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40 - EVENTS/United States v. Rane et al. (2-25-cr-00040).md
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@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ tags:
- CentralDistrictCalifornia
- FederalProsecution
created: 2026-05-22
updated: 2026-05-22
updated: 2026-10-09
summary: "United States v. Rane et al. (2:25-cr-00040) is the Central District of California federal prosecution of four CVLT leaders charged in January 2025 with engaging in a child exploitation enterprise under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(g)."
---
@ -28,33 +28,34 @@ The indictment charged all four defendants in a single count of engaging in a ch
The child exploitation enterprise statute, 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(g), requires proof that the defendant: (1) violated underlying child exploitation statutes (including production and distribution of child pornography and sexual exploitation of minors under Chapters 109A, 110, or 117 of Title 18); (2) as part of a series of three or more separate felony violations; (3) involving more than one victim; and (4) in concert with three or more other persons. The mandatory minimum sentence upon conviction is 20 years; the maximum is life imprisonment.
DOJ applied the same statute in the more recent [[764 Network|764]] prosecutions, including United States v. Varagiannis and Nepal (leading [[764 Inferno]]) and United States v. Martin (the first terrorism-enhanced 764 prosecution). The CVLT case was the first application of the enterprise theory to the CVLT organizational lineage.[^3]
DOJ applied the same statute in the more recent [[764 Network|764]] prosecutions, including United States v. Nepal and Varagiannis (D.D.C. No. 1:25-cr-00304; leading [[764 Inferno]])[^3] and United States v. Martin (the first terrorism-enhanced 764 prosecution). The CVLT case was the first application of the enterprise theory to the CVLT organizational lineage.[^4]
### Arrests and Initial Appearances
When the indictment was unsealed, Rane remained in French custody. Merritt was already incarcerated at [[Pocahontas State Correctional Center]], Virginia. Walker was arrested by HSI Cherry Hill in New Jersey, appeared in court, was assigned counsel, and was remanded to [[U.S. Marshals]]. Borge was arrested by HSI in Hawaii on January 30, 2025. He appeared in Honolulu before Magistrate Judge [[Rom Trader]] on January 31, and Magistrate Judge [[Wes Reber Porter]] ordered him detained on February 4, 2025 and committed him to the Central District of California; a Los Angeles magistrate judge held a contested detention hearing on March 3, 2025 and ordered him permanently detained.[^4][^5][^6]
When the indictment was unsealed, Rane remained in French custody. Merritt was already incarcerated at [[Pocahontas State Correctional Center]], Virginia. Walker was arrested by HSI Cherry Hill in New Jersey, appeared in court, was assigned counsel, and was remanded to [[U.S. Marshals]]. Borge was arrested by HSI in Hawaii on January 30, 2025. He appeared in Honolulu before Magistrate Judge [[Rom Trader]] on January 31, and Magistrate Judge [[Wes Reber Porter]] ordered him detained on February 4, 2025 and committed him to the Central District of California; a Los Angeles magistrate judge held a contested detention hearing on March 3, 2025 and ordered him permanently detained.[^5][^6][^7]
### Plea Record and Sentencing Schedule
- Collin Walker: guilty plea, October 2025. Sentencing continued from January 29, 2026 to May 28, 2026 by order of December 5, 2025.[^7]
- Clint Borge: guilty plea December 17, 2025 before Judge Hernan D. Vera. Sentencing set for March 12, 2026; a March 26, 2026 DOJ release said he and Walker were expected to be sentenced in the coming months.[^8][^9]
- Collin Walker: guilty plea, October 2025. Sentencing continued from January 29, 2026 to May 28, 2026 by order of December 5, 2025.[^8]
- Clint Borge: guilty plea December 17, 2025 before Judge Hernan D. Vera. Sentencing set for March 12, 2026; a March 26, 2026 DOJ release said he and Walker were expected to be sentenced in the coming months.[^9][^10]
- Kaleb Merritt: guilty plea, March 26, 2026. Sentencing scheduled January 7, 2027.
- Rohan Rane: no U.S. plea entered; in French custody pending extradition.[^10]
- Rohan Rane: no U.S. plea entered; in French custody pending extradition.[^11]
### Connection to 764 Prosecution Wave
The CVLT indictment was part of the DOJ's multi-case prosecution campaign against [[The Com]] and its predecessor networks. The enterprise statute theory used in 2:25-cr-00040 was the same framework applied in the contemporaneous prosecution of [[Leonidas Varagiannis]] and [[Prasan Nepal]] for leading 764 Inferno. [[NCITE]] documented 31 individuals publicly charged with federal crimes across CVLT, [[Greggy's Cult]], and 764 as of December 2025, treating them as a connected prosecutorial lineage.[^11]
The CVLT indictment was part of the DOJ's multi-case prosecution campaign against [[The Com]] and its predecessor networks. The enterprise statute theory used in 2:25-cr-00040 was the same framework applied in the contemporaneous prosecution of [[Leonidas Varagiannis]] and [[Prasan Nepal]] for leading 764 Inferno. [[NCITE]] documented 31 individuals publicly charged with federal crimes across CVLT, [[Greggy's Cult]], and 764 as of December 2025, treating them as a connected prosecutorial lineage.[^12]
### Footnotes
[^1]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. "Four Members of Online Neo-Nazi Group that Exploited Minors Charged with Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material." Press Release 25-123, January 30, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/four-members-online-neo-nazi-group-exploited-minors-charged-producing-child-sexual-abuse
[^2]: United States v. Rane et al., 2:25-cr-00040 (C.D. Cal.), CourtListener. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69613728/united-states-v-rane/; DOJ OPA. "Four Members of Online Neo-Nazi Group that Exploited Minors Charged with Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material." February 2025. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/four-members-online-neo-nazi-group-exploited-minors-charged-producing-child-sexual-abuse
[^3]: HSI. "HSI Los Angeles, Cherry Hill, and Honolulu special agents arrest members of online neo-Nazi group on child exploitation enterprise charges." February 2025. https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/hsi-los-angeles-cherry-hill-and-honolulu-special-agents-arrest-members-online-neo; 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(g), Cornell LII. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2252A
[^4]: Hawaii Tribune-Herald. "Judge: No bail for alleged CVLT member from Pahoa." February 6, 2025. https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2025/02/06/hawaii-news/judge-no-bail-for-alleged-cvlt-member-from-pahoa/
[^5]: United States v. Borge, No. 1:25-mj-00062-RT (D. Haw.), docket and minutes, filed as Doc. 18 in No. 2:25-cr-00040-HDV (C.D. Cal.). https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.954685/gov.uscourts.cacd.954685.18.0_1.pdf
[^6]: United States v. Rane et al., No. 2:25-cr-00040-HDV (C.D. Cal.), Doc. 50 (minutes, March 3, 2025). https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.954685/gov.uscourts.cacd.954685.50.0.pdf
[^7]: Docket, United States v. Rane, No. 2:25-cr-00040 (C.D. Cal.), entry 91 (December 5, 2025), order continuing Walker's sentencing to May 28, 2026. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69613728/united-states-v-rane/
[^8]: Criminal minutes, change of plea hearing, December 17, 2025, United States v. Rane et al., No. 2:25-cr-00040-HDV (C.D. Cal.), Doc. 95. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.954685/gov.uscourts.cacd.954685.95.0.pdf
[^9]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. "Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Online Neo-Nazi Group that Exploited Children into Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material." Press Release 26-294, March 26, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/man-pleads-guilty-participating-online-neo-nazi-group-exploited-children-producing-child
[^10]: DOJ OPA. "Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Online Neo-Nazi Group that Exploited Children into Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material." March 2026. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/man-pleads-guilty-participating-online-neo-nazi-group-exploited-children-producing-child
[^11]: NCITE. "Prosecuting 764: An Examination of Federal and State Charges." December 2025. https://www.unomaha.edu/ncite/news/2025/12/764-landing-page.php
[^3]: Indictment, United States v. Prasan Nepal and Leonidas Varagiannis, No. 1:25-cr-00304-RBW (D.D.C.), Doc. 19, filed September 26, 2025, cover page. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.285418/gov.uscourts.dcd.285418.19.0.pdf
[^4]: HSI. "HSI Los Angeles, Cherry Hill, and Honolulu special agents arrest members of online neo-Nazi group on child exploitation enterprise charges." February 2025. https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/hsi-los-angeles-cherry-hill-and-honolulu-special-agents-arrest-members-online-neo; 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(g), Cornell LII. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2252A
[^5]: Hawaii Tribune-Herald. "Judge: No bail for alleged CVLT member from Pahoa." February 6, 2025. https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2025/02/06/hawaii-news/judge-no-bail-for-alleged-cvlt-member-from-pahoa/
[^6]: United States v. Borge, No. 1:25-mj-00062-RT (D. Haw.), docket and minutes, filed as Doc. 18 in No. 2:25-cr-00040-HDV (C.D. Cal.). https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.954685/gov.uscourts.cacd.954685.18.0_1.pdf
[^7]: United States v. Rane et al., No. 2:25-cr-00040-HDV (C.D. Cal.), Doc. 50 (minutes, March 3, 2025). https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.954685/gov.uscourts.cacd.954685.50.0.pdf
[^8]: Docket, United States v. Rane, No. 2:25-cr-00040 (C.D. Cal.), entry 91 (December 5, 2025), order continuing Walker's sentencing to May 28, 2026. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69613728/united-states-v-rane/
[^9]: Criminal minutes, change of plea hearing, December 17, 2025, United States v. Rane et al., No. 2:25-cr-00040-HDV (C.D. Cal.), Doc. 95. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.954685/gov.uscourts.cacd.954685.95.0.pdf
[^10]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. "Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Online Neo-Nazi Group that Exploited Children into Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material." Press Release 26-294, March 26, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/man-pleads-guilty-participating-online-neo-nazi-group-exploited-children-producing-child
[^11]: DOJ OPA. "Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Online Neo-Nazi Group that Exploited Children into Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material." March 2026. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/man-pleads-guilty-participating-online-neo-nazi-group-exploited-children-producing-child
[^12]: NCITE. "Prosecuting 764: An Examination of Federal and State Charges." December 2025. https://www.unomaha.edu/ncite/news/2025/12/764-landing-page.php