Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Yesterday, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division filed a lawsuit against Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) over MPS’ collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with a teachers’ union which preferences teachers who are members of an “underrepresented population” in employment decisions and prioritizes “Black Men Teach Fellows” for certain employment benefits, terms, and conditions.

“Discrimination is unacceptable in all forms, especially when it comes to hiring decisions,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our public education system in Minnesota and across the country must be a bastion of merit and equal opportunity — not DEI.”

“Employers may not provide more favorable terms and conditions of employment based on an employee’s race and sex,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will vigorously pursue employers who deny their employees equal opportunities and benefits by classifying and limiting them based on their race, color, national origin, or sex.”

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, notes that MPS seeks to increase their “BIPOC staffing . . . to at least 40% by 2026,” and that by 2026–2027, at least “54.3 %” of new teacher hires “identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).” MPS’ CBA classifies teachers for involuntary reassignment, layoff, and reinstatement depending on whether the teacher is a member of an “underrepresented population.” The United States’ complaint further alleges that MPS awards members of a third-party group organization called “Black Men Teach Fellows” multiple benefits, terms, and conditions of employment not available to female or non-black teachers, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.

The complaint asks the court to declare that MPS discriminates against teachers based on their race, color, national origin, and sex, in violation of Title VII, and to enter a permanent injunction against MPS stopping them from implementing similar discriminatory provisions in a future CBA.

This case stems from an investigation launched by the Employment Litigation Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.

You can view the complaint here.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Marcus Bernard Clark, 30, of Destin, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with fraud and related activity in connection with fifteen or more access devices and aggravated identity theft. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.

Clark appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Hope Thai Cannon on December 2, 2025, in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for January 20, 2026, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II in Penscaola, Florida.

If convicted, Clark faces up to ten years imprisonment, with two years as a minimum mandatory sentence.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton is prosecuting the case.

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.

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 available 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

RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Canton, South Dakota, man convicted of three counts of Wire Fraud and two counts of Money Laundering. The sentencing took place on December 5, 2025.

Gary Aaron King, 51, was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $500 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $1,418,220.87 in restitution.

King was indicted for Wire Fraud and Money Laundering by a federal grand jury in February 2024. He pleaded guilty on September 5, 2025.

Between July 2022 and January 2023, King, the sole owner of Cypress Risk Management, LLC, collected insurance premiums from client colleges for student athlete insurance coverage and then embezzled the funds for his own personal benefit.  Rather than remitting those premiums to the managing general agents as he was required, King used more than $1,400,000.00 for another business venture and to purchase a luxury home.  When questioned by the managing general agents regarding the payments on the policies the colleges had purchased, King provided false explanations and sent checks to the managing general agents that were returned as insufficient funds.

“Federal investigators are committed to rooting out fraud wherever it exists,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.  “This sentence, which includes full restitution for the institutions fleeced by this defendant, is another reminder that the bill for committing fraud will eventually come due and be paid with a term of years.”

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.  Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

King was ordered to self-surrender to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at a future date. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Willie Frank Hicks, 42, of Madison, Florida, has been sentenced to a 10-year term of imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The sentence 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 our state and federal law enforcement partners, my office has been able to deliver another successful prosecution that will keep this drug dealer off our streets. Meth has a devastating impact on the communities where it proliferates, but drug traffickers’ days are numbered in the Northern District of Florida as my office aggressively pursues prosecutions like these to keep our residents safe and our streets drug-free.”

Court documents reflect that on May 29, 2025, Madison County Sheriff’s Office deputies on patrol conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle occupied by the defendant. During the traffic stop, the defendant attempted to flee the scene on foot and was subsequently apprehended by deputies.  After being detained, the defendant was found in possession of approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine.

“Methamphetamine is the second most common substance found in people who die from a drug poisoning,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “With meth, addiction is all but guaranteed. Our agents will not stop until distributors of this poison have been brought to justice.”

The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, and Florida Highway Patrol.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric K Mountin and James McCain.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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

SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota man and a Phoenix, Arizona man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.  The sentencings took place for both defendants on December 1, 2025.

Fame Cobbs, 40, of Sioux Falls was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  In addition to the drug and money laundering convictions, Cobbs was also sentenced in a separate case following a conviction for Assault on a Federal Officer.  In the assault case Cobbs was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment.  This sentence is to run concurrent with the drug sentence.

Mario Taylor, 34, of Phoenix was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

“Fentanyl traffickers are merchants of death who knowingly flood our communities with substances so lethal that two milligrams—less than a few grains of salt—can kill,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.  “Each pill they press, each gram they move, is a loaded weapon aimed directly at our children, our neighbors, and our future.”

Cobbs and Taylor were indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering by a federal grand jury in December 2023.  Cobbs pleaded guilty on August 29, 2025, and Taylor pleaded guilty on September 8, 2025.  Cobbs was indicted for Assault on a Federal Officer in September 2024 and pleaded guilty on August 29, 2025.

During the conspiracy Mario Taylor was the source of supply in Arizona of thousands of fentanyl pills.  He arranged for packages containing fentanyl to be mailed from Arizona to Fame Cobbs and others in the Sioux Falls area.  Cobbs and his co-conspirators in Sioux Falls then distributed the fentanyl pills in Sioux Falls.  Investigators identified approximately 18 packages through historical records and learned that each package contained approximately 2,000-4,000 fentanyl pills.   Additionally, Cobbs collected money from various individuals to send back to Taylor in Arizona. Cobbs and Taylor utilized the electronic payment system Cash App to move proceeds related to the sale of fentanyl and to promote their drug distribution.  Investigators believe a total of approximately 35,000 fentanyl pills were trafficked during the conspiracy.

Cobbs’ criminal activity did not stop once he was in arrested.  While in federal custody pending resolution of his case, Cobbs engaged in multiple instances of assaultive behavior while confined at the Minnehaha County jail. During one incident, Cobbs flooded his cell and physically struggled with officers.  During the struggle Cobbs kicked one of the officers.

“Today’s federal sentences reflect a simple truth,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.  “If you traffic fentanyl in South Dakota, you will end up behind bars for a long time.”

These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigations, the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, and the United States Marshals Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Hodges and Meghan Dilges prosecuted the cases.

Cobbs and Taylor were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.  The sentencing took place on December 1, 2025.

Alex Lang, 31, was sentenced to 160 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, fine, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Lang was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in April 2025.  He pleaded guilty on September 9, 2025.

Lang worked with others to distribute multiple pounds of methamphetamine in Sioux Falls.  He obtained methamphetamine from a co-conspirator who investigators identified as sourcing the methamphetamine from Arizona through the mail.  Lang then sold methamphetamine to others.  In total, investigators believe that Lang was responsible for selling approximately seven pounds of methamphetamine in the community.

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).

This case was investigated by United States Postal Investigation Service and the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

Lang was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ABERDEEN – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Sisseton, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.  The sentencing took place on December 4, 2025.

Garrett Joseph Ojeda, Sr., age 33, was sentenced to two years and eleven month in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Ojeda was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025.  He filed a Petition to Plead Guilty on September 15, 2025.

The conviction stemmed from an incident February 9, 2025, on the Lake Traverse Reservation when Ojeda became angry about a missing TV remote device.  Ojeda took out his anger on the victim and stabbed the victim several times before the victim could escape.  The victim sustained serious bodily injuries which required medical treatment and reparative surgery.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Law Enforcement.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.

This matter is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.

Ojeda was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Following a 5-day jury trial, Shana Gaviola, 38, formerly of Clovis, was found guilty of interstate violation of a protection order for causing her estranged teenage son to be taken against his will and transported from California to Missouri, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

“Shana Gaviola paid individuals to kidnap her then-16-year-old son from an ice-skating rink in Fresno, California, drive him in handcuffs to Missouri, and forcibly restrain him there for a week—all in express violation of a state-court domestic violence restraining order and ostensibly in the exercise of Gaviola’s religious beliefs,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “No parent—indeed, no person whatsoever—has the right to subject a child to kidnapping and terror for that reason or any other reason. This office will continue to vigorously prosecute anyone who violates the basic rights and safety of minors in our district, especially in violation of lawful court orders.”

“We are grateful for our strong partnership with the Fresno Police Department. Together, we uncovered the facts that ultimately led to today’s verdict. Shana Gaviola manipulated others to help force her will upon her son. We are very proud of his resolve throughout this investigation and trial. He will rest easier knowing that justice has been served,” said FBI Sacramento Acting Special Agent in Charge Duel Valentine.

According to court documents and testimony at trial, in 2020, Gaviola’s then-16-year-old son began living apart from Gaviola with another family. He petitioned for emancipation from Gaviola and obtained a domestic violence protection order against Gaviola from the Fresno County Superior Court. The order prohibited Gaviola from harassing, blocking the movements of, or contacting her son in any way, including directly or indirectly.

Despite the protection order, Gaviola made plans for her son to be forcibly transported from California to Missouri. On Aug. 21, 2021, individuals acting on behalf of Gaviola abducted the minor from an ice-skating rink in Fresno, handcuffed him, and forced him into a car. He remained in handcuffs for more than 24 hours while they drove to Stockton, Missouri. He was then held at a youth facility until his father was able to free him.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Fresno Police Department and the Clovis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Veronica M.A. Alegría and Heiko P. Coppola are prosecuting the case. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Missouri and the Eastern District of Missouri.

Gaviola is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on April 27, 2026. Gaviola faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

LOS ANGELES – A former Compton city councilman pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for paying $70,000 in bribes to a Baldwin Park city councilman in exchange for that official’s votes and support for commercial marijuana permits, and to evading the assessment of his federal income taxes by not filing tax returns for four consecutive years and failing to report to the IRS more than half a million dollars in income.

Isaac Jacob Galvan, 38, of Compton, pleaded guilty to one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of evasion of tax assessment. Galvan remains free on $10,000 bond. He has agreed to pay $323,557 in restitution to the IRS. 

According to his plea agreement, Baldwin Park in June 2017 began permitting the cultivation, manufacture, and distribution of marijuana within its city limits. Soon afterward, then-Baldwin Park City Councilman Ricardo Pacheco, 62, of Baldwin Park, began soliciting bribes from businesses seeking marijuana development agreements and related permits in the city, according to court documents. In exchange for the illicit payments, Pacheco agreed to use his position in city government to assist the companies with obtaining marijuana permits, including voting in their favor. Pacheco served on Baldwin Park’s city council from 1997 until his resignation in June 2020, and he was the city’s mayor pro tempore in 2018. 

Galvan – who served on the Compton City Council from 2013 to 2022 – offered his consulting services to W&F International Corp., a Diamond Bar-based import-export business, who wanted a marijuana permit in Baldwin Park.  After securing W&F International Corp. as a consulting client, Galvan facilitated $70,000 in bribes to Pacheco from Yichang Bai, 52, of Arcadia, the owner and operator of W&F, . Bai has pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging he helped orchestrate the bribery scheme and is scheduled to go to trial in this case in February 2026.

Galvan paid the bribes in exchange for Pacheco’s political support of and promise to deliver Baldwin Park’s approval of marijuana permits for W&F. Pacheco then delivered, voting in favor of W&F’s marijuana permit in June and July of 2018 and voting later that year in favor of W&F’s bid to relocate its operations.

Throughout the scheme, Galvan and Bai took steps to cover up their illegal payments to Pacheco by concealing Bai and W&F’s connection to the payments for Pacheco. For example, Bai collected checks from third parties who owed him money and then – at Galvan’s direction – gave Galvan the checks with blank payee lines. Galvan then gave the checks to Pacheco, who then arranged for them to be cashed, either by him or third parties.

Shortly after the votes to approve W&F’s relocation, Pacheco contacted Galvan and asked for him to obtain more money from W&F for his legal defense fund. Galvan told Bai that Pacheco wanted $25,000 for his fundraiser, but Bai insisted only on paying $20,000. Consistent with his arrangement with Galvan, Bai provided a total of seven checks from different bank accounts that were not Bai’s or W&F’s. Galvan arranged for the checks to be delivered to Pacheco as further payment in exchange for his votes and support of W&F’s marijuana permit.

Galvan further admitted in his plea agreement that he failed to file federal individual tax returns for the years 2017 through 2020, evading assessment of the federal taxes he owed in several ways. For example, he concealed his ownership and control of I&I LLC, a shell company Galvan used to solicit bribes for public officials and to facilitate paying those bribes. Galvan also directed individuals to issue checks with blank payee lines to later be cashed and converted into income for himself, and he individuals to write checks for income he earned to conduits who would pay for Galvan’s living expenses, including his rent.

In total, Galvan failed to report approximately $560,525 in income for the tax years 2017 through 2020, causing a total loss to the United States Treasury of $115,816. 

United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II scheduled a June 8, 2026, sentencing hearing, at which time Galvan will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison on the bribery count and up to five years in federal prison on the tax count.

Pacheco pleaded guilty in June 2020 to one count of bribery for accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes – including $20,000 in cash – from a Baldwin Park Police officer working at the FBI’s direction, in exchange for the councilmember’s political support of the Baldwin Park Police Association’s contract with the city. Pacheco’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 30, 2026. Pacheco has signed a plea agreement in which he has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.

The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas F. Rybarczyk, Michael J. Morse, and Kedar S. Bhatia of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case.

Anyone who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s Electronic Tip Form at tips.fbi.gov or to call (800) CALL-FBI.