MIL Security Engine-1

Source: US FBI

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SAUL MACEDO-RODRIGUEZ (“MACEDO-RODRIGUEZ”), age 38, a resident of Texas, was sentenced on April 30, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.  MACEDO-RODRIGUEZ was sentenced to one hundred twenty (120) months imprisonment, three (3) years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee.

According to court documents, MACEDO-RODRIGUEZ and other co-conspirators distributed multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin within the Eastern District of Louisiana.

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.

This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office and assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Border Patrol, the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, the Kenner Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the St. John’s Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department.  The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.

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Source: US FBI

SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Destane Glass, 24, of Shreveport, has been sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 135 months in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Glass was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $539,578. In addition, Judge Hicks ordered that Glass’s sentence run consecutive to a 37-month federal prison sentence she is currently serving for Payment Protection Program fraud, making her sentence a total of 172 months (14 years, 4 months).

According to evidence presented in court, beginning on or about January 1, 2021, and continuing through October 31, 2022, Glass and her co-conspirators conspired to commit bank fraud from USAA Savings Bank (USAA Bank), Navy Federal Credit Union, and JP Morgan Chase Bank. Glass was the ringleader of this conspiracy and directed and recruited others to participate in the scheme to defraud the banks. Glass was indicted, along with 20 other defendants, in April 2024 in connection with this federal bank fraud scheme. 

USAA Bank was a financial institution whose deposits were insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).  Teleperformance was a multinational company that provided a wide variety of business services including operating a call center in Shreveport, Louisiana.  The call center provided customer service for USAA Bank.  Teleperformance employees had access to USAA Bank customer information including, but not limited to, customer names, the age of customers, account balances, and account numbers. Glass was not an employee of Teleperformance but conspired with others who were to execute a scheme to defraud USAA Bank.

As part of the conspiracy, Glass worked with her co-defendants to improperly obtain account holder information so that the information could be used by Glass to create counterfeit USAA Bank checks. She instructed her co-defendants to target elderly bank customers whose bank accounts held high account balances as they would be less likely to regularly check their accounts. Glass created counterfeit checks on USAA Bank totaling $2,149,621 from accounts accessed by her co-defendants.  After she created the checks, Glass used social media and other methods to recruit individuals in the Shreveport area with bank accounts to use their accounts to deposit the counterfeit checks.

Once the counterfeit checks were deposited into the accounts, Glass and others, worked to withdraw the funds at various locations to include area casinos. Glass and her co-conspirators would share the proceeds generated from negotiating the counterfeit checks. 

ZarRajah Z. Watkins, 23, of Shreveport, who also participated in this scheme and was charged as a defendant in this case was sentenced today. Watkins pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $397,930. 

All of the other defendants charged in this case have now pleaded guilty and received their sentences.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police and Shreveport Police Department and was prosecuted by Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.

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Source: US FBI

Paducah, KY – A Calloway County, Kentucky woman was sentenced this week to 2 years and 1 month in federal prison for six counts of wire fraud.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Louisville Field Office made the announcement.

Amanda S. Robertson, 34, was sentenced to 2 years and 1 month in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for six counts of wire fraud. According to court documents, between May 2020 and May 2023, Robertson was employed as a bookkeeper for a construction company in western Kentucky. She embezzled over $1,000,000 from her employer. She used the stolen money to finance the operations of several businesses that she owned and to pay personal expenses.

Robertson was also ordered to pay $1,470,000 in restitution.

There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the FBI Hopkinsville Satellite Office and the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.

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Source: US FBI

Owensboro, KY – An Owensboro man was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in federal prison for numerous child sexual exploitation offenses.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police made the announcement.

According to court documents, Matthew D. Constant, 53, a former school superintendent, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison followed by a life term of supervised release for two counts of online enticement of a minor, three counts of receipt of child pornography, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, and two counts of transferring obscene material to a minor.

There is no parole in the federal system.   

This case was investigated by FBI Owensboro and the Kentucky State Police.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the 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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

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Source: US FBI

An Atlanta man and known rap artist was sentenced today to 20 months in federal prison for attempting to carry a loaded weapon in his carry-on bag as he attempted to board a flight to Atlanta.

Tiwan Raybon, 36, of Douglasville, Georgia, was sentenced this afternoon by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. to one year and 8 months in federal prison.

Raybon, also known as “Fat Money” was indicted by a federal grand jury in United States District Court in Los Angeles on June 27, 2022, for knowingly possessing a Glock 9mm-caliber semiautomatic pistol and several rounds of ammunition—which were contained in his carry-on luggage—while attempting to board a flight from Los Angeles destined for Atlanta, Georgia. In April 2024, Raybon pleaded guilty to one federal count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

At the time of the offense, Raybon fled after officers with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) found the firearm and ammunition during a routine luggage inspection. TSA then contacted the FBI for further investigation. Raybon was in possession of the weapon illegally as he had been convicted previously of multiple felonies and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence in Cook County, Illinois.

It is unlawful for a person convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence to ship, transport, receive, or possess a firearm or ammunition.

The FBI’s Task Force located at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) investigated this case. The FBI’s Task Force at LAX is comprised of FBI Agents and detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles World Airport Police Department.

The case against Raybon was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chou with the United States Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles.

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – Three members of a South Los Angeles street gang each were sentenced today to decades in prison for their roles in the robbery and fatal shooting in 2022 of Los Angeles Police Officer Fernando Arroyos.

In separate hearings today, United States District Judge Percy Anderson sentenced Luis Alfredo de la Rosa Rios, 30, a.k.a. “Lil J” and “Lil Malo,” to 50 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay $31,204.07 in restitution. Judge Anderson also sentenced Ernesto Cisneros, 25, a.k.a. “Gonzo” and “Spooky,” to 50 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay $28,604.07 in restitution. Finally, Jesse Contreras, 36, a.k.a. “Skinny Jack” and “Flaco,” was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay $31,204.07 in restitution.

At today’s hearing, Judge Anderson said, “The senseless loss of life is all too frequent in our community. It is literally ripping apart the fabric of our society. The sentence imposed today must send a message, not only to this defendant but to everyone, that if you choose to endanger our community by murdering, robbing, and trafficking in narcotics, there will be significant consequences.”

Rios, Contreras, and Cisneros – all members of the South Los Angeles-based Florencia 13 (F13) street gang – pleaded guilty in July 2023 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

“Gangs bring death and destruction, most often upon the very communities they claim to represent,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “These defendants coldly and callously murdered an innocent man who grew up in our community and returned home to give back to the city he loved. I hope the major sentences we announce today bring some degree of solace to Officer Arroyos’ family, friends, and colleagues. My office will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute gang violence.”

“Fernando Arroyos should be with us today, helping to protect a city he was ready and willing to give his life for. Yet he died in a way none of us could have imagined” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “With Officer Arroyos’ senseless killing, we lost a protector, and most importantly, his family lost someone who meant the whole world to them. The sentences handed down today are just and reinforce our commitment to ensuring public safety and holding those who terrorize our communities accountable.”

“Gang violence tears at the very fabric of our communities, causing immeasurable harm and suffering,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that acts of violence, especially against our dedicated law enforcement officers, will be met with the full force of justice. Officer Arroyos had a promising life ahead of him and chose to serve the community where he was raised, and we will forever remember his commitment and sacrifice. We are grateful for our local and federal partners’ collaborative efforts in bringing these brazen criminals to justice and preventing them from preying on others in our communities.”

On the night of January 10, 2022, the defendants were driving in Rios’ truck around F13’s “territory” in the Florence-Firestone area of South Los Angeles, looking for people to rob. The defendants decided to rob Officer Arroyos because he was wearing gold chains around his neck. Arroyos was accompanied by his girlfriend – another victim who is identified in court documents as “A.M.” Contreras handed Rios a loaded gun. Cisneros, who accompanied Rios and Contreras in Rios’s truck, already possessed a loaded gun. Rios and Cisneros, both armed, then exited Rios’ truck.

Cisneros approached the off-duty officer, patted him down, and then took his chains and wallet, which contained Arroyos’ LAPD identification card. Rios approached A.M., patted her down and stole her property.

After robbing Arroyos, Rios and Cisneros opened fire. Arroyos was struck by a single bullet, which killed him.

Earlier the same day, Rios and Contreras committed armed robberies against two victims outside a bar within F13’s “territory” in the Florence-Firestone area.

Haylee Marie Grisham, 21, an F13 associate who was Rios’ girlfriend, pleaded guilty in April 2023 to one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering for participating in the fatal robbery of Arroyos. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 9, at which time she will face a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The FBI and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter. The Los Angeles Police Department provided substantial assistance.

Assistant United States Attorney Kathy Yu, Chief of Ethics and Post-Conviction Review, and Christopher C. Kendall of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.

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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Source: US FBI

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Mexican National illegally residing in Lexington, Serafin Bayona, 35, was sentenced on Wednesday to 135 months by U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove for financially benefiting from forced labor.

According to his plea agreement, Bayona participated in a venture to financially benefit through the forced labor of others. Specifically, Bayona would loan money to the victims, all Mexican nationals then living in Mexico, to be smuggled into the United States.  He would then coordinate the smuggling of these victims and arrange transportation to Lexington, where they would be housed in one of several properties he maintained. The victims would repay Bayona, after they obtained work in the United States, with interest that was added to their debt.  Bayona also would charge the victims other fees, including fees for rent, transportation, cleaning, food, clothing, and obtaining employment and false identification documents.  Ultimately, the amounts owed by the victims resulted in an endless cycle of debt. When the victims protested paying the continued fees, Bayona used threats of force on victims and the victims’ families, including instances of brandishing a firearm, to compel the victims to continue to work in order to pay him.  During the execution of search warrants at properties Bayona maintained, over $50,000 in cash was discovered, which he admitted was generated through his participation in this forced labor venture. 

Under federal law, Bayona 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; Olivia Olson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI, HSI, and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

– END –

Source: US FBI

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, charge, and arrest alleged child sexual abuse offenders.  The operation resulted in the arrests of 205 defendants in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

“Child exploitation offenses inflict lasting harm on the most vulnerable members of our society, and the proliferation of child sexual abuse material across the Internet repeats and amplifies that harm.  Prosecuting child exploitation offenses has been and will always be a top priority for this Office, and we’re grateful for our law enforcement partners’ commitment to pursuing justice in these cases.” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky Paul McCaffrey.

“I’d like to commend FBI Louisville’s Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force on their dogged pursuit of perpetrators of child sexual abuse. While the FBI’s work to identify, investigate, and apprehend these predators never stops, our increased efforts over the last month during Operation Restore Justice resulted in removing some of our community’s most heinous criminals,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “FBI Louisville, in lockstep with our law enforcement partners, will continue to use every available resource to protect America’s most vulnerable populations, especially our children.”

In the Eastern District of Kentucky, nine defendants were charged with various child exploitation offenses. One of the indictments remains under seal. They include the following:

• Jason Back, 42, of Salyersville, Ky., was charged with online enticement of a minor.
• Jesus Chavez, 32, of Somerset, Ky., was charged with five counts of producing child pornography.
• Jordan A. Cobb, 33, of Salyersville, Ky., was charged with online enticement of a minor and cyberstalking of a minor.
• Austin Hawk, 25, of Pittsburg, Ky., was charged with transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity.­­
• Nathan Smith, 30, of Manchester, Ky., was charged with two counts of distribution of child pornography, one count of receiving child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
• Michael Moon, 47, of Annville, Ky., was charged with one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
• Timothy Ray Dale, 63, of Paris, Ky., was charged with one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
• Finley Wooton, 32, of Hyden, Ky., was charged with the attempted production of child pornography. 

While the charges allege that these crimes were committed, the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. Also, in many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. 

This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

Other online resources:

Electronic Press Kit

Violent Crimes Against Children

How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

 

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

 

-END-

Source: US FBI

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington man, Drequahn Smith, 19, was sentenced on Tuesday to 128 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

On June 24, 2024, law enforcement officers with the FBI and the Lexington Police Department were conducting surveillance on an individual wanted on an arrest warrant. Drequahn Smith was observed with the wanted individual, and fled when the law enforcement officers approached. During the foot pursuit, Smith attempted to throw away a handgun he was carrying before he was apprehended.  In a subsequent search of Smith’s backpack and a residence associated with Smith, law enforcement officers recovered 413 grams of pressed fentanyl pills. Smith admitted in his plea agreement that he possessed the fentanyl with intent to distribute it, and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime. 

Under federal law, Smith 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 five years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by FBI and Lexington Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities.  It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts.  In the Eastern District of Kentucky, Acting U.S. Attorney McCaffrey coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

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Source: US FBI

Fayetteville, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Melvin Stout, age 40, of Fayetteville, AR, pleaded guilty today to making a false statement on a loan application to obtain money through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).  Earlier this month, Stout’s wife, Tiffany Acuff, age 36, of Fayetteville, and sister, Valarie Watson, age 43, of Fayetteville, also pleaded to charges in connection with obtaining loans through the PPP, which is intended for businesses struggling through the coronavirus pandemic.  

The program, which provides low-interest, forgivable loans for businesses who use the funds for essential business expenses, such as payroll, is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed in March 2020.

According to the plea agreements in each case, Stout, Acuff, and Watson submitted PPP loan applications that falsely represented their ownership of small businesses, which they alleged were eligible for PPP funds. Stout, was approved and received $9,400.00, Acuff, was approved and received $20,800.00, while Watson, applied for $20,800.00, but was declined. Along with the applications, the defendants submitted falsified tax documents and business receipts.  None of the defendants owned the businesses listed in the applications. 

Stout, Acuff, and Watson’s sentencings will be determined by the court at a later date, following the U.S. Probation Office’s completion of a presentence investigation. Based on their guilty pleas, the maximum penalties for each defendant include imprisonment for up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

The case was investigated by IRS, the FBI, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). Assistant United States Attorney Hunter Bridges is prosecuting the case for the United States.