District of Connecticut

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER PURVIS, 29, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 7, 2022, New Britain Police attempted to stop a car in which Purvis was an occupant.  As officers approached the car, Purvis accelerated at a high rate of speed.  The car crashed a short time later and Purvis and others ran from the scene.  A search of the car revealed quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, and a loaded Glock 9mm handgun that had been reported stolen.  Analysis of the firearm and drug packaging revealed the presence of Purvis’ DNA.

At sentencing, which is scheduled for October 31, Purvis faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

Purvis is currently serving a 72-month federal sentence for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine in northern Vermont in 2022.

This case has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and the New Britain Police Department.  The 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 case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Christopher Lembo.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MALIK WRIGHT, 22, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in July and August 2024, Waterbury Police made a controlled purchase of narcotics from Wright and observed him conducting additional hand-to-hand drug sales.  On August 29, 2024, investigators saw Wright stash a satchel in the tire area of an abandoned car in a vacant lot near Coe Street and High Street, and then conduct another apparent drug sale.  Officers took Wright into custody and located the satchel, which contained fentanyl and cocaine, a scale, and a loaded .40 caliber handgun with a 23-round magazine.

At sentencing, which is scheduled for November 19, Wright faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

Wright has been detained since his arrest.

This case has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Waterbury Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Freismuth 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 Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that BRANDON C. TYSON, 29, of Bloomfield, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to drug and firearm offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Tyson’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug and assault 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.

An ATF investigation revealed that, in May 2021, Tyson unlawfully possessed a Glock 20, 9mm pistol.  Also, between May 2023 and March 2024, Tyson conspired to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.  Tyson was arrested on state charges on March 27, 2024, after a search of his residence revealed approximately 1.7 kilograms of cocaine and $16,700 in cash.

Tyson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and a quantity of fentanyl, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29.

Tyson has been detained since his federal arrest on September 19, 2024.

This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Connecticut State Police, and the Bloomfield Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and Sean P. Mahard, and Trial Attorney Brian P. Leaming from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.

This prosecution is a part of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Hartford, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) programs.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ARMAND NTCHANA and his various entities have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments and agreed to pay more than $600,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the federal and state False Claims Acts by causing false claims to be submitted to Medicare and Connecticut Medicaid.  Ntchana currently resides in Alexandria, Louisiana.

Ntchana, who is licensed as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Connecticut, is the principal member and owner of INTEGRATED PROCARE SERVICES, LLC (“IPS”), a psychiatric medication management practice located in Wethersfield.  He is also the principal member and owner of BROOKSIDE RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME, LLC (“Brookside”) and 134 FRANKLIN STREET EXTENSION, LLC (“Brookside Property”), which formerly operated a state-funded residential care home in Danbury, and the principal member and owner of RIVERVIEW RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME, LLC (“Riverview”) and 92 LEXINGTON AVENUE, LLC (“Riverview Property”), which formerly operated a state-funded residential care home in New Haven.  Ntchana ceased control of the operations of Brookside and Riverview in 2022 and 2023, respectively, and sold the Brookside Property and the Riverview Property in August 2023. 

The federal and state governments allege that from January 2016 through October 2020, Ntchana and IPS violated the federal and state False Claims Acts by improperly billing Medicare and Connecticut Medicaid for services not rendered, the services of an unlicensed provider, and for upcoded or duplicative claims.

Ntchana and IPS caused false claims to be submitted that listed Ntchana as the rendering provider when, in fact, those services were not actually provided.  This included claims billed by Ntchana for impossible numbers of hours per day; when Ntchana was not physically present, including when he was out of the country, on vacation, or not in the office; for patients who were hospitalized or deceased; and for having a staff member call in a medication refill without Ntchana’s interacting directly with the patient or the patient’s medical record.  Ntchana and IPS created false medical records or had no medical records for such visits.

In addition, Ntchana and IPS caused false claims to be submitted that listed Ntchana as the rendering provider when, in fact, the patients were seen by an individual with no qualified health professional license or medical qualifications.  Ntchana and IPS also caused false claims to be submitted for both evaluation and management visits and psychotherapy during the same visit when, in fact, Ntchana had only provided evaluation and management services during that visit.

To resolve their liability, Ntchana and his related entities agreed to pay $614,427.51, plus interest, which was based on their ability to pay.  Ntchana and IPS have also entered into a Suspension Agreement and Consent Order with the Connecticut Department of Social Services (“DSS”) to be suspended from participating in all programs administered by DSS for two years, and to not reapply for reinstatement in Connecticut Medicaid or any state-funded program thereafter.

This matter was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, and the Connecticut Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Gruber, and by Assistant Attorney General Rick Porter of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.

The allegations resolved by today’s settlement stem from an investigation based on a critical analysis of Medicare claims data.  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, today announced that JESUS SEGUINOT, also known as “Chuchi,” 35, of New Haven, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 78 months of imprisonment for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 25, 2020, Seguinot was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 30 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for drug distribution and gun possession offenses.  He was released from federal prison in May 2021.  In October 2021, the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force learned that Luis Salaman, also known as “Bebe,” was distributing large quantities of narcotics throughout New Haven.  The investigation revealed that Salaman worked with Seguinot and others to distribute fentanyl.  Between November 2021 and March 2022, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of distribution quantities of fentanyl from Salaman, Seguinot, and their associates.  Investigators also learned that Seguinot possessed a firearm during that time.

Seguinot was arrested on April 10, 2023.

On December 19, 2024, a jury found Seguinot and Salaman guilty of conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and Salaman guilty of three counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 40 grams or more of fentanyl. 

Seguinot’s criminal history also includes state convictions for drug distribution and weapon possession offenses.

Seguinot has been detained since January 2, 2025.

Salaman, who has been detained since his arrest on April 5, 2022, awaits sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, which includes members from the FBI, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, and the New Haven, Milford, East Haven, West Haven, and Wallingford Police Departments.  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 DARIUS GAMBLE, also known as “Rell,” 39, of Stamford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 80 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stamford Police Department identified Gamble as a large-scale fentanyl distributor.  Between April and September 2024, investigators made four controlled purchases of fentanyl from Gamble.

Gamble was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on September 12, 2024.  On that date, a search of his Nobile Street residence revealed approximately 42 grams of fentanyl, a kilogram press machine, a respirator mask, additional items used to process and package narcotics, and approximately $31,307 in cash.  A search of Gamble’s vehicle revealed approximately six grams of fentanyl.

Gamble has been detained since his arrest.  On January 13, 2025, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

The DEA’s Bridgeport HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, and Stratford Police Departments.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SEAN FALZARANO, 39, of Southbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 16 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for tampering with and stealing Lorazepam vials at the hospital where he was employed as a nurse.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Falzarano was employed at Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) as a Registered Nurse.  As part of his employment, Falzarano was granted access to secure locations used by YNHH to store controlled substances, including Lorazepam.  On January 31, 2022, Falzarano took vials containing Lorazepam solution that he knew were intended to be dispensed to patients.  He removed a portion of the Lorazepam solution from at least one of the vials, replaced the contents with an inert solution, and returned the vial to the secure location where it was available for distribution to patients.  Falzarano was confronted on that date by YNHH employees who were investigating drug tampering.  A search of Falzarano’s backpack revealed vials, crimping tools, saline, vial caps, and syringes.

On December 11, 2024, Falzarano pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product, and acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception or subterfuge.

Falzarano, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 21.

Falzarano’s nursing license is currently suspended.

This matter was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; the DEA’s Hartford Diversion Control Division; and the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Drug Control Division.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTRUM COSTON, 42, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 36 months of imprisonment for unlawfully possessing a firearm while released on bond in another criminal case.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 18, 2023, Judge Underhill sentenced Coston to 37 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for pandemic relief fraud, money laundering, and drug offenses.  Judge Underhill ordered Coston, who was released on bond, to surrender for service of his sentence on November 29, 2023.  On October 25, 2023, New Haven Police arrested Coston after they found him in possession of a loaded Taurus G3 9mm handgun with an extended magazine.

The 36-month sentence will run consecutively to Coston’s 37-month sentence from 2023.

Coston has been detained since his arrest.  On October 28, 2024, he was convicted after trial of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and possessing it while on federal release.

Coston’s criminal history includes multiple felony convictions, including two federal convictions for firearm offenses.

This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the New Haven Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Sean P. Mahard through the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, 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, today announced that BURNEST GEYER, JR., 32, of Shelton, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to a child exploitation offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation revealed that Geyer had told an individual that he possessed child pornography videos, and that he had communicated with a second individual through Telegram, an encrypted phone messaging application, about his child pornography collection.  During a Telegram communication in July 2024, Geyer shared his laptop screen and showed pictures and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.

Geyer was arrested on October 8, 2024.  On that date, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of his residence and seized his iPhone and other items.  Analysis of the Telegram app on the iPhone revealed more than 3,000 images and videos depicting child pornography, including the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.

The investigation further revealed that Geyer engaged in dozens of conversations with others on Telegram and WhatsApp regarding his interest in the sexual abuse of minors, and offered to pay adult content creators to sexually exploit their children over video calls with him.

Geyer pleaded guilty to receipt and distribution of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  A sentencing date is not scheduled.

Geyer, who is currently released on a $100,000 bond, has a detention hearing scheduled for tomorrow in Bridgeport.

This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Bridgeport Police Department and the Shelton Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon.

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 TYRICK THOMAS, 35, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to a fentanyl trafficking offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 16, 2024, Tyrick was arrested after a search of his residence on Ashley Street residence revealed approximately 88 grams of a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine, fentanyl, and xylazine, and a search of his vehicle revealed nearly 200 wax folds of fentanyl and xylazine, and additional quantity of loose fentanyl.

Thomas pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 22.

Thomas has been detained since his arrest.

This investigation has been conducted by the DEA New Haven Task Force, the ATF, and the New Haven Police Department.  The DEA Task Force includes members from the DEA, 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 John T. Pierpont, Jr. 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 SASHA MAY, formerly known as Owen May, 24, of Pelham, New York, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to a child exploitation offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between December 2023 and May 2024, May engaged in online conversations with an undercover law enforcement officer on the messaging platforms Kik and Whisper.  In those conversations, May detailed her sexual interest in children and distributed child pornography.

May pleaded guilty to possession and access with intent to view child pornography, an offense that carries a maximum term of 20 years imprisonment.  Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for October 16.

May, who was arrested on a criminal complaint on August 26, 2024, is released on a $100,000 bond and on home confinement with electronic monitoring pending sentencing.

This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, the Greenwich Police Department, and the Pelham (N.Y.) Police Department.  The Task Force includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Lembo.

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 EVERARD BOOTHE, also known as “Gordo,” “Unc,” “Uncle,” “Love,” “Lovah,” and “Luver, 41, of Ansonia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 132 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics in southwestern Connecticut.

According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department identified Boothe, Christian Pichardo, and others as significant distributors of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack, and narcotic pills in southwestern Connecticut.  During the investigation, investigators intercepted calls and text messages between Boothe, Pichardo, their associates, and their drug customers over court-authorized wiretaps, made controlled purchases of narcotics, and seized drugs from members of the conspiracy and their drug customers.  Some of the drugs seized during the investigation had been cut with fentanyl analogues and xylazine, a large animal tranquilizer.

Boothe was arrested on related state charges on August 3, 2023.  On that date, a search of his residence revealed more than 40 grams of fentanyl, approximately 10 grams of heroin, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale.

Boothe’s criminal history includes convictions for drug, weapon, assault, larceny, and other offenses.

Boothe has been detained since his arrest.  On April 25, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

Pichardo pleaded guilty to a related charge and, July 14, 2025, was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment.

This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck 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 JELSON PEREZ, also known as “Spank,” 42 of Norwalk, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics trafficking in and around Norwalk.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Norwalk Police Department began investigating a drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in the Norwalk area.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the organization was coordinating the transportation of kilogram-quantities of cocaine from Texas and Ohio, and kilogram-quantities of fentanyl and heroin from New York City, and distributing the narcotics in and around Norwalk through a network of individuals, including Perez.  The investigation also revealed that Perez brokered the purchase of a firearm for another member of the organization.

Perez and several associates were arrested on April 29, 2024.  In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple federal search warrants and seized approximately 15,000 dose bags of suspected fentanyl, approximately 350 grams of raw heroin, quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine, a 9mm handgun and ammunition, and a 2021 Ford F-150.

Perez has been detained since his arrest.  On April 30, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and quantities of heroin and cocaine.

This ongoing investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the Norwalk Police Department, the Darien Police Department, the Stamford Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.  The 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Kenneth L. Gresham 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, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, today announced that DWAYNE CLAUD SINGH, 37, a citizen of Jamaica residing in New Haven, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.

Singh was arrested today.  He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and was ordered detained pending a hearing that is scheduled for July 28.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in 2014, Singh was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court of drug, weapon, and forgery offenses and was sentenced to five years of imprisonment.  In December 2017, the U.S. Immigration Court in Hartford ordered Singh removed to Jamaica for violations of the Immigration and Nationality Act.  He was deported to Jamaica in January 2018.

It is further alleged that Singh illegally reentered the U.S. and has been using Connecticut and California identifying documents in the name of “Kevin Anthony Smith,” and a Facebook profile in the name of “Poochie Gully.”  Singh also has an active state arrest warrant for breach of peace and threatening offenses, which was issued by the Connecticut Superior Court in March 2023.

If convicted of the charge of unlawful reentry, Singh 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 Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.

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 DAQWON GRAHAM, also known as “Seagull” and “Energy,” 31, of Ansonia, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to a fentanyl trafficking offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stamford Police Department identified Graham as a large-scale fentanyl distributor in and around Fairfield County.  Investigators also connected Graham’s drug trafficking activities to an overdose death of a male victim in Branford in March 2023, and an overdose death of a female victim in Shelton in October 2024.  In January and February 2025, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from Graham.

On February 26, 2025, Graham was arrested on High Ridge Road in Stamford.  He possessed more than 400 grams of fentanyl at the time of his arrest.

Graham pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.  Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for October 16.

Graham has been detained since his arrest.

This matter has been investigated the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.  The Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, and Stratford Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERIC HERMAN, 32, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, following two fatal overdoses involving fentanyl in 2021, both of which are believed to be connected to Herman, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stratford Police Department began investigating Herman’s drug trafficking activities.  In May and June 2022, investigators made two controlled purchases of fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine from Herman.

Herman was arrested on September 15, 2022.  At the time of his arrest, he possessed a distribution quantity of cocaine, a loaded 9mm “ghost gun” with a laser sight attached, and additional rounds of ammunition.

Herman’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug and 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.

Herman has been detained since his arrest.  On March 24, 2025, he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine base (“crack”), fentanyl, and heroin; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon.

Herman pleaded guilty in state court to narcotics and manslaughter charges stemming from an overdose death investigation and was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment, suspended after eight years, and five years of probation.  Judge Bolden ordered Herman’s federal sentence to run concurrently with his state sentence.

The DEA’s HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, and Stratford Police Departments.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, that WILLIAM McNEILLY, 56, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to charges related to his operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business.

According to court documents and statements made in court, McNeilly owned and operated Global Income Marketplace LLC (“GIM”) from a storefront in West Haven.  According to its Connecticut state registration, GIM was engaged in “website builders programming tech computer repairs and upgrades.”  McNeilly and another individual also operated Global NuMedia LLC (“GNM”), a limited liability company registered in Delaware.  McNeilly, who never obtained a license from the Connecticut Department of Banking to engage in the business of money transmission, opened up several bank accounts in the names of GIM and GNM, and a cryptocurrency exchange account in the name of GNM, and used the accounts to operate a business through which he exchanged customers’ cash, checks, and money orders for cryptocurrency, charging a fee for the service.

Between approximately July 2019 and June 2022, McNeilly exchanged more than $1 million in U.S. currency for cryptocurrency on behalf of customers throughout the U.S.  McNeilly knew that some of the funds involved in his illegal business were derived from fraud schemes, and the investigation revealed that cashiers checks from victims of romance fraud schemes were mailed to GIM and deposited into GIM accounts.

In February 2021, McNeilly was contacted by TD Bank and told that a $10,000 wire transfer to GNM was reported as fraudulent, and that he needed a license to operate a money transmission business.  Despite the warning, and that TD Bank closed the GIM and GNM accounts, McNeilly continued to operate his money transmission business through other GIM and GNM bank accounts. 

McNeilly pleaded guilty to one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and three counts of making illegal money transactions, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count.

McNeilly was arrested on June 6, 2024.  He is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for October 20.

This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.

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 LUIS PETERSON ROHR FERREIRA BORGES, 24, a citizen of Brazil, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with offenses related to his assaulting federal officers during his arrest.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, Ferreira Borges has a case pending in Connecticut Superior Court stemming from an arrest on September 16, 2023.  In that case, he is charged with assault of public safety, emergency medical, public transit or health care personnel; assault in the third degree; breach of peace in the second degree; interfering with an officer; and intimidation based on bigotry or bias in the first degree.  On October 10, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) issued an arrest warrant for Ferreira Borges charging him with being present in the United States in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

It is further alleged that on January 28, 2025, officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), located and attempted to apprehend Ferreira Borges in Hartford, but he fled in his vehicle.  Two ERO officers pushed themselves off the vehicle to avoid being run over.  Ferreira Borges then drove on a sidewalk and nearly hit a bystander before fleeing the scene.

It is further alleged that on June 7, 2025, federal law enforcement officers made another attempt to arrest Ferreira Borges pursuant to the DHS warrant in East Hartford.  Ferreira Borges led the officers on a lengthy foot chase before entering his vehicle, which had a license plate registered to another vehicle.  Ferreira Borges fled the scene, hitting a law enforcement vehicle with his car as he drove away.

It is further alleged that federal law enforcement officers apprehended Ferreira Borges in the area of Zion Street in Hartford on June 25, 2025.  Ferreira Borges was non-compliant and resisted arrest.  After being placed in a government vehicle, he kicked, flailed, and screamed obscenities at ERO officers.  As the vehicle traveled to the federal building on Main Street in Hartford, Ferreira Borges started to bite one ERO officer who tried to control him, and spit on a second ERO officer who was driving the vehicle.

Ferreira Borges is charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of eight years, and with influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of six years.

Ferreira Borges, who has been detained since his arrest, appeared yesterday 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 each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.

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, today announced that DARWIN FRANCISCO QUITUIZACA-DUCHITANGA, also known as Darwin Duchitanga-Quituizaca and Juan Mendez-Gutierrez, 39, 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 December 2003, Quituizaca, using an alias of Juan Mendez-Gutierrez, was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol.  He was issued a voluntary return to Mexico after he claimed to be a citizen of Mexico.

It is further alleged that in March 2018, the Connecticut State Police arrested and charged Quituizaca, under the alias Darwin Duchitanga-Quituizaca, with charges related to a fatal motor vehicle accident on I-91 in North Haven in March 2017.  On August 30, 2018, ICE encountered Quituizaca in Meriden and arrested him on an administrative warrant while he was at liberty awaiting trial in his state case.  In September 2018, an immigration judge ordered Quituizaca removed from the U.S. to Ecuador, but he was subsequently transferred to state custody to face his pending charges.  In January 2019, Quituizaca was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court of manslaughter second degree and sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment.  He was subsequently released from state prison on an unknown date.  On August 15, 2023, ICE encountered and arrested Quituizaca on an administrative warrant of removal in Meriden.  He was removed to Ecuador in September 2023.

It is further alleged that Quituizaca illegally reentered the U.S.  On June 28, 2025, ICE arrested Quituizaca on an administrative warrant in Meriden.

Quituizaca, who has been detained since his arrest, appeared today in Hartford federal court.  If convicted of the charge of unlawful reentry, he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 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 (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel George

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 CARMELO CANCEL, also known as “Bebe,” 31, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for supplying cocaine to two Waterbury drug trafficking organizations.

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 was headed by Angel Quiros, also known as “Papa John,” and operated in the area of William Street, and the other was headed by Daniel Diaz-Rivera and 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.  Cancel supplied cocaine to both organizations, which worked together to further their operations.

Cancel, Quiros, Diaz-Rivera, and 14 other individuals were charged with federal offenses as a result of the investigation.  Cancel 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 April 23, 2025, Cancel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.  Released on $100,000 bond, he is required to report to prison on September 17.

Quiros and Diaz-Rivera pleaded guilty to related charges.  Quiros awaits sentencing and, on June 23, 2025, Diaz-Rivera was sentenced to 210 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 JOSE ANTONIO MOLINA-MONTALVO, 36, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 58 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a firearm offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 15, 2024, Molina-Montalvo sold a Harrington & Richardson 1871 INC. Handi Rifle, and 39 rounds of ammunition, to an individual for $300.

Molina-Montalvo’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for assault, possession with intent to sell narcotics, strangulation, harassment, burglary, and larceny.  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.

Molina-Montalvo has been detained since his arrest on unrelated state charges on October 21, 2024.  On March 28, 2025, he pleaded guilty in federal court to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan J. Guevremont 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 IXAVIER HOLMAN, JR., 34, of Secaucus, New Jersey, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to three years of probation, the first six months of which Holman must serve in home detention, for stealing mail from U.S. Postal Service collection boxes in New Haven and West Haven.  Judge Nagala also ordered Holman to perform 150 hours of community service.

According to court documents and statements made in court, at least eight times between December 2022 and June 2023, Holman used stolen mail collection box keys to steal mail from blue collection boxes at post offices located at 95 Fountain Street in New Haven, 589 Campbell Avenue in West Haven, and 844 Jones Hill Road in West Haven.

Holman was arrested on June 12, 2023, after he returned to the Fountain Street post office in West Haven and accessed the collection box in an attempt to steal mail.  At the time of his arrest, Holman possessed two mail collection box keys.  A search of his residence on that date revealed more than 3,000 pieces of stolen mail, USPS mail collection bins, and a credit card reader and embosser.  The stolen mail included thousands of checks and money orders, separated and organized by bank, with a face value of more than $1.5 million.

On November 20, 2024, Holman pleaded guilty to theft of mail.

This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the West Haven and New Haven Police Departments.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings.

Individuals who believe they are a victim of mail theft may file a complaint by calling 877-876-2455 or by visiting https://www.uspis.gov/report.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTIAN PICHARDO, also known as “Swerve,” “Craig,” and “Bobby Shmurda,” 30, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics in southwestern Connecticut.

According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department identified Pichardo as a significant distributor of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack, and narcotic pills in southwestern Connecticut.  During the investigation, investigators intercepted calls and text messages between Pichardo, his associates, and their drug customers over court-authorized wiretaps, made controlled purchases of narcotics, and seized drugs from Pichardo, his associates, and drug customers.  Some of the drugs seized during the investigation had been cut with fentanyl analogues and xylazine, a large animal tranquilizer.  The investigation also revealed that Pichardo maintained a residence on Norman Street in Bridgeport to store narcotics.

On July 17, 2024, a grand jury in Bridgeport returned a superseding indictment charging Pichardo and seven others with controlled substances offenses.

Pichardo has been detained since his arrest on August 5, 2024.  On April 3, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and quantities of cocaine, heroin, and other opioids.

This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and Kenneth L. Gresham 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 David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that OMAR RAJEH, 57, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 15 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for defrauding COVID-19 pandemic relief programs of more than $750,000.  Judge Underhill also ordered Rajeh to pay a $2,000 fine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, 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.  A second source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the distribution of Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”), through the SBA, which provided working capital to eligible small businesses to meet operating expenses.

Rajeh maintained an ownership or management interest in a New Haven restaurant, Mediterranea LLC, and a hookah lounge, M. Café Inc.  Rajeh previously operated his restaurant under the name Al Amir LLC, but that entity was dissolved in 2018.  Al Amir LLC was reregistered with the State of Connecticut in July 2020 in order to apply for pandemic loan funding.

Between June 2020 and May 2021, Al Amir LLC, Mediterranea LLC, and M. Café Inc., sought and received approximately $1,057,244 in PPP and EIDL funding.  Rajeh’s accountant, Yasir Hamed, prepared financial filings for his various entities and was involved in the preparation of fraudulent paperwork to obtain the funding.  The loan applications fraudulently misrepresented that Al Amir LLC was in operation in February 2020; included false employee, monthly payroll, and business revenue information; included copies of false IRS forms; and contained other false information.

Rajeh used a majority of the funds for personal and family expenses, some of which he sent overseas; to purchase a property in North Haven; and for general business expenses.  He also kicked back approximately 10 percent of the loan funding he received to Hamed. 

Rajeh has agreed to pay $758,279 in restitution, which reflects the amount he acknowledged knowing was obtained by fraud.  The government has agreed not to pursue the return of $298,965 in PPP funds that Rajeh received for his true restaurant business.

On December 20, 2023, Rajeh pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of engaging in illegal monetary transactions.  He is required to report to prison on October 1.

On May 9, 2025, Hamed pleaded guilty to related charges.  He awaits 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.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JOSHUWA DIAZ, 34, of Bridgeport, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Diaz was arrested on February 16, 2024, after a court-authorized search of his apartment on Orange Street in New Haven revealed approximately 75 grams of fentanyl, 278 grams of cocaine, 47 grams of crack cocaine, and a loaded P80 handgun with no serial number (“ghost gun”).

On February 11, 2025, Diaz pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base (“crack”), and fentanyl.

Diaz, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on September 10.

In April 2013, Diaz was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 78 months of imprisonment for distributing heroin.

This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force, which includes members from the DEA, 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 was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. Keefe.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DEVARO TAYLOR, 35, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 28 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2020, the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and New Haven Police Department conducted an investigation into narcotics trafficking and related criminal activity in and around New Haven.  Between September and December 2020, investigators made controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Taylor.  A court-authorized wiretap of Taylor’s phone revealed that he sold powder and crack cocaine to numerous drug customers in New Haven.

Taylor was arrested on January 26, 2021.  On that date, a search of his residence revealed approximately 124 grams of cocaine, approximately 226 grams of crack cocaine, and $6,702 in cash.

On December 7, 2021, Taylor pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”).

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile 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 HERNAN AYALA, 33, of Manchester, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to child exploitation offenses related to his sexual abuse of a minor.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2024, the Manchester Police Department received a complaint that a minor female had been sexually abused by Ayala.  The minor female reported that Ayala had engaged in sexual conduct with her for more than eight years, and that Ayala had recorded his sexual abuse of her on his cellphone.  On that date, investigators searched Ayala’s residence and seized several electronic devices, including his iPhone.  Analysis of the seized phone revealed numerous videos and images of Ayala engaging in sexual conduct with the minor victim.

Ayala pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.  He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver on September 30.

Ayala has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on March 9, 2024.

This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Manchester Police Department, the Glastonbury Police Department, and the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney’s Offices for the Judicial Districts of Hartford and Tolland for their cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.

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, today announced that MERCER (US), LLC, a consulting company with an office in Hartford, has entered into a civil settlement agreement and paid more than $450,000 to resolve allegations that it overbilled the Defense Health Agency for work performed by certain employees and subcontractors billed at rates higher than their educational backgrounds or experience levels permitted.

The Defense Health Agency (“DHA”) manages TRICARE’s health benefits program for servicemembers and their families.  Prior to developing and implementing DHA’s supporting managed care support and pharmacy services contracts, DHA sought subject matter expertise from outside of the Department of Defense to ensure beneficiaries receive high quality care.  Specifically, DHA competitively sought offers for Health Plan Innovative Support (“HPIS”) services from vendors under the General Services Administration’s (“GSA”) Professional Services Schedule (“PSS”).

In approximately April 2020, DHA and Mercer entered into a Blanket Purchase Agreement (“BPA”) for HPIS services.  DHA also awarded HPIS Task 1 to Mercer.  Under this task order, Mercer would provide qualified personnel with subject matter expertise relevant to the design of TRICARE programs.  The BPA included labor categories that identified the education and experience qualifications, and associated hourly billing rate, for the personnel working under the BPA.  Each month, Mercer invoiced DHA for labor expended under the BPA at hourly billing rates commensurate to the employees’ (or subcontractor employees’) designated labor categories and the education and experience associated with those labor categories.

The government contends that, from May 7, 2020, through August 2, 2023, Mercer billed DHA for the efforts of 11 employees working under the BPA at labor rates for which those employees did not have the requisite educational background or experience levels.  Mercer investigated and disclosed to the government these incorrect contract billings.  To resolve claims arising under the Contract Disputes Act and the common law theories of breach of contract, payment by mistake, and unjust enrichment, Mercer paid the government $456,796.50.

This investigation was conducted by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service with assistance from the Defense Contract Audit Agency Operations Investigative Support Division.  This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Gruber.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KYLE PETERSEN, 39, of Newington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 138 months of imprisonment for trafficking narcotic pills and for violating the conditions of his supervised release that followed a prior federal conviction.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2023, members of the DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad began investigating suspicious packages that were being delivered to Petersen’s Newington residence.  At the time, Petersen was on federal supervised release following a federal conviction in 2017 involving the trafficking of fentanyl and prescription pills.  During the investigation, a court-authorized search of a package mailed to Petersen contained more than 400 grams of pills containing Protonitazene, a synthetic opioid typically more potent than fentanyl.  The investigation revealed that Petersen had received approximately 34 similar packages mailed from the same source in Michigan, and also received approximately 46 packages from California and Oregon suspected to contain multiple pounds of marijuana.  Investigators also made controlled purchases of counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl from Petersen’s brother, Erik Peterson.

Kyle and Erik Petersen were arrested on federal criminal complaints on April 3, 2024.  On that date, a search of Kyle Petersen’s residence revealed more than a kilogram of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, counterfeit Xanax pills, a large quantity of Protonitazene, approximately 40 grams of cocaine, and $76,650 in cash.

Kyle Petersen has been detained since his arrest.  On April 2, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and Protonitazine.  He also agreed to the forfeiture of the cash seized from his residence, an additional $57,530 in cash seized from a bank account, and a 2014 Porsche Cayenne.

Judge Dooley sentenced Kyle Petersen to 120 months of imprisonment for this offense and a consecutive 18 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.

Erik Petersen, of New Britain, pleaded guilty to a related charge and, on April 29, 2025, was sentenced to 43 months of imprisonment.

This matter was investigated by the DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the New Britain and Newington Police Departments.  The Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hamden, West Haven, Fairfield, Seymour, and Glastonbury Police Departments.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. Keefe.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Labor Racketeering and Fraud, Northeast Region, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an eight-count indictment charging GEORGE DAVIS TELFORD, JR., 36, of Tolland, with tax and fraud offenses.

As alleged in the indictment, Telford created bogus trust entities in an effort to obtain fraudulent refunds from the IRS for purported tax overpayments to the trusts.  In 2019 and 2020, Telford filed five false federal tax returns claiming approximately $6.2 million in refunds purportedly owed by the IRS.  The IRS paid Telford one refund of $564,758 for a tax return he filed for the 2018 tax year on behalf of the “Telford Asset Family Trust.”

The indictment further alleges that in 2022 and 2023, Telford also engaged in a scheme to defraud the Connecticut Department of Labor (“CT DOL”) of unemployment insurance benefits purportedly to compensate displaced workers of an entity called “High Class Grads LLC,” which he purported to own.  Telford submitted and caused to be submitted fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance benefits, one in his name and two for other third parties, claiming that the individuals had earned wages from High Class Grads and had been laid off from the company.  In fact, High Class Grads did not employ these individuals and had not paid them any wages.  As a result of these claims, CT DOL paid out $48,792 in fraudulent benefits. 

The indictment charges Telford with five counts of making and subscribing a false tax return, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years on each count, and with three counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan 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.

Telford is currently incarcerated in state custody for unrelated alleged criminal conduct.

This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Levick and Susan Wines.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HUGO IVAN RAMIREZ-BELLOZO, 35, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment for a fentanyl trafficking offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, 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.  Ramirez-Bellozo, Del Orbe, and others were present in the apartment at the time of the search.

Ramirez-Bellozo has been detained since his arrest on November 16, 2022.  On November 21, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

Ramirez-Bellozo faces removal proceedings when he completes his prison term.

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

This investigation has been 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.

The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.

Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut contributed significantly to an investigation dubbed “Operation Gold Rush” (see additional information below).  As alleged in the forfeiture complaint, a transnational criminal organization based in Russia and elsewhere used straw purchasers to buy small durable medical equipment (DME) companies located in the U.S.  After acquiring the companies and their billing information, they used stolen Medicare patient information to bill Medicare for billions of dollars of DME that was not provided.  The forfeiture action stemmed from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Marshals Service into health care fraud from a company named Medical Home Care, based in Bethel, Connecticut.  After it was purchased for $400,000 by a company operated by a Czech national in March 2023, Medical Home Care submitted more than $152,000 in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other organizations.  Money from Medical Home Care was sent to Malaysia and Hong Kong.  As the investigation expanded, 28 bank accounts associated with a variety of companies and containing more than $17 million were seized by law enforcement.  The civil forfeiture proceeding is being prosecuted by Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section Trial Attorneys Emily Cohen and Chelsea Rooney, and by Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Nelson of the District of Connecticut.

“Operation Gold Rush revealed a breathtaking exploitation of important federal and private health care programs, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut is gratified to be working to recover millions of dollars in stolen funds,” said David X. Sullivan, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.  “Civil asset forfeiture is a critical tool that permits the government to recover money from bad actors all over the world, especially when criminal prosecution proves more difficult.  While the Justice Department continues to pursue those responsible for these health care fraud schemes, we and our law enforcement partners will use our skill and resources to identify and seize bank accounts in order to make their crimes significantly less profitable.”

Also in the District of Connecticut, on June 23, 2025, Michele Rene Luzzi Muzyka, 60, of Cheshire, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging her with unlawful distribution of controlled substances and making false statements in connection with health care matters.  The complaint alleges that Muzyka, an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), unlawfully distributed amphetamines and benzodiazepines to individuals who did not have a legitimate medical need.  Muzyka charged patients $200 in cash for visits in which she prescribed Schedule II and IV controlled substances, including to an undercover agent who posed as a Medicaid beneficiary.  Muzyka declined to accept the undercover agent’s Medicaid plan and instead charged her $200 cash fee.  Medicaid paid $257.58 for the unlawful prescriptions written for the undercover agent.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Boyles.

Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.

“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”

"As part of making healthcare accessible and affordable to all Americans, HHS will aggressively work with our law enforcement partners to eliminate the pervasive health care fraud that bedeviled this agency under the former administration and drove up costs,” said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the Department of Health and Human Services.

“The Criminal Division is intensely committed to rooting out health care fraud schemes and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate them because these schemes: (1) often result in physical patient harm through medically unnecessary treatments or failure to provide the correct treatments; (2) contribute to our nationwide opioid epidemic and exacerbate controlled substance addiction; and (3) do all of that while stealing money hardworking Americans contribute to pay for the care of their elders and other vulnerable citizens,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices stand united with our law enforcement partners in this fight, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the American people.”

“Health care fraud drains critical resources from programs intended to help people who truly need medical care,” said Director Kash Patel of the FBI. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who exploit the system for personal gain. With more than $13 billion in fraud uncovered, this is the largest takedown for this initiative to date. Together, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those accountable who steal from the American people and undermine our health care systems.”

Transnational Criminal Organizations

29 defendants were charged for their roles in transnational criminal organizations alleged to have submitted over $12 billion in fraudulent claims to America’s health insurance programs.

For instance, a nationwide investigation known as Operation Gold Rush resulted in the largest loss amount ever charged in a health care fraud case brought by the Department. These charges were announced in the Eastern District of New York, the Northern District of Illinois, the Central District of California, the Middle District of Florida, and the District of New Jersey against 19 defendants. Twelve of these defendants have been arrested, including four defendants who were apprehended in Estonia as a result of international cooperation with Estonian law enforcement and seven defendants who were arrested at U.S. airports and the U.S. border with Mexico, cutting off their intended escape routes as they attempted to avoid capture.

The organization allegedly used a network of foreign straw owners, including individuals sent into the United States from abroad, who, acting at the direction of others using encrypted messaging and assumed identities from overseas, strategically bought dozens of medical supply companies located across the United States. They then rapidly submitted $10.6 billion in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare for urinary catheters and other durable medical equipment by exploiting the stolen identities of over one million Americans spanning all 50 states and using their confidential medical information to submit the fraudulent claims. As alleged, the organization exploited the U.S. financial system by laundering the fraudulent proceeds and deploying a range of tactics to circumvent anti-money laundering controls to transfer funds into cryptocurrency and shell companies located abroad. The arrests announced today also include a banker who facilitated the money laundering of fraud proceeds on behalf of the organization through a U.S.-based bank.

The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team and its partners detected the anomalous billing through proactive data analytics, and HHS-OIG and CMS successfully prevented the organization from receiving all but approximately $41 million of the approximately $4.45 billion that was scheduled to be paid by Medicare. HHS and CMS intend to seek to return the $4.41 billion in escrow to the Medicare trust fund for needed medical care. The scheme nonetheless resulted in payments of approximately $900 million from Medicare supplemental insurers. To date, law enforcement has seized approximately $27.7 million in fraud proceeds as part of Operation Gold Rush.

In another action involving foreign influence, charges were filed in the Northern District of Illinois against five defendants, including two owners and executives of Pakistani marketing organizations, in connection with a $703 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries’ identification numbers and other confidential health information were allegedly obtained through theft and deceptive marketing. The defendants allegedly used artificial intelligence to create fake recordings of Medicare beneficiaries purportedly consenting to receive certain products. According to court documents, the beneficiaries’ confidential information was then illegally sold to laboratories and durable medical equipment companies, which used this unlawfully obtained and fraudulently generated data to submit false claims to Medicare. Certain defendants controlled dozens of nominee-owned durable medical equipment companies and laboratories that allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for products and services the beneficiaries did not request, need, or receive. Certain defendants also allegedly conspired to conceal and launder the fraud proceeds from bank accounts they controlled in the United States to bank accounts overseas. In total, the defendants caused approximately $703 million in alleged fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, which paid approximately $418 million on those claims. The government seized approximately $44.7 million from various bank accounts related to this case.

Finally, a defendant based in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates who owned a billing company allegedly orchestrated a scheme to prey upon vulnerable individuals in need of addiction treatment by conspiring with treatment center owners to fraudulently bill Arizona Medicaid approximately $650 million for substance abuse treatment services. According to court documents, some of the services billed were never provided, while other services were provided at a level that was so substandard that it failed to serve any treatment purpose. As part of the conspiracy, treatment center owners allegedly paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for the referral of patients recruited from the homeless population and Native American reservations. The defendant received at least $25 million of ill-gotten Arizona Medicaid funds as a result of the conspiracy and is charged with a money laundering offense for his alleged use of those funds to purchase a $2.9 million home located on a golf estate in Dubai.

Fraudulent Wound Care

Charges were filed in the District of Arizona and the District of Nevada against seven defendants, including five medical professionals, in connection with approximately $1.1 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health care benefit programs for amniotic wound allografts. As alleged, certain defendants targeted vulnerable elderly patients, many of whom were receiving hospice care, and applied medically unnecessary amniotic allografts to these patients’ wounds. Many of the allografts allegedly were applied without coordination with the patients’ treating physicians, without proper treatment for infection, to superficial wounds that did not need this treatment, and to areas that far exceeded the size of the wound. Certain defendants allegedly received millions in illegal kickbacks from the fraudulent billing scheme.

“Today's unprecedented enforcement action demonstrates that CMS and our federal partners are united in our mission to protect the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid by crushing waste, fraud, and abuse," said Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz of CMS. "Every dollar we prevent from going to fraudsters is a dollar that stays in the system to serve legitimate beneficiaries. Through advanced data analytics, real-time monitoring, and swift administrative action, CMS is leading the fight to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and the trust Americans place in these vital programs. We're not waiting for fraud to happen—we're stopping it before it starts."

Prescription Opioid Trafficking

74 defendants, including 44 licensed medical professionals, were charged across 58 cases in connection with the alleged illegal diversion of over 15 million pills of prescription opioids and other controlled substances. For example, five defendants associated with one Texas pharmacy were charged with the unlawful distribution of over 3 million opioid pills. As alleged, the defendants conspired to distribute massive quantities of oxycodone, hydrocodone, and carisoprodol, which were subsequently trafficked by street-level drug dealers, generating large profits for the defendants. This coordinated action is a continuation of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s systematic approach to stopping drug trafficking organizations and their pharmaceutical wholesale suppliers, which together have fueled an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse for nearly a decade.

DEA also announced today that in the last six months, DEA charged 93 administrative cases seeking the revocation of pharmacies, medical practitioners, and companies authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances.

“Health care fraud isn’t just theft — it’s trafficking in trust. Today’s announcement shows that when doctors become drug dealers and treatment centers become profit-driven fraud rings, DEA will act,” said Acting Administrator Robert Murphy of the DEA. “We’re targeting the entire ecosystem of fraud — from pill mills in Texas to kickback clinics exploiting Native communities. If you abuse your medical license to push poison or pad your pockets, we will hold you accountable.”

Telemedicine and Genetic Testing Fraud

In today’s Takedown, 49 defendants were charged in connection with the submission of over $1.17 billion in allegedly fraudulent claims to Medicare resulting from telemedicine and genetic testing fraud schemes. For example, in the Southern District of Florida, prosecutors charged an owner of telemedicine and durable medical equipment companies with a $46 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries were allegedly targeted through deceptive telemarketing campaigns and then fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare for durable medical equipment and genetic tests for these beneficiaries. The Department continues to focus on eliminating health care fraud schemes that depend on telemedicine, including schemes involving fraudulent claims for genetic testing, durable medical equipment, and COVID-19 tests.

Other Health Care Fraud Schemes

The other cases announced today charge an additional 170 defendants with various other health care fraud schemes involving over $1.84 billion in allegedly false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies for diagnostic testing, medical visits, and treatments that were medically unnecessary, provided in connection with kickbacks and bribes, or never provided at all. For example, in the Western District of Tennessee, prosecutors charged three defendants, including business owners and a pharmacist, with a $28.7 million scheme to defraud the Federal Employees’ Compensation Fund by allegedly billing for medications for injured United States Postal Service employees that were never prescribed by a licensed practitioner and largely were not dispensed as claimed. And in the Western District of Washington and the Northern District of California, prosecutors charged medical providers with allegedly stealing fentanyl and hydrocodone, respectively, that was meant for the providers’ patients, including child patients in need of anesthesia.

“VA’s Integrated Veteran Care Programs provide critical community-based health care to our nation’s disabled veterans and their dependents,” said Acting Inspector General David Case of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG). “Robust oversight of VA’s health care system is one of VA-OIG’s highest priorities. VA-OIG is committed to holding accountable those who defraud government benefits programs intended to care for our nation’s heroes.”

Breaking Down Silos in the Fight Against Health Care Fraud

In connection with the coordinated nationwide law enforcement operation, the Department is announcing that it is working closely with HHS-OIG, FBI, and other agencies to create a Health Care Fraud Data Fusion Center to bring together experts from the Department’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section, Health Care Fraud Unit Data Analytics Team; HHS-OIG; FBI; and other agencies to leverage cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics to identify emerging health care fraud schemes. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team was established in 2018 to enhance the Unit’s ability to detect, investigate, and prosecute complex health care fraud schemes. Joining forces with data analysts from HHS-OIG, FBI, and other partners will increase efficiency, detection, and rapid prosecution of emerging health care fraud schemes. It will also implement the President’s Executive Order Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos (Exec. Order No. 14243, 3 C.F.R. 294 (2025)) by reducing duplicative data teams, increasing operational efficiency through a whole-of-government approach, and leveraging cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and other agency resources.

Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster, Assistant Deputy Chief Rebecca Yuan, Trial Attorney Miriam L. Glaser Dauermann, and Data Analyst Elizabeth Nolte, all of the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, led and coordinated this year’s Takedown. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges.

In addition to FBI, HHS-OIG, DEA, and CMS, HSI, VA-OIG, IRS Criminal Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Labor, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies participated in the operation. The Medicaid Fraud Control Units of California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin also participated in the investigation of many of the federal and state cases announced today.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Forces. Prior to the charges announced as part of today’s nationwide Takedown and since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which operates in 27 districts, charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers more than $27 billion.

An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

*****

The following materials related to today’s announcement are available on the Health Care Fraud Unit’s website through these links:

•  Graphics and Resources

•  Case Descriptions

•  Court Documents 

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TERRELL KIMBLE, 45, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to an offense stemming from a scheme to defraud Amazon.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Kimble was employed by Amazon as a Regional Fleet Specialist and an Area Manager, based in Connecticut.  Amazon operated an employee reward program called Peak, administered through a procurement portal called Coupa.  Coupa allowed certain employees, including Area Managers, to reward other employees on their work team for superior performance by ordering an item from Amazon for the employee at no cost.  Between approximately July 2021 and December 2022, Kimble placed at least 196 Coupa orders fraudulently representing that they were to reward employee performance, but had the products, mainly high-end electronic goods, delivered to his mother’s residence for his own use.  The electronic items included Apple iPad Pro, Apple AirPods Pro, and Apple Watch devices, and Nintendo Switches.

Kimble was arrested on August 15, 2024.

Kimble pleaded guilty to wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  He is released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.

This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, with the assistance of the Windsor, West Hartford, and Hartford Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERT AMATRUDA, also known as “Bubba” and “Spanky,” 41, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a DEA New Haven Task Force and Waterbury Police Department-led investigation into drug trafficking in and around the city of Waterbury.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, and motor vehicle stops that resulted in the seizure of drugs and cash proceeds, revealed that Jose Duprey, also known as “Red” and “Colorado,” trafficked kilogram-quantities of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl.  Duprey used his place of employment to supply narcotics to other drug distributors, and he used his girlfriend’s business, located on Straits Turnpike in Middlebury, to store narcotics and other items.

During the wiretap, Amatruda was intercepted numerous times speaking with Duprey to arrange narcotics transactions.  Amatruda purchased cocaine from Duprey to distribute to others, and sometimes provided Duprey with cocaine.

Amatruda, Duprey and 12 other individuals identified during this investigation were arrested on May 25, 2022.  On that date, a search of Duprey’s Waterbury residence and his Middlebury stash location revealed approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of heroin, two kilograms of fentanyl, and more than $107,000 in cash.

On July 31, 2023, Amatruda pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

Duprey, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty to related charges and, on March 26, 2024, was sentenced to 141 months of imprisonment for this offense and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal narcotics trafficking conviction.

This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of DEA offices in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Connecticut State Police; Connecticut Department of Correction; Connecticut State Parole; and the Naugatuck, Ansonia, West Haven, Meriden and East Haven Police Departments.

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Nathaniel J. Gentile 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, U.S. Attorney of the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER JESUS CONSTANZO, 23, of Torrington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 300 months of imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for his sexual exploitation of three different minors, including the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl, the enticement and sexual assault of another 16-year old girl, and the production of child pornography involving a 17-year-old girl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 2, 2021, at approximately 7:27 a.m., Constanzo and a 16-year-old female arrived by car at the U.S. Port of Entry at Highgate Springs, Vermont.  Just prior to their arrival, officials at the St-Armand/Philipsburg Border Crossing in Canada had refused Constanzo and the minor victim entry into Canada.  After U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) officers separated Constanzo from the minor victim, the victim reported that she met Constanzo the night before at Stillwater Pond State Park in Torrington.  Constanzo then sexually assaulted the minor victim, forced her into the trunk of her car, restrained her with a shoelace, and began driving.  At some point during the night, Constanzo removed the minor victim from the trunk and sexually assaulted her again.  As they neared the Canadian border, Constanzo had the minor victim sit in the front passenger seat of the car.  Constanzo instructed her to “act normal” and “go along with the story.”  Constanzo then told Canadian Border Services Agency officials that the minor victim was his sister and they intended to go into Canada for four days to visit friends.  However, due to their lack of COVID tests, Constanzo and the minor victim were denied entry into Canada.  Constanzo was arrested by CBP on December 2, 2021.

In July 2021, Constanzo used SnapChat to coerce a 16-year-old female to go to an abandoned warehouse in Torrington to record herself having sex with Constanzo, and, posing as two fictitious individuals on SnapChat, he threatened to kill the minor victim and kill her boyfriend if she did not comply.  At the warehouse, Constanzo sexually assaulted the minor victim at knifepoint.

Also in July 2021, Constanzo used his iPhone to record sexually explicit Facetime videos of a 17-year-old female. 

Constanzo has been detained since his arrest.  On February 22, 2025, he pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and, as part of his plea agreement, admitted his conduct against all three victims. 

State charges against Constanzo are pending.

This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Vermont State Police, the Chittenden County (Vt.) Sheriff’s Office, and the Torrington Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford and Neeraj N. Patel.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont and the State’s Attorney for the Litchfield Judicial District for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of 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.

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 CARLOS INESTI, 29, of West Haven, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with child exploitation offenses.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in April 2025, the FBI arrested an individual in Utah for possession of child pornography.  Analysis of a cell phone seized during the investigation revealed videos involving an adult male, subsequently determined to be Inesti, engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a toddler-aged girl.  The investigation revealed that Inesti had recorded the videos and shared them through the Telegram application.

Inesti appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and was released on a $100,000 bond into home detention with location monitoring.  He is prohibited from accessing the internet and having any contact with minors.

The complaint charges Inesti with sexual exploitation of children, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 year, and with distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and 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 a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s New Haven and Salt Lake City Field Offices, with the assistance of the West Haven Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull.

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 JILL MULLIGAN, 45, of North Stonington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking crystal meth.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in April and May 2023, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force made three controlled purchases of crystal meth from Mulligan.  Mulligan was arrested on May 4, 2023.  At the time of her arrest, searches of Mulligan’s North Stonington residence and her vehicle revealed approximately 390 grams of crystal meth, and quantities of crack cocaine, LSD, and prescription pills.

On November 1, 2023, Mulligan pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  She has been detained since March 12, 2025, when her bond was revoked.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Durham.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Wallingford Police Chief John Ventura today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging BRANDT MENDELSON, 30, of Danbury, with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.

The indictment was returned on June 17, 2025, and Mendelson was arrested yesterday.  He was released on a $100,000 bond. 

As alleged in the indictment and statements made in court, on January 18, 2025, Wallingford Police stopped a vehicle Mendelson was driving and arrested him for driving under the influence.  At the time of his arrest, Mendelson possessed numerous counterfeit Adderall pills that contained methamphetamine and were packaged to be shipped through the U.S. Mail.

If convicted of the charge, Mendelson faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years

U.S. Attorney Sullivan 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 and the Wallingford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHEVON GRANT, 28, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a firearm offense stemming from a gang-related shootout.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 18, 2022, after an unidentified shooter who is suspected of being a member of a rival gang opened fire at individuals who were standing in a parking lot outside of a memorial gathering at a party venue on Main Street in Hartford, surveillance cameras at the location recorded at least nine individuals drawing firearms, some of whom returned fire.  Shot Spotter technology recorded nearly 50 shots fired within approximately 90 seconds in and around the location, and law enforcement recovered at least 31 shell casings from the scene.  Grant was present at the memorial gathering and was recorded on surveillance videos brandishing a handgun.

Following the shooting, Hartford Police obtained a warrant for Grant’s arrest in relation to the April 18 shootout.  At the time, Grant was also subject to two additional state arrest warrants for other alleged offenses.  On May 7, 2022, officers encountered Grant in the driver’s seat of a parked vehicle, retrieved a loaded Ruger P90 .45 firearm from beneath the driver’s seat, and took Grant into custody.

Grant’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for robbery and larceny 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.

On October 11, 2024, Grant pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

Grant is detained in state custody, and state charges against him are pending.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Hartford Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and John T. Pierpont, Jr.

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

This case is part of 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, today announced that SEAN SAYER, 22, of Naugatuck, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with child exploitation offenses.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on March 20, 2025, an eight-year-old boy (“the minor victim”) in Oregon contacted Sayer by text message and asked Sayer if he was @fornight_legends on TikTok.  Sayer responded affirmatively and, over the next three days, exchanged with the minor victim more than 1,300 messages in which Sayer repeatedly and aggressively demanded sexually explicit images and videos of the minor victim in exchange for playing Fortnite with him online.  The minor victim sent Sayer at least 15 videos constituting child sexual abuse material or child pornography.

Sayer was arrested on June 18, 2025.  It is alleged that a preliminary forensic review of Sayer’s cellphone has revealed screenshots of Snapchat conversations Sayer had with dozens of additional minor victims who Sayer coerced or enticed to send him sexually explicit photos of themselves.

Sayer appeared today for a bond hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven.  He was released on a $150,000 bond into home detention with location monitoring, and is prohibited from accessing the internet and communicating with, and having contact with, minors.

The complaint charges Sayer with production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of 30 years of imprisonment; coercion and enticement of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life; receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and transfer of obscene material to a minor, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

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 the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, with the assistance of the Eugene (Ore.) Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary G. Vitale.

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, Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, and Harry Chavis, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that TONY STERLIN CANTAVE, 45, of Shelton, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven for defrauding a COVID-19 pandemic relief program.

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 distribution of Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”), through the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”), which provided working capital to eligible small businesses to meet operating expenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2020, Cantave applied for EIDL funding through the SBA.  The application contained a number of materially false statements, including that the business for which Cantave sought the loan, Arbitrage 1 Media, was an ongoing, legitimate business involved in the limousine and transportation business, and that he was not more than 60 days delinquent in his child support obligations.  After the SBA reviewed and approved the fraudulent EIDL application, Cantave received $96,200.  He then used the proceeds from the loan to pay for personal and non-business expenses, including $16,607.26 to pay off an automobile loan.

Cantave pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government money and one count of making an illegal monetary transaction.  Each charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

Cantave has agreed to pay $104,176.21 in restitution.

Cantave is released pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.

Cantave has two prior federal convictions.  In December 1999, he was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 18 months of imprisonment for a firearm offense, and in February 2015, he was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 13 months of imprisonment for his participation in a U.S. Postal Service money order fraud scheme.

This investigation has been conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.

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.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HENRY MENESES JR., 32, of New Britain, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to a fentanyl trafficking offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, a Drug Enforcement Administration Hartford Task Force investigation revealed that Meneses was selling large quantities of fentanyl in the Hartford area.  On January 6, 2025, Meneses distributed 6,000 dose bags of fentanyl to an individual who had driven from Vermont to pick up the drugs.  On February 25, 2025, investigators made a controlled purchase of 3,000 dose bags of fentanyl from Meneses on Franklin Avenue in Hartford.

Meneses was arrested on March 25, 2025.  On that date, searches of his residence and vehicle revealed two handguns, five gun magazines, ammunition, and more than $6,000 in cash.

Meneses pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.  Judge Hall scheduled sentencing for September 16.

Meneses is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.

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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has assisted the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Durham 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 DANIEL DIAZ-RIVERA, also known as “Danny,” “Lupin,” “Lupito,” and “L,” 33, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 210 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for heading a Waterbury drug trafficking organization.

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 was headed by Angel Quiros, also known as “Papa John,” and operated in the area of William Street, and the other was headed by Diaz-Rivera and 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.

The Diaz-Rivera organization sold crack and fentanyl all hours of the day and night outside of a bodega on Maple Avenue in Waterbury.  Diaz-Rivera oversaw several shift bosses who, in turn, oversaw street-level distributors.  During the investigation, investigators made two controlled purchases of crack directly from Diaz-Rivera.  Diaz-Rivera used violence and threats to control others in connection with his drug distribution network.

Quiros, Diaz-Rivera, and 15 other individuals were charged with federal offenses as a result of the investigation.  Diaz-Rivera 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, including more than $13,000 that was found in Diaz-Rivera’s vehicle.

On January 24, 2025, Diaz-Rivera pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.  He has been detained since his arrest.

Quiros pleaded guilty to the same charge on February 11, 2025, and awaits sentencing.

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 two men were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven for offenses related to their distribution of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine and fentanyl, and fentanyl powder laced with xylazine.  MARKEYSE KELLY, also known as “Curry” and “Keyse,” 46, of West Haven, was sentenced to 138 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release, and JAQUAN PRICE, also known as “Sub,” 34, of New Haven, was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2023, the FBI New Haven Safe Streets Gang Task Force began investigating a drug trafficking organization led by Kelly.  The investigation, which included controlled purchases of narcotics in February and March 2024, revealed that Kelly, Price, and their associate Robert Covington sold various controlled substances, including multi-colored pills pressed to look like ecstasy that actually contained methamphetamine, counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, powder fentanyl laced with xylazine, and PCP.

Kelly, Price, and Covington were arrested on May 14, 2024.  On that date, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized more than a kilogram of methamphetamine pills, and an additional quantity of meth powder, more than 100 grams of fentanyl pills and powder, approximately 50 grams of cocaine, three handguns, two loaded gun magazines, ammunition, and more than $11,000 in cash.

On February 21, 2025, Kelly pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.  On March 21, 2025, Price pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Kelly and Price have been detained since their arrests.

In April 2015, Price was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 30 months of imprisonment for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

Covington pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

This matter has been investigated by the FBI New Haven Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the New Haven Police Department, the West Haven Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  The Task Force includes personnel from the East Haven Police Department, Milford Police Department, Wallingford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and Connecticut Department of Correction.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and Nathan Guevremont through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 ERNESTO RODRIGUEZ, JR., 31, formerly of East Hartford and currently residing in Tampa, Florida, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to a charge related to his theft of a U.S. Treasury check from the mail while working for the U.S. Postal Service.

According to court documents, in 2021, Rodriguez, while employed by the U.S. Postal Service as a mail carrier in Glastonbury, was asked by an acquaintance to intercept federal tax refund checks that would be mailed to addresses on his mail carrier route.  After taking the checks, he would deliver them to an unknown individual in New York and be paid approximately $100 for each check.  Rodriguez gave his acquaintance information about his route so that refund checks could be sent to those addresses, and was subsequently provided with approximately 10 names and addresses for checks he was supposed to take from the mail.

In October 2021, Rodriguez stole a U.S. Treasury tax refund check in the amount of $4,943.17 from the mail before it was delivered to an address on his route.  On October 23, 2021, he deposited the check into his wife’s bank account.  On October 25, 2021, he transferred $4,500 from his wife’s account to his own bank account, and subsequently spent the money for personal use.

Rodriguez resigned from the U.S. Postal Service on October 23, 2021.  He told law enforcement that he only stole one check as part of this scheme.

Rodriguez pleaded guilty to theft of public money, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford on September 24, 2025.

Rodriguez is released on a $15,000 bond pending sentencing.

This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARLENIN VITO, 46, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to an offense stemming from multiple fraud schemes.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Vito was employed as Medicaid Coordinator at an assisted living facility (“Company A”) located in Stamford.  Vito’s responsibilities included assisting the residents in applying for nursing home level Medicaid reimbursements, monitoring the residents’ patient trust accounts, and ensuring compliance with Medicaid regulations.  She was also responsible for keeping journal entries for the residents’ trust accounts and to credit their accounts when funds were received, and for debiting patient accounts when payments were made on behalf of the residents or when cash was given to residents for incidental expenses.

Between approximately December 2019 and May 2021, Vito defrauded Company A and its residents by generating checks from Company A’s system, forging a fellow employee’s signature on the checks, negotiating the fraudulent checks purportedly to give the cash proceeds to certain residents, and keeping the cash for her own use.  Vito then made false entries into Company A’s accounting ledger by debiting the fraudulently obtained cash from the residents’ respective trust accounts.  Many of the residents were not healthy enough or mentally capable of tracking their own expenses or monitoring the balances of their own trust accounts.

In certain instances, Vito cancelled residents’ supplemental health insurance coverage, but continued to deduct funds from the trust accounts and took the funds for herself.  Also, when certain residents’ trust accounts were credited with Economic Impact Payments (“COVID-19 stimulus payments”), Vito took the funds for herself and then debited the residents’ accounts at a rate of approximately $60 a day until the stimulus funds were depleted.

During the scheme, Vito fraudulently negotiated approximately 500 checks, stealing approximately $310,820.  When she was confronted by family members of certain residents, Vito created and provided to those family members false account statements that misrepresented the balances in the residents’ trust accounts.

After she was terminated by Company A, Vito obtained employment as a bookkeeper and scheduler at an alarm company (“Company B”) located in White Plains, New York.  Vito stole from the company by making false representations about overtime for herself and her daughter, and by using company funds to order more than $10,000 worth of products to be delivered to her Waterbury residence.  Company B was defrauded of approximately $23,558 through these schemes.

After she was terminated by Company B, Vito was employed as a bookkeeper at a law firm in Hartford (“Company C”).  Vito took fraudulently generated checks drawn on Company C’s bank account and issued as “Pay to the Order of ‘Petty Cash, ’” forged the signature of an authorized employee on the checks, cashed the checks, and kept the funds for herself.  She then recorded the fraudulently negotiated checks in Company C’s books and records as “Petty Cash.”  Vito stole approximately $27,179 from Company C.

Vito pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  She is scheduled to be sentenced on September 10.

Vito is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing.

This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Stamford Police Department, Hartford Police Department, Ridgefield Police Department, and the Putnam County (N.Y.) Sheriff’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael S. McGarry and Nathan J. Guevremont.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging TIMEEK HEATH, 41, of Waterbury, with drug and firearm offenses.

The indictment was returned on June 4, 2025.  Heath appeared today in Hartford federal court, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for June 17.

As alleged in the indictment, on two occasions in August and September 2024, Heath distributed fentanyl.  Also, on September 5, 2024, Heath sold a Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber pistol to an individual he knew was a convicted felon.

It is further alleged that Heath’s criminal history includes felony convictions for manslaughter and larceny 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.

The indictment charges Heath with two counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count; one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years; one count of sale of a firearm by a prohibited person, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years; and one count of firearms trafficking, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.

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, and Harry Chavis, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that KAREN GASTON, 44, of East Granby, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in New Haven to offenses stemming from a scheme to defraud COVID-19 pandemic relief programs of more than $1.1 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.  The CARES Act also authorized SBA to distribute Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”), which provided working capital to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietors, to meet operating expenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2020, Gaston controlled certain entities including LNK, Elegant Clinical, Ruby Red LLC, and Diamond Shine LLC.  LNK and Diamond Shine LLC were operational, but shared resources and employees.  Ruby Red LLC had only one client and Gaston was its sole employee.   Elegant Clinical was no longer operational.  Beginning in approximately April 2020, Gaston submitted loan applications to the PPP and EIDL programs that falsely represented the status of the operations, resources, and employees of these entities.  She also filed loan applications at separate financial institutions in order to disguise the true nature of her criminal activity.

Specifically, Gaston’s loan applications falsely represented that her businesses were all active and operating concerns; falsely represented the number of employees and the amount of wages purportedly paid by the businesses; included copies of fraudulent tax returns and tax related documents; and falsely represented that a family member, used as an applicant on an application, was a part owner of one of her entities.

Gaston received $1,163,910 in PPP and EIDL loan funds through this scheme.  Instead of using the funds for payroll or other operating expenses, she spent the money on personal expenditures, including travel, food, luxury home goods, expensive jewelry, cars, and paying off her home mortgage.

Gaston pleaded guilty to wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and making illegal monetary transactions, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

Gaston has agreed to make full restitution.  She also has agreed to the forfeiture of a ring she purchased in July 2020 from the jeweler Harry Winston for $39,521.63.

Gaston is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.

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

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.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARTIN DELGADO, 30, of Newington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing narcotics.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 13, 2024, members of the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force conducted a court-authorized search of Delgado’s residence on Main Street in Newington and seized approximately 2,500 wax paper sleeves containing fentanyl, approximately 160 grams of loose fentanyl, approximately 21 grams of cocaine, narcotics packaging materials, and a loaded 9mm gun magazine.  Delgado, who fled on foot when officers arrived at his residence, was apprehended a short time later in West Hartford.  Investigators also located and seized a loaded 9mm handgun near Delgado’s residence that he discarded as he fled, and additional quantities of fentanyl and cocaine from Delgado’s vehicle.

The firearm had been reported stolen in 2019.

Delgado was charged with state offenses and released on bond.

Delgado has been detained since his federal arrest on August 2, 2024.  On February 11, 2025, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine.

This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, the Connecticut State Police, and the West Hartford Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Lembo and 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.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JORDAN FLYTHE, also known as “T,” 32, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to a fentanyl and cocaine trafficking offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 31, 2021, Flythe was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 36 months of imprisonment for distributing fentanyl and crack cocaine.  He was released from federal prison in September 2022.

In August 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and Middletown Police Department determined that Flythe was distributing fentanyl and other narcotics in Middletown.  Between August and November 2024, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from Flythe.  On December 18, 2024, a court authorized search of Flythe’s residence on Adelaide Street in Hartford revealed approximately 240 grams of fentanyl mixed with xylazine and other additives, and approximately 160 grams of cocaine.

Flythe pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.  A sentencing date is not scheduled.

Flythe has been detained since his arrest on March 6, 2025.

This investigation has been conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force, the Middletown Police Department, and the Hartford Police Department.  The 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 case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Durham.