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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Wilsonville, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison today after a federal jury in Portland found him guilty of transporting and possessing photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse.

Joshan Rohani, 41, was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison and 10 years of supervised release.

According to court documents and testimony at trial, between July and December 2021, Rohani participated in at least 34 chatrooms, some of which were focused on sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and the sexual exploitation of children, on the New Zealand-based cloud storage and file hosting service Mega. Additionally, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents discovered that Rohani had multiple accounts that had been suspended by Mega due to suspected CSAM.

On May 24, 2022, HSI agents executed a search warrant at Rohani’s residence. Investigators found CSAM on several of the devices seized from Rohani’s residence.

On October 16, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a six-count indictment charging Rohani with distributing, transporting, accessing with intent to view, and possessing child pornography.

Following a five-day jury trial from December 2 to December 6, 2024, Rohani was convicted of transporting, accessing with intent to view, and possessing child pornography.

“Protecting our children remains our highest priority in the District of Oregon,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford. “Today’s sentence marks an important step to hold this defendant accountable and seek a measure of justice for the victims. Our efforts to combat child exploitation within our community will continue.”

“Securing this lengthy sentence for transporting and possessing child sexual abuse material is a direct result of the incredible partnership between HSI and the District of Oregon to seek justice for the innocent,” said HSI Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “The outstanding outcome of HSI’s investigation reaffirms our commitment to protecting children and holding offenders accountable.”

This case was investigated by HSI with assistance from the Newberg-Dundee Police Department and the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs. It was prosecuted by Gary Y. Sussman and Mira Chernick, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org.

Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.

This case was brought in collaboration with 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

MOBILE, AL – Two Grand Bay men were sentenced to 20 years and 12 years in prison, respectively, for engaging in a drug-trafficking conspiracy and illegally possessing firearms in furtherance of drug crimes.

According to court documents, Demetrius Dwayne Powell, 33, and Diricka Tyrese McCants, 41, were arrested by narcotics agents on July 30, 2024. That day, agents went to a property in Grand Bay to arrest Powell, who had a pending arrest warrant for a robbery charge. When agents arrived, they encountered Powell and McCants coming out of a shed on the property. McCants, who was on federal supervised release for a prior felony drug-trafficking conviction, told the agents, “Once y’all go in there, I’m gone.”

Inside the shed, agents located and seized, among other things, nearly two pounds of 100% pure methamphetamine, smaller amounts of crack and powder cocaine, opened vacuum-sealed bags containing small amounts of marijuana, digital scales, drug packaging materials, and three loaded firearms. After their arrest, Powell and McCants exchanged recorded jail calls in which Powell encouraged McCants to take the rap for the drugs due to Powell’s violent criminal history, which includes convictions for a stabbing assault and felony domestic violence by strangulation. Powell also scolded McCants for not listening to him when he previously suggested that law enforcement had been surveilling the shed in Grand Bay.

Agents searched the contents of cell phones seized from Powell and McCants. The cell phones contained numerous text messages, photos, and videos about the defendants’ drug transactions and illegal possession of firearms between January and July 2024.

United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Powell and McCants to serve 240 months and 144 months in prison, respectively. Upon their release from prison, Powell and McCants will each serve 10-year terms of supervised release, during which time they will be subject to drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Moorer ordered the defendants to pay a total of $300 in special assessments and forfeited their firearms to the United States.

U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration substantially assisted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

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.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

MOBILE, AL – Logan Smith, 38, was sentenced on December 1, 2025, to 30 years in prison for convictions related to the sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted enticement of a minor, and possession of child pornography. Smith entered his guilty pleas on June 24, 2025.   

According to court documents, Smith first came to law enforcement attention following a report that he had been distributing child pornography via the internet. Further investigation revealed that he had been communicating with a minor victim living out of state over a period of months. Smith exploited the minor on social media platforms where he repeatedly directed her to record sexually explicit conduct and send those videos and images to him. Smith communicated with the minor about his plans to travel to meet her in person and to engage in sexual contact with her. Additionally, two mobile devices belonging to Smith contained hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material.

At sentencing, Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock imposed a 360-month term of incarceration and a 15-year term of supervised release upon Smith’s future release. Smith will be subject to sex offender treatment and mental health treatment while imprisoned. Smith will be required to register as a sex offender and is to have no contact with minors. Smith was ordered to pay $7,220 in restitution to the victim of his offenses and $400 in special assessments.

U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.

The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Beth Stepan and Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

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 https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

OAKLAND – Daniel Damato pleaded guilty in federal court this afternoon to wire fraud in connection with his sales of fraudulent sports memorabilia.  Damato also admitted that he attempted to obstruct the FBI’s investigation into his criminal conduct.

Damato, 42, of Concord, California, was charged by information on October 20, 2025, with one count of wire fraud.  The information alleged that between 2022 and 2024, Damato, a sports memorabilia dealer, doctored and gave false provenance to valuable items to make them appear as authentic sports collectibles, and then attempted to sell the items to unsuspecting buyers at inflated prices.

In pleading guilty, Damato admitted that in 2023, he sold for $100,000 a baseball bat that he falsely represented as having been used by Willie Mays in the 1954 World Series.  Despite his assertions to the contrary, the bat Damato sold for $100,000 had not been used in the 1954 World Series and was in fact a “factory error” bat that was an inch shorter than what Mays used during his career.  After the victim buyer sent Damato $100,000 for the supposedly game-used bat, Damato did not send him anything.

Damato also sold other fraudulent items, including a jersey he falsely marketed as having been worn in a game by Mays that Damato sold for $50,000.  

After the FBI executed a search warrant on his residence in October 2024, Damato contacted at least one potential witness in an attempt to obstruct the government’s investigation into his conduct.

United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Agustin Lopez made the announcement.  

Damato’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 23, 2026, before District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín.  Damato faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Any sentence will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A California man pleaded guilty today to attempted enticement and coercion of a minor and to distribution of child pornography.

According to court documents, Donald Ramirez, 40, of Salinas, California, used Snapchat to send a 12-year-old girl a photo of his genitals and repeatedly demanded the child create and send him photos of herself engaged in sexually explicit conduct he directed. Ramirez also used other social media platforms, including Telegram and Wickr, to distribute child sexual abuse material including images of another female minor whom he had communicated with on Snapchat.

Ramirez is scheduled to be sentenced on May 11, 2026 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California made the announcement.

The Department of Homeland Security is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Neal Hong for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case.

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 www.justice.gov/psc.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Kyle Travis Colton, 38, of Citrus Heights, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to six years and eight months in prison for receiving child sex abuse material, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to evidence presented at trial and in court documents, during a search of Colton’s home, law enforcement recovered his laptop, which contained copious images and videos depicting the graphic sexual abuse of young children. Between July 2022 and December 2023, Colton downloaded these depictions of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The material was saved on Colton’s computer desktop and in his downloads folder, and he had user-created bookmarks linking to known child pornography websites.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea J. Kenny is prosecuting the case.

Following sentencing, Colton was remanded into custody of the Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his sentence immediately.

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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced that it has opened a civil investigation into conditions within facilities operated by the Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC) and Colorado Department of Youth Services (DYS). The investigation will examine DOC and DYS policies and practices to ensure that DOC inmates and youths in the custody of DYS are being afforded their rights under the U.S. Constitution and federal law.

“The Constitution protects every American, whether they are a young person confined in a juvenile facility or an elderly person confined to a prison,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are committed to upholding our federal civil rights laws so that no one is subject to unconstitutional mistreatment when held in state custody.”

The Division has not reached any conclusions regarding allegations in this matter. The Division will investigate DOC and DYS pursuant to its authority to enforce the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA). Under CRIPA, the Department has the authority to investigate violations of prisoners’ constitutional rights that result from a “pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of such rights.” The department has conducted CRIPA investigations of many correctional systems, and where violations have been found, the resulting settlement agreements have led to important reforms. The Division will also investigate DOC under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 2000cc, and DYS under Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, 34 U.S.C. § 12601.

Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via civilrights.justice.gov/report/. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SAN DIEGO – Claudia Patricia Alvarez Hernandez, the wife of incarcerated Sinaloa Cartel kingpin Jorge Alberto Valenzuela Valenzuela, was sentenced in federal court today to 14 years in prison for her role in a massive drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy.

U.S. District Judge Andrew G. Schopler also ordered Alvarez Hernandez to forfeit more than $5 million dollars’ worth of luxury watches, jewelry, vehicles and bulk cash seized during this case. During the hearing, Judge Schopler characterized Alvarez Hernandez’s conduct as “assisting a dangerous and violent cartel.”

This case is part of a long-running investigation targeting the Valenzuela Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO), which was a significant component of the Sinaloa Cartel. The Valenzuela TCO was one of the largest importers of cocaine into the United States. The TCO sourced cocaine and other controlled substances (including fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana) from South America and Mexico, transported the drugs to multiple locations along the U.S.-Mexico border using commercial trucking companies, smuggled the narcotics into the country, and distributed them throughout the U.S. The TCO then smuggled the bulk cash proceeds from its drug trafficking activities back to the TCO’s leadership in Mexico.

According to court records, throughout 2020, the Valenzuela TCO, including one of its leaders, Jorge Alberto Valenzuela Valenzuela (“Jorge”), was engaged in violent conflict with another component of the Sinaloa Cartel led by Ivan Archivaldo Guzman-Salazar. During this conflict, Jorge’s brother and previous TCO leader, Gabriel Valenzuela-Valenzuela, was killed. This led the Valenzuela TCO to procure large quantities of firearms, ammunition, tactical gear, armored vehicles, and ballistic vests. A considerable number of these items were sourced from within the United States and clandestinely smuggled into Mexico, using numerous arms trafficking networks.

As the investigation progressed in 2020, agents began to target private jet aircrafts operated by the TCO. In October 2020, while tracking the movement of one of the aircrafts and conducting surveillance at every stop across the county, agents learned that Jorge was onboard. Agents then coordinated with HSI Boston to arrest Jorge.

On November 5, 2020, a federal grand jury sitting in the Southern District of California returned an indictment charging Jorge with drug trafficking and money laundering offenses (in case number 20-cr-3515-AGS). Jorge subsequently pleaded guilty to all counts and is currently in custody in the Southern District of California pending sentencing.

Following Jorge’s arrest, on November 20, 2020, DEA and HSI agents initiated surveillance at a commercial truck yard being operated by the Valenzuela TCO in the Otay Mesa area of San Diego. Agents ultimately obtained a search warrant for this truck yard and during the search, seized approximately $3,078,880 in bulk U.S. currency, approximately 685 kilograms of cocaine, 24 kilograms of fentanyl, and a pickup truck with a trap gas tank the size of half the truck bed were discovered. The truck yard contained numerous tractors and trailers, along with numerous other vehicles. Inside one of the trailers, agents seized approximately 20,000 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition, along with approximately 427 ballistic plate carriers, approximately 1,000 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition, and approximately 104 magazines for .50 caliber ammunition.

During this multi-year investigation, agents identified Claudia Patricia Alvarez Hernandez as the wife of Jorge and a trusted high-ranking member of the TCO. During the last 20 years, Jorge rose from a low-level drug trafficker to a top Sinaloa Cartel drug kingpin. As part of her relationship with Jorge, Alvarez Hernandez was able to live in luxury (purchasing and enjoying luxury watches, jewelry, high-end residences, dozens of real properties, automobiles, and other items) based on the massive amount of cocaine that Jorge and his organization trafficked.

Following Jorge’s arrest in October 2020, Alvarez Hernandez and other family members became intimately involved in the operation of Jorge’s organization by exercising supervisory authorities over its remaining members and trying to locate and preserve its many illegal assets both in Mexico and the United States. And on November 3, 2020, HSI San Diego executed a search warrant at the residence of Alvarez Hernandez in San Diego County and seized approximately $5 million in the form of high-end luxury watches, jewelry, $220,000 in cash, 17 cellular phones, and an RF Detector, among other items.

To date, this investigation has resulted in the charging of 109 defendants and the seizure of approximately 2,000 kilograms of cocaine and fentanyl, over $16 million in cash, and 21,000 rounds of ammunition.

“Cartel WAGs are in for a rude awakening,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “There is a lie behind their luxury: that they didn’t know. This sentence reflects the reality.”

“Today’s sentencing marks a major step in our efforts to dismantle all factions of the Sinaloa Cartel,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Murphy. “The defendant played a key role in a violent drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy that brought dangerous narcotics into our communities and fueled cartel violence. The forfeiture of millions in luxury assets and the lengthy prison sentence send a clear message: those who assist and profit from cartel operations will be held accountable. HSI and our partners remain committed to disrupting transnational criminal organizations and protecting public safety.”

“For years Alvarez Hernandez lived in comfort while turning a blind eye to the violence, addiction, and devastation her husband’s cartel inflicted on our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge James Nunnallee. “Today’s 14-year sentence makes clear that those who profit from drug trafficking will be held accountable, whether they are on the front lines or living in luxury. The DEA remains committed to pursuing every individual who enables cartel operations and fuels the suffering of innocent families.”

“Today’s sentencing confirms the extensive and damaging role the defendant played within the Sinaloa Cartel, a dangerous Transnational Criminal Organization infiltrating our communities,” said Mark Dargis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “Alvarez Hernandez took ownership of her incarcerated husband’s illegal dealings to preserve her way of life, no matter who it hurt. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not stop until all these dangerous cartel leaders behind the drugs and violence in our neighborhoods are held accountable.”

“Following the money is one of the most effective ways to bring down criminal organizations’” said Tyler Hatcher, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Division for Los Angeles. “Our special agents will continue to work tirelessly to trace and seize millions in illicit proceeds, ensuring that crime does not pay.”

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. Sutton and Mikaela Weber.

DEFENDANT                                                                                Case Number 22-cr-01504-AGS                                

Claudia Patricia Alvarez Hernandez                          Age: 38                                   Culiacan, MX

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Import Cocaine, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 952, 960 and 963.

Maximum Penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison, $10 million fine.

Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846.

Maximum Penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison, $10 million fine.

Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. 1956(h).

Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved.

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Homeland Security Investigations

Drug Enforcement Administration

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation

United States Marshals Service

Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations

Customs and Border Protection, Office of Border Patrol

Department of Justice, Office of Enforcement Operations

Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department

San Diego Police Department

Border Crime Suppression Team

San Diego County District Attorney’s Office

This case 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 Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Resident Agent in Charge of the Hudson Valley Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), Kelvin Jackson, announced the arrest of JYEREONNE RANSOM and KENNETH CRUTE in connection with a string of armed robberies in Mount Vernon and New York, New York.  RANSOM and CRUTE were arrested on December 6, 2025, and presented today in White Plains federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy, who ordered them detained.

“As alleged, over the course of three weeks in November, Jyereonne Ransom and Kenneth Crute carried out a series of gunpoint robberies,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “When offenders choose gun violence in New York, we will work to get them off the street using our robust federal investigative tools and partnerships, and they will be charged with serious federal crimes, often carrying mandatory minimums and consecutive sentences, so that they remain off the street.”

“These arrests stem directly from the strong collaboration between ATF NY’s Hudson Valley Field Office and the Mount Vernon Police Department,” said ATF Resident Agent in Charge Kelvin Jackson.  “By combining our expertise and resources, we were able to swiftly stop a pattern of armed robberies that threatened innocent lives.  Our agencies remain firmly committed to safeguarding our communities, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York will now take the case forward.  This type of violence creates fear within the community, and we refuse to tolerate it.  We will persist in doing everything we can to reduce violent gun crime in our streets.”

As alleged in the Complaint filed in White Plains federal court:[1]

RANSOM and CRUTE committed a string of robberies between November 10, 2025, and November 29, 2025, including: a November 10, 2025, gunpoint robbery of a restaurant in upper Manhattan; a November 12, 2025, gunpoint robbery of a restaurant in Mount Vernon; a November 19, 2025, gunpoint robbery of a gas station in Mount Vernon; and a November 29, 2025, robbery of a restaurant in Mount Vernon.

*               *                *

RANSOM, 19, of New York, New York, is charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and four counts of Hobbs Act robbery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and three counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, each of which carries an additional mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and must be served consecutively to any other prison terms imposed.     

CRUTE, 18, of New York, New York, is charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and three counts of Hobbs Act robbery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, each of which carries an additional mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and must be served consecutively to any other prison terms imposed.     

The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the ATF Hudson Valley Field Office, the City of Mount Vernon Police Department, the New York City Police Department, and the Westchester County Department of Public Safety.

The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Sidransky is in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Today, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil denaturalization action in the District of Maryland against Nicholas Eshun, a native of Ghana. Eshun secured U.S. citizenship under a provision reserved for U.S. servicemembers that requires the servicemember to serve honorably for at least five years. After he naturalized, the U.S. Marine Corps court-martialed and dishonorably discharged Eshun for attempted sexual abuse of someone he believed to be fourteen years old.

“As alleged, this defendant betrayed the uniform, abused the trust of this nation, and targeted who he believed was a child,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Under strong leadership, this Department is using every lawful tool to protect the American people and to ensure that citizenship is not a shield for criminals who never deserved it in the first place. If you commit heinous crimes, you will be held accountable. This is how we make America safe again.”

“Today’s denaturalization against Nicholas Eshun, a court-martialed sex offender, demonstrates the United States’ commitment to using every tool available under the law to pursue those who obtain their U.S. citizenship unlawfully,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Thanks to the intrepid investigators of NCIS, we now know the danger this man poses to this country. He is no longer serving as a Marine. There is no lawful basis for him to keep the citizenship he secured as one.”

Ten months after immigrating to the United States, Eshun enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in October 2011. In 2013, he naturalized under a statute that expedites U.S. citizenship for individuals serving in the U.S. armed forces. But two years later, while serving overseas, Eshun tarnished the honor of the Marine Corps by exchanging lewd messages with someone whom he believed to be a fourteen-year-old girl and by attempting to sexually abuse her. Eshun was, in fact, communicating with an undercover officer with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. His actions resulted in his court-martial and conviction. On May 16, 2016, the Marine Corps dishonorably discharged Eshun after 4 ½ years of service. Defendant is thus subject to denaturalization under 8 U.S.C. § 1440(c), a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act that applies to servicemembers who naturalize through military service but who are dishonorably discharged without serving honorably for at least five years.

This case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief Hans H. Chen of the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from the U.S. Marine Corps Judge Advocate Division, U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.