10 Arrested in Federal Indictment Charging Olympic Athlete-Turned-Cocaine Trafficker with Ordering Murder of Witness in January

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

WASHINGTON – Ten defendants have been arrested – and 11 total are in custody – pursuant to a nine-count federal grand jury indictment unsealed today charging a former Olympic snowboarder now on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List, a Canadian criminal barrister, a reggaeton musician, a would-be gangland news website operator, and others in connection with the January 31 murder in Colombia of a federal witness in a separate criminal case.

Ryan James Wedding, 44, a Canadian national residing in Mexico, the case’s lead defendant, is charged with overseeing the operations of a criminal enterprise – including by engaging in witness intimidation tactics such as murder – and enriching himself with the enterprise’s laundered drug proceeds. In March 2025, Wedding was placed on the FBI’s List of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. There is an increased $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest and/or prosecution.

The following defendants were arrested Tuesday as part of the second phase of a law enforcement action entitled “Operation Giant Slalom”:

  • Deepak Balwant Paradkar, 62, of Thornhill, Ontario, Canada;
  • Atna Ohna, 40, of Laval, Québec, Canada;
  • Gursewak Singh Bal, 31, of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada;
  • Allistair Chapman, 33, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada;
  • Ahmad Nabil Zitoun, 35, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada;
  • Carmen Yelinet Valoyes Florez, 47, of Bogotá, Colombia;
  • Yulieth Katherine Tejada, 36, of Orlando, Florida, who is legal permanent resident from Colombia;
  • Edwin Basora-Hernandez, 31, of Montréal;
  • Wilson Riascos, 45, of Cali, Colombia; and
  • Rolan Sokolovski, 37, of Toronto.

“Whether you’re a kingpin or a dealer on the street, anyone who sells drugs to our kids will be arrested and prosecuted,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Ryan Wedding controls one of the most prolific and violent drug trafficking organizations in this world and works closely with the Sinaloa Cartel. We will not rest until his name is taken off the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted List, and his narco-trafficking organization lies dismantled.”

“The murder of a witness in Colombia earlier this year was a cruel, cold-blooded act that could not and did not go unanswered,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “This week’s arrests underscore our resolve to root out and punish the wrongdoers involved in this criminal organization and serve as a warning for drug lord Ryan Wedding: If convicted, you will never see the outside of a prison ever again.”

“Today’s announcement is a culmination of the steadfast work of the FBI and our partners around the world to identify and dismantle violent gang and drug organizations,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Ryan Wedding and his associates allegedly imported tons of cocaine each year from Colombia through Mexico and onto the streets of U.S. communities. His criminal activities and violent actions will not be tolerated, and this is a clear signal that the FBI will use our resources and expertise to find Ryan Wedding and bring him and his associates to justice.”

“Ryan Wedding’s athletic drive snowballed into a life of violence and, instead of conquering mountains, he mastered a deadly drug distribution enterprise and will continue to order murders while he enjoys protection by his cartel associates and others,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “‘Operation Giant Slalom’ is a dynamic international investigation and involves dedicated partners collaborating in multiple countries with the shared goal of capturing Wedding, finding justice for several murder victims – including a cooperating witness – and ridding communities in North America of deadly drugs.”

“No one, not even a former Olympian, is above the law,” said Senior Bureau Official Chris Landberg of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. “We are increasing our reward offer to up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Ryan Wedding. We are also offering rewards of up to $2 million each for the assassins behind the murder of his associate in Colombia.”

“Today we’re exposing the network of associates and enablers behind Ryan Wedding – one of the most notorious criminals and narcotraffickers still evading justice,” said Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John Hurley. “Treasury is joining with the FBI and the Department of Justice to cut Wedding and his criminal partners off from the U.S. financial system and help dismantle the network they rely on. Our goal is simple: make it difficult for criminals like this to profit from poisoning our communities.”

“International cooperation, such as our involvement in Operation Giant Slalom, is vital to our ability to stay ahead of organized crime,” said Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner Mike Duheme. “The RCMP and its international law enforcement partners work together closely, regularly sharing knowledge, technical expertise, and intelligence to enable us to collectively target the most serious organized crime groups that threaten our countries – no matter where they are operating in the world.”

To eliminate threats and advance his enterprise’s interests, Wedding issued orders to murder various individuals, including an order to kill the victim, a witness in a 2024 federal narcotics case against Wedding, which resulted in the victim’s death. Wedding placed a bounty on the victim and enlisted the services of others to locate and kill the victim, who was shot to death in a restaurant in Medellín, Colombia, in January 2025.

In the 2024 indictment, Wedding is charged with running a continuing criminal enterprise, assorted drug trafficking charges, and directing the November 20, 2023, murders of two members of a family in Caledon, Ontario, Canada, in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment that passed through Southern California. Another member of that family survived the shooting but was left with serious physical injuries.

Also charged in the indictment unsealed today are 18 additional defendants, including Paradkar, a criminal barrister who advised Wedding to murder the victim so that Wedding would avoid extradition to the United States from Mexico on the 2024 federal criminal charges against him. Paradkar also provided Wedding with court documents and discovery to which he would not otherwise have access, and – through attorneys whose representation he secured – access to enterprise members and associates who either were arrested, indicted, or under investigation.

Bal was the co-founder and co-operator of “The Dirty News,” a website that law enforcement seized pursuant to a federal warrant. In exchange for payment, Bal agreed to not post about Wedding and instead posted a photograph of the victim so that the victim could be located and killed.

Basora-Hernandez, a reggaeton musician and citizen of the Dominican Republic, provided co-conspirators with the victim’s contact information for the purpose of helping Wedding and his criminal enterprise locate and murder the victim.

Concurrent with Tuesday’s arrests, law enforcement has taken immigration action against associates of Wedding’s enterprise, including Latin pop artist Samantha Melissa Granda-Gastelu, 38, a Canadian national residing in Aventura, Florida, whose husband Nahim Jorge Bonilla, 37, has been indicted on separate murder conspiracy charges. Bonilla is in currently in federal custody, charged with drug trafficking crimes. An immigration action also is being initiated against Madeline Paradkar, 27, a Canadian national residing in Chicago who is an attorney and Paradkar’s daughter.

Law enforcement continues to search for Wedding, and the following three defendants:

  • Rasheed Pascua Hossain, 32, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada;
  • Bianca Canastillo-Madrid, 37, of Mexico City; and
  • Tommy Demorizi, 35, of Montréal, who is believed to be a fugitive in the Dominican Republic

If convicted, Wedding – and the defendants charged in connection with the victim’s murder – would face a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.

The FBI is investigating this matter with the Los Angeles Police Department, the United States Departments of State and Treasury – Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – Federal Policing. In addition, significant assistance was provided by U.S. law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigation Miami and Chicago and U.S. Customs and Border Protection – Buffalo; Canadian law enforcement partners, including Ontario Provincial Police, and Colombian law enforcement partners, including Colombian National Police – Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol, Special Interagency Investigation Group (Policía Nacional de Colombia – Dirección de Investigación Criminal e Interpol, Grupo Especial de Investigación Interagenciales).

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá, Colombia also provided significant assistance.

Assistant United States Attorneys Lyndsi Allsop and Kenneth R. Carbajal of the Major Crimes Section and Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Galatzan, Tara Vavere, and Alexander Su of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case.

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 is also part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, TCOs, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

Former Orlando Middle School Teacher Sentenced To Life In Federal Prison

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Julie S. Sneed has sentenced Italo Rafael Brett Bonini (26, Orlando) to life in federal prison for enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and 30 years’ imprisonment prison for the production of child sexual abuse material. The sentences will run concurrently. The court also ordered Bonini to forfeit a desktop computer, which he used to commit the offenses. Bonini pleaded guilty on May 1, 2025. 

According to court documents, on January 12, 2025, Bonini video chatted from his residence in Orlando with two child victims in Maryland through an online communication platform. During that video chat, Bonini offered currency in an online videogame in exchange for the victims to show their genitals on screen. Both child victims pulled down their pants at Bonini’s request, and one of the child victims complied with Bonini’s request to display his genitals on screen.

Further investigation revealed that Bonini has victimized minor victims across the globe. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has found evidence of chats between Bonini and approximately 30 minor victims, many of whom have been identified. The chats revealed that Bonini engaged in sexual activity with young children online, including exposing himself on camera, requesting and receiving sexually explicit photos, urinating and defecating on camera. Bonini also tried to entice minor victims to perform sexual acts with their minor siblings and to engage in bestiality. 

Prior to his arrest, Bonini was a music teacher at a middle school in Orange County, Florida. He also taught private music lessons to children.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, and the Maryland State Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Cruz.

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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.justice.gov/psc.

Armed felon who fled from police convicted of federal drug distribution and firearms charges

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ATLANTA – After a four-day jury trial, a federal district court jury found Traon Turk guilty of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Turk previously pleaded guilty in the same case to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  

“Turk is a multi-convicted felon who peddled deadly drugs and illegally carried a loaded firearm,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office is proud to partner with federal and local law enforcement so we can aggressively prosecute violent drug dealers like Turk in order to keep the community safe.”

“This case is a reminder of the critical work we do to combat violent crime and drug trafficking. The ATF’s partnership with local police and federal prosecutors is vital in our mission to keep our neighborhoods safe. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that offenders like Turk face justice for their actions,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka.

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On April 4, 2020, Cobb County Police officers observed a vehicle that allegedly had been involved in a drive-by shooting in Marietta days earlier. Law enforcement attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver, Turk, fled at a high rate of speed. Turk bailed out of the vehicle while it was still in motion, leaving his five passengers inside. While running from the police, Turk dropped a loaded .40 caliber pistol, which was quickly recovered by law enforcement. About an hour later, the police found Turk hiding in a different abandoned vehicle.  

Law enforcement found a bag of 24 pills containing methamphetamine in Turk’s pants pocket. Additionally, Turk was carrying an iPhone that was replete with evidence of drug dealing activity. From the vehicle Turk had been driving, law enforcement seized a larger bag of ecstasy pills containing methamphetamine, numerous pieces of pills that matched the pills recovered from Turk’s pocket, counterfeit Percocet pills containing methamphetamine, counterfeit Xanax pills, and individually packaged bags of marijuana.

Prior to his arrest, Turk had been convicted of numerous felonies, including violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, possession of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and theft by receiving stolen property.

Traon Turk, 31, of Austell, Georgia, will be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. on February 24, 2026.  In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.  

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Cobb County Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Hwang, Michael Herskowitz, Laurel Milam, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise Peters are prosecuting this case. 

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.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

Ellsworth, Minnesota Man Sentenced to More than 22 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced an Ellsworth, Minnesota man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on October 27, 2025.

Lugene Rafael Russell, 56, was sentenced to 22 and a half years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Russell was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in November 2024. He pleaded guilty on August 5, 2025.

Russell’s conviction stems from an incident in July 2024 when law enforcement officers were called to his home in Ellsworth for a report of a crime. Nobles County Sherrif’s deputies eventually obtained a warrant for the home and found approximately a half pound of methamphetamine and a pistol inside the home.  Deputies later returned to the home after a tip and found approximately 12 pounds of methamphetamine and three more firearms.  The investigation showed that Russell worked with others to obtain methamphetamine and then distribute it to others including those on the Crow Creek and Lower Brule reservations in South Dakota. 

This case was investigated by the DEA and Nobles County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

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

Counselor Man Charged in Death of 4-Year-Old Child

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBUQUERQUE – A Counselor man was charged in connection with the death of a 4-year-old child.

According to court documents, on November 7, 2025, Randall Pablo, 36, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, fatally injured his 4-year-old nephew. Emergency responders were called after the child was found unresponsive, and attempts at resuscitation were unsuccessful. A preliminary autopsy indicated John Doe suffered significant blunt force trauma to the head and multiple contusions consistent with a violent attack.

Pablo is charged with abandonment and abuse of a child resulting in death and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Pablo faces life in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Marshall is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Johnstown Resident Pleads Guilty to Narcotics Trafficking

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

This release was published following the 43-day government shutdown during which the plea occurred.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics laws, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced.

Jonathan Brunson, 54, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan to Counts One, Two, Three, and Five of the Superseding Indictment on November 4, 2025.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around April 2019 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Brunson conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, 28 grams or more of crack, 40 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl, and quantities of heroin and cocaine. Similarly, in and around June 2021, Brunson possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture of fentanyl and, in and around April 2021, possessed with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine. Brunson was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others.

Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for March 11, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Brunson. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation; United States Postal Inspection Service; Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General; Pennsylvania State Police; Cambria County District Attorney’s Office; Indiana County District Attorney’s Office; Cambria County Sheriff’s Office; Cambria Township Police Department; Indiana Borough Police Department; Johnstown Police Department; Upper Yoder Township Police Department; Richland Police Department; Ferndale Police Department; and other local law enforcement agencies.

Purported Ute Mountain Ute Medicine Man Convicted of Sexually Assaulting Five Victims

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

DURANGO – The United States Attorney for the District of Colorado announces that Lyndreth Hemp Wall, 59, a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, was convicted of sexually assaulting five victims, including a child. A federal jury convicted Wall on 15 counts of Sexual Abuse in Indian Country and Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country.

According to the facts established at trial, Wall held himself out as a traditional Native American healer, sometimes referred to as a “medicine man.” Wall was elected to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council in 2020 and is a former school board member in Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1. Over the course of at least the past dozen years, Wall sexually exploited multiple women on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation under the guise of spiritual treatment. Wall created an elaborate ruse by using traditional elements of Ute healing to trick his victims into believing his actions were part of a healing ceremony. During his “ceremonies,” Wall isolated victims alone and touched them sexually for his own gratification. Wall told multiple victims that, if they told anyone about his sexual touching, the healing would not work.

Over the course of trial, the jury heard from the five women who alleged that Wall had committed sexual abuse in Towaoc, Colorado. The jury returned guilty verdicts for abuse of all five women charged in the indictment. The jury also heard from a sixth woman who alleged Wall had sexually assaulted her in Alamosa and Lone Tree in 2020 and 2021 under a rule of evidence that permits evidence of other sexual assaults.

A sentencing date has not yet been set. In addition to this case, Wall faces two separate allegations of sexual assault in Colorado state court. The charges in those pending cases are only allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Anyone who has information about other possible victims is asked to call the FBI Denver office at (303) 629-7171.

United States District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the trial.

The FBI Office in Durango, Colorado, handled the investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Towaoc, Colorado. Assistant United States Attorneys R. Josh Player and Jeffrey K. Graves handled the prosecution.

Case Number: 1:24-cr-00003-GPG-JMC

Box Elder Woman Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in Western South Dakota

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a woman from Box Elder, South Dakota, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.  The sentencing took place on October 28, 2025.

Jenna Holzer, 41, was sentenced to 30 years, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Holzer was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in November 2024.  She pleaded guilty on August 7, 2025.

Holzer joined a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in 2022.  During her involvement, she worked with others to obtain methamphetamine from California, typically through the mail, for redistribution in Western South Dakota.  A United States Postal Inspector identified multiple packages sent from California to addresses known to be associated to Holzer.  On October 16, 2024, investigators performed a traffic stop on Holzer’s vehicle. Troopers discovered an ounce of methamphetamine and approximately $3,365 in Holzer’s possession during that stop.  Investigators determined Holzer was involved in trafficking approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine during her involvement in the conspiracy.

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 the U.S. Postal Service, the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), and the Drug Enforcement Administration. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Hodges and Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.

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

Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.  The sentencing took place on November 4, 2025.

Abel Moran, age 42, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Moran was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025.  He pleaded guilty on August 21, 2025.

Moran was convicted of Sexual Contact in September 2005.  As a result of his conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and update his registration within three business days of relocation or change in employment or student status.  In September 2024, Moran updated his sex offender registration to reflect that he was residing at a residence in Rapid City, SD.  In December 2024, Moran relocated to a different residence in Rapid City, but did not thereafter update his sex offender registration. On June 10, 2025, Moran was arrested in Rapid City.

This case was brought as a 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 the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Unit prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by U.S. Marshalls Service and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Zachrison prosecuted the case.

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

Davenport Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Felon in Possession of a Firearm Charges

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Rodolfo Tellez Gutierrez, Jr., 23, threw a gun out of the window of a vehicle during a traffic stop. Review of Gutierrez’s phone revealed messages with the purchaser of the recovered firearm.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Gutierrez will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Scott County Sherriff’s Office.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.