Source: United States Navy
BATAM, Indonesia — U.S. Navy Sailors from Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Cincinnati (LCS 20) and Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7, rejoined service members from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ashore in Batam, after concluding the ASEAN-U.S. Maritime Exercise (AUMX) sea phase in the Singapore Strait, Dec. 13.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
TYLER, Texas – A Lawton, Oklahoma man has pleaded guilty to child exploitation charges in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Rolando Alexis Bravo, 44, pleaded guilty on December 16, 2025, to being involved in a conspiracy to transport minors before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell.
According to court documents, on November 16, 2023, Bravo transported three minors from Lawton, Oklahoma, to Dallas where he met a co-conspirator, who then transported the children to Tyler. The co-conspirator obtained hotel rooms in Tyler where the children engaged in prostitution with others.
Bravo faces up to life in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and the Tyler Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan Jackson and Emil Mikkelson.
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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Pierre, South Dakota, man convicted of Escape.
The sentencing took place on December 15, 2025.
James Dubray, age 22, was sentenced to 12 months and a day in federal prison, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Dubray was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2025. He pleaded guilty on October 14, 2025.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on May 5, 2025 when Dubray, who was in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons pursuant to a conviction for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and serving part of his sentence at Dismas Charities Residential Reentry Center in Sioux Falls, escaped from the facility by leaving without authorization and failing to return.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case.
Dubray was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Avian Mayo, 25, of Denver, was indicted by a federal grand on jury on 21 counts including postal robbery, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, on March 4, 2024, Mayo—along with Brisa Sierra-Silva and Christopher Johnson, who are charged in a separate federal indictment—attempted to rob a postal carrier and then, later that same day, robbed a second postal carrier.
Sierra-Silva and Johnson were indicted and made court appearances in the spring of 2025.
The charges contained in the indictments are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the FBI Denver Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Albert Buchman is handling the prosecution.
Case Numbers: 25-cr-00313-RMR (Mayo); 25-cr-00132-CNS (Sierra-Silva and Johnson)
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Paul Mitchell Stole Millions of Dollars from Church and Daycare for Personal Expenses and Defrauded the Internal Revenue Service
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Paul Mitchell, the lead pastor of a church and president of a daycare, pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with tax evasion. The proceeding was held before United States Chief Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon. When sentenced, Mitchell faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as restitution and monetary penalties.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew R. Galeotti, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), announced the guilty plea.
“The defendant treated his organizations’ accounts as his own personal piggy bank, stealing millions of dollars and betraying the trust of his congregation and those dependent on the services provided to the community,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office will always be vigilant in protecting houses of worship from criminality that threatens the important work they do.”
“Paul Mitchell was trusted by his parishioners to use their donations for good, not to fatten his wallet. His deceit was at many levels, as he also evaded paying millions in tax revenue that benefits the good of all Americans. With today’s plea, Mitchell decided to take a step forward to right his wrongs, and will face justice for his actions,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.
As alleged in court filings, Mitchell was the founder of a church (Organization‑1), and an educational daycare (Organization‑2), both located in Brooklyn, New York. Mitchell served as the lead pastor at Organization‑1 and the president of Organization‑2. Between 2015 and 2022, Mitchell using credit cards for Organization-1 and Organization-2 to pay for his personal expenses, including men’s clothing, jewelry, luxury accessories, and life insurance premiums. He also wrote checks from Organization‑1’s bank accounts to pay his own credit card bills; frequently withdrew large amounts of cash from bank accounts for Organization‑1 and Organization‑2; and transferred funds from those accounts into his own bank accounts. Mitchell failed to report his use of funds stolen from Organization‑1 and Organization‑2 as income on his personal income tax returns, thereby reducing his tax burden and evading the payment of personal income taxes. As a result of his conduct, Mitchell caused a tax loss of approximately $2,906,072 to the IRS and of approximately $316,699 to New York State between 2015 and 2022.
The government’s case is being handled by Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorney Miranda Gonzalez and Trial Attorney Catriona M. Coppler of the Justice Department’s Tax Section of the Criminal Division are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
PAUL MITCHELL
Age: 60
West Hempstead, New York
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-374 (NRM)
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that BRYAN JAVIER PEREZ-ESPINOZA (“PEREZ-ESPINOZA,”), age 33, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on December 3, 2025, to 21 months in federal prison.
According to court documents, PEREZ-ESPINOZA, an illegal alien previously removed to Honduras on September 30, 2022, was found in Orleans Parish on March 23, 2024. He was later charged in a superseding indictment on May 22, 2025, with reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), and illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(5)(A) and 924(a)(8).
This prosecution was part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at repelling illegal immigration, dismantling transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime. The operation unites the resources of the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) programs.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security, as well as their local and federal law enforcement partners, for their handling of this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Kendall Kyleek Dow, 28, of Sumter, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
Evidence presented in court revealed that agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, in coordination with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and the Sumter Police Department, working as part of a joint initiative targeting violent crime and drug trafficking in Sumter, identified Dow as being involved in illegal firearms trafficking and narcotics distribution.
Between February and May 2023, Dow sold 17 firearms, fentanyl, and ammunition to law enforcement. The firearms sold included semi-automatic weapons, multiple stolen firearms, firearms capable of accepting large-capacity magazines, two machine gun conversion devices—designed to convert semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic machine guns—and firearms without serial numbers, along with approximately 170 rounds of ammunition.
In addition to the firearms offenses, Dow distributed more than 153 grams of fentanyl during the same three-month period. Dow has prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Dow to 132 months imprisonment to be followed by five years of court ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sumter Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore is prosecuting the case.
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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Vancouver, Washington location failed to repair ADA shower for an extended period prompting complaint from member
Seattle – The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington and 24-Hour Fitness, a nine-state exercise facility business, this week resolved allegations it failed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. The chain will embark on new training and policies to ensure compliance with the ADA and will pay the complainant $2,000. The fitness chain denies any wrongdoing.
According to the settlement agreement, the complainant was a member at the Vancouver, Washington, Mill Plain Boulevard, 24-Hour Fitness. She complained that the accessible shower in the women’s locker room had not been available for months. An investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed the accessible shower was unusable for several months due to ongoing repairs and maintenance.
While not agreeing that it violated the ADA, 24-Hour Fitness will make new draft policies regarding ADA compliance at all 24-Hour Fitness locations and submit them to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for review. The new policies will require surveys every six months of all 24-Hour Fitness facilities, with an eye to ADA compliance. The policies will also establish a protocol to conduct daily observations of accessible features to ensure usability and address maintenance and repair issues. The company agrees to post its ADA compliance commitment at all Washington locations and will maintain a complaint process for all facilities to address concerns or allegations of discrimination based on disability. If the U.S. Attorney’s Office receives any additional complaints it will provide them to attorneys for the company with the expectation that the company will respond in five business days.
The clubs will train all its employees on ADA compliance and will keep records of facility repairs related to ADA compliance. The clubs will report on compliance regarding the Washington facilities to the U.S. Attorney’s Office every twelve months for a two-year period.
In addition to paying $2,000 to the complainant, 24-Hour Fitness agrees to pay $10,000 to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. However, that payment will be suspended if 24-Hour Fitness successfully meets all the requirements of the settlement over a two-year period.
The settlement was negotiated by Assistant United States Attorney Susan Kas, Civil Rights Coordinator in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MALIK WRIGHT, 22, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised for a firearm possession offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July and August 2024, Waterbury Police made a controlled purchase of narcotics from Wright and observed him conducting additional hand-to-hand drug sales. On August 29, 2024, investigators saw Wright stash a satchel in the tire area of an abandoned car in a vacant lot near Coe Street and High Street, and then conduct another apparent drug sale. Officers took Wright into custody and located the satchel, which contained fentanyl and cocaine, a scale, and a loaded .40 caliber handgun with a 23-round magazine.
Wright has been detained since his arrest. On August 6, 2025, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Waterbury Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Freismuth through 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.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
PORTLAND, Maine: A Florida man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to court records, Richard Harris, 23, and a coconspirator, Paul Logugune, broke into unattended vehicles to steal purses and wallets to obtain driver’s licenses and checkbooks. Harris and Logugune forged checks using the stolen checkbooks and made the checks payable to the names on the stolen licenses. They then recruited others to cash the forged checks at credit unions throughout Cumberland County using the stolen IDs to impersonate the ID theft victims.
Logugune pleaded guilty to his role in the offense and has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
Harris faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a maximum term of supervised release of five years. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case.
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