Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Seattle – A 44-year-old former Laguna Niguel, California resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 18 months in prison for wire fraud for his scheme to steal nearly $1 million from his employer, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Dario Perez Quintero, 34, formerly of Denver, Colorado; Guadalupe Mendoza Martinez, 46, of Aurora, Colorado; Pedro Mendoza Martinez, 54, of Aurora, Colorado; Abimael Felix Luque, 32, of Aurora, Colorado; David Uvaldo Mora Sanchez, 32, formerly of Aurora, Colorado; Hector Joel Quijada Portillo, 30, of Commerce City, Colorado; Oscar Noel Ruelas Molina, 44, of Aurora, Colorado; and Jose Alexis Guzman Felix, 30, of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, were indicted this week on charges related to weapons possession, money laundering, and drug trafficking in the Denver metro area.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
On Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, the FBI arrested Derrick Callella in Hawthorne, Calif. Callella has been charged via a criminal complaint filed in federal court for transmitting a demand for ransom in interstate commerce, and without disclosing his identity, utilizing a telecommunications device with the intent to abuse, threaten, or harass a person.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A 23-year-old man from Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury on charges stemming from his brandishing a firearm and threatening his ex-girlfriend during an argument in October 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine F. Pirro.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Darrell A. Smith, Sr., 56, of Newark, New Jersey, pleaded guilty Tuesday in District of Columbia Superior Court to three counts of first-degree theft and one count of trafficking in stolen property for stealing D.C. government-issued laptops and selling many of them for personal profit, announced Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A defendant pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to illegally smuggle Honduran nationals and cocaine into the United States.
According to court documents, Olvin Javier Velasquez-Maldonado, 40, of Honduras, conspired with at least six others to bring Honduran nationals and cocaine from Honduras to the United States. In February 2022, Maldonado and others attempted to illegally bring more than 20 Honduran nationals and approximately 24 kilograms of cocaine from Utila, Honduras, to Cocodrie, Louisiana, aboard the M/V Pop, a sportfishing vessel co-owned by co-conspirator Carl Allison. Many of the aliens paid up to $20,000 to Allison or his co-conspirators to be smuggled into the United States.
At some point during the voyage in February 2022, the M/V Pop developed engine trouble. Allison and others chartered a boat to bring fuel to the disabled vessel so that it could complete its journey to the United States. Before the chartered boat reached the disabled vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted the vessel off the coast of Louisiana and towed it to shore. After the vessel was towed to Jean Lafitte Harbor, a search of the vessel discovered approximately 24 kilograms of cocaine in a hidden compartment under a mattress in the captain’s sleeping quarters. Maldonado packaged the cocaine and his fingerprints were found under the packaging.
Maldonado was extradited to the United States from Honduras on April 9, 2025. Maldonado pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Three additional co-conspirators have also pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles in the scheme. Lead defendant Carl Allison, of Pittsburgh, and Darrel Martinez, of Honduras, pleaded guilty to the same charges as Villeda. Lenord Cooper, also of Honduras, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid and assist aliens to enter the United States unlawfully and attempting to bring aliens to the U.S. for commercial advantage and private financial gain. Two other co-conspirators, Hennessy Devon Cooper Zelaya and Rudy Jackson Hernandez, both from Honduras, were convicted after trial of conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain and attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle for the Eastern District of Louisiana and Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Wright of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.
The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/ HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 435 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 385 U.S. convictions; more than 330 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.
The HSI Houma, Louisiana Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the HSI Pittsburgh Field Office, HSI Atlanta Field Office and Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, Louisiana State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, North Huntington Township Police and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office also provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training in Honduras also provided assistance.
Deputy Chief Rami Badawy of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter Guice for the Eastern District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A Florida man was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for tax evasion in connection with substantial legal fees he earned.
The following is based on court documents and statements made in court: Robert J. Powell, of Palm Beach, Florida, and formerly of Pennsylvania, carried out his tax evasion scheme by using nominee bank accounts, causing an accountant to file a request for a filing extension that falsely reported zero estimated tax liability for 2016, and by making false statements during a subsequent IRS audit.
After his suspension and disbarment from the practice of law, Powell retained the right to collect a portion of future fees collected by his former firm for representing thousands of plaintiffs in a mass tort litigation that settled for approximately $5.15 billion in 2015. Powell’s firm was expected to receive approximately $120 million in attorneys’ fees from that settlement.
Before those attorneys’ fees were disbursed, Powell’s firm used the fees as collateral to obtain a series of loans totaling over $125 million. Instead of depositing the loan proceeds into firm bank accounts and using them to pay firm expenses, Powell directed the loans to nominee bank accounts under his control. He then used the loan proceeds to pay his personal debts and expenses, as well as for the personal benefit of his former law partner and himself.
In June 2016, most of the attorneys’ fees were finally disbursed and the loans repaid. Powell did not file a personal income tax return and pay taxes on those fees, even though he personally received an additional $3.6 million of the fees.
For the tax years 2010 through 2022, Powell did not file personal tax returns even though he earned income during each of those years and was required to file.
In 2019, the IRS audited Powell. During the audit, Powell made false statements in an attempt to conceal his income and expenditures. Specifically, Powell falsely informed the IRS that his only source of funds were loan advances, he and his spouse did not have signature authority or control over other bank accounts, and he had no ownership in any corporations. All of these statements were false.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for the Middle District of Pennsylvania ordered Powell to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $3.5 million in restitution to the United States and a $100,000 fine.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller for the Middle District of Pennsylvania made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Alexandra K. Fleszar of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Sharma for the Middle District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Patrick Kerwin, 43, of Java Center, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Joseph Garofalo pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. At the time of the offense, the defendant was an assistant high school lacrosse coach on Long Island. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury. When sentenced, Garofalo faces a minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced a Baltimore County man to federal prison today, in connection with submitting fraudulent CARES Act loan applications. Judge Bennett sentenced Edward McCorkle, 37, to two years in prison, followed by six months of home detention, and then three years of supervised release, for one count of wire fraud.