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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Baltimore, Maryland – A Baltimore man learned his fate in federal court, today, for his role in multiple carjackings, including one that resulted in a murder. U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Antonio Purisima, 25, to 35 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for carjacking resulting in death. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Aimer Alberto Alvaran Posada, 52, of Colombia, was sentenced today to 150 months in prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

According to court documents, Alvaran Posada was a high-level member within the Western Bloc of Clan del Golfo (CDG), a Colombian paramilitary and multibillion-dollar transnational criminal organization that was designated on Dec. 16, 2025, by the Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). CDG relies on cocaine trafficking to fund its paramilitary activities. In 2018, Alvaran Posada conspired with other CDG members to produce 500 kilograms of cocaine for sale to Mexican buyers, knowing, intending, and having reasonable cause to believe that the cocaine was destined to the United States. Specifically, Alvaran Posada obtained approval from the commander of CDG’s Northern Bloc, where the cocaine transaction would be conducted, and presided over multiple meetings to coordinate the cocaine transaction. Approximately 363 kilograms of cocaine were seized as part of the operation that led to the conviction of Alvaran Posada.

While engaged in this conspiracy, Alvaran Posada was informed by Dairo Antonio Úsuga David — the former leader of CDG — that he was being considered for commanding CDG’s Western Bloc, a promotion that would have given Alvaran Posada control over a vast network of subordinates, the authority to set cocaine prices, and the responsibility to decide who could produce and transport cocaine in his territory. Instead, Alvaran Posada was arrested in 2021 pursuant to his U.S. charges and subsequently extradited to the United States. He pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking conspiracy on Aug. 27, 2025. 

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. The Colombian National Police, the FBI’s Office of the Legal Attache in Bogotá , and the Department of Justice’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá and Office of International Affairs provided critical support.   

Trial Attorney Douglas Meisel of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance.

MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.

MNF’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit investigates and prosecutes the top command and control elements of international drug cartels, drug trafficking organizations and related transnational criminal organizations.

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.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Florida man appeared for the first time in federal court yesterday to face tax and false statement charges.

In July 2021, a federal grand jury returned a second superseding indictment charging Brian Nelson Booker, a former resident of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with failing to file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBARs), filing false documents with the IRS, and making false statements.

According to the second superseding indictment, Booker, a former CPA whose business specialized in international trade, owned a cocoa trading company that was organized under the laws of the Republic of Panama. Booker allegedly operated that company from Venezuela, Panama and his former residence in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For calendar years 2011 through 2013, Booker allegedly failed to disclose his interest in financial accounts located in Switzerland, Singapore and Panama on annual FBARs as required by law. Booker also allegedly filed individual income tax returns for the years 2010 through 2012 that did not report to the IRS all of Booker’s foreign bank accounts.

Booker is also charged with filing a false “Streamlined Submission” in conjunction with the IRS Streamlined Domestic Offshore Procedures. The IRS Streamlined Procedures allowed certain eligible taxpayers residing within the United States to voluntarily report to the IRS certain past disclosure failures. According to the second superseding indictment, Booker’s Streamlined Submission falsely claimed that his failure to report all income, pay all tax and submit all required information returns, such as FBARs, was due to non-willful conduct.

Booker allegedly left the United States in 2016 after learning about the criminal investigation against him. He lived in Russia but was never ordered to be extradited. In May 2025, Booker was arrested in Belarus, where he was detained and eventually ordered to be expelled. Booker returned to the United States on July 24th and was arrested at a Miami airport.

If convicted, Booker faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of failure to file an FBAR and false statements to the United States. He also faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing false documents with the IRS.

Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty is prosecuting the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

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

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Lori Zeno, the former executive director of Queens Defenders, a nonprofit legal services organization, and Rashad Ruhani, a former employee of the Organization, were sentenced by United States District Judge Rachel P. Kovner for their roles in a scheme to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars from Queens Defenders.  Judge Kovner sentenced Zeno to 43 months’ imprisonment and Ruhani to 57 months’ imprisonment.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CINCINNATI – Kyle D. Lawrence, 43, of Buffalo, New York, pleaded guilty in federal court in Cincinnati today to transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Lawrence was arrested in late February after investigation into a missing Colerain teenager revealed he was previously involved with the minor.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that DERRICK VAN YEBOAH, a/k/a “Van,” was sentenced to 85 months in prison for his role in an international criminal organization that stole more than $100 million from victims via romance scams and business email compromises.  

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Kevin Langel, who trafficked dozens of kilograms of cocaine from Texas to Arkansas, will spend the next 14 years in federal prison. Bruce Smith, who trafficked multiple pounds of methamphetamine from California to Arkansas, will be in federal prison for the next 10 years. And Larry Rogers, who brokered multiple kilogram-quantity transactions of cocaine between drug distributors in Little Rock, will serve five years in federal prison.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Carroll County, Maryland man has admitted to his role in a multi-state violent crime spree involving kidnapping, murder, and witness tampering causing death following a lengthy investigation, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. Monroe Merrell, 29, of Westminster, Maryland, pled guilty today to three charges, admitting he worked with others to kidnap and murder J.R. in an apartment in Westminster, Maryland in March 2020.