District of Connecticut

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDUARDO CRUZ, 19, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for offenses related to the theft of firearms from a federally-licensed gun dealer in Salem, and the trafficking of some of the stolen firearms.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning of March 15, 2024, Cruz and others drove a car into the entryway doors of Statewide Pawn Shop, a federal firearms licensee in Salem, and stole 21 firearms from the store.  Later that day, law enforcement made a controlled purchase of three of the stolen firearms from Cruz and a juvenile in Waterbury.  On March 18, 2024, investigators purchased another of the stolen firearms from Cruz, who arrived at the meeting location with two juveniles.  Cruz was arrested at that time, and law enforcement recovered two additional stolen firearms, one that was carried by one of the juveniles, and one from Cruz’s vehicle.

Two of the stolen firearms were also found in the home of one of Cruz’s associates on March 18, 2024.  Thirteen of the stolen firearms are still missing.

Cruz has been detained since his arrest.  On March 7, 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a licensee and one count of firearms trafficking.

This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Connecticut State Police, and the Waterbury, Stamford, and Wolcott Police Departments.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Waterbury and the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of New London for their cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Mahard through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSHUA GLAESER, 37, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for possessing and sharing child sex abuse material.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2022, a Connecticut State Police detective investigating child exploitation offenses identified an IP address at Glaeser’s New Britain residence that was being used in the distribution of child sex abuse material.  In 2012, Glaeser was convicted in state court of possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment, execution suspended after two years, followed by 10 years of probation, which Glaeser was currently serving.

On December 9, 2022, HSI special agents executed a court authorized search warrant at Glaeser’s residence and seized his Chromebook, tablet, smartphone, and storage cards.  Analysis of the seized items revealed more 3,000 images and videos of child pornography, including images depicting the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.  The investigation also revealed that Glaeser used a peer-to-peer file sharing network to distribute child pornography to other users.

Glaeser has been detained since December 9, 2022.  On September 26, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.

This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Connecticut State Police.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE COLON, 37, of Wolcott, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a firearm offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 13, 2024, Waterbury Police arrested Colon after he discarded a privately made 9mm handgun (“ghost gun”) loaded with six rounds of ammunition during a foot pursuit.

Colon’s criminal history includes felony convictions in Connecticut for assault, weapon, and risk of injury offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Colon has been detained since his arrest.  On February 20, 2025, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Waterbury Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Gresham through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that RYAN SQUILLANTE, 40, of Weston, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to an insider trading offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, working from his home, Squillante was employed as the Head of Equity Trading at Irving Investors, an investment company headquartered in Denver, Colorado.  As a result of his position at Irving Investors, Squillante received material non-public information (“MNPI”) about various publicly traded companies.  On 15 different occasions between August 2022 and May 2023, Squillante used MNPI for his own benefit by executing transactions in securities of these companies, making a total profit of $220,912.

As an example, in February 2023, Squillante received MNPI about Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. (“Praxis”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company whose common stock traded on the NASDAQ.  Between February 27 and March 2, 2023, Squillante “sold short” 38,086 shares of Praxis at an average price per share of approximately $3.04.  On March 3, 2023, before the market opened, Praxis announced poor results from its drug trial, stating that the drug’s effects did not achieve its primary endpoint with statistical significance.  Following the announcement, Squillante “covered” his short sale by purchasing 38,086 Praxis shares at an average price per share of approximately $1.82, making a profit of approximately $46,421.

Squillante pleaded guilty to securities fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for August 29.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TRAVIS TILLEY, 41, of Naugatuck, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for possessing child sex abuse material while on state probation for prior child exploitation offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2019, Tilley was convicted in state court of risk of injury to a child, which involved his sexual abuse of a five-year-old victim, and possession of child pornography.  In August 2022, he was released from state custody and began serving a 15-year term of probation.

On March 9, 2023, state probation officers conducted an unannounced visit to Tilley’s residence and seized his laptop and a flash drive.  Analysis of the seized items revealed that Tilley had utilized prohibited software and had accessed sites that provide sexually explicit material; that he was using encrypted email and messenger services; that he had used an operating system that is configured to leave no digital footprint; and that he was a member of internet chat rooms that focused on child pornography and AI-generated child pornography.  The analysis also revealed two videos depicting the sexual exploitation of prepubescent children, approximately 60 images of AI-generated child pornography, and sexually explicit chat room messages sent by the laptop user.

Tilley has been detained since his state arrest on March 28, 2023.  On March 6, 2025, he pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of child pornography.

This investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Connecticut Court Support Services Division – Adult Probation Services and the Westport Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings with the assistance of the Office of the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Waterbury.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE DELROSARIO-CANELA, also known as “Domi,” 39, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 32 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a Waterbury drug trafficking ring.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force and other law enforcement agencies investigated two drug trafficking organizations based in the city of Waterbury.  One organization operated in the area of William Street and the other operated in the area of Maple Avenue.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the two organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers.  The organizations shared sources of supply and worked together to further their operations.

During the investigation, law enforcement made two controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Delrosario-Canela, one of the main street-level distributors for the Maple Avenue organization.

Seventeen individuals were charged with federal offenses as a result of the investigation.  Delrosario-Canela and several codefendants were arrested on November 29, 2023.  In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately 700 grams of crack cocaine, more than 900 vials (“caps”) of crack, approximately 200 grams of loose fentanyl, more than 1,600 dose bags of fentanyl/heroin, two stolen firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more than $39,000 in cash.

Delrosario-Canela has been detained since his arrest.  On February 11, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task includes members from the FBI, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction.  The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, Wolcott Police Department, and Meriden Police Department have assisted the investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Shan Patel through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, today announced that NICHOLAS BURNHAM, 33, of East Hartford, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with child exploitation offenses.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in 2016, Burnham was convicted in state court for possession of child pornography in the second degree.  His probation for that offense was terminated in 2018 after he was convicted of possession of child pornography in the first degree.  In 2023, Burnham began serving a term of special parole.  On December 17, 2024, believing that Burnham was using an unauthorized electronic device, Burnham’s parole officers and the Connecticut State Police searched his residence and seized three cellphones.  Preliminary forensic analysis of the phones revealed more than 2,000 images and videos depicting child sex abuse.  Burnham used Telegram and other encrypted messaging applications to trade child sex abuse material with others, and also accessed numerous webpages to view and download child sex abuse material.

Burnham has been detained in state custody since December 17, 2024.  He made his initial appearance in Hartford federal court on May 30, 2025.

The complaint charges Burnham with receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and with possession of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  The penalties in this matter are enhanced because of Burnham’s prior state convictions.         

U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Correction’s Division of Parole and Community Services, and the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection’s Division of Scientific Services.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Boyles through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, today announced that JASON GIBSON, 45, of Ledyard, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with a child exploitation offense.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in February 2020, Gibson was convicted in state court of possession of child pornography and sentenced to 10 years of incarceration, suspended after 30 months, and 10 years of probation.  He was released from state custody in January 2021.  In April 2023, Gibson’s probation was revoked for violating the conditions of his release and he was sentenced to 90 months of incarceration, suspended after six months, and 94 months of probation.  He was released from state custody in August 2023.

It is further alleged that on March 6, 2024, state probation officers made a routine home visit to Gibson’s residence and seized an unapproved cellphone that also contained a dark web application.  Subsequent analysis of the phone revealed more than 200 child sex abuse images and videos, and numerous text messages with links to access child pornography on the dark web.  On April 2, 2025, probation officers made another home visit to Gibson’s residence and seized an external hard drive.  Analysis of the hard drive revealed more than 18,000 images and 1,400 videos depicting child sex abuse.

The complaint charges Gibson with possession of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  The penalties in this matter are enhanced because of Gibson’s prior state convictions.

Gibson has been detained in state custody since April 2, 2025.  He made his initial appearance today in Hartford federal court.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the New Haven Police Department, with the assistance of the Town of Groton Police Department and the Connecticut Court Support Services Division – Adult Probation Services.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that a federal jury in New Haven today found MELKUAN SCOTT, also known as “Mel,” “Young God,” “Young,” and “YG,” 34, guilty of the drug-related murder of Serafin Velez, 27, in Hartford on February 16, 2012.

According to the evidence introduced during the trial, the murder was in retaliation for a failed marijuana transaction that cost Scott and others tens of thousands of dollars.  Velez and an associate had brokered the marijuana deal with individuals in New York.  After receiving the cash, the New York individuals gave Scott and his associates fake marijuana.  After the failed transaction, Scott forced Velez into a vehicle and ultimately drove him to Waverly Street, where Scott and an associate shot and killed Velez.

The jury found Scott guilty of kidnapping resulting in Velez’s death, and with causing the death of Velez through the use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Scott faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.

Scott, formerly of Hartford, has been detained in federal custody since April 2014 and recently completed a 13-year federal sentence for another offense.

This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hartford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reed Durham, Robert S. Ruff, and Christopher J. Lembo.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that JULIUS JORDAN PRIESTER, 24, of Wichita, Kansas, has been arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint with a charge related to his assault of a crew member on a flight from Bradley International Airport last night.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on May 27, 2025, Priester was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 3359 that departed from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, at approximately 9:30 p.m. bound for Chicago.  Thirty minutes to an hour into the flight, Priester stood up, began to take off his shirt, then ran to the back of the plane yelling “Help me.”  He then grabbed a flight attendant (“the victim”), who was seated, shouted “you’re coming with me,” and forcefully brought the victim to the ground.  Priester then attempted to drag the victim up the aisle. With the assistance of intervening passengers, Priester was returned to his seat where he continued to act erratically and made incoherent statements.  The captain declared an emergency and the flight was diverted back to Bradley Airport.  After the plane landed safely at Bradley, Priester was removed by Connecticut State Police and taken by ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation.

Priester appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford.  He is detained pending a bond hearing that is scheduled for May 30.

The complaint charges Priester with interference with flight crew members and attendants, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ROBERTO MUY, 35, a citizen of Ecuador, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in February 2006, Muy was admitted to the U.S. using a fraudulent visitor visa under the alias of a Peruvian citizen.  In June 2012, Muy was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court in Torrington of sexual assault of a minor in the second degree, and was sentenced to 10 years of incarceration, suspended after 15 months, and 25 years of probation.  In June 2013, Muy was removed to Ecuador.

It is further alleged that Muy illegally reentered the U.S. and, on November 9, 2024, was arrested by the Torrington Police Department and charged with illegal operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drug.  On March 18, 2025, he was sentenced in state court to two years of incarceration for violating his state probation related to his 2012 conviction, and a concurrent two days of incarceration for the 2024 motor vehicle offense.  He is currently in state custody.

If convicted of illegal reentry, Muy faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations.    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary G. Vitale.

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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TOMMY FIGUEROA, also known as “Coco,” 31, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 66 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a Waterbury drug trafficking ring.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force and other law enforcement agencies investigated two drug trafficking organizations based in the city of Waterbury.  One organization operated in the area of William Street and the other operated in the area of Maple Avenue.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the two organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers.  The organizations shared sources of supply and worked together to further their operations.

Figueroa worked as a shift-boss for the Maple Street organization, ensuring that street-level distributors were selling narcotics, primarily crack cocaine, around the clock.  During the investigation, investigators made several controlled purchases of narcotics from Figueroa.  Investigators also determined that Figueroa had acquired two firearms for protection.

Figueroa was arrested on related state charges on September 25, 2023, and the two firearms were seized.  While detained in state custody, he continued his involvement in narcotics trafficking through his then girlfriend, Neysa Vazquez-Ferrer.

Seventeen individuals were charged with federal offenses as a result of the investigation. 

On January 28, 2025, Figueroa pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Vazquez-Ferrer pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking offense and, on May 22, 2025, was sentenced to 36 months of imprisonment.

The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task includes members from the FBI, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction.  The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, Wolcott Police Department, and Meriden Police Department have assisted the investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Shan Patel through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HUSANI FOOTE, 30, of Naugatuck, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics.

According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation determined that Foote was trafficking narcotics in and around Waterbury.  Foote was arrested on related state charges on April 13, 2023.  On that date, a court-authorized search of his Aetna Street residence and his vehicle parked in front of the residence revealed more than 34,000 baggies containing a mixture of fentanyl, heroin, and xylazine; approximately 160 grams of crack cocaine and six grams of powder cocaine; items used to process and package narcotics; a loaded 9mm handgun; and more than $122,000 in cash.

Foote has been detained since his federal arrest on June 12, 2023.  On May 13, 2024, he pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

This investigation was conducted by the DEA New Haven Task Force, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that NEYSA VAZQUEZ-FERRER, 35, of Waterbury, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for her participation in a Waterbury drug trafficking ring.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force and other law enforcement agencies investigated two drug trafficking organizations based in the city of Waterbury.  One organization operated in the area of William Street and the other operated in the area of Maple Avenue.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the two organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers.  The organizations shared sources of supply and worked together to further their operations.

Vazquez-Ferrer managed a stash location for the Maple Street organization where she packaged bags of individual dose capsules of crack cocaine.  She also enlisted her two teenage daughters to package and deliver narcotics.

Seventeen individuals were charged with federal offenses as a result of the investigation.  Vazquez-Ferrer and several codefendants were arrested on November 29, 2023.  In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately 700 grams of crack cocaine, more than 900 vials (“caps”) of crack, approximately 200 grams of loose fentanyl, more than 1,600 dose bags of fentanyl/heroin, two stolen firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more than $39,000 in cash.

On January 31, 2025, Vazquez-Ferrer pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Vazquez-Ferrer, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on July 11.

The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task includes members from the FBI, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction.  The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, Wolcott Police Department, and Meriden Police Department have assisted the investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Shan Patel through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Harry Chavis, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that CLYDE GIBSON, JR., 43, of Hartford, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in New Haven to a tax fraud offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least 2015 and continuing into 2024, Gibson operated as a tax return preparer under the name Build Understand Destroys LLC, and charged clients a fee for the preparation of tax returns.  Gibson prepared thousands of federal tax returns, many of which claimed false deductions.  For example, in some returns Gibson prepared and filed for his clients, he included false Schedules C, which reported that his clients had operated sole proprietorship businesses and had incurred certain expenses and losses when, in fact, they had not operated such businesses and had not incurred the claimed expenses.  In some returns, Gibson included false Schedules D, which reported that his clients had incurred capital losses, including carryover losses, or bad debts when, in fact, they had not incurred such capital losses and bad debts in the claimed amounts.

During the investigation, Gibson met with an undercover federal agent posing as a customer.  The agent provided Gibson with a W-2 form for the 2021 tax year and offered no information about valid deductions for business losses, capital losses, and bad debt.  Gibson initially prepared an appropriate return, on which the undercover agent would have owed taxes.  Gibson then voluntarily opted to edit the return to reflect false and fraudulent information on the Schedules C and D.

During the 2016 through 2022 tax years, Gibson prepared at least 135 tax returns containing fraudulent information, causing a loss to the IRS of at least $125,197.

Gibson pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent income tax returns, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years.  He is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.

Gibson has agreed to pay restitution of $125,197.

This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elena L. Coronado.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL McCANN-ORTIZ, also known as “Bando,” 24, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 95 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a violent carjacking.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of June 18, 2023, two all-terrain vehicles (“ATVs”) were stolen from a Waterbury residence.  After the theft, McCann-Ortiz and others mistakenly identified an individual (“Victim 1”) who they incorrectly believed was involved in the theft.  Later that night, Victim 1’s friend, (“Victim 2”), picked up Victim 1 from work and drove him home.  As they arrived at Victim 1’s residence, three vehicles followed them and surrounded the victims.  McCann-Ortiz and his associates, one of whom carried an assault-style rifle, exited the vehicles and approached the victims.  McCann-Ortiz and his associates demanded the return of the stolen ATVs, threatened to harm both victims, and physically assaulted them.

Specifically, McCann-Ortiz repeatedly threatened to kill the victims, and punched and kicked one victim, causing serious bodily injury.

McCann-Ortiz and his associates then stole Victim 2’s vehicle, which was owned by Victim 2’s relative, and other items and cash belonging to the victims.  McCann-Ortiz and his associates continued to harass the victims in the following days.

McCann-Ortiz has been detained since his arrest on unrelated state charges on July 10, 2023.  On February 27, 2025, he pleaded guilty in federal court to carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury.

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan J. Guevremont and David T. Huang.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that EDUARDO AGUILAR-LINARES, 34, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 158 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release that followed a prior federal conviction.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 1, 2017, Aguilar-Linares was sentenced in the Eastern District of New York to 29 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for a fentanyl trafficking offense.  He was released from federal prison in June 2018 and, while residing in East Hartford, his supervision was subsequently transferred to the District of Connecticut.  At some point, Aguilar-Linares absconded from supervision and fled to Mexico.

In July 2019, the DEA’s Hartford Task Force began investigating a Mexican-based drug trafficking organization that was distributing fentanyl and heroin in Connecticut.  The investigation determined that Aguilar-Linares, while living in Mexico, was trafficking kilogram-quantities of narcotics, primarily fentanyl, to associates in Connecticut who then distributed the drugs to street-level distributors.  His associates used several locations to store, process and package fentanyl, including office space on Pratt Street in Hartford, an apartment in the Asylum Hill neighborhood in Hartford, and an apartment in New Britain.

Members of the organization delivered cash generated from the sale of narcotics to a money broker in Brooklyn, New York, who assisted in laundering the narcotics proceeds before they were transferred to Aguilar-Linares and others.  Between August and October 2019, investigators seized more than $200,000 in cash from members of the drug trafficking organization.

On June 3, 2020, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Aguilar-Linares and nine others with narcotics distribution and money laundering offenses.  Aguilar-Linares remained a fugitive until December 20, 2023, when he was arrested in Texas.

Aguilar-Linares has been detained since his arrest.  On February 18, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Judge Hall sentenced Aguilar-Linares to 137 months of imprisonment for the fentanyl trafficking offense, and a consecutive 21 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.

The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, Middletown, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments.  The DEA New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Strike Force and the New York Police Department assisted the investigation.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JONATHAN CRUZ-CARMONA, 34, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 12 months and one day of imprisonment for assaulting another inmate while imprisoned at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Danbury.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 18, 2023, while incarcerated at FCI Danbury, Cruz-Carmona used a weapon fashioned from a broken pencil and two razor blades to assault another inmate, causing wounds to the victim’s chin and neck.  The injury was not life-threatening.

On June 3, 2024, Cruz-Carmona pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.

At the time of the offense, Cruz-Carmona was serving a 200-month federal sentence from the Western District of New York for murder with a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  The sentence imposed today will run consecutively to Cruz-Carmona’s previous sentence.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in Hartford has found MARIO PASCUAL-AQUINO, 44, of Torrington, guilty of fentanyl trafficking offenses.

According to the evidence presented during the trial, this matter stems from a DEA Hartford Task Force investigation of a Hartford-based drug trafficking organization involved in the distribution of a large amount of fentanyl and other narcotics, and the transportation and laundering of cash proceeds from their drug trafficking activity.  In January 2022, law enforcement coordinated a motor vehicle stop of a minivan and seized $92,000 from a hidden compartment.  The investigation revealed that Harold Luis Del Orbe, also known as “Jaro,” was directing the operators of the minivan to conduct narcotics-related transactions on his behalf.  On November 16, 2022, investigators executed a court-authorized search warrant at an apartment on Putnam Heights in Hartford and seized approximately 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl, items used to process and package narcotics, and a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun.  Pascual-Aquino, Del Orbe, and others were present in the apartment at the time of the search.

The trial before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver began on May 14, 2025.  On May 19, Pascual-Aquino was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.  At sentencing, which is scheduled for August 13, Pascual-Aquino faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

Pascual-Aquino, who had been released on bond, was remanded to custody at the conclusion of his trial.

Del Orbe pleaded guilty to related charges and, on May 6, 2025, was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment.

In April 2017, Pascual-Aquino was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 30 months of imprisonment for his role in a stolen identity tax refund scheme.

This investigation is being conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, Middletown, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey M. Stone and Robert S. Dearington through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that LED Lighting Solutions, LLC and its owner, Thomas DeSantos, of Berlin, Connecticut, have entered into a $300,000 civil settlement agreement with the United States to resolve allegations that they failed to comply with the requirements of the Buy American Act (“BAA”) and the Trade Agreements Act (“TAA”) by selling foreign end products to several government procuring agencies, including by shipping products directly from China to a procuring agency, in violation of the False Claims Act.

The TAA generally bars government procurements of end products from foreign countries that have not entered into trade agreements with the U.S.  The BAA creates a preference for the government to acquire domestic end products.

In 2013, LED Lighting Solutions entered into a Multiple Award Schedule contract (“MAS”) with the General Services Administration (“GSA”) to supply LED lights and lighting products, which required compliance with the TAA.  Before entering into the GSA MAS contract, LED Lighting Solutions provided GSA with a “letter of supply” attesting to its supplier’s compliance with the TAA.  LED Lighting Solutions certified compliance with the TAA and failed to identify any foreign end products on its product list each year.  The Air Force, Coast Guard, GSA, Department of State, and USDA each ordered products off of LED Lighting Solutions’ GSA MAS contract.

The government contends that LED Lighting Solutions and DeSantos falsely certified that they were providing these agencies with TAA-compliant end products under seven contracts/delivery orders when, in fact, some of the end products were manufactured in China, which has not entered into a trade agreement with the U.S.  This included at least one contract for which LED Lighting Solutions and DeSantos arranged to have products shipped directly from China to the procuring agency.

LED Lighting Solutions also entered into eight contracts/delivery orders with the Air Force, Army, and FEMA, which required compliance with the BAA.  The government contends that LED Lighting Solutions and DeSantos falsely certified that they were providing these procuring agencies with domestic end products when, in fact, some of the products were foreign end products.

In addition to making payment under the civil settlement agreement, LED Lighting also agreed to withdraw, with prejudice, two appeals pending before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (“ASBCA”) for termination of an Army contract for which LED Lighting Solutions supplied foreign end products in violation of the BAA and the False Claims Act.

This investigation was conducted by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Defense Contract Audit Agency Operations Investigative Support Division, the GSA Office of Inspector General, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Justice Office of Inspector General.

This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Gruber and Richard Molot.

The ASBCA case, Appeal of LED Lighting Solutions, LLC Under Contract No. W50S6T22P0011, ASBCA Nos. 63425, 63546, was handled by Maj. Danielle C. Naser and Mr. John C. Degnan.  

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that on May 16, 2025, ELIJAH WHYTE, 30, formerly of White Plains, New York, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to offenses related to harassing and threatening communications.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between August and October 2023, Whyte sent a Connecticut resident 1,330 text messages, made 72 phone calls, and left three voicemail messages.  Many of the messages were threatening and harassing, discussing the victim getting killed and raped, the victim’s children, and the victim’s home and hometown.

Whyte pleaded guilty to making repeated harassing telephone communications, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of two years.  Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for August 8.

Whyte has been detained since October 2023.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel George.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that APOLINAR FRANCISCO PAREDES ESPINOZA, also known as “Pancho,” 58, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 40 months of imprisonment, for illegally reentering the U.S. and his involvement in a scheme to smuggle aliens into the U.S., harbor them at Hartford area residences, force them to work, and threaten to harm them in various ways if they failed to pay exorbitant fees, interest, and other living expenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in September 2022, the FBI and Hartford Police interviewed several Mexican nationals who disclosed that they were smuggled from Mexico into the U.S. and transported to Hartford.  The investigation revealed that victims typically arranged with Maria Del Carmen Sanchez Potrero and others in Connecticut and Mexico to cross the border into the U.S. in exchange for a fee of between $15,000 and $20,000 that each would need to pay once they were in the U.S.  In most cases, the victims were required to turn over a property deed as collateral before leaving Mexico.  They were then smuggled across the border and transported to Hartford area residences, including Sanchez’s and Paredes’ residence on Madison Street in Hartford, often at a substantial risk of bodily injury or death.

After the victims arrived in Connecticut, they were told that they would have to pay approximately $30,000, with interest, and that they would have to pay Sanchez and her co-coconspirators for rent, food, gas and utilities.  Sanchez, Paredes, and their co-conspirators created false documents for the victims, including Permanent Residence cards and Social Security cards, and helped the victims find employment in the Hartford area.  In addition to their own jobs, some victims were required to perform housework and yardwork, or to assist Paredes in his job responsibilities, without compensation and without having their debt reduced.

Victims were rarely provided with an accounting of their debt.  If victims failed to make regular payments, or in amounts that Sanchez, Paredes, and their co-conspirators expected, they were sometimes threatened, including with threats to harm family members in Mexico, to take property in Mexico that had been secured as collateral, to reveal victims’ immigration status to U.S. authorities, and to raise their interest payments.

To date, investigators have identified 19 victims of this scheme.  Multiple victims were minors, and at least two were smuggled into the U.S. unaccompanied by a relative or legal guardian.

In November 2014, Paredes was encountered in the U.S. and removed the same day via foot at Hildago, Texas.  He illegally reentered the U.S. and, in December 2018, was arrested by East Hartford Police and charged with various motor vehicle offenses.  He was again removed to Mexico in February 2019, and subsequently illegally reentered the U.S.

Paredes has been detained since his arrest on March 1, 2023.  On November 22, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to encourage and induce, bring in, transport, and harbor aliens, and to illegal reentry of a removed alien.

Sanchez and her daughter, Porfiria Maribel Ramos Sanchez, previously pleaded guilty to related charges.  On April 11, 2025, Sanchez was sentenced to 51 months of imprisonment, and on March 7, 2025, Ramos was sentenced to 36 months of imprisonment.

Judge Dooley ordered Paredes to pay, jointly and severally with his codefendants, restitution of $574,608.

Paredes, Sanchez, and Ramos face immigration proceedings when they complete their prison terms.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hartford Police Department, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel Krull and Shan Patel.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 20-count indictment charging MYCALL OBAS, 42, of Danbury, MBALI NCUBE, 35, of Danbury, PIERRE OBAS, 49, of Danbury, TERESA VARGAS, 43, of Hartford, and STEPHEN WALKER, 30, of New Canaan, with offenses related to fraudulent small business loan applications in Connecticut and Washington.

The indictment was returned on May 14, 2025.  Mycall Obas, Ncube, Pierre Obas, and Vargas were arrested on May 15, and Walker was arrested today.  Each has entered a plea of not guilty and is released on bond pending trial.

According to the indictment, the National Development Council (“NDC”), now known as Grow America, was a not-for-profit lender that provided capital to small businesses, including through state-sponsored small business loan programs.  The Connecticut Small Business Boost Fund (“CT Boost”) was an economic initiative supported by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development that connects Connecticut small businesses and non-profits with support services, including access to flexible funding for capital expenditures.  The Small Business Flex Fund (“Flex”) was an economic initiative supported by the Washington State Department of Commerce that connected Washington state small businesses and nonprofits with support services, including access to flexible funding for capital expenditures.  NDC worked with CT Boost and Flex to provide loan funding to small businesses in Connecticut and Washington, respectively.

As alleged in the indictment and statements made in court, Mycall Obas, Ncube, Pierre Obas, and Walker used stolen personal and business identities, or created false business identities, to apply to NDC for small business loans through the CT Boost and Flex programs.  In connection with the loan applications, they created and submitted false business records, including fraudulent certificates of organization, false income statements, false balance sheets, and false tax returns.  Vargas, who was a contractor for NDC and responsible for processing and underwriting small business loan applications, processed some of the fraudulent loan applications and submitted them to NDC for approval.  She also specifically requested to be the loan processor on certain loan applications submitted by her co-conspirators in order to further the scheme. 

It is alleged that the co-conspirators applied for and obtained 12 loans totaling more than $2 million through this scheme.

The indictment charges each of the five defendants with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and multiple counts of wire fraud.  Each of these charges carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  The indictment also charges each of the five defendants with one more counts of making illegal monetary transactions, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count.  Mycall Obas and Pierre Obas are also charged with aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory term of imprisonment of two years.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the Meriden and Danbury Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie T. Levick.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAMON APELLANIZ, also known as “Kristopher Rockefeller” and “Kris,” 40, of Middletown, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to a health care fraud offense related to a Medicaid fraud scheme.

The Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CTMAP) is a Connecticut Department of Social Services-administered program that provides medical assistance to low income persons.  CTMAP’s benefit packages, referred to as “HUSKY” or “Connecticut Medicaid,” are jointly funded by the State of Connecticut and the federal government.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Apellaniz previously operated The Gemini Project, LLC (“Gemini”), a Newington-based business that offered counseling to patients with mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders.  According to the State of Connecticut’s public license database, Apellaniz is not a licensed provider.  In 2020, Apellaniz was charged by the state with larceny, health care fraud, and identity theft offenses related to his providing services to numerous Medicaid beneficiaries as a non-licensed provider, and Gemini billing Medicaid for those services, or for services that were not rendered at all.  Medicaid paid Gemini and Apellaniz $909,268 for the false claims.  Apellaniz pleaded nolo contendere and, on April 17, 2024, was sentenced in Hartford Superior Court to eight years in prison, execution suspended after 15 months, and five years of parole.  He was released from Department of Correction custody on November 19, 2024.

Suhail Aponte was the sole principal and registered agent of Minds Cornerstone LLC, dba Minds Cornerstone Behavior Therapy Services (“Minds Cornerstone”), an Autism Specialist Group, which was registered with the State of Connecticut in June 2021.  Aponte also in not a licensed provider.  Although Apellaniz does not appear on any of Minds Cornerstone’s Medicaid enrollment forms, had no ownership interest in the company, and had no signatory authority to any of its bank accounts, he conspired with Aponte and ran the company under a pseudonym, including while he was incarcerated in state custody.

Beginning in approximately November 2021, Apellaniz and Aponte used Minds Cornerstone to defraud the Connecticut Medicaid Program by submitting fraudulent claims for applied behavior analysis (“ABA”) services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”).  The scheme involved billing for Medicaid for services purportedly rendered to patients when company payroll records indicate employees were not compensated for the associated services; direct supervision services purportedly provided by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (“BCBA”) of a behavioral technician, when the corresponding procedure code for behavioral technician services was not billed; services purportedly rendered to patients who were actually in an inpatient hospital; and services purportedly rendered when parents of patients and former employees of Minds Cornerstone confirmed those services did not occur.

Between November 2021 and January 2025, Apellaniz and Aponte submitted or caused to be submitted to Medicaid fraudulent claims that resulted in a loss of approximately $1,876,617 to the Connecticut Department of Social Services.

The investigation revealed that Apellaniz used some of the funds Minds Cornerstone received to pay a portion of the restitution he owes as a result of his state prosecution.

From approximately May 2022 until November 2024, Aponte was also employed by the State of Connecticut in the Office of Policy and Management.

Apellaniz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for August 15.  Apellaniz has been detained since his arrest on January 16, 2025.

Aponte pleaded guilty to the same charge on April 30 and awaits sentencing.

Apellaniz and Aponte have agreed to the forfeiture of approximately $469,000 in funds seized during the investigation, as well their interest in additional bank accounts and two parcels of land in Hartford. 

This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Social Services.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRANDON SPENCE, also known as “Spun,” 37, of East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 56 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl and cocaine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 5, 2019, Spence was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 24 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon.  He was released from federal prison in February 2020.  On December 7, 2020, Hartford Police surveillance cameras captured Spence and another individual engaged in a dispute.  Spence pulled out a firearm, shot the individual in the leg, and then stole the victim’s vehicle.  On May 28, 2021, Spence was sentenced to an additional 24 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release.

In March and April 2024, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force made controlled purchases of fentanyl and crack cocaine from Spence.  Spence was arrested on April 3, 2024.  On that date, a court-authorized search of his residence and vehicles revealed distribution quantities of fentanyl, crack cocaine, and marijuana.

On January 28, 2025, Spence pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine and fentanyl.  He has been detained since his arrest.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shan Patel.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), today announced that PAIN MANAGEMENT, LLC, and its owner, HALINA SNOWBALL, M.D., have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal government and have paid $427,129.11 to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims to, and received overpayments from, the Medicare program.

Snowball is a physiatrist licensed to practice medicine and sole owner of her pain management practice, Pain Management, LLC in Stamford.  The allegations against Snowball and Pain Management arise out of improper billing for office visits, also known as evaluation and management (“E&M”) services.

The government contends that, between April 2017 and November 2019, Snowball and Pain Management submitted or caused to be submitted improper claims to Medicare for E&M services by adding Modifier 25 to E&M claims when providing pain injections when, in fact, no significant, separately identifiable E&M services were provided.  On November 20, 2019, Snowball and Pain Management were notified of their improper use of Modifier 25 and were assessed an overpayment.  Despite this notice, Snowball and Pain Management continued to submit improper claims to Medicare for E&M services until August 2023.

To resolve their liability, Snowball and Pain Management have paid $427,129.11.

This investigation was conducted by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Gruber.

People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROSS DeLIBRO, 54, of Shelton, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to child exploitation offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2024, a detective assigned to the Connecticut State Police Computer Crimes Unit began an investigation into the sharing of child sex abuse images and videos over a peer-to-peer file sharing network.  The investigation revealed that an internet protocol (IP) address assigned to DeLibro’s residence in Shelton had been used to download child sex abuse videos.  On May 1, 2024, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of DeLibro’s residence and seized his Apple MacBook Air, his iPhone, an external hard drive, and other items.  Analysis of the seized items revealed image and video files depicting male children being sexually abused, including two images in which DeLibro appears engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a toddler.

DeLibro pleaded guilty to production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for August 14.

DeLibro has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on June 11, 2024.

This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the Shelton Police Department and the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection’s Division of Scientific Services.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel George and Nancy Gifford.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Ansonia/Milford for its cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim Advocate can be reached at usact.vns@usdoj.gov or 203-696-3039.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that GAVIN HAMMETT, also known as “G” and “Silk,” 60, of Bridgeport, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for drug trafficking and firearm possession offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in early 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stamford Police Department identified Hammett as the member of a drug trafficking network that was distributing cocaine and fentanyl in the Bridgeport area.  Between February and April 2024, investigators made controlled purchases of fentanyl from Hammett.

Hammett was arrested on May 14, 2024.  On that date, a court authorized search of his residence revealed approximately two kilograms of cocaine, approximately 39 grams of fentanyl, two handguns, two loaded gun magazines, and an empty gun magazine.

Hammett has been detained since his arrest.  On February 21, 2025, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

This is Hammett’s third federal conviction.  In July 1997, Hammett was sentenced in the District of South Carolina to 105 months of imprisonment for distributing cocaine, and in October 2011, he was sentenced in the District of Connecticut to 240 months of imprisonment for distributing cocaine and crack.  In October 2020, after he had served approximately nine years of his 20-year sentence, Hammett’s pandemic-related motion for compassionate release was granted by a federal judge and his sentence was reduced to time served.

This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the Stamford Police Department, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Connecticut State Police, and the Norwalk, Danbury, and Darien Police Departments.  The DEA HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford, and Danbury Police Departments.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia Stolfi Collins through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS CRUZ, also known as “Goldo,” 27, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 97 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in both a violent carjacking and a Waterbury-based narcotics trafficking ring.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of June 18, 2023, two all-terrain vehicles (“ATVs”) were stolen from a Waterbury residence.  After the theft, Cruz posted on Facebook offering $5,000 to anyone providing information about the location of the stolen vehicles.  Cruz and others then mistakenly identified an individual (“Victim 1”), who they incorrectly believed was involved in the theft.  Later that night, Victim 1’s friend, (“Victim 2”), picked up Victim 1 from work and drove him home.  As they arrived at Victim 1’s residence, three vehicles followed them and surrounded the victims.  Cruz and his associates, one of whom carried an assault-style rifle, exited the vehicles and approached the victims.  Cruz and his associates demanded the return of the stolen ATVs, threatened to kill the victims, and physically assaulted them.  Cruz, who was recovering from a leg injury, used a crutch to repeatedly strike one of the victims.

Cruz and his associates then stole Victim 2’s vehicle, which was owned by Victim 2’s relative, and other items and cash belonging to the victims.

Also, Cruz was one of 17 individuals charged with federal offenses as a result of an investigation into two drug trafficking organizations based in the city of Waterbury.  One organization operated in the area of William Street and the other operated in the area of Maple Avenue.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the two organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers.  The organizations shared sources of supply and worked together to further their operations.

During the investigation, Cruz, who was involved in the William Street organization, was intercepted multiple times over a wiretap discussing the distribution of narcotics.  Cruz distributed cocaine, and also stored narcotics for the organization at various hotels.

Cruz and several codefendants were arrested on November 29, 2023.  In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately 700 grams of crack cocaine, more than 900 vials (“caps”) of crack, approximately 200 grams of loose fentanyl, more than 1,600 dose bags of fentanyl/heroin, two stolen firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more than $39,000 in cash.

On September 10, 2024, Cruz pleaded guilty to carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Cruz has been detained since his arrest.

These investigations were led by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force, and the Waterbury Police Department.  The carjacking case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan J. Guevremont and David T. Huang, and the narcotics trafficking case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Shan Patel through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, and Paul J. Ferencek, State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Stamford/Norwalk today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has forfeited $736,040 associated with a DoorDash scam.

As alleged in the forfeiture complaint, on January 5, 2023, Stamford Police responded to a Stamford apartment for a domestic violence incident.  David Smith was taken into custody and a victim was transported to the hospital.  Later that day, investigators searching the apartment for a firearm found a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine, and also found multiple safes containing a total of $736,040 in cash, and 118 credit and debit cards, almost all of which were in the names of other individuals.  The investigation revealed that Smith was operating a scam in which he used multiple phones to place DoorDash orders for delivery.  After the order was picked up, he would contact the drivers using a spoofed number and, using social engineering, convince the drivers to hand over their DoorDash account information.  Using this information, Smith would steal the victim’s delivery money that had been pooled in their account.  The cash that was seized and forfeited represents the proceeds from this scheme.

Smith, who was being prosecuted by the State of Connecticut, was murdered in New York on January 6, 2025.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture complaint against the seized money and, on April 30, 2025, the U.S. District Court granted the government’s motion for a Decree of Forfeiture.

Generally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office first forfeits the money, then returns it to the crime victims, so that the crime victims have clear title to the property without risk of further litigation.

If you believe that you were a victim of this scheme, please visit this web page or this FBI New Haven Facebook post.  There, victims of this particular scheme will find the instructions to make a petition for remission.  Should the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering Asset Recovery Unit approve your petition for remission, you may recoup some or all of your losses.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Nelson.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY PENA, also known as “Tony,” 24, of Miami Gardens, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 132 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for participating in a violent kidnapping in Danbury last summer.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the late afternoon of August 25, 2024, Danbury Police received multiple 911 calls from witnesses who observed several males assaulting another male and forcing him into a white work van.  Responding officers encountered the van on Clapboard Ridge Road, near the intersection of East Gate Road, and attempted to stop it.  The van accelerated at a high-rate of speed and crashed approximately one mile away on Cowperthwaite Street.  Pena, Angel Borrero, and two associates, all dressed in black, exited the van and fled on foot.  Officers arrived at the location of the disabled van and located a male and female victim, both bound with duct tape, in the back of the van.  The male victim had significant injuries to his face and arm.  Both victims were transported to the hospital for further evaluation.  The victims reported that the Lamborghini Urus they were operating was rear-ended by a Honda Civic on Damia Drive in Danbury, and a white work van cut in front of their vehicle.  The victims were then forcibly removed from their vehicle, dragged into the van, and bound with duct tape.  When the male victim resisted, he was punched in the face and hit repeatedly with a baseball bat, both outside and inside the van, by Pena and others.  The victims were told several times that they would be killed.

Pena, Borrero, and the two associates were apprehended in various locations within a quarter-mile radius from where the van crashed.  Two other associates, and the Honda Civic, were located at a short-term rental home in Roxbury.  A baseball bat was found inside the car.  The victims’ Lamborghini, with a blood-stained baseball bat inside the car, was found abandoned in the woods off the roadway on East King Street.

The kidnapping was intended to facilitate the extortion of the victims’ son, who is suspected of participating in the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency.

Pena has been detained since his arrest.  On January 10, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and kidnapping.

Borrero and three others involved in the offense also pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

This matter is being investigated by the FBI New Haven Violent Crimes Task Force and the Danbury Police Department.  The Task Force includes members from the Connecticut State Police and several local police departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and John T. Pierpont, Jr.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Danbury for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in Hartford has found DAVID MARSHALL, also known as “Saint,” 40, of Bristol, guilty of sex trafficking, obstruction of justice, and violation of a protective order offenses.

According to the evidence presented during the trial, between January and April 2022, Marshall compelled a victim into performing commercial sex for his financial benefit and repeatedly raped and beat her if she did not follow his orders.  He also controlled the victim by other means, including getting her addicted to fentanyl and threatening to harm her family.  In March 2022, the victim attempted to escape from Marshall and obtained an order of protection against him after he was arrested by Cromwell Police for threatening to kill her.

On April 27, 2022, Marshall was arrested by police in Freeport, Maine, after he severely beat the victim.  While in jail, Marshall contacted the victim in violation of the protection order, and attempted to convince her not to cooperate with the police and to continue to prostitute herself to earn money to bail him out of jail.  Marshall also contacted another person from jail in an attempt to remotely erase the evidence on his cell phone, but he was unable to do so because the FBI had already secured the phone.

On May 10, 2023, while he was detained in federal custody, Marshall again attempted to obstruct the investigation and prosecution of this matter by writing a letter to a family member with instructions to “harass” the victim to keep her from testifying.

Marshall forcibly sex trafficked at least one other woman between 2017 and 2022.  With his second victim, Marshall similarly used beatings, rapes, and other means to coerce her into engaging in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit for almost two years.

The trial began on April 30, 2025.  Yesterday, Marshall was convicted of two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; two counts of attempted obstruction of sex trafficking enforcement; and one count of interstate violation of a protection order, causing serious bodily injury to the victim.  The jury found Marshall not guilty of one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion.

At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Marshall faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

Marshall has been detained since April 27, 2022.

This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Newington Police Department, Cromwell Police Department, Freeport (Maine) Police Department, and Connecticut Department of Correction.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel Krull, Shan Patel, and Alexis Beyerlein.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine for its assistance in this case.

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on May 9, 2025, YASIR G. HAMED, 60, of Woodbridge, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to offenses stemming from a scheme to defraud a COVID-19 pandemic relief program of more than $2.3 million.

In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”).  The PPP was overseen by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”), and individual PPP loans were issued by private lenders, which received and processed PPP applications and supporting documentation, and then made loans using the lenders’ own funds, which were guaranteed by the SBA.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Hamed, an accountant, had an ownership interest or representative relationship with several New Haven-based businesses, including Access Consulting and Professional Services Inc.; Connecticut Medical Transportation Inc.; Arabic Language Learning Program Inc.; Institute for Global Educational Exchange Inc.; Access Medical Transport Inc.; Ikea Car & Limo Inc.; Center of the World Tours, North America LLC.; and Sudanese American Friendship Association Inc.  Between June 2020 and September 2021, Hamed submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of these companies, overstating employee numbers and average monthly payroll, and making other fraudulent representations.  As part of the applications, he submitted false tax filings that had never been filed with the IRS.

Hamed also submitted PPP loan applications on behalf of companies owned by his clients.  In at least one instance, Hamed convinced the owner of a business, which he knew was not active and had no employees, to seek PPP funding.  Hamed prepared the paperwork for the PPP application and then took a significant portion of the loan proceeds.

Through this scheme, Hamed obtained than $2.3 million in PPP loans for his businesses and for his clients, receiving more than $1 million in loan proceeds for himself and his family, and significant kickbacks from his clients.  Hamed used the funds for personal expenses, including education expenses for a family member, and for a downpayment on a $880,000 house in Woodbridge that he purchased in October 2020.

Hamed has agreed to pay $2,384,772 in restitution.

Hamed pleaded guilty to bank fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and engaging in illegal monetary transactions, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for August 8.

Hamed was arrested on November 13, 2024.  He is released on a $500,000 bond pending sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.

Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi has signed an order appointing David X. Sullivan, 65, of New Fairfield, as the Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.  Mr. Sullivan was sworn in today by Chief U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford.

“I am deeply honored that President Trump and Attorney General Bondi have placed their trust in me by appointing me to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut,” said U.S. Attorney Sullivan.  “It is especially gratifying to return to the U.S. Attorney’s Office where I spent the vast majority of my career practicing law as a public servant.  I look forward to working again with the hard-working men and women of the office, and federal, state, and local law enforcement.  Through our collaborative efforts, we can accomplish great things and, most importantly, ensure the safety of our citizens.”

Prior to his appointment as U.S. Attorney, Mr. Sullivan was a partner at the law firm of McCarter and English, LLP, with a practice focusing on complex civil litigation, advising financial institutions on compliance with federal laws and regulations, and representing individuals and businesses in government investigations and regulatory enforcement actions.

From 1989 to 2019, Mr. Sullivan served in the District of Connecticut as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, handling a wide range of civil and criminal matters with a focus on asset forfeiture, money laundering, tax evasion, and narcotics trafficking.  Mr. Sullivan also led the District of Connecticut’s Asset Forfeiture Unit, where he oversaw criminal and civil forfeiture matters for the Office.

In 2003 and 2004, Mr. Sullivan served as the Money Laundering/Asset Forfeiture Coordinator for the Department of Justice, acting as the national representative and legal advisor for the 94 United States Attorney’s offices across the country.

Mr. Sullivan graduated from the Catholic University of America in 1982, the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law in 1988, and the Quinnipiac University School of Law, with an LLM in Taxation, in 1991.

Mr. Sullivan is the 56th U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, an office that was established in 1789. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut and representing the federal government in civil litigation.  The Office is composed of approximately 68 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 54 staff members at offices in Bridgeport, New Haven, and Hartford.

For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, please visit www.justice.gov/ct.

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging MARC ANTHONY ALEXANDER, 44, of formerly of Milford, and MELANIE HAM, 40, of Norwalk, with conspiracy and fraud offenses.

As alleged in the indictment, in 2022, a business known as “Traveling Graces, LLC” was registered with the State of Connecticut with Ham as its registered agent and “Dr. Marc Anthony Alexander” as its manager.  Between July 2023 and December 2023, Alexander and Ham misrepresented to a Connecticut resident (the “victim”) that Traveling Graces was legitimate business and they were looking for investors.  The victim provided two bank checks totaling $167,000 to Alexander and Ham, which they used for their own purposes.

The indictment charges Alexander and Ham with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud.  Each offense carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

The indictment was returned on April 22, 2025.  Alexander appeared yesterday in Hartford federal court and pleaded not guilty to the charges.  He is currently incarcerated in federal custody.

Ham previously pleaded not guilty to the charges and is released on a $100,000 bond.

Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 13-count indictment charging AMEER NASIR, 24, of Trumbull, with offenses stemming from a fraud scheme against Amazon.com, Inc. (“Amazon”).

The indictment was returned on May 7, 2025.  Nasir was arrested yesterday, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport, and was released on a $300,000 bond.

As alleged in the indictment, Amazon Logistics, an Amazon subsidiary, contracts with various interstate trucking businesses to transport both empty trailers and trailers containing heavy loads of freight between cities and between warehouses and fulfillment centers operated by Amazon.  Nasir registered 23 trucking businesses with Amazon Logistics.  One of the accounts was created in the name of Nasir’s business, Pak Express Transport, LLC, and others were created fraudulently using the names and identifying information of other trucking or transportation companies without the knowledge of the operators of those companies.  Between approximately December 2019 and February 2021, Nasir used these accounts to sign up for more than 1,000 transportation assignments with Amazon Logistics, manipulated information in Amazon Logistics’ transportation management system to misrepresent that he had completed trailer movements when he had not, and submitted fraudulent invoices to Amazon Logistics that were subsequently paid.  Through this scheme, Nasir defrauded Amazon of more than $3 million.

The indictment charges Nasir with 13 counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count.

Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from Amazon.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elena L. Coronado.

Two Connecticut dental providers have entered into civil settlement agreements with the federal and state governments to resolve allegations of violations of the federal and state False Claims Acts.  The settlements stem from a larger investigation into fraudulent activity by health care providers who submit kickback-tainted claims to the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (“CTMAP”) for services rendered to Connecticut Medicaid patients referred by third-party “patient recruiting” companies.

It is alleged that, in violation of their CTMAP provider agreements and the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, Advanced Dental Center PC, a dental practice based in Norwalk, and its owners, Tal Yossefi, DMD and Elad Yossefi, DDS, submitted claims to the CTMAP, which includes the state’s Medicaid program, related to dental services rendered to Connecticut Medicaid patients referred to the business by a third-party patient recruiting company.  Advanced Dental Center paid a patient recruiter for each Connecticut Medicaid patient the recruiter referred to the practice.  With each submitted claim, Advanced Dental Center and its owners impliedly certified that the conditions of receiving payment were met, including, but not limited to, that they did not pay kickbacks or violate any terms or provisions of the Connecticut Dental Health Partnership (“CTDHP”) provider manual concerning the submitted claim.

The CTDHP provider manual, which is an addendum to both the CTMAP provider agreement and the CTMAP provider manual, expressly prohibits per-patient compensation for individuals referred to CMAP providers.

To resolve the allegations under the federal and state False Claims Acts, Advanced Dental Center and the Yossefis paid $495,721.24 to reimburse the Medicaid program for conduct occurring from July 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018.

In addition, Nazneen Jaffri, DDS, a dental provider formerly licensed in Connecticut who operated a practice in Norwalk, agreed to reimburse the Medicaid program $150,000 for conduct occurring from January 1, 2019, through April 24, 2021, to resolve allegations that she violated the False Claims Act by submitting or causing to be submitted claims to the CTMAP for dental services rendered to Connecticut Medicaid patients referred to her business by a third-party patient recruiting company.

In entering into their respective civil settlement agreements, the providers and their practices did not admit liability.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office; and the Connecticut Department of Social Services.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Thidemann and Assistant Attorney General Joshua L. Jackson of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.

People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSEPH GIOVANNI SOTO, 34, of West Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 168 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force identified a cocaine trafficking operation that involved the shipment of parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine from U.S. Post Offices in Puerto Rico to various “drop addresses” in New Britain and Meriden, Connecticut, as well as addresses in Holyoke and West Springfield, Massachusetts.  The organization used “runners” to pick up the parcels from the drop addresses and deliver them to Soto’s residence in Bloomfield and the residence of Soto’s uncle, Ramon Soto, in New Britain.  Typically, Ramon Soto, at Joseph Soto’s direction, then delivered the cocaine to individuals in the Bronx, New York, and elsewhere, in return for payment.

During the investigation, task force members intercepted and seized 10 suspicious parcels, each of which contained approximately two kilograms of cocaine, and identified approximately 280 suspicious parcels likely containing kilogram quantities of cocaine that had been delivered to the various drop addresses.

Joseph Soto was arrested on May 1, 2023.  On that date, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of his residence and seized two loaded firearms, a drum magazine, ammunition, body armor, approximately two kilograms of cocaine, drug packaging material, and approximately $12,000 in cash.  One of the seized firearms was fitted with a switch making it fully automatic, and investigators also found a second, uninstalled switch.  A search of Ramon Soto’s residence on that date revealed a loaded Ruger handgun, firearm magazines, ammunition, two money counters, a digital scale with cocaine residue, and more than $1,000 in cash.

On February 7, 2025, Joseph Soto pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.  Released on a $100,000 bond, he is required to report to prison on June 25.

Ramon Soto pleaded guilty to a related charge and, on January 8, 2025, was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, which includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, and the Hartford, Plainville, and Meriden Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Levick and Konstantin Lantsman.

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JACK JAKUPS, 41, of Trumbull, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 41 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Jakups’ criminal history includes state felony convictions for narcotics possession, burglary, robbery, larceny, and escape offenses.  In January 2019, Jakups was released from prison to Connecticut’s Special Parole program.  On November 30, 2021, Jakups’ parole officer, with the assistance of ATF, conducted a search of Jakups’ residence and seized a Diamondback 9mm handgun, a Ruger 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number, a privately made Glock-19-style firearm, a privately made AR-15-style firearm, and more than 300 rounds of ammunition.

It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

On November 14, 2022, Jakups pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a felon.

Jakups, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on August 8.

This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with the assistance of Connecticut State Parole.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of  Connecticut, Stephen P. Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo today announced that ZACHARY FOSTER, also known as “Lee,” 58, of Waterbury; KEVIN LUCAS, 61, of Waterbury; PHILLION HARVEY, also known as “Dawg,” 52, of New Haven; RONALD McDOWELL, 58, of Waterbury; and KENYA BROWN, 43, of Bristol; have been federally charged with conspiring to traffic narcotics in and around Waterbury.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on November 26, 2024, Foster was sentenced in New Haven federal court to approximately 35 months of imprisonment, time already served, and four years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics.  In February 2025, an investigation by the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force determined that Foster had resumed his drug trafficking activity.  Between February and April 2025, investigators intercepted hundreds of calls between Foster and his associates coordinating the distribution of cocaine, crack, and fentanyl.

During the investigation, a search of a stash location that Foster maintained at a residence on National Avenue in Waterbury revealed approximately one kilogram of cocaine, and a search of a location he maintained on Meriden Road in Waterbury revealed approximately 600 dose bags of fentanyl.  Harvey, McDowell, and Brown also were found in possession of distribution quantities of fentanyl.

On April 16, 2025, a federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment charging each of the five defendants with conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, cocaine and fentanyl.  If convicted of the charge, based on the type and quantity of drug attributed to each defendant, and based on Foster’s previous conviction for a serious drug felony offense, Foster faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and Lucas, Harvey, McDowell, and Brown each faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  Foster also faces additional penalties if he is found to have violated the conditions of his supervised release.

Foster, Lucas, and McDowell were arrested on federal criminal complaints on April 3, 2025, and are currently detained.  Brown was arrested on April 25, 2025, and is released on $100,000 bond, and Harvey was released on April 29, 2025, and is released on a $50,000 bond.

Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The DEA Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Natasha M. Freismuth.

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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The Department of Justice today announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims – especially child victims – and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.  “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.  “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten.  By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

As part of Operation Restore Justice, the following five individuals were charged in the District of Connecticut with federal child exploitation crimes:

STEVEN TAYLOR, 52, of Hartford, has been charged by indictment with production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.  As alleged in the indictment and other court documents, Taylor used his smartphone and other devices to record sexually explicit videos and images of a minor female. Searches of the devices revealed more than 2,300 sexually explicit images and videos of prepubescent minors. Taylor was arrested on related state charges on October 24, 2024.  On May 1, 2025, he appeared in Hartford federal court and pleaded not guilty to the federal charges.  He has been detained since his arrest.

RYAN PERRY, 39, of East Hartford, has been charged by criminal complaint with transportation, receipt, and distribution of child pornography.  As alleged in court documents, in January 2025, Perry, who was on state probation for prior child exploitation offenses, was arrested for probation violations stemming from a 2024 home visit.  A separate federal investigation identified Perry as a possible user of a darknet site where child pornography was uploaded and shared.  In April 2025, analysis of a hard drive seized from Perry revealed approximately 2,900 images and videos of child sex abuse material.  Perry was arrested federally on April 29, 2025, and is detained.

STEPHEN DICKSON, 47, of Colchester, has been charged by criminal complaint with coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.  As alleged in court documents, in September 2023, Dickson communicated on Kik Messenger with an FBI Online Covert Employee who was posing as the stepfather of a 14-year-old girl in Connecticut.  During the communications, Dickson expressed a desire and willingness to engage in sexual activity with the fictitious girl.  On September 22, 2023, Dickson was arrested and charged with state offenses after he traveled to a hotel in Wallingford to engage in sexual activity with the “girl.”  Subsequent analysis of computers, hard drives, and a smartphone seized from Dickson revealed several hundred images and videos of suspected child pornography, and dozens of images of female children, likely downloaded from social media sites such as Facebook, that were digitally-manipulated to remove clothing in order to create child pornography.  Dickson was arrested federally on May 1, 2025, and is released on a $150,000 bond.

JOSHUA BAILEY, 45, of Milford, and ELIZABETH JORDAN, 42, of West Haven, have been charged by criminal complaint with receipt and distribution of child pornography, transmission of a live visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor, and conspiracy to do so.  As alleged in court documents, on March 12, 2024, Jordan engaged in sexual activity with a minor who was 17 and livestreamed the activity to Bailey using Facebook messenger.  A subsequent search of Bailey’s phone revealed a series of screenshots of Jordan and the minor engaged in sexual activity.  Bailey and Jordan have been detained since August 2024 when they were arrested for related state offenses.  Bailey appeared in New Haven federal court on April 29 and Jordan appeared in New Haven federal court yesterday.

“The Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office has long been committed to protecting children by swiftly and vigorously prosecuting offenders,” said Marc H. Silverman, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.  “Sex offenders continue to find new and evolving means to commit their crimes, including using social media and messaging applications to gain access to children, and, as noted specifically in one case we are pursuing, using an AI program to digitally convert real images to create child pornography.  I thank our FBI colleagues, and all the federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies focusing on this important effort, for staying ahead of the technology curve to investigate child exploitation crimes and apprehend these predators.”

“At FBI New Haven, protecting children is one of our most vital duties,” said Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  “Our Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force works in collaboration with federal, state, and local partners to stop those who prey on our most vulnerable.  Here in Connecticut, the FBI actively disrupts violent online extremist groups, sex trafficking rings, sextortionists, and other destructive criminal activity.  We do this work in partnership with the community to ensure child victims are identified and receive the care they need.  Whether these threats come from the real world or a digital one, the FBI will fight day and night to protect all children.  We will never stop in our pursuit to find and arrest those responsible for these heinous acts.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking.  In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms.  In Norfolk, Virginia, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex.  In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice.  For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, New York.

This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face.  While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation.  These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, by calling your local FBI field office, or by visiting www.cybertipline.com.

Other online resources:

Electronic Press Kit: Violent Crimes Against Children
How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TYRICK WARREN, 31, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for firearm possession and drug distribution offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 15, 2023, after a short pursuit, New Haven Police arrested Warren for violating conditions of his state probation that followed a felony firearm conviction.  During the pursuit, officers saw Warren discard multiple items, later found to be a Glock semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition, and bag containing various plastic bags of crack cocaine, cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana.

Subsequent analysis by the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) connected the seized pistol to shell casings collected after a shooting on Winchester Avenue in New Haven on November 8, 2023, and a shooting on Hazel Street in New Haven on November 12, 2023.  It is alleged that text messages from Warren’s phone further connected him to these two shootings, as well as a carjacking, robbery, and shooting on November 10, 2023.

Warren’s criminal history also includes convictions for robbery, drug, and additional firearm offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Warren has been detained since his arrest.  On May 14, 2024, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

State charges against Warren related to the November 12, 2023, shooting are pending.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the New Haven Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie T. Levick through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

JAMES GRAHAM, also known as “Little Cuz,” 25, formerly of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for an offense stemming from his participation in the 960 gang, a violent Waterbury street gang.

Today’s announcement was made by Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Maureen T. Platt, State’s Attorney for the Waterbury Judicial District; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address drug trafficking and related violence in Waterbury, the FBI, ATF, and Waterbury Police have been investigating multiple Waterbury-based groups, including the 960 gang.  On September 14, 2021, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a 36-count indictment charging Graham and 15 other 960 gang members with various offenses, including racketeering, narcotics trafficking, firearm possession, murder, attempted murder and assault, and obstruction of justice offenses.

On November 22, 2017, 960 members Zaekwon McDaniel, Tahjay Love, and Malik Bayon shot at Clarence Lewis and Antonio Santos who were in a car at a restaurant in Waterbury.  Lewis sped from the scene at a high-rate of speed and crashed into a house at the intersection of Wolcott Street and Dallas Avenue in Waterbury.  Lewis, 22, and Santos, 20, were pronounced dead at the scene.  On October 19, 2019, Graham and Love, who were incarcerated in state custody, assaulted another inmate who they believed had reported to law enforcement Love’s role in the shooting.

On February 14, 2024, a jury found Graham guilty of obstruction of justice, and Love, McDaniel, Bayon guilty of offenses related to their participation in 960 and the deaths of Lewis and Santos.

Graham is currently serving a 52-year state sentence for murder, robbery, and firearm offenses related to his role in the murder of an 18-year-old victim in Hamden on November 13, 2017.  Judge Dooley ordered Graham’s federal sentence to run concurrently with his state sentence.

Love, McDaniel, and Bayon await sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, Waterbury Police Department, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Southington Police Department, Watertown Police Department, New Milford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, and the DEA Laboratory.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey M. Stone, John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Natasha M. Freismuth, and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don E. Therkildesen, Jr. and Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Arroyo, who were cross-designated as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in this matter.

This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.

PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment yesterday charging ROMAN SANTIAGO JR., 41, of Danbury, with cocaine trafficking offenses.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, from September 2024 to February 2025, Santiago engaged in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy that involved the shipment of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Connecticut through the U.S. Mail.  During the investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted multiple packages containing a total of more than 11 kilograms of cocaine that were mailed from Puerto Rico to various addresses in Connecticut.  Each package was intended for Santiago and contained approximately two kilograms of cocaine. 

The indictment charges Santiago with conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and possession with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.  Each offense carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

Santiago was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on February 12, 2025.  He is currently released on a $50,000 bond.

Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, with the assistance of the Plainville and Danbury Police Departments.  The task force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, and the Hartford, Plainville, and Meriden Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Guevremont and Christopher Lembo.

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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SUHAIL APONTE, 38, of Wethersfield, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to a health care fraud offense related to a Medicaid fraud scheme.

The Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CTMAP) is a Connecticut Department of Social Services-administered program that provides medical assistance to low income persons.  CTMAP’s benefit packages, referred to as “HUSKY” or “Connecticut Medicaid,” are jointly funded by the State of Connecticut and the federal government.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Aponte was the sole principal and registered agent of Minds Cornerstone LLC, dba Minds Cornerstone Behavior Therapy Services (“Minds Cornerstone”), an Autism Specialist Group, which was registered with the State of Connecticut in June 2021.  Beginning in approximately November 2021, Aponte, who is not a licensed provider, was involved in a scheme in which she and a co-conspirator used Minds Cornerstone to defraud the Connecticut Medicaid Program by submitting fraudulent claims for applied behavior analysis (“ABA”) services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”).  The scheme involved billing for Medicaid for services purportedly rendered to patients when company payroll records indicate employees were not compensated for the associated services; direct supervision services purportedly provided by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (“BCBA”) of a behavioral technician, when the corresponding procedure code for behavioral technician services was not billed; services purportedly rendered to patients who were actually in an inpatient hospital; and services purportedly rendered when parents of patients and former employees of Minds Cornerstone confirmed those services did not occur.

Between November 2021 and January 2025, Aponte and her co-conspirator submitted or caused to be submitted to Medicaid fraudulent claims that resulted in a loss of approximately $1,876,617 to the Connecticut Department of Social Services.

From approximately May 2022 until November 2024, Aponte was also employed by the State of Connecticut in the Office of Policy and Management.

Aponte pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

As part of her plea, Aponte has agreed to the forfeiture of approximately $459,000 in funds seized from various bank accounts she controlled, as well as her interest in additional bank accounts and two parcels of land in Hartford.

Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for July 30.

Aponte has been released on a $100,000 bond since her arrest on January 16, 2025.

This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Social Services.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Stephen P. Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a 10-count indictment today charging KEYSHON ZIMMERMAN, also known as “AJ,” “Ace,” and “Slick,” 39, of Stratford; ROBERT SMITH, also known as “Mookie,” 43, of Ansonia; and MAHOGANY PETTWAY-STOKES, 45, of Ansonia with offenses related to the trafficking of fentanyl and cocaine in the Naugatuck Valley.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI New Haven Transnational Organized Crime Task Force and the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force determined that Zimmerman and Smith were distributing fentanyl, cocaine, and prescription opioids in Connecticut’s Lower Naugatuck Valley.  Zimmerman and Smith shared a phone used to coordinate drug transactions.  Zimmerman typically used the phone in the morning and early afternoon and Smith used the phone in the late afternoon into the evening. Between July 2024 and April 2025, investigators made multiple controlled purchase of narcotics from Zimmerman, Smith, and Pettway-Stokes.

Zimmerman, Smith, and Pettway-Stokes were arrested on April 23, 2025.  It is alleged that as investigators entered Zimmerman’s residence on Main Street in Stratford, they located Zimmerman in a bathroom attempting to flush fentanyl in a toilet.  In association with the arrests, a search of Zimmerman’s residence revealed a large quantity of unpackaged fentanyl and cocaine, drug processing and packaging materials, and approximately $21,000 in cash.  Searches of two cars parked in Stratford and Ansonia used by Zimmerman revealed additional quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, narcotic pills, a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number, and a 9mm caliber semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine.  A search of a residence shared by Smith and Pettway-Stokes on Wakelee Avenue in Ansonia revealed two handguns, and a search of an apartment on Olivia Street in Derby revealed narcotics processing and packaging materials, including a kilogram press.

The indictment charges Zimmerman, Smith, and Pettway-Stokes with one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl and cocaine.  As to this charge, based on the type and quantity of drug attributed to each defendant, Zimmerman faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and Smith and Pettway-Stokes each faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

The indictment also charges Zimmerman, Smith, and Pettway-Stokes with multiple substantive counts related to the possession and distribution of controlled substances.  Zimmerman is also charged with two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years on each count.

Zimmerman and Smith are currently detained and Pettway-Stokes is released on a $75,000 bond.

Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the FBI New Haven Transnational Organized Crime Task Force and the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force.  The FBI Task Force includes participants from the Connecticut State Police and the North Haven, New Haven, East Haven, Milford, and Brookfield Police Departments, and the DEA Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.

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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that AKEEM MANOO, 34, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, and for committing the offense while on supervised release from a prior federal conviction.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 26, 2016, Manoo was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 120 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for his participation in a gang-related narcotics trafficking conspiracy.  He was released from federal prison in November 2022.  On May 11, 2023, Manoo was arrested after Hartford Police stopped his vehicle and found him in possession of nearly a half-kilogram of cocaine.

Manoo pleaded guilty on October 30, 2024.

Judge Oliver sentenced Manoo to 68 months of imprisonment for the cocaine distribution offense, and an additional 16 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. Keefe.

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JUSTIN C. MURPHY, 50, of Stamford, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to offenses stemming from an investment fraud scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Murphy owned and operated Greenwich-based Mara Investment Group, LLC, also known as Mara Investment Management LP and Mara Investments Global Management LLC (“Mara”), which Murphy purported to be a hedge fund that solicited and accepted investments and used a quantitative strategy that balanced long and short positions in securities.  Between approximately 2016 and September 2022, Murphy defrauded investors by pursuing a much riskier investment strategy than he told investors; diverting substantial investor funds for his own personal use and benefit; representing to investors that their invested funds were performing more favorably than was, in fact, the case, including providing investors with account statements that falsely representing their account balances; and providing investors with federal tax forms that falsely reported business income upon which investors would be required to pay tax.

Murphy stole approximately $3,465,812 in investor funds through this scheme and used the funds to pay for personal expenses and to purchase a personal stake in his relative’s startup company.

Murphy pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  A sentencing date is not scheduled.

Murphy was arrested in Brazil on December 6, 2023, and was detained for nearly 11 months while awaiting extradition to the U.S.  He has been released on a $250,000 bond since November 1, 2024.

This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Brazilian authorities provided assistance.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Novick.

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KWITZPATRICK DUFFANY, 37, formerly of Willimantic, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 108 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for offenses related to his theft of 38 firearms from a Newington gun store in 2023.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 27, 2023, during non-business hours, Duffany entered Hoffman’s Gun Store in Newington by climbing onto the balcony over the main entrance, cutting into the siding with a knife, and dropping down from the ceiling.  Surveillance footage showed Duffany walking through the store and filling duffel bags with 38 guns.  He then exited the store through the same hole.  After stealing the guns, Duffany and two other individuals traveled to Hartford where Duffany traded several of the stolen guns for cash and drugs.  In the following days, Duffany sold most of the remaining guns in exchange for cash and narcotics, or he provided guns to other individuals to sell.

Duffany was arrested by the Connecticut State Police in Ashford in the early morning of June 1, 2023.  Surveillance footage from a nearby gas station showed Duffany hiding a satchel in a soda display case shortly before his arrest.  Investigators recovered the satchel and found a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun and drugs inside the bag.  The gun had been stolen from Hoffman’s Gun Store.

To date, law enforcement has recovered only six of the stolen guns, including one that was recovered by Hartford Police during an investigation of a homicide that occurred on July 5, 2024.

Duffany has been detained since his arrest.  On February 3, 2025, he pleaded guilty to theft of firearms from a licensee, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.       

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Newington Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Willimantic Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Dearington.

Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman thanked the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of New Britain for its cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on April 28, 2025, a federal jury in New Haven found WILLIAM ROSARIO LOPEZ, 39, of New Haven, guilty of offenses related to his commission of several armed robberies of Connecticut gas stations in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the evidence presented during the trial:

On March 18, 2020, Rosario Lopez entered the Shell Gas Station located at 1302 Hartford Turnpike in Vernon.  Wearing a black mask, he pointed a small silver pistol at the store employee, grabbed him by the collar, directed him to walk to the cash register, and struck him in the back of the head as they were walking to the cash register.  After the employee provided Rosario Lopez with cash from the register, Rosario Lopez ordered the employee to lay on the floor and then fled the store.

On March 22, 2020, at approximately 10 p.m., Rosario Lopez entered the Fleet Gas Station located at 1611 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike in Southington.  Wearing a surgical-type mask, he pointed a silver pistol at the store employee and demanded money.  The employee provided Rosario Lopez with a small amount of cash and, after explaining that all the money was already in the safe and that he did not know the combination, Rosario Lopez kicked the employee, ordered him to lay on the floor, and then fled the store.

On March 22, 2020, approximately one hour after the Southington robbery, Rosario Lopez entered the Shell Gas Station located at 883 Hamilton Avenue in Waterbury.  Wearing a surgical-type mask, he pointed a small silver pistol at the store employee and demanded money.  After the employee opened the cash register and provided cash to Rosario Lopez, Rosario Lopez ordered the employee to lay on the floor and then fled the store.

On March 23, 2020, less than two hours after the Waterbury robbery, Rosario Lopez entered the Shell Gas Station located at 696 Main Street in Ansonia.  Wearing a surgical-type mask, he pointed a small silver pistol at the store employee, demanded money and threatened to shoot the employee.  After the employee was unable to open the cash register quickly, Rosario Lopez fired one round in the direction of employee and then fled.  The employee was not struck by the projectile.

On March 26, 2020, Rosario Lopez entered the Citgo Gas Station located at 788 West Main Street in New Britain.  Wearing a surgical-type mask, he waited for another customer to leave the store, approached the counter, pointed a small silver pistol at the store employee and demanded money.  The employee opened the cash register and Rosario Lopez took cash from the register drawer.  Rosario then fled the store.

Solimar Rodriguez Gonzalez acted as a “lookout” in at least two of the robberies, and she is depicted on store video surveillance just prior to the robberies that occurred in Vernon and Waterbury.

Rosario Lopez and Gonzalez were arrested on April 9, 2020.  In association with their arrests, investigators searched a vehicle they used during the robberies and recovered a silver .25 caliber semiautomatic pistol and 14 rounds of ammunition.

Rosario Lopez’s criminal history includes convictions in New York for attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon, and convictions in Puerto Rico for importation and unlawful possession of a firearm, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault with a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, threatening a witness, and aggravated robbery.

On April 28, 2025, the jury found Rosario Lopez guilty of four counts of obstruction of interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery), one count of attempted obstruction of interstate commerce by robbery, four counts of brandishing a firearm during a robbery, and one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.  At sentencing, he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 28 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

Rosario Lopez has been detained since his arrest.  A sentencing date is not scheduled.

On January 21, 2025, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the obstruction of interstate commerce by robbery.  She awaits sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Connecticut State Police, and the Vernon, Southington, Waterbury, Ansonia, New Britain, New Haven, and Guilford Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth L. Gresham, Robert S. Ruff, and Daniel P. Gordon.