Tag: Springfield
Jelber Gomez-Lopez, Illegal Reentry, Missouri 2023
⏱ 2 min read Jelber Gomez-Lopez, a 33-year-old Guatemalan national, pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States after being previously deported. The crime occurred in Missouri, where Gomez-Lopez was caught and charged by the United States Attorney’s Office. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations,…
Aureliano Vazquez-Ontiberos, Human Smuggling, Illinois 2026
⏱ 2 min read Aureliano Vazquez-Ontiberos, a 43-year-old Mexican national, pleaded guilty to being unlawfully present in the United States following a prior removal. The incident occurred in May 2026, when law enforcement encountered Vazquez-Ontiberos during a traffic stop in Sangamon County, Illinois. Vazquez-Ontiberos, who has a history of human smuggling convictions, admitted to unlawfully…
Emilio Garcia-Cappas, Fentanyl Distribution, Massachusetts 2026
⏱ 2 min read Emilio Garcia-Cappas, a 29-year-old from Springfield, Massachusetts, has been sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a fentanyl trafficking ring. Between February 5, 2024, and February 22, 2024, Garcia-Cappas conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, selling the deadly opioid to undercover law enforcement on…
Louis R. Masaschi, Loan Fraud, Massachusetts 2025
⏱ 2 min read Louis R. Masaschi, a 59-year-old Longmeadow man, has been sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a massive commercial loan fraud conspiracy that spanned four years and defrauded lenders out of over $18 million in Massachusetts. Masaschi and his co-conspirator, Jeanette Norman, provided false and fraudulent rent rolls…
Nathaniel Carey Lee, Receipt of CSAM, Virginia 2024
⏱ 2 min read Nathaniel Carey Lee, a 39-year-old tax preparer and museum guide from Springfield, Virginia, was found guilty of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material over multiple years. In December 2022, law enforcement began an undercover investigation into a user requesting CSAM files on the peer-to-peer file sharing network Freenet, which led…
Julien Cristobal-Perez, Re-Entering the United States, Missouri 2026
⏱ 2 min read A 62-year-old Guatemalan national, Julien Cristobal-Perez, was caught re-entering the United States after being previously deported. The incident occurred on May 25, 2026, in Barry County, Missouri. Cristobal-Perez was indicted by a grand jury on June 30, 2026, for violating federal immigration law. The reason behind his re-entry is not specified,…
Amer Taisir Zghailat Qaralleh, Unregistered Firearm, Virginia 2025
⏱ 2 min read Amer Taisir Zghailat Qaralleh, a 42-year-old dual U.S.-Jordanian citizen, was convicted of federal firearms and explosives charges in Springfield, Virginia, after deputies found several firearms and explosive devices in his residence during a writ of eviction on March 18, 2025. The deputies observed several firearms in plain view and secured four…
Joshua Garcia, Cocaine Distribution and Firearm Offense, Massachusetts 2024
⏱ 2 min read Joshua Garcia, a 26-year-old from Springfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 75 months in prison for possessing a firearm and distributing cocaine. The crime occurred on October 3, 2024, and Garcia pleaded guilty in March 2026. Garcia’s sentencing took place on June 15, 2026, in federal court in Springfield, where U.S. District…
Peyton C. Dagenais, Child Pornography Distribution and Possession, Illinois 2026
⏱ 2 min read Peyton C. Dagenais, a 29-year-old from Springfield, Illinois, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for distributing and possessing child pornography. The sentencing took place on June 11, 2026, after Dagenais pleaded guilty to the charges in February 2026. The case highlights the disturbing reality of child exploitation, with Dagenais’ behavior…
Keith L. Rayford, Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Missouri 2025
⏱ 2 min read Keith L. Rayford, a 52-year-old Springfield, Missouri man, was at the helm of a large-scale drug trafficking operation that peddled millions of dollars’ worth of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and ecstasy. On June 8, 2023, officers with the Springfield Police Department caught a break in the case when they observed a…
