Source: United States Navy
NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain – Nestled within Naval Station Rota, Spain, Camp Mitchell stands as a testament to the unwavering commitment and operational excellence of the U.S. Navy Seabees. Named in honor of Capt. Thomas J. Mitchell, a distinguished Civil Engineer Corps (CEC) officer who was killed in action in 1974, the camp has served as a forward-deployed hub for Naval Construction Forces in the European and African theaters for decades.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A former Franklin County sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus, Ohio, today to depriving an inmate of his civil rights. Matthew Carey, 28, of Grove City, admitted to depriving an individual of their right to be free from a deputy’s deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of serious harm, while acting under color of law.
According to court documents, in March 2022, Carey intentionally disclosed a pretrial detainee’s pending charge of rape of a minor to Gmier McCall, another pretrial detainee. Carey knew that disclosing the victim’s charges created a substantial risk that he would be assaulted by others in the jail, and in fact inmates did assault the victim.
Carey faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. McCall previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to deprive the victim of his civil rights and also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at future hearings.
Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office announced the plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Cameron A. Bell of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Note: View statement of interest here.
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a Statement of Interest in Judicial Watch v. Reed, No. 6:24-cv-1783 (D. Ore.) regarding the requirements under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) for states to maintain and make available for public inspection records concerning list maintenance to ensure the accuracy of the official list of eligible voters.
The lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch alleges that the State of Oregon failed to comply with the state’s obligations under the NVRA to conduct a list maintenance program and to make the records concerning list maintenance publicly available. Advancing President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order to preserve and protect the integrity of American elections, the Attorney General of the United States, through the Civil Rights Division, enforces NVRA mandates.
“Accurate voter registration rolls are critical to ensure that elections in Oregon are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “States have specific obligations under the list maintenance provisions of the NVRA, and the Department of Justice will vigorously enforce those requirements.”
More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
View All Environmental Crimes Bulletins
| District/Circuit | Case Name | Conduct/Statute(s) |
|---|---|---|
| District of Alaska | United States v. Corey Potter, et al. | Crab Harvesting; Lacey Act |
| Southern District of California | United States v. Ruben Montes, et al. | Pesticide and Veterinary Drug Smuggling; Conspiracy |
| United States v. Ricardo Alonzo | Exotic Bird Smuggling | |
| Northern District of Florida | United States v. Zackery Brandon Barfield | Dolphin Killing; Marine Mammal Protection Act; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act |
| Southern District of Florida | United States v. Liza Hash | Discharging Oil; Clean Water Act |
| Middle District of Georgia | United States v. Tamichael Elijah, et al. | Dog Fighting; Animal Fighting Venture, Conspiracy |
| Eastern District of Kentucky | United States v. Kendall Glenn Hacker | Animal Torture Videos; Animal Crush Statute |
| District of Maine | United States v. Isaac Allen | Tampering with a Monitoring Device; Clean Air Act, Conspiracy, Obstruction of Justice |
| Southern District of Mississippi | United States v. Thomas W. Douglas, Jr., et al. | Wastewater Discharges; Clean Water Act |
| District of New Jersey | United States v. Tommy Watson, et al. | Dog Fighting; Animal Fighting Venture, Conspiracy, Felon-in-Possession |
| Northern District of Texas | United States v. Phillip D. Waddell, et al. | Tampering with a Monitoring Device; Clean Air Act, Conspiracy |
| Southern District of Texas | United States v. Jocelyn Castilleja | Refrigerant Smuggling |
| Eastern District of Virginia | United States v. Charles Reginald McDougald, et al. | Dog Fighting; Animal Fighting Venture, Conspiracy |
| United States v. Jonathan Long | Tampering with a Monitoring Device; Clean Air Act, Accessory-After-the-Fact |
On May 8, 2025, prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging Jocelyn Castilleja with smuggling (18 U.S.C. § 545).
On June 15, 2024, Castilleja attempted to smuggle three 25pound containers of 410A hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant from Mexico into the United States in her personal vehicle. The refrigerants were discovered during a routine inspection by Customs and Border Protection agents at the Brownsville, Texas, border crossing. Castilleja failed to declare the containers to customs authorities, as required by law.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
On May 20, 2025, prosecutors charged Ricardo Alonzo with smuggling 17 exotic birds into the United States from Mexico under the seat of his car (18 U.S.C. § 545).
On May 4, 2025, authorities intercepted Alonzo as he drove over the border from Mexico at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Officers found four bags containing 10 burrowing parakeets, five yellow-crowned Amazon parrots, and two red-lored Amazon parrot chicks under the rear seat. The two red-lored Amazon parrot chicks did not survive; the remaining birds were transferred to a quarantine facility managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Amazon parrots are native to Mexico, the West Indies, and northern South America, while burrowing parakeets are native to Chile and Argentina. All species of Amazon parrots, as well as burrowing parakeets, are listed on either Appendix I or Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.
Smuggled birds that are not subject to quarantine can prove dangerous as they may carry and spread Avian influenza (bird flu) and other diseases. Bird flu is highly contagious and can cause flu-like symptoms, respiratory illness, pneumonia, and death in humans and other birds including those housed on poultry farms.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Red-lored Amazon parrots rescued by border officials.
Related Press Release: Southern District of California | San Diego Man Charged with Smuggling Exotic Live Birds | United States Department of Justice
On May 16, 2025, Tommy Watson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess, train, and transport dogs for an animal fighting venture, sponsoring and exhibiting dogs in an animal fighting venture, and being a felon-in-possession of ammunition (7 U.S.C. §§ 2156(a)(1), 2156(b); 18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 922(g)). Watson is scheduled for sentencing on October 2, 2025.
The case began when officers responded to an emergency call at an auto body garage in Upper Deerfield Township, New Jersey. They found a fighting pit in the garage, along with two pit bull-type dogs, still fighting, that had been placed into an inoperable car on a lift in the garage as the participants fled on foot. The dogs later died from injuries they sustained while fighting. Officers also found an uninjured pit bull-type dog in a car near the garage, along with a rudimentary veterinary suture and skin staple kit.
Evidence revealed that Watson organized the fight, and that his dog was scheduled for the next fight on deck. He jointly possessed and trained the dog for this particular fight, as shown by cell phone video evidence. Watson participated in a dog fighting operation called “From Da Bottom Kennels.” From Da Bottom Kennels and others live-streamed dog fight videos from the garage via the Telegram app.
Co-defendant Johnnie Lee Nelson was sentenced in April 2025 to complete a two-year term of probation to include one year of home confinement. Nelson will also perform 100 hours of community service.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
On May 22, 2025, Phillip Waddell pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA) (18 U.S.C. § 371; 42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)).
Waddell is one of ten defendants charged for tampering with pollution control equipment software in diesel trucks. The other co-defendants are Philip Matthew Ormand, Kolby Douglas Huneycutt, Kyle Kris Kizer, Jonathan Joseph Lohrmeyer, Justin Loutoyama Pasamonte, Archie George Sims, and Adam Marsh Stanley, along with auto dealership James Hodge Motors, Inc. (doing business as Jay Hodge Dodge), and its Chief Operating Officer Curtis Kevin Poore. They are scheduled for trial to begin on December 15, 2025.
Between June 2019 and November 2021, Waddell sold aftermarket diesel exhaust components, tuners, and so-called “delete tunes” that allowed vehicles to override on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems. Operating normally, OBDs monitor vehicle emissions to ensure they fall below the limits set by the CAA. When an OBD detects excess emissions, it sends input to the vehicle’s on-board computer, which may activate an indicator light and place the vehicle in “limp mode,” capping its speed as low as five miles per hour. With delete tunes installed, diesel exhaust systems can be modified so that OBDs are prevented from detecting emission changes.
Waddell purchased delete tunes from Ormand to customize them for specific vehicles. From August 2018 to April 2021, Waddell paid Ormand more than $2 million for delete tunes and sold them for between $300 and $1,350 each. Waddell’s customers included James Hodge Motors and several individuals who operated their own diesel repair and customization businesses.
Huneycutt, Kizer, Lohrmeyer, Pasamonte, Sims, and Stanley purchased tuners and delete tunes from Waddell and installed them on their customers’ vehicles, a process called “tuning” or “reflashing.” James Hodge Motors, acting under Poore’s supervision, falsified invoices to conceal the nature of the work it performed on customers’ trucks.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
On May 1, 2025, a court sentenced Thomas W. Douglas, Jr., to pay a $50,000 fine and complete a three-year term of probation, which includes nine months’ home confinement. Co-defendant John S. Welch, Sr., was sentenced to pay a $5,000 fine and complete a two-year term of probation. Following an almost two-week trial, a jury found Douglas guilty of two negligent Clean Water Act (CWA) counts and Welch guilty of one negligent CWA count (33 U.S.C. § 1319(c)(1)(A)).
Douglas was the president and co-owner of Gold Coast Commodities, Inc. (GCC), based in Brandon, Mississippi, and Welch was GCC’s plant manager. The company processes fats, oils, and grease into feedstock for animal food and biofuels. GCC applied for and received pretreatment permits that limited the quantity of treated waste it could discharge to the Jackson area wastewater treatment system (JWTS). GCC never activated the permits, claiming that it trucked all its waste offsite for treatment and disposal. State and local regulatory officials later discovered discharges of industrial waste downstream from GCC that vastly exceeded numerous pollutant limits.
After officials placed monitors into GCC’s sewer outfall, the defendants trucked GCC’s process waste to three other illegal discharge locations, two of which led to the JWTS. They hired two sewage haulers to transport GCC’s industrial waste to JWTS’s treatment plant in tanker trucks falsely marked as “sewage” to conceal the nature of the waste. The plant does not accept industrial waste. When that became too risky, they hired a trucking company to transport GCC’s waste to a small sewer service company owned by co-defendant Andrew Walker. There they excavated a JWTS sewer pipe and discharged another 3.4 million gallons of GCC’s industrial waste until they were again caught and ordered to stop.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Brandon Police Department, and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Cities of Brandon and Jackson municipal governments.
On May 6, 2025, a court sentenced Charles Reginald McDougald to 27 months’ incarceration followed by three years of supervised release.
From March 2015 through December 2022, McDougald, aka “Luke” and “Bottom Boy—along with other conspirators from Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and North Carolina—used a messaging app private group referred to as “The DMV Board” or “The Board,” to discuss training fighting dogs, exchange videos about dog fighting, and arrange and coordinate dog fights.
Members of the DMV Board used the app to compare methods of killing dogs that lost fights, circulate media reports about conspirators who had been caught by law enforcement, and discuss ways to avoid being caught. McDougald posted multiple offers to arrange dog fights for thousands of dollars per fight. McDougald pleaded guilty to conspiracy and to violating the animal fighting venture statute (7 U.S.C. § 2156; 18 U.S.C. §§ 49, 371).
McDougald’s sentencing follows the convictions of 19 others who used the DMV Board. Those other defendants received sentences ranging between 10 days and 30 months in prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Defense Criminal Investigation Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.
On May 7, 2025, a court sentenced Isaac Allen to pay a $40,000 fine and complete a three-year term of probation. Allen, the owner of a diesel repair shop called Red Barn Diesel Performance in Windham, Maine, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to tamper with Clean Air Act (CAA) monitoring devices and obstructing an agency proceeding (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 1505; 42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)).
Between January 2017 and September 2020, Allen conspired with a local truck sales business to reprogram the on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems of diesel trucks by downloading software, or “tunes,” which disabled the systems’ ability to detect emissions control malfunctions. Disabling emissions controls or tampering with the OBD system of a diesel truck causes its emissions to increase significantly.
In June 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued Allen a CAA Information Request, seeking details on the vehicles serviced by Red Barn, including the impact of the engine tunes on emissions systems and OBD functions. Allen underreported the number of vehicles affected.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation with support from the Maine State Police.
On May 12, 2025, a court sentenced Kendall Glenn Hacker to 30 months’ incarceration, followed by three years’ supervised release. Hacker pleaded guilty to conspiracy and to violating the Animal Crush statute (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 48(a)(2), (a)(3)).
Between November 2021 and June 2022, Hacker sent money through online payment applications, such as PayPal and Venmo, to Michael Macartney, an online chat group administrator. The participants in this group funded, created, obtained, received, exchanged and/or distributed animal crush videos.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Related Press Release: District of Kentucky | Richmond Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Create and Distribute Animal Crush Videos
On May 13, 2025, a court sentenced fisherman Corey Potter to 12 months’ incarceration followed by two years of supervised release for illegally transporting crab from Alaska to Washington in violation of the Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(2)(A), 3373(d)(1)(B)). Potter also is banned from commercial fishing while under supervision.
In February and March 2024, Corey Potter owned and operated two crab catcher vessels and harvested Tanner and golden king crab in Southeast Alaska waters. The vessels were captained and operated by co-defendants Kyle Potter (Corey’s son) and Justin Welch. Corey Potter directed Kyle Potter and Welch to transport their harvest of live crab to Seattle, Washington, where they intended to sell it for a higher price than they would receive in Alaska. Before leaving Alaska, neither vessel landed their harvest at a port nor reported the harvest on a fish ticket, which all three defendants knew was required under state law.
At the time, one vessel held more than 4,200 pounds of live Tanner crab aboard, while the other had close to 3,000 pounds of live golden king crab. A portion of the Tanner crab was infected with Bitter Crab Syndrome (BCS), a parasitic disease that is fatal to crustaceans. Several crab fishermen who knew about their plans contacted Corey and Kyle Potter expressing concern that the Potters’ harvest would infect other crabs with BCS. Despite the other fishermen’s concerns, Corey Potter moved forward with his plan to transport the catch.
Following the multi-day trip from Alaska, roughly 40 percent the king crab died and was unmarketable. Since the other vessel had BCS-contaminated crabs, the entire catch of Tanner crab was transferred to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to dispose of in a landfill.
In March 2024, law enforcement served a search warrant on Welch and one of the fishing vessels. Welch told Corey and Kyle Potter about the search, and both deleted text messages before law enforcement could seize their phones. Those messages described their awareness of BCS and their plans to sell the crab for better prices.
Kyle Potter was previously sentenced to pay a $20,000 fine and complete a five-year term of probation. Welch was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and complete a three-year term of probation.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
Related Press Release: District of Alaska | Kodiak fisherman sentenced to prison for directing illegal transport of crab from Alaska | United States Department of Justice
On May 13 and 14, 2025, the court sentenced the final 11 defendants in this case arising from a large-scale dog fighting event in 2022. All defendants were ordered to pay restitution to the U.S. Marshals Service for the costs of caring for the seized animals.
The final two defendants, Brandon Baker and Marvin Pulley, III, are scheduled for sentencing on June 4 and 5, 2025, respectively. Defendant Willie Russell was previously sentenced to 24 months’ incarceration followed by three years’ supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and exhibiting dogs in an animal fighting venture (7 U.S.C. § 2156(a)(1); 18 U.S.C. § 371).
On April 24, 2022, the defendants held a dog fighting event in Donalsonville, Georgia, that authorities disrupted while in progress. The defendants brought 24 pit bull-type dogs to fight in a series of matches over that weekend.
The participants used their cars to store dogs that fought previously, as well as those awaiting their turn in the fighting pit. Dogs found in cars bore recent injuries and scars. Additional dogs were kept on chains on the property. Law enforcement rescued 27 dogs, including a badly injured dog that later died from its injuries.
All defendants but Freeman pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the animal fighting prohibition of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Beaumont and Miller also pleaded guilty to sponsoring or exhibiting a dog in a dog fight. Baker, Davis, Ganzy, Johnson, Pulley, and White further pleaded guilty to possessing and transporting a dog to use in an animal fighting venture. Freeman pleaded guilty to spectating at an animal fight. Miller and Pulley also pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a person with a prior felony conviction.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General and the Seminole County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Bay County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office.
On May 14, 2025, a court sentenced Ruben Montes to 16 months’ incarceration followed by two years of supervised release. Montes will pay $12,710 in forfeiture for his part in a scheme to smuggle and distribute more than $3 million worth of Mexican pesticides and veterinary drugs that are not approved for use in the United States (18 U.S.C. § 371).
Since 2020, Montes coordinated the smuggling of pesticides and veterinary drugs from Mexico into the United States. The primary pesticides involved were Taktic and Bovitraz, which are not registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in the United States. The smuggled veterinary drugs included Tylocet, Terramicina, Tetragent Ares, and Catarrol, which are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Montes requested that his co-conspirators bring these pesticides and veterinary drugs from Mexico into the United States. They then hid the pesticides and veterinary drugs in storage units in Calexico and retrieved them for distribution throughout the United States. Montes and Hugo Gutierrez (who remains at large) supplied most of the pesticides and veterinary drugs to individuals charged in another case, United States v. Toledo, et al., No. 22-CR-01965, (S.D. Calif.). Montes was also involved in shipping about 150 packages of unapproved products to another co-conspirator in Texas.
According to the EPA, the active ingredient in Taktic and Bovitraz is amitraz, which is toxic to bees if released into hives, and then ultimately to humans when it ends up in honey, honeycomb, and beeswax. Misuse of amitraz-containing products in beehives can therefore result in exposures that could cause neurological effects and possibly reproductive effects in humans.
Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control conducted the investigation.
On May 16, 2025, a court sentenced Jonathan Long to pay a $88,514 fine and complete a 12-month term of probation to include three months of home confinement. Long pleaded guilty to being an accessory after-the-fact to falsifying, tampering with, and rendering inaccurate a monitoring device required by the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C); 18 U.S.C. § 3).
Long owned and operated Open Wide Performance, LLC, which sold aftermarket defeat devices for diesel trucks. Long works as a diesel technician and is an active-duty member of the U.S. Navy, stationed in Norfolk, Virginia.
Between 2019 and 2020, Long sold “delete kits,” including delete pipes, software, cables, and tunes. Long also helped his customers use this equipment to manipulate their diesel trucks’ onboard diagnostic system. Long earned approximately $300,000 from this criminal enterprise.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
On May 21, 2025, a court sentenced Zachary Brandon Barfield to 30 days’ incarceration followed by one year of supervised release. Barfield also will pay a $51,000 fine. Barfield pleaded guilty to three counts of poisoning and shooting dolphins in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 1372(a)(2)(A), 1375(b); 7 U.S.C. §§ 136j(a)(2)(G), 136l(b)(2)).
Barfield is a charter and commercial fishing captain operating out of Panama City, Florida. In the summer of 2022, Barfield became frustrated with dolphins eating red snapper from the lines of charter fishing clients. Between June and August 2022, Barfield began placing a commercial methomyl insecticide inside bait fish to feed to and poison the dolphins that surfaced near his boat.
While captaining another fishing trip in December 2022, Barfield saw dolphins eating snapper from fishing lines. This time, he used a 12-gauge shotgun to shoot and kill a dolphin that surfaced near his vessel. In the summer of 2023, while on a charter fishing trip, Barfield shot at a dolphin that surfaced near his clients’ fishing lines.
The National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation with assistance from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Related Press Release: Northern District of Florida | Panama City Commercial Fisherman Sentenced for Killing Dolphins in the Gulf of America
On May 23, 2025, a court sentenced Liza Hash to complete a one-year term of probation to include 60 days of home confinement. Hash also will pay a $5,000 fine. She pleaded guilty to discharging oil into United States and contiguous zone waters, in violating of the Clean Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. §§ 1319(c)(2), 1321(b)(3)).
Hash was the owner and operator of the S/V Juliet, a sailing vessel used for multi-day scuba diving trips between Miami and the Bahamas. Over the course of about six years, Hash’s vessel carried up to 12 passengers per trip, along with the crew, between the U.S. and the Bahamas.
On June 16, 2023, U.S. Coast Guard investigators boarded the Juliet following its return from the Bahamas. After noticing an active oil sheen originating from the vessel, they conducted a safety examination.
During the inspection, they noted oily water in the bilge, and a pump connected to the vessel’s grey water tank, to facilitate illegal overboard discharges. Hash had used the vessel’s grey water tank (which is intended to hold liquid waste from the boat’s washer, dryer, sinks, and showers) to store oil-contaminated bilge water and discharge it overboard.
Investigators estimate that Hash discharged approximately 26,000 gallons of oily water during the five-year period.
The United States Coast Guard conducted the investigation.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The former owner of fuel truck supply companies was sentenced today in Boise, Idaho, to 12 months in prison and a $20,000 fine for his leadership role in conspiracies to monopolize, rig bids, and allocate territories for fuel truck contracts that assist the U.S. Forest Service’s efforts to battle wildfires in Idaho and the mountain west. The conduct lasted at least eight years.
Ike Tomlinson pleaded guilty in May 2024 to conspiring with Kris Bird, the owner of another fuel truck company to rig bids in each other’s favor. Both individuals pleaded guilty to the charges from the federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the fuel truck services industry.
“This sentence sends a message that bid rigging—particularly bid rigging affecting federal agencies—will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Defendant’s conspiracies struck at the heart of the competitive process. They damaged essential taxpayer-funded services critical to protecting the American public and its property from wildfires while profiting at the expense of American taxpayers. The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will continue to ensure that individuals who cheat and deprive their communities of these essential services are incarcerated.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that those who manipulate markets and undermine fair competition will be held accountable,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Antitrust violations harm consumers, distort markets and erode trust in our economy. The FBI remains committed to working with our partners to investigate and disrupt all forms of corporate fraud.”
“Competition is critical for fair and efficient federal contracting,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Jason Suffredini of the General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Inspector General (OIG). “GSA OIG special agents and our partners are committed to pursuing those who engage in any form of procurement fraud.”
According to court documents, the co-conspirators coordinated their bids to inflate prices and to determine who would have priority to receive business from the U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies in the event of a wildfire in a specific geographic area. These bids gave the false impression of competition when, in fact, the co-conspirators had predetermined who would receive priority from the Forest Service. The co-conspirators further coordinated to exclude and punish potential competitors to further maintain the success of their conspiracy. Tomlinson participated in the conduct from 2015 through 2023.
The Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Boise Resident Agency, and General Services Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant Chief Christopher J. Carlberg and Trial Attorneys Elena A. Goldstein, Daniel B. Twomey, and Matthew Chou of the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Mazorol for the District of Idaho are prosecuting the case.
In addition to today’s criminal sentence, on July 10, 2024, the United States, on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Small Business Administration, entered into a civil settlement with Ike Tomlinson and other related entities and individuals who agreed to pay $1.1 million to resolve civil claims related to allegations that they obtained government contracts through bid-rigging and the submission of false SAM Certifications, submitted false claims for helicopter operations support trailers, wrongly obtained a Paycheck Protection Program loan, and other conduct.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General investigated the civil case. Assistant United States Attorney Robert B. Firpo and Civil Chief James Schaefer are handling the case.
In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government—federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above.
Source: United States Navy
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas – The Naval Medical Forces Development Command (NMFDC) is enhancing the Navy’s expeditionary forces’ ability to provide critical en-route medical care by establishing a new Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) – Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Kevin Colantonio, 36, pleaded guilty in February 2025 to malicious damage by means of fire, obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs, and two counts of assault on a federal officer. He was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr., to more than six years in federal prison. He intentionally set multiple fires around the exterior of a predominantly black church in North Providence, RI, in February 2024, and assaulted two federal correctional officers while detained at a federal detention center following his arrest.
“This defendant acted with disdain against people of faith and complete disregard for law enforcement officers,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to vigorously prosecute anti-Christian bias in the United States and ensure Americans are free to worship without fear.”
Colantonio previously admitted to a federal judge that on Feb. 11, 2024, he used gasoline and a lighter he purchased minutes earlier at a gas station within walking distance of Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries, to ignite five fires around the exterior of the church. The fires were quickly extinguished by North Providence officers, but not before the church sustained some damage.
During a Feb. 15, 2024, court-authorized search of Colantonio’s residence, an accelerant detection canine indicated a positive reaction on several items of seized clothing. These items matched the clothing Colantonio was wearing on the night of the arson, based upon surveillance footage. Colantonio admitted to setting the fires and assaulting the corrections officers.
Acting U.S. Attorney Sara Miron Bloom for the District of Rhode Island and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter I. Roklan for the District of Rhode Island and Taylor Payne of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
The fires set at the Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with members of the North Providence, RI, Police Department and the Rhode Island State Fire Marshal’s Office. The assault of the federal officers was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Source: United States Navy
SAN DIEGO – The America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) departed Naval Base San Diego May 19 to forward deploy to Sasebo, Japan, as part of a scheduled rotation of forces in the Pacific. The Tripoli will replace the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), which will depart Sasebo and move to San Diego.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Following a one-week trial, a federal jury in Memphis convicted a member of the Unknown Vice Lords (UVL) — a violent street gang in Memphis — for his involvement in a gang-related murder, after deliberating for less than hour.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Vincent Grant, also know as “V-Slash,” 41, of Memphis, was a high-ranking member of UVL, also known as The Ghost Mob — a criminal enterprise that controlled territory throughout the entire city of Memphis and beyond to Arkansas and Mississippi. Members of UVL committed murders, burglaries, assaults, human trafficking, and drug trafficking on behalf of the enterprise. When the gang’s Supreme Elite Chief, the leader for the entire state of Tennessee, was murdered, the gang sought retaliation against anyone thought to be involved.
As proven at trial, on Jan. 10, 2019, the gang’s Supreme Elite Chief and his girlfriend were murdered in a residential neighborhood in broad daylight. The gang sought retaliation that same night against a rival gang, the Traveling Vice Lords (TVL) whom they initially believed to have been responsible. Multiple UVL members drove to a known TVL hangout and engaged in a gun battle with the other gang. During the next few days, UVL conducted its own internal investigation and were informed that a fellow member was thought to be responsible for their Chief’s murder.
Five days after the Chief was murdered, on Jan. 15, 2019, the implicated member, the victim for this trial, was murdered at the hands of Grant and other UVL members. On Jan. 14, 2019, Grant, as a keeper of guns for the gang, provided guns to multiple gang members for the purpose of going on a “demo,” which is the gang’s term for committing violent acts. Then early the next morning at around 1:00 a.m., Grant and three other gang members drove the victim to an apartment complex, where two of them executed the victim with the guns Grant provided.
“This violent gang brutally executed one of their own and left the body on display as a warning that betrayal would not be tolerated,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their blatant disregard for human life — carrying out shootings in broad daylight and in residential neighborhoods—underscores the urgent need to confront and dismantle this threat to public safety. The Justice Department and the ATF turned this case from a cold case into a conviction, and we remain committed to working closely with law enforcement to tackle even the most challenging cases. Our warning to street gangs is clear: their violence will not be tolerated.”
“Gang violence is never isolated — it endangers entire communities,” said Acting Director Daniel Driscoll of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “This gang’s brutal executions, carried out openly in residential neighborhoods in broad daylight, sent a chilling message of intimidation; but ATF and our law enforcement partners sent an even stronger one back: violence and fear will not prevail. We remained dedicated to protecting the community and unraveled this deadly conspiracy to ensure justice was done. We remain relentless in our commitment to dismantle gangs that threaten public safety, and we’ll continue to hold accountable, those who inflict violence in our communities.”
The jury convicted Grant of causing death by use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, that being murder in aid of racketeering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 19 and faces up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Memphis Police Department, and United States Secret Service assisted in the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Lisa Thelwell and Christopher Usher of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Following a three-week trial, a federal jury in Minneapolis convicted five Minnesota men today for their involvement in the Highs — a violent Minneapolis street gang — and in gang-related murders, shootings, and narcotics distribution.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, defendants Tyreese Giles, 24, Josiah Taylor, 31, Trevaun Robinson, 29, William Banks, 35, and Gregory Brown, 35, all of Minneapolis, were members of various “cliques,” or subsets, of the Highs — a criminal enterprise that controlled territory north of West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis. Members of the Highs committed murders, narcotics trafficking, weapons violations, burglaries, assaults, and robberies on behalf of the enterprise. As part of their Highs membership, the defendants were expected to retaliate against their rivals, the Lows gang, which operated south of West Broadway Avenue. These two gangs had been in a gang war that spanned years and alleged members of the Lows gang have been separately charged with federal crimes, including racketeering charges.
“This is the second successful trial against members and associates of the Highs gang in this case in the last three weeks,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case and these trials show the Department’s relentless determination to hold accountable criminal enterprises that use murder and intimidation to exert power and control narcotics territory. We will continue to dismantle violent gangs and secure justice for victims and their loved ones in communities around the country.”
“The Highs have long terrorized north Minneapolis, bringing drugs, violence, and murder,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson for the District of Minnesota. “This verdict represents yet another step in our fight against gang violence. I want to thank the coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who joined together to bring down this violent criminal street gang. I also want to thank the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section for lending their expertise and partnering with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on our RICO cases.”
“This case is a powerful example of how we use federal racketeering laws to take down violent gangs at the center of community violence,” said Acting Director Daniel Driscoll of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “These individuals relied on firearms, retaliation, and drug trafficking to fuel chaos and assert fear and dominance over their neighborhoods. ATF special agents worked closely with our partners to map the gang’s structure and document their vicious acts of violence, to bring the full weight of the law against its members. We will continue to use every tool available to protect the public and hold violent offenders accountable.”
“The verdict today reflects the United States Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) dedication to building great partnerships with other federal agencies, as well as state and county law enforcement, to bring violent criminals in our communities to justice,” said Acting Inspector in Charge Steve Hodge of USPIS.
“As financial investigators, IRS Criminal Investigation brings a unique skill set to dismantling violent criminal enterprises,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office. “Our special agents are experts in exposing how criminal organizations move and hide their illicit funds. By following the money, we developed critical financial evidence on significant fentanyl suppliers. As an agency on the RICO task force to combat violent crime, IRS-CI will continue to collaborate with our federal, state, and local partners to make a noticeable impact in our community. These convictions are a critical step in restoring safety and stability to the streets of Minneapolis and maintaining the marked decrease in violence in our community.”
As proven at trial, the gang war escalated when, on Sept. 9, 2021, a prominent Highs member was shot and killed at a barbershop in Minneapolis. About two hours later, suspecting that the Lows were responsible for the killing, defendant Giles traveled to Pennwood Market in Lows territory. Once there, Giles, who was dressed in black and wearing a mask covering his face, shot and killed a Lows member. He fired the fatal shot into the victim’s back before he attempted to flee from the scene.
Evidence at trial tied defendant Robinson to two shootings — one into a crowd of individuals in downtown Minneapolis on July 7, 2019, and another in the parking lot of Merwin Liquors, a Highs hangout, on April 2, 2022.
Defendants Taylor and Banks trafficked drugs, including fentanyl, on behalf of the Highs. Evidence proved that Brown was a high-level narcotics supplier for the Highs and coordinated trips to and from Arizona for Highs members to obtain tens of thousands of fentanyl pills to sell on the streets of Minneapolis. Each defendant was arrested in possession of narcotics, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and oxycodone, and one possessed a firearm in furtherance of their narcotics trafficking.
The jury convicted defendants Giles, Robinson, Banks, And Brown of Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy. Defendants Taylor and Banks were also convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy. The jury convicted Taylor of the separate crime of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This is the second of several trials in this case, which charged over 40 defendants with RICO conspiracy, narcotics trafficking, firearms offenses, and other charges related to their activities as members and associates of the Highs gang. Nine defendants are awaiting trial.
The ATF, FBI, Minneapolis Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Minnesota Department of Corrections are investigating the case, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Brian Lynch and Alyssa Levey-Weinstein of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Lopez-Calhoun and Carla Baumel of the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.