Category: Legal Issues

Auto Added by WPeMatico

Posted on

Guilty Verdict in Road Rage Killing of Uber Driver Near Dupont Circle

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

            WASHINGTON –Rodney Baggott, 58, of the District of Columbia, was found guilty yesterday of murder and related counts in U.S. District Court in the 2024 road rage slaying of Uber Eats driver Rasheek Abdullah near the Dupont Circle Metro Station, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            A federal jury deliberated for a single day before finding Baggott guilty on July 24 of first degree murder while armed (premeditated), possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Judge Reggie B. Walton scheduled sentencing for Dec. 18, 2025.

            Joining in the announcement was Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            According to court documents, on Jan. 30, 2024, Baggott was driving a white Mitsubishi Outlander to his then-girlfriend’s office at a law firm in Dupont Circle.

            Shortly before 4 p.m., the girlfriend left her office and joined Baggott. The two drove to the intersection of Connecticut Ave. and Q St, NW. There, as Baggott made a right-hand turn, Mr. Abdullah passed him on the left-hand side.  Baggott became enraged believing that Mr. Abdullah had cut him off. Baggott drove up next to Mr. Abdullah, pulled out a gun, and shot him in the neck.  Mr. Abdullah ultimately died as a result of the shooting.

            Baggott fled the scene with his girlfriend sitting in the passenger seat. The girlfriend called an auto body repair shop to fix distinctive damage on the vehicle—distinctive damage that would go out on a police bulletin later that day and would ultimately be used to link Baggott to the shooting.

            On March 2, 2024, a Montgomery County Police officer stopped Baggott and the girlfriend while they were in the white Mitsubishi Outlander. Baggott was arrested for illegally possessing a gun in the vehicle.

            On March 3, 2024, law enforcement found the gun used in the shooting during the execution of a search warrant at Baggott’s girlfriend’s apartment. The firearm had DNA that linked it to both the girlfriend and Baggott.

            This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive and the Metropolitan Police Department, with valuable assistance from the Montgomery County Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron Tepfer and Daniel Seidel, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Lipes. 

24cr127

Posted on

Two New Orleans Men Plead Guilty to Multiple Drug and Gun Offenses

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that HENRY MITCHELL (“MITCHELL”), age 35, and JAYLAN WASHINGTON (“WASHINGTON”), age 30, both residents of New Orleans, were sentenced on July 22, 2025, by United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry pursuant to their pleas of guilty to federal drug and gun charges.  Listed below are the charges to which each Defendant pled guilty, and the sentence received:

CHARGE

DEFENDANT

SENTENCE
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute marihuana, Fentanyl, tapentadol and tramadol (21 U.S.C. § 846) MITCHELL 151 months, 3 years of supervised release
Possession With Intent to Distribute marihuana, Fentanyl, tapentadol and tramadol (21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) & (b)(1)(C)) MITCHELL 151 months, 3 years of supervised release
Felon in Possession of a Firearm (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)) MITCHELL 151 months, 3 years of supervised release
Possession of a Machine Gun (18 U.S.C. § Section 922(o)) MITCHELL 120 months, 3 years of supervised release
Possession of a Machine Gun (18 U.S.C. § 922(o)) MITCHELL 120 months, 3 years of supervised release
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute marihuana, Fentanyl, tapentadol and tramadol (21 U.S.C. § 846) WASHINGTON 120 months, 3 years of supervised release
Possession with Intent to Distribute marihuana, and tapentadol (21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) WASHINGTON 120 months, 3 years of supervised release
Felon in Possession of a Firearm (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)) WASHINGTON 120 months, 3 years of supervised release
Possession of a Machine Gun (18 U.S.C. § 922(o)) WASHINGTON 120 months, 3 years of supervised release

All sentences were ordered to run concurrently with each other.  Judge Guidry also ordered MITCHELL to pay $500.00 in mandatory special assessment fees and ordered WASHINGTON to pay $400 in mandatory special assessment fees. 

Court documents reflect that MITCHELL and WASHINGTON were openly selling various controlled substance in the Plum Orchard Neighborhood of New Orleans. Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crime Task Force Officers (TFO) observed this activity after receiving multiple citizen complaints. The TFOs notified New Orleans Police Department Officers who surrounded the area and arrested MITCHELL and WASHINGTON.  A search of their vehicles revealed both controlled substances and firearms.  Officers also recovered “Glock switches” that convert semiautomatic weapons into fully automatic ones.  These switches are considered machineguns under federal law.  Additionally, both MITCHELL and WASHINGTON have several prior felony convictions including ones for violation of drug and firearm laws.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crime Task Force, and the New Orleans Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller of the Narcotics Unit is assigned the prosecution.

Posted on

Honduran National Sentenced to 24 Months for Illegal Re-Entry of Removed Alien; Sentence Enhanced Due to Prior Felony Conviction

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CESAR A. LOBO-RAMOS (“,LOBO-RAMOS”) age 38, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on July 22, 2025, for illegal re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long sentenced him to 24 months in federal prison.

According to court documents, LOBO-RAMOS re-entered the United States after being previously deported on April 10, 2018. LOBO-RAMOS came to the attention of Immigration and Customs Enforcement after he was arrested by the Kenner Police Department on November 2, 2023 for resisting arrest and obstruction of police. He faced an enhanced statutory maximum sentence of 20 years due to a Sexual Battery conviction in Jefferson Parish in 2010.

Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency and the Kenner Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

 

Posted on

Serial Cyberstalker Who Terrorized Women for 16 Years Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Defendant created 62 accounts across dozens of online platforms to abuse and impersonate women he knew; Posted thousands of fake, AI-generated, or photoshopped pornographic images of victims and their information, encouraging others to torment them

BOSTON – A Plymouth, Mass. man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for cyberstalking more than a dozen Massachusetts women over a 16-year period. Beginning as early as 2008 and continuing into 2024, the defendant engaged in elaborate online harassment campaigns that targeted and tormented women he knew personally – including two who were minors when the conduct began. Among other things, the defendant hacked into victims’ personal accounts and used over 60 accounts across nearly 30 platforms to relentlessly impersonate, intimidate and abuse them – sharing thousands of fake sexually explicit images of the victims along with their personal information and urging others to contact, shame and sextort them.

James Florence Jr., 37, was sentenced on July 23, 2025, by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to nine years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. In April 2025, Florence pleaded guilty to seven counts of cyberstalking and one count of possession of child pornography. Florence was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in September 2024 and has remained in custody since.

“This was not internet trolling. It was psychological torture – sustained, targeted, and deeply personal. For 16 years, this defendant tormented more than a dozen women who considered him a friend, a loved one or an ally and, at the stroke of a key, inflicted lasting harm that changed the way many of these women move through the world. And he did it all while hiding, cowardly, behind a keyboard. Now, he’ll face the consequences of that cruelty behind bars for the better part of the next decade,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley.  “The courage of the victims in this case is extraordinary and it’s their strength that made justice possible here. Our office will continue to do everything in our power to unmask and hold predators like this accountable.”

“James Florence Jr. is a serial cyber stalker who led a double life, weaponizing modern technology to debase, destroy and traumatize more than a dozen women, many of whom were family and close friends, for over a decade. What he did was sickening, demented, and cruel, and he’ll now pay for it with his freedom,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Cyberstalking is a serious crime, and you can be sure the FBI will work to unmask and bring to justice anyone who uses today’s technology in such a despicable way.”

According to court filings, Florence targeted women he knew personally as well as acquaintances – stealing photos from their online accounts and digitally altering the images to make the victims appear nude or engaged in sexual acts. Florence would then post the doctored images publicly alongside the victims’ names, home addresses and other identifying details. For nearly all seven victims, Florence’s cyberstalking campaigns included:

  • Creating “imposter” social media accounts designed to appear as if they were operated by the victims themselves;
  • Posting sexually explicit, AI-generated or photoshopped images of victims, often tagging the victims’ real accounts to maximize exposure;
  • Publishing victims’ personal information, including driver’s license photos, home addresses and professional affiliations, with messages urging others to humiliate and expose them;
  • Using hacked and compromised personal accounts to surveil victims and gain access to additional private content;
  • Attempting to sell doctored nude images of one victim online; and
  • Setting up notifications to monitor any changes to victims’ online biographies.

Florence often prompted strangers to contact the victims directly – with some unknown senders demanding that the victims produce real sexually explicit content under threat of distributing the doctored images to friends, family and professional contacts.

For one of the victims, Florence used the name, image and other personal identifying information to program at least three AI-driven chatbots to interact with strangers across multiple platforms in sexually explicit conversations and disclose how to contact or find the victim. For another victim, he created a false online persona describing her sexual preferences, fabricated stories about sex toys and equipment in her home and posted her home address inviting strangers to contact her for sex.

Florence also designed a collage of digitally altered images depicting one victim nude, which he posted to a website alongside her full personal information, encouraging viewers to “Post & Share Her Everywhere. Make The Whore Famous.”

Many of Florence’s victims continue to receive harassing and threatening messages from unknown individuals who encountered the content he created and distributed online.

Additionally, the following items were uncovered during a search of Florence’s residence in Plymouth in September 2024:

  • Dozens of pairs of women’s underwear and socks stolen from his victims;
  • A custom phone case featuring the image of one of the victims;
  • At least 11 digital wallpapers of his victims stored on his phone;
  • At least one photo of a victim taken when she was a minor; and
  • 62 images and four videos of child sexual abuse material, depicting minor female victims between the ages of approximately eight and 15 years old.

Florence used his expertise to employ several techniques to hide his online identity and criminal activities. According to court filings, Florence was an Information Technology professional who had worked for 10 years at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and had a DoD “Secret” clearance. With this knowledge, he employed a variety of tactics to evade law enforcement – via VPN services, anonymous overseas “revenge porn” websites and encrypted foreign email providers that do not respond to U.S. legal process or retain identifying records.

If you or someone you know is a victim of cyberstalking, please visit: Office for Victims of Crime | What can I do if I am a victim of stalking?

U.S. Attorney Foley and FBI SAC Docks made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Norfolk and Plymouth Police Departments and the Plymouth Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.

Posted on

Vehicle Theft Investigation Leads to 33-Year Federal Prison Sentence for Production of Child Pornography

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

An Arlington resident was sentenced to 405 months in federal prison for Production of Child Pornography and Illegal Possession of a Machinegun, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.

Court documents revealed that in late September 2024, the Bedford Police Department began investigating a theft of a truck that belonged to a business in Bedford, Texas.  A few days later, the Arlington Police Department recovered the vehicle and returned it to the owners.  Multiple bags containing cell phones and illegal firearms that belonged to Carlos Isaac Barrientos were found in the vehicle.  A forensic review of the devices by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms located images and videos of child pornography on the devices.  Barrientos, 36, of Arlington, Texas, was arrested, charged, and subsequently pled guilty to production of child pornography and illegal possession of a machinegun on April 16, 2025.  On July 24, 2025, Barrientos was sentenced to 405 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Reed O’Connor.

The investigation was conducted by the Arlington Police Department, Bedford Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and Department of Homeland Security. Assistant United States Attorney Allyson Monte prosecuted the case.
 

Posted on

Roanoke Rapids Man Sentenced in Large-Scale Drug and Gun Case

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

RALEIGH, N.C. – Diandre Sherod Ireland, aka “Debo”, 35, was sentenced Wednesday to 13 years in prison for drug trafficking in Roanoke Rapids.

“This sentence reflects the serious threat posed by fentanyl traffickers who fuel addiction and violence in our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who profit from dealing this deadly poison.”

“This conviction is the culmination of hard work by the Halifax Narcotics and Gang Taskforce, a partnership between RRPD and the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, as well as our federal law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The dedication of each,” said Roanoke Rapids Police Chief Lawrence Wiggins.

“Over the past three years we have built an excellent relationship with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners. We have used this partnership to go after those who are terrorizing our community,” said Halifax County Sheriff Tyree Davis. “Drugs and gangs are a problem in Halifax County and a vast majority of our murders, violent crimes and non-violent crimes are directly related to drugs and gangs. In partnership with the Roanoke Rapids Police Department, our (HCSO & RRPD) Drug and Gang Task Force works tirelessly to ensure our communities are safer. Our agents will build strong, detailed cases. The Chief and I take a tough stance on drugs and gangs.”

According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Halifax Regional Drug and Gang Task Force began investigating Ireland in 2022 after sources identified him as a major drug supplier. Officers observed him making short visits to suspected drug houses in North Carolina and Virginia and interacting with known traffickers.

In February 2024, agents executed a search warrant at his home. When they arrived, law enforcement observed Ireland exit out the back door and toss two backpacks into the neighboring yard before returning inside. Inside the bags, investigators found more than 1,500 grams of cocaine and 300 grams of fentanyl. A search of Ireland’s home uncovered nearly 250 grams of marijuana, digital scales, more than $38,000 in cash, and four firearms – including two stolen handguns and a rifle with a high-capacity magazine.

Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, the Roanoke Rapids Police Department, and the ATF investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie A. Childress prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-00075.

Posted on

KC Man Indicted for Illegal Firearms, Meth Trafficking

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally possessing firearms and drug trafficking.

Victor Roseberry, 60, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in a three-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on June 27, 2025.

The indictment was unsealed and made public today following Roseberry’s arrest.

The indictment charges Roseberry with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

The indictment alleges Roseberry possessed firearms on June 9, 2023, and July 4, 2024.  The indictment also alleges that on July 4, 2024, Roseberry possessed 5 or more grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.  The indictment alleges Roseberry is an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.

Roseberry has prior felony convictions for robbery, domestic assault, aggravated assault, tampering, and possession of a firearm by a person with three prior convictions for crimes of violence.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

Under federal statutes, Roseberry is subject to a sentence of up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.

Operation Take Back America

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). 

Posted on

FORMER MAYORAL CANDIDATE SENTENCED TO 22 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR ARMED ROBBERY OF DOLLAR GENERAL

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA –Whitfield Leland III, 45, was sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment in federal court today for Hobbs Act Robbery, Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and being an Armed Career Criminal in Possession of a Firearm. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to excellent work of our law enforcement partners, this career criminal will no longer be able to victimize and terrorize our community.  My office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting violent criminals to hold them accountable to the full extent of the law in order to keep our communities safe.”

Court documents reflect that Leland robbed a Tallahassee Dollar General at gunpoint on May 20, 2024. During the robbery, Leland pointed a pistol at the store manager and demanded that the manager open the safes. A customer observed the robbery in progress and called 911. Officers from the Tallahassee Police Department responded within minutes and surrounded the store while Leland was still inside. Leland then stole the manager’s Dollar General shirt and exited the store pretending to be an employee. Leland made it outside the store in his disguise but kept running when ordered to stop. Officers chased Leland and were able to follow a trail of dropped money to where he was hiding in nearby bushes, still wearing the Dollar General shirt and with additional money stuffed into his pants. Officers were able to recover $689 stolen during the robbery.

Leland is a 13-time convicted felon who qualified as an Armed Career Criminal because he had convictions for three violent felonies committed on separate occasions: two separate incidents of resisting a law enforcement officer with violence and one conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Leland was a 2022 candidate for Tallahassee mayor.

Leland received a sentence of 22 years in prison, which will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Leland was also ordered to pay restitution.

“The safety of our community is always our top priority,” said Chief Lawrence Revell of the Tallahassee Police Department. “Thanks to the quick actions of our officers and strong collaboration with our federal partners, a repeat violent offender is off the streets. This outcome reflects our continued commitment to protecting Tallahassee’s residents and businesses from harm.”

The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain prosecuted the case.

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).

As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

Posted on

Brazilian National Indicted for Selling Firearms

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully living in the Clinton and Framingham areas has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for trafficking firearms.

Patrick Rodrigues DeOliveira, 25, was indicted on one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. He will be arraigned in federal court in Boston on July 30, 2025. Rodrigues DeOliveira had previously been charged by criminal complaint Sept. 18, 2024.

According to the charging documents, between August and September 2024, Rodrigues DeOliveira conspired to obtain firearms in South Carolina and sell them in Massachusetts. Specifically, in August 2024, Rodrigues DeOliveira allegedly traveled with others to South Carolina to obtain firearms. Additionally, it is alleged that Rodrigues DeOliveira sold a shotgun and a pistol outside of a motel in Framingham on Sept. 10, 2024 for $3,500.  

The charges of conspiracy and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Framingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Posted on

Federal jury convicts South Carolina man on sex trafficking and firearms charges

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a South Carolina man today on charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; sex trafficking of a minor; production of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct; transportation with the intent to engage in prostitution; transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in prostitution; and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, during July 2024, Johnny Thiel Banks, 30, of Summerville, transported a minor, identified as Jane Doe, from North Carolina to Virginia on multiple occasions. While in Virginia, he sex-trafficked Jane Doe at hotels, a truck stop, and a gas station in Hampton Roads, including in Suffolk and Virginia Beach. Jane Doe was 15 years old at the time and had just finished the 8th grade. Banks repeatedly threatened Jane Doe and her family to get her to comply with his demands. He also had her pose for and send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM). When she did not want to go back to Virginia to engage in commercial sex, he threatened to have her “floating in a creek.”

On July 31, 2024, while armed with a firearm, Banks took Jane Doe from a residence and brought her to a hotel in Virginia Beach to sex traffic her. He set up multiple commercial sex appointments that night. After they arrived in Virginia Beach, he argued with Jane Doe and strangled her, and she called a family member for help. After receiving information that Jane Doe was missing from Charlotte, the Virginia Beach Police Department quickly located Jane Doe in the parking garage of a hotel. As officers spoke with Jane Doe, Banks walked by and was detained.

Law enforcement obtained a search warrant and recovered Banks’ loaded handgun from his rental vehicle. As a previously convicted felon, Banks cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. Police also obtained search warrants for three cellphones that contained CSAM and evidence of sex trafficking.

Banks is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 19 and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the verdict.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Gantt and Megan M. Montoya are prosecuting the case.

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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-15.