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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Christian Hernandez (27, New Port Richey) to 24 years and 6 months in federal prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for transportation of a minor with intent to engage in sexual activity. Upon release from custody, Hernandez will be required to register as a sex offender. Hernandez pleaded guilty on July 1, 2025.

According to court documents, in 2019, Hernandez began sexually abusing the minor victim when she was approximately 12 years old while the two were in Mexico. In 2022, when the minor victim was 15 years old, Hernandez facilitated the minor victim’s illegal entry into the United States so she could live with him in New Port Richey. While in Florida, Hernandez physically and sexually abused the victim and forced her to work to repay her debt to him for her illegal entry into the United States. 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Clearwater Police Department and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Clarence Christofer Ward, a/k/a Khaled Yaqud Mansur-El, guilty of 1 count of wire fraud, 10 counts of money laundering, and 1 count of making a false claim to the IRS. Ward faces a maximum penalty of 125 years in federal prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the evidence presented at trial, in November 2020, Ward electronically filed a tax return on behalf of a Trust in his name. He falsely claimed on the return that the Trust had paid over $7 million in taxes in 2019. Ward then asked for a $4.1 million refund from the IRS. The tax return was filed from the Middle District of Florida, and it was possessed in Utah, affecting interstate commerce.

Despite Ward’s claim that the Trust had paid over $7 million in federal taxes in 2019, IRS records showed the Trust had never paid any federal taxes. Before the IRS realized that Ward’s claim was untrue, the agency issued the $4.1 million refund. Ward immediately spent the funds on four residential properties, a luxury automobile, vacations, and investment brokerage accounts. As a part of the trial, the jury determined that the residential properties purchased by Ward could be forfeited to the United States. 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

MONROE, La. – Zachary A. Keller has been appointed to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Mr. Keller took the oath of office in Monroe before Chief United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty on September 29, 2025, where he was joined by family, friends, law enforcement partners, and students from West Monroe High School, his alma mater.

“I am grateful for the honor and privilege of serving my home district in this role,” said Mr. Keller. “Together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly to make Louisiana a safer place to live, work, raise a family, and run a business by combatting violent crime, gangs, child predators, immigration and financial fraud, and other criminal activity.”

Mr. Keller joined the Department of Justice as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Florida in 2021, serving in civil, criminal, and appellate sections before concluding his service as a Deputy Chief in the Major Crimes section. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, he investigated, prosecuted, and tried federal crimes involving firearms, violence, immigration, drugs, child exploitation, and a wide range of other criminal offenses. Mr. Keller also served as the Project Safe Neighborhood coordinator for the Major Crimes section at the time of his departure, where he worked with local and federal law enforcement to prosecute gun crime. Before serving at the Department, Mr. Keller worked as a consumer protection staff attorney for the Federal Trade Commission and an associate attorney in private practice.

Mr. Keller grew up attending public schools in West Monroe, Louisiana, and attended college at Louisiana State University, where he earned his degree summa cum laude while attending on full scholarship. Mr. Keller then earned his law degree from Yale Law School.

As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Keller is responsible for overseeing federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States in the Western District of Louisiana. Mr. Keller will lead a dedicated team of approximately 70 federal prosecutors and staff located in Shreveport and Lafayette. The Western District of Louisiana covers 42 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes and roughly half its population, with offices in Shreveport, Lafayette, Alexandria, Monroe and Lake Charles.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

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For further information contact:

Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero                                                                                    

(414) 297-1700

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Baltimore, Maryland – The United States government secured a default judgment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, completing the forfeiture of 14 ancient Egyptian artifacts illegally smuggled into the United States.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the judgment with Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore, and Executive Director Stephen Maloney, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) National Targeting Center.

The smuggled artifacts include amulets, stone figurines, a vase, and an “Old Kingdom Limestone Funerary Statue.”  The Funerary Statue alone is appraised at approximately $6 million U.S. Dollars. It likely originated from an archaeological site in Saqqara or Giza, which are royal cemeteries near the ancient city of Memphis, located in present-day Egypt. CBP officers discovered and seized these ancient artifacts at several international airports in the U.S., where they were in transit from overseas shippers destined for private collectors.

As alleged in the government’s complaint, between August 2020, and April 2021, CBP identified the artifacts while inspecting numerous parcels from overseas shippers transiting through airports in Anchorage, Alaska, Cincinnati, Ohio, and New York City. The ultimate destination for at least one of these shipments was a private collector in Edgewater, Maryland.

Shipping paperwork for each parcel that housed artifacts contained deceptive and inaccurate descriptions of their contents, including “home décor,” “stone garden statue,” or “decoration,” and did not state the true origin or value of the ancient artifacts.  Historians and antique appraisers, working with CBP, later confirmed the true nature of each ancient Egyptian artifact. In similar cases, the Justice Department has worked through appropriate channels to return smuggled ancient artifacts to their rightful owners – the people of the country of origin.

“This litigation highlights one of the benefits of civil asset forfeiture and is an important milestone toward eliminating smuggled cultural property from the U.S. art market,” Hayes said. “This office is committed to combating the black-market sale of cultural property and the smuggling of ancient artifacts, and will use all available tools, including asset forfeiture, to disrupt illicit trade in antiquities.”

“These ancient artifacts are more than just relics of the past; they are irreplaceable pieces of global cultural heritage that tell the story of human civilization,” Campanella said. “The deceptive practices used to smuggle these treasures into the United States not only violate our import laws but also undermine efforts to preserve and protect the integrity of cultural history. HSI remains steadfast in its commitment to working alongside our partners to ensure that those who seek to profit from the exploitation of cultural heritage are held accountable. By recovering these artifacts, we’ve helped preserve priceless pieces of history and reaffirmed our commitment to protecting the world’s shared heritage for generations to come.”

“This case exemplifies the fine work of the women and men of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and our National Targeting Center in identifying and dismantling illicit networks that exploit global trade routes,” Maloney said. “The recovery of this ancient Egyptian statue, valued at $6 million, underscores CBP’s commitment to protecting cultural heritage and, working collaboratively with our partners, to identify those who seek to profit from theft and smuggling.”

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI’s Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities Unit for investigating this case. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven T. Brantley, who litigated the case, along with law clerk Amy Rappole and paralegal Nicole Orlovitz, who provided invaluable support.

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

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Robert McKinney, 40, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on Friday, September 26, 2025, to failure to register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), after traveling from West Virginia to New York and Florida.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 28, 2025, McKinney left West Virginia without notifying authorities as required. As part of his guilty plea, McKinney admitted that he traveled by bus from West Virginia to New York and by bus from New York to Tampa, Florida. McKinney further admitted that he planned to remain in Florida until late May 2025, and made no attempt to notify relevant authorities of his presence in Florida. On April 22, 2025, law enforcement officers encountered McKinney trespassing on the property of a St. Petersburg, Florida, church. McKinney lied to the officers about his identity. While arresting McKinney for trespassing, officers found his West Virginia identification card bearing his true identity.

McKinney knew he was required to comply with the provisions of SORNA because of his conviction on three counts of third-degree sexual assault in Doddridge County Circuit Court on September 4, 2012. At the time of his current offense, McKinney was on supervised release after pleading guilty to failing to update his sex offender registration as required by the SORNA in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on March 16, 2022. McKinley also has two prior convictions in West Virginia for failing to comply with West Virginia sex offender registration requirements.

McKinney is scheduled to be sentenced on January 5, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).

United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.

SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-130.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

AKRON, Ohio – An Akron-area career criminal has been sentenced to prison for his role in distributing controlled substances throughout Northeast Ohio.

Antoine D. Cook, 46, of Akron, was sentenced to 420 months (35 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after a federal jury found him guilty in June of the following charges as outlined in the indictment:

• One count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine,
• One count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine,
• One count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition; prior convictions include Domestic Violence in 1996, 2010, 2012, and 2014; Distribution of a Controlled Substance in 2002; Aggravated Assault in 2012 and 2015; and Felonious Assault in 2018.

Cook was also ordered to serve eight years of supervised release after imprisonment. 

According to court documents, on May 1, 2024, Cook knowingly possessed and intended to distribute two Schedule II controlled substances. He was found with approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine as well as three grams of cocaine, all packaged for sale. Cook also unlawfully possessed more than 80 rounds of ammunition. Because Cook was previously convicted of a number of serious drug and violent felonies, he received a significant sentencing enhancement as a career offender and an armed career criminal.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the Ohio Adult Parole Authority.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter E. Daly for the Northern District of Ohio.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Spokane, Washington – United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Lance Scott Michel, age 31, of Nespelem, Washington, to 216 months in federal prison after Michel pleaded guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country and Sexual Abuse in Indian Country. Judge Dimke also ordered that, following his sentence, Michel be placed on a lifetime term of supervised release.

According to court documents, in early 2023, Michel began communicating with various minor females on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation over social media. Michel, a then twenty-nine-year-old, provided the minor females with items such as vaping products and cartridges. After engaging in this grooming behavior, Michel sexually abused two 15 year old victims. District Court Judge Dimke noted the aggravated nature of Defendant’s crimes and applied a sentencing enhancement due to Michel’s forcible conduct against both minor victims.

“Mr. Michel targeted minors from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation with the explicit intent to sexually abuse them. Protecting children and holding accountable those who seek to exploit and harm them are top priorities of my office,” said United States Attorney S. Peter Serrano. “We will continue to seek out and prosecute these heinous crimes thanks to our dedicated team and our FBI and tribal partners.”

“Through social media, Mr. Michel gained the trust of minors on the Colville Reservation, trust he later took advantage of in the most unthinkable way,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “There is no question that his heinous actions were entirely deserving of today’s sentence. Protecting the lives and wellbeing of our nation’s children from those who seek to prey on them is, and remains, a top priority for the FBI and our partners.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colville Tribal Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Michael J. Ellis, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.

2:24-cr-00028-MKD

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

LONDON, Ky. – An Irvine, Ky., man, Zackary Keith Jones, 35, was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom to 194 months in prison, for transporting a minor over state lines with the intent that the minor engage in sexual activity.

According to his plea agreement, Jones transported a minor victim over state lines, from North Carolina to Lincoln County, Ky., with the intent to engage in sexual activity. Jones used Snapchat to communicate with the vic­­­tim and lied to the victim about his age to induce the victim to engage in prohibited sexual conduct. Jones also admitted that he engaged in sexual acts and sexual contact with the minor victim during and after the interstate transportation of the victim. The victim, who was reported missing from North Carolina on Decemb­­­­er 8, 2023, was found by law enforcement on December 25, 2023 in a hidden compartment in the floor of a bedroom at Jones’ residence.

Under federal law, Jones must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years.

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General; and Sheriff Shawn Hines, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by FBI, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. David Dalton, Commonwealth Attorney for the 28th Judicial Circuit, also provided significant assistance to the investigation and prosecution of the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

 

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Alexis Miranda, age 30, of Syracuse, was sentenced on Thursday to 60 months in prison for possessing defaced firearms and for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.

Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.

As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Miranda admitted that from August to October 8, 2019, she agreed with Christopher Montano to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. On September 12, 2019, Miranda travelled from the Rome, New York, area to meet Montano, where they distributed more than 80 grams of methamphetamine to another person. A few months later, in August 2020, Miranda was stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate 90, in Rensselaer County, New York, and law enforcement found heroin and fentanyl in her purse as well as a roller suitcase in her trunk containing four semiautomatic pistols with defaced serial numbers.

Last year, Montano was sentenced to 76 months in prison for unlawfully selling unregistered firearms and drug trafficking crimes.

Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Alexis Miranda was engaged in trafficking deadly substances and weapons, each of which contribute to drug addiction and gun violence in the community. We will relentlessly pursue and prosecute individuals like her to get rid of deadly firearms and drugs from our streets.”

ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller stated: “Those who traffic in illegal firearms and deadly drugs will be held accountable. These defaced and stolen weapons pose a serious threat to our communities, and we remain committed to working with our federal and local partners to disrupt this kind of dangerous criminal activity.”

New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James stated, “Strong partnerships are crucial for intercepting the illegal drugs and weapons that sustain a cycle of violence and threaten the quality of life in our communities. The collaborative multi-agency efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office, ATF, and New York State Police has resulted in the sentencing of Mr. Miranda and has eradicated an unprincipled gun and drug trafficking operation. We will continue to make it a priority to find those who commit these acts and dismantle the dangerous chain of activities they perpetuate.” 

Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 5-year term of post-release supervision.

ATF and the NYSP investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping prosecuted this case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.