Category: MIL-OSI

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department announced today that Sky Lease I Inc. (Sky Lease) has paid $1,030,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it falsely reported information about the transfer of U.S. mail to foreign posts or other intended recipients under contracts with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Sky Lease is an air cargo delivery company with headquarters in Miami, Florida.

“The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that government contractors provide the services they have contracted to provide,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “When contractors knowingly fail to provide services for which they have been paid, the Department of Justice will pursue appropriate remedies to redress the violations and deter future ones.”

“The USPS contracts with commercial airlines for the safeguarding and timely delivery of U.S. mail to foreign posts,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Ken Cleevely of the USPS, Office of Inspector General (OIG). “The OIG supports the Postal Service by aggressively investigating allegations of contractual non-compliance within the mail delivery process, including the falsification of delivery information. Our special agents worked hand-in-hand with the Department of Justice to help ensure a reasonable resolution and we applaud the exceptional work done by the investigative and legal teams.”

USPS contracted with Sky Lease to take possession of receptacles of U.S. mail at locations in the United States or at various Department of Defense and State Department locations abroad and then deliver that mail to numerous international and domestic destinations. To obtain payment under the contracts, Sky Lease was required to submit electronic scans of the mail receptacles to USPS reporting the time the mail was delivered at the identified destinations. The settlement resolves allegations that scans submitted by Sky Lease falsely reported the time that it transferred possession of the mail.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with substantial assistance from the USPS Office of the Inspector General and the USPS Office of General Counsel.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ZACHARY WILLIAMS, 38, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 240 months of imprisonment for offenses related to his sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl he met on Snapchat.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2021, Williams began communicating with an 11-year old girl on Snapchat.  Williams groomed the girl and coerced her to send her sexually explicit images of herself.  Once in possession of the images, Williams threatened to post them online for her family, friends, and others to see, and used these tactics to pressure the girl to meet him in person for a sexual encounter.  Then, on two occasions in February 2021, Williams traveled to Connecticut, sexually abused the girl in her home while her family was asleep, and recorded the sexual acts on his iPhone.  After these encounters, Williams used the sexual videos and images he recorded to threaten the girl further so she would not expose his conduct.

Williams has been detained since March 13, 2021, after he was charged in the District of New Jersey with similar child exploitation offenses.  He was convicted after trial and sentenced on March 18, 2025, to life in prison.

On August 8, 2025, Williams pleaded guilty in the District of Connecticut to one count of production of child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct.

Williams is also charged with child exploitation offenses in the Eastern District of New York where he is currently awaiting trial.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Galloway Township (N.J.) Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford, Daniel E. Cummings, and Alexis L. Beyerlein.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ST. LOUIS – Thomas C. Albus, serving as the U.S. Attorney for Eastern Missouri since August 1st, was appointed to continue in that office Monday by the U.S. District Court.

Chief U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark swore in Mr. Albus pursuant to 28 United States Code 546, meaning he will serve until the vacancy is filled. Mr. Albus’s nomination as U.S. Attorney by President Donald J. Trump is pending in the U.S. Senate, having been favorably reported out of the Judiciary committee on October 16th.

“I am grateful for the vote of the Court and honored to lead an office of outstanding professionals in the Eastern District of Missouri,” Mr. Albus said.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

This press release about a case that occurred during the 43-day government shutdown is now available after the return to normal operations.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Throughout the 43-day lapse in government funding, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky continued to advance the Department of Justice’s mission in priority enforcement areas, including drug trafficking, violent crime, and illegal possession of firearms.  Below are highlights of sentencings that the U.S. Attorney’s Office secured in connection with several drug and violent crime-related cases prosecuted during the recent lapse in federal appropriations.

Monday, October 6

A Lexington, Ky., man, Bryan Anicasio-Miranda, 24, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to his plea agreement, on March 30, 2021 Anicasio-Miranda was convicted of first degree fleeing or evading police in Fayette Circuit Court.  On at least two occasions, December 18, 2022 and December 16, 2024, Miranda was found in possession of firearms that he was prohibited from possessing because of his previous felony conviction.

A Reynoldsburg, Ohio, man, Samuel Young, 44, was sentenced to 37 months for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to his plea agreement, on March 13, 2024, law enforcement conducted a stop on a vehicle driven by Young and recovered a firearm in his possession. Young admitted to being previously convicted of a felony and knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

A Lexington, Ky., man, Khmari Smith, 22, was sentenced to 324 months for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking offenses. In May 2023, law enforcement began investigating an individual distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl in Lexington and identified the vehicle being used to transport the drugs into the area.  On July 10, 2023, law enforcement located the vehicle traveling from Detroit to Kentucky and observed the vehicle following another car and mirroring its movements, which led them to believe the vehicles were connected.  Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on both vehicles.  Khmari Smith, and his brother and co-defendant, Khari Qunarll Smith, 24, were found in one vehicle, with no evidence of drugs.  In the other vehicle, Smith’s co-defendant, Brianna Hanspard, 30, of Detroit, was found with 4.6 kilograms of methamphetamine and 199.7 grams of fentanyl.  Hanspard admitted to entering into an agreement with Khmari Smith and others to transport drugs from Detroit to Lexington for payment.

Further investigation proved that Khari and Khmari Smith continued their drug distribution, from sources in Detroit.  In August 2023, law enforcement searched their leased residences in Lexington.  At the first residence they found 354.4 grams of fentanyl and 216.3 grams of methamphetamine; at the second, the found additional methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as a drug processing room.  Law enforcement also found 18 firearms at the first residence and 12 firearms at the second residence. Khmari Smith admitted that he received those firearms as payment for the drugs he distributed. Khari Smith was previously sentenced to 200 months and Hanspard was sentenced to 84 months.

Wednesday, October 8

A Corbin, Ky., man, Jonathan Blevins, 40, was sentenced to 110 months for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, beginning in April 2024 through June 2024, Blevins conspired with his co-defendants, Randy Lester, Jeffrey Gray, and Kathy Baird, to distribute methamphetamine in Laurel and Knox Counties. Blevins would obtain 1.5 pounds quantities of methamphetamine from his source of supply to distribute to several mid-and lower-level drug dealers and users. Blevins’ co-defendants were previously sentenced as followed: Baird received 27 months in prison; Gray received 53 months in prison; and Lester received 140 months in prison.

Friday, October 10

A Burlington, Ky., man, Gary Wayne Isaacs, 47, was sentenced to 186 months for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, on June 6, 2024, law enforcement stopped Isaacs’ vehicle, and Isaacs gave a false name and social security number. Officers searched the vehicle and found 73.89 grams of methamphetamine that he admitted he possessed with the intent to distribute it to others.

Tuesday, October 14

A Lexington, Ky., man, Khalil Washington, 28, was sentenced to 240 months for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to his plea agreement, on April 4, 2023, law enforcement arrested Washington following a traffic stop and seized 1,360 grams of methamphetamine, 28 grams of fentanyl, and a loaded firearm. Washington admitted to possessing the drugs with intent to distribute to others and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.

A London, Ky., man, Jeffrey L. McDaniel, 56, was sentenced to 120 months for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, beginning in June 2024 through July 2024, McDaniel conspired with others to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine through Laurel, Knox, and Whitley Counties. As part of the conspiracy, McDaniel would obtain upwards of ounce quantities of meth from his source of supply and distribute it to mid-and lower-level drug dealers and users.

A Lexington, Ky., man, John Robert Eckler, 46, was sentenced to 70 months for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, in August 2022, a package was seized that contained 14 one-pound bags of methamphetamine. Law enforcement conducted a controlled delivery of the package, which was picked up by Eckler. Eckler later admitted to law enforcement that he possessed the methamphetamine, and he knew the package contained a controlled substance, and he intended to give the package to another individual.

Thursday, October 16

A Corbin, Ky., man, Matthew Martin, 43, was sentenced to 78 months for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, from June 2023 through June 2024, Martin conspired with his co-defendants, Laura Huffman, 35, and Erica Mullis, 35, to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl to others in Whitley, Knox, and Laurel Counties. Both co-defendants were sentenced on October 15—Huffman received 57 months in prison and Mullis received 84 months in prison. 

Friday, October 31

A London, Ky., man, Ronald Dugger, 64, was sentenced to 88 months for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, on June 17, 2024, law enforcement responded to a residence where Dugger, who was on federal supervised release, was residing. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the residence and found $1,680 in cash and 38.076 grams of methamphetamine. Dugger admitted that he was obtaining methamphetamine from multiple suppliers, and he intended to distribute it to others. 

Monday, November 3

A United States Penitentiary inmate, Eric Watson, 34, was sentenced to 108 months for assaulting a federal officer. According to his plea agreement, on December 25, 2023, two inmates at USP McCreary began fighting. When instructed by staff to stop, Watson instead advanced towards staff, whose efforts to subdue him did not initially work. Watson then took an Officer to the ground and struck him multiple times with a closed fist until responding staff gained control.

A Lexington, Ky., man, Jacque Harmon Jones, 26, was sentenced to 150 months for possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of fluorofentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to his plea agreement, law enforcement searched Jones’ residence in February 2024 and discovered three bags of a fluorofentanyl and fentanyl mixture and $27,020 in drug proceeds inside a diaper bag. Additional fentanyl pills and a loaded firearm were found inside the master bedroom. Jones admitted that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activity.

A Lexington, Ky., man, Quincy Taylor, 39, was sentenced to 360 months for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. According to evidence at trial, on October 27, 2021, Taylor was involved in a single-vehicle collision on southbound I-75.  After exiting his vehicle, Taylor attempted to provide a bystander with a bag containing 45 grams of cocaine and a firearm.  After the bystander declined, Taylor hid the bag near brush along the exit ramp.  Taylor then left the scene by hitchhiking with a second bystander to Richmond, Ky. Taylor had multiple prior convictions for felony drug trafficking.  As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.  Additionally, based on his significant prior criminal history, Taylor qualified as an Armed Career Criminal, which enhanced his sentence.

Tuesday, November 4

Two defendants, Jaloni Andrews, 35, of Richmond, Ky., and Bridgett Vance, 57, of Strunk, Ky., were sentenced to 144 months and 27 months, respectively, for drug distribution charges. Andrews was sentenced to distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. According to his plea agreement, on March 4, 2024, a confidential informant met Andrews to obtain fentanyl and during the meeting Andrews sold the informant 521 blue round pills, which collectively weighed 54.83 grams. Event though the pills were marked with a “30” on one side and a “M” on the other side, like a real oxycodone pill, Andrews admitted that they were fake and contained fentanyl instead.

Vance previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute oxycodone. According to her plea agreement, Vance sold oxycodone pills in McCreary County by obtaining the pills from a local supplier, but then began traveling to Lexington, Ky., to obtain pills from suppliers there. On October 24, 2023, law enforcement tracked Vance traveling to her supplier in Lexington and they conducted a traffic stop on her vehicle. During a search, law enforcement located 293 oxycodone 30mg pills and $3,529 in cash. Vance admitted that she possessed these pills and intended to distribute them as she had done in the past.

Thursday, November 6

A Munford, Alabama, man, Floyd Jenkins, 46, was sentenced to 212 months for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, Jenkins worked with his co-defendants, Frederick Holt, Jr., 51, to import methamphetamine and fentanyl into the Johnson County area. Specifically, on December 4, 2024, law enforcement seized more than 300 grams of methamphetamine in Jenkins’ vehicle, which he admitted he possessed and intended to distribute. Holt was previously sentenced in August 2025 to 65 months for his role in the methamphetamine trafficking. 

Wednesday, November 12

A London, Ky., man, Shane Brock, was sentenced to 97 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, between January 2021 to March 2022, Brock received pound quantities of methamphetamine from co-defendant Stacey Smith, who distributed to multiple mid-level dealers. Brock, in turn, sold the drugs to other methamphetamine traffickers and end users.  Brock admitted to being responsible from between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine distribution.

The final defendant in large methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, Charles Phillip Dozier, of Baxter, Ky., was sentenced to 100 months for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to Dozier’s plea agreement, on February 14, 2023, Dozier was found to be in possession of 140 grams of methamphetamine at a local motel where he was staying. Law enforcement also found a loaded handgun hidden in the ceiling tile in the room, near the methamphetamine.  Dozier’s co-defendants were previously sentenced to the following: Jessica Nicole Creech received 64 months; Gregory Mills received 164 months; and David Hale received 180 months in prison.

 

– END –

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge John L. Badalamenti has sentenced Alexander William Czech (34, Palm Harbor) to 17 years in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for two counts of producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and one count of receiving CSAM. Czech was also ordered to pay $133,000 in restitution and will be required to register as a sex offender. Czech pleaded guilty on August 22, 2025.

According to court documents, the FBI obtained a federal search warrant to search Czech’s residence for evidence of CSAM and found thousands of videos and photos of CSAM in Czech’s computer and an external hard drive. In Czech’s cellphone, the FBI found chats with a 16-year-old girl whom Czech personally knew. The chats showed Czech directing the minor to take sexually explicit photos of herself to send to him via a mobile application. The investigation also revealed that, on several occasions, Czech engaged in sexual activity with the minor after picking her up from school.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Largo Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Press Release

Updated November 25, 2025

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Willie Curtis Slack Jr., 49, of Milton, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of possession of firearms and ammunition 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 work of the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, supported by our federal law enforcement partners, this violent career criminal has been removed from our streets.  My office stands ready to aggressively prosecute these repeat offenders to keep our communities safe.”

Court documents reflect that during a traffic stop in October 2023, law enforcement officers found and seized a loaded pistol and marijuana from the defendant’s waistband. Then, in December 2024, law enforcement seized two additional firearms and matching bulk ammunition that the defendant had knowingly possessed earlier that year. Prior to these incidents, the defendant had been convicted of numerous felonies, including batteries, resisting officer with violence, aggravated assault by threat, and multiple drug sale and trafficking convictions. As a result, under the Armed Career Criminal Act, the defendant faces a minimum mandatory term of 15 years in prison up to a maximum term of life on each count.

Sentencing is currently set for January 13, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.

The plea was the result of investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Forbes.

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.

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

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – United States Attorney John P. Heekin announced today that 12 individuals were indicted across three divisions of the Northern District of Florida.

The following indictments were filed in the Gainesville division:

• Patrick Johnson, of Gainesville, Florida, indicted for bank burglary and bank larceny.
• Stephen Jones, of Gainesville, Florida, indicted for a possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
• Tyrese Jones, of Gainesville, Florida, indicted for possession of firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

The following indictments were filed in the Panama City division:

• Jose Alvarado-Lopez, a citizen of Honduras, indicted for illegal reentry after deportation or removal.
• Maynor Esquivel-Amador, a citizen of Guatemala, indicted for illegal reentry after deportation or removal.
• Eugenio Hernandez-Vargas, a citizen of Mexico, indicted for illegal reentry after deportation or removal.

The following indictments were filed in the Tallahassee division:

• Jose Escobar, a citizen of Honduras, indicted for illegal reentry after deportation or removal.
• Abraham Flores-Tercero, a citizen of Honduras, indicted for illegal reentry after deportation or removal.
• Kelveont’a Lamar Dennis, of Tallahassee, Florida, indicted for one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
• Rashaad Huggins, of Tallahassee, Florida, indicted for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
• Brandon Mahaffey, of Tallahassee, Florida, indicted for enticement of a minor.
• Perry Walker II, of Tallahassee, Florida, indicted for one count of sexual exploitation of children, one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of transfer of obscene material to minors, and one count of possession of child pornography

Law enforcement agencies conducting the investigations included the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; with assistance from Bay County Sheriff’s Office; Leon County Sheriff’s Office; Alachua County Sheriff’s Office; and Tallahassee Police Department.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hapner, James A. McCain, Eric K. Mountin, Harley W. Ferguson, Justin M. Keen, Meredith L. Steer, and Christie S. Utt.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

Nine cases are 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.

Two cases are 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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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

The ATF is seeking more information.