Category: Legal Issues

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

UTICA, NEW YORK –Erik Burch, age 30, Khalid Richardson, age 30, and Lamar Stanford, age 33, each of Syracuse, have each pled guilty for their respective roles in a firearms trafficking operation. Burch pled guilty last week to the unlawful sale of a firearm to a prohibited person; Richardson pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person on June 4, 2025; and Stanford pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person on April 30, 2025. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.

Richardson admitted that he sold firearms to an individual whom he knew to be a felon on four separate occasions in 2022. He further admitted that he obtained firearms on two of those occasions from his co-defendants, Stanford and Burch. Stanford and Burch each admitted to possessing firearms on the dates of the firearm sales that they engaged in with Richardson. Stanford and Burch were each prohibited from possessing firearms based on prior felony convictions.

Acting United States Attorney John Sarcone stated, “If you sell firearms to felons, be ready to spend a long time in federal prison. We will not tolerate felons buying, selling, or possessing firearms in the Northern District of New York. We will use all of the tools at our disposal to make sure these people are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller stated: “This case underscores the serious threat that illegal firearms trafficking pose to our communities. These defendants — including two convicted felons — were involved in trafficking firearms, a crime that puts lives at risk and undermines the safety of our communities. Thanks to the diligent work of ATF NY Syracuse, in coordination with the Syracuse Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, we were able to disrupt this operation and hold these individuals accountable. We remain committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to stem schemes that fuel violent crime.”

The charges filed against Burch, Richardson, and Stanford carry a maximum term of 15 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Burch is scheduled to be sentenced on November 12, 2025; Richardson is scheduled to be sentenced on October 15, 2025; and Stanford is scheduled to be sentenced on August 27, 2025.  The defendants will appear for sentencing before Senior United States District Judge David N. Hurd.

ATF investigated the case with assistance from the Syracuse Police Department’s Intelligence Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica N. Carbone is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton; Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia; and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today charges against MICHAEL GANN alleging that he manufactured at least seven improvised explosive devices (“IEDs”) using precursor chemicals—chemicals that can be combined to create an explosive mixture—that he had ordered on the internet, stored at least five IEDs and shotgun shells on adjoining rooftops of residential apartment buildings in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, threw at least one IED onto the subway tracks of the Williamsburg Bridge, and subsequently lied to law enforcement about having disposed of his explosives and supplies in a dumpster.  This case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho.

“The safety of New Yorkers is paramount,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “As alleged, Michael Gann built explosive devices, stored them on a rooftop in SoHo, and threw one onto the subway tracks—putting countless lives at risk.  Thanks to swift work by our law enforcement partners, no one was harmed.  That vigilance assuredly prevented a tragedy in New York.”

“Michael Gann allegedly produced multiple improvised explosive devices intended for use in Manhattan,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia.  “Due to the successful partnership of law enforcement agencies in New York, Gann was swiftly brought to justice before he could harm innocent civilians shortly after his dangerous actions became known.  The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is enduring in its commitment and determination to protect the homeland.”

“This defendant allegedly stockpiled homemade explosives and traveled to New York City with these deadly devices,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch.  “He threw one of these devices onto an active subway track and stored others on the rooftop of a residential building, but because of the skilled investigative work and swift response from the NYPD and our partners, we were able to intervene before he caused any harm.  I am grateful to the members of the NYPD, FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for all the work they do every day to keep New Yorkers safe.”

As alleged in the Complaint, Indictment, and public court filings:[1]

In or about May 2025, GANN ordered approximately two pounds of potassium perchlorate and approximately one pound of aluminum powder—precursor chemicals—online, along with over 200 cardboard tubes and over 50-feet worth of fuses.  In or about early June 2025, GANN received his packages containing the precursor chemicals and other supplies, mixed the precursor chemicals together, applied a flame to the mixture, and caused an explosion.  GANN subsequently assembled at least seven IEDs using the precursor chemicals, cardboard tubes, and fuses.

GANN stored the precursor chemicals and at least five IEDs, pictured below, on the rooftops of residential apartment buildings in SoHo.  The pictured black device contained approximately 30 grams of explosive powder—approximately 600 times the legal limit for consumer fireworks.

GANN also stored at least four shotgun shells on the same rooftops, which he intended to combine with one or more of the IEDs.

GANN threw a sixth IED onto the subway tracks on the Williamsburg Bridge, as pictured below.

On or about June 5, 2025, law enforcement agents arrested GANN in SoHo, incident to which they recovered a seventh IED from GANN’s person.  Following GANN’s arrest, GANN falsely told law enforcement, in substance and in part, that he had disposed of the precursor chemicals and the shotgun shells in a dumpster in Manhattan.

In or about May and June 2025, GANN conducted internet searches related to explosives and firearms, including: “will i pass a background check,” “gun background check test,” “can i buy a gun in any state without ffl [federal firearms license],” “3D gun printing,” “gun stores,” “clorine bomb,” “how to make flash powder from household items,” “what to mix with potassium perchlorate to make flash powder,” “alluminum powder,” “black powder nearby,” “quarter stick m1000 firecracker,” “1/2 stick dynamite,” and “rechargeable nail gun to shoot into steal.”

On or about June 5, 2025, just hours before GANN was arrested with an IED on his person, GANN posted to Instagram, “Who wants me to go out to play like no tomorrow?”

*               *                *

GANN, 55, of Inwood, New York, is charged with one count of attempted destruction of property by means of explosives, which carries a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of transportation of explosive materials, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of unlawful possession of destructive devices, which also carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, NYPD, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Nassau County Police Department; and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan L. Bodansky, Michael D. Lockard, and Chelsea L. Scism, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Isaacson, are in charge of the prosecution.

 

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 40-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Houston has admitted to an alien smuggling conspiracy and illegal reentry into the country, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

The investigation revealed Edgar Ruiz-Briones arranged transportation and coordinating trips for illegal aliens coming over the southern border with Mexico. Ruiz-Briones was the leader of the smuggling organization, recruiting drivers from as far away as Kansas to come to the Rio Grande Valley.

Drivers would communicate directly with Ruiz-Briones to set up the trips, give updates on progress and set meeting spots for drop-offs in Houston after successful smuggling operations. They would pick up illegal aliens from different stash houses and transport them to Houston, where they met with Ruiz-Briones before going further into the United States. 

Ruiz-Briones handled payments from the aliens to come into the United States and payments to the drivers he recruited. 

Over the course of the 18-month conspiracy, Ruiz-Briones arranged for over 100 aliens to enter, remain and be transported further into the United States.

An illegal alien himself, having been removed from the United States on multiple occasions, he also pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States from Mexico and remaining here in violation of the law.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing Oct. 30. At that time. Ruiz-Briones faces up to 10 years in federal prison for the alien smuggling conspiracy and 20 years for illegally re-entering the United States.

Ruiz-Briones has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith is prosecuting the case.

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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

LAREDO, Texas – A 31-year-old resident of Laredo has been sentenced for illegally importing over 836 kilograms of methamphetamine into the country, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Cornelio Aguilar pleaded guilty July 9, 2024.

U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison ordered him to serve the 30-year sentence to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard about Aguilar’s violent criminal history, including prior convictions for murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. In imposing the sentence, Judge Ellison noted that this was a serious offense.

The investigation revealed Aguilar imported two loads of methamphetamine into the United States using tractor trailers between January and June 2022. Hidden inside the bags of charcoal he was hauling were bundles of methamphetamine. 

Aguilar has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Chamberlin prosecuted the case.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

HOUSTON – A San Fernando, California, man has been ordered to federal prison for operating an illegal money transmitting business, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Victor Rubio Jr. 28, pleaded guilty Feb. 6.

U.S. District Judge George Hanks has now ordered Rubio to serve the maximum 60 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court considered additional evidence about other frauds Rubio committed while on bond in imposing the sentencing, assessing extra points for obstruction of justice. In handing down the sentence, Judge Hanks noted Rubio had committed obstruction after writing his letter to the judge asking for leniency and apologizing for his first crime. 

Rubio admitted that from 2021 to 2022, he operated an unlicensed money transmitting business that received and transmitted funds from a business email compromise (BEC) scheme. Rubio ran the unlicensed money transmitting business by using shell companies that existed only on paper.

As part of the plea, Rubio acknowledged opening and maintaining bank accounts to collect money from at least two victims in a BEC scheme, including a healthcare liability insurance company headquartered in Georgia and a township in New Jersey. Then, for a fee, he transmitted the fraud proceeds to co-conspirators.

In response to fraudulent wire instructions from spoofed email accounts, victims sent interstate wire transfers for payment to Rubio instead of to the true creditors to whom the victims owed money.

More than 45 people in multiple states, including Rubio and seven others in the Southern District of Texas, have been charged in separate business email compromise schemes that affected numerous victims.

Previously released on bond, Rubio was taken into custody where he will remain pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI – Bryan Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

McALLEN, Texas – A 26-year-old resident of Camargo, Mexico, has been sentenced to federal prison for importing more than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Cesar Alejandro Saavedra-Garcia pleaded guilty Feb. 28.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Saavedra to serve 135 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Saavedra-Garcia played an integral role in smuggling illegal narcotics into the United States. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the large amount of meth found in Saavedra-Garcia’s vehicle and the fact that he had admitted to transporting narcotics previously. 

On Dec. 17, 2024, Saavedra-Garcia arrived at the Sarita Border Patrol Checkpoint and claimed he had no illegal drugs in his vehicle. 

However, at secondary inspection, a K-9 alerted to the odor of narcotics. A subsequent search revealed 112 bricks of methamphetamine hidden in compartments near the vehicle’s cargo bed. 

The drugs weighed approximately 109 kilograms and had an estimated street value of nearly $7.7 million. 

At the time of his plea, Saavedra-Garcia admitted he knew he was smuggling narcotics into the United States. 

Saavedra-Garcia will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore Parran and Avery Benitez prosecuted the case.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – An indictment was unsealed today charging a dozen foreign nationals of bank fraud and engaging in transactions involving criminally derived property. The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2025 at the U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City. Eleven Venezuelan nationals and one Colombian national are accused of committing financial fraud crimes after they allegedly participated in a scheme to defraud banks in Utah and elsewhere.

According to court documents, between January 2023 and June 2023, the defendants were involved in a scheme to defraud financial institutions by opening accounts and presenting fraudulent cashier’s checks to be deposited to those accounts. In some instances, defendants deposited multiple counterfeit checks at different branches on the same day. Defendants then laundered the funds by check, cashier’s check, and cash withdrawal.

Defendants are residents of Salt Lake County:

1.    Gilberto Emiro Andrade-Romero, 36, of Venezuela
2.    Felipe Enrique Linares-Lobo aka Carlos M. Hidalgo Noguera, 32, of Venezuela
3.    Alexis Jose Calixto-Bracho, 25, of Venezuela
4.    Daniel Jose Fuenmayor-leal, aka Enais Inciarte-Urdaneta, 34, of Venezuela
5.    Yeritza Astrid Cuello-Plata, 40, of Venezuela
6.    Federico Javier Gutierrez-Pirela, 36, of Venezuela
7.    Hendry Ricardo Martinez-Concho, 42, of Venezuela
8.    Cristina Paola Nava-Yoris, 24, of Venezuela
9.    Patricia Del Carmen Orozco-Cuello, 37, of Colombia
10.    Ismael Norberto Rodriguez-Moreno, 47, of Venezuela
11.    Jorge Luis Urribarri-Vento, 32, of Venezuela
12.    Rayner Jose Delgado-Quiroz, 24, of Venezuela

Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and a HSI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Brent L. Andrus and Carl D. Lesueur of the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.

This 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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 
 

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

LAREDO, Texas – A 25-year-old Laredo resident has been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Fernando Tadeo Cerda, 25, pleaded guilty July 19, 2023.

U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Cerda to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release for the drug trafficking conviction. At the hearing, the court considered Cerda was subject to a mandatory 10 years in prison due to being previously convicted of smuggling aliens. 

Cerda had also admitted he violated his term of supervised release and received another nine months to be served consecutively for a total 129-month-term of imprisonment.  

The investigation revealed Cerda had conspired with his uncle, Jesus Garza, to coordinate delivery of large amounts of cocaine. 

On Nov. 27, 2020, Cerda met with Garza and provided him a duffle bag containing the drugs. As Garza departed the location in Laredo, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and discovered the bag with five bricks which contained over 5,000 grams of cocaine.

Cerda later admitted Garza had instructed him to pick up and deliver “aparatos” (kilograms of cocaine). He further stated he made a total of four deliveries and was paid $1,000.

He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Garza, 63, Laredo, had also pleaded guilty and later sentenced to 48 months in prison. 

Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling prosecuted the case.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Defendant Charged as Part of Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Initiative

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

LAREDO, Texas – A 23-year-old Laredo woman has been ordered to prison for her role in an unaccompanied minor smuggling ring, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Vanessa Valadez pleaded guilty Sept. 20, 2024, admitting she smuggled a child into the United States for financial gain.

U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered her to serve 18 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.

“Those that choose to engage in the human trafficking business are not good people. They aren’t motivated by altruism or sympathy. They are paid to traffic in human beings, and they treat people they smuggle as nothing more than cargo,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas will not rest until all such smuggling rings—particularly those that deal in children—are completely eradicated.”

“The sentencing of this individual underscores the serious consequences for those who exploit and endanger vulnerable populations, especially children,” said Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig S. Larrabee. “Drugging children to facilitate human smuggling is not only criminal it’s inhumane. HSI is committed to identifying and dismantling the criminal networks behind these horrific acts and ensuring those responsible are brought to justice.”

From August to September 2023, Valadez and other family members operated a child smuggling ring working to bring young illegal minors from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, into the United States. All the children were under the age of five. 

On the night of Sept. 19, 2023, members of the smuggling ring retrieved a young girl from a stash house which the organization members operated. The co-conspirators smuggled the girl across the border and delivered her to Valadez in downtown Laredo. Co-conspirators then took the child further into the United States and delivered her to unknown people.

Two days later, the ring attempted to transport another young girl. However, law enforcement intercepted them following a routine border inspection at the Juarez Lincoln Bridge in Laredo. To carry out their scheme, co-conspirators had sedated the girl with melatonin gummies and used an unlawfully obtained birth certificate to deceive authorities into believing the girl was a family member. 

The investigation revealed the smuggling ring had attempted to similarly transport at least four girls into the United States, three of whom remain unidentified and their whereabouts are unknown. Members of the smuggling ring obtained birth certificates of U.S. citizen children to pose as a family unit at ports of entry to the United States. At times, organization members used melatonin gummies to sedate at least one child to ensure a successful smuggling attempt. 

One text message uncovered in the investigation showed an image depicting an unconscious child and a caption, “La noquiamos con unas gomitas,” translated in English as “we knocked her out with some gummies.”

Co-conspirators Ana Laura Bryand, 47, Dallas; her niece Kayla Marie Bryand, 20, Jose Eduardo Bryand, 43, and Nancy Guadalupe Bryand, 44, all of Laredo; and Lizeth Esmeralda Bryand Arredondo, 32, Mexico, previously pleaded guilty and have all already been sentenced to federal prison.

ICE-HSI conducted the investigation with Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations and assistance from Border Patrol, Laredo Police Department, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General and FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Terence A. Check Jr. prosecuted the case.