News

BROOKLYN, NY - Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia was sentenced today by United States District Judge Brian M. Cogan in federal court in Brooklyn to life in prison without the possibility of parole for his role as a principal leader of a continuing criminal enterprise — the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world — and for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) violations.

Yesterday, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Edixon Briceno Montilla was charged in a criminal complaint with the sexual exploitation of a minor.  Montilla was arrested yesterday and made his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho and was ordered detained pending trial.

An indictment was unsealed yesterday in federal court in Central Islip charging Omar Morales-Negron, also known as “O,” with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.  Morales Negron was arrested on July 14, 2026 in Florida and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging Zhuoying Chen, also known as “Jolene,” and Haojie Zhang, also known as “Kevin,” with money laundering conspiracy in connection with their participation in a scheme to launder funds derived from cyber investment fraud scams, or “pig butchering” scams.  The defendants were arrested today and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho.

Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, John B. Mensch, the owner and chief executive officer of a bus conglomerate based in Medford, Long Island, was sentenced by United States District Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury to 18 months in prison for bank fraud conspiracy.  Judge Choudhury also ordered Mensch to pay restitution in the amount of $9,326,366.03.  Mensch pleaded guilty to the charge in October 2024. 

Today, in federal court in Brooklyn, John Merrone pleaded guilty to all five counts of an indictment charging him with aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, and abusive sexual contact relating to the rape of a 21-year-old United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) student cadet (Jane Doe) working on a vessel under the command of the defendant. Merrone pleaded guilty after a jury was selected yesterday.  When sentenced, Merrone faces up to life in prison.

Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Kevin Cuevas Del Cid, also known as “Creeper,” “Malcriado,” “Sombra,” “Vinky” and “Dabura,” a member of the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside (Sailors) clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 42 years’ imprisonment for his role in the May 21, 2016 murder of Kerin Pineda and the October 10, 2016 murder of Javier Castillo, both of whom were killed in Freeport, New York, as well as a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and

Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Adrian Lawrence, also known as “Mastermind,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 66 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, in connection with a years-long scheme to defraud elderly United States citizens.  In addition to the prison term, Lawrence was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $5.4 million. Lawrence was arrested in Jamaica, and was extradited to the United States.  He pleaded guilty in December 2023. 

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Justin Chen was sentenced by United States District Judge Orelia E. Merchant to 27 months in prison for insider trading conspiracy.  Chen was previously employed at an EDGAR filing company and was responsible for reviewing draft securities filings before they were filed on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s EDGAR filing system.  Chen misused material non-public information taken from his employer to trade in the securities of 13 publicly traded companies, making at least $2.38 million in profits.  In addition to the custodial sentence, Judge

Earlier today, in federal court, in Brooklyn, Rohnique Posey, also known as “Pioneer,” pleaded guilty to firearms trafficking conspiracy and distribution of cocaine base before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo.  Posey’s four co-defendants, Karsem Allen, also known as “Short,” Carolyn Hicks-Torres, Henry McCummings, and Dominic Smith, all previously pleaded guilty to engaging in a firearms trafficking conspiracy.  In addition, Allen and Hicks-Torres pleaded guilty to possession of machine guns and McCummings pleaded guilty to possession of a defaced firearm. 

EDNY

An indictment was filed yesterday in federal court in Central Islip charging Saad Aziz and Zabed Chowdhury, also known as “Jared,” with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay health care kickbacks, paying health care kickbacks, and money laundering conspiracy.  The defendants allegedly offered and paid health care kickbacks and submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for ambulette services to medical appointments that were not performed, or the costs were artificially inflated.  The defendants were previously charged by

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Leon Wilson, a former correctional officer at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn (“MDC-Brooklyn”), was sentenced by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to 200 months in prison for willfully depriving an individual of his constitutional rights and using a firearm during a crime of violence.  Wilson was convicted at trial in October 2025 on both counts of the indictment.