Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JORGE GIOVANNI ESCOBAR GONZALEZ, 41, a citizen of Colombia last residing in Kissimmee, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 57 months of imprisonment for his involvement in an organized jewelry theft ring that targeted mall-based stores and kiosks across the country.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from May 2023 through April 2024, Escobar Gonzalez and several other Colombian nationals burglarized jewelry stores and kiosks in malls and then transported the stolen property or the proceeds from it across state lines.  Before the burglaries, Escobar Gonzalez and his associates surveilled the stores and kiosks to formulate game plans and, as part of that reconnaissance, Escobar Gonzalez more than once posed as a legitimate customer to examine the desired merchandise and assess the establishment’s security measures.  During the burglaries, Escobar Gonzalez frequently served as one of the thieves who broke into stores and display cases while other co-conspirators served as lookouts.

Escobar Gonzalez and his co-conspirators burglarized jewelry establishments in Paterson, New Jersey, on May 17, 2023; in Mentor, Ohio, on July 21, 2023; in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on August 13, 2023; in Greece, New York, on September 20, 2023; at the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, Connecticut, on October 5, 2023; in Lombard, Illinois on October 17, 2023; in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, on October 27, 2023; and in Henrico, Virginia on November 4, 2023.  The total losses from these burglaries exceed $4.4 million. 

Members of the conspiracy also cased additional jewelry stores and kiosks in Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Delaware.

To date, none of the stolen jewelry has been recovered by law enforcement.

On April 9, 2025, Escobar Gonzalez pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of stolen property.  He has been detained since May 19, 2024, when he was arrested in Florida on state charges related to another jewelry burglary.

This investigation has been conducted by the FBI New Haven’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force with the assistance of the Milford (Conn.) Police Department, the Hamilton Township (N.J.) Police Division, the Delaware State Police, the Henrico County (Va.) Police Division, the New York State Police, the New York Police Department, the Pensacola (Fla.) Police Department, the Paterson (N.J.) Police Department, the Mentor (Ohio) Police Department, the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Police Department, the Greece (N.Y.) Police Department, and the Lombard (Ill.) Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Conor M. Reardon.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and FBI Field Offices in New York, Dallas, Miami, and Tampa for their assistance.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ST. LOUIS – Jurors in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Thursday found a St. Louis man guilty of selling the fentanyl that killed an 18-year-old woman in 2023.

Jurors convicted Bobby Lee Jones, 27, one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Jones’ started Monday.

The 18-year-old victim initially reached out to Jones on the morning of Jan. 15, 2023, asking in a text message for marijuana, evidence and testimony during the trial showed. After a series of messages, he offered to also sell her the pain pill Percocet, and they met shortly after 7 p.m. to exchange cash for the drugs, the messages show. But the pills were fake and contained a fatal dose of fentanyl, evidence showed. Around midnight, when her boyfriend tried to reach her, she was not answering calls or texts. He found her the next day.

Jones’ sentencing has yet to be scheduled. The fentanyl charge carries a penalty of at least 20 years in prison.

Jones’ trial on unrelated carjacking and firearm charges is scheduled for January 5, 2026. Charges set forth in that indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Szczucinski and Nicholas Lake are prosecuting the case.   

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

HOUSTON – A 40-year-old Nigerian citizen who illegally resided in Houston has pleaded guilty for his role in a business email compromise conspiracy and for running a romance scam that targeted victims nationwide, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Leslie Chinedu Mba, 40, admitted to his role in conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit false statements in immigration documents.

“These online scams that Mba and others perpetrated jeopardized the livelihood of family-run businesses, the ability of elderly individuals to retire, and exploited the trust on which our economy is based,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas remains committed to holding such fraudsters accountable, and protecting our people and companies from financial harm, especially when these scammers remain in our country under false pretenses and deceive immigration authorities.”

From April 2018 to December 2023, Mba and others inside and outside of the United States carried out business email compromise and romance scams targeting unsuspecting victims. The schemes began overseas, where co-conspirators gained unauthorized access to business email accounts and redirected payments to fraudulent bank accounts.

Victims believed they were sending money to legitimate businesses, but Mba and others instead funneled the funds to accounts they controlled. Mba and others acted as money mules, opening or using existing bank accounts to collect and move proceeds from the fraud.

Additionally, Mba tried to obtain U.S. permanent residency through multiple fraudulent marriages after his initial application was denied and he was ordered to be removed from the country.

The scheme resulted in a total loss of $4 million.

Four others had also previously pleaded guilty to the same charges – Grace Morisho, 30, Rodgers Kadikilo, 29, Kristin Smith, 37, and Alexandra Golovko, 35, all of Houston.

U.S. District Judge David Hittner accepted the plea and set sentencing for Feb. 26, 2026. At that time, Mba faces up to 20 years for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five years for committing false statements on immigration documents as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

He will remain in custody pending that hearing.

FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen M. Lansden and Alexander Alum are prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Antonio Lamar Jeffries, 36, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to 17 years and six months in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Jeffries admitted to a key role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between November 2022 and March 22, 2023, Jeffries conspired with others to distribute quantities of methamphetamine. Jeffries admitted that he arranged for a co-conspirator to drive to Bluefield, West Virginia, on February 4, 2023, to obtain methamphetamine from his supplier. Jeffries used a cell phone to arrange the meeting, provided the co-conspirator with money to deliver as payment for the methamphetamine, and instructed her to meet his supplier at the Mercer Mall in Bluefield. The co-conspirator exchanged the money for the methamphetamine as instructed. Law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of her vehicle as she drove back to Charleston and seized approximately 3.1 kilograms of methamphetamine from her vehicle. Jeffries admitted that he intended to distribute some of the seized methamphetamine to others and allow the co-conspirator to keep the rest.

“This defendant chose to profit from destroying lives. Today, that ends,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “Thanks to the relentless work of law enforcement, 70 pounds of lethal drugs will never reach our families. And let me be clear: this is only the beginning. We will keep pushing forward, we will dismantle these networks, and we will seek the harshest sentences the law allows for those who target our community.”

Jeffries has a criminal history that includes two prior convictions for drug offenses. At the time of the current offense, Jeffries was serving a term of supervised release as a result of his conviction for possession with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on July 11, 2011. On August 20, 2025, Jeffries was sentenced to two years and six months in prison for violating the terms of supervised release, with the sentence to run consecutively to the sentence imposed for the current offense for a total term of incarceration of 20 years.

Jeffries is among 31 defendants convicted of federal crimes as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.

Capito commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.

United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.

The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBUQUERQUE – A Peñasco man was sentenced to more than 21 years in prison for the stabbing death of another man.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on December 25, 2022, Byron Sanchez, 49, an enrolled member of the Picuris Pueblo, was involved in an altercation with John Doe at his residence in Peñasco, New Mexico, within the exterior boundaries of the Picuris Pueblo. During the altercation, which occurred while both individuals were under the influence of alcohol, Sanchez fatally stabbed John Doe and placed his body in a bedroom. Law enforcement officials discovered John Doe’s body at the residence on January 11, 2023.

Sanchez subsequently pled guilty to second degree murder. Upon his release from prison, Sanchez will be subject to five years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and District 7 of the New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorney R. Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners.  The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components.  Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of Indigenous victims and their families. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Obdy Mencia Guerrero (42, Honduras) guilty of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Following the guilty verdict in September 2025, Mencia Guerrero separately entered a guilty plea to the felony offense of illegal reentry into the United States. Mencia Guerrero faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison for the attempted enticement offense and a maximum of 2 years’ imprisonment for the illegal reentry offense. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 15, 2026. 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mencia Guerrero was previously removed from the United States on four prior occasions between 2003 and 2014. On July 27, 2024, Mencia Guerrero began communicating online with someone whom he believed was a 14-year-old girl. The “girl” was a deputy from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office working in an undercover capacity. After learning of her age, Mencia Guerrero traveled to a location in Marion County to pick up the “girl” to engage in sexual activity. When he arrived at the meeting location, Mencia Guerrero was arrested by law enforcement. Mencia Guerrero’s fingerprints confirmed he was the individual previously removed from the United States on four prior occasions. Mencia Guerrero had never applied for or received permission to apply for readmission to the United States. 

This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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

This case is also 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.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Jon Don Bannister, Jr. (31, Clermont) to 28 years in federal prison for two counts of production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Bannister entered a guilty plea on July 21, 2025.

According to court documents, on April 26 and May 4, 2023, in Lake County, Bannister produced CSAM by filming himself engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old child. An investigation by law enforcement showed that Bannister had been supplying vape pens and drugs to minors. In return for these items, Bannister had asked the minors to provide him with nude images of themselves.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Mascotte Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

This case was investigated by the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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).

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Kahlil Yanier Amilivia Rodriguez (27, Groveland) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Amilivia Rodriguez pleaded guilty on July 22, 2025.

According to court documents, on October 5, 2023, Amilivia Rodriguez had an online conversation with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 13-year-old girl. Amilivia Rodriguez graphically described to the fictional child the sexual acts he wanted to perform with her. Amilivia Rodriguez was arrested when he arrived at a pre-determined location to meet with the minor to engage in sexual activity.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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