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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County man admitted to receiving and possessing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Jack Wilder, 27, of Somerville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jamel K. Semper in Newark federal court to an Information charging him with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On or about July 23, 2024, Wilder, a teacher at a school in Plainfield, returned from an international trip aboard a flight that landed in New York.  Law enforcement seized Wilder’s cell phone at the airport and subsequently searched it, uncovering images and videos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  Approximately one week after law enforcement seized his cell phone, Wilder obtained a new cell phone.  From on or about July 29, 2024 through on or about May 1, 2025, Wilder knowingly received images and videos of child pornography on the second cell phone.

The charge of receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.  The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Sentencing is scheduled for January 26, 2026.

Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited the work of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, with the investigation leading up to this guilty plea.

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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the Criminal Division in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Michael Baldassare, Esq.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Atlanta – Wilber Castellanos Villazana, Yamilet Calixto Sotelo, Jorge Lorenzo Manzanarez, Esteban Jacobo-Suarez, and Damien Gomez-Guijarro, four of whom are illegal aliens from Mexico, appeared in federal court on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, following the combined seizure of more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine last week from an apartment complex and single-family residence in unincorporated DeKalb County. DEA identified one of the primary traffickers as allegedly working on behalf of the violent Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (“CJNG”).

“Within just a few days, undercover investigations in the metro Atlanta area led to the seizure of more than half a ton of methamphetamine, the arrests of four illegal aliens allegedly responsible for distributing those deadly drugs, and the disruption of two drug trafficking rings,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office will continue to proudly partner with federal, state, and local crimefighters to protect the public and eliminate the scourge of drug trafficking.”

“The CJNG cartel is a significant threat to public safety, public health, and the national security of the United States,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “DEA will target every level of their supply chain to disrupt and destroy their networks.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: 

On September 15, 2025, Wilber Castellanos Villazana allegedly sold one kilogram of methamphetamine to a DEA undercover agent at an apartment complex in DeKalb County. Law enforcement thereafter saw Castellanos Villazana allegedly sell additional narcotics to two other people from an Acura vehicle.

The next day, agents observed Castellanos Villazana, Jorge Lorenzo Manzanarez, and Yamilet Calixto Sotelo leave an apartment at the complex, pull a collapsible wagon to a parked Acura, and move two large black trash bags from the wagon into the Acura. Law enforcement arrested the defendants and searched the car and apartment. Agents found approximately 22 kilograms of methamphetamine in the car trunk and approximately 309 kilograms of methamphetamine in the apartment. 

One day later, on September 17, 2025, Esteban Jacobo-Suarez and Damien Gomez-Guijarro allegedly sold a kilogram of methamphetamine to an undercover agent at a gas station on the outskirts of Stone Mountain, Ga. After this transaction, agents followed Jacobo-Suarez and Gomez-Guijarro to a nearby residence.

The next day, after DEA scheduled a second undercover drug purchase, agents observed Jacobo-Suarez and Gomez-Guijarro leave the residence and place a black trash bag in the backseat of a car. A DeKalb County police officer stopped that car after Jacobo-Suarez and Gomez-Guijarro arrived at the designated meeting spot for the drug buy. Subsequent searches allegedly revealed 10 kilograms of methamphetamine in the car and approximately 131 kilograms of methamphetamine, one firearm, and approximately $12,000 cash in the residence.

On September 19, 2025, Wilber Castellanos Villazana, 38, Yamilet Calixto Sotelo 22, Jorge Lorenzo Manzanarez, 35, Esteban Jacobo-Suarez, 44, and Damien Gomez-Guijarro, 32, who are all citizens of Mexico, were charged with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine in federal criminal complaints. Castallanos Villazana, Calixto Sotelo, Lorenzo Manzanarez, and Jacobo-Suarez are illegal aliens. Jacobo-Suarez was previously deported from the United States twice.

Members of the public are reminded that the criminal complaints only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

These cases are being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, with valuable assistance provided by Homeland Security Investigations, the DeKalb County Police Department, and the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorney Michael Herskowitz is prosecuting the cases.

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 Neighborhoods.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Coalport, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to time served of approximately six months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on her conviction of violating federal narcotics laws related to a six-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around Blair, Cambria, Centre, and Clearfield counties, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Lesley Wilt, 39.

According to information presented to the Court, Wilt was a participant in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine to various individuals throughout the Western District of Pennsylvania. Specifically, Wilt assisted Jason Lynn, an Altoona-based narcotics distributor, in redistributing the drugs to others after Lynn obtained the narcotics from a New York-based supplier. Lynn is currently awaiting sentencing.

Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Service–Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Wilt.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Dwain London Jr., 37, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”) and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

The indictment alleges that, on or about May 14, 2025, London knowingly and intentionally possessed, and intended to distribute, a mixture containing more than 28 grams of crack and a detectible amount of cocaine.

The indictment further alleges that London was found in possession of a loaded 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, a firearm he was not permitted to possess due to his status as a convicted felon.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment and a $5,500,000 fine, with a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lancaster County Drug Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

NEW ALBANY – Todd Wilson, 52, of Charlestown, Indiana, has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, after pleading guilty to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. 

According to court documents, Todd Wilson was a sworn police officer with the Jeffersonville Police Department (“JPD”), where he also served as the department’s evidence custodian. In that role, Wilson was entrusted with the careful receipt, storage, tracking, and release of evidence and property collected during investigations.

From 2020 to 2021, Wilson abused his position by lying during the purchases of nine firearms on eight separate occasions from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

Under ATF regulations, law enforcement officers may purchase firearms without completing ATF Form 4473 (Firearms Transaction Record), which is typically required for purchases from federal firearms licensees. To utilize this exemption, officers must submit a certification on agency letterhead, signed by an authorized official, affirming the firearm will be used for official police duties and that the officer has no convictions for misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence. Firearms dealers are required to retain these certifications in their permanent records.

Wilson purchased firearms through this program by submitting certifications on JPD letterhead in which he forged the signatures of the authorized official. Contrary to his claims on the certifications, Wilson intended to use the firearms for personal use, not his official duties, or to transfer or resell the firearms to third parties.

Wilson gifted two Glock 48 9mm pistols and a Glock 43x 9mm pistol to two individuals and sold a fourth firearm to another individual for $400.  eTracing was conducted on the firearms, which showed only the JPD, not Wilson or any of the other owners.

“The power entrusted to police officers demands an unwavering commitment to truth. When that trust is broken through deliberate dishonesty, it undermines the very foundation of justice and the safety of our communities. This offense wasn’t a momentary lapse, but a grave betrayal by someone sworn to uphold the truth,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “ATF Forms serve the critical purpose of ensuring law enforcement can trace crime guns. We remain committed to working with our federal partners to hold accountable those who misuse their authority.”

“Lying to obtain a firearm is a serious crime, and wearing a badge does not place anyone above the law,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “This sentence underscores that when law enforcement officers choose to break the law and mislead the system, they will be held fully accountable. The officer’s own department initiated the investigation, reflecting its commitment to justice and the rule of law.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jeffersonville Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.    

U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Wood, who prosecuted this case.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Yuridia Rosas-Luna (35, Mexico) has pleaded guilty to being paid to transport undocumented aliens to further their illegal presence in the United States for financial gain. Rosas-Luna faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to court documents and court proceedings, on May 21, 2024, a deputy from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle for driving recklessly. Rosas-Luna was driving the car, which contained three passengers. Rosas-Luna and the passengers were unable to provide the deputy with any identification. As part of their investigation, deputies conducted a search of the sedan and the passengers. During the search, deputies located Mexican identification cards on all three passengers. Rosas-Luna told the deputies she was taking one of the passengers to see “family,” and later changed her story, stating she picked up her “friend” in Nassau County to take him to the hospital in Tampa. Rosas-Luna also told deputies she knew the passengers were from Mexico.

Agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection determined that the three passengers were illegally present in the United States and were citizens of Mexico. One of the passengers had illegally entered the United States and was removed to Mexico eight days earlier, on May 13, 2024. During later questioning, Rosas-Luna told agents that she was going to receive $1,500 to transport one of the aliens from Kingsland, Georgia to Riverview, Florida.

This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Elisibeth Adams and Ashley Washington.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department announced it has reached a settlement with the Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC) to enforce the rights guaranteed to Kansas Army National Guard Major Stephen W. Terry by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).

The settlement agreement resolves Major Terry’s claim that KCKCC violated USERRA when it terminated Major Terry’s employment as the Dean of Enrollment Management and Student Services at KCKCC following his return from military service. It includes the payment of lost wages to Major Terry and a requirement that KCKCC provide training to KCKCC management and human resources staff regarding servicemembers’ rights and employers’ responsibilities under USERRA.

“When servicemembers leave their families and civilian jobs to serve our nation, USERRA protects them from discrimination and wrongful termination,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department is committed to safeguarding servicemembers’ rights under USERRA to freely serve their country without fear of losing their civilian jobs.”

“As a Navy reservist myself, I know the cost imposed on servicemembers when they are called to leave their home and work to serve and protect this great country. I missed the birth of my youngest daughter while serving in Afghanistan” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser for the District of Kansas. “Now, it is my honor and our duty to make sure the employment rights of servicemembers are protected once they return home. My office will continue to vigorously defend the rights justly earned by those who serve our country, and we thank them for their service.”

USERRA protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to reemployment in their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations and provides that servicemembers shall not be discriminated against because of their military obligations. The Justice Department prioritizes the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s website www.justice.gov/servicemembers as well as on the Department of Labor’s website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Bridgeport Judicial District; P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; and Norwalk Police Chief James Walsh today announced that SAMUEL BRANCH, also known as “Sosa,” 27; GIOVANNI HUDSON, 34; DONTAE SCULLARK, 22; and WILLIAM HINTON, 22, all of Norwalk, have been federally charged for their alleged involvement in a kidnapping and carjacking in August 2023.

As alleged in the indictment, Branch, Hudson, Scullark, and Hinton conspired to kidnap a victim in Bridgeport.  In the evening of August 2 and morning of August 3, 2023, the four defendants, traveling together in an SUV, surveilled the victim as he drove to a restaurant on Boston Avenue, parked his Mercedes Benz, and entered the restaurant.  Hudson, in possession of a handgun with an extended magazine, then entered the back seat of the Mercedes Benz and laid in wait for the victim.  When the victim entered his car, Hudson placed the gun to the victim’s head and instructed him to drive.  Branch, Scullark, and Hinton followed in the SUV.  After Hudson told the victim to pull over, at least one of the co-conspirators climbed into the Mercedes Benz and also threatened the victim at gunpoint.  The co-conspirators stole cash, credit cards, jewelry, a cell phone, and other items from the victim and demanded that the victim provide access to his digital bank on his cell phone.  They then let the victim out of the Mercedes Benz, took the vehicle, and drove it and the SUV away.

On September 4, 2025, a grand jury in Bridgeport returned a four-count indictment charging Branch, Hudson, Scullark, and Hinton with conspiracy to commit kidnapping, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of life.  The indictment also charges Branch, Hudson, and Scullark with kidnapping, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and with carjacking, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.  Hudson is also charged with carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, an offense that mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least seven years.

Scullark and Hinton were arrested on September 5, 2025, and are currently detained.  Branch and Hudson, who are currently in state custody, are scheduled to be arraigned today.

Branch is also charged in an unrelated indictment, returned in March 2025, with drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.  He has been detained since September 2023.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Norwalk Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Michael A. DeJoseph who is cross designated as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in this matter.

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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Friday sentenced a man to 42 months in prison for orchestrating a check fraud scheme using checks that had been stolen from the mail.

Malik Jones, 28, of Berkeley, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in October to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. From March 2022 to at least October 2023, Jones was involved in “every step” in a scheme to steal checks from the mail and then commit fraud with those checks, according to a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow.

In March of 2022, Jones bought a stolen “arrow key,” which allows access to U.S. Postal Service mail collection boxes, from a mail carrier, Cambria M. Hopkins. Jones then paid others to steal mail from the collection boxes in the St. Louis area using Hopkins’ key, and he removed checks from that stolen mail. Jones also paid Hopkins to steal checks from the mail for him.  After obtaining these stolen checks, Jones altered or created counterfeit versions of the checks, deposited these forged and fraudulent checks, and then withdrew the check funds. Jones used Instagram to recruit others to supply their debit cards and banking information to him so he or the account holder could deposit checks into those accounts. Jones attempted to withdraw the money before the banks realized the checks were fraudulent and split any resulting proceeds with the account holders.

Jones deposited or caused others to deposit forged or fraudulent checks with a face value totaling $1.2 million, although many of those fraudulent deposits were identified by the banks and rejected. Jones was ordered Friday to repay $21,635 to victims.

Jones’ crimes came a time when mail theft was a well-publicized problem, and his actions greatly contributed to this problem through their scope, Clow wrote. In letters to Judge Perry, victims wrote that they felt financially and personally violated by Jones’ crimes and were forced to close accounts, re-issue checks and change payment methods on multiple bills.

Hopkins, 30, of Florissant, pleaded guilty in August to one count of conspiracy and one count of unlawful use of a mail key and is scheduled to be sentenced in December.

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to defending the nation’s mail system from criminal activity, preserving the integrity of the U.S. Mail, and protecting United States Postal Service employees. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service values our law enforcement partners for supporting our mission to protect the integrity of the U.S. Mail,” said Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.

“This sentencing represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Maryland Heights Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A St. Joseph, Mo., man has been convicted at trial of conspiracy to commit drug trafficking and money laundering.

Montrez Dixon, 32, was found guilty on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, of one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering.

Three co-defendants have already pleaded guilty in this case.

On July 29, 2020, law enforcement officers recovered a package shipped to Kansas City, Mo. from Arizona, which contained 4,715 fentanyl pills. The investigation revealed that Dixon distributed this package and other packages to the Western District of Missouri, containing thousands of fentanyl pills.  On Nov. 30, 2022, law enforcement officers with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service executed a search warrant on Dixon’s residence in Los Angeles, Ca., where over 7,500 fentanyl pills and a firearm were recovered.  Dixon fled to Fresno, Ca., where he was ultimately arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service.

Under federal statutes, Dixon is subject to a minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for approximately three hours before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark, ending a trial that began Monday, Sept. 15.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen A. Brackett and. John C. Constance. It was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Services, Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department, Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, Buchanan County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office, St. Joseph, Missouri Police Department, Kansas City, Missouri Police Crime Laboratory, and DEA-North Central Laboratory.

Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.