Category: MIL-OSI

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 48-year-old South Texas man has entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to deliver 28.94 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Jorge Rafael Perez drove a white Chevrolet Tahoe to the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint July 19. During secondary inspection, an x-ray scan revealed a lead-lined wall in the passenger side of the vehicle. Authorities searched it and discovered 24 vacuum-sealed bundles of cocaine hidden in the rear quarter panel.

Field tests confirmed the bundles contained cocaine and weighed approximately 28.94 kilograms. Perez admitted he knowingly transported the drugs from Edinburg and intended to take them to San Antonio.

The investigation also revealed Perez had been previously convicted in 2010 of possessing with intent to distribute marijuana. Because of that prior conviction, Perez faces a minimum of 15 years and up to life in federal prison as well as a possible $20 million fine. U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera will impose sentencing Jan. 8, 2026.

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

The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce prosecuted the case. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

            WASHINGTON – Brian Allison, 56, and Angel Hall, 25, both of the District, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to their roles in a violent armed carjacking of a woman in Southeast, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Allison and Hall each pleaded guilty to a charge of carjacking and aiding and abetting. Judge Tanya S. Chutkan scheduled sentencing for Jan. 12, 2026.

            According to court documents, on Feb. 1, 2024, about 11 p.m., Allison and Hall followed the victim into a restaurant on the 4500 block of Benny Road, SE. Allison and Hall left without ordering anything, but followed the victim as she left with her food.

            Allison approached the victim as she walked to her vehicle. As Hall stood lookout, Allison flashed the butt of a pistol that he was carrying in his pocket, and said, “Gimme those f—ing keys or I’m gonna bust your head.”

            After the victim handed over her keys, Allison demanded her phone and wallet. Allison then asked for the PIN number to her debit card. The victim provided the number. Allison told the victim if the PIN was not correct, he would kill her.

            Using the key fob, Allison tried to open the trunk to force the victim into it. Allison could not get the trunk open, so he ordered her into the front passenger seat. Hall got into the rear passengers seat. Allison got into the driver’s seat and pulled away.

            Allison drove the victim and Hall to a grocery store on the 4900 block of Marlboro Pike, Capitol Heights Maryland. Allison then told Hall to “bust” the victim if she tried to leave.

            Allison entered the store with the victim’s debit card, withdrew $500 from an ATM, and bought some food. He returned to vehicle and drove them all back to the District.

            Allison parked the car on the 5700 block of Southern Avenue SE. Once stopped, he took one of the victim’s gloves and wiped down the victim’s keys and the steering wheel. Allison returned the phone, keys, and wallet to the victim. Allison and Hall fled on foot towards Central Avenue, SE. The victim drove to the 6^th District Station house and reported the incident.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Lawrence, James B. Nelson, and Emory V. Cole.

24cr157

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Smuggled heroin into Federal Detention Center that led to inmate’s fatal overdose

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Joshua Pacheco, 33, of Pueblo, Colorado, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing a machine gun, possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with an intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to the stipulated facts in the plea agreement, on October 20, 2023, Pacheco was on federal supervised release following a conviction for possessing a firearm as a prior felon. On that date, the defendant was encountered returning to his house in a vehicle which was later searched, and from which law enforcement recovered numerous firearms, including machine guns, and large quantities of controlled substances, including approximately 351 grams of fentanyl pills and 621 grams of methamphetamine. Officers also recovered approximately $2,000 in cash. Pacheco possessed the controlled substances with the intent to distribute them, and possessed the firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking. 

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to making communities all across Colorado safer for the benefit of their residents,” said U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly. “Pueblo is safer with this heavily armed drug dealer back behind bars.”

“Under no circumstances will ATF stand idly by while armed, violent repeat offenders victimize our communities by illegally possessing and trafficking firearms and drugs,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. “Together with our local and federal partners, we will unleash every available resource in pursuit of these violent criminals, bring them to justice, and restore the safety and security to our streets that every citizen deserves to enjoy.”

“Illegal guns and illicit drugs continue to drive violence in our communities,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “By bringing the full force of federal prosecution against the most dangerous offenders, we are removing threats from our neighborhoods and sending an unmistakable message: the FBI’s Southern Colorado Safe Streets Task Force is firmly committed to protecting our citizens and upholding the rule of law.”

United States District Judge S. Kato Crews presided over the sentencing.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI’s Southern Colorado Safe Streets Task Force handled the investigation. The Violent Crimes and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office handled the prosecution.

Case Number: 1:24-cr-00202-SKC

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBUQUERQUE – Dineh Benally pleaded guilty in federal court to leading a vast illegal marijuana cultivation and distribution ring that spanned several years, exploited workers, and polluted the San Juan River on tribal lands.

Benally pleaded guilty to 15 counts, including:

• Two drug trafficking conspiracy charges for orchestrating the illegal operations.
• Four charges of manufacturing and possessing with intent to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and more than 1,000 marijuana plants.
• Two charges of maintaining a drug-involved premises.
• Two charges of illegally discharging pollutants into the San Juan River.
• Possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
• Unlawfully employing illegal aliens.
• Conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens.
• Smuggling undeclared pesticides into the United States.
• Concealment of Records in a Federal Investigation.

According to court documents, from approximately January 2018 to November 2020, Benally, 48, and his co-conspirators established over 30 farms, covering more than 400 acres, on land obtained from Navajo Nation members. To fund this illegal enterprise, Benally and a co-conspirator traveled to California and created front companies to solicit Chinese investors. These investors were charged cash fees ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 for counterfeit cannabis cultivation licenses. They were also deceived into believing they were growing legal hemp, not marijuana, and were required to pay the co-conspirators a percentage of the harvest.

The operation involved the construction of over 1,100 greenhouses and employed both local Navajo workers and Chinese foreign laborers, some of whom were undocumented immigrants, to grow, cultivate, and transport marijuana out of New Mexico.

Furthermore, Benally constructed an illegal sandbag dam on the San Juan River and filled in a river channel to irrigate the crops by dumping sand, rocks, and agricultural waste, which constituted an unpermitted discharge of pollutants into a federally protected waterway, violating the Clean Water Act.

The criminal enterprise was dismantled following law enforcement seizures in November 2020, which confiscated approximately 260,000 marijuana plants and 60,000 pounds of processed marijuana.

The second period, from approximately January 1, 2022, to January 23, 2025, involved an illegal marijuana grow operation near Estancia, New Mexico. Benally initially received a state license to grow marijuana near Estancia. However, state inspectors identified uncontrolled pest infestations, a lack of quality controls, and other violations that led to his license being revoked on December 23, 2023, and a $1 million fine. Benally continued the operation in defiance of the cease-and-desist order, going so far as to tamper with a utility meter to steal electricity.

On January 23, 2025, a joint federal and state law enforcement operation raided two additional marijuana farms linked to Benally near Estancia. The raid, which also involved a search of his residence, uncovered approximately 8,500 pounds of marijuana, $35,000 in cash, illegal pesticides, methamphetamine, firearms, and a bulletproof vest.

“This case shows the human and environmental costs when the law is ignored, and it underscores our office’s commitment to protecting New Mexico’s communities and natural resources alongside out federal, state, Tribal and local partners.,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “Exploiting workers, desecrating land and poising rivers for profit is not business, it is criminal, and it will be met with justice.”

“The FBI remains committed to identifying, investigating, and dismantling criminal organizations operating in New Mexico.” said Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division. “Mr. Benally’s guilty plea demonstrates that those who engage in criminal activity will face real consequences. This case highlights the importance of collaboration between state, local, tribal, and federal agencies in delivering justice, ensuring the safety of our communities, and protecting the land within our tribal communities.”

“The crimes here represent nothing less than foreign interests poisoning our land, wildlife, and people both up and down stream. Benally orchestrated the smuggling of illegal Chinese pesticides into the communities of New Mexico,” said Special Agent in Charge Kim Bahney of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. “The San Juan River is a vital resource for the Navajo Nation, and a water of the United States. Benally must be held accountable for claiming it as his own.”

“I commend the cooperation of all the Tribal, Federal, and State law enforcement officials who worked tirelessly together across jurisdictions to bring an end to the dangerous marijuana farms that Dineh Benally had flagrantly operated both on and adjacent to the Navajo Nation,” said acting Navajo Nation Attorney General Colin Bradley.

Per the plea agreement, at sentencing, Benally faces a mandatory 15 years and up to life in prison and a drug-related fine not to exceed the greater of $10 million or twice the pecuniary gain to Benally and an environmental-related fine of $5,000 to $50,000 per day of violation. Upon his release from prison, Benally will be subject to not less than five years and up to life of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, and Kim Bahney, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Area Office of the EPA Criminal Investigation Division, made the announcement today.

The FBI Albuquerque Field Office, the Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency investigated this case with the assistance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, and the Navajo Nation Police Department. In addition, the following law enforcement agencies participated in the law enforcement operation: Torrance County Sheriff’s Office, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Valencia County Sheriff’s Office, United States Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, New Mexico Department of Justice, New Mexico State Police, and the FBI El Paso Field Office. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew McGinley, and Assistant United States Attorneys Eva Fontanez and Michael Pahl are prosecuting the case.

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 22, 2025.

Dustin Douglas Wade Deverney Hubbeling, 24, was sentenced to two years and two 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.

Hubbeling was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in December 2024. He pleaded guilty on June 26, 2025.

On December 5, 2024, Hubbeling was encountered by officers with the Sioux Falls Police Department and found to have a pistol in the waistband of his pants. He was prohibited from possessing firearms due to three prior felony convictions.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man from Fort Thompson, South Dakota, convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on September 22, 2025.

John Thompson, age 44, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Thompson was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024. He pleaded guilty on June 20, 2025. The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred between August 1, 2010, and August 31, 2011, within the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation. During this timeframe, Thompson fondled the genitalia of a boy who was under the age of twelve.

This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

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.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services – Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BAY CITY – Michael Bacigalupo, the former executive director of two nonprofit entities and a public figure pleaded guilty today to defrauding the non-profits of over $750,000, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced.

Gorgon is joined in this announcement by Reuben C. Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Michigan Division, and Caleb Rowell, Public Safety Director, Bay City Department of Public Safety.

Michael Bacigalupo, 63, of Essexville, Michigan, pleaded guilty to one count of Wire Fraud.

According to facts made public at the plea hearing, from approximately June 2020 through November 2023, Bacigalupo was the Executive Director of both the nonprofit Bay City State Theatre and the nonprofit Bay City Historical Society, as well as the former Director of the Bay City Downtown Development Authority. He used his leadership positions to fraudulently obtain and divert over $750,000 of nonprofit funding intended for mission essential requirements to instead pay for renovations to a public bandshell in Bay City. As a result of Bacigalupo’s fraudulent conduct, the Bay City State Theatre defaulted on a private loan Bacigalupo had secured using the theatre itself, requiring the State Theater to declare bankruptcy. Similarly, Bacigalupo’s misappropriation of the Bay City Historical Society’s funds prevented it from completing substantial renovations to its building and museum. To replenish the diverted funds, Bacigalupo sought and secured a $900,000 federal grant under fraudulent pretenses. His fraudulent conduct, however, was uncovered before the federal monies were disbursed. To perpetrate the fraud, Bacigalupo made numerous false statements to the affected organizations, and substantiated his lies with fictitious board minutes, third-party invoices, and Quickbook entries.

“Working or volunteering for a non-profit entity is a wonderful way to help strengthen our communities. But non-profits are not a personal piggy bank whose donated funds can be used for personal pet projects. Doing so is not only selfish and wrong, but also a crime that carries significant consequences,” said United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.

“The defendant’s fraud scheme deprived well-meaning nonprofit organizations of the funds necessary to carry out their critical missions and forced one entity into bankruptcy,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Reuben C. Coleman of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI is poised to investigate fraud cases with financial intricacies like those documented in this case. We commend the Bay City Department of Public Safety, in particular, for taking strong action against those who seek to defraud nonprofit entities seeking to enrich our communities.”

“I am thankful for the diligent work of Detective Ben Meyer and the agents from the FBI.  They conducted a lengthy and very thorough investigation which will allow the community to move forward and justice to be served.  I would also like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Michigan for their ability to resolve this case in a fair manner for all parties involved,” said Caleb Rowell, Public Safety Director, Bay City Department of Public Safety.

This investigation was conducted by the Bay City Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys T. Patrick Martin and William Orr. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a woman who aided an online fraud and committed pandemic and mortgage fraud to 78 months in prison, consecutive to a 15-month sentence for being a felon caught with two guns.

Judge Ross also ordered Shirley Waller, 43, of St. Louis County, Missouri, to repay $313,711 to victims.

Waller pleaded guilty in June to one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and using an assumed name to commit mail fraud.

As part of her guilty plea, Waller admitted acting as a “money mule” and aiding scammers who used a variety of tactics to trick victims. After the daughter of a 71-year-old St. Louis County woman told police in December 2023, that she’d mailed $35,000 to Waller’s home as part of a romance scam, they determined that more than 70 Express Mail packages had been delivered to Waller’s home during a 60-day period ending Nov. 1, 2023. In a court-approved search of Waller’s home on Jan. 12, 2024, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service found two guns and Express Mail packages that had been sent to variations of Waller’s name. The packages of cash had been sent by older adults targeted in online fraud schemes. Fourteen identified victims sent $94,150 to Waller’s home. The government estimates that the overseas scammers stole over $1 million, based on the 193 total packages that were delivered to Waller’s home between Sept. 1, 2023, and April 1, 2024, and tracked by Nigerian IP addresses.

Waller also admitted fraudulently applying for a Paycheck Protection Program loan of $19,235 on April 10, 2021, by falsely claiming she ran a business in Michigan. She received the loan and used the money to travel to Ghana, Germany and Jamaica. Waller unsuccessfully submitted another fraudulent loan application for a St. Louis resale shop, concealing the existence of the first loan and falsifying her business income.

Finally, Waller admitted fraudulently obtaining a $196,000 mortgage loan by lying about her marital status, income and job and by submitting counterfeit tax documents and bank statements.

In March, Judge Ross sentenced Waller to 15 months in prison after she pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use.  With the collaborative efforts of our federal and local law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate fraudsters who utilize the U.S. Mail to perpetuate financial schemes to defraud others in order to enrich themselves.  Postal Inspectors seek justice for victims, including those most vulnerable,” said Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Town and Country Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry prosecuted the case.