title: Chicago Trader Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Federal Prison for Engaging in Unauthorized Trading That Caused $30 Million in Losses

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — A Chicago trader has been sentenced to more than 16 years in federal prison for engaging in unauthorized speculative bond trading that cost his employer and others more than $30 million in losses and also caused his employer to become insolvent, which in turn led to more than 200 people losing their jobs. KEITH WAKEFIELD worked as the head of fixed income trading for IFS Securities, Inc., a broker-dealer in Chicago. In 2019, Wakefield knowingly and fraudulently engaged in unauthorized speculative trading in U.S. Treasury bonds using his employer’s trading accounts, exposing his trading to approximately $250 million in losses and actually causing more than $30 million in losses to the employer and its counterparties. Wakefield attempted to conceal the unauthorized trades and losses by entering fake off-setting trades into a clearing broker’s order system, creating the false impression that he had profitably traded through a different clearing broker. In addition to the fraudulent trading scheme, Wakefield from 2017 to 2019 embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from IFS Securities by falsifying the company’s books and records to create fake commissions that Wakefield knew were not actually owed to him. A jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago in 2024 convicted Wakefield, 52, of Chicago, of securities fraud and wire fraud. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger sentenced Wakefield to 16 years and eight months in federal prison. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ryan Whalen, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission provided valuable assistance. “This crime was driven by pure greed,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant’s fraud had a ripple effect causing multiple financial institutions to lose money and causing IFS to go out of business.”


title: Armed Carjacking in Chicago Leads to Nearly Ten-Year Federal Prison Sentence

body_text: CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to nearly ten years in federal prison for committing an armed carjacking in Chicago. The carjacking occurred on Oct. 23, 2024, on a street in the Austin neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side. The victim and a companion—who played a part in the carjacking—were sitting in the victim’s idling Dodge Challenger when the companion reached over to the gear shift to attempt to place the Challenger into park. The victim and the companion struggled over the gear shift. JAMES HAMPTON and ANDY COLON, JR. then approached the vehicle and brandished firearms. Hampton told the victim, “Don’t be stupid,” meaning that he would shoot the victim if he did not comply with his demands. Hampton and Colon stole the victim’s watch, gold necklace, and cell phone before they and the companion drove off in the Challenger. They were arrested a short time later after Chicago Police gave chase. Unbeknownst to the victim, the companion—MELIZA CALDERON—had been communicating with another individual about setting up the carjacking. The other individual allegedly told Calderon that he would send “the guys” to “handle it.” Hampton, 19, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal carjacking and firearm charges. On Sept. 3, 2026, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey sentenced Hampton to nine years and nine months in federal prison. Hampton’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ryan Whalen, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih. Colon pleaded guilty earlier this year to carjacking and firearm charges. Judge Blakey set Colon’s sentencing for Sept. 24, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Calderon pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy, carjacking, and firearm charges. Judge Blakey set Calderon’s sentencing for Oct. 15, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.


title: Sioux City Man Who Failed to Register as a Sex Offender  Pleads Guilty in Federal Court

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who escaped custody and failed to register as a sex offender pled guilty on September 10, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City. Duane Levering, age 41, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of escape from custody and one count of failure to register as a sex offender. In 2005 Levering was previously convicted of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor in the United States District Court for Nebraska. Based on this conviction, Levering is required to register as required under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. At the plea hearing, evidence showed that on December 23, 2025, Levering began confinement following his conviction for failure to register as a sex offender. On April 23, 2026, the U.S. Marshals Service received a Notice of Escaped Federal Prisoner for Levering from the Bureau of Prisons stating Levering failed to return to Dismas Charities Residential Reentry Center from his reported employment site. Levering admitted he willingly left the center and failed to register his new residence with the sex offender registry while he was on the run. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Levering remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Levering faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 26-4019. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Hardy, Iowa, Man Sentenced to Over 7 Years in Federal Prison for  Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: Scott Devries, 57, from Hardy, Iowa, was sentenced in federal court in Sioux City on September 11, 2026, to 90 months’ imprisonment. Devries pled guilty April 20, 2026, to one count of possession of child pornography. Evidence at the hearings showed that between January 2021 and August 2022, Devries possessed and received visual depictions of child pornography, which included prepubescent minors or a minor under the age of 12. While executing a search warrant, law enforcement discovered 20 electronic devices that contained child sexual abuse material. Forensic analysis of the devices found over 1.6 million images of child pornography, some of which involved material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct including the violent sexual torture of children as well as the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC. United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Devries to 90 months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ of supervised release following his imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Devries must also pay restitution in the amount of $39,500 to the victims in the case. Devries remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated by Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Charles City Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-3060. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms

body_text: A man who possessed firearms illegally was sentenced September 9, 2026, to more than 4 years in federal prison. Joshua Layne Kelly, age 25, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 28, 2026, guilty plea to one count of possession of firearms by a prohibited person. At the guilty plea, Kelly admitted that on November 6, 2025, in Webster County, he possessed an FIE, Little Ranger .22 caliber revolver and a High Standard, Double Nine .22 caliber revolver, knowing he was then a felon. In early November 2025, he offered to sell an individual cooperating with law enforcement two revolvers. On November 6, 2025, in Fort Dodge, he sold the cooperating individual an FIE, Little Ranger .22 caliber revolver, a High Standard, Double Nine .22 caliber revolver, and approximately 3.5 grams of synthetic cannabinoids (K2/Spice). Prior to his possession of the firearms, he had been convicted of numerous crimes including multiple incidents of Burglary and Theft. At the time of his possession of the firearms, he was also an unlawful user of marijuana. Kelly was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Kelly was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Kelly 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 Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE), the Fort Dodge Police Department, and the Webster County Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-03064. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: California Man Sentenced to Nineteen Years in  Prison for Drug Distribution

body_text: A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl was sentenced today to more than nineteen years in federal prison. Joshua James Cannady, age 51, from Landers, California, received the prison term after a February 19, 2026, jury verdict finding him guilty of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and seven counts of distribution of a controlled substance. The evidence at trial and sentencing showed that Cannady worked with others to send methamphetamine and fentanyl in Cedar Rapids and Mount Vernon, Iowa, between May 2023 and November 2024. During the conspiracy, Cannady was involved with sending over 11 kilograms of ice methamphetamine to Iowa. From June 2024 through November 2024, law enforcement officers purchased drugs from Cannady. Officers seized over 450 grams of methamphetamine and 1,700 fentanyl pills from seven different packages sent from California. When Cannady was arrested in California, officers located approximately a pound of methamphetamine that Cannady was preparing to deliver. Cannady was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Cannady was sentenced to 235 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards, and it was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Services, the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the San Bernardino County, California, Sheriff’s Office, the Riverside County, California, Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Police Department, and the Dubuque Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-00025-CJW. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Milton Man Sentenced for Possessing Firearms as a Convicted Felon

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

body_text: Pensacola, Florida – Darin Leigh Roy Vanness, 32, of Milton, Florida, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Keeping dangerous, violent felons, like this defendant, off our streets is the surest way to keep our communities safe. I appreciate the excellent investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to bring this dangerous criminal to justice.” Court documents reflect that Milton Police Department obtained a warrant to search the defendant’s home after receiving reports that he had fired a pistol inside the home during a domestic dispute. The defendant is a convicted felon and cannot legally possess a firearm. Upon searching the home, investigators found four 3D printers, multiple firearms made up of printed and manufactured gun parts, additional gun parts - both printed and manufactured - a Winchester rifle, significant amounts of ammunition, and some drugs and drug paraphernalia. “I am extremely proud of the hard work, dedication, and investigative efforts demonstrated by the Milton Police Department throughout this case,” said Milton Police Chief Frank. “This case is a strong example of what can be accomplished when law enforcement and our prosecutorial partners work together with a shared commitment to justice, accountability, and the safety of the community we serve.” The case involved an investigation by the Milton Police Department, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Etherton and Walter E. Narramore. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities . The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Criminal Illegal Alien from Mexico Sentenced to Federal Prison After Threatening a Woman with a Knife

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: Gainesville, Florida – Moises Ramiro Lopez-Zenteno, 37, of Mexico, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegal reentry into the United States. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “This violent criminal illegal alien has learned that we have zero-tolerance for criminality of any kind in the Northern District of Florida, and he’ll see the inside of a federal prison before being removed from our country. Keeping our citizens safe from the predations of violent criminal illegal aliens, like this defendant, is of paramount importance, and my office stands ready to aggressively prosecute cases like this to ensure our immigration laws are fully enforced.” Court documents reflect that the defendant, a citizen of Mexico, departed the United States in 2016 after an Immigration Judge entered an Order of Removal. On September 27, 2025, the defendant was involved in a domestic dispute where he struck a female and threatened her with a knife. The defendant was arrested and convicted of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. "Criminal illegal aliens who have previously been removed from the United States and choose to return illegally return and commit additional crimes against our citizens show a blatant disregard for our laws," said ICE Miami Field Office Director Matthew Elliston. "ICE remains committed to our mission of public safety by identifying, arresting, and removing those who pose a danger to the public, especially those who have demonstrated violent behavior." The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Gainesville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Tyler Fleming prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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: Arrested at Airport, Man Voluntarily Returns to Minnesota to Face Charges of Defrauding $1.3 Million in Housing Stabilization Services Funds

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Kaamil Omar Sallah, 26, was arrested at the Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) International Airport on the evening of September 10, 2026. This arrest happened approximately nine months after the defendant flew from MSP Airport to Amsterdam on or about November 26, 2025. His return was coordinated by the Federal Defenders Office after the defendant reported that he wanted to self-surrender and voluntarily return to Minnesota. The defendant was indicted by grand jury on December 16, 2025, and he is charged with four counts of wire fraud. Sallah had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shannon G. Elkins on September 11, 2026. According to the indictment, Sallah participated in a scheme to fraudulently receive Medicaid benefits from Minnesota’s Housing Stability Services (HSS) Program, a program designed to help people with disabilities and addictions find and maintain housing. Rather than provide such help, Sallah obtained and misappropriated funds to enrich himself and his coconspirators. Sallah owned and operated a company called SafeLodgings, Inc. The defendant registered the company in March 2023, and in the same month, submitted paperwork to enroll the company as an HSS Program provider. The company was supposed to provide services to qualifying people in need including housing consulting, transitioning, and sustaining services. From approximately March 2023 through August 2025, Sallah and his company fraudulently claimed to be entitled to approximately $1.4 million for providing HSS Program services and received nearly $1.3 million. Sallah knowingly submitted fake and inflated bills and his coconspirators submitted false claims that significantly overrepresented the services through SafeLodgings. In 2024 alone, Sallah claimed to have personally provided more than 3,600 billable service hours of reimbursable services. Sallah additionally hired employees to expand operations at SafeLodgings. “I commend the work of our law enforcement partners in coordinating the safe transfer of the defendant back to Minnesota. Sallah will now face justice for his role in defrauding Minnesotans and the American people,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “As alleged in the indictment, Kaamil Sallah defrauded Medicaid for approximately $1.3 million. When he learned he was under investigation, he chose to flee,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “This American taxpayer money was designated to help stabilize the housing situation of those in most dire need in our community. The FBI is dedicated to rooting out the fraud that plagues our most vital community services programs, holding fraudsters responsible, and working to ensure those that attempt to flee justice are brought to account.” This case was the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Steven R. Forrest are prosecuting the case. Assistant United States Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Note: Previous press release on the indictment linked here .


title: THREE ILLEGAL ALIENS PLEAD GUILTY IN FEDERAL COURT TO SEX TRAFFICKING BY FORCE, FRAUD, AND COERCION AND CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT SEX TRAFFICKING BY FORCE, FRAUD, AND COERCION

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: Maurilio Lazcano-Vargas, age 40, of Mexico, who is present in the United States without authorization, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. Edyn Efrain-Arevalo, age 53, of Guatemala, and Zabdi Guzman-Diaz, age 41, of Mexico, who are also present in the United States without authorization, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. According to admissions made as part of their pleas, since at least August 2024, Lazcano-Vargas operated a prostitution scheme that prostituted women, many of whom were illegal aliens in the United States, in various locations in Louisiana. He operated the prostitution venture with his co-defendants, Efrain-Arevalo and Guzman-Diaz, and would ensure that the women that he prostituted would perform commercial sex acts and provide him or others with the money that they earned from such acts. Specifically, beginning in and after October 2025, Lazcano-Vargas placed online ads through social media mobile and computer applications for commercial sex acts featuring women in the Middle District of Louisiana. He along with others, rented apartments in the Baton Rouge, Kenner, and New Orleans areas so that women could engage in these acts. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Lazcano-Vargas and others would take the money that the women made, tell the women the prices they were to charge and the amount of time that corresponded with the prices along with any rules for acts that were an extra charge, and communicate directly with other participants in the sex trafficking at the end of the night. Lazcano-Vargas and others also would monitor the total number of men that each women had commercial sex with and how much money was made. A single young woman would have as many as 20 “Johns” or more in one day. U.S. Attorney Kurt Wall stated, “These defendants not only entered our country illegally, but then took advantage of these young women by trafficking them for sexual activity. These crimes check the boxes of the highest priorities of our office and this Administration.” Wall applauded the teamwork of the several agencies involved which included the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Vick and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Ross lead the prosecution. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Dothan Tax Preparer Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Prison for Filing False Tax Returns

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A Dothan, Alabama tax preparer was sentenced yesterday to 57 months in federal prison for aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false tax returns, announced United States Attorney Thomas Govan for the Middle District of Alabama. “The defendant was entrusted with helping taxpayers comply with the law, yet she repeatedly chose to manipulate the tax system for her own benefit,” said U.S. Attorney Govan. “What makes this case particularly troubling is that the defendant did not change her ways after being indicted. While on federal pretrial release and under an explicit order not to commit additional crimes, she continued preparing false tax returns. Her decision to disregard both the law and the conditions of her release resulted in additional criminal charges and a significant federal prison sentence.” “As a tax preparer, Carlotta Lampley had a responsibility to prepare and submit accurate tax returns for herself and her clients,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman of the IRS Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office. “She failed to fulfill that responsibility in order to obtain fraudulent refunds. IRS Criminal Investigation special agents will investigate unscrupulous tax preparers, and they will be held accountable for their actions.” According to court documents and statements made in court, Carlotta Elaine Lampley, 41, operated a tax preparation service in Dothan and began preparing tax returns for clients in 2015. As part of her business practice, Lampley commonly withheld her tax-preparation fees from clients’ tax refunds before transferring the remaining refund proceeds to the clients. An investigation revealed that Lampley prepared and filed false tax returns for herself and various clients during tax years 2020 through 2025. In her plea agreement, Lampley admitted that, in 2024, she prepared and filed a federal income tax return for herself for the 2023 tax year that falsely reported her income as $52,343. Lampley knew the reported income was false because it failed to include fees she earned from preparing clients’ tax returns and withheld from their refunds. A federal grand jury subsequently indicted Lampley, and she was arrested on September 24, 2025. As a condition of her pretrial release, Lampley was prohibited from committing any new violations of law while awaiting trial. Despite being under federal indictment and released on bond, Lampley continued to prepare false tax returns. On January 22, 2026, she prepared a tax return for a client that falsely claimed the client operated a business and had earned a profit from that business, even though the client did not operate such a business and had never told Lampley that the client did. Lampley also falsely reported “other earned income” for the client despite knowing that the client had not received such income. Lampley admitted that she knew the false statements were material and were intended to affect the client’s federal tax liability in a manner that benefited the client at the expense of the Internal Revenue Service and the American taxpayer. The conduct also violated the terms of her pretrial release and resulted in a superseding indictment charging Lampley with additional criminal conduct. Lampley’s 57-month prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. During the September 10, 2026, sentencing hearing, the court also ordered Lampley to pay restitution in the amount of $314,247. This consists of $62,915 associated with her own tax returns and $251,332 associated with tax returns she aided and assisted other taxpayers in filing. The estimated actual loss amount from Lampley’s false tax-return scheme over the full period of her criminal conduct exceeded $2.1 million. The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division investigated this case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan A. Kirkpatrick prosecuted.


title: Leader of the Trinitarios in Massachusetts Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A state leader of Trinitarios pleaded guilty yesterday to racketeering charges, including his participation in two murders and two other attempted murders. Ery Jordani Rosario, a/k/a “Racacha,” 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Dec. 10, 2026. Rosario was charged in February 2025 . The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Trinitarios adhere to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to coordinate and execute violence, and undertake extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members. In Massachusetts, the Trinitarios are alleged to have a state leadership, and multiple local Chapters in the cities of Lynn, Lawrence, Haverhill and Boston. Rosario was one of the leaders who convened a gang meeting on Dec. 1, 2024. During the recorded meeting, Rosario and other chapter leaders of the Trinitarios discussed the reorganization and restructuring of the Trinitarios chapters, including the need for members to pay dues and contribute to the gang’s operations. The leaders discussed the need to have money on hand to help members who commit shootings and to fund a war against rival gang members. They also discussed the potential violence that will be visited upon members who betrayed the gang. Rosario also admitted to his participation in an August 2021 shooting outside of a department store in Salem, Mass. During this incident, Luis Jeffrey Santana and other Trinitarios members confronted two victims they believed to be rival gang members and engaged in a verbal altercation with them in the store. The Trinitarios and victims separated, exited the store and proceeded in different directions. The Trinitarios members, however, called for reinforcements who arrived shortly thereafter. The victims proceeded to their vehicle and as they turned out of the parking lot, a black sedan driven by Ery Jordani Rosario containing multiple Trinitarios pulled up and a shooter began firing multiple rounds at the victims. At the same time, a second vehicle pulled out and blocked traffic while the shooting took place. During today’s court proceedings, Rosario admitted to his membership and leadership in the gang. Photographs and videos recovered in the investigation showed Rosario wearing Trinitarios beaded necklaces, making Trinitarios gang signs with his hands and associating with other members and leaders. In February 2025 , federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. The charges were the result of a multijurisdictional investigation, which began in the aftermath of four murders as well as a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members. On June 9, 2026 , additional federal racketeering and drug charges were unsealed charging 26 additional leaders, members and associates of the Lawrence, Haverhill and Boston Chapters of the gang. According to court documents, members of the Trinitarios have allegedly participated in at least fifteen murders in Essex County since 2017. Since 2025, a total of 56 leaders, members and associates have been charged in federal court. The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, a controlled substance (also known as drug conspiracy) provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million dollars. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester, N.H. Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. 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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # FIRST NAME LAST NAME DOCKET NO. CASE STATUS 1 Ricardo Bratini-Perez 24-CR-10310 Pleaded Guilty, Sentenced to 120 Months 2 Rosnel Polanco 24-CR-10263 Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing 3 Eric Rosario 24-CR-10263 Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing 4 Robert Santana 24-CR-10263 Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing 5 Yeferson Vallecillo Cambar 24-CR-10335 Pending 6 Elvis Trujillo 24-CR-10336 Pending 7 Abel Severino-Reyes 24-CR-10373 Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing 8 Warly Ruiz 24-CR-10380 Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing 9 David Garcia 25-CR-10006 Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing 10 Tomy Sanchez 25-CR-10007 Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing 11 Carlos Ramirez 25-CR-10008 Pleaded Guilty 12 Justin Alba 25-CR-10058 Pending 13 Darwin Batista 25-CR-10058 Pending 14 Janoy Batista 25-CR-10058 Pending 15 Aaron Diaz Liranzo 25-CR-10058 Pleaded Guilty, Sentenced to 168 Months 16 Israel Garcia-Vasquez 25-CR-10058 Pleaded Guilty , Awaiting Sentencing 17 James Jimenez 25-CR-10058 Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing 18 Ery Jordani Rosario 25-CR-10058 Pending 19 Westyn Lantigua 25-CR-10058 Pleaded Guilty , Awaiting Sentencing 20 Kelvin Liranzo Roman 25-CR-10058 Pleaded Guilty , Awaiting Sentencing 21 Michael Miliano 25-CR-10058 Pleaded Guilty , Awaiting Sentencing 22 Enmanuel Paula-Cabral 25-CR-10058 Pending 23 Luis Jeffrey Santana 25-CR-10058 Pleaded Guilty, Sentenced to 120 Months 24 Luis Enrique Santana 25-CR-10058 Pleaded Guilty, Sentenced to 136 Months 25 Angel Santos 25-CR-10058 Pending 26 Wilving Lopez 25-CR-10062 Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing 27 Leonardo Espinoza 25-CR-10236 Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing 28 Isiah Medina 25-CR-10302 Pending 29 Rodderrith Peralta 25-CR-10302 Pending 30 Derek Mercado 25-CR-10411 Pleaded Guilty, Sentenced to 37 Months 31 Yordali Yorro 25-CR-10058 Pending 32 James Cabrera 25-CR-10058 Pending 33 Luis Crispin 25-CR-10058 Pending 34 Angel Castillo-Garcia 25-CR-10058 Fugitive 35 Osviallis Serrano 25-CR-10058 Fugitive 36 Jervis Almanzar 25-CR-10058 Pending 37 Enrique Duran 25-CR-10058 Pending 38 Abigail Arias 25-CR-10058 Pending 39 Justane Garcia 25-CR-10058 Pending 40 Riky Montilla 25-CR-10058 Pending 41 Jeremy Felix 25-CR-10058 Pending 42 Jose Martinez 25-CR-10058 Pending 43 Jayden Muniz 25-CR-10058 Pending 44 Geovane Fernandes 25-CR-10058 Pending 45 Jahir Davila 25-CR-10058 Pending 46 Yanuel Mejia 25-CR-10058 Pending 47 Luis Fernandez Lopez 25-CR-10058 Pending 48 Victor Diaz 25-CR-10058 Pending 49 Xavier Puello 25-CR-10058 Pending 50 Joelfry Cabrera 25-CR-10058 Pending 51 Richard Pena 25-CR-10058 Pending 52 Hector Mota 25-CR-10058 Pending 53 Jean Delgado 25-CR-10058 Pending 54 Luis Cabral 25-CR-10058 Pending 55 Yoldari Tejeda Coronado 25-CR-10058 Pending 56 Martin Taveras 25-CR-10058 Pending


title: Eye Practice and Physician Owner Agree to Pay $350,000 to Resolve Allegations of False Claims to Medicare

body_text: BOSTON – St. Michael’s Eye & Laser Institute, a Florida ophthalmology practice, and Dr. John Michaelos, an ophthalmologist and owner of St. Michael’s Eye & Laser Institute, have agreed to pay $350,000 to resolve allegations that they caused the submission of false claims to Medicare in violation of the False Claims Act. The United States alleges that from September 2015 through December 2020, St. Michael’s Eye & Laser Institute (St. Michael’s) and Dr. Michaelos caused the submission of false claims for transcranial doppler (TCD) tests to Medicare and the Veterans Health Administration. A TCD test is a non-invasive diagnostic test that can be used to estimate the blood flow through certain blood vessels in the brain by bouncing high-frequency sound waves off blood cells. As part of the settlement agreement, St. Michael’s and Dr. Michaelos admitted to and accepted responsibility for facts underlying the settlement agreement. St. Michael’s had contractual agreements with an independent medical diagnostics company, Eyecuity, PLLC (Eyecuity). During the relevant time, Eyecuity paid St. Michael’s for referrals that St. Michael’s made for TCD tests, even though the parties’ contracts called for payment based on the cost of office space, staff, and utilities, and not per-patient or per-test that St. Michael’s referred to Eyecuity. When documenting the purported medical necessity of these tests, Eyecuity submitted claims to Medicare that indicated that patients had Vertebro-Basilar Syndrome or Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency (VBI), a very rare condition. But St. Michael’s physicians did not have reason to believe that patients had a diagnosis of VBI. The United States contends that the claims for the TCD tests that St. Michael’s and Dr. Michaelos caused Eyecuity to submit to Medicare for payment were false because St. Michael’s received payments from Eyecuity that violated the Anti-Kickback Statute. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles B. Weinograd of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the case. michaelos_fca_settlement_agreement.pdf


title: Dominican National Sentenced to Over Three Years for Child Pornography Offense

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Jorge Junior Alvarez Rodriguez, 23, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 41 months in prison. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In April 2026 , Alvarez pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. Alvarez was charged in May 2025 . On May 3, 2025, upon arrival at Boston’s Logan Airport from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Alvarez was flagged for secondary screening. During a review of Alvarez’s cell phone, files depicting CSAM were found. Multiple files depicting children as young as four to seven years old were discovered. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection, Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and Julissa Walsh of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Alleged Trinitarios Gang Member Charged with Drug Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – An alleged member of the Lawrence Chapter of the Trinitarios has been arrested and charged in connection with a years-long conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Jhesy Rodriguez, a/k/a “J Sav,” 31, of Lawrence, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The defendant was arrested today and will appear in federal court in Boston later today. According to charging documents, Rodriguez was encountered during the execution of a search warrant in Lawrence, Mass., in September 2025. That search resulted in the seizure of three firearms, approximately 10 grams of counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl and multiple cellular phones. The search of cellular phones revealed that Rodriguez had allegedly been distributing drugs for multiple years, all while subject to pretrial release conditions and a GPS bracelet ordered by the state court in a pending firearm case. Text messages recovered from Rodriguez’s phone allegedly revealed that he arranged for drug transactions to take place at his child’s birthday party that was being held at a Chuck E. Cheese, and after a drug test. The charging documents also describe multiple cooperating witnesses in the Trinitarios investigation who identified Rodriguez’s alleged participation in two Trinitarios shootings, one in Lynn and one in Lawrence, as part of the Trinitarios. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, a controlled substance, provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lawrence Police Chief Maurice Aguiler made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by US Marshal Service for the District of Massachusetts, Lowell Police and Middlesex Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. 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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Kansas man wearing ankle monitor caught with methamphetamine

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 168 months in prison after law enforcement officers found him with a distribution amount of methamphetamine. According to court documents, Dakota Dale McDaniel, 38, of Haysville pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In September 2025, as part of an investigation, the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) attempted to stop McDaniel with lights and sirens. He refused to yield and kept driving. Before losing sight of him, a trooper observed that McDaniel was wearing a black backpack. When law enforcement located McDaniel a short time later, the motorcycle and the backpack were on the ground. A trooper searched the backpack and found a bag of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and a firearm among other items. McDaniel was wearing a Kansas Department of Corrections ankle monitor, and the charger for it was also in the backpack. Laboratory tests determined that the bag contained 240.23 grams of 98.2 percent pure methamphetamine. “Dakota McDaniel can now add another prison sentence to his long resume as a career criminal,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “We’re grateful for the exceptional teamwork among our law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to keep methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs off our streets.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), Kansas Highway Patrol, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, and Butler County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kari Burks prosecuted the case. ###


title: Five Defendants Indicted for Attempted Enticement of Minors  Following a Homeland Security Task Force Investigation

component: USAO - Guam & Northern Mariana Islands

body_text: Hagåtña, Guam – United States Attorney Shawn N. Anderson, serving the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announces the results of Operation Protektot Y Famagu’on (Defender of Children). This law enforcement initiative was led by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Guam, with support from HSI Saipan, HSI Honolulu, HSI Atlanta Special Agents, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and HSI Task Force Officers from the Guam Police Department, Guam Customs & Quarantine Agency, and Guam Airport Police. The operation, conducted from August 22 through August 27, involved a coordinated online undercover effort within the District of Guam aimed at identifying individuals attempting to engage in unlawful sexual conduct with minors. This initiative reflects the continued commitment of federal law enforcement agencies nationwide to protect children, hold offenders accountable, and prevent internet facilitated offenses. As a result of Operation Protektot Y Famagu’on, five individuals were arrested for Attempted Enticement of a Minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2422(b) and 2: Mike Ybanez Balbuena , 44-year-old, a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines Eli Valentine , 21-year-old, an active-duty U.S. Navy service member Keola Joaquin H. Flores , 30-year-old, a United States citizen Peter John San Nicolas , 36-year-old, a United States citizen Augusto Bagat Anselmo , 44-year-old, a Lawful Permanent Resident of the U.S. and citizen of the Republic of the Philippines If convicted, the defendants each face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. There is no parole in the federal system. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Guam comprises agents and officers from HSI, FBI, ATF, CBP, CGIS, DCIS, DEA, IRS-CI, NCIS, USMS, USSS, USPIS, USCIS and local law enforcement with prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: AARON FARINACCI FEDERALLY INDICTED FOR ARSON

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on that on September 9, 2026, Aaron Farinacci was indicted by a federal grand jury for starting the Old Trails fire on August 1, 2026. A team of federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have been working alongside our state partners to identify applicable federal offenses. The investigation is active and ongoing as to additional potential federal charges. Farinacci is currently in state custody pending related state charges. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Eastern District of Virginia hosts 9/11 observance on 25th anniversary of attacks

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia observed the 25 th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center with a reflective presentation hosted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos. The observation featured remembrances from former U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Spencer. Three months after the attacks, Al Qaida terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui was indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia. Moussaoui was convicted at trial of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, conspiracy to commit aircraft piracy, conspiracy to destroy aircraft, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to murder employees of the United States, and conspiracy to destroy property. U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema sentenced Moussaoui to life in prison. Moussaoui remains the only individual to date to have ever been convicted in a U.S. court in connection with the September 11 attacks. “It is impossible to adequately describe either the responsibility of bringing a measure of justice for those lost on September 11, 2001, or the honor of having been entrusted with that responsibility,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Stamos. “Dedicated EDVA employees passed the Pentagon on their daily commute to this office where they tirelessly worked on the prosecution of Zacarias Moussaoui. Among the best ways we can honor those who were lost that day are vigilance against those who seek to harm America and its people and the unyielding pursuit of justice each day.”


title: New Jersey Woman Who Defrauded Pandemic Relief Program of More Than Half a Million Dollars Sentenced to a Year and a Day in Prison

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Treva Harris, 50, of Medford, New Jersey, was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $7,500 fine, a $100 special assessment, and $535,000 in restitution by United States District Judge John F. Murphy for fraudulently obtaining a loan award of approximately $535,000 from the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), established by the federal government to provide emergency financial assistance to small businesses and their workers suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The defendant was charged by information in August of last year and pleaded guilty in October to one count of bank fraud, waiving prosecution by indictment. As detailed in court filings and statements, in 2020, Harris applied for and received multiple pandemic relief loans backed by the United States Small Business Administration (“SBA”), including two loans for a Philadelphia childcare business named Child Prodigy Education Center (“CPEC”). The first of the two loans was an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) that resulted in approximately $514,900 in disbursements to Harris. Harris’s EIDL loan application, originally submitted in April 2020, accurately represented that her childcare business had only three employees, gross income of $165,907 for the past 12 months, and $113,420 in “cost of goods sold” (i.e. payroll). However, just two months later, Harris submitted a separate PPP loan application for CPEC, including fabricated IRS documentation, in which she falsely claimed that CPEC actually had 27 employees and a monthly payroll of $214,000, or $2,568,000 annually. Based on that application, she received a loan of $535,000, much of which she promptly misspent on personal luxury retail purchases, large cash withdrawals, and checks written to her boyfriend’s business. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys S. Chandler Harris and Matthew T. Newcomer.


title: McCurtain County Resident Sentenced For Illegally Possessing Firearms And Ammunition

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that William Claborn Clark, a/k/a William Claborn Clark, Jr., a/k/a William Elaborn Clark, Jr., age 46, of Valliant, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office, and the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office. On November 10, 2025, Clark pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on May 10, 2025, law enforcement discovered Clark in possession of one .45ACP caliber semi-automatic pistol, one .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle, one break-open rifle, and 23 rounds of ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Clark will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Staubus represented the United States.


title: Illegal Alien Sentenced For Unlawful Reentry

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Juan Cervantes Rodriguez, a/k/a Arellano Antonio Gomez, a/k/a Juan Roberto Cervantes, a/k/a Juan Cervantes Rodriguez, a/k/a Juan Rober Cervantes, a/k/a Juan Robert Cervantes, a/k/a Juan Cervantes-Rodriguez, a/k/a Juan Rober Cervantes-Rodriguez, a/k/a Antonio Gomez Arellano, a/k/a Juan Robert Rodriguez, a/k/a Juan Rober Rodriguez-Cervantes, age 47, a Mexican national unlawfully present in McCurtain, Oklahoma, was sentenced to time served for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien. The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. On June 11, 2026, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on April 21, 2026, Rodriguez, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on May 3, 2010, August 29, 2011, and November 29, 2017. 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 Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chuck Sullivan and Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.


title: Illegal Alien Sentenced For Possession With Intent To Distribute Fentanyl And Unlawful Reentry

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Adrian Alcantar-Sanchez, a/k/a Pedro Ruiz-Betancur, age 46, a Mexican national unlawfully present in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and 78 months imprisonment for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently. The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division. On November 14, 2025, Alcantar-Sanchez pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, on March 29, 2025, a trooper conducting a routine traffic stop on I-40 in Sequoyah County discovered Alcantar-Sanchez in possession of 878.7 grams of pure fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. At the time he was apprehended, Alcantar-Sanchez had been previously removed from the United States on June 19, 2009, and April 6, 2012, and was in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission. 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 John F. Heil, III, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Alcantar-Sanchez will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edith Singer represented the United States.


title: Adair County Resident Sentenced For Illegally Possessing Firearms And Ammunition

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Levi Grant Loyd, a/k/a Levi Grant Lloyd, age 37, of Westville, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service. On November 6, 2025, Loyd pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on June 4, 2025, law enforcement serving an outstanding felony arrest warrant discovered Loyd in knowing possession of one 12 gauge, semi-automatic shotgun, one 20 gauge pump paction shotgun, one .22 caliber, bolt action rifle, one .22 caliber, semi-automatic rifle, 8 rounds of 12 gauge ammunition, and 18 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Loyd will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edith Singer represented the United States.


title: Former Postal Worker Convicted of Stealing Nearly $1 Million in Tax-Free Federal Disability Benefits

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, a federal jury in Central Islip convicted Luann Middleton, a former United States Postal Service (USPS) employee, of wire fraud in connection with her repeated submission of false workers compensation forms to the United States Department of Labor (DOL), in which she claimed total disability, and thereby received approximately $40,000 per year in federal workers’ compensation benefits for nearly 25 years. The verdict followed a four-day trial before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown. When sentenced, Middleton faces up to 20 years in prison, as well as financial penalties. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Matthew M. Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office (USPS-OIG), announced the verdict. “For more than 20 years and until her lies caught up to her, the defendant refused to come to work and instead collected tax-free disability benefits for a highly-exaggerated injury,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office and the Administration has made it a priority to hold accountable those who exploit government benefits programs for personal gain and steal funds that are designated for workers who truly need them.” Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the USPS-OIG and the United States Department of Labor (DOL) for their assistance with the case. “This verdict sends a clear message that workers’ compensation fraud will not be tolerated," stated USPS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Modafferi. "These benefits are intended to support U.S. Postal Service employees who are truly injured, not those who misrepresent their condition for personal gain. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General remains committed to protecting the Postal Service, its employees, and federal benefit programs from fraud and abuse. We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General for their partnership in this case.” As proven at trial, in August 1997, Middleton, who was in her mid-forties, claimed that she had sustained an injury to her lower back while performing her duties as a postal clerk. Middleton submitted a claim for compensation to the DOL and began receiving workers’ compensation benefits approximately three months later. Middleton briefly returned to work in a limited duty capacity in February 1999, after a medical doctor found that she was in fact capable of working; but then claimed she had a recurrence of her back injury, which rendered her totally and permanently disabled. She again began receiving workers’ compensation benefits – roughly two-thirds of her annual salary, tax-free – from the DOL. Between November 1997 and September 2022, Middleton regularly submitted medical evaluations and records to the USPS and the DOL claiming that she was incapable of returning to work, and that she was totally disabled. The evaluations claimed, for example, that Middleton could sit, stand, walk, bend, lift and reach above her shoulders for zero hours and could not participate in any physical activities because of her excruciating back pain. However, the investigation revealed that between October 2015 and March 2022, Middleton engaged in numerous physical activities, including cleaning out a garage, sitting through a movie for more than two hours, standing for more than one hour at a cookie decorating class, climbing stairs and retail shopping. Middleton was observed, and captured on video footage, carrying groceries and laundry bags, lifting and reaching for objects at heights she claimed she could not reach, bending to the floor to retrieve items, and hoisting a bag of potting soil from the bottom of her shopping cart into her vehicle. Records from USPS and DOL indicate that Middleton received more than $900,000 in fraudulent workers’ compensation benefits as the result of her claimed physical limitations. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Charles P. Kelly and Ashlyn Miranda are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samantha Schroder, Legal Assistant Danielle Rompel, and Automated Litigation Specialist Michael Compitello. The Defendant : LUANN MIDDLETON Age: 72 Glen Cove, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-339 (GRB)


title: Registered Sex Offender Sentenced for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Louisville, Ky., man, Timothy Acker, 57, was sentenced on Thursday to 120 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell for possession of child pornography. Acker was previously convicted in 2018 for distributing illegal material involving minors and was a registered sex offender. In 2024, law enforcement investigated and identified Acker as an online user operating multiple illicit content‑sharing groups on encrypted messaging platforms. In early 2025, a separate investigation by law enforcement led to the discovery of thousands of illicit images across multiple electronic devices in Acker’s possession. Some of these files corresponded to content distributed online through the earlier investigation. Acker admitted to knowingly possessing the child sexual abuse material that he obtained via the internet. Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General; and Chief Clint Aldridge, Owenton Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, Owenton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. Collaboration from Leigh Ann Roberts, Commonwealth Attorney for Kentucky’s Fifteenth Judicial District, facilitated the federal adoption of the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the 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: Lexington Man Sentenced in Fentanyl Distribution leading to Overdose Death

body_text: FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington, Ky., man, Darryl Anderson, Jr., 27, was sentenced to 245 months in prison on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Chad Meredith for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. On January 7, 2023, Lexington Police Department officers responded to a fatal overdose in Lexington. At the scene, investigators recovered the victim’s cellphone and, using a passcode provided by a friend, found recent messages showing that the victim had arranged to purchase marijuana and three “30” pills from a contact saved as “DJ,” whom police identified as Anderson. Law enforcement also discovered drug evidence, including fentanyl residue on a bathroom sink, a cut straw, and a counterfeit blue “M 30” pill; laboratory testing confirmed both items contained fentanyl. Anderson admitted selling pills to the victim on multiple occasions, including the night before his death, and noted that he purchased the pills for $10 each and sold them for $20. A search warrant executed at Anderson’s apartment led to the seizure of approximately eight pounds of marijuana, a digital scale, and $2,340 in suspected drug proceeds. Anderson acknowledged distributing fentanyl to the victim and that the victim’s use of that fentanyl resulted in his death. “Fentanyl is a deadly poison, and those who knowingly distribute it must understand that their actions have consequences—especially when those actions result in the loss of a human life,” said Jason Parman, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “You don’t know what you’re getting on the street—counterfeit pills can contain deadly doses of fentanyl, as this case tragically demonstrates. This sentence holds Darryl Anderson accountable for selling fentanyl to a victim who ultimately paid the highest possible price. Our office, working alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue those who profit from this poison and hold them responsible for the devastation their drugs cause in our communities.” Jason Parman, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Bradbury prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. – END –


title: Cincinnati Man Sentenced in Fentanyl Distribution leading to Overdose Death

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – A Cincinnati man, Juan Wesley McKenzie, Jr., 25, was sentenced to 300 months in prison on Friday by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. According to court documents, McKenzie supplied fentanyl pills to Andrew Rossi, who then distributed portions of those pills to Steffany Keene. Keene subsequently sold several pills to a victim, who consumed them and died from fentanyl toxicity. Following the death, investigators used the victim’s cellphone to arrange controlled purchases that led to the arrests of Keene and Rossi on February 13, 2024. Both individuals admitted their roles in the distribution chain and confirmed the defendant as their supplier. Laboratory analysis verified that the seized pills contained fentanyl, and an autopsy confirmed fentanyl toxicity as the cause of death. McKenzie also has a prior conviction for trafficking a fentanyl‑related compound. In 2025, while jailed, the defendant directed an associate to alter or destroy seized cellphones to impede the ongoing federal investigation. After previously pleading guilty to distribution and possession of a fentanyl resulting in death, Rossi received 150 months in prison in July 2026, and Keene received 144 months in prison in June 2026. Jason Parman, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and; Scott Hardcorn, Director of the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Spievack prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. – END –


title: Delaware Army Reservist Arrested for Production of Child Pornography and Traveling for Sex with a 9-Year-Old

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. – A Delaware Army Reservist was arrested and made his initial appearance in federal court on September 9, 2026, on charges of production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and travel with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. According to court documents, Leobardo Carrasco, 39, of Wilmington, communicated with multiple minors on Snapchat, where he engaged in sexually explicit conversations, sent them nude photos of himself, and asked the minors to send nude photographs and videos to him. For example, Carrasco convinced a 9-year-old girl to send him sexually explicit photographs and videos and to also share her location with him over Snapchat. After receiving her location, Carrasco traveled from Delaware to the girl’s Maryland residence in the middle of the night and tried to convince her to come with him. The girl did not get in his vehicle and Carrasco left. Carrasco is charged in a criminal complaint with travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(b); production of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a); receipt of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2); and possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B). If convicted, Carrasco faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace made the announcement. The FBI Baltimore’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case with assistance from Anne Arundel County Police Department and Army Criminal Investigation (CID) Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Claudia L. Pare is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 26-mj-466. The charges contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Escaping from Bloomfield Halfway House

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ERIC STAGGERS, 43, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to escape from custody. According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2015, Staggers was sentenced in the Southern District of Alabama to 37 months of imprisonment and 25 years of supervised release for failing to register as a sex offender. Following his release from prison, Staggers moved to Connecticut and his supervision was transferred to the District of Connecticut. In September 2024, Staggers was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 21 months of imprisonment for violating several conditions of his supervised release. On August 13, 2025, while Staggers was completing his sentence at the Drapelick Center, a Residential Reentry Center (halfway house) in Bloomfield, Staggers left the facility and claimed that he was headed to his place of employment. Later that morning, Drapelick Center staff learned that Staggers was not scheduled to work that day, contacted him, and directed him to return to the halfway house. Staggers failed to return. Staggers was located and arrested in New Haven on November 30, 2025. He has been detained since his arrest. Judge Bolden scheduled sentencing for December 21, at which time Staggers faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. This matter has been investigated by U.S. Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King.


title: Glendale Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Steal U.S. Postal Service Vehicles and Mail Belonging to More Than 200 Victims

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Glendale man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to steal approximately 30 United States Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier vehicles as well as the mail inside them, including 100 credit and debit cards belonging to other people, some of which he then illegally used. Vegen Hartoonian, 46, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft of government property and one count of aggravated identity theft. Hartoonian, the lead defendant in this case, has been in federal custody since October 2025. According to his plea agreement, from September 2023 to November 2024, Hartoonian and his co-conspirators followed postal vehicles using rented vehicles such as a Dodge Caravan, BMW and GMC SUVs, and a Mitsubishi Outlander. The car rental used to follow a USPS vehicle during a September 2023 incident was paid for with stolen credit card information. Once the mail carrier got out of the USPS vehicle to deliver mail, Hartoonian and his co-conspirators stole the postal vehicle, drove it to another location, and then stole the mail inside the vehicle. In total, Hartoonian and his co-conspirators stole approximately 30 USPS postal vehicles – each vehicle valued at $11,651 – and the mail of approximately 232 victims and illegally possessed 100 credit and debit cards belonging to other people. Hartoonian further admitted to unlawfully possessing a victim’s credit card number in connection with a scheme to steal USPS vehicles and the mail inside them during a January 2024 incident. United States District Judge Christina A. Snyder scheduled a December 7 sentencing hearing, at which time Hartoonian will face a statutory maximum sentence of seven years in federal prison. Three other defendants have already pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges in this case and remain in federal custody: Jose Arviso, 50, of San Bernardino; Sanjay Varma, 44, of Pasadena; and Juan Nuñez, 25, of Highland Park. One other defendant – Mark Anthony Quitugua, 43, of Lincoln Heights – has pleaded not guilty to federal criminal charges and is scheduled to go to trial in January 2027. He is free on $10,000 bond. The United States Postal Inspection Service is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Neil P. Thakor of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Four-Times Deported Illegal Immigrant from Mexico Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A four-times deported illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced today to 135 months in prison for knowingly selling more than pound quantities of fentanyl pills to a buyer to whom he also sold firearms and ammunition. Antonio Espinoza Zarate, 56, a.k.a. “El Gato,” of the Mar Vista area of Los Angeles, was sentenced by United States District Judge Wesley L. Hsu. Espinoza pleaded guilty on May 7 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. He has been in federal custody since March 2025. According to his plea agreement, from July 2023 to March 2025, Espinoza conspired with others to knowingly distribute fentanyl by obtaining distribution-level quantities of the powerful synthetic opioid to sell to potential drug customers. Specifically, in July 2023, Espinoza obtained 4,592 pills (527 grams) of fentanyl, which he sold to a buyer in Los Angeles for $4,500. Espinoza also sold the buyer $1,700 in firearms and ammunition, including a Glock pistol and 131 rounds of ammunition. In August 2023, Espinoza met with another buyer in Los Angeles and, for $8,000, sold the buyer 9,826 pills containing slightly more than 1 kilogram of fentanyl. Espinoza also sold the buyer a rifle for $2,000. Espinoza, a Mexican national, was removed from the United States in 2010, 2013, 2014, and 2017, according to court documents. The investigation was conducted by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-led El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force that includes federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California, with support from special agents with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California – Criminal Investigative Division; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department regarding dangers to the community from the sales of narcotics and firearms. Assistant United States Attorney Neil P. Thakor of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section prosecuted this case.


title: Compton Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Injuring Federal Officer During Anti-Immigration Enforcement Riot Last Year

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Compton man was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison for assaulting and injuring a federal officer by throwing large rocks at passing government vehicles during an anti-immigration law enforcement riot last year in Paramount. Elpidio Reyna, 42, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha. Reyna pleaded guilty on February 17 to one felony count of assault on a federal officer by deadly or dangerous weapon resulting in bodily injury. He has been in federal custody since July 2025. “Disagreeing with laws passed by Congress does not give you a right to assault federal officers,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “This defendant thought he would go unpunished for throwing large rocks at law enforcement. Instead, he’ll be serving time in federal prison, where he can reflect on his poor decision.” According to his plea agreement, on June 7, 2025, Reyna forcibly and intentionally assaulted with a deadly and dangerous weapon a federal law enforcement officer engaged in his official duties, resulting in the infliction of bodily injury to the officer. On that day, federal law enforcement officers were staging a joint enforcement operation in Paramount in the vicinity of a Home Depot. Protestors, including Reyna, began to throw rocks at the officers’ official vehicles, lit objects on fire, and impeded law enforcement activity. During this time, Reyna knowingly and intentionally lit objects on fire in the middle of the street and threw rocks at a convoy of law enforcement vehicles occupied by United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, including the victim – identified in court documents as “R.T.” – all of whom were engaged in their official duties as federal officers. Reyna threw a rock at R.T.’s government vehicle, which caused glass to shatter and injure R.T. by cutting his forehead. “[Reyna’s] reflection on the circumstances surrounding his conduct, that his actions were ‘sudden and emotional and fueled by alcohol,’ because of his anger regarding immigration policy in the United States, is simply not an adequate excuse for his violence,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Border Patrol investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Brenda N. Galván of the Transnational Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.


title: District of Arizona Charges 306 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Sep. 5 through Sep. 11, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 306 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 145 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 137 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 20 cases against 24 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE- Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Recent matters of interest include: United States v. Luis Carlos Leyva-Clark. On Sep. 10, 2026, Luis Carlos Leyva-Clark was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. On Sep. 9, 2026, a Department of Public Safety Trooper stopped a Nissan Altima on I-10 for displaying suspended plates. As he approached the vehicle, the trooper saw that the front seat passenger and the three backseat passengers were wearing camouflage clothing. Border Patrol Agents (BPAs) were called to the scene and confirmed that the four passengers were aliens, all unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-5444] United States v. Frank Bubbico. Frank Bubbico was charged by criminal complaint on Sep. 8, 2026, with one count of Transportation of an Illegal Alien for Profit. On Sep. 4, 2026, BPAs observed a Honda Civic traveling at a high rate of speed on State Route 82. Records checks revealed that the Honda Civic’s license plate belonged to a different vehicle, so BPAs attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver, Bubbico, initially activated his hazard lights and appeared to be looking for a spot to pull over. However, Bubbico failed to yield and instead accelerated, reaching speeds of approximately 70 miles per hour. Other BPAs in the area deployed a vehicle immobilization device and successfully spiked the Honda Civic, but Bubbico still did not slow down. Bubbico’s vehicle lost both front tires as it was approaching the town of Sonoita and he was finally pulled over by a Department of Public Safety trooper. BPAs joined the trooper and found a Mexican citizen hiding in the vehicle who was unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-03864] A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-156_September 11, 2026 Immigration Enforcement # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Texas Man Sentenced to Prison for Promoting Abusive Tax Shelter

component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: A Texas man was sentenced this week to 60 months in prison for promoting an abusive tax shelter to business owners around the country. According to court documents, Aanand Shukla, of Jonestown, Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States related to his efforts to promote a fraudulent tax shelter to business owners across the country. According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2017 to 2025, Shukla and his co-conspirators promoted, sold and personally used an abusive trust tax shelter that promised clients — for quoted fees as high as $225,000 — that they could “own nothing, control everything” and eliminate taxes on nearly all of their business income while maintaining full control over their money. Shukla marketed the scheme nationwide through seminars, webinars, podcasts and direct sales pitches. He instructed clients to restructure their companies so that approximately 98% of their business income flowed through layered trusts and a private family foundation. He told clients to run personal expenses — such as vehicles, entertainment and mortgage payments — through trust accounts and claim those expenses as deductions. Shukla typically sold these trust packages to clients for $25,000 to $55,000, created trust documents, trained other promoters and referred clients to tax preparers he had personally selected and knew would participate in the scheme. Shukla facilitated the concealment of more than $27 million in income from the IRS. On March 10, Shukla pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s Nation Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this case. Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Boris Bourget, Trial Attorney Michael L. Jones and former Trial Attorney Lauren K. Pope of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section prosecuted the case. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.