Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Christopher Johnson Shared Child Pornography with an Undercover Officer on Social Media

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

MOBILE, AL – Kaden Heard, age 31, was sentenced on December 12, 2025, to 121 months in prison for convictions related to the attempted sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography.  Heard entered his guilty pleas on September 19, 2025.

According to court documents, Heard was active on a social media application when he began chatting with an individual that he believed to be a 13-year-old female in Phoenix.  Heard expressed a desire to travel to Arizona to engage in sexual activity with the 13-year-old and sent explicit photographs of himself to this individual.  Heard discussed bringing alcohol, drugs, condoms, and a “secret” phone to their meeting. A search was conducted of Heard’s social media accounts, and investigators found thousands of chats during which Heard was actively seeking images of child pornography.  Heard’s cell phone was seized and found to contain hundreds of images of child pornography, including images of prepubescent minors.  Heard was interviewed and made a full confession.

At sentencing, United States District Judge Kristi DuBose imposed a 121-month term of incarceration and a 15-year term of supervised release upon Heard’s future release. Heard will be subject to sex offender treatment and mental health treatment while imprisoned. Heard will be required to register as a sex offender and is to have no contact with minors. Smith was ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution to the victim of his offenses and $200 in special assessments.

U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Phoenix and Mobile Divisions, investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

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 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.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

On December 4, 2025, United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Denny Andres Mero Anchundia, an Ecuadorian national, to 235 months’ imprisonment for smuggling approximately 1,828 kilograms of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean following his guilty plea on the charges.

Court documents show that on March 3, 2025, while on routine patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, United States Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Kimball detected a vessel that was suspected of smuggling drugs. The vessel was without nationality, in international waters, had visible packages onboard, fuel barrels on deck, and three outboard engines.

The Kimball intercepted the drug smuggling vessel which complied with USCG directions. Once dead in the water, the USCG boarding team came alongside and gained positive control of the drug smugglers. The boarding team confirmed the packages were consistent with cocaine and determined the vessel was without nationality. The boarding team then transferred the six persons onboard, including Anchundia, and the cocaine back to the Kimball. Once onboard, the boarding team was determined the weight of the cocaine as approximately 1,828 kilograms. The drug smuggling vessel was sunk due to being a hazard to navigation. The six crew members were brought the United States and charged under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act.

United States Attorney Sean P. Costello made the announcement. 

The case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant United States Attorney George F. May prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

This case was prosecuted as a 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

HAMMOND – Esteban Quino-Rosas, 45 years old, of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to felony reentry of removed alien, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.

Esteban Quino-Rosas was sentenced to time served, based upon his detention since September 26, 2025,  followed by 1 year of supervised release. The supervised release term would go into effect should the Defendant remain in, or return to, the United States within that period following expected removal proceedings.

According to documents in the case, Quino-Rosas’ criminal history includes one prior removal from the United States in 2012.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Lake County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Former Madera County benefits eligibility worker Leticia Mariscal, 55, of Madera, was arrested today on charges that she stole tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of other people’s CalFresh benefits during a multiyear scheme, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. CalFresh is a financial assistance program that provides qualifying California residents with monetary benefits they can use to buy food. It was formerly known as the food stamp program.

According to court records, between December 2020 and April 2025, Mariscal improperly used county databases to which she had access through her job to obtain identifying information for individuals who were elderly or deceased. She then secretly approved these individuals to receive CalFresh benefits, printed EBT cards in their names with the benefits deposited thereon and spent the proceeds. Altogether, Mariscal used the identities of more than 15 people to steal benefits totaling more than $40,000. She was placed on leave earlier this year when her scheme was discovered.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Madera County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Mariscal faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for stealing CalFresh benefits. She also faces an additional two years in prison for misusing other people’s identities to commit the crime. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

           WASHINGTON – John Aaron Gass, 35, a high school history teacher at the District of Columbia International School, was charged by complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court with production of child pornography and with enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

           FBI agents arrested Gass yesterday at his home in Maryland.

           According to the charging documents, Gass allegedly sexually abused a minor child beginning in the Spring of 2025. He allegedly recorded that abuse. On multiple occasions Gass climbed through the child’s bedroom window at night to sexually abuse her. 

           On Nov. 21, 2025, the FBI received information from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) alleging that Gass met with a minor child on multiple occasions to sexually abuse her and, on at least two occasions, used the victim’s phone to record explicit videos of himself and the child. 

            This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.

            This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Bohlen for the District of Columbia.

            Anyone with further information may contact 1-800-CALL-FBI.

            This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – Kokusai Denki Electric America, Inc., formerly known as Hitachi Kokusai Electric Comark, LLC (Comark), a company headquartered in Southwick, Mass., has agreed to pay $2,092,371 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for which it was not eligible.

Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses through the PPP. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) administered the PPP in two rounds – the second began in early 2021. To be eligible for a second-round loan, an entity, among other things, had to have fewer than 300 employees, including affiliates’ employees.

As part of the settlement, Comark admitted that, in January 2021, it received a $1,342,232 second round PPP loan. Comark certified that it was eligible for the loan under the PPP regulations in effect at the time of the application and represented that it had 67 employees, including affiliates’ employees. Comark later sought and received forgiveness from SBA of the full amount of that loan. When it applied for the loan and when it applied for forgiveness, Comark did not qualify for the loan because it had more than 300 employees, when considering employees of its affiliates. Prior to 2021 and through 2022, Comark was a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc., a company based in Tokyo. Between 2021 and through 2022, Kokusai had more than 300 employees, not including Comark’s employees.  

The settlement credits Comark for cooperation under the Department of Justice’s Guidelines for Taking Voluntary Disclosure, Cooperation and Remediation into Account in False Claims Act Matters.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and the U.S. Small Business Administration made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. LaMacchia, Chief of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the matter.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – A Quincy man has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to allegedly injecting clients of his business, Rodrigo Beauty Inc., with unapproved botulinum toxin obtained from illegitimate sources outside the United States, resulting in numerous severe cases of botulism.

Rodrigo de Medeiros Siqueira, 33, was charged and agreed to plead guilty to one count of misbranding of a drug after shipment in interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. Medeiros Siqueira was arrested and charged by complaint in October 2025.

According to the charging documents, beginning in or around August 2022, Medeiros Siqueira offered various cosmetic injection procedures, including the injection of botulinum toxin prescription drugs, to clients of Rodrigo Beauty, despite not being licensed to prescribe, dispense, or administer prescription drugs or perform injections. It is alleged that Medeiros Siqueira falsely represented to clients that he was a licensed medical professional authorized to perform injections and made false statements to clients regarding the identity and source of the botulinum toxin products he was using for their injection procedures. Beginning in or around late May 2025, numerous Rodrigo Beauty clients were diagnosed with botulism, allegedly as a result of injections Medeiros Siqueira performed using unapproved botulinum toxin.

Botulism is a rare and dangerous illness that can result from, among other things, the injection of botulinum toxin. Iatrogenic botulism is caused by botulinum toxin circulating in the blood and spreading beyond the injection site, potentially resulting in life-threatening symptoms, including blurred or double vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, and/or difficulty swallowing or breathing. While botulinum toxin is generally safe when administered by trained medical professionals, improper dosing, administration technique, or use of non-FDA-approved products can result in severe cases of botulism.

The charge of misbranding of a drug after shipment in interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. 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.

If you or a family member believe you received services involving illegal injections and/or unapproved drugs or devices from Medeiros Siqueira or Rodrigo Beauty, please complete the questionnaire located on the FDA’s website at: https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/criminal-investigations/oci-vw-assistance-rodrigo-beauty. Information about the status of the case is located on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/victim-and-witness-assistance-program/united-states-v-rodrigo-de-medeiros-siqueira.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie A. Wright of the Health Care Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Friday admitted possessing images containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his mobile phone and discussing CSAM with others online for years.

Brayden M. Swathwood, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. He also admitted exchanging CSAM with someone in Georgia and claiming in discussions with that person that he was sexually abusing a 4-year-old minor and planned to record that abuse. There is no evidence that Swathwood’s claims about the minor are true.

On Dec. 17, 2024, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in St. Louis conducted a court-approved search of Swathwood’s apartment in St. Louis County and his vehicle. They seized his cellphone and other electronic devices and interviewed Swathwood, who admitted viewing and discussing CSAM online.

Swathwood is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12, 2026. The charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and fine.

HSI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.

Source: United States Department of Justice

HAMMOND – Esteban Quino-Rosas, 45 years old, of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to felony reentry of removed alien, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.

Esteban Quino-Rosas was sentenced to time served, based upon his detention since September 26, 2025,  followed by 1 year of supervised release. The supervised release term would go into effect should the Defendant remain in, or return to, the United States within that period following expected removal proceedings.

According to documents in the case, Quino-Rosas’ criminal history includes one prior removal from the United States in 2012.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Lake County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan.