District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A Wareham man has been indicted for allegedly possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Brandon Bendall, 49, was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography. He was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on May 2, 2028.

According to court documents, Bendall was allegedly a member of an online chat group in which members viewed and posted CSAM. During a search of Bendall’s residence and cell phone, approximately 9,400 images and videos of CSAM, including images of children as young as infants being sexually assaulted, were allegedly located.

The charges of receipt and possession of child pornography each provide for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Wareham, Marion and East Bridgewater Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced on May 30, 2025 in federal court in Boston for leading a large-scale drug trafficking organization (DTO) on the North Shore of Massachusetts. In November 2023, millions of doses of fentanyl and methamphetamine laced pills and powder with street value estimated to be over $7 million, were seized from a stash location and clandestine laboratory used by organization.

Emilo Garcia, a/k/a “Six,” 27, of Lynn, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 18 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In February 2025, Garcia pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, one count of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Garcia was charged in November 2023 along with co-conspirators Sebastien Bejin and Deiby Felix. The defendants were later indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2023.

In July 2023, an investigation into an overdose death in Salem led investigators to a DTO led by Garcia, Felix and Bejin. On Nov. 1, 2023, searches were conducted at four locations in Lynn that were identified as locations frequented by Garcia and Bejin. The searches resulted in what is believed to be, one of the largest single-location seizures of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Massachusetts and the region. The seizure included nine kilograms (20 pounds) of pink heart shaped fentanyl-laced pills pressed to look like candy. Additional narcotics and five firearms were also seized. During the course of the investigation over 75 kilograms (198 pounds) of fentanyl and methamphetamine was seized, along with multiple additional kilograms of cocaine and dozens of kilograms of cutting agents, including xylazine, that is used to adulterate controlled substances.

In total, an estimated eight million individual doses of fentanyl and methamphetamine laced pills and powder was seized. The street value is believed to be upwards of $8 million.
 

A search of Felix’s residence resulted in the seizure of more than three kilograms (6.6 pounds) of pressed pills containing methamphetamine and fentanyl and a firearm. A subsequent search of the residence also revealed a clandestine drug laboratory that had been built into a small room in the basement. Multiple industrial pill presses, mixing equipment and other manufacturing paraphernalia and equipment were also recovered.

In May 2025, Bejin was sentenced to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Felix pleaded guilty in February 2025 and is awaiting sentencing.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and the Lynn, Lynnfield and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – A Guatemalan man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for unlawful reentry.

Edilzar Morales-Barillas, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 29 months in prison. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In January 2025, Morales-Barillas pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry. Morales-Barillas was charged on July 31, 2024.

Morales-Barillas is a citizen of Guatemala who was deported from the United States on May 14, 2021. Sometime after his May 2021 removal, Morales-Barillas unlawfully reentered the United States. Immigration authorities became aware of Morales-Barillas’ unlawful presence in the United States on May 27, 2023, following his arrest for a fourth offense of operating under the influence of alcohol.  

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
 

BOSTON – A California man has been sentenced on May 30, 2025 in federal court in Boston for conspiracy to sell the illegal depressant, Etizolam, over the internet. One customer died as a result of ingesting Etizolam purchased from defendant’s website.

Paul Z. Lamberty, 52, of Folsom, Calif., was sentenced on May 30, 2025 by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In August 2024, Lamberty pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of the introduction of misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead.

Lamberty operated websites Encern.com and Ohmod.com and used those sites to sell the drug etizolam to customers throughout the United States, including Massachusetts. Payments for etizolam through those websites could only be made through cryptocurrency and it was shipped to customers through U.S. Priority Mail.  Encern.com has no corporate records in the State of California and the website did not provide a physical address for the business. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had not approved etizolam for use as a drug, and thus it could not be sold or prescribed in the United States. Despite this, Lamberty purchased drugs from suppliers in China, imported them into the United States and then sold the drugs with false labelling stating that the products were sold “For Research Purposes Only” and “Not for Human Consumption.” Based on an analysis of bank and cryptocurrency records, Lamberty and his co-conspirator conducted gross sales of over $550,000 of etizolam through the internet during the course of the conspiracy. According to court documents, in 2020, a Massachusetts customer of Lamberty’s website purchased and ingested etizolam and died as a result.

According to the charging document, etizolam is a drug known as a thienodiazepine, a class of drugs chemically related to benzodiazepines, which produce central nervous system depression. Physicians may prescribe FDA-approved benzodiazepines to treat insomnia and anxiety, but benzodiazepines and thienodiazepines also carry risks of dependency, toxicity and even fatal overdose, particularly when combined with other central nervous system depressants.  According to court documents, in July 2023, the DEA temporarily scheduled etizolam as a Schedule I controlled substance.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Fernando P. McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Lauren A. Graber of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
 

BOSTON – A Braintree man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for leading a large-scale drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed fentanyl sourced from Latin America.

Jonathan Melendez Decatro, a/k/a “Jacha,” 32, of Braintree, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In January 2025, Melendez Decatro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Melendez Decatro was indicted in June 2023.  

In 2019, Melendez Decatro was identified as the leader of a large-scale DTO operating in the Brockton area, who sourced narcotics directly from Colombia, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. On two dates in 2021, packages intended for Melendez Decatro were intercepted by law enforcement and each found to contain a kilogram of cocaine. Additionally, on several dates in the spring of 2023, Melendez Decatro conspired with an individual who resided in the Dominican Republic to distribute 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl to another individual in Braintree. It was later determined that the purity of the fentanyl ranged from 54% to 79% and also contained xylazine. During of search of Melendez Decatro’s residence, over $11,000 in drug proceeds and clothing worn during the fentanyl transactions were recovered.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Bogota; United States Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; and the Brockton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 

BOSTON – A Guatemalan national pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

Edgar Enrique Pineda-Ardon, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 42 days in prison and one year of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. Earlier in the hearing, Pineda-Ardon pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.

In 2014, Pineda-Ardon was apprehended near the U.S.-Mexico border, claimed asylum and was released on bond. While awaiting his asylum hearing, Pineda-Ardon was arrested for Indecent Assault & Battery. That case was dismissed for lack of prosecution; however, Pineda-Ardon’s claim for asylum was ultimately rejected and he was removed from the United States in November 2019.

Sometime after his November 2019 removal, Pineda-Ardon illegally reentered the United States without permission. Federal authorities became aware of Pineda-Ardon’s presence in the United States when he was arrested twice in Waltham. He was apprehended by immigration authorities in April 2025.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Cutshall of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A member of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to conspiracy to participating in a racketeering enterprise, more commonly referred to as RICO or racketeering conspiracy.

William Pineda Portillo, a/k/a “Humilde,” 31, of Everett, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to conduct racketeering affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity. Senior U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2025. In September 2024, Pineda Portillo was charged by a second superseding indictment along with co-defendant Jose Vasquez, who pleaded guilty last week to one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering.

MS-13 is a transnational criminal organization with tens of thousands of members located in the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and elsewhere. MS-13 branches, or “cliques,” operate throughout the United States, including in Massachusetts. In furtherance of its mission, MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, specifically against rival gang members; kill informants; and support and defend fellow MS-13 members in attacks. MS-13 members maintain and enhance their status in the gang and the overall reputation of the gang by participating in such violent acts.

Pineda Portillo was a member of the Trece Locos Salvatrucha, or TLS, clique of MS-13, which operated in Somerville. Pineda Portillo personally participated in racketeering activity and acts of violence on behalf of MS-13.

Specifically, Pineda Portillo and Vasquez conspired with others to murder a 28-year-old man on Dec. 18, 2010, in Chelsea, Mass. That evening, law enforcement responded to a 911 call in the vicinity of the Fifth Street on-ramp to Route 1 in Chelsea. There, law enforcement found the victim with approximately 10 stab wounds to his chest and back, along with injuries to his head. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. A recent reexamination of evidence collected during the initial investigation identified members of MS-13, including Vasquez, as having committed the murder.  

In the week leading up to the incident, Vasquez and other MS-13 members conspired to murder the victim because they believed the victim belonged to a rival gang. Evidence revealed that on the day of the murder, Pineda Portillo picked up Vasquez, other MS-13 members and the victim in Allston. Driving a green SUV registered to his father, Pineda Portillo took the MS-13 members and the victim to Chelsea where Vasquez and the other gang members led the victim to an area under the Fifth Street on-ramp to Route 1. Once in the secluded area under the highway, an MS-13 member hit the victim in the head with a rock and another MS-13 member stabbed the victim with a machete. During the attack, Vasquez stabbed the victim with a knife. Vasquez’s palm print was identified on the handle of a silver kitchen knife recovered from the murder scene. The victim’s blood also was found on the knife.

Pineda Portillo fled to El Salvador before investigators could interview him about his role in the murder. On or about April 29, 2015, after Pineda Portillo returned to the United States, he arranged to sell a firearm loaded with eight rounds of ammunition to another MS-13 member, who was, in reality, a cooperating witness working with law enforcement, in exchange for money.

On or about June 1, 2015, Pineda Portillo conspired to murder an MS-13 member he incorrectly believed had been arrested and was cooperating with law enforcement. Specifically, in a conversation recorded by law enforcement, Pineda Portillo said, among other things: “I want that son of a bitch killed, man. . . . You will see, homeboy! We are going to do a complete thing to that son of a bitch, dude.”

Pineda Portillo originally was indicted in 2017. However, shortly before the indictment was returned, he was deported to El Salvador. Approximately five years later, on May 10, 2022, Pineda Portillo was arrested as he tried to return to the United States, illegally crossing the border into Texas from Mexico. According to court documents, after being arrested at the border, Pineda Portillo admitted that he was a member of MS-13. A fingerprint analysis indicated that there was a warrant for his arrest. Pineda Portillo was then returned to the District of Massachusetts where he remained in custody.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Geoffrey D. Noble, Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Chief Shumeane Benford of the Somerville Police Department; and Chief Keith Houghton of the Chelsea Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division; United States Customs and Border Protection; United States Citizenship and Immigration Services; and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Pohl, Brian A. Fogerty and Meghan C. Cleary of the Office’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

The charge of racketeering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

BOSTON – The founder and former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a for-profit drug and alcohol treatment company, Granite Recover Centers (GRC) in New Hampshire, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly orchestrating a conspiracy to stalk journalists employed by New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) in retaliation for unfavorable reporting.

Eric Spofford, 40, of Salem, N.H. and Miami, Fla., was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit stalking through interstate travel and using a facility of interstate commerce; one count of stalking using a facility of interstate commerce; and two counts of stalking through interstate travel. Spofford was arrested this afternoon and will appear in federal court in Boston at 3:30 p.m. on June 2, 2025.  

Spofford was the founder and former CEO of GRC, a for-profit drug and alcohol treatment company founded in New Hampshire in 2008. According to court documents, in March 2022, NHPR published an article on its website that detailed multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, abusive leadership and retaliation by Spofford during his time as CEO of GRC. The article garnered significant local and national media attention. Spofford publicly denied the allegations and later sued NHP, claiming defamation. A New Hampshire judge dismissed Spofford’s lawsuit in 2023.

Beginning in or about March 2022 and continuing through at least May 2022, Spofford allegedly devised a scheme to harass and terrorize the journalist who authored the article, the journalist’s immediate family members, as well as a senior editor at NHPR in response to, and in retaliation for, NHPR’s reporting. It is alleged that the scheme involved vandalizing the victims’ homes at night with large rocks and bricks, and by spray painting the homes with lewd and threatening language.

Spofford allegedly hired his close friend, Eric Labarge, to carry out the scheme. Among other things, Spofford allegedly provided Labarge with the victims’ addresses, gave Labarge specific instructions on how to harass and stalk the victims and paid Labarge $20,000 in cash.  Labarge, in turn, obtained assistance from Tucker Cockerline, Keenan Saniatan and Michael Waselchuck to carry out the stalking campaign.

Labarge, Cockerline, Saniatan and Waselchuck were previously charged for their involvement in the harassment campaign and have since been convicted. In November 2024, Labarge was sentenced to 46 months in prison; in August 2024, Cockerline was sentenced to 27 months in prison; in December 2024, Saniatan was sentenced to 30 months in prison and; in September 2024, Waselchuck was sentenced to 21 months in prison.

Each count of the Indictment provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Concord, Hampstead and Hanover, New Hampshire Police Departments; the Melrose, Massachusetts Police Department; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Casey and Torey B. Cummings of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Brazilian national, residing in Framingham, has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.    

Rafael De Jesus-Ribeiro, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing on June 9, 2025. In February 2025, De Jesus-Ribeiro was indicted by a federal grand jury.

According to the indictment, De Jesus-Ribeiro was deported from the United States on July 17, 2019, after illegally crossing the border in Texas and being stopped by Border Patrol, to whom he initially provided false documentation. Sometime after his July 2019 removal, De Jesus-Ribeiro illegally reentered the United States without permission.

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of an imposed sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – A physician employed at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Bedford, Mass. has been indicted by a federal grand jury for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Sven Knudsen Ljaamo, 70, was indicted on one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on April 23, 2025.on April 23, 2025 He was subsequently released on conditions following a detention hearing.

According to the charging documents, law enforcement received a CyberTip reporting that over 100 files of suspected CSAM files had allegedly been uploaded to Ljaamo’s Google account. When Ljaamo spoke to investigators, he allegedly admitted to viewing, downloading and saving pornographic material involving female minors. It is further alleged that several CSAM files, along with tens of thousands of pornography files, were found during a review of Ljaamo’s devices, including on a cell phone Ljaamo kept in his office at the VA Medical Center.

The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Billerica, Lowell and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
 

BOSTON – A Honduran national, residing in Lynn, has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.

Douglas Mejia-Romero, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Sept. 9, 2025.

Mejia-Romero was previously deported on May 15, 2020. Sometime after this removal, Mejia-Romero unlawfully reentered the United States. Additionally, between 2008 and 2020, Mejia-Romero was removed from the United States on five separate occasions. After each removal, he unlawfully reentered the United States.

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – A former Sergeant with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Transit Police Department (Transit Police) was found guilty today by a federal jury in Boston following an eight day trial, of aiding and abetting the filing of a false arrest report regarding another Transit Police Officer’s assault on a man at the Ashmont MBTA Station.

David S. Finnerty, 49, of Rutland, was convicted on one count of aiding and abetting the filing of a false report. In August 2023, Finnerty was indicted by a federal grand jury.

Finnerty was the Transit Police Officer in Charge and the supervisor of Transit Police Officer Dorston Bartlett. At 1:47 a.m. on July 27, 2018, at the Ashmont MBTA station, Bartlett, while acting in his role as an officer, physically assaulted a man without legal justification. Finnerty helped Bartlett draft a false arrest report regarding the incident, with the intent to impede any federal investigation of Bartlett’s unconstitutional use of force.

The charge of false reports provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay and Julien M. Mundele are prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – Four former Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (“MBTA”) employees and one current MBTA employee were charged today with allegedly falsifying Red Line track inspection reports.  

Brian Pfaffinger, 47, of Marshfield; Ronald Gamble, 62, of Dorchester; Jensen Vatel, 42, of Brockton; Nathalie Mendes, 53, of New Bedford; and Andy Vicente, 36, of Bridgewater have been indicted for falsification of records, aiding and abetting; and false statements, aiding and abetting. Pfaffinger, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente were arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston later today.

According to the charging documents, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente were former MBTA track inspectors. Rather than complete inspections, during the period between Sept. 3, 2024, to Oct. 15, 2024, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente allegedly falsified track inspection reports, which stated that they completed track inspections for Red Line tracks when they did not perform the inspections. Instead, it is alleged that at the time of the inspections, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente were inside Cabot Yard, an MBTA location that contained a coffee and breakroom for Red Line inspection employees. Cabot Yard also contained a large garage (“Cabot Garage”) where Gamble, Vatel and Vicente allegedly worked on private vehicles during work hours.

On Sept. 19, 2024, during the time that Vicente allegedly performed a track inspection, video surveillance depicted Vicente (circled in red below) sitting inside of Cabot Garage holding his cellular phone.

On Sept. 23, 2024, during the time that Mendes allegedly performed a track inspection, video surveillance depicted Mendes (circled in red below) sitting inside her vehicle. Mendes allegedly did not leave her vehicle until well after her inspection ended.

On Sept. 24, 2024, during the time that Vatel allegedly performed a track inspection, video surveillance depicted Vatel (circled in red below) chatting with other MBTA employees in the parking lot outside of Cabot Garage.

On Oct. 8, 2024, during the time that Gamble allegedly performed a track inspection, video surveillance depicted Gamble (circled in red below) performing detail work on a private vehicle inside of Cabot Garage.

Pfaffinger, the former supervisor for Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente, allegedly not only knew that his subordinates worked on private vehicles during work hours, but had his subordinates work on his own vehicle.  

On Oct. 14, 2024, Gamble created an inspection report alleging he conducted an inspection; however, according to surveillance video, Gamble was inside of Cabot Garage with Pfaffinger. Despite knowing that the inspection report was false, and that Gamble was at Cabot Garage on Oct. 14, 2024, the following day, Pfaffinger allegedly created supporting documentation for Gamble’s Oct. 14, 2024, inspection, which he knew to be false.  

The charges of falsification of records and aiding and abetting the falsification of records provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison to be followed by up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of false statements and aiding and abetting false statements provides a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Elise Chawaga, Principal Inspector General of the United States Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Region of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy Sun of the Public Corruption Unit is prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – A Torrance, Calif. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his involvement in operating sophisticated high-end brothels in the greater Boston area and eastern Virginia. Defendant was also sentenced for his involvement in fraudulently obtaining over $580,000 in COVID-19 relief funds.

James Lee, 70, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to 27 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Court also ordered restitution in the amount of $569,123 in connection with the fraudulently obtained COVID-19 funds and a money judgment of $63,000 related to the proceeds earned by the defendant as a result of the prostitution conspiracy. In February 2025, James Lee pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution; one count of money laundering conspiracy; and one count of wire fraud. James Lee was arrested and charged in November 2023 with co-defendants Han Lee, 42, of Cambridge, Mass. and Junmyung Lee, 31, of Dedham, Mass. The defendants were subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024.

From at least January 2022 through November 2023, James Lee knowingly conspired with Han Lee and Junmyung Lee to operate an interstate prostitution network with multiple brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia. James Lee and his co-conspirators knowingly conspired with one another, and others, to launder the proceeds of the prostitution network by concealing that the money was derived from the prostitution conspiracy.

James Lee rented several high-end apartments in Boston and Eastern Virginia that were used as brothel locations and was the sole and legal tenant of at least six locations. In addition to using his own name to lease the apartments, James Lee would use fraudulent identities and, at times, stolen identities. James Lee was regularly compensated by his co-conspirators for both leasing apartments and for his travel to and from the brothel locations. Han Lee paid James Lee approximately $1,000 per month per active lease as a commission. He also served as a liaison between the females working in the units and the property managers by fielding calls and coordinating any issues that arose relating to maintenance and inspections.

James Lee and his co-conspirators concealed the proceeds of the prostitution network by depositing hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash proceeds into their personal bank accounts and peer-to-peer transfers. Additionally, the defendants regularly used hundreds of thousands of dollars of the cash proceeds from the prostitution business to purchase money orders (in values under an amount that would trigger reporting and identification requirements) to conceal the source of the funds. These money orders were then used to pay for rent and utilities at the brothel locations.

Beginning in around March 2020 and continuing through at least September 2021, James Lee submitted fraudulent information in an effort to obtain loans through the CARES Act and the Small Business Administration’s programs like the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). James Lee used personal identifying information of a third-party to submit false loan applications and open bank accounts used to accept COVID-19 relief funds. In addition, James Lee fraudulently applied for PPP Loans and EIDL funds using the names of businesses that did not exist or served as shell companies in furtherance of the scheme. In support of the loan applications, James Lee submitted fraudulent tax documents in the name of the third party and a fraudulent lease between himself and his fraudulent identity. As a result of the scheme, James Lee fraudulently obtained at least $580,000 in EIDL funds and PPP loans.

In March 2025, Han Lee was sentenced to four years in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. Han Lee was also ordered pay forfeiture in the amount of $5,418,572 and restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date. In April 2025, Junmyung Lee, 32, was sentenced to one year in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. The Court also ordered a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $200,000, equal to the amount of proceeds earned by the defendant during the conspiracy.

Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Central District of California; Eastern District of Virginia; U.S. Postal Service; and Watertown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquelle Kaye, of the Asset Recovery Unit prosecuted the case.
 

BOSTON – A Revere man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for illegally possessing ammunition in connection with a shooting in a residential neighborhood of Everett.

Kenneth Munoz, 27, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 70 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In December 2024, Munoz pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition.  

On the afternoon of Jan. 2, 2022, three individuals fired over 20 shots in an Everett neighborhood, during which multiple houses were struck by stray bullets. Munoz was identified as one of the shooters. Due to prior convictions, including a 2017 state conviction for assault and battery on a family member and malicious destruction of property, Munoz is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Everett Police Chief Paul Strong; and Chelsea Police Chief Keith E. Houghton made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Hoefle of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 
 

BOSTON – A Brazilian national residing in Malden, Mass. was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for lying on his asylum application and at an immigration hearing. Upon applying for a U.S. Visa, the defendant never disclosed his arrest in a case involving the murders of 11 people, mostly teenagers, in Brazil in retaliation for the death of a police officer, an incident known as The Slaughter of Curió.

Antonio Jose De Abreu Vidal Filho, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 16 months in prison. De Abreu is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In February 2025, De Abreu pleaded guilty to two counts of perjury. In May 2024, De Abreu was indicted by a federal grand jury.

In April 2014, De Abreu joined the Ceara State Military Police – Brazilian state forces who, under the governor, do first line policing on the street. In the early morning hours of Nov. 12, 2015, numerous Brazilian military police officers employed by the government of the Brazilian state of Ceará, including De Abreu, participated in a mass killing event of primarily young people from the impoverished neighborhoods of Barroso, Messejana, Guajeru, Curió and Lagoa Redonda in the capital of Ceará.

The killings were in retaliation for the death of another police officer who was attempting to defend his wife who was being assaulted. In total, 11 people, mostly teenagers, were murdered and many others seriously injured and tortured. This incident has come to be known as A Chacina do Curió or The Slaughter of Curió or The Curió Massacre. A total of 45 individuals, including De Abreu, were charged by the Brazilian authorities and, on Aug. 31, 2016, De Abreu was arrested and detained by the Brazilian police. He was subsequently released pending trial on May 24, 2017.  

Two weeks later, on June 9, 2017, while in Recife, Brazil, De Abreu applied for a United States non-immigrant B2 visitor visa. When asked whether he had ever been arrested or convicted for any offense or crime, De Abreu responded “no.” Thereafter, on or about June 21, 2017, the United States Department of State approved De Abreu’s Visa Application and issued him the B2 Visa based upon his false representations. De Abreu used the B2 Visa and travelled to Miami on May 30, 2018.

Between May 30, 2018 through Aug. 14, 2023, as a result of the approval of his Visa Application, De Abreu obtained various state driver’s licenses, a social security card, travel documents and authorizations for employment.  

De Abreu applied for asylum on Jan. 29, 2020, and lied when asked whether he had ever been accused, charged, arrested, detained, interrogated and imprisoned in any country other than the United States. He also failed to disclose his arrest and detention in Brazil when he applied for adjustment of status with United States Citizenship and Immigration Service.

On June 25, 2023, De Abreu was convicted of 11 counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder and four counts of physical and mental torture in the First Court of Fortaleza, Ceará. That same day, De Abreu was sentenced to 275 years and 11 months in prison and an arrest warrant issued.

On Feb. 9, 2024, De Abreu testified under oath at an immigration hearing conducted by U.S. Immigration Court, falsely claiming that he had never lied to immigration officials and that the only reason he had left off important information on immigration documents filed with the United States government was because he had not yet been arrested.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol,  Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office; Mathew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and Denis C. Riordan, District Director of the Fraud Detection and National Security Division of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. This matter was investigated with the assistance of the United States Interagency Human Rights Violators & War Crimes Center. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura J. Kaplan of the National Security Unit prosecuted the case.
 

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to child exploitation offenses.

Kyle Joyner, 40 pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper scheduled sentencing for Sept. 10, 2025. Joyner was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 6, 2024.

On various dates between Jan. 3, 2023, through Sept. 17, 2023, Joyner sexually exploited a minor victim known to him by producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Additionally, two cell phones seized from Joyner in October 2023 were found to contain over 700 CSAM images that included prepubescent females.

The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
 

BOSTON – A Boston man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Cess Frazier, 32, was charged with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Frazier was arrested and charged by complaint on April 29, 2025. The defendant was subsequently released on conditions following a detention hearing and will be arraigned in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to the charging documents, on or about Feb. 20, 2025 through April 29, 2025, Frazier knowingly received and possessed files that depicted CSAM from unknown users on Telegram. It is alleged that the CSAM files depicted the sexual abuse of minor victims who appeared to be between approximately three and 10 years old.

The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
 

BOSTON – A Bloods gang member from Lynn, Mass. pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to possessing a loaded machinegun that was recovered from his backpack in January 2025 during a motor vehicle stop.

Delvyn Liriano, 19, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Sept. 10, 2025. Liriano was indicted on March 5, 2025.

According to court records, Liriano is a known member of the Bloods gang. In late December 2024, Liriano traveled into rival gang territory in order to confront rival gang members with a firearm. At the time, Liriano was on state probation for a 2023 felony firearm conviction in Lynn, where he pointed a firearm in the face of a former girlfriend and threatened to kill her, based upon his belief that she had associated with a rival gang member.

On Jan. 3, 2025, Liriano was observed entering a motor vehicle at his residence in Everett carrying a black backpack. Following a motor vehicle stop for a revoked registration due to lack of insurance, the black backpack carried by Liriano was found to contain a loaded Glock Model 27 firearm with a selector switch (also known as a machinegun conversion device) attached. Liriano was then placed under arrest. Based upon the presence of the selector switch, the firearm was capable of firing fully automatic and was therefore a machinegun. A subsequent search of Liriano’s cellular phones revealed pictures of him in possession of other firearms.

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and the Lynn, Malden and Everett Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Guatemalan national, illegally residing in New Bedford, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.  

Mario Lopez, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for July 10, 2025. Lopez was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2025.

Lopez was deported from the United States on Dec. 8, 2010 after an assault conviction in Maryland. In 2022, after his removal, Lopez attempted to return to the United States twice but was denied entry. Thereafter, Lopez unlawfully reentered the United States on an unknown date. 

In November 2023, Lopez was arrested by local law enforcement in Westport on an open warrant. Lopez was later arrested in March 2024 in New Bedford for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, open and gross lewdness and an open container violation. He was arrested again in New Bedford, in December 2024 for operating under the influence of liquor, leaving the scene of property damage, negligent operation and other charges.

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien in this case provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – The former Deputy Superintendent at the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) has been arrested and charged in connection with an alleged extortion scheme to force subordinate employees to perform free labor at his residence.

Thomas Brady, 53, of Norwood, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of extortion and three counts of use of interstate facilities to commit bribery and extortion.  Brady was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston later today.

According to the charging documents, from 2021 through May 2023, Brady served as the Assistant Deputy Superintendent (ADS) for Jail Operations at NCSO. Brady was promoted in May 2023 to Deputy Superintendent. It is alleged that, between December 2021 and mid-November 2022, Brady utilized his official position and authority as an ADS to order two NCSO maintenance officers (Maintenance Officers A and B), who were subordinate in position to Brady, to perform home repairs at his residence during and after work hours.  

During the first instance, in late 2021, Brady allegedly ordered Maintenance Officer A to install a new showerhead at Brady’s residence. Because of Brady’s position and authority as an ADS at the NCSO, Maintenance Officer A feared that if they refused Brady’s request, Brady would use his official position and authority to negatively affect Maintenance Officer A’s job position at NCSO – including the possibility of causing Maintenance Officer A to lose their preferred shift schedule, position and/or employment at the NCSO.

It is alleged that Maintenance Officer A complied with Brady’s order and Brady drove Maintenance Officer A to his residence to install the showerhead, during NCSO work hours. Brady then allegedly drove Maintenance Officer A back to NCSO to continue their workday.  

During the second instance, on or about Feb. 13, 2022, which was a Sunday, Brady allegedly contacted Maintenance Officer A to fix his water heater. It is alleged that Maintenance Officer A was unavailable that day; however, the following morning, Maintenance Officer A allegedly drove to Brady’s residence, instead of going to work at NCSO, to fix Brady’s water heater. Specifically, after arriving at Brady’s residence, Maintenance Officer A allegedly disconnected the existing water heater in Brady’s basement, carried the water heater to their truck and drove the water heater and Brady to Home Depot. There, Brady allegedly purchased a new 50-gallon water heater, which Maintenance Officer A carried to their truck, drove back to Brady’s residence, carried the into Brady’s residence and connected. Afterwards, Maintenance Officer A allegedly drove to NCSO to finish their shift.  

It is further alleged that, between October 2022 and mid-November 2022, Brady ordered Maintenance Officer B to his residence to fix the heating system. Because of Brady’s official position and authority as an ADS at the NCSO, Maintenance Officer B allegedly feared that if Maintenance Officer B refused Brady’s request to help fix the heating system, Brady would use his official position and authority to negatively affect Maintenance Officer B’s job position at NCSO – including the possibility of causing Maintenance Officer B to lose their preferred shift schedule, position and/or employment at the NCSO.  

Maintenance Officer B allegedly complied with the order, and on or about Oct. 6, 2022, drove to Brady’s residence to troubleshoot his heating system during NCSO work hours.  

It is alleged that, after Brady had subsequent problems with his heating system and contacted Maintenance Officer B to replace the circulator pump. On or about Oct. 15, 2022, Maintenance Officer C allegedly learned that Brady was looking for Maintenance Officer B and the two exchanged the following text messages:

On two occasions between Nov. 1, 2022 and Nov. 2, 2022, Maintenance Officer B allegedly returned to Brady’s residence – with Maintenance Officer C assisting – where they drained the hot water system, removed the old circulator pump and installed the new circulator pump

The charge of extortion provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of use of interstate facilities to commit bribery and extortion provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy Sun of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
 

BOSTON – A Dracut man was sentenced on May 21, 2025 in federal court in Boston for carrying out a scheme to obtain products from an online cosmetics company through fraud and then reselling those products on Amazon and eBay for a profit.

Nika Ashtar-Zadeh, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to two months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Ashtar-Zadeh was also ordered to pay $115,037 in restitution and forfeiture of $67,000. Ashtar-Zadeh was charged in September 2024 along with his brother, Nick Ashtar-Zadeh, and pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in October 2024.

Between 2019 and 2021, Ashtar-Zadeh and his brother operated Amazon and eBay “stores” that offered various products for sale, including the products of a cosmetics company in Texas. The Ashtar-Zadehs offered the company’s products on these platforms to buyers for one-time payments that were typically equal to or below the company’s list prices for the same products. The Ashtar-Zadehs then enrolled these Amazon and eBay buyers in the company’s 30-day trial program for the same products. The brothers entered the buyers’ information on the company’s website, without the customers’ knowledge or consent, and caused the company to ship its products to those buyers for a trial period. For these orders, the Ashtar-Zadehs presented the company with forms of payment that fulfilled initial charges of $19.95 but were declined when the company attempted to charge later installments, after buyers had kept the products past 30 days. The brothers sold the company’s products in this manner to hundreds of buyers on Amazon and eBay, each time pocketing the difference between what the buyers paid them and the initial $19.95 upfront payment to the company. As a result of the conduct, the Ashtar-Zadehs cost the cosmetics company hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In March 2025, Nick Ashtar-Zadeh, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to six months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Nick Ashtar-Zadeh was also ordered to pay $181,806 in restitution and forfeiture of $111,156.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
 

BOSTON – A Boston woman was sentenced on May 22, 2025, for committing access device fraud and for participating in a conspiracy to fraudulently rent two apartments, subsequently used for drug trafficking, under a stolen identity.

Ashley Roostaie, a/k/a “Lola,” a/k/a “dropdeadlola,” 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to two years’ probation. The defendant was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $1,000 in restitution. In February 2025, Roostaie pleaded guilty to one count of access device fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. Roostaie was charged in April 2023, along with co-conspirator Terrence Pyrtle.

Roostaie and Pyrtle utilized the personal identification information (including Social Security number) of another individual to apply for and enter into lease agreements for two apartments in Braintree and Somerville, respectively. As part of their conspiracy, Roostaie and Pyrtle created an email account under the name of the individual’s identity that they had submitted in connection with the apartments. They also transmitted a counterfeit driver’s license to the apartment complexes, which contained the individual’s name and some of their personal identification information but depicted a different individual’s photograph. By placing the apartment leases and corresponding utility and insurance contracts under another individual’s personal identification information, Roostaie and Pyrtle were able to conceal their connection to and use of the apartments, which Pyrtle used to participate in a drug conspiracy involving distribution quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and methamphetamine.

Roostaie and Pyrtle also used the victim’s personal identification information (including Social Security number) to obtain and use a prepaid debit card to make payments associated with each of the apartments.

Pyrtle pleaded guilty to his involvement in these offenses, as well as to aggravated identity theft, drug conspiracy and multiple counts of drug distribution, in April 2025 and is awaiting sentencing.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston, Brockton, East Bridgewater, Bridgewater and Westport Police Departments; and the Bristol County and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Cutshall of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
 

BOSTON – The former Postmaster for the Seekonk Post Office has been arrested and charged in connection with the theft of over $19,000 through no-fee money orders.

Bethany LeBlanc, 48, of Seekonk, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of theft of government money. LeBlanc was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston later today.

According to the charging documents, LeBlanc served as the Postmaster of the Seekonk Post Office from November 2023 to about February 2025. Prior to holding this position, she worked for the United States Postal Service in a variety of roles including carrier, window clerk and customer service manager.

As Postmaster of the Seekonk Post Office, LeBlanc had the authority to issue and approve “no fee” money orders. Money orders are generated by the USPS and serve as a safe alternative to sending cash or a check through the mail. “No fee” money orders are issued solely for the purpose of paying USPS-related expenses and, thus, no fee is charged.

As alleged in the charging documents, LeBlanc generated a total of 25 no fee money orders to herself, totaling approximately $19,917. To avoid detection, LeBlanc allegedly presented false invoices for USPS expenses to clerks at the Seekonk Post Office, who would then issue the money orders for LeBlanc. It is further alleged that LeBlanc entered false information on the money orders. For two money orders, she allegedly entered “Fire Dept. Box” in the memo section to give the appearance that these money orders were used to pay for Post Office related expenses. For many money orders, LeBlanc entered the names of her relatives and associates to make it appear as if the funds were coming from sources other than the USPS. LeBlanc is accused of allegedly using the stolen proceeds for personal expenses, including thousands of dollars spent at casinos.

The charge of theft of government money provides a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Chao, Chief of the Public Corruption Unit, is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.  

BOSTON – A Salvadoran national residing in Chelsea, Mass. has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.

Miguel Chavez, a/k/a “Miguel Angel Chavez Figueroa,” 55, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Chavez was arrested on April 25, 2025.

According to the indictment, Chavez was deported from the United States to El Salvador on Nov. 22, 2013. It is alleged that sometime after his November 2013 removal, Chavez illegally reentered the United States without permission.

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien after a conviction for an aggravated felony provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Zacks of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – The owner of Pharmagears, LLC (Pharmagears) and RR Medco, LLC (RR Medco) has agreed to plead to guilty in connection with a nearly $30 million health care fraud conspiracy involving medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME), including orthotics such as back and knee braces. 

Raju Sharma, 61, of Sharon, Mass., has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. Per the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence of 10 years in prison and more than $15.8 million in restitution.

Sharma was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in February 2025 and subsequently released on conditions pending trial. He was later ordered detained in April 2025 after the Court found that he violated the conditions of his release by contacting a potential witness. 

According to the charging documents, between February 2021 and February 2025, Sharma – on behalf of Pharmagears and RR Medco – entered into contracts with telemarketing companies that generated DME orders by targeting Medicare beneficiaries. It is alleged that Sharma then billed Medicare for this medically unnecessary DME, which the Medicare beneficiaries often did not want or could not use; and/or a medical practitioner ordered without having met or examined the beneficiary; or were ordered by the fraudulent use of practitioners’ national provider identifiers without their knowledge or assent. It is further alleged that these DME orders were obtained in violation of the anti-kickback statute, because although Sharma agreed in the contracts to pay the marketing companies a flat fee for their services, Sharma in fact paid the marketing companies on a per-lead, or per-order, basis.  

According to the charging documents, Sharma worked with multiple other co-conspirators, including family and acquaintances, to open and operate additional DME companies in the same fraudulent manner. In total, the companies owned, operated, or connected with Sharma billed Medicare approximately $29.6 million for these fraudulent DME orders and were paid approximately $15.8 million. 

Sharma made substantial profits from this alleged fraud, which he used to purchase luxury goods, including two Ferraris, a Mercedes-Benz Model S and at least three Rolex watches. Pursuant to the plea agreement, the defendant has agreed to forfeit these luxury goods, as well as over $250,000 in cash investigators seized from his bank accounts. 

The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, supervised release for up to three years and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General; and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service and the Sharon Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Graber and Sarah Hoefle of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining and misusing COVID-19 relief funds and stealing Social Security benefits totaling over $200,000.

Randolph Dominguez, 58, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 15 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Dominguez was also ordered to pay $274,119 in restitution. In January 2025, Dominguez pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of theft of government money. 

In June 2020, Dominguez submitted a loan application on behalf of an interpreter business he owned and operated, Dominguez SP Interpreters, to the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which provided loans to small businesses that suffered substantial economic injury due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dominguez fraudulently obtained approximately $90,000 in EIDL funds from the SBA from June 2020 through July 2021 when he claimed falsely on EIDL applications that his gross business revenue was $600,000 the previous year, when it was only $16,989. Further, Dominguez improperly spent all of the EIDL funds received on non-business expenses, including $16,192.22 to purchase an SUV, and several purchases at smoke shops, liquor stores, gun ranges and an adult bookstore and website. In addition, in May 2021, Dominguez applied for an additional $200,600 EIDL loan modification increase based on the false business revenue amount, which was rejected when SBA detected his fraud.  

Similarly, in June 2021, Dominguez obtained a $3,500 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, which was another temporary loan program intended to provide relief for small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic so that they could retain employees and cover overhead. Dominguez also spent the PPP loan for an improper business purpose – an all-inclusive vacation in Cancun, Mexico.

Separately, from April 2001 through April 2023, Dominguez stole approximately $163,642 in Social Security benefits. Dominguez’s father was receiving Social Security benefits at the time of his death in March 2001. His death was never reported to the Social Security Administration. Instead, the deceased’s address was changed in 2006 to Dominguez’s residence and the agency continued to pay monthly benefits on his behalf. Dominguez used his deceased father’s debit card to withdraw the improperly paid benefits at ATMs and to make purchases more than 22 years after his death.

Finally, Dominguez claimed his deceased father as a dependent on his 2019 federal and state income tax returns to fraudulently obtain tax credits. As a special condition of the term of supervised release, Dominguez was ordered to work with the Internal Revenue Service to correct all inaccurate tax returns.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in New Bedford pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.  

Jose De Leon Ventura, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien before U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, who scheduled sentencing for July 14, 2025. De Leon Ventura was arrested on April 23, 2025 and has remained in custody since.  

De Leon Ventura was previously removed from the United States in December 2019, after being arrested by U.S. Border Patrol in Yuma, Ariz. Sometime after his removal, De Leon Ventura unlawfully reentered the United States. Federal authorities became aware of De Leon Ventura’s presence in the United States following his arrest in August 2023 by state authorities for operating under the influence of liquor and operating after a suspended license.

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of any sentenced imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Lyons is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Brockton man pleaded guilty yesterday to selling fentanyl to a cooperating witness during multiple controlled purchases. At the time of the controlled purchases, the defendant was on probation for a 2019 fentanyl conviction and on pretrial release for a separate March 2024 drug arrest.

Joshua Tavares, 29, pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and fentanyl analogue. U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy scheduled sentencing for Sept. 9, 2025. In December 2024, Tavares was indicted by a federal grand jury.

During today’s hearing, Tavares admitted to conducting six sales of fentanyl and fentanyl analogue to a cooperating witness from September to November of 2024. Over the course of the six transactions, Tavares sold approximately 549 grams of fentanyl analogue to a cooperating witness. All of the transactions were captured on video recording.

After the controlled purchases, an arrest warrant and search warrants were executed on Dec. 3, 2024 at multiple residences and stash houses in Brockton. During the searches, approximately four kilograms of suspected fentanyl, cocaine, packaging materials for distribution of controlled substances and over $89,000 in cash were recovered. A .40 caliber Glock firearm and a 9mm Glock firearm with a machinegun conversion device were also located in the residence where Tavares was located.

A 9mm Glock firearm with a machinegun conversion device and a tactical laser sight was recovered from a stash location along with numerous rounds of ammunition and multiple loaded magazines, including a 50 round “drum” style magazine. Machinegun conversion devices, commonly referred to as “switches,” are designed to convert firearms into fully automatic weapons.

The charge of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams and more of fentanyl analogue provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Brockton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A 29-year-old Boston woman has been charged with allegedly trafficking a 15-year-old minor who had previously been reported missing. 

Shakera Pina, a/k/a “Stacks,” 29, is charged in a criminal complaint with one count of sex trafficking of a minor. She is currently in state custody on related charges and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to court filings, on April 7, 2025, law enforcement encountered online postings advertising commercial sex with a 15-year-old minor female who had previously been reported as missing. On April 9, 2025, as part of a sting operation, law enforcement responded to the online advertisement in an undercover capacity posing as a purported sex buyer in an attempt to recover the minor. In subsequent correspondence, the responding individual who posted the advertisements agreed to meet the purported sex buyer at a hotel later that night for a commercial sex date with the minor victim. 

There, law enforcement recovered a different 15-year-old victim. It is alleged that text messages on that minor victim’s phone showed Pina instructing the minor victim on how to interact with sex buyers and what to do with the proceeds from the commercial sex. Pina was allegedly located in the parking lot where the sting operation was occurring, waiting inside her vehicle.

It is alleged that when officers approached Pina with flashing emergency lights, Pina immediately put her car into drive and attempted to flee. Officers then approached the car on foot, identified themselves as law enforcement officers and demanded Pina open the door. It is alleged that Pina refused, and was observed manipulating her cell phone, allegedly in an apparent attempt to delete evidence. Officers then broke the driver’s side window of Pina’s vehicle and, as she was being placed on the ground, Pina allegedly threw the two cell phones that were in her possession. At the time of the alleged offense, Pina was on probation for stabbing a female victim multiple times in the abdomen and right thigh in December 2022.

Government filings allege that the minor victim originally depicted in the advertisement was subsequently recovered and disclosed that that Pina also trafficked her during the same time period, requiring her to engage in commercial sex and provide Pina with the proceeds.

If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking or child exploitation, please contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov. 

The charge of sex trafficking of a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit, is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – Two Jamaican nationals were sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for their involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering organization that laundered more than $6 million in drug trafficking proceeds from Colombian cartels through the United States, Caribbean and European banking systems.

St. Devon Anthony Cover, 61, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 42 months in prison. In January 2025 Cover was convicted of one count of money laundering conspiracy and seven counts of laundering of monetary instruments. Dennis Raymond Rowe, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 52 months in prison. In January 2025 Rowe was convicted of one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of money laundering and two counts of laundering of monetary instruments. Both defendants are subject to deportation upon completion of their imposed sentences.

The defendants were among 20 individuals from Colombia, Jamaica and Florida who were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022 in connection with the money laundering conspiracy.

Over the course of the investigation, $1 million was seized from corporate bank accounts and other investigative activity. Nearly 3,000 kilograms of cocaine – with a street value of over $90 million – was traced back to the money laundering organization. This includes approximately 1,193 kilograms of cocaine seized at sea 60 miles south of Jamaica in July 2019, as well as 1,555 kilograms of cocaine seized in nine scrap metal shipping containers at the Port of Buenaventura, Colombia in March 2019.

In or about October 2016, law enforcement began an investigation into a sophisticated money laundering organization located primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia. During an extensive five-year investigation, the organization laundered over $6 million in drug proceeds through intermediary banks in the United States, including banks in Massachusetts, as well as additional proceeds through banks in the Caribbean and Europe by use of the Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE). By using the BMPE, the defendants and their co-conspirators sought to conceal drug trafficking activity and proceeds from law enforcement as well as evade currency exchange requirements in the United States and Colombia through the illegal currency exchange process. As part of the conspiracy, members of the organization held roles and responsibilities relative to the needs and opportunities of the scheme, such as drug suppliers, peso brokers, money couriers and business owners/dollar purchasers.

Through the BMPE, Colombian drug trafficking organizations with drug proceeds generated in the United States use third parties – generally referred to as “peso brokers” that are also based in Colombia – who agree to exchange Colombian pesos they control for the drug supplier’s dollar proceeds. Peso brokers then use money couriers in the United States and elsewhere to physically secure the drug proceeds, often in suitcases or bags on the street, and transfer the proceeds into the United States banking system. To avoid detection, peso brokers deposit the drug proceeds into bank accounts in company or individual names intended to appear as legitimate business activity, or through multiple small deposits into different bank accounts which are then consolidated into larger accounts. As a result, Colombian peso brokers control a pool of drug-derived proceeds in United States bank accounts. These dollar proceeds are then purchased by individuals or companies in Colombia seeking to exchange pesos for United States dollars at a favorable exchange rate and in a manner that avoids currency exchange and income reporting requirements. The dollar drug proceeds are transferred at the direction of the purchaser, and often end up in bank accounts of individuals or companies who appear to have no direct involvement in drug trafficking crimes.

During the course of the conspiracy, Cover laundered approximately $268,000 and Rowe laundered over $600,000 by delivering bulk cash drug proceeds to undercover law enforcement.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Aura Liliana Trujillo Rojas, Delegate for Criminal Finance for the Colombian Attorney General’s Office; Ricardo Sánchez Silvestre, Brigadier General of the Colombian National Police Anti-Narcotics Directorate; Jervis Moore, Chief of the Narcotics Division for the Jamaica Constabulary Force; and Colonel Geoffrey Noble of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of Cover, Rowe, and other co-defendants from Colombia and Jamaica. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
 

BOSTON – A Salvadoran national living in Methuen, Mass. was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.

Agustin Landaverde-Romero, 57, was sentenced by U.S.  District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 21 months in prison to be served concurrently with Landaverde-Romero’s unrelated state prison sentence. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In February 2025, Landaverde-Romero pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Landaverde-Romero was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024.

On July 6, 1999, Landaverde-Romero entered the United States without inspection near Brownsville, Texas. He was identified by authorities in July 1999 and ordered to be removed to El Salvador on Sept. 23, 1999. On Oct. 7, 1999, he was removed from the United States.

Sometime thereafter, Landaverde-Romero illegally reentered the United States. In July 2020, he was arrested and charged with rape of child and rape of child by force in Essex County Superior Court. He was subsequently convicted of the charges and, in May 2023, was sentenced to 20-25 years in state prison. On June 23, 2023, while serving his sentence, Landaverde-Romero was encountered by immigration authorities during a screening of inmates and determined to have unlawfully reentered the United States.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Methuen Police Chief Scott J. McNamara made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Pittsfield man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield to child exploitation offenses while in the middle of testimony from the Government’s final witness.

Justin Benoit, 39, pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Aug. 20, 2025. The defendant was arrested on Feb. 15, 2022 and has been in custody since that time. According to court records, Benoit has several related state charges pending in Central Berkshire District Court.

On at least five occasions between February 2021 and February 2022, Benoit sexually exploited minor victims known to him to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM). During searches of the Benoit’s residence, more than 250 CSAM files were found stored on Benoit’s tablet – including approximately 100 files showing Benoit raping minor victims.

The charge of sexual exploitation of a child provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Colonel Geoffrey Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Pittsfield Police Department and the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
 

BOSTON – A local leader of the transnational criminal organization known as La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, pleaded guilty today to committing a previously unsolved murder of a man in Chelsea, Mass. in 2010.

Jose Vasquez, a/k/a “Cholo,” a/k/a “Little Crazy,” 31, pleaded guilty to one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for June 30, 2025. Vazquez was indicted by a federal grand jury along with two other MS-13 members in September 2024. The charge of violent crime in aid of racketeering provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Vasquez is currently serving a 212-month prison sentence for a May 2018 federal conviction of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO or racketeering conspiracy.

MS-13 is a transnational criminal organization with tens of thousands of members located in the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and elsewhere. MS-13 branches, or “cliques,” operate throughout the United States, including in Massachusetts. In furtherance of its mission, MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, specifically against rival gang members; kill informants; and support and defend fellow MS-13 members in attacks. MS-13 members maintain and enhance their status in the gang and the overall reputation of the gang by participating in such violent acts. Vasquez was a member and local leader of the Trece Locos Salvatrucha, or TLS, clique of MS-13 operating in Somerville, Mass. In addition to being a leader of an MS-13 clique, Vasquez personally participated in racketeering activity and acts of violence on behalf of MS-13.

At approximately 7:10 p.m. on Dec. 18, 2010, law enforcement responded to a 911 call under the Fifth Street on-ramp to Route 1 in Chelsea. There, a 28-year-old male was found with approximately 10 stab wounds to his head, back and chest. The victim was transported to the hospital where he ultimately succumbed to his wounds. A recent reexamination of evidence collected during the initial investigation identified members of MS-13, including Vasquez, as having committed the murder.

In the week leading up to the incident, Vasquez and other MS-13 members conspired to murder the victim because they believed the victim belonged to a rival gang. Evidence revealed that on the day of the murder, Vasquez and other MS-13 members picked the victim up in front of a McDonald’s in Allston. The group then drove to Chelsea where Vasquez and other MS-13 members led the victim to a secluded area under the highway where an MS-13 member hit the victim in the head with a rock and another MS-13 member stabbed the victim with a machete. During the attack, Vasquez stabbed the victim with a knife. Vasquez’s palm print was identified on the handle of a kitchen knife recovered from the scene. The victim’s blood was also found on the knife.

An undercover recording obtained of an MS-13 meeting that took place on Jan. 27, 2011 – approximately six weeks after the murder – captured one MS-13 member acknowledging his participation in the murder and other gang members disciplining him for leaving Massachusetts after the murder without the gang’s permission. Vasquez was identified as being present for the meeting.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Geoffrey D. Noble, Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Chief Shumeane Benford of the Somerville Police Department, and Chief Keith Houghton of the Chelsea Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division; United States Customs and Border Protection; and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Pohl, Brian A. Fogerty and Meghan C. Cleary of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The details contained in the superseding indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – An Indian national, residing in New York, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to serving as a getaway driver in staged armed robberies in furtherance of a visa fraud conspiracy. Defendant is the second individual to plead guilty in this case.

Balwinder Singh, 41, pleaded guilty to on one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Sept. 11, 2025. In December 2023, Singh was charged along with a co-conspirator, Rambhai Patel.

Beginning in March 2023 Patel, and an alleged co-conspirator, set up and carried out staged armed robberies of at least nine convenience/liquor stores and fast-food restaurants across the United States – including at least five in Massachusetts. The purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the store clerks to claim that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for U nonimmigrant status (U Visa). A U Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.  

During the staged robberies the “robber” would threaten store clerks and/or owners with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, while the interaction was captured on store surveillance video. Singh served as the robber’s getaway driver in several of these robberies. The clerks and/or owners would wait five or more minutes until the “robber” had escaped before calling police to report the “crime.” The “victims” paid Patel to participate in the scheme. One purported victim paid $20,000 to participate as a victim in one of the staged armed robberies. In turn, Patel paid the store owners for the use of their stores for the staged robbery and paid the “robber” and Singh for their assistance.

At least two purported victim co-conspirators submitted U Visa applications based on being victims of the staged armed robberies.

Patel pleaded guilty on May 20, 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 20, 2025.

The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of New York and the Western District of Washington; FBI’s New York and Seattle Field Offices; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Massachusetts State Police; Worcester County District Attorney’s Office; and the Hingham, Marshfield, Randolph, Weymouth, Worcester, Upper Darby, (Pa.), West Pittston (Pa.), Louisville, (Ky.) and Bean Station (Tenn.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Jessica L. Soto of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – A Honduran national, illegally residing in Brockton, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.  

Oscar Lopez, 41, a/k/a “Luis Maldonado,” pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Lopez was arrested on April 16, 2025 and has remained in custody since. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for July 1, 2025.

According to the charging documents, Lopez is a citizen of Honduras who entered the United States illegally in 2003. Lopez did not appear for an Immigration Court date in 2003 and was ordered removed. Immigration officials were not able to remove Lopez until January 2013. Lopez returned to the United States just a few months later without permission and he was removed again in May 2013. At some point thereafter, Lopez returned again and Immigration and Customs Enforcement became aware of Lopez’s unlawful presence in the United States following arrests by state authorities in March and April 2024.

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – A Danvers man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for money laundering and operating an unlicensed, “no questions asked,” money transmitting business that converted more than $1 million in cash to the digital currency Bitcoin, including on behalf of scammers and a drug dealer.  

Trung Nguyen, a/k/a “DCS420”, 48, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to six years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Court also ordered Nguyen to forfeit $1,513,000.04. In November 2024, Nguyen was convicted of one count of conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business and one count of concealment money laundering. Nguyen was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 30, 2023.  

Between September 2017 and October 2020, Nguyen owned and operated National Vending, LLC. Through National Vending, Nguyen accepted cash from customers and, in exchange for a fee, sent them Bitcoin in return. Exchangers of virtual currency, including Bitcoin exchangers, are money transmitters under federal law and are subject to federal anti-money laundering (AML) regulations. The regulations require them to register as money service businesses with the Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and to maintain effective AML programs, including by filing Suspicious Activity Reports with FinCEN, and by filing Currency Transaction Reports for Bitcoin-for-cash exchanges of more than $10,000.  

Nguyen purposely failed to register National Vending with FinCEN, despite being required to do so. Over the course of 10 transactions in 2018, Nguyen accepted a total of $250,000 in cash from an individual who identified himself to Nguyen as a methamphetamine dealer. In 2019 and 2020, Nguyen also accepted approximately $325,000 from a romance scam victim from Kansas City, Mo.; $60,000 from a romance scam victim from Glastonbury, Ct. and $60,000 from a romance scam victim from central Massachusetts—each of whom had been tricked into converting cash into Bitcoin and sending it to con artists overseas. Nguyen failed to file Suspicious Activity Reports or Currency Transaction Reports on any of these transactions, including cash transactions of more than $10,000.  

Nguyen concealed his money transmitting business by, among other ways, holding National Vending out to banks, cryptocurrency exchanges and state authorities as a vending machine business. He used encrypted messaging apps to communicate with customers, using technologies that made it more difficult to trace Bitcoin transactions and breaking cash deposits of more than $10,000 into smaller cash deposits over consecutive days or at different branches of the same bank. Nguyen also enrolled in a paid course on concealing his business that recommended Nguyen purport to operate “a business for which cash deposits from around the country make sense” and that he “develop [his] cover story,” “create a list or your suppliers Fictitious of course” and “Don’t say the word ‘Bitcoin.”  

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth B. Kosto and Benjamin A. Saltzman of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
 

BOSTON – A Colombian woman, unlawfully residing in Boston, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for identity theft offenses, including receiving rental assistance, Social Security and SNAP benefits, as well as voter fraud under the stolen identity. The defendant also allegedly applied for a United States passport and obtained a Massachusetts Real ID and eight other state IDs.

Lina Maria Orovio-Hernandez, 59, was charged in a superseding indictment with one count of false representation of a Social Security number; one count of making a false statement in an application for a United States passport; one count of aggravated identity theft; three counts of receiving stolen government money or property; one count of fraudulent voter registration; and one count of fraudulent voting. Orovio-Hernandez was previously charged in an indictment in February 2025 and has remained in federal custody since that time.

According to court filings, Orovio-Hernandez, a Colombian national without lawful status in the United States, has lived under a stolen identity for more than 20 years. Using this stolen identity, Orovio-Hernandez allegedly obtained nine state IDs, including a Massachusetts Real ID and applied for a U.S. passport.

Orovio-Hernandez allegedly used the stolen identity to submit a fraudulent voter registration in January 2023 and cast a fraudulent ballot in the November 2024 presidential election. It is further alleged that Orovio-Hernandez improperly received approximately $400,000 in federal benefits: $259,589 in Section 8 rental assistance benefits from October 2011 through January 2025; $101,257 in Social Security disability benefits from July 2014 through January 2025; and $43,348 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from April 2005 through January 2025.

“For more than 20 years, this defendant is alleged to have built an entire life on the foundation of a stolen identity – including illegally voting in our presidential election and collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in government benefits intended for Americans in need. The right to vote is one of the many privileges of being a U.S. citizen. Government funded programs for those in need are intended to be safety nets for those living in our country lawfully – not support an illegal alien without a right to be here. Ms. Orovio-Hernandez was entitled to none of these privileges as a Colombian citizen who was unlawfully in this country. The alleged crimes are an affront to every individual who plays by the rules and undermines many of the programs meant to support the most vulnerable members of our society,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to root out individuals who abuse the system and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”

“The Diplomatic Security Service is committed to protecting the integrity of the U.S. passport,” said Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Boston Field Office. “Our special agents work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement partners to detect and stop fraud when criminals attempt to unlawfully obtain and use passports. DSS continues to play a critical role in the United States’ efforts to combat illegal immigration and bring to justice those who seek to exploit the U.S. travel system.”

“Stealing someone’s identity to unlawfully obtain Social Security benefits is not just theft—it’s a long-term abuse of a system meant to support those truly in need,” said Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration (SSA), Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Boston-New York Field Division. “SSA OIG is committed to ensuring ineligible aliens are not receiving funds from SSA programs. For over 20 years, the defendant is alleged to have lived under a stolen identity, fraudulently collecting federal benefits, committing voter fraud, and undermining the integrity of public trust. This indictment reflects our continued commitment to uncovering long-term fraud and holding individuals accountable for exploiting the Social Security system.”

“Orovio-Hernandez allegedly spent two decades living under a stolen identity while simultaneously orchestrating a sophisticated multi-agency fraud scheme, misappropriating over $400,000 in federal benefits—funded by taxpayers—including Section 8 rental assistance funds,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “These critical housing funds support the most vulnerable populations, including families with very low income, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. HUD OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who engage in activities that threaten the integrity of HUD programs.”

The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years of in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of making a false statement in an application for a United States passport provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-year sentence to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of receiving stolen government or property provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charges of fraudulent registration and fraudulent voting each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Attorney Foley; DSS SAC O’Brien; SSA OIG SAC Connelly; HUD OIG SAC Rice; and Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Northeast Region made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Taunton man, formerly of Brockton, was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for orchestrating a scheme to defraud various health insurance companies of over $1 million in false reimbursement claims for bogus medical expenses purportedly incurred during international travel.

Henry Ezeonyido, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 27 months in prison, to be followed by three of supervised release. Ezeonyido was also ordered to pay $655,313 in restitution and to forfeit $396,998 in criminal proceeds. In February 2025, Ezeonyido pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and six counts of health care fraud.

Ezeonyido was arrested and charged in July 2024 along with co-conspirators Brendon Ashe, Aqiyla Atherton, Darline Cobbler and Ariel Lambert. Ezeonyido was later indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. All four of Ezeonyido’s co-defendants pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and were subsequently sentenced to probation.

From approximately October 2019 to February 2022, Ezeonyido submitted fraudulent health insurance claims – on his own behalf and on behalf of at least seven other individuals, including Ashe, Atherton, Cobbler and Lambert – to five different health insurance companies for expensive medical treatment that they purportedly received and paid for out-of-pocket while traveling overseas. Many of the claims included fake traumatic injuries such as stabbings, gunshot wounds and hit and run car accidents that the defendants and others purportedly suffered requiring their hospitalization abroad. In nearly all instances, the individuals were actually in the United States at the time of the purported international medical events. Some of the individuals on whose behalf Ezeonyido submitted claims were knowing and willful participants in the scheme, while others either had no knowledge of the claims submitted on their behalf or were manipulated into providing their health insurance information, which Ezeonyido then used to submit fraudulent claims, later demanding a cut of the proceeds.

Ezeonyido submitted fabricated documents to the victim health insurance companies in support of the fraudulent claims, including fabricated medical records purporting to show the medical care received, fabricated bank records purporting to show payment to the international treatment facilities and, where the claim related to a fake traumatic injury, fabricated police reports describing the circumstances of the alleged event. In many instances, the details of the claims – including the purported dates of service, country where the alleged medical event occurred, and nature and circumstances of the alleged injuries – and the fabricated records submitted in support of the claims were nearly identical to one another.

As a result of these fraudulent claims, the victim health insurance companies were billed over $1 million for services that were never provided, resulting in payments totaling approximately $655,313. Upon receiving these payments from their health insurance companies, Ashe, Cobbler, Lambert and others, paid a portion of the proceeds to Ezeonyido and other co-conspirators, including Atherton, who acted as an intermediary, bringing others into the scheme in exchange for a cut of their paid claims. In total, Ezeonyido retained approximately $396,998 in fraud proceeds.  

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; and Anthony DiPaolo, Insurance Fraud Bureau Executive Director made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie A. Wright of the Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
 

BOSTON – A couple from Randolph, Mass., has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded dozens of individual investors out of millions of dollars.

Milendophe Duperier, 33, and Vanessa Joseph, 26, have agreed to plead guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Plea hearings for the defendants have not yet been scheduled by the Court.

According to the charging documents, Duperier acted as an investment advisor, soliciting investments from individuals and advising them that their funds would be invested in the securities markets. Joseph was allegedly Duperier’s girlfriend and business partner.

It is alleged that, between early 2018 and December 2022, Duperier and Joseph defrauded dozens of individual investors by falsely representing that Duperier would use the entirety of their investments to purchase securities. However, instead of investing the funds in the securities markets as promised, Duperier and Joseph allegedly used the funds to pay prior investors and for personal purchases and expenses – including payments for luxury vehicles and mortgage and credit card debt.

In total, the charging documents allege that Duperier and Joseph defrauded individual investors, some of whom had invested their life savings, of more than $3.2 million. As part of the alleged scheme, Duperier and Joseph allegedly applied for and received small business loans for various entities and used the loan proceeds to pay purported investment returns to victim investors. It is further alleged that Duperier made false statements and excuses to investors as to why he had not made promised interest payments and/or could not return the investors’ principal.

The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

If you have questions, concerns or information about this case, please reach out to usama.victimassistance@usdoj.gov.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie A. Queenin and Leslie A. Wright of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.  

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
 

BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to the December 2023 armed robbery of a jewelry store in Lawrence, where he stole over $500,000 worth of jewelry and precious metals.

Rosnel Polanco, 26, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (commonly referred to as Hobbs Act robbery). U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Aug. 12, 2025. In August 2024, Polanco was charged along with two co-conspirators.

On Dec. 15, 2023, Polanco, and allegedly his co-conspirators, entered a Lawrence jewelry store armed with firearms. Numerous employees of the store were present at the time, and it is alleged that the defendants robbed them of their jewelry and cell phones. Polanco and his alleged co-conspirators then allegedly pointed firearms at the victims’ heads and pressed the firearms to their backs as they brought the employees to the basement where the store’s office and safes were located.

Once downstairs, Polanco and his alleged co-conspirators forced the owner of the store to open the safes containing the jewelry and other precious metals. In total, approximately $500,000 in jewelry and precious metals are alleged to have been taken. The second safe could not be successfully opened. Polanco and his alleged co-conspirators then fled the scene in a rented Nissan Altima that was later found burned and torched in a field in Maine the following day.  

The charge of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Essex District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Lawrence Acting Chief of Police Millix Bonilla made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Cumberland County (Maine) Sheriff’s Department and the Norway (Maine) and Oxford (Maine) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
 

BOSTON – A former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employee pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to filing false tax returns in order to fraudulently obtain tax refunds and stealing Social Security benefits.

Kathleen Mannion, 58, of Lawrence, pleaded guilty to four counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of a false tax return and one count of theft of government money.  U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Sept. 3, 2025. Mannion was charged in March 2025.

From 1998 to 2009, Mannion worked as an IRS contact representative in Andover, Mass. Between approximately July 2020 through April 2023, Mannion prepared and filed income tax returns for other individuals with the IRS. Even though Mannion prepared these returns on behalf of other individuals, she did not list herself as the tax return preparer.  Instead, Mannion prepared the returns to appear as if the taxpayers prepared the returns on their own. Further, Mannion listed ineligible dependents on the tax returns, resulting in higher refund amounts for which the taxpayers did not qualify—all without the knowledge of the taxpayers.  Mannion also filed forms with the IRS directing that a portion of the fraudulently obtained tax refunds be deposited in her personal bank accounts, which she then used for her personal benefit.

Separately, between April and October 2020, Mannion applied for Social Security retirement, spouse and widow benefits with the Social Security Administration (SSA) via telephone for other individuals. Unbeknownst to these beneficiaries, Mannion directed SSA to deposit the Social Security benefits in her personal bank accounts, which she also used for her personal benefit.

The charge of aiding and assisting the preparation and filing of a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of theft of government money provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – A student at Assumption University in Worcester, Mass., has been charged, and has agreed to plead guilty, in connection with hacking into the computer networks of two U.S.-based companies and extorting the companies for ransoms.

Matthew D. Lane, 19, of Sterling, Mass., has agreed to plead guilty to one count each of cyber extortion conspiracy; cyber extortion; unauthorized access to protected computers; and aggravated identity theft. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.

“Cyber extortion is a serious attack on our economy and on all of us. As alleged, this defendant stole private information about millions of children and teachers, imposed substantial financial costs on his victims, and instilled fear in parents that their kids’ information had been leaked into the hands of criminals – all to put a notch in his hacking belt. The alleged ransoms that this defendant and others like him demand hurt victim companies and their innocent customers whose data the companies are entrusted to hold,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley.

“Matthew Lane apparently thought he found a way to get rich quick, but this 19-year-old now stands accused of hiding behind his keyboard to gain unauthorized access to an education software provider to obtain sensitive data which was used in an attempt to extort millions of dollars. He also allegedly conspired to extort more money from a telecommunications provider over its confidential data,” said Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “This alleged scheme has resulted in serious consequences and highlights the FBI’s ongoing commitment to bringing cyber criminals to justice, no matter what their motivation is for willfully breaking the law.”

According to court filings, between April 2024 and May 2024, Lane agreed with others to extort a $200,000 ransom payment from a telecommunications company by threatening to publicly disseminate customer data that had previously been stolen from the company’s computer network. When the victim company questioned whether a ransom payment would in fact end the threat of its customer data being leaked, Lane allegedly responded, “We are the only ones with a copy of this data now. Stop this nonsense [or] your executives and employees will see the same fate . . . . Make the correct decision and pay the ransom. If you keep stalling, it will be leaked.”

It is further alleged that Lane used stolen login credentials to access the computer network of a second victim company – a software and cloud storage company that served school systems in the United States, Canada and elsewhere. Lane allegedly caused personally identifying information (PII) of students and teachers stored on that company’s networks to be transferred to a computer server that Lane leased in Ukraine.

Later, the second victim company and others received threats that the PII of more than 60 million students and 10 million teachers – including names, email addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, medical information, residential addresses, parent and guardian information and passwords, among other data – would be “leak[ed] . . . worldwide” if the company did not pay a ransom of approximately $2.85 million in Bitcoin.

Members of the public who have questions or concerns as to whether a particular student and/or teacher’s information was compromised should contact their local school district.

The charges of cyber extortion conspiracy, cyber extortion and unauthorized access to protected computers each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, consecutive to any sentence imposed on the computer fraud charges. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Attorney Foley and FBI Acting SAC Milka made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Assumption University Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Salvadoran national pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

Juan Alberto Orellana Pena, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Sept. 4, 2025. Orellana Pena was arrested on a criminal complaint and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2024. Orellana Pena has remained in custody since.

Orellana Pena unlawfully entered the United States on an unknown date. In 1998, he was convicted of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 years of age or older, in
Worcester District Court. He was later removed from the United States in May 2008.

Sometime after his May 2008 removal, Orellana Pena unlawfully reentered the United States. In August 2012, in Uxbridge, Orellana Pena was stopped for speeding resulting in Orellana Pena being indicted for illegal reentry of a deported alien in October 2012. Orellana Pena was sentenced to a term of one year and a day in federal prison. In November 2013, upon completion of this sentence, Orellana Pena was removed from the United States.

On an unknown date after his November 2013 removal, Orellana Pena reentered the United States. Federal authorities became aware of Orellana Pena’s return to the United States after he was arrested in Worcester for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery on a family household member and assault and battery on or about June 16, 2024.

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of an imposed sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial E. Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – A Lexington, Mass. attorney has been charged and agreed to plead guilty in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Massachusetts victims, including two of his own relatives.

David Smerling, 75, has agreed to plead guilty to a Superseding Information charging him with four counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering and one count of aggravated identity theft. Smerling was previously indicted in January 2025 on charges of embezzling from a business partner.  

“The alleged multi-million-dollar embezzlement that Mr. Smerling was originally charged with was, unfortunately, just the tip of the iceberg. Today’s charges allege that Mr. Smerling also preyed on a family member with special needs and another with dementia, allegedly stealing money these victims needed for their own care,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley.

“For anyone with elderly and vulnerable loved ones, these are frightening allegations,” said Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “David Smerling allegedly betrayed the trust of his victims and took full advantage – embezzling from them to line his own pockets while trying to cover up his crimes. The FBI will never stop working to protect the public from criminals like this, and we’re gratified to see him brought to justice.”

According to court filings, between January 2016 and May 2020, Smerling embezzled more than $2.5 million from three Massachusetts companies for whom he worked as a bookkeeper. Specifically, it is alleged that Smerling transferred funds from the victim companies into a separate bank account that he controlled, before moving the money to bank accounts in his own name or directly from the companies’ accounts to bank accounts in his own name. Smerling allegedly concealed his scheme by changing the mailing address on victims’ bank statements to his home address and refusing to share the online banking password for the victims’ accounts.  

Court filings further allege that, between May 2020 and August 2021, Smerling embezzled more than $470,000 from a trust established for the benefit of a relative with special needs for which Smerling served as the trustee. Smerling allegedly transferred trust funds to bank accounts he controlled before sending the funds to bank accounts in his wife’s name or using the funds to pay for personal expenses. It is alleged that Smerling concealed his scheme by making lulling payments to the beneficiary so he would not discover the trust had been depleted.  

Court filings also allege that, between May 2023 and April 2025, Smerling embezzled more than $150,000 from a relative with dementia for whom Smerling served as the financial power of attorney. Specifically, Smerling allegedly transferred funds from the victim’s accounts to accounts he controlled, used a credit card in the victim’s name for personal purchases and took out a loan in the victim’s name. To conceal this scheme, Smerling allegedly misrepresented the purpose of the transfers to the financial institutions in which the victim’s accounts were held.  

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the wire fraud and money laundering charges. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and FBI Acting SAC Milka made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – An Indian national, residing in New York, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to staging armed robberies in furtherance of a visa fraud conspiracy.  

Rambhai Patel, 37, pleaded guilty to on one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Aug. 20, 2025. In December 2023, Patel was charged along with a co-conspirator.

Beginning in March 2023, Patel and his alleged co-conspirator set up and carried out staged armed robberies of at least nine convenience/liquor stores and fast-food restaurants across the United States – including at least five in Massachusetts. The purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the store clerks to claim that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for U nonimmigrant status (U Visa). A U Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.  

During the staged robberies, the “robber” would threaten store clerks and/or owners with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, while the interaction was captured on store surveillance video. The clerks and/or owners would then wait five or more minutes until the “robber” had escaped before calling police to report the “crime.” The “victims” paid Patel to participate in the scheme. One purported victim paid $20,000 to participate as a victim in one of the staged armed robberies. In turn, Patel paid the store owners for the use of their stores for the staged robbery.

At least two purported victim co-conspirators submitted U Visa applications based on being victims of the staged armed robberies.

Singh is scheduled to plead guilty on May 22, 2025.

The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of New York and the Western District of Washington; FBI’s New York and Seattle Field Offices; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Massachusetts State Police; Worcester County District Attorney’s Office; and the Hingham, Marshfield, Randolph, Weymouth, Worcester, Upper Darby, (Pa.), West Pittston (Pa.), Louisville, (Ky.) and Bean Station (Tenn.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Jessica L. Soto of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in New Bedford has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

Manuel Ruiz Luis, 52, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Ruiz Luis was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 31, 2025. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, Ruiz Luis has been detained.

According to the indictment, Ruiz Luis was first deported from the United States to Guatemala in April 1996 and allegedly reentered the United States illegally sometime thereafter. Ruiz Luis was removed from the United States a second time on March 28, 2012. It is alleged that sometime after his March 2012 removal, Ruiz Luis illegally reentered the United States without permission.

According to court documents, prior to his 2012 removal, Ruiz Luis had multiple criminal convictions including one charge of operating under the influence and four separate charges of operating a motor vehicle without a license.

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
 

BOSTON – A Georgia woman was sentenced on May 14, 2025 in federal court in Boston for her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that trafficked narcotics from Mexico into the United States.

Brooke Logan Paniagua, 28, of Dalton, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns to 10 years in prison, to be followed by 48 months of supervised release. In January 2025, Paniagua pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.  

On Sept. 25, 2022, the DTO informed a confidential source that a female courier would be transporting 12 pounds of methamphetamine from Georgia to Massachusetts. On Sept. 27, 2022, Paniagua called the confidential source to coordinate the time and location to meet to complete the sale of the methamphetamine. Paniagua informed the confidential source that the methamphetamine was hidden inside a 50-pound bag of dog food.  
    
On Sept. 27, 2022, Paniagua arrived at the agreed-upon location and notified the confidential source that she had arrived at the location. During a search of her person, a .22 caliber Ruger handgun loaded with eight rounds of ammunition was located in Paniagua’s back pocket. A search of Paniagua’s vehicle resulted in the recovery of a large, partially opened bag of dog food that contained five plastic containers filled with 12.3 pounds of 97% pure methamphetamine. 
        
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, and the Natick, Newton and Waltham Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
 

BOSTON – A New York-based director of operations and sales for the Northeast region of a mobile medical diagnostics company has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to provide kickbacks to doctors in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans.

James Rausch, 57, of Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., has been charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.  

According to the charging documents, from approximately March 2015 through September 2020, Rausch conspired with others, including two managers for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, to enter into kickback agreements with various doctors. TCD scans are brain scans that measure blood flow in parts of the brain. It is alleged that Rausch and his co-conspirators agreed to offer and pay doctors kickbacks, some in cash and others by check, based on the number of TCD ultrasounds the doctors ordered. Rausch and his co-conspirators allegedly created purported rental and administrative service agreements that, on paper, made it appear as if the doctors’ practices were compensated for the TCD company’s use of space as well as for administrative costs associated with processing each order – based on fair market value, not based on the volume or value of referrals. It is alleged that these agreements were shams that hid the true nature of the payment arrangement for each test.  

It is alleged that the scheme as a whole resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $70.6 million to Medicare. Medicare paid approximately $27.2 million to the TCD company for the fraudulent claims.

The charge of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Kelly M. Lawson, Acting Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard Locker and Mackenzie Queenin of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
 

BOSTON – The CEO of SpineFrontier, Inc. has pleaded guilty to making false statements to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Dr. Kingsley R. Chin, the Founder, President and CEO of SpineFrontier, Inc., a Massachusetts-based medical device company, pleaded guilty on May 15, 2025, to one count of false statements to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Open Payments Program. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Aug. 6, 2025.

Pursuant to the Physician Payment Sunshine Act, device manufacturers, like SpineFrontier, are required to report any payments or transfers of value to physicians, including spine surgeons. CMS maintains a database, via the Open Payments website, which makes all such payments or transfers of value publicly accessible.  

According to the charging documents, SpineFrontier offered surgeons the opportunity to engage in purported consulting on product development. Specifically, Chin directed his employees to report the payment of fees paid to a surgeon as consulting fees that were not compensation for actual consulting work. Chin caused his employees to report a payment of $4,750 on Jan. 19, 2016, to the surgeon as a “consulting” payment, even though Chin knew that the surgeon had not performed actual consulting work for the payment. He also knew that he and SpineFrontier were required to accurately report any payments or transfers of value to the surgeon.

The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.  

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri, Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abraham R. George, Christopher R. Looney and Mackenzie A. Queenin are prosecuting the case.