MIL Security Engine-1

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

WASHINGTON – Greenland LA Metropolis Hotel Development LLC, Greenland US Management LLC, and Greenland LA Metropolis Development III (together, the Greenland USA Entities), have agreed to pay $7,312,283.36 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for which they were not eligible.

Congress created the PPP in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Under the PPP, eligible businesses could receive forgivable loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA).  Regulations provide various eligibility requirements for the PPP, including limitations on the number of individuals the borrower and its affiliated entities employed.  In January 2021, SBA announced that certain parties that had previously received PPP loans were eligible to apply for a second loan.  In their loan applications for both PPP rounds, borrowers were required to certify that they were eligible for the PPP and that the information they provided was accurate.

The Greenland USA Entities own and develop real estate projects and are part of a large multinational corporation ultimately owned by the Greenland Holding Group Company Limited, a Chinese company with tens of thousands of employees worldwide. 

In applying for their PPP loans, the Greenland USA Entities certified that they were eligible for the PPP.  The United States alleges that the Greenland USA Entities were not eligible for their first- or second-round PPP loans because they were affiliated with other companies in the United States and China, and together with their affiliates across the globe, the Greenland USA Entities employed more individuals than permitted by SBA’s size standard for their industry.  Additionally, the United States alleges that the Greenland USA Entities were not eligible for their second-round PPP loans because they are more than 20 percent owned by entities created and organized in the People’s Republic of China.

“Congress created the PPP to help American small businesses during the pandemic, not to fund large Chinese-owned corporations.  Here, however, the defendants are alleged to have provided false information to the SBA to obtain government funds to which they were not entitled,” said U.S. Attorney Brad D. Schimel.  “This settlement demonstrates that the U.S. Attorney’s Office takes seriously its obligation to combat fraud and protect American taxpayers.”

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery.  This settlement resolves claims in two related qui tam lawsuits filed by GNGH2 Inc. and Aidan Forsyth.  In connection with the settlement, GNGH2 Inc. will receive $697,757.80 and Forsyth will receive $33,470.53.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel and Office of the Inspector General.

Trial Attorney Lindsey Roberts of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Carter for the Eastern District of Wisconsin handled the matter.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.

###

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging three men with a multitude of financial and securities fraud crimes resulting in a potential loss of tens of millions of dollars for victims.

According to court documents, Steve Parish, 54, formerly of Derby, Kansas, Richard Dean, 66, of Plano, Texas, and Joshua Owens, 39, of Derby, Kansas, were all indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. 

Parish is also charged with two counts of bank fraud, 11 counts of money laundering, one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, 18 counts of securities fraud, and one count of wire fraud.

Dean was also indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and 18 counts of securities fraud. 

A grand jury also indicted Owens on two counts of bank fraud and one count of wire fraud. 

Parish was the chief executive officer (CEO) of Premier Global Corp, a company that offered investments and promissory notes to purportedly purchase factored invoices. Owens was an employee. Dean was the owner of DDI Advisory Group LLC.

Parish, Dean, and Owens allegedly orchestrated a scheme of falsifying records and misrepresenting payments to investors as profits but were making those payments using money that came from investors. Parish is accused of misappropriating investors’ deposits for his own personal expenses. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case with support from Kansas Department of Insurance, Securities Division and the Oklahoma Department of Securities.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Smith and Katie Andrusak are prosecuting the case.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a leader of the Four Corner Hustlers street gang of participating in a criminal organization that terrorized the West Side of Chicago for two decades by committing murders, robberies, extortions, witness tampering, and drug dealing.

After a six-week trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the jury on Monday convicted LABAR SPANN on all four counts against him, including racketeering conspiracy, two murders in aid of racketeering, and extortion.  The jury found that Spann committed a total of four murders in a premediated manner as part of the racketeering conspiracy, including the killings of Willie Woods on April 17, 2003; Rudy Rangel on June 4, 2003; George King on April 8, 2003; and Maximillion McDaniel on July 25, 2000.

Spann, 47, of Chicago, faces a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin set sentencing for April 20, 2026.

The verdicts were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Illinois Secretary of State Police Department, Illinois Department of Corrections, Illinois State Police, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan C. Morrissey, Michelle J. Parthum, and Emily C.R. Vermylen.

The Four Corner Hustlers operated primarily in the Chicago neighborhoods of West Garfield Park and North Lawndale on the city’s West Side, as well as in the former LeClaire Courts public housing development on the city’s Southwest Side.  According to evidence presented at trial, the gang dealt drugs and robbed and extorted rival dealers, while using violence and intimidation to prevent victims and witnesses from cooperating with law enforcement.  The gang engaged in numerous acts of violence, including multiple murders and armed robberies.  During the trial, the jury heard testimony from other members of the Four Corner Hustlers, eyewitnesses to numerous crimes, law enforcement officers who responded to crime scenes, and expert witnesses who analyzed forensic and other evidence.

Spann was indicted in 2017 along with eight other members of the Four Corner Hustlers and two additional defendants.  All the defendants have now been convicted.  

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on December 15, 2025, Joshua Hartness, 45, of Colebrook, New Hampshire, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 25 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 10-year term of supervised release. Hartness previously pleaded guilty to possessing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM, also known as child pornography). Hartness has been detained since March 28, 2025, when his conditions of release were revoked after he attempted to take possession of a firearm.

According to court records, on September 11, 2022, Hartness was subjected to an inspection upon his return to the United States from abroad. A review of Hartness’s cellphone revealed suspected CSAM. A forensic review confirmed Hartness possessed a video of a child being sexually assaulted by an adult, and photos of a naked female child in sexual poses. Investigating agents also located on the cellphone multiple online communications between Hartness and minor girls consistent with “grooming,” including complimenting the girls on their beauty and sending the girls nude photographs of himself. The forensic review and subsequent investigation confirmed that Hartness possessed the CSAM on his phone while in the District of Vermont, and that Hartness did so while working as a U.S. Border Patrol Agent.

First Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General – Northeast Region, and Homeland Security Investigations.

“Hartness was found to possess images of child exploitation, a heinous crime that was further compounded when he was shown to be in possession of these images while serving in a position of public trust. The conviction of Joshua Hartness reinforces the message that no one is above the law,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Hartness was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defenders Carmen Brooks and Emily Kenyon.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SAN ANTONIO – A Colombian national made his initial appearance in a federal court in El Paso Monday after he was extradited to the United States on Friday.

According to court documents, Luis Guillermo Peralta Pacheco, is allegedly a member of a Colombian drug trafficking organization identified as a major supplier of cocaine to the Caribbean and the United States. Through a joint investigation beginning in March 2018, agents seized an alleged 24 kilograms of cocaine and identified nine alleged members of the network.

On March 16, 2022, Peralta Pacheco and eight alleged co-conspirators—Alvaro Luis Deluque Pallares, Angello Caicedo Atehortua, Juan Camilo Valderrama Taborda, Carlos Alfredo Becerra Castro, Lina Gisseth Barrera Sarmiento, Angel Julio Arroyo Calderon, Pedro Emilio Gallardo Hincapie, and Charle Salcedo Portilla—were indicted in the Western District of Texas on conspiracy charges to import and distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, with provisional arrest warrants approved in 2023. All nine defendants have now been successfully extradited to the U.S.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá worked with the Government of Colombia to secure the arrest and extradition from Colombia of all nine defendants.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian Rosales is prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Antonio comprises agents and officers from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Department of Treasury, the Department of State, the Department of War, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Department of Labor. with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. Participating agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Diplomatic Security Service; the Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the U.S. Secret Service; along with state and local law enforcement.

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

###

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced yesterday to 12 years in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms.

According to court documents, on Sept. 6, 2024, law enforcement searched the residence of Javon Antonio Poag, 38, and recovered $7,604, 82.52 grams of cocaine, 8.41 grams of fentanyl, five bags of pills containing 34.85 grams of methamphetamine, two handguns, and a loaded high-capacity drum magazine. Poag had been convicted previously of, among other crimes, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, domestic violence, distribution of cocaine, resisting arrest, robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, assault, and carrying a concealed weapon. As a previously convicted felon, Poag cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

“Javon Poag has persistently returned to crime despite a multitude of opportunities to reform,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Today’s sentence makes clear that recidivist criminal conduct will not be tolerated.”

“This violent criminal and his associates had a malicious agenda to harm our citizens. The quantity of fentanyl they possessed equated to 433 lethal doses,” added Christopher Goumenis, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Division. “This operation and today’s sentencing demonstrate our shared dedication to working together to combat the cartels and local drug trafficking organizations that endanger our communities.”

“The Richmond Police Department recognizes the critical public-safety benefits that come from strong collaboration among our partner agencies,” said RPD Chief Rick Edwards. “We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Richmond Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for their outstanding work in prosecuting weapons-law violations. Their efforts help ensure a safer Richmond for all.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Mastandrea and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Groover, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-162.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Hunter Wesley Aultman, 24, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced last week to seven years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and receive child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and receipt of child pornography. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Ending the cycle of victimization and sexual exploitation of children that is perpetuated by the distribution of child sexual abuse material remains a top priority for my office. I appreciate the excellent work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to investigate these terrible crimes, and my office will continue to deploy the full force of the law to pursue, prosecute, and punish predators, like this defendant, who threaten the safety and innocence of our children.”

According to court records, in January 2024 the Leon County Sheriff’s Office arrested the defendant for multiple burglaries and seized his cell phone as evidence. A search of the defendant’s cell phone revealed that it contained hundreds of child pornography videos. The phone also contained evidence of multiple online chats in which the defendant traded child pornography with other users. Investigators also discovered evidence that the defendant ran a chat group intended to facilitate the sharing child pornography among its members.

“The deliberate distribution and facilitation of child sexual abuse material is an appalling violation that perpetuates the suffering of innocent children for a lifetime,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “Those who engage in these heinous crimes not only exploit victims but also create networks that perpetually amplify harm and trauma. HSI will relentlessly pursue and prosecute anyone who seeks to profit from or enable the abuse of children.”

Aultman’s sentence of imprisonment will be followed by a ten-year term of supervised release and a requirement to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. He was also ordered to pay restitution to his victims.

The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.

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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Zackery Chase Brunson, 33, of Shalimar, Florida, was sentenced to 92 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent work by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in close collaboration with our federal law enforcement partners, this dangerous felon has been removed from our streets and he’ll spend several years behind bars. This successful prosecution is yet another step toward fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the violent criminals who threaten our communities, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute such offenders to deliver safe streets for the residents of the Northern District of Florida.”

In January 2025, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Multi-Agency Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in Shalimar, Florida.  During the search, law enforcement found two rifles, a shotgun, three pistols, and multiple types of ammunition. The defendant is prohibited from possessing a firearm because he was previously convicted of multiple felonies, including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a controlled substance.

“We appreciate the strong partnership we share with the United States Attorney’s Office and the federal agencies who work alongside us to keep dangerous offenders off our streets,” said Sheriff Eric Aden. “I am especially proud of the diligent efforts of our Multi-Agency Drug Task Force, whose professionalism and commitment were instrumental in this case. Removing illegally possessed firearms from the hands of convicted felons is critical to protecting our citizens and preventing future violence.”

“This defendant was not just breaking the law—he was found in possession of multiple weapons and ammunition despite being legally barred from possessing a single firearm,” said Special Agent in Charge of DEA Miami Field Division Deanne Reuter. “That kind of disregard puts communities and lives at risk. The DEA Miami Field Division – working alongside our local, state, and federal partners – will continue to target armed offenders and dismantle the networks that fuel violent crime, keeping our citizens safe.”

The case involved a joint investigation by the Okaloosa County Sherriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Tharp.

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.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 9, 2025, Michael Williams (age: 44) received a sentence of 240 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances. The sentence, imposed by Chief United States District Judge Pamela Pepper, came after a federal jury found Williams guilty of the charge on July 17, 2025, following a nine-day trial. After completing his prison sentence, Williams will be on supervised release for an additional 60 months.

According to court documents, Williams manufactured and distributed kilogram quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, and he also distributed pound quantities of methamphetamine and marijuana. Williams was part of a drug trafficking conspiracy that had established distribution hubs throughout the Midwestern United States, including Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and St. Paul, the greater Chicago area, and Northern Indiana.

Court documents further indicate that Williams operated the drug trafficking organization’s primary drug stash location in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Here, he and others mixed, tested, and packaged controlled substances, including kilogram quantities of fentanyl. On November 29, 2022, when Williams’ stash location was searched, authorities located approximately 1,700 grams of fentanyl, over 700 grams of heroin, 650 grams of methamphetamine, 2,700 grams of cocaine, and 760 grams of marijuana. Williams’ residence was also searched the same day, at which time authorities located 2 loaded firearms and approximately $154,000.

In pronouncing sentence, Judge Pepper noted the sheer volume of very dangerous drugs that the defendant was mixing and selling. She also noted Williams’ criminal history, which included multiple felonies, and his pattern of re-offending after serving time in custody.

A co-defendant, Joathan Colula, was also found guilty on July 17, 2025, following the trial. Colula sourced the drug trafficking organization with kilograms of cocaine, fentanyl pills, and methamphetamine. He was based out of California. His sentencing is scheduled for February 10, 2026. 

“This is just one of many examples of the highly successful collaboration that occurs every day between local, state and federal authorities to identify, arrest and convict dangerous drug traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Schimel.  “Our nation has never faced a greater public safety or public health crisis than the fentanyl epidemic that threatens our communities of all sizes. I am proud of the hard working and talented people who put this case together and took out these dangerous criminals.”

“This 20-year sentence sends a clear message that those who traffic in fentanyl and other dangerous drugs will be held fully accountable,” said DEA Chicago Field Division Special Agent in Charge Shane R. Catone. “Working alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we disrupted a multi-state trafficking operation that moved massive quantities of narcotics across the Midwest. DEA and our partners remain committed to dismantling drug trafficking organizations and protecting our communities.”

“The Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) is proud of the role our officers played in this case and grateful for the dedication and hard work of everyone involved in this investigation. Drug traffickers bring great harm to our community and must be held accountable.” said Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman. “MPD values our collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement partners in criminal cases like this to build a safer city for everyone to live, work and play.”    

The case was investigated by the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, comprised of officers and agents from the Milwaukee Police Department, West Allis Police Department, South Milwaukee Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Justice—Division of Criminal Investigation, and the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. The Internal Revenue Service and the Apple Valley Police Department also participated in the investigation of the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Monfils and Erica Lounsberry prosecuted the case.

# # #

For further information contact:

Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero                                                                                    

(414) 297-1700

Follow us on X

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Yesterday, Erin Leigh Keeney, 41, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to distribution of carfentanil.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 24, 2025, Keeney sold approximately 1 gram of suspected fentanyl to a confidential informant in Huntington in exchange for $100. As part of her guilty plea, Keeney admitted to conducting the transaction and to telling the confidential informant about a gun for sale.

Keeney, Earl Michael “Mike” Myers,  Joe Sidney Cross, and Maurice Kelly Johnson, also known as “Reese,” all from Huntington, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges alleging they conspired to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, and methamphetamine in the Huntington area from at least in and around March 2025 to in and around August 2025. The indictment against Cross and Johnson remain pending. Two other individuals were indicted separately as a result of the same investigation including Donovan Dewayne Pauley, 20, of Huntington, who pleaded guilty on October 27, 2025, to possession of a short-barreled shotgun not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Pauley is scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2026.

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

Keeney is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30, 2026. Keeney faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department, and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case.

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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-161.