Category: MIL-OSI

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Today, a federal grand jury has charged former FBI Director James Comey with serious crimes related to the disclosure of sensitive information.

The indictment alleges that Comey obstructed a congressional investigation into the disclosure of sensitive information in violation of 18 USC 1505.

The indictment also alleges that Comey made a false statement in violation of 18 USC 1001. Comey stated that he did not authorize someone at the FBI to be an anonymous source. According to the indictment that statement was false.

“No one is above the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.”

“Today, your FBI took another step in its promise of full accountability,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “For far too long, previous corrupt leadership and their enablers weaponized federal law enforcement, damaging once proud institutions and severely eroding public trust. Every day, we continue the fight to earn that trust back, and under my leadership, this FBI will confront the problem head-on. Nowhere was this politicization of law enforcement more blatant than during the Russiagate hoax, a disgraceful chapter in history we continue to investigate and expose. Everyone, especially those in positions of power, will be held to account – no matter their perch. No one is above the law.”

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging former FBI Director James Comey with making a false statement and obstruction relating to his oral testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 30, 2020.

“The charges as alleged in this case represent a breach of the public trust at an extraordinary level,” said U.S. Attorney Halligan. “The balance of power is a bedrock principal of our democracy, and it relies upon accountability and a forthright presentation of facts from executive leadership to congressional oversight. Any intent to avoid, evade, prevent, or obstruct compliance is a violation of professional responsibility and, most importantly, the law.”

If convicted, Comey faces up to five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-272.

An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ROLANDO HUMBERTO CASTILLO-BERNARDEZ (“CASTILLO-BERNARDEZ”), age 41, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on September 17, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).

According to court documents, CASTILLO-BERNARDEZ was found in Orleans Parish on or around July 15, 2025. He had previously been deported to Honduras on May 17, 2019.

United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced CASTILLO-BERNARDEZ to time served and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. He will be transferred to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation to Honduras.

Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

HOUSTON – A 42-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison for coercion and enticement of a minor and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Brandon Dominic Porter pleaded guilty May 15.

U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now sentenced Porter to a total of 188 months in prison. He will also serve the rest of his life on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Porter will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

“The goal of Project Safe Childhood is to protect children from sexual abusers,” said Ganjei . “Thanks to the good work of law enforcement and our SDTX prosecutors, this dangerous predator will spend the next decade-and-a-half behind bars.”

On Oct. 11, 2022, the victim’s mother reported her daughter missing. The investigation led law enforcement to Porter who had been at a local hotel.

Following his departure, they conducted a traffic stop at which time they found a pink iPhone, school paperwork and documents containing the name of the victim. They also discovered another phone in the vehicle as well as a loaded Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol under the driver’s gear shaft and center console.

He claimed the pink phone was his, but authorities were able to link it to the victim. They located her the following day.

Forensic examination of the two phones revealed photos and videos, several of which depicted sexual activity between the minor female and Porter. The videos were taken July 20-Oct. 5, 2022. The investigation revealed he had coerced her into performing sex acts and prostituting herself for his financial gain.

Porter has multiple prior felony convictions. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition per federal law.

He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Stuart Tallichet and former AUSA Sherri Zack prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

HOUSTON – A Houston man and woman have pleaded guilty to their respective roles in an identity theft and business email compromise scam (BEC), announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

From 2021 to 2022, Bolaji Okunnu, 31, operated an unlicensed money transmitting business that received and transmitted funds from the BEC scheme.  

As part of his plea, Okunnu acknowledged he moved money through bank accounts that he and others controlled. The funds originated from fraudsters involved in a BEC wire fraud scheme involving at least four victims. Okunnu admitted receiving the funds and then, for a fee, transmitting the fraud proceeds to others.

The scheme also included the theft of stolen checks from various companies.

Amber Bush, 30, created bank accounts to funnel money from stolen checks to Destini Godfrey, who is charged in the BEC wire fraud scheme. 

As part of her plea, Bush admitted to using the name and personal identifying information of a real person without their knowledge or consent to open a bank account at JP Morgan Chase bank. After receiving deposits into that account which originated from a stolen check, Bush acknowledged she then issued four checks totaling $165,000 to Godfrey.   

More than 45 people in multiple states, including Okunnu and eight others in the Southern District of Texas, have been charged in separate BEC schemes that affected numerous victims.

U.S. District Judge George Hanks will impose sentencing Dec. 8. At that time, Okunnu faces up to five years in federal prison, while Bush faces a mandatory prison term of two years. Both could also be ordered to pay a $250,000 maximum possible fine. 

They were permitted to remain on bond pending those hearings.  

Godfrey, 31, Houston, is considered a fugitive and a warrant remains outstanding for his arrest. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 713-693-5000. He is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

The FBI-Bryan Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation with valuable assistance from the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and the Edison Police Department in New Jersey and other law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 24-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Edinburg has pleaded guilty to transporting other illegal aliens resulting in death, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

On May 27, 2024, Victor Manuel Martinez-Gallegos picked up several aliens in Brownsville and drove them to a stash house where he harbored and shielded them from detection. 

The investigation revealed that an illegal alien from Guatemala was in visible distress but still alive. However, he later died at the location. 

As part of his plea, Martinez-Gallegos admitted leaving the body at a site near Maverick Road in Brownsville. Authorities later discovered human remains at the location and identified them as belonging to the missing victim.  

“Human smuggling is a depraved, dangerous business, and one where the smugglers often show no mercy or compassion to those they transport,” said Ganjei. “I implore anyone considering hiring a smuggler – either for themselves or their loved ones – to think twice. Stay home and stay safe.”

U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera will impose sentencing Dec. 17. At that time, Martinez-Gallegos faces up to life in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. 

He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing. 

Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office and University of North Texas Center for Human Identification. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano is prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

HOUSTON – A 49-year-old Mexican citizen who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for robbing a local food establishment at gunpoint, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Moises Arvizo Del Carmen pleaded guilty May 27.

U.S. District Judge Ellison sentenced Del Carmen to serve 94 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceeding following his imprisonment.

On Sept. 12, 2023, Del Carmen entered a taco truck through the customer window and demanded money from the register. He threatened and pointed a firearm at employees before exiting through the same window and fleeing. Surveillance video showed Del Carmen entering a Hummer decorated with purple flames.

Witnesses provided a description of the robber and the distinctive vehicle.

Approximately three weeks later, authorities executed a search warrant at Del Carmen’s residence and discovered clothing matching the description from the robbery as well as a firearm.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Smith prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that IRVIN C. FRANCOIS, III (“FRANCOIS”), age 54, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on September 23, 2025 before United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey to making false statements and money laundering related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the CARES Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. One of the primary sources of funding for small businesses was the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

According to the charging documents, or about March 24, 2021, FRANCOIS, on behalf of a business that he owned, made false statements to an approved lender to obtain approximately $144,790 for a PPP loan. FRANCOIS then committed money laundering by using these ill-gotten funds to buy an automobile from a dealership in Kenner, Louisiana.

Sentencing is to be held on January 6, 2026. At that time, FRANCOIS faces up to five years in prison for the false statement charge and up to ten years in prison for the money laundering charge. The sentence for each charge also includes up to $250,000 in fines, up to three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

This case was investigated by an agent assigned to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to serve the American public by promoting transparency and facilitating coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 21 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending. The PRAC Fraud Task Force brings together agents from 15 Inspectors General to investigate fraud involving a variety of programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program. Task force agents who are detailed to the PRAC receive expanded authority to investigate pandemic fraud as well as tools and training to support their investigations.

Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General (a member of the PRAC) and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois, man, Matthew T. Miller, 40, was sentenced on September 24, 2025, to 200 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, for possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.

At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm, the court considered evidence that between June and September 2024, Miller sold methamphetamine on three occasions, totaling 86.14 grams. During a traffic stop in September 2024, Miller, a passenger in the vehicle, refused to comply when officers ordered him to step out of the car. Officers saw Miller moving around in the car, attempting to destroy a large amount of apparent methamphetamine by dumping it out of the baggies. Miller was taken into custody by law enforcement officers who then located approximately 55.72 grams of methamphetamine (actual) and marijuana in and around the vehicle and on Miller’s person. Ultimately, Miller was accountable for 257.22 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, 55.72 grams of methamphetamine (actual), and 20.35 grams of marijuana.

Also at the hearing, Judge Mihm found Miller to be a career offender based upon his previous drug offenses.

Miller was arrested in September 2024 and indicted in October 2024. He entered a guilty plea in January 2025 and has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.

The statutory penalties for distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine (actual) are ten years to life imprisonment, followed by at least five years of supervised release. A fine of up to $10 million can also be imposed.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Springfield Resident Office, and Peoria Metropolitan Enforcement Group (PMEG) investigated the case, with assistance from the Peoria Police Department and Bartonville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz represented the government in the prosecution.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

According to court documents, on September 2, 2025, WILLIAMS robbed the Capital One Bank located in the 4100 block of Canal Street, in New Orleans, of United States currency. The deposits of the Capital One Bank branch are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”).

WILLIAMS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment cost.

Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Violent Crime Task Force in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit is prosecuting the matter.

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).

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