Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., and Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Field Office of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Jennifer L. Piovesan, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging STEFAN PILDES with wire fraud.
Source: United States Army
“This ceremony recognizes America’s 250th birthday in Arkansas while honoring the military service that helped secure our independence,” said Army Brig. Gen. Chad Bridges, Arkansas’ adjutant general. “The colonial militias — the predecessors of today’s National Guard — stood against the British Army at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, and the Continental Congress established the Army two months later on June 14, 1775. Arkansas also has a direct Revolutionary War connection through the 1783 battle at Arkansas Post, recognized as the only Revolutionary War battle fought in present-day Arkansas.”
The 250 recruits represent the nearly 1,300 guardsmen that both the Arkansas Army and Air National Guard recruit annually into their respective brigades and wings.
The Arkansas National Guard traces its roots to 1804, one year after the Louisiana Purchase.
The legislative body governing the Indiana Territory, of which Arkansas was a part, enacted a law making most males liable for military service, according to the Arkansas National Guard Museum website.
Throughout its history, the Arkansas National Guard has answered the call in times of war, natural disasters and other domestic emergencies. Its legacy reflects the service of Arkansans who have balanced civilian lives with military duty, exemplifying the citizen-soldier ethos that has defined the nation since its founding.
The Official Website of the National Guard | NationalGuard.mil
State Partnership Program | NationalGuard.mil
The National Guard on Facebook | Facebook.com/TheNationalGuard
The National Guard on Flickr | Flickr.com/TheNationalGuard
The National Guard on Instagram | Instagram.com/us.nationalguard
The National Guard on X | X.com/USNationalGuard
The National Guard on YouTube | YouTube.com/TheNationalGuard
Source: United States Army
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — More than 2,000 military-connected children across Wyoming were recognized April 13 as the Wyoming Military Department and the 90th Missile Wing joined Gov. Mark Gordon for a proclamation signing declaring April the Month of the Military Child.
The annual observance highlights the unique challenges military children face, including frequent moves, changing schools and extended separations from parents due to training and deployments.
Senior leaders emphasized the strength of Wyoming’s relationship with its military community and the importance of recognizing the sacrifices made by military families.
“Governor, thank you. On behalf of the men and women in uniform, thank you for your continued support,” said Col. Terrance J. Holmes, commander of the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base. “We know the relationship the state of Wyoming has with its military community is strong. The fact that we are able to be here today to recognize this is significant.”
Holmes also highlighted Purple Up Day and other efforts to show support for military families.
“This is a meaningful way to recognize military families, especially our children,” Holmes said. “There are hundreds of military-connected children across Wyoming, and many of us here have children in this community.”
Leaders shared personal perspectives on the impact of military service on families, noting the resilience required of military children.
“My two children have experienced deployments and long absences throughout my career,” said Chaplain (Maj.) Matthew D. Sullivan, deputy state chaplain for the Wyoming Army National Guard. “They’re asked to do without someone they rely on, and they don’t fully understand why. It’s not easy.”
Despite those challenges, Sullivan said military children develop a strong understanding of service and sacrifice.
“They recognize that our freedom and way of life has a cost,” Sullivan said. “I’m grateful to my children, and to all military children for supporting us on the home front.”
During the proclamation, Gordon highlighted statewide efforts to support military-connected students, including the Purple Star School Program and Wyoming’s participation in the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children.
“Whereas, there are more than 2,000 military-connected children in Wyoming who face unique challenges as a result of their parents’ military service,” Gordon read. “Now, therefore, I do hereby proclaim April 2026 as the Month of the Military Child in Wyoming.”
Leaders emphasized that recognizing military children contributes to a ready and resilient force.
“The state of Wyoming stands 100% behind you and your families,” Holmes said. “If there’s anything we can do to support you, we will.”
The Wyoming National Guard joins communities statewide in honoring military children throughout April and encourages schools, organizations and citizens to recognize their contributions and support their continued success.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Orlando, Florida – Eric William Garvin (29, Palm Bay) and Anthony Lee Khan (40, Palm Bay) have been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe to federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl. Garvin was sentenced to 17 years and 6 months, and Khan was sentenced to 14 years and 8 months.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tallahassee, Florida – Matthew Lee Keith, 41, of Panama City, Florida, was sentenced to seventeen years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Pensacola, Florida – Joshua Dean Hardy, 27, of Century, Florida, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for two counts of possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act weapon without a serial number and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Defendants Caused a Combined Tax Loss of Over $38 Million and Facilitated Employment of Undocumented Aliens
Two Honduran nationals were sentenced Tuesday to 204 months and 51 months in prison for their roles in operating a years-long off-the-books cash payroll scheme that facilitated the employment of undocumented aliens working illegally in the United States and caused a loss to the United States of more than $38 million.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2015 to 2022, Iris Villafranca and Osman Donaldo Zapata, both Honduran nationals, conspired together and with others to create a series of shell companies to run an unlicensed check cashing and cash courier service business. These shell companies cashed approximately $89 million in checks from subcontractors in the construction industry, charging them a percentage of the dollar amount of the checks they cashed as a fee for this service. Through this scheme, construction contractors and subcontractors paid their workers in cash without withholding and paying required payroll taxes, allowing them to operate without regard to the workers’ legal authority to work in the United States. The defendants also caused the filing of false tax documents with the IRS to conceal the off-the-books payroll scheme.
In addition, the defendants defrauded workers’ compensation insurance companies by leasing their certificates of insurance to contractors and by providing false and fraudulent information to the insurers about, among other things, the number of workers covered by the insurance and the amount workers were paid.
Villafranca and Zapata both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Villafranca also pleaded guilty to four counts of filing false individual income tax returns based on her 2019 through 2022 tax returns, which did not report all the income she earned from the scheme and rental income she earned from real estate she owned.
Villafranca was sentenced to 204 months and Zapata was sentenced to 51 months. Villafranca was ordered to pay more than $38 million in restitution to the United States and forfeit $89 million of criminal proceeds from the scheme and Zapata was ordered to pay more than $2.5 million in restitution to the United States. Francisco Alvarez, who conspired with Villafranca, Zapata and others, was previously sentenced to four years of probation and ordered to pay more than $2.3 million in restitution.
A fourth member of the conspiracy is scheduled to be sentenced in June.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. ICE ERO Miami (Orlando sub-office), Florida Highway Patrol, Customs and Border Protection, US Marshals Service, State Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement have assisted in arrest operations.
Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorney Kavitha Bondada of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Hu of the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
SAN DIEGO – Two boat captains whose ill-fated maritime smuggling attempt resulted in the deaths of four migrants, including two children, pleaded guilty in federal court today. Jesus Ivan Rodriguez Leyva and Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna admitted to their participation in a wide-ranging conspiracy that involved coordinating with individuals in Mexico to smuggle aliens into the United States using maritime vessels.
Source: United States Army
WASHINGTON — Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and Joint Task Force-National Capital Region recently coordinated a training exercise at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, as part of a synchronized effort to advance counter-drone capabilities in the National Capital Region.
Soldiers from the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) are undergoing special training on the Bumblebee V1 counter-UAS system as part of a broader effort to strengthen layered defenses protecting key Department of War infrastructure in the homeland. The training focuses on equipping Soldiers with the ability to detect, track, identify and defeat drones with minimal risk to surrounding personnel and facilities.
“We want to train our warfighters in the National Capital Region on how best to employ low cost, low collateral kinetic effectors,” said Lt. Col. Alex Morse, JIATF-401 acquisition lead. “The training at Ft. Belvoir adds to the layered defense systems that are set up here in the NCR.”
The Bumblebee system is a small drone that is being operationally assessed for dual use as a reconnaissance asset and a counter-UAS platform that allows operators to identify and intercept hostile drones using a controlled, low-collateral approach.
“Bumblebee’s improved air-to-air capability will enhance our layered defenses by enabling warfighters to follow drones back to their launch point to identify the operator, or by destroying them in the air with minimal risk to people or property on the ground.” said Lt. Col. Adam Scher, JIATF-401 spokesperson.
JIATF-401 is focused on creating a layered defense against the threat of drones by integrating systems and rapidly increasing capabilities. By synchronizing efforts with JTF-NCR, JIATF-401 is leading a whole-of-government approach to protect the homeland through innovation and interoperability. The addition of Bumblebee systems represents a deliberate step in expanding the tools available for our warfighters to use against the persistent threat of UAS.
“Countering drones is both a battlefield and a homeland defense imperative. We have to work together, share information, and leverage the entire joint force along with interagency and law enforcement partners to keep pace with this threat,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF-401.
“We will not be limited to library-based radio frequency defeat systems as we protect against drone threats,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Ross, director of JIATF-401. “We must be proactive with a layered defense, including kinetic defeat options at every War Department base or facility.”
As unmanned threats evolve, success will depend not only on acquiring top-tier technology, but also on ensuring our warfighters are properly trained and have the necessary permissions to effectively employ c-UAS technology in defense of the homeland.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Task Enforcement Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Farhana Islam, and Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Michael Alfonso, announced the arrests of KAREEM ANTOINE TURNER and ALEXANDER DARAVINA on narcotics and firearms charges for operating a fentanyl manufacturing facility in a Brooklyn residential apartment building.