Category: MIL-OSI

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Jennifer Peters Illegally Accessed Information, Lied to Investigators, and Destroyed Evidence

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

DES MOINES, Iowa – A federal grand jury in Des Moines returned a 13-count indictment Wednesday, December 10, 2025, charging a Des Moines man with offenses related to sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of children.

As alleged in the Indictment, Tyler Boyd Pavlick, 32, produced and attempted to produce sexually explicit visual depictions of minor victims at two cross-country meets for middle school and high school athletes in September 2025 held in Marshall and Clarke counties and one arts and crafts festival in October 2025 held in Polk County. The Indictment also alleges that Pavlick possessed a computer containing child sexual abuse material. If convicted, Pavlick could face up to thirty years in prison on each of the charges involving production or attempted production of the visual depictions.

Pavlick made his initial court appearance yesterday before a United States Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Trial is set for February 2, 2025.  Pavlick remains in custody pending trial.

United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement.  Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Kerndt is prosecuting the case. The FBI Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Des Moines Police Department, and Iowa DCI Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force are investigating this case.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Sherell Breus (40, Champions Gate), Jessie Perlado (63, Lakeland), Candice Harper (37, Pooler, GA), Yashica Carter (40, Ft. Lauderdale), Brandon Thomas (39, Champions Gate), Antwaun Jonson (39, Delray Beach), Jessica Sejour (33, Greenacres), Tameshia Roberson (44, Winter Haven), Vance Houston (30, Oakland Park), and Raymound Carvil Sr. (61, Ft. Lauderdale) with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies the conspirators that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $2,294,734.50, which represents the alleged proceeds traceable to the offense.

According to the indictment, between April 2020 and June 2021, the conspirators devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by submitting multiple false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications. These programs were two sources of economic relief provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help small business during the COVID-19 pandemic. The conspirators’ applications all contained fraudulent documentation which at times included Department of Treasury – Internal Revenue Service Tax Forms. After receiving their fraudulently obtained proceeds, the conspirators transferred a portion of their funds to other accounts belonging to co-conspirators. 

In a separate indictment, an associate of one the conspirators, Neil Bryant (45, Winter Haven) was charged with one count of wire fraud. According to the indictment, Bryant defrauded the Small Business Administration by submitting a fraudulent EIDL application. If convicted, Bryant faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. Bryant was also notified that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $52,400, which represents the proceeds traceable to his offense.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. 

These cases were investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Merrilyn Hoenemeyer.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by contacting the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – William Joseph Kessler III, 44, of Beckwith, pleaded guilty on Thursday, December 11, 2025, to one count of distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl and one count of distribution of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 25, 2024, Kessler sold a total of 18 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant over the course of two transactions, one in Raleigh County and the other at Kessler’s residence in Beckwith. On June 26, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Kessler’s residence and seized approximately 45 grams of methamphetamine, 300 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and ketamine, and a firearm.

Kessler is scheduled to be sentenced on April 2, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $2 million.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Central Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.

United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Amy L. McLaughlin is prosecuting the case.

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. 2:25-cr-146.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced it has filed federal lawsuits against four states — Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Nevada — for failure to produce their statewide voter registration lists upon request. This brings the Justice Department’s nationwide total to 18. The Civil Rights Division is also suing one locality — Fulton County, Georgia — for records related to the 2020 election.

“States have the statutory duty to preserve and protect their constituents from vote dilution,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “At this Department of Justice, we will not permit states to jeopardize the integrity and effectiveness of elections by refusing to abide by our federal elections laws. If states will not fulfill their duty to protect the integrity of the ballot, we will.”

According to the lawsuits, the Attorney General is uniquely charged by Congress with the enforcement of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which were designed by Congress to ensure that states have proper and effective voter registration and voter list maintenance programs. The Attorney General also has the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (CRA) at her disposal to demand the production, inspection, and analysis of the statewide voter registration lists. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dominique Harris, age 24, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on two counts of assaulting a federal officer.

According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Harris assaulted two officers of the Department of Homeland Security by spitting on them while they engaged in their normal course of their duties.  On November 30, 2025 in Williamsport, Deportation Officers were conducting a routine investigation in Williamsport that resulted in the arrest of an individual for immigration offenses.  Harris allegedly interfered with deportation officers at the scene of the arrest and then followed them back to an ICE office where she attempted to enter the premises in her car through a secure gate.  When officers confronted Harris, she is alleged to have become belligerent with the deportation officers and spit on two of them.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur 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 Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is eight years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

St. Thomas, VI –United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that Ray Martinez, former Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD), and Jenifer O’Neal, former Director of the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget (OMB), were found guilty on all counts following a one-week jury trial before United States District Judge Mark A. Kearney. Martinez and O’Neal were convicted of participating in a wide-ranging public corruption scheme involving honest services wire fraud, federal program bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and, in Martinez’s case, obstruction of justice.
“Public corruption erodes trust in government and interferes with the provision of important services to the community,” said United States Attorney Adam Sleeper. “These convictions show that those who violate the public trust, whoever they are, will be held accountable.”
“Today’s verdict delivers a clear message: no one is above the law,” said Joe Rodriguez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office, which covers the US Virgin Islands. “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to rebuild public trust, which is the foundation of our democracy.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Martinez accepted nearly $100,000 in bribe payments from contractor David Whitaker—including cash, luxury travel, personal expenses, private-school tuition, and restaurant equipment—and used his official authority to approve invoices and award Whitaker a $1.4 million dollar contract funded by federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars. O’Neal, who served as the territory’s chief budget official, knowingly approved a $70,000 inflated invoice under that same contract and later accepted a $17,730 lease payment for her business, Java Grande, using federal funds from the inflated invoice.
The evidence further showed that, after learning of the federal investigation, Martinez attempted to obstruct justice by directing Whitaker to destroy evidence and by creating a fraudulent promissory note in an effort to conceal bribe payments. Martinez and O’Neal each face significant statutory penalties, including terms of imprisonment, and fines. Sentencing dates will be scheduled by the Court.
The FBI San Juan Field Office, St. Thomas Resident Agency investigated the case, in collaboration with the Virgin Islands Office of Inspector General. Trial Attorney Alexandre
Dempsey of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cherrisse Amaro for the District of the Virgin Islands are prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Hunter Chase Eubanks, 31, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our children depend upon us to keep them safe from predators, like this defendant, who seek to sexually victimize them, and the excellent prosecutors in my office will use the full force of the law to protect the most vulnerable members of our community from exploitation.”

According to court records, between July 4, 2024, and October 9, 2024, the defendant engaged in a sexual relationship with a minor who attended Morningside Church, where the defendant served as a worship leader and led a church music internship program. The Leon County Sheriff’s Office opened a criminal investigation in October 2024 after it received a report about the sexual relationship. The investigation revealed that the defendant engaged in sexual activity with the minor on multiple occasions at the church and elsewhere in Tallahassee. During their communications using an iPhone app, the defendant requested that the minor produce and send him images that would constitute child pornography.

“Those who exploit children—especially from a position of trust—will be held fully accountable,” said Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “This case is a stark reminder of the harm done when an adult abuses their authority, their technology, and their access to target a child. We will use every tool under the law to stop that abuse, to protect victims, and to hold these predators fully accountable.”

The defendant’s sentence of imprisonment will be followed by a 10-year term of supervised release and a requirement to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Eubanks was also ordered to pay restitution to his victim.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.

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 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

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Anthony Lamorris Davis, Jr., 21, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and two counts of possession of a machinegun. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our state and federal law enforcement partners work hard every day to keep our communities safe from violent criminals like this defendant, and my office will continue to back up those efforts with successful prosecutions. The residents of the Northern District of Florida deserve safe streets and crime-free communities, and that is exactly what my office intends to achieve.”

Court documents reflect that on both July 21, 2024, and October 25, 2024, officers of the Tallahassee Police Department caught the defendant in possession of a Glock firearm that had been converted into a machinegun. Davis has five prior felony convictions, including two convictions for aggravated assault with a firearm.

The defendant’s prison sentence will be followed by four years of supervised release.

“Taking illegal guns out of the hands of convicted felons is essential to making our streets safer. This arrest is another example of the unwavering dedication our officers show in confronting gun violence and reducing the harm it causes in our community,” said Chief Revell. “I am grateful for their commitment to this work and the determination they bring to every investigation. We will continue doing everything we can to reduce gun violence and keep our community safe.”

The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.

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.

As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

FARGO – United States Attorney Nicholas W. Chase announced the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota unsealed an Indictment revealing that a federal grand jury returned a true bill of indictment charging D’Angelo James Hunt, age 26, of St. Michael, North Dakota, with ten federal felonies including murder and manslaughter.

On November 17, 2025, Hunt was charged by criminal complaint with Second Degree Murder of I.H. He waived a detention hearing following his initial appearance and remains in custody.

The Grand Jury then returned a true bill of indictment charging Hunt with nine additional counts. Hunt’s charges are as follows: Three Counts of Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner; Two Counts of Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner by Strangulation; Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury; Voluntary Manslaughter; Second Degree Murder within Indian country; Tampering with Evidence; and Use of Fire to Commit a Felony.

The indictment includes six counts of assaults committed by Hunt against J.M.P. as well as one count of voluntary manslaughter against J.M.P. In addition to the second-degree murder of I.H., the indictment charges Hunt with tampering with evidence and use of a fire to commit felony as it relates to the murder. 

The Indictment in this case is not evidence of guilt. The Defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

“Today’s unsealing of this Indictment marks an important step toward justice in a case that has weighed heavily on the victims’ families and the Spirit Lake community for more than two years, said United States Attorney Nicholas W. Chase.  “No indictment can undo their loss, but it affirms our commitment to pursuing accountability with care, diligence, and resolve.  Of course, an Indictment is not proof of guilt, and the Defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.  Violent crime remains one of the highest priorities of this office, and we will continue to devote the resources necessary to hold violent offenders accountable.  I want to commend our law-enforcement partners, who have worked tirelessly and followed every lead to move this case forward.  The investigation in this case is ongoing, with the goal of bringing a family some measure of closure through the recovery of J.M.P.”

“The charges alleged in this indictment are one more brutal example of violence against indigenous women. Too many women and men face fear and violence on tribal lands,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Through exhaustive investigation and strong collaboration with our tribal, state, and federal partners, the FBI is fully committed to holding violent criminals accountable and protecting safe communities. The indictment of Hunt is the first step in securing much-deserved justice for two victims, their families, and the community.”

“President Trump and Secretary Burgum are committed to bringing forth all available resources to protect tribal communities and deliver justice on behalf of the victims and their families,” said Billy Kirkland, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior. “I appreciate the close collaboration with our law enforcement partners that led to this arrest and prosecution. Together, we may bring closure and peace to families impacted by violence and hold those responsible to account for their actions.”

This case is being investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorneys Lori H. Conroy and Samantha L. Schmidt, and First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl assigned.

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