Category: MIL-OSI

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Clarkston, Washington – United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that Loyal Otis Dickson, III, age 40, of Clarkston, Washington was sentenced on firearm and drug trafficking charges. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Dickson to 15 years in federal prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised released.

Based on court documents and argument presented through the pendency of the case, a search warrant was executed on Dickson’s residence on November 6, 2024 based on prior observations of distributions of drugs and possession of large amounts of methamphetamine. At the residence, law enforcement located in total approximately 2 pounds of methamphetamine shards, along with multiple firearms, including the components of a AR-style semiautomatic rifle consistent with a “ghost gun” which lacked markings or a serial number. Dickson was initially arrested and then subsequently released on state charges. Following his federal indictment, local law enforcement in Clarkston attempted to contact Dickson. Dickson fled into Idaho and engaged in a short foot pursuit with officers before being arrested.

United States Attorney Pete Serrano said fighting the drug epidemic is an important part of building a safe and strong foundation for Eastern Washington: “We are working tirelessly to combat the plague of controlled substances. We appreciate the work of our law enforcement partners who work to arrest and prosecute those, like Mr. Dickson, who are introducing these deadly substances into our communities.”

“Loyal Dickson helped fuel the addiction crisis and violence that has devastated too many lives,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. “When meth traffickers arm themselves with illegal firearms and try to run from law enforcement, they put everyone in danger. This sentence underscores the FBI and our partners’ commitment to keeping our communities safe.”

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Quad Cities Drug Task Force. The Quad Cities Drug Task Force is a multi-jurisdiction task force involving the numerous law enforcement agencies including the Lewiston Idaho Police Department, Clarkston Washington Police Department, and the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca R. Perez.

2:24-cr-167-TOR

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PIERRE – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man from Eagle Butte, South Dakota, convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on October 8, 2025.

Cecil Addison, age 27, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Addison was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024. He pleaded guilty on July 10, 2025.

On April 14, 2024, a traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle in which Addison was a passenger. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a handgun with an extended magazine with Addison’s name written in red letters on it. Addison had two small baggies of marijuana and a methamphetamine pipe on his person when arrested. Addison is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his unlawful use of marijuana and methamphetamine.

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). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Victim Was Defending a Young Woman and Her Infant Son When Defendant Assaulted Her on a Sidewalk

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Charles William Maitski (60, St. Cloud) to life in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and enticing children to engage in sexual activity. Maitski pleaded guilty on July 8, 2025.

According to court documents, after following up on a tip in June 2024, law enforcement discovered that Maitski had been sexually exploiting children using the internet since at least 2012. Through a series of search warrants and victim interviews, law enforcement learned that Maitski hid behind an online persona of a 14-year-old boy named “Chuck.” He met his young victims online and then groomed them using the social media platforms Instagram and Discord.

To build trust with his victims, Maitski sent his victims hundreds of messages a day, including explicit images and videos of the young teenaged boy he had adopted as his persona. In return, Maitski demanded that his victims perform for him on video calls and record and send him increasingly graphic and degrading CSAM. Maitski also attempted to convince a victim to molest children she was babysitting. Between 2023 and 2024, Maitski exchanged more than 50,000 messages with his victims, contacted nearly 300 minors and suspected minors on Instagram and Discord, and sent, received, or directed the production of hundreds of images and videos of CSAM.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Cloud Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.

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.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

This release was issued following the 43-day government shutdown during which the sentencing occurred.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Altoona, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on October 21, 2025, to charges of violating federal sex offense laws and was sentenced to 108 months in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced.

Jonathan Hunt, 44, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on or about February 16, 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Hunt distributed images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct using materials that were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce. Further, on or about October 19, 2021, Hunt possessed images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, which were produced using prepubescent minors.

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

First Assistant United States Attorney Rivetti commended Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hunt.

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 better 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.
 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

TUCSON, Ariz. – Jorge J. Jimenez, 54, of Nogales, Arizona, was sentenced on October 30, 2025, by United States District Judge Rosemary Marquez to 78 months of custody, with a fine of $15,000, and a $100 Special Assessment. Jimenez was previously convicted by a jury of Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Wire Fraud.

“Law enforcement officers who aid cartels for their own profit betray their oaths and the United States” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “While this is the rare exception, border corruption allows dangerous drugs into the country and decreases public trust in the many outstanding men and women serving in law enforcement.  This sentence demonstrates that anyone, regardless of authority, will be held accountable if they seek to profit from drug trafficking. I am proud of the District of Arizona and the many United States Border Patrol Agents who protect our southern border everyday.”

“U.S. Border Patrol officers take an oath to protect our Homeland Security. Today’s sentencing makes a clear statement that corruption within those ranks will be identified, and those individuals will be held accountable. We are grateful for the cooperation from our law enforcement partners,” said DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D.

“When an officer shrugs off his sworn oath and harms those they promised to protect, he betrays not only the people of his community, but those who also wear the badge,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke. “The FBI remains committed to working with our partners and investigate such cases to protect the American people and preserve public trust in law enforcement.”

Jimenez was employed as a United States Border Patrol Agent since 2010. At trial, the government showed that, between June 2024 and early October 2024, Jimenez was assigned to the I-19 Checkpoint, and conspired with at least two individuals located in Mexico, to allow previously agreed-upon “load” vehicles to pass through his designated checkpoint lane without inspection. The individuals in Mexico handled arrangements and the receipt of payment, and Jimenez allowed the vehicles to pass through his assigned lane and provided information about activities at the checkpoint to his coordinators. Jimenez expected to be paid approximately $20,000, with the money exchanged in Mexico.

Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            4:24-cr-08599-RM-JR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-159_Jimenez

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PORTLAND, Maine: The United States Attorney’s Office announced that Andrew B. Benson has taken the oath of office to become the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine.  U.S. Attorney Benson was nominated for the position of United States Attorney for the District of Maine by President Donald J. Trump on September 30, 2025. Attorney General Pamela Bondi appointed him U.S. Attorney effective October 22, 2025, pending Senate confirmation of his presidential nomination, and he was sworn in on the same date by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Lance E. Walker.

U.S. Attorney Benson is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the District of Maine. He oversees a staff of 45 employees and contractors located in Portland and Bangor, including 21 attorneys, 21 non-attorney support personnel and three contractors. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms, and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.

U.S. Attorney Benson was born in western Maine and grew up in Bethel, attending local schools.  After high school, he attended the University of Maine at Orono and received an honors degree in German literature.  He then attended the University of Maine School of Law and received his Juris Doctorate in 1988.

A veteran prosecutor, Benson worked for a district attorney’s office in central Maine, trying serious and violent felonies.  In 1999, he was appointed one of three senior homicide prosecutors for the Maine Attorney General’s Office by Maine Attorney General Andrew Ketterer and was assigned with the responsibility of overseeing and trying homicide cases throughout the state. During his fifteen-year tenure in the Attorney General’s Office, he dealt with over 100 murder and manslaughter cases.   

In 2014, he was nominated to the bench of the Maine District Court by Governor Paul LePage. He was renominated by Governor Janet Mills in 2021.  After each nomination he was unanimously confirmed by the Maine State Senate.

While a member of the district court bench, he presided over hundreds of trials, including dozens of serious criminal jury trials.  He resigned from his judicial position in order to accept the position of United States Attorney for the District of Maine.

Editor’s Note:
This matter occurred on the date indicated, but the press release was not published at that time due to the federal government shutdown. The release was posted and made available following the return to normal operations.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

 

 

MIAMI – U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones joined federal, state, and local leaders on Nov. 10 for the ceremonial opening of the Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center, a new courthouse facility designed to expand access to justice and serve the growing needs of Miami-Dade County.

For U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones—who previously served as a state court judge in Miami-Dade County—the courthouse’s opening holds special significance. The new courthouse reflects both the county’s evolving needs and its enduring commitment to a fair, accessible, and well-resourced justice system.

“This courthouse reflects who we are as a community: resilient, forward-looking, and committed to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones. “It also stands as a proud tribute to Osvaldo N. Soto, a Cuban exile, Bay of Pigs veteran, and trailblazing attorney who spent his life defending liberty. I sat on the state bench just a few blocks from here, and I know how much this building will mean for the people we serve. Miami-Dade is investing in its future, and we’re honored to stand with our state and local partners as we continue the work of protecting our community and defending the rule of law.”

Named in honor of Osvaldo N. Soto, a Cuban-American lawyer and civil rights pioneer, the courthouse will house multiple judicial operations and provide modern, secure, and technologically advanced courtrooms, improved public services, and additional space for justice partners.

Before his presidential appointment and Senate confirmation, U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones served as a state court trial judge presiding over civil and criminal domestic violence cases in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in and for Miami-Dade County.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Lajuan Marquis Martin, 31, was charged by complaint on Oct. 16, 2025, with possession of a firearm after a prior felony conviction. An indictment containing the same charge was returned by a grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 28, 2025. On Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, Martin appeared before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps in Jefferson City, Mo., and pleaded guilty to the single-count indictment.

According to the affidavit associated with the original complaint, Martin was arrested by Columbia police officers for driving while his license was suspended. When he was brought to the Columbia Police Department for fingerprinting and processing, he was searched. Pills and bags of white powder began to fall out of his pant legs, and a Taurus, model PT 738, .380 caliber firearm was discovered in Martin’s shoe. Martin is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions, including a prior conviction in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Under federal law, Martin is facing up to 15 years imprisonment, in addition to a term of supervised release. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Columbia, Missouri Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Operation Take Back America

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).

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a five-count indictment charging PAMELA AGUILAR, 65, of Shelton, with fraud offenses stemming from an alleged embezzlement scheme that defrauded a Connecticut company of approximately $700,000.

As alleged in the indictment, Aguilar was employed as Chief Financial Officer of a Connecticut software company, identified in court documents as “Company A.”  Between approximately 2018 and 2025, Aguilar defrauded Company A’s by making ACH and wire transfers from Company A’s account to personal bank accounts, writing checks and making cash withdrawals from Company A’s account, and by making PayPal and credit card payments from Company A’s account for her own benefit.

It is alleged that through this scheme, Aguila stole approximately $700,000 from Company A.  Aguilar attempted to cover up her criminal behavior by providing false weekly cash reports and false monthly financial statements to Company A’s Chief Executive Officer.

The indictment was returned on October 15, 2025.  On October 22, Aguilar appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was released on a $50,000 bond.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.