Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced a Nash County man to 20 years in federal prison for selling more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. On February 14, 2024, Kenneth Orlin Simmons, Jr., age 36, pleaded guilty to these crimes.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Brooke McDonough, 35, of Mesa, Arizona, was convicted by a jury on Thursday, December 11, 2025, after a two-week trial, of one count of embezzlement by bank employee, six counts of transactional money laundering, and five counts of structuring transactions to evade reporting requirements. McDonough served as the branch manager for a bank in Mesa between 2020 and early 2022.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The president of a North Carolina construction company pleaded guilty to conspiring to rig bids for maintenance, repair, and operations procurements for military installations in the United States.
According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Rockford, Illinois, Brett Sanborn, of Pinehurst, North Carolina, was the president of a construction company that provided goods and services to military bases through procurements administered by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). Between at least 2017 and 2021, Sanborn conspired with other individuals and companies to suppress and eliminate competition by rigging bids for the procurements, which were awarded to subcontractors through a competitive bidding process.
“For $6 million, the defendant defrauded his own government and deprived the U.S. Army of the benefits of open and honest competition.” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its Procurement Collusion Strike Force partners will continue to relentlessly pursue bad actors — like the defendant and his co-conspirators — for their assault on taxpayer money dedicated to public projects.”
“Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that we will relentlessly pursue those who attempt to undermine the integrity of the Department of Defense procurement process,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service. “Collusion, bid-rigging, and other anti-competitive conduct schemes erode fair competition, waste taxpayer dollars, and jeopardize trust in acquisition systems. DCIS, alongside our prosecutorial partners, will continue to safeguard the Department’s contracting operations and hold accountable anyone who seeks to corrupt them.”
Sanborn and his co-conspirators exchanged emails, calls, and text messages in which they coordinated their bids and agreed in advance on the pricing that they would submit, then submitted those bids to create the illusion of competition. Sanborn and his co-conspirators referred to these artificial, intentionally losing bids as “comp” bids.
In the plea agreement filed today, Sanborn admitted that the volume of commerce attributable to him and related to the conspiracy was approximately $6 million.
Sanborn pleaded guilty to one felony count of restraining trade by conspiring to rig bids, in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act. The maximum penalty for individuals is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The maximum penalty for corporations is a $100 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine.
A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled in this case. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is investigating this case. The Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section is prosecuting the case.
In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above. Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
MOBILE, AL – Five members of an interstate drug distribution organization were sentenced in federal court during October and December of 2025. Richard Wells, III, 48; Ronald Darnell Phillips, 45; and Demetrius James Lutin, 45 were sentenced on October 9, 2025. John David Clarke, 49, was sentenced on December 4, 2025, and Desmon Demond James, 49, was sentenced on December 11, 2025. All five men are from Mobile. Court documents show that they were indicted as members of a cocaine and heroin trafficking conspiracy that operated from 2016 through April 2025. They entered guilty pleas to the conspiracy charge during the fall of 2024. Phillips, Clarke, and Lutin also pleaded guilty to substantive counts charging possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Clarke pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud and wire fraud in a separately charged case. Clarke further pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of prison contraband. James also pled guilty to possession of prison contraband.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On December 12, 2025, SHERIDA GRAHAM, age 57, a resident of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana was indicted for possession with intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), announced Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Daisha Sanders, formerly from Kansas City, Mo., 34, sentenced for her leadership role in a case that resulted in more than $250,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A federal jury in Newark, New Jersey convicted four individuals today for their participation in a scheme to trade securities on the basis of material nonpublic information about the $3.2 billion merger of two companies, which resulted in illicit profits of over $600,000.
“Haghighat abused his role as a senior corporate executive, breaching the trust and confidence placed in him by shareholders, to enrich himself and his friends and family,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti. “He schemed together with his co-defendants to illegally profit from non-public, insider trading information. Today’s verdict underscores the Criminal Division’s commitment to aggressively prosecuting those who use deception to earn illicit gains at the expense of investors and undermine fairness in the economy.”
“This is a classic example of greed overcoming honest business practices,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group. “These defendants took advantage of insider information when they conspired to devise a scheme to provide protected information to co-conspirators for the purpose of enriching their lifestyles and padding their pockets. Their undoing came when they underestimated the resolve and tenacity of postal inspectors to bring to justice anyone who commits a crime against the public and the rule of law.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Rouzbeh “Ross” Haghighat, 61, of West Newbury, Massachusetts; Kirstyn Pearl, 35, of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico; Seyedfarbod “Fabio” Sabzevari, 31, of North Hollywood, California; and James Roberge, 70, of Westford, Massachusetts, unlawfully purchased the securities of a biopharmaceutical company in Seattle, Washington (Company-1), where Haghighat served on the board of directors. In his position as a director in May 2023, Haghighat obtained material nonpublic inside information about another pharmaceutical company’s (Company-2) proposed acquisition of Company-1, including sensitive deal terms. He then purchased securities, and tipped others — including Pearl, Sabzevari, and Roberge — for personal benefit with the expectation that they would purchase securities of Company-1, which the other defendants did. In May 2023, Company-2 made a confidential proposal to acquire Company-1 at a price per share above the then-current market value. The two companies then negotiated an agreement for the acquisition, which was announced in June 2023, causing the share price of Company-1 to spike. Collectively, the defendants profited more than $600,000 from their purchases of Company-1 securities based on material nonpublic information.
Haghighat was convicted of one count of securities fraud, 16 counts of insider trading, and two counts of conspiracy. Pearl was convicted of one count of securities fraud, one count of insider trading, and one count of conspiracy. Sabzevari was convicted of one count of securities fraud and seven counts of insider trading. Roberge was convicted of one count of securities fraud and seven counts of insider trading. They are scheduled to be sentenced on May 4, 2026 . Haghighat faces a maximum penalty of 380 years in prison. Pearl faces a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison. Sabzavari faces a maximum penalty of 160 years in prison. Roberge faces a maximum penalty of 160 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys John J. Liolos and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A former FBI “Ten Most Wanted Fugitive” and leader of the El Paso/Juarez-based Bario Azteca gang pleaded guilty today in federal court in El Paso, Texas, for his role in the March 2010 U.S. Consulate murders in Juarez, Mexico, in which three people associated with the U.S. Consulate were murdered when gunmen shot into the vehicle in which they and their children were riding.
Eduardo Ravelo, also known as Tablas, 57, of Juarez, Mexico, pleaded guilty today in the Western District of Texas to racketeering conspiracy (RICO), conspiracy to distribute and import drugs, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country, and murder in aid of racketeering. A sentencing date has not yet been set by the court. At sentencing, Ravelo faces a mandatory penalty of life in prison.
“Eduardo Ravelo was responsible for Barrio Azteca brazenly orchestrating the murders of three individuals associated with the U.S. Consulate in Juarez, Mexico,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today, after years of evading capture, he is finally being held accountable for heinous crimes that Barrio Azteca committed during the course of cartel wars in Juarez, including attacks on U.S. employees. The Criminal Division will not tolerate violent attacks on those who support our embassies and consulates abroad, and we will work tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice.”
“Ravelo’s admission of guilt today ensures accountability for his role in the murder of U.S. Consulate employees,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Today’s plea also ensures he is held responsible for his leadership of a vicious criminal enterprise that terrorized the city of Juarez and contributed to the poisoning of our communities on this side of the border. This case has spanned decades, and this latest development reflects our commitment to pursuing and prosecuting violent criminals like Ravelo regardless of how long it takes for the long arm of justice to grab hold.”
“This case is a tragic reminder of the inseparable link between drug trafficking and violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Arellano of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) El Paso Field Division. “The dedicated men and women of the DEA remain steadfast in their mission to bring violent drug traffickers to justice for their heinous crimes.”
According to court documents and information presented in court throughout this case, Ravelo is one of 35 Barrio Azteca members and associates based in the United States and Mexico who were charged in the third superseding indictment in 2011 for committing various criminal acts, including racketeering, narcotics distribution and importation, retaliation against persons providing information to U.S. law enforcement, extortion, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and murder. Of the 35 defendants, 10 Mexican nationals, including Ravelo, were charged for their role in the March 13, 2010 murders in Juarez, Mexico, of U.S. Consulate employee Leslie Ann Enriquez Catton, her husband Arthur Redelfs, and Jorge Alberto Salcido Ceniceros, the husband of a U.S. Consulate employee.
All of the defendants have been apprehended, and 28, including Ravelo, have pleaded guilty. Three defendants have been convicted at trial, one committed suicide before the conclusion of his trial, and one is awaiting extradition from Mexico. Two defendants await trial in the United States.
Ravelo was the leader of the Barrio Azteca gang in Mexico beginning in around 2004. In 2009, Ravelo was placed on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list and remained there until his arrest in 2018 in Mexico. He was extradited to the United States on Feb. 20, 2025.
The Barrio Azteca (BA) is a violent street and prison gang that began in the late 1980s and expanded into a transnational criminal organization. In the 2000s, the BA formed an alliance in Mexico with “La Linea,” which is part of the Juarez Drug Cartel (also known as the Vincente Carrillo Fuentes Drug Cartel or VCF). The purpose of the BA-La Linea alliance was to battle the Chapo Guzman Cartel and its allies for control of the drug trafficking routes through Juarez and Chihuahua. The drug routes through Juarez, known as the Juarez Plaza, are important to drug trafficking organizations because they are a principal illicit drug trafficking conduit into the United States. The gang has a militaristic command structure and includes captains, lieutenants, sergeants, and soldiers — all with the purpose of maintaining power and enriching its members and associates through drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, intimidation, violence, threats of violence, and murder.
As a BA Captain in Juarez, Ravelo directed and controlled the BA’s drug trafficking activities, and he was ultimately responsible for and in some cases directly controlled multiple “hit” or “sicario” squads, which consisted of multiple BA members armed with automatic and semi-automatic firearms who committed numerous kidnappings and murders in support of the BA against rival cartel members. On the day of the Consulate murders, Ravelo monitored radio communications and directed BA members who targeted and murdered Leslie Ann Enriquez Catton; her husband Arthur Redelfs, and Jorge Alberto Salcido Ceniceros. Enriquez Catton was four months pregnant, and her fetus was also killed.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s El Paso and Albuquerque Field Offices (Las Cruces Resident Agency); DEA Juarez; and DEA El Paso. Special assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; the Texas Department of Public Safety; the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; El Paso Police Department; El Paso County Sheriff’s Office; El Paso Independent School District Police Department; Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission; New Mexico State Police; Dona Ana County, New Mexico Sheriff’s Office; Las Cruces, (New Mexico) Police Department; Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility and Otero County Prison Facility New Mexico.
This case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief Jay Bauer of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Trial Attorney Amy Schwartz of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Spitzer for the Western District of Texas. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico and the Criminal Division’s Offices of International Affairs and Enforcement Operations provided significant assistance in this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the extradition of Ravelo.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on December 4, 2025, DAVID SCOTT (SCOTT), age 22 from New Orleans, pled guilty to Counts One and Two of an indictment. Count One charged SCOTT with possession with the intent to distribute Tapentadol, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). As to Count One, SCOTT faces up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1,00,000 fine, at least three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Count Two charged SCOTT with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §924(c)(1)(A)(i). As to Count Two, SCOTT faces a minimum of five years up to life imprisonment, to run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to five years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. SCOTT’s sentencing is set for March 12, 2026.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Peter Karasev, 39, of San Jose, California, was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in federal prison for two counts of willful destruction of an energy facility related to two separate bombings of PG&E electrical transformers in late 2022 and early 2023. U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman handed down the sentence.
“Karasev’s specialized knowledge in explosives, the vast quantity of bombmaking materials discovered in his home, and his readiness to deploy both against our Nation’s energy infrastructure made him a very dangerous individual who posed a significant risk to public safety,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division is committed to prosecuting attacks on critical infrastructure to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Karasev’s attacks on critical infrastructure were direct threats to public safety and national security,” said U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California. “He aimed to inflict widespread disruption and harm, but we remain steadfast in our commitment to holding accountable those who threaten the safety and well-being of the residents of San Jose. We and our law enforcement partners will leverage every available resource to ensure that violent extremists like the defendant face the full force of justice.”
“This defendant admitted to attacking critical infrastructure which could have harmed people in the San Jose, California community and he will now face the consequences of his actions,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “This individual conducted research and prepared homemade explosives which knocked out power to multiple homes and caused more than $200,000 in property damage to local businesses. The FBI will work with our partners to identify and hold accountable those who engage in such dangerous and illegal acts.”
Karasev pleaded guilty on April 29 to two counts of willful destruction of an energy facility. Karasev admitted that on Dec. 8, 2022, and Jan. 5, 2023, he willfully damaged energy facilities involved in the production, storage, transmission, and distribution of electricity. The Jan. 5, 2023, explosion was captured on nearby surveillance footage:
Explosion of transformer located near Plaza Del Ray shopping center on Snell Avenue captured by nearby surveillance footage.
In both attacks, Karasev used homemade explosive devices to cause significant destruction and widespread power outages in the San Jose area. According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, the bombings caused over $200,000 in damages to affected businesses and disrupted service to over 1,500 households in the San Jose area. Of those affected included 15 households enrolled in PG&E’s Medical Baseline Program that required continued electrical service for life-sustaining medical needs.
Karasev admitted that the attacks were premeditated and deliberate, and that he had conducted extensive internet searches regarding explosive materials, infrastructure attacks, and geopolitical conflicts.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Freeman also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release and ordered $214,880.67 in restitution and $200 special assessment. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody to begin serving his sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne C. Hsieh for the Northern District of California prosecuted the case with the assistance the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and San Jose Police Department.