Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Ronald D. Mitchell, 44, of Little Valley, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Source: United States Airforce
Air Force and Space Force senior enlisted leaders appeared before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee to address quality of life’s importance in national defense.
Source: United States Army
BAUMHOLDER, Germany– For some, the path to service is a straight line, for Veterinary Readiness Activity, Rheinland Pfalz, veterinarian and officer in charge of the Baumholder Veterinary Treatment Facility it had its twists and turns.
Maj. Paulynne Bellen took an unconventional path to her commission, entering the U.S. Army at an age when many are well-established in their careers. Her journey involved leaving a corporate job to return to school at 34, driven by a lifelong goal of becoming a veterinarian.
Originally from the Philippines, Bellen developed an early interest in animal care, often rescuing and rehabilitating injured animals she found. At 20 years old, Bellen moved to the United States with her sister and began a career as a staffing coordinator in New Jersey. However, her ambition to work with animals persisted, so she volunteered at an animal shelter.
At 34, she made the decision to pursue her original dream. The choice meant starting over academically and financially, a risk she fully accepted.
“I gave everything, I had no safety net,” Bellen stated. “I pulled my 401K and quit my career. Giving up was not an option.”
Before applying to veterinary school, she gained international experience by volunteering with World Vets for two years in Nicaragua and Ecuador. Her commitment resulted in acceptances to ten veterinary schools. She ultimately attended The Ohio State University, earning both a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and a Master of Public Health.
The idea of joining the Army had always lingered in the back of her mind, partly inspired by her brother who had been passionate about enlisting but never got the chance. While it was not her primary plan, it remained a possibility. After earning her veterinary degree, she sought new experiences and applied for a non-appropriated fund veterinary position on a military installation.
The interview for the NAF job proved to be a pivotal moment. The interviewing military veterinarian pointed out that at 39, her time to commission as an Army veterinarian was limited. She was presented with a choice: take the civilian position or enlist.
She chose the latter, commissioning in 2018 after making the decision in 2017. Her recruiter, Sgt. 1st Class (ret.) Erica Rough, provided crucial support and they remain in contact.
“I call her on my good days and I call her on my bad days,” Bellen said. “Joining the military just felt right for the very first time and she made it happen.”
Since joining in 2019, Bellen’s assignments have included stops like First-Year Graduate Veterinary Education at Fort Bragg and being the officer in charge of the Naples Veterinary Treatment Facility at Naval Support Activity in Naples, Italy. She now serves as the OIC in Baumholder, Germany, and is slated to move to Korea to become the 106th Medical Detachment Veterinary Service Support Chief of Operations.
“It’s a full circle moment,” she noted. “I moved from Asia to the US and now I’m heading back to Asia to continue my service.”
Bellen describes her military service as a positive experience defined by its dynamic nature and sense of community.
“The Army is an experience for me,” she said. “I love the people, the travel and my job. It’s exciting and you never really know what’s next.”
She identifies the collaborative spirit as a key component of her satisfaction with Army life.
“The best part of the Army is that we all come together and support together,” she explained. “We laugh through the tough times and come out stronger.”
Reflecting on her journey, Bellen believes the service has helped her grow personally and professionally. “The Army pushes you to discover a potential you never knew you had,” she concluded.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan ordered DTE Energy Company and three of its subsidiaries to comply with the Clean Air Act and pay a penalty of $100 million in a decision issued today concerning a coke battery in River Rouge, Michigan.
The EES Coke facility (Facility) is located on Zug Island, between River Rouge and Detroit, in an area that fails to meet federal standards for sulfur dioxide in the air. The Facility uses coal and other raw materials to produce metallurgical coke, an input for making steel. The court found that the Facility increased its sulfur dioxide pollution as a result of changes the company sought to its state air permit in 2014. For example, the Facility emitted over 3,200 tons of sulfur dioxide pollution in 2018, compared to permitted baseline sulfur dioxide levels of under 2,100 tons per year.
In an August 2025 order, the court found that the Facility violated the Clean Air Act. The court then held a two-week trial in September to determine which DTE Energy Company entities were liable and the appropriate relief for the violations.
“This decision demonstrates that the Department of Justice will seek relief against companies that fail to comply with the nation’s environmental laws,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This ensures a level playing field for all businesses and advances the Administration’s initiative to Make America Healthy Again.”
In today’s decision, the court found that emissions from the Facility caused asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, increased blood pressure, and increased risk of cancer, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease, and early deaths.
The court found that DTE Energy Company, DTE Energy Resources LLC, and DTE Energy Services Inc. were all liable as operators of the EES Coke facility. The court found each entity “exhibit[ed] a high degree of control over the Facility, including over environmental decision-making and operations.” In addition, the court had previously found that EES Coke Battery LLC was liable as an owner and operator of the Facility.
Turning to civil penalty, the court found that a penalty of $100 million was appropriate for the primary claim. The court found that the evidence showed that defendants saved about $70 million by failing to comply with the Clean Air Act as required, and were thus able to use that money in other ways. The court also found that the DTE Defendants each had a “substantial” ability to pay for relief ordered by the court.
Next the court ordered defendants to seek New Source Review permits from the Michigan Department of the Environment and Great Lakes (EGLE) within 250 days. The required permit applications will include proposals for stringent pollution controls consistent with the lowest achievable emissions rate and best available control technology, as determined by EGLE. The Court noted that the desulfurization technology described at trial for potential use at the Facility was “mature and well-established in the coking industry.”
The Environmental Protection Agency investigated the case.
Attorneys Tom Benson, Samantha Ricci, and Sasha Alvarenga of ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section handled the case, with assistance from Geoffrey Stewart and Ada Baser of ENRD.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Edward Paul Cragg, 46, of Turlock, California was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston, following his conviction for one count of receipt of images depicting the sexual abuse of minors, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. A jury found Cragg guilty of this offense on Sept. 12, 2025.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jorge Torres-Perez, 29, of Venezuela, is facing one count of assault on a federal officer, one count of threatening to assault or kill a federal officer, and one count of destruction of government property.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Matthew Henry Jacober, 44, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 5 years in prison for being a felon in possession of explosives and manufacturing crystal methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A Woodbridge man was sentenced today to three years in prison for violating criminal tax laws.
In November 2025, a federal jury convicted Omini Tete Riman of obstructing the IRS and willfully failing to file tax returns. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Riman was an information technology specialist and landlord, who filed false tax returns with the IRS for 2013 and 2014 and received refunds for both years that he was not entitled to receive. When the IRS attempted to recoup the refunds, Riman obstructed that effort – he transferred his property to a trust, opened a bank account in the name of the trust and directed his income to be deposited into the trust account to hide it from the IRS. Riman also submitted false documents claiming that the IRS collections officer handling his case had personally received over $600,000 from Riman, which, if accepted by the IRS, would have increased the officer’s own tax liability. In addition, Riman stopped filing tax returns for the years 2018 through 2023, even though he received a total of more than $854,000 during that period and was required to file each year. In total, Riman caused a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $500,000.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Daniel Lipkowitz of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A Mexican national was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to import approximately 1,900 kilograms of cocaine into the United States.
According to court documents, the defendant, Jose Francisco Mendoza-Gomez, was a member of a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by Marisela Flores-Torruco that was responsible for importing multi-hundred-kilogram quantities of cocaine into the United States for years. The DTO also engaged in bulk cash smuggling, bribery of Mexican officials and attempted kidnappings related to rival traffickers.
The DTO, which had operations in New York, Texas, and elsewhere in the United States, sourced its cocaine from Colombia and provided logistical and financial support to coordinate the narcotics’ passage through Central America and Mexico and into the United States. During the investigation, law enforcement made several cocaine seizures, including approximately 971 kilograms of cocaine on April 21, 2017, and 500 kilograms of cocaine on May 10, 2017, nearly all of which was attributable to the DTO.
In addition to cocaine trafficking, the DTO transported substantial illicit proceeds earned from its operations back to Mexico and elsewhere. DTO members engaged in bulk money transfers with cocaine suppliers and utilized a Chinese money laundering network to repatriate bulk narcotics proceeds out of the United States. The DTO also engaged in bribery of Mexican officials, including to gain access to information useful to its cocaine trafficking operations, and planned and attempted to execute multiple kidnappings related to rival drug traffickers and in efforts to secure outstanding debts.
Mendoza-Gomez assisted in coordinating and transporting cocaine for distribution in the United States, handled hundreds of thousands worth of narcotics proceeds, provided advice to the DTO’s leader and participated in the DTO’s efforts to plan kidnappings and obtain information from corrupt Mexican officials.
On Aug. 12, 2025, Mendoza-Gomez, along with 25 other fugitives, were transferred from Mexico to the United States.
Two of the defendant’s co-conspirators, Marisela Flores-Torruco and Qiyun Chen, have been convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia for their roles within the DTO, as have several individuals involved in the related Chinese money laundering network. Flores-Torruco pleaded guilty to possession, manufacture, or distribution of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 16 years and 8 months in prison. Chen pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit, with assistance from DEA’s offices in Cartagena (Colombia), Bogota (Colombia), Panama City, Mexico City, and Guatemala City. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service provided substantial assistance in the investigation.
Trial Attorney Caylee E. Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher M. Carter and Edgardo J. Rodriguez for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A Mexican national was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to import approximately 1,900 kilograms of cocaine into the United States.
According to court documents, the defendant, Jose Francisco Mendoza-Gomez, was a member of a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by Marisela Flores-Torruco that was responsible for importing multi-hundred-kilogram quantities of cocaine into the United States for years. The DTO also engaged in bulk cash smuggling, bribery of Mexican officials and attempted kidnappings related to rival traffickers.
The DTO, which had operations in New York, Texas, and elsewhere in the United States, sourced its cocaine from Colombia and provided logistical and financial support to coordinate the narcotics’ passage through Central America and Mexico and into the United States. During the investigation, law enforcement made several cocaine seizures, including approximately 971 kilograms of cocaine on April 21, 2017, and 500 kilograms of cocaine on May 10, 2017, nearly all of which was attributable to the DTO.
In addition to cocaine trafficking, the DTO transported substantial illicit proceeds earned from its operations back to Mexico and elsewhere. DTO members engaged in bulk money transfers with cocaine suppliers and utilized a Chinese money laundering network to repatriate bulk narcotics proceeds out of the United States. The DTO also engaged in bribery of Mexican officials, including to gain access to information useful to its cocaine trafficking operations, and planned and attempted to execute multiple kidnappings related to rival drug traffickers and in efforts to secure outstanding debts.
Mendoza-Gomez assisted in coordinating and transporting cocaine for distribution in the United States, handled hundreds of thousands worth of narcotics proceeds, provided advice to the DTO’s leader and participated in the DTO’s efforts to plan kidnappings and obtain information from corrupt Mexican officials.
On Aug. 12, 2025, Mendoza-Gomez, along with 25 other fugitives, were transferred from Mexico to the United States.
Two of the defendant’s co-conspirators, Marisela Flores-Torruco and Qiyun Chen, have been convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia for their roles within the DTO, as have several individuals involved in the related Chinese money laundering network. Flores-Torruco pleaded guilty to possession, manufacture, or distribution of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 16 years and 8 months in prison. Chen pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit, with assistance from DEA’s offices in Cartagena (Colombia), Bogota (Colombia), Panama City, Mexico City, and Guatemala City. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service provided substantial assistance in the investigation.
Trial Attorney Caylee E. Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher M. Carter and Edgardo J. Rodriguez for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.