Lowell Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offenses

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Defendant possessed over 700 video files of CSAM depicting children between one and eight years old

BOSTON – A Lowell man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Steven Estrada Ramirez, 23, pleaded guilty on Nov. 24, 2025, to receipt and possession of child pornography before U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris who scheduled sentencing for March 10, 2026. Estrada was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024.

Estrada was identified as a participant in multiple groups on a mobile chat application in which the primary purpose of the groups was for users to share and view CSAM. At the time of his arrest, Estrada was found to be in possession of a USB drive containing over 700 video files depicting CSAM, including files depicting children who appeared to be approximately one to eight years old. Additionally, the home screen of Estrada’s cell phone depicted an image of CSAM and the phone contained thousands of images and videos depicting CSAM.

The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant will also be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.

The case is 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 identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

Wakefield Woman Convicted of Money Laundering Conspiracy

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BOSTON – A Wakefield woman was convicted of money laundering conspiracy on Nov. 24, 2025, following a six-day jury trial.

Christiane Fischer, 42, was convicted of one count of money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for March 5, 2026. Fischer was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2022.

Fischer owns PK Motor Cars, a used car dealership in Peabody that also repairs cars and rents used cars. In 2016, law enforcement began an investigation into a large-scale drug trafficker named Phillip Morose who sold hundreds of thousands of counterfeit fentanyl pills.

Evidence presented at trial established that Fischer conspired to launder Morose’s drug proceeds through her business, PK Motor Cars. In August 2016, Fischer added Morose as CEO of PK Motor Cars and thereafter Morose deposited nearly $1 million in cash into Fischer’s business bank accounts. At the end of 2016, Fischer used cashier’s checks from those same business bank accounts to buy Morose a house in Lynnfield. The house was purchased in the name of Fischer’s business in order to conceal the true ownership of the house and where the proceeds to buy the house came from. Fischer also allowed Morose to use luxury vehicles owned by her business to promote his drug trafficking.

In 2019, Morose was sentenced to 30 years in prison for drug trafficking and money laundering in the Middle District of Florida. In March 2025, Morose was sentenced to 80 months in prison, to be served concurrently to the 2019 sentenced imposed, for money laundering in the District of Massachusetts.

The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount of the laundered funds. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the DEA Tampa District Office Task Force 1; Massachusetts State Police; and the Newton, Millis, Waltham, Framingham, Haverhill, Brookline, Natick, Wakefield, Burlington, Lynnfield and Peabody Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea E. Porter and K. Nathaniel Yeager of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

Virtual Meeting of the Chief FOIA Officers Council

Source: United States Department of Justice

The Office of Information Policy (OIP) is pleased to announce that the Chief FOIA Officers (CFO) Council will hold a virtual meeting on Monday, December 15th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET.    

The CFO Council meeting is open to all agency FOIA professionals and members of the public.  Time will be provided for members of the public to address the Council.  Registration is required. Those interested in attending can register here.  The meeting will also be livestreamed on the National Archives’ YouTube channel.

In accordance with the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016, the Chief FOIA Officers Council is tasked with developing recommendations, sharing best practices, and developing and coordinating initiatives to improve agency FOIA administration.  The Council is co-chaired by the Directors of OIP and OGIS and is comprised of each agency Chief FOIA Officer and the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management Budget.

Do you have ideas for future meeting topics and potential panelists?  Please email us at DOJ.OIP.FOIA@usdoj.gov. 

Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – James Garner, also known as “Jake,” 35, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Garner admitted to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 17, 2025, Garner sold approximately 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $350. As part of his guilty plea, Garner admitted that co-defendant Joshua Willie McCarver directed the confidential informant to a Baer Street residence in Huntington, where Garner sold the methamphetamine to the confidential informant.

Garner also admitted to the following criminal conduct: he sold approximately 51 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $350 on January 22, 2025, and approximately 336 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $2,400 on February 21, 2025. Garner admitted that he conducted both transactions at the Baer Street residence, and that McCarver arranged each transaction beforehand and directed the confidential informant to the residence in each instance. On May 31, 2025, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop in Huntington of a vehicle in which Garner was a passenger. Garner admitted that he exited the vehicle during the traffic stop and discarded a bag containing approximately 459 grams of methamphetamine near the front passenger side of the vehicle. Garner further admitted that he returned to the vehicle when instructed to by an officer, but then fled from the traffic stop on foot and was apprehended after a pursuit. Officers recovered the bag discarded by Garner and a bag containing approximately 49.8 grams of fentanyl in the front passenger floorboard of the vehicle. Garner admitted that he possessed the recovered methamphetamine and fentanyl and intended to distribute the controlled substances for money.

Garner is scheduled to be sentenced on March 16, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at last four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million.

Garner is among 10 defendants indicted on charges alleging they participated in the DTO. Garner and co-defendant Jackie Dwayne Lucas, also known as “Dwayne,” 49, of Huntington, pleaded guilty. The charges against McCarver, also known as “TJ,” 27, of Detroit, Michigan, and the other defendants remain pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, and the Huntington Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is prosecuting the case.

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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-154.

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Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Adrian Demetrius Ludaway, also known as “A1,” 35, of Wayne, Michigan, was sentenced today to nine years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl and a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 27, 2025, Ludaway sold approximately 28.5 grams of methamphetamine and 6.79 gram of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Huntington. As part of his guilty plea, Ludaway admitted to conducting the transaction and to arranging it beforehand.

On May 30, 2025, law enforcement officers arrested Ludaway and executed a search warrant at his 30th Street residence in Huntington. Officers seized approximately 4 pounds of fentanyl and 100 grams of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” a loaded Charter Arms model Undercover .38-caliber revolver, and approximately $20,000 during the search.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.

Ludaway’s co-defendant, Scott Burd, 59, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on November 24, 2025, to aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2, 2026.

This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-103.

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Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

 

CONCORD – Jeison Eulogio Dume-Calderone, 28, formerly of Boston, pleaded guilty to distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and 400 grams of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

According to the charging documents and statements made in court, on two occasions in March 2023, Dume-Calderone sold a total of 667 grams of methamphetamine to a United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) confidential source in Seabrook, New Hampshire. Later the same month, DEA agents arrested Dume-Calderone after he sold approximately 8.5 kilograms of methamphetamine and 498 grams of fentanyl to the same confidential source at a different Seabrook location.

A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment on March 26, 2025. Dume-Calderone remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending his sentencing. The charges carry a maximum term of life. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.  The Court scheduled sentencing in this matter for March 12, 2026. The Department of Homeland Security has determined that Dume-Calderon is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who is present in the United States unlawfully.

“Today’s guilty plea underscores our office’s commitment to combatting the flow of methamphetamine and fentanyl into our communities. This defendant chose to traffic in highly addictive and dangerous drugs and now will be held accountable. We will continue to work closely with our federal, state, and local partners to protect the public and dismantle drug trafficking networks,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan.

“The state of New Hampshire continues to be faced with a drug crisis unlike ever before and the DEA stands committed to work to keep highly addictive drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine out of the Granite State,” said Jarod Forget, DEA Special Agent in Charge, New England Field Division.  “Those responsible for distributing lethal drugs and contributing to the loss of life for those battling addiction need to be held responsible for their actions. DEA and its local, state and federal partners are committed to bringing to justice those that distribute these poisons.”

The investigation was led by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennfer C. Davis is prosecuting the case.

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).

Former Ohkay Owingeh Police Department Officer Back in Court After Absconding While on Pre-Trial Release

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBUQUERQUE – Pre-trial conditions of release for Justin Aguino were revoked after he violated his terms of release, prompting the FBI to publish a wanted poster that led to his arrest.

Aguino was originally arrested and charged with obstruction of justice and making false statements for using his position as an officer with the Ohkay Owingeh Police Department to impede a federal grand jury investigation by disclosing information about an ongoing investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration to a person outside the investigation. When confronted by FBI special agents in 2022, Aguino falsely stated that he had not shared any information.

On July 6, 2023, Aguino was released on conditions pending trial. On August 22, 2024, the Isleta Tribal Court issued a bench warrant for his failure to appear at a child support hearing. When Pretrial Services attempted to contact Aguino regarding the warrant, officers discovered his phone number was no longer in service, violating his release by failing to report changes in contact information and failing to remain in communication with officers.

On November 25, 2025, the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office offered a reward for information leading to Aguino’s capture. He was arrested on the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo the following day. On December 1, 2025, Aguino appeared in federal court and was detained pending trial, which was originally scheduled for October 2024, but has not been rescheduled.

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.

This case was investigated by the Santa Fe office of the Federal Bureau Investigation with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Region III Drug Enforcement Task Force. Criminal Chief Niki Tapia-Brito is prosecuting the case.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Ohio Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison For Luring Minor Girls into Sending him Sexually Explicit Content

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CLEVELAND – A Lorain County man who pretended to own a modeling agency has been sentenced to prison for grooming children into sending him sexually explicit images through the social media platform, Snapchat.

Joshua R. Glover, 36, of Elyria, Ohio, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster after pleading guilty in July to receipt and distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and to possession of child pornography, which is also known as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Glover was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and to pay $2,000 in assessments toward a monetary reserve for victims of CSAM. Judge Polster imposed the sentence Nov. 25, 2025.

“Glover’s vile and despicable manipulation of underage girls has come to an end. He will no longer commit these heinous and horrendous crimes against vulnerable children,” said United States Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “We are immensely grateful to the FBI Cleveland for the thorough investigation that led to Glover’s three-decades-long sentence to keep him behind bars where he cannot continue this predatory behavior.”

According to court documents, from January 2022 to January 2024, Glover used Snapchat to engage with hundreds of minor girls under the guise of owning a modeling agency. His typical victims ranged in age from 12-15 years old and were located throughout the country. Investigators found that Glover repeatedly sent requests for sexually explicit photos and videos to young girls with the lure of joining his modeling agency and receiving payment for their images and videos. Glover initiated over 18,000 chats and conversed with some victims for years—building relationships where he directed the type of sexual activity the minors engaged in and offered to meet with them in person to engage in sex.

“Contacting, coercing, and preying on young girls through social media to gain their trust and elicit inappropriate behavior is cold and callous,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “This sentence underscores the commitment of not only the FBI, but also our federal, state, and local partners who will ensure a full and thorough investigation that leads to taking predators like Glover offline and out of our neighborhoods. The FBI will continue to work collaboratively to combine resources and share expertise to identify those who commit these appalling crimes and find justice for the victims.”

Federal search warrants of Glover’s digital devices and online accounts revealed Glover possessed approximately 100 files of CSAM. By his own admission, Glover estimated he received images and videos of CSAM from over 90 different minors.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division.

The prosecution in this case was led by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer King.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and 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.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Dulce Man Charged with Violent Assault

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man has been indicted on federal charges as a habitual offender for allegedly strangling and suffocating a woman.

According to court documents, on April 3, 2025, Tyler Vigil, 32, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Indian Tribe, assaulted Jane Doe by strangling and suffocating her. Vigil has at least two prior convictions in Indian tribal court for assault, making him a habitual offender.

Vigil is charged with assault by a habitual offender and assault and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Vigil faces up to 10 years in prison.

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 Jicarilla Apache Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Pahl is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Dulce Man Sentenced for Assault by Strangulation

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man was sentenced to 84 months in prison for assaulting a woman by strangulation.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, between April 7 and April 8, 2024, Kayiliab Haines, 34, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Indian Tribe, assaulted Jane Doe by strangling her.

Haines pled guilty to assault by strangulation. Upon his release from prison, Haines will be subject to three years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

The Jicarilla Apache Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson prosecuted the case.