Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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California Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Drug Trafficking

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Lynden David Lightburn, 52, of Los Angeles, California was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jill A. Otake to 72 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

According to court records, from September 2020 to June 30, 2021, Lightburn, a/k/a “Soulja,” supplied more than 6.6 kilograms of fentanyl, 6.4 kilograms of heroin, and 2.8 kilograms of methamphetamine to a Honolulu drug trafficking organization (DTO) co-led by Gabriel Antone Eberhardt, 43, of Detroit, Michigan, and Jason Darnell Smith, 42, of Detroit, Michigan. The DTO obtained drugs from Lightburn in Los Angeles, as well as Robert Adams, 38, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lightburn and Adams mailed the drugs to Honolulu. The DTO distributed fentanyl—a potent synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin—in mixtures with heroin and in counterfeit oxycodone tablets.

During an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the Honolulu Police Department (HPD), agents made dozens of controlled purchases of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine from the conspirators, and executed 15 search warrants on residences, rental storage units, and parcels. As a result of the controlled purchases and warrants, law enforcement agents seized more than 15 kilograms of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine, seven firearms, including assault rifles and semi-automatic pistols, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a vehicle, and more than $250,000 in cash drug proceeds. 

“Today’s sentence brings to a close years of collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners across multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies, as we worked tirelessly to bring down this large-scale, prolific, and dangerous drug trafficking operation,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “The aggressive pursuit and dismantling of drug enterprises that pump illicit drugs into Hawaii remains one of our top priorities. We will continue to devote our time, effort, and resources to protecting our community from those who seek to poison it with illegal narcotics, along with the violence and criminal use of firearms that drug trafficking spawns.”

“This sentencing, and the overall resolution of the related investigation, represents years of collaboration between multiple law enforcement agencies to dismantle one of Hawaii’s most dangerous drug trafficking organizations,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “The FBI—in coordination with our partners—will continue to use every available resource to protect our communities by taking these violent offenders off the board and bringing them to justice.”

“Today’s sentencing closes the loop on a network of incessant drug traffickers, whose crimes threatened the safety and wellbeing of the island community,” said Anthony Chrysanthis, Deputy Special Agent in Charge for the DEA Los Angeles Field Division, which oversees Honolulu. “This case reflects DEA’s continued commitment to holding drug traffickers accountable and stemming the flow of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other dangerous drugs.”

“This case shows the power of collaboration,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric Jackson. “When federal, state, and local law enforcement work together, our resources are unlimited and our efforts unmatched. It is through these partnerships that we continue to hold accountable those who seek to profit from dealing illegal and dangerous drugs in our communities.”

“The trafficking of dangerous drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine through the U.S. Mail puts Postal Service employees and our communities at risk. Postal Inspectors will aggressively pursue anyone who uses the mail to transport and distribute deadly drugs,” said Stephen Sherwood, Postal Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s San Francisco Division. “We thank our federal and local partners for working with us to combat these crimes and make our communities safer.”

In addition to Lightburn, who is the last of his coconspirators to be sentenced, the following defendants were prosecuted in this and related cases in the District of Hawaii:

  • Eberhardt, a/k/a “Stacks,” pled guilty to conspiracy and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime, and was sentenced on October 21, 2024, to 30 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release;
  • Smith, a/k/a “Famous,” a/k/a “Sweets,” pled guilty to conspiracy, and was sentenced on February 4, 2024, to 14 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release;
  • Martzes Junior, a/k/a “Green,” 44, of Southfield, Michigan, pled guilty to conspiracy and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime, and was sentenced on December 10, 2024, to 12 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release;
  • Adams, a/k/a “Tre,” a/k/a “Tre Block,” a/k/a “Block,” a/k/a “T-Block,” a/k/a “Ray Smith,” pled guilty to conspiracy, and was sentenced on July 11, 2025, to 10 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release;
  • Jared Northern, a/k/a “White Boy Jay,” a/k/a “Gage,” 26, of Honolulu, pled guilty to conspiracy and two counts of distribution of controlled substances, and on May 15, 2024, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release;
  • Jennifer Ashcraft, a/k/a “Jessie,” a/k/a “Jess,” 34, of Honolulu, pled guilty to conspiracy, and was sentenced on January 28, 2025, to 37 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release;
  • Zakiyyah Mareus, a/k/a “Kai,” 28, of Miami Gardens, Florida, pled guilty to conspiracy, and on August 8, 2024, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release;
  • Isaiah Marks, a/k/a “Seh,” 26, of Honolulu, pled guilty to conspiracy and two counts of distribution of controlled substances, and on January 18, 2023, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and four years of supervised release;
  • Tishanah Iwalani Kaio-Barrozo, 34, of Honolulu, pled guilty to distribution of controlled substances, and on June 7, 2022, was sentenced to 9 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release;
  • Michael Garrett, a/k/a “Sideburns,” a/k/a “Burns,” 42, of Romulus, Michigan, pled guilty to conspiracy, and on March 28, 2024, was sentenced to 3 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release;

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).

The case was investigated by the FBI, DEA, ATF, USPIS, and HPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig S. Nolan is prosecuting the case.

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Kauai Woman Sentenced to Over 12 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Faith Michelle Nelson, 52, of Kauai, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by Senior United States District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi to 151 months’ imprisonment followed by 5 years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Nelson has been detained since her initial arrest in this case on April 10, 2024.

According to court records, Nelson was part of a conspiracy that was acquiring controlled substances through the U.S. mail and was engaged in the distribution of methamphetamine on Kauai. In total, Nelson was held responsible for over 18 pounds of methamphetamine. 

Nelson is one of eleven defendants charged in three separate indictments for crimes related to the operation of a trans-Pacific drug trafficking network, nine of whom have pled guilty with the remaining awaiting trial. Nelson is the first defendant in a nine-defendant indictment to be sentenced. The overall investigation yielded seizures of more than 150 pounds of methamphetamine, several kilograms of fentanyl and carfentanil, eight firearms, ammunition, and over $150,000 in cash.

On April 30, 2025, in one of the related cases charged by separate indictment, Shawn Pauahi Santana was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and to distributing methamphetamine. 

“Yesterday’s sentence represents a significant step in bringing to justice the trans-Pacific criminal enterprise that Nelson and her coconspirators used to flood communities in Hawaii, Alaska, and beyond with deadly drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “We credit our tremendous law enforcement partners with helping to expose and dismantle this dangerous drug operation.”

“This sentencing and related investigation mark a crucial moment in the ongoing fight to protect our citizens from the deadly drugs that plague our island communities,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “We are grateful for the tremendous partnerships across all levels of law enforcement in this joint effort, and we will continue to use every available resource to protect our communities and bring these trans-Pacific criminal enterprises to justice.”

“This individual has an extensive history of harming our community and putting countless families at risk,” said Chief Kalani Ke, Kaua‘i Police Department. “Today’s sentence holds her accountable for her actions and demonstrates that such destructive behavior will not be tolerated. We commend our federal partners for helping end this operation, and we remain committed to keeping Kaua‘i safe from those who bring dangerous drugs into our communities.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Kauai, Maui, and Honolulu Police Departments, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret C. Nammar is prosecuting the case.

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Crypto-Enabled Fraudster Sentenced For Orchestrating $40 Billion Fraud

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Do Kwon, Founder of Terraform Labs, Sentenced to 15 Years for Fraud and Manipulation

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that DO HYEONG KWON was sentenced to 15 years in prison for committing wire fraud and conspiring to commit securities fraud, commodities fraud, and wire fraud in connection with KWON’s fraud centered around Terraform Labs PTE, Ltd. (“Terraform”), and the cryptocurrencies launched by Terraform.  KWON was extradited on December 31, 2024, and pled guilty in August 2025 before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who imposed today’s sentence.

“Do Kwon devised elaborate schemes to mislead investors and inflate the value of Terraform’s cryptocurrencies for his own benefit,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “When his crimes caught up to him, Kwon embarked on a deceptive public relations campaign to cover up his fraud, laundered the proceeds of his illegal schemes, and sought to purchase political protection in foreign countries to evade criminal prosecution. Let there be no mistake, fraud is fraud whether it takes place on our streets, in our securities markets, or in our emerging and important digital asset ecosystem, and no matter where in the world criminals may seek refuge, the women and men of the Southern District of New York will relentlessly pursue justice for investors and protect the integrity of financial markets.”

According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment and statements made in public court filings and proceedings:

From at least in or about 2018, up to and including in or about 2022, KWON orchestrated schemes to defraud purchasers of cryptocurrencies created and issued by Terraform.  Terraform was a blockchain and cryptocurrency company co-founded by KWON in 2018. Terraform distinguished the Terra blockchain from other competing blockchains by issuing so-called algorithmic stablecoins pursuant to what it called the “Terra Protocol.”  According to KWON and others, Terraform stablecoins maintained a steady value even under changing market conditions.  In or around September 2020, Terraform publicly announced the launch of Terraform’s stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, TerraUSD (“UST”).  Terraform promotional materials claimed that, under the Terra Protocol, one UST could always be exchanged for $1 worth of LUNA, the Terra blockchain’s native token. Conversely, $1 worth of LUNA could always be exchanged for one UST.

KWON claimed that Terraform had used blockchain technology to create a self-contained, decentralized financial world with its own money, payment system, stock market, and savings bank.  KWON presented Terraform as having developed functioning, reliable financial technologies on the cutting edge of a movement towards “decentralized finance” (or “DeFi”), in that Terraform’s products purportedly operated largely through automated mechanisms and economic incentives, and that Terraform’s systems were governed by their users rather than by KWON and his associates and subordinates.

In fact, core Terraform products did not work as KWON advertised and were manipulated to create the illusion of a functioning and decentralized financial system in order to lure investors.  KWON engaged in this deceptive conduct in order to pump up the value of Terraform’s cryptocurrencies, which KWON and entities he controlled (a) possessed in large amounts and (b) sold to investors in exchange for billions of dollars’ worth of other assets.

The misrepresentations that KWON made in furtherance of his schemes to defraud included the following:

  1. The Stablecoin Misrepresentations: KWON lied about the effectiveness of the system that lay at the heart of Terraform’s cryptocurrency empire, the “Terra Protocol,” which purportedly used a computer algorithm to maintain the value of Terraform’s so-called “stablecoin” pegged to the U.S. dollar, TerraUSD (“UST”), at a value of $1 for one UST.  Beginning at least in or about 2020, KWON and his associates advertised the Terra Protocol, including the economic incentives it created in the market, as sufficient on its own to maintain parity between one UST and one U.S. dollar.  In particular, KWON claimed that the Terra Protocol on its own had caused the successful restoration of UST’s $1 value after it dropped below 92 cents in or about May 2021.  That was a lie.  In truth, after the Terra Protocol on its own failed to cause the restoration of UST’s $1 peg in May 2021, KWON reached an agreement with executives at a high-frequency trading firm (the “Trading Firm”) to have the Trading Firm purchase large amounts of UST to artificially support UST’s $1 peg.  UST’s $1 peg was restored in May 2021 only after the Trading Firm strategically purchased millions of dollars of UST for the purpose of artificially propping up the peg.
  2. The LFG Misrepresentations:  KWON lied about the governance of the Luna Foundation Guard Ltd. (the “LFG”), a purportedly independent body the creation of which KWON publicly announced in or about January 2022.  KWON claimed that the LFG was managed by a governing body that operated independently of Terraform and was tasked with deploying billions of dollars’ worth of financial reserves to defend UST’s peg.  In truth, KWON simultaneously controlled both the LFG and Terraform at all relevant times following the creation of the LFG; operated the LFG as an arm of Terraform rather than as an independent entity; repeatedly made significant financial decisions for the LFG without the prior approval of its governing body; and treated the LFG’s funds as interchangeable with Terraform’s funds when it suited KWON’s interests, resulting in KWON misappropriating hundreds of millions of dollars in assets from the LFG. KWON and others acting at his direction then sought to launder those misappropriated funds using a variety of transactions designed to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the funds.
  3. The Mirror Misrepresentations: KWON lied about the control, operation, and extent of user adoption of an investing application on the Terra blockchain called Mirror Protocol (“Mirror”), that purportedly allowed for the creation, buying, and selling of synthetic versions of stocks listed on United States securities exchanges.  KWON claimed that Mirror operated in a decentralized manner and that he and Terraform played no role in Mirror’s governance.  In truth, KWON and Terraform secretly maintained control over Mirror, and used automated trading bots to manipulate the prices of synthetic assets issued by Mirror.  KWON funded those manipulative trading bots in part by using a supply of one billion stablecoins that he created at the genesis of the Terra blockchain (the “Genesis Stablecoins”).  KWON also caused Terraform to inflate key user metrics to deceive investors about the extent of Mirror’s adoption and decentralization.
  4. The Chai Misrepresentations: KWON falsely claimed that the Terra blockchain was being used to process billions of dollars in financial transactions for the Korean payment-processing application Chai.  KWON pointed to Chai’s purported use of the Terra blockchain as evidence that Terra had “real world” applications or uses, as distinct from competing cryptocurrency platforms.  In truth, Chai processed transactions through traditional financial processing networks, not the Terra blockchain.  To create the illusion that Chai processed transactions through the Terra blockchain, KWON and his co-conspirators used an automated process that copied transactions onto the Terra blockchain.  KWON used the Genesis Stablecoins in part to fund these fraudulent efforts.
  5. The Genesis Coin Misrepresentations: When the Terra blockchain was first established in or about 2019, KWON arranged for it to have a preexisting supply of approximately one billion Terra stablecoins (the Genesis Stablecoins).  KWON provided limited, shifting, and knowingly false disclosures to investors about the Genesis Stablecoins.  Rather than using the Genesis Stablecoins solely for the purposes set forth in disclosures to investors, KWON used the Genesis Stablecoins for fraudulent purposes, such as funding (i) fake Chai blockchain transactions and (ii) trading bots to manipulate the prices of synthetic assets issued by Mirror.

Enticed, in part, by the fraudulent claims of KWON, both institutional and retail investors flocked to the Terra blockchain, such that, at its peak in the spring of 2022, the total market value of all UST and another Terraform cryptocurrency, LUNA, exceeded $50 billion.  KWON solicited and obtained investments from several investment firms in the United States and other locations, with the investments primarily consisting of agreements for the purchase or loan of Terraform’s cryptocurrencies built on the Terra blockchain.  Much of this growth followed KWON’s brazen deceptions about Terraform and its technology, including efforts by KWON and his associates to paper over UST’s vulnerabilities in May 2021 by secretly manipulating the market for UST.

By May 2022, UST’s peg began to break again.  By this time, the UST market was approximately nine times larger in terms of market capitalization and more than eight times larger in terms of daily trading volume relative to one year prior, in May 2021, when KWON sought to deceptively manipulate UST to maintain its $1 value.  While KWON was able to cover up the weaknesses of the Terra Protocol in May 2021, he was not able to do so in May 2022 when the market had expanded substantially.  As a result, UST and LUNA crashed, resulting in over $40 billion worth in investor losses.

After the crash of UST and LUNA in May 2022, and the initiation of government investigations in multiple jurisdictions into the crash, KWON sought to continue Terraform’s business operations and made public remarks about being in “full cooperation” with law enforcement inquiries.  In truth, KWON sought to evade accountability.  In a recorded conversation with an associate in or about August 2022, for example, KWON stated, in substance and in part, that his strategy with law enforcement investigating the crash of UST and LUNA was to “tell them to fuck off,” and that he had been taking steps to obtain “political protection” from multiple countries and was “pretty comfortable” that he would not be extradited to face criminal charges.

On or about March 23, 2023, KWON was arrested in Montenegro for trying to use a fraudulent passport.

*                *                *

In addition to the prison term, KWON, 34, of the Republic of Korea, was ordered to forfeit over $19 million in proceeds from his illegal schemes, including his interest in Terraform and its cryptocurrencies.

Mr. Clayton praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), FBI’s Virtual Assets Unit, FBI’s Economic Crimes Unit, FBI’s International Operations Division, and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for their assistance.  Mr. Clayton further thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which previously conducted a separate civil action against KWON.  Mr. Clayton commended the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Montenegro and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Korea for their cooperation and assistance in this matter.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marguerite B. Colson, Sarah Mortazavi, and Kimberly Ravener are in charge of the prosecution.

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Former Elementary School Teacher Charged With Child Pornography Offenses

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former elementary school teacher and employee of two area school districts has been indicted by a federal grand jury for additional child pornography offenses.

Dennis Adlai Hernandez, 28, was charged in a thirteen-count federal superseding indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. yesterday. Hernandez was previously charged in a seven-count indictment with five counts of production and attempted production of child pornography, transportation of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. The superseding indictment includes those charges and six additional counts of production and attempted production of child pornography. The offenses charged in the indictment are alleged to involve twelve minor victims and are alleged to have occurred between August 2022 and August 2025.

The charges contained in this superseding indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Dunning. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

Project Safe Childhood

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 www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

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Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearm and Shooting Man in Chicago

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun and using it to shoot a man multiple times in Chicago.

ANGEL SOSA illegally possessed a loaded semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine on the evening of June 8, 2021, in the Noble Square neighborhood of Chicago.  Sosa fired more than a dozen shots at a man near the intersection of North Noble and West Walton Streets.  The man was seriously wounded but survived.  Chicago Police officers arrested Sosa near the scene of the shooting, and he has remained in law enforcement custody since then.

Sosa had previously been convicted of multiple felonies, including a firearm-related conviction in state court for which he was on parole at the time of the shooting.

Sosa, 27, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.  On Dec. 4, 2025, U.S. District Judge Martha M. Pacold imposed the ten-year prison sentence.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Branka Cimesa.

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Mexican men sentenced for illegal reentry

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

GREAT FALLS – Two Mexican men who entered the United States illegally were each sentenced yesterday to 39 days in prison, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Victor Manuel Uribe Luna, 35, and David Suarez-Olivera, 45, each pleaded guilty in November 2025 to one count of illegal reentry.

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

The government alleged in court documents that on November 2, 2025, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop off U.S. Highway 2 near Malta. The vehicle contained three individuals, only two of whom initially presented identification.

The driver was identified as Victor Manuel Uribe Luna and he presented a California Driver’s License as identification. Two passengers were also present in the vehicle, one of whom was identified as Suarez-Olivera. All three subjects were found to be present in the country illegally.

A records check found that Uribe Luna was formally removed from the United States on January 13, 2021, and he does not have legal documentation to enter, pass through, or remain in the United States.

A records check found that Suarez-Olivera was formally removed from the United States on January 26, 2006, and is likewise prohibited from re-entering the country.

During processing, both defendants acknowledged being citizens and nationals of Mexico without legal documentation to enter, pass through, or remain in the United States. They further acknowledged crossing the international boundary illegally without inspection by an Immigration Officer at a designated Port of Entry.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. U.S. Border Patrol and Phillips County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.

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.

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North Tonawanda man going to prison for using stolen credit card numbers to purchase tens of thousands of dollars worth of gas

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Kingsley Brown, 23, of North Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who handled the case, stated that between August 2022, and July 2023, Brown, along with co-defendant Cross Malik Williams, purchased approximately 570 stolen bank cards from various online marketplaces. Williams and Brown then used a card-making device to load the stolen banking card information onto blank plastic bank cards with magnetic strips, which allowed purchases to be made using the victims’ funds from the victims’ bank accounts. Williams and Brown used, or allowed others to use, the stolen bank card information to purchase gas for other individuals. The gas customers would then pay Williams and/or Brown an amount of money less than the cost of the gas. As part of his plea agreement, Brown agreed that he was responsible for $192,673 of total loss.

Cross Malik Williams was previously convicted and sentenced.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.

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Jefferson County man sentenced to federal prison for Beaumont armed robbery

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in federal prison for an armed robbery in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Naiyme Kidd, 28, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and was sentenced to 117 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on December 11, 2025.

According to information presented in court, on February 19, 2025, law enforcement responded to an armed robbery of Joy’s Fun Place located on South 11th Street in Beaumont. Joy’s Fun Place is a game room and convenience store where customers can play game machines and win credit to use in the store.  The store clerk informed officers that the assailant entered the store with a firearm and placed the barrel of the gun into the store clerk’s chest and demanded money before grabbing approximately $400 cash and fleeing the store.  Further investigation, including reviewing surveillance video and witness accounts, led police to Kidd who pleaded guilty to the charges.

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.

This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn.

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Wetzel County Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Offense

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Robert Lee Lemasters, 62, of Paden City, West Virginia, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for the possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.

According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement received a tip that Lemasters had child pornography on his cell phone. A search of Lemasters’ phone uncovered hundreds of images and videos depicting children in sexual situations.

Lemasters will serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Conklin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Probation Office investigated.

U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided. 

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Shelby woman sentenced for attempting to harbor illegal aliens

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

GREAT FALLS – A Shelby woman who attempted to harbor illegal aliens was sentenced yesterday to 3 months in prison to be followed by 2 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Kristin Louise Mitchell, 41, was found guilty at trial of one count of attempted harboring of illegal aliens.

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

The government alleged in court documents that on February 21, 2025, a Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) officer encountered individuals during a traffic stop in Gallatin County. The stop was predicated on the vehicle displaying fictitious plates. The MHP officer cited the driver for the license plate violation and released the vehicle. On February 25, 2025, a Sweetgrass Station Border Patrol Agent ran a registration check on a temporary Montana vehicle tag in Shelby that came back to the same vehicle cited in the February 21 stop.

On March 4, 2025, Border Patrol Agents observed Mitchell driving the same vehicle with two male occupants. Deputies from the Toole County Sheriff’s Office also saw Mitchell driving the car and conducted a traffic stop when the car failed to stop at an intersection. Mitchell was driving and told the deputies the two men with her were political asylees and did not speak English. The deputies contacted Border Patrol for assistance.

A Border Patrol agent responded to the call and recognized Mitchell due to a prior encounter at the northern border. The agent attempted to speak with the two passengers in English and then in Spanish. When the agent asked the men about their citizenship, Mitchell answered for them and claimed they were political asylees from Venezuela. She also referred to one of the individuals as her boyfriend. Neither of the men could produce any documents to verify their status.

The three occupants of the vehicle, including Mitchell, were detained and taken to the Sweetgrass Border Patrol Station. Record checks on the other passengers revealed their identities as citizens of Venezuela, and neither had a record of being legally admitted into the country. Mitchell is a United States citizen and has two prior convictions for immigration offenses.

Meanwhile, while the traffic stop was ongoing, other Border Patrol officers surveilling Mitchell’s home saw a third man outside the house; this man matched a description of one of the men encountered during the February 21 MHP stop in Gallatin County. He was detained and admitted he had been previously removed from the United States. Border Patrol determined this individual as a citizen of Honduras.

One of the individuals was deposed in April 2025 and testified he was working on a commercial construction site near Bozeman for a man who refused to pay them, leaving him stranded. One of the Venezuelans knew Mitchell and they decided to drive to Shelby to stay with her. En route to Shelby, the men stopped at a Walmart and bought bottles of margaritas. They were stopped in East Helena and the driver was arrested for DUI. Mitchell was contacted and drove from Shelby to East Helena to bail the driver out of jail and collect the car, which was released to her. The three aliens then stayed with Mitchell at her home in Shelby for a few days before they were arrested.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol, Montana Highway Patrol and Toole County Sheriff’s Office.

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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