Category: MIL-OSI

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that CARLOS RAMIREZ, a/k/a “Guerra,” was sentenced today to life in prison for his participation in a racketeering conspiracy and two murders committed as a member of the Sunset Trinitarios, a violent street gang.  RAMIREZ was found guilty following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman, who imposed today’s sentence.

​“As a member of the Sunset Trinitarios, Carlos Ramirez was an unapologetic killer and responsible for brutal violence that endangered the lives of far more people than the two teenagers whom he murdered in 2013 and 2014,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “After he was arrested and charged for these crimes, he was undeterred and attempted to stab to death the former leader of his own gang in a gruesome and vicious attack while incarcerated.  He will never walk the streets of New York again, and this Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bankrupt the cartels, dismantle the gangs, and remove from our streets all those who pursue death and violence as a way of life.”

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

From 2010 to 2024, members of the Sunset Trinitarios, a violent drug trafficking organization and street gang founded in Sunset Park in Brooklyn, New York, committed a terrifying number of violent crimes, including multiple murders and attempted murders and numerous gunpoint robberies all across the metropolitan area.  RAMIREZ was one of the members of the Sunset Trinitarios during this period, and he rose to multiple positions of leadership within the gang, both out on the street and when he was incarcerated in the custody of state and federal detention facilities in New York City.  As a “devil soldier messenger” of the Sunset Trinitarios, which came to celebrate the murder of innocent victims and their purported delivery to the devil, RAMIREZ obtained two identical tattoos memorializing the two murders he committed on behalf of the gang.

On October 23, 2013, RAMIREZ participated in the murder of Michael Beltre, who was seventeen years old.  Beltre was shot multiple times on the street in the Bronx after RAMIREZ struck him and held him for another gang member to shoot.

On November 2, 2014, RAMIREZ murdered Jordanny Correa, who was nineteen years old.  RAMIREZ shot Correa multiple times at point-blank range inside an apartment in the Bronx.  

On February 28, 2023, RAMIREZ attempted to murder a former leader of the Sunset Trinitarios inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.  RAMIREZ committed this attack because he believed that this former leader had previously supplied information to law enforcement.  With the help of others, RAMIREZ slashed and stabbed the victim with a knife, causing severe injuries to the victim’s face and the rest of his body in multiple locations.

10 others of RAMIREZ’s co-conspirators and fellow members of the Sunset Trinitarios previously pled guilty and have received sentences that have ranged from multiple years through life in prison.

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Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the New York City Department of Correction.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas John Wright, Brandon D. Harper, and Timothy Ly are in charge of the prosecution.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Civil Rights Division today filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department due to their pattern or practice of infringing the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens seeking concealed carry weapons (CCW) permits. This lawsuit is the first affirmative lawsuit in support of gun owners filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. On March 27, 2025, the Division initiated the first-of-its-kind Second Amendment investigation due to numerous complaints of unreasonable delays in CCW permitting decisions by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. After analysis of data and documents spanning over 8,000 CCW permit applications, the Division today filed suit seeking relief on behalf of law-abiding applicants.

“The Second Amendment protects the fundamental constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Los Angeles County may not like that right, but the Constitution does not allow them to infringe upon it. This Department of Justice will continue to fight for the Second Amendment.”

“The Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit seeks to stop Los Angeles County’s egregious pattern and practice of delaying law-abiding citizens from exercising their right to bear arms.”

“Citizens living in high-crime areas cannot afford to wait to protect themselves with firearms while Los Angeles County dithers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “The right to bear arms is among the founding principles of our nation. It can and must be upheld.”

Shortly after Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon was sworn in to lead the Civil Rights Division, numerous complaints received by the Division revealed inexplicable delays well beyond California statutory requirements and in violation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Almost two months after receiving notice of the Division’s investigation, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department provided data and documents that revealed only two approvals from over 8,000 applications, and that the Sheriff’s Department set out interviews to approve licenses as far as two years after receiving the completed application. The lawsuit is filed within the Federal Central District of California.

This investigation was conducted by attorneys at the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys within the Central District of California’s U.S. Attorney Office.

If you or someone you know has applied for a concealed carry permit in Los Angeles or any jurisdiction within the United States and have not received a reply or decision within four months after applying, please email Community.2ndAmendmentCA@usdoj.gov. The mailbox is actively monitored by attorneys assigned to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a woman from Slayton, Minnesota, and a woman from Aberdeen, South Dakota, both convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. 

Alexis Mertens, 28, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. The sentencing took place on September 22, 2025.

Brandy Christman, 39, was sentenced to six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025.

Mertens and Christman were indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in November 2024. Mertens pleaded guilty on June 24, 2025. Christman pleaded guilty on June 11, 2025.

Christman and Mertens were involved in selling methamphetamine to others within South Dakota between 2023 and December 2024. Christman was arrested after law enforcement found her in possession of 172 grams of methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the DEA. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.

Mertens and Christman were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025. 

James Daniel Lathrop, 31, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Lathrop was indicted by a federal grand jury for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person in April 2025. He pleaded guilty on July 7, 2025.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on December 24, 2024, in Sioux Falls, SD, when law enforcement officers found Lathrop in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Lathrop is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of a previous felony conviction and because he is an unlawful user of controlled substances.

This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025. 

Jericho James Ladeaux, 32, was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Ladeaux was further ordered to forfeit the firearm and ammunition.

Ladeaux was indicted by a federal grand jury for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person in April 2025. He pleaded guilty on July 17, 2025.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on January 9, 2025, when law enforcement found Ladeaux driving what they believed to be a stolen vehicle. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and arrested Ladeaux, at which time they discovered he was carrying a loaded pistol. Ladeaux is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to previous felony convictions.

This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department, the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025.

James Kooima, age 47, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, five years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 in the amount of $5,000, a special assessment to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance in the amount of $7,500, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Upon release from federal prison, Kooima must register as a sex offender.

Kooima was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2024. He pleaded guilty on May 12, 2025.

The conviction stemmed from an incident in the winter of 2023, when Kooima used Snapchat to befriend a 14-year-old girl from Maine. He manipulated her into believing they were in a romantic relationship, then coerced her into creating and sending him sexually explicit videos and images of herself, including images in which she was using an object to penetrate her vagina.

“Online sexual predators are among the most serious threats to children and adolescents in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “Unfortunately, it is becoming almost commonplace to see adolescents targeted through applications like Snapchat and pressured into sending compromising photos and videos of themselves. We must remain vigilant in monitoring online activity and educating our children about the risks associated with social media.”

This case was investigated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Homeland Security Investigations, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and DCI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Long Beach, California, has been sentenced in federal court to 120 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Derrick Polk, 62, on September 24, 2025, also ordering Polk to forfeit $399,000 in U.S. currency, a firearm, and various Rolex watches and jewelry valued at over $150,000.

According to information presented to the Court, from in and around April 2019 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Polk conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine. Further, in and around April 2021, Polk possessed with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine. Polk was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others.

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

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

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Ernest L. Thomas II, 35, of Pensacola, was indicted by a federal grand jury this week charging him with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.

Thomas appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho on September 23, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for November 10, 2025, before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.

If convicted, Thomas faces up to fifteen years’ imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Patterson is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

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 available 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

MIAMI – U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones joined colleagues, judges, and community leaders at this year’s Passing of the Gavel ceremony, marking the investiture of Chief Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan as Chief Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida.

Chief Judge Fajardo Orshan, who previously served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida during President Donald J. Trump’s first administration (Trump 45), led the Office in landmark prosecutions that strengthened the district’s reputation as one of the nation’s most active and impactful. Prior to her federal appointment, she served with distinction as a circuit judge in Miami-Dade County.

U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones reflected on their long professional connection:

“I had the privilege of serving as a line prosecutor under Judge Ariana’s leadership during her tenure as U.S. Attorney. Later, we served together on the bench as judges. Today, it is a deep honor to return to this Court, now as U.S. Attorney myself, and to celebrate Judge Ariana’s elevation by her peers to Chief Judge and her career of service to justice and to our community.”

The Passing of the Gavel ceremony, a longstanding tradition in South Florida’s legal community, recognizes the installation of the new Chief Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit and the continuity of leadership within the judiciary.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Shawn Steele, 52, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to three counts of bank fraud. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I am proud of the excellent investigative work by our federal law enforcement partners that uncovered and stopped this fraudster’s scheme. This successful prosecution should serve as a warning to others who think they can fraudulently enrich themselves by ripping off banks. Doing so will only book you a one-way ticket to prison.”

Between January 3, 2023, and June 30, 2023, the defendant obtained loans from PenAir Credit Union and Central Credit Union of Florida for a Jeep Wrangler, a Ferrari 488 Pista, and a Cape Horn boat.  The defendant made knowingly false statements about in his income in the loan applications for the purpose of influencing the financial institutions.

The defendant faces up to 30 years’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervision upon release.  Sentencing is scheduled for December 17, 2025, at 11:00 am, before District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.

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.