Category: MIL-OSI

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A St. Joseph, Mo., man has been convicted at trial of conspiracy to commit drug trafficking and money laundering.

Montrez Dixon, 32, was found guilty on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, of one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering.

Three co-defendants have already pleaded guilty in this case.

On July 29, 2020, law enforcement officers recovered a package shipped to Kansas City, Mo. from Arizona, which contained 4,715 fentanyl pills. The investigation revealed that Dixon distributed this package and other packages to the Western District of Missouri, containing thousands of fentanyl pills.  On Nov. 30, 2022, law enforcement officers with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service executed a search warrant on Dixon’s residence in Los Angeles, Ca., where over 7,500 fentanyl pills and a firearm were recovered.  Dixon fled to Fresno, Ca., where he was ultimately arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service.

Under federal statutes, Dixon is subject to a minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for approximately three hours before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark, ending a trial that began Monday, Sept. 15.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen A. Brackett and. John C. Constance. It was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Services, Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department, Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, Buchanan County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office, St. Joseph, Missouri Police Department, Kansas City, Missouri Police Crime Laboratory, and DEA-North Central Laboratory.

Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Friday sentenced a man to 42 months in prison for orchestrating a check fraud scheme using checks that had been stolen from the mail.

Malik Jones, 28, of Berkeley, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in October to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. From March 2022 to at least October 2023, Jones was involved in “every step” in a scheme to steal checks from the mail and then commit fraud with those checks, according to a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow.

In March of 2022, Jones bought a stolen “arrow key,” which allows access to U.S. Postal Service mail collection boxes, from a mail carrier, Cambria M. Hopkins. Jones then paid others to steal mail from the collection boxes in the St. Louis area using Hopkins’ key, and he removed checks from that stolen mail. Jones also paid Hopkins to steal checks from the mail for him.  After obtaining these stolen checks, Jones altered or created counterfeit versions of the checks, deposited these forged and fraudulent checks, and then withdrew the check funds. Jones used Instagram to recruit others to supply their debit cards and banking information to him so he or the account holder could deposit checks into those accounts. Jones attempted to withdraw the money before the banks realized the checks were fraudulent and split any resulting proceeds with the account holders.

Jones deposited or caused others to deposit forged or fraudulent checks with a face value totaling $1.2 million, although many of those fraudulent deposits were identified by the banks and rejected. Jones was ordered Friday to repay $21,635 to victims.

Jones’ crimes came a time when mail theft was a well-publicized problem, and his actions greatly contributed to this problem through their scope, Clow wrote. In letters to Judge Perry, victims wrote that they felt financially and personally violated by Jones’ crimes and were forced to close accounts, re-issue checks and change payment methods on multiple bills.

Hopkins, 30, of Florissant, pleaded guilty in August to one count of conspiracy and one count of unlawful use of a mail key and is scheduled to be sentenced in December.

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to defending the nation’s mail system from criminal activity, preserving the integrity of the U.S. Mail, and protecting United States Postal Service employees. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service values our law enforcement partners for supporting our mission to protect the integrity of the U.S. Mail,” said Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.

“This sentencing represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Maryland Heights Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Ramon Velazquez Rodas, 46, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This case demonstrates the value of close collaboration between our local and federal law enforcement officers to target, investigate, and arrest the criminals flooding our streets with deadly drugs. My office remains committed to backing up the hard work of our law enforcement partners with aggressive prosecutions to keep our communities safe.”

Court documents reflect that in August 2022, as part of an ongoing drug investigation targeting multiple individuals, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence where Velazquez Rodas was found in Tallahassee, Florida. In a bedroom where Velazquez Rodas and another occupant were found, officers located methamphetamine and fentanyl, a stolen handgun, $2,900, and other items indicative of drug distribution. Velazquez Rodas is a convicted felon, who has previously been convicted of numerous felony offenses, including Burglary of a Dwelling, Burglary of an Unoccupied Dwelling, Possession of Burglary Tools, Dealing in Stolen Property, and Possession of Controlled Substances.

Velazquez Rodas faces up to life imprisonment. 

The case involved a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 4, 2025, at 2:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Mark Walker.

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.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBUQUERQUE – A Taos Pueblo man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for exploiting his traditional role to sexually abuse multiple minors.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, between 2001 and 2010, Ben John Martinez, 76, an enrolled member of the Taos Pueblo, abused his position of authority within the Taos Pueblo community to sexually abuse minors during traditional ceremonies and at his residence on the Taos Pueblo.

Martinez pled guilty to three counts of sexual abuse of children. Upon his release from prison, Martinez will be subject to ten years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

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

The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany J. DuChaussee is prosecuting the case 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 Justice.gov/PSC.

The FBI continues to investigate Martinez’s involvement in crimes against other victims.  If you have reason to believe you or someone you know may be a victim, please call the FBI at (505) 889-1300 or Chief Summer Mirabal of the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety at (575) 741-0764. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Marlow Levell Allen, 46, of Panama City, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent investigative work of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners, this repeat offender has been stopped from continuing to flood our streets with deadly drugs. My office will stand shoulder to shoulder with law enforcement in the fight to keep our communities safe and healthy, and we will achieve that goal by continuing to aggressively prosecute offenders like this defendant.”

Court documents reflect that in June 2022, as part of an ongoing drug investigation, law enforcement executed a search warrant at multiple residences connected to Allen in Panama City, Florida. During the search of the two residences, investigators located “crack” cocaine, powder cocaine, marijuana, two firearms, as well as other items indicative of drug distribution. Allen is a convicted felon, who has previously been convicted of numerous felony offenses, including Possession with Intent to Deliver Cocaine, Sale of Cocaine, Possession of Cocaine, Unlawful Firearms Possession, Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm, and Tampering with a Witness.

Allen faces up to twenty years’ imprisonment. 

The case involved a joint investigation by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 4, 2025, at 11:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Mark Walker.

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

NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that OTRAVIOUS ROMEL HARRIS, SR. (“HARRIS”), age 44, a resident of Bogalusa, Louisiana, was sentenced on September 9, 2025, to five years of probation, after previously pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). This statute carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years in a federal penitentiary, as well as up to 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. According to court records, the United States Sentencing Guidelines called for a sentence of 70-87 months in prison, based on his significant criminal history, that included prior convictions and prison terms for Distribution of Cocaine, and Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine in 2006, as well as Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Oxycodone, and Alprazolam, and Aggravated Flight from an Officer and Possession of Oxycodone in 2018. United States District Judge Darrell James Papillion granted HARRIS’ motion for a downward departure and sentenced HARRIS to 5 years of probation. This sentence was imposed over the objection of the United States Attorney’s Office, who sought a jail sentence as called for by the Guidelines. HARRIS was charged in federal court with being a felon in possession of a firearm after he was the subject of a traffic stop on June 22, 2022. During the traffic stop officers observed that HARRIS was smoking marijuana. During a search of his vehicle officers located a loaded Glock 9mm handgun. DNA test of the firearm showed that HARRIS’ DNA was on the firearm. HARRIS pled guilty as charged to this federal offense on November 5, 2024.

As part of his probation, HARRIS must not violate any local, state, or federal laws, and he will have a curfew where he will have to remain in his house from 9:00 pm until 5:00 am. He will also have to report to his probation officer.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit.

This case 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

            WASHINGTON – A 63-year-old man, of Southeast Washington, was sentenced today to life in prison for federal child exploitation offenses, including production of child pornography, enticement of a minor, and possession of child pornography, as well as multiple counts of first- degree child sexual abuse and first-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances. 

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, was found guilty by a jury in October 2021, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell.

            According to the government’s evidence, the defendant repeatedly sexually abused his stepdaughter from May 2016 until April 2017. The victim was 12 and 13 years old at the time and living with her mother, younger sister, and the defendant at the defendant’s apartment. The defendant also directed the victim to take photographs of herself constituting child sexual abuse material and to transfer those photographs to the defendant’s cell phones. Additionally, he stored these sexually explicit photographs on his cell phones and computer. These photographs, as well as dozens of text messages to the victim corroborating the sexual abuse, were recovered from the defendant’s electronic devices by law enforcement. 

            The defendant was arrested in May 2019 and was subsequently detained pending trial. 

            The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the FBI-Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth and Family Services Division, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. The FBI task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and human trafficking.

            They also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Specialist Lezlie Richardson, Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson, Assistant U.S. Attorney Elana Suttenberg, former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Loeb and Andrea Hertzfeld, and Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section Intern David Offit.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Sedky, who prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Braheem Lewis, 24, of Philadelphia and Ethan Bailey, 23, of Williamsport were sentenced on February 23, 2022, by Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy. 

Lewis was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment and Bailey was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment.  Both will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release after serving their imprisonment sentences. 

According to U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, Lewis and Bailey conspired to distribute fentanyl in Lycoming County from August 2019 to August 2020.  At the hearing, Chief Judge Brann highlighted the way that the distribution of fentanyl has ravaged this community and the country.

Three other co-defendants were previously sentenced and received the following:

• Basil Arties, 27, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment;
• Damion Bethea, 26, was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment; and
• Kenyon Bonaparte, 21, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment.

Co-defendants Kevin Bryant and Ira Sims have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Co-defendants Angellitto Lawton and Jordan Watkins are awaiting trial.

The charges stem from an investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police, the Williamsport Bureau of Police, the Lycoming County Narcotics Enforcement Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.

This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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