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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on November 21, 2025, a federal jury in New Haven found ERIC D. COX, 42, of Southington, guilty of firearm and narcotics offenses stemming from a shooting in Hartford in 2020.

According to the evidence introduced during the trial, on September 4, 2020, Cox engaged in a violent altercation near Hartford Hospital in Hartford.  During the altercation in which Cox was slashed with a knife, Cox pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots at the individual who slashed him and others in the vicinity, which resulted in a bystander being shot multiple times.  Hartford Police responded to the incident and found several cartridge casings on Jefferson Street where the stabbing and shooting occurred, and a hospital employee found a discarded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol outside the entrance of the hospital’s emergency department and notified law enforcement.  Police searched Cox’s car after the incident and found a bag containing approximately 28 grams of cocaine.  Subsequent analysis of the firearm revealed the presence of Cox’s DNA.

Cox’s criminal history includes a federal conviction in 2008 for a crack cocaine distribution offense for which he was sentenced to five years of imprisonment.

The jury found Cox guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and possession of cocaine, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of two years.

Cox is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.

The Hartford State’s Attorney’s Office prosecuted the other individual involved in the altercation.     

This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hartford Police Department, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and Mary G. Vitale.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PROVIDENCE – A citizen of India currently residing in Dorchester, MA on a student visa has been ordered detained on a federal criminal complaint for his alleged role in a conspiracy targeting Rhode Island seniors, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

Samyag Uday Doshi, 25, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amy E. Moses on November 17, 2025 for his initial appearance following his arrest.  He has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. It is alleged that he participated in a scheme that caused a Rhode Island resident to turn over $54,000 in cash, with an attempted loss amount totaling more than $385,000.

According to allegations in the criminal complaint, law enforcement received a call for service regarding a Newport resident who was suspected to be the victim of an elder abuse financial fraud scam.  The individual received a voicemail on his cellular phone regarding a phony purchase and was instructed to call a telephone number provided to him to address the issue.  When he called the number, scammers falsely told him that he was speaking with a federal official and was under investigation for a myriad of charges, including money laundering.  The scammers represented that they could assist the individual through the investigation.

Over the course of approximately three weeks, scammers directed the individual to make multiple cash withdrawals of tens of thousands of dollars and to then mail the funds out of state or provide the funds to “couriers,” whom he met in person in Rhode Island.  The individual also made multiple inquiries about purchasing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of gold bars.  These inquiries are believed to have been directed by members of the conspiracy.

           On November 17, 2025, the scammers attempted to arrange for the victim to deliver an additional $45,000 in cash.  The victim contacted law enforcement, who surveilled the delivery as it was made, as is alleged, to Doshi, who was arrested at the meet spot.

A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorney Taylor A. Dean.

The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-Providence and the Newport Police Department, with assistance from HSI-Chicago.

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 Rhode Island comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Intelligence & Analysis, and Rhode Island Police Departments in Warwick, Newport, Providence, East Providence, and Lincoln, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

LAS VEGAS – During the recent lapse in government appropriations, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada remained open and performed excepted duties related to national security, violations of federal law, and essential public safety functions.

The following are highlights of some cases prosecuted during the lapse in appropriations:

• Matthew Wade Beasley pleaded guilty to defrauding investors of money to fund loans, but in reality, he enriched himself and others, and to repay investors as if loans had been made. From 2017 to March 2022, he caused 1,213 investors to invest about $519.9 million. He paid himself about $33.5 million from the scheme, paid off gambling debts, and purchased luxury homes, high-end cars, and recreational vehicles. Sentencing is scheduled for January 28, 2026. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel Schiess and Jessica Oliva are prosecuting the case.
• A jury convicted Francisco Ivan Velazquez, a Mexican national, of operating a fraud scheme in which he impersonated an IRS officer and told victims he could obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars for them from a fictitious IRS program. Sentencing is scheduled for February 18, 2026. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
• Hua Xiao, Cheng Cheng Li, and Jianming Li from China, and Jisup Hwang from South Korea, were charged with operating brothels masquerading as massage parlors throughout Las Vegas and laundering the illegal proceeds. The FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Steven Rose is prosecuting the case.
• Sergio Octavio Sanchez was indicted and made his initial court appearance for allegedly aiming the beam of a laser pointer at and in the flight path of a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department helicopter. The laser interfered with police operations and endangered the crew of the helicopter. A jury trial is scheduled to begin on February 23, 2026. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Tina Snellings is prosecuting the case.
• Steven Gregory Thornton was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to trafficking methamphetamine and felon in possession of a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Tina Snellings prosecuted the case.
• After a three-day trial, a jury convicted Elijah Sylee Shelton of possession of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Sentencing is scheduled for January 8, 2026. The FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys James Gaeta and Joshua Brister are prosecuting the case.
• Five-time felon Brenton Scott Williams was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. In furtherance of his crimes, Williams waited for individuals to leave the gun range, followed them as they left, and then later broke into their vehicles to steal their firearms. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
• Ryan Tyler Maness was sentenced to 10 years in prison for engaging in a sexually explicit conversation over Kik messenger with someone who he believed was a 13-year-old girl and attempting to engage in sexual activity with said minor. Maness attempted to meet who he believed to be a 13-year-old girl while being armed with a loaded firearm. At the time, he was on probation for a robbery conviction in Las Vegas. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Afroza Yeasmin prosecuted the case.

An Indictment merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Mar’keise Bates (31, Jacksonville) to nine years and two months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Bates pleaded guilty on August 20, 2025.

According to court documents, police were dispatched to the River City Inn on March 3, 2025, in response to a disturbance. A hotel employee reported she had asked Bates to leave the hotel. Despite that, Bates returned with what appeared to be a gun in his waistband. The employee then saw another individual running while saying that Bates had pulled a gun on him. Police obtained surveillance video, which showed Bates holding a gun and pointing it at another person before running off. After viewing the surveillance video, police apprehended Bates and recovered the firearm he possessed, a Beretta M9 9mm semi-automatic pistol, in one of the hotel rooms. Prior to this, Bates was convicted of multiple felonies, including felony battery, robbery, aggravated battery upon a pregnant female, and sale of cocaine.           

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelli Swaney.

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.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Javier O. Jasso, 42, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 20, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Jasso to a total of 210 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Jasso’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.

Between January 24, 2024, and continuing until on or about May 28, 2024, Bryan Hall, Javier Jasso, and Jeremy Eaves worked together to sell cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl in and around the Lincoln and Omaha areas.  The group is responsible for possessing and/or distributing at least two kilograms of cocaine, 600 grams of methamphetamine, and 500 grams of fentanyl throughout the conspiracy.  Law enforcement also made multiple controlled buys from Jasso during this time.

A search warrant was executed at the residence of Eaves, Jasso, and Hall.  In Eaves’s bedroom, investigators found a baggie of M30 pills, $1,985 in U.S. currency, a package that was delivered to another residence containing drugs, his identification card, bank receipts, and 330 grams of methamphetamine.  In Jasso’s bedroom, officers seized $5,050 of U.S. currency and an additional $415 of U.S. currency from his wallet.  Drugs were also found on the floor in the community room. In a closet, officers found 170 grams of methamphetamine, baggies of M30 pills, pink pills, suspected MDMA, LSD, Adderall, unknown liquids, unknown pills, bags of mushrooms, THC cartridges, THC syrup, ammunition, and a Marlin lever action .22 caliber rifle.

Co-defendant Jeremy Eaves was sentenced on September 25, 2025, to 224 months’ imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release.

Co-defendant Bryan Hall was sentenced on October 23, 2025, to 30 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release.

This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Rochelle Deborah Johnson (65, The Bahamas) with illegal voting, passport fraud, and false claim of United States citizenship to obtain state benefits. If convicted, Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in federal prison.

According to the indictment, Johnson was born in The Bahamas and is not a citizen of the United States. In 2016, Johnson used a passport that she secured by falsely claiming to be a United States citizen to take an international flight. Then in 2018, she attempted to renew her passport by, once again, falsely claiming to be a United States citizen. Johnson also unlawfully voted in the 2020 Presidential election and falsely claimed to be a United States citizen to renew and replace her Florida driver’s license. 

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. 

This case was investigated by the United States Department of State – Diplomatic Security Service. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler, III.

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.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a San Jacinto, California man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.  The sentencing took place on November 3, 2025.

Darrel Devorce, 56, was sentenced to 33 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, fine, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Devorce was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering by a federal grand jury in May 2024.  He pleaded guilty on July 28, 2025.

“Devorce is a longtime meth dealer responsible for shipping that poison into South Dakota since at least 2018,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.  “He will now be separated from the rest of society for most of the rest of his life.”

“IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to be part of a task force that is dedicated to dismantling criminal organizations that pose a threat to the safety of our local communities,” said Special Agent in Charge William Steenson.  “Devorce’s 400-month prison sentence is a reflection of that dedication and our determination to use our financial expertise to help get dangerous people off our streets.”

Through an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, investigators learned that Darrel Devorce was responsible for running a large methamphetamine trafficking organization for approximately five years.  Devorce began sourcing methamphetamine to co-conspirators in Sioux Falls around 2018 and continued to do so into 2023. During Devorce’s involvement in the conspiracy, he arranged for methamphetamine from California to be delivered to co-conspirators in South Dakota.  Devorce directed others to conduct financial transactions involving the proceeds from the methamphetamine conspiracy using CashApp, Western Union and Zelle.  The money transfers were designed to conceal the source of the proceeds of the methamphetamine conspiracy and Devorce’s involvement in the conspiracy. 

In addition to Devorce, multiple other individuals from California and South Dakota were involved in the conspiracy, and to date over ten of them have been charged and convicted in federal court. Devorce was the leader of the group responsible for souring the drugs and directing the movement of money.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

Devorce was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Terrence Denard Perkins (45, Sanford) guilty of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Perkins faces a minimum penalty of 20 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 4, 2026. Perkins was indicted on January 8, 2025.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on January 9, 2024, law enforcement executed a narcotics search warrant on a house in Sanford, Florida, occupied by Perkins’ elderly stepfather. Inside the house, agents found an electronic money counter, revolvers in the bedrooms, and a loaded AR-15 semiautomatic rifle concealed behind a sofa cushion.

                     AR-15 found in the sofa

                 Revolver in Perkins’ bedroom

In a backyard carport, agents found bags of cocaine and a cocaine cutting, packaging, and distribution station. Next to the packaging station, on the hood of Perkins’ Corvette, was another loaded AR-15 and a MAC-10 handgun wrapped up in a t-shirt.

AR-15 and MAC-10 on the hood of the Corvette

Hidden inside two broken-down cars on the back yard lawn, agents found Perkins’ cocaine inventory—18 vacuum sealed kilogram bricks of cocaine—along with more AR-15s, handguns, an AK-47 rifle, a machinegun, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Financial records, DNA results, videos saved on Perkins’ stash house surveillance system, and Perkins’s own social media posts proved at trial that the seized items were tools and inventory of Perkins’ prolific drug trade. The United States is forfeiting the firearms and ammunition involved in the offense. 

Bricks of cocaine, firearms, and cocaine trafficking paraphernalia seized from Perkins’ house

Perkins is a seven-time convicted felon, including convictions for conspiracy to traffic cocaine, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and aggravating fleeing and eluding. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office’s City County Investigative Bureau (CCIB), with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Richard Varadan and Michael P. Felicetta. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington is handling the forfeiture of firearms and ammunition.   

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.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PIERRE – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man from Mission, South Dakota, convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.  The sentencing took place on November 12, 2025.

Tyler Waukechon, age 32, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Waukechon was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025.  He pleaded guilty on August 7, 2025.

The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in October 2024, in the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation, when Waukechon confronted another adult male with a shovel at a residence in Mission. Waukechon struck the man in the face with the shovel, inflicting a deep laceration that required hospitalization. Waukechon was arrested later that day at a nearby residence.

This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services.  Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

Waukechon was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ROCKFORD — A foreign national residing in Illinois has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for unlawfully re-entering the United States after previously being deported.

SANTOS VASQUEZ-ORTIZ, a native of Guatemala, was unlawfully present in the United States when he was arrested in 2021 for aggravated criminal sexual assault in McHenry County, Ill.  He was later convicted of the offense in state court.  Vasquez-Ortiz had been deported from the United States in 2008 and did not receive authorization from the U.S. government to return.

Vasquez-Ortiz, 41, pleaded guilty earlier this year in federal court in Rockford to one count of unlawful re-entry after removal.  U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the two-year federal prison sentence on Nov. 17, 2025.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew J. Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.