Source: United States Coast Guard
07/01/2025 06:52 PM EDT
The Coast Guard and the National Park Service rescued a mariner after his vessel ran aground near Shackleford Banks, North Carolina, Monday night.
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Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
INDIANAPOLIS— The following seven individuals have been sentenced for their roles in a firearms theft and trafficking conspiracy:
| Defendant | Charge(s) | Sentence |
| Zackary Doss, 27 |
|
2.5 years imprisonment 3 years of supervised release |
| Dominique Ellison, 37 |
|
1.5 years imprisonment 3 years of supervised release |
| Antonio Grant, 33 |
|
3 years of probation |
| Ryan Hurt, 30 |
|
4.5 years imprisonment 3 years of supervised release |
| Kevin Jones, Jr, 23 |
|
3.5 years imprisonment 3 years of supervised release |
| Malyk Mendez, 32 |
|
1.5 years imprisonment 1 year of supervised release |
| Bruce Williams, 33 |
|
9 years imprisonment 3 years of supervised release |
According to court documents, Bruce Williams and Ryan Hurt—then employees at an Indianapolis shipping facility—masterminded a scheme to steal firearms and sell them for profit, utilizing accomplices Malyk Mendez and convicted felon Antonio Grant, among others. Firearms were ultimately sold to individuals including Kevin Jones, Jr., and convicted felons Dominique Ellison and Zackary Doss. Jones and Doss, in turn, then sold the firearms to numerous other individuals.
Between January and March 2022, the group made off with 240 firearms from four separate shipments headed for different states. The conspiracy began to unravel when ATF agents noticed a disturbing pattern: firearms sent through the Indianapolis terminal were missing key inventory.
A breakdown of stolen firearms, varying in make and models, is as follows:
Williams and Hurt kept some firearms from the thefts for themselves but recruited others, including codefendants, to assist in locating buyers for the stolen guns. Williams also personally sold a substantial number of the stolen firearms.
Of the 240 firearms that were stolen, only 61 firearms have been recovered as of May 5, 2025; over three years since the thefts occurred. Five of those firearms were recovered from Williams and Hurt upon their arrests.
The other firearms recovered have been found in a wide array of criminal activity and locations; Indianapolis, Lafayette, Gary, Chicago, Florida, and Oklahoma, to name a few. The criminal activity has included felons possessing firearms, drug trafficking, domestic violence incidents, vehicle pursuits, shootings, carjackings, and homicides.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and IMPD investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Pamela S. Domash and Bradley P. Shepard, who prosecuted this case.
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.
###
Source: United States Department of Justice
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a Statement of Interest in the lawsuit Equality State Policy Center v. Chuck Gray, defending Wyoming’s legitimate interest securing its voting process from fraud by requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.
Longstanding Supreme Court precedent recognizes that states have a significant interest in preventing fraud and safeguarding voter confidence in the election process. Wyoming’s documentary proof of citizenship law is a mechanism to enforce laws that prohibit non-citizen voting and ensure that only eligible voters cast ballots.
“It is a crime for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, and it is important that the American people have confidence in the integrity of our elections.” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Gates of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Requiring documentary proof of citizenship is common sense and ensures that only citizens vote.”
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
Source: United States Attorneys General 10
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a Statement of Interest in the lawsuit Equality State Policy Center v. Chuck Gray, defending Wyoming’s legitimate interest securing its voting process from fraud by requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.
Longstanding Supreme Court precedent recognizes that states have a significant interest in preventing fraud and safeguarding voter confidence in the election process. Wyoming’s documentary proof of citizenship law is a mechanism to enforce laws that prohibit non-citizen voting and ensure that only eligible voters cast ballots.
“It is a crime for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, and it is important that the American people have confidence in the integrity of our elections.” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Gates of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Requiring documentary proof of citizenship is common sense and ensures that only citizens vote.”
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
Source: United States Attorneys General
The U.S. Department of Justice today announced that three additional defendants were sentenced in connection with a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency industry in the Los Indios, Texas, border region, located near Harlingen and Brownsville, Texas. The defendants controlled the transmigrate industry through fear, monopolization, and extortion of competitors, and laundered proceeds from the conspiracies.
Pedro Antonio Calvillo Hernandez, age 50 of McAllen, Texas, was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $50,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services, conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market, and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion.
Jose de Jesus Tapia Fernandez, age 47 of Brownsville, Texas was sentenced to time served, or 31 months in prison, and a three-year term of supervised release after pleading guilty to a money laundering conspiracy through which extortion proceeds were laundered.
Mireya Miranda, age 59 of San Antonio, Texas, was sentenced to 10 months of home detention, and a $75,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services; and conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market.
“The danger and the harm to the American people by the use of violence and extortion to fix prices and monopolize the market for an essential service in the Texas border region cannot be understated,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s sentences demonstrate the Antitrust Division’s commitment to pursuing incarceration for both white-collar and violent criminals who seek to exploit America’s free markets.”
“Price fixing is an attempt to distort the market in favor of the fixer and to the detriment of basically everyone else. Although such market manipulation is bad enough, it is even worse when brought about through threats and violence,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “The Southern District of Texas will work tirelessly to prosecute such criminal syndicates and to ensure markets along the Texas-Mexico border remain free, fair, and open.”
“The FBI is proud of the hard work and collaboration with partners that led to today’s sentencing,” said Assistant Director Joe Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “We remain absolutely committed to thwarting criminal enterprises that function without regard for the rule of law and whose practices of market manipulation include the use of violence and intimidation.”
“These sentencings reaffirm our unwavering commitment to safeguarding economic integrity at our nation’s borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio. “By dismantling an enterprise that thrived on extortion and price fixing, we are ensuring that honest businesses can compete on a level playing field. This case exemplifies how corruption in niche industries can have far-reaching effects, and HSI will continue to pursue those who abuse the system for profit.”
Transmigrantes transport used vehicles and other goods from the United States through Mexico for resale in Central America. There are only a few locations where transmigrantes can legally cross from the United States into Mexico, one of those being the Los Indios Bridge in Texas. Transmigrante forwarding agencies are U.S.-based businesses that provide services to transmigrante clients, including helping those clients complete the customs paperwork required to export vehicles into Mexico.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the co-defendants fixed prices for transmigrante forwarding agency services and created a centralized entity known as the “Pool” to collect and divide revenues among the conspirators, limit competition from other agencies, and increase prices for their services. Some co-defendants also conspired to force forwarding agencies to pay money to the Pool and to pay other extortion fees, including a “piso” for every transaction processed in the industry as well as a “fine” for operating in the market outside of Pool rules. The conspirators perpetrated acts of intimidation, coercion, and violence in furtherance of the antitrust and extortion conspiracies. Co-defendants Carlos Martinez and Tapia also conspired to launder the extortion proceeds.
Calvillo, Tapia, and Miranda must also pay restitution to the victims of the conspiracies. The Court will determine the final restitution amount owed to victims of the conspiracies at a hearing set for Sept. 3.
Four co-defendants have previously been sentenced in this case. One other co-defendant has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Three other defendants, Rigoberto Brown, Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart, and Diego Ceballos-Soto were also charged in the superseding indictment and remain fugitives. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Anne Veldhuis, Brittany E. McClure, and Michael G. Lepage and Senior Litigation Counsel John Davis of the Antitrust Division; Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS); and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum for the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Source: United States Attorneys General
The U.S. Department of Justice today announced that three additional defendants were sentenced in connection with a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency industry in the Los Indios, Texas, border region, located near Harlingen and Brownsville, Texas. The defendants controlled the transmigrate industry through fear, monopolization, and extortion of competitors, and laundered proceeds from the conspiracies.
Pedro Antonio Calvillo Hernandez, age 50 of McAllen, Texas, was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $50,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services, conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market, and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion.
Jose de Jesus Tapia Fernandez, age 47 of Brownsville, Texas was sentenced to time served, or 31 months in prison, and a three-year term of supervised release after pleading guilty to a money laundering conspiracy through which extortion proceeds were laundered.
Mireya Miranda, age 59 of San Antonio, Texas, was sentenced to 10 months of home detention, and a $75,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services; and conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market.
“The danger and the harm to the American people by the use of violence and extortion to fix prices and monopolize the market for an essential service in the Texas border region cannot be understated,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s sentences demonstrate the Antitrust Division’s commitment to pursuing incarceration for both white-collar and violent criminals who seek to exploit America’s free markets.”
“Price fixing is an attempt to distort the market in favor of the fixer and to the detriment of basically everyone else. Although such market manipulation is bad enough, it is even worse when brought about through threats and violence,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “The Southern District of Texas will work tirelessly to prosecute such criminal syndicates and to ensure markets along the Texas-Mexico border remain free, fair, and open.”
“The FBI is proud of the hard work and collaboration with partners that led to today’s sentencing,” said Assistant Director Joe Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “We remain absolutely committed to thwarting criminal enterprises that function without regard for the rule of law and whose practices of market manipulation include the use of violence and intimidation.”
“These sentencings reaffirm our unwavering commitment to safeguarding economic integrity at our nation’s borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio. “By dismantling an enterprise that thrived on extortion and price fixing, we are ensuring that honest businesses can compete on a level playing field. This case exemplifies how corruption in niche industries can have far-reaching effects, and HSI will continue to pursue those who abuse the system for profit.”
Transmigrantes transport used vehicles and other goods from the United States through Mexico for resale in Central America. There are only a few locations where transmigrantes can legally cross from the United States into Mexico, one of those being the Los Indios Bridge in Texas. Transmigrante forwarding agencies are U.S.-based businesses that provide services to transmigrante clients, including helping those clients complete the customs paperwork required to export vehicles into Mexico.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the co-defendants fixed prices for transmigrante forwarding agency services and created a centralized entity known as the “Pool” to collect and divide revenues among the conspirators, limit competition from other agencies, and increase prices for their services. Some co-defendants also conspired to force forwarding agencies to pay money to the Pool and to pay other extortion fees, including a “piso” for every transaction processed in the industry as well as a “fine” for operating in the market outside of Pool rules. The conspirators perpetrated acts of intimidation, coercion, and violence in furtherance of the antitrust and extortion conspiracies. Co-defendants Carlos Martinez and Tapia also conspired to launder the extortion proceeds.
Calvillo, Tapia, and Miranda must also pay restitution to the victims of the conspiracies. The Court will determine the final restitution amount owed to victims of the conspiracies at a hearing set for Sept. 3.
Four co-defendants have previously been sentenced in this case. One other co-defendant has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Three other defendants, Rigoberto Brown, Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart, and Diego Ceballos-Soto were also charged in the superseding indictment and remain fugitives. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Anne Veldhuis, Brittany E. McClure, and Michael G. Lepage and Senior Litigation Counsel John Davis of the Antitrust Division; Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS); and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum for the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
WASHINGTON – Freddie Lee Hall, Jr., 57, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 84 months in prison in connection with distributing crack cocaine while in possession of multiple firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Hall pleaded guilty Feb. 13, 2025, before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge McFadden ordered Hall to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Hall was recorded on surveillance cameras 13 times in 2024 as he sold distribution quantities of cocaine base – in amounts ranging from 13.5 grams to 106 grams, for a total over three-quarters of a kilogram – to a confidential informant working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division.
ATF agents arrested Hall on Aug. 22, 2024, in Northwest Washington. The same day, agents executed a search warrant at Hall’s residence in District Heights, Maryland. ATF special agents recovered seven firearms in total: a Ruger LC pistol concealed on a basement air duct; a Panzer BP12 shotgun, stashed behind a bedroom door; and five additional firearms in a gun safe that included a privately made firearm, aka a “ghost gun,” a loaded Ruger P89 pistol, a loaded Taurus GX4 pistol with an obliterated serial number, a Ruger P95 pistol, and a loaded American Tactical AR pistol with obliterated serial number. They also seized 1,400 rounds of ammunition from 17 firearms magazines.
During the search ATF agents observed what appeared to be freshly manufactured crack cocaine drying on paper towels in a basement bedroom. They additionally recovered a large quantity of marijuana, 547 grams of powder cocaine, 72.86 grams of cocaine base, two pounds of suspected magic mushrooms, assorted drug paraphernalia and manufacturing devices, and more than $61,763 in cash.
This case was investigated by the DEA Washington Division, the ATF Washington Field Division, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Prince George’s County Fire-EMS, Office of the Fire Marshal. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared English and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney.
24cr378
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
WASHINGTON – Freddie Lee Hall, Jr., 57, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 84 months in prison in connection with distributing crack cocaine while in possession of multiple firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Hall pleaded guilty Feb. 13, 2025, before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge McFadden ordered Hall to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Hall was recorded on surveillance cameras 13 times in 2024 as he sold distribution quantities of cocaine base – in amounts ranging from 13.5 grams to 106 grams, for a total over three-quarters of a kilogram – to a confidential informant working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division.
ATF agents arrested Hall on Aug. 22, 2024, in Northwest Washington. The same day, agents executed a search warrant at Hall’s residence in District Heights, Maryland. ATF special agents recovered seven firearms in total: a Ruger LC pistol concealed on a basement air duct; a Panzer BP12 shotgun, stashed behind a bedroom door; and five additional firearms in a gun safe that included a privately made firearm, aka a “ghost gun,” a loaded Ruger P89 pistol, a loaded Taurus GX4 pistol with an obliterated serial number, a Ruger P95 pistol, and a loaded American Tactical AR pistol with obliterated serial number. They also seized 1,400 rounds of ammunition from 17 firearms magazines.
During the search ATF agents observed what appeared to be freshly manufactured crack cocaine drying on paper towels in a basement bedroom. They additionally recovered a large quantity of marijuana, 547 grams of powder cocaine, 72.86 grams of cocaine base, two pounds of suspected magic mushrooms, assorted drug paraphernalia and manufacturing devices, and more than $61,763 in cash.
This case was investigated by the DEA Washington Division, the ATF Washington Field Division, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Prince George’s County Fire-EMS, Office of the Fire Marshal. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared English and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney.
24cr378
Source: United States Department of Defense
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met at the Pentagon with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to discuss the close cooperation between the two countries, weapons sales and the upcoming signing of the “Framework for the U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership in the 21st Century.”
Source: US FBI
Defendant previously convicted of robbing five banks across four separate cities and towns
BOSTON – A Quincy man has been arrested and charged in connection with the December 2024 armed robbery of a Santander Bank in Weymouth.
Glenn Legere, 46, of Quincy, was charged with one count of armed bank robbery. The defendant was arrested this morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston today, was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for July 8, 2025.
According to the charging document, at approximately 4:52 p.m. on Dec. 17, 2024, local law enforcement was dispatched to a Santander bank branch in Weymouth for a reported bank robbery. There, it is alleged that a bank teller told law enforcement that as employees were preparing to close the bank, a man wearing a sweatshirt, baseball hat, face covering and gloves entered the bank through the main entrance. It is alleged that the suspect approached the victim teller’s window, removed a black firearm from the front pocket of his sweatshirt, opened a black cloth bag and demanded all the money. As the bank teller handed the suspect money from the cash box, the suspect allegedly yelled words to the effect of “I need money,” “I want the money” and “I don’t play.” At various times, the suspect allegedly pointed the firearm directly at the victim teller. It is further alleged that the suspect ran towards other teller windows, gesturing d towards the cash box areas and demanding more money, but the victim teller explained that there was no more money and displayed an empty cash drawer. The suspect allegedly then left the bank with approximately $947 in stolen cash.
According to court documents, a subsequent review of surveillance video footage from nearby locations determined that the suspect drove to and from the robbery location in a silver or grey Jeep Grand Cherokee. A vehicle matching the description was captured on cameras in Quincy immediately before and after the robbery. It is alleged that the vehicle was registered to Legere.
Legere has multiple prior convictions for committing armed and unarmed robberies, including a 2011 conviction of armed robbery in Norfolk Superior Court for which he was sentenced to three to five years in state prison, as well as a 2010 conviction for armed and unarmed robbery of banks in Braintree, Hanover, Duxbury and Plymouth for which he was sentenced to three years in state prison.
As stated in open court at the defendant’s initial appearance today, when Legere was arrested, a firearm and some of the clothing believed to be used by Legere during the robbery were recovered.
The charge of armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Weymouth Police Chief Richard M. Fuller made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the Wellesley Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Source: US FBI
BOSTON – A Michigan man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a conspiracy to import and sell illegal pharmaceuticals, including opioids, and to fund the operation of the scheme by fraudulently obtaining a COVID-19 pandemic relief loan.
Donald Nchamukong, 37, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to two years in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Nchamukong was also ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution. In March 2025, Nchamukong pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States, committing loan fraud and distributing controlled substances.
Starting in 2019 and continuing to 2022, Nchamukong and co-conspirator, Doyal Kalita, conspired to distribute drugs to persons in the United States over the internet and using call centers in India. Nchamukong used shell companies, including a purported dietary supplements company and an auto parts supplier, and associated bank and merchant accounts to process sales of illegal foreign drugs, including the Schedule IV opioid, tramadol. Nchamukong and Kalita also received shipments of tramadol from India and reshipped the drug to customers across the United States, including in Massachusetts. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Nchamukong and Kalita fraudulently obtained a $200,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan to fund their illegal drug scheme.
In June 2024, Kalita was sentenced to 10 years in prison for orchestrating the online drug distribution scheme, a technical support fraud scheme and related money laundering.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Fernando P. McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in New York, the Small Business Administration and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil, Deputy Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Source: US FBI
CONCORD – A Franklin man pleaded guilty today in federal court for making a threat in violation of federal law, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Brian Landry, age 69, pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord to one count of transmitting a threat in interstate communication. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled Landry’s sentencing for October 2, 2025.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, on May 17, 2023, Landry left a voicemail at U.S. Senator #1’s district office stating: “Hey stupid I’m a veteran sniper. And unless you change your ways, I got my scope pointed in your direction and I’m coming to get you. You’re a dead man walking you piece of f***ing sh*t.” Investigators identified the phone call as coming from a number associated with Landry. When they interviewed Landry, he admitted to having called the Senator’s office but did not initially recall exactly what he said in the voicemail.
The charge of conviction provides for a sentence of up to 5 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Capitol Police led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire State Police, the Franklin Police Department, and the Manchester Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case.
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Source: United States Attorneys General
A federal grand jury in Fort Worth, Texas, returned an indictment on June 11, unsealed yesterday, charging four family members with conspiracy to defraud the United States by filing tax returns that sought millions of dollars in false refunds.
The following is according to the indictment: beginning in 2016, David Hunt, of Arlington, Texas, his twin sons Brandon Hunt and Baylon Hunt, also of Arlington, and Brandon and Baylon’s half-brother Corey Burt, of Mississippi, allegedly conspired to file false tax returns in the name of purported trusts that sought over $8.5 million in tax refunds that the trusts were not entitled to receive. Brandon Hunt also filed a false return in his own name. Collectively, the defendants allegedly received over $1 million from the IRS based on those false tax returns.
Brandon and Baylon Hunt also allegedly submitted additional fake documents to the IRS as part of their scheme, including falsified financial instruments and altered money orders. The indictment further alleges that they shared in the proceeds of their fraud by transferring money between themselves. The defendants also allegedly used the refunds to purchase luxury goods, cryptocurrency, and real estate.
Each defendant was charged with conspiracy as well as aiding and assisting in the preparation of tax returns. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. The defendants also face a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Criminal Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson of the Northern District of Texas made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: US FBI
EL PASO, Texas – A Mexican national charged with four counts in a 14-count indictment was extradited to the Western District of Texas following his arrest in Mexico last week.
According to court documents, from January 2016 through August 2019, Hector Adrian Rojero Ramos aka Teto, 54, allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to import heroin and fentanyl from Mexico to destinations in Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois and elsewhere in the United States. Rojero Ramos was arrested in Mexico June 25 and made his initial appearance in a federal court in El Paso on June 27.
Rojero Ramos is charged with one count of conspiracy to import a controlled substance, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and two counts of aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Luis Acosta is 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, 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 Neighborhoods (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Source: United States Navy
WASHINGTON, DC – The Department of the Navy recognized the finest in Navy and Marine Corps science and engineering June 25 at the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition (ASN RD&A) Dr. Delores M. Etter Top Scientists and Engineers awards ceremony. Dr. Brett A. Seidle, Acting ASN(RD&A) and Mr. Peter C. Reddy, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, Test, and Engineering (DASN(RDT&E)), personally recognized top scientists and engineers from across the Department of the Navy (DON) and highlighted their incredible accomplishments.
Source: US FBI
FORT WAYNE –Derek L. Taylor, 47 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Taylor was sentenced to 197 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in August and September 2023, Taylor distributed cocaine. Search warrants resulted in the recovery of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and M30 pills containing fentanyl, along with three handguns, a stolen semi-automatic rifle, multiple digital scales, baggies, and a substantial amount of powder used in the distribution of narcotics. Taylor was previously convicted twice of distributing drugs and was also previously convicted of felony battery, making him a career offender for purposes of federal sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes the FBI, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Police Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. Also assisting this investigation was the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
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.
Source: US FBI
“The FBI Minneapolis Division is honored to have joined our law enforcement partners in the ongoing effort to recover Manny Collins,” said Alvin M. Winston Sr., special agent in charge of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “In response to a request for assistance from the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, FBI Minneapolis deployed our highly trained Evidence Response Team, along with the FBI’s Laboratory Evidence Response Team Unit and the Technical Hazardous Response Unit from Quantico, VA. Both units are expertly trained in ensuring safety at complex crime scenes.
“This collaborative effort underscores our deep commitment and unity in the mission to recover Manny Collins. The coordination and resource-sharing among all agencies and volunteers have been crucial to finding Manny.
“The FBI extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Manny Collins during this difficult time. We remain dedicated to pursuing justice and will continue to work closely with our partners to ensure that the truth is uncovered and that justice is served.”
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Dillon Devontrez Royster, 31, of Pensacola, Florida was sentenced to 10 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I applaud the substantial efforts of our state and federal law enforcement partners to investigate, arrest, and help bring this drug trafficker to justice. This is yet another important case by my office fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by aggressively pursuing criminal offenders who victimize our communities. We will not stop until we have rid our streets of these criminals who peddle in violence and addiction.”
“This is a huge win for public safety in Northwest Florida,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Assistant Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Harrell. “Armed drug trafficking is a serious crime – this investigation demonstrates what can be accomplished when law enforcement agencies work together to remove an armed drug trafficker from our communities.”
On April 17, 2024, members of the Escambia County Sherriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives executed a search warrant at Dillion Royster’s residence. During the search, law enforcement found approximately 1,851 grams of methamphetamine, 10 grams of fentanyl, and numerous firearms.
This sentence was the result of a joint investigation by Escambia County Sherriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) 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 United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
BOISE – Cody Michael Howells, 35, of Weiser, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.
According to court records, the investigation began when the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (“ICAC”) received CyberTip reports from an online social media platform. A CyberTip is a report submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC gathers leads and tips regarding suspected online crimes against children and forwards them to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. ICAC determined that numerous files of child sexual abuse material had been uploaded to an account, later identified as belonging to Howells. ICAC subsequently executed a federal search warrant at Howell’s residence in Weiser. During an interview, Howells admitted to viewing child sexual abuse material. ICAC located additional files of child sexual abuse material on Howell’s cellphone. At the time, Howells was on parole for Lewd Conduct with a Minor Under 16.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also sentenced Howells to lifetime supervised release following his prison sentence and ordered him to pay $30,000 in restitution to victims in the images he possessed. Howells will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the Idaho ICAC Task Force, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rupert Police Department, and the Weiser Police Department, which led to the charge. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Robins prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby sentenced Alonzo Brown, 27, of Richmond, Virginia, to 45 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a conspiracy and scheme to defraud the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) and California Employment Development Department (CA-EDD). Judge Griggsby also ordered Brown to pay $310,428.08 of restitution to the victims and forfeit all money, property, and/or assets derived from the scheme, including a money judgment of $310,428.08.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) – Washington Field Office.
According to the guilty plea, from at least June 2020 through March 2021, Brown conspired with Michael Cooley, 26, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, and Isiah Lewis, 35, of Prince George’s County, to devise and execute a scheme to defraud individuals and multiple state workforce agencies, including in Maryland and California, of more than $800,000 in unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, successfully obtaining more than $300,000. The scheme was sophisticated and used personal identifiable information — such as name, date of birth, and social security number — from more than 60 individuals to file online UI applications in Maryland and California, using anonymous email addresses to obscure their identities and avoid detection.
Griggsby sentenced Cooley to 87 months in federal prison for his role in the scheme back in April.
This case is part of the District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force, a Strike Force that is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bijon A. Mostoufi and Jared M. Beim, who are prosecuting this federal case, and Joanna B.N. Huber, who is supporting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Source: United States Coast Guard
07/01/2025 02:42 PM EDT
Coast Guard and local law enforcement crews will increase boating safety patrols in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands during the Fourth of July weekend in support of Operation Dry Water, a nationwide effort to enforce boating under the influence (BUI) laws. Boaters can expect an increased presence from the Coast Guard and local law enforcement crews on the water. The increased presence will include dockside safety equipment inspections along with boating safety boardings. “We look forward to this 4th of July weekend and seeing people out in the water boating responsibly and safely,” said Cmdr. Matthew Romano, Coast Guard Sector San Juan chief of response. “Know that our crews will be enforcing BUI and safe boating laws and regulations so keep in mind, like you should never be out on the road driving your vehicle under the influence, same goes for operating a vessel in the water, if you do so, you will be endangering your life and the life of others.”
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Source: US FBI
FBI Atlanta Warns Public to Increase Hiring Scrutiny
FBI Atlanta is warning the public about the threat of hiring Remote IT workers who use false identifications to conceal their true North Korean identities.
Today, the Northern District of Georgia unsealed a five-count wire fraud and money laundering indictment charging four North Koreans, Kim Kwang Jin (김관진), Kang Tae Bok (강태복), Jong Pong Ju (정봉주) and Chang Nam Il (창남일), with a scheme to steal from two companies virtual currency, valued at over $900,000 at the time of the thefts, and to launder proceeds of those thefts. The defendants concealed their North Korean identities from their employers by providing the employers with false identification documents that contained stolen and fake identity information.
In approximately December 2020 and May 2021, respectively, Kim Kwang Jin (using victim P.S.’s stolen identity) and Jong Pong Ju (using the alias “Bryan Cho”) were hired by a blockchain research and development company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and a virtual token company based in Serbia. Both defendants concealed their North Korean identities from their employers by providing false identification documents containing a mix of stolen and fraudulent identity information. Later, on a recommendation from Jong Pong Ju, the Serbian company hired “Peter Xiao,” who in fact was Chang Nam Il.
After gaining their employers’ trust, Kim Kwang Jin and Jong Pong Ju were assigned projects that provided them access to their employers’ virtual currency assets. In February 2022, Jong Pong Ju used that access to steal virtual currency worth approximately $175,000 at the time of the theft, sending it to a virtual currency address he controlled. In March 2022, Kim Kwang Jin stole virtual currency worth approximately $740,000 at the time of theft by modifying the source code of two of his employer’s smart contracts, then sending it to a virtual currency address he controlled.
To launder the funds after the thefts, Kim Kwang Jin and Jong Pong Ju “mixed” the stolen funds, using the virtual currency mixer Tornado Cash, and then transferred the funds to virtual currency exchange accounts controlled by Kang Tae Bok and Chang Nam Il but held in the names of aliases. These accounts were opened using fraudulent Malaysian identification documents.
According to the indictment, the defendants traveled to the United Arab Emirates on North Korean travel documents, along with other individuals, and worked together as a co-located team.
Neither of the victim companies in this investigation would have hired the individuals had they known they were North Korean citizens. FBI Atlanta is warning the public about the threat of North Korean citizens who often apply for Remote IT roles as blockchain developers. These individuals often use multiple fake names, identity cards, and social media accounts to gain employment at numerous companies. Companies looking to hire Remote IT workers, especially for blockchain development, are encouraged to apply additional layers of scrutiny to their interview and hiring processes.
Recommendations for Strengthening Remote-Hiring Processes
Reporting: If you suspect you have been approached or victimized by a North Korean IT worker, the FBI recommends taking the following actions:
Reference
In 2022 and 2023, the United States, along with foreign partners, issued public advisories regarding how North Korean IT workers operate and provided red-flag indicators and due diligence measures for businesses to avoid hiring North Korean freelance developers. In May 2024, the FBI provided further guidance regarding North Korean IT workers and their use of witting and unwitting US-based individuals.
Source: US FBI
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that CARDELL GLOVER, (“GLOVER”), age 24, was sentenced on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, by United States District Judge Darrel J. Papillion, after previously pleading guilty to a three-count indictment. Count One charged GLOVER with being a felon in possession a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). Count Two charged GLOVER with possession of a stolen firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(j) and (a)(2). Count Three charged GLOVER with possession of a machine gun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o) and 924(a)(2).
GLOVER was sentenced to 96 months imprisonment as to each of the three counts of the indictment, to be served concurrently. Judge Papillion also ordered that GLOVER be placed on supervised release for three years as to each of the three counts, to be served concurrently, and pay a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on July 9, 2024, a rideshare driver reported to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO) that her weapon had been stolen. She also works as a security guard and had placed her work firearm, a Glock Model 19 Gen 5, nine-millimeter pistol, in her trunk earlier that afternoon prior to starting her rideshare work. She reported to law enforcement that she had picked up a fare, a male and a female passenger, at the Dollar General and allowed them to place their groceries in the trunk of her car. When they arrived at the passengers’ destination, an apartment complex in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, the passengers retrieved the groceries from the trunk and went to an unknown second floor apartment. The rideshare driver then looked in the trunk of her vehicle to discover her firearm missing. She had said that the first name of the passenger who ordered the ride was “Dell.”
GLOVER pled guilty to the entire indictment and admitted that he stole the Glock pistol. GLOVER also admitted that, at the time of its recovery, the Glock pistol, was equipped with machinegun conversion device, making it a machinegun as defined by the National Firearms Act (26 U.S.C. § 5845(b)).
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.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit.
Source: US FBI
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, LINDA TRIGGS (“TRIGGS”), age 73, a resident of Marrero, pleaded guilty to making a false statement related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2).
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the CARES Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. One of the primary sources of funding for small businesses was the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to the charging documents, on or about April 18, 2021, TRIGGS, on behalf of a non-profit corporation that she owned, made false statements to an approved lender to obtain approximately $59,065 for PPP loans.
TRIGGS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, a fine of up to $250,000, a period of supervised release of up to three years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. United States District Judge Brandon S. Long will sentence TRIGGS on September 30, 2025.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Source: US FBI
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Andrew Armani Deionte Rowe, 29, of Salt Lake City, was sentenced today to 57 months’ imprisonment, and a term of three years’ supervised release after he robbed multiple 7-Eleven stores across the Salt Lake Valley in 2023.
The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jill N. Parish, comes after Rowe pleaded guilty in September 2024 to four counts of interference with commerce by robbery.
According to court documents and statements made at Rowe’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, Rowe admitted that from September 12, 2023, through September 27, 2023, he robbed multiple 7-Eleven stores and threatened the clerk at each location. First, on Sept. 12, 2023, Rowe entered a 7-Eleven in Salt Lake City and locked the doors behind him. Rowe handed the clerk a note that stated, “Do as I say, or you will lose your life.” The clerk complied and gave Rowe the money from the register. On the same day, in a separate robbery, Rowe entered a 7-Eleven in Millcreek, Utah, with a gun and ordered the clerk to give him all the cash in the register. On Sept. 14, 2023, Rowe entered a 7-Eleven in Salt Lake City. Rowe pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded all the cash from the register. On Sept. 27, 2023, Rowe entered a 7-Eleven in Millcreek, threatened the clerk and demanded money from the register. See former press release here.
On October 11, 2023, Rowe was arrested. During the investigation, law enforcement seized clothing that matched the clothing worn by Rowe during the robberies. Law enforcement also seized a black firearm with an extended firearm that matched the description of the firearm used in the robberies. It was later determined the firearm was a BB gun designed to look like a Glock.
“No individual should feel unsafe while at work,” said Acting U.S Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah. “Mr. Rowe threatened and intimidated others for his personal gain and then repeated his criminal behavior three more times. Community safety is a priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners and we will continue to prosecute and seek justice against those who harm our communities.”
“It’s fortunate Mr. Rowe didn’t physically hurt or kill anyone during his crime spree, although the emotional toll on the victims will be long-lasting,” said Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed with the Salt Lake City FBI. “Opportunistic crimes don’t pay. The FBI and our partners are committed to keeping our communities safe from violent offenders.”
The case was investigated jointly by the Salt Lake City Police Department, Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
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 gun violence and other violent crime, 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Source: US FBI
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a San Juan County man with second degree murder after he allegedly shot a man to death in San Juan County, Utah.
Chevel Cottonwood, 34, of San Juan County, was charged by complaint on June 11, 2025, and ordered detained by a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
According to court documents, on June 10, 2025, Navajo Police Department Officers responded to a 911 call reporting gunfire near the Hovenweep area north of Aneth, Utah, within the Navajo Nation. Upon arrival at a residence, officers spoke with a woman who was allegedly at the residence at the time of the shooting and described hearing gunshots from the living room. She recalled hearing Cottonwood and the victim arguing and then heard another gunshot and saw the flash of the discharge. The woman then went to the living room and saw the victim laying on the floor bleeding from an apparent gunshot wound.
As alleged in court documents, responding officers entered the residence and found the victim deceased with a gunshot wound and an empty shell casing next to him. Cottonwood was found hiding in nearby bushes with a loaded magazine and ammunition. A search warrant was executed, and officers seized a 9mm pistol and two 9mm shell casings. Agents also observed bullet holes through the roof of the house that appeared to have occurred at some point during the incident.
Cottonwood is charged with second degree murder while within Indian Country and being a restricted person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Cottonwood will have his initial appearance on the indictment on June 26, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. in courtroom 7.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office’s Monticello Resident Agency.
Assistant United States Attorneys Sam Pead and Tanner Zumwalt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Newton Ofioritse Jemide, 47, a Nigerian national extradited from France, to 41 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal benefits. Jemide will also serve three years of supervised release, pay $520,431.83 of restitution, and a forfeiture money judgment was entered against him in the amount of $311,036.64. Jemide executed his part of the criminal scheme from Nigeria where he resided when he committed the offense.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); Acting Special Agent in Charge Colleen Lawlor, Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General – Philadelphia Field Division; and Special Agent in Charge William McCool, U.S. Secret Service – Washington Field Office.
As a result of the conspiracy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided emergency benefits and compensation for damages to victims affected by declared national emergency disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires. Among other benefits, an individual in an affected area was immediately eligible for Critical Needs Assistance (CNA) to purchase life-saving or life-sustaining materials. Victims could decide how to receive assistance payments, including deposits on pre-paid debit cards.
According to his guilty plea, in 2016 and 2017, Jemide and others from Nigeria directed co-conspirators living in the United States to purchase hundreds of Green Dot Debit Cards. Co-conspirators living in Nigeria then registered the cards with Green Dot using stolen personal information from identity theft victims around the United States. Jemide and his co-conspirators used an encrypted messaging application and other means to communicate.
In 2017, following Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria — and the California wildfires — Jemide and other co-conspirators from Nigeria used stolen personal information to apply online for FEMA and CNA benefits. FEMA dispersed $500 per claim on the Green Dot Debit Cards that the co-conspirators purchased for a total of at least $8 million.
In addition to filing false disaster-assistance claims with FEMA, Jemide and co-conspirators also submitted false online claims for Social Security benefits, IRS tax refunds, and other government benefits using stolen identities of multiple individuals, including names, addresses, Social Security Numbers (SSN), and other personal identifiers.
As a result of fraudulent submissions, FEMA and other federal agencies deposited benefits onto the Green Dot Debit Cards. The funds were deposited on the debit cards using multiple stolen identities, including identities different from the identities used to register the cards. Jemide and select co-conspirators informed other co-conspirators when the fraudulent funds became available on the debit cards and gave them information to cash out the funds from the cards in exchange for a commission. Additionally, the co-conspirators took steps to conceal their identities by enlisting others to make purchases and withdrawals; utilizing multiple store and bank locations and methods of withdrawal; and making money orders payable to other individuals and/or corporate entities.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended DHS OIG, SSA OIG, and the USSS for their work in the investigation and thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Marshals Service for their valuable assistance in securing the extradition of Jemide to the United States. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Wright and Darren Gardner who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
WASHINGTON – Tyjuan McNeal, 28, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 84 months in federal prison for participating in the December 2023 burglary of 34 firearms from a Maryland pawn shop. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
McNeal pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking. In addition to the 84-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered McNeal to serve three years of supervised release.
According to the court documents, on December 13, 2023, McNeal and at least four co-conspirators drove from Washington, D.C. to the A&D Pawn Shop, a Federal Firearms Licensee in Glen Burnie, Maryland. McNeal was wearing an ankle monitor that he had wrapped in aluminum foil.
At the pawn shop, one of the co-conspirators used a portable saw to cut the locks on a pull-down security gate. Another co-conspirator then used a crowbar-type tool to pry open the main door. Once inside, the quintet grabbed an array of rifles, shotguns, and pistols from the shelves and display racks and fled with at least 34 of the firearms. They later used social media to advertise the sale of the stolen guns.
McNeal was arrested on March 22, 2024, with a Glock 29 pistol and has been detained since.
Co-defendant Juwon Markel Anderson, 22, was sentenced to 84 months in prison. Vincent Lee Alston, aka “Vedo,” 23, was sentenced to 84 months. Niquan “Stickz” Odum, 23, was sentenced to 48 months. Sentencing is pending for Cy’juan Hemsley, 20, who pleaded to conspiracy to commit theft from a firearms licensee and to possession of stolen firearms.
This case was investigated by the ATF Washington Division and the Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the ATF Baltimore Field Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar with valuable assistance from former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Lipes.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Louisville, KY – On May 6, 2025, a federal grand jury in Louisville charged a total of 20 defendants from across Kentucky and California in 3 separate indictments involving methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking offenses and firearms offenses. On May 21, 2025, a federal grand jury charged 4 defendants, 2 of whom were previously charged, in an indictment involving methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking and money laundering offenses. The indictments charging all 22 defendants were the result of a lengthy investigation conducted by multiple law enforcement agencies.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Cincinnati Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburgh Division, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Chicago Director of Field Operations Lafonda Sutton-Burke, Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
The following 9 defendants were charged in the first indictment on May 6, 2025:
According to the first indictment, Havlicheck, Hollie, Joseph Nguyen, Ngo, Kevin Nguyen, and Johnathan Nguyen were charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a methamphetamine for a conspiracy beginning as early as April 2024 and continuing through July 19, 2024. Havlicheck and Ngo were also charged with one count of distribution of methamphetamine 50 grams or more.
Smith, Jr. was charged with four counts of distribution of methamphetamine 50 grams or more.
O’Neal was charged with three counts of distribution of methamphetamine 50 grams or more and two counts of firearms trafficking.
Render was charged with four counts of firearms trafficking, four counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, three counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of distribution of heroin, and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Render was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offense.
On April 2, 2020, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Render was convicted of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
If convicted, Havlicheck, Hollie, Joseph Nguyen, Ngo, Kevin Nguyen, Johnathan Nguyen, Smith, Jr., and O’Neal face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. Render faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison. All the defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The following 9 defendants were charged in the second indictment on May 6, 2025:
According to the second indictment, Taylor, Matthews, Bradley, Brown, McCray, James, and Jackson were charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl for a conspiracy beginning as early as August 21, 2024, and continuing through October 23, 2024.
Taylor was also charged with one count of distribution of 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture, eight counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Taylor was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On or about May 21, 2018, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Taylor was convicted of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and trafficking in a controlled substance first degree unspecified less than ten dosage units (two counts).
Matthews was also charged with one count of distribution of 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture, three counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture, two counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count firearms trafficking, one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and one count of distribution of a controlled substance. Matthews was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offense.
On March 9, 2018, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Matthews was convicted of flagrant non-support.
Bradley was also charged with three counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture, one count of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Brown was also charged with one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture, one count of distribution of a fentanyl mixture, and one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Brown was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On or about July 17, 2017, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Brown was convicted of assault in the second degree, criminal mischief in the first degree, receiving stolen firearm, and wanton endangerment in the first degree.
McCray was also charged with one count of possession of an unregistered firearm.
James was also charged with one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture.
Jackson was also charged with one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture.
Tran was also charged with one count of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Wilson was also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Wilson was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On July 16, 2024, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Wilson was convicted of flagrant non-support.
On January 9, 2017, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Wilson was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree, schedule I heroin less than two grams.
If convicted, Taylor, Matthews, Bradley, Brown, James, Jackson, and Tran face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. McCray faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Wilson faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthews and McCray have not been federally arrested and are not yet before the Court.
The following 2 defendants were charged in the third indictment on May 6, 2025:
Foster was charged with two counts of distribution of controlled substances, nine counts of distribution of fentanyl, ten counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, seven counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of illegal possession of a machine gun, and one count of firearms trafficking. Foster was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On or about March 30, 2018, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Foster was convicted of receiving stolen property (firearm) and illegal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, heroin.
On or about June 15, 2021, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Foster was convicted of complicity to trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree, opioids, complicity to trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree, methamphetamine, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, and tampering with physical evidence.
Rice was charged with eleven counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, one count of firearms trafficking, and two counts of possession of an unregistered firearm. Rice was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On January 10, 2014, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Rice was convicted of burglary in the second degree and receiving stolen property over $500.
On April 30, 2019, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Rice was convicted of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.
On August 8, 2023, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Rice was convicted of complicity to possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, theft by unlawful taking – firearm (two counts), and theft by unlawful taking over $500 but under $10,000.
If convicted, Foster faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 70 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Rice faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison on each count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and the single count of firearms trafficking and a 10-year maximum sentence for the two counts of possession of an unregistered firearm. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The following 4 defendants were charged in the fourth indictment on May 21, 2025:
According to the fourth indictment, Taylor, James, Evans, and Hinkle were charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl for a conspiracy beginning as early as June 2024 and continuing through July 11, 2024.
Hinkle was also charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute of 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture.
James was also charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture.
Taylor is also charged with engaging in monetary transactions derived from specific unlawful activities and laundering of a money instrument during his purchase of a vehicle.
If convicted, Taylor, James, Evans, and Hinkle face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. All the defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Evans and Hinkle have not been federally arrested and are not yet before the Court.
The cases are being investigated by the FBI, HSI, ATF, DEA, IRS-CI, CBP, USPIS, KSP, and LMPD.
These cases were investigated and prosecuted by the Kentucky Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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).
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Christ’Avian X’Zayvia Rayshon Sheard, 19, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to court records, on April 2, 2024, Sheard was located in a vehicle parked at Sanders Beach. Sheard was in possession of marijuana as well as a loaded Taurus 9 millimeter pistol. Sheard was a convicted felon at the time, with a prior felony conviction for aggravated assault by threat with a firearm and carrying a concealed firearm.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Operation Take Back America is a promise by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that we will do everything in our power to stop those who are victimizing our communities, and keeping a violent felon like this one off the streets is exactly what they meant. I am proud of the work of our brave state and federal law enforcement partners who investigated this case, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenders to keep our communities safe.”
“Pensacola Police is committed to reducing guns crimes and will continue to work with our federal law enforcement partners to hold everyone accountable that chooses to illegally possess a firearm in our city,” said Chief Randall of the Pensacola Police Department.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Pensacola Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) 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 United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.