on supervision were troubling. The charge against Khang was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force comprised of agents from the FBI, Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Marquette County Sheriff’s Office, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Wood County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain Bay Police Department, Stevens Point Police Department, Waupaca Police Department, Wausau Police Department and Wisconsin National Guard Counter Drug Program. The Wood County District Attorney’s Office also assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.


title: Madison Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Drug Trafficking in Homeland Security Task Force Case

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Noah A. Hodges, 44, Madison, Wisconsin, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 5 years in federal prison for possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine intended for distribution. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Hodges pleaded guilty to this charge on May 5, 2026. In early 2024, law enforcement began investigating members of a drug trafficking organization operating in Dane County. During the investigation, officers worked with confidential informants to purchase significant quantities of drugs. Officers seized drugs, firearms, and cash during search warrants executed at residences and vehicles associated with the organization. Hodges was identified as a distributor for the drug trafficking organization. After observing likely drug activity by Hodges on February 6, 2025, police contacted Hodges in a vehicle. Law enforcement ultimately searched Hodges and the vehicle and seized a total of 355 grams of methamphetamine and 12 grams of heroin/fentanyl. At the time, Hodges was on state supervision for two felony intoxicated driving offenses. His supervision in those cases was later revoked, and he served a revocation sentence in state prison. In determining an appropriate federal sentence, Judge Conley weighed the significant quantity of methamphetamine involved and the fact that Hodges committed the new crimes while on state supervision against Hodges’s progress on pretrial release. The charge against Hodges was the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Wisconsin State Patrol, and Madison Police Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven P. Anderson and Kathryn Ginsberg prosecuted this case. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Program 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 federal law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.


title: Green County Cheese Manufacturer Sentenced to Probation and $237,500 Fine for Criminally Violating Clean Water Act

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Wisconsin Cheese Group, LLC, a company headquartered in Monroe, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita M. Boor to one-year of probation for violating the Clean Water Act. The company was also ordered to pay a $237,500 fine, to make improvements to its facility, and to engage with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on future permitting issues. The company pleaded guilty to this charge on June 4, 2026. It is a crime under the Clean Water Act for an industrial user of a publicly owned treatment works to negligently discharge pollutants in a manner that causes a municipality to violate a federally enforceable wastewater permit. Between June 6, 2022, and November 5, 2022, Wisconsin Cheese Group disrupted the Village of Monticello’s treatment works on 19 days due to releases of untreated wastewater from its cheese manufacturing plant into the municipal sewer. The company exceeded the biological oxygen demand (BOD) limit in its own permit by high margins, including multiple discharges that exceeded the limit by more than 1500%. At the time of the discharges, the company did not have specific controls to ensure compliance with its permit and did not adequately train employees on wastewater management. “The defendant’s criminally negligent discharges of untreated industrial wastewater into the publicly owned sewer system disrupted the system on multiple occasions,” said Allison Landsman, Special Agent in Charge of the Environmental Protection Administration’s (EPA) criminal enforcement program in Wisconsin. “Violations of the Clean Water Act can endanger human health, wildlife, and the environment by causing untreated industrial waste and sewage to flow into our rivers and streams. The guilty plea in this case reflects the seriousness of these actions and EPA’s commitment to protecting our natural resources and the communities that rely upon them.” Explaining why she found the offense so serious, Judge Boor observed that the violations were “entirely avoidable” with better planning as the company ramped up production at its Monticello plant. Instead, the company “overwhelmed” the local wastewater treatment plant and became a “neighborhood polluter.” The judge also faulted the company for a “lackluster” response to its early violations, which allowed the criminal conduct to continue for months. She did commend the company for cooperating with the government’s investigation and committing to facility improvements, which will be enforced as conditions of probation. The charge against Wisconsin Cheese Group was the result of an investigation conducted by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Stelljes prosecuted this case.


title: Citizen of Mexico Sentenced to 3 Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Cesar Ordonez Gonzalez, 32, a citizen of Mexico found in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 3 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Ordonez Gonzalez pleaded guilty to this charge on June 3, 2026. On December 27, 2025, Ordonez Gonzalez approached a parked vehicle and displayed a firearm from his pocket to the driver and passenger. The occupants drove away and reported it to law enforcement. Officers then saw Ordonez Gonzalez running away from the scene, arrested him, and found the stolen firearm on his person. Ordonez Gonzalez was previously convicted of strangulation and suffocation, a class H felony, in Dane County Circuit Court. At sentencing, Judge Conley considered Ordonez Gonzalez’s violent prior conviction and determined that he presents a risk to society. The charge against Ordonez Gonzalez was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department, the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Agents from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Remington and Colleen Lennon prosecuted this case. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe.


title: California man sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for sex trafficking women across the U.S.A

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 33-year-old California man who compelled women into prostitution using assaults, threats, fraud, and manipulation was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 210 months (17.5 years) in prison for six federal felonies related to his multi-state sex trafficking activity, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Brandon Denzel Washington was convicted in March 2026 of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion, one count of sex trafficking by fraud and coercion and four counts of transporting women for the purpose of prostitution through coercion and enticement. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones noted that while prostitution “is often referred to as ‘the oldest profession’ . . . in actuality, it is the oldest oppression.” Judge Jones told Washington that while he “may have perceived [himself] as ‘King Bentley,’” he was “little more than a slave master.” Judge Jones also noted that while Washington would receive a release date following his prison term, there “was no expiration date for the pain and trauma [he] inflicted upon his victims.” “For nearly ten years this defendant supported a lavish lifestyle while preying on young, vulnerable women and forcing, defrauding, and coercing them into prostitution,” said First Assistant Neil Floyd. “Multiple victims were brave enough to testify in court and told harrowing stories of abuse – emotional, mental, and physical – that Washington employed to keep them earning money for his benefit. This lengthy prison term is justly deserved.” According to records filed in the case, multiple victims testified about Washington trafficking and transporting them to and from Washington, Nevada, California, Oregon, and Hawaii between 2014 and 2021. The sex trafficking scheme was first uncovered when a retired Bellevue Police Officer working security noticed a large number of men visiting a Bellevue luxury apartment building over a period of just a few weeks. From there, law enforcement analyzed financial records, travel records, ads for commercial sex posted in online forums, and social media posts to identify potential victims and to gather evidence. Five of Washington’s sex trafficking victims testified at the trial, some describing brutal assaults and threats Washington used to keep them or other victims in his control and earning hundreds of thousands of dollars for him through commercial sex acts. When women were finally able to get free from his control, they left without any of the money they had earned. Evidence at trial showed that Washington used his victims’ earnings to fund his lifestyle, including luxury apartments in downtown Seattle, Bellevue, Las Vegas, and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, designer clothes, fine dining, and luxury vehicles. Through one victim, he acquired a Bentley car worth over $120,000, which he then wrapped in gold. Washington then used his social media accounts to boast about his lifestyle in an effort to recruit other women. At trial, prosecutors offered text messages and messages from social media where Washington described the hundreds of thousands of dollars he took from the women in his control. In those messages, he also discussed the violence he used to control them and the manipulation and promises he used to recruit other victims. In some text messages, Washington stated that he was searching for victims with low self-esteem or who were otherwise particularly vulnerable targets who he could force and manipulate into sex work. In asking the court for a 292-month sentence, prosecutors wrote, “The seriousness of Washington’s crimes is magnified by his use of physical, mental, and emotional coercion to prey upon and control his victims. He put them in danger every day he used them – forcing them into being completely vulnerable to strange men who could arrest them or rape them. He used their prostitution earnings to live a flashy, luxurious lifestyle, buying himself luxury items, traveling, and living in high-end apartments – leaving his victims with nothing to show for the months and years they dedicated to Washington. He referred to them as “hoes” and “bitches” who had no worth and no dignity, and whose sole purpose was to make him money. He talked derisively about them and to them and bragged in his text messages about his vicious assaults.” Speaking at the sentencing hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Celia Lee noted the family support Washington had from his mother and sisters in contrast to how he treated his victims saying, “He chose not to extend decency to the women he trafficked… He sold them a lie and then he sold them over and over to strangers.” “This case highlights what is generally an unseen danger by the public – the targeting of vulnerable women who are forced into prostitution and human trafficking,” said Acting HSI Seattle Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Washington used assaults, threats, fraud, and coercion to manipulate these women into, and then to keep them in, this horrendous situation. We greatly appreciate the vigilance of the retired Bellevue Police officer and the work of the Bellevue Police Department as a whole. The breaking of this ring and arrest of Washington may have saved lives and after four weeks of testimony, finally provided the trafficking victims an opportunity to share their stories and be heard.” Judge Jones will determine the amount of restitution Washington must pay to the victims at a hearing scheduled for September 11, 2026. Following prison Washington will be on ten years of supervised release with requirements that he complete treatment for domestic violence. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Bellevue Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kate Crisham and Celia Lee.