Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Leading Role in Huntington-Area Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

 

Joshua Willie McCarver, also known as “TJ,” 28, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. McCarver admitted to a leading role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 5, 2025, McCarver sold approximately 112 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $650 at a Huntington residence. As part of his guilty plea, McCarver admitted that he conducted the transaction, arranged it beforehand by phone with the confidential informant, and directed the confidential informant to the residence where the transaction took place.

McCarver further admitted that between January 2025 and August 2025, he answered phone calls and text message for himself and co-conspirators from drug buyers whom he directed to different co-conspirators to purchase methamphetamine and fentanyl depending on the customers’ prior transactions and location. McCarver also admitted that he received 28 calls during the time period from a confidential informant and completed the sale of drugs to this individual on six occasions in Huntington.

On March 17, 2025, McCarver was traveling in a vehicle from Huntington to Detroit when Ohio law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle. Officers searched the vehicle and found $27,951. Ohio law enforcement officers conducted a separate traffic stop on July 9, 2025, of a vehicle in which McCarver was traveling from Huntington to Detroit and seized approximately $23,453 during a subsequent search of the vehicle. As part of his guilty plea, McCarver admitted that the cash seized during both traffic stops was proceeds from the distribution of fentanyl.

On September 10, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Huntington address and seized approximately 4.29 kilograms of methamphetamine, 337 grams of fentanyl, a loaded .38-caliber pistol, .38-caliber ammunition, and a digital scale. As part of his guilty plea, McCarver admitted that he and other individuals involved in the conspiracy jointly possessed and intended to distribute the seized methamphetamine and fentanyl for money.

McCarver is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. As part of his guilty plea, McCarver admitted to an aggravating role in the drug trafficking conspiracy for sentencing purposes as an organizer, leader, manager, or supervisor of criminal activity.

McCarver is among six defendants who pleaded guilty following their indictment on charges alleging they participated in the DTO while it operated from in or about January 2025 to in or about August 2025. The indictment remains pending against three other defendants. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

McCarver has a criminal history that includes his prior conviction for distribution of fentanyl in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on December 17, 2018.

“This defendant wasn’t a street-level dealer — he was a leader in a drug trafficking organization that flooded Huntington with methamphetamine while profiting from the addiction and misery of others,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “Huntington has already endured more than its share of devastation from the opioid epidemic, and this office will aggressively pursue anyone who thinks they can exploit our communities for a paycheck. We will dismantle drug trafficking organizations from the top down, hold their leaders accountable, and work every day to make our neighborhoods safer.”

Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff's Office, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, and the Huntington Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 

Speaker Julie Menin and New York City Council Announce Agreement with Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Fiscal Year 2027 Budget

 

Budget includes historic investment of $1,000 college savings accounts for every public school kindergartner, the largest-ever expansion of Fair Fares, expanded funding for housing vouchers, with investments in parks, libraries, cultural institutions, CUNY, and more

Speaker Menin secures the largest package of capital and expense investments in City Council history

Speaker Julie Menin and the New York City Council today announced an agreement with Mayor Zohran Mamdani on a $125.8 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget that makes historic investments to lower the cost of living, expand opportunity, and strengthen essential services for New Yorkers while maintaining responsible fiscal stewardship.

The FY27 budget includes the largest expense budget and capital commitment in Council history, while making significant investments in affordability, educational opportunity, housing stability, parks, libraries, and cultural institutions. The Council also secured $350 million in additional reserves, strengthening New York City’s long-term financial stability.

“With this budget, the Council proved that we could responsibly manage the City’s finances while making transformative investments that lower costs for working families, prevent homelessness, expand opportunity for children, and strengthen the services New Yorkers rely on every day,” said Speaker Julie Menin. “This budget reflects what the Council has believed from the very beginning: New York City does not have to choose between fiscal responsibility and investing in our communities. I want to thank my Council colleagues for their partnership throughout this process and Mayor Mamdani and his administration for working with us to reach an agreement that delivers meaningful results for New Yorkers.”

“Our Administration inherited a budget crisis built on years of undercounting the true cost of running our city. We made a different choice. We balanced this budget without resorting to austerity. We protected the services New Yorkers rely on, while restoring honesty to the City’s finances. We accelerated the affordability agenda by investing in housing, mental health services, parks, libraries, and students of all ages. This agreement proves that fiscal responsibility and public excellence can go hand in hand,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “New Yorkers deserve a government that works as hard as they do – and a government as careful with their money as they are. I want to thank Speaker Julie Menin and the City Council for their partnership in getting this budget across the finish line.”

“Throughout the budget process, the City Council remained steadfast in identifying savings and new revenue opportunities, maintaining a disciplined approach to fiscal management in the face of a budget deficit and an ongoing affordability crisis,” said Council Member Linda Lee, Chair of the Committee on Finance. “As Finance Chair, I have witnessed this Council fight tirelessly to deliver a budget that not only protects the City’s long-term fiscal health but also makes meaningful investments in the cornerstones and lifelines of our communities. Through the restoration of key programs New Yorkers depend on, this budget demonstrates that fiscal responsibility and compassionate governance are not competing priorities. I thank Speaker Menin for her leadership in this budget negotiation process and the advocacy of my colleagues on the Council to help make a difference in the lives of families across our city.”

From the beginning of this year’s budget process, the Council maintained that the City’s budget gap was manageable, and that New York could avoid raising property taxes, raiding reserves, or making unnecessary cuts to essential services. Instead, the Council secured targeted investments that help working families, protect vulnerable New Yorkers, and strengthen the City’s long-term fiscal health.

Among the Council’s signature accomplishments in the FY27 budget are:

Expanding Opportunity and Closing the Wealth Gap

The budget secures funding to start a $1,000 college savings account for every public school kindergartner, an historic tenfold expansion of NYC Kids RISE. In addition to the Council’s initiatives that address the immediate affordability crisis, this $53 million investment helps families build wealth, expand educational opportunity, and increase wages for the next generation.

Expanding Fair Fares and Other Transit Affordability Programs

The Council secured $54 million to fund a major Fair Fares expansion, in addition to the $120.6 million previously allocated. Eligibility will increase to 200% of the federal poverty level, up from 150% — the largest increase since the program began. An additional 340,000 low-income residents will soon have access to half-price subway, bus, and paratransit fares, raising total eligibility to approximately 1.3 million New Yorkers. The budget also includes $700,000 for a pilot program to provide OMNY Cards to CUNY students and additional funding for current programs which provide similar support.

Preventing Homelessness

The agreement includes $175 million in FY27 and $125 million baselined, starting in FY28, to expand access to housing vouchers for New Yorkers facing eviction and experiencing homelessness not currently eligible for CityFHEPS. The Council has long maintained that preventing homelessness is both more humane and more fiscally responsible than managing homelessness after families lose housing. The agreement also settles a lawsuit challenging CityFHEPS reform laws passed by the Council and includes a commitment to pass legislation that creates a housing voucher structure with expanded eligibility criteria and cost-containment controls.

Restoring Funding for Cultural Institutions, Libraries, and Parks

The budget adds $79.1 million to fully restore funding for parks, libraries, and cultural institutions, ensuring New Yorkers continue to have access to the essential facilities that serve as anchors in communities across the five boroughs. This funding includes:

•   Parks Enforcement Patrol, Green Thumb and, Stump Removal: $14.41 million
•   Library Support and Restoration: $34.7 million
•   Cultural Community Support Restoration: $30 million

Protecting Immigrant New Yorkers

The budget fully restores $86.4 million in funding for a range of services to support immigration legal services providers, help cover their loss of federal grants, and maintain the city’s immigration legal services infrastructure that the Council built last year with city agencies.

Delivering Transparency and Accountability Ahead of 25th Anniversary of 9/11

The Council secured $6.25 million for the Department of Investigation (DOI), including $4 million to complete and release its long-awaited report on 9/11 toxins. The funding will help finally deliver transparency and accountability for victims’ families, survivors, first responders, and all those seeking answers on what the City knew and when. Additionally, the Council secured $1 million for 9/11-related field trips for students.

Additional Council Priorities

The agreement also includes significant investments in:

•   Student Support Programs:
  •   Mental Health Continuum
  •   Immigrant Family Engagement
  •   Restorative Justice
  •   Sensory Exploration, Education, and Discovery (SEED)
  •   Student Success Centers
  •   PSAL Athletic Trainers: $360,000
•   City University of New York (CUNY) Programs:
  •   CUNY ASAP: $4.5 million
  •   CUNY Accelerate, Complete, and Engage (ACE): $9.1 million
  •   CUNY Disability Services: $800,000
  •   CUNY Reconnect: $3 million
  •   Early Childcare Workforce Development: $2.5 million
•   Mental Health Program Investments:
  •   Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Expansion: $4.5 million
  •   Intensive Mobile Treatment (IMT) Expansion: $11 million
  •   Crisis Respite Centers: $2.5 million
  •   Mobile Treatment Step Down Program: $4.5 million
•   Older Adult Investments:
  •   Home-Delivered Meals Reimbursement Rate Increase and Expansion: $12 million
  •   Case Management Restoration: $2 million
•   Supportive Housing Repairs: $5.4 million
•   Supportive Housing Preservation: $4.2 million
•   NYCHA Vacant Unit Readiness: $7.5 million
•   Homeowner Support Investments:
  •   Homeowner Help Desk Expansion: $500,000
  •   Homeowner Stabilization Services Initiative, Including Estate Planning Assistance, Foreclosure Prevention, and Deed Theft and Pre-Purchase Counseling: $5.15 million
  •   Heat Pumps in Environmental Justice Communities: $2 million
•   Community Food Connection Program Enhancement: $5 million
•   Wave Makers Program to Provide Free Swimming Instruction: $1.5 million
•   Deliveristas Support Initiative: $2.1 million
•   DSNY Lot Cleaning Staff Expansion: $1.2 million
•   Housing Stability Microgrants for Domestic Violence Survivors: $1.4 million
  •   Increased funding for Domestic Violence and Cybercrimes in Staten Island: $366,000
•   Commission on Racial Equity (CORE) Enhancement: $2.1 million
•   City Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) Enhancement: $1.6 million
•   Pet Food Pantry for Low-Income New Yorkers and Free or Low-Cost Spay and  Neuter Services: $750,000
•   Maternity Infant Reproduction Program Restoration: $583,000
•   DVS Veterans Outreach and Services Expansion: $450,000

The Council will formally adopt the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget at its Stated Meeting on Tuesday, June 30. Additional details on agency funding and budget initiatives will be released following budget adoption.

Attorney General James Wins Case Protecting Billions of Dollars for States to Fight Homelessness

 

Court Decision Prevents Trump Administration’s Illegal Conditions from Jeopardizing Funding for Continuum of Care Programs

New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 18 other attorneys general and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania won their case challenging the Trump administration’s illegal conditions on billions of dollars in funding that community organizations across the country rely on to provide housing and services for families experiencing homelessness. In November 2025, Attorney General James led the coalition in suing the Trump administration to protect more than $3 billion in Continuum of Care (CoC) funds that were jeopardized by illegal new conditions imposed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These funds support vital resources for those most at risk of homelessness, such as veterans, those with disabilities, and transgender individuals. The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island granted critical parts of the coalition’s motion for summary judgment, ruling that HUD’s conditions restricting CoC funding are unlawful and cannot be implemented.

“Once again, a court has ruled that this administration cannot put vital resources for our communities at risk just to advance their political agenda,” said Attorney General James. “Continuum of Care funds help provide stable housing for those most at risk of homelessness and keep thousands of New Yorkers in their homes every year. We will keep fighting this administration’s illegal attempts to undermine Continuum of Care funding and jeopardize supportive housing that our communities rely on.”

In November 2025, HUD issued a new grant application form containing illegal conditions on CoC grants that threatened funding that coalitions of community organizations receive to provide housing and other support for those experiencing homelessness. The administration imposed a cap on the amount of CoC funds that can support permanent supportive housing. If enacted, this cap would have slashed CoC funds for permanent supportive housing by two-thirds and put an estimated 170,000 people at risk of losing their homes. In New York, 24 different regional CoC organizations receive over $320 million to provide housing and other services. 94 percent of these funds are dedicated to permanent housing, supporting 13,861 households statewide.

HUD also imposed other conditions, barring CoC funds from organizations that acknowledge the existence of transgender or nonbinary individuals and excluding programs that provide services for mental disabilities. Attorney General James and the coalition argued in their lawsuit that these conditions violate the Administrative Procedure Act and Congress’ constitutional power to control spending. 

In a decision on Attorney General James and the coalition’s motion for summary judgment, the court ruled that the conditions on CoC funding that HUD implemented in its 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) violate the Administrative Procedure Act and cannot be implemented.

Joining Attorney General James in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, as well as the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

New York City Comptroller Levine Statement on Handshake Agreement to Pass FY27 Budget

 

New York City Comptroller Mark Levine issued the following statement on the handshake agreement between Mayor Mamdani and Speaker Menin to pass a $125.8 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2027.

“After the most challenging budget cycle in recent memory, the Mayor and City Council have agreed on a budget that preserves and strengthens essential services, and partially restores next year’s general reserve. The agreement also expands CityFHEPS while simultaneously establishing controls that aim to manage its growth and ensure that this vital tool for moving New Yorkers out of shelter remains sustainable and reliable for years to come. These are meaningful achievements that New Yorkers can and should celebrate.

“This budget also reveals the City’s ongoing structural imbalance between recurring spending and recurring revenue, and the enormous extent to which we rely on the strength of the financial sector to support growing spending. Even with billions of dollars in unexpected additional revenue, the City still needed State support and $6.1 billion in short-term and one-time measures to close the gap.

“This agreement gets the City through an exceptionally difficult year, but it does not resolve the structural challenges ahead. With large out-year gaps, limited reserves, and significant economic uncertainty, next year’s budget could be even more difficult. In the coming days and weeks, my team and I will continue to advocate for stronger rules governing our rainy day fund and will assess whether the controls being put in place for fast-growing programs are sufficient to ensure that the services New Yorkers count on remain strong and sustainable for years to come.”

River Commons Affordable Housing Development Breaks Ground At 1225 Gerard Avenue In Concourse, The Bronx

 

Construction has broken ground on River Commons, a 17-story mixed-use affordable housing development on the campus of NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Morrisania at 1225 Gerard Avenue in Concourse, The Bronx. Designed by Bernheimer Architecture and developed by Type A Projects, BronxWorks, and L+M Development Partners, the $255 million structure will yield 328 affordable and supportive apartments. The project will also include a new healthcare facility, community space, and public open space. The property is located between East 167th and 168th Streets.

River Commons marks the first time NYC Health + Hospitals has integrated a health care facility into a residential building on hospital property. Of the 328 apartments, 229 will be reserved for households earning between 30 and 70 percent of the area median income (AMI), while 98 apartments will provide permanent supportive housing for homeless NYC Health + Hospitals patients through the Housing for Health initiative.

Rendering of River Commons. Designed by Bernheimer Architecture.

Apartments will range from studio to three-bedroom units. Amenities will include a fitness center, children’s playroom, coworking space, community room, a 15th-floor terrace, and 24-hour security. BronxWorks will provide on-site social, wellness, and employment services.

The project also includes a new 43,000-square-foot Gotham Health primary care facility, a 15,000-square-foot parking garage, 6,000 square feet of community space for African Communities Together and the BronxWorks Empowerment Center, and a 7,000-square-foot publicly accessible green space featuring a landscaped plaza and a public art installation by Fitgi Saint-Louis.

The closest subways from the property are the 4, B, and D trains at the two 167th Street stations on River Avenue and Grand Concourse.

The development is expected to open in 2027.

Mayor Mamdani, Speaker Menin Reach Handshake Agreement on Balanced Fiscal Year 2027 Budget

 

Fiscally responsible budget invests in essential services, advances affordability agenda and strengthens City’s long-term fiscal future  

   

City creates public portal with post-9/11 air quality and health records   

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, City Council Speaker Julie Menin, Council Finance Chair Linda Lee, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget Sherif Soliman and members of the City Council today announced a handshake agreement on a balanced $125.8 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget.

The agreement pairs fiscal responsibility, including adding $350 million to the City’s General Reserve, with bold investments that make New York more affordable, strengthen essential public services and improve quality of life for working class New Yorkers in every borough.

The budget creates a public, online portal that will house documents from across City government related to post-9/11 air quality and health risks. The first batch of records will be released before the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, with additional documents added on a rolling basis.

“Our Administration inherited a budget crisis built on years of undercounting the true cost of running our city. We made a different choice. We balanced this budget without resorting to austerity. We protected the services New Yorkers rely on, while restoring honesty to the City’s finances. We accelerated the affordability agenda by investing in housing, mental health services, parks, libraries and students of all ages. This agreement proves that fiscal responsibility and public excellence can go hand in hand,” said Mayor Mamdani. “New Yorkers deserve a government that works as hard as they do – and a government as careful with their money as they are. I want to thank Speaker Julie Menin and the City Council for their partnership in getting this budget across the finish line.” 

“With this budget, the Council proved that we could responsibly manage the City’s finances while making transformative investments that lower costs for working families, prevent homelessness, expand opportunity for children, and strengthen the services New Yorkers rely on every day,” said Speaker Julie Menin. “This budget reflects what the Council has believed from the very beginning: New York City does not have to choose between fiscal responsibility and investing in our communities. I want to thank my Council colleagues for their partnership throughout this process and Mayor Mamdani and his administration for working with us to reach an agreement that delivers meaningful results for New Yorkers.”

When Mayor Mamdani took office, he inherited one of the largest structural budget challenges in modern city history. The prior administration had substantially underbudgeted for core City services and long-term obligations, masking the true cost of governance.

Mayor Mamdani committed to restoring fiscal honesty and building a government that delivers public excellence on his first day in office, and in January ordered each City agency to appoint a Chief Savings Officer (CSO). Charged with finding efficiencies and protecting essential services, CSOs generated $1.77 billion in savings across Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027.

Rather than balancing the budget by slashing services, the Mamdani administration worked with the City Council and state partners to close budget gaps through disciplined savings, new tax revenue and a historic partnership with Albany to correct the City’s long-imbalanced fiscal relationship with the State.

On top of strengthening the City’s long-term fiscal outlook, the budget includes investments in the services New Yorkers rely on every day. It expands access to affordable housing, improves public health and safety and protects the beloved public places that make New York the greatest city in the world.

For years, libraries, parks, public transit discounts, cultural organizations and CUNY faced annual uncertainty as workers and advocates were forced to fight each budget cycle to restore funding. The Mayor’s Executive Budget permanently baselined $31.7 million for the City’s library systems, $15 million for the Parks Department, $25 million for Fair Fares, $10 million for cultural organizations and $15 million for the City University of New York (CUNY). New Yorkers should not have to wonder every July whether their neighborhood library will stay open, their parks will be maintained, or affordable transit and higher education will remain within reach.

Investment highlights include:

Tackling Housing & Affordability Crisis:  

• Accelerates the preservation of affordable housing by increasing funding for rental assistance and support services, preserving more than 200 units annually ($4.2 million in FY27, growing to $17.5 million in FY30).  
• Expands on the baselined $54 million investment made in the Preliminary Budget in the Community Food Connection, which supports more than 700 community kitchens and food pantries serving more than 1 million New Yorkers each year ($5 million, baselined).
• Invests in a new rental assistance program at the Department of Housing Preservation & Development ($175 million in FY27, $125 million baselined as of FY28).
• Build upon the $2.3 million baseline established in the Executive Budget for the Housing Stability Support program that provides low-barrier microgrants to survivors of domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence with the aim of helping impacted individuals maintain safe and stable housing ($1.4 million in FY27).
• Additional funding to support the Homeowner Help Desk which, in partnership with the Center for New York City Neighborhoods, provides support to NYC homeowners at risk of displacement, including technical assistance, financial and legal counseling, and more ($500,000 in FY27). 

Improving New Yorkers’ Health, Safety & Well-Being:  

• Creates a public online portal for documents related to post-9/11 air quality and health risks ($34.2 million in FY27).
• Expands mobile mental health treatment to reduce waitlists, including a new step-down mobile treatment program for New Yorkers continuing their recovery ($20 million, baselined).
• Adds $137 million in partnership with council for Immigrant Legal Services to the $32 million included in the Preliminary Budget, bringing the City’s total FY27 budget to $210 million in FY27.
• Add nine staff, including civil rights case specialists and a Director of Investigations, and additional resources to strengthen CCHR’s investigation and enforcement capacity ($1.6 million, baselined). 

Protecting NYC’s Beloved Public Institutions: 

• Establishes a Cultural Stability Fund that will be administered by the Department of Cultural Affairs to assist eligible organizations experiencing unexpected or emergency circumstances ($10 million in FY27, FY28, and FY29).
• Baseline funding for Parks that had previously been added one year at a time including 100 PEP officers, 15 staff and additional funding for GreenThumb Community Gardens, and tree stump removal ($14.4 million, baselined).
• Establishes a Parks “Renew Crew” pilot program to make quick targeted improvements for sites (such as playgrounds, courts, fields, etc.) that do not yet rise to the level of a capital project ($2.3 million in FY27, FY28, and FY29).
• Support for CUNY’s “Accelerate, Complete, and Engage” (ACE) academic support program designed to help students complete their academic journey to a bachelor’s degree on time ($9.1 million in FY27).
• Support for CUNY Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) which helps students stay on track and graduate by providing financial, academic, and personal support ($4.5 million in FY27).
• Expand support for CUNY students with disabilities by increasing access to critical services ($800,000 in FY27). 

Attorney General James Secures More Than 50 Million Eggs and $3.3 Million After Uncovering Illegal Scheme to Manipulate Egg Prices

Investigation into Nation’s Largest Egg Producers Revealed Illegal Scheme That Raised Costs for Consumers and Businesses

New York Attorney General Letitia James secured more than 50 million eggs for consumers nationwide and $3.3 million from some of the nation’s largest egg producers for colluding behind the scenes to raise prices. A bipartisan multistate investigation led by the Office of the New York Attorney General (OAG) alongside the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed that Cal-Maine Foods (Cal-Maine), Versova/Centrum (Versova), and Hickman’s Egg Ranch (Hickman’s) illegally coordinated for years to influence a daily price index for eggs, which artificially increased prices for retailers and consumers throughout the country. Of the 53 million eggs obtained through the settlement, approximately 4.9 million eggs will be delivered directly to food banks and community organizations serving New Yorkers.

“When powerful corporations collude behind the scenes to raise prices, working families suffer the costs,” Attorney General James. “These egg producers manipulated the market to squeeze even more profit out of consumers and businesses. By shutting this scheme down and delivering millions of eggs to those in need, we’re sending a clear message that companies will not get away with illegal price hikes in New York.”

Attorney General James and the coalition’s investigation found that from approximately June 2022 to March 2025, the egg producers secretly communicated with each other to coordinate their bidding activity and influence the daily egg price quotes published by Urner Barry, a benchmark pricing service widely used in egg supply contracts. For example, in December 2022, Hickman’s CEO emailed Versova and Cal-Maine executives urging them to submit “strong bids, early and often” to push prices higher. All three companies then submitted dozens of bids at higher prices, which led to Urner Barry increasing its price quotes. By manipulating the Urner Barry benchmark, the companies artificially inflated the price of eggs paid by retailers and consumers across the nation.

Under the settlement, all three companies must end their illegal coordination to manipulate prices, adopt compliance measures to prevent future violations, and fully cooperate with oversight by the states. The companies must designate antitrust compliance officers who will monitor for violations of the settlement and report violations to the states and DOJ. The 53 million donated eggs will be provided at the companies’ expense to food banks and nonprofit organizations across the participating states, and must meet all food safety and regulatory standards. The companies will also pay a combined $3.3 million to the states.

Joining Attorney General James and DOJ in securing this settlement are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

Repeat Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Distribution of Methamphetamine

 

Hector Delacruz, 36, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Krissa M. Lanham to concurrent prison sentences of 300 months and 120 months for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine.

The underlying convictions stem from Delacruz’s involvement in a conspiracy focused on the sale of more than 19 pounds of methamphetamine in West Phoenix on September 26, 2023.  On October 20, 2025, a federal jury convicted Delacruz for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. The jury also found that Delacruz had committed two prior serious drug offenses.

“Delacruz’s 25-year sentence reflects his repeated disregard for the law and the devasting effects that methamphetamine inflicts on individuals, families, and communities across America,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, in partnership with the DEA and local enforcement agencies, will continue the fight to dismantle organizations that distribute these deadly drugs into our communities.”

“In protecting our communities, DEA Arizona is never out of the fight and will continue to be tenacious in dismantling organizations that are distributing these deadly drugs,” said Apolonio Ruiz, Jr., DEA Phoenix Special Agent in Charge. 

“This sentence sends a clear message: those who endanger our communities will be held accountable,” said William Mack, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Office. “Through strong partnerships with our federal, state, and local counterparts—and by leveraging our unique technical and investigative capabilities—we remain committed to bringing to justice those who threaten the safety of the people of Arizona.”

“Violent crime and Illicit drug trafficking go hand-in-hand,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge A. J. Gibes. “This significant sentence exemplifies how our combined partnerships give us the collective power to target, convict, and remove violent criminals from our communities and hold them accountable.”

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Glendale Police Department, the United States Secret Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.