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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Grove City, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to violating federal laws regarding the sexual exploitation of minors, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Michael William Boston, 40, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on October 25, 2022, Boston transported material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor in interstate commerce. In pleading guilty, Boston also took responsibility for transporting child sexual abuse material on specific dates in April 2023 and July 2023, and for the possession of more than 1,500 images and videos containing child sexual abuse material.

Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for January 20, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police’s Northwest Computer Crime Unit conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Boston.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury has charged Sheliky Sanchez with the August 7, 2025, carjacking resulting in death and kidnapping resulting in death, crimes which under federal law are eligible for the death penalty.

According to court documents, on August 7, 2025, Sanchez, 18, carjacked and kidnapped the driver of a 2022 Ford Escape using a firearm, then intentionally killed the driver during and in relation to those crimes.

A federal grand jury indicted Sanchez for carjacking resulting in death, using a firearm during a violent crime and causing death by firing it, and kidnapping resulting in death. All three counts are eligible for the federal death penalty.

Sanchez will remain in custody while awaiting trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Sanchez faces a mandatory life sentence or the death penalty for the kidnapping resulting in death charge. For the carjacking resulting in death and causing death through the use of a firearm during a violent crime charges, Sanchez faces any term of imprisonment up to life in prison or the death penalty.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jack E. Burkhead and Samuel Hurtado are prosecuting the case.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that a Selma man has been sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for possessing stolen mail and destroying a U.S. Postal Service collection box.

On September 23, 2025, a federal judge sentenced 21-year-old J’Kwon Tyshi Williams to 30 months in prison. Following his prison term, Williams will serve two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $5,000 and $1,180 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records and William’s plea agreement, during the early morning hours of November 9, 2023, the Millbrook Police Department responded to a report of individuals attempting to break into a blue U.S. Postal Service collection box located outside the Millbrook Post Office. Witnesses observed a car parked in front of the box with its hood raised and several people gathered around. When a patrol officer approached, the group jumped into the vehicle and sped away.

The driver, later identified as Williams, led officers on a high-speed chase, often exceeding 120 miles per hour and swerving into oncoming lanes. The pursuit continued from Elmore County to Dallas County, ending when Williams crashed into a light pole. Williams and his passengers then fled on foot.

Inside the vehicle, officers discovered items commonly known as burglary tools, including a reciprocating saw, tire iron, and pliers. In addition, officers found Williams’s wallet, numerous stolen checks, other stolen mail, check-writing paper, an ammunition magazine for a handgun, ammunition, and multiple ATM deposit receipts.

Although Williams and his associates failed to breach the Millbrook collection box, inspectors found it heavily damaged and determined it had to be replaced to protect the security of the mail. The replacement cost was $1,180.

On June 5, 2025, Williams pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of stolen mail and destruction of a letter box.

The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Millbrook Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Paul Markovits prosecuted.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

TULSA, Okla. – A Broken Arrow man was sentenced today for Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Danny Lawrence Newton, 43, to 96 months imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Upon his release, Newton will also be required to register as a sex offender.

In June 2024, Newton initiated contact with a person on social media whom he believed was a 14-year-old. While chatting, court records show that Newton requested photos from the minor and talked to the minor about having sex. Newton then arranged to meet the 14-year-old in person and drove to the address provided, where law enforcement detained him.   

Newton will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations, the Skiatook Police Department, the Pryor Police Department, and the Tulsa Police Department investigated it as part of Operation Clean Sweep II. This operation partnered with the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force, which aims to hold child predators accountable throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma.

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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 Justice.gov/PSC.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CINCINNATI – The final defendant in a national narcotics conspiracy was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 94 months in prison. The six other coconspirators were previously sentenced in federal court, and four of those defendants received sentences of more than 100 months in prison.

According to court documents, from at least July 2018 until March 2023, Juan-Jose Carrillo, 32, of Compton, California, and the six other defendants were responsible for the distribution of more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine from California into and throughout the Cincinnati area.  The methamphetamine supplier was connected to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).  The defendants charged represent both high-level suppliers and local-level drug distributors.

The other defendants include Franklin Johnson (sentenced to 156 months in prison), Gerald Jeter, Jr. (132 months in prison), Anthony Clardy II (104 months in prison), Dre’Quan Christopher (102 months), Robert Day (72 months), and Tyrone Jordan (36 months).

Court documents detail that Carillo was a source of supply that coordinated deliveries of methamphetamine to Jeter, Johnson and/or Clardy, to be shipped to southern Ohio. Jeter, and later Johnson, would travel to the West Coast to obtain the methamphetamine, and ship it back to Cincinnati. Jeter and Johnson were both high-level distributors of methamphetamine, who would break down the large loads of methamphetamine for re-sale to mid-level distributors in the Cincinnati area. The mid-level distributors included defendants Clardy and Day. In addition, defendant Christopher was a street-level dealer who would sell the methamphetamine to his clients throughout the Cincinnati area.

The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2023.

Dominick S. Gerace, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and officials with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit, Cincinnati Police Department Narcotics Unit, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Regional Enforcement Narcotics Unit (RENU), and Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force (NKDSF) announced the sentence imposed on Sept. 17 by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas R. Cole. Deputy Criminal Chief Frederic C. Shadley represented the United States in this case.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

INDIANAPOLIS- Carlos Fredy Granados, 35, an immigrant illegally residing in Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, coercion and enticement of a minor, and possession of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

At the time Granados entered his guilty plea, he acknowledged that upon completion of his sentence, he will be subject to removal from the United States.

According to court documents, between at least May and August of 2023, Carlos Granados sexually exploited and abused a 15-year-old girl who was in his care, custody, and control. Granados engaged in sexual intercourse with Minor Victim 1 and sexually exploited her for the purpose of producing images and videos of the abuse.

On October 28, 2023, IMPD Officers responded to a report of child sexual abuse after a witness discovered nude images and videos of the minor on Granados’ cell phone. Investigators searched Granados’ cell phones and discovered 12 sexually explicit videos and 16 images of the child, including some alongside Granados. The images and videos were taken inside the shared home and at a hotel. Investigators also found sexually explicit messages between Granados and the victim, discussing a sexual relationship and exchanging sexually explicit material.  

“Carlos Granados’ crimes are among the most heinous we encounter, and his conviction underscores our commitment to removing the most violent and predatory illegal immigrants from our communities,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana “Consistent with Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Operation Restore Justice Initiative, we will continue to prioritize prosecutions that protect our children and uphold the rule of law.”

“This sentence shows that child sexual predators will be held accountable and punished for their heinous crimes preying on innocent victims. The U.S. Secret Service is committed to protecting innocent victims from criminals who seek to sexually exploit them,” said Ike Barnes, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Indianapolis Field Office. “Thank you to the Indianapolis Metro Police Department, Secret Service personnel and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana for their work on this case and bringing justice for this victim.”

The U.S. Secret Service and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young.   

U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 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 Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.

If you are a victim of child sexual exploitation, please contact your local police department. Resources for victims of child exploitation can be found on our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/project-safe-childhood

 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Spokane, Washington – On September 18, 2025, United States Chief District Judge Stanley A. Bastain sentenced Israel Garcia, 36, to 20 years in federal prison after his guilty pleas to Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime and Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl. Garcia was ordered to pay over $6,000 in restitution to the Spokane Police Department and placed on a period of 5 years of supervised release should he again return to the United States after serving his sentence.

According to information disclosed in court documents and proceedings, Garcia, a documented gang member living in the Yakima, Washington area, was convicted in 2015 of Assault on Federal Officers (15-CR-02068-SAB) related to a drug and firearm trafficking investigation. For that conduct, Judge Bastian sentenced him to 84 months in federal custody. Garcia was released in 2021 and deported to Mexico. Garcia returned unlawfully to the United States in 2022 and resumed his drug trafficking and escalated to distributing thousands of deadly fentanyl pills into the community.

On October 16, 2022, Garcia traveled from Yakima to Spokane to deliver 10,000 fentanyl pills. When Spokane Police identified themselves and approached him to effectuate his arrest, Garcia got out of his vehicle and immediately opened fire on the officers, while attempting to flee to avoid arrest. The path of the bullets from Garcia were directed at multiple law enforcement officers; however, the bullets were also fired in direction of his vehicle, which still contained his male and female passengers and a minor child. Additionally, but for the angle of a car door window, which redirected one of Garcia’s rounds, a law enforcement officer would have been shot in the head. That officer nevertheless suffered injuries to his head and face. Officers returned fire, striking Garcia and ending the clear and present danger he presented to the officers and the community. The female passenger and minor child were terrified but otherwise reported to be physically unharmed.

Because Garcia was under federal supervision for his prior conviction at the time of this incident, he was arrested for violation of his supervised release and later charged with the new offenses. Working in conjunction with the Spokane County Prosecutors Office, Garcia will be transferred to Spokane County to face state charges regarding the assault on the law enforcement officers.

Pete Serrano, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, remarked on how dangerous Garcia’s conduct was: “We have zero tolerance for dangerous offenders like Garcia who pose an immediate threat to our community and our law enforcement partners. Garcia opened fire on the police in the streets of Spokane, attempting to strike several police officers. It is unconscionable that he engaged in this behavior after having just been released from prison for the same kind of violent conduct. This case highlights the importance of our partnerships between our state and federal partners and how closely we work with the Spokane County Prosecutors Office.”

“Mr. Garcia was a menace to our community, both because of his fentanyl trafficking as well as his violent behavior,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Prison is clearly the right place for him, and I am proud that DEA and our partners could facilitate his lengthy incarceration.”

This case was investigated by the Spokane Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter and Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Cartier Giroux.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Louisville, Ky., man, Benard Babot, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell to 66 months in prison, for conspiracy to commit money laundering.  

According to his plea agreement, Babot knew that his coconspirators communicated with businesses located around the world, to entice them to send funds to purchase goods his coconspirators falsely purported to sell. Babot opened at least 25 business bank accounts in the actual name of, or a very similar name to, these legitimate companies, which were international food, agricultural, or chemical supply companies, for the purpose of receiving money from the victim purchasers. He opened some of these accounts in Lexington, Kentucky.  According to documents filed with the Court, Babot also set up shell companies with Secretaries of State imitating the legitimate companies.

Babot would then provide the bank account information to his coconspirators, who in turn conveyed it to the victims for the purpose of directing payment. The victims wired money to Babot, and never received the goods they purchased. According to his Plea Agreement, Babot would then funnel the proceeds through additional accounts, send cashier’s checks to conspirators, wire funds to coconspirators located overseas through peer-to-peer money transmission services, and withdraw the funds for personal use, often in amounts exceeding $10,000.

In total, between January 2019 and December 2023, Babot participated in concealing more than $8.2 million in fraud proceeds, resulting from schemes to defraud over 30 international businesses located in more than 25 countries.  According to documents filed with the Court, Babot earned $2,480,392.11 as a result of his participation in the offense and used these proceeds on personal expenditures and personal business ventures, such as his night club in Louisville. 

Under federal law, Babot 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 three years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; jointly announced the sentencing. 

The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Dieruf is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

 

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Matthew Lee Keith, 41, of Panama City, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent investigative work by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners, another dangerous criminal has been removed from our streets. The message from my office is clear: to the criminals who flood our communities with deadly drugs and violence, your days are numbered. We will continue to aggressively prosecute these crimes to the fullest extent of the law.”

Court documents reflect that in August 2024, as part of an ongoing drug investigation, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle occupied by the defendant in Panama City, Florida. During the traffic stop, the vehicle was checked by a trained K-9 unit which alerted to the presence of drugs. During the subsequent search of the vehicle, investigators located fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, alprazolam, a loaded handgun, as well as other items indicative of drug distribution. The defendant is a convicted felon, who has previously been convicted of numerous felony offenses, including Tampering with a Witness, Carrying a Concealed Weapon, Battery, Trafficking Methamphetamine, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Possession of Heroin, and Possession of Cocaine.

If convicted, Keith faces up to 40 years’ imprisonment for the drug trafficking crime and up to 15 years for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a consecutive five-year term with a maximum of life imprisonment.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 3, 2025, at 11:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark Walker.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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 United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Willie Frank Hicks, Jr., 42, of Madison, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I deeply appreciate the outstanding work by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, with support from our federal law enforcement partners, to remove this offender and the deadly drugs he was peddling from our streets. This successful prosecution is yet another step toward fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the drug dealers flooding our communities with poison.”

Court documents reflect that on May 29, 2025, Madison County Sheriff’s Office deputies on patrol conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle occupied by the defendant. During the traffic stop, the defendant attempted to flee the scene on foot and was subsequently apprehended by deputies.  After being detained, the defendant was found in possession of approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine.

Hicks faces up to life imprisonment. 

The case involved a joint investigation by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain and Eric K. Mountin.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 4, 2025, at 10:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark Walker.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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 United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.