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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin man previously convicted of two federal drug offenses was sentenced Wednesday to 324 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, plus 24 months in prison for violating the requirements of a previously imposed term of supervised release by U.S. District Judge David Ezra.

According to court documents, Trinity Duke Smith, 50, was released from prison in December 2020. He was still on supervised release on March 26, 2024, when the FBI and Austin Police Department executed a search warrant on his residence.

The search revealed a plastic grocery bag in a kitchen cabinet that contained approximately 197 grams of suspected methamphetamine, a digital scale, sandwich bags, latex gloves, and pieces of white insulation. Two large garbage bags containing 9.2 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine were also found underneath insulation in Smith’s attic.

A Drug Enforcement Administration lab test in May 2024 determined the substance found in the kitchen to be 188.3 grams of 91% pure methamphetamine and determined the substance found in the attic to be 8.899 kilograms of 100% pure methamphetamine.

Smith was indicted June 18, 2024, for one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty in August 2025.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The FBI, Austin Police Department, and Texas Rangers investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Castillo prosecuted the case.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Defendants Ran Counterfeit Check Cashing Fraud with Stolen Information from USPS Employee

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Charles Wager, age 57, of Castleton-on-Hudson, New York, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison after a jury convicted him in February 2023 of attempting to entice a minor into engaging in unlawful sexual activities while he was required to register as a sex offender for his prior rape of a minor.  Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

The trial evidence established that in January and February 2021, Wager exchanged thousands of sexually explicit text messages with people he believed to be a 10-year-old girl and her mother.  In these text messages, Wager, among other things, shared pornography with the presumed child to groom her into sexual activity with him, educated her on different sexual acts he would perform with the child, sent nude pictures of himself, and arranged for a reward system whereby he would provide the child with toys and treats for engaging in sexual acts with him.  Wager arranged to meet with the presumed mother and 10-year-old in person and purchased a car to do so.  On February 5, 2021, he traveled from Castleton-on-Hudson to Binghamton, New York, for the purpose of having sex with the presumed 10-year-old.  He brought with him numerous toys that he intended to give the child as rewards for performing sexual acts with him.  The defendant was arrested shortly after his arrival and has been detained ever since.

As further established at trial, in 2002, Wager pled guilty in Rensselaer County Court to rape in the third degree, after admitting to the rape of a then-15-year-old girl.   He has been required to register as a sex offender ever since.  Evidence at trial also established that Wager previously sexually molested two other minor victims several decades ago.  In his prior crimes, he engaged in virtually identical grooming of his victims to the conduct he attempted on his intended 10-year-old victim in this case.

“Charles Wager is one of the most dangerous child predators our office has ever prosecuted, and that speaks volumes,” said Acting United States Attorney Sarcone.  “We will continue to unleash the full powers of the federal government to hold these twisted and evil people accountable for their vile and despicable crimes.  I commend the FBI for its flawless operation to bring this repeat, remorseless child predator to justice.”

Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Today’s significant sentence put an end to Mr. Wager’s horrific history of sexual abuse and vile behavior. This dangerous individual will now spend decades in federal prison where he can no longer harm any of our children. The FBI remains as dedicated as ever to ensuring any individual seeking to harm our most vulnerable is swiftly identified, investigated, and brought to justice.”

This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Thomas R. Sutcliffe prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.

Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DANIEL WAYNE CALLIHAN (“CALLIHAN”), age 38, a resident of Amite, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Lance M. Africk to life in prison for each count of conviction after previously pleading guilty in federal court to a two-count superseding indictment charging him with kidnapping resulting in death, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1201(a) (Count One), and transporting a minor in interstate commerce with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(a) (Count Two). As part of the sentence, Judge Africk also ordered CALLIHAN to pay restitution to the family of the victims in the amount of $260,000 and a mandatory special assessment fee of $200.00 CALLIHAN was also previously charged, pleaded guilty, and sentenced in matters prosecuted by law enforcement authorities in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, and Hinds County, Mississippi. Judge Africk ordered CALLIHAN’s life sentences to be served consecutively with each other and consecutive to the sentences imposed in Hinds County, Mississippi, and the 21^st Judicial District (Louisiana).

According to court documents, on or about June 12, 2024, CALLIHAN was present inside the Loranger, Louisiana residence of Adult Victim 1, who lived with her two daughters, Minor Victim 1 (a four-year-old female) and Minor Victim 2 (a six-year-old female). While present in the residence, CALLIHAN stabbed Adult Victim 1 more than fifty times, resulting in her death. After killing Adult Victim 1, CALLIHAN kidnapped Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 using Adult Victim 1’s 2012 Chrysler 200 automobile, bearing a Louisiana license plate, and drove to McComb, Mississippi.

CALLIHAN, with Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 still in the car, then returned to Amite Louisiana, where he picked up Co-Conspirator 1. CALLIHAN then drove Adult Victim 1’s car to a residence in Jackson, Mississippi located in the 3900 block of Boozier Drive.

On either the evening of June 12, 2023, or early on June 13, 2024, CALLIHAN and Co-Conspirator 1 engaged in sexual battery with Minor Victim 2. CALLIHAN intended that Minor Victim 2 would engage in criminal sexual activity, namely violations of criminal laws of the State of Louisiana, including La. Rev. Stat. 14.81 and La Rev. Stat. 43.1, and the State of Mississippi, including Miss. Code § 97-3-95 and Miss. Code § 97-5-23, at the time he transported Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 from Louisiana to Mississippi.

Thereafter, on June 13, 2024, while at the Boozier Drive property, CALLIHAN purposely suffocated Minor Victim 1 to death by holding Minor Victim 1 closely against his chest.

Later on June 13, 2024, after Adult Victim 1’s body was discovered, federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities began an investigation. The investigation determined the location of both CALLIHAN and Adult Victim 1’s car. A search of the Boozier Drive property led to the discovery of a pit on the property. Law enforcement officers discovered Minor Victim 1’s body and Minor Victim 2 together in the pit.

After being taken into custody and waiving his Miranda rights, CALLIHAN admitted to stabbing Adult Victim 1 to death and kidnapping Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 in Adult Victim 1’s vehicle. CALLIHAN further admitted that he and Co-Conspirator 1 transported Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 to Mississippi, where he and Co-Conspirator 1 committed sexual battery on Minor Victim 2 and he smothered Minor Victim 1 to death. CALLIHAN’s admission that he and Co-Conspirator 1 committed sexual battery on Minor Victim 2 was corroborated in a voluntary, post-Miranda statement Co-Conspirator 1 made to law enforcement authorities.

Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter and expressed appreciation for the great support provided by the United States Marshals Service, the Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office, the Tangipahoa Parish District Attorney’s Office, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, and the Jackson (Mississippi) Police Department. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson also commended the exceptional work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana Victim/Witness Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, and Sarah Dawkins, of the Violent Crime Unit, were in charge of the prosecution.

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. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PORTLAND, Ore.— A Portland man pleaded guilty today to arson at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in South Portland.

Trenten Edward Barker, 34, pleaded guilty to Arson of a Federal Building.

According to court documents, on June 11, 2025, a group of individuals began constructing a barricade of large objects and debris against the vehicle gate of the ICE building to prevent law enforcement officers from exiting through the gate. Barker lit a flare from his backpack and threw it onto the pile of debris. The flare ignited the debris, causing a fire to start.

On October 22, 2025, Barker was charged by information with Arson of a Federal Building.

Barker faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a 250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on March 4, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Portland Police Bureau. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Following a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge Dena M. Coggins, Kami Elois Power, 54, of Gardnerville, Nevada, was found guilty today of 11 counts of wire fraud, three counts of bank fraud, and three counts of aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between November 2019 and May 2023, Power worked as an office manager and controller at a family-owned construction company in South Lake Tahoe. During her employment, Power embezzled more than $1.4 million from the company. She disguised more than $700,000 of these fraudulent transfers as payments made to vendors that the company worked with—under fake profiles she created in the names of real companies, as well as fake companies that reflected her own initials, such as “KEP Inc. Sale” and “KPI.” She disguised additional fraudulent transfers as payments for payroll or reimbursements. Power also used the company’s credit card to make unauthorized personal purchases and paid down the balance of her own personal credit cards. Power used the money she stole to purchase two houses, several new cars and ATVs, and a horse. She also spent the money on field-level seats at football games and a $29,000 Hawaii vacation.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot Wong and Dhruv Sharma are prosecuting the case.

Power is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Coggins on Feb. 27, 2026. Power faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of wire fraud, 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each count of bank fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence on each count of aggravated identity theft. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

MISSOULA – A Martin City man who produced and distributed child pornography was sentenced today to 480 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Raymond Owen Bonner, 40, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

The government alleged in court documents that in August 2024, an FBI undercover agent was operating in online applications known for trafficking in child sexual abuse material. The agent found that a user had posted messages to a chat room in one such application in June 2024 and July 2024 stating that user had access to a six-year-old girl (Jane Doe) and was sexually abusing that child. The user, later identified as Bonner, posted images and videos of his abuse that verified his hands-on access to Doe. Bonner told other users in the chat room he was Doe’s babysitter.

Investigators responded to Bonner’s address in Martin City on September 5, 2024. Bonner fled his residence prior to law enforcement’s arrival. In a home near Bonner’s residence, FBI agents located Jane Doe. Doe and others verified that Bonner was her babysitter and later identified Bonner as the person abusing her in the images and videos he had distributed. The FBI also seized several devices from Bonner’s home, including a cell phone.

The FBI searched the phone and found images and videos of Doe that were the same as the images and videos of Doe posted by Bonner to the chat room. Bonner was located by law enforcement and arrested on September 19, 2024.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and the Northwest Montana Drug Task Force conducted the investigation.

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. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, 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 Justice.gov/PSC.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

MIAMI – A federal grand jury in Miami has returned an indictment charging Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and several co-defendants with stealing federal disaster funds, laundering the proceeds, and using the money to support her 2021 congressional campaign.

According to the indictment, Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, and her brother Edwin Cherfilus, 51, both of Miramar, worked through their family health-care company on a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract in 2021. In July 2021, the company received an overpayment of $5 million in FEMA funds.

The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to steal that $5 million and routed it through multiple accounts to disguise its source. Prosecutors allege that a substantial portion of the misappropriated funds was used as candidate contributions to Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign and for the personal benefit of the defendants.

The indictment further alleges that Cherfilus-McCormick and Nadege Leblanc, 46, of Miramar, arranged additional contributions using straw donors, funneling other monies from the FEMA-funded Covid-19 contract to friends and relatives who then donated to the campaign as if using their own money.

The indictment also charges Cherfilus-McCormick and her 2021 tax preparer David K. Spencer, 41, of Davie, with conspiring to file a false federal tax return. According to the indictment, they falsely claimed political spending and other personal expenses as business deductions and inflated charitable contributions in order to reduce her tax obligations.

“Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain. We will follow the facts in this case and deliver justice.”

U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida stated, “Today’s indictment shows no one is above the law. This indictment reflects our Office’s commitment to follow the facts, apply the law, and protect the American taxpayer. Public money belongs to the American people. When FEMA funds are diverted for personal or political gain, it erodes trust and harms us all. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that American taxpayer dollars are used as intended and that the public’s trust is safeguarded.”

If convicted, Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in prison. Edwin Cherfilus faces up to 35 years, Leblanc up to 10 years, and Spencer up to 33 years.

U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones; Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Ronald A. Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Florida Field Office, made the announcement.

FBI Miami and the IRS-CI Florida Field Office are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandra L. López and Yeney Hernández and DOJ Criminal Division Trial Attorney John P. Taddei are prosecuting the case.

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

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at PACER. Case number is forthcoming.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Abdullah Haji Zada, 19, a native and citizen of Afghanistan and U.S. lawful permanent resident, has been sentenced to serve the statutory maximum of 15 years in federal prison for knowingly receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive a firearm and ammunition to be used to commit a federal crime of terrorism.

According to court documents, Zada and a co-conspirator received two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition, knowing that the firearms and ammunition would be used in connection with a terrorist attack on Election Day in November 2024, on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Zada was arrested with his co-conspirator, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 28, also a citizen of Afghanistan, in October 2024.

“Zada was welcomed into the United States and provided with all the opportunities available to residents of our Nation, yet he chose to embrace terrorism and plot an ISIS-inspired attack on Election Day,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “Today’s sentence, and Zada’s eventual removal from the United States, reflect the seriousness of his betrayal and our commitment to using every tool at our disposal to detect and disrupt such plots.”

“With today’s sentencing, Zada will pay the price for participating in a plot last year to conduct an ISIS-inspired Election Day terrorist attack,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Detecting and preventing acts of terrorism against the American people is an essential part of the FBI’s mission. We will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities.”

“The sentence today reflects the gravity of the planned terrorist attack, which was thwarted by the exceptional work of law enforcement,” said United States Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “The Department of Justice remains vigilant and focused to detect, deter, and disrupt acts of terrorism and hold offenders accountable.”

“By hatching a violent plot against the United States on behalf of ISIS, the defendant and his co-conspirator shamefully turned their backs on the country that provided them safety and refuge,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. “I’m extremely proud of the swift and coordinated action taken by the Oklahoma City Joint Terrorism Task Force as soon as this disturbing plan was uncovered. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will never relent in our fight against terrorism, and in protecting the American people from those who wish them harm.”

Zada, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult on April 17, 2025. As part of the plea agreement, Zada stipulated to the entry of a judicial order of removal from the United States to Afghanistan following his term of incarceration. Zada acknowledged that the order of removal would terminate his lawful permanent resident status. Zada also waived his right to appeal the conviction except in limited circumstances or seek any form of appeal or relief from his removal and deportation, including but not limited to, seeking asylum.

At a sentencing hearing today, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Zada to serve 15 years in federal prison.

Zada’s co-conspirator, Tawhedi, pleaded guilty on June 13, 2025, to two terrorism-related offenses: conspiring and attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS, a designated terrorist organization, and receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition in furtherance of a federal crime of terrorism. At sentencing, Tawhedi faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison for the material support charge and up to 15 years in prison for the firearms charge. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Upon completion of any sentence, Zada and Tawhedi will be permanently removed from the United States and barred from reentry under stipulated judicial orders of removal to Afghanistan.

The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force—which includes Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Marshals Service, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Edmond Police Department, the Moore Police Department, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Oklahoma City Community College Police Department, and the Oklahoma City University Police Department—investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Perry and Matt Dillon for the Western District of Oklahoma and Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian, previously with the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, along with other trial attorneys from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Mark Stoneman of the Money Laundering, Narcotics, and Forfeiture Section, who previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, also assisted with the prosecution.