Governor Hochul Announces Enrollment Push for State Energy Affordability Program Yields More Than 21,000 Household Applications in Just Two Weeks

Multi-Agency Effort To Enroll Households Proves to be a Major Success

Governor Hochul today announced that more than 21,000 additional New York households have applied for utility bill relief through the State’s Energy Affordability Program (EAP) within the first two weeks of the enrollment drive that kicked off on September 15.

“Under my Energy Affordability Agenda, New York is leaving no stone unturned in finding ways to lower energy costs for consumers,” Governor Hochul said. “A few weeks ago, we launched an intensive effort to make more New Yorkers aware of their eligibility for utility bill relief of up to hundreds of dollars a year. It has been a great success — the number of applications alone proves that the need is great, and that there is a measurable benefit to households across the state — but they need to enroll.”

The EAP enrollment drive, organized by the Department of Public Service, has reached over one million New Yorkers, local governments and community organizations through digital platforms and in-person events across New York State. The program website, ny.gov/EAP, has seen nearly 200,000 visits since the program launch, peaking at 40,000 on September 16, up from 79 on September 1. Multiple state agencies have been participating in outreach through digital advertising, direct mail, email and/or texts to ensure that all New Yorkers know if they can qualify and apply. The outreach will continue online and in-person at tabling events throughout the fall.

The program offers monthly discounts to make typical electric and natural gas utility bills less than six percent of household income. New Yorkers should check eligibility guidelines and apply online via ny.gov/EAP. Some households will be automatically enrolled based on their participation in other programs, such as the Home Energy Assistance Program or the Public Assistance (i.e., Temporary Assistance), which are administered by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA).

Customers who participate in other programs, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, Veterans’ Disability or Survivors Pension, Supplemental Security Income, Lifeline Telephone Service Program, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Utility Guarantee, Direct Vendor programs, Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Head Start or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations also qualify, but due to Federal restrictions cannot be automatically enrolled; these customers must self-enroll with proof of eligibility.

Below are application numbers in September by utility area. 

Week Ending	Central Hudson	Con Edison	National Grid	NFG	NYSEG	RG&E	O&R	PSEG	TOTALS
9/21/2026	315	5,262	4,208	473	1,060	699	292	385	12,694
9/28/2026	474	3,198	2,890	328	879	497	313	313	8,892
Drive Totals	789	8,460	7,098	801	1,939	1,196	605	698	21,58

In September 2026, the Public Service Commission initiated a proceeding to implement several energy affordability initiatives including an Energy Affordability Index. This Index will be used to evaluate energy affordability in New York State and if a utility’s Affordability Index exceeds a six percent target (three percent for electric and three percent for gas), the Commission may install an independent Affordability Monitor to provide additional scrutiny of utility operations and expenditures.

Mayor Mamdani Announces World Cup Delivered $2 Billion Economic Boost to New York City

 

Visitor and operational spending supported more than 12,000 jobs as businesses across all five boroughs welcomed fans from around the world 

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today announced that the 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered an estimated $2 billion in economic impact to New York City this summer, including $1.3 billion in direct visitor and operational spending. Analysis also found that foot traffic at the city’s sports bars increased by 16% year-over-year throughout the tournament, while direct visitor and operational spending supported more than 12,000 jobs across hospitality, food service, retail and other industries. 

  

Across the New York-New Jersey region, the tournament generated an estimated $3.5 billion in total economic impact. New York City captured 56% of that impact and 70% of all visitor spending in the area. 

  

Earlier this year, the Mamdani administration launched a suite of initiatives to ensure that businesses in all five boroughs benefitted from the World Cup, including a $26 for 2026 meal and drink special, the “Welcome World Rewards” program and the World Cup Business Toolkit. Today’s preliminary analysis demonstrates the economic benefits of those efforts, and the potential for major sporting events to put money in the pockets of local businesses and workers across the city. 

  

“This summer, we proved that the people’s game can still belong to the people — to the deli owners, cab drivers and line cooks who welcomed visitors from around the globe to New York City and powered the World Cup,” said Mayor Mamdani. “We didn’t want the benefits of this tournament to stop at the stadium gates. We worked to bring fans into our neighborhoods, onto our blocks and into our local bars, restaurants and watch parties. And the result was more than $2 billion flowing through our city’s economy — a win for working New Yorkers across all five boroughs.” 

  

“All summer long, sports brought an unmatched energy to New York City, and the World Cup was no exception,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Anthony Shorris. “These matches brought visitors, spending and opportunity to neighborhoods across the five boroughs, supporting local businesses and the workers who power them, while showcasing New York City as the ideal place to do business. From restaurant servers and bartenders to hotel workers and small business owners, New Yorkers helped turn a global sporting event into a meaningful economic win for our city.” 

  

Before the tournament, the NY/NJ Host Committee, using analysis from Tourism Economics, projected that the event would generate $3.3 billion in regional economic impact. Following the tournament, the updated impact for all eight matches played at New York New Jersey Stadium was estimated to be $3.5 billion, exceeding the initial projection.  

  

Today’s preliminary analysis provides new insight into how the benefits of the tournament were distributed across the region, with New York City accounting for a majority of the total economic impact and more than two-thirds of direct visitor spending. The analysis found:  

  

•    $2.0 billion in total economic impact 

•    $1.2 billion in direct visitor spending 

•    $162 million in operational spending 

•    12,100 jobs supported 

  

NYCEDC worked with Tourism Economics to calculate direct visitor and operational spending associated with the tournament, including spending by out-of-town visitors on lodging, food and beverage, retail, recreation and entertainment and transportation. The analysis also accounts for the broader economic activity generated by that spending, including purchases by businesses that supplied goods and services during the tournament and additional spending by workers and households whose incomes increased as a result of tournament-related activity.  

  

The benefits of the tournament extended across all five boroughs. Additional analysis by NYC Tourism found that international Visa card spending increased 12% year-over-year in Manhattan, 19% in Brooklyn and 6% in Queens during the tournament. Hotel occupancy also increased by 6% in the combined Bronx and Staten Island hotel markets. 

  

The Mamdani administration made it a priority to ensure that the World Cup belonged to all New Yorkers — not just the fans inside the stadium. Over the 39-day tournament, the City secured 1,000 affordable tickets, hosted more than 100 free watch parties across the five boroughs, streamed matches live on LinkNYC kiosks and transformed more than 50 blocks into "Soccer Streets," giving New Yorkers and visitors alike the opportunity to celebrate the tournament in their own neighborhoods.  

  

The administration also used the tournament as an opportunity to connect New York businesses with new customers, investors and partners from around the world. While matches were underway, NYCEDC connected companies with City leadership, resources and opportunities to support investment and long-term growth. NYCEDC hosted its annual Choose NYC Summit, bringing together more than 350 attendees from 150 businesses representing 34 countries to showcase New York City as the premier place to do business. NYCEDC also organized tours of Downtown Brooklyn, Long Island City, the Bronx, Union Square and Sunset Park for international organizations and businesses exploring expansion in New York City.  

Housing Lottery Launches for 293 East 207th Street in Norwood, The Bronx

 

The affordable housing lottery has launched for 293 East 207th Street, a four-story residential building in Norwood, The Bronx. Designed by Fred Geremia Architects & Planners and developed by Egris Haxhari of H20 LLC, the structure yields 11 residences. Available on NYC Housing Connect are three units for residents at 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $76,595 to $122,160.

Residences are equipped with air conditioning, intercoms, smart controls for heating and cooling, and name-brand kitchen appliances, countertops, and finishes. Tenants are responsible for electricity, including stove, heat, and hot water.

At 80 percent of the AMI, there is one studio with a monthly rent of $2,022 for incomes ranging from $76,595 to $108,560, and two one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,117 for incomes ranging from $82,183 to $122,160.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than October 20, 2026.

Two Men Charged In Scheme To Defraud Investors Seeking To Invest In Pre-Ipo Companies And Trading Fund

 

Jacob Frankel and Christopher Dinelli Allegedly Obtained Over $8.7 Million From Investors Who Sought to Invest in Pre-IPO Companies and Hedge-Fund Trading Through Beyond Alpha Ventures LLC

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, and the Acting Inspector in Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), Darnell Edwards, announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging JACOB FRANKEL and CHRISTOPHER DINELLI with securities fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, and charging FRANKEL with investment adviser fraud and making false reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission.  FRANKEL was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie Figuerdo in Manhattan federal court, and DINELLI was presented in the District of Maryland.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman.

“Prosecuting white collar crime is a top priority of this Office, and we are increasingly focusing on the pre-IPO markets as those markets grow,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald.  “This alleged fraud left investors, including U.S. Navy veterans, with millions in losses after they were promised access to pre-IPO opportunities and sophisticated trading strategies that did not exist.  As alleged, Jacob Frankel and Christopher Dinelli sold investors a fiction—exclusive investments, extraordinary returns, and professional management—while losing and diverting millions of dollars behind the scenes.  When the truth threatened to catch up with them, they allegedly responded with more lies, including fabricated account statements designed to make devastating losses look like enormous gains.”

“Beyond Alpha Ventures billed itself as a company investing in AI, technology, and cryptocurrency startups; however, as alleged, the founders’ real business was diverting investors’ money for their own personal gain,” said USPIS Acting Inspector in Charge Darnell Edwards.  “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service relentlessly investigates investment fraud to protect investors and the integrity of the U.S. financial system.  If you suspect investment fraud, please report it at USPIS.GOV.”

As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:

From 2023 through February 2026, FRANKEL and DINELLI perpetrated a scheme in which they fraudulently obtained over $8.7 million from approximately 35 investors in connection with their fund, Beyond Alpha Ventures LLC (“BAV”).  As part of that scheme, FRANKEL and DINELLI repeatedly lied to investors who sought to invest in pre-IPO companies by falsely telling some investors that they were purchasing direct shares in a pre-IPO company and falsely telling other investors that a third-party administrator would create a special purpose vehicle for their investment, hold the investors’ funds, and oversee the investment.  The defendants further oversubscribed one of the offerings and used the additional funds to, among other things, fund BAV’s margin calls and unprofitable options trading.  The defendants further lied to investors by claiming that BAV had previously invested in numerous other major companies before they went public, that BAV currently held interests in several pre-IPO companies, and that FRANKEL and DINELLI were personally investing in the two pre-IPO companies for which they solicited investments. 

FRANKEL and DINELLI further misled investors who sought to invest in BAV’s hedge-fund-style trading fund by falsely telling investors that BAV used a proprietary algorithm for its trading, had a long track record of producing exceptional returns, provided full liquidity, and real-time, verifiable access to the investors’ portfolios.  In fact, BAV had no proprietary algorithms, limited trading history, and suffered catastrophic losses due to FRANKEL’s reckless margin options trading, which included losing approximately $1.9 million on a single trade.  To hide the losses, the defendants created fabricated account statements and screenshots that purported to show investors’ double and triple-digit returns. 

FRANKEL further lied repeatedly on his Form ADV filings by failing to disclose that he had previously been charged and convicted of felony offenses and had previously been disciplined by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, including for failing to notify his prior employer of his criminal history.  

FRANKEL, 32, of Kinnelon, New Jersey, is charged with one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, one count of investment adviser fraud, and one count of making false reports to the SEC, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

DINELLI, 34, of Frederick, Maryland, is charged with one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding work of the USPIS.  Mr. McDonald further thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has filed a parallel civil action.  

This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force.  

1.  As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitutes only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Connecticut Man Who Attempted to Travel to the Middle East to Join and Fight for ISIS Sentenced to Over Seven Years in Prison

Ahmad Khalil Elshazly, 29, of West Haven, Connecticut, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in the District of Connecticut to 92 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in approximately September 2018, Elshazly, a U.S. citizen, expressed a desire to travel to Syria to fight on behalf of ISIS. In numerous conversations online and in person, he swore “bay’at” allegiance to ISIS and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In October 2019, just after al-Baghdadi’s death, he sent a message pledging allegiance to the new leader of ISIS, saying “I pledge my allegiance...to the Khilafah (the successor of the leadership) of the Muslims Abu Ibrahim Al Husseini Al Hashami Al Qurashi…” Elshazly also created and administered a pro-ISIS Discord server that he used to post hundreds of ISIS and other extremist propaganda memes and videos.

On Dec. 14, 2019, Elshazly paid $500 to a person he believed was an ISIS facilitator who would be able to smuggle him out of the U.S. to Turkey. He believed this would enable him to connect with an ISIS member who would assist him with traveling to ISIS within Syria. The next day, Elshazly was arrested after he arrived in Stonington, Connecticut, where he expected to board a boat to begin his trip.

Elshazly has been detained since his arrest. On Nov. 30, 2022, he pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. While detained, Elshazly has had numerous disciplinary infractions. In August 2025, officers searched his cell and found a handwritten plan for a coordinated uprising at the detention facility, complete with diagrams of the housing unit, instructions for breaching secured areas, and tactics for confronting the Correctional Emergency Response Team.

This matter was investigated by the FBI’s JTTF with the assistance of the Stonington Police Department, the New Haven Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. The FBI’s JTTF includes participants from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), IRS Criminal Investigation, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, The State Department, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department, Norwich Police Department, Hartford Police Department, Stamford Police Department, Norwalk Police Department, Town of Groton Police Department, UConn Police Department, Yale Police Department, Stonington Police Department, New Haven Police Department and New York Police Department.

This case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel for the District of Connecticut.  

ICE Lodges Detainer for Illegal Alien Charged with Fatal DUI Hit-and-Run in Indiana

 

This illegal alien was RELEASED into the country by the Biden Administration

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer asking officials in Indiana to not release an illegal alien who has been charged with a DUI hit-and-run that killed a woman in Indianapolis.

According to local reporting, the crash took place on September 26. A vehicle traveling at high speed struck another vehicle, which caused the first vehicle to drive through a gas station parking lot, hitting and killing 33-year-old Tamara Renee Thomas. The driver then fled the scene.

The aftermath of the crash that killed Tamara Renee Thomas, 33, in Indianapolis.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) later arrested the suspect, Edwin Alexander Sosa-Gonzalez, an illegal alien from Honduras, and charged him with operating while intoxicated causing death, leaving the scene of a vehicle accident that caused death or catastrophic injury, and leaving the scene of a vehicle accident resulting in death.

The suspect: Edwin Alexander Sosa-Gonzalez

ICE lodged a detainer for Sosa-Gonzalez with the Marion County Jail on September 27. His criminal history includes a prior arrest by the IMPD for operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person and operating a vehicle with ever receiving a license in February 2024 after an accident that damaged three parked vehicles. He was transferred to ICE custody following that arrest, but was released on bond just one day after entering custody under the Biden Administration.

“This illegal alien, who had been released into our country by the Biden Administration, took the life of 33-year-old Tamara Renee Thomas because he was drunk behind the wheel,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “He has now been charged with hit-and-run and driving under the influence. ICE has lodged a detainer asking officials in Indiana to cooperate with us and make sure this killer never gets back onto the streets again. This disaster was completely avoidable, and were it not for the reckless open-border policies of the Biden Administration, this woman would still be alive. My thoughts and prayers are with Tamara’s family and friends.”

Sosa-Gonzalez illegally entered the United States through Texas in July 2021 and was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol. He was then RELEASED into the country by the Biden Administration. A DOJ Immigration Judge issued Sosa-Gonzalez a final order of removal on June 5, 2026.

Mexican Couple Extradited from Mexico for Smuggling Unaccompanied Alien Children into the United States

 

Smugglers Allegedly Gave Children THC-Laced Gummies to Sedate Them for Travel

Two Mexican nationals were arraigned in the Western District of Texas after being extradited from Mexico to face charges for smuggling unaccompanied alien children into the United States. A federal grand jury in the Western District of Texas returned an indictment on Sept. 24, 2025, charging Susana Guadian, 51, and Daniel Gaudian, 51, both of Juarez, Mexico, with conspiracy to transport aliens and bringing aliens illegally to the United States for financial gain.

“These defendants are charged with smuggling multiple children across the southern border. The allegations include that they risked the safety of children by giving them THC-laced gummies to sedate them while smuggling them from Mexico into the United States to avoid the children answering questions from border law enforcement,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Protecting kids from smugglers, who will stop at nothing to exploit them, will always be one of the Department’s highest priorities.”

“Having Susana and Daniel Guadian in custody on this side of the border one year after they were indicted is a major development in a case that highlights the dangerous tactics that human smugglers employ when smuggling children,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Like their co-defendants before them, these two will be aggressively prosecuted in federal court and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

“There is nothing more reprehensible than exploiting vulnerable children for profit. Smuggling children across our border is not a victimless crime,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan G. McRae of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso. “Giving children cannabis-infused candy to sedate them is an especially disturbing abuse of their trust and safety. HSI will continue to hold accountable those who facilitate these dangerous schemes that treat children as commodities for financial gain and puts them in harm's way.” 

According to court documents, between on or about May 1 through Oct. 17, 2024, Susana and Daniel Guadian were part of an alien smuggling organization that brought unaccompanied alien children between the ages of 5 and 13 illegally into the United States from Juarez, Mexico. The complaint alleges that Susana Guadian and Daniel Guadian recruited drivers to transport the children by car from Mexico to a port of entry at the U.S. border. The drivers and their coconspirators would then present U.S. documents to inspecting officers falsely claiming the documents belonged to the children and that they were the children’s parents. 

During at least one smuggling event, the alien children were given gummy candies containing marijuana to sedate them. One of the children was taken to a local hospital and later diagnosed with marijuana poisoning. Once inside the United States, the children were then transported to El Paso, where, according to the complaint, others would pick up the children and provide payment to the drivers. The drivers were paid $900 for each minor that they brought into the United States. Co-defendant Manuel Valenzuela was sentenced on July 1 to five years in prison for his role in the child smuggling scheme and another co-defendant Dianne Guadian pleaded guilty for her role in the scheme on July 28. 

A photo of THC gummies recovered by agents during secondary inspection at the port of entry.

HSI El Paso and U.S. Border Patrol led investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., and Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force. 

Trial Attorney Bethany Allen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mathew Engelbaum for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Susana and Daniel Guadian.

The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorney prosecutors from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including HSI and Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 483 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 436 U.S. convictions; and more than 371 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.

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 TCOs, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods.

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

Maryland Man Sentenced for Role in Drug-Trafficking Conspiracy HSTF Case

 

A Maryland man is headed to federal prison for his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy.

U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Adrian Jackson, 42, of Owings Mills, to three years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine. The charges are in connection with a Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) drug investigation.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Cindy Marx, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division, and Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office.

According to court documents, in the Fall 2022, the DEA and FBI began investigating a drug-trafficking conspiracy involving several individuals, connected to a drug trafficking organization (DTO), who were distributing cocaine in the Baltimore area. During the investigation, law enforcement obtained court-authorized wiretaps for several cell phones.  Investigators intercepted phone calls in which Jackson and co-conspirators used coded language to discuss distributing cocaine, arrange meetings to distribute cocaine, and obtain the cash proceeds. Law enforcement conducted surveillance and several undercover controlled purchases of narcotics from Jackson connected to the intercepted wiretap communications.

Then in April 2024, investigators executed a federal search warrant on Jackson’s Owings Mills residence. During the search, investigators recovered approximately 212 grams of cocaine, two black digital scales with suspected drug residue, drug packaging material, and approximately $4,796 of illegal cash proceeds linked to cocaine sales. Authorities also recovered a pistol. Jackson is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his status as a felon.

The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Baltimore comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Maryland; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); the United States Marshals Service (USMS); the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA (W/B HIDTA); the Maryland State Police (MSP); the Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA and FBI for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Simpkins who prosecuted this federal case.