Cape Girardeau Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm Purchases

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced a man who illegally bought guns that were later recovered during criminal investigations in Missouri and Illinois to 12 months in prison.

Dayquan Long, 23, of Cape Girardeau, will be on supervised release for two years after his release from prison. Long pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of making a false statement during a firearm purchase. He admitted buying 19 firearms from two federally licensed firearms dealers between Nov. 3, 2022, and Nov. 27, 2024. During each purchase, Long filled out a form certifying that he was the “actual transferee/buyer” of the firearm and that he was not “acquiring the firearm(s) on behalf of another person.” Long signed the form acknowledging that he was aware “that the repetitive purchase of firearms for the purpose of resale for livelihood and profit without a federal firearms license is a violation of federal law.”

Firearms sold by Long were later recovered during criminal investigations in Kansas City, Sweet Springs, Springfield and Cape Girardeau, Missouri and in Overland Park, Kansas, Long’s plea agreement says. On Feb. 5, 2025, Long told a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) special agent that he sold the guns for a profit of between $100 and $200.

The ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter is prosecuting the case.

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.

Washington man sentenced to 11 years in prison on drug charges

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

MISSOULA – A Washington man who possessed fentanyl was sentenced today to 135 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Skyler Christian Crowder, 31, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement officers responded to a call of a fentanyl pill found in a motel room in Missoula on October 7, 2024. The occupant, Skyler Crowder, had requested to move to a new room and the pill was located when the room was cleaned. They also reported Crowder had taken out his own trash when he switched rooms, which they thought was odd. Law enforcement located two vacuum-seal bags (one with a remnant of a blue pill) and drug paraphernalia in the outside garbage. Law enforcement reviewed surveillance and saw approximately 12 different people visited Crowder over 24 hours. Several appeared to be under the influence. The activity was consistent with individuals purchasing illegal drugs.

Law enforcement contacted Crowder in his new room. After obtaining a search warrant, deputies located methamphetamine, fentanyl pills and firearms.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force and the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.

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.

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Illegal Alien Charged with Assaulting and Impeding ICE Officers

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

RALEIGH, N.C. – An illegal alien was arrested and charged with forcibly assaulting and impeding agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by allegedly ramming his vehicle into agents’ vehicles and narrowly missing an ICE agent.

“Assaulting a federal officer is an attack on the rule of law itself,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “When someone allegedly drives a vehicle to threaten or endanger ICE agents, we treat it with the utmost seriousness. We have zero tolerance for conduct that puts our officers or the public at risk, and this office will take every lawful step to protect our families, officers, and communities.”

“When a federal agent is attempting to make a lawful arrest, there is no excuse to respond with violence. The FBI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to support illegal immigrant enforcement operations,” said James C. Barnacle Jr., the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.

According to allegations in the criminal complaint, Milton Ermilo Arreaga Roblero, 23, was taken into custody in Morrisville, after ICE agents attempted to stop his vehicle during an enforcement operation.  Initially, Roblero allegedly came to a complete stop before he suddenly backed into one agent’s vehicle and then drove into four different ICE vehicles. The complaint further alleges that he forced one of the agents on scene to jump out of the way narrowly avoiding Roblero crashing into him. Roblero was taken into custody after he allegedly drove over the curb, through a garden bed and then collided with a civilian’s vehicle.

Roblero is charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers and faces maximum penalty of twenty years in prison if convicted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Foxx is prosecuting the case, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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.

Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-MJ-02535-JG.

Former Fort Carson Soldier Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison For Production Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that John Paul Barsch III, 31, was sentenced to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography. Barsch was a soldier in the United States Army and was stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs at the time of his arrest.

According to the plea agreement, on multiple occasions between November 2018 and March 2020, Barsch performed sex acts on an infant or toddler in his custody, care, or control; created videos depicting those sex acts; and distributed at least one of the videos to another person who was in the United Kingdom. Barsch’s conduct was discovered when law enforcement arrested the person who received the videos, and a search of his devices revealed conversations with Barsch.

“Crimes against children are some of the most despicable in our society and this sentence demonstrates the magnitude of the crimes committed,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly.

“Homeland Security Investigations will not tolerate the vile and reprehensible exploitation of children, especially by those entrusted with their care. The sentencing of this individual sends a clear and unyielding message: no position of authority or service will shield predators from the full force of justice,” said HSI Denver Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen. “Let this serve as a stark warning—there is no place in our society for such heinous acts, and we will stop at nothing to protect our children and uphold the rule of law.”

United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the sentencing.

The investigation was handled by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Hindman handled the prosecution.

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 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Case Number: 24-cr-00028-CNS

Honduras Citizen Sentenced to Prison for Fourth Illegal Reentry into the U.S., Social Security Fraud, and Identity Theft

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A Honduras citizen has been sentenced in federal court to 39 months in prison, to be followed by deportation, on his convictions of illegal reentry of a removed alien, fraudulent use of a Social Security number, and aggravated identity theft, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Jose Mejia-Sarmiento, 67.

According to information presented to the Court, Mejia-Sarmiento was found in the Western District of Pennsylvania after having been deported and removed from the United States three times prior between 1996 and 2016, including after a felony conviction on the latter occasion. Further, Mejia-Sarmiento made false statements to the Social Security Administration on four different occasions between May 2024 and February 2025 in the Western District of Pennsylvania, by possessing and using the identification of another person. Following the completion of his sentence, Mejia-Sarmiento will be immediately deported to Honduras.

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

First Assistant United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Mejia-Sarmiento.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Three defendants in significant gun and drug involved cases sentenced to prison

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Seattle – Three Seattle area men were sentenced in October 2025 to significant federal prison sentences due to their convictions for drug trafficking and firearms violations, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.

The longest sentence, ten years, was imposed on Anthony Raymond Dodd, 36, of Seattle. Dodd was convicted of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on July 25, 2025 following a three-day trial. At the sentencing hearing on October 27, 2025, U.S. District Judge John H. Chun noted that the offense was very serious, given the danger of fentanyl in our communities, and that it was compounded by the fact that Dodd had a gun and was on Department of Corrections community custody at the time of the offense.

In Tacoma, Chief Judge David G. Estudillo sentenced a drug trafficker connected to an Aryan Family prison gang to six years in prison. Philip Boorkman was a key drug distributor in one of three related drug trafficking groups. Boorkman was indicted in March 2023 and pleaded guilty in January 2025. At the October 3, 2025, sentencing hearing Judge Estudillo said, “This is a serious offense…The amount of damage it does to the community is probably immeasurable in terms of lives lost and all of the ripple effects from people who are addicted.”

In asking for a seven-year sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “Boorkman was a trusted member of a large distribution network responsible for distributing hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills. Based on Boorkman’s trusted role in the organization, there is no question that he understood the devastating impact these drugs were having on the community.”

And finally, on October 1, 2025, U.S District Judge Tana Lin sentenced Tacoma resident Marquise Tolbert, 30, to 39 months in prison for drug trafficking and illegal firearms possession. Tolbert pleaded guilty to federal charges in March 2025.

Investigators with the FBI Safe Streets task force, the DEA, and the Seattle Police Gun Violence Reduction Unit were investigating a drug trafficking organization when Tolbert and his coconspirators were heard on a wiretap discussing a shoot-out in Federal Way. From that point on, investigators worked to identify those who were possessing and using firearms as part of their criminal activity. Investigators heard Tolbert discussing his purchase of the Ruger firearm from another member of the conspiracy.  On the day he bought the gun, law enforcement, surveilled Tolbert, followed him to his residence, arrested him, and secured the firearm.

Prior to the federal investigation, in 2020, Tolbert was involved in a shootout at 3rd Avenue and Pine Street in downtown Seattle. One woman was killed, and seven other bystanders were injured in the gun battle. Tolbert was acquitted in state court on murder and assault charges connected to the incident. He was convicted of illegal firearms possession.

The case against Anthony Raymond Dodd was investigated by the Washington State Department of Corrections, the Seattle Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cecelia Gregson and Rachel Yemini.

The case against Philip Boorkman was investigated by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Washington State Department of Corrections. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Dillon, Max Shiner, and Jehiel Baer.

Marquise Tolbert was investigated by the FBI, the Seattle Police Department, and the DEA as part of their focus on getting firearms off the streets. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Hobbs and Michelle Jensen. 

Shiprock Woman Pleads Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock woman pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter killing her daughter.

According to court documents, on October 24, 2022, Maylene John, 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation at the time of the offense, stabbed her 7-year-old daughter in the heart with a knife, causing her death. John was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the incident.

John pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. At sentencing, she faces up to 15 years in federal prison. Upon her release from prison, John will be subject to three years of supervised release.

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 Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caitlin L. Dillon and Eliot Neal are prosecuting the case.

Savannah Man Sentenced to Statutory Maximum for Possession of Ammunition Following Shooting

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SAVANNAH, GA: On December 3, 2025, a Savannah man was sentenced to Statutory Maximum for Possession of Ammunition following a shooting.

Charlie Sapp, 58, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison by U.S.  District Court Judge Randal Hall after being convicted at trial on the charge of Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person said Margaret E. Heap, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Sapp received the maximum sentenced allowed by law. Judge Randal Hall also ordered Sapp to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term, in addition to a $1,500 fine. There is no parole in the federal system.

“This prosecution should send a clear message to those that violate the law in the Southern District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Margaret Heap. “This office will work tirelessly to ensure the community is protected from violent felons.”

According to trial documents, on October 8, 2021, Sapp retrieved a loaded firearm from a vehicle, confronted an individual in an apartment complex parking lot, pointed the firearm at that individual, and then fired three shots. The individual Sapp shot died on the scene. While the weapon used in the shooting was never recovered, officers with the Savannah Police Department recovered two shell casings on the scene. Those shell casings were enough to convict Sapp in the U.S. District Court. Sapp was prohibited from possessing ammunition because of previous felony convictions in the Superior Court of Chatham County.

At sentencing, Judge Hall agreed to the Government’s request to enhance Sapp’s sentence on the ammunition charge because his conduct constituted second-degree murder. Due to Sapp illegally possessing ammunition, a Savannah man lost their life.

Sapp was previously tried for this conduct in November 2022 by the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office. That trial did not result in a conviction.

“Every bullet represents a potential threat to public safety; we will continue to work diligently to prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands,” said ATF Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert Davis.

The case was being investigated by the ATF, Savannah Police Department and prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant United States Attorney Makeia R. Jonese and Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Bondura.

Former Pike County police officer sentenced to 10 years in prison for running steroid, cocaine ring

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Pike County man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 120 months in prison for leading a drug trafficking ring responsible for mailing more than 2,500 parcels of steroids and distributing 11 kilograms of cocaine.

Mark Anglemyer, Jr., 42, of Waverly, Ohio, imported precursor chemicals from China and traveled across the country and internationally to secure narcotics. Anglemyer previously worked as a police officer with the Pike County Sheriff’s Office and the Piketon, Waverly and Wellston police departments.

According to court documents, from 2019 to 2024, Anglemyer ran a drug trafficking operation out of Waverly, dealing both anabolic steroids and cocaine.

As part of his operation, Anglemyer imported raw materials from China to manufacture the steroids. He then produced the powder and liquid steroid mixtures at various co-conspirators’ residences in Pike County. Finally, the defendant shipped the steroids to customers across the country via the United States Postal Service.

Anglemyer also obtained kilogram quantities of cocaine from California for local distribution in Waverly.

When Anglemyer’s California cocaine suppliers were arrested by federal authorities, he and a co-conspirator flew to Colombia to seek another supplier and attempted to mail cocaine from Colombia to Waverly.

Anglemyer and three co-defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024. The defendant pleaded guilty in April 2025 to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and anabolic steroids.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Joseph O. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit; and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Pakiz and Damoun Delaviz are representing the United States in this case.

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Colby CPA sentenced to prison for defrauding clients

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas accountant was sentenced to 48 months in prison for defrauding clients of his accounting firm, who were also his relatives, of more than $400,000.

According to court documents, Quintin Flanagin, 45, of Colby pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of false statements, and one count of money laundering.

As a certified public accountant (CPA), Flanagin used his status as a signatory on his clients’ business account and trust account to make unauthorized transactions. Between December 2021 and August 2022, he wrote checks and initiated wire transfers totaling $409,710 to Middle Finger Ranch, a fictitious name that Flanagin connected to his personal bank account. He wrote false verbiage in the memo lines indicating the transactions to be payments for farm operations. Flanagin then used the stolen money to help pay for the construction on his new home.

In October 2022, after his victims noticed discrepancies and confronted him, Flanagin took several actions to conceal his crimes including removing Middle Finger Ranch from his personal account. Federal investigators later found a note Flanagin wrote stating that prosecutors couldn’t prove who input the check for processing and that he could likely feign innocence and say his company wasn’t monitoring the account.

“The name of Mr. Flanagin’s fictitious ranch speaks for itself. After stabbing his family in the back, Flanagin lied to their faces. When the victims directly questioned him about accounting inconsistencies, he fabricated convoluted flowcharts and blamed third parties for the fraudulent checks,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “In his hubris, Flanagin thought he could outsmart federal investigators and forensic accountants. He was wrong. My office will continue to use the full force of the federal government to prosecute financial crimes.”

“Mr. Flanagin was entrusted with a fiduciary duty to protect the financial interests of the victims in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “Instead of acting with integrity and in the interest of his clients, the defendant used his position to personally benefit from the scheme. Today’s sentencing reiterates the severity of the case and the seriousness by which the FBI takes financial fraud schemes.”  

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak prosecuted the case.

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