Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Orlando, Florida – A federal jury has found Leonard Ronald Nile, Jr. (53, Melbourne) guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Nile faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison on each count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 23, 2026. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Harry T. Chavis, Jr., announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging JOHN REVELLA with four counts of subscribing to false tax returns for 2019 through 2022.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
NEW ORLEANS, LA – VAN VESSEL, (“VESSEL”), age 50, of Houma, pled guilty on March 18, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. Sentencing is scheduled for June 24, 2026.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tampa, FL – Jeffrey Hennig (60, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of firearms with altered or removed serial numbers. Hennig faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. The sentencing date has not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The owner of Grips By Larry, a former federal firearms licensee (FFL) was indicted last week on charges related to providing material support to Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (“CJNG”) and Cartel de Sinaloa (“CDS”), Mexican cartels that were designated as foreign terrorist organizations in 2025.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tampa, Florida – Kendarius Devonta Stitten (26, Parrish) pleaded guilty today to a violation of the federal Anti-Arson Act. Stitten faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Army
ZAGAN, Poland – 82 years after one of history’s most audacious prison breaks, the legacy of the “Great Escape” from Stalag Luft 3 was remembered at the POW camp – turned museum in Zagan, Poland, March 24, 2026. Delegations of American, Polish and other nations honored the Airmen who escaped and those who lost their lives in the attempt. A moment in World War II history that continues to tie the U.S., Poland and the 13 different nations who were represented in the break out.
“In Stalag Luft 3 [on] 1944 March 24th, the whole idea was a mass escape of over 200 prisoners, and for that the POWs were digging three tunnels at the same time. These tunnels were code named Tom, Dick, and Harry; and unfortunately, Harry was the only one completed,” said Marek Lazarz, Director of the POW Camps Museum at Zagan. “Due to so many technical problems and difficulties, instead of 200 only 76 escaped, but of the 76 only three made it to England. The other prisoners were recaptured and 50 were murdered.”
The Great Escape took place on the nights of March 24-25, 1944 during World War II in present-day Zagan, Poland, and was established in March 1942 near the town of Sagan, Lower Silesia in then Nazi Germany, to hold Allied air force prisoners of war. Just over 10,000 Allied Airmen were held captive at Stalag Luft III, including about 7,500 American and 2,500 Commonwealth Airmen. The prisoner self-administer day-to-day life in the camp, while German guards, mostly older WWI Luftwaffe veterans patrolled its perimeter. The Germans chose this specific location, ironically because its sandy soil made it difficult for POWs to escape by tunnelling. And while no American’s took part in the actual escape, many played a role in its year-long planning and tunnel digging until German forces segregated them to a different part of the camp.
“For me, it’s a very personal and historical event, and to actually be here and experience it is a lot more meaningful than just watching it on a movie”, said Maj. Daniel Maiuro, U.S. Army Garrison Poland’s executive officer citing the 1963 film The Great Escape. “I would say what resonates with me more is the support from the community, and just seeing the overall number of representatives here, not only the various Polish armed forces, but from other countries too.”
The 82nd anniversary was not just a day of remembrance and celebration for the service members who were captured and risked everything against the enemy, but an opportunity to share history with the community through presentation of rare artifacts in museums and tours around the Luft 3 Camp, said Lazarz.
“Our mission as a museum is to educate.” said Lazarz. “Especially younger generations today. We had all these students from the local schools… and today I hope they learned something about the Great Escape.”
Maiuro who spent much of the day exploring and touring the site that held many more memories than just that of the Great Escape, echoed his sentiment.
“I would say it would be important for us to continue to host and participate in these events because it’s a part of our history – not only our history, but the history of Poland.” said Maiuro. “History of other countries that have lost soldiers during these times, it’s something that I think helps teach us about the events that have happened in the past, and helps shape us going forward.”
Source: United States Department of Justice
The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against S & K Towing, Inc., which is based in San Clemente, California, alleging that the company violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by illegally auctioning motor vehicles owned by members of the military.
The Department’s lawsuit alleges that, from August 28, 2020, through April 15, 2025, S & K illegally sold or disposed of as many as 148 vehicles owned by servicemembers, many of which were towed from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. Even though S & K’s contract with Camp Pendleton required it to comply with all applicable federal and state laws, the company made no effort to comply with the SCRA, which requires tow companies to obtain a court order before selling or disposing of a vehicle owned by an SCRA-protected servicemember.
“Towing companies must respect and abide by the federal laws that protect members of our Armed Forces,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Servicemembers are often absent for extended periods due to training and deployments and may not know that their vehicle has been towed. The SCRA plays an important role in providing these servicemembers with adequate legal protections, including notice and the opportunity to have towing and storage fees adjusted in light of their military service.”
“Servicemembers deserve peace of mind in knowing that their legal rights will be protected at home while they are away serving the United States,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California. “It is unacceptable for a business to sell or dispose of servicemembers’ vehicles without abiding by the laws that protect servicemembers.”
In May 2024, a Military Legal Assistance attorney contacted S & K Towing and explained that the company was violating the SCRA. In response, a manager at S & K Towing told the attorney that “We do this all the time.” After this exchange, S & K Towing continued to sell and dispose of vehicles owned by SCRA-protected servicemembers without obtaining court orders. Some of the vehicles S & K sold or disposed of were registered to addresses on Camp Pendleton. In other cases, S & K auctioned vehicles even after they were told that the owner was in the military.
This case is being handled by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Since 2011, the Department has obtained over $484 million in monetary relief for over 149,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the Department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA may have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
DAYTON, Ohio – Federal charges were filed here against a Dayton man who had been a fugitive in Missouri for approximately five years. The defendant fired shots at fugitive apprehension officers when they arrived at his Dayton home to take him into custody.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Stanley Yi Zheng, Matthew Kelly, and Tommy Shad English have been charged with conspiring to commit smuggling and export control violations. The three defendants are alleged to have sought millions of dollars’ worth of export-controlled computer chips from a California-based computer hardware company for illegal shipment to China through Thailand.