Environmental Crimes Bulletin – June 2026

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The Environmental Crimes Bulletin is a monthly publication produced by the Environmental Crimes Section.

Leadership

Joseph Poux, Acting Chief

Contact

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (202) 532-3062

In This Issue:

• Cases by District/Circuit
• Recently Charged
• Guilty Pleas
• Sentencings

Cases by District/Circuit

District/Circuit	Case Name	Conduct/Statute(s)
District of Arizona	United States v. Francisco Antonio Saenz Olivas	Vehicle Emissions Testing; Clean Air Act
Northern District of California	United States v. Albert Bazaar	Reptile Trafficking; Conspiracy; Lacey Act
District of Maryland	United States v. Karthikeyan Deenadayalan	Key Bridge Crash; Ports and Waterways Safety Act; Refuse Act
District of Massachusetts	United States v. John Oliveira & Sons Stamp Concrete, Inc.	Worker Death; Occupational Safety and Health Act
Eastern District of Michigan	United States v. Applied Partners, LLC	Asbestos Disposal; Clean Air Act
Eastern District of Missouri	United States v. Visionary Bowling Products, et al.	Hazardous Waste Storage; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
District of New Mexico	United States v. Danial Adair, et al.	Hunting Tag Sales; Conspiracy, Lacey Act, Wire Fraud
Eastern District of North Carolina	United States v. Barry Darnell White, et al.	Chemical Discharges; Clean Water Act
Western District of North Carolina	United States v. Juelz Christopher Daniels, et al.	Dog Fighting; Animal Fighting Venture; Animal Welfare Act; Conspiracy
Southern District of Ohio	United States v. Hugh Campbell, et al.	Animal Crush Videos
	United States v. Robert M. Craig, et al.
Southern District of Texas	United States v. Virdiana I. Gonzalez, et al.	Wildlife Trafficking; Conspiracy, Lacey Act, Smuggling
	United States v. Derek McCoy, et al.	Falsified Wastewater Tests; Clean Water Act
	United States v. Victor Guzman-Soto	Refrigerant Smuggling

Recently Charged

United States v. Albert Bazaar

• No. 26-CR-00194 (Northern District of California)
• ECS Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors
• AUSA Kenneth Chambers
• ECS Law Clerk Amanda Backer

On June 5, 2026, Albert Bazaar was arraigned in the Northern District of California after being transferred from the District of Arizona. The court ordered him released to a halfway house pending trial.

On April 28, 2026, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Bazaar with conspiracy and three Lacey Act violations (18 U.S.C. § 371; 16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(2)(A), 3373(d)(1)(B), (d)(1)(A), (d)(3)(A)(ii)). The indictment accuses Bazaar of poaching more than 2,000 turtles from Florida and reselling them to a California exporter. The sales and subsequent exports violated the Lacey Act's trafficking provisions. Bazaar also falsely labeled the turtles by submitting a false breeder's statement to wildlife officials claiming the turtles were captive bred. Bazaar primarily sold loggerhead musk turtles, stripe-neck musk turtles, and striped mud turtles, all of which are listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Appendix II.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and Alabama, California, and Florida state agencies.

United States v. Danial Adair, et al.

• No. 2:26-CR-01857 (District of New Mexico)
• AUSA Robert S. Johnson
• Exec. AUSA Christopher McNair

On June 9, 2026, a court arraigned three New Mexico hunters following their indictment for operating a multi-year scheme to fraudulently obtain and sell New Mexico elk hunting tags to out-of-state hunters and concealing the proceeds of the scheme from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Danial Adair, Daniel Nicolds, and his brother Lary Nicolds are charged with conspiring to commit wire fraud and violate the Lacey Act, five counts of wire fraud, and five Lacey Act violations (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 1343; 16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(1), (c), 3373(d)(1)(B)). Adair and Danial Nicolds are also charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States (18 U.S.C. § 371) .

Between 2019 and 2022, the defendants used their company, Big Horn Outfitters, to fraudulently obtain New Mexico elk tags through the state resident draw system and transfer them to out-of-state hunters in exchange for payment. They also provided outfitting and guiding services to the out-of-state hunters.

The defendants created fictitious hunter accounts, used false identifying information, and paid draw fees with prepaid debit cards to unlawfully secure resident elk tags. They also submitted fraudulent medical transfer requests and supporting documents, including fake notes from physicians and forged agreements, to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish in order to transfer tags to out-of-state clients. The defendants also used alternate email accounts and reported false tax information to try to conceal the scheme.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish conducted the investigation.

Related Press Release: District of New Mexico | Three New Mexico Men Charged in Elk Tag Fraud and Tax Conspiracy Scheme | United States Department of Justice

United States v. Juelz Christopher Daniels, et al.

• No. 5:26-CR-00015 (Western District of North Carolina)
• AUSA Katherine Armstrong

On June 22, 2026, a court unsealed an indictment charging two defendants with operating a multi-state commercial dog breeding operation that bred pit bulls advertised and sold for illegal dog fighting. Prosecutors charged Juelz Christopher Daniels and Reginald Lionel Goodson, Jr., with conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 49). Daniels also is charged with possessing, training, and selling dogs for fighting, and for promoting and advertising animal fighting ventures (7 U.S.C. §§ 2156(b),(c)).

Between January 2021 and May 2026, Daniels and Goodson operated dog kennels, including "Hoodwoods Kennels," to raise and train pit bull-type dogs for dog fighting. They used a variety of training equipment and paraphernalia in their operations, including treadmills, bite sticks, and heavy metal chains.

Daniels routinely posted advertisements for pit bull-type dogs on Facebook directed at groups involved in illegal fighting. Daniels and Goodson also frequently posted and shared pictures of pit bull-type dogs that touted their bloodlines and pedigrees.

In June 2026, law enforcement personnel executed search warrants at three residences, where they rescued and seized a total of 25 pit bull-type dogs, including puppies, as well as other items, tools, and paraphernalia associated with breeding and training animals for dog fighting.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the Iredell County Sheriff's Office, the Burke County Sheriff's Office, the Catawba County Sheriff's Office, the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office, and the Hickory Police Department conducted the investigation.

Related Press Release: Western District of North Carolina | Two Statesville Men Face Federal Charges for Breeding Pit Bulls for Dog Fighting; 25 Dogs Rescued, Including Puppies | United States Department of Justice

Guilty Pleas

United States v. Hugh Campbell, et al.

• No. 1:25-CR-00040 (Southern District of Ohio)
• ECS Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman
• AUSA Timothy Oakley
• ECS Paralegal Chloe Harris

On June 4, 2026, Hugh Campbell pleaded guilty to conspiring to create and distribute animal crush videos (18 U.S.C. § 371). Campbell was an active participant in online groups dedicated to videos depicting extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys . Campbell and his co-conspirators used encrypted chat applications to remit money to individuals in Indonesia willing to carry out requested acts of torture on camera. Cambell is one of 11 defendants charged in this particular investigation.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.

Related Press Release: Office of Public Affairs | Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Make and Distribute Animal Crush Videos Involving Monkeys | United States Department of Justice

United States v. Derek McCoy, et al.

• No. 4:25-CR-00404 (Southern District of Texas)
• AUSA Liesel Roscher
• SAUSA Nathan Stopper

On June 11, 2026, Derek McCoy, Deena Higginbotham, and John Montgomery pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act for making false statements on wastewater test results reports (33 U.S.C. § 1319(c)(4)). Sentencing is scheduled for September 3, 2026.

North Water District Laboratory Services (NWDLS) provided laboratory analysis, including wastewater testing, for a variety of businesses and government agencies in the Houston area. McCoy worked as the NWDLS Chief Executive Officer and Higginbotham was the Director of Client Services. Montgomery worked as the compliance coordinator for a business that provided water utility operation services to municipal utility boards and wastewater treatment facilities, overseeing the management of more than two dozen water boards.

Between February 2021 to February 2024, the defendants altered wastewater test results to indicate that treatment facilities did not exceed pollutant limits set by state-issued discharge permits. These falsified results, including exceedances of ammonia, E. coli, and phosphorous levels, were then submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Among the methods employed for this scheme, the defendants created electronic "back door" systems that allowed them to manipulate the data without creating a standard audit trail. Many of the false test results disguised E. coli levels that had exceeded permitted levels.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Criminal Investigation Division, the EPA Office of Inspector General, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Environmental Crimes Unit conducted the investigation.

Related Press Release: Southern District of Texas | CEO among those guilty of falsifying wastewater test results | United States Department of Justice

United States v. Karthikeyan Deenadayalan

• No. 1:26-CR-00197 (District of Maryland)
• ECS Trial Attorney Leigh Rendé
• AUSA Matthew Phelps
• AUSA Bijon Mostoufi
• AUSA Kim Phillips
• ECS Paralegal Chloe Harris

On June 18, 2026, Karthikeyan Deenadayalan entered into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement. The Chief Engineer (CE) for the M/V Dali admitted to failing to report a hazardous condition in violation of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act (46 U.S.C. § 70036(b)). Deenadayalan, an Indian national, was working aboard the Dali when it crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024. He also previously served as the CE on board the Dali's sister vessels, the M/V Maersk Saltoro and the M/V Cezanne.

The defendant knew that the Dali, Maersk Saltoro, and Cezanne used an unsafe fuel supply pump. Deenadayalan acknowledged that the unsafe pump, known as a flushing pump, lacked redundancy, which compromised the vessels' safe navigation and ability to recover from a loss of power. He knew that the inability to recover from a loss of power could adversely affect the safety of the vessel itself, as well as any bridge, structure, or shore area.

He also spoke and corresponded with personnel from the Dali's operating and managing company Synergy, including co-defendant Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, about using this unsafe flushing pump. Deenadayalan said that Nair directed him to send a "convincing" email to the charterer of the Dali so that the charterer would not ask more questions about fuel consumption and discover the use of the flushing pump.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.

Related Press Release: District of Maryland | M/V Dali Chief Engineer Enters Into Deferred Prosecution Agreement in Key Bridge Crash Related Case | United States Department of Justice

Sentencings

United States v. Visionary Bowling Products, et al.

• No. 4:24-CR-00518 (Eastern District of Missouri)
• AUSA Dianna Edwards

On June 1, 2026, a court sentenced Visionary Bowling Products (VBP) to complete a one-year term of probation and to pay $50,000 joint and several in restitution to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). VBP pleaded guilty to violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act for illegally storing hazardous waste (42 U.S.C. § 6928(d)(2)(A)). Company owners John Wonders, Sr., and Jason Wonders entered into pretrial diversion.

VBP operated a 60,000 square-foot factory, where it manufactured bowling balls for about 20 years before ceasing operations in July 2019. When the defendants abandoned the property in October 2019, they left behind a variety of chemicals and industrial materials. On October 21, 2021, a fire ignited and burned for 12 hours, requiring response from multiple fire departments. Officials evacuated nearby homes and businesses due to the potential hazard posed by the burning chemicals. The next day, a smaller fire rekindled, but was quickly extinguished.

Local environmental officials later discovered hundreds of discarded and abandoned containers at the facility in various stages of deterioration. Testing by environmental officials confirmed that the defendants had illegally stored hazardous waste at the site.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources conducted the investigation.

United States v. Virdiana I. Gonzalez, et al.

• No. 5:25-CR-01564 (Southern District of Texas)
• AUSA Tory Sailer
• AUSA Melissa Lopez

On June 3, 2026, a court sentenced Virdiana I. Gonzalez to pay a $4,000 fine and complete a two-year term of probation, to include six months' home detention. Arturo Maldanado will serve 12 months and one day of incarceration, one year of supervised release, and pay a $10,000 fine.

Gonzalez and Maldanado pleaded guilty to conspiracy, smuggling, and violating the Lacey Act for smuggling an Arabian oryx (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 554; 16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(1), 3373(d)).

This species of antelope, native to the Arabian Peninsula, is prized for its long, straight horns, white coat, and ability to survive on minimal water. Because of excessive hunting, it became extinct in the wild by the late 1960s. Through the development of captive populations and conservation efforts, the species made a comeback in countries like Oman and Saudi Arabia in the 1970s.

On October 2, 2021, an unnamed person attempted to drive a truck containing an oryx over the border from Laredo, Texas, into Mexico. The truck and trailer were registered to Gonzalez. The driver of the truck told inspectors that Gonzalez's co-defendant, Arturo Maldonado, paid him $300 to transport the animal over the border.

Gonzalez knew that her vehicle and trailer were used to illegally transport the oryx into Mexico without proper paperwork, and she allowed others to use her vehicle and trailer for that purpose. Maldonado pleaded guilty to similar charges.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.

United States v. Applied Partners, LLC

• No. 1:25-CR-20850 (Eastern District of Michigan)
• ECS Trial Attorney Rachel Roberts
• AUSA Katharine Hemann
• RCEC Samuel Cardick
• ECS Paralegal Jillian Grubb

On June 5, 2026, a court sentenced Applied Partners, LLC, to pay a $500,000 fine and complete a two-year term of probation. The company pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act for illegally handling regulated asbestos-containing material (RACM) (42 U.S.C. §§ 7412(h), 7413(c)(1)).

Between September and October 2019, Applied Partners conducted a demolition project at a defunct industrial site in Saginaw, Michigan. Applied Partners knew that a structure at the project site known as the "Powerhouse" contained RACM but nevertheless instructed contractors to demolish it in violation of multiple National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutant work practice standards for asbestos.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division Environmental Investigation Section.

Related Press Release: Office of Public Affairs | Company Ordered to Pay $500,000 Criminal Fine for Violating Asbestos Regulations in Michigan | United States Department of Justice

United States v. Victor Guzman-Soto

• No. 5:25-CR-00663 (Southern District of Texas)
• AUSA Bryan Oliver

On June 17, 2026, a court sentenced Victor Guzman-Soto to pay a $1,400 fine and complete a three-year term of probation. Guzman-Soto pleaded guilty to smuggling (18 U.S.C. § 545).

On May 18, 2024, Guzman-Soto attempted to bring six 25-pound cylinders of R-410A hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant gas from Mexico into the U.S. at the Brownsville, Texas, Port of Entry.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.

United States v. John Oliveira & Sons Stamp Concrete, Inc.

• No. 1:26-CR-10004 (District of Massachusetts)
• AUSA William F. Abely, II

On June 22, 2026, a court ordered John Oliveira & Sons Stamp Concrete, Inc., to pay $115,000 in restitution for the death of a worker. The company pleaded guilty to willfully violating Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety standards for a 2023 incident that led to the employee's death (29 U.S.C. § 666(e)). The company was sentenced in May 2026 to complete an 18 month-term of probation and to implement a Safety Compliance Plan.

The company used a large soil screener to process and screen soil and similar substances. The soil screener was about 46 feet long, 13 feet high, and weighed approximately 36,000 pounds. The tail conveyor of the soil screener (which weighed approximately 1,500 pounds) could be placed in a vertically closed position or opened to a 45-degree angle. On various occasions in 2022 or 2023, the tail conveyor closed unexpectedly, and the hydraulic pressure line had also ruptured.

On September 6, 2023, a company employee was working alongside a co-owner on the tail conveyer of the soil screener, which was in the open position. At the time, there was no equipment in place to prevent the tail conveyer from closing. As the employee tried to remove a bolt, the tail conveyor closed unexpectedly. The employee held onto the upper frame of the soil screener as the tail conveyer closed into the vertical position, crushing the employee's head. The employee suffered massive head trauma and was pronounced dead soon thereafter.

The Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the OSHA Criminal Investigations Team conducted the investigation.

Related Press Release: District of Massachusetts | Massachusetts Company Sentenced for Violating OSHA Rule Leading to Worker's Death | United States Department of Justice

United States v. Francisco Antonio Saenz Olivas

• No. 2:25-CR-01577 (District of Arizona)
• ECS Trial Attorney Emily Stone
• AUSA Aron Ketchel

On June 22, 2026, a court sentenced Francisco Antonio Saenz Olivas to five months' incarceration, followed by nine months' supervised release. Olivas will also pay a $50,000 fine.

Olivas pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act for his role in running a mobile business that temporarily installed onboard computer simulators to produce fraudulent passing emissions tests, which were required by the State of Arizona to register a vehicle (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(A)).

Olivas met customers in local business parking lots and temporarily installed hidden devices in their vehicles. He then drove the vehicles through the emissions testing site, returned to the parking lot, removed the devices, and gave the customers false emissions test paperwork to use when registering their vehicles. Olivas's business performed this service exclusively and did not perform any legitimate auto repair work.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted this investigation.

United States v. Robert M. Craig, et al.

• No. 2:25-CR-00071 (Southern District of Ohio)
• ECS Trial Attorney Mark Romley
• ECS Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman
• AUSA Nicole Pakiz
• ECS Paralegal Chloe Harris

On June 25, 2026, a court sentenced Robert M. Craig to 28 months' incarceration, followed by three years' supervised release. Craig pleaded guilty to conspiring to create and distribute animal crush videos (18 U.S.C. § 371). Co-defendant Katrina D. Favret was sentenced in March 2026 to 40 months' incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Favret pleaded guilty to conspiracy and to creating and distributing animal crush videos (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 48(a)(2), 48(a)(3)).

The defendants were involved in online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.

Related Press Release: North Carolina Man Sentenced to More than Two Years in Prison for Conspiracy Related to Videos Depicting Monkey Torture and Mutilation

United States v. Barry Darnell White, et al.

• Nos. 7:25-CR-00097, 7:24-CR-00104 (Eastern District of North Carolina)
• AUSA David Berak

On June 29, 2026, a court sentenced Barry Darnell White to pay a $5,000 fine and complete a two-year term of probation for violating the Clean Water Act (CWA)(33 U.S.C. §§ 1311, 1319(c)(2)(A), 1342).

White worked as a production manager for American Distillation, Inc. (ADI), a chemical processing company located beside the Cape Fear River. ADI blends and markets industrial-grade ethyl alcohol. It regularly receives large quantities of tert-Butyl alcohol (TBOH), which it distills into a usable product. TBOH is a highly flammable, colorless, oily liquid with a sharp alcohol odor, and is designated as a pollutant under the CWA. During distillation, ADI created and stored byproducts and wastewater, including TBOH, in a 250,000-gallon storage tank (known as Tank 14). ADI's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit requires the company to properly dispose of TBOH byproduct.

White's responsibilities included overseeing the transfer of chemicals between tanks as well as monitoring the tanker trucks travelling in and out of ADI's facilities. White reported directly to ADI's corporate management. Between 2020 and 2024, White released approximately 2,500 gallons of liquid wastewater from Tank 14, five to six times per year. White connected a hose to Tank 14, which drained into a pipe connected to an outfall flowing directly to the river, in violation of the NPDES permit.

ADI and company owner Andrew Simmons pleaded guilty for their involvement in the illegal discharges. ADI pleaded guilty to violating the CWA and Simmons pleaded guilty to tax violations (33 U.S.C. §§ 1311, 1319(c)(2)(A); 26 U.S.C. § 7203). They are scheduled for sentencing on July 29, 2026.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the EPA Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.

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