Category: MIL-OSI

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Former Spartanburg County Sheriff, 2 Employees Plead Guilty in Public Corruption Scheme

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Charles “Chuck” Wright, 60, the former sheriff of Spartanburg County; Amos Durham 61, a former chaplain for the department; and Lawson B. Watson 63, a former employee, have pleaded guilty for their participation in a public corruption scheme that defrauded the county of public funds for years.

Wright pleaded guilty to Counts 1, 2 and 3 of the Information.  Count 1 charges conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, and he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.  Count 2 charges conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and Wright faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and 3 years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. Count 3 charges obtaining controlled substances by misrepresentation, which carries a maximum penalty of four years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.  Wright must pay a special assessment of $100 for each count.

Amos Durham pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, and he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment, plus a special assessment of $100.  Lawson B. Watson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment, plus a special assessment of $100.

Chief United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence the defendants after receiving and reviewing sentencing reports prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

According to court documents, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office Chaplain’s Benevolence Fund (the Benevolence Fund) is a non-profit organization that provides financial and emotional assistance to officers of the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office during times of need, such as bereavement, financial difficulties, and traumatic line-of-duty events. Wright, in his capacity as sheriff, hired Durham as the Director of the Benevolence Fund. In that position, Durham was responsible for administering the fund.  Durham and Wright abused their positions and conspired to siphon public funds from the Benevolence Fund for their private use.

In March 2005, Wright hired Watson as an employee of the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office. From at least as early as January 2021 through March 2025, Watson certified on his timesheet that he worked a full-time job.  In fact, Watson received a full salary and benefits for work that he did not perform. Wright allowed Watson to continue to fraudulently receive a paycheck and benefits of approximately $200,000 for work that he did not perform.

In May of 2023 through September 2023, Wright knowingly and intentionally obtained 147 pills of oxycodone and hydrocodone by misrepresentation from an individual after representing that the pills would be turned in and destroyed as part of the “take back” narcotic disposal program administered by the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office. In fact, Wright was obtaining the narcotics for his own personal use.

“Thank you to our investigation and prosecution partners and their respective offices, to Solicitor Micah Black, Chief of SLED Mark Keel, FBI Special Agent in Charge Kevin Moore, and the federal prosecutors and support members in our office,” said Bryan Stirling, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “In South Carolina we are so fortunate to have local, state, and federal law enforcement in lock step in every case and defendant brought to justice. I want to make it very clear no one is above the law, especially those that wear the badge. Stealing from a fund that’s supposed to benefit law enforcement families in their darkest hours is not something that can be condoned. Finally, if you hold a position of trust and abuse that trust, your misconduct will meet the full force of the law.”

“The defendants held positions of power within the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office but chose to abuse the public’s trust,” said Kevin Moore, special agent in charge of the FBI Columbia field office, “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will always pursue and hold accountable anyone who misuses the power and trust granted to them – no matter who they are or where they serve.”

“The task of investigating a popular and powerful local sheriff is never an easy one,” said Mica Black, 10th Circuit Solicitor. “I would like to thank Chief Keel and his team at the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division, including Special Agent Austin Mills, for their persistence in this case.  They worked closely with their counterparts at the Federal Bureau of Investigation during this joint investigation. Additionally, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina has been relentless in their pursuit of justice in this case, and we were proud to partner with them in this prosecution.  Without the hard work of all involved, today’s guilty plea would not have happened.”

“I’d like to thank our state and federal law enforcement and prosecution partners who worked together to ensure that justice was served. These offenses aren’t just against the law – these actions by public servants violate the public’s trust,” said SLED Chief Mark Keel. “No one, no matter their title, is above the law.”

The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Lothrop Morris is prosecuting the case.

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National Guardsman Arrested and Charged with Export Violation

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Canyon Anthony Amarys, 28, of Alamogordo, New Mexico, was arrested on October 28 in connection with his indictment for the attempted violation of the Export Control Reform Act.  Amarys will make his initial appearance today in federal court in the District of Kansas at 1:30 p.m. Central Time.

According to the indictment, in February 2025, at an in-person meeting between Amarys and someone he believed to be a Russian intelligence agent, Amarys signed a one-page agreement in order to confirm his covert relationship with a Russian intelligence service.  In addition, as part of that relationship, Amarys agreed to photograph a military installation on Fort Riley, Kansas, and to procure a helicopter radio for use by the Russian military.

In March 2025, after purchasing the helicopter radio, Amarys traveled to Kansas in order to retrieve the radio and export it to a purported recipient in Romania.  In doing so, Amarys communicated with a person he believed to be a Russian intelligence agent, and confirmed his understanding that the radio would in fact be illegally diverted to Russia.

Pursuant to a court-authorized search, investigators recovered the radio that Amarys had sought to illegally export to Russia.  Under U.S. export laws and regulations, the export of this controlled item without a license from the U.S. Department of Commerce was unlawful.  Amarys understood that his shipment of the radio abroad was illegal, and told the person he believed to be a Russian intelligence agent that he had researched export regulations in anticipation of their meeting in February 2025. 

The FBI Kansas City field office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, the Kansas National Guard, the Department of Commerce – Bureau of Industry and Security, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask of the District of Kansas and Trial Attorney David Ryan of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Two Russian Mob Leaders Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison For Murder-For-Hire Targeting A Journalist On Behalf Of The Iranian Government

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Iranian Government Hired Polad Omarov and Rafat Amirov to Kill Masih Alinejad in Exchange for $500,000

Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, John A. Eisenberg, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that RAFAT AMIROV, a/k/a “Farkhaddin Mirzoev,” a/k/a “Pᴎᴍ,”  a/k/a “Rome,” and POLAD OMAROV, a/k/a “Araz Aliyev,” a/k/a “Polad Qaqa,” a/k/a “Haci Qaqa,” were each sentenced yesterday to 25 years’ imprisonment for their participation in a murder-for-hire plot targeting Masih Alinejad, a journalist, author, and human rights activist, on behalf of the Government of Iran.  In March 2025, Amirov and Omarov were found guilty of murder-for-hire, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related charges, following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon, who imposed yesterday’s sentences.

“The Government of Iran, a sponsor of terrorism, assassination, and espionage around the globe, brazenly brought its efforts to murder Masih Alinejad to New York,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said.  “The plot exposed at trial involved actors on three continents, culminating with a hitman with an AK-47 outside Ms. Alinejad’s apartment in Brooklyn.  Yesterday’s sentences send a clear message:  the DOJ and our partners will expose and severely punish those who target U.S. citizens and bring terror to our community.”

Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg said: “The defendants and their criminal associates came chillingly close to gunning down an Iranian-American journalist on the streets of New York.  Tehran has long sought to silence Ms. Alinejad, and after multiple failed kidnapping attempts, turned to Omarov and Amirov and their organization to stalk and murder her.  This case is part of a well-documented and disturbing rise in plots involving criminal networks paid by Iran to target dissidents in the United States and around the world. We are committed to holding accountable those who join forces with this vile regime to violate our national sovereignty or threaten U.S. citizens.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, two highly ranked members of the Russian Mob, attempted to assassinate Masih Alinejad to permanently silence her criticism of the Iranian government and public advocacy of human rights. These defendants operated as unlawful enforcers for a foreign government to target an American journalist on our nation’s soil. May yesterday’s sentencing emphasize the FBI’s steadfast commitment to protecting Americans against any foreign actor seeking to inflict terror and physical harm to further a political agenda.”

According to the Superseding Indictment, public court filings, and the evidence presented at trial:

AMIROV and OMAROV were high-ranking members of an Azerbaijani faction of the Russian Mob (the “Organization”) who worked with other members of the Organization to kill Masih Alinejad on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”). Ms. Alinejad has previously been the target of multiple plots by the Government of Iran to intimidate, harass, and kidnap her for her work as a journalist, author, and human rights activist who has publicized the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses, especially its discriminatory and oppressive treatment of women, repression of political expression, and killings of Iranians engaged in peaceful protests against the regime.  As recently as 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap Ms. Alinejad from within the U.S. for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence her criticism of the Iranian regime.  

After its efforts to kidnap Ms. Alinejad from the U.S. failed in 2020 and 2021, the IRGC turned to AMIROV—a Vor, or Thief-in-Law, the highest rank in the Russian Mob—and OMAROV—the cousin of a powerful Vor who aspired to become a Vor himself—to locate, surveil, and murder her.  The IRGC offered AMIROV $500,000 for Ms. Alinejad’s murder and provided him with targeting information about Ms. Alinejad, including her home address.  Beginning in approximately July 2022, AMIROV sent this targeting information to OMAROV. OMAROV, in turn, communicated this information to Khalid Mehdiyev, another member of the Organization who had been residing in Yonkers, New York, so that Mehdiyev could surveil Ms. Alinejad and murder her.  AMIROV and OMAROV arranged the delivery of $30,000 to Mehdiyev from the IRGC’s advance payment; Mehdiyev used a portion of these funds to buy an AK-47 style assault rifle, two magazines, and 66 rounds of ammunition.

In late July 2022, Mehdiyev repeatedly traveled to Ms. Alinejad’s neighborhood to surveil her residence and locate her.  Mehdiyev sent photographs, videos, and updates on his stakeouts to OMAROV, who passed them on to AMIROV.  AMIROV gave OMAROV intelligence about Ms. Alinejad’s home, location, and family members provided by his IRGC contacts to assist Mehdiyev’s attempts to locate and kill Ms. Alinejad.  On July 24, 2022, Mehdiyev reported to OMAROV from Ms. Alinejad’s residence that he was “at the crime scene.”  On July 27, 2022, OMAROV told AMIROV that Mehdiyev was ready to kill Ms. Alinejad, writing “this matter will be over today.  I told them to make a birthday present for me.  I pressured them, they will sleep there this night.” On July 28, 2022, Mehdiyev sent OMAROV a video taken from inside the car that Mehdiyev was driving with the assault rifle and a message reading, “we are ready.”  As OMAROV continued to update AMIROV about Mehdiyev’s readiness, AMIROV cautioned OMAROV, “let him keep the car clean.”  When Mehdiyev drove away from surveilling the residence on July 28, 2022, he was stopped after a traffic violation and, during a search of the vehicle, police officers found the assault rifle; 66 rounds of ammunition, including one in the chamber of the assault rifle; approximately $1,100 in cash; gloves; and a black ski mask.

After Mehdiyev was arrested and placed into custody, OMAROV contacted Mehdiyev’s mother and threatened to kill her and her other son if she did not locate Mehdiyev, in part because the IRGC was demanding the return of its money. 

*               *                *

In addition to their prison terms, AMIROV, 46, of Iran; OMAROV, 41, of the country of Georgia, were sentenced to a $500 special assessment.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office Counterintelligence-Cyber Division and the New York FBI Iran Threat Task Force.  Mr. Clayton also thanked the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) and the NYPD Intelligence Bureau, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, for their assistance. Mr. Clayton also thanked the authorities in the Czech Republic.

This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Jacob H. Gutwillig, and Matthew J.C. Hellman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Christopher Rigali and Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. 

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Two Russian Mob Leaders Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Murder-For-Hire Targeting a Journalist on Behalf of the Iranian Government

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Iranian Government Hired Polad Omarov and Rafat Amirov to Kill Masih Alinejad in Exchange for $500,000

The Justice Department announced today that RAFAT AMIROV, a/k/a “Farkhaddin Mirzoev,” a/k/a “Pᴎᴍ,”  a/k/a “Rome,” and POLAD OMAROV, a/k/a “Araz Aliyev,” a/k/a “Polad Qaqa,” a/k/a “Haci Qaqa,” were each sentenced yesterday to 25 years’ in prison for their participation in a murder-for-hire plot targeting Masih Alinejad, a journalist, author, and human rights activist, on behalf of the Government of Iran.  In March 2025, Amirov and Omarov were found guilty of murder-for-hire, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related charges, following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon, who imposed today’s sentences.

“The defendants and their criminal associates came chillingly close to gunning down an Iranian-American journalist on the streets of New York.” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.  “Tehran has long sought to silence Ms. Alinejad, and after multiple failed kidnapping attempts, turned to Omarov and Amirov and their organization to stalk and murder her.  This case is part of a well-documented and disturbing rise in plots involving criminal networks paid by Iran to target dissidents in the United States and around the world. We are committed to holding accountable those who join forces with this vile regime to violate our national sovereignty or threaten U.S. citizens.”

“The Government of Iran, a sponsor of terrorism, assassination, and espionage around the globe, brazenly brought its efforts to murder Masih Alinejad to New York,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton.  “The plot exposed at trial involved actors on three continents, culminating with a hitman with an AK-47 outside Ms. Alinejad’s apartment in Brooklyn.  Yesterday’s sentences send a clear message:  the DOJ and our partners will expose and severely punish those who target U.S. citizens and bring terror to our community.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, two highly ranked members of the Russian Mob, attempted to assassinate Masih Alinejad to permanently silence her criticism of the Iranian government and public advocacy of human rights. These defendants operated as unlawful enforcers for a foreign government to target an American journalist on our nation’s soil. May yesterday’s sentencing emphasize the FBI’s steadfast commitment to protecting Americans against any foreign actor seeking to inflict terror and physical harm to further a political agenda.”

According to the Superseding Indictment, public court filings, and the evidence presented at trial:

AMIROV and OMAROV were high-ranking members of an Azerbaijani faction of the Russian Mob (the “Organization”) who worked with other members of the Organization to kill Masih Alinejad on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”). Ms. Alinejad has previously been the target of multiple plots by the Government of Iran to intimidate, harass, and kidnap her for her work as a journalist, author, and human rights activist who has publicized the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses, especially its discriminatory and oppressive treatment of women, repression of political expression, and killings of Iranians engaged in peaceful protests against the regime.  As recently as 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap Ms. Alinejad from within the U.S. for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence her criticism of the Iranian regime.   

After its efforts to kidnap Ms. Alinejad from the U.S. failed in 2020 and 2021, the IRGC turned to AMIROV—a Vor, or Thief-in-Law, the highest rank in the Russian Mob—and OMAROV—the cousin of a powerful Vor who aspired to become a Vor himself—to locate, surveil, and murder her.  The IRGC offered AMIROV $500,000 for Ms. Alinejad’s murder and provided him with targeting information about Ms. Alinejad, including her home address.  Beginning in approximately July 2022, AMIROV sent this targeting information to OMAROV. OMAROV, in turn, communicated this information to Khalid Mehdiyev, another member of the Organization who had been residing in Yonkers, New York, so that Mehdiyev could surveil Ms. Alinejad and murder her.  AMIROV and OMAROV arranged the delivery of $30,000 to Mehdiyev from the IRGC’s advance payment; Mehdiyev used a portion of these funds to buy an AK-47 style assault rifle, two magazines, and 66 rounds of ammunition.

In late July 2022, Mehdiyev repeatedly traveled to Ms. Alinejad’s neighborhood to surveil her residence and locate her.  Mehdiyev sent photographs, videos, and updates on his stakeouts to OMAROV, who passed them on to AMIROV.  AMIROV gave OMAROV intelligence about Ms. Alinejad’s home, location, and family members provided by his IRGC contacts to assist Mehdiyev’s attempts to locate and kill Ms. Alinejad.  On July 24, 2022, Mehdiyev reported to OMAROV from Ms. Alinejad’s residence that he was “at the crime scene.”  On July 27, 2022, OMAROV told AMIROV that Mehdiyev was ready to kill Ms. Alinejad, writing “this matter will be over today.  I told them to make a birthday present for me.  I pressured them, they will sleep there this night.”  On July 28, 2022, Mehdiyev sent OMAROV a video taken from inside the car that Mehdiyev was driving with the assault rifle and a message reading, “we are ready.”  As OMAROV continued to update AMIROV about Mehdiyev’s readiness, AMIROV cautioned OMAROV, “let him keep the car clean.”  When Mehdiyev drove away from surveilling the residence on July 28, 2022, he was stopped after a traffic violation and, during a search of the vehicle, police officers found the assault rifle; 66 rounds of ammunition, including one in the chamber of the assault rifle; approximately $1,100 in cash; gloves; and a black ski mask.

After Mehdiyev was arrested and placed into custody, OMAROV contacted Mehdiyev’s mother and threatened to kill her and her other son if she did not locate Mehdiyev, in part because the IRGC was demanding the return of its money.

In addition to their prison terms, AMIROV, 46, of Iran; OMAROV, 41, of the country of Georgia, were sentenced to a $500 special assessment.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office Counterintelligence-Cyber Division and the New York FBI Iran Threat Task Force.  Mr. Clayton also thanked the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) and the NYPD Intelligence Bureau, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, for their assistance. Mr. Clayton also thanked the authorities in the Czech Republic.

This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Jacob H. Gutwillig, and Matthew J.C. Hellman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Christopher Rigali and Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

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Federal Grand Jury in Chicago Indicts Six Individuals on Charges of Impeding Federal Agent Engaged in Immigration Enforcement Operations

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CHICAGO – A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted six individuals for allegedly forcibly impeding and interfering with a federal agent who was engaged in immigration enforcement operations in a Chicago suburb last month.  The indictment includes a conspiracy charge against all of the defendants arising out of the incident.

According to an indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the defendants were among a crowd of people who surrounded a government vehicle with the intent to hinder and impede the driver—a federal agent—from proceeding to a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Ill., on Sept. 26, 2025.  The defendants and others allegedly crowded together in the front and side of the government vehicle, stood in its path, banged on the car and windows, and pushed against it to hinder and impede its movement.  The conspirators broke one of the vehicle’s side mirrors and the rear windshield wiper and etched a derogatory message into the body of the vehicle, the indictment states.

“No one is above the law and no one has the right to obstruct it,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.  “Federal agents perform dangerous, essential work every single day to enforce our immigration laws and keep our communities safe.  When individuals resort to force or intimidation to interfere with that mission, they attack not only the agents themselves but the rule of law they represent.  The Department of Justice will never tolerate such conduct and will continue to hold accountable anyone who seeks to impede lawful federal operations.”

“All federal officials must be able to discharge the duties of their office without confronting force, intimidation, or threats,” said Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.  “As we have warned repeatedly, we will seek to hold accountable those who cross the line from peaceful protests to unlawful actions or conspiracies that interrupt, hinder, or impede the due administration of Justice.  The rule of law must always be upheld.”

Charged with conspiracy to impede a U.S. law enforcement officer and individual counts of impeding a U.S. law enforcement officer are MICHAEL RABBITT, 62, of Chicago; KATHERINE MARIE ABUGHAZALEH, 26, of Chicago; ANDRE MARTIN, 27, of Providence, R.I.; CATHERINE SHARP, 29, of Chicago; BRIAN STRAW, 38, of Oak Park, Ill.; and JOSELYN WALSH, 31, of Chicago.  Arraignments are scheduled for Nov. 5, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Heather K. McShain.

Deputy Attorney General Blanche and U.S. Attorney Boutros announced the charges along with Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.

“The FBI has zero tolerance for forcible criminal conduct against law enforcement officers engaged in their lawful functions,” said FBI SAC DePodesta.  “Impeding federal officers performing their duties or conspiring to do so are criminal offenses.  The people of Chicagoland deserve safe communities and peaceful streets and the FBI and our partners will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who undermine the rule of law through criminal activity.”

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

A video recording of the incident can be viewed here.  If you recognize other individuals in the video who may be impeding law enforcement, you are encouraged to contact the FBI Chicago Field Office by logging on to https://tips.fbi.gov/home.

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Illinois Man Arrested for Alleged Threats Against the President

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PEORIA, Ill. – An El Paso, Illinois, man, Derek Lopez, 27, has been charged in federal court with making threats against President Donald J. Trump. Lopez was arrested on October 28, 2025. Preliminary and detention hearings are scheduled for Monday, November 3, 2025, at 2 p.m. at the federal courthouse in Peoria, Illinois.

If convicted, Lopez faces a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment.

The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, with assistance from the United States Secret Service, the El Paso Police Department, the Woodford County Sheriff’s Office, and the Illinois State University Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Criminal Chief Darilynn J. Knauss.

Members of the public are reminded that the charges in a complaint are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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Ten members of drug and gun trafficking groups arrested on indictments and criminal complaints

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Sammamish defendant connected to stash location containing 25 kilos of fentanyl powder, 90,000+ fentanyl pills and 24 firearms

Seattle – A law enforcement operation lead by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Seattle Police Department made ten arrests yesterday in connection with three significant, interrelated, drug and gun trafficking conspiracies, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. The defendants have been appearing in U.S. District Court in Seattle yesterday and today. The arrests are the culmination of a year-long investigation by area law enforcement officers.

“These defendants were trafficking fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin on the streets of western Washington. These drugs take a heavy toll on our community,” said U.S. Attorney Floyd. “Worse yet, this group trafficked in dozens of firearms – some of them high powered assault style weapons. Yesterday alone law enforcement seized 34 firearms.”

“This heavily armed Transnational Criminal Organization threatened all of Western Washington by trafficking guns and fentanyl from Lewis County to Snohomish County,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Our entire region is safer today because of the efforts of DEA and our partners, who literally risked their lives to confront this threat to our communities.”

“This violent organization not only trafficked dangerous drugs but was responsible for putting firearms on our city streets,” said Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes. “I’m thankful for the great work of our Seattle Police officers and our federal partners.”

Those arrested on indictments yesterday include:

Luis Humberto Lamas-Guzman, 25, of Lynnwood, Washington

Eduardo Villavicencio-Salido, 44, of Marysville, Washington

Silvestre Ramos Martinez, 35, of Everett, Washington

Jose Navarro Hernandez “Robert”, 46, of Marysville, Washington

Jose Manuel Ramos Ibarra “Kora”, 28, of Everett, Washington

Marisol Perez-Diaz, 23, of Auburn, Washington

Jordan Martinez Gamez, 23, of Auburn, Washington

Those arrested on criminal complaints include:

Jose Isabel Sandoval Zuniga, 30, of Sammamish, Washington

Roni Licona Escoto, 56, of Seattle

Edgar Rivas Robles, 33, of Centralia, Washington

Search warrants were served at twelve different locations including at a largely undeveloped “stash property” linked to Jose Isabel Sandoval Zuniga in Centralia, Washington. The house

 contained 25 kilos of suspected fentanyl powder, more than 90,000 fentanyl pills and two dozen firearms. Zuniga was arrested in his vehicle with 1.6 kilos of suspected fentanyl. At his Sammamish home investigators seized heroin, fentanyl, and a loaded .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol.

In the arrest operation yesterday law enforcement seized approximately 100,000 fentanyl pills, 34 kilos of fentanyl powder, 3.7 kilos of methamphetamine, nearly a kilogram of heroin and 8.7 kilos of cocaine. Law enforcement also seized $40,000 in cash.

The charges contained in the indictments and criminal complaints are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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 Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

In addition to DEA and SPD, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) is part of the investigation.

These agencies provided assistance in the law enforcement operation on October 28, 2025: Seattle Police Department (SWAT & Community Response Group), North Sound Metro (Regional SWAT), Snohomish County (Region 1 SWAT), Washington State Patrol (SWAT), Centralia Police Department (SWAT), Customs & Border Patrol (BORTAC), Valley (Regional SWAT), King County Sheriff’s Office (SWAT – TAC 30)

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys C. Andrew Colasurdo and Joseph Silvio.

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Nine Alleged Oakland Sureño Gang Members Charged With Racketeering Conspiracy In Connection With Murders And Related Crimes

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

OAKLAND – A federal grand jury has indicted nine men on charges of racketeering conspiracy in connection with two murders, three attempted murders, narcotics and firearms distribution, and other related crimes allegedly perpetrated on behalf of two Oakland-based Sureño street gangs.  

The nine defendants, Marvin Bonilla, a/k/a “Malandro,” 24; Edwin Cano-Merida, aka “Zombie,” 24; Cesar Rolando Lucas-Pablo, a/k/a “Lobo,” 28; Walfer Mendoza-Mendoza, a/k/a “Shorty,” 31; Gonzalo Pablo, a/k/a “Chalo,” 25; Jeronimo “Orlando” Pablo-Carrillo, a/k/a “Paisano,” 41; Mario Pablo-Matias, a/k/a “Chuco,” 24; Raymundo Pablo-Matias, a/k/a “El Moch,” 31; and Carlos Ramiro-Mendoza, a/k/a “Minch,” 28, were charged in an indictment filed October 9, 2025, and unsealed today.  

Six of the nine defendants were arrested this morning in coordinated law enforcement operations.  Lucas-Pablo and Pablo-Carrillo were already in custody, and Gonzalo Pablo remains at large.  A number of the defendants are unlawfully residing in the United States.  

“Like people everywhere, the residents of Oakland deserve safe and peaceful neighborhoods, not ones filled with fear and senseless violence.  The Administration has made it clear that enough is enough.  This indictment charges nine members of the Oakland Sureños for their roles in a dangerous criminal enterprise that inflicted harm throughout Oakland,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian.  “My office will continue to partner with local and federal law enforcement to reclaim our streets from the gangs who threaten our residents.  We could not have done this case without the involvement of many law enforcement partners and, in particular, I would like to thank the FBI and the Oakland Police Department for their excellent work.”

“The alleged criminal activity of these gang members has plagued Oakland’s neighborhoods and put innocent residents at risk,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo.  “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to prioritize violent crime and eradicate gang activity that threatens the safety and stability of our communities. While we continue to focus on disrupting the violent and illicit operations of local street gangs, today’s arrests mark significant progress in that ongoing fight.  The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not allow violent gangs to operate with impunity or endanger the citizens we are sworn to protect.”

“These individuals have caused lasting damage to our community for years,” said Assistant Chief James Beere of the Oakland Police Department. “Their violent actions, including shootings and homicides, have left families mourning and communities forever changed. We are grateful for the efforts of our local law enforcement partners, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as we work together to seek justice for the victims and their families.”

According to the indictment, the nine defendants were members of a racketeering enterprise referred to in the indictment as the Oakland Sureños, a criminal street gang whose members lived in and around Oakland, California.  The Oakland Sureños were part of the larger Sureños criminal street gang and, like the larger Sureños gang, generally recognized the primacy of the Mexican Mafia prison gang.  The larger Sureños gang was organized into “cliques,” smaller groups that typically operated within specific territory.  

SAP and SSL-502 were among the Oakland Sureños cliques.  SAP originally stood for “San Antonio Park,” a public park located between 16th Avenue and 18th Avenue in Oakland, which SAP had claimed as its primary turf before moving to Estuary Park around 2019.  SSL-502, which stood for South Side Locos combined with “502,” the telephone country code for Guatemala, originally claimed as its turf the area surrounding the 1300 and 1400 blocks of 72nd Avenue before expanding to Arroyo Viejo Park in approximately 2017.  Members of the cliques engaged in criminal conduct for the benefit of the street gang, its members, and the larger Sureños organization.  Gang members perpetrated crimes, including murder, shootings, firearms trafficking, and narcotics trafficking, to enhance and protect the power, territory, and profit of the gang and to gain entry into, and improve a member’s status in, the gang.  These crimes included committing violence against gang rivals perceived as disrespecting the Oakland Sureños, which led to innocent members of the public being injured or killed.  

In furtherance of the Oakland Surenos, defendants allegedly committed more than a dozen criminal acts.  The list of crimes includes two murders, both occurring in 2019, of men who were perceived to be rivals of the Oakland Sureños.  In addition to the murder allegations, additional crimes described in the indictment that defendants allegedly committed include three attempted murders (two with firearms and one with a baseball bat), attempted robbery, narcotics trafficking, and firearms trafficking.

In sum, each defendant is charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  In addition, the indictment alleges that special sentencing factors apply to six defendants as follows:  

  • Gonzalo Pablo for his role in the November 22, 2018, attempted murder of an unidentified victim;
  • Cesar Rolando Lucas-Pablo, Jeronimo “Orlando” Pablo-Carrillo, and Carlos Ramiro-Mendoza for their respective roles in the January 5, 2019, murder of a victim identified as “R.B.P.”;
  • Carlos Ramiro-Mendoza and Jeronimo “Orlando” Pablo-Carillo for their respective roles in the January 19, 2019, murder of a victim identified as “S.R.J.”; and
  • Edwin Cano-Merida and Mario Pablo-Matias for their respective roles in the May 15, 2021 attempted murder of a victim identified “M.M.”

The maximum statutory penalty applying to these violations is life in prison.  Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Defendants are scheduled to be arraigned on October 30, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexis James, Andy Scoble, Jonah Ross, and Wendy Garbers, with the assistance of Kevin Costello and Yenni Weinberg.  The prosecution is the result of a multi-year investigation by the FBI, the Oakland Police Department, and the FBI SF East Bay Violent Crime Task Force, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration for today’s arrests.

This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Region 2 San Francisco/Sacramento Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline). HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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).
 

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10 Arrested on Federal Complaints Charging Them with Committing Violence Against Officers and Property During Anti-ICE Rioting

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

LOS ANGELES – Law enforcement has arrested a total of 10 defendants federally charged in three criminal complaints with engaging in violence and civil disorder against law enforcement officers and property during immigration enforcement actions in Southern California earlier this year, the Justice Department announced today.

Ten defendants are in federal custody. One defendant is in state custody and is expected to be handed over to federal authorities. One defendant is a fugitive. All 12 defendants are charged with federal crimes alleging they committed violence against law enforcement authorities and property.

“There is zero tolerance for violence against law enforcement officers,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “During the summer we warned the public that anyone who engages in any violence will eventually be brought to justice. Today we are delivering on that promise and will continue to hold those who violated the law accountable.”        

“Acts of violence against the brave law enforcement officers who protect us are an attack on civilized society itself,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “As today’s arrests and charges illustrate, anyone who engages in such disgusting conduct will face severe consequences from this Department of Justice.”

“While the Constitution protects the freedom of speech and the freedom to peaceably assemble, it does not provide for the freedom to assault federal officers, impede or obstruct federal officers or conspire to do so, or destroy government property,” said HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. “We will vigorously protect the rights to free speech and free and peaceful assembly, but we will also, without fear or favor, deliver consequences and bring accountability to those criminals that violate federal law.”

“The FBI safeguards civil rights and the right to protest peacefully, but there is no place in a civilized society for violence targeted at law enforcement, nor the destruction of government property,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Our agents and police partners are carrying out their duties lawfully and should be able to do so without violent interference. I urge anyone with information about these unidentified subjects wanted for civil disorder and arson to come forward to assist us and claim the reward of up to $10,000.”

“Violence has no place in our society,” said Special Agent in Charge Kenny Cooper of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Los Angeles Field Division. “Peaceful protest is a right; assault is a crime. The ATF will continue to stand with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who serve and protect our communities can do so safely.”

        United States v. Reyes, et al.

Virginia Reyes, 32, and Isai Carrillo, 31, both of Oxnard, are charged via complaint with conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer, a felony that is punishable by up to five years in federal prison.

Carrillo, who was arrested today, is expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Reyes is considered a fugitive.

According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, agents with the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on July 10 executed several search warrants – predicated on violations of federal immigration laws – at locations, including the Glass House Farms in Camarillo. Before the enforcement operations began, agents determined that the operation had been compromised earlier than expected because of social media posts.

During the operation, numerous protesters – some of them were members or associates of “VC Defensa,” a volunteer group whose members follow, chase, agitate, and impede federal agents enforcing immigration laws – arrived in and around the area of the Glass House Farms. VC Defensa “Rapid Response Network” members also conduct surveillance of DHS office buildings and alert the community to the presence of federal agents within their neighborhoods.

During the Glass House Farms enforcement operation, protesters, including VC Defensa members, built a roadblock using farm equipment at the primary entrance and exit to the Glass House Farms. Due to the roadblock, federal law enforcement vehicles used an alternate exit via a dirt service road to leave the location. Government vehicles that exited the Glass House Farms and traveled south on this road were stopped by protestors, including individuals throwing rocks at the vehicles.

When additional Government vehicles attempted to exit this road and travel north, protesters, including VC Defensa members, created a chokepoint and ambush of the vehicles. Specifically, at least two vehicles and several individuals, including one with a bicycle, attempted to block the government vehicles from exiting. Meanwhile, other individuals threw large rocks at the vehicles. During the incident, at least four government vehicles were damaged and at least one federal contract employee sustained injuries.

Law enforcement learned that at least 10 individuals acted together to impede and assault federal officers and damage government property. Reyes was present for the roadblock’s construction and drove her vehicle to the ambush location to impede government vehicles. Meanwhile, Carrillo and others threw rocks at the government vehicles, causing damage to them, and injuring a federal contract employee.

        United States v. Coreas, et al.

The following defendants are charged in one complaint with obstructing, impeding, and interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder, stemming from violence against California Highway Patrol officers in downtown Los Angeles’ Civic Center on June 8. This charge, a felony, carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison:

  • Ronald Alexis Coreas, 23, of the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles;
  • Junior Roldan, 27, of Hollywood;
  • Elmore Sylvester Cage, 34, of Downtown Los Angeles;
  • Balto Montion, 24, of Watsonville;
  • Jesus Gonzalez Hernandez Jr., 22, of Las Vegas;
  • Hector Daniel Ramos, 66, of Alhambra;
  • Stefano Deong Green, 34, of Westmont;
  • Yachua Mauricio Flores, 23, of Lincoln Heights; and
  • Ismael Vega, 41, of Westlake.

Coreas, Roldan, Cage, Ramos, Green, Flores, and Vega are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in U.S District Court in Los Angeles. Hernandez was arrested today and is expected to make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas. Montion is in state custody and is expected to be handed over to federal authorities in the coming weeks.

According to an affidavit filed with the Coreas complaint, federal law enforcement officials began conducting immigration enforcement operations throughout the Los Angeles area on June 6. During and following those operations, protests erupted in and around downtown Los Angeles. While many demonstrators peacefully exercised their First Amendment rights to protest, some individuals violently obstructed, impeded, or interfered with law enforcement officers.

Specifically, on June 8, thousands of demonstrators assembled in downtown Los Angeles’s Civic Center to protest the ongoing enforcement of federal immigration laws. Some protesters engaged in violence against officers – resulting in some injuries to the officers – and against public and private property. Federal buildings were vandalized with graffiti and law enforcement vehicles were damaged by protestors wielding blunt objects. Los Angeles police ultimately declared an unlawful assembly.

Protesters then walked onto U.S. Highway 101 in downtown Los Angeles and blocked all traffic lanes. California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers responded to that location in patrol vehicles, pushed the protesters off the freeway, and remained there to prevent the protesters from re-entering. By remaining on the freeway, the CHP officers and their vehicles were positioned under and between the overpasses for Main and Los Angeles streets on the 101 Freeway.

As the CHP officers stood on the freeway, crowds gathered on the overpasses. At some point thereafter, individual protesters began throwing rocks, electric scooters, street signs, and various other objects at the CHP officers below. At one point, a protester poured a clear yellow liquid onto a CHP car that was ablaze, after which the flames immediately grew in size.   

The defendants charged in the Coreas complaint were filmed and photographed throwing rocks and other objects at officers and the patrol cars.

         United States v. Canil

Yovany Marcario Canil, 22, a.k.a. “Geovani Macario,” and “Yovany Canil Canil,” of Boyle Heights, was arrested Tuesday on a federal complaint charging him with assault on a federal officer, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison.

He is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles.

According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, on June 6, hundreds of demonstrators protesting immigration law enforcement gathered in front of an Ambiance Apparel warehouse in the Fashion District of downtown Los Angeles. As federal government vehicles were leaving the area, Yovany Marcario Canil pepper-sprayed into one of the vehicles that was occupied by three members of the FBI’s SWAT. At that time, the passenger side windows were opened to manage crowd control. The pepper spray affected at least two members of FBI SWAT with a burning sensation as their faces turned orange.

A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are investigating these matters.

Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Kibbe of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting the Reyes case. Assistant United States Attorneys Neil P. Thakor and Rahul R.A. Hari of the General Crimes Section and Jenna Long of the National Security Division are prosecuting the Coreas case. The General Crimes Section is prosecuting the Canil case.

The FBI is seeking the following individuals in connection with violence against people and property related to anti-immigration enforcement protests earlier this year:

         https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/civil-disorder-1

         https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/civil-disorder-2

         https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/arson

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Former General Manager for U.S. Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty to Selling Stolen Trade Secrets to Russian Broker

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Peter Williams, 39, an Australian national, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today in connection with selling his employer’s trade secrets to a Russian cyber-tools broker, the Justice Department announced today.

Williams pleaded to two counts of theft of trade secrets. The material, stolen over a three-year period from the U.S. defense contractor where he worked, was comprised of national-security focused software that included at least eight sensitive and protected cyber-exploit components. Those components were meant to be sold exclusively to the U.S. government and select allies. Williams sold the trade secrets to a Russian cyber-tools broker that publicly advertises itself as a reseller of cyber exploits to various customers, including the Russian government.

Each of the charges carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense.

“America’s national security is NOT FOR SALE, especially in an evolving threat landscape where cybercrime poses a serious danger to our citizens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Thank you to all the attorneys who worked so hard to secure this guilty plea.”

“Williams betrayed the United States and his employer by first stealing and then selling intelligence-related software to a foreign broker that touted its ties to Russia and other foreign governments,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “His conduct was deliberate and deceitful, imperiling our national security for the sake of personal gain. Today’s guilty plea reflects our commitment to ensuring that insiders who abuse their positions of trust face serious consequences.”

“We continue to vigorously investigate those who betray our national security by selling valuable U.S. trade secrets to international cyber brokers who support foreign cyber actors,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “These international cyber brokers are the next wave of international arms dealers and we continue to be vigilant about their activities. The conduct here caused over $35 million of loss to a company in the District of Columbia and allowed non-allied foreign cyber actors to obtain sophisticated cyber exploits that were likely used against numerous unsuspecting victims.”

“Williams placed greed over freedom and democracy by stealing and reselling $35 million of cyber trade secrets from a U.S. cleared defense contractor to a Russian Government supplier,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “By doing so, he gave Russian cyber actors an advantage in their massive campaign to victimize U.S. citizens and businesses. This plea sends a clear message that the FBI and our partners will defend the homeland and bring to justice anyone who helps our adversaries jeopardize U.S. national security.”

According to the facts admitted in connection with the guilty plea, from approximately 2022 through 2025, Williams improperly used his access to the defense contractor’s secure network to steal the cyber exploit components that constituted the trade secrets.

Williams resold those components in exchange for the promise of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency. To effectuate these sales, Williams entered into multiple written contracts with the Russian broker, which involved payment for the initial sale of the components, and additional periodic payments for follow-on support. Williams transferred the eight components and trade secrets to the Russian broker through encrypted means. He used the proceeds to buy himself high-value items.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Baltimore Field Office.

The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal Chawla and Jason McCullough for the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Prava Palacharla for the National Security Division’s (NSD) National Security Cyber Section, and Trial Attorney Nicholas Hunter for NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

Substantial assistance was also provided by interim U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford for the District of Oregon prior to his current appointment.