OKLAHOMA CITY - A federal judge sentenced Michael Dewayne Hebert, 40, of Alva, Okla., to 72 months in federal prison for illegal firearm possession after he strangled a woman and threatened to kill her during a domestic violence incident, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma announced.

U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti imposed the six-year sentence followed by three years of supervised release at a hearing last week, noting Hebert’s “extensive criminal history, including domestic violence convictions, as well as the danger he poses to the public,” according to the sentencing record. Public records show Hebert has multiple prior felony convictions in Louisiana, including several for domestic abuse and assault-related offenses.

The case arose from a June 26, 2025, call to the Alva Police Department after Hebert grabbed the victim by the throat when she tried to help him open a jammed door. Officers observed injuries to the victim’s neck and reviewed surveillance footage from the residence showing Hebert placing his hand around the victim’s throat. A federal grand jury indicted Hebert on Sept. 2, 2025, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and he pleaded guilty on Nov. 14, 2025.

U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester’s office prosecuted the case as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide DOJ initiative to combat violent crime, illegal immigration, and transnational criminal organizations. The Western District of Oklahoma’s local implementation, dubbed “Operation 922,” prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and the Alva Police Department investigated.

The Hebert sentencing was one of four federal cases resolved across the country this past week, each illustrating the federal system’s focus on repeat offenders and violent criminals.

In Rapid City, S.D., U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced Franklin Long Black Cat, 32, of Pine Ridge, to three years and five months in federal prison for assaulting a Deputy U.S. Marshal and threatening federal officers. Long Black Cat spit in the face of one Deputy U.S. Marshal and threatened to shoot two others while in custody at the federal courthouse in Rapid City on Nov. 18, 2025, in connection with a court hearing. He was found guilty following a two-day jury trial on Jan. 29, 2026.

Long Black Cat’s sentence runs concurrently on the assault and threat convictions, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons announced the sentence, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI. Long Black Cat was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

In Concord, N.H., U.S. District Chief Judge Samantha Elliott sentenced Jonathan Balamotis, 34, of Plaistow, to four years in federal prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Balamotis had previously served 2-4 years in New Hampshire State Prison for arson and second-degree assault, committed nine separate probation violations, and was convicted of felony possession of a Class A controlled substance in 2015 and again in Massachusetts in 2017.

“Despite being a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms, the defendant chose to disregard the law and is now being held accountable for his actions,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan. “Our office will continue to pursue significant consequences for felons who unlawfully threaten public safety.”

ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas Greco said the case reflected the agency’s enforcement priorities. “A recidivist who seeks out a firearm poses an immediate and obvious danger to public safety. The ATF will pursue criminal actors who show a blatant disregard for the law,” Greco said. The Plaistow Police Department executed two residential search warrants on Oct. 21, 2024, related to a separate investigation, and agents later learned Balamotis attempted to purchase a gun on June 25, 2025. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Marin prosecuted the case.

In Boston, U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton sentenced Dr. Pankaj Merchia, 52, of Brookline, Mass., and Boca Raton, Fla., to 58 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for health care fraud, money laundering, tax evasion, and conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. Merchia used proceeds of his fraud to purchase a home and securities, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

All four defendants face years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms, during which any violation could return them to federal custody.