ILLEGAL ALIEN BONNIE AND CLYDE: ICE Arrests Illegal Alien Couple After Multi-State Jewelry Theft Spree

Local authorities turned the suspects over to ICE custody 

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested an illegal alien couple from Romania who have been charged with allegedly stealing jewelry across multiple states.

According to local reporting, police in Nassau County, New York arrested Rudi Lacatusu and Mirabela Lacatusu, illegal aliens from Romania, on October 5, and charged them each with THREE counts of grand larceny after a series of jewelry thefts. Police said that the pair’s scheme involved driving up to a victim and pulling over to ask for directions. Then, Mirabela Lacatusu would allegedly get out of the vehicle to thank the victim for their act of kindness with a hug. While her arms were around the victim, she would unclasp their necklace and take it, then the pair would drive away. Police say the suspects carried out at least 14 robberies in the states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Maryland. The stolen necklaces were valued between $2,000 and $3,000 each.

Rudi Lacatusu

Mirabela Lacatusu

Following their arrest, the Nassau County Police turned the suspects over to ICE custody.

“This ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ illegal alien couple from Romania has been charged with grand larceny after allegedly carrying out more than a dozen jewelry thefts across four states,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “Thanks to local partners in New York, these illegal aliens are in ICE custody and will be removed from our country. If it were up to sanctuary politicians like Governor Kathy Hochul, these criminals would be back on the streets to rob more Americans. The brave men and women of ICE are working hard every day to remove illegal aliens like these thieves from our country. Under President Trump’s leadership, ICE has been unleashed to enforce our nation’s laws and make America safe again.”

Both suspects entered the United States illegally at an unknown time and location. 

Under Governor Kathy Hochul, New York has become a hotbed of illegal alien crime. Some of the recent illegal alien crimes in the sanctuary state include: 

• In June, ICE lodged a detainer for Aureliano Antonio Melendez Reyes, an illegal alien from El Salvador, after he was arrested for raping a 16-year-old girl in Huntington, New York. 
• In April, the New York City Department of Corrections refused to honor an ICE detainer for Roman Ceron Amatitla, an illegal alien from Mexico, who was charged with murder and arson in Queens County, New York. 
• In March, ICE arrested Bryan David Tasiguano Leon, an illegal alien from Ecuador and Latin Kings gang member, who had been released by New York sanctuary politicians despite being charged with assault. 
• In March, ICE lodged a detainer for Bairon Posada-Hernandez, a four-time deported illegal alien from Honduras, after he was arrested for shoving two bystanders, including an 83-year-old Air Force veteran, onto subway tracks in New York City. 
• In January, ICE arrested Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez, an illegal alien from Venezuela, who was working as a New York City Council employee despite having a criminal history that includes an arrest for assault. 
• In January, ICE arrested Gerardo Miguel-Mora, an illegal alien from Mexico, after he had been released by New York sanctuary politicians despite having a criminal history that includes arrests for strangulation, rape, sexual assault, burglary, grand larceny, and drug possession. 
• In April 2025, ICE lodged a detainer for Felix Jeronimo-Rojas, an illegal alien from Mexico, after he was arrested for raping androbbing a corpse on a New York City subway. Jeronimo-Rojas was sentenced in June 2026 to five years in prison. 

In addition to the crimes committed by illegal aliens in New York, the state’s sanctuary policies have had disastrous consequences in other states as well. These include:

• In September, ICE arrested Simranpal Singh, an illegal alien from India, in Pennsylvania who had been issued a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) by Hochul’s New York.  
• In March, ICE arrested Sukhdev Singh, an illegal alien from India, after he caused a crash while driving a semi-truck that left a U.S. citizen hospitalized in critical condition in Indianapolis, Indiana. Singh had been given a CDL by Hochul’s New York. 
• In October 2025, ICE arrested Anmol Anmol, an illegal alien from India, in Oklahoma. Hochul’s New York had given Anmol a CDL that listed him as “No Name Given Anmol.” 
• In August 2023, New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers arrested Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal alien from Venezuela and Tren de Aragua gang member, for recklessly driving a motorcycle with a 2-year-old child who was not wearing a helmet. He was released due to New York’s sanctuary policies, and six months later, Ibarra went on to murder nursing student Laken Riley in Georgia in February 2024.

Thanks to Operation Rotten Apple, which took place from July 27 to August 29, ICE arrested 2,197 illegal aliens across the state of New York, including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, drug traffickers, and violent assailants.

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CVS Agrees to Pay $315M for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions and for Submitting False Claims to the Federal Government

 

CVS Pharmacy Inc., a Rhode Island-based pharmacy chain, and its related corporate entities (collectively, CVS) have agreed to pay $315 million to resolve allegations that, from October 17, 2013 through December 2, 2025, CVS illegally filled prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), and then sought payment for many of those invalid prescriptions from Medicare and other federal healthcare programs in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). 

“Not only does this settlement hold bad actors accountable for their fraudulent activities, but Americans are safer because of it,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “This settlement is a significant milestone in the Justice Department’s efforts to combat the opioid epidemic by cracking down on pharmacies who unlawfully fulfill prescriptions for controlled substances.”

“This settlement requires CVS to implement additional safeguards to ensure that prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances are dispensed only when medically appropriate,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The remedial measures in this agreement — including proactive monitoring of opioid prescribing patterns — will provide critical protections for patients and federal healthcare programs. The Department of Justice will continue to take steps to prevent the unlawful dispensing of opioids.”

“The opioid epidemic has affected families and communities across Rhode Island and throughout the nation,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles C. Calenda for the District of Rhode Island. “Pharmacies that dispense controlled substances must maintain effective compliance systems to identify and respond to warning signs that prescriptions may be unlawful or medically unnecessary. This settlement demonstrates the importance of those obligations and the consequences of failing to implement safeguards designed to prevent the improper dispensing of controlled substances.”

The settlement resolves allegations in the government’s complaint, which the United States filed on Dec. 13, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, that CVS knowingly filled prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, were not valid, and/or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice. The United States alleged that CVS dispensed prescriptions for dangerous and excessive quantities of opioids, opioid prescriptions filled too early, and “trinity” prescriptions, a dangerous and abused combination of an opioid, a benzodiazepine, and a muscle relaxant. CVS also allegedly filled prescriptions for controlled substances from “pill mill” prescribers who issued large numbers of controlled substance prescriptions without any medical purpose. Further, the United States alleged that CVS pharmacists filled these prescriptions despite clear red flags indicating that there was a high likelihood that the prescriptions lacked a legitimate medical purpose, were not valid, or were not issued in the course of professional practice. Many of these prescriptions were ultimately billed to and reimbursed by federal healthcare programs.

The complaint further alleged that CVS’s violations stemmed from corporate-imposed performance metrics, incentive compensation, and staffing policies that prioritized corporate profits over patient safety. CVS failed to employ enough pharmacists to serve patients, comply with CVS’s legal obligations, and meet corporate performance metrics. In addition, CVS’s policies allegedly prevented pharmacists from warning one another about certain problematic prescribers.

In addition to the monetary payment announced today, CVS has entered into a memorandum of agreement with DEA to address its future obligations in dispensing controlled substances. This agreement requires CVS to establish a hotline for both employees and the public to report suspected illegal dispensing of controlled substances, proactively monitor the dispensing patterns of its pharmacies to identify and address potentially illegal dispensing, and establish a process to evaluate prescribers suspected of illegal prescribing.

“This settlement agreement highlights DEA’s commitment to protecting the health and safety of Americans while holding CVS accountable for dispensing unlawful prescriptions and endangering the public,” said DEA Assistant Administrator Cheri Oz. “DEA is unwavering in its commitment to protect public health and ensuring pharmacies adhere to the highest standards of responsible dispensing. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and the healthcare community to prevent the misuse of controlled substances, and we will hold those who jeopardize the safety of our citizens accountable.”

“Behind every unlawful prescription is a patient who could be put in harm’s way,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “The allegations in this case point to warning signs that should never be overlooked. HHS‑OIG will not tolerate conduct that jeopardizes lives, and we will continue to pursue those who betray the trust placed in them.”

The civil settlement resolves a civil lawsuit filed by Hillary Estright, a former CVS employee, under the whistleblower provision of the FCA, which authorizes private parties to sue on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery.  It also permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it did here. The amount to be recovered by the private whistleblower has not yet been determined.  The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Hillary Estright v. CVS Health Corporation, et al., No. 22-cv-00222 (D.R.I.).

This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch, along with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Rhode Island, Eastern District of Virginia, Eastern District of Texas, and District of Hawaii. The DEA’s Office of Diversion Control, Los Angeles Field Division, Richmond District Office, and Office of Chief Counsel led this case with substantial assistance from Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Indiana Man Sentenced to Over 10 Years for Meth Trafficking, Thanks to HSTF Prosecution

 

Kumar Bishop, 47, of South Bend, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.

Bishop was sentenced to 121 months in prison followed by seven years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, between September 2025 and November 2025, Bishop conspired with DeCarlos L. Smallwood and Sanena Williams to distribute methamphetamine to others in the Northern District of Indiana.

“The Drug Enforcement Administration, along with its law enforcement partners, will continue to hold accountable those responsible for bringing drugs into our Indiana communities," said Alfred Cooke, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Merrillville District Office. "Mr. Bishop maintained southwest border drug connections, which he used to supply the South Bend region with methamphetamine. His actions brought suffering and addiction to our neighbors and neighborhoods. Today, the South Bend region is safer and healthier with Mr. Bishop off the streets; he is no longer a threat to our communities.” 

“Kumar Bishop will spend more than the next ten years in federal prison.  This sentence holds him accountable for supplying large quantities of methamphetamine that poisoned our communities for profit. Methamphetamine is a destructive drug that tears families apart and ravages entire neighborhoods. Thanks to the relentless dedication of our partners on the Homeland Security Task Force, a major source of this poison has been removed from Northern Indiana. This office remains steadfast in its commitment to disrupting drug trafficking networks and protecting our communities from those who exploit addiction for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred.

“Strong partnerships are at the heart of every successful law enforcement investigation. The more than ten-year sentence in this case demonstrates what is possible when we work collaboratively to investigate and prosecute drug traffickers which in turn disrupts the flow of dangerous drugs into our communities. ATF will continue to work closely with our HSTF partners towards our shared goal of reducing violent crime and making America safer,” said ATF Chicago Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon.

“Meth dealers should know this: You can’t hide from us, and you can’t profit from poisoning our neighborhoods without consequences,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “The Homeland Security Task Force and our partners are going after the people who bring this poison into our communities. We will find them, we will put them out of business, and we will put them behind bars.”

This case was investigated by the DEA, including the DEA Merrillville District Office, DEA Chicago Special Response Team, DEA Detroit Special Response Team, DEA St. Louis Special Response Team, and DEA North Central Laboratory; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Indiana State Police, South Bend Police Department, St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office, Mishawaka Police Department, and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lydia T. Lucius and Joel Gabrielse.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. 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 Indianapolis comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, IRS, Indiana State Police, and other partners, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. 

HSI Arrests Alien Charged with Illegally Voting in Pennsylvania

 

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested an alien who has been charged with illegally voting in the 2024 election in Pennsylvania.

On October 5, HSI Philadelphia arrested Paulo Jorge Silva, a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) from Portugal, in Philadelphia. Silva has been charged with voting by an alien after voting records show that he is an active registered voter in Philadelphia and voted in the November 5, 2024 election.

Paulo Jorge Silva (right) during his arrest by HSI Philadelphia

Silva was transferred to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).

“This alien from Portugal has been charged with illegally voting in the 2024 election in Pennsylvania,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “When even one non-citizen votes in our elections, it steals the vote of an honest, hard-working American citizen. It’s also AGAINST the law. If we catch an alien illegally voting in our elections, we will hunt you down and arrest you. You’ve been warned. The Trump Administration will always defend the integrity of our election system, and we will make sure that only American citizens are electing American leaders.”

Silva was lawfully admitted to the United States through New York in April 1978.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Justice Department Announces Coordinated Actions to Combat North Korean Remote IT Worker Schemes Affecting More than 70 U.S. Companies

 

Law Enforcement Actions in Ohio and Texas Result in Charges, Arrests, and Seizures of Approximately 187 Computer Devices

Today the Department of Justice announced coordinated actions against the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (DPRK) government’s schemes to fund its regime through remote information technology (IT) work for U.S. companies. These actions include an indictment, two arrests, searches of multiple known or suspected “laptop farms” in Texas pursuant to “Operation Lonestar Roundup,” and the seizure of approximately 187 computer devices used by DPRK IT workers. 

“North Korea’s rogue regime uses its pervasive IT worker schemes to raise revenue for various illicit purposes, including the development of weapons that could ultimately target the United States or its allies,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “These schemes threaten the security of the IT systems and data of the deceived U.S. employers and leave countless victims of identity theft. NSD, along with our law enforcement partners, will use every available tool to track down anyone assisting the DPRK and to protect our national security.”

“Threats posed by nation-states like North Korea are a stark reminder that our adversaries will go to great measures to exploit our nation’s economic strength to further and fuel their own nefarious agendas,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “We are thankful to FBI Cleveland for their incredible work and persistence to put a stop to these bad actors. These charges serve as an urgent alert to all U.S. companies to remain vigilant in their hiring practices.”

“This investigation is about far more than fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas. “It is about a hostile foreign regime infiltrating American companies through stolen identities and covert access points inside our own borders. Every laptop farm we dismantle shuts down a revenue stream that the North Korean government relies on to fund weapons programs that threaten global stability. Operation Lonestar Roundup sends a clear message: we will not allow enemies of the United States to exploit our businesses or compromise our national security.”

“North Korea continues to deploy remote IT workers using stolen identities to infiltrate American companies and generate revenue for the regime and its weapons programs,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Today, the FBI and DOJ announced a series of coordinated actions against this threat, securing charges against 14 individuals, conducting two arrests, seizing nearly 190 devices, and executing operations at more than 40 suspected ‘laptop farms’ across Texas. Close coordination between the private sector and federal law enforcement was central to this operation. To further combat the threat, the FBI has issued a Public Service Announcement with detailed mitigation guidance for U.S. companies.”

Sun Sheng Ming, et al. Indictment and Arrests – Northern District of Ohio 

Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced the arrests of U.S. nationals Michael James Bostelle of Pennsylvania and Juan Cecilio Pena Carrillo of Texas pursuant to a four-count wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft indictment. The indictment describes a multi-year fraud scheme by Bostelle, Pena, and their co-conspirators to obtain remote IT work with U.S. companies that generated more than $3 million in revenue. The indictment also charges China-based Sun Sheng Ming, Pei Li Guang, Weng Shou Cheng, Han Guo Bin, Wang Jian Jun, Sheng Zhang Kun, Zhang Wei Ping, Zhang Li Ping, Yu Yang, Jin Long for their roles in the scheme. The identities of two additional defendants remain under seal. 

According to the indictment, from 2019 to in or around July 2025, DPRK IT workers applied for and obtained remote positions by using stolen or fabricated identity documents, virtual private networks and proxy infrastructure to appear as though they were U.S. persons working from within the United States. They also relied on U.S.-based facilitators who received and hosted multiple laptop computers — issued by victim U.S. companies — at their residences in the United States (“laptop farms”), housed and configured those devices, installed remote-access software and transferred earnings to DPRK‑controlled accounts. 

In total, the scheme impacted more than 70 U.S. company employers and generated approximately $3 million in revenue for IT workers. The revenue is believed to have been sent to sanctioned entities controlled by the DPRK. Victim employers included companies in the health care, communications, cyber support, retail, and manufacturing sectors across Ohio, sixteen additional states, and the District of Columbia.

The FBI Cleveland Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Duncan T. Brown for the Northern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Neeraj Gupta of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case.

Operation Lonestar Roundup Disrupts Multiple Known or Suspected Laptop Farms in Texas

Between Sept. 21 and Sept. 25, the FBI conducted searches and other law enforcement action at over 40 residences in Texas known to be, or suspected of operating as, laptop farms for DPRK IT workers. Over the course of the entire operation (Operation Lonestar Roundup), the FBI seized approximately 187 laptops and KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) devices that DPRK IT workers and their U.S.-based facilitators used to commit fraud, obtain remote employment, and generate revenue for the North Korean regime’s sanctioned weapons programs. U.S. cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike has identified this group of DPRK IT workers and their helpers as “Famous Chollima.” 

Investigators discovered that the DPRK operatives allegedly used a network of fraudulent email accounts to facilitate their criminal activity. The following accounts were among those identified as being used in these schemes: 

• Bright.star.me208@gmail.com,
• Merrttank.bz@gmail.com,
• randyryang@gmail.com,
• michaelb860102@gmail.com,
• assassinki211@gmail.com,
• dev.jerryyang@gmail.com,
• denis.turgenev2021@gmail.com,
• yesiree.cano825@gmail.com,
• thomasdenzelbrown@gmail.com,
• anthonyortega4592@gmail.com, and 
• tyler.j.palmi38@gmail.com. 

Employers are encouraged to add these accounts to the list of indicators they use to identify and disrupt DPRK IT worker employment. 

Today, the FBI published a public service announcement describing the evolving DPRK IT worker threat, including tips on how to detect the threat. Increasingly, North Korean IT workers are turning to recruiting American facilitators to counter improved private sector detections and law enforcement actions. These workers are hiring facilitators to complete a wider variety of tasks, and in some cases subcontracting entire jobs to third-party foreign nationals. Additionally, CrowdStrike today published a blog post describing its efforts at monitoring customer networks for DPRK IT worker activity and its successful collaboration with the FBI to disrupt this threat. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, the FBI’s Dallas Field Office, and the FBI’s Cyber Division coordinated Operation Lonestar Roundup. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

Today’s announcements represent the Department’s latest actions to combat North Korean IT worker schemes as part of a joint NSD and FBI Cyber and Counterintelligence Divisions effort, the DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative. This effort prioritizes targeting and disrupting the DPRK’s illicit revenue generation schemes and its U.S.-based enablers. The Department previously announced other actions pursuant to the initiative, including in June 2025, November 2025, April 2026, and May 2026.

As described in Public Service Announcements published in May 2024, January 2025, July 2025, and today, North Korean remote IT workers posing as legitimate remote IT workers have committed data extortion and exfiltrated the proprietary and sensitive data from U.S. companies. DPRK IT worker schemes typically involve the use of stolen identities, alias emails, social media, online cross-border payment platforms, and online job site accounts, as well as false websites, proxy computers, and witting and unwitting third parties located in the U.S. and elsewhere. North Korean IT workers leverage these third parties, which include U.S.-based individuals, to gain fraudulent employment and access to U.S. company networks to generate this revenue.

Other public advisories about the threats, red flag indicators, and potential mitigation measures for these schemes include a May 2022 advisory released by the FBI, Department of the Treasury, and Department of State; a July 2023 advisory from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; and guidance issued in October 2023 by the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). As described the May 2022 advisory, North Korean IT workers have been known individually to earn up to $300,000 annually, generating hundreds of millions of dollars collectively each year, on behalf of designated entities, such as the North Korean Ministry of Defense and others directly involved in the DPRK’s weapons programs.

The U.S. Department of State has offered potential rewards for up to $5 million in support of international efforts to disrupt the DPRK’s illicit financial activities, including for cybercrimes, money laundering, and sanctions evasion.

The details in the above-described court documents are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Attorney General James Announces Convictions and Sentencings of Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Methamphetamine Traffickers in Western New York

 

Seven Individuals Pleaded Guilty to Selling Controlled Substances; Leaders of the Trafficking Operation Sentenced to Prison 

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the guilty pleas and sentencings of members of a drug trafficking operation that sold fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine throughout Western New York. An investigation led by the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) recovered nearly one kilogram of cocaine worth $30,000, more than one-half pound of methamphetamine worth $1,500, over one ounce of fentanyl worth $1,600, and approximately $4,000 in cash. All seven defendants were indicted in February 2025 and have since pleaded guilty. As a result of their pleas, the defendants have admitted to their roles in the trafficking operation and have been sentenced. The central figures of the trafficking operation will serve up to 10 years in state prison.

“Drug traffickers who flood our communities with deadly fentanyl and opioids threaten the safety of all New Yorkers,” said Attorney General James. “I thank my partners in law enforcement for their commitment to safeguarding our streets and protecting New Yorkers from dangerous illegal drugs. My office will continue fighting to dismantle drug trafficking rings that spread violence and addiction.”

“These convictions and sentences send an unmistakable message: those who profit from poisoning our communities will be identified, pursued, and held accountable,” said DEA New York Enforcement Division Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam. “These drug traffickers turned communities across Western New York into marketplaces for fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, putting lives at risk with every sale. These individuals operated under the false belief that coded language and secret transactions would shield them from law enforcement. They were wrong. The DEA remains relentless in its mission to dismantle drug trafficking networks, and we stand shoulder to shoulder with Attorney General James, the Organized Crime Task Force, and our law enforcement partners to ensure these criminals face justice.”

The investigation revealed that the central figure in the trafficking network, Ronnie Dupree, purchased large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine from Dion Anderson, Kenneth Pringle, Antwain Jackson, and others. Dupree and Jackson traveled from Buffalo to Jamestown to meet customers and make sales. The sales were arranged over the phone, and meetings took place at various locations throughout Western New York. Anderson sold cocaine out of his home in Buffalo and provided cocaine to David Vaughn and others. The investigation included a search of Anderson’s home, which recovered over half a pound of cocaine, a scale with cocaine residue, and more than $4,000 in cash. Other members of the trafficking network, including Devan Huntington and Sabrina Leeper, sourced various types of drugs from Jackson, including methamphetamine.

The investigation also included court-authorized wiretapping of cellular telephones. During the investigation, wiretaps captured numerous conversations between the defendants, who frequently used coded and cryptic terminology in an attempt to disguise their illicit activities, such as referring to cocaine as “soft,” “hard,” or “girl,” fentanyl as “food” or “boy,” and methamphetamine as “cream.”

Bags of fentanyl seized by the investigation.

Bags of methamphetamine (left) and cocaine (right) seized by the investigation.

The seven defendants charged have all pleaded guilty and six have been sentenced in Erie County Court before Judge Suzanne Maxwell Barnes. As part of their guilty pleas, the defendants admitted to their roles as purchasers and distributors of large amounts of illegal drugs:

• Dion Anderson, 46, of Buffalo pleaded guilty in November 2025 to two counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree (class A-II felonies) and Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. During his guilty plea, Anderson admitted to selling cocaine. He was sentenced on March 27, 2026 to eight years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.
• Ronnie Dupree, 49, of Buffalo pleaded guilty in November 2025 to two counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree (class A-II felonies) and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree (a class A-II felony). As part of his plea, he admitted to selling cocaine. He was sentenced today to 10 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.
• Devan Huntington, 32, of Jamestown pleaded guilty in November 2025 to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. As part of his plea, he admitted to possessing methamphetamine with intent to sell. He is still awaiting sentencing.
• Antwain Jackson, 50, of Buffalo pleaded guilty in June 2026 to Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree (a class A-II felony). As part of his guilty plea, he admitted to selling methamphetamine. He was sentenced on September 29, 2026 to six years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision. 
• Sabrina Leeper, 52, of Jamestown pleaded guilty in September 2025 to Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. As part of her plea, she admitted to selling methamphetamine. She was sentenced on January 15, 2026 to five years of probation. 
• Kenneth Pringle, 52, of Niagara Falls pleaded guilty in September 2025 to Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. As part of his plea, he admitted to selling cocaine. He was sentenced on December 17, 2025 to seven years in prison followed by three years of post-release supervision.   
• David Vaughn, 28, of Buffalo pleaded guilty in November 2025 to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. During his guilty plea, he admitted to possessing cocaine with intent to sell. He was sentenced on May 20, 2026 to five years of probation. 

These sentences mark the conclusion of a 19-month prosecution, following a joint investigation led by the OCTF in partnership with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Niagara Falls Police Department.

Attorney General James would like to thank the Buffalo Police Department and the New York State Army National Guard Counter Drug Task Force for their invaluable assistance in the investigation.

The investigation was directed by DEA Special Agent David Leary, under the direction of GS Mark Gentile, and OCTF Detective Thomas Fournier, under the supervision of OCTF Supervising Detective Ever S. Quiñones and OCTF Deputy Chief Andrew Boss. The Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Investigator Oliver Pu-Folkes.