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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Joshua Pacheco, 33, of Pueblo, Colorado, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing a machine gun, possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with an intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to the stipulated facts in the plea agreement, on October 20, 2023, Pacheco was on federal supervised release following a conviction for possessing a firearm as a prior felon. On that date, the defendant was encountered returning to his house in a vehicle which was later searched, and from which law enforcement recovered numerous firearms, including machine guns, and large quantities of controlled substances, including approximately 351 grams of fentanyl pills and 621 grams of methamphetamine. Officers also recovered approximately $2,000 in cash. Pacheco possessed the controlled substances with the intent to distribute them, and possessed the firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking. 

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to making communities all across Colorado safer for the benefit of their residents,” said U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly. “Pueblo is safer with this heavily armed drug dealer back behind bars.”

“Under no circumstances will ATF stand idly by while armed, violent repeat offenders victimize our communities by illegally possessing and trafficking firearms and drugs,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. “Together with our local and federal partners, we will unleash every available resource in pursuit of these violent criminals, bring them to justice, and restore the safety and security to our streets that every citizen deserves to enjoy.”

“Illegal guns and illicit drugs continue to drive violence in our communities,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “By bringing the full force of federal prosecution against the most dangerous offenders, we are removing threats from our neighborhoods and sending an unmistakable message: the FBI’s Southern Colorado Safe Streets Task Force is firmly committed to protecting our citizens and upholding the rule of law.”

United States District Judge S. Kato Crews presided over the sentencing.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI’s Southern Colorado Safe Streets Task Force handled the investigation. The Violent Crimes and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office handled the prosecution.

Case Number: 1:24-cr-00202-SKC

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man from Fort Thompson, South Dakota, convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on September 22, 2025.

John Thompson, age 44, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Thompson was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024. He pleaded guilty on June 20, 2025. The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred between August 1, 2010, and August 31, 2011, within the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation. During this timeframe, Thompson fondled the genitalia of a boy who was under the age of twelve.

This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

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 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services – Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.

Thompson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BAY CITY – Michael Bacigalupo, the former executive director of two nonprofit entities and a public figure pleaded guilty today to defrauding the non-profits of over $750,000, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced.

Gorgon is joined in this announcement by Reuben C. Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Michigan Division, and Caleb Rowell, Public Safety Director, Bay City Department of Public Safety.

Michael Bacigalupo, 63, of Essexville, Michigan, pleaded guilty to one count of Wire Fraud.

According to facts made public at the plea hearing, from approximately June 2020 through November 2023, Bacigalupo was the Executive Director of both the nonprofit Bay City State Theatre and the nonprofit Bay City Historical Society, as well as the former Director of the Bay City Downtown Development Authority. He used his leadership positions to fraudulently obtain and divert over $750,000 of nonprofit funding intended for mission essential requirements to instead pay for renovations to a public bandshell in Bay City. As a result of Bacigalupo’s fraudulent conduct, the Bay City State Theatre defaulted on a private loan Bacigalupo had secured using the theatre itself, requiring the State Theater to declare bankruptcy. Similarly, Bacigalupo’s misappropriation of the Bay City Historical Society’s funds prevented it from completing substantial renovations to its building and museum. To replenish the diverted funds, Bacigalupo sought and secured a $900,000 federal grant under fraudulent pretenses. His fraudulent conduct, however, was uncovered before the federal monies were disbursed. To perpetrate the fraud, Bacigalupo made numerous false statements to the affected organizations, and substantiated his lies with fictitious board minutes, third-party invoices, and Quickbook entries.

“Working or volunteering for a non-profit entity is a wonderful way to help strengthen our communities. But non-profits are not a personal piggy bank whose donated funds can be used for personal pet projects. Doing so is not only selfish and wrong, but also a crime that carries significant consequences,” said United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.

“The defendant’s fraud scheme deprived well-meaning nonprofit organizations of the funds necessary to carry out their critical missions and forced one entity into bankruptcy,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Reuben C. Coleman of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI is poised to investigate fraud cases with financial intricacies like those documented in this case. We commend the Bay City Department of Public Safety, in particular, for taking strong action against those who seek to defraud nonprofit entities seeking to enrich our communities.”

“I am thankful for the diligent work of Detective Ben Meyer and the agents from the FBI.  They conducted a lengthy and very thorough investigation which will allow the community to move forward and justice to be served.  I would also like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Michigan for their ability to resolve this case in a fair manner for all parties involved,” said Caleb Rowell, Public Safety Director, Bay City Department of Public Safety.

This investigation was conducted by the Bay City Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys T. Patrick Martin and William Orr. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a woman who aided an online fraud and committed pandemic and mortgage fraud to 78 months in prison, consecutive to a 15-month sentence for being a felon caught with two guns.

Judge Ross also ordered Shirley Waller, 43, of St. Louis County, Missouri, to repay $313,711 to victims.

Waller pleaded guilty in June to one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and using an assumed name to commit mail fraud.

As part of her guilty plea, Waller admitted acting as a “money mule” and aiding scammers who used a variety of tactics to trick victims. After the daughter of a 71-year-old St. Louis County woman told police in December 2023, that she’d mailed $35,000 to Waller’s home as part of a romance scam, they determined that more than 70 Express Mail packages had been delivered to Waller’s home during a 60-day period ending Nov. 1, 2023. In a court-approved search of Waller’s home on Jan. 12, 2024, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service found two guns and Express Mail packages that had been sent to variations of Waller’s name. The packages of cash had been sent by older adults targeted in online fraud schemes. Fourteen identified victims sent $94,150 to Waller’s home. The government estimates that the overseas scammers stole over $1 million, based on the 193 total packages that were delivered to Waller’s home between Sept. 1, 2023, and April 1, 2024, and tracked by Nigerian IP addresses.

Waller also admitted fraudulently applying for a Paycheck Protection Program loan of $19,235 on April 10, 2021, by falsely claiming she ran a business in Michigan. She received the loan and used the money to travel to Ghana, Germany and Jamaica. Waller unsuccessfully submitted another fraudulent loan application for a St. Louis resale shop, concealing the existence of the first loan and falsifying her business income.

Finally, Waller admitted fraudulently obtaining a $196,000 mortgage loan by lying about her marital status, income and job and by submitting counterfeit tax documents and bank statements.

In March, Judge Ross sentenced Waller to 15 months in prison after she pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use.  With the collaborative efforts of our federal and local law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate fraudsters who utilize the U.S. Mail to perpetuate financial schemes to defraud others in order to enrich themselves.  Postal Inspectors seek justice for victims, including those most vulnerable,” said Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Town and Country Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a woman from Pierre, South Dakota, convicted of Possession of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on September 22, 2025.

Mickenzie Tucker, age 23, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Tucker was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $27,000.

Tucker was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024. She pleaded guilty on June 27, 2025.

Between July 2023 and February 2024, Tucker received and distributed child pornography using instant messaging and social media platforms, including Discord and Wickr. Law enforcement began investigating Tucker in September 2023, based on CyberTips received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which indicated Tucker was using her Discord account to store child pornography. In February 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Tucker’s residence in Pierre, seizing multiple electronic devices that contained child pornography. Tucker will forfeit ownership of those devices to the United States.

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 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Pierre Police Department, and the FBI. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

Tucker must self-report to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service by October 6, 2025.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

BEAUMONT, Texas –A Port Arthur convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Rickey Shawn Thomas, 45, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on September 22, 2025.

According to information presented in court, four handguns were recovered from Thomas during the execution of a search warrant issued during a drug trafficking investigation.  Two of the firearms had been reported as stolen.  Law enforcement also discovered over five pounds of synthetic marijuana and over $40,000 cash. Further investigation revealed Thomas had seven felony convictions and as a convicted felon, is prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms.

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).

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Port Arthur Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Quinn and Chris Jackson.

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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

An individual who was found in the United States after entering illegally on multiple occasions was sentenced on September 22, 2025, to 168 days imprisonment.  Angel Aranda-Vazquez, age 37, a citizen of Mexico, received the prison term after a June 25, 2025 guilty plea to being found after illegal reentry.  Aranda‑Vazquez had previously been removed from the United States and was found after trying to use identification documents illegally in Tama County, Iowa.  

Aranda-Vazquez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Aranda-Vazquez was sentenced to 168 days imprisonment.  Aranda-Vazquez must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Aranda-Vazquez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America. (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) 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). 

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

The case file number is 25-CR-000111.

Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

CLEVELAND – A Lorain County man has been charged by criminal complaint with receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit activity, and possession of child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse materials (CSAM).

According to the criminal complaint and underlying affidavit, Michael Neville, 46, of Elyria, Ohio, was engaging in sexually explicit communications with an undercover agent purporting to be a father of a 9-year-old girl using a social media messaging application. The conversations centered around the defendant’s sexual interest in children. During the investigation, federal agents found that Neville’s electronic device contained CSAM of pre-pubescent children, and that he had sent CSAM material involving the sadistic abuse of an infant.

If convicted Neville faces up to 20 years in prison for receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit activity, and up to 20 years in prison for possession of child pornography.

This case is being investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Margaret A. Kane for the Northern District of Ohio.

Anyone with knowledge and information about this matter, please call the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at 216-698-3151.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. 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

BOSTON – A Florida man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a sex trafficking conspiracy and for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Angelo Dominic Lombardo, 29, of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 13 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Lombardo is also ordered to register as a sex offender. In January 2025, Lombardo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion, and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

“This defendant preyed on vulnerable, lured them in with false promises, and then used violence and threats of violence to force them into sex trafficking for his own monetary gain. His calculated cruelty, including threatening a victim at gunpoint, is unconscionable,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Although today’s sentence cannot undo the harm he inflcited, we hope it sends a clear message to anyone who thinks they can come to Massachusetts to traffic and exploit vulnerable people: you will be found, you will be stopped, and you will be held accountable. Our office will continue to stand with victims, fight for their safety, and bring traffickers to justice.”

“Angelo Lombardo felt entitled to treat women not as people, but as property to be sold for sex. Today’s sentence ensures he’ll stay locked up, unable to harm anyone else for decades to come,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Profiting from the sexual exploitation of another human being is reprehensible. The FBI and our partners will do everything in our power to protect trafficking victims from further harm and see the predators who so viciously and violently abuse them brought to justice for their deplorable conduct.”  

From in and around June 2020 to July 12, 2021, Lombardo conspired with others to traffic four victims to engage in commercial sex acts by physically assaulting the victims, coercing the victims psychologically, making false promises of a better life and making explicit threats to one of the victims with a firearm, among other things.

In June 2020, Lombardo recruited a victim in Florida to work for him engaging in commercial sex in various states, including Massachusetts. Lombardo promised the victim a better life, however the money that she was paid engaging in commercial sex was turned over to Lombardo. On multiple occasions, Lombardo was violent with the victim who reported that she did not feel able to leave him because she would leave with nothing.  

Another victim recruited by Lombardo in or around October 2020 in Florida, travelled with Lombardo to other states, including Massachusetts, to engage in commercial sex. Lombardo threatened the victim that if she did not do what she was told, she would not see her family again. On one occasion when the victim did not want to participate in any more commercial sex dates, Lombardo confiscated her license and punched her repeatedly.  

Around May 2021, Lombardo recruited a homeless victim in Portland, Ore., provided her with a place to stay and then advertised her on commercial sex websites. Lombardo would set up dates and drive the victim who travelled to Boston, Mass. on two occasions to engage in commercial sex. In addition to taking the money, he verbally abused the victim and on one occasion put a gun to the victim’s head and told her to go make more money.

Finally, another victim was recruited to work for Lombardo in June 2021, in Portland, Ore., shortly after she turned 18 years old. Lombardo promised the victim financial stability and a better life if she worked for him. In reality, Lombardo kept the money that the victim was paid, for himself. The victim reported that Lombardo was verbally abusive toward her and isolated her from loved ones.

Ultimately, one of the victims went to the police and reported that Lombardo was trafficking her in July 2021. On July 12, 2021, following a traffic stop in Boston, Lombardo was arrested on state trafficking charges. At the time of his arrest, Lombardo had approximately $3,310 in his possession. A subsequent search of a hotel room in Revere, Mass. associated with Lombardo resulted in the recovery of a firearm with a laser attached matching the descriptions provided by at least two of the victims, and a loaded large capacity magazine with 20 live rounds of ammunition. Due to at least one prior felony conviction, Lombardo is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Members of the public who believe they may be a victim of this individual or alleged crime should contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov. If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please visit https://polarisproject.org/ for information and resources.

U.S. Attorney Foley; FBI SAC Docks; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; and the Revere and Arlington Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley-Cunniffe, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit, prosecuted the case.