Bureau of Prisons Correctional Officer Indicted for Bribery

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Earlier today, an indictment was unsealed charging Melissa Brooks, a correctional officer employed by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), with taking bribes as a public official and conspiracy to do the same.  Brooks was assigned to the Metropolitan Detention Center located in Brooklyn, New York (MDC Brooklyn) and agreed to accept the illegal payments from inmates and others acting on behalf of inmates who were involved in smuggling contraband into the MDC.  Brooks was arrested this morning and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho. 

Tallahassee Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Distribution

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Tallahassee, Florida – Timeka Griffin, 42, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for her role in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. 

California Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking a Minor

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Keynin McGee, 27, of Oakland, California, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking a minor in the Eastern District of California. 

According to court documents, McGee met the minor victim in 2021 through Instagram. After months of speaking with her, McGee bought the victim a bus ticket for her to travel to meet him in person. When she arrived, McGee picked the victim up at the bus station, bought her clothing, and took her to a hotel. He then posted photographs of the victim online on a website commonly used to buy and sell sex. McGee then drove the victim to outdoor areas in Oakland and San Francisco known for commercial sex work and instructed her to solicit sex buyers in passing cars. Because of his conduct, the minor victim engaged in commercial sex acts with multiple buyers. 

“Exploiting a child for financial gain is reprehensible and heinous,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Yesterday’s guilty plea of Keynin McGee to sex trafficking of a minor, who he lured to meet him in person then trafficked her for commercial sex in the Oakland and San Francisco areas, reflects our commitment to protecting children from the scourge of sex trafficking. The Criminal Division will continue to pursue and prosecute vile individuals who victimize and traffic minors.”

“Keynin McGee reduced his young victim to a commodity to be bought and sold for his own gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Tosh of FBI Sacramento. “Anyone who seeks to exploit children will face relentless pursuit from the FBI and our law enforcement partners. We will hold traffickers fully accountable for the harm they inflict. Together, we can protect the vulnerable and create a safer future for every child.”

McGee pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 19, 2027, and faces a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Deputy Chief Leah Branch of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa for the Eastern District of California are prosecuting the case.

Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

Seattle Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Tallahassee, Florida – Willard Lawrence Gibson, 48 of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced in federal court to 30 years in federal prison for one count of attempted sexual exploitation of children, one count of attempted enticement of a minor, one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, and one count of distribution of child pornography. 

Former Massachusetts State Official Charged with Snap Fraud

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – Former Massachusetts state official, Lamar Cook, has been arrested for fraudulently obtaining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, receiving over $500 per month, while on court ordered pretrial release in connection with a pending state indictment for alleged cocaine trafficking and firearm offenses.

Defense News in Brief: Acting Secretary of the Navy Appoints Mr. Christopher Miller to Lead Robotic and Autonomous Systems Portfolio

Source: United States Navy

WASHINGTON — Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao announced today that Mr. Christopher Miller has been appointed to serve as the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (PAE RAS). Miller, who previously served as head of PAE Maritime, will also concurrently serve as the acting Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (DRPM RAS).

Gila River Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Second Degree Murder

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Robert Sean Enos, 19, of Chandler, Arizona, was sentenced on Oct. 8, by United States District Judge Susan R. Brnovich to 30 years in prison. Enos previously pleaded guilty to two counts of Second Degree Murder and one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury on May 19, 2026. 

Pastor of Kirkland, Washington, church indicted on ten counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering in $13 million fraud scheme

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Seattle – The pastor of a Kirkland, Washington Christian congregation called ‘Passion for Christ,’ was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Seattle on an indictment for wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a $13 million fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.