Category: Crime

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Defendant previously convicted of sodomy and assault with intent to rape a minor under 12

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A Walker County man has been sentenced for illegally possessing cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.

U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Shannon Wayne Herron, 50, of Jasper, Alabama, to 108 months in prison. In February, Herron pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to the plea agreement, on November 1, 2023, detectives with the Jasper Police Department Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant on a residence in Jasper. During the search, officers recovered 366 grams of pure methamphetamine, marijuana, a digital scale, a ledger containing names with dollar amounts next to the names, four cell phones, and approximately $1,800 in cash.

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case along with the Jasper Police Department Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Peoples prosecuted the case. 

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Federal prosecutors and personnel with the U.S. Attorney’s Office will join community organizers, local neighborhoods, and law enforcement partners in the Western District for National Night Out on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.

National Night Out (NNO) is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country.

During this year’s National Night Out, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will attend community events in Charlotte organized by the West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition and the Hidden Valley Community Association, to engage with community members, answer questions, and share information about federal public safety initiatives. Representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be at Stumpton Park in Matthews and the Kenilworth Forest neighborhood in Asheville.

“Our communities are safer when law enforcement and neighborhoods work together to prevent and address crime,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “That’s the point of National Night Out, and we are proud to join our law enforcement partners and communities across the district on this special night.”

National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.

Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.

For more information, visit https://natw.org/

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

HOUSTON – Two alleged members of a violent Houston-based street gang have been charged for their alleged roles in the murder of one individual and attempted murder of another during a gang-related ambush.

According to court documents, members and associates of the gang known as Free Money engage in robbery, home invasions, drug distribution and murder. Terry Ardoin, 24, and Travonte Ardoin, 27, both of Houston, allegedly committed the murder in connection with an ongoing gang war with a rival group.

On June 24, 2022, in broad daylight, the Ardoins allegedly following a Chevrolet Equinox into a shopping center parking lot in a Black Nissan Altima. As alleged in court documents, the driver of the Equinox entered a nearby store while the passenger remained in the vehicle. When the driver returned, the Ardoins allegedly exited the Altima wearing masks and opened fired on both individuals.

Multiple rounds struck the vehicle’s passenger compartment. Law enforcement responded within minutes and found one victim deceased.

Terry and Travonte Ardoin are charged with murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and causing death through the use of a firearm. If convicted, they face up to life in prison or the possibility of a death sentence.

The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Houston Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Brown is prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Ralph Paradiso of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.

This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Houston. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas have partnered, along with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes gang members and associates have committed through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute violent offenders and prevent further violence.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WACO – A Mississippi man was sentenced in federal court to 240 months in prison for distribution of child pornography, involving the sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to court documents, Foster Denzel Harris, aided and abetted by another, knowingly distributed and attempted to distribute visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct in violation of federal statute.

In 2022, the victim in this case reported to FBI that she had been exploited when she was 16 years old, and living in Killeen, Texas. Between 2016 and 2022, while using KiK social media application on her phone, Harris extorted $21,000 dollars from her, threatening to expose her if she didn’t pay.

“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that those who exploit children by distributing child sexual abuse material will be held fully accountable,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Aron Tapp. “The pain these victims silently endure is immeasurable, and the FBI will relentlessly pursue anyone who preys on them. We applaud the extraordinary courage of the victim in this case, whose fortitude to come forward enabled us to obtain a measure of justice and put a stop to the continues abuse. If you have information about child exploitation, contact your local FBI office or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov.”

This 20-year sentence is the maximum sentence allowed under the statute. Harris was also ordered to pay $31,429.00 in restitution to the victim and placed on lifetime supervised release. This case was investigated by the FBI San Antonio Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Gloff prosecuted 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: Office of United States Attorneys

CONCORD –Georgina Exposito of Florida, owner of 3^rd Party Services of Florida, agreed to pay $400,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by submitting false claims to Medicare and TRICARE based on fake medical diagnoses, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

According to the settlement agreement and the complaint in partial intervention, Exposito and her company altered patients’ medical diagnoses to obtain prior authorizations on behalf of pharmacies, including PerforMix Specialty Pharmacy, a compounding pharmacy located in Amherst. This resulted in the submission of false claims to Medicare and TRICARE.

“Submitting false claims to federal health care programs like Medicare and TRICARE undermines the integrity of our health care system and diverts critical resources away from patients who need them,” said U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. “Accountability in cases like this helps restore trust in our health care system and ensures taxpayer dollars are protected.”

“The submission of falsified prior authorization requests undermines an important safeguard against unnecessary Medicare costs,” said Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).  “This settlement highlights HHS-OIG’s ongoing commitment to combatting fraud in the taxpayer-funded Medicare program, and we will continue to thoroughly pursue allegations of False Claims Act violations.”

The False Claims Act permits whistleblowers to file civil lawsuits alleging that false claims have been submitted to the United States. This FCA settlement resolves allegations against Georgina Exposito’s company originally brought in a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower.  As part of the settlement the whistleblower will receive a portion of the settlement amount.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The United States’ case against the other defendants named in the complaint in partial intervention continues. 

 This case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Defense, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raphael Katz.

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