Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Throughout the 43-day lapse in government funding, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky continued to advance the Department of Justice’s mission in priority enforcement areas, including drug trafficking, violent crime, and illegal possession of firearms.  Below are highlights of sentencings that the U.S. Attorney’s Office secured in connection with several drug and violent crime-related cases prosecuted during the recent lapse in federal appropriations.

Monday, October 6

A Lexington, Ky., man, Bryan Anicasio-Miranda, 24, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to his plea agreement, on March 30, 2021 Anicasio-Miranda was convicted of first degree fleeing or evading police in Fayette Circuit Court.  On at least two occasions, December 18, 2022 and December 16, 2024, Miranda was found in possession of firearms that he was prohibited from possessing because of his previous felony conviction.

A Reynoldsburg, Ohio, man, Samuel Young, 44, was sentenced to 37 months for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to his plea agreement, on March 13, 2024, law enforcement conducted a stop on a vehicle driven by Young and recovered a firearm in his possession. Young admitted to being previously convicted of a felony and knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

A Lexington, Ky., man, Khmari Smith, 22, was sentenced to 324 months for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking offenses. In May 2023, law enforcement began investigating an individual distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl in Lexington and identified the vehicle being used to transport the drugs into the area.  On July 10, 2023, law enforcement located the vehicle traveling from Detroit to Kentucky and observed the vehicle following another car and mirroring its movements, which led them to believe the vehicles were connected.  Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on both vehicles.  Khmari Smith, and his brother and co-defendant, Khari Qunarll Smith, 24, were found in one vehicle, with no evidence of drugs.  In the other vehicle, Smith’s co-defendant, Brianna Hanspard, 30, of Detroit, was found with 4.6 kilograms of methamphetamine and 199.7 grams of fentanyl.  Hanspard admitted to entering into an agreement with Khmari Smith and others to transport drugs from Detroit to Lexington for payment.

Further investigation proved that Khari and Khmari Smith continued their drug distribution, from sources in Detroit.  In August 2023, law enforcement searched their leased residences in Lexington.  At the first residence they found 354.4 grams of fentanyl and 216.3 grams of methamphetamine; at the second, the found additional methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as a drug processing room.  Law enforcement also found 18 firearms at the first residence and 12 firearms at the second residence. Khmari Smith admitted that he received those firearms as payment for the drugs he distributed. Khari Smith was previously sentenced to 200 months and Hanspard was sentenced to 84 months.

Wednesday, October 8

A Corbin, Ky., man, Jonathan Blevins, 40, was sentenced to 110 months for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, beginning in April 2024 through June 2024, Blevins conspired with his co-defendants, Randy Lester, Jeffrey Gray, and Kathy Baird, to distribute methamphetamine in Laurel and Knox Counties. Blevins would obtain 1.5 pounds quantities of methamphetamine from his source of supply to distribute to several mid-and lower-level drug dealers and users. Blevins’ co-defendants were previously sentenced as followed: Baird received 27 months in prison; Gray received 53 months in prison; and Lester received 140 months in prison.

Friday, October 10

A Burlington, Ky., man, Gary Wayne Isaacs, 47, was sentenced to 186 months for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, on June 6, 2024, law enforcement stopped Isaacs’ vehicle, and Isaacs gave a false name and social security number. Officers searched the vehicle and found 73.89 grams of methamphetamine that he admitted he possessed with the intent to distribute it to others.

Tuesday, October 14

A Lexington, Ky., man, Khalil Washington, 28, was sentenced to 240 months for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to his plea agreement, on April 4, 2023, law enforcement arrested Washington following a traffic stop and seized 1,360 grams of methamphetamine, 28 grams of fentanyl, and a loaded firearm. Washington admitted to possessing the drugs with intent to distribute to others and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.

A London, Ky., man, Jeffrey L. McDaniel, 56, was sentenced to 120 months for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, beginning in June 2024 through July 2024, McDaniel conspired with others to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine through Laurel, Knox, and Whitley Counties. As part of the conspiracy, McDaniel would obtain upwards of ounce quantities of meth from his source of supply and distribute it to mid-and lower-level drug dealers and users.

A Lexington, Ky., man, John Robert Eckler, 46, was sentenced to 70 months for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, in August 2022, a package was seized that contained 14 one-pound bags of methamphetamine. Law enforcement conducted a controlled delivery of the package, which was picked up by Eckler. Eckler later admitted to law enforcement that he possessed the methamphetamine, and he knew the package contained a controlled substance, and he intended to give the package to another individual.

Thursday, October 16

A Corbin, Ky., man, Matthew Martin, 43, was sentenced to 78 months for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, from June 2023 through June 2024, Martin conspired with his co-defendants, Laura Huffman, 35, and Erica Mullis, 35, to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl to others in Whitley, Knox, and Laurel Counties. Both co-defendants were sentenced on October 15—Huffman received 57 months in prison and Mullis received 84 months in prison. 

Friday, October 31

A London, Ky., man, Ronald Dugger, 64, was sentenced to 88 months for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, on June 17, 2024, law enforcement responded to a residence where Dugger, who was on federal supervised release, was residing. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the residence and found $1,680 in cash and 38.076 grams of methamphetamine. Dugger admitted that he was obtaining methamphetamine from multiple suppliers, and he intended to distribute it to others. 

Monday, November 3

A United States Penitentiary inmate, Eric Watson, 34, was sentenced to 108 months for assaulting a federal officer. According to his plea agreement, on December 25, 2023, two inmates at USP McCreary began fighting. When instructed by staff to stop, Watson instead advanced towards staff, whose efforts to subdue him did not initially work. Watson then took an Officer to the ground and struck him multiple times with a closed fist until responding staff gained control.

A Lexington, Ky., man, Jacque Harmon Jones, 26, was sentenced to 150 months for possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of fluorofentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to his plea agreement, law enforcement searched Jones’ residence in February 2024 and discovered three bags of a fluorofentanyl and fentanyl mixture and $27,020 in drug proceeds inside a diaper bag. Additional fentanyl pills and a loaded firearm were found inside the master bedroom. Jones admitted that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activity.

A Lexington, Ky., man, Quincy Taylor, 39, was sentenced to 360 months for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. According to evidence at trial, on October 27, 2021, Taylor was involved in a single-vehicle collision on southbound I-75.  After exiting his vehicle, Taylor attempted to provide a bystander with a bag containing 45 grams of cocaine and a firearm.  After the bystander declined, Taylor hid the bag near brush along the exit ramp.  Taylor then left the scene by hitchhiking with a second bystander to Richmond, Ky. Taylor had multiple prior convictions for felony drug trafficking.  As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.  Additionally, based on his significant prior criminal history, Taylor qualified as an Armed Career Criminal, which enhanced his sentence.

Tuesday, November 4

Two defendants, Jaloni Andrews, 35, of Richmond, Ky., and Bridgett Vance, 57, of Strunk, Ky., were sentenced to 144 months and 27 months, respectively, for drug distribution charges. Andrews was sentenced to distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. According to his plea agreement, on March 4, 2024, a confidential informant met Andrews to obtain fentanyl and during the meeting Andrews sold the informant 521 blue round pills, which collectively weighed 54.83 grams. Event though the pills were marked with a “30” on one side and a “M” on the other side, like a real oxycodone pill, Andrews admitted that they were fake and contained fentanyl instead.

Vance previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute oxycodone. According to her plea agreement, Vance sold oxycodone pills in McCreary County by obtaining the pills from a local supplier, but then began traveling to Lexington, Ky., to obtain pills from suppliers there. On October 24, 2023, law enforcement tracked Vance traveling to her supplier in Lexington and they conducted a traffic stop on her vehicle. During a search, law enforcement located 293 oxycodone 30mg pills and $3,529 in cash. Vance admitted that she possessed these pills and intended to distribute them as she had done in the past.

Thursday, November 6

A Munford, Alabama, man, Floyd Jenkins, 46, was sentenced to 212 months for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, Jenkins worked with his co-defendants, Frederick Holt, Jr., 51, to import methamphetamine and fentanyl into the Johnson County area. Specifically, on December 4, 2024, law enforcement seized more than 300 grams of methamphetamine in Jenkins’ vehicle, which he admitted he possessed and intended to distribute. Holt was previously sentenced in August 2025 to 65 months for his role in the methamphetamine trafficking. 

Wednesday, November 12

A London, Ky., man, Shane Brock, was sentenced to 97 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, between January 2021 to March 2022, Brock received pound quantities of methamphetamine from co-defendant Stacey Smith, who distributed to multiple mid-level dealers. Brock, in turn, sold the drugs to other methamphetamine traffickers and end users.  Brock admitted to being responsible from between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine distribution.

The final defendant in large methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, Charles Phillip Dozier, of Baxter, Ky., was sentenced to 100 months for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to Dozier’s plea agreement, on February 14, 2023, Dozier was found to be in possession of 140 grams of methamphetamine at a local motel where he was staying. Law enforcement also found a loaded handgun hidden in the ceiling tile in the room, near the methamphetamine.  Dozier’s co-defendants were previously sentenced to the following: Jessica Nicole Creech received 64 months; Gregory Mills received 164 months; and David Hale received 180 months in prison.

 

– END –

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Willie Curtis Slack Jr., 49, of Milton, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent work of the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, supported by our federal law enforcement partners, this violent career criminal has been removed from our streets.  My office stands ready to aggressively prosecute these repeat offenders to keep our communities safe.”

Court documents reflect that during a traffic stop in October 2023, law enforcement officers found and seized a loaded pistol and marijuana from the defendant’s waistband. Then, in December 2024, law enforcement seized two additional firearms and matching bulk ammunition that the defendant had knowingly possessed earlier that year. Prior to these incidents, the defendant had been convicted of numerous felonies, including batteries, resisting officer with violence, aggravated assault by threat, and multiple drug sale and trafficking convictions. As a result, under the Armed Career Criminal Act, the defendant faces a minimum mandatory term of 15 years in prison up to a maximum term of life on each count.

Sentencing is currently set for January 13, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.

The plea was the result of investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Forbes.

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.

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.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Press Release

Updated November 25, 2025

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – United States Attorney John P. Heekin announced today that 12 individuals were indicted across three divisions of the Northern District of Florida.

The following indictments were filed in the Gainesville division:

• Patrick Johnson, of Gainesville, Florida, indicted for bank burglary and bank larceny.
• Stephen Jones, of Gainesville, Florida, indicted for a possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
• Tyrese Jones, of Gainesville, Florida, indicted for possession of firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

The following indictments were filed in the Panama City division:

• Jose Alvarado-Lopez, a citizen of Honduras, indicted for illegal reentry after deportation or removal.
• Maynor Esquivel-Amador, a citizen of Guatemala, indicted for illegal reentry after deportation or removal.
• Eugenio Hernandez-Vargas, a citizen of Mexico, indicted for illegal reentry after deportation or removal.

The following indictments were filed in the Tallahassee division:

• Jose Escobar, a citizen of Honduras, indicted for illegal reentry after deportation or removal.
• Abraham Flores-Tercero, a citizen of Honduras, indicted for illegal reentry after deportation or removal.
• Kelveont’a Lamar Dennis, of Tallahassee, Florida, indicted for one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
• Rashaad Huggins, of Tallahassee, Florida, indicted for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
• Brandon Mahaffey, of Tallahassee, Florida, indicted for enticement of a minor.
• Perry Walker II, of Tallahassee, Florida, indicted for one count of sexual exploitation of children, one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of transfer of obscene material to minors, and one count of possession of child pornography

Law enforcement agencies conducting the investigations included the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; with assistance from Bay County Sheriff’s Office; Leon County Sheriff’s Office; Alachua County Sheriff’s Office; and Tallahassee Police Department.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hapner, James A. McCain, Eric K. Mountin, Harley W. Ferguson, Justin M. Keen, Meredith L. Steer, and Christie S. Utt.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

Nine cases are 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.

Two cases are 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.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Vermont Man Pleads Guilty To Failure To Register As A Sex Offender

 

CONCORD – A Vermont man pleaded guilty today in federal court for his failure to register as a sex offender as required by the federal Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

David Courtemarche, age 45, pleaded guilty to one count of failing to register as a sex offender. U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled Courtemarche’s sentencing for March 2, 2026.

According to the charging documents and statements made in court, in 2003 the defendant was convicted in Vermont of sexual assault involving a victim under 16 years of age. Due to this conviction, SORNA and related state laws required the defendant to register in each state where he resides or is employed. SORNA gives an individual three days in which to register. The defendant’s Vermont registration paperwork notified him of these requirements and the defendant claimed he lived in Vermont. However, by at least August of 2022, he began working in New Hampshire and, by at least November 2023, he began living in New Hampshire. Though the defendant lived and worked in New Hampshire and knew that state and federal law required him to register as a sex offender in New Hampshire, he did not do so.

The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, at least 5 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.

The United States Marshals Service investigated this case. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire State Police, the Littleton Police Department, and the Lancaster Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hunter is prosecuting 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. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The ATF is seeking more information.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBUQUERQUE – Three individuals have been indicted on federal charges related to the murder of Zachariah Juwaun Shorty that occurred in Nenahnezad, New Mexico, on July 21, 2020.

Zachariah Shorty was found deceased on July 25, 2020, on a dirt pathway in a field in Nenahnezad, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation. Mr. Shorty had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The case remained unsolved for years before Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation made a recent breakthrough.

According to court documents, Austin Begay, 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, used a semiautomatic pistol to shoot and kill Mr. Shorty, also an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, with malice aforethought and premeditation. Begay is charged with first-degree murder in Indian Country. Jaymes Fage, 38, another enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, is alleged to have aided and abetted the crime. Begay is also charged with knowingly using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and discharging that firearm, thereby causing Mr. Shorty’s death.

Begay, Fage, and Joshua Watkins, 40, are additionally charged with crimes related to concealing the murder.  All three are charged with misprision of a felony in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 4. That statute makes it a federal crime to have knowledge of a federal felony that has been committed but fail to report the crime to authorities as soon as possible. Fage and Begay are charged with making materially false statements to federal investigators on December 21, 2021, regarding the events that occurred on July 21, 2020. Fage is further charged with being an accessory after the fact. It is alleged that Fage attempted to help conceal the murder when he lied to investigators.

“The MMIP Regional Outreach Program was created to ensure that cases like Zachariah Shorty’s never fade into the background and to show the impact that focused federal attention can have,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “By strengthening coordination among federal, Tribal, and local partners, the program continues to enhance our ability to address unresolved violent crime in Indian Country.”

“Operation Not Forgotten deployed additional resources to New Mexico’s Indian Country, bolstering the dedicated agents and analysts striving each day to advance these cases toward resolution,” said Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division. “Together with our local and tribal partners, we are committed to confronting crime and safeguarding the community.”

If convicted, Begay and Fage face a maximum of life in prison. Watkins faces up to three years in prison. Begay and Fage will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

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 Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Police Department, Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations and Farmington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eliot Neal and Aaron O. Jordan are prosecuting the case.

This case is 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. 

This case was brought forth through Operation Not Forgotten, an FBI established operation that focuses resources on seeking justice for Tribal community members who have been victims of unresolved crimes. The goal of Operation Not Forgotten is to move cases closer to resolution, provide services for victims, and to bring offenders to justice, who had so far escaped it. The FBI has partnered with the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Missing and Murdered Unit to surge resources including FBI special agents, intelligence analysts, staff operations specialists, and victim specialists as well as BIA intelligence and investigative support.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland, Oregon, man made his initial appearance today after allegedly making violent threats at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in South Portland.

John Paul Cupp, 45, has been charged by criminal complaint with Threats Made Against a Federal Law Enforcement Officer.

“Threats of violence against the brave members of law enforcement and their families will not be tolerated, said U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to holding those accountable who threaten and intimidate those who protect our communities, and we will continue to prosecute criminal threats of violence to the fullest extent of the law.”    

“Threats to law enforcement personnel have absolutely no place in our community,” said Acting Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Portland Special Agent in Charge Matt Torres. “Attempts to intimidate those sworn to protect the American people and uphold our Constitution degrade efforts to keep all of us safe. The FBI will use all investigative means available to us to seek out and arrest anyone using violent rhetoric to express themselves.” 

According to court documents, on October 14, 2025, Cupp began yelling insults at law enforcement officers as they were approaching a crowd. Cupp threatened to kill law enforcement officers and sexually assault their wives.  

On November 3, 2025, Cupp posted a video online reiterating the same threats to federal agents and their wives. On November 13, 2025, Cupp continued posting violent threats online to officers and their family.

Cupp is a prolific producer of online content and regularly posts aggressive rhetoric, calls for war against the United States, antisemitic threats, and threats of violence.

Since June 13, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office has charged 40 defendants with federal crimes for offenses committed near ICE facilities, including assaulting federal officers, failure to comply, and depredation of government property.

Cupp made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.

The FBI is investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DONALD OGMAN, also known as “Mainey-O” and ”Manny O,” 44, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 252 months of imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release, for methamphetamine and cocaine distribution offenses and for violating the conditions of his supervised release that followed a prior federal conviction.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Ogman has been a leader of the Grape Street Crips (GSC), a violent New Haven gang.  In 2012, the FBI arrested Ogman for offenses related to his role in GSC, including drug trafficking.  He pleaded guilty to narcotics offenses and, on March 10, 2015, was sentenced to 188 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release.  In August 2022, a federal judge granted Ogman’s motion for compassionate release, reduced Ogman’s sentence to time served, and he was released from prison. 

Ogman resumed his drug trafficking activity while on federal supervised release, distributing multi-colored pills containing methamphetamine marketed as ecstasy and crack cocaine in and around New Haven.  The investigation included surveillance, trash pulls, and controlled purchases of methamphetamine pills and crack cocaine from Ogman from November 2023 through April 2024.

Ogman was arrested on May 9, 2024.  On that date, searches of his person and residence revealed additional quantities of methamphetamine, as well as crack cocaine.  A loaded firearm was also located at a stash location that was searched on the same date.

Ogman has been detained since his arrest.  On April 16, 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, methamphetamine; three counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine. 

Judge Oliver sentenced Ogman to 228 months of imprisonment for the new offenses, and a consecutive 24 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.

This matter was investigated by the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department and the Hamden Police Department.  The NHDO Task Force includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and Nathan J. Guevremont through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Scott Burd, 59, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 6, 2025, Burd sold approximately 29 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in exchange for $1,000. As part of his guilty plea, Burd admitted that his co-defendant, Adrian Demetrius Ludaway, arranged the transaction beforehand and met with the confidential informant at Burd’s Huntington residence, where Burd distributed the fentanyl to the confidential informant.

Burd is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case.

Ludaway, also known as “A1,” 35, of Wayne, Michigan, pleaded guilty on August 19, 2025, to distribution of fentanyl and a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2025.

This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.

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. 3:25-cr-103.