News from January 2026
By F. E. Simons | Jan 28, 2026
Earlier today in Central Islip federal court, Damaris Beltre, a former tax preparer from Freeport, New York, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
By C. M. Ingle | Jan 28, 2026
Tony Leroy Bartley, Jr., a 37-year-old resident of Jacksonville, has pleaded guilty to attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity using the internet.
By T. J. Graves | Jan 28, 2026
A Mexican national living illegally in Houston has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for reentering the United States without authorization, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
By T. J. Graves | Jan 28, 2026
A federal jury in Pierre, South Dakota, has found Joseph Lafferty, 68, of Eagle Butte, guilty of threatening a federal official.
By F. E. Simons | Jan 28, 2026
A Charlotte man has been sentenced to more than 21 years in federal prison for drug trafficking offenses following an investigation that led to the seizure of large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, firearms, cash, and a stolen vehicle.
By T. J. Graves | Jan 28, 2026
A former postal worker in Clayton, Missouri, has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison for her involvement in a conspiracy to steal checks from the mail and commit bank fraud. U.S. District Judge John A. Ross also ordered Cambria M....
By F. E. Simons | Jan 28, 2026
A financial planner from Marion, Iowa, has been sentenced to three months in federal prison for failing to file income tax returns and pay taxes on nearly $1.5 million in earnings over several years.
By T. J. Graves | Jan 28, 2026
Loraine Duchscher from Crown Point has been sentenced to over three years in prison for wire fraud after stealing more than $150,000 from her employer while serving as office manager. Authorities say this is her third conviction related to workplace thefts targeting small businesses.
By F. E. Simons | Jan 28, 2026
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, along with Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio-04), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has led an...
By T. J. Graves | Jan 28, 2026
Jackelyne Marroquin of Carrollton, Georgia, has pleaded guilty to charges related to possessing with intent to distribute over 760 pounds of methamphetamine and harboring illegal aliens in connection with a drug trafficking operation in the...
By F. E. Simons | Jan 28, 2026
Four individuals have pleaded guilty to their roles in a $63 million mail theft and check fraud conspiracy, according to an announcement from United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
By T. P. Broyles | Jan 28, 2026
Last Wednesday, the House Budget Committee convened a hearing titled “Reverse the Curse: Skyrocketing Health Care Costs and America's Fiscal Future” to examine how rising health care costs are affecting Americans’ access to affordable care and...
By R. C. Jamison | Jan 28, 2026
U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned witnesses during a hearing on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and executive accountability.
By F. E. Simons | Jan 28, 2026
A Buffalo man has been sentenced to 40 months in prison after being convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced that Alexis Perez, Jr., 22, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge...
By H. B. Edwards | Jan 28, 2026
The House of Representatives has completed the passage of all twelve fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills, with six already signed into law.
By C. M. Ingle | Jan 28, 2026
A Romanian national has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for a series of thefts totaling $161,000 from stores across the United States. U.S. District Judge John A. Ross handed down the sentence on Tuesday and ordered Adrian Stoica, 47, to...
By C. M. Ingle | Jan 28, 2026
A Slovakian national has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to participating in a darknet marketplace that facilitated the sale of illegal drugs and stolen personal information.
By F. E. Simons | Jan 28, 2026
An Arizona man has been charged with assaulting a federal officer after allegedly firing at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter during an attempted apprehension in rural southern Arizona. U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine commented on...
By T. P. Broyles | Jan 28, 2026
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued a statement after Senate Democrats blocked the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act.
By T. J. Graves | Jan 28, 2026
A Billings woman has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for her role in distributing methamphetamine, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.
