Category: MIL-OSI

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Spokane, Washington – United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Lance Scott Michel, age 31, of Nespelem, Washington, to 216 months in federal prison after Michel pleaded guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country and Sexual Abuse in Indian Country. Judge Dimke also ordered that, following his sentence, Michel be placed on a lifetime term of supervised release.

According to court documents, in early 2023, Michel began communicating with various minor females on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation over social media. Michel, a then twenty-nine-year-old, provided the minor females with items such as vaping products and cartridges. After engaging in this grooming behavior, Michel sexually abused two 15 year old victims. District Court Judge Dimke noted the aggravated nature of Defendant’s crimes and applied a sentencing enhancement due to Michel’s forcible conduct against both minor victims.

“Mr. Michel targeted minors from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation with the explicit intent to sexually abuse them. Protecting children and holding accountable those who seek to exploit and harm them are top priorities of my office,” said United States Attorney S. Peter Serrano. “We will continue to seek out and prosecute these heinous crimes thanks to our dedicated team and our FBI and tribal partners.”

“Through social media, Mr. Michel gained the trust of minors on the Colville Reservation, trust he later took advantage of in the most unthinkable way,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “There is no question that his heinous actions were entirely deserving of today’s sentence. Protecting the lives and wellbeing of our nation’s children from those who seek to prey on them is, and remains, a top priority for the FBI and our partners.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colville Tribal Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Michael J. Ellis, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

AKRON, Ohio – An Akron-area career criminal has been sentenced to prison for his role in distributing controlled substances throughout Northeast Ohio.

Antoine D. Cook, 46, of Akron, was sentenced to 420 months (35 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after a federal jury found him guilty in June of the following charges as outlined in the indictment:

• One count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine,
• One count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine,
• One count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition; prior convictions include Domestic Violence in 1996, 2010, 2012, and 2014; Distribution of a Controlled Substance in 2002; Aggravated Assault in 2012 and 2015; and Felonious Assault in 2018.

Cook was also ordered to serve eight years of supervised release after imprisonment. 

According to court documents, on May 1, 2024, Cook knowingly possessed and intended to distribute two Schedule II controlled substances. He was found with approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine as well as three grams of cocaine, all packaged for sale. Cook also unlawfully possessed more than 80 rounds of ammunition. Because Cook was previously convicted of a number of serious drug and violent felonies, he received a significant sentencing enhancement as a career offender and an armed career criminal.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the Ohio Adult Parole Authority.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter E. Daly for the Northern District of Ohio.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

LONDON, Ky. – An Irvine, Ky., man, Zackary Keith Jones, 35, was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom to 194 months in prison, for transporting a minor over state lines with the intent that the minor engage in sexual activity.

According to his plea agreement, Jones transported a minor victim over state lines, from North Carolina to Lincoln County, Ky., with the intent to engage in sexual activity. Jones used Snapchat to communicate with the vic­­­tim and lied to the victim about his age to induce the victim to engage in prohibited sexual conduct. Jones also admitted that he engaged in sexual acts and sexual contact with the minor victim during and after the interstate transportation of the victim. The victim, who was reported missing from North Carolina on Decemb­­­­er 8, 2023, was found by law enforcement on December 25, 2023 in a hidden compartment in the floor of a bedroom at Jones’ residence.

Under federal law, Jones must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years.

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General; and Sheriff Shawn Hines, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by FBI, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. David Dalton, Commonwealth Attorney for the 28th Judicial Circuit, also provided significant assistance to the investigation and prosecution of the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

 

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – John Kelly, age 83, of Rome, New York, was sentenced on Wednesday to 60 months in federal prison for conspiring to receive and distribute child pornography and for possessing child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

As part of his prior guilty plea, Kelly acknowledged that in August 2022 he began conspiring with his co-defendant, Richard Hockersmith, about exchanging child sexual abuse material. Kelly further acknowledged that he and Hockersmith decided to exchange the material by mailing an SD card containing child sexual abuse images and videos back and forth, which each of them did. Kelly also acknowledged that during a search of his residence on February 23, 2024, he possessed numerous images and videos of child pornography on a laptop computer.

United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also sentenced Kelly to serve a 10-year term of supervised release to begin after Kelly is released from prison, and to pay a total of $15,000 in restitution. Kelly will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release.

Hockersmith was previously sentenced on July 8, 2025, to six years in federal prison and a 10-year term of post-release supervision.

Acting U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated, “It is beyond disturbing that an 83-year-old man would seek out depictions of the sexual abuse of our most vulnerable population. Thanks to the diligent work of HSI, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, and New York State Police, this defendant will now be spending his twilight years in federal prison—where he belongs.”

HSI Special Agent in Charge Keegan said, “Today’s sentence underscores how coordinated, targeted investigative efforts disrupt the distribution of child sexual abuse material and ensure offenders are held accountable. Protecting children from sexual exploitation is one of HSI’s highest priorities, and we will relentlessly investigate and disrupt those who trade in child sexual abuse material. HSI Syracuse’s strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York—and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners—has proven essential to holding these child predators accountable and strengthening public safety across New York.”

The case was investigated by HSI with assistance from the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office and New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.

Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Alexis Miranda, age 30, of Syracuse, was sentenced on Thursday to 60 months in prison for possessing defaced firearms and for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.

Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.

As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Miranda admitted that from August to October 8, 2019, she agreed with Christopher Montano to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. On September 12, 2019, Miranda travelled from the Rome, New York, area to meet Montano, where they distributed more than 80 grams of methamphetamine to another person. A few months later, in August 2020, Miranda was stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate 90, in Rensselaer County, New York, and law enforcement found heroin and fentanyl in her purse as well as a roller suitcase in her trunk containing four semiautomatic pistols with defaced serial numbers.

Last year, Montano was sentenced to 76 months in prison for unlawfully selling unregistered firearms and drug trafficking crimes.

Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Alexis Miranda was engaged in trafficking deadly substances and weapons, each of which contribute to drug addiction and gun violence in the community. We will relentlessly pursue and prosecute individuals like her to get rid of deadly firearms and drugs from our streets.”

ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller stated: “Those who traffic in illegal firearms and deadly drugs will be held accountable. These defaced and stolen weapons pose a serious threat to our communities, and we remain committed to working with our federal and local partners to disrupt this kind of dangerous criminal activity.”

New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James stated, “Strong partnerships are crucial for intercepting the illegal drugs and weapons that sustain a cycle of violence and threaten the quality of life in our communities. The collaborative multi-agency efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office, ATF, and New York State Police has resulted in the sentencing of Mr. Miranda and has eradicated an unprincipled gun and drug trafficking operation. We will continue to make it a priority to find those who commit these acts and dismantle the dangerous chain of activities they perpetuate.” 

Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 5-year term of post-release supervision.

ATF and the NYSP investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping prosecuted this case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced in federal court to 240 months in prison for transporting a visual depiction involving the sexual exploitation of a minor across the international border.

According to court documents, on January 10, Enrique Ruvalcaba-Mendez, 71, was referred to secondary inspection at the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers discovered that his phone contained several videos and photos of Ruvalcaba engaged in sexual activity with minor females.

The investigation revealed Ruvalcaba would travel to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, where he would pay to have sex with minors. He would videotape himself with the minors and save them on his phone. Ruvalcaba was found to have abused at least three minors in Mexico.

Ruvalcaba pleaded guilty on July 3 and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David Briones on Sept. 24.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

ICE Homeland Security Investigations and CBP investigated the case with assistance from the HSI Assistant Attaché Office in Ciudad Juarez.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane Romero prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ATLANTA – Abdurrahim Jalal has been sentenced for blowing up a bank automated teller machine and possessing illegal explosive devices at his home.

“Jalal used deadly explosives to steal tens of thousands of dollars and then shamelessly gambled with the loot at a casino,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Although Jalal refused to wager his own money at the gaming tables, he will now pay the price for his crimes.”

“Abdurrahim Jalal chose greed over the safety of our community when he used an explosive to steal money,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “Violence and destruction of property will never be tolerated, and the FBI and our partners will continue to work together to ensure criminals like Jalal are held accountable.”

“The successful prosecution of Abdurrahim Jalal is a testament to our unwavering commitment to public safety. We will not tolerate the use of explosives in criminal activity, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that those who threaten our communities are brought to justice said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges and other information presented in court: At approximately 3:11 a.m. on March 29, 2023, Jalal blew up an ATM at the Bank of America branch located at the North DeKalb Mall in Decatur, Georgia. After the explosion, Jalal took approximately $90,000 from the vault of the machine. He then embarked on a multi-day gambling spree at a North Carolina casino. Investigators identified Jalal and obtained a warrant to search his home. They found eight fully assembled or nearly completed pipe bombs during that search.

On September 22, 2025, U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown sentenced Abdurrahim Jalal, 55, of Decatur, Georgia to 14 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Jalal was found guilty of bank theft, use of an explosive to commit a felony, arson, and two counts of possession of an unregistered destructive device, after a bench trial on June 25, 2025.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, DeKalb County Police Department and the DeKalb County Fire Rescue.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dash A. Cooper prosecuted the case.

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.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Anthony Lamorris Davis Jr., 21, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and two counts of illegal possession of a machinegun. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I appreciate the excellent work of our local and federal law enforcement partners to remove this violent felon from our streets. My office remains committed to fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the violent criminals victimizing our communities, and this successful prosecution is yet another step toward achieving that goal.”

Court documents reflect that Davis was the passenger in a car stopped by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office on July 21, 2024. Under Davis’s seat, deputies found a stolen Glock 9-millimeter pistol which had a machinegun conversion device attached and an extended magazine. Davis was not arrested at the time. On October 25, 2024, the Tallahassee Police Department observed Davis wearing a ski mask and jacket, despite it being 87 degrees outside, and stopped him for pedestrian violations. Officers found a pistol with an attached machinegun conversion device in Davis’s jacket pocket. The conversion devices attached to the July 21 and October 25 were both 3D-printed and bore identical markings. Davis has prior felony convictions for aggravated assault, burglary, and criminal use of personal identification information.

Davis faces imprisonment for up to 15 years per count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and 10 years per count of illegal possession of a machinegun.

The case involved an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 8, 2025, at 11:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Elpidio Abelardo Perez-Perez, 33, of the country of Mexico, was sentenced to a year and one day in federal prison for illegal reentry by a removed alien. The sentenced was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This violent criminal alien repeatedly illegally re-entered our country after numerous prior deportations, and while unlawfully present here he continued to violate our laws. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases to fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from violent criminal aliens like this defendant who amply demonstrate a complete disregard for our national and state laws.”

Court records reflect that, on February 17, 2025, Perez-Perez was arrested for aggravated assault with a weapon and discharging a firearm in Escambia County. Through various record checks, investigators learned that Perez-Perez is a citizen of Mexico and was illegally in the country after having previously been encountered and deported by immigration authorities in 2010, 2012, and 2013.

The sentence was the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.