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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Christian Mur-Santana, age 39, a Cuban national residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, pled guilty on Friday to conspiracy and methamphetamine distribution charges in connection with his distribution and possession with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement.

Mur-Santana admitted that between April and July 2023, he mailed several packages containing pure methamphetamine and fentanyl from Las Vegas to co-conspirator drug distributors in the Capital Region. During the conspiracy, Mur-Santana used the U.S. Mail to distribute more than five kilograms of methamphetamine and 10 grams of pressed pills containing fentanyl. In September 2023, law enforcement searched Mur-Santana’s Las Vegas residence and recovered approximately 391 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded 9mm pistol.  

Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Christian Mur-Santana, while a guest in this country, repeatedly shipped deadly and addictive drugs, several thousand miles, to the Capital Region. He will now be serving at least 10 years in prison. Mailing highly toxic and lethal substances through the U.S. Mail places our Postal workers in danger. We will aggressively pursue abuse of our U.S. Mail system by dangerous criminals like Mur-Santana. I am grateful for and commend the outstanding investigative work of our federal law enforcement partners who worked this important case.”

DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III stated: “The DEA remains committed to stopping the flow of dangerous substances, like methamphetamine and counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl, from reaching our towns and communities. Today’s plea is the result of the tireless work the DEA and our law enforcement partners do when targeting those who weaponize our mail system to traffic illicit narcotics and ensuring justice is delivered. We remain committed to targeting those responsible for fueling addiction and causing needless deaths from the poison they push.”

USPIS Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward stated: “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service takes very seriously any abuse of our nation’s mail system for criminal purposes. Today’s plea is the result of rigorous investigative work and demonstrates that the U.S. Mail is not a safe harbor for drug traffickers. We will continue to safeguard the integrity of the mail and support efforts to protect public health and safety.”

Mur-Santana was one of nine defendants to be charged in this investigation. The following defendants have pled guilty and have been sentenced or are pending sentencing:

• Todd Austin was sentenced to 78 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
• Andrew Deleon was sentenced to 72 months imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
• Stefanie Plass was sentenced to 24 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
• Ahmad Burke was sentenced to 14 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
• Flor Arencibia is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2025;
• Melissa Karwan is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2025; and
• Keisha Duboise is scheduled to be sentenced on January 7, 2026.

Charges against the remaining defendant, Felix Arencibia, are pending. The charges in the indictment against Felix Arencibia are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  

At sentencing, Mur-Santana faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. He will be sentenced on January 23, 2026, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

These cases are being investigated by the DEA and USPIS. Assistant United States Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting the cases.

These cases are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Defendant live-streamed sexual abuse of toddler for male sex offender who was posing online as a woman

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a man from Rapid City, South Dakota, convicted of Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025.

Dylan Sanchez, 33, was sentenced to three years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Sanchez was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. He pleaded guilty on July 21, 2025.

On April 10, 2024, in Rapid City, SD, Sanchez was stopped by law enforcement for traveling above the posted speed limit. After failing a field sobriety test, Sanchez was arrested and his vehicle inventoried. In his vehicle, law enforcement located over 200 rounds of ammunition, pistol magazines, including an extended magazine, cocaine, and distributable amounts of marijuana. Sanchez is prohibited from possessing ammunition because of a previous felony conviction.

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.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a man from Rapid City, South Dakota, convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025.

Matthew Zook, 46, was sentenced to ten years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $95 in restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Forfeiture was also ordered.

A federal grand jury indicted Zook for the charge in June 2024. He pleaded guilty on July 15, 2025.

In April 2024, Zook used Snapchat to communicate with a 14-year-old minor female. Zook described how he would use condoms for birth control and discussed his desire to try different sex positions with the young girl. Zook told the girl the reason he wanted to have sex with her was because his mother was sick and his girlfriend was mad at him. On April 20, 2024, just after midnight, Zook drove to the minor’s house and parked in her driveway. Unbeknownst to Zook, the minor had informed one of her parents, who alerted law enforcement. Zook was arrested while parked in the driveway. Zook was previously convicted in 2012 for Fourth Degree Rape of a minor when he was 33 years old, for which he received a suspended prison sentence.

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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by the Rapid City Police Department, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched an investigation into Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) to determine whether it engages in employment practices that discriminate based on race, color, and national origin in violation of Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964, as amended.

According to its website, Des Moines Public Schools requires that its teaching and learning staff match the student population in terms of “demographics and cultural responsivity.” DMPS also set specific quotas for “increas[ing] the number of teachers of color” in an affirmative action plan. Its staff retention strategy prioritizes “lift[ing] up voices of our People of Color” and “creat[ing] a safer environment for People of Color.” DMPS also operates the “3D Coalition” project, a recruitment and hiring program for “aspiring minority teachers.”

“DEI initiatives and race-based hiring preferences in our schools violate federal anti-discrimination laws and undermine educational priorities,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “School districts must cease these unlawful programs and restore merit-based employment practices for the benefit of both students and employees.”

You can read the notice letter here.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

            WASHINGTON – Bence Horvath, 47, a dual citizen of Hungary and Spain who resided in the United Arab Emirates, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 31 months in prison in connection with conspiring to illegally export U.S.-origin radio communications technology to Russian end users without a license, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Horvath pleaded guilty on June 17, 2025, to one count of conspiring to unlawfully export goods to Russia. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates ordered Horvath to serve three of supervised release and to pay a fine of $5,000. Horvath will be subject to deportation on completion of his sentence.

            According to court documents, beginning at least around January 2023, Horvath and others initiated discussions with a small U.S. radio distribution company about procuring and exporting to Russia U.S.-manufactured military-grade radios and related accessories. Over several months Horvath worked to secure those items, which he intended to transship to Russia via a freight forwarder in Latvia.

            As part of the conspiracy, Horvath purchased 200 of the military-grade radios and intended to export them to Russia. But Horvath was not successful. U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained the shipment and prevented the radios from falling into the hands of prohibited Russian end users.

            This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service Southeast Field Office, and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California provided valuable assistance.

            The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tortorice and Maeghan Mikorski for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Baltimore, Maryland – Tammy Barcus, 56, of Berlin, Maryland, pled guilty to a three-count Information, charging her with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and tax evasion.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington D.C. Field Office.

Barcus, a former office manager and bookkeeper for an Ocean City-based home builder, admitted to embezzling at least $1,790,000 from her former employer. She forged a business owner’s signature on business checks at least 500 times. Barcus then concealed the embezzlement from her employer and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by making false entries into the business’ books and records.

In her guilty plea, Barcus acknowledged that she worked for the home builder as a trusted employee with substantial control over business records and financial accounts.  As part of her daily job duties, Barcus had access to payment systems and accounting records that belonged to the home builder. She worked with a high degree of independence.

From 2016 through 2024, Barcus used her position of trust to embezzle money by issuing more than 500 fraudulently authorized checks from the home builder’s business bank account. Barcus forged the signature of one of the owners on the face of the business checks and then deposited the checks into bank accounts she controlled. She then used the money for her personal enrichment.

The former office manager and bookkeeper concealed the scheme by hiding the embezzled income from the IRS. She also made materially false and fraudulent edits and entries into the home builder’s internal accounting records to cover up the fraudulent payments and commingled the embezzled funds into a bank account she controlled.

Barcus is facing a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud, five years for tax evasion, and a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence for aggravated identity theft.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Judge Maddox set sentencing for Monday, February 9, 2026, at 10 a.m.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended IRS-CI for its work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Murphy and Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry Gruber, who are prosecuting the federal case, and Paralegal Specialists Joanna B.N. Huber and Shelbe Mascaro, for their valuable assistance.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md  and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ABINGDON, Va. – Three individuals from West Virginia, who allegedly conspired with numerous others to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in the Western District of Virginia, were arrested last week on federal drug charges.

Terry Headen, Charles “Chuck” Williams, and Taylor Headen, all of Welch, West Virginia, were arrested last week on a criminal complaint.

Six of their coconspirators were arrested earlier this year: Stephen Stewart, of Appalachia, Virginia; Eric Mullins, of Appalachia, Virginia; Gerald McCoy, of Coeburn, Virginia; Danny Dearry, of Coeburn, Virginia; Lisa Poole, of Big Stone Gap, Virginia; and Jonathan Lake, of Artemus, Kentucky.  

Mullins, McCoy, Poole, and Lake have all pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.  Mullins further pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl, as well as an additional methamphetamine charge.  In July, a federal grand jury in this district indicted Stewart on twelve counts involving methamphetamine, fentanyl, and firearms, related to this conspiracy.

According to court documents, Stewart, Mullins, McCoy, Poole, Lake, Dearry, and others traveled—or caused others to travel—from the Western District of Virginia to West Virginia to obtain pounds of methamphetamine, supplied by Terry Headen, Chuck Williams, and Taylor Headen, for redistribution in the Western District of Virginia. At times, fentanyl was also supplied for distribution.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force, and the West Virginia Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Macon and Corey Hall are prosecuting the case.

An indictment and criminal complaint are merely an accusation. The defendants who have not pleaded guilty are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) recently obtained a judgment against a nationwide consumer bankruptcy law firm imposing more than $392,000 in penalties and a three-year suspension based on the firm’s false and misleading disclosures in more than 200 bankruptcy cases.

On Sept. 17, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan entered summary judgment against Recovery Law Group APC (RLG). The court found that RLG intentionally violated provisions of the Bankruptcy Code and Bankruptcy Rules governing disclosure of attorney compensation and the practices of debt relief agencies. The court credited the USTP’s evidence of 220 cases filed in the district since 2020 in which RLG was responsible for untrue or misleading disclosures about its involvement or its fee-sharing arrangements with the attorneys it contracted with to represent its debtor clients.

Based on the fees RLG collected for 217 of those cases, the court imposed a civil penalty of $392,471. Additionally, the court suspended RLG from soliciting or filing bankruptcy cases in the Eastern District of Michigan for three years.

“Transparency and robust disclosure are essential in bankruptcy,” said Acting Director Ramona D. Elliott of the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees. “Professionals threaten the integrity of the system when they are opaque about their payment arrangements, misrepresent their services, and fail to help their vulnerable clients.”

The USTP’s enforcement action stemmed from a case involving a senior couple who contacted RLG seeking help with responding to collection efforts on a judgment against them. After the couple paid a fee of $1,835 to retain RLG, the firm assigned one of its Michigan-based attorneys, Sheena Majors, to file a chapter 7 bankruptcy petition for the couple. The mandatory form for disclosure of compensation and fee-sharing arrangements did not mention RLG, among other mistakes and misrepresentations. 

Because of a litany of failures by RLG and Majors, the couple eventually lost their home and a substantial share of their home equity. RLG’s involvement came to light only when it was revealed by the couple during a hearing — which Majors failed to attend — in an unsuccessful effort to save the home. The couple and the chapter 7 trustee administering their bankruptcy case have a pending lawsuit against RLG, Majors, and two related defendants. The court has already found the defendants liable for malpractice, with damages still to be determined.

The USTP also prevailed in a separate enforcement action against RLG earlier this year. In April, the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia entered an order holding RLG and one of its affiliated attorneys, Thomas Watson, in contempt for providing deficient legal services and violating court orders. The court required the firm to pay $48,000 in sanctions and refund four chapter 7 debtors’ fees; suspended RLG from practicing in that district for two years; and disbarred Watson from practicing in the district.

The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 88 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department announced today that it filed a lawsuit against Eddie Joe Hankins and the Housing Authority of the City of Bloomfield, Missouri, for sexually harassing a female housing applicant in violation of the Fair Housing Act. Hankins was the executive director of the Missouri Housing Authority from 2019 through 2022.

“There is no place in America for public officials who abuse their trust to coerce sexual acts from the people they are duty-bound to help, be it in public housing or other areas. We will hold them accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

The lawsuit, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, alleges that in 2021, a woman living with her three children applied for public housing. After her application was denied, the complaint alleges that she went to meet with Executive Director Hankins, who made unwanted sexual advances toward her. The suit also alleges that Hankins made sexual comments about the applicant’s appearance, conditioned housing for her family upon submission to his conduct, and that he refused to assist her with obtaining housing once she resisted his sexual advances. The lawsuit also alleges that the Housing Authority is vicariously liable for Hankins’ unlawful conduct.

The applicant filed a complaint against the Housing Authority and Hankins with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). After an investigation, HUD determined that the Housing Authority and Hankins discriminated against the applicant in violation of the Fair Housing Act and issued a charge of discrimination. After the applicant chose to have the matter decided in federal court, HUD referred the matter to the Department of Justice.

The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate the applicant harmed by the alleged harassment and a court order barring future discrimination.

If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 50 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered nearly $16.2 million for victims of such harassment.