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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

OKLAHOMA CITY – CALEB GRAVES, 33, of Del City, and ROBERT ALLEN KEEFE, 25, of Oklahoma City, have been sentenced to serve 109 months collectively in federal prison for illegal possession of ammunition and possession of an unregistered destructive device, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

On November 6, 2024, Graves was charged with being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition. On April 1, 2025, he was also charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device and felon in possession of a firearm, namely, an improvised explosive bomb. On April 1, 2025, Keefe was charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device related to the same improvised explosive bomb.  Firearms and pipe bombs are considered destructive devices under federal law.

According to public records, on August 18, 2024, officers with the Village Police Department stopped a vehicle driven by Graves and observed a loaded firearm magazine. The following day, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search warrant at Graves’ residence, where they several rounds of ammunition in his vehicle. While on pretrial release awaiting trial, Graves was arrested again, this time on October 14, 2024, after Oklahoma City Police Department officers stopped Graves in his vehicle and located a hidden pipe bomb.  Keefe, who was the lone other passenger, was arrested, as well.

On June 6, 2025, Graves, who had previously been convicted of a felony, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition and a felon in possession of a firearm, namely an improvised explosive bomb. Federal law prohibits previously convicted felons from possessing ammunition and firearms, including bombs. On June 9, 2025, Keefe pled guilty to being in possession of an unregistered destructive device.

Public records further reflect that Graves has previous felony convictions in Oklahoma County District Court for:

• Second degree burglary, possession of stolen property, and conspiracy to commit a felony in case number CF-2010-4613;
• possession of a methamphetamine in case number CF-2016-3849; and
• child neglect and possession of contraband in a penal institution in case number CF-2016-4096.

At sentencing hearings this month, U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Graves to serve 72 months in federal prison, and sentenced Keefe to serve 37 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for both. In announcing the sentences, Judge Russell noted the seriousness of the offense and the need to provide just punishment.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Village Police Department, and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew E. Davis prosecuted the case.

Reference is made to public filings for additional information.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Jose Ismael Castro Leon, 47, a Mexican national living in the United States illegally, was charged by federal criminal complaint in Phoenix, Arizona with Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl. 

According to the complaint, investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force learned that a drug transaction was scheduled to take place in a parking lot in Phoenix on September 22. Investigators established surveillance at the location and watched as the driver of a GMC Acadia, later identified as Castro Leon, showed another person the contents of a black duffle bag that he had stored in his trunk.

Investigators then approached and arrested Castro Leon, seizing approximately 56 pounds of methamphetamine from the duffle bag along with a firearm that they found in the center console of the Acadia. 

In a later search of Castro Leon’s apartment, investigators seized over 34 more pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 1.14 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and a second firearm.

Possession with the Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years to life in prison, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.

Possession with the Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years to life in prison, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.

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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The DEA’s Phoenix East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force HIDTA conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Zander, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

CASE NUMBER:            25-MJ-9413-PHX-ESW
RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-158_Castro Leon

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Talia Hicks, 33, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to three years’ probation, with one month of home confinement, and forfeiture of approximately $2,900 by United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge, for conspiring to distribute controlled substances.

Hicks was charged with that offense by information and pleaded guilty in March of this year.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from at least December 2019 through November of 2020, Hicks conspired with multiple individuals to smuggle Suboxone into the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility (“CFCF”). At the time of the charged conspiracy, she was working for the Transportation Security Administration at Philadelphia International Airport.

A review of video tablet calls, a recorded form of communication available to inmates at CFCF, showed that a co-conspirator, on various occasions, discussed inmates sending CashApp and Apple payments to both the co-conspirator and Hicks. A review of CashApp and Green Dot records showed that Hicks and the co-conspirator sent and received CashApp payments on behalf of the co-conspirator, from and to various individuals. There were multiple transactions for which Hicks either facilitated the payment for Suboxone or provided the drugs to a co-conspirator to smuggle the substance into CFCF.

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CHICAGO – Five individuals have been charged in federal court in Chicago with assaulting or forcibly resisting federal agents who were engaged in immigration enforcement operations in Broadview, Ill. over the weekend.

The defendants were among a crowd of people who descended in front of the entrance to a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Saturday evening, according to criminal complaints filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  The charges allege that the defendants made criminal physical contact against federal agents who were working outside of the facility to ensure the safe passage of agents, detainees, and vehicles into and out of the building.  Two of the defendants possessed loaded firearms while assaulting federal agents, according to the federal complaint.

“Under my leadership, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will take swift action when law enforcement personnel are criminally assaulted or individuals cross the line from peaceful protests to criminal mischief, assaults on federal officers, obstruction of justice, or the destruction of federal property,” said Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.  “We are working hand-and-glove with our federal law enforcement partners across the various federal agencies to maintain peace, respect individual rights, and prosecute those who violate federal criminal laws, including through activity that endangers officer and public safety.  We will not hesitate to hold accountable those who attack and undermine the rule of law, including by resorting to violence and criminal mischief to interfere, obstruct, or impede the important work of the federal government as it is conducted in the Northern District of Illinois.”

The defendants made their initial appearances today in federal court in Chicago.  The charges are as follows:

• RAY COLLINS, 31, of Chicago, is charged with felony assault of a federal officer. Collins allegedly possessed a loaded handgun when he charged toward agents and struggled with them, causing an injury to one of the agents.

• JOCELYNE ROBLEDO, 30, of Chicago, is charged with felony assault of a federal officer. Robledo allegedly possessed a loaded handgun when she pushed agents who were attempting to extend a safety perimeter around the facility.

• PAUL IVERY, 26, of Oak Park, Ill., is charged with felony assault of a federal officer. Ivery allegedly grabbed an agent’s helmet and pulled the agent’s head down.  Ivery allegedly told agents, “I’ll [expletive] kill you right now.”

• DANA BRIGGS, 70, of Rockford, Ill., is charged with felony assault of a federal officer. Briggs allegedly made physical contact with an agent’s arm while the agent attempted to extend the safety perimeter around the facility.

• HUBERT MAZUR, 21, of Medinah, Ill., is charged with forcibly resisting, opposing, impeding, and interfering with a federal officer, a misdemeanor.  Mazur allegedly grabbed an agent’s arm before he and the agent ended up on the ground.  Mazur allegedly continued to resist arrest while struggling with the agent.

U.S. Attorney Boutros announced the charges along with Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Lucas Rothaar, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Havey, Caitlin Walgamuth, Timothy Chapman, and Jeffrey Snell.

“The FBI is committed to bringing swift and decisive action against anyone who seeks to bring harm to federal law enforcement,” said FBI Acting SAC Rothaar.  “Officers who are sworn to protect and serve our communities must be able to do their jobs free from intimidation.  The FBI will continue to work with our prosecutorial and law enforcement partners to investigate those who compromise the safety of our public servants.”

The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CLEVELAND – An Ivorian national has been extradited to the United States for his role in a conspiracy to smuggle goods out of the United States, involving dozens of firearms allegedly headed for Africa.

Bile Jean Philippe Assemian, 49, a citizen of Côte d’Ivoire, made his first appearance in U.S. District Court Sept. 26. He was arrested in Kenya June 26, by Kenyan authorities at the request of the United States and surrendered to the United States pursuant to an extradition request.

His alleged co-conspirator Koffi Andrea Versaint Taregue, 45, an Ivorian national with permanent resident status, remains at large.

According to the superseding indictment, from November 2018 to October 2020, the men obtained at least 58 firearms in Northern Ohio and elsewhere by coordinating with others to buy on their behalf or by purchasing themselves. The firearms were allegedly packaged and concealed in household goods.  The defendants utilized an export company to deliver the items out of the country but did not disclose that the pre-packaged shipments in fact contained firearms and related parts, such as suppressors. The defendants did not have the required written approvals or licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce or U.S. Department of State to export the items.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen of the FBI Cleveland Division.

Assemian is charged with conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States and faces a maximum of up to five years in prison.

Taregue is charged with conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States, six counts of smuggling goods from the United States, six counts of control of arms exports and imports, and one count each of unlicensed dealing in firearms, making a false statement to the FBI, and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. He faces a combined maximum of up to 205 years in prison.

If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to the case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.

The investigation leading to the indictment was conducted by the Cleveland Joint Terrorism Task Force, including agents from the FBI Cleveland Division, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations also provided assistance.

Assistant United States Attorney Segev Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio is leading the prosecution with substantial assistance provided by Trial Attorney Yifei Zheng of the U.S. Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Assemian’s arrest and extradition from Kenya. His extradition was possible due to an extensive coordinated effort between the United States and the Republic of Kenya. Kenyan agencies that provided valuable assistance include the Kenya Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and its Directorate of Criminal Investigations; Kenya Directorate of Immigration Services; Kenya Aviation Authority; and the Kenya Police Service as well as the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Nairobi.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MIGUEL ANGEL SOLORZANO-DOMINGUEZ (“SOLORZANO-DOMINGUEZ”) age 38, a resident of Honduras, was sentenced on September 25, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to four counts in an indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and reentry of a removed alien. SOLORZANO-DOMINGUEZ was sentenced to a total of 101 months imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and a $400 mandatory special assessment fee.

According to court documents, on or about January 29, 2025, SOLORZANO-DOMINGUEZ  possessed a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine; possessed a firearm, a Taurus Model G2C, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; knowingly, unlawfully possessed a firearm, having been previously convicted of a felony in the State of Mississippi, and illegally re-entering the United States after having  previously been officially deported and removed from the United States, on or about July 9, 2010.

This 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, United States Border Patrol, Kenner Police Department, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force.  It was being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

WASHINGTON — A Peruvian national was sentenced today to 80 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $3,000,000 in restitution for his participation in transnational fraud schemes that victimized vulnerable consumers in the United States.

According to court documents, David Cornejo Fernandez, 36, of Lima, Peru, facilitated fraudulent schemes that stole millions of dollars from thousands of Spanish-speaking victims across the United States. Cornejo provided Internet-based telephone lines, caller-ID spoofing services, and recording capabilities to a network of fraudulent call centers in Peru. Relying on Cornejo’s services, those call centers defrauded and extorted thousands of Spanish-speaking victims by falsely threatening them with court proceedings, fines, and other consequences if they did not pay for English-language products. Cornejo was extradited from Peru in November 2024 to face charges related to the scheme and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in July.    

In pleading guilty, Cornejo admitted that he provided fraudulent call centers in Peru with the technology to impersonate federal agents, police officers, attorneys, court personnel, and other government officials to extort payments from victims. Cornejo provided telephone lines to his call center co-conspirators, which they used to place unsolicited, fraudulent and extortionate telephone calls to vulnerable U.S. victims. Cornejo also provided caller-ID spoofing software that allowed his co-conspirators to convincingly impersonate government officials and threaten victims with severe legal and financial consequences if they did not pay. Cornejo placed pre-recorded messages on his co-conspirators’ telephone lines that fraudulently convinced victims they had reached actual U.S. courts, police departments, and federal agencies. When victims reported that specific telephone numbers were fraudulent, Cornejo provided new telephone lines and numbers to his co-conspirators so they could continue the fraudulent scheme.

Cornejo and his co-conspirators ultimately caused more than $3 million in losses to more than 8,800 victims across the United States.

With today’s sentencing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, 13 defendants have now been convicted and sentenced in connection with transnational fraud schemes that defrauded and threatened Spanish-speaking U.S. consumers, claiming they would suffer legal consequences if they did not pay for English-language learning products they never requested. Collectively, these defendants were responsible for defrauding more than 30,000 U.S. consumers.

The 13 defendants include eight Peruvian call center owner-operators; four distribution center owner-operators who processed payments and distributed products in the United States; and now Cornejo, who facilitated the fraud schemes from Peru. Cornejo and many of these defendants shared strategies on how to impersonate the U.S. government and defraud Spanish-speaking residents of the United States.

Cornejo is the ninth defendant to be extradited from Peru and sentenced in federal court for fraud related to Peruvian call centers involved in English language learning scams. In 2021 and 2022, U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr., sentenced Henrry Milla, Carlos Espinoza, Jerson Renteria, Fernan Huerta, Omar Cuzcano, Evelyng Milla, and Josmell Espinoza to sentences ranging from 88 months to 110 months in prison. In 2024, U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams sentenced Jose Alejandro Zuñiga Cano to 98 months in prison.

USPIS and the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch investigated the case.

Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Carolyn Rice of the Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Peruvian National Prosecutor General’s Office, and the Peruvian National Police provided critical assistance.

The Justice Department continues to investigate and bring charges in other similar matters involving threats against Spanish-speaking residents of the United States.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.

More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.

Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its fraud enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CHICAGO – A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted three men for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to fraudulently open credit cards in the names of recently deceased individuals.  Two of the men—brothers from suburban Chicago—are also charged with fraudulently obtaining small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act and falsely claiming tax credits to which they were not entitled.

In the alleged credit card fraud, ROOSEVELT GARRETT and his brother, TORIENCE GARRETT, schemed with FRANKLIN SIMMONS to fraudulently obtain credit cards in the names of recently deceased individuals, including two former residents of Illinois, according to an indictment returned in the Northern District of Illinois.  After using the deceased individuals’ personal identifying information to obtain the cards, the Garretts and Simmons made purchases for themselves and did not repay the credit card companies, the indictment states.  The Garretts and Simmons also charged the cards to purported business entities that they controlled, allowing them to convert the credit card fraud proceeds to cash, the indictment states.

The indictment also alleges that the Garretts engaged in fraud related to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program (EIDL)—a source of relief under the CARES Act.  The indictment alleges that in June 2020, the Garretts submitted two fraudulent applications for EIDL loans on behalf of business entities that they purportedly owned and operated.  The applications contained materially false statements and misrepresentations about the purported entities, including the number of employees and gross revenues, the indictment states.  The Garretts allegedly used the EIDL funds to make cash withdrawals and transfers for their personal use and not for the operations of the purported entities.

The tax charges accuse the Garretts of misstating in corporate tax returns the number of employees of the purported entities they controlled and the wages allegedly paid by those companies.  Additionally, Simmons fraudulently underreported to the IRS the income he derived from a purported entity he controlled and which he used in connection with the fraudulent credit card scheme, the indictment states.

The indictment charges Roosevelt Garrett, 57, of Itasca, Ill., with four counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, four counts of filing false corporate tax returns, and one count of failing to file an individual tax return.  Torience Garrett, 53, of Bolingbrook, Ill., is charged with four counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, four counts of filing false corporate tax returns, and one count of money laundering.  Simmons, 64, of Chicago, is charged with three counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and two counts of filing a false individual tax return.

The defendants were arraigned in federal court in Chicago and pleaded not guilty to the charges.  A status hearing is scheduled for Oct. 22, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago.  Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Maione.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving Covid-19 is encouraged to report it to the Department of Justice by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or filing an online complaint at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Defendant obtained 23 firearms, five of which were recovered in the hands of felons and gang members