Category: US Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives

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

RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on July 21, 2025.

William Janis, 25, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. This sentence was ordered to run consecutively to a state custody sentence Janis is serving for a prior drug conviction.

Janis was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in February 2025. He pleaded guilty on April 28, 2025.

In December 2024, Janis was contacted by law enforcement officers after he was seen yelling outside an apartment complex in Rapid City and trying to gain access inside. Officers learned Janis had an active warrant, and he was subsequently arrested. After being arrested, Janis informed officers he had a firearm in his waistband. Officers located and seized a 9mm pistol. Janis had previously been convicted of a felony, was on parole for a felony drug conviction, and knew he was also prohibited from possessing firearms pursuant to his parole agreement.

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). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

Janis was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

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

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge has sentenced a Birmingham man for possessing a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.

U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Frederick Leonard Temple, Jr., also known as “Cutt” and “Cutthroat,” 35, to 432 months in prison. In February, Temple was convicted by a jury of possession of a machine gun, two counts of distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

“This sentence sends a clear message that violent, criminal conduct like Defendant Temple’s will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “I commend our law enforcement partners and prosecutors for their unwavering commitment to ensuring Temple was brought to justice.”

“Today’s sentencing illustrates the continuous commitment that the ATF shares with our state, local, and federal law-enforcement partners to combat the illegal possession of firearms, fight violent crime, and remove narcotics from the streets,” said ATF Special Acting Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz.  “We will continue to utilize all of our resources in an effort to maintain public safety in the communities that we serve.”

According to evidence presented at trial, Temple distributed fentanyl on two separate occasions. On January 26, 2022, members of the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force and officers from the Birmingham Police Department executed a search warrant at Temple’s residence. During the search, officers found drugs and firearms in a rear bedroom where an infant was located. The search of the residence resulted in the seizure of 14 firearms, including a Glock 9 mm pistol equipped with a machine gun-conversion device commonly referred to as a “Glock switch,” several high-capacity firearm magazines, including 100- and 50-round drum magazines, and a large amount of various ammunition, as well as fentanyl, methamphetamine, six digital scales of various sizes, and other drug paraphernalia.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case along with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Birmingham Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristy M. Peoples and Alan Kirk prosecuted the case. 

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

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Gregory Coleman III (28, Leesburg) has entered a guilty plea to an indictment charging him with one count of possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a convicted felon. Coleman faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal grand jury indicted Coleman on December 12, 2023. 

According to the court records, Coleman has been convicted of four state felonies, including aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting law enforcement with violence, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, and possession of cocaine. Following these convictions, on November 4, 2023, Coleman sold a firearm to a confidential source who was working in cooperation with federal agents. Coleman told the source he had more firearms but wanted to keep them for himself. As a convicted felon, Coleman is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Eustis Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.

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.

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

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison for violating the conditions of court-supervised release following his imprisonment for a firearms offense.

KEESHON SAMSON, 31, was released from federal prison in 2023 after being convicted of illegally possessing a loaded semiautomatic handgun on Chicago’s South Side.  The gun had been reported stolen in a burglary of a licensed firearms dealer.  Samson remained under court-supervised release for three years following imprisonment.

In February 2025, Samson was accused of breaking windows out of an acquaintance’s house and threatening the physical safety of an Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) investigator in a series of harassing telephone calls from a masked phone number.

On July 2, 2025, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey found that Samson threatened the DCFS investigator and thus violated the supervised release conditions, one of which prohibited him from committing a federal, state, or local crime while under supervision.  Judge Blakey sentenced Samson to 21 months in federal prison.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Snell.

“In our federal system of justice, supervised release is a critically important part of the sentencing process,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “It is designed to help offenders transition back into society while also ensuring public safety.  When a defendant on supervised release chooses to violate clear conditions designed to protect the community, my Office will not hesitate to prosecute the violation and hold the defendant accountable.”

“The defendant’s conduct while on supervised release demonstrated a reckless disregard for the law, the safety of others, and the Court’s orders,” said ATF SAC Amon.  “This sentence sends a clear message that violations of Court-imposed conditions of release will not be tolerated.”

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

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Antwaun Winbush, 45, of Charleston was sentenced on Monday, July 21, 2025, to 12 years and seven months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 25, 2024, a law enforcement officer attempted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Winbush on U.S. Route 35 in Putnam County. Winbush attempted to flee from the officer, reaching speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. While fleeing, Winbush dumped large quantities of methamphetamine and marijuana out of his vehicle’s window. Some of the thrown methamphetamine struck the officer’s patrol vehicle and the officer inhaled methamphetamine through the air vents. Winbush almost struck multiple vehicles while fleeing before he lost control of his vehicle and came to a stop.

Officers arrested Winbush following the pursuit and recovered some but not all the methamphetamine from the roadway. As part of his guilty plea, Winbush admitted that he possessed approximately 141.8 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine.

Winbush also committed other criminal conduct on October 4, 2021, and December 24, 2023. On October 4, 2021, an officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Winbush in Jackson County. A search of the vehicle by law enforcement resulted in the seizure of approximately 227 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine, 8 grams of cocaine, 14.7 grams of fentanyl, and a Glock model 33 .357-caliber pistol found hidden behind the stereo area of the dashboard. Winbush admitted to possessing the seized controlled substances and to intending to distribute them.

On December 24, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Winbush’s residence and seized more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, a firearm, and ammunition found hidden behind a loose wall. Officers also found drug trafficking paraphernalia, including scales, cutting agents and plastic baggies, during the search.

“Winbush’s criminal history dates back 30 years and includes 20 adult convictions. Winbush has shown time and again that he is only deterred from continuing his criminal conduct and putting citizens at risk when he is incarcerated,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “I commend the brave law enforcement officers who safely apprehended the defendant after he endangered their lives and the public with his reckless attempt to flee the Putnam County traffic stop. I also commend investigative work of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).”

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-154.

###

 

 

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

OKLAHOMA CITY – LARRY WELCH, 29, and JACOB MADISON, 24, both of Oklahoma City, have each pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

On May 6, 2025, a federal Grand Jury returned a two-count Indictment, charging both Welch and Madison with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to public record, on April 7, 2025, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department responded to a reported shooting at an apartment complex. Witnesses told police that prior to the shooting, they had been involved in a dispute with the shooting suspects, later identified as Welch and Madison. Nobody was injured as a result of the shooting. Officers reviewed nearby surveillance video which showed Welch and Madison opening fire on the unarmed witnesses and then fleeing the complex. Officers canvassed the area, and shortly thereafter arrested Welch and Madison, who were found hiding in a residential backyard shed on a nearby property. Law enforcement also recovered two firearms, which Welch and Madison used during the shooting.

Public records show that both Welch and Madison have lengthy criminal histories. Welch has previous felony convictions that include:

• possession of a firearm after felony conviction in Cherokee County District Court case number CF-2015-629;
• injuring or burning a public building in Mayes County District Court case number CF-2015-0228; and
• feloniously pointing a firearm in Cleveland County District Court case number CF-2019-1389.

Madison has previous felony convictions that include:

• second-degree burglary in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2020-1275;
• knowingly receiving or concealing stolen property in Canadian County District Court case number CF-2022-437; and
• possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction, unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, committing a felony with a firearm with a defaced ID number, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia in McClain County District Court case number CF-2023-0072.

On July 16, 2025, both Welch and Madison pleaded guilty, and both admitted they possessed a firearm despite their previous felony convictions. 

At sentencing, the defendants face up to 15 years in federal prison each, and fines of up to $250,000.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Laney Ellis (SAUSA) is prosecuting the case. SAUSA Ellis is an attorney with City of Oklahoma City whose position is funded by a federal Project Safe Neighborhoods grant awarded to the City of Oklahoma City to enhance efforts to address and reduce violent crime.

Reference is made to public filings for additional information. 

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

A man who conspired to distribute fentanyl pills was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison.  Jaylon William Throgmartin, age 22, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

In a plea agreement and at the sentencing hearing, evidence showed that Throgmartin distributed thousands of fentanyl pills between December 2023 and October 2024.  Throgmartin also facilitated the sale of a firearm in exchange for fentanyl pills.  In January 2025, he distributed at least one fentanyl pill to someone who overdosed.  The victim recovered after receiving Narcan.  

Throgmartin was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Throgmartin was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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 prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center.  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 at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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).

Throgmartin is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 25-CR-5.

Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

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

LAREDO, Texas – A 33-year-old Laredo man has been sentenced for possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Raul Garcia Jr. aka Rule pleaded guilty Aug. 6. 2024.

U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Garcia to serve 100 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard about Garcia’s numerous prior convictions and contacts with law enforcement. In handing down the sentence, the court noted this was a serious crime.

The investigation began in January 2024 when law enforcement learned Garcia may have been selling fentanyl in the Laredo area. Over the next three months, authorities discovered Garcia was selling narcotics out of his home.

A search warrant in March of that year resulted in the discovery of heroin packaged for street sale. A month later, law enforcement obtained a second search warrant and again found heroin. Similar to previously found drugs, the heroin was also packaged for street sale.

The searches also revealed methamphetamine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana, money and stolen firearm.

At the time of his plea, Garcia admitted to possessing the drugs located and seized throughout the investigation.

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

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Laredo Police Department’s Narcotics Division conducted the investigation with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Chamberlin and Leslie Cortez prosecuted the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. 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: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

A man who possessed multiple machinegun conversion devices on more than one occasion was sentenced on July 18, 2025, to 108 months in federal prison.

Gentile Kahungu, age 19, who was living in Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 31, 2025 guilty plea to possession of a machinegun. The evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that Kahungu possessed a total of 18 machinegun conversion devices, two of which were connected to firearms.  On June 25, 2024, Kahungu possessed some of the devices in his bedroom in his home in Marion along with a tan Glock magazine and ammunition. When he was later arrested in Cedar Rapids, he possessed additional machinegun conversion devices, along with a tan Glock firearm that had a machinegun conversion device connected to it.  The evidence at the hearing also established that Kahungu’s Glock firearm was used during two other shootings, one in Marshalltown, Iowa, and one in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Kahungu was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Kahungu was sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Kahungu is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Marshalltown Police Department, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.

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.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-00088.

Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

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

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, a complaint was unsealed charging Jakhi McCray with arson for setting 10 New York City Police Department vehicles and a trailer on fire in a locked parking lot.  McCray was arrested today and will make his initial appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, New York Division (ATF); Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD); and Robert S. Tucker, Commissioner, New York Fire Department (FDNY) announced the arrest.

“This destructive act of arson was deliberate, dangerous, and deeply disruptive,” said United States Attorney Nocella.  “Setting police vehicles ablaze is not a form of protest—it is a federal crime.  Our Office will not tolerate violence or destruction that undermines law enforcement efforts to ensure public safety and will prosecute this individual to the fullest extent of the law.”

Mr. Nocella also expressed his thanks to the ATF-NYPD Arson & Explosives Task Force, the FDNY Marshalls, and the United States Marshalls Services NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force for their valuable contribution to the case.

“Intentionally setting fire to police vehicles is a dangerous criminal act and a direct threat to public safety. The ATF Arson and Explosives Task Force — which includes ATF, the NYPD, and FDNY — is fully committed to identifying and bringing to justice anyone responsible for these dangerous and unlawful acts. This arrest demonstrates our shared resolve and unified approach to protecting our communities.  We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, U.S. Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force, the NYPD and the FDNY for their continued partnership in pursuing justice,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Miller.

“The arson attack against New York City Police Department vehicles in Bushwick, Brooklyn was as cowardly as it was criminal,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “The defendant in this case may have wanted to send a message – but all he did was mobilize the full force of the NYPD, the ATF, and the FDNY to identify, locate, and arrest him.  Now, through the work of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, he will face much-deserved justice.  Thank you to all the NYPD detectives, as well as our law enforcement partners, who closed this case.”

“Burning a police vehicle is an intolerable crime that could have killed a police officer,” stated FDNY Commissioner Tucker.  “We are grateful to our FDNY Fire Marshals for their role in investigating this crime, and our partners in law enforcement for their assistance in identifying the suspect.  Arson is a serious crime that must be punished.”

According to the complaint, at 12:52 a.m. on June 12, 2025, McCray was recorded on surveillance video scaling a fence into a secure private lot for reserve NYPD vehicles assigned to precincts in northern Brooklyn.  The lot contained numerous NYPD vehicles and was located on DeKalb Avenue between Wilson Avenue and Central Avenue in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn.  McCray remained in the lot for approximately 32 minutes, during which he lit 10 NYPD vehicles and one trailer on fire.

At approximately 1:24 a.m., an NYPD officer arrived to inspect the lot.  As he approached, the officer saw the fire and observed McCray attempting to escape by scaling a fence, then fleeing through an existing hole in the fence.  Subsequently, NYPD personnel recovered at the scene a cigar lighter torch and a pair of sunglasses.  They also discovered 22 retail fire starters and 10 BBQ dragon egg fire starters that were placed under three undamaged vehicles.  It was later determined that the sunglasses had McCray’s fingerprints on them.  The vehicles were ignited two days before protests were scheduled to be held over the June 14-15, 2025 weekend.  The NYPD has estimated that the total replacement cost of for the damaged vehicles is over $800,000.

The charge in the complaint is an allegation, and McCray is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, McCray faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and a maximum of 20 years in prison.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section.  Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca M. Urquiola is in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendant:

JAKHI MCCRAY
Age: 21
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-MJ-238