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Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon has been sentenced on drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.  

U.S. District Court Judge Annemarie Axon sentenced Waymon Lanar Robinson, Jr., 31, of Birmingham, to 140 months in prison.  In September, Robinson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl; carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, on March 1, 2023, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted surveillance on a house in Tarrant, Alabama, associated with the gang “Hard2Kill.”  Officers conducted a traffic stop in an alleyway behind the house. Officers saw Robinson place something inside his pants and walk away from the house.  They approached Robinson and asked if he had any weapons on him. Robinson said he did and showed the officer a Glock .40 caliber pistol in his waistband. Robinson also had fentanyl, methamphetamine, hydrocodone pills, heroin, and marijuana inside of a Crown Royal Bag in his pants. 

The FBI investigated the case, along with the Jefferson County Sherriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Byrd prosecuted the case.  

Source: US FBI

TUCSON, Ariz. – Charles Morice Gilmore, 52, of Missouri, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Angela M. Martinez to concurrent statutory maximum sentences of 10 years in prison for Mailing Threatening Communications, and six years for Influencing Federal Official by Threat. Gilmore pleaded guilty to these crimes on October 1, 2024.

Between February 28, 2023, and March 27, 2023, while an inmate at the United States Penitentiary in Tucson, Gilmore mailed letters to a federal judge claiming there were bombs in the courthouse where the victim worked and that the bombs could be remotely detonated. The letters to the judge contained religious slurs and asserted ties to the Hells Angels and the Ku Klux Klan. Gilmore also sent a threatening letter to a federal prosecutor who had previously handled one of his cases. Gilmore attached pipe bomb instructions to that letter. He claimed he had mailed the instructions to others outside the prison to carry out his orders. A third letter from Gilmore to a former cellmate with instructions for making pipe bombs and listing locations where the pipe bombs should be placed was also intercepted.

Gilmore has a lengthy criminal history for violent offenses and is a career offender. Judge Martinez imposed concurrent stipulated sentences of 10 years for each mailing of threatening communications and six years for threatening a federal judge. The sentences will be consecutive to Gilmore’s 10-year federal sentence for mailing threatening communications in 2017; a 10-year sentence for threatening federal officials in 2014; a 90-month sentence in 2013 for mailing threatening communications to a different federal judge; and a 20-year prison sentence for stabbing an inmate in Jefferson City, Missouri in 2018. A separate case against Gilmore for mailing a hoax bomb threat to a state courthouse in Missouri was dismissed as part of the stipulated agreement in this case.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-23-2122-TUC-AMM
RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-020_Gilmore

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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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

Source: US FBI

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – An Utqiagvik man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison and will serve 10 years on supervised release for producing child pornography.

According to court documents, a detective with a local law enforcement agency, acting in an undercover capacity and posing online as a 13-year-old girl, operated an account with a social media application known to law enforcement to be utilized by individuals seeking sexual encounters with minors. On Nov 6, 2023, the undercover detective received a message from Billy Ray Okpeaha Jr., 25.

Between Nov. 6, 2023, and Jan. 18, 2024, Okpeaha and the undercover detective engaged in online exchanges that included Okpeaha’s requests that the undercover detective send him explicit content, the defendant sending a photo of his genitals to the undercover detective, and discussions about meeting each other in person and sexual interactions if an in-person meet occurred. Okpeaha sent the address of the hotel he was staying at and requested the undercover detective meet him at his hotel room.

Okpeaha made plans to meet the undercover detective for a sexual encounter on Jan. 22, 2024. He was arrested that day at an apartment in Utqiagvik. Investigators seized and searched his electronic devices, which contained child sexual abuse materials, including visuals of a known minor victim. The known minor victim was interviewed and confirmed sending images of child sexual abuse material at Okpeaha’s request.

Okpeaha was initially released on pre-trial supervision following his arrest but fled his transitional living facility. He was re-arrested in Coldfoot, Alaska, allegedly attempting to evade supervision and capture.

On Sept. 4, 2024, Okpeaha pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child – production of child pornography.

“Crimes against children are among the most heinous offenses, inflicting lasting harm on vulnerable victims. Mr. Okpeaha deliberately targeted innocent children in a rural village for his own sexual gratification, exposing a clear and present danger to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Our office will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners to identify, apprehend and vigorously prosecute anyone who attempts to exploit or target the children of Alaska.” 

“The defendant used the Internet to commit child exploitation crimes in Alaska and was found to be in possession of CSAM on his devices,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “This investigation and sentencing demonstrate the severity of the defendant’s crimes, and our commitment to prevent further victimization and ensure online predators are brought to justice.”

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated this case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the North Slope Borough Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines 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.justice.gov/psc.

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Source: US FBI

            WASHINGTON — An Alabama man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other charges related to his alleged conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His alleged actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Robert James Bonham, 44, of Wilsonville, Alabama, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder.

            In addition to the felonies, Bonham is charged with several misdemeanor offenses, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.

            The FBI arrested Bonham today in Alabama, and he will make his initial appearance in the Northern District of Alabama.

            According to court documents, Bonham was identified in police body-worn camera footage on Jan. 6, 2021, armed with a flagpole bearing an American flag, at approximately 2:32 p.m. on the Capitol’s Upper West Plaza, where officers were retreating under pressure from advancing rioters. Moments later, at approximately 2:33 p.m., it is alleged that officers commanded Bonham and others to “move back!”

            Instead of complying, Bonham allegedly raised the flagpole and thrust it forward toward an officer in an apparent attempt to stab him.  Body-worn camera footage shows the flagpole making contact with the officer, constituting a forcible assault and obstructing the officer’s duties.

            After the alleged attack, the officer reacted immediately, grabbing the flagpole with their left hand, prompting a physical struggle with Bonham as the officer tried to disarm him. Court documents say that additional officers moved in to assist, ordering Bonham to release the weapon. Despite multiple commands to “let it go,” it is alleged that Bonham refused, shouting, “No!” A tense standoff ensued until Bonham regained control of the flagpole and returned to the mob.

             This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Birmingham and Washington Field Offices which identified Bonham as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #368 on its seeking information images. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 46 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,561 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 590 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment last week charging an Alabama man with wire fraud and tax evasion after he allegedly defrauded a local Anchorage business while serving as their general manager.

According to court documents, in 2008, James Wohlers, 56, of Deatsville, Alabama, was hired by GBR Equipment/Oilfield Services (GBR), an Anchorage based business that provides oilfield services on the North Slope and elsewhere, as their human resource manager. In 2009, Wohlers became their general manager, overseeing vendor interface, employee hiring, payroll and accounting. Part of his responsibilities included coordinating wire transfers from GBR’s bank account to outside accounts.

In 2019, an audit was completed on the company’s finances and bank records after employees determined the company was earning sufficient revenue but was unable to pay vendors and employees. The audit revealed that from at least 2013 to 2019, Wohlers allegedly executed wire transfers from the GBR account that did not benefit the company, and allegedly used GBR’s corporate credit cards for personal expenses, like paying personal credit card bills.

The indictment alleges that in 2015, Wohlers formed a partnership named BGI Industrial Services (BGI), which was registered with the Alabama Secretary of State. In 2017, GBR performed services for two companies. Wohlers allegedly sent both companies invoices from BGI for $25,000 and $2,500 respectively, and both companies paid the invoices. The money was deposited into BGI’s bank account. Wohlers also allegedly used GBR credit cards to pay for business expenses related to BGI and used employees paid by GBR to complete work on behalf of BGI. 

In late 2015, Wohlers announced GBR employee pay cuts of 5 to 10 percent, along with other restrictive measures to address GBR’s poor financial condition. A few months later, Wohlers announced additional GBR employee pay cuts of 5 to 15 percent. Within two weeks of making his second announcement, Wohlers allegedly used over $43,000 of GBR’s funds to pay for airfare and other expenses related to a personal trip to China.

Wohlers was terminated by GBR in August 2019, and the company sent the defendant a demand letter stating he owed GBR $1.5 million. After being terminated, Wohlers allegedly deleted roughly 10,000 emails from GBR’s servers.

Wohlers is charged with one count of wire fraud and three counts of tax evasion. The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance on Jan. 10 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska, Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of the IRS Criminal Investigation, Seattle Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and the IRS Criminal Investigation Seattle Field Office are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bradley is 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.

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Source: US FBI

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Geoffrey Lee Dudding (39, Concord, NC) with attempting to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Dudding faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Dudding is a registered child sex offender who was twice previously convicted in North Carolina – once of indecent liberty with a minor (2007) and of solicitation of a child by computer to commit an unlawful sex act (2024). 

According to court documents, on January 13, 2025, an FBI agent (UC) in Jacksonville was conducting an undercover operation to identify individuals seeking to make online contact with and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as the parent of an 11-year-old child, the UC posted several short messages in a public chatroom on an online social messaging platform (app). An individual using the name “metalh34d321,” who was subsequently identified as Dudding, contacted the UC by private text message on the app and expressed interest in the UC’s “daughter.” Dudding told the UC, “Let me know if ya ever down to let me do her.” Despite being advised several times that the “child” was 11 years old and lived in Florida, Dudding stated that he wanted to meet the “child” to “[h]ave a good time and sex.” Dudding described sexual acts that he wanted to perform on the “child” and sent the UC an explicit video of himself to show to the “child.”

Dudding and the UC also communicated by cellphone text messaging. They discussed plans for Dudding to travel to Jacksonville so that he could engage in sexual activity with the “child.” Dudding told the UC that he would book a hotel room in Jacksonville.

On May 8, 2025, Dudding was arrested by FBI agents in Concord, North Carolina. He was detained and will be transported by the United States Marshals Service to Jacksonville for prosecution in this case. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cabarrus County (North Carolina) Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 

Source: US FBI

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Zevion La’Quawn Collins (31, Jacksonville) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of pure or actual methamphetamine. The court also ordered Collins to forfeit $4,970 in cash, which are traceable proceeds of the offense, a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol and all ammunition seized with the firearm, which were used to facilitate the conspiracy.  Collins pleaded guilty on January 7, 2025.

According to court documents, between April 2023 and the time of his arrest on June 17, 2024, Collins distributed methamphetamine in Jacksonville. During this time, federal agents observed Collins conduct multiple drug transactions, including on 6 separate occasions, where Collins sold one to two ounces of pure methamphetamine per transaction. On June 17, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Collins’s stash house in Jacksonville and arrested him on federal drug charges. From this residence, agents seized approximately $4,970 in cash and a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by former Assistant United States Attorney Aakash Singh and Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lasry.

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

Source: US FBI

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Ali Odeh Abdeljaber (31, Kentucky) has pleaded guilty to forcibly assaulting, resisting, and impeding an officer and employee of the United States. Abdeljaber faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the court records, Abdeljaber is an inmate at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex, United States Penitentiary I, in Sumter County. On March 18, 2024, a Federal Bureau of Prisons correctional officer tried to escort Abdeljaber to his assigned cell. Abdeljaber, however, became combative, lunging forward and using his head to strike the officer in the face. The officer suffered injuries from the attack, including two fractured teeth.  

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A U.S. Air Force Airman stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) was arrested last Thursday after a federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging him with distributing and possessing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM).

According to court documents, in August 2024, Caleb French, 27, was reported to the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) by an individual who claimed French wanted to commit sexual assaults against minors. AFOSI executed a search warrant on French’s residence and recovered multiple digital devices allegedly containing over a thousand images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. Law enforcement discovered that French also allegedly sent the reporting individual a link to a video depicting CSAM that same month.

Court documents further allege that French surreptitiously took photos and videos of children in public throughout the community. It’s alleged that French intended to use the visuals to produce artificial intelligence generated CSAM.

French is charged with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department are investigating this case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with significant assistance from AFOSI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson is prosecuting the case.

If anyone has information concerning French’s alleged actions, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously at tips.fbi.gov.

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

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