Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska

Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska

United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 10 unsealed Indictments charging 14 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Anthony Masquat, age 20, of Winnebago, Nebraska, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm on or about April 5, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

Lawrence Smith, age 31, of Lyons, Nebraska, is charged with failing to register as a sex offender from on or about February 27, 2025, to on or about June 15, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.

Kalam K. Yiel, age 24, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about August 9, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 15 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

Ketankumar Chaudhari, age 36, of Elkhorn, Nebraska; Rashmi Samani, age 42, of Elkhorn, Nebraska; Amit P. Chaudhari, age 32, of Omaha, Nebraska; Amit B. Chaudhari, age 33, Omaha, Nebraska; and Maheshkumar Chaudhari, age 38, of Norfolk, Nebraska, are charged in a 24-count Indictment. Count I charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, and Amit B. Chaudhari with sex trafficking of a minor and by force, fraud or coercion beginning on an unknown date, but from at least on or about February 1, 2022, and continuing through on or about June 27, 2022. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years' and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, and Amit B. Chaudhari with sex trafficking of a minor and by force, fraud or coercion beginning on an unknown date, but from at least on or about December 16, 2024, and continuing through on or about January 7, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years' and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, and Amit B. Chaudhari with sex trafficking of a minor and by force, fraud or coercion beginning on an unknown date, but from at least on or about December 16, 2024, and continuing through on or about January 7, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years' and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IV charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, and Amit B. Chaudhari with maintaining a drug premises between on or about January 1, 2021, and August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count V charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, and Amit B. Chaudhari with maintaining a drug premises between on or about April 9, 2021, and August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count VI charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, and Amit B. Chaudhari with maintaining a drug premises between on or about March 9, 2023, and August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count VII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, and Amit B. Chaudhari with maintaining a drug premises between June 15, 2023, and August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count VIII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, Amit B. Chaudhari, and Maheshkumar Chaudhari with conspiracy to commit labor trafficking by peonage between on or about January 1, 2022, and August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IX charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, Amit B. Chaudhari and Maheshkumar Chaudhari with conspiracy to commit labor trafficking by peonage between on or about January 1, 2022, and August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count X charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, and Amit B. Chaudhari with conspiracy to commit labor trafficking by peonage between on or about June 1, 2025, and August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XI charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, Amit P. Chaudhari, Amit B. Chaudhari and Maheshkumar Chaudhari with conspiracy to harbor aliens beginning on an unknown date, but from at least on or about January 1, 2021, and continuing through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with harboring aliens beginning on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with harboring aliens beginning on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XIII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with harboring aliens between on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XIV charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with harboring aliens between on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XV charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with harboring aliens between on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XVI charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with harboring aliens between on or about February 28, 2022, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XVII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with harboring aliens between on or about January 1, 2025, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XVIII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with harboring aliens between on or about July 4, 2025, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IXX charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with transporting aliens between on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about June 20, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XX charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with transporting aliens between on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about June 20, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XXI charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with transporting aliens between on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about June 20, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XXII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari, Rashmi Samani, and Amit P. Chaudhari with transporting aliens between on or about June 15, 2025, through on or about June 20, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XXIII charges Ketankumar Chaudhari and Rashmi Samani with conspiracy to defraud the United States on or about August 1, 2011, through on or about August 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count XXIV charges Ketankumar Chaudhari and Rashmi Samani with fraud and misuse of visas sometime after December 12, 2022, but before May 1, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States and were found in the United States, without the Attorney General of the United States or her designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant's reapplication for admission into the United States:

Alex Abel Avila Matute, age 34

Ediberto Garcia Donis, age 48

Roberto Carlos Carrillo Garcia, age 37

Benito Perez Mendoza, age 53

The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States following an aggravated felony conviction and were found in the United States, without the Attorney General of the United States or her designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant's reapplication for admission into the United States:

Carlos Eduardo Galan Vargas, age 46

Cesar Meza-Marta, age 53

The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

Contact Amy Donato at 402-661-3700 for further information.