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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

MIAMI – On Sept. 10, a federal jury in Miami convicted Argentine national Osvaldo Daniel Fernandez, 61, of two counts of production and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Fernandez sexually abused two minor victims and recorded the abuse.

In May 2022, law enforcement opened an investigation into the sexual abuse of two minor victims. Investigators determined that Minor 1 was abused between the ages of 9 and 17, and Minor 2 between the ages of six and 15. During the investigation, Minor 1 disclosed that Fernandez had recorded the abuse.

A search warrant executed at Fernandez’s residence led to the seizure of multiple cellphones and a laptop. The laptop contained over 500 sexually explicit images/videos of Minor 1 between 9 and 17 years of age and several images/videos of Minor 2 at 9 years old. Investigators also discovered more than 900 images of other pre-pubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Fernandez is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 11, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on each of the production counts and 20 years on the possession count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Fernandez is subject to deportation after he is sentenced.

U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI Miami, Field Office announced the charges.

FBI Miami investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Miami Beach Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elena Smukler and Audrey Pence Tomanelli are prosecuting the case.

This case was 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 Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-20406.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Defendant conspired to fraudulently apply for driver’s licenses for more than 1,000 individuals who resided in states that prohibited illegal aliens from obtaining licenses

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident who has multiple prior felony convictions pleaded guilty today to unlawful possession of an unserialized, privately manufactured AR-15-pattern pistol. A privately manufactured firearm without a serial number is sometimes called a “ghost gun.”

According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about October 20, 2023, Noel Lynn Waters unlawfully possessed a loaded, privately manufactured 5.56x45mm semi-automatic pistol incorporating an AR-15-pattern lower receiver. He further admitted that he pointed the firearm at another person and threatened he was going to “shoot everybody.”

Waters has multiple prior felony convictions in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. He was previously convicted of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person in Clark County, Nevada. Additionally, he was previously convicted of possession of controlled substance for sale; unlawful possession or use of tear gas; felon in possession of a firearm; possession of a controlled substance while armed with a firearm; and transportation, furnishing or sale of controlled substance, all in Los Angeles County. He is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.

Waters pleaded guilty to one-count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for January 14, 2026, before United States District Judge James C. Mahan. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Topper, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.

The ATF and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Dan Cowhig is prosecuting the case.

Anyone with information about unlawful firearms activity should call ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email ATFTips@atf.gov or submit an anonymous tip at www.reportit.com/.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, John Avendano, 21, of Phoenix, Arizona, was charged by federal criminal complaint in Phoenix, Arizona with Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. 

According to the complaint, on September 22, a Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force conducted a traffic stop on a Chevrolet Silverado and identified John Avendano as the driver. Inside the Silverado, investigators seized a firearm and approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine, which was hidden in a black trash bag in the truck.

Investigators subsequently searched Avendano’s residence and found over 5 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 250 grams of cocaine, and two additional firearms.

Possession with the Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years to life in prison, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The DEA’s East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force HIDTA conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Zander, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

CASE NUMBER:            25-MJ-9417-PHX-ESW
RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-157_Avendano

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A convicted felon who illegally possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced on September 26, 2025, to nearly five years in federal prison.

Edward Earl Roby, Jr., age 28, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 13, 2025 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

In July 2021, Waterloo law enforcement officers discovered a gun in Roby’s car during a traffic stop.  In December 2021, Roby plead guilty in federal court in Cedar Rapids to being a felon in possession of a gun for the July 2021 incident.  Roby was allowed to remain released after his guilty plea.

In February 2022, while he was awaiting sentencing in federal court, law enforcement officers found Roby in a car that had been reported as being involved in a shots fired incident.  Shortly after 4:00 a.m. on February 6, 2022, officers responded to the scene of a shooting after a report that the shots had been fired from a red car.  Officers saw such a car and attempted to stop it.  The car fled from officers.  After a short chase, the car stopped.  Officers found three people inside, including Roby who was in the backseat.

Law enforcement officers retraced the path of the chase.  While doing so, they found a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun in a Crown Royal bag along the path.  It was laying on top of a snowbank and appeared to have been thrown there recently.  Officers also recovered six .40 caliber shell casings from near the scene of the shooting.  The .40 caliber Smith & Wesson had a six-capacity magazine attached to it.  The magazine was empty.  Later DNA testing revealed that Roby’s DNA was on the slide and grip of the handgun.

Roby was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Dickerson was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

In July 2022, Roby was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment for the case related to his possession of a firearm in July 2021.

Roby is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file numbers are 21-CR-2057 and 25-CR-02015.  

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A man who illegally possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced on September 26, 2025, to more than four years in federal prison.

Marquise Darius Dickerson, age 33, from Monroe, Michigan, received the prison term after an April 17, 2025 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

In August 2024, law enforcement officers in Oelwein, Iowa, responded to a report of an assault.  The victim reported that Dickerson had spat and choked the victim.  At the time of the assault, Dickerson was intoxicated.  During a search of the residence, law enforcement officers located Dickerson’s firearm.  Dickerson is prohibited from possessing a firearm because he is a felon.

Dickerson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Dickerson was sentenced to 52 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Dickerson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Nagin and investigated by the Oelwein Police Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-02048.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Acting United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling announced that on September 29, 2025, Cherie Campion (age: 64) of Mishicot, Wisconsin, pled guilty to two counts of money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, 1956(a)(1)(B)(i).   

Publicly filed documents reflect that Campion, through her temporary staffing agency based in Manitowoc, generated and submitted thousands of fraudulent invoices, causing respective losses of $5,000,000 and $5,389,371.51 for the two companies she deceived. Campion took substantial efforts to conceal her fraud, including registering a “proxy” company with the State of Wisconsin; creating a fictitious persona associated with her fraudulent invoices; and submitting false bank statements. As part of her plea, Campion acknowledged that her scheme was sophisticated enough to warrant an enhancement under the United States Sentencing Guidelines. Campion will be sentenced on January 27, 2026, before United States District Judge Lynn Adelman.

This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Knight.

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For further information contact:

Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero                                                                                    

(414) 297-1700

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalizing a partnership to protect competition in key agricultural markets such as feed, fertilizer, fuel, seed, equipment, and other essential goods. This partnership strengthens longstanding coordination between the agencies with a particular focus on ensuring coordination with respect to ensuring farmers and ranchers have competitive access to agricultural inputs.

“Antitrust enforcement ensures free market competition for agricultural inputs, lowering costs for farmers and prices for consumers,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “America’s farmers deserve nothing less than the best the Antitrust Division and USDA can do to promote competitive markets that free them to feed America.”   

The MOU signed on Sept. 26 by both agencies underscores their shared commitment to ensuring effective antitrust enforcement that promotes free market competition, lowering inputs costs and benefiting farmers, ranchers, and consumers. It creates channels for regular consultation and communication between the agencies to ensure effective coordination, where appropriate, to benefit efforts to promote competition. And it commits both agencies to designate personnel to facilitate communications between and among attorneys, economists, and technical experts. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Four illegal aliens have been sentenced on drug trafficking and firearms charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.

U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco sentenced the following defendants:

Ismael Castillo De La Cruz, also known as “Pepe,” 31, a native and citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to 130 months in prison.  In May, Cruz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, to being an alien in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and use of a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking crime.

Isidro Santiago Rodriguez-Diaz, 51, a native and citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to 130 months in prison.  In May, Diaz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and use of a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking crime.

Yovany Isidro Rodriguez-Ochoa, 33, a native and citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to 57 months in prison. In May, Ochoa pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and use of a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking crime.

In August, Rutilo Medina Hernandez, a native and citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to 156 months in prison. Hernandez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, to being an alien in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and use of a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking crime. 

According to the plea agreement, in October 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization distributing cocaine in North Birmingham in which Diaz and Ochoa were the sources of supply. During the investigation, law enforcement identified De La Cruz, Hernandez, and other co-conspirators as drug traffickers. Ochoa and Diaz were primarily distributing cocaine in the Northern District of Alabama and De La Cruz and Hernandez distributed cocaine and methamphetamine. 

The FBI investigated the case along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany T. Byrd and W. Lee Gilmer prosecuted the case.  

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ALBUQUERQUE – Federal authorities have charged five men for their roles in a large-scale conspiracy to steal and sell crude oil from pipelines in New Mexico and West Texas.

According to court documents, in June 2025 Special Agents with the Bureau of Land Management opened an investigation after receiving information that Maxwell Jensen, Thomas Rees, Christopher Ortega, German Ortiz-Santillano and Christian Jesus Contreras Varela were engaged in a scheme to steal crude oil from Plains All American Pipeline facilities in New Mexico, store it at a yard in Carlsbad, and transport it into West Texas for resale. Surveillance operations, tracking devices, and recorded conversations documented more than 20 theft runs over approximately four weeks, siphoning hundreds of barrels per day. Each load was valued at tens of thousands of dollars, and the stolen crude was delivered to facilities operated in West Texas.

As alleged, Rees managed the Carlsbad yard through his company, Hound Dog Energy, where he received and sold stolen oil while producing fraudulent load tickets to disguise the thefts. Ortega directed truck drivers, prepared false documentation, and recruited additional participants to expand the conspiracy. Ortiz-Santillano, an employee of Plains All American Pipeline, abused his position to provide the conspirators access to pigging stations where the thefts occurred. Contreras Varela drove to the pipeline to connect a vacuum truck and steal the oil before returning to Rees’s yard. Jensen coordinated the scheme as the leader and organizer.

The defendants are charged with interstate transportation of stolen property and aiding and abetting. In addition to the oil theft charges, Contreras Varela, a Mexican national, faces a firearms-related offense for being an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Jensen and Contreras Varela will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Jensen, Rees, Ortega and Ortiz-Santillano face 10 years in prison. If convicted of the current charges, Contreras Varela faces 15 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Josiah Andrews of the Bureau of Land Management made the announcement today.

Special Agents with the Bureau of Land Management investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson Hehr is prosecuting this case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.