News and reports from the Department of Justice.

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Wade Schear, a 41-year-old resident of Gillette, Wyoming, has been found guilty by a federal jury for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
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St. Louis Sheriff Alfred Montgomery indicted on civil rights violation

St. Louis Sheriff Alfred Montgomery was indicted on a civil rights charge in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, according to federal authorities.
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Collinsville couple sentenced for methamphetamine distribution from home

A Collinsville couple received sentences for distributing methamphetamine from their home, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
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Philadelphia correctional officer charged with inmate sexual abuse and civil rights violations

Michael Jefferson, a 42-year-old correctional officer from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, has been arrested and charged with multiple counts, including aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, and the deprivation of civil rights.
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Passaic County resident pleads guilty to $3.2 million embezzlement scheme

A man from Passaic County, New Jersey, has confessed to embezzling $3.2 million from a New Jersey couple. U.S. Attorney Alina Habba confirmed the admission by Charles Gallo, 34, of Hawthorne.
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Marty man sentenced to 18 years for assault and kidnapping

United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell has announced that Ellery Zephier, a resident of Marty, South Dakota, has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison.
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Baton Rouge man sentenced to 57 months for child pornography possession

Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon has announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced James S. Burland, a 70-year-old resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 57 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography.
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Postal worker admits guilt in mail destruction case

Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson has revealed that Jorry Harrison, a postal employee from Houma, Louisiana, has pled guilty to the charge of mail destruction.
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San Jose AI firm settles $1.5M claim over federal grant misuse

Vimaan Robotics, Inc., a company based in San Jose specializing in computer vision and AI warehouse management solutions, has agreed to pay $1.5 million.
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Cherokee man pleads guilty to possession of child pornography

Roger Strickland, a 62-year-old resident of Cherokee, Iowa, pled guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography on April 25, 2025.
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Illegal marijuana grower in Los Padres Forest sentenced to five years in prison

Jacinto Correa Cruz, a 56-year-old Mexican national, received a 60-month federal prison sentence for his involvement in an illegal cannabis cultivation operation within the Los Padres National Forest. U.S. District Judge Eumi K. Lee issued the...
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Kanawha County resident pleads guilty to COVID-19 relief funds fraud

Krista Marie Menchaca, a 32-year-old resident of Cross Lanes, West Virginia, has admitted to receiving stolen funds as part of a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.
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Kanawha County man sentenced for gun crime and supervised release violation

Eddie Wayne Chapman Jr., a 39-year-old resident of St. Albans, has been sentenced to five years and ten months in prison, in addition to three years of supervised release.
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Athens tax preparer sentenced for $3.5 million COVID-19 fraud scheme

A tax preparer from Athens, Georgia, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for her involvement in filing over $3.5 million in fraudulent tax returns.
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Agawam resident faces child pornography charges following federal investigation

An Agawam man has been charged with possession of child sexual abuse material, as announced on April 30, 2025.
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Mexican national charged with illegal reentry into the United States

A Mexican national made his first appearance in court on charges of reentering the United States after being deported three times previously.
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Universities Space Research Association avoids prosecution after export law breach disclosure

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has chosen not to prosecute the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) following the organization's self-disclosure of export control offenses by a former employee, Jonathan Soong.
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Honduran national indicted in New Orleans for illegal firearm possession

A Honduran man has been indicted in New Orleans for possession of a firearm while being unlawfully present in the United States.
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Honduras, Guatemala nationals sentenced for methamphetamine distribution in Laredo case

Two individuals from Central America received sentences for distributing methamphetamine in the United States, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
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Baton Rouge man sentenced for bank robbery and high-speed police chase

Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon has stated that Jonathan Wayne Lanaute has been sentenced by U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick to 151 months in federal prison for bank robbery.
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