Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Eleven defendants, including the chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, and controller of a Joplin, Mo., corporation, have been sentenced in federal court for their role in a racketeering conspiracy to hire, harbor, and transport undocumented workers in several Midwestern states.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A defendant convicted in a scheme to illegally smuggle Honduran nationals and cocaine into the United States was sentenced today to 47 months in prison.
According to court documents, Josue Alexander Flores Villeda (Villeda), 38, of Honduras, conspired with at least six others to bring Honduran nationals and cocaine from Honduras to the United States. Over the course of approximately three years, Villeda and his co-conspirators smuggled at least 15 migrants into the United States on each voyage. In February 2022, Villeda 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 Villeda 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. Villeda 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.
Villeda pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for financial gain and conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride.
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. A sixth man, Honduran national Olvin Javier Velasquez Maldonado, was extradited from Honduras in April 2025 and is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Maldonado’s trial is scheduled for February 2026.
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 Immigrations and Customs Enforcement 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 United States 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 including securing the arrest and extradition from Honduras of Olvin Javier Velasquez Maldonado. 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
PAUL R. STEED, 59, of Stamford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 63 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for fraud and tax offenses stemming from his theft of more than $28 million from his former employer Mars, Inc.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Wasilla man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison and will serve the rest of his life on court mandated supervision following release from federal custody for distributing carfentanil to two people, resulting in the near fatal overdose of an adult victim and the fatal overdose of a minor victim.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, Kyrgyz national Sergei Zharnovnikov was sentenced to 39 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to export American-made firearms. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez. The defendant illegally exported firearms and ammunition worth over $1.5 million from the United States to Russia, by way of Kyrgyzstan. Zharnovnikov does not have lawful permanent resident status and faces deportation upon sentencing.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
MARIA HIGGINS, 36, of Manchester, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 34 months of imprisonment and two years of supervised release for offenses stemming from two embezzlement schemes and related tax evasion.
Source: United States Department of Justice
A Charlotte, North Carolina, man was sentenced today to 40 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for a federal civil rights violation after he threatened eight individuals with force because of their race, color, religion and national origin. Maurice Hopkins, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of interference with federally protected activities on Aug. 19, 2025.
According to filed court documents and the sentencing hearing, on June 8, 2024, Hopkins threatened eight individuals with a firearm inside a pizza restaurant in Charlotte. When Hopkins first encountered the victims, who were a group of friends getting pizza at the time, he asked if they were American. Hopkins then proceeded to harass the victims calling them terrorists, demanding they speak English, telling them to go back to their country, and making other statements because of the victims’ race, color, religion, and national origin. Court records show that Hopkins made multiple threats, telling the victims, “If you say one more thing I’m going to punch you in the face,” and threatened to “Shoot the place up,” and “kill all of them.” Hopkins then left the restaurant and returned minutes later, walking through the doorway with a loaded AR-15 style rifle. The victims immediately fled through the door in the rear of the restaurant.
With his guilty plea, Hopkins admitted that he threatened the eight individuals with force because of their race, color, religion and national origin and because they were enjoying the goods, services and facilities of the restaurant.
“This defendant targeted people enjoying a simple night out and threatened them with violence because of their race and national origin,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This was an outrageous act motivated by nothing other than racial bigotry. Today’s sentence makes clear: if you threaten people with violence because of who they are — or where they come from — you will be met with the full force of federal law.”
“You ought to be able to get pizza with your friends without being harassed due to your race or national origin and certainly without being threatened with an AR-15,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina. “Incidents like this should never happen, but when they do, my office will act swiftly to bring justice.”
Hopkins remains in federal custody and will be transferred to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The FBI Charlotte Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller for the Western District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Chloe Neely of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, school consultant Richard Bernstein pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with his agreement with others to steer federal funds to school vendors in exchange for a share of the vendors’ profits. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr. When sentenced, Bernstein faces up to five years’ imprisonment.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jason Cisneros, 34, Denver, was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence after a crime spree in Denver in March 2025.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Thierno Barry, 23, of Queens, New York, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to the March 2025 swatting of a random Northwest residence and a subsequent carjacking of an elderly couple the same day at Union Station, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.