Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland man received a federal prison term, today, in connection with a multi-million-dollar money laundering scheme. Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Bright Boateng, 45, of Bladensburg, to nine years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to engage in a large, multi-member, money laundering conspiracy.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court’s ruling to dismiss the case Lighthiser et al. v. Donald J. Trump et al., a case where plaintiffs sought to challenge President Donald J. Trump’s executive orders to unleash American energy, declare a national energy emergency, and to reinvigorate America’s clean coal industry.
“The appellate court unanimously affirmed what the district court said months ago — the plaintiffs lacked standing to bring this suit because they did not establish that the Executive Orders caused any injury or that any injury could be redressed by the courts,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Working with our partner agencies, ENRD is on the front lines of advancing the President’s energy directives, using America’s abundant natural resources to our benefit including by having clean and healthy air and water.”
Source: United States Navy
The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States Coast Guard conducted a Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone, May 26-30, 2026. This activity demonstrated a collective commitment to strengthening regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A Washington man was sentenced today to a federal hate crime charge for violently assaulting and stabbing a Black female passenger because of her race. Adan Hernandez-Mayoral was sentenced to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release for an incident in which he used a dangerous weapon, a knife, to cause bodily injury to the victim because of her race and color.
According to court documents, Adan C. Hernandez-Mayoral boarded a King County Metro bus on March 7, 2024, and immediately began making racially charged comments about Black people. Hernandez-Mayoral started antagonizing the victim, a Black woman, and yelled, “I don’t like Black people, f***in’ hate ’em.” The defendant referred to the woman as “Rosa Parks” and told her to move to the back of the bus. When the woman attempted to move away from him, Hernandez-Mayoral followed her, while hiding a knife behind his back. When the bus doors opened at a stop, Hernandez-Mayoral grabbed the woman, pushing her off the bus and into a fence. He immediately began beating her all over her body. He stomped on her after she fell to the ground. He then used the knife to repeatedly and violently stab the woman. The victim was wearing a thick coat, sparing her from more serious injuries. Hernandez-Mayoral fled the scene but was located and arrested by officers from the Kent Police Department later that evening.
“Today, we have delivered justice with the sentencing of Adan Hernandez-Mayoral for his brutal, racially motivated attack on the victim,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Assaults like these destroy our communities by breeding fear and distrust of public places and facilities. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute such cases to restore safety and confidence in our cities’ streets and transit systems.”
“Racially motivated attacks such as this one shock the conscience of our community,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd for the Western District of Washington. “This office will join with our state and local partners to ensure these crimes are investigated and those who commit them will be held accountable. Such hate has no place here.”
“The victim in this case was minding her own business on a familiar public transit route when a stranger made offensive comments about her race, threw her off the stopped bus, and then brutally assaulted her with a knife,” said Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office. “Together with our partners like the Kent Police Department, the FBI will hold accountable those like Mr. Hernandez-Mayoral who engage in violent hate crimes.”
“This was a horrific and deeply disturbing racially motivated assault that targeted an innocent member of our community because of the color of her skin,” said Chief Rafael Padilla of the Kent Police Department. “I am pleased to have reached this conviction on her behalf. Hate-fueled violence has no place in Kent.”
On Dec. 23, 2025, Hernandez-Mayoral pleaded guilty to Hate Crime Causing Bodily Injury.
The case was investigated by the Kent Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica M. Manca for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, with valuable assistance from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Seattle –A 35-year-old Mexican national who was illegally residing in California was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 15 years in prison for her leadership role of a massive drug distribution ring, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Baltimore, Maryland – Two Baltimore men received federal-prison terms for their roles in multiple carjackings, including one that resulted in a murder. U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Jerritt Barron, 24, to 40 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and Jeremy Matheny, 27, to 24 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for an attempted carjacking that resulted in death.
Source: United States Department of Justice
In Gabon last month, the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the Gabon Ministry of Water and Forests, the Sea and the Environment, led a five-day multilateral workshop that included Cameroon and Vietnam to combat illegal timber trade and strengthen legal timber commerce. With over 100 total attendees, the workshop was the first-ever to assemble:
This means that a complete supply chain was represented at the workshop — from harvesting through processing and distribution, including customs, as the represented countries trade timber with each other. In addition to government officials from the United States, Gabon, Cameroon, and Vietnam, representatives from the United Kingdom, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and industry representatives from Cameroon, Gabon, Vietnam, and the United States attended the event.
The workshop also supported ongoing bilateral counter-timber trafficking efforts between the United States, Cameroon, Gabon, and Vietnam.
“The United States has a strong commercial interest in addressing illegal timber in global supply chains and preventing illegal wood products from entering the U.S. market in violation of the Lacey Act. Illegally imported wood undercuts our domestic producers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of ENRD. “Cooperation with our foreign trading partners enhances our collective ability to interdict the trade of illegal timber while supporting legitimate commerce.”
Workshop Objectives
The focus of the workshop included:
Participants also visited sites in Gabon related to the country’s timber supply chain, including the Gabon Special Economic Zone.
In addition to ENRD and the Forest Service, this workshop was supported by other U.S. government components including DOJ’s Trade Fraud Task Force, Customs and Border Protection, Fish and Wildlife Service, Homeland Securities Investigations, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, State Department, and the U.S. Embassies in Libreville (Gabon), Hanoi (Vietnam), and Yaoundé (Cameroon).
Supporting Legal Trade
Illegal logging is the third most lucrative form of transnational organized crime, after counterfeiting and drug trafficking. Illegal logging robs lawful timber producers and forest owners of billions of dollars each year in lost revenue. The workshop underscored the United States’ commitment to strengthening bilateral and multilateral economic relationships through enhanced enforcement cooperation.
Gabon and Cameroon each maintain active timber trade with both the United States and Vietnam, and Vietnam is currently negotiating memoranda of understanding with Gabon and Cameroon to formalize timber trade data exchange and joint investigations.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
John Elijah Matthews faces a federal charge of committing an act of violence causing death on a mass transportation system, after he allegedly murdered a 66-year-old woman aboard a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) train last weekend.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Timothy Spence pleaded guilty to assault in-aid-of racketeering and a firearms crime related to his involvement in the August 17, 2025 shooting at Taste of the City Lounge in Brooklyn, New York, during which thirteen individuals were shot and three died. Spence, a member of the 5-9 Brims gang, waived indictment and pleaded guilty to an information charging him with assault in-aid-of racketeering in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1959(a)(3), and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Orelia E. Merchant. When sentenced, Spence faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and up to life imprisonment.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Fort Myers, Florida – Clarence Black, Jr. (50, Tampa) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell to 20 years and 6 months years in federal prison for drug trafficking conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl while being on federal supervised release. Judge Chappell also sentenced Jarrek Fabrion Myrick (40, Fort Myers) to 15 years and 6 months in federal prison for drug trafficking conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.