Category: MIL-OSI

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A California man pleaded guilty yesterday to sexually abusing two minors under the age of 16 while he was employed by the U.S. Armed Forces outside of the United States.

“The defendant engaged in the repeated sexual abuse of two young children over several years while he was employed as a civilian with the U.S. Army in Japan,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His guilty plea should serve as a warning to anyone who would harm children — even overseas — as long as the Criminal Division has jurisdiction, we will hold you accountable. The abuse and exploitation of children is intolerable, and we will aggressively investigate and prosecute those who engage in such deplorable conduct.”

“As this guilty plea demonstrates, those who exploit and abuse children, whether at home or abroad, will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring that such heinous acts, including by military employees, are met with consequences that dispense justice and deter future offenses against the vulnerable.”

“American armed service members should be trusted to keep people safe and uphold values of honor and integrity. The sexual abuse of children is despicable and counter to everything Americans stand for,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our partners remain vigilant in rooting out those who seek to harm our most vulnerable population, both at home and abroad.”

“We are committed to protecting our overseas military communities from those who exploit and endanger children,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael DeFamio of the Army CID Far East Field Office. “This case is an example of the work our special agents do every day to protect the Soldiers and civilian employees of the Department of the Army and their families.”

According to court documents, Thelmo Meneses Santos Jr., 60, of Merced, California, sexually abused two children multiple times between 2015 and 2023. Santos began sexually abusing one of the minor victims when the child was 11 years old. Santos abused the two minors over a period of years in Japan, where he was employed by the U.S. Army as a civilian employee. During the investigation, Santos gave an interview to law enforcement officers where he admitted to engaging in sexual acts with both children. Santos was later arrested in Hawaii by Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) special agents.

As part of his plea agreement, Santos faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Additionally, Santos will be required to pay restitution to his victims and to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2026.

The Far East Field Office of the Army Criminal Investigation Division investigated this case with valuable assistance from the FBI.

Trial Attorney Eduardo A. Palomo of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa for the Eastern District of California prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Source: United States Department of Justice

In a superseding indictment unsealed today, high-ranking members of the Sinaloa Cartel are facing federal charges for their alleged involvement in trafficking hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine into southern Illinois and laundering the proceeds to Mexico.

“The Sinaloa Cartel relies on drug trafficking to finance its terrorism against the American people while spreading poison in our communities,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s indictment is a significant blow against this terrorist organization’s infrastructure as we carry out President Trump’s mission of dismantling and destroying the cartels.”

“The Sinaloa Cartel is a vicious international criminal organization that spreads terror through intimidation, torture, and murder. The entire enterprise is financed through a drug distribution network that includes southern Illinois,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft for the Southern District of Illinois. “Today’s superseding indictment targets some of the highest level of Sinaloa leadership demonstrating our commitment to use every possible tool to crush this cartel, dismantling its operations, and protecting our community from its narcoterrorism.”

“Today’s announcement in the Southern District of Illinois is monumental in our fight to eliminate the Sinaloa Cartel,” said Administrator Terrance Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “The extraordinary work of the St. Louis Field Division and their partners resulted in the seizure of more than 800 pounds of fentanyl and exposed a money laundering network that pushed millions in cartel profits through U.S. banks. This is not a street-corner operation — it is a cartel pipeline that has flooded the Midwest with significant amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. We continue the fight, using all the resources of the United States government, to destroy the Sinaloa Cartel.”

The indictment alleges that the Sinaloa Cartel is a Mexican-based transnational drug trafficking organization that uses premeditated violence to control territory and undermine governmental authority. The Cartel sustains its enterprise by trafficking narcotics into the United States and funneling the profits back into Mexico.

Over approximately one week, the DEA, in conjunction with law enforcement partners, arrested 15 of the charged defendants in a nationwide operation involving Sinaloa Cartel associates. These indictments and arrests are the result of a years-long operation involving the removal of more than 400 kilograms of fentanyl, nearly 80 kilograms of methamphetamine and 50 kilograms of cocaine from communities in and around Southern Illinois.

President Donald J. Trump designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). The designation included the Sinaloa Cartel among eight criminal organizations classified as FTOs and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. § 1189) and Executive Order 13224.

Narcoterrorism is a federal crime that provides enhanced penalties to punish drug trafficking that supports terrorist organizations. The crime of providing material support applies when a person provides resources to an organization knowing that it has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization.

A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment alleging that 26 defendants participated in a Sinaloa Cartel sourced drug distribution pipeline originating in Mexico that included the Southern District of Illinois, including the following:

Name	Age	Residence	Charge(s)
Prospero Coronel-Sanchez, also known as “Pro”	40	Mexican national	Narcoterrorism; providing material support to foreign terrorist organization; Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering conspiracy
Jose Luis Angulo-Soto, also known as “Jose Luis Angulo-Cazares” or “El Mi Nino”		Mexican national	Narcoterrorism; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering conspiracy
German Angel Alatorre-Monge	24	South Gate, California	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
Leobardo Alcaraz-Ibarra	51	Phoenix	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
Miguel Angel Aramburo, Jr.	34	Paramount, California	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
Manuel Buenrostro	38	Cudahy, California	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
Oscar Bryan Castro	34	Pasadena, California	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering conspiracy
Carlos Diaz, Jr.	34	Pasadena	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering conspiracy
Alejandro Flores	30	Cudahy, California	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
Armando Gallardo	46	Chula Vista, California	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
Karen L. Gandarillas-Carreno	36	Sun Valley, California	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering conspiracy
Roberto J. Gonzalez, Jr.	39	Bell, California	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
Sabrina Danielle Herrera	35	South Gate, California	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
Mauro Armando Luna-Renteria	39	Lynwood, California	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
Lucia Viridiana Montano	40	Rio Rico, Arizona	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
David Alonso Pereda	33	Costa Mesa, California	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
Memo Perez, also known as “Demecia Perez”	50	Los Angeles	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
Jaqueline Desiree Piikkila-Vigueras	49	Tucson, Arizona	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering conspiracy
Miguel Rios	31	Cudahy, California	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
Richard Ruiz, Jr.	27	Paramount, California	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
Evan Sanchez	31	Victorville, California	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
Julio Villa-Morales	36	Tucson	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
Jose Espino-Zavala	44	Mexican national	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
Martin Ismael Zuniga-Lopez	32	Los Angeles	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine
Earl Frank	56	O’Fallon, Illinois	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering conspiracy (2 counts); distribution of controlled substances: methamphetamine
Michael Pennel	56	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering conspiracy

According to court documents, the charged conduct occurred between January 2020 and July 2025. The conspiracy is accused of distributing more than 50 or more grams of methamphetamine, 400 or more grams of fentanyl, and five kilograms or more of cocaine.

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, 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

DEA St. Louis, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. HSI’s Parole and Law Enforcement Programs Unit provided critical support.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karelia Rajagopal, Laura Reppert, and Thomas Leggans for the Southern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case.

In March 2023, the original indictment charged Earl Frank and 10 others with various federal offenses related to the drug trafficking conspiracy:

Name	Age	Residence	Charge(s)	Plea
Earl Frank	56	O’Fallon, Illinois	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; distribution of controlled substance: methamphetamine; money laundering conspiracy	Not guilty
Michael Pennel	56	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering	Not guilty
Chontell Reynolds	42	East St. Louis, Illinois	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; distribution of controlled substance: methamphetamine	Guilty; awaiting sentencing
Jeffery Neely	54	St. Louis	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine	Guilty; awaiting sentencing
Dereck Turnage	49	Bowling Green, Missouri	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine	Guilty; sentenced to 235 months in prison
David Allen Day	55	Ironton, Missouri	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine	Guilty; Sentenced to 20 years in prison
Dwayne Kimmins	52	St. Louis	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine	Guilty; Sentenced to nine years in prison
Charles R. Evans	35	O’Fallon, Missouri	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine	Guilty; Awaiting sentencing
Shannon Guyton	46	Clarkton, Missouri	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; transportation in aid of racketeering enterprise	Guilty; sentenced to eight years in prison
Kimberly Hoskins	38	O’Fallon, Illinois	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering	Guilty; Awaiting sentencing
Aundre Vaughn	54	East St. Louis, Illinois	Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; distribution of controlled substances: fentanyl	Guilty; Awaiting sentencing

An indictment is merely an allegation. 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

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Timothy Darren Proctor, 41, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 130 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.  On October 7, 2024, a federal jury found Proctor guilty of possessing a firearm as a felon, possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).

According to evidence presented at trial, on July 10, 2021, officers responded to a Temple Hills, Maryland location to check on a suspicious occupied vehicle parked in the area.  Upon arrival, officers found Proctor unresponsive behind the steering wheel with the windows up and the doors locked. 

Officers banged on the windows to wake Proctor up, and after he eventually woke up, he exited the vehicle. Law enforcement then discovered and retrieved a clear bag hanging from Proctor’s front pocket which contained approximately 10 grams of fentanyl. Additionally, officers found a firearm inside the vehicle’s center console. The firearm was loaded with 13 40mm caliber cartridges in the magazine and one in the chamber.  Proctor possessed the firearm in connection with his fentanyl drug trafficking. At the time Proctor possessed the firearm, he was prohibited from doing so due to prior felony convictions.

Additionally, after arriving at the jail, officers located an additional clear zipped bag containing 29 small clear bags, which also contained fentanyl.

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.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and PGPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo who prosecuted the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

HARRISONBURG, Va. – A Fort Defiance, Virginia man, who created more than 1,000 usernames on the web-based gaming and chat platform Medal to harass a victim he met online, was arrested today on federal cyberstalking charges.

Nicholas Andrew McMillion, 25, was arrested today at his home in Fort Defiance, Virginia and charged via federal criminal complaint with cyberstalking. McMillion made his initial court appearance today in U.S. District Court in Charlottesville and is being held pending a detention hearing.

According to court documents, between October 2024 and June 2025, McMillion used various online platforms, including Discord and Medal, to create online gaming and social media accounts for the express purpose of stalking and harassing a victim (“Victim 1”) from Canada. Records show that McMillion created at least 1,000 Medal accounts and used many of them to contact and harass Victim 1, despite Victim 1’s repeated attempts to block contact with him and being blocked by Medal customer support.

McMillion’s account names, through which he contacted Victim 1, conveyed death threats, sexually explicit acts, and threats of arriving at Victim 1’s physical location in Canada. McMillion’s harassing conduct caused a reasonable fear of death and bodily harm to Victim 1.

Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci, and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.

Assistant United States Attorney Sally J. Sullivan is prosecuting the case for the United States.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

LONDON, Ky. – A London man, Edward Albert Ernsting, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom to 76 months in prison, for possession with intent to distribute fluorofentanyl and heroin, as well as a mixture containing methamphetamine.  

According to his plea agreement, on April 9, 2024, Ernsting was found passed out in his vehicle at a gas station, where law enforcement recovered approximately 16 grams of a mixture containing fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, and heroin, and 14 grams of methamphetamine, as well as digital scales, baggies, and $504 in cash from Ernsting’s body and vehicle. Ernsting admitted significant heroin and fentanyl trafficking activity for a year or more before his arrest. 

Under federal law, Ernsting must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Chief Rusty Hedrick, Corbin Police Department; and Sheriff William ‘Bill’ Elliotte, Whitley County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the ATF, Corbin Police Department, and Whitley County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Pearce Nesbitt is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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.

 

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Jaramie J. Mason was convicted of the charges following federal jury trial