Orangeburg Man Pleads Guilty to Burning a Puppy Alive

COLUMBIA, S.C. Desmond Levon Brown, 29, of Orangeburg, has pleaded guilty to animal crushing, which includes burning, under the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT Act). This is the first known PACT Act Conviction in South Carolina.  

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on Dec. 18, 2024, the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office received reports of a Facebook Live video showing Brown throwing a puppy into a fire that day. Deputies discovered the deceased puppy in a wooded area near the incident location. Federal law enforcement obtained the Facebook video, which showed Brown holding the puppy above the fire, dropping it into the fire, and repeatedly kicking the puppy into the fire, burning it alive. Further evidence showed that the fire, which was started by Brown’s associate, was made using a brand of rum that was imported from the Caribbean and bottled in Kentucky. After his arrest, Brown was recorded on jail calls admitting to burning the puppy.

“Brown’s gruesome torture of a puppy was heinous,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina.  “He showed no mercy in his crime, and we look forward to his sentencing.  Our office will lead the fight to protect the welfare of animals in South Carolina.”

Brown faces a maximum penalty of seven years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.  United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Brown after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

If you know of suspected animal fighting or other animal welfare violations, please report them at https://www.justice.gov/enrd/webform/animal-welfare/report-suspected-animal-welfare-violation

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle E. Klein is prosecuting the case.

White House Honors National Guard-Supported Counterdrug Operations

April 10, 2026 | By Army Sgt. 1st Class Christy Sherman, National Guard Bureau |

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy recognized personnel assigned to National Guard counterdrug programs for their support to 10 award-winning law enforcement investigations during a ceremony in Washington, April 2. 

 
The investigations were part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, a White House-led effort that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement to target major drug-trafficking networks across the United States. 
 
"We're celebrating our High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area groups and recognizing the men and women on the front lines of this fight every day, ensuring our children and our communities are safe," said Sara Carter, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. 
 
Nine National Guard counterdrug programs contributed to the investigations, supporting efforts to disrupt drug-trafficking networks and improve public safety. 
 
Twenty-seven National Guard members attended the ceremony and stood alongside their law enforcement and community partners. The awards recognized outstanding law enforcement efforts to combat drug trafficking and related criminal activity nationwide.

These awards underscore the power of partnerships in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking and related crime."

Air Force Gen. Steven S. Nordhaus, National Guard Bureau chief

National Guard personnel support these investigations by working directly with law enforcement agencies that are embedded in multijurisdictional task forces. They analyze data, identify key criminal network nodes and help build cases that lead to arrests and the disruption of larger threat networks, said Air Force Col. Laurie Rodriguez, National Guard Bureau counterdrug division chief. 
 
The National Guard Counterdrug Program provides criminal analysts, reconnaissance and strategic community engagement support to all 33 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area programs. 
 
"Our guard members act as force multipliers and provide support that enhances the integration of state, local, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies with the detection, interdiction and disruption of drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations," Rodriguez said. 
 
The program, which operates in all 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia, supports law enforcement agencies with analysis, training and operational coordination. Many of these investigations span multiple states and require close coordination between agencies.
 
Participating National Guard counterdrug programs include Alabama, California, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, New Mexico, Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Washington. 
 
"These awards underscore the power of partnerships in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking and related crime," said Air Force Gen. Steven S. Nordhaus, National Guard Bureau chief. "Together, with our partners, we're fighting to protect our children and our communities from drug-trafficking threats. Just last year, guard counterdrug operations helped remove $15 billion in illicit narcotics from American communities. We remain committed to this vital mission."

U.S. Attorney, ATF Offer Law Enforcement Training on Firearms Trends

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey will open a one-day training about firearms intelligence and trends offered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in Eastern Panhandle today.

“I commend the ATF for keeping our law enforcement partners on the cutting edge of firearms tracing and technology that is critical to solving gun crimes and preventing further violence,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. “With effective firearms investigations, we can ensure that those committing violent crimes are held accountable.”

“This eight-hour training course is designed to enhance the capabilities of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors in investigating and prosecuting firearm-related violent crime” said ATF Special Agent in Charge John Nokes. “Participants will receive instruction on the latest crime gun investigative tools and techniques, including firearms tracing, emerging firearm and 3D-printing technologies, and advanced resources such as ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).”

ATF Crime Gun Intelligence-Building a Bulletproof Case will include crime gun trends, effective firearms tracing, and offer a demonstration of the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) machine. NIBIN offers national tracing of expended shell casings and ammunition, connecting crimes across the nation by an individual firearm.

The training is free and open to law enforcement, offering 8 hours of education credits through LEPS. It will be held at Jefferson High School in Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia Thursday, April 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Repeat Drug Offender Faces Life After Pointing Gun at Police During Chase

ALBANY, Ga. – A South Georgia resident with three prior felony convictions for drug distribution is facing up to life in prison after he pointed a loaded gun at a Southwest Georgia police officer as he attempted to flee arrest.

Quentin Hall, 30, of Valdosta, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime before Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands on April 8, 2026. Hall faces a maximum imprisonment of life. A sentencing date will be determined by the Court. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Armed repeat offenders will face steep federal penalties when they choose to endanger the community with ongoing criminal conduct, especially when possessing firearms,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “This case highlights the constant danger police encounter as they work to keep our streets safe and uphold the law. I commend the Moultrie police officer and all dedicated law enforcement personnel who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our communities and work for justice.”

"This case underscores the importance of collaboration between agencies, as we work tirelessly to protect our communities from harm,” said ATF Atlanta’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Davis.

According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Hall was pulled over for a traffic violation on Nov. 26, 2024, on 7th Avenue in Moultrie, and didn’t immediately pull over, but instead continued driving and entered the Art Center Apartments. While the car he was driving was still moving, Hall jumped out and ran away holding a bookbag.

A Moultrie Police Department officer chased after Hall; Hall threw his bookbag as he ran, then lost his balance and fell to the ground. Hall ignored the officer's verbal commands to lie on the ground and not move, but pulled out a black handgun, pointed it at the officer, and said to “go on” before he turned and ran. The chase continued, with Hall again falling and dropping the gun before picking it up and continuing to run. He ran behind a stairway and eventually surrendered to officers.

Law enforcement retrieved the firearm that Hall had pointed at the police officer, which had a round in the chamber. Inside Hall’s backpack, officers found several small baggies containing cocaine and other drugs. Later, Hall admitted to officers that the drugs belonged to him and that the gun was not his, but a family member’s. He said he blacked out when he pointed the gun at the officer. Hall told officers that he was on parole and had been out of prison for 16 months.

Hall has three prior drug distribution state convictions, two in Colquitt County, Georgia, and one in Bulloch County, Georgia. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The Moultrie Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica Daniels and Tamara Jarrett are prosecuting the case for the Government.

Former BIA Officer Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Lying to Investigators

Murrell Deela, a former Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) officer, pleaded guilty today to sexual abuse involving a minor and to lying to federal investigators.

“Rather than serve and protect those within the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, the defendant used his position of power to sexually assault a minor entrusted to his care, and then he lied and attempted to conceal his crime,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The minor victim suffered harm that cannot be quantified, but this Justice Department will hold accountable those who violate positions of public trust and prey on the citizens they have sworn to protect.”

“The outcome reflects the victim’s courage in coming forward,” said Special Agent in Charge Jutin Gerken of the FBI Billings Field Office. “Any abuse of authority, especially against a minor, causes lasting harm and is a betrayal of everything law enforcement stands for. The FBI will continue working to ensure accountability for those who exploit positions of trust to harm others.”

According to records filed in the case, on Aug. 7, 2024, Deela, then 29 years old, was on duty and acting in his official capacity as a BIA officer in the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, when he encountered the minor. The minor victim was apprehended and placed in the back of Deela’s patrol vehicle. Instead of driving the teenager to her family’s house, Deela drove the minor to an alternate location. Deela then proceeded to engage in sexual acts with the minor victim without the victim’s consent. The minor victim disclosed the victimization the following day, and the FBI’s analysis of the evidence provided additional facts that corroborated the minor’s outcry.

Several days after the incident, Deela was instructed to bring his patrol vehicle to the BIA station for evidence collection. Hours prior to the scheduled report time, Deela reported that his patrol vehicle was on fire. The patrol vehicle and its video system were severely burned.  An investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined the patrol vehicle was set on fire intentionally.

Following the incident, Deela wrote a false report omitting that he had driven the minor victim to the alternate location. When interviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Deela falsely told agents that he drove the minor directly to her family’s home and had not made any other stops. When confronted with evidence, Deela later admitted that he had driven the minor to an alternate location.

The case was investigated by the FBI and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Lee for the District of North Dakota and Senior Sex Crimes Counsel Tara Allison and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.

2025: Best of CGIC Award Recipients

ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) of Chicago hosted its 2025 Year in Review meeting with partner agency executives. At the conclusion of the meeting, ATF Chicago Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon, joined by each awardee’s agency head, presented this year’s 2025: Best of CGIC awards to individuals who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the pursuit of justice and the mission of the Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago. Below are this year’s award recipients:

Officer Patrick Fahey Jr.
CGIC of Chicago Investigator of the Year

Intelligence Research Specialist Daniel P. Golden
CGIC of Chicago Intelligence Research Specialist of the Year

Legal Assistant Denise Descamp
Exceptional Organizational Leadership and Commitment to the Mission of the CGIC of Chicago

Supervisory Legal Assistant Kristin Golfis
Exceptional Organizational Leadership and Commitment to the Mission of the CGIC of Chicago

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Dunne
CGIC of Chicago Prosecutor of the Year

Assistant State's Attorney Anne Kelly
CGIC of Chicago Prosecutor of the Year

Deputy Chief Andrew Whitfield
CGIC of Chicago Prosecutor of the Year