BEAUMONT, Texas – A Nome, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay over $2 million in restitution for his role in a bank fraud conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Eulice Emerson Alvey, also known as Trey, 50, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on June 5, 2025. Judge Crone also ordered Alvey to pay restitution in the amount of $2,075,458.57.
According to information presented in court, on September 6, 2018, a Neches Federal Credit Union (NFCU) member contacted the credit union and reported there were loans reflected on their account that they did not request. Shortly thereafter, another member notified the credit union that they also had loans on their account that were not theirs. This type of notification then became common over the next few weeks, involving as many as 30 members, all associated with Billy Ray Thomas, an assistant branch manager for NFCU. An investigation revealed Thomas was working with Alvey to commit bank fraud. Alvey would fabricate fraudulent purchase invoices for tractors from his business, Oil City Tractor, LLC, and send the invoices to Thomas. Thomas would then use credit union members’ information to request a loan. Once the loan was approved, Thomas would share the proceeds with Alvey and they would use the money for personal and business ventures. In April 2025, Thomas was sentenced to 34 months in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by FBI’s Beaumont Field Office and the Beaumont Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reynaldo P. Morin.
overnor Kathy Hochul today issued an update on the State’s comprehensive air monitoring efforts to track air quality statewide and keep New Yorkers safe this summer. New York residents and visitors are reminded to include air quality awareness in their daily warm weather routines. In addition, New York State is issuing an Air Quality Health Advisory for today, Friday, June 6, for the Adirondacks, Eastern Lake Ontario, and Western New York regions for fine particulate matter pollution caused by wildland fires in Western Canada.
“Using the latest science and data, New York continues to track air quality conditions across the State to keep New York communities safe,” Governor Hochul said. “As temperatures begin to climb during the summer months and less predictable factors like distant wildfires occur, I strongly encourage New Yorkers to stay informed and prepare for changes in air quality by paying attention to the State’s Air Quality Health Advisories and take necessary precautions to stay safe.”
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) provides daily air quality forecasts to ensure air quality information is available at New Yorkers’ fingertips. While New York State has some of the nation’s most stringent air quality regulations to reduce air pollution and protect public health and the environment, there are certain days that ozone or particulate matter can impact air quality in your community.
Using data collected from more than 50 sites across the state, DEC and Department of Health (DOH) issue Air Quality Health Advisories when DEC meteorologists predict levels of pollution, either ozone or fine particulate matter (PM2.5), are expected to exceed an Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 100. The AQI was created as an easy way to correlate levels of different pollutants to one scale, with a higher AQI value indicating a greater health concern.
An Air Quality Health Advisory for PM2.5 is being issued for Friday, June 6, 2025, for the Adirondacks, Eastern Lake Ontario, and Western New York regions due to the impact of smoke from wildfires in Canada.
New Yorkers are encouraged to check airnow.gov for accurate information on air quality forecasts and conditions. Information about exposure to smoke from fires can be found on DOH’s website.
DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “It is critical that New Yorkers be Air Quality Aware this summer to stay safe and healthy“ DEC continues to track air quality across the state and works with our partners at the Department of Health to keep the public informed about how to protect themselves and their families and reduce their exposure to air pollution. New Yorkers can visit DEC’s website for the daily forecast or use trusted sources like EPA’s AirNow app, which uses air quality data provided by DEC’s statewide monitoring network.”
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Pollutants like particulate matter from wildfires or ground-level ozone can pose serious health risks—especially for those with heart conditions or lung disease such as asthma, as well as the very young, those over 65 years old and pregnant people. Just as you check the weather on your phone each morning, we encourage all New Yorkers to visit to airnow.gov for the latest air quality forecast and be on the lookout for Air Quality Health Advisories from the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Health. When air quality is poor, protect yourself by staying inside, reduce exposure and minimize exertion when outdoors.”
Air pollution can harm public health and natural resources in a variety of ways. Hot summer weather sets the stage for two major pollutants of concern for human health: the formation of ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), tiny solid particles or liquid droplets in the air that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter. Fish and wildlife show harmful effects from acid rain and mercury in air. Greenhouse gases in the air are changing the world’s climate and contributing to harmful impacts including extreme heat, deadly flooding, drought, fires, rising sea levels, and severe storms.
Extreme Heat
Governor Hochul recently highlighted new and enhanced resources available to protect New York communities from extreme heat this summer as recommended by the State’s Extreme Heat Action Plan, including:
New support for cooling at home: With the new Essential Plan Cooling program, NY State of Health will provide eligible Essential Plan members a free air conditioner to help keep their homes cool. This will complement assistance available in 2025 through the HEAP Cooling program which served more than 23,000 households in 2024.
Better access to cooling centers: New resources are available to help connect New Yorkers with safe spaces for cooling. The New York State Department of Health and Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) will continue to coordinate with local health departments and emergency managers to update the Cooling Center Finder throughout summer 2025. DOH offers new resources to provide information about best practices for setting up cooling centers and how these locations could serve as clean air centers. Round 8 of the Climate Smart Communities grant program is now open, making $22 million available to fund GHG mitigation and climate adaptation projects, including establishing cooling centers.
Additional support for cool buildings: Funding available through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) supports weatherization and clean and efficient heating and cooling that can improve extreme heat resilience at homes, community anchor institutions, schools, and more. The Office of General Services’ new “Decarbonization and Climate Resiliency Design Guide” was released for new and majorly renovated State building projects to assess and reduce climate risk (including extreme heat and Urban Heat Islands) through proactive design.
New investments in cool schools: The Education Law newly requires public school districts and BOCES to develop an extreme heat policy, which establishes certain temperature thresholds. NYSERDA offers additional funding to install clean cooling and heating at schools, for example through funding as part of the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act.
Enhanced tools and funding for cool communities: Extreme heat advice and forecasts for New Yorkers, preliminary extreme heat exposure maps and DOH’s Heat Vulnerability Index help communities understand exposure and vulnerabilities. Programs such as Climate Smart Communities fund communities in planning, designing, and implementation solutions. New and expanded funding supports nature-based solutions such as urban forests, urban farms, and community gardens to cool neighborhoods and mitigate heat islands. Governor Hochul’s New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative expanded outdoor swimming through the Connect Kids to Swimming Instruction Transportation grant program and advanced capital projects for swimming facilities in underserved communities through the NY SWIMS Round One competitive grant program.
DOH recently launched an interactive New York State Heat Risk and Illness Dashboard that allows the public and county health care officials to determine the forecasted level of heat-related health risks in their area and raise awareness about the dangers of heat exposure.
Check out “DEC Does What?!” podcast episode #4 The Air Up There (May 2024) where air pollution meteorologists explain the Air Quality Index and how to use it, how weather conditions and different seasons can affect air quality, whether New Yorkers have to worry about wildfire smoke, and what it’s like to measure air quality in Antarctica.
overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that work is beginning on a multi-faceted project to construct a roundabout, replace multiple culverts and resurface State Routes 17A and 94 in the Towns of Warwick and Goshen and the Villages of Warwick, Florida and Goshen, Orange County. In an area known for its apple festivals, black dirt farms, harness racing, and unique shopping experiences, this multi-community $30 million project will enhance traffic flow, prevent flooding while increasing resiliency, and enhance pedestrian facilities to meet the needs of this growing county in the Hudson Valley.
“This multi-faceted project is part of our ongoing commitment to create 21st Century transportation infrastructure that focuses on the needs of communities across the Hudson Valley,” Governor Hochul said. “By creating a state-of-the-art roundabout, miles of multi-modal access to town and village centers, and building for future tourism, we are enhancing safety and easing travel to the many popular destinations that this fast-growing region has to offer.”
The centerpiece of the project will be the 14 miles of roadway resurfacing, which will take place along State Routes 94/17A from the New Jersey state line to the Town of Goshen and State Route 94 to Durland Road. Striping with reflective epoxy paint will be added to increase the visibility of pavement markings during storms, further enhancing safety. Traffic signals and curb ramps at adjacent exits and entrances will also be upgraded.
Additionally, the project will construct a roundabout with decorative street lighting along State Route 94 at County Route 1A and Reservoir Road in the Town of Warwick to realign this intersection. The new roundabout will feature native landscaping and will be designed to reduce potential conflict points that motorists and pedestrians encounter, while creating fewer traffic backups. New crosswalks, sidewalks and other pedestrian accommodations will also improve access to nearby destinations.
Roundabouts are engineered to maximize safety and minimize congestion. Compared to some traditional intersections, traffic flows more freely through roundabouts, cutting congestion and commute times. Crashes at roundabouts tend to be less severe because they typically occur at slower speeds. Roundabouts also eliminate the need for electric-powered traffic signals. For tips on how to safely navigate a roundabout, check out this helpful instructional video available on DOT’s Youtube channel.
Strong, resilient infrastructure is important to the overall health of communities and this project will modernize drainage systems to better handle stormwater runoff and replace three culverts along State Route 94 and one along State Route 17A to prevent erosion and promote the health and habitat of local streams.
Upgrades to traffic signals, new crosswalks, sidewalk curb ramps, accessible pedestrian signal equipment, drainage and the implementation of new lane configurations will occur at the following intersections:
State Route 94 at 17A
State Route 94 at Colonial Avenue
State Route 94 at Meadow Road
State Route 94 at Reservoir Road
Staged construction is expected to include lane shifts, limited daily lane closures and minor detours. The project is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2027.
State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “There is no greater champion for infrastructure improvements in the Hudson Valley and across the state than Governor Hochul. Visitors come to Orange County for its natural beauty and tourism opportunities, and many have stayed over the years to live, work and raise a family, resulting in its growth. The investments we are making in infrastructure in the region accommodate this growth, and create enhanced mobility with pedestrian enhancements, a smoother ride and overall, a more resilient transportation system.”
Senator Chuck Schumer said, “Thanks to millions from my Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law, we are paving the way for a safer future in the Hudson Valley. This will construct a new roundabout and resurface State Routes 17A and 94, improving traffic flow along this vital corridor and helping connect residents and visitors to Orange County’s famous apple festivals and black dirt farms all while creating jobs, jobs, jobs. I’m grateful that Governor Hochul is putting these federal dollars to good use to improve safety and connectivity for New Yorkers in the Hudson Valley.”
Representative Pat Ryan said, “When we modernize our infrastructure, we make life more accessible and efficient for Hudson Valley families while promoting critical economic development across the region. This project is a gamechanger for our community; delivering the safer streets, better storm systems, and improved traffic flow that Orange County families deserve. I’ll keep working with partners at every level of government to improve traffic safety, modernize outdated infrastructure, and bolster economic growth in every corner of the Hudson Valley.”
About the Department of Transportation
It is the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation to provide a safe, reliable, equitable, and resilient transportation system that connects communities, enhances quality of life, protects the environment, and supports the economic well-being of New York State. Lives are on the line; slow down and move over for highway workers! For more information, find us on Facebook, follow us on X or Instagram, or visit the NYSDOT website. For up-to-date travel information, call 511, visit www.511NY.org or download the free 511NY mobile app.
Headline: Governor Stein Promotes Safe Gun Storage During NC S.A.F.E. Week of Action
Governor Stein Promotes Safe Gun Storage During NC S.A.F.E. Week of Action lsaito
Raleigh, NC
Today Governor Josh Stein joined Deputy Secretary William Lassiter, Elizabeth City Police Chief Eddie Graham Jr, and gun safety proponents to highlight NC S.A.F.E.’s (Secure All Firearms Effectively) Week of Action and call for safe firearm storage.
“Firearms are the leading cause of injury-related death for children in the state, and too many of those tragic deaths are entirely preventable,” said Governor Josh Stein. “We must use every tool at our disposal to keep children safe and promote responsible gun ownership – we need folks locking up their guns, using a gun safe, and talking about the risks of loose firearms.”
“North Carolina’s S.A.F.E. Week of Action is a Department of Public Safety initiative that aims to share the importance of safe gun storage through partnerships, outreach, and community events,” said Deputy Secretary William Lassiter. “S.A.F.E. Week highlights the importance of using safe storage devices and preventing firearm-related injuries, violence, and theft. This is a key ingredient in making every North Carolina community safer.”
“As a medical professional, I see too many preventable gun injuries and deaths in the emergency room,” said Eric Toschlog, Medical Director for Trauma, ECU Health Medical Center. “Keeping firearms in a secure place is imperative to keeping children safe and avoiding preventable deaths.”
Guns are the leading cause of death for children in North Carolina, with 99 firearm related deaths and 525 emergency department visits in 2023 for children and teens aged 1-17. In total, there were 1,797 firearm-related deaths and 4,008 firearm related emergency department visits in North Carolina in 2023. Improperly stored firearms are also commonly stolen from vehicles and are then frequently used to commit crimes; North Carolina saw 431 vehicle gun thefts in 2023.
Governor Stein is committed to building a safer, stronger North Carolina. To reduce gun violence and needless tragedy, Governor Stein proposed more than $2.3 million to promote safe storage in his 2025-2027 budget proposal. In addition, Governor Stein is calling for enhancing law enforcement recruitment and retention efforts by raising salaries for state law enforcement officers and providing bonuses for new Basic Law Enforcment Training (BLET) graduates. Stein’s budget also includes a Fentanyl Control Unit dedicated to getting this deadly poison off the streets, a Cold Case Unit to close unresolved cases of sexual assault, and upgraded safety features at schools, including more cameras, fences for playgrounds, and exterior locks to keep students and teachers safe.
Click here to read Governor Stein’s NC S.A.F.E Week of Action proclamation.
H.R. 2096 would amend sections of the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Law 24-345), which modified District of Columbia police disciplinary procedures. Because the bill would only affect the District of Columbia, CBO estimates that enacting the bill would have no cost to the federal government.
H.R. 2096 would impose intergovernmental mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) by preempting two provisions in District of Columbia law. The bill would strike a provision that prohibits collective bargaining with respect to matters of police discipline. The bill also would strike a provision in current law that eliminated a prior statute of limitations on bringing claims against members of the Metropolitan Police Department. Because those preemptions would not impose any direct costs on the government of the District of Columbia, CBO estimates that the cost of the mandates would not exceed the intergovernmental threshold established in UMRA ($103 million in 2025, adjusted annually for inflation).
The bill would impose no private-sector mandates as defined in UMRA.
The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Matthew Pickford (for federal costs) and Andrew Laughlin (for mandates). The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
Home Newsroom AG Labrador Announces Arrest of Custer County Man for Alleged Sexual Exploitation of a Child
BOISE — Attorney General Raúl Labrador has announced investigators within his Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force assisted the Idaho State Police in arresting seventy-four-year-old William Lindburg on Thursday, May 29, 2025 , for 10 counts of possession of child exploitation material. “The arrest in this case underscores the critical role our Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force plays in investigating serious allegations of child exploitation,” said Attorney General Labrador. “Our team will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect children and pursue justice wherever the evidence leads.” The Idaho ICAC Task Force, Idaho Falls Police Department, Pocatello Police Department, and Custer County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Idaho State Police with the arrest. Anyone with information regarding the exploitation of children is encouraged to contact local police, the Attorney General’s ICAC Unit at 208-947-8700, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678. The Attorney General’s ICAC Unit works with the Idaho ICAC Task Force, a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, to investigate and prosecute individuals who use the internet to criminally exploit children. Parents, educators, and law enforcement officials can find more information and helpful resources at the ICAC website, ICACIdaho.org. The charges listed above are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
BOISE – Nicole Ann Kettler, 41, of Grayling, Michigan was sentenced to 139 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced.
According to court records, Kettler was travelling to Portland, Oregon on a regular basis to purchase large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl for distribution in Idaho. On May 2, 2024, Kettler was pulled over for a traffic violation in Nampa, Idaho. During the traffic stop, officers observed drug paraphernalia in the vehicle. A canine trained in the detection of the odor of controlled substances positively alerted on the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered approximately 4,300 fentanyl pills, more than a half-pound of fentanyl powder, more than a quarter-pound of methamphetamine, and a variety of other controlled substances. After Kettler was arrested, she admitted to investigators that she frequently travelled to Portland to purchase significant quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl for distribution in Idaho. Kettler has two prior convictions for possession with intent to deliver controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Kettler to serve five years of supervised release following her prison sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the Idaho State Police Department, the Oregon State Police Department, and the High Desert Drug Task Force, which led to Kettler’s arrest and subsequent charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morse prosecuted this case.
The High Desert Drug Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that identifies, disrupts, and dismantles local, multi-state, and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-supported approach. They are supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
MINNEAPOLIS – Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Timothy Ryan Gregg has been charged via federal complaint with production of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
According to court documents, Timothy Ryan Gregg, 51, of Eagan, Minnesota, attempted, coerced, and enticed a minor victim to take part in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. According to court documents, the father of the minor victim discovered multiple sexually explicit images and videos on the minor victim’s cell phone. These images and videos depicted the minor and an older individual engaged in sexually explicit activity. The individual in the images and videos were later identified as Timothy Gregg, who is a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations and a Task Force Officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will always hold defendants in positions of public trust to account, particularly when they commit crimes against vulnerable children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “I am proud of the swift and decisive action of the FBI and the Rochester Police Department, who responded immediately and worked together to take Gregg safely into custody.”
“The allegations in this case represent a gross violation of both the law and the responsibilities entrusted to those who wear a badge,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “There is no place in law enforcement — or in any position of public trust — for those who exploit minors. The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to investigate such acts and ensure that no one is above the law, regardless of their rank or role.”
Gregg made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court today, before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster, and was ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the FBI and the Rochester Police Department for their investigation and hard work. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also thanks Homeland Security Investigations for their assistance in safely apprehending the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Jacobs is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If you are interested in international law and have browsed our foreign legal collections, you may have encountered our United States Treaties and Other International Agreements collection. These digitized documents, encompassing American history from 1776 to 1984, are split into two multi-volume categories.
The first and earliest documents in the collection were compiled by Charles I. Bevans, and span the years 1776 through 1949. The bilateral treaties (volumes 5-12) comprise 2,312 individual agreements over 125 individual jurisdictions. While those numbers sound overwhelming, I wanted a visual understanding of the scope of the collection. Each graphic will have a caption explaining the sizing and color choices, as well as what they represent.
The first model:
One example of a network graph depicting the Bevans treaty collection; dark blue, thick edges and larger nodes indicate a higher amount of treaties with the United States, and lighter colored, thinner edges with smaller nodes indicate fewer treaties.
And the second:
An alternative depiction of the network graph, where all the labels are the same size. This graph uses three colors – thin blue edges representing few treaties, medium purple edges representing a fair number of treaties, and thick red lines representing the largest amount of treaties.
Though these two graphics are quite different in nature, they help us draw a few important conclusions: the United States and the United Kingdom share the largest number of treaties, with Canada, France, and Mexico following behind. The first graphic helps us to focus on the jurisdictions with the most treaties, while the second draws our attention to the instances of fewer treaties.
Looking closely, we can see how the different nodes (the jurisdictions) reflect changes to political entities over time. For example, there are multiple, older treaties with present-day cities and provinces of Germany (ex. “Germany (Hanover)”), each represented as an individual jurisdiction. While we may associate these names with modern political boundaries, they represent former states with which the United States signed treaties. Others show supranational entities (“Central America Federation”; Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union) while the individual jurisdictions might have their own node.
These models would certainly look different had Bevans compiled these treaties differently. In any case, we see an incredible variety in the United States’ international agreements over nearly 200 years from these graphics. This also gives us a helpful place to start – should you be interested in what the United States and the Two Sicilies agreed upon in the past, you can browse the volumes of Bevans’s treaties, arranged in alphabetical order by jurisdiction, and follow your curiosity.
Which graphic do you find more engaging? What visual elements inspire you the most?
Subscribe to In Custodia Legis – it’s free! – to receive interesting posts drawn from the Law Library of Congress’s vast collections and our staff’s expertise in U.S., foreign, and international law.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
WASHINGTON – Jayvon Gattison, 24, a previously convicted killer and resident of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 40 months in prison for being in possession of a loaded gun and a bag full of marijuana and cocaine when he was arrested by police for smoking a joint while still on probation.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Gattison pleaded guilty Jan. 15, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb ordered Gattison to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in October 2018, Gattison shot and killed man who tried to rob him during a drug transaction. On October 9, 2024, just three months after he was released from prison in that case and while he was still on probation, Gattison was arrested with the loaded firearm and bag full of drugs.
About 7 p.m on Oct. 9, members of the MPD Robbery Suppression Unit were patrolling on the 3000 block of Channing Street NE, when they observed a group of five individuals smoking next to a silver Lexus. As the investigators approached the group, which included Gattison, the officers recognized the smell of burning marijuana. All the individuals were detained.
An officer took the marijuana cigarette from Gattison’s hand, removed a bag from Gattison’s shoulder, and arrested Gattison for public consumption of marijuana. The joint field-tested positive for THC. Another officer looked into the open top of Gattison’s bag with a flashlight and saw a large bag of suspected marijuana and a loaded black Glock 17 9mm pistol.
Also in the bag was a clear plastic bag containing 12 grams of a white rock substance which field tested positive for cocaine base, a black digital scale, and $320.80 in cash.
Gattison has a prior criminal felony conviction. On December 5, 2019, he was sentenced to a 10-year term, four years suspended, followed by three years of probation for voluntary manslaughter in Prince Georges County, Maryland.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan McFadden and was previously prosecuted by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Mirabelli.
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An an image captured on a body-worn camera, an MPD officer reaches to take a marijuana cigarette from the hand of Jayvon Gattison on Oct. 9, 2024. Gattison subsequently was found to be in possession of a loaded Glock 17 9mm pistol, additional cannabis, and crack cocaine.
Defendant, a Rap Musician Known as Quez 2RR, Had Stolen Weapon in Labor and Delivery; Federal Case Linked to Ongoing Metro Atlanta Shooting Investigation
MACON, Ga. – A Henry County resident who had a stolen Glock 9mm handgun with a loaded 30-round extended magazine capable of converting to a fully automatic weapon while at the Labor and Delivery unit of a hospital was sentenced to serve more than five years in prison—above federal sentencing guidelines—for his crime.
Terrell Monquez Searcy, 21, of McDonough, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 66 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self on June 4. Searcy previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a machinegun on March 21, 2025. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Holding people found in possession of machineguns and with illegal conversion devices accountable for breaking federal law remains a top priority in the Middle District of Georgia,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “This case exemplifies how law enforcement and prosecutors work together to effectively remove illegal firearms and other dangerous destructive devices from the streets in order to make our communities safer.”
“Machinegun conversion devices are fueling a deadly uptick in gun violence, turning routine firearms into weapons of war,” said ATF Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Thomas Crawford of the Atlanta Field Division. “This case is yet another example of why ATF is committed to aggressively identifying and removing these illegal devices from our communities.”
According to court documents, the stipulation of facts and other statements made in Court, Monroe Police Department officers were dispatched to Piedmont Walton Hospital on Aug. 17, 2023, after a nurse observed Searcy in a Labor and Delivery room with a handgun, which is prohibited in the hospital. When hospital security came to the room, Searcy admitted he did have a handgun and that he put it under the couch cushion. He gave the firearm—a Glock Model 17 9mm handgun with a loaded 30-round extended magazine—to security and remained in the room. Hospital security noticed that a full auto sear pin appeared to have been attached to the rear of the slide, making the firearm a machinegun, prompting the call by hospital security to police. Police ran the serial number on the firearm and found out it was reported stolen from Walton County, Georgia. Searcy was taken into custody.
ATF agents tested the firearm and confirmed it did function as a machinegun. Further investigation revealed that Searcy, a rapper known as Quez 2RR, had showcased a pistol with what appeared to be a machinegun conversion device in music videos on a YouTube channel. In a music video titled “Traffic,” Searcy rapped, “I pop out a switch on the back of my Glock” and “I put a switch on the back of my Glock, just to clean up the street when it’s time for that action.” At one point in the video, Searcy’s holding a pistol in his waistband with what appears to be a machinegun conversion device attached to the back.
Following the federal indictment charging Searcy with possessing a machine gun in August 2024, agents located Instagram messages between Searcy and a female law enforcement officer with the Clayton County Police Department. Between January and March 2023, Searcy asked the police officer to run his information to see if there were any warrants for his arrest. The police officer also provided information to Searcy regarding an active homicide investigation. During an interview with Clayton County Police Department detectives, the officer admitted to providing Searcy with information on an active homicide investigation and advising Searcy when she located active warrants for his arrest.
On Feb. 11, 2025, members of the ATF, McDonough Police Department and Henry County Sheriff’s Office executed a federal search warrant at Searcy’s residence in McDonough, Georgia. Searcy and two other men were in the home along with several firearms. The defendant told agents that he had been living at the residence for a couple of months, that he slept with a Draco firearm under his bed and that the Glock 17 found in the living room belonged to him. ATF agents submitted test fires from both firearms to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to determine if either firearm had been used in other crimes. The Micro Draco recovered from Searcy’s bedroom returned with several NIBIN leads, including two from the DeKalb County Police Department. Both DeKalb County incidents indicated that the Micro Draco was used in a drive-by shooting in DeKalb County where four people, including two juveniles, were shot inside their homes. Each shooting occurred within just days of Searcy receiving information from the Clayton County police officer on the active Clayton County homicide where his friend was shot and killed.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case, with assistance from the City of Monroe Police Department, Clayton County Police Department, McDonough Police Department, Henry County Sheriff’s Office, the Dekalb County Police Department and the Piedmont Walton Hospital Security Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Peach prosecuted the case for the Government.
SAN ANTONIO – An Indiana woman was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 300 months in prison for sexually exploiting a six-year-old child.
According to court documents, Veronica Solis, 35, of Valparaiso, produced child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in August and September 2019 with codefendant Gerald Talman Brann. An investigation showed that Solis and Brann sexually assaulted the child victim, recorded the sexual assaults using their cell phones, and then shared the CSAM with each other, as well as others. The two were arrested on March 14, 2023.
Solis pleaded guilty Dec. 5, 2023 and, on June 3, 2025, was sentenced by Judge Fred Biery.
Brann, who pleaded guilty to the same charge on Nov. 28, 2023, was sentenced in May 2024 to 360 months in federal prison by Judge Jason K. Pulliam.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI’s San Antonio and Indianapolis divisions investigated the case with assistance from the Indiana State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The remains of the missing boater on Cousins Lake have been found.
On April 10, RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment, fire and EHS responded to a report of a capsized boat on Cousins Lake. Of the two people in the boat, one man made it to shore.
An extensive search was conducted over several weeks, but they were unsuccessful in locating the missing boater.
On May 4, the man’s loved ones attended the lake in Devon and located human remains that were then recovered by ground search and rescue (GSAR) and fire services.
The Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service has confirmed that the remains are those of the 58-year-old boater from Truro. His death is not believed to be suspicious.
The man’s family, and the Nova Scotia RCMP, wishes to thank everyone involved, GSAR volunteers, fire services, the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association and Department of Natural Resources Air Services for their efforts in trying to locate the man.
Our thoughts are with the man’s loved ones at this difficult time.
HONOLULU – After a three-week trial before United States District Judge Jill A. Otake, a federal jury today found Paul Joseph Sulla, Jr., 78, Gary Charles Zamber, 55, and Rajesh P. Budhabhatti, 65, guilty of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and nine counts of honest services wire fraud. Sulla was additionally convicted of money laundering. Sentencing is set for October 7, 2025 for Zamber, October 8, 2025 for Budhabhatti, and October 21, 2025 for Sulla. The defendants were permitted to remain released on bail pending sentencing.
At trial, the evidence showed that Sulla and Zamber, both attorneys living on the island of Hawaii (“Big Island”), and Budhabhatti, a private businessman on the Big Island, paid bribes and kickbacks to Alan Rudo, a Housing Specialist for the Hawaii County Office of Housing and Community Development, in exchange for Rudo using his official position to ensure the County approved three affordable housing agreements (AHAs) benefitting the defendants’ development companies Luna Loa Developments, LLC, West View Developments, LLC and Plumeria at Waikoloa, LLC. Although the defendants promised in the AHAs to build affordable housing for the citizens of Hawaii County, their development companies never built a single unit. Through the AHAs, the defendants fraudulently obtained at least $10,980,000 worth of land and excess affordable housing credits (AHCs). From that amount, the defendants paid or attempted to pay Rudo approximately $1,931,778 in bribes and kickbacks.
The defendants were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, and nine counts of honest services wire fraud, each of which also carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. Sulla alone was charged with and convicted of money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Alan Rudo, who testified at trial, previously pled guilty in July 2022 to conspiring to commit honest services wire fraud in connection with the bribery and kickback scheme. Rudo is scheduled to be sentenced on August 13, 2025.
“Today’s verdict reiterates our unwavering message to those who bribe and attempt to buy the discretion of Hawaii’s public officials at the expense of the public’s trust and the integrity of our public institutions—you will be federally prosecuted and brought to justice,” said Acting United States Attorney Ken Sorenson. “Our office will continue to root out and vigorously pursue those who engage in public corruption or who violate their positions of public trust.”
“The defendants in this investigation defrauded their own community for personal financial gain,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “The corruption of government officials corrodes public trust and weakens our communities. The FBI will continue to aggressively pursue these cases to protect and maintain public trust and hold criminals accountable.”
“This verdict marks an important step toward accountability and reinforces the importance of integrity in public service,” said County of Hawaii Mayor Kimo Alameda. “We understand the impact this case has had on our community and remain committed to restoring trust. Since the initial findings, the Office of Housing and Community Development has taken concrete actions to strengthen internal controls, improve oversight, and ensure that public resources are managed responsibly and transparently. These changes reflect our commitment to kuleana— our shared responsibility—to serve with integrity and protect community resources.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mohammad Khatib and Margaret Nammar and Trial Attorney William Gullota, of the Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Public Integrity Section, prosecuted the case.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jonathan Jackson – Illinois (1st District)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHICAGO, IL — Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01) issued the following statement in response to the tragic death of Officer Krystal Rivera, a 6th District Chicago Police Officer who was fatally shot in the line of duty in the Chatham neighborhood:
“I am heartbroken by the senseless and tragic loss of Officer Krystal Rivera — a courageous public servant, a devoted mother, and a beloved member of our community. My deepest prayers and condolences go out to her family, her fellow officers in the Chicago Police Department, and all who knew and cherished her.
Officer Rivera embodied the very spirit of service, showing up each day to protect and care for the community she loved. Her life was taken far too soon in an act of violence that underscores the urgent crisis we face in Chicago and across the nation.
We must honor her memory not only with words but with action. That means delivering swift and full justice, but also taking bold, comprehensive steps to address the root causes of violence — poverty, trauma, lack of opportunity, and the widespread availability of illegal firearms.
No officer should lose their life while protecting our streets. No family should be forced to grieve a loved one due to preventable violence. We must move with urgency and compassion — investing in public safety, mental health services, youth programs, and economic development that strengthens our communities from the inside out.
Officer Rivera gave her life in service to Chicago. We must ensure her sacrifice is not in vain. May she rest in peace, and may her legacy live on in the work we do to build a safer, more just city for all.”
Congressman Jackson continues to work with local and federal partners to advance community-based safety strategies and legislation that supports law enforcement, addresses gun violence, and strengthens neighborhood resilience throughout Illinois’ 1st Congressional District.
Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
Amid Commerce Department’s stonewalling, senators ask GAO to investigate if Trump officials violated the law or engaged in misconduct & what officials are doing with funding Congress appropriated to serve minority enterprises & create jobs
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, joined U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) to slam the Trump Administration for its illegal dismantling of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). The senators asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate whether actions by Trump Commerce Department officials or others in the Administration violated Congressional directives, the extent to which they undermined MBDA’s Congressional mandate, and whether any officials have engaged in misconduct.
“On May 2, 2025, the White House released its recommendations on discretionary funding levels for fiscal year (FY) 2026, which expressly acknowledge that the Commerce Department under Secretary Howard Lutnick has ‘fully eliminated’ the MBDA,” the senators wrote in a letter to GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro. “Prior to this admission, my colleagues and I repeatedly raised concerns about the Department’s efforts to dismantle the MBDA unilaterally, particularly given Secretary Lutnick’s clear testimony during his confirmation hearing stating he did not support dismantling the agency. We sent multiple letters to Secretary Lutnick and the Department seeking basic information about the current state of the MBDA. To date, the Department has failed to substantively respond to any of our requests, and it is becoming increasingly clear that Department leadership is not taking these concerns seriously.”
The senators have raised concerns and demanded accountability and answers from the Trump Administration since the president issued his unlawful executive order. This letter follows a letter the senators wrote to Keith Sonderling, Acting Under Secretary for MBDA, demanding the Trump Administration detail its compliance with a May 13 federal court injunction ordering it to stop the illegal dismantling of the agency and reinstate its personnel and grantmaking capacities. The senators previously sent a May 1, 2025 inquiry to Sonderling to demand he promptly turn over key documents and information related to the dismantling of the MBDA and recent funding termination notices sent to all grantees by DOGE. On June 3, the senators also sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting that they investigate whether actions by Trump Commerce Department officials or others in the Administration violated congressional directives, the extent to which they undermined MBDA’s congressional mandate and whether any officials have engaged in misconduct.
In October 2024, Heinrich led the unveiling of a new, larger office space for the New Mexico Minority Business Development Center in Albuquerque to expand support for local businesses across the state as they create the types of careers New Mexicans can build their families around. Heinrich wrote the legislative provision that established and funded the New Mexico Business Center in 2020, securing more than $2.5 million in federal resources through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency for its staffing and programming.
In May, during the Senate Commerce hearing on the nomination of Paul Dabbar to be U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Luján pressed Mr. Dabbar on the dismantling of the MBDA by the Trump Administration and highlighted the successes of the MBDA. Luján championed an amendment in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to make the MBDA permanent. He also secured passage of a provision to double the funding level for the MBDA’s Rural Business Development Center Program and to expand this program’s eligibility to include all Minority-Serving Institutions, which will expand opportunities for New Mexico’s colleges and universities. Additionally, in 2021, Luján championed legislation to make permanent and expand the reach of the Minority Business Development Agency.
The text of the letter can be found HERE and below:
Comptroller General Dodaro:
We write to request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a review of the actions taken by the Trump Administration to dismantle the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), despite Congress statutorily authorizing the agency and appropriating funding to further its mission. A robust investigation by GAO would help shed light on whether officials at the Department of Commerce (Department) or elsewhere in the Administration circumvented the directives of Congress, the extent to which the MBDA’s ability to administer its grants and combat potential fraud has been undermined, and whether any officials have engaged in misconduct.
On May 2, 2025, the White House released its recommendations on discretionary funding levels for fiscal year (FY) 2026, which expressly acknowledge that the Commerce Department under Secretary Howard Lutnick has “fully eliminated” the MBDA. Prior to this admission, my colleagues and I repeatedly raised concerns about the Department’s efforts to dismantle the MBDA unilaterally, particularly given Secretary Lutnick’s clear testimony during his confirmation hearing stating he did not support dismantling the agency. We sent multiple letters to Secretary Lutnick and the Department seeking basic information about the current state of the MBDA. To date, the Department has failed to substantively respond to any of our requests, and it is becoming increasingly clear that Department leadership is not taking these concerns seriously.
The MBDA was created by Executive Order in 1969. In 2021, Congress statutorily authorized the MBDA in bipartisan legislation, the Minority Business Development Act of 2021 (MBDA Act), which was enacted as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In so doing, Congress directed the MBDA to, among other things, “enable the Federal Government to better serve the needs of minority business enterprises.” The bipartisan law also established a new Senate-confirmed position to lead the agency. By making the MBDA and its programs permanent, Congress made a deliberate decision to promote job creation, spur innovation, and support business owners from a variety of backgrounds.
Last Congress, the Congress funded the MBDA pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, which contained a $68.25 million appropriation for the “necessary expenses of the Minority Business Development Agency in fostering, promoting, and developing minority business enterprises, as authorized by law.” These investments have paid significant dividends: In FY 2024 alone, the MBDA helped the country’s more than 12 million minority businesses access over $1.5 billion in capital and create or retain approximately 23,000 jobs. That same level of funding has been appropriated through the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (P.L. 119-4).
Despite Congress’s clear statutory directive, on March 14, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order effectively eliminating the MBDA and certain other federal entities. In so doing, the Executive Order called for the head of the MBDA to submit a report to the Office of Management and Budget within seven days “confirming full compliance with this order and explaining which components or functions of the governmental entity, if any, are statutorily required and to what extent.” In the weeks that followed, the Trump Administration has unilaterally dismantled the MBDA—terminating effectively all its staff, canceling its grant programs, and removing its signage from the Department.
As part of these efforts, our offices reviewed a funding termination notice that was sent to an MBDA grantee by a member of Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) named Nate Cavanaugh, who was purportedly acting “Under the Authority of Keith Sonderling, Acting Undersecretary of MBDA.” In the notice, the Department claims the grant is being terminated because it “is unfortunately no longer consistent with the agency’s priorities and no longer serves the interests of the United States and the MBDA Program.” The termination notice further states that “MBDA is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President’s agenda.” The notice is silent about why the grants are inconsistent with the MBDA’s priorities and programs, which Congress, not the Department, set by statute. And the notice also suggests that the Department of Commerce or others in the Administration may be using funding appropriated for the MBDA for other, unrelated purposes.
Fortunately, on May 13, 2025, a federal district court issued a Preliminary Injunction requiring the Trump Administration to reverse its actions to eliminate the MBDA, including by restoring agency employees to their status prior to the Executive Order issued on March 14, 2025. However, the Trump Administration quickly appealed this order, making clear it intends to continue pursuing its efforts to fully eliminate the MBDA notwithstanding Congress’s clear directives.
It is essential that Congress and the public understand how the Trump Administration’s recent actions have affected the MBDA’s ability to carry out its statutory mission and obligations and to understand how funds appropriated to the MBDA are being used. Therefore, we are requesting your assistance to investigate activities that have occurred at MBDA since January 20, 2025, and report on the following:
A detailed review of all actions taken by the Department of Commerce, including any acting leadership, to “fully eliminate” or otherwise dismantle the MBDA, including any efforts to pause or halt MBDA work functions, lower or eliminate the agency’s budget, or otherwise reduce the resources available to MBDA to complete its work.
A detailed review of all actions taken by the any member of DOGE, including any volunteers, special government employees, contractors, or Department employees affiliated with DOGE, to “fully eliminate” or otherwise dismantle the MBDA, including any efforts to pause or halt MBDA work functions, lower or eliminate the agency’s budget, or otherwise reduce the resources available to MBDA to complete its work.
A detailed review of actions taken by the Department of Commerce, including MBDA leadership and acting leadership, to pause, halt, or terminate any grants or funding that were administered or approved by the MBDA as of January 20, 2025. Please include information on the involvement of DOGE or DOGE-affiliated employees, including any volunteers, special government employees, and contractors, in decisions to pause, halt, or terminate MBDA grants or funding.
A detailed review of the status of all MBDA grants, including:
The extent to which grants have been terminated or funds continue to be disbursed;
A description of the types of funded activities that are considered “consistent with the agency’s priorities” and that “serve the interests of the MBDA program”; and
A detailed explanation of how the MBDA intends to repurpose its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President’s agenda, including any specific program or activity that has received or is expected to receive repurposed funding.
A detailed review of actions taken by the Department of Commerce, including MBDA leadership and acting leadership, to reduce the MBDA’s workforce after January 20, 2025. Please include information on the involvement of DOGE or DOGE-affiliated employees, including any volunteers, special government employees, and contractors, in decisions to reduce the MBDA’s workforce.
A detailed review of the effects of recent Department of Commerce and DOGE actions on:
The operations of the MBDA’s statutorily created offices, how responsibilities are being allocated to any remaining staff, and the status of physical office space; and
The ability of the agency to fulfill its statutorily required functions under the Minority Business Development Act of 2021 (Division K of the Infrastructure and Investment and Jobs Act, Pub. L. 117-58), including but not limited to:
i. The MBDA’s statutory responsibilities for private and public sector development;
ii. The MBDA’s efforts to conduct research and provide outreach and educational services;
iii. The operation of the MBDA’s Business Center Program, Rural Minority Business Center Program, and the national network of public-private partnerships;
iv. The administration of the minority business development grants program;
v. The functioning of the Minority Business Enterprises Advisory Council; and
vi. The extent to which the Administration’s actions regarding MBDA are consistent with the statutory obligations under the Minority Business Development Act of 2021.
The ability of the agency to effectively administer its current grants, detect and prevent potential fraud in its programs, and cooperate with any investigations into potential fraud or other wrongdoing.
A detailed review of the Commerce Department’s or MBDA’s development and implementation of plans to reorganize, restructure, or eliminate the MBDA’s work, and how these plans may affect the Administration’s ability to meet its statutory responsibilities, including a review of which “components or functions” of the MBDA the Trump Administration found to be “statutorily required and to what extent,” pursuant to President Trump’s March 14, 2025, Executive Order on “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy.”
The Government of Saskatchewan is honouring its ongoing commitment to respond to the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was released on June 3, 2019. In the six years since the Report was released, the province has made significant progress in developing responses to and raising awareness about the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
“Our government is committed to addressing the critical issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and creating safe communities for all Saskatchewan residents,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Tim McLeod, K.C. said. “This includes targeted investments in programs and services to prevent and respond to missing persons and gender-based violence, and collaborating with Indigenous and community partners to build a future free from exploitation and abuse.”
Earlier this spring, Saskatchewan commemorated Missing Persons Week and Red Dress Day to honour those who have gone missing and show support for their families and loved ones.
In November of 2022, Saskatchewan endorsed the National Action Plan to End Gender Based Violence. The province was among the first in Canada to sign on to the federal National Action Plan to End Gender-Based violence (NAP), which provides $20.3 million over four years to enhance programs and services that address interpersonal violence and abuse.
“Indigenous women and girls embody strength, resilience and wisdom, yet they are disproportionately impacted by violence and abuse,” Minister Responsible for the Status of Women Alana Ross said. “Saskatchewan remains committed to preventing and ending this violence by expanding education and awareness, increasing Indigenous-led initiatives, and enhancing supports for survivors, families and communities.”
The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls+ (MMIWG+) Community Response Fund continues to provide $800,000 to Indigenous community-based projects that promote and enhance prevention and safety, with half of the funding provided by Women and Gender Equality Canada. Since 2022-23, 59 projects have received up to $40,000 in funding from the fund.
“The Government of Saskatchewan is committed to working alongside Indigenous communities to prevent gender-based violence and to support its victims,” Minister Responsible for First Nations, Métis, and Northern Affairs Eric Schmalz said. “From the very beginning, Indigenous knowledge, tradition and lived experience have guided the development and administration of the MMIWG+ Community Response Fund. The projects supported through the fund are often created and led by Indigenous communities, organizations and grassroots initiatives. Together, we work to support safety, healing and resilience across Saskatchewan.”
In addition, the Family Information Liaison Unit helps families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls navigate government processes to ensure that they can access support and information about their loved ones. Currently, the Unit supports over 170 families across the province.
The province’s Face the Issue campaign, designed to raise awareness and start conversations about the reality of interpersonal violence, continues to run across social media platforms. In 2024-25, the Government of Saskatchewan released a new public awareness campaign that focused on raising awareness of human trafficking in the province. Posters were placed in public sites across the province to connect with individuals who are most at risk of being trafficked.
Government also collaborates with and provides funding to 211 Saskatchewan to support its role as a 24/7 service referral platform for situations involving interpersonal violence and abuse, including sexual violence and human trafficking.
For additional information about Saskatchewan’s response to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, visit:
May 5 is Red Dress Day in Saskatchewan | News and Media | Government of Saskatchewan.
Government of Saskatchewan Proclaims Missing Persons Week | News and Media | Government of Saskatchewan.
Applications Open for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls+ Community Response Fund | News and Media | Government of Saskatchewan.
Government of Saskatchewan Releases Cross-Government Progress Report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls+ | News and Media | Government of Saskatchewan.
The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department said today that a life-saving attendant at the San Francisco Towers swimming pool on Ventris Road, Happy Valley is suspected of using a fraudulent life-saving attendant certificate.
The department elaborated that its officers, while verifying a batch of lifeguard records with the Hong Kong China Life Saving Society today, found that the credentials of a life-saving attendant on duty at the swimming pool on June 4 did not match the society’s records.
As the life-saving attendant’s qualifications are in doubt, and the swimming pool has allegedly failed to provide a sufficient number of qualified life-saving attendants as required by law, the department ordered the immediate closure of the pool. It is also considering prosecuting the pool licensee.
In addition to reporting the case to Police, the department notified the Property Management Services Authority to take parallel follow-up action.
The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department has implemented a series of enhancement measures from May 19 to further prevent the employment of unqualified life-saving attendants at private swimming pools. In May, it inspected 713 licensed swimming pools and verified the qualifications of 1,041 life-saving attendants with the Hong Kong China Life Saving Society.
Apart from the case in Happy Valley, no other irregularities regarding suspected employment of unqualified life-saving attendants have been identified, the department added.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — An illegally present Romanian national described in court documents as an “undeterred serial scammer” has been sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison and will face deportation proceedings after a joint U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation found he had stolen and used the personal banking information of hundreds of victims.
Mario Demarco, aka Marius Lupu aka David Adamec, 30, pleaded guilty in January to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He was sentenced June 3 to 33 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release. Additionally, the court ordered Demarco to pay restitution totaling $16,567.06.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations has lodged an immigration detainer and he will face removal proceedings after he has completed his criminal sentence.
Court documents show that beginning in October 2022, Demarco traveled up and down the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic installing skimming devices on ATMs. These devices intercepted hundreds of customers’ debit card and banking information, which Demarco used to create fraudulent debit cards. The bogus cards were then used to make unauthorized cash withdrawals, attempted withdrawals and purchases.
Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Demarco installed skimming devices on at least 10 ATMs and compromised at least 952 cards. Demarco owes restitution to 15 different banks.
ICE HSI Providence led the investigation with assistance from the Warwick Police Department, the Cranston Police Department, the East Greenwich Police Department, North Kingstown Police Department, the East Providence Police Department, the Boston Police Department, the New York City Police Department, and the Stratford Police Department in Connecticut.
An art dealer from London has been jailed after an investigation by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command revealed £140,000 of sales to a suspected financier of the proscribed group Hizballah.
Oghenochuko Ojiri 53 (05.05.72) of west London, was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday, 6 June after he admitted eight counts of failing to make a disclosure during the course of business within the regulated sector, contrary to section 21A of the Terrorism Act 2000.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said:
“This prosecution, using specific Terrorism Act legislation, is the first of its kind and should act as a warning to all art dealers that we can, and will, pursue those who knowingly do business with people identified as funders of terrorist groups.
“Oghenochuko Ojiri wilfully obscured the fact he knew he was selling artwork to Nazem Ahmad, someone who has been sanctioned by the UK and US Treasury and described as a funder of the proscribed terrorist group Hizballah.
“Financial investigation is a crucial part of the counter-terrorism effort. A team of specialist investigators, analysts and researchers in the National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit works all year round to prevent money from reaching the hands of terrorists or being used to fund attacks.”
Ojiri was arrested on 18 April 2023 in Wrexham on the same day the UK Government announced sanctions against Nazem Ahmad, a wealthy art collector, based in Lebanon, suspected of providing funding to Hizballah, a proscribed organisation.
Officers subsequently obtained a warrant to seize a number of artworks belonging to Ahmad held in two UK-based warehouses.
The artwork, including a Picasso and Andy Warhol paintings, were seized on 4 May 2023 and the NTFIU obtained a forfeiture order later the same year. The artwork, valued at almost £1 million, is due to be sold and the funds will be reinvested back into the police, CPS and Home Office.
The Met’s investigation into Ojiri was carried out in partnership with US Homeland Security, which is conducting a wider investigation into alleged money laundering by Ahmad using shell companies.
Officers from the NTFIU analysed a series of invoices for sales of art by Ojiri and identified that eight purchases were completed with names inserted on the invoices that were not Ahmad’s – despite Ojiri knowing the sale was being conducted for him and on his behalf.
The art market became regulated in 2019 under Anti-Money Laundering regulations. This brought the art market in line with other regulated sectors such as banking and solicitors. The regulator is HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
People who operate in the art market, like gallery owners, must be registered with the HMRC as an Art Market Participant (AMP), undertake due diligence and report any suspicions of money laundering or terrorist financing.
Detectives from the NTFIU recovered WhatsApp messages on Ojiri’s mobile phone from 31 January 2020, which showed Ojiri discussing the new money laundering regulations with a colleague.
Analysis of messages and web history on Ojiri’s mobile phone also showed that he was aware of the financial sanctions by the US Treasury against Ahmad due to his suspected involvement in being a high-level financier of Hizballah.
In police interview, Ojiri apologised for his actions but denied that money or greed were the motivating factors behind dealing with Ahmed, claiming it was the excitement and kudos of dealing with a ‘name’ in the art collecting world.
Ojiri pleaded guilty to the charges, which relate to a period from October 2020 to December 2021, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 9 May.
On Friday, 6 June Ojiri was sentenced to two years and six months’ imprisonment.
The prosecution, believed to be the first of its kind, followed an investigation by the NTFIU, alongside the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in HM Treasury, HMRC, and the Met’s Art and Antiques Unit.
Bethan David, Head of the CPS Counter Terrorism Division, said: “It is clear that Oghenochuko Ojiri was aware of new money laundering regulations in the art world and that he had knowledge of Nazem Ahmad’s background.
“Ojiri engaged in activity designed to conceal the identity of the true purchaser by changing the details on invoices and storing Mr Ahmad’s name under a different alias in his mobile phone.
“His motivation appears to be financial along with a broader desire to boost his gallery’s reputation within the art market by dealing with such a well-known collector.
“This prosecution is believed to be the first of its kind, and the CPS will not hesitate to bring criminal charges against individuals who flout the law in this way.”
Louise MacDonald, Deputy Director of Economic Crime at HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said:
“This landmark case clearly shows how government and law enforcement is effectively tackling those who may fund terrorism.
“As a money laundering supervisor, we know criminals prey on weaknesses. That’s why we work tirelessly with sectors like the art market to ensure they have the defences in place to stop criminals in their tracks.”
A murder investigation has been launched by Met detectives following the disappearance of a woman from Ilford.
Yajaira Castro Mendez, aged 46, was reported missing to police on Saturday, 31 May, having left her home on the morning of Thursday, 29 May.
Today, a man known to her appeared in court charged with her murder, and detectives are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart, who leads policing in Camden, said: “Officers have been working around the clock to find Yajaira. She has not been seen or heard from by her family or friends since the date she was reported missing.
“Yajaira’s disappearance was initially treated as a missing person investigation led by local officers. The investigation was then transferred to the Met’s Specialist Crime Command on Thursday, 5 June after a range of extensive further enquiries very sadly suggested she has come to harm. Yajaira’s family continue to be supported by specialist officers, and we are keeping them updated with developments.
“I understand the impact this news may have on our local community, however we do have a man charged and in custody and we are not searching for anyone else at this stage. The man and Yajaira are believed to be known to each other.
“Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances and there are crime scenes in place across Camden and Lambeth. We thank the community for their patience while we carry out our enquiries and ask that any one with information please comes forward.”
Yajaira is a Colombian national who has been residing in the UK.
Officers are appealing for anyone with any information relating to Yajaira’s disappearance to contact police via 101 or @MetCC quoting CAD 3020/06JUN25.
To remain 100 per cent anonymous call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit Crimestoppers-uk.org.
EL PASO, Texas – A federal jury in El Paso convicted a Venezuelan national for conspiracy to harbor aliens.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Marcel Eliezer Zapata-Colmenarez, 26, opened the door of his residence on Jan. 30 to find agents from the U.S. Border Patrol and other federal law enforcement agencies present. With Zapata-Colmenarez’s consent, the agents entered and searched the residence, finding piles of clothes on the floor, wet and muddy clothing hanging in a closet, and other signs consistent with harboring and smuggling illegal aliens. Zapata-Colmenarez also granted consent for agents to search his cell phone, leading to the discovery of proof-of-life videos—videos sent by recently-crossed illegal aliens acknowledging that they had been smuggled with the assistance of a smuggling network. Zapata-Colmenarez later admitted that he accepted an offer to harbor illegal aliens in his apartment and was paid $50 per alien.
Zapata-Colmenarez was arrested Jan. 30 and indicted on Feb. 26 for one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens and one count of harboring aliens for financial gain. His sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for Aug. 26, 2025, and he faces up to 10 years in federal prison along with a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case with assistance from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Wisniewski and Mathew Engelbaum are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Since the end of the cold war, the relevance of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) has regularly been questioned, even by its most prominent leaders. Its members, therefore, find it necessary to remind each other and the world of its value from time to time.
The latest example of this is the UK government’s new strategic defence review, which announces a “Nato-first” posture.
Nato has long been a cornerstone of UK foreign, defence and security policies. But this marks a particularly strident prioritisation of the organisation. It comes just a few years after Boris Johnson’s government began moving the country’s foreign and defence policy priorities towards the Indo-Pacific.
It tells us much about how Keir Starmer’s administration sees the UK’s place in the world in an unsettled era: as both an influential ally of the US and a reliable partner to European powers, eager to maintain regional and global influence.
Signed in 1949, the North Atlantic treaty committed its original 12 members to collective security: an attack on one would be an attack on all. In the shadow of the second world war, Nato went further than the nascent United Nations in its defence and security commitments. It brought together a somewhat eclectic mix of states straddling the Atlantic, from the North American behemoths of the US and Canada to tiny Iceland and Luxembourg, the dictatorship of Salazar’s Portugal and the democracies of Norway and Belgium.
The UK’s participation was largely heralded across an enthusiastic parliament. Winston Churchill, then leader of the opposition, praised this new “fraternal association”. The foreign secretary, Ernest Bevin, celebrated the community of interest [and] cooperation with like-minded people”. UK politicians saw Nato as a means to connect with the US and Canada in particular.
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The language at the time also reflected the casting of the Soviet Union as a threat to European security. Although the UK welcomed Nato as a liberal democratic organisation dominated by English-speaking peoples, its primary purpose was always to act as a strategic counterweight to the influence and encroachment of the Soviet Union in Europe. Hence the claimed irrelevance of Nato in the 1990s after the cold war, and its renewed importance today in the face of Russian aggression.
As always with UK foreign and defence policies, the relationship with the US is paramount. The UK’s Nato-first position is no exception. Starmer clearly believes he can forge a working relationship with the US president. Although seemingly far from natural bedfellows (although neither were John F. Kennedy and Harold Macmillan or even, politics aside, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher), Donald Trump appears unthreatened by the sober, understated Starmer.
The thought within Starmer’s foreign policy circle may well be that a loud and unequivocal statement of the UK’s commitment to Nato could help persuade Trump to stay the course with an organisation that he has often threatened to pull the US out of.
If, on the other hand, Starmer et al are more pessimistic and fear Trump making good on his threats, Nato clearly remains an attractive proposition in terms of the UK’s defence policy. While it does commit the UK to the defence of, say, the Baltic States and Finland, by the same token, Nato puts the UK in lockstep with fellow nuclear power, France, as well as the growing military power of Germany and significant others such as Turkey. In uncertain times, such allies are to be valued.
Global influence
Even before Brexit, a fear of losing global and regional influence has stalked every British government since 1945.
Questioning the wisdom of the departure from the EU remains a Westminster taboo. Yet one might forgive the incoming Labour government for feeling the chill of isolation while Trump occupies the White House and Russia threatens the continent. Nato thus also represents a valuable opportunity to retain regional and global influence. Note the language in Starmer’s introduction to the report when he refers to a desire to “lead in Nato”.
While the other defenestrated European colonial powers found post-1945 influence through the Francophonie or becoming leading civilian forces in what became the EU, the UK had the Commonwealth and Nato. These were the prime proxies for the lost colonial influence, even during the long EU interregnum.
Without the EU and with a more restive Commonwealth, Nato is of even greater importance. Although France’s president Emmanuel Macron is generally enthusiastic about Nato, there is a history of French ambivalence. The UK could well make the claim to be the most steadfastly committed of all the larger European members.
This renewed commitment to Nato from the UK government is consistent with the historic prioritisation of the organisation by successive administrations. The difference here is the urgency of the context: Europe faces an unprecedented military threat, while the US president is unpredictable and dubious in his attitude towards continental defence.
The Nato-first stance is a recognition of grim, strategic realities and also a “Hail Mary”, both pragmatic and hopeful. The UK is not alone in desperately hoping to keep the US commitment to European security alive. The strategic review’s commitment to a Nato-first policy may help – at the very least, it signals a UK administration keen to maximise its influence and retain robust ties with European allies.
Nick Whittaker does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The UK is facing a security crisis. Great power competition has returned, and the threat of hostility from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea is increasing. The west can no longer assume military superiority, and the UK can no longer depend unconditionally on the US. The character of war itself is changing as new technology is introduced.
This is the situation laid out in the latest strategic defence review. The implications for the UK are clear: the country must prepare for high-intensity, protracted war, not counter-insurgency operations like Iraq or Afghanistan.
In order to address these challenges, the review says, “the UK must pivot to a new way of war.” Nuclear weapons are important here, and will be renewed and expanded. But the recommendations in the review focus on conventional weaponry and, above all, new remote and autonomous technology.
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The ongoing Ukraine war underpins much of the thinking about the military changes the UK needs to make. That conflict has demonstrated a significant change in the character of 21st-century warfare. Most obviously, it has involved a proliferation of cheap, expendable remote systems, some of which have autonomous capabilities.
Remote first-person-view drones, and drones controlled by unjammable fibre-optic cables, have become ubiquitous on the frontline – reconnoitring, targeting and striking troops on both sides. They have made conventional strategic manoeuvres at the front almost impossible, while also striking civilian and military targets deep in Russia and Ukraine.
At sea, uncrewed naval drones have struck Russian shipping and infrastructure in Crimea. The Ukrainian armed forces have also developed a digital battle management system and live-data, AI-enabled targeting system, drawing together information from satellite, open-source, ground-sensor and signal intelligence. This has allowed Ukrainian commanders to see deeply across the battlespace, and target Russian forces with an unprecedented depth and precision.
As a result of remote systems enabled by digitised targeting, military forces have become exponentially more lethal in close battle – and also in the deep.
The strategic defence review aims for the UK to incorporate these two elements into its war-fighting capabilities, recommending massive investment in remotely controlled and autonomous systems.
It calls for the UK to create a “leading, tech-enabled defence power”. Part of this involves integrating UK forces and the construction of a unified “digital targeting web”. This would be fed by sensors from every domain (land, air and sea) so that all forces have access to the same intelligence and a common operating picture. The idea is that a target identified in one domain might be prosecuted by forces in another, to “enhance the Armed Forces’ precision and lethality at scale and reach”.
In order to achieve this, the review also calls for improved and more innovative relationships between British defence, tech and industry. Once again, a lot has been learnt from Ukraine, whose industrial and tech sectors have been integrated into the war from the start.
The missing link
The review’s authors – three external experts led by former defence secretary and Nato chief, Lord Robertson – are correct to highlight the increasing importance of remote (and sometimes autonomous) systems in warfare. They are clear that military forces should increasingly draw on live data, processed by artificial intelligence, to help them understand the battlespace, plan and target. The UK must remain competitive with peer enemies who are developing these capabilities.
However, even assuming that all of this is affordable at 2.5% of the UK’s GDP from 2027 (a 0.2% rise from where defence spending is now), there is a serious gap in the review’s proposals.
As a scholar who has studied war in the 21st century, and has just completed a book on AI and war, I believe the document vastly overexaggerates the capability of AI and autonomy. For example, it states:
In modern warfare, simple metrics such as the number of people and platforms deployed are outdated and inadequate. It is through dynamic networks of crewed, uncrewed, and autonomous assets and data flows that lethality and military effect are now created.
This analysis presumes that autonomy will be vital in the future, and implies it will displace the need for large numbers of human combatants. In fact, true autonomy is still rare in combat – and will remain so, according to my research.
Even if autonomous drone swarms appear, they will not eliminate the need for human programmers or operators behind the frontline. AI has limited military functions which require a huge amount of human input.
Defence secretary John Healey being shown unmanned and autonomous units on a demonstration. UK MOD Crown Copyright 2025
The review prioritises preparedness for protracted inter-state war. But it ignores the blindingly obvious from Ukraine: the imperative of mass.
The Ukrainian frontline combat forces have expanded to about 300,000 – Ukraine claims its whole force, including allied fighters, is around 1 million. There are about 400,000 Russian combat troops in Ukraine. Casualties have been eye-watering: the Russians have suffered about 800,000 casualties, the Ukrainians nearly 500,000.
In my view, the strategic defence review has been mesmerised by the prospect of new technology – and, perhaps, by some wishful thinking.
In 21st-century war, troop mass matters. Fleets of drones and the most sophisticated digital targeting will be irrelevant without human forces willing to fight and to operate them.
What is the review’s answer to this? While acknowledging that in the cold war, the British fielded forces of 311,000, UK regular armed forces are to remain the same size: 136,000, of which the army will consist of only 73,000 troops and staff.
The review proposes that active reserves (volunteer, part-time forces) will be increased by 20%, and that the strategic reserve (ex-regulars) “is central to military mobilisation and must be reinvigorated”.
It is not surprising that the review’s authors have offered such thin solutions to the question of mass. There has been profound resistance from successive governments, Whitehall and civil society to any expansion in the size of British military forces in the UK. But it is doubtful that an expanded reserve and a reinvigorated strategic reserve will be remotely enough for the UK to fight and win a war of any kind in the coming decade.
Anthony King does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey on Friday announced she is tapping Cynthia Lee Almond to serve as president of the Public Service Commission. This fills the seat previously held by Twinkle Cavanaugh, who has taken a role with the Trump Administration.
“Cynthia has proven to be an extremely effective public servant and leader, and I am confident the people of Alabama will be even better served when she takes the helm at the Public Service Commission,” said Governor Ivey. “Since 2021, I have been able to count on Cynthia to get real, meaningful work done in the Legislature, and while I know the people of Tuscaloosa will miss her representation in the State House, every person across this state will now benefit from her leadership on the Public Service Commission.”
As president, Almond will lead the three-person board responsible for regulating utilities in Alabama. Almond is a seasoned attorney and currently works in the private practice of law. She also takes the helm at the Public Service Commission after serving as a Republican member of the Alabama House of Representatives for District 63.
Almond brings a wealth of experience to the Public Service Commission and has a solid track-record of serving the people she represents well, whether that be in the House of Representatives or as an attorney. She works directly with a variety of people through her legal work, which has largely concentrated on estate planning, as well as probate, business law and real estate. Additionally, she owns a title company. In the State House, she served as chair of the Tuscaloosa County Local Legislative Delegation and as a member of the Ways and Means Education Committee, Judiciary Committee, Rules Committee and as vice-chair of the Ethics and Campaign Finance Committee.
Throughout her tenure in the Legislature, Almond has been a partner to Governor Ivey on priorities like the governor’s Safe Alabama public safety package, the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences, and the Game Plan economic development legislation, among other areas.
Almond is a true public servant, well-respected and recognized as a strong leader by her peers. Previously, she served four terms on the Tuscaloosa City Council where she was elected president pro tem by her colleagues on the Council, as well as chair of the Finance committee.
“I am honored to have been asked by Governor Ivey to fill this important position. It is one I accept with great enthusiasm,” said Almond. “I know how important this commission is to the people of Alabama and to the industry sectors it regulates. I believe my training as an attorney and legislator will prove to be helpful in performing this role. I appreciate greatly the confidence shown in me by Governor Ivey, and I will work hard for her and for this great state of Alabama.”
Almond attended Vanderbilt University and is a graduate of both The University of Alabama and University of Alabama School of Law.
Born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Almond gives much back to the community today. She is a graduate of Leadership Alabama and was co-chair for its West Alabama Regional Council. She serves as a Sunday School teacher at First United Methodist Church, has two children and enjoys a variety of activities from playing the piano and tennis to mountain bike riding and more.
Since 2021, she has represented the people of House District 63 effectively and plans to vacate her seat in the Legislature on Sunday, June 15 ahead of joining the Public Service Commission. The Public Service Commission appointment is effective Monday, June 16, which is when the governor will swear her in as president.
An official headshot of Cynthia Lee Almond is attached.
Kevin Colantonio, 36, pleaded guilty in February 2025 to malicious damage by means of fire, obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs, and two counts of assault on a federal officer. He was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr., to more than six years in federal prison. He intentionally set multiple fires around the exterior of a predominantly black church in North Providence, RI, in February 2024, and assaulted two federal correctional officers while detained at a federal detention center following his arrest.
“This defendant acted with disdain against people of faith and complete disregard for law enforcement officers,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to vigorously prosecute anti-Christian bias in the United States and ensure Americans are free to worship without fear.”
Colantonio previously admitted to a federal judge that on Feb. 11, 2024, he used gasoline and a lighter he purchased minutes earlier at a gas station within walking distance of Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries, to ignite five fires around the exterior of the church. The fires were quickly extinguished by North Providence officers, but not before the church sustained some damage.
During a Feb. 15, 2024, court-authorized search of Colantonio’s residence, an accelerant detection canine indicated a positive reaction on several items of seized clothing. These items matched the clothing Colantonio was wearing on the night of the arson, based upon surveillance footage. Colantonio admitted to setting the fires and assaulting the corrections officers.
Acting U.S. Attorney Sara Miron Bloom for the District of Rhode Island and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter I. Roklan for the District of Rhode Island and Taylor Payne of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
The fires set at the Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with members of the North Providence, RI, Police Department and the Rhode Island State Fire Marshal’s Office. The assault of the federal officers was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service.
PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a North Park, North Dakota, man and a Bismarck, North Dakota, woman who were convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencings took place on June 2, 2025.
Richard Rasmusson, age 44 , was sentenced to ten years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was further ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Leslie Apple, age 40, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. She was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Rasmusson and Apple were indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024. Rasmusson pleaded guilty on November 4, 2024. Apple pleaded guilty on November 18, 2024.
These convictions stemmed from drug distribution activity that occurred between January 2024 and April 2024. During that time period, Rasmusson and Apple took methamphetamine from North Dakota to distribute in the Mobridge, South Dakota, area. On April 5, 2024, Rasmusson and Apple were arrested in Mobridge while possessing 104 grams of pure methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the FBI Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Mobridge Police Department, and the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
Both Rasmusson and Apple were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted David Fowler, age 49, of Aberdeen, South Dakota, of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on June 4, 2025.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in federal prison and/or a $1,000,000 fine, up to life on supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
David Fowler was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024.
In March and April 2024, investigators with the Brown County Sheriff’s Office conducted three controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Fowler, in amounts ranging from 10-21 grams. Authorities then obtained a search warrant for Fowler’s home, where 56 grams of methamphetamine were located. Fowler’s supplier was also arrested en route to his residence with an additional 344 grams of methamphetamine. The investigation revealed the methamphetamine was being mailed from California to a local source in Aberdeen, where it was then sold to sub-distributors, including Fowler. In total, Fowler purchased five packages of methamphetamine, totaling 2.5 pounds.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, the Aberdeen Police Department, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing will take place on September 8, 2025. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
ATLANTA – Juan Perez-Maldonado and Francisco Garcia Gomez, both illegal aliens from Mexico, appeared in federal court on June 4, 2025, following their arrests on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Garcia Gomez and a third illegal alien from Mexico, Filemon Hernandez-Jijon, were also charged with possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully present in the United States.
“Our law enforcement partners worked swiftly to disrupt a suburban drug lab, seize numerous firearms, and arrest two illegal aliens allegedly responsible for manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Criminals who traffic illegal drugs in our communities will be identified, found, and prosecuted with deliberate speed.”
“DEA remains focused on keeping America safe and protecting the homeland from by removing dangerous drugs from our communities and bringing criminals to justice,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Division. “Keeping our communities safe is our highest priority.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On June 3, 2025, DEA agents saw Filemon Hernandez-Jijon allegedly supply two kilograms of methamphetamine to a drug customer in the Smyrna, Georgia area. Law enforcement later observed Hernandez-Jijon traveling to and from a mobile home located in Marietta, Georgia.
Hours later, DEA agents executed a federal search warrant at the mobile home and encountered Juan Perez-Maldonado and Francisco Garcia Gomez there. A third person fled the scene. Inside the mobile home, agents discovered an active laboratory used to convert liquid methamphetamine into a crystal-like form, as well as at least 13 kilograms of what appeared to be the finished drug product. In addition, agents located two handguns, including one hidden in the tank of a toilet, and money remitter receipts bearing Garcia Gomez’s and Hernandez-Jijon’s names. Outside the home, agents recovered acetone, several empty coolers, and other materials commonly used to produce crystalized methamphetamine.
In connection with this investigation, agents executed another federal search warrant at an apartment in Smyrna. In a baby’s crib, agents located a bag containing a loaded Glock pistol, two additional loaded firearm magazines, and identification for Perez-Maldonado. Elsewhere in the apartment, agents found a Springfield XD firearm and a mechanical press used to press powder into kilogram bricks.
The investigation further revealed that Perez-Maldonado and Hernandez-Jijon had been previously deported and removed from the United States.
Hernandez-Jijon is currently a fugitive. If you have any information on the whereabouts of Hernandez-Jijon, please contact your local law enforcement agency.
Members of the public are reminded that the complaint only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with valuable assistance provided from the Marietta-Cobb-Smyrna Narcotics Unit and the DeKalb County Police Department – HIDTA Task Force.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Schwarzl and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebeca M. Ojeda are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6000. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by eight years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Anthony Coker, 48, on June 4, 2025.
According to information presented to the Court, between July 2022 and June 2023, Coker supplied cocaine and crack cocaine to members of the Drizzy Gang, who then redistributed the drugs in the Hill District neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Stickman stated that the defendant’s crimes victimized addicts, their families, and the Hill District neighborhood, and encouraged the defendant to turn his life around following his sentence.
Assistant United States Attorney Katherine C. Jordan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Coker.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
