Category: MIL-OSI

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 woman from Pierre, South Dakota, convicted of Possession of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on September 22, 2025.

Mickenzie Tucker, age 23, was sentenced to seven 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. Tucker was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $27,000.

Tucker was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024. She pleaded guilty on June 27, 2025.

Between July 2023 and February 2024, Tucker received and distributed child pornography using instant messaging and social media platforms, including Discord and Wickr. Law enforcement began investigating Tucker in September 2023, based on CyberTips received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which indicated Tucker was using her Discord account to store child pornography. In February 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Tucker’s residence in Pierre, seizing multiple electronic devices that contained child pornography. Tucker will forfeit ownership of those devices to the United States.

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 South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Pierre Police Department, and the FBI. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

Tucker must self-report to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service by October 6, 2025.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BEAUMONT, Texas –A Port Arthur convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Rickey Shawn Thomas, 45, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on September 22, 2025.

According to information presented in court, four handguns were recovered from Thomas during the execution of a search warrant issued during a drug trafficking investigation.  Two of the firearms had been reported as stolen.  Law enforcement also discovered over five pounds of synthetic marijuana and over $40,000 cash. Further investigation revealed Thomas had seven felony convictions and as a convicted felon, is prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms.

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).

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Port Arthur Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Quinn and Chris Jackson.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

An individual who was found in the United States after entering illegally on multiple occasions was sentenced on September 22, 2025, to 168 days imprisonment.  Angel Aranda-Vazquez, age 37, a citizen of Mexico, received the prison term after a June 25, 2025 guilty plea to being found after illegal reentry.  Aranda‑Vazquez had previously been removed from the United States and was found after trying to use identification documents illegally in Tama County, Iowa.  

Aranda-Vazquez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Aranda-Vazquez was sentenced to 168 days imprisonment.  Aranda-Vazquez must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Aranda-Vazquez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. 

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). 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 25-CR-000111.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – A Florida man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a sex trafficking conspiracy and for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Angelo Dominic Lombardo, 29, of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 13 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Lombardo is also ordered to register as a sex offender. In January 2025, Lombardo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion, and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

“This defendant preyed on vulnerable, lured them in with false promises, and then used violence and threats of violence to force them into sex trafficking for his own monetary gain. His calculated cruelty, including threatening a victim at gunpoint, is unconscionable,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Although today’s sentence cannot undo the harm he inflcited, we hope it sends a clear message to anyone who thinks they can come to Massachusetts to traffic and exploit vulnerable people: you will be found, you will be stopped, and you will be held accountable. Our office will continue to stand with victims, fight for their safety, and bring traffickers to justice.”

“Angelo Lombardo felt entitled to treat women not as people, but as property to be sold for sex. Today’s sentence ensures he’ll stay locked up, unable to harm anyone else for decades to come,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Profiting from the sexual exploitation of another human being is reprehensible. The FBI and our partners will do everything in our power to protect trafficking victims from further harm and see the predators who so viciously and violently abuse them brought to justice for their deplorable conduct.”  

From in and around June 2020 to July 12, 2021, Lombardo conspired with others to traffic four victims to engage in commercial sex acts by physically assaulting the victims, coercing the victims psychologically, making false promises of a better life and making explicit threats to one of the victims with a firearm, among other things.

In June 2020, Lombardo recruited a victim in Florida to work for him engaging in commercial sex in various states, including Massachusetts. Lombardo promised the victim a better life, however the money that she was paid engaging in commercial sex was turned over to Lombardo. On multiple occasions, Lombardo was violent with the victim who reported that she did not feel able to leave him because she would leave with nothing.  

Another victim recruited by Lombardo in or around October 2020 in Florida, travelled with Lombardo to other states, including Massachusetts, to engage in commercial sex. Lombardo threatened the victim that if she did not do what she was told, she would not see her family again. On one occasion when the victim did not want to participate in any more commercial sex dates, Lombardo confiscated her license and punched her repeatedly.  

Around May 2021, Lombardo recruited a homeless victim in Portland, Ore., provided her with a place to stay and then advertised her on commercial sex websites. Lombardo would set up dates and drive the victim who travelled to Boston, Mass. on two occasions to engage in commercial sex. In addition to taking the money, he verbally abused the victim and on one occasion put a gun to the victim’s head and told her to go make more money.

Finally, another victim was recruited to work for Lombardo in June 2021, in Portland, Ore., shortly after she turned 18 years old. Lombardo promised the victim financial stability and a better life if she worked for him. In reality, Lombardo kept the money that the victim was paid, for himself. The victim reported that Lombardo was verbally abusive toward her and isolated her from loved ones.

Ultimately, one of the victims went to the police and reported that Lombardo was trafficking her in July 2021. On July 12, 2021, following a traffic stop in Boston, Lombardo was arrested on state trafficking charges. At the time of his arrest, Lombardo had approximately $3,310 in his possession. A subsequent search of a hotel room in Revere, Mass. associated with Lombardo resulted in the recovery of a firearm with a laser attached matching the descriptions provided by at least two of the victims, and a loaded large capacity magazine with 20 live rounds of ammunition. Due to at least one prior felony conviction, Lombardo is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Members of the public who believe they may be a victim of this individual or alleged crime should contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov. If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please visit https://polarisproject.org/ for information and resources.

U.S. Attorney Foley; FBI SAC Docks; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; and the Revere and Arlington Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley-Cunniffe, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit, prosecuted the case.
 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CLEVELAND – A Lorain County man has been charged by criminal complaint with receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit activity, and possession of child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse materials (CSAM).

According to the criminal complaint and underlying affidavit, Michael Neville, 46, of Elyria, Ohio, was engaging in sexually explicit communications with an undercover agent purporting to be a father of a 9-year-old girl using a social media messaging application. The conversations centered around the defendant’s sexual interest in children. During the investigation, federal agents found that Neville’s electronic device contained CSAM of pre-pubescent children, and that he had sent CSAM material involving the sadistic abuse of an infant.

If convicted Neville faces up to 20 years in prison for receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit activity, and up to 20 years in prison for possession of child pornography.

This case is being investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Margaret A. Kane for the Northern District of Ohio.

Anyone with knowledge and information about this matter, please call the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at 216-698-3151.

A criminal complaint 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

MINNEAPOLIS – Mark Erjavec, 49, was indicted on five counts of wire fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.  Erjavec, of Edina, Minnesota, fraudulently obtained and stole more than $975,000 in Covid-19 relief funds.  Erjavec made his initial appearance in federal court today.

“Erjavec stole nearly $1 million in government dollars meant to keep small businesses alive during the pandemic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.  “When Minnesotans were struggling to keep their doors open and pay their workers, Erjavec lined his own pockets.  Fraud that exploits a crisis is especially shameful.”

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mark Erjavec, devised and executed a scheme to defraud federal Covid-19 relief programs to enrich himself. Specifically, Erjavec took advantage of programs created to provide a financial lifeline to small businesses during the pandemic.  Erjavec took funds intended for struggling businesses by resurrecting shell entities and submitting false applications.

Specifically, Erjavec reactivated dormant business entities for use in his scheme.  From the mid-1990s until the early 2000s, Erjavec owned nine businesses that were registered in Minnesota.  Those companies included Tricolor Heron, LLC, Mesaba Finance – Law, LLC, Mesaba Finance – Summit, LLC, among others.  Each of these entities were administratively dissolved by the Minnesota Secretary of State between 2008 and 2013.

From April 2020 to August 2020, Erjavec reactivated these dormant business entities and used them to submit fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA).  In those submissions, Erjavec overstated revenues, claimed nonexistent employees, and attached fabricated IRS tax forms to lend the appearance of legitimate business activity.  Erjavec often opened new checking accounts for the shell entities on the same day (or within days) of registering the business. 

As a result of his fraud scheme, Erjavec obtained more than $975,000 in Covid-19 relief funds.  Erjavec stole that money, which he wired into accounts he controlled exclusively. Erjavec used the money for his own personal benefit and spending.

“As alleged in the indictment, Mark Erjavec knowingly submitted false and fraudulent documents to the Small Business Administration in order to take money intended for legitimate small businesses suffering during the Covid-era economic downturn,” said Minneapolis FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr.  “Erjavec re-registered dormant business entities in order to facilitate the theft of more than $975,000 in taxpayer dollars. Our efforts to stop this egregious fraud are moving forward full speed ahead; we will work with our partners at the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold accountable those who illegally enrich themselves by defrauding the government.”

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of Commerce and the FBI, as a part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M. Endicott is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RYAN SQUILLANTE, 40, of Weston, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to two months of imprisonment, 18 months of supervised release, and a $331,368 fine for an insider trading offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, working from his home, Squillante was employed as the Head of Equity Trading at an investment company headquartered in Denver, Colorado.  In his position, Squillante received material non-public information (“MNPI”) about various publicly traded companies.  On 15 different occasions between August 2022 and May 2023, Squillante used MNPI for his own benefit by executing transactions in securities of these companies, making a total profit of $220,912.

As an example, in February 2023, Squillante received MNPI about Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. (“Praxis”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company whose common stock traded on the NASDAQ.  Between February 27 and March 2, 2023, Squillante “sold short” 38,086 shares of Praxis at an average price per share of approximately $3.04.  On March 3, 2023, before the market opened, Praxis announced poor results from its drug trial, stating that the drug’s effects did not achieve its primary endpoint with statistical significance.  Following the announcement, Squillante “covered” his short sale by purchasing 38,086 Praxis shares at an average price per share of approximately $1.82, making a profit of approximately $46,421.

On June 6, 2025, Squillante pleaded guilty to securities fraud.  He is required to report to prison on January 7.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Lucas County man has been sentenced to prison for robbing and threatening a U.S. postal carrier with violence while the carrier was on an official delivery route at an apartment complex.

Damere Wilson, 21, of Toledo, was sentenced to 20 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after pleading guilty in June to robbery of mail, money, or other property of the United States, stealing mail collection box keys, and mail theft. Wilson was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.

According to court documents, Wilson drove an unidentified individual to the Piccadilly Apartments in Oregon, Ohio on March 12, 2024. The unidentified individual approached a United States Postal Service letter carrier who was on a delivery route, pushed a hard object into the letter carrier’s back and demanded the key for the mailboxes. Under threat of violence, the letter carrier provided the key to this unidentified individual who then quickly fled the scene. Wilson drove the unidentified individual away from the Piccadilly Apartments after the robbery was committed.

During a search warrant execution of Wilson’s residence in Toledo, investigators found the postal key that was stolen from the letter carrier during the robbery, as well as more than 200 checks totaling thousands of dollars from more than 100 mail theft victims throughout northern Ohio.

The investigation preceding the indictment was a collaborative effort conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the City of Oregon Police Division.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank H. Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report mail theft or other crimes committed through, or towards, the United States Postal Service, call the USPIS at 1-877-876-2455 or visit https://www.uspis.gov/report

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBANY, Ga. – A repeat felon with a violent criminal past was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm resulting from an Operation Take Back America investigation.

Brandon Michael Slachta, 36, of Albany, was sentenced as an armed career criminal to serve 180 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner on Sept. 23. Slachta previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on March 27. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Armed career felons with violent pasts who persist with criminal activity will face federal prosecution in the Middle District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “I commend our local, state and federal law enforcement partners for their collaboration with helping us uphold the law.”

“Today’s sentencing is a testament to our relentless pursuit of justice. Armed career criminals like Slachta pose a significant threat to our communities, and we will not hesitate to utilize all available resources to ensure they face the full weight of the law,” said ATF Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert Davis.

“I am thankful that we have taken another weapon off the streets of Albany, Georgia. Though we don’t know the intentions of Slachta, we do know that convicted felons in possession of a firearm can lead to dangerous consequences,” said Albany Police Chief Michael Persley. “The men and women of the Albany Police Department will continue to seek those who commit crime in our community.”

According to court documents in the Slachta case, an Albany Police Department (APD) officer conducting a routine uniformed patrol along Dawson Road around 4:30 a.m. on July 17, 2024, noticed one male and two women gathered in a local restaurant’s parking lot. Given the early time of the morning and the business still being closed, the officer drove into the parking lot to contact the three people. As the officer pulled into the parking lot, he saw the male, later identified as Slachta, take a black object and toss it inside a silver Honda vehicle. One of the women, who was the owner of the vehicle, told the officer that Slachta tossed a firearm inside her car. The woman consented to the search of her vehicle, and the officer found a black rifle on the center console, along with boxes of ammunition. Slachta admitted that he was a felon; he stated that he put the gun inside the woman’s car because he did not want to get criminally charged with illegally possessing the firearm, and he does not want to do more jail time. Slachta is an armed career criminal, and he knew that he had multiple prior convictions for violent felonies in various states, including Texas, Florida and Arizona.

The collaborative effort 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

The Slachta case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Albany Police Department (APD).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Lim prosecuted the case for the Government.