Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a man for allegedly forging the signatures of two United States District Court judges in court filings.

WALTER BRZOWSKI, 67, of Chicago, is charged with eleven counts of forgery in an indictment returned Tuesday in the Northern District of Illinois.  Each count is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.  Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.

According to the indictment and a criminal complaint previously filed in the case, Brzowski represented himself in numerous civil lawsuits that he initiated in federal court in Chicago.  The U.S. District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit dismissed the lawsuits and found that many of Brzowski’s filings were frivolous.  In 2021, the Executive Committee of the U.S. District Court in Chicago issued an order placing restrictions on Brzowski’s ability to file new civil cases and warned that violating the order may lead to monetary sanctions or a contempt of court finding.

In 2023, Brzowski filed a “notice” in the District Court stating that he was relieved of any previously imposed prohibitions and instructing the District Court Clerk’s Office to “rescind any filing restrictions,” the charges allege.  The notice included an attached Executive Committee Order that was purportedly signed by U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer.  The District Court determined that Brzowski had forged Judge Pallmeyer’s signature and sanctioned him $25,000, the charges allege.  Brzowski allegedly continued to file materials with the Court, including multiple filings in 2025 that contained forged signatures of Judge Pallmeyer and U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Stern.

“The forgery of a judge’s signature is a serious matter and an attack on the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “We will hold accountable those who use forgeries and frauds to undermine the important judicial work of the Honorable Judges of the Northern District of Illinois.”

“The defendant allegedly sent fraudulent court orders through the U.S. mail bearing forged signatures of multiple United States District Court judges in an effort to circumvent standing orders and unlawfully twist the legal system to his favor,” said Inspector-in-Charge Mendonça.  “Thankfully, Chicago Postal Inspectors uncovered his scheme to delegitimize the rule of law, and brought him to justice.”

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

GREAT FALLS – A Mexican man who was in the United States illegally was sentenced yesterday to a term of time-served and remanded to the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Leobardo Ricardo Torres-Torres, 38, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to illegal reentry.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

The government alleged in court documents that Torres-Torres was removed from the United States in November 2016 and never obtained permission to return. On March 24, 2025, he was found in Havre, Montana when Border Patrol agents approached a vehicle registered to a person illegally present in the United States in the Walmart parking lot. An agent asked Torres-Torres if he owned the vehicle, and he admitted he did. He said was working construction in the area, was originally from Mexico, and had no documents that permitted him to enter or remain in the United States.

Torres-Torres’s immigration files show he applied for U.S. citizenship in 2002 but presented a fraudulent birth certificate with his application. He was allowed to withdraw the application and return to Mexico. In July 2009, Torres-Torres was found in Arizona and ordered removed after an arrest in Maricopa County for driving while intoxicated. In July 2010, Border Patrol agents found Torres-Torres, again in Arizona. He was convicted of illegal entry, a misdemeanor, sentenced to 30 days in prison, and removed from the United States. In August 2016, Border Patrol agents in Naco, Arizona, found Torres-Torres. He was again convicted of illegal entry, sentenced to 75 days in prison, and again removed from the United States. When he was arrested in Havre in March 2025, Torres-Torres told the Border Patrol he reentered the U.S. in November 2017, near El Paso, Texas.

The United States Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Border Patrol.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On September 22, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 43 gang members from the municipality of Cayey with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) Guayama Strike Force, with the collaboration of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) and Air and Marine Operations (AMO), the U.S.  Marshals Service, the U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Today during the arrests, the following agencies provided support: Puerto Rico National Guard, Ponce Municipal Police, Guaynabo Municipal Police, Bayamón Municipal Police, and San Juan Municipal Police.

“Thanks to the great investigative work of our law enforcement partners, the important leaders, enforcers and other members of the violent gang known as Los Vira’o are being taken off our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “These arrests reflect our steadfast determination to remove violent gangs from our communities.”

“We will not tolerate criminal organizations that continue to threaten the safety and well-being of our communities while profiting from the distribution of deadly narcotics on our streets. These groups show nothing but disrespect for our neighborhoods, our children, and the elderly —taking lives at every turn. Let me be clear: the arrests do not end here. Our commitment and resources are fully dedicated to one mission—eliminating transnational criminal organizations. Not disrupting. Not dismantling. Eliminating,” said Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge, HSI San Juan (Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands).

The indictment alleges that from 2021, the drug trafficking organization distributed heroin,  cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, marijuana, and fentanyl, Oxycodone (commonly known as Percocet), and Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax) within 1,000 feet of the Luis Muñoz Morales and Jardines de Montellano (a/k/a “Greyskull”) Public Housing Projects (PHPs), the Polvorín Ward in Cayey, and other areas throughout Puerto Rico, all for significant financial gain and profit.

The object of the conspiracy was to distribute wholesale quantities and street amount quantities of controlled substances at the Luis Muñoz Morales and Jardines de Montellano PHPs, the Polvorín Ward in Cayey, as well as other areas throughout Puerto Rico and the continental United States. The organization referred to itself as Los Vira’o and used other insignia to identify its membership and loyalty, including jewelry, stickers, or tattoos of the letters “LFNM,” which stands for “La Familia Nunca Muere,” (The Family Never Dies). The top leader of the gang, Efraín A. Planell-Pérez, although incarcerated, used contraband cellular devices to communicate with gang members, hold conference calls and video calls, make electronic fund transfers, and coordinate gang activity. Additionally, Planell-Pérez purchased drugs and guns, gave orders regarding the function of the drug points, ordered murders, resolved disputes, and taught new members how to prepare drugs for sale, among other criminal actions.

According to court documents, members of Los Vira’o posted criminal activities to social media both to raise their own status and intimidate rivals. On occasion, some members of the drug trafficking organization purchased commercially available security cameras, installed them in the PHPs, and downloaded corresponding applications to their cellular devices to monitor activity within those PHPs, looking out for police activity and attacks by rival gangs.

A group of the founding members of Los Vira’o previously belonged to another drug trafficking organization based in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Those members of Los Vira’o turned against the other Caguas-based gang, and since the inception of Los Vira’o in 2021 have been in a turf war with that other organization, to include coordinated shootings in rival gang territory using automatic weapons and squad-like tactics, killing both intended and unintended victims.

It is alleged that members of Los Vira’o carried out violent carjackings using firearms to acquire vehicles to use in murders and other criminal acts. They would refer to those stolen cars as units, and those cars were generally forbidden from being stored inside the PHPs. After use in a murder or other criminal act, gang members would burn the cars or sell them.

The investigation revealed that during the conspiracy the defendants and their co-conspirators created a music label and produced music and music videos with lyrics describing specific gang activity, real coconspirators, and real criminal events. Music videos of Los Vira’o feature real firearms brandished in the videos.

The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, including as leaders, enforcers, runners, sellers, facilitators, and lookouts. Twenty-seven (27) defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and fifteen (15) of those defendants are facing one count of possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The defendants charged in the indictment are:

[1] Efraín A. Planell-Pérez, a.k.a. “Gordo Billar/Billar/Simba/Simbad/el Ocho”

[2] David González-Olmo, a.k.a. “Cagüita”

[3] Eliezer Rivera-Otero, a.k.a. “Tiki/Tiky”

[4] Luis D. Maldonado-Berríos, a.k.a. “Guinea/La G”

[5] Miguel Y. Fuentes-Oquendo, a.k.a. “Barba”

[6] José M. Rivera-Fuentes, a.k.a. “Che/Cheque”

[7] Edgar Antonio Santiago-Vázquez, a.k.a. “Mili/Militar”

[8] Julio A. Torres-Roche, a.k.a. “Doctor”

[9] José David Serrano-Santiago, a.k.a. “Hacha Vieja”

[10] Kris L. Vega-González, a.k.a. “Yandel/Kris Llandel”

[11] Miguel A. Olmo-Garcia, a.k.a. “Mine/Bolillo”

[12] Yandel O. Bermejo-Rodríguez

[13] Jouseph De Jesús-Reyes, a.k.a. “Boti”

[14] Juan A. Flores-Lebrón, a.k.a. “Juanki”

[15] Noel Nieves-Lora, a.k.a. “Bulin”

[16] Cristopher Colón-Viera, a.k.a. “Topher”

[17] Joseph A. Torres-Quesada, a.k.a. “Mueca”

[18] Zael Y. Lao-Ortiz, a.k.a. “Vieques”

[19] Jay L. Diaz-Del Valle, a.k.a. “Jay Livan/El Cantante”

[20] Héctor M. Cruz-Ayala, a.k.a. “Gordo Gordo/Gordo Chiquito”

[21] Jeremy Ortiz-Díaz, a.k.a. “Millo”

[22] Victor M. Cruz-Ortiz, a.k.a. “Papa/El Father”

[23] Carlos A. Arroyo-Santel, a.k.a. “Rata/R”

[24] Adrián J. Miranda-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Pilo/Pilotito”

[25] Rubén M. Torres-Reyes

[26] Luis Y. León-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Ika”

[27] Kevin M. Torres-Rivera, a.k.a. “Kevo”

[28] Edgardo Ortiz-Figueroa, a.k.a. “Pucho”

[29] Michael A. Santiago-Cruz, a.k.a. “Colo/Colorao”

[30] Christopher J. Nieves-Pérez, a.k.a. “Chucho”

[31] José G. Jiménez-Robles, a.k.a. “Joy”

[32] Christopher J. Fontanez-Vega, a.k.a. “Lagarto”

[33] Endel Gabriel Vidal-Malavé

[34] Bryan L. Montalvo-Colón, a.k.a. “Yambra”

[35] Luis A. Trinidad-González, a.k.a. “Chivito”

[36] Mariela E. Santiago-Cuevas

[37] José Orlando Ortiz-Martínez, a.k.a. “Champu de Coco/Vizco”

[38] Kenneth O. Claudio-Vega, a.k.a. “Kenny”

[39] Jonathan A. Ortiz-Martínez, a.k.a. “Cocodrilo/Orejas”

[40] Joseph Vicente-Vázquez, a.k.a. “Joe Cantera”

[41] Alejandro M. Tarafa-Fortuño, a.k.a. “Zombie”

[42] Rosemary Santiago-Serrano

[43] Paola M. Rodríguez-Morales

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, AUSA R. Vance Eaton, and AUSA Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges in Count Seven, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. The defendants charged with possession of machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking in Count Eight face a mandatory sentence of thirty years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the drug trafficking charges. All defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $9,362,160.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

MINNEAPOLIS – Late yesterday, following a two-day jury trial, Damien Duwjan Shade, age 48, was found guilty of all charged counts in the indictment, that is, one count of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and one count of Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.

“Stuffed animals are symbols of childhood, not vessels for poison,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.  “Turning a child’s toy into a cover for lethal drugs shows the lengths drug traffickers will go to peddle their poison.  This verdict ensures there will be consequences.”

According to evidence presented at trial, in March 2023, the Rochester Police Department responded to the FedEx facility at the Rochester Airport after learning of three suspicious packages sent from San Diego, California, to two separate addresses in Winona, Minnesota.  The packages were all shipped from the same sender—“Trayvon Strange”—and were addressed to fictitious individuals whom law enforcement determined did not live at the stated addresses. 

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Rochester Police Department arranged for a drug detecting K9 to sniff the packages.  The K9 alerted to the presence of drugs inside the packages.  Law enforcement received warrants to open the packages.  In the packages, law enforcement found six pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside of stuffed animals.

The next day, law enforcement placed sensors and tracking devices inside the packages, removing all but a small amount of methamphetamine from each box and replacing the methamphetamine with “filler”—rock salt and other materials—to approximate the original weight of the packages.

Law enforcement conducted a “controlled delivery,” delivering the packages to the addresses on the packages.  The mother of the defendant’s children initially retrieved the packages and then the defendant arrived at her home to collect the packages, which he believed were full of methamphetamine.  Law enforcement searched the scene and found that the defendant had opened the controlled delivery packages.  Law enforcement found the controlled delivery methamphetamine and the guts of the cut-open stuffed animals.

The defendant confessed.  He said that he traveled to California, purchased several pounds meth, and then shipped it back to himself in Minnesota using fake names.  He admitted he hid the methamphetamine inside of stuffed animals.  He also admitted he had a gun at his apartment, which he was not legally allowed to possess because he is a felon.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Shade’s home. There, they found the third controlled delivery package, unopened, on a chair in the living room.  The package contained the stuffed animals, repackaged with the filler material that law enforcement switched out for the methamphetamine.

Law enforcement further found a loaded Comanche III .357 Magnum revolver in a dresser drawer, a digital scale, approximately 30 small Ziplock baggies in an unlocked safe, and what appeared to be a drug ledger.  A search of the bedroom closet further revealed a stash of over 400 live .357 Magnum handgun rounds and a spent casing.

As charged in the indictment, in 2013, Shade was previously convicted of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm in San Diego, California.

On September 24, 2025, a federal jury convicted Shade on both charged counts in U.S. District Court before District Judge Michael J. Davis.  Shade will be sentenced at a later date.  He faces up to life in prison.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Rochester Police Department, the Winona County Sheriff’s Office, the Winona Police Department, and other members of the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team (SEMVCET).

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren O. Roso and Syngen Kanassatega prosecuted and tried the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

DETROIT – Former Inkster Mayor Patrick Wimberly’s executive assistant pleaded guilty today to lying to federal agents during their investigation into Wimberly’s bribery scheme, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Saif Alsenad, 33, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, served as Mayor Wimberly’s executive assistant from May 2021, through June 2023. According to the information, in October 2024, Alsenad lied to FBI agents and told them he was not aware that Wimberly had corruptly solicited, demanded, and agreed to accept $100,000 with the intent to assist an investor in acquiring a vacant 13-acre parcel owned by the city of Inkster. At the time he made the statements, Alsenad knew they were false because he knew Wimberly had agreed to accept cash bribes in exchange for Wimberly’s assistance in obtaining the parcel of land for the developer. Alsenad was charged with making a false statement or representation to a department or agency of the United States, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). This charge carries a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.

In September 2024, Wimberly pleaded guilty to agreeing to accept $100,000 in cash bribes. He was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment.

“When law enforcement officers are investigating a crime, lying to them to help shield the offender is never the right decision. This is especially true when those involved are government officials who have a duty to serve the public’s interest, not their own,” said Gorgon.

“Today’s guilty plea by Saif Alsenad demonstrates the FBI’s steadfast commitment to investigate those who undermine the public’s trust, regardless of their position or influence,” said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Working for an elected official does not exempt anyone from accountability when engaging in public corruption. I want to thank the members of the FBI Detroit Area Corruption Task Force for their outstanding investigative work throughout this investigation.”

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton P. Brown.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – Two Honduran nationals have been extradited to the United States to face racketeering charges. Each defendant – both of whom are alleged members of the Trinitarios – is charged with participating in two murders. They are alleged to have been in the United States illegally at the time of the murders and fled to Honduras to avoid federal charges.

Elvis Trujillo, 27, and Yeferson Vallecillo Cambar, 23, were arrested in December 2024 in Honduras at the request of the United States and extradited to the United States yesterday. Trujillo and Cambar will appear in federal court in Boston at 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. today. Trujillo and Cambar were each indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of RICO Conspiracy.

Trujillo and Cambar are alleged to be members of the Trinitarios criminal enterprise, which is a transnational criminal organization with a large presence in Massachusetts communities. In February 2025, federal charges were unsealed against more than two dozen Trinitarios members as part of a multijurisdictional takedown. Those charges included specific allegations that the Trinitarios were responsible for over 10 murders taking place over the last decade. Trujillo is charged with allegedly participating in two of those murders. Cambar is charged with allegedly participating in two additional murders

According to the charging documents, the Trinitarios are a hierarchical criminal organization, with positions that are known to exist at the state and local chapter level, whose members adhere to a code of conduct. Enmanuel Paula-Cabral, a/k/a, “Nelfew,” a/k/a “Gordo,” “Manny,” allegedly served as the State Supreme of the Trinitarios for Massachusetts, responsible for the entirety of the gang’s criminal activities, coordination with other state leaders and communication with leadership of the Trinitarios in the Dominican Republic.

Trujillo is charged with participating in the murder of Juan Espinal in March 2017, and the murder of Mindy Tran in November 2017. The murder of Espinal is alleged in court documents to have been committed by Trujillo and another Trinitario member on the orders of Trinitario leadership. Trujillo and the other Trinitario member are alleged to have ambushed Espinal and fired at him as he walked past, then chased him down and fired more rounds killing him in the street. The murder of Mindy Tran is alleged in court documents to have been committed by Trujillo and another individual during an attempted robbery of Tran during a marijuana sale. Trujillo is alleged to have fired the shot that killed Tran. 
According to court documents, Trujillo was in the United States illegally and is believed to have consented to removal to Honduras following his conviction in a separate shooting incident in order to avoid charges for his role in the murder of Tran.  

Cambar is charged with participating in the murders of Jandriel Heredia and Abraham Diaz in September 2023. According to the charging documents, the Trinitarios wrongly believed rival gang members were in attendance at a graduation party and conducted a drive-by shooting that killed Heredia and Diaz and wounded five other surviving victims. The Trinitarios targeted the party to retaliate for the recent death of a Trinitario gang member. Cambar is alleged to have assisted in procuring the vehicle used in the double murder and assisting in the concealment and destruction of evidence after the fact.

Cambar is believed to have fled to Honduras to avoid charges for his role in the September 2023 shooting. Cambar was present in the United States during this time without legal status and without inspection at a port of entry.

The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of 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.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Kevin Neal, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy; and Lawrence Police Chief Maurice Aguiler made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and the Andover, Boston, Peabody, Salem, and Manchester NH Police Departments. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs coordinated with authorities in Honduras to secure the extradition of Trujillo and Cambar. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A previously convicted felon who was a Puro Tango Blast gang member was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for drug and gun charges, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.

In February 2025, Daniel Ortiz 34, of San Antonio, Texas, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, one count of burglary involving controlled substances, and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Yesterday, he was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Karen Gren Scholer.

In court documents, Ortiz admitted that in January 2024, he and two codefendants burglarized a MedPlus Pharmacy located in San Antonio, Texas.  On the morning of January 11, 2024, Ortiz and his codefendants used the Zello app on their cell phones to communicate before, during, and after the burglary.  Zello is a cellular telephone application (app) that works as a secure push to talk radio using cellular networks and Wi-Fi.  Ortiz admitted that on the morning of January 11, 2024, one of his codefendants made two false 911 calls with the intent to divert law enforcement officers away from the MedPlus Pharmacy.  Following the 911 calls, Ortiz broke into the pharmacy and took quantities of codeine and other controlled substances (see photos below). Ortiz then transported the stolen drugs to the DFW area and attempted to sell them to customers.
 

Ortiz also admitted in court documents that on March 30, 2024, he was operating a stolen BMW X5 traveling with his girlfriend eastbound on Interstate 30 in the DFW area.  Police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the stolen BMW and Ortiz fled from the officers at a high rate of speed.  During the pursuant, the stolen BMW driven by Ortiz struck two other vehicles as he attempted to flee from officers.  Ortiz admitted that after initially alluding police officers, he exited the interstate, abandoned the stolen BMW in a residential area, and fled on foot.  Ortiz admitted that when he exited the BMW, he was in possession of a Glock, model 44, .22 caliber handgun. Ortiz fled to a nearby neighborhood and unlawfully entered a residence and attempted to hide. Law enforcement agents surrounded the residence, and Ortiz surrendered after a four-hour standoff. Ortiz is a multi-convicted felon and a Puro Tango Blast (PTB) member. PTB is a violent prison gang made up primarily of Hispanic men from Texas cities.

The investigation was conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Dallas Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Assistant United States Attorneys Rick Calvert and Luis Suarez prosecuted the case.

This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s OCDETFs and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the issuance of a complaint and arrest warrant charging Blake Richard Hoover (31, Punta Gorda) with arson. If convicted on all counts, Hoover faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison. 

According to the complaint, on or about September 19, 2025, Hoover set an intentional fire at the Chabad Jewish Center located at 424 W. Hendry Street in Punta Gorda, Florida. The Chabad Jewish Center is a Hebrew school and a community synagogue open to all people of Jewish faith.   

On September 19, 2025, at approximately 10:48 p.m., a fire alarm within the Chabad Jewish Center was activated notifying the fire department. Upon the fire being extinguished and subsequent investigation, it was determined that the fire was an act of arson. In addition to the fire damage, three areas were spray painted with the letter “J” and appeared to have been recently painted. 

On September 22, 2025, the Punta Gorda Police Department and Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office received information from a person regarding a suspect and continued the investigation. Hoover was identified by the person as having expressed an intent to burn down the Chabad Jewish Center prior to September 19, 2025. The person indicated that Hoover had a hatred towards Jewish people and that Hoover had left his residence on September 19, 2025, and returned that evening with a spray paint can. A gas can went missing when Hoover left earlier in the night and was returned to Hoover’s residence empty. The person confronted Hoover about what Hoover had spray painted and Hoover replied, the letter “J.” 

A license plate reader captured Hoover’s motor vehicle in the area of the Chabad Jewish Center at approximately 10:09 p.m., prior to the arson. A search warrant was conducted at Hoover’s residence and law enforcement recovered a spray paint can and gas can.     

A complaint is an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Punta Gorda Police Department, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Montgomery, Ala. – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that a Greenville, Alabama, man has been sentenced to federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On September 23, 2025, a federal judge ordered that 41-year-old Undray Lamond Lowery serve 120 months in prison. Following his prison term, Lowery will serve three years of supervised release. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.

According to court records and police reports, on January 1, 2023, a Greenville patrol officer spotted a vehicle matching the description of one potentially linked to a shots-fired incident at a residence the night before. The officer recognized Lowery as the driver and was aware that Lowery had outstanding arrest warrants. After Lowery pulled into a parking lot and exited the vehicle, the officer placed him under arrest.

During a search of the vehicle, officers found a handgun. Because Lowery has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. On June 11, 2025, Lowery pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Greenville Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Paul Markovits prosecuted.

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).

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Gabriel Michael Stoelzel, 26, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, formerly of Tallahassee, pleaded guilty in federal court to attempting to entice or persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity, distribution of child pornography, and receipt of child pornography. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “It is one of our highest duties to protect our children from the predations of sex offenders like this defendant, so I applaud the outstanding investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to identify and catch this offender. My office will continue to prosecute these sick individuals with the full force of the law to keep our children safe both online and in our communities.”

Court documents reflect that in 2024, the Tallahassee Police Department received CyberTips that were generated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children based on information provided by online social media platforms. Records show that the defendant uploaded child pornography to social media servers while he sent the files to other users. An investigation revealed that the defendant had been communicating with other users, some of whom said that they were as young as 14 years of age, to convince them to meet for sex. Additionally, the investigation revealed that the defendant sent and received child pornography through an online application.

The defendant faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, up to a maximum of life imprisonment, followed by five years to life of supervision upon release.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 5, 2026, at 10:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.

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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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.