Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
In 2022 the ACT Government announced a significant increase in road maintenance of $153 million over four years to repair and preserve Canberra’s roads.
The ACT Government’s annual road resurfacing program has returned to ensure major arterial roads and suburban streets remain safe.
In 2022 the ACT Government announced a significant increase in road maintenance of $153 million over four years to repair and preserve Canberra’s roads.
This is a 52 per cent increase in expenditure for road maintenance and a 150 per cent increase for asphalting.
The program follows research by the Australian Road Research Board and focuses on road rehabilitation as well as preventative resealing.
In 2022-23, ACT road maintenance teams repaired more than 12,000 potholes across the territory.
Road rehabilitation projects will begin in coming months on David Walsh Avenue in Forde.
There is also design work underway for further works on sections of the Monaro Highway, Kings Highway and Sulwood Drive.
Road resurfacing works are generally undertaken each year during warmer weather conditions.
The service life of a highly trafficked road is over 10 years whilst residential streets often deliver 25 to 30 years of service.
Road resurfacing treatments include road resealing, asphalt resurfacing and microsurfacing which helps to waterproof the road, improve skid resistance and fill cracks in the pavement.
Overnight asphalt resurfacing work was completed this week on sections of the Tuggeranong Parkway at Weston Creek over the Molonglo River.
This follows asphalt patching work that was undertaken in the area earlier in 2023 after Fix My Street requests were received from the community.
Major roads to receive road resurfacing treatment over coming months will include:
Deakin – Adelaide Avenue, between State Circle and Kent Street
Molonglo Valley – Tuggeranong Parkway, southbound between Lady Denman Drive and Cotter Road
Belconnen – Gungahlin Drive, several sections in both directions between the Barton Highway and Glenloch Interchange
Hall – Barton Highway, from Kuringa Drive towards the ACT/NSW border
Watson – Federal Highway, from Antill Street towards the ACT/NSW border
Belconnen – William Hovell Drive, both directions between Bindubi Street and Coulter Drive
City – Akuna Street
Tuggeranong – Anketell Street, several sections
Woden Valley – Various intersections along Hindmarsh Drive.
For more information on road resurfacing, including a map of the full program and daily updates on roads receiving treatment, visit cityservices.act.gov.au
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Source: New South Wales Department of Education and Communities
The Northern Territory Police Force has charged a 26-year-old male in relation to a domestic violence incident in Alice Springs yesterday.
Around 4:40pm, police received reports that a 24-year-old female had been strangled and punched multiple times to the face in a vehicle at a set of traffic lights on the corner of Stott Terrace and the Stuart Highway by a male known to the victim.
It is alleged that the incident occurred around 8am and afterwards, the male took her to his residence where he stole the female’s phone so that she could not seek assistance. Hours later, she located her phone and reported the incident to police.
General duties members attended and witnessed the man fleeing from the residence. A cordon was set up and he was arrested after a short foot pursuit. The female was transported to Alice Springs Hospital in a stable condition to be treated for facial injuries.
The male has since been charged with:
Unlawfully Cause Serious Harm
Choking, Strangling or Suffocating
Theft
Breach Bail
He is remanded to appear in Alice Springs Local Court on Monday.
If you or someone you know are experiencing difficulties due to domestic violence, support services are available, including, but not limited to, 1800RESPECT (1800737732) or Lifeline 131 114.
Source: New South Wales Department of Education and Communities
The Northern Territory Police Force is calling for information in relation to an alleged sexual assault that took place at a fast-food restaurant this morning.
About 6:30am, police received reports of a sexual assault on a 19-year-old female in the bathroom of a fast-food restaurant on the corner of Parsons Street and Railway Terrace. The female alerted staff who then called police.
Investigations are ongoing to locate the alleged offender and determine the circumstances of the incident.
Police are calling for any witnesses within the area at the time who may have information that can assist police in their enquiries to make contact on 131 444.
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA – As Sunshine Week draws to a close, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) wrote Attorney General Pam Bondi and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel requesting the Department of Justice and FBI take corrective action to restore the security clearances of DOJ and FBI whistleblowers who’ve suffered retaliation.
“My office has been told that, in many of these cases, the suspension of their security clearances resulted in immediate, indefinite suspensions without pay while the FBI improperly and intentionally delayed the process for these individuals to contest the adverse action,” Grassley wrote. “This tyrannical government conduct caused significant financial hardship. The retaliatory government action also placed them in the impossible situation to either resign their position without completing their legal challenge or continue challenging the suspension or revocation of their clearance while suspended without pay with no prospect of obtaining new employment.”
“The Biden administration’s political weaponization of the Justice Department and FBI has caused significant damage to these institutions and its employees, but you’re in the position to right the ship,” Grassley continued. “Accordingly, I request that you personally review the adverse personnel matters for these individuals, which I will send under separate cover, and take all appropriate corrective actions, including restoring their security clearances and employment and firing or otherwise disciplining those who retaliated against them, if warranted.”
Grassley last year called on the DOJ to reform its security clearance review process, after receiving initial reports the agency had unlawfully used it to retaliate against whistleblowers. Ahead of the Judiciary Committee’s vote to advance Patel’s nomination as FBI Director, Grassley highlighted the cases of various FBI whistleblowers who have been retaliated against, including through the wrongful suspension or revocation of their security clearances.
Read Grassley’s full letter HERE.
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PORTLAND, Ore.—Two brothers from Sedona, Arizona, pleaded guilty for conspiring with one another and others to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) out of nearly $109 million in loans intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eric Karnezis, 43, pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiring to commit wire fraud. Today, in a separate but related case, Anthony Karnezis, 43, also pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud.
According to court documents, from January 2021 until at least March 2022, Eric Karnezis carried out a scheme whereby he conspired to gather false and fraudulent business information from customers and used the information to submit at least 350 fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications through Blueacorn, a lender service provider, to Capital Plus Financial, a lender participating in the PPP. To facilitate the scheme, Eric Karnezis and his co-conspirators created fictious documents to support the fraudulent loan applications, including false payroll information and tax documents.
In total, Eric Karnezis submitted or caused to be submitted at least 1,300 PPP applications, which together attempted to obtain at least $178 million from Capital Plus Financial, of which approximately $105 million in loans were funded in response to the fraudulent applications. Additionally, Eric Karnezis required applicants to pay a fee for his role in the conspiracy and he received approximately $3 million for submitting the fraudulent applications.
Anthony Karnezis carried out a related scheme through at least March 2022, whereby he conspired with his brother, among others, to gather fraudulent business information from customers and used the information to submit at least 140 fraudulent PPP loan applications, through Blueacorn, to Capital Plus Financial. Based on the false and misrepresented information, more than $3.9 million in loans were funded in response to these fraudulent applications. Anthony Karnezis also required applicants to pay a fee for his role in the conspiracy and he received more than $957,000 for submitting the fraudulent applications.
On August 21, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 23-count indictment charging Eric Karnezis and other defendants with conspiring to commit and committing wire fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering.
On February 19, 2025, Anthony Karnezis was charged by criminal information with conspiring to commit wire fraud.
Each faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years of supervised release and will both be sentenced on June 20, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut.
As part of their plea agreements, Eric Karnezis agreed to pay between $25 million and $65 million in restitution to their victims, and Anthony Karnezis agreed to pay between $3.5 million and $9.5 million in restitution to their victims. They have also agreed to forfeit any criminally-derived proceeds and property.
This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). It is being prosecuted by Meredith Bateman and Robert Trisotto, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon. Forfeiture proceedings are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Jarett, also of the District of Oregon.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Source: New South Wales Department of Education and Communities
The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested a 21-year-old female in relation to a stabbing incident in Katherine last night.
About 7:45pm, police received multiple reports that a 41-year-old male, who is known to the alleged offender, had multiple stab wounds to his shoulder.
The male was transported to Katherine Regional Hospital by St John Ambulance in a stable but serious condition. He was later transported to Royal Darwin Hospital for further treatment to his injuries.
Investigations are ongoing and the crime command have carriage.
If you or someone you know are experiencing difficulties due to domestic violence, support services are available, including, but not limited to, 1800RESPECT (1800737732) or Lifeline 131 114.
ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Stuart J. McHenry, 34, of Hornell, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with distribution and receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on July 5, 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from the instant messaging application Kik, which stated that Kik user “acman990,” uploaded approximately 24 files of suspected child pornography. A review of the files found that approximately 22 of the files constituted child pornography, which he sent to other users via private message. Subsequent investigation traced the account to the defendant.
During the course of the investigation, it was determined that McHenry works as a deputy for Steuben County Sheriff’s Office. On October 18, 2024, investigators seized two cellular telephones during the execution of a search warrant at McHenry’s Hornell residence. A forensic review of one of the phones determined that Kik was previously installed on the phone and located evidence of use of the Kik username acman990. A review of McHenry’s iCloud account recovered a number of sexually explicit conversations and child pornography on Kik, including the videos reported in the CyberTip as well as additional videos and images of child pornography.
McHenry made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and was held pending a detention hearing.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Jim Allard.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Cedric Sanders, 26, Janesville, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 7 ½ years in federal prison for possessing fentanyl intended for distribution and possessing firearms as a felon. Sanders pleaded guilty to these charges on December 5, 2024.
In November 2023, Sanders sold fentanyl to a confidential informant on two occasions and to an undercover officer on two occasions. In December 2023, officers searched three homes and two vehicles connected to Sanders. During those searches, officers found two firearms, firearm magazines, ammunition, a firearm suppressor, and a high-capacity firearm drum magazine. They also found $12,960 in cash and 4,545 pills (approximately 396 grams) of fentanyl. Sanders is prohibited from legally possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions.
At sentencing, Judge Conley found that the dangers of distributing fentanyl combined with Sanders’s illegal possession of two firearms warranted a significant prison sentence.
The charges against Sanders were the result of an investigation conducted by the Janesville Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Remington and William Levins prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is 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.
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that James Stevens, 42, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 7 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. Stevens pleaded guilty to this charge on December 11, 2024.
Agents with the Wisconsin Department of Justice used a confidential informant to purchase cocaine and heroin from Stevens. During the investigation, agents searched Stevens’s home and seized 224 grams of cocaine. Agents also found a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P .40 caliber handgun hidden in Stevens’s couch. Stevens is prohibited from legally possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction
In choosing a sentence, Judge Conley balanced Stevens’s stated desire to turn his life around with the danger he posed to the community.
The charge against Stevens was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and the Madison Police Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Glinzak prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is 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.
By Leah Lowonbu, Stefan Armbruster and Harlyne Joku of BenarNews
The Pacific’s peak diplomatic bodies have signalled they are ready to engage with Papua New Guinea’s Autonomous Government of Bougainville as mediation begins on the delayed ratification of its successful 2019 independence referendum.
PNG and Bougainville’s leaders met in the capital Port Moresby this week with a moderator to start negotiations on the implementation of the UN-supervised Bougainville Peace Agreement and referendum.
Ahead of the talks, ABG’s President Ishmael Toroama moved to sideline a key sticking point over PNG parliamentary ratification of the vote, with the announcement last week that Bougainville would unilaterally declare independence on September 1, 2027.
The region’s two leading intergovernmental organisations — Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) — have traditionally deferred to member state PNG on discussion of Bougainville independence as an internal matter.
But as a declaration of nationhood becomes increasingly likely and near, there has been a subtle shift.
“It’s their [PNG’s] prerogative but if this matter were raised formally, even by Bougainville themselves, we can start discussion on that,” PIF Secretary-General Baron Waqa told a press briefing at its headquarters in Fiji on Monday.
“Whatever happens, I think the issue would have to be decided by our leaders later this year,” he said of the annual PIF meeting to be held in Solomon Islands in September.
Marked peace deal The last time the Pacific’s leaders included discussion of Bougainville in their official communique was in 2004 to mark the disarmament of the island under the peace deal.
Waqa said Bougainville had made no formal approach to PIF — a grouping of 18 Pacific states and territories — but it was closely monitoring developments on what could eventually lead to the creation of a new member state.
PNG Prime Minister James Marape (second from left) and Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama (right) during mediation in the capital Port Moresby this week. Image: Autonomous Government of Bougainville/BenarNews
In 2024, Toroama told BenarNews he would be seeking observer status at the subregional MSG — grouping PNG, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia’s FLNKS — as Bougainville’s first diplomatic foray.
No application has been made yet but MSG acting Director-General Ilan Kiloe told BenarNews they were also keeping a close watch.
“Our rules and regulations require that we engage through PNG and we will take our cue from them,” Kiloe said, adding while the MSG respects the sovereignty of its members, “if requested, we will provide assistance” to Bougainville.
“The purpose and reason the MSG was established initially was to advance the collective interests of the Melanesian countries, in particular, to assist those yet to attain independence,” he said. “And to provide support towards their aim of becoming independent countries.”
Map showing Papua New Guinea, its neighboring countries and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. Map: BenarNews
The 2001 peace agreement ended more than a decade of bloody conflict known as the Bougainville crisis, that resulted in the deaths of up to 15,000 people, and laid out a roadmap for disarmament and the referendum in 2019.
‘We need support’ Under the agreement, PNG retains responsibility for foreign affairs but allows for the ABG to engage externally for trade and with “regional organisations.”
“We need countries to support us, we need to talk to those countries [ahead of independence],” Toroama told BenarNews last September.
The referendum on independence was supported by 97.7 percent of Bougainvillians and the outcome was due to be ratified by PNG’s Parliament in 2020, but was deferred because of the covid-19 pandemic.
Discussions by the two parties since on whether a simple or two-thirds majority vote by parliamentarians was required has further delayed the process.
Toroama stood firm on the issue of ratification on the first day of discussions moderated by New Zealand’s Sir Jerry Mataparae, saying his people voted for independence and the talks were to define the “new relationship” between two independent states.
Last week, the 15 members of the Bougainville Leaders Independence Consultation Forum issued a statement declaring PNG had no authority to veto the referendum result and recommended September 1, 2027 as the declaration date.
Bougainville Leaders Consultation Forum declaration setting September 1, 2027, as the date for their independence declaration. Image: AGB/BenarNews
“As far as I am concerned, the process of negotiating independence was concluded with the referendum,” Toroama said.
Implementation moderation “My understanding is that this moderation is about reaching agreement on implementing the referendum result of independence.”
He told Marape “to take ownership and endorse independence in this 11th Parliament.”
PNG’s prime minister responded by praising the 25 years of peace “without a single bullet fired” but warned Bougainville was not ready for independence.
“Economic independence must precede political independence,” Marape said. “The long-term sustainability of Bougainville must be factored into these discussions.”
“About 95 percent of Bougainville’s budget is currently reliant on external support, including funding from the PNG government and international donors.”
Front page of the Post-Courier newspaper after the first day of mediation on Bougainville’s independence this week. Image: Post-Courier/BenarNews
Marape also suggested people may be secretly harbouring weapons in breach of the peace agreement and called on the UN to clarify the outcome of the disarmament process it supervised.
“Headlines have come out that guns remain in Bougainville. United Nations, how come guns remain in Bougainville?” Marape asked on Monday.
“You need to tell me. This is something you know. I thought all guns were removed from Bougainville.”
PNG relies on aid By comparison, PNG has heavily relied on foreign financial assistance since independence, currently receiving at about US$320 million (1.3 billion kina) a year in budgetary support from Australia, and suffers regular tribal violence and massacres involving firearms including assault rifles.
Bougainville Vice-President Patrick Nisira rejected Marape’s concerns about weapons, the Post-Courier newspaper reported.
“The usage of those guns, there is no evidence of that and if you look at the data on Bougainville where [there are] incidents of guns, it is actually very low,” he said.
Further talks are planned and are due to produce a report for the national Parliament by mid-2025, ahead of elections in Bougainville and PNG’s 50th anniversary celebrations in September.
EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after a judge ruled that Red Rose Rescue, an anti-abortion group, repeatedly violated state and federal clinic access laws by invading reproductive health care clinics and interfering with access to care:
“This is a monumental victory for the rule of law, for reproductive freedom, and for every patient who has been harassed, intimidated, or blocked from accessing the health care they need.
“The court has affirmed that Red Rose Rescue and its members flagrantly violated the law by invading clinics, obstructing clinic entrances, and disrupting essential medical services. Their actions were not peaceful protest but unlawful obstruction, and today’s ruling makes it clear that such conduct will not be tolerated in New York.
“Abortion is health care, and every person has the right to make their own reproductive choices without fear or interference. My office will continue to do everything in our power to protect patients, clinics, and providers. New York remains a safe haven for reproductive care, and those who threaten New Yorkers’ most basic right to access health care will be met with the full force of the law.”
Attorney General James sued Red Rose Rescue and its members in June 2023 for invading reproductive health care clinics and blocking patients’ access to care.
Today, in a ruling granting the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) motion for summary judgment, U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth M. Karas found that Red Rose Rescue’s members obstructed patients’ and providers’ access to clinics by trespassing, refusing to leave and forcing police to remove them, and by getting in patients’ way as they tried to walk towards or enter the clinic – intentionally delaying or preventing patients from receiving care. In the decision, the court affirmed that Red Rose Rescue had a coordinated strategy of invading clinics, blocking clinic entrances, refusing to cooperate with law enforcement, and using their arrests to stop the provision of abortions, in violation of the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and New York Clinic Access Act. Further proceedings will be scheduled, at the discretion of the court, to decide appropriate remedies for Red Rose Rescue’s unlawful conduct.
Attorney General James is committed to enforcing all state and federal laws protecting reproductive health care clinic staff and patients. The FACE Act and the New York State Clinic Access Act give patients and staff both inside and outside clinics the right to be free from force, threats of force, or physical obstruction when trying to obtain or provide reproductive health care. More information on laws protecting access to reproductive health clinics can be found here. If you believe these laws have been violated, you can file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Civil Rights Bureau by calling 800-771-7755, emailing civil.rights@ag.ny.gov, or filing a complaint online.
This matter is being handled by Senior Counsel Sandra Pullman, Assistant Attorney General Zoe Ridolfi-Starr, and Research Analyst Joseph Flores of the Civil Rights Bureau, Assistant Attorney General Julia Toce of the Watertown Regional Office, and Assistant Attorney General Heather McKay of the Rochester Regional Office, under the supervision of Civil Rights Bureau Chief Sandra Park and Deputy Bureau Chief Travis England. Additional assistance was provided by Special Counsel for Reproductive Justice Galen Leigh Sherwin of the Executive Division, Health Care Bureau Chief Darsana Srinivasan, and Detective Investigator Wilsonia Jean-Philippe of the Investigations Bureau. The Civil Rights Bureau and the Health Care Bureau are part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux. The Investigations Bureau is a part of the Division for Criminal Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado. The Executive Division, Division for Social Justice, and Division for Criminal Justice are all overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.
A federal jury convicted a Kentucky doctor, a Texas businessman, and a Kentucky woman yesterday for their roles operating a scheme out of a series of addiction treatment facilities in Kentucky that fraudulently billed Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid for over $8 million.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dr. José Alzadon, 61, of Paintsville, Kentucky; Michael Bregenzer, 52, of Richmond, Texas; and Barbie Vanhoose, 62, of West Van Lear, Kentucky, orchestrated their health care fraud scheme through Kentucky Addiction Centers (KAC), which operated in Winchester, Paducah, Paintsville, and London, Kentucky. As part of his role as KAC’s medical director, Alzadon prescribed Suboxone, a controlled substance that can be used to treat opioid addiction when properly prescribed under regulations issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Bregenzer served as KAC’s CEO and Vanhoose as KAC’s billing manager.
Together, Alzadon, Bregenzer, and Vanhoose ran a scheme that falsely billed taxpayer-funded health programs like Medicare and Medicaid for medical services that were not performed or were falsely represented as more complex than the services provided. They also conspired to falsely bill for services in the name of Alzadon’s elderly father, using Alzadon’s father’s identity to bypass insurance credentialing issues that Alzadon had, and to use Alzadon’s father’s DEA prescribing credentials to prescribe Suboxone, even though Alzadon’s father had not seen the patients for whom he was supposedly issuing prescriptions.
Alzadon, Bregenzer, and Vanhoose were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, eight counts of health care fraud, and one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances using the DEA registration number of another person. They face a maximum penalty of ten years in prison on each health care fraud conspiracy and substantive health care fraud count and four years in prison on the conspiracy to distribute controlled substances count. Alzadon and Vanhoose were also each convicted of two counts of aggravated identity theft and face a consecutive mandatory minimum of two years in prison. Alzadon and Bregenzer are scheduled to be sentenced on June 25 and Vanhoose is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Division; Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Kelly Blackmon of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Regional Director Joe Rivers of the Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration (DOL-EBSA); and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman made the announcement.
The DEA, FBI, HHS-OIG, DOL-EBSA, and the Kentucky Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated this case.
Trial Attorneys Dermot Lynch, Sarah Edwards, and Samad Pardesi of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche made the following statement today regarding an investigation into the leak of intelligence information.
“The Justice Department is opening a criminal investigation relating to the selective leak of inaccurate, but nevertheless classified, information from the Intelligence Community relating to Tren de Aragua (TDA). We will not tolerate politically motivated efforts by the Deep State to undercut President Trump’s agenda by leaking false information onto the pages of their allies at the New York Times. The Alien Enemies Proclamation is supported by fact, law, and common sense, which we will establish in court and then expel the TDA terrorists from this country.”
WASHINGTON — Two men were convicted by a federal jury March 18 for their roles in a 2022 mass casualty alien smuggling event in San Antonio, Texas that resulted in 53 deaths and 11 aliens injured. A third man allegedly involved in the same fatal smuggling incident was extradited from Guatemala to the United States to face justice in the case. This investigation is being conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with the assistance of various federal and state law enforcement agencies in South Texas.
Felipe Orduna-Torres, 30, also known as Cholo, Chuequito, and Negro and Armando Gonzalez-Ortega, 55, also known as El Don and Don Gon were found guilty by a jury for their roles in the mass casualty alien smuggling event.
Following extensive coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Guatemalan law enforcement authorities, Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 48, an alleged leader of a Guatemala-based alien smuggling organization was extradited to the United States to face trial for his alleged role in the San Antonio mass casualty incident.
“These convictions and extradition represent the Justice Department’s commitment to prosecuting the leaders, organizers, and key facilitators of alien smuggling networks that bring people illegally — at significant risk to life — into the United States,” said Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “It is a powerful example of the crucial work of Joint Task Force Alpha, which has been enhanced and empowered to go after cartels and transnational criminal organizations and to eliminate the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Orduna-Torres, and Gonzalez-Ortega conspired with others as part of an alien smuggling organization that loaded approximately 66 aliens into a tractor trailer, which lacked functioning air conditioning, and drove the aliens north across the U.S.-Mexico border and on a Texas interstate. On June 27, 2022, as the temperature rose, some of the migrants inside the trailer lost consciousness, while others clawed at the walls, trying to escape. By the time the tractor-trailer reached San Antonio, according to the evidence presented at trial, 48 migrants had already died. Another five migrants died after being transported to local hospitals. Six children and a pregnant woman were among the deceased. The defendants conspired with others to facilitate the travel of the aliens from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras to the United States, charging the aliens and their families approximately $12,000 to $15,000 USD for the perilous journey.
Orduna-Torres and Gonzalez-Ortega were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death, resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, one count of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death, and one count of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy. For both counts resulting in death, they each face a maximum penalty of life in prison at their sentencing on June 27. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“The extradition of Miranda-Orozco to U.S. custody is a major step in the takedown of a large and complex human smuggling organization he is alleged to be a part of,” said acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “Just as we’ve shown throughout the trial of Orduna-Torres and Gonzalez-Ortega, we will continue to prosecute this case aggressively — seeking justice for those who have perished and holding accountable those who illegally value profit over human life.”
“ICE aggressively targets human smugglers, no matter where they operate or how far they think they can hide,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “These verdicts reflect the scope and depth of our human smuggling investigations. From country of origin to final destination, our special agents have worked tirelessly to track these criminals down and dismantle their entire smuggling network. One by one we are seeing the consequences of human smuggling as the justice system prevails.”
Miranda-Orozco conspired with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of four aliens from Guatemala through Mexico, and ultimately, to the United States, charging the families approximately $12,000 to $15,000 USD for the deadly journey. Miranda-Orozco is alleged to be responsible for smuggling three migrants who perished in the tractor trailer.
In August 2024, Miranda-Orozco was arrested in Guatemala pursuant to a U.S. request for his extradition. His arrest was part of a large-scale takedown during which Guatemalan law enforcement executed multiple search and arrest warrants across Guatemala. Miranda-Orozco was indicted under seal in the Western District of Texas, and his indictment was unsealed after he was arrested. Miranda-Orozco made his initial appearance March 17 in Federal District Court in San Antonio and was arraigned on the indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States resulting in death, three counts of aiding and abetting bringing an alien to the United States resulting in death, one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, and one count of aiding and abetting bringing an alien to the United States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy.
ICE HSI San Antonio led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with HSI Guatemala’s team members, and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. ICE HSI received substantial assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center/Operation Sentinel; U.S. Border Patrol; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the San Antonio Police Department; the San Antonio Fire Department; and the Palestine Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Guatemala to secure the arrest and extradition of Miranda-Orozco and, along with the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training, provided crucial assistance in this matter.
The case against Orduna-Torres and Gonzalez-Ortega is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears, and Amanda Brown for the Western District of Texas. The case against Miranda-Orozco is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s HRSP Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney/JTFA prosecutor Jose Luis Acosta for the Western District of Texas, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.
Learn more about ICE HSI San Antonio’s mission to increase public safety in South Texas communities on X at @HSI_SanAntonio.
The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
OAKLAND– California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced today announced that felony grand theft charges have been filed against an unlicensed Room and Board Operator who allegedly stole from an elder resident while the resident was hospitalized. The California Department of Justice initiated an investigation based on a complaint referral from Contra Costa County Adult Protective Services regarding allegations of financial exploitation, neglect, psychological abuse, and isolation at unlicensed facilities operated in Contra Costa. The investigation revealed from May to September 2021, the Room and Board Operator fraudulently withdrew money on multiple occasions from the elder adult’s bank account.
“Caregivers of seniors and dependent adults bear a significant responsibility to prioritize the safety and overall health of those in their care,” said Attorney General Bonta. “At the California Department of Justice, we are dedicated to combating all forms of elder abuse and neglect. We will act swiftly to hold accountable anyone who harms or takes advantage of these at-risk members of our community.”
The complaint was filed in Contra Costa County Superior Court and charges include grand theft from an elder adult and grand theft by access card. The defendant self-surrendered to the Contra Costa Superior court and will be arraigned on April 16, 2025.
It is important to note that criminal charges must be proven in a court of law. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
DMFEA works to protect Californians by investigating and prosecuting those responsible for abuse, neglect, and fraud committed against elderly and dependent adults in the state, and those who perpetrate fraud on the Medi-Cal program.
The Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $69,244,976 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2025. The remaining 25 percent is funded by the State of California. FY 2025 is from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche made the following statement today regarding an investigation into the leak of intelligence information.
“The Justice Department is opening a criminal investigation relating to the selective leak of inaccurate, but nevertheless classified, information from the Intelligence Community relating to Tren de Aragua (TDA). We will not tolerate politically motivated efforts by the Deep State to undercut President Trump’s agenda by leaking false information onto the pages of their allies at the New York Times. The Alien Enemies Proclamation is supported by fact, law, and common sense, which we will establish in court and then expel the TDA terrorists from this country.”
MINNEAPOLIS – A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment against 11 individuals associated with a transnational Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) tied to a Mexican cartel in a drug trafficking and kidnapping conspiracy, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
As alleged in the indictment, beginning in July 2023 through January 2025, 11 defendants conspired to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. The DTO leaders arranged for large quantities of methamphetamine to be delivered from Mexico to the Twin Cities area, via the mail and driven by cars and trucks. Once delivered, the Minnesota-based defendants broke large quantities of methamphetamine down into smaller, distributable quantities and sold it to customers throughout the Twin Cities region. In January 2025, an individual owed a DTO leader in Mexico a substantial amount of money, which they could not pay. Four of the co-defendants lured this individual to a location in St. Paul, Minnesota. They kidnaped the victim, beat the victim, chained the victim to a pole, and the held the victim against their will. During the kidnaping and beating, a DTO leader instructed one of the defendants over a messaging application, “you are breaking his hands. Break them good.”
“This case highlights the inherent danger that transnational drug cartels bring to our country,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “This mob-style violence has no place in America, it has no place in Minnesota, and those who engage in it will be charged federally.”
The following individuals have been indicted for the following crimes and have made their initial appearance in federal court: • Richar Sanchez Mujica, 30, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to kidnap, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. • Donovan Rey Lopez, 21, of Minneapolis is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. • Erling Soren Holdahl, 48, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to kidnap. • Dostin Elizander Ortiz-Garcia, 29, of Burnsville, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. • Jonathan Salvador Juarez-Ferrer, 25, of Minneapolis, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. • Timothy Duane Ripley, 45, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to kidnap. • Kendra Sue Johnson, 39, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to kidnap.
Four other members of the conspiracy have not yet made their initial appearances.
This case is the result of cooperation between Homeland Security Investigations, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the St. Paul Police Department’s Violent Crime Enforcement Team, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Minneapolis Police Department, Ramsey County, and the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force. It is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and to 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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. McBride is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
DULUTH, Minn. – Lucas Matthew Kramer, a Duluth man, was sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possessing child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. He also was ordered to pay restitution to his victims and a $7,500 assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act of 2018.
“Few crimes are as heinous as the sexual exploitation of minors,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kirkpatrick. “My office will continue to prioritize charging predators who hold positions of trust in our community. Coaches, daycare providers, and others in positions of trust who prey on children will face federal justice.”
“The sentencing of Lucas Mathew Kramer concludes a successful investigation focused on those who seek to exploit our children. HSI will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who target our young people,” said ICE HSI Saint Paul Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt. “We appreciate the collaboration with our law enforcement partners and stand by our commitment to protecting our communities and securing our homeland.”
According to court documents, on September 23, 2022, law enforcement received a tip that an online individual with the username “northernboy35” had used the Kik messenger application to upload 19 videos of child pornography to the internet. Less than a week later, the same username uploaded five additional child pornography videos to the internet. Law enforcement quickly determined that the uploaded files originated from Duluth, Minnesota, and linked the email and IP address for the “nothernboy35” moniker directly to Lucas Mathew Kramer, 45, a longtime collegiate climbing coach.
Law enforcement proceeded to execute a search warrant at Kramer’s residence and discovered that he had knowingly possessed over 600 images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on numerous electronic devices. His CSAM collection included the graphic sexual abuse of prepubescent children—some as young as toddlers—and included videos depicting children being physically forced into sexual compliance. Kramer admitted that he downloaded and traded his CSAM collection with others on the internet. Law enforcement also discovered evidence of sexually explicit chats between Kramer and self-identified prepubescent minors, where he engaged the self-identified minors in sexually explicit conversations and encouraged them to take and send nude images of themselves.
Kramer pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography on October 11, 2024. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud on March 19, 2024. When handing down the sentence, Judge Tostrud remarked that Kramer’s conduct was “deeply troubling” and that his collection of CSAM materials “reflected depravity” and showed a “callous indifference” to the humanity of his victims.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Duluth Police Department. “The Duluth Police Department appreciates its partnership with Homeland Security Investigations in holding this offender accountable to the highest standards,” commented Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing prosecuted the case.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Honduras pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of illegal reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to time served and removal from the U.S. on his conviction, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Saul Enrique Padilla-Mejia, 38.
According to information presented to the Court, Padilla-Mejia was previously removed from the United States on August 13, 2019, and returned to Honduras. On February 4, 2024, the Pennsylvania State Police charged Padilla-Mejia in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County with various traffic offenses as well as driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content of .16% and greater. Those charges remain pending, according to the public docket. Immigration authorities determined that Padilla-Mejia was illegally present in the United States and took him into immigration custody on October 30, 2024. Padilla-Mejia will remain detained until his deportation from the United States.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Padilla-Mejia.
Defendant allegedly sold three rifles including two semiautomatic, six handguns, nine magazines and multiple rounds of ammunition
BOSTON – A Nashua, N.H. man has been arrested for allegedly trafficking nine firearms, including two semiautomatic rifles, into Massachusetts in over a one-month period.
Dennis T. Michaud, Jr., 22, was charged with one count of trafficking in firearms. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, Michaud was detained pending a hearing scheduled for March 25, 2025.
According to the charging documents, beginning in or around February 2025, Michaud was identified as an illegal firearms dealer. It is alleged that, from Feb. 7 through Feb. 11, 2025, undercover law enforcement contacted Michaud through Snapchat to arrange for the purchase of a semiautomatic rifle. During those communications, Michaud allegedly stated that he was located in New Hampshire and that he could bring the firearm to Massachusetts. On Feb. 11, 2025, in Pepperell, Michaud allegedly met with a confidential source operating at the direction of law enforcement to conduct the transaction. There, it is alleged that Michaud provided the confidential source with a Good Time Outdoors CXV Core 15 .223/5.56 caliber semiautomatic rifle and a 30-round .223/5.56 caliber magazine in exchange for $900.
On Feb. 18, 2025, Michaud allegedly agreed to sell three additional firearms. It is alleged that, later that day, Michaud met the source at an agreed upon location in Pepperell, where he provided the following three firearms as well as accompanying ammunition and accessories in exchange for $2,100: a Taurus Raging Hunter .454 Casull Revolver and approximately five rounds of .454 Casull ammunition; a Rossi Interarms M68 .38 Special Revolver and approximately five rounds of .38 Special ammunition; and a Walther PPS 9mm Pistol with approximately six Walther PPS 9mm magazines and various firearm parts and/or accessories.
It is further alleged that, on Feb. 27, 2025, Michaud agreed to sell two more firearms: a Radical Firearms RF-15 .223/5.56 caliber semiautomatic short-barreled rifle along with a 30-round .223/5.56 caliber magazine; and a Sig Sauer P227 Equinox .45 caliber pistol along with a 10-round Sig Sauer P227 .45 caliber magazine. During the transaction in Pepperell, Michaud allegedly provided the confidential source the two agreed-upon firearms and ammunition. Michaud also allegedly stated that possessing the semiautomatic short-barreled rifle would constitute “three felonies” due to the stock and 30-round magazine affixed to the firearm.
On March 20, 2025, in Pepperell, Michaud allegedly sold three more firearms, two magazines and ammunition to the confidential source in exchange for $2,250: a Century Arms 7.62x39mm YSKA AK Rifle; a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm Pistol; and a Taurus PT-22 .22 caliber Pistol. The defendant was immediately taken into custody following the transaction.
Michaud does not possess a federal firearms license and is prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition due to a prior conviction in New Hampshire for possession of marijuana.
The charge of trafficking in firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. 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 and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; and the Nashua (N.H.) and Pepperell Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
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.
Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced three appointments to the Missouri Sentencing Advisory Council and the appointment of a new Atchison County Treasurer.
Roye Cole, of Rogersville, was appointed to the MissouriSentencing Advisory Commission.
Mr. Cole has served as Sheriff of Webster County since 2008 and has been a certified police officer since 2003. He previously worked as a deputy juvenile officer for the State of Missouri and as a security guard at Drury University. Cole holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Criminology and a Master of Business Administration from Drury University, with expertise in leadership, management, and economics.
Amanda Grellner, of Linn, was appointed to the MissouriSentencing Advisory Commission.
Ms. Grellner has served as the prosecuting attorney for Osage County since 2002. In addition to her prosecutorial work, Grellner has held leadership roles in various organizations such as the Community Health Center of Central Missouri, Missouri Association of Treatment Court Professionals, Rape and Abuse Crisis Service, and the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri School of Law.
Kurt D. Marquart, of Lee’s Summit, was appointed to the MissouriSentencing Advisory Commission.
Mr. Marquart is a retired attorney, and has operated a private law practice since 1991. Before practicing law, he served as a Missouri State Highway Patrolman. Marquart is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Missouri Bar Association, and the Knights of Columbus. He also serves as a director for the Missouri Association of State Troopers Emergency Relief Society (MASTERS). He earned his Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement from Southeast Missouri State University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.
Tasha Zach, of Rock Port, was appointed as the Atchison County Treasurer.
Ms. Zach is currently filling the vacant county treasurer position, having been appointed by the county commission in December of 2024. She previously served as an accounts payable deputy and the election deputy in the Atchison County clerk’s office for over nine years. Ms. Zach holds an Office Information Systems Technology certificate from Iowa Western Community College.
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Alexis Soto Escalante (20, Ellenton) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to, and possessing with the intent to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl and 500 grams of cocaine. Soto Escalante faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, on May 22, 2024, Soto Escalante sourced 55.9 grams of fentanyl to his co-defendant, Traveous Anderson, that was recovered by agents upon Anderson’s arrest. Later the same day, Soto Escalante traveled to Anderson’s apartment to collect payment for the fentanyl delivery where he was also arrested. Agents recovered 641 grams of cocaine and 3.7 grams fentanyl in the vehicle Soto Escalante was driving. Agents subsequently executed a search warrant at Soto Escalante’s residence and found an additional 14.03 grams of cocaine in his bedroom.
Anderson’s case is still pending trial.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Bradenton Police Department and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
WASHINGTON – Ndubuisi Joseph Okafor, M.D., 65, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was found guilty today by a federal jury in U.S. District Court in connection with illegally distributing prescriptions for narcotics in exchange for cash from his Northwest Washington D.C. medical clinic.
The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia, and DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division.
The jury found Okafor guilty of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances (outside the practice of medicine), maintaining a drug-involved premises, and 23 counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances (oxycodone and promethazine with codeine). U.S. District Judge John D. Bates scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 20, 2025.
According to court documents and evidence at trial, between May 2021 and April of 2023, Okafor was the sole practitioner and owner of Okafor Medical Associates, an internal medicine clinic in Northwest, Washington, D.C. The USAO and FBI began investigating Okafor for illegal distribution of controlled substances after it received information from law enforcement agencies nationwide regarding prescriptions from Okafor being connected to local drug trafficking networks.
Between February 18, 2022, and November 30, 2022, the FBI sent confidential sources and undercover agents into Okafor’s medical practice for walk-in appointments. Each individual was prescribed opioids by Okafor after minimal examination. Further investigation revealed that Okafor was operating a nationwide drug distribution scheme, whereby he would prescribe opioids to numerous individuals using false identities, whom Okafor knew to be diverting the medication.
Okafor’s conduct spanned at least 45 states and resulted in hundreds of thousands of units of oxycodone and promethazine with codeine liquid prescribed nationwide. Okafor was convicted of distribution of opioids to undercover sources, numerous uncharged co-conspirators, and to a civilian patient J.V. Okafor was also convicted of conspiracy and maintaining a drug-involved premises. Evidence at trial further established that, after Okafor was notified by the D.C. Board of Health that J.V.’s family member filed a complaint against him, he created backdated medical records for J.V. in an attempt to justify his prescribing.
The investigation also resulted in the immediate suspension of Okafor’s DEA registration number in September 2023 as he was deemed to be a threat to public health and safety.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations with valuable assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Justice Department gratefully acknowledge the Apex, North Carolina Police Department, the Warsaw, New York, Police Department, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police, State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy, and the Noble County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Office for their extraordinary efforts, support, and cooperation during the investigation and trial.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, Trial Attorney Kathryn Furtado and paralegals Rebecca Walton, Dillon Clark, and Matthew McClarnon of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section. The team also extends its deep appreciation to Michael Goodrich, Lead Travel Analyst of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section.
Oxford, MS – A Starkville man was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison for possession and transfer of a “Glock switch,” which is a device that converts a semi-automatic handgun to fully automatic.
According to court documents, Austin Hudson, also known as “Mop Sossa,” 23, previously pled guilty to possession and transfer of a “Glock switch” which constitutes a machinegun under federal law. U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Hudson yesterday to 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Hudson was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals following sentencing.
“Illegal machine guns make criminals more lethal, and criminal possession of them will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We and our partners at the FBI, ATF, and the Starkville PD will continue to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of criminals.”
“The illegal possession of handgun conversion devices is a significant threat to our communities,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed yesterday sends a message to anyone who possesses a switch that we will continue to focus efforts on prohibited individuals who unlawfully possess these devices, remove another violent criminal from our streets, and keep our neighborhoods safe as the top priority for ATF.”
“Mr. Hudson’s sentencing should serve as a warning to those bad actors who unlawfully possess and perpetrate the transfer of a Glock switch,” stated Special Agent in Charge of the Jackson Field Office of the FBI Robert Eikhoff. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners, through impactful programs such as Project Safe Neighborhood, will continue to identify, investigate, and deliver justice to anyone violating federal laws designed to protect our communities.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Starkville Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Louisville, KY – A former middle school teacher in Louisville, Kentucky was sentenced today to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison for multiple child pornography charges.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.
“I commend the FBI’s outstanding work during the investigation of this case and that of AUSA McKiness for his tireless effort in prosecuting it,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “Combatting the sexual exploitation of our children is a priority of this office and working with our law enforcement partners we will continue to identify, arrest, and aggressively prosecute those who victimize our most vulnerable citizens.”
“Jordan Fautz chose to abuse his position of trust by egregiously violating the privacy of innocent children. His sentencing marks a critical step in our efforts to combat the exploitation of children,” said Special Agent in Charge Stansbury. “With the emergence of offenders using cutting-edge technology to inflict harm and pain on one of our most vulnerable populations, law enforcement will exhaust all of its available resources and expertise to ensure those who choose to abuse children in any way face justice.”
According to court documents, Jordan Fautz, 40, was sentenced to 19 years and 7 months in prison, followed by 30 years of supervised release, for three counts of distribution of child pornography, two counts of distribution of the obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse, one count of production of the obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse, and one count of possession of child pornography. Fautz used an online chatting application to distribute child sexual abuse material to an undercover law enforcement officer. Fautz also produced and distributed photoshopped images depicting minors’ faces on the bodies of people engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Fautz also possessed material depicting child sexual abuse on his computers and cell phone.
Fautz was also ordered to pay $28,130 in restitution to victims.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Spencer McKiness prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
INDIANAPOLIS— 14 individuals have been charged in a federal indictment alleging a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine in Indianapolis, Lafayette, and surrounding communities. The charges follow a successful law enforcement operation in which 13 total individuals have been arrested and are in federal custody. Eight individuals were arrested on March 21, 2025. The following lists the individuals indicted and the charges they face:
Defendant
Charge(s)
Tanesha M. Turner, 39
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Kidnapping
Carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime
Accessory to a crime after the fact
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Charles T. Dunson, 44
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Distribution of methamphetamine
Possession of a machinegun
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Tre J. Dunn, 27
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Causing Death by Using a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime
Possessing, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime
Nahamani I. Sargent, 34
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Retaliating against a witness
Use of fire or explosives
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Byron A. Mason, 38
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Unlawful use of a cell phone
Adrian J. Bullock, 34
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Avery J. Bullock, 27
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute
John M. Whitfield, 37
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Aaliyah Hackett, 23
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Unlawful use of a cell phone
Emorrie J. Dunn, 26
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Chancelor R. Walker, 38
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
D’Ericka Lee, 30
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Lamar T. Browning, 39
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Mark C. Marshall, 57
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
This was a multi-agency operation, involving ten agencies who assisted with the investigation and the arrests on the morning of March 21, 2025. Law enforcement has asked the public for assistance in locating fugitive Lamar T. Browning. He should be considered armed and dangerous. Those with information are asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
According to the indictment, all 14 defendants allegedly operated a drug trafficking conspiracy, selling meth, fentanyl, cocaine and heroin out of several trap houses in Indianapolis.
Some members of the conspiracy allegedly committed multiple acts of violence, including murder, firing gunshots, throwing Molotov cocktails at a home, kidnapping, and pistol-whipping in order to intimidate drug customers and rival drug dealers The violence was used as a tool to collect money owed to them by their drug customers, to protect the locations that they used to distribute drugs, and to retaliate against potential witnesses.
Specifically, Nahamani Sargent allegedly fired gunshots and threw Molotov cocktails at the home of a customer, believing that the victim had provided information about the conspiracy to law enforcement.
Additionally, Tanesha Turner allegedly kidnapped a victim at gunpoint and held them for ransom because they owed $40. Tre Dunn then allegedly shot the same victim for owing money and providing information to law enforcement.
Tre Dunn also allegedly aided and abetted the murder of a man because he disrespected him and his associate during a failed drug deal. Tanesha Turner then allegedly aided Dunn by driving him to another location following the murder to prevent his arrest.
If convicted, each defendant faces up to life in federal prison.
The following investigative agencies collaborated to make this investigation and recent warrant execution possible:
Federal Bureau of Investigation (Indianapolis, Chicago, and Cincinnati SWAT)
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, SWAT
Fishers Police Department, SWAT
Drug Enforcement Administration
United States Department of Agriculture
Indiana Capitol Police Department
Indiana Department of Homeland Security
Johnson County Sheriff’s Department
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley A. Blackington and Kelsey Massa, who are prosecuting this case.
This investigation 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). This operation is part of the Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program.
An indictment or criminal complaint are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
ROME, Ga. – Deaja Simone Clemons has been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
“Clemons admits to selling thousands of fentanyl pills at a time that the illegal distribution and use of this drug continues to ravage communities within and outside our district,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Our Office is grateful for the collaboration among our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners which makes it possible to combat the threat of drug traffickers like Clemons.”
“Illicit drugs like fentanyl has destroyed countless lives,” said Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Keeping our communities safe is our highest priority.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: In February 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Rome, Georgia, Field Office received information that Deaja Clemons was dealing fentanyl in the Rome area. A subsequent investigation revealed that in the month of February, Clemons sold 121 blue pills marked with M30 (counterfeit pills made to resemble oxycodone 30 mg pills) that contained fentanyl. Clemons had sold 60 of those fentanyl pills in Rome, and 61 in Cedartown, Georgia.
In early April 2024, DEA special agents and Polk County police officers followed Clemons from Rome to Polk County. Polk County officers stopped Clemons en route back to Rome and, during a search of her car, recovered 124 blue, counterfeit “M30” pills containing fentanyl and $3,922 in cash. Clemons was arrested and, during the investigation that followed, DEA special agents discovered that Clemons had been selling about 300 fentanyl pills a week for approximately three months.
United States District Judge William M. Ray, II, sentenced Deaja Simone Clemons, 29, of Rome, Ga., to 63 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Clemons was convicted of the charges on December 13, 2024, after she pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AC-HIDTA), and the Polk County Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas M. Forsyth, III and Calvin A. Leipold, III prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strategic Initiative focused on combatting the fentanyl crisis in northwest Georgia. OCDETF identifies and eliminates the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Anyone with information about drug sales/trafficking in their area can report it to the GBI at1-800-597-TIPS (8477) or DEA’s Atlanta Division Office at (404) 893-7000. Online tips can be submitted at https://www.dea.gov/submit-tip.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
LOS ANGELES – Working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement partners, federal prosecutors in the last week filed charges against 17 defendants who allegedly illegally re-entered the United States after being removed, the Justice Department announced today.
Many of the defendants charged were previously convicted of felony offenses before they were removed from the United States, offenses that include assault with bodily injury. One of the defendants is suspected of murder while another was arrested on suspicion of committing assault with intent to rape.
The crime of being found in the United States following removal carries a base sentence of up to two years in federal prison. Defendants who were removed after being convicted of a felony face a maximum 10-year sentence and defendants removed after being convicted of an aggravated felony face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
Some of the recently filed cases are summarized below with information contained in court documents.
Jescar Amarzca-Olgiuen, 51, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Amarzca was charged after he was arrested in Orange County on March 19 as a suspect in the 2023 murder of a man who died from multiple gunshot wounds. His criminal history includes a felony conviction in 2013 in San Diego federal court for fraud and misuse of visas and permits, for which he was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison.
Marvin Campos Cerna, 29, of El Salvador, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Campos was charged after he was arrested in West Hollywood on March 7 for allegedly committing assault with intent to rape, false imprisonment, sodomy, and kidnapping. Prior to this arrest, Campos was convicted in 2014 for assault with bodily injury, for which he was sentenced to six years in California state prison.
Victor Navarro-Cota, 23, and Tereso Guadalupe Martinez-Reyes, 20, both of Mexico, were arrested near Barstow on March 13 whiledriving a black Chevrolet Suburban filled with 478 pairs of Nike Jordan 6 Rings shoes, which retail for approximately $170 per pair, totaling $81,260. Both Martinez-Reyes and Navarro-Cota were in the U.S. illegally and each previously was deported in February 2025. Navarro-Cota’s arraignment is scheduled for April 22. Martinez-Reyes’ arraignment is scheduled for April 1.
Criminal complaints contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating these matters.
The criminal cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys in the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section and the General Crimes Section.
HOUSTON – A total of 246 cases have been filed related to immigration and border security from March 14-20, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Of those, 91 face allegations of illegally re-entering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses, among others. A total of 145 face charges of illegally entering the country, eight cases involve various instances of human smuggling, and the remainder relate to other immigration matters and making false statements.
Among those charged include Rogelio Jaimes-Rodriguez – a Mexican male who was allegedly found in the United States near Roma having previously been removed Feb. 12. The charges allege he had been previously convicted of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. If convicted of this illegal reentry charge, he faces up to 20 years in prison. Onesimo Salazar-Torres is also a Mexican citizen charged with illegal reentry. The criminal complaint alleges he was found in the United States near Edinburg having previously been removed in 2018 and has a conviction of indecency with child sexual contact.
Other relevant cases include two more illegal aliens with significant criminal histories that were sentenced in McAllen this week after being previously removed and unlawfully reentered again. Jose Eduardo Soto-Hernandez has prior felony convictions for sexual assault of a child and possession of a controlled substance. He has been removed from the United States two previous times, most recently in 2019. He will serve 27 months, while Salvador Eduardo Gonzalez-Ledezma was ordered to serve 46 months. He has prior felony convictions for assault family violence impeding breath and harboring aliens. Authorities removed him most recently in 2022, but he has a total of four prior removals.
In Houston, Carlos Bedolla Sanchez pleaded guilty to using the identity of a U.S. citizen to fraudulently obtain a passport and identification. As part of the identity theft, he provided the name, Social Security number, date of birth and birthplace on the passport applications and fraudulently certified he was a citizen or non-citizen national of the United States. Sanchez began using the victim’s identity in approximately March 2009 to obtain state driver’s licenses and other U.S. identification.
On Feb. 17, a Corpus Christi federal jury returned a guilty verdict against a South Texas man for transporting illegal aliens. They deliberated for less than 45 minutes before convicting Alberto Chavez Jr. following a one-day trial Feb. 17. Chavez had claimed his two passengers were his cousins, but evidence proved they were not related to him and were actually Honduran citizens illegally present in the United States. Testimony further revealed Chavez bought them clothes to make them appear more “American” and coached them on what to say when trying to pass through the checkpoint.
Another illegal alien was indicted in Laredo in a multi-year human smuggling conspiracy. The charges allege Giovana Lozano Hernandez used multiple cellular devices that had numerous digital images of paper ledgers regarding the scheme. Voice messages with co-conspirators also allegedly detailed the smuggling activity including the many illegal aliens who had already been transported and housed for whom there needed to be financial accountability. Law enforcement also found video messages depicting the transportation of illegal aliens, according to the allegations.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are 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.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.