Press Releases

A South Carolina man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking between January and August 2023.

A Colombian national pleaded guilty today to a seven-year money laundering conspiracy involving the purchase of consumer electronics using drug proceeds.

An Ohio man pleaded guilty yesterday to laundering approximately $3.4 million in illicit health care fraud proceeds through multiple regional banks on behalf of a transnational criminal organization (Organization). 

A Cuban national pleaded guilty today to alien smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering.

A Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, man pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to accessing with intent to view child sexual exploitation material involving a prepubescent minor.

A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia returned an indictment today charging Zhu Chen, 60, and Jiayi Chen, 31, both U.S. Citizens, and Jianjun Lu, 55, a Chinese national, all residing in Cartersville, Georgia, with forced labor, conspiracy to commit forced labor, and alien harboring.

A New York woman pleaded guilty today for her role in an international alien smuggling conspiracy that brought aliens primarily from India into the United States across the northern border.

Justin L. Wiegand, 34, of Kenova, West Virginia, pleaded guilty today to receipt of child pornography.

A Mexican national pleaded guilty today for his role in the collection of more than $1.9 million in drug proceeds in the United States and the return of those proceeds via cryptocurrency or wire transfers to Mexico as part of a money laundering conspiracy. 

Mike Escobar, also known as “Risky,” 43, a member of the Little Hood gang in Anaheim, California; James Mendez, also known as “Buck,” 47, a Sureño gang member from Garden Grove, California; and Kevin Trejo, also known as “Minor,” 38, a member of the Jeffrey Street gang in Anaheim, California, were each sentenced yesterday to life in prison for their trial convictions of murder in aid of racketeering relating to their association with the Mexican Mafia.

Today, a federal jury convicted a dual U.S.-Ghanaian citizen for his role in a scheme to bribe Ghanaian officials in connection with the development and financing of a multi-million-dollar power plant in Ghana.

A Florida man pleaded guilty today to wire fraud for using fraudulent, unauthorized checks to steal money from victims’ bank accounts.