NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hamden Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Narcotics in Southwestern Connecticut

    Source: US FBI

    David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTIAN PICHARDO, also known as “Swerve,” “Craig,” and “Bobby Shmurda,” 30, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics in southwestern Connecticut.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department identified Pichardo as a significant distributor of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack, and narcotic pills in southwestern Connecticut.  During the investigation, investigators intercepted calls and text messages between Pichardo, his associates, and their drug customers over court-authorized wiretaps, made controlled purchases of narcotics, and seized drugs from Pichardo, his associates, and drug customers.  Some of the drugs seized during the investigation had been cut with fentanyl analogues and xylazine, a large animal tranquilizer.  The investigation also revealed that Pichardo maintained a residence on Norman Street in Bridgeport to store narcotics.

    On July 17, 2024, a grand jury in Bridgeport returned a superseding indictment charging Pichardo and seven others with controlled substances offenses.

    Pichardo has been detained since his arrest on August 5, 2024.  On April 3, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and quantities of cocaine, heroin, and other opioids.

    This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and Kenneth L. Gresham through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Washington Field Office Releases Seeking Information Posters for Senior Iranian Intelligence Officers Involved in the Abduction of Robert A. Levinson

    Source: US FBI

    The FBI Washington Field Office today released seeking information posters featuring three senior Iranian intelligence officers who were involved in the abduction of retired FBI Special Agent Robert A. “Bob” Levinson from Kish Island, Iran, on March 9, 2007. The release of the posters is part of the FBI’s ongoing investigation into Iranian officials who allegedly played roles in Bob’s abduction and Iran’s attempt to obfuscate its responsibility.

    Reza Amiri Moghadam, also known as Ahmad Amirinia, is the current Iranian ambassador to Pakistan. He previously led the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security’s operations unit. When Moghadam held this role, MOIS agents in Europe reported to him in Tehran.

    Taghi Daneshvar, also known as Sayyed Taghi Ghaemi and Sayeed Taghi Gha’emi, is a high-ranking MOIS officer involved in counterespionage activities. He oversaw the work of Sanai, also known as Mohammad Baseri, during the timeframe when Bob disappeared.

    Gholamhossein Mohammadnia is a senior MOIS deputy who was the Iranian ambassador to Albania in 2016. He was expelled from Albania in December 2018 for “damaging its national security.” He led an effort to blame Bob’s disappearance on a terrorist group in Pakistan’s Baluchistan region to shift blame away from the Iranian government.

    “These three intelligence officers were among those who allegedly facilitated Bob’s 2007 abduction and the subsequent cover-up by the Iranian government. Bob likely later perished in captivity far away from his family, friends, and colleagues,” said FBI Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Steven Jensen. “The FBI will continue its relentless pursuit to hold anyone involved in his abduction to account for their reprehensible actions.”

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Delta Airlines Pays $8.1 Million To Settle Lawsuit Alleging Misuse of Pandemic-Relief Funds

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    ATLANTA – Delta Airlines, Inc. (“Delta”) paid $8.1 million to the United States to settle claims that the company violated conditions Congress placed on federal relief funds provided to Delta under the Payroll Support Program (PSP). The PSP was created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to provide financial support to airlines and other businesses. Under the terms of the PSP, companies that accepted federal relief money had to impose compensation caps on highly paid executives. The United States alleges that Delta violated these caps and then falsely certified that it had abided by them.

    “When companies accept federal assistance, especially generous pandemic-relief funds like those at issue here, they owe a duty to the American people to respect the conditions placed on those funds,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We will continue to enforce all available laws to punish the misuse of taxpayers’ money.”

    The investigation began when a third-party financial researcher filed a whistleblower lawsuit under the False Claims Act referred to as a qui tam suit. The False Claims Act is a federal law that imposes civil liability on any person who submits false claims to the federal government or its contractors. The law imposes treble damages and civil penalties on those who submit false claims. Under the law, whistleblowers (also called “relators”) who bring fraud to the government’s attention share in any recovery obtained by the government.

    In this case, the whistleblower alleged that Delta violated the terms of the PSP. The PSP was created in early 2020 as part of the CARES Act to offer domestic airlines and other businesses money in the forms of grants and low-interest loans issued and administered by the Treasury Department. To obtain PSP funding, businesses were required to limit compensation paid to executives who had earned more than $425,000 in 2019. This condition was imposed by Congress to prevent executives from receiving substantial compensation packages after their companies accepted taxpayer-funded support.

    Delta received approximately $11.9 billion in PSP funds, including at least $8.2 billion in the form of grants that did not have to be repaid. To receive this money, Delta agreed to abide by the CARES Act’s compensation caps until April 2023. However, the whistleblower alleged that, between March 2020 and April 2023, Delta paid some corporate officers amounts that exceeded the caps set by the agreements. Delta then allegedly falsely certified its compliance with the caps and failed to notify the Treasury Department of its breach of the agreement.

    This settlement announced today also resolves the qui tam lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, United States ex rel. H. Remidez, LLC v. Delta Airlines, Inc., No. 1:23-CV-1116. The relator will receive $825,000 from the settlement in this matter, plus attorney’s fees.

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General.

    The civil settlement was reached by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony DeCinque and Trial Attorney James Nealon and former Senior Trial Counsel Dan Spiro of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ponte Vedra Man Posing as a Tutor Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity

    Source: US FBI

    Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Kevin Patrick Wilson (39, Ponte Vedra) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted enticement and coercion of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Wilson pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025.

    According to court documents, on July 20, 2024, a social media user posted a public message in a Facebook group seeking a tutor for a child. On the day of the post, an individual posing as a woman, but later identified as Wilson, reached out and directed the poster to contact her “husband,” Wilson, by text message. The poster contacted Wilson and had a short text conversation. The poster said she was seeking tutoring assistance for an 11-year-old child. Wilson sent a photo of himself and asked for a photo of the child. The text message conversation ended shortly thereafter. The poster later contacted the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office about the interaction. 

    On July 24, 2024, an undercover detective posing as the guardian of a 12-year-old female “child” reached out to Wilson about tutoring services for the “child.”  After the undercover detective initiated the conversation, Wilson began discussing sexual topics involving the “child” and meeting the “child” to perform sexual acts with the “child.” Wilson also spoke to undercover detectives portraying the 12-year-old child via phone and text message. Wilson and the undercover detective portraying the guardian of the “child” ultimately agreed to meet during the evening of July 24, 2024, for Wilson to engage in sexual acts with the “child.” Wilson traveled to the predetermined meeting location and was arrested.

    This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

    It is another case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Wilmington Man Sentenced to 144 Months for Interstate Kidnapping Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    WILMINGTON, Del. – Julianne E. Murray, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that the Honorable Richard G. Andrews sentenced Donnie Taylor, 21, to a period of 144 months of incarceration on July 11, 2025, for his role in an interstate kidnapping.

    According to the court documents, in the early hours of October 17, 2022, Donnie Taylor, of Wilmington, Delaware, conspired with an unnamed juvenile and Kyaire Finch to lure the victim to a New Castle parking lot on the promise of sex. Once there, Taylor and Finch punched the victim in the head and robbed him of his wallet and cell phone. They then used a banking application on the victim’s cell phone to transfer $1,400 from the victim to themselves. Finch then restrained the victim in the back seat of a vehicle while the Taylor drove the group across state lines to the victim’s home in Pennsylvania.

    Once they arrived at the victim’s Pennsylvania apartment complex, Finch continued to restrain the victim in the parking lot while Taylor and the juvenile coconspirator invaded the victim’s apartment. Before Taylor and the juvenile coconspirator returned to the parking lot, the victim broke free from Finch and Finch fled the area.

    Inside the apartment, Taylor encountered and assaulted a second victim, causing lacerations to his face and head. Taylor and the juvenile coconspirator stole $865 and various items, such as a Sony PlayStation 5, from the apartment. Taylor then fled to Delaware after escaping a miles-long pursuit with the Pennsylvania State Police.

    After they returned to Delaware, Taylor then assaulted a 68-year-old woman, stole her keys, and then stole her vehicle. Taylor and the juvenile coconspirator then fled to Georgia in the stolen vehicle. While on the lam, Taylor wrote a “Fugitive to-do list” on his phone, reminding himself to “get a new phone. Burner phone.”

    On October 20, 2022, Taylor engaged in a high-speed chase with Georgia State Police in the stolen vehicle, nearly causing a crash and running red lights. Georgia State Police immobilized the car using a PIT maneuver, Taylor fled on foot but was quickly apprehended.

    U.S. Attorney Murray stated, “This was a disturbing case that began with deception and ended in brutality. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of those actions and delivers a measure of justice for the victims. I want to commend the swift, coordinated efforts of the FBI, state, and local authorities whose dedication ensured the defendant was apprehended and held accountable. Our communities are safer because of their dedication, and combined with my office, we remain committed to protecting the public from violent offense wherever they may hide.”

    “Donnie Taylor’s dangerous and violent crime spree spread through multiple states for several days. He acted with zero regard for the safety of anyone who crossed his path, and actively plotted ways to hurt others, steal from them, and get away with it. He now faces the consequences for his shameful actions thanks to concerted efforts of law enforcement from Delaware to Georgia. This sentence should serve as a message to Taylor, and others seeking to harm, that the FBI and our partners will not tolerate violence and will ensure you are held accountable,” said FBI Baltimore Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin P. Pierce and Carly A. Hudson prosecuted the case. The FBI’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force, New Castle County Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Georgia State Police investigated this case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-CR-60.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Inmate Sentenced to Additional Seven Years in Prison for Threatening U.S. Probation Officer in Chicago

    Source: US FBI

    CHICAGO — A federal inmate has been sentenced to an additional seven consecutive years in prison for threatening a U.S. Probation officer in Chicago.

    GLENN BOWDEN was incarcerated in a federal prison in 2023 when he mailed a letter threatening to injure a U.S. Probation officer. The officer had conducted a presentence investigation of Bowden prior to Bowden’s sentencing on a federal robbery conviction in 2022.  Bowden was serving a nine-year federal sentence in the robbery case.

    In addition to the threatening letter, Bowden authored a letter purportedly from his prison chaplain and caused it to be filed with the Court in support of a motion for compassionate release.  The chaplain had no knowledge of the letter. When interviewed by the FBI, Bowden falsely claimed that he did not type or send the letter to the Probation officer and that he knew nothing about the Chaplain’s letter or who wrote it.

    Bowden, 64, most recently of Riverdale, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to mailing a threatening communication, obstructing an official proceeding, and willfully making false statements to the FBI.  On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Martha M. Pacold sentenced Bowden to seven years and three months in prison, which must be served after the completion of his sentence for the robbery case.

    The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois.  The Federal Bureau of Prisons provided valuable assistance.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Merin and Kirsten Moran.

    “Threats against Court personnel and other federal staff have no place in our system of justice,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “The sentence that the Court imposed in this case should send a clear message that such reprehensible conduct will be met with harsh punishment.”

    “Threatening to assault federal personnel is a grave offense that risks the safety of all those who selflessly choose to protect and serve our communities,” said FBI SAC DePodesta.  “Any attempt to elicit violence against the federal workforce will be met with swift and full action by our dedicated law enforcement and prosecutorial partners.”

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Westminster Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Federal Prison in Connection with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Crimes

    Source: US FBI

    Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson sentenced Rodney Gaines, 35, of Westminster, Maryland, today, to 23 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. A federal jury found Gaines guilty back on April 4, of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and two counts of distribution of cocaine.

    Judge Abelson also found that Gaines ordered and arranged the murder of a man in Westminster, Maryland, on January 31, 2022.  The court applied sentencing guideline enhancements on the grounds that Gaines’s drug offenses involved firearms and violence or threats of violence, and that he served in a leadership role in the drug conspiracy.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr. Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP); Sheriff James T. DeWees, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Thomas Ledwell, Westminster Police Department.

    Evidence presented at trial included wiretaps that revealed Gaines arranged sales of cocaine to various customers.  During the recorded conversations, the cocaine was referred to in coded phrases such as “powder,” “8-balls,” “balls,” and the “sister,” among other terms.  Law enforcement also seized quantities of cocaine from Gaines’s customers after he sold to them. 

    The wiretaps also showed that Gaines sold cocaine in conspiracy with numerous accomplices, including people who he directed to deliver cocaine to customers; prepared the crack cocaine by “cooking” powder cocaine into crack; and hid drugs at various locations, including burying the drugs in wooded areas around Westminster.  Near the end of the investigation, law enforcement recovered more than $250,000 in cash in apparent drug proceeds from a storage unit that another member of the conspiracy acquired.  The jury found that the conspiracy involved 280 grams or more of cocaine base, which carries a 10-year mandatory minimum to a life sentence in prison.

    Additionally, the defense presented evidence at trial that proved Gaines’s activities — and the activities of his conspiracy — involved firearms, including Gaines’s efforts to acquire firearms from co-conspirators in January 2022. 

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, MSP, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and Westminster Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai N. Everett and Michael C. Hanlon who prosecuted the federal case.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md  and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

    # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Bozeman Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking

    Source: US FBI

    MISSOULA – A Bozeman man accused of sending threatening emails to a student at Montana State University admitted to charges yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    The defendant, Rex Wu, Jr., 23, pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking. Wu faces 5 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.

    U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. U.S. District Court Judge Dana L. Christensen will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing has been set for November 6, 2025. Wu was released on conditions pending further proceedings.

    The government alleged in court documents that the MSU Police Department contacted the FBI in February 2023 because a student was receiving harassing and threatening communications. The emails were racially charged and included threats to kill the student and other members of the campus group she was affiliated with. The messages were sent from several accounts, including some on platforms that make it difficult to identify the owner. Law enforcement eventually identified Wu as the likely culprit by linking an IP address at a local apartment to him, as well as online donation records and various Gmail accounts. FBI agents interviewed Wu in Bozeman on February 27, 2025, and he admitted sending several harassing emails to the MSU student.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Starnes prosecuted the case. The FBI and Montana State University Campus Police conducted the investigation.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Neshoba County Man Pleads Guilty to Two Counts Sexual Abuse of a Minor

    Source: US FBI

    Jackson, MS – On July 1, 2025, a Neshoba County man pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse of a minor.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon and Robert Eikhoff, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Jackson Office, made the announcement.

    According to court documents, Quindon Bailey John, 23, engaged in sexual contact with two female minors who were older than 12 years old but younger than 16 years old at the time of the offenses. Court records show that the offenses occurred in the Conehatta Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation in 2023 and 2024. 

    John is scheduled to be sentenced on November 4, 2025, and faces up to fifteen years in prison on each count. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian K. Burns and Kevin J. Payne prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Delta Airlines Agrees to Pay $8.1M to Settle Alleged False Claims Act Violations Related to Payroll Support Program

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Delta Air Lines Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, has agreed to pay $8,100,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by awarding compensation to certain corporate officers and employees that exceeded the compensation limits Delta agreed to as part of its participation in the Department of the Treasury’s Payroll Support Program (PSP).

    The PSP was established by Congress in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to provide payroll support to passenger and cargo air carriers and certain contractors for the continuation of payment of employee wages, salaries, and benefits. The program was administered by the Department of Treasury (Treasury), and participating air carriers were required to enter into written agreements with Treasury that imposed certain conditions in exchange for the receipt of PSP funds. Among other program requirements, PSP agreements included limitations on the amount of compensation that PSP participants could pay to certain corporate officers and employees earning annual compensation in excess of $425,000. 

    Delta entered into PSP agreements with Treasury in 2020 and 2021, under which Delta agreed to the PSP compensation limits. The settlement resolves allegations that, between March 2020 and April 2023, Delta awarded compensation to some corporate officers and employees that exceeded the limits set by the PSP agreements. Delta allegedly violated the False Claims Act by inaccurately certifying compliance with PSP requirements in quarterly reports submitted to Treasury, as well as by not notifying Treasury of the breach once it was discovered by Delta, which would have given the government the right to demand the return of funds.

    “The PSP was intended to provide critical assistance to the airline industry during the pandemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to holding accountable those who failed to abide by the terms and conditions governing their receipt and use of federal funds.” 

    “When companies accept federal assistance, especially generous pandemic-relief funds like those at issue here, they owe a duty to the American people to respect the conditions placed on those funds,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia. “We will continue to enforce all available laws to punish the misuse of taxpayers’ money.”

    “Our criminal investigators have been at the center of this investigation as a core part of our responsibility to safeguard the integrity and efficiency of Treasury programs and operations, and we remain steadfast in our determination to hold recipients of public funds to the highest standards,” said Treasury Deputy Inspector General Loren Sciurba.

    The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by H. Remidez LLC. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. H Remidez LLC  v. Delta Air Lines Inc., No. 1-23-cv-01116 (N.D. Ga.). The whistleblower will receive $850,500 in connection with the settlement.

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, with assistance from the United States Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General.

    The matter was handled by Trial Attorney James Nealon and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony DeCinque for the Northern District of Georgia.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Delta Airlines Agrees to Pay $8.1M to Settle Alleged False Claims Act Violations Related to Payroll Support Program

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Delta Air Lines Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, has agreed to pay $8,100,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by awarding compensation to certain corporate officers and employees that exceeded the compensation limits Delta agreed to as part of its participation in the Department of the Treasury’s Payroll Support Program (PSP).

    The PSP was established by Congress in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to provide payroll support to passenger and cargo air carriers and certain contractors for the continuation of payment of employee wages, salaries, and benefits. The program was administered by the Department of Treasury (Treasury), and participating air carriers were required to enter into written agreements with Treasury that imposed certain conditions in exchange for the receipt of PSP funds. Among other program requirements, PSP agreements included limitations on the amount of compensation that PSP participants could pay to certain corporate officers and employees earning annual compensation in excess of $425,000. 

    Delta entered into PSP agreements with Treasury in 2020 and 2021, under which Delta agreed to the PSP compensation limits. The settlement resolves allegations that, between March 2020 and April 2023, Delta awarded compensation to some corporate officers and employees that exceeded the limits set by the PSP agreements. Delta allegedly violated the False Claims Act by inaccurately certifying compliance with PSP requirements in quarterly reports submitted to Treasury, as well as by not notifying Treasury of the breach once it was discovered by Delta, which would have given the government the right to demand the return of funds.

    “The PSP was intended to provide critical assistance to the airline industry during the pandemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to holding accountable those who failed to abide by the terms and conditions governing their receipt and use of federal funds.” 

    “When companies accept federal assistance, especially generous pandemic-relief funds like those at issue here, they owe a duty to the American people to respect the conditions placed on those funds,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia. “We will continue to enforce all available laws to punish the misuse of taxpayers’ money.”

    “Our criminal investigators have been at the center of this investigation as a core part of our responsibility to safeguard the integrity and efficiency of Treasury programs and operations, and we remain steadfast in our determination to hold recipients of public funds to the highest standards,” said Treasury Deputy Inspector General Loren Sciurba.

    The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by H. Remidez LLC. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. H Remidez LLC  v. Delta Air Lines Inc., No. 1-23-cv-01116 (N.D. Ga.). The whistleblower will receive $850,500 in connection with the settlement.

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, with assistance from the United States Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General.

    The matter was handled by Trial Attorney James Nealon and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony DeCinque for the Northern District of Georgia.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Berks County Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robberies of Reading Gas Stations, Credit Union

    Source: US FBI

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mikal Portalatin, 34, of Reading, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge John M. Gallagher yesterday to one count of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of armed bank robbery.

    The defendant was indicted on those charges in January 2024, in connection with three armed robberies in Berks County in the second half of 2022:

    • July 27, 2022; Citgo gas station convenience store, 200 block of Buttonwood Street
    • August 3, 2022; Sunoco gas station convenience store, 1500 block of Lancaster Avenue
    • November 21, 2022; Members First Credit Union, 500 block of E. Lancaster Avenue

    During the July robbery, Portalatin discharged his firearm at an employee who chased him as he fled; no one was hit.

    The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on October 30 and faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment.

    The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency, the Cumru Township Police Department, and the Reading Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rosalynda M. Michetti and Kelly Lewis Fallenstein.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: US FBI

    Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Benjamin Crawford (47, Brandon) has pleaded guilty to distribution of child sexual abuse material. Crawford faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 25, 2025.

    According to the plea agreement, Crawford, a local attorney, distributed child sexual abuse material over a social media application and possessed child sexual abuse material on his cellphone and laptop. Crawford has agreed to his phone and laptop, which were used in the commission of the offense.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Tampa and Tennessee. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ovidio Guzman Lopez—Son of ‘El Chapo’ and a Head of Sinaloa Cartel—Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Charges in Chicago

    Source: US FBI

    CHICAGO – OVIDIO GUZMAN LOPEZ, who succeeded his father—Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as “El Chapo”—as one of the heads of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Chicago to federal drug charges.

    Guzman Lopez, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of drug conspiracy and two counts of knowingly engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.  The guilty plea was entered as part of a multi-district plea agreement with the government that resolves charges against Guzman Lopez brought by grand juries in the Northern District of Illinois and the Southern District of New York.

    U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman did not set a sentencing date.  Guzman Lopez has been detained without bond following his extradition from Mexico to the United States in 2023.

    The guilty plea is the result of a collaboration between the Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and prosecutors from the Northern District of Illinois, Southern District of New York, and Southern District of California, as well as law enforcement partners from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

    The guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Jay Clayton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Adam Gordon, United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, Jose A. Perez, Assistant Director of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division, Steven Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Ray Rede, Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Arizona, and Robert Murphy, Acting Administrator of the DEA.  Substantial assistance in the investigation was provided by IRS Criminal Investigation, the Justice Department’s Offices of International Affairs and Enforcement Operations, and the U.S. Marshals Service.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Erskine, Erika Csicsila, and Michelle Parthum of the Northern District of Illinois; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley, Jane Y. Chong, Sarah L. Kushner, and David J. Robles of the Southern District of New York; Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sutton of the Southern District of California; and Trial Attorney Kirk Handrich of NDDS.

    The guilty plea was announced as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve various law enforcement goals, including the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), as well as 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).

    “Today’s historic guilty plea sends yet another crystal-clear message that this Administration is going to shut down and hold accountable transnational criminal organizations and their highest-ranking members and associates,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Under my leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of drug cartels, several of which, including the Sinaloa Cartel, have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations.  Our enforcement work will also extend to drug trafficking organizations, narcotics traffickers, and other dangerous criminal enterprises that seek to poison the American public with illegal and harmful drugs.  Our successes stem from our close partnership with federal prosecutors across the country as well as our tight collaboration with our many law enforcement partners.”

    As heirs to the Sinaloa Cartel, Guzman Lopez stated in his plea agreement that he and his three brothers, collectively known as “the Chapitos,” assumed their father’s leadership role following El Chapo’s arrest in 2016 and subsequent conviction in the Eastern District of New York.  Guzman Lopez admitted in the plea agreement that he coordinated the transportation of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs and precursor chemicals from Mexico to the United States border, at times in shipments of hundreds or thousands of kilograms.  Guzman Lopez used a network of couriers affiliated with the cartel to smuggle the drugs into the United States using vehicles, rail cars, tunnels, aircraft, and other means, the plea agreement states.

    After the drugs were distributed throughout the United States, individuals working for Guzman Lopez used bulk cash transport, wire transfers, trade of goods, and cryptocurrency to launder the illicit proceeds and ensure that the money was transmitted to Guzman Lopez and other members of the cartel in Mexico, the plea agreement states.  Guzman Lopez admitted that he and his cartel associates perpetrated violence against law enforcement officials, civilians, and rival drug traffickers in order to protect the cartel’s drug trafficking activities.

    As part of his plea agreement, Guzman Lopez agreed to the entry of an $80 million forfeiture money judgment.

    “Today’s guilty plea is another major step toward holding the Sinaloa Cartel and its leaders accountable for their role in fueling the fentanyl epidemic that has plagued so many Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Clayton.  “We remain committed to dismantling the Cartel’s entire fentanyl infrastructure and ensuring that the Chapitos and their violent organization can no longer flood our communities with this poison.”

    “With each passing day, you are seeing the sunset of the Sinaloa cartel,” said U.S. Attorney Gordon.  “The Chapitos’ latest violence reflects their fading future.  Their leaders who remain free are now paranoid, distrusted and desperate.”

    “The guilty plea by Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of ‘El Chapo,’ is a real victory for both the United States and Mexico but also a clear win for the rule of law,” said HSI Acting SAC Rede.  “So much blood and violence lay with the Guzman family as well as spreading terror and plaguing both sides of the border with deadly drugs and weapons–no more.  It’s impossible to measure the amount of work HSI and partner agencies have spent in securing this guilty verdict, but what is clear and evident is that no one is beyond the reach of law enforcement and our nation’s laws.  Deliberate and coordinated teamwork resulted in today’s victory.”

    Guzman Lopez’s three brothers—IVAN ARCHIVALDO GUZMAN SALAZAR, JESUS ALFREDO GUZMAN SALAZAR, and JOAQUIN GUZMAN LOPEZ—were also charged with drug trafficking in U.S. indictments. Joaquin Guzman Lopez was arrested last year and remains detained in U.S. custody without bond.  He pleaded not guilty to charges filed in the Northern District of Illinois and is awaiting trial.  Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar are charged in both the Northern District of Illinois and Southern District of New York. They are not in custody and warrants have been issued for their arrests.  The U.S. State Department has issued rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to their arrests and convictions.  [See the reward information here and here.]

    The public is reminded that the charges against Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez are merely allegations.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Judge in Chicago Sentences Corrupt Confidential Informant to 13 Years in Prison

    Source: US FBI

    CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man who cultivated a corrupt relationship with a federal law enforcement agent while trafficking cocaine has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison.

    In 2018, GARY HOWARD, 48, of Oak Lawn, Ill., attempted to purchase ten kilograms of cocaine.  Unbeknownst to Howard, the seller was confidentially working on behalf of law enforcement.  When the pair met in the parking lot of a furniture store in Chicago, Howard possessed more than $133,000 in a backpack and offered to buy half of the cocaine. Howard was arrested, and a subsequent search of his residence turned up more than $106,000 in cash, a drug ledger, and a loaded handgun.

    At the time of the attempted drug deal, Howard was a registered confidential informant for Homeland Security Investigations and his handler was Special Agent Anthony Sabaini.  Howard and Sabaini had cultivated a corrupt relationship in which Howard paid Sabaini thousands of dollars in exchange for sensitive law enforcement information and protection from other law enforcement agencies.

    A federal jury last year convicted Howard of drug conspiracy and attempted drug possession.  On July 2, 2025, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger sentenced Howard to 13 years in federal prison.

    Sabaini was convicted in 2023 of illegally structuring financial transactions, concealing material facts from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and filing false federal tax returns.  He was sentenced in October 2023 to more than six years in federal prison.

    The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division.  Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, and IRS Criminal Investigation.

    “The Sabaini-Howard partnership stained the reputation of HSI and law enforcement at large, as their actions eroded the public trust,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan L. Shih and Jared Hasten argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Corrupt confidential informants and those who work to corrupt federal law enforcement will be held accountable.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Elmo Man Sentenced to 32 Years’ Imprisonment After He Shot a Rifle at Federal Agents

    Source: US FBI

    EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge sentenced a St. Elmo man to 32 years in federal prison after he shot at law enforcement agents serving an arrest warrant at his residence in Fayette County.

    Dax Baldrige, 47, pleaded guilty in January to seven counts of assault of a federal officer, two counts of using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Following imprisonment, he will serve five years of supervised release.

    “Law enforcement officers are brave, underappreciated, and underpaid heroes who risk their lives every day to protect others,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Those, like Dax Baldrige, who target our officers for violence represent a form of evil against the very foundation of society. Few things are as serious, and our office will bring the full weight of federal law to bear, relentlessly pursuing the harshest prison terms to hold such people accountable.”

    On Oct. 17, 2022, task force members with the U.S. Marshals Service attempted to serve an arrest warrant for Baldrige at his residence in Fayette County. When they arrived, the officers knocked and gave Baldrige an opportunity to present himself for arrest.

    As they began to make entry to the residence, Baldrige used a stolen short barrel rifle equipped with 60 rounds of ammunition to shoot through the wall of his residence, nearly striking multiple officers. All agents were able to retreat from the residence safely and without injury.   

    “We are pleased that this case has been adjudicated. We want to thank the Illinois State Police, the ATF, and all our partner agencies for their steadfast commitment to our mission. We also want to extend our sincere appreciation to the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Illinois, who successfully prosecuted this case and brought it to a successful conclusion,” said U.S. Marshal David C. Davis. “This case continues to illustrate the inherent dangers of this profession, and we continue to be grateful that none of our task force members were injured during the arrest of Baldrige.”

    After firing at officers, Baldrige barricaded himself in his residence and engaged in a standoff with law enforcement that lasted over 10 hours. 

    “The defendant’s decision to open fire on law enforcement showed a blatant disregard for human life and the safety of the surrounding community. This sentence sends a clear message—violence against law enforcement will not be tolerated. ATF is grateful to our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who assisted in bringing this individual to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon, ATF Chicago Field Division.

    Following his arrest, investigating agents conducted a search of Baldrige’s residence and recovered nine firearms including six rifles, a revolver, two pistols and ammunition.

    “When law enforcement officers, who have selflessly taken an oath to safeguard the public, are literally fired upon while trying to protect communities from known offenders, those individuals must be held accountable,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly.  “We appreciate the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s diligence in pursuing justice and supporting officers who put their lives on the line every day.”

    “When someone opens fire on law enforcement, they’re not just attacking an individual; they’re attacking the very foundation of our community’s safety and security,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher J.S. Johnson. “The sentence imposed sends an unequivocal message: such aggression against those who protect us will be met with the full force of justice.”

    The U.S. Marshal Service Great Lakes Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, the Illinois State Police, the FBI Springfield TOC West Task Force and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Arshi prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Guilty of Carjacking

    Source: US FBI

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –MILTON CARTER (“CARTER”), age 34, pleaded guilty on July 8, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry to carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1).

    According to court documents, on April 21, 2023, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers responded to a 911 call that CARTER was in the parking lot of a business on Bienville Street threatening to shoot his romantic partner. When officers arrived, CARTER was wearing a backpack with a Ruger Model EC9S nine-millimeter handgun inside. The Ruger handgun was stolen during a carjacking at a retail establishment on St. Bernard Ave. approximately 36 hours earlier. The victim of the carjacking identified CARTER in a photo line-up as the perpetrator of the carjacking. As the victim was getting out of her car to walk into the store, CARTER approached with a sawed-off shotgun pointed at the head of the victim and commanded the victim to get out of the vehicle. CARTER then drove off in the victim’s car. When the car was recovered, the Ruger handgun CARTER possessed when he was arrested was missing from the glove compartment.

    CARTER faces up to 15 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Guilty of Being Felon in Possession of Firearms

    Source: US FBI

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – HAVEN PATTERSON (“PATTERSON”), age 42, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on July 8, 2025 to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).

    According to court records, on February 27, 2025, PATTERSON intentionally possessed a loaded 40 caliber semi-automatic handgun and a loaded .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun.  PATTERSON is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior Louisiana State conviction.

    The offense is punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.  Sentencing is scheduled for October 7, 2025.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chandra Menon of the of the Public Integrity Unit.

    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).

    *     *    *

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ypsilanti Man Pleads Guilty in Online Refund Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    DETROIT – Mubasher Riaz, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Riaz was engaged in an online refund scheme from July 2017 through his arrest in November 2023, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.

    Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.

    According to court records, defendants Mubasher Riaz and his brother, Muzzammil Riaz, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud earlier this year. Muzzammil Riaz pled guilty to his lesser role in the scheme on June 4, 2025. As part of their pleas, both defendants admitted to purchasing online goods using fraudulent identities, virtual private networks, different electronic devices, and other means intended to avoid fraud detection by online vendors. The defendants purchased goods from hundreds of vendors, including cell phones, tablets, electronic doorbells, and clothing. After receiving the purchased goods, defendants submitted refund claims, falsely claiming the purchased goods were defective. Despite submitting a refund, the defendants did not return the purchased goods. Instead, the defendants shipped back an empty box, a counterfeit item, or alternative item such as a book that matched the expected shipment weight of the return. Mubasher Riaz would then resell the unlawfully obtained goods for profit.

    FBI agents uncovered the scheme while executing a search warrant at the home of Mubasher Riaz in November 2023. At the time, Mubasher was under investigation for sexual exploitation of children. Agents found evidence of fraud in plain view in the home, including over 40 cell phones and 30 tablets that were individually labeled with the personal identifying information of different identities used for the fraud scheme. The total loss incurred by online vendors was over $400,000.

    While the defendants used numerous accounts, some of the more common accounts used to make the online purchases and fraudulent refunds include the following:

    Law enforcement believes many possible victims of the scheme exist. Potential victims are encouraged to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at www.fbi.gov/mubasherriazvictims

    (Please note that the link to the website is case sensitive).

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Zurek.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: North Platte Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Guadalupe Ramirez, 40, of North Platte, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 3, 2025 in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for Conspiracy to Distribute 500 grams or more of Methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Ramirez to 324 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ramirez is released from prison, he will begin a 10-year term of supervised release.

    Beginning in 2021, special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and task force officers with the Cooperative Organization for Drug Enforcement (CODE) began a large-scale investigation into drug dealing in central and west-central Nebraska. Ramirez, also known as “Shrek,” quickly emerged as a key player in a multi-state drug trafficking conspiracy that saw methamphetamine being trafficked into Nebraska mainly through mailings originating from California and Mexico. Members of the conspiracy would receive the mailed packages loaded with narcotics and distribute the drugs throughout Nebraska, including as far east as Omaha. At the time of sentencing, the Court found between 15 and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine were moved through Nebraska as a part of this conspiracy.

    The investigation also revealed an association between Ramirez and firearms. Ramirez’s Facebook profile included discussions between himself and others in the conspiracy about firearms and a public video of Ramirez discharging a firearm out the window of a vehicle he used to deal drugs.

    While imposing the sentence, Judge Bazis commented that Ramirez was essentially “the second in command” of this operation and told Ramirez that “a lot of drugs moved through Nebraska because of you.”

    The years’ long investigation that led to this conviction was recognized by the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)’s 2024 Community Impact Operation of the Year. In presenting the award, Midwest HIDTA Director Dan Neill noted that the case was up against other jurisdictions with much larger cities, including St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri. The award recognized the hard work of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies during this investigation.

    FBI Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, “The trafficking of drugs into our communities is not a victimless crime. It has a destructive effect on our neighborhoods and families. The investigation of Ramirez and his co-conspirators resulted in 36 federal indictments, 22 local arrests, the seizure of illicit drugs, cash, and firearms, and dismantled a pernicious drug trafficking organization in central Nebraska. We’ll continue to join forces with our partners to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations in both urban and rural communities across the state, and to impose consequences on those responsible for selling drugs to mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters in our community.”

    U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods said, “The outstanding work of the CODE Task Force demonstrates that full prosecutorial and investigation collaboration can accomplish tremendous outcomes in the interest of making Nebraska an even safer place for its citizens to call home.”

    These cases were investigated by the CODE Task Force which is made up of law enforcement agencies throughout a 22-county area in west-central/southwest Nebraska and includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nebraska State Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, North Platte Police Department, Lexington Police Department, and Army National Guard Counter Drug Unit.  The investigation and arrests were also assisted by the U.S. Postal Service, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, Ogallala Police Department, La Vista Police Department, the Tri-Cities Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT) Task Force, the Western Intelligence Narcotics Group (WING) Task Force, the Capitol Region Safe Streets Task Force (CRSSTF), the Lincoln/Lancaster County Metro Fugitive Task Force, the Lincoln and Keith County Attorney’s Offices, and Nebraska District 11 Probation Office.   

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Scottsdale Man Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Prison for Fraud

    Source: US FBI

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Brandon Scott Menaged, 22, of Scottsdale, Arizona was sentenced on July 9, by Senior United States District Judge David G. Campbell to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay $751,000 in restitution. Menaged previously pleaded guilty to Wire Fraud.

    Between January 2023 and December 2024, Menaged defrauded multiple victims by soliciting their money for investments that did not exist. For example, Menaged misrepresented to victims the nature of the investments and referenced phantom investors to convince the victims to provide him with funding. Meanged then diverted victims’ funds for his personal expenses. When victims asked Menaged to return their funds, he provided them with a series of excuses for why the funds could not be returned or blocked their communications. Through this scheme, Menaged fraudulently received $1,000,000 from victims and used the money to fund his lavish lifestyle by gambling at casinos, traveling internationally, and purchasing luxury vehicles, firearms, and Rolex watches.

    The FBI’s Phoenix Division conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Kevin M. Rapp, District of Arizona handled the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-01974- PHX-DGC
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-112_Menaged

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: District of Arizona Charges 147 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

    Source: US FBI

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from July 5, 2025, through July 11, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 147 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 71 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 57 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 16 cases against 19 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

    Recent matters of interest include:

    United States v. Ismael Viera-Villa:  On July 7, 2025, Border Patrol Agents working along State Route 83 attempted to stop and conduct an immigration inspection on the driver of a Dodge Ram truck after noticing suspicious behavior. The driver of the truck, Ismael Viera-Villa failed to yield, so agents deployed a vehicle immobilization device to stop the vehicle. Inside the truck, agents found seven individuals in the back seat who were trying to hide under the floor mats and backpacks. Agents learned that the back seat passengers and the front seat passenger, Fausto Gil-Cruz, were citizens of Mexico and Guatemala, all illegally present in the United States. Gil-Cruz was identified as the group’s foot guide that led the illegal aliens to the Dodge Ram truck. Viera-Villa and Gil-Cruz were both charged by criminal complaint with Conspiracy to Transport an Illegal Alien for Profit. [Case Number: 25-MJ-06416]

    United States v. Carlos Meza-Alcantar:  On July 7, 2025, Border Patrol Agents were conducting surveillance of a residence that was suspected of being used in human smuggling operations. Agents observed two vehicles driving in tandem towards the residence. One of the vehicles pulled into the garage while the other waited in the driveway. Several minutes later, the vehicle that had been in the garage left, and both vehicles drove in tandem until they pulled into a warehouse where semi-trucks were parked. A few minutes later, both vehicles left the warehouse, and then a semi-truck departed shortly thereafter. Agents investigated the area where the semi-truck had been parked and noticed several sets of footprints leading to the trailer. Agents at a nearby Border Patrol checkpoint encountered the same semi-truck and a Border Patrol canine alerted to the trailer. Agents inspected the trailer and discovered 14 individuals hiding inside. All 14 individuals were determined to be illegally present in the United States. The driver of the semi-truck was identified as Carlos Meza-Alcantar. Meza-Alcantar was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien for Profit. [Case Number: 25-MJ-06415]

    United States v. Blademir Angulo Audeves:  On July 8, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested Blademir Angulo Audeves, who was charged by criminal complaint for violations of Harboring of an Illegal Alien, Knowingly Employing Unauthorized Aliens, Improper Entry by an Alien, and Alien in Possession of a Firearm. HSI executed four federal search warrants after a five-month investigation into Angulo’s business practices which revealed that he was employing at least twelve unlawfully present aliens. Angulo also harbored several of the illegal aliens at his residence. During the execution of the search warrant, agents found three firearms in Angulo’s bedroom closet. Angulo, a Mexican national, is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition as an illegal alien. [Case Number: 25-MJ-3297]

    These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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).

    A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-115_July 11 Immigration Enforcement

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: SOUTHERN STAR ’25: 27th Special Operations Wing projects power with partners in Chile

    Source: United States SOUTHERN COMMAND

    SANTIAGO, Chile — From the sunbaked airstrips of Antofagasta to the bustling port of Valparaíso and the icy channels of Punta Arenas, elite troops from six nations dove into SOUTHERN STAR ’25, Latin America’s premier multinational special operations exercise. Designed around a simulated United Nations stabilization mandate, the event brings together special forces from Chile, the United States, Spain, Argentina, Colombia, and Paraguay, with ten additional nations participating as observers.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Panamanian and U.S. medical experts change lives aboard the USNS Comfort

    Source: United States SOUTHERN COMMAND

    For three years, Jesús, a local bus driver from Colón, wore a cap to hide the large, painful scars on his ears. The disfigurement was a lingering reminder of a devastating vehicle accident that changed his life. This week aboard the Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), he received reconstructive surgery that marked a new beginning, thanks to a combined team of U.S. and Panamanian medical professionals.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defendants Sentenced for Trafficking Methamphetamine in Middle Georgia

    Source: US FBI

    Investigation Began Following 11-Kilo Meth Seizure in Macon; Fentanyl Mixtures Seized

    MACON, Ga. – Four defendants involved in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy in Macon responsible for pushing kilogram quantities of the illegal drug into the community were sentenced to federal prison today for their crimes.

    Denzelle Diangelo Willis, 34, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 278 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Willis previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on March 24.

    James Richard Fuller, 33, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 181 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Fuller previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on March 24.

    Julio Cesar Mendez, aka “Migo,” 29, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 135 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Mendez previously pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine on March 24.

    Deion Jocoley Howard, 31, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 53 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Howard previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on March 24.                         

    The sentencing hearings occurred on July 10 before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell. There is no parole in the federal system.

    “All those associated with these criminal organizations pushing large quantities of the most deadly and addictive drugs into the Middle District of Georgia will find their cases in federal court,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Our office is working closely with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to make our communities safer.”

    “This case represents the continued commitment of the DEA to identify and hold accountable those who engage in the distribution of dangerous drugs,” said Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “These defendants had total disregard for their actions that far too often have tragic consequences.”

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents, with assistance from the Bibb, Peach and Monroe County Sheriff’s Offices, began investigating a drug trafficking organization operating in Macon in November 2022, after FBI agents seized nearly eleven kilograms of methamphetamine resulting from a separate investigation into Julian Coker’s drug trafficking organization (for more information about this case, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/leader-armed-drug-trafficking-organization-sentenced-28-years-prison). DEA agents learned that Willis and Mendez sold methamphetamine and heroin throughout the Macon area. Between February and March 2023, agents used Confidential Informants (CI) to conduct three methamphetamine buys from Mendez and two heroin buys from Willis; the substances were later tested and contained fentanyl.

    Using court-authorized wiretaps and surveillance, agents discovered Mendez maintained a stash house on Melbourne Street in Macon and supplied ounce quantities of methamphetamine and marijuana to a network of street-level dealers. Howard was a freelance illegal drug broker in Macon who facilitated drug transactions between mid-level dealers and upper-level suppliers. Howard connected Mendez with Willis’s methamphetamine supply. Willis obtained kilogram quantities of methamphetamine from a source in the Atlanta area for distribution in the Macon area. Fuller was Willis’s courier for resupply trips and deliveries to mid-level dealers.

    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 case was investigated by the DEA with assistance from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Peach County Sheriff’s Office.

    Criminal Chief Leah E. McEwen prosecuted the case for the Government.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Troup County Payroll Manager Charged with Embezzling Over $500,000 in Government Funds

    Source: US FBI

    NEWNAN, Ga. – Wesleigh Gaddy, 35, of Hogansville, Ga., appeared in federal court today on a charge of theft from a program receiving federal funds.                                                                                          

    “Gaddy allegedly stole more than half a million taxpayer dollars by exploiting the personal information of dozens of former Troup County employees,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Such corruption is outrageous, and our office is committed to prosecuting anyone who manipulates a position of public service for unlawful private benefit.”

    “Misappropriating public funds is a betrayal of the public trust and authorities granted with a role of public service,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI is committed to holding those accountable who abuse this trust and their position for their own gain.”

    “As a public servant, Gaddy used her entrusted position to steal the identities of county employees to access taxpayers’ money for her benefit,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents will continue investigating public officials and servants who steal from the taxpayers they are supposed to serve.”

    According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In April 2025, a Troup County Sheriff’s Office deputy reported a discrepancy with his paycheck to the Troup County Board of Commissioners, which manages Troup County’s finances and is a recipient of federal funding. Specifically, the deputy noted that an employee portal showed several direct deposit payments were made to him when he did not work for the county and never received those payments.

    A review of the county’s payroll data showed that, between March 2023 and May 2025, while Wesleigh Gaddy was Troup County’s payroll specialist, hundreds of payments, totaling more than $500,000, were withdrawn from county funds for the purported benefit of more than 75 former Troup County employees. But those funds were directed to only three banking accounts, and none of the employees worked for the county at the time of the payments. The complaint filed on July 3, 2025 alleges that Gaddy controlled at least one of the recipient accounts and that, when interviewed by law enforcement, Gaddy admitted to stealing funds from Troup County’s payroll and sending the money to her own accounts.

    Members of the public are reminded that the complaint only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

    This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. The Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office referred the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for federal investigation.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert and Garrett Bradford are prosecuting the case.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: A Message From the United States Attorney to the Residents of Ruidoso, New Mexico: Combating Disaster-Related Fraud

    Source: US FBI

    ALBUQUERQUE – The recent flooding in Ruidoso, New Mexico, has brought devastating loss and hardship to our community. Lives have been lost, homes and businesses have been destroyed, and many families are facing an uncertain future. In the midst of this tragedy, we have witnessed countless acts of generosity and resilience as neighbors, volunteers, and organizations step forward to help those in need.

    Unfortunately, history teaches us that disasters like this also attract individuals seeking to exploit the situation for personal gain. Fraudulent activity undermines recovery efforts and diverts critical resources away from genuine victims.

    Past disasters have shown that fraud can take many forms, including:

    • Individuals not affected by the flooding who attempt to claim disaster benefits.
    • The creation of fraudulent charities or the diversion of donations intended for legitimate relief organizations.
    • Fraudulent applications for rebuilding grants and loans, such as those offered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

    Our office has zero tolerance for those who seek to steal from disaster victims or misuse funds meant for recovery. We have established a Disaster Fraud Working Group, which includes the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Secret Service, HUD, SBA, Postal Inspectors, Internal Revenue Service, and U.S. Marshals Service. This group is actively reviewing potential cases and will work closely with the New Mexico Department of Justice, local and tribal law enforcement, and community partners to ensure that fraudsters are brought to justice.

    Anyone considering disaster-related fraud should be aware that federal law—specifically, 18 United States Code, Section 1040—provides for penalties of up to 30 years in federal prison.

    We urge the public to remain vigilant. If you observe suspicious activity or suspect fraud, please report it immediately. The National Disaster Fraud Hotline is available toll-free at (866) 720-5721, or you may email disaster@leo.gov. The hotline operates 24/7.

    Together, we can protect our community and ensure that help reaches those who truly need it.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: United Kingdom Citizen Extradited to Face Charges in $99 Million Wine Fraud

    Source: US FBI

    Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, James Wellesley was arraigned following his extradition from the United Kingdom (UK), where he was arrested in 2022.  In 2022, Wellesley, along with his co-defendant Stephen Burton, was charged with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy in connection with a scheme perpetrated through Bordeaux Cellars, a company he and Burton operated.  Wellesley was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy. Burton was extradited from Morocco in 2023 and is currently pending trial.  Wellesley was ordered detained pending trial. 

    Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York) announced Burton’s arraignment. 

    “Today’s arraignment sends a message to all perpetrators of global fraud schemes that my Office will work tirelessly to ensure they answer for crimes committed in the United States,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “We will not rest in our efforts to seek justice for victims of fraud.”

    “James Wellesley and his business partner allegedly concocted an elaborate scheme defrauding investors out of millions of dollars to finance their own personal expenses. Their alleged deceit spread across years and continents,” stated FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge Raia.  “Today’s arraignment signals to all criminals that the FBI will practice the same resolve in bringing perpetrators to justice.” 

    “James Wellesley and his co-conspirator are accused of masterminding their nearly $100 million international fraud scheme that exploited the unsuspecting public, including New Yorkers, for their own selfish enrichment. As alleged, the defendants claimed Bordeaux Cellars boasted a high-value wine stockpile and a clientele of ‘high-net-worth wine collectors’ – and in turn profited handsomely – all while they swindled investors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Patel.  “Let it be known, regardless of the nature of the transnational criminal scheme, HSI New York, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to adapt and evolve to fight global and domestic financial crimes wherever and whenever possible.”

    The indictment alleges that from at least June 2017 and continuing through February of 2019, the defendants posed as executives Bordeaux Cellars.  The defendants solicited investors, including residents of the Eastern District of New York, at, among other places, investor conferences held in the United States and overseas.  The defendants claimed to investors that Bordeaux Cellars brokered loans between investors and high-net-worth wine collectors that would be fully collateralized by high-value collections of wine.  The defendants promised that investors would receive regular interest payments from the borrowers, and that Bordeaux Cellars would keep custody of the wine, securing the loans while the loans were outstanding.  As alleged, these representations were lies, the “high-net-worth wine collectors” did not actually exist, and Bordeaux Cellars did not maintain custody of the wine purportedly securing the loans.  Instead, the defendants used incoming loan proceeds to make fraudulent interest payments to investors and for their own personal expenses, resulting in $99 million dollars’ worth of misdirected funds. 

    The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison. 

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing Wellesley’s arrest and extradition from the UK.  This Office thanks UK authorities for their assistance in this matter.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section.  Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Weintraub is in charge of the prosecution. 

    The Defendants:

    STEPHEN BURTON
    Age: 58
    United Kingdom

    JAMES WELLESLEY
    Age: 56
    United Kingdom

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-79 (PKC)

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  • MIL-OSI Security: United Kingdom Citizen Extradited to Face Charges in $99 Million Wine Fraud

    Source: US FBI

    Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, James Wellesley was arraigned following his extradition from the United Kingdom (UK), where he was arrested in 2022.  In 2022, Wellesley, along with his co-defendant Stephen Burton, was charged with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy in connection with a scheme perpetrated through Bordeaux Cellars, a company he and Burton operated.  Wellesley was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy. Burton was extradited from Morocco in 2023 and is currently pending trial.  Wellesley was ordered detained pending trial. 

    Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York) announced Burton’s arraignment. 

    “Today’s arraignment sends a message to all perpetrators of global fraud schemes that my Office will work tirelessly to ensure they answer for crimes committed in the United States,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “We will not rest in our efforts to seek justice for victims of fraud.”

    “James Wellesley and his business partner allegedly concocted an elaborate scheme defrauding investors out of millions of dollars to finance their own personal expenses. Their alleged deceit spread across years and continents,” stated FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge Raia.  “Today’s arraignment signals to all criminals that the FBI will practice the same resolve in bringing perpetrators to justice.” 

    “James Wellesley and his co-conspirator are accused of masterminding their nearly $100 million international fraud scheme that exploited the unsuspecting public, including New Yorkers, for their own selfish enrichment. As alleged, the defendants claimed Bordeaux Cellars boasted a high-value wine stockpile and a clientele of ‘high-net-worth wine collectors’ – and in turn profited handsomely – all while they swindled investors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Patel.  “Let it be known, regardless of the nature of the transnational criminal scheme, HSI New York, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to adapt and evolve to fight global and domestic financial crimes wherever and whenever possible.”

    The indictment alleges that from at least June 2017 and continuing through February of 2019, the defendants posed as executives Bordeaux Cellars.  The defendants solicited investors, including residents of the Eastern District of New York, at, among other places, investor conferences held in the United States and overseas.  The defendants claimed to investors that Bordeaux Cellars brokered loans between investors and high-net-worth wine collectors that would be fully collateralized by high-value collections of wine.  The defendants promised that investors would receive regular interest payments from the borrowers, and that Bordeaux Cellars would keep custody of the wine, securing the loans while the loans were outstanding.  As alleged, these representations were lies, the “high-net-worth wine collectors” did not actually exist, and Bordeaux Cellars did not maintain custody of the wine purportedly securing the loans.  Instead, the defendants used incoming loan proceeds to make fraudulent interest payments to investors and for their own personal expenses, resulting in $99 million dollars’ worth of misdirected funds. 

    The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison. 

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing Wellesley’s arrest and extradition from the UK.  This Office thanks UK authorities for their assistance in this matter.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section.  Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Weintraub is in charge of the prosecution. 

    The Defendants:

    STEPHEN BURTON
    Age: 58
    United Kingdom

    JAMES WELLESLEY
    Age: 56
    United Kingdom

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-79 (PKC)

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl-Laced Drugs That Resulted in Three Fatalities

    Source: US FBI

    CLEVELAND – Jarad Paster, 32, of Berea, Ohio, has been sentenced to 175 months (14.5 years) in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Patricia A. Gaughan after he pleaded guilty to dealing drugs that caused the fatalities of three people in one day. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. Judge Gaughan imposed the sentence July 8.

    Paster was charged in a superseding indictment in June 2024 with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and distribution of controlled substances that resulted in death. The charges also included enhanced penalties for causing death resulting from the use of controlled substances. He pleaded guilty in December 2024.

    According to court documents, from April 1-15, 2023, the defendant along with co-conspirator, Matthew Jarrell, 44, of Lakewood, Ohio, knowingly conspired to sell illegal drugs, in particular cocaine and fentanyl which are Schedule II controlled substances, and para-fluorofentanyl, a Schedule I controlled substance.

    On April 15, 2023, three individuals ingested and overdosed on a controlled substance, namely cocaine and fentanyl. Investigators found that these deaths occurred as a result of drugs the victims received from Paster and Jarrell.

    On Jan. 30, 2025, Jarrell was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty in July 2024 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and distribution of controlled substances that resulted in death.

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Cleveland District Office, the FBI Cleveland Task Force in partnership with the Cleveland Division of Police, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. 

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Crook.

    According to the DEA, fentanyl is extremely lethal even in small amounts. To learn more about the DEA’s “One Pill Can Kill” awareness campaign, visit dea.gov/onepill.

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