District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced on Aug. 6, 2026, in federal court in Boston for depositing stolen and altered U.S. Treasury checks into shell company bank accounts that he controlled and then withdrawing the stolen money to conceal its origin. 

Gino Rosario Tyler Alexander Allegra, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper to time served of approximately nine months, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered Allegra to restitution in the amount of $545,090. In May 2026, Allegra pleaded guilty to four counts of theft of government funds, four counts of bank fraud and three counts of money laundering. Allegra was charged in a superseding indictment in September 2025 and detained pending trial. 

Allegra obtained U.S. Treasury checks that had been issued as tax refunds to individuals and businesses throughout the United States but were later stolen. Allegra deposited these checks into bank accounts that he opened in the name of World Advance, Inc. (WAI), a Massachusetts shell company with no bona fide operations. The stolen checks were altered to name WAI as a payee instead of the actual taxpayers eligible for the refunds. Allegra also purchased bank checks payable to other shell businesses to conceal the origin of the stolen proceeds and deposited and laundered bank checks that others purchased using other stolen Treasury checks. In total, Allegra stole or laundered more than $1.2 million in government funds. 

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Michael Carpenter, Special Agent in charge of the U.S. Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Northeast Field Division; and Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Kosto, Chief of the Securities, Financial and Cyber Frauds Unit prosecuted the case.
 

BOSTON – A Brazilian national, unlawfully residing in the United States on an expired visa, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the armed robbery of a cash courier in Framingham, Mass., in November 2025, which resulted in the theft of approximately $200,000. 

Helbert Oliveira, 47, was indicted one count of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, as well as brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. Oliveira was previously charged by criminal complaint in May 2026 and arrested in Pompano Beach, Fla., on July 21, 2026. At the time of his arrest, Oliveira was found in possession of a Glock-43 pistol, a suppressor, gloves, masks and ammunition. 

According to court records, Oliveira is alleged to have conspired with another individual, Curt Porcher, to rob a cash courier delivering money to a Framingham business. Porcher allegedly served as the getaway driver in a rented vehicle, while Oliveira allegedly pointed a firearm at the victim, taking approximately $200,000. Surveillance footage from the robbery is included below:

Prior to Oliveira’s arrest, his alleged co conspirator, Porcher, was charged by criminal complaint in the District of Massachusetts with Hobbs Act armed robbery and conspiracy. He was subsequently indicted in April 2026.

The charge of Hobbs Act armed robbery, or conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act armed robbery, 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 charge of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to any other prison term. Each count also carries a potential $250,000 fine. 

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Division and the Marlborough Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aidan Lang of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting Oliveira.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Richardson, also of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting Oliveira’s alleged co-conspirator, Porcher.

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, Mass., man was sentenced yesterday for operating a clandestine drug laboratory that manufactured thousands of fentanyl and methamphetamine pills and for possessing firearms that furthered his drug trafficking operation. The defendant fled the United States shortly before his trial.

Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, 38, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 21 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. In May 2026, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and 400 grams or more of fentanyl; one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

Rodriguez was arrested and charged in October 2024 along with co-defendants Ronald Odelyn Tejeda and Erick Pimentel-Cabrera. Tejeda fled the United States after pleading not guilty and is a fugitive from justice. Pimentel-Cabrera pleaded guilty and was sentenced in March 2026.

“Carlos Rodriguez ran a full-scale drug factory out of a residential basement, manufacturing thousands of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine and arming himself with dangerous firearms to protect his operation,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “He brazenly documented his crimes – posing with guns, stacks of cash and even filming himself alongside an operating pill press – and then fled the country rather than face justice. The defendant earned every day of this 21-year sentence. It reflects the extraordinary harm caused by flooding our communities with deadly drugs and the serious consequences for those who profit from doing so.”

“Counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, along with crystal methamphetamine, are deadly drugs that have no place in our communities,” said Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “This defendant chose to profit from trafficking these dangerous substances while possessing firearms to further his criminal activity. His attempt to flee to the Dominican Republic on the eve of trial demonstrates that he knew he had to answer for his actions. He ultimately pleaded guilty, and this sentence holds him accountable. The DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who traffic these deadly drugs and put our communities at risk.”

For more than a year, Rodriguez operated a clandestine drug laboratory in the basement of a Lawrence residence that he leased from his father. There, he used pill presses to manufacture thousands of fentanyl and methamphetamine pills for distribution. 

During an October 2024 search of Rodriguez’s residence, two electric pill presses, a kilogram press, and about 14 kilograms – or 30 pounds – of pills and powders containing controlled substances were seized. These included thousands of blue fentanyl pills made to resemble oxycodone and thousands more orange methamphetamine pills made to resemble Adderall. It also included more than four kilograms of pure crystal methamphetamine, additional kilograms of powder mixtures containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, and smaller amounts of heroin and cocaine. In addition, about 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl pills were seized from co-conspirator Tejeda during a series of controlled purchases leading up to the October 2024 search.

Three firearms – including two that had been reported stolen – as well as nearly $100,000 in cash were also recovered from Rodriguez’s residence. One of the firearms, a Glock pistol, held an extended magazine loaded with 26 rounds, some of which had hollow tips.

Rodriguez, who used the street name “Dex,” documented his drug operation on his smartphone. In one selfie-style video, Rodriguez wore a gas mask and displayed an AR-15-style rifle for the camera as a press stamped pills behind him. Another photograph showed Rodriguez posing inside the laboratory with two other firearms, including an Uzi with an obliterated serial number. His phone also contained other images and videos of pills, firearms and large stacks of cash.

Shortly before his April 2026 trial, Rodriguez fled the United States for the Dominican Republic. Rodriguez is a U.S. citizen. He was stopped by Dominican authorities as he tried to enter the country after having arrived on a flight from Mexico with a fraudulent Mexican passport and a fraudulent Mexican voter registration card. Authorities returned Rodriguez to Massachusetts two days later, and he pleaded guilty in May 2026.

U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and DEA SAC Forget made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew A. Caffrey, III, Amanda Beck, and Annapurna Balakrishna prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – A Lowell man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a money laundering conspiracy.

Hector Nunez, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 45 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In May 2026, Nunez pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and three counts of money laundering, aiding and abetting.

Over a two-year period, Nunez laundered or helped launder approximately $688,650 of narcotics proceeds. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement learned that Nunez understood that these funds were the proceeds of cocaine trafficking.  

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad A. Rocheville of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
 

BOSTON – The operator of a restaurant and apartment building was charged today for allegedly aiding the filing of false tax returns.  

Demetrios Pseudoikonomou, 55, of Belmont, has been charged with eight counts of aiding the filing of false tax returns. Pseudoikonomou was arrested today and released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Worcester.

According to the charging documents, Pseudoikonomou operated a restaurant and apartment building in Boston. It is alleged that between approximately 2018 through 2023, Pseudoikonomou deliberately failed to report more than $1.6 million in gross receipts and rental income for these businesses to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). As a result, Pseudoikonomou allegedly avoided paying more than $520,000 in federal income taxes.

It is further alleged that Pseudoikonomou told an undercover agent, who was posing as a prospective buyer for the businesses, that he regularly underreported his gross receipts and rental income to the IRS. When meeting with the undercover agent, Pseudoikonomou allegedly said that his accountant “reports what I tell him…. You’re gonna see on my returns that not everything’s there.” During a subsequent meeting, Pseudoikonomou allegedly said, “You’re not a wearing a wire, right?  You’re not a cop, right?”

The charge of aiding the filing of false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, up to one year 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 Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman 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 Athol, Mass. man has been arrested and charged for allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) following a federal search warrant executed at his home today.  

Kristopher Ambrozewicz, 35, is charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Ambrozewicz was arrested this morning and remains detained pending a hearing scheduled for Aug. 14, 2026 at 2 p.m. in federal court in Worcester.

According to charging documents, during a search of Ambrozewicz’s residence this morning, an on-site review of his cellular phone allegedly revealed several videos depicting CSAM. Ambrozewicz allegedly told law enforcement that he has served as a youth soccer referee and as a referee assigner for the North Quabbin United Soccer Club and that he works part time at CHD Outpatient Behavioral Health Services in Orange, Mass., where he sees both youth and adult patients. Numerous electronic devices including laptops, hard drives and various other electronic storage media were seized for further forensic review.

Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or email Centralmareport@fbi.gov. 

The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, no less than five years and 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 Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance provided by the Athol Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of the Worcester Branch Office 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 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 dual national of the United States and the Philippines was charged and has agreed to plead guilty to stealing more than $7.1 million from his employer over the course of a decade.

Ricardo Fontanilla, 66, of Fairfax, Va., was charged with wire fraud and has agreed to plead guilty. Fontanilla was arrested at his home in May 2026 and was later ordered detained pending trial. 

According to court documents, between 2013 and December 2025, Fontanilla worked at the Victim Company, a global financial services company which had its U.S. headquarters in Massachusetts, as a Security Administration Services employee. Fontanilla’s role allegedly gave him access to the Victim Company’s financial systems, which tracked borrowers’ mortgage payments in connection with residential mortgage-backed securities – a kind of financial instrument that allows investors to purchase ownership in a pool of residential mortgage loans. Beginning in 2013, Fontanilla allegedly altered the Victim Company’s records to make it appear that the Victim Company was receiving excess payments from mortgage servicing companies that were collecting borrower payments. As alleged, Fontanilla fraudulently transferred these supposedly “excess” payments back to one mortgage servicer (Company A), and then falsely informed Company A representatives that the Victim Company had mistakenly refunded these amounts. In directing Company A to return the mistaken refunds to the Victim Company, Fontanilla allegedly directed Company A to wire the funds to a personal bank account he controlled at Wells Fargo. 

Records obtained during the investigation show Fontanilla allegedly received more than $7.1 million in wires from Company A between 2013 and 2025, and that Fontanilla allegedly made payments from his accounts of more than $4.78 million in personal credit card payments to Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and American Express; $873,000 in mortgage and loan payments; more than $200,000 in cash and cash-equivalent withdrawals in the United States and abroad; at least $300,000 in deposits to brokerage accounts at JPMorgan Chase; and approximately $125,000 in payments to Toyota – amounts far exceeding the approximately $83,000 annual salary Fontanilla received from the Victim Company. According to court documents, Fontanilla’s spending included substantial purchases of luxury brands and premium air travel through the United States, the Caribbean and Asia.

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 $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, restitution, and forfeiture. 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; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Brian Tucker, Special Agent in Charge, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Inspector General made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Frauds 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 member of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges, including his participation as an accessory after the fact to two murders and one shooting.

Israel Garcia Vasquez, a/k/a “Menol,” 25, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy and drug conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Nov. 19, 2026.

The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Trinitarios adhere to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to coordinate and execute violence, and undertake extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members.

During today’s court proceedings, Israel Garcia Vasquez admitted to his membership in the gang as well as to his participation in a shooting on Aug. 27, 2023, in Lynn, and as an accessory after the fact to the Sept. 2, 2023, murder of Jandriel Heredia and Abraham Diaz, in Lynn. Both incidents were retaliatory shootings in order to avenge the recent killing of a Trinitarios member by a rival gang.

During the Sept. 2, 2023 incident, three members of the Trinitarios drove by Essex Street in Lynn and discharged numerous rounds at people gathered outside. The gathering was a party celebrating a young man who was heading off to college. Seven people were shot during this incident, including Abraham Diaz and Jandriel Heredia who later died from the gunshot wounds they sustained. Garcia Vasquez admitted that after the shooting, the driver and two shooters were brought to his residence in the Lawrence area, where they were harbored.

In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. The charges were the result of a multijurisdictional investigation, which began in the aftermath of four murders as well as a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members. In March 2025, a Lynn member of the Trinitarios was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In June 2025, two members of the Trinitarios were charged with kidnapping a drug supplier. In July 2025, the leader of the Lynn Chapter was sentenced to 14 years in prison. In December 2025, two members of the Lynn Chapter, Michael Miliano and James Jimenez pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. In April 2026, Luis Enrique Santana pleaded guilty. In May 2026, Westyn Lantigua pleaded guilty. In June 2026, Luis Jeffrey Santana pleaded guilty. In August 2026, Kelvin Liranzo Roman pleaded guilty.

On June 9, 2026, additional federal racketeering and drug charges were unsealed charging 26 additional leaders, members and associates of the Lawrence, Haverhill and Boston Chapters of the gang. According to court documents, the Trinitarios have allegedly participated in five additional murders in Essex County since 2017, bringing the total of federally charged murders to 11. Israel Garcia Vasquez is the 13th defendant to plead guilty in the case.

The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation following 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; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester, N.H. Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

BOSTON – A Queens, N.Y., man has been charged for allegedly travelling across state lines to engage in illicit sexually conduct with a 13-year-old minor in Massachusetts. 

Andre Jamal Bennett, 33, was charged with interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Bennett was arrested yesterday in the Eastern District of New York and remains detained pending a future hearing. 

According to the charging documents, Bennett is employed by Delta Air Lines as a ground controller at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. In September 2025, Bennett allegedly created multiple social media accounts – including two Instagram accounts and a Snapchat account – using the fictitious name “Chris.” Using the accounts, it is alleged that Bennett falsely presented himself to be a 16-year-old boy allegedly to contact the minor victim.

In November 2025, Bennett allegedly took a flight from New York City to Boston. Upon landing in Boston, Bennett allegedly contacted the minor victim, informed her that he was in the area and coerced her into meeting him in person. When Bennett met the minor victim, who still believed he was “Chris,” the 16-year-old boy he had purported to be online, Bennett allegedly wore a hooded sweatshirt that concealed his face.

According to the charging documents, Bennet then brought the minor victim to a hotel and raped her. Bennett also allegedly recorded the sexual assault on his phone. Following the encounter, Bennett allegedly continued to contact the minor victim through social media over the course of several months and sought to entice her to meet with him again, including by offering to pay her. The minor victim refused.

The charge of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct provides for a sentence of up to 30 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; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Michael Cox, Commissioner of the Boston Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s New York Field Office and United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, of the Major Crimes Unit and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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 Haverhill man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining $350,000 in investor funds.

Luciano Schipelliti, 29, was sentenced byU.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release with six months of home confinement. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $350,000. In April 2026, Schipelliti pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He was charged in March 2026.

In the fall of 2018, Schipelliti established the Superstars Fund and raised roughly $275,000 to invest in cryptocurrency. By 2019, through a series of bad investments, Schipelliti lost all the money in the Superstars Fund. He did not, however, tell any of the investors that he had lost the money. Instead, beginning in approximately November 2020, Schipelliti began sending monthly newsletters to investors that falsely reported that the Superstars Fund continued to grow in value. 

Based on the misrepresented performance of the Superstars Fund in approximately February 2021, Schipelliti launched a new fund, the TTM Fund, through which he raised approximately $350,000 to invest in cryptocurrency. Schipelliti lost all the money in the TTM fund by September 2021. According to the charging documents, Schipelliti lost most of the money in the TTM Fund investing in cryptocurrency and also used some of the money in a manner inconsistent with the terms of the TTM Fund’s operating agreement.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case. 

BOSTON – A former employee of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining over $40,000 in pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA) benefits.

Mo Yuong Kang, 51, formerly of Woburn and Dracut, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy to one year of probation. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $45,868 and forfeiture in the amount of $45,868. In May 2026, Kang pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud after being indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2025.

Kang worked as an Industrial Hygienist with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, an agency of the DOL, from June 2016 until July 2023. In 2020 and 2021, Kang was a full-time employee of the DOL and earned over $85,000 annually.

In April 2020, Kang submitted a false PUA application to the Division of Unemployment Assistance (DUA). In the application, Kang claimed under the penalty of perjury that he was “self-employed, an independent contractor, or a gig worker and COVID-19 had severely limited [his] ability to perform [his] normal work,” and that he had not earned more than $89 a week since March 8, 2020. The DUA approved Kang’s claim, and through September 2021 Kang subsequently submitted weekly certifications to the DUA claiming that he did not work and did not receive any income during those weekly periods. Based upon his application and weekly certifications, Kang received $45,868 in PUA benefits to which he was not entitled.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Christopher Silvestro, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.

On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. The Team is led by two senior federal prosecutors serving as Fraud Coordinators, whose mission it is to aggressively investigate and prosecute misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits in Massachusetts.

Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).

On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted in March 2020 and designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act created a new temporary federal unemployment insurance program called pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA), which provided unemployment benefits for individuals who were not eligible for standard unemployment benefits. To receive PUA benefits, Massachusetts claimants were required to certify in an initial registration and in weekly certifications whether or not they worked or received any income during the relevant time period. The PUA program was administered in Massachusetts by the Division of Unemployment Assistance (DUA).

BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Dorchester, Mass. was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a large-scale fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. 

Anderson Ernesto Andujar Echavarria, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to five years in prison, to be followed by six years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In December 2025, Andujar pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; three counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl; one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and methamphetamine; and one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Andujar was arrested and charged in September 2024 along with three co-conspirators Waner Bernabel Presinal, Carlos Fabal and Freddy Artemio Guerrero Soto.

In November 2023, law enforcement identified Andujar as a large-scale drug trafficker distributing various narcotics. Over the course of the investigation, Andujar distributed tens of thousands of press fentanyl tablets as well as powdered fentanyl, cocaine and crystal methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement. 

Bernabel was identified as a co-conspirator who worked with Andujar to distribute fentanyl pills and Fabal was identified as a fentanyl pill supplier to Andujar. Fabal was previously convicted in 2007 in federal court in Boston of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, for which he was sentenced to 67 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

At the time of the arrests, 30,000 blue pressed fentanyl pills were seized along with and 500 grams of powder fentanyl from Andujar and Guerrero Soto.

Fabal pleaded guilty in October 2025 and is awaiting sentencing. Bernabel was sentenced in June 2026 to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. Guerrero Soto pleaded guilty in February 2025 and, in May 2025, was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of the Criminal Division is prosecuted the case.

Veloxis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Veloxis), a drug manufacturer based in Cary, North Carolina, has agreed to pay over $46 million to resolve criminal and civil allegations that it paid kickbacks to induce prescriptions and purchases of Envarsus XR (Envarsus), a kidney transplant immunosuppression drug. 

As part of the government’s resolution with Veloxis, the company entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) in connection with a criminal information filed today in the District of Massachusetts charging Veloxis with conspiracy to commit violations of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute by paying for, among other things, lavish meals, alcohol, and luxury resort stays, to induce healthcare providers to recommend or prescribe Envarsus. As part of the DPA, Veloxis has agreed to pay a criminal penalty of more than $10 million.

“Today’s resolution should serve as a warning to any healthcare company that tries to improperly influence the decisions of healthcare providers,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Kickbacks can erode medical decision-making, result in unnecessary prescriptions of branded drugs, and waste federal healthcare funds.”

“Attempting to improperly influence medical decision-making for financial gain is dangerous, yet it is exactly what Veloxis was doing. Instead of prioritizing patient safety, they were prioritizing profits,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “Treatment decisions need to be based on what’s best for the patient, not what’s best for the drug manufacturer’s bottom line, or what lavish meal or resort stay they can offer. We remain committed to protecting the integrity of taxpayer-funded health care programs. Drug manufacturers should know that the federal government will use all available enforcement mechanisms to stop the payment of illegal health care kickbacks.”

“Today’s settlement resolves allegations that Veloxis operated with a principal focus on sales, providing kickbacks in the form of luxury resort stays, lavish meals, and payments to induce health care professionals to recommend and prescribe its kidney transplant immunosuppression drug,” said Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks of the FBI Boston Field Office. “It’s harmful when pharmaceutical companies prioritize profits over patients. Just know that the FBI and our partners are committed to fighting health care offenses, one case at a time, and seeing perpetrators held accountable.”

“Kickbacks that distort medical decision making put patients at risk and undermine trust in our health care system,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Veloxis used lavish perks and concealed payments to push its drug, and today’s resolution makes clear that this conduct will not be tolerated. HHS OIG will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect patients, uphold the integrity of federal health care programs, and hold companies accountable when they violate the law.”

Today’s resolution also includes a civil settlement of allegations that Veloxis caused the submission of false claims to federal healthcare programs by paying kickbacks to hospital personnel and specialty pharmacies, in violation of the False Claims Act. Veloxis has agreed to pay $34.45 million to the United States and certain states to resolve those civil allegations. In addition, Veloxis agreed to pay a $1.55 million civil penalty to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to resolve allegations that Veloxis knowingly failed to report to CMS certain payments to physicians under the Open Payments Program (also known as the “Sunshine Act”). This is the largest Sunshine Act recovery since the law was passed in 2010.

As part of the criminal resolution and the Corporate Integrity Agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Veloxis has agreed to implement a significant corporate compliance program, including adoption of an enhanced system of policies, procedures, and internal controls designed to deter and detect violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, and implementation of enhanced oversight, reporting, and enforcement mechanisms.

The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and other federally funded healthcare programs. It seeks to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives and are instead based on the best interests of their patients. Similarly, Congress created the Open Payments Program to provide greater transparency and protection to consumers by requiring drug manufacturers and others to publicly disclose certain payments and other transfers of value to physicians, with the goal of discouraging the development of inappropriate relationships and potentially unnecessary healthcare costs that can arise from such conflicts.

Veloxis’ Criminal Liability for Conspiring to Pay Kickbacks

According to admissions and court documents filed in the District of Massachusetts, from October 2016 and continuing through in or around June 2023, Veloxis and its employees engaged in a scheme to pay kickbacks to transplant health care providers (HCPs) to induce them to prescribe, order, or recommend or arrange for prescribing or ordering Envarsus for kidney transplant recipients. During the relevant time, Veloxis manufactured and sold a single drug, Envarsus, for use as an immunosuppressant in adult kidney transplant recipients. Envarsus, a drug taken once a day for the life of the kidney transplant recipient, competed against the generic form of the same drug, which was taken only once a day. To gain market share for Envarsus against a cheaper generic drug, Veloxis engaged in an aggressive marketing strategy pursuant to which it promoted Envarsus to HCPs at and tied to transplant centers and hospitals who could influence the placement of Envarsus on the formulary and/or protocol of their respective facilities.

These marketing efforts included various tactics that violated the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, including but not limited to: taking HCPs and at times, their spouses or guests, to lavish dinners and on expensive trips and retreats under the guise of “advisory boards,” providing gifts and expensive alcohol to HCPs, and making purported consulting payments to HCPs for work that was not actually performed. In many of these instances, Veloxis employees submitted falsified company expense reports to conceal their illegal marketing efforts, including by falsely adding names to the list of attendees at dinners and events (to decrease the apparent cost per attendee of the meals) and omitting the names of physicians who attended the meals (to avoid Sunshine Act reporting requirements). This false reporting resulted in Veloxis’ failure to properly report the sums it paid to physicians, which further obscured its illegal activities.

Veloxis admitted that it intended the improper remuneration it provided to HCPs to result in increased Envarsus prescriptions, as demonstrated, in part, by communications between Veloxis employees and certain HCPs. For example, in connection with a surgeon’s request to attend a speaker program, a Veloxis employee told the surgeon that the Veloxis employee “need[ed] scripts. Lots of them.” Several months earlier, the Veloxis employee had told the surgeon that he was “over Sales” and needed the surgeon “more than ever,” and instructed the surgeon that it was “[t]ime to open your Rolodex and make things happen.” The statement of facts filed with the DPA today details additional examples of Veloxis’ kickbacks and related efforts to disguise and conceal its unlawful conduct.

Veloxis’ Civil Liability for False Claims to Federal Healthcare Programs

The resolution announced today also resolves allegations that Veloxis violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing the submission of claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE for Envarsus prescriptions written by HCPs or filled by pharmacies to which Veloxis had knowingly and willfully paid kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. In connection with the civil settlement agreement, Veloxis admitted that from 2016 to 2023, it paid kickbacks to HCPs in the form of lavish meals, alcoholic beverages, expensive trips, resort stays, gifts, and purported consulting fees to induce prescriptions of Envarsus. Veloxis admitted that it concealed those kickbacks by falsifying company expense reports and business records as to the recipients, amounts, and purpose of the payments; and creating consulting agreements for purported consulting work that was not actually performed.

With respect to Veloxis’ obligation to report physician payments under CMS’s Open Payments Program, Veloxis admitted that because its reports to CMS were based on falsified expense reports, Veloxis underreported, or failed to report, the true amounts of its payments or transfers of value to those physicians. 

In addition, Veloxis admitted that from 2017 to 2023, it paid kickbacks to specialty pharmacies in the form of per-patient and per-month payments to induce those pharmacies to begin or continue purchasing Envarsus instead of competitor drugs, including a cheaper generic drug. Veloxis admitted that it disguised the unlawful purpose of the kickback payments to the pharmacies by falsely describing the payments in written contracts as being for “enhanced services” such as data collection or adherence services. In fact, Veloxis admitted that it paid the pharmacies regardless of whether they provided any data, provided the specified data fields, or provided the data in the specified format, and without confirming whether any adherence services were provided.

Under the civil settlement agreement, Veloxis will pay $21,211,251 to the United States to resolve the False Claims Act allegations and an additional $13,238,749 to certain States for claims settled by certain State Medicaid programs. Veloxis also agreed to pay a civil penalty of $1.55 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly failed to report the amounts of its payments to physicians under the CMS’s Open Payments Program. In connection with the civil settlement, Veloxis entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the HHS-OIG. The CIA requires, among other compliance provisions, that Veloxis implement a compliance program to identify and address the Anti-Kickback Statute risks associated with other financial arrangements and retain an independent compliance expert to perform a review of the effectiveness of the compliance program.

Veloxis received credit under the Department of Justice’s guidelines for accounting for disclosure, cooperation, and remediation in False Claims Act cases. Among other things, Veloxis admitted liability and accepted responsibility for the misconduct, proactively disclosed inculpatory evidence not known to the government, and facilitated interviews with current and former employees and the collection of evidence from third parties. Veloxis also received credit for taking timely and remedial measures, including terminating employees responsible for the misconduct, updating and revising policies and procedures related to the Anti-Kickback Statute, adopting enhanced training, reporting, compliance, disciplinary, and internal investigations programs, and terminating agreements and relationships with third parties involved in the offense conduct.

The claims resolved in today’s settlement include certain claims that were brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Toulsor1, Inc. v. Veloxis Pharmaceuticals A/S, et al., No. 1:20-cv-11575 (D. Mass.).

The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.

The criminal case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie A. Wright and Christopher R. Looney for the District of Massachusetts. The civil investigation and resolution were handled by Assistant Director Christopher Terranova of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven T. Sharobem and Lindsey E. Weinstein for the District of Massachusetts. The FBI, HHS-OIG, DCIS, Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

BOSTON – Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Veloxis), a drug manufacturer based in Cary, N.C., has agreed to pay over $46 million to resolve criminal and civil allegations that it paid kickbacks to induce prescriptions and purchases of Envarsus XR (Envarsus), the company’s kidney transplant immunosuppression drug.

As part of the government’s resolution with Veloxis, the company entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) in connection with a criminal information filed today in the District of Massachusetts charging Veloxis with conspiracy to commit violations of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute by paying for, among other things, lavish meals, alcohol and luxury resort stays, to induce health care professionals to recommend or prescribe Envarsus. As part of the DPA, Veloxis has agreed to pay a criminal penalty of $10.04 million. Today’s resolution also includes a civil settlement to resolve allegations that Veloxis caused the submission of false claims to federal health care programs by paying kickbacks to hospital personnel and specialty pharmacies, in violation of the False Claims Act. Veloxis has agreed to pay $34.45 million to the United States and certain States as part of the civil settlement. In addition, Veloxis has agreed to pay a $1.55 million civil penalty to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to resolve allegations that Veloxis knowingly failed to report to CMS certain payments to physicians under the Open Payments Program (a/k/a the “Sunshine Act”). This is the largest Sunshine Act recovery since the law was passed in 2010. 

“Attempting to improperly influence medical decision-making for financial gain is dangerous, yet it is exactly what Veloxis was doing. Instead of prioritizing patient safety, they were prioritizing profits,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Treatment decisions need to be based on what’s best for the patient, not what’s best for the drug manufacturer’s bottom line, or what lavish meal or resort stay they can offer. We remain committed to protecting the integrity of taxpayer-funded health care programs. Drug manufacturers should know that the federal government will use all available enforcement mechanisms to stop the payment of illegal health care kickbacks.” 

“Today’s resolution should serve as a warning to any healthcare company that tries to improperly influence the decisions of healthcare providers,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Kickbacks can erode medical decision making, result in unnecessary prescriptions of branded drugs, and waste federal healthcare funds.”

“Today’s settlement resolves allegations that Veloxis operated with a principal focus on sales, providing kickbacks in the form of luxury resort stays, lavish meals, and payments to induce health care professionals to recommend and prescribe its kidney transplant immunosuppression drug,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “It’s harmful when pharmaceutical companies prioritize profits over patients. Just know that the FBI and our partners are committed to fighting health care offenses, one case at a time, and seeing perpetrators held accountable.”

“Kickbacks that distort medical decision making put patients at risk and undermine trust in our health care system,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG). “Veloxis used lavish perks and concealed payments to push its drug, and today’s resolution makes clear that this conduct will not be tolerated. HHS OIG will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect patients, uphold the integrity of federal health care programs, and hold companies accountable when they violate the law.”

Veloxis’s Criminal Liability for Conspiring to Pay Kickbacks

According to court documents filed in the District of Massachusetts, from approximately October 2016 to June 2023, Veloxis and its employees engaged in a scheme to pay kickbacks to transplant health care professionals (HCPs) to induce them to prescribe, order, or recommend prescribing or ordering Envarsus for kidney transplant recipients. These kickbacks took several forms. Veloxis provided improper remuneration to transplant HCPs in the form of lavish meals, expensive resort stays and personal gifts and also made large payments to HCPs under the guise of consulting agreements, often for purported consulting work that was not actually performed. In many of these instances, Veloxis employees submitted falsified company expense reports to conceal their illegal conduct (and to avoid Sunshine Act reporting requirements). Veloxis admitted that it intended the improper remuneration it provided to HCPs to induce prescriptions/orders of Envarsus and thereby increase the company’s net profits.

Veloxis’s Civil Liability for False Claims to Federal Health Care Programs 

In addition, the resolution announced today resolves allegations that Veloxis violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing the submission of claims to Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE for Envarsus prescriptions written by HCPs or filled by pharmacies to which Veloxis had knowingly and willfully paid kickbacks. In connection with the civil settlement agreement, Veloxis admitted that, in addition to providing improper remuneration to HCPs and concealing the kickbacks by falsifying company expense reports, Veloxis failed to properly report the remuneration under CMS’s Open Payments Program. Veloxis admitted that because its reports to CMS were based on falsified company expense reports, Veloxis underreported, or failed to report, the true amounts of its payments or transfers of value to physicians.  

Veloxis also admitted that from 2017 to 2023, it paid kickbacks to specialty pharmacies in the form of per-patient and per-month payments to induce the pharmacies to begin or continue purchasing Envarsus instead of competitor drugs, including a cheaper generic drug. Veloxis admitted that it disguised the unlawful purpose of these payments by falsely describing them in written contracts as being for “enhanced services” such as data collection or adherence services. In fact, Veloxis admitted that it paid the pharmacies regardless of whether they provided any data and without confirming whether any adherence services were actually provided.

Under the civil settlement agreement, Veloxis will pay $21,211,251 to the United States to resolve the False Claims Act allegations and an additional $13,238,749 to certain States for claims settled by those States’ Medicaid programs. Veloxis also agreed to pay a civil penalty of $1,550,000 to resolve allegations that it knowingly failed to report the amounts of its payments to physicians under CMS’s Open Payments Program. In connection with the civil settlement, Veloxis entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with HHS-OIG. The CIA requires, among other things, that Veloxis implement a compliance program to identify and address Anti-Kickback Statute-related risks and retain an independent compliance expert to review the effectiveness of its compliance program. 

Veloxis cooperated with the government’s investigation.

The claims resolved in today’s settlement include certain claims that were brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the Act, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Toulsor1, Inc. v. Veloxis Pharmaceuticals A/S, et al., No. 1:20-cv-11575 (D. Mass.).

U.S. Attorney Foley; AAG Shumate; FBI SAC Docks; HHS-OIG Acting Deputy IG Bennett; Christopher Silvestro, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri, Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General; Derek M. Holt, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General; and Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven T. Sharobem and Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Looney and Leslie A. Wright of the Criminal Division, along with Assistant Director Christopher Terranova in the Department of Justice’s Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.

BOSTON – The Chief Financial Officer of SpineFrontier, Inc., a spinal implant company, formerly based in Malden, Mass., has been sentenced for a kickback scheme to bribe surgeons to use company products in exchange for sham consulting fees.

Aditya Humad, 41, of Cambridge, Mass., was sentenced on Aug. 6, 2026 by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to four months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $9,500 fine. In May 2026, Humad pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute. Humad was charged in September 2021 along with Dr. Kingsley R. Chin, SpineFrontier’s Founder, President and CEO.

Humad conspired to pay and direct the payment of over $540,000 in bribes to surgeons in the form of sham consulting fees for work they did not perform. Humad conspired to bribe surgeons to use SpineFrontier’s products, and in turn, SpineFrontier received millions of dollars in revenue from surgeries the surgeons performed.

“This sentence is the culmination of years of dogged pursuit of SpineFrontier, its executives, Aditya Humad and Kingsley Chin, and multiple bribe-taking doctors. Aditya Humad now stands convicted and sentenced for conspiracy to pay bribes to physicians to induce them to use products in complicated spine surgeries,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley.  “In criminal and civil proceedings, we have recovered more than $4 million from these executives, their companies and the physicians who took their bribes. Let these resolutions serve as notice that no matter how long it takes, and how sophisticated the scheme, we will crack down on health care fraud offenses.”

“This corporate scheme sought to corruptly influence surgeons by paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to induce the use of SpineFrontier’s medical devices in surgeries,” said Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG). “Humad’s actions undermined critical safeguards designed to protect patients and the integrity of taxpayer funded health care programs. HHS OIG, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to hold accountable individuals and executives who engage in such illegal schemes.”

“As the Chief Financial Officer of SpineFrontier, Inc., Aditya Humad conspired to bribe surgeons to use his company’s products – and paid them more than a half million dollars in sham consulting fees for work they did not perform – in an effort to boost the company’s bottom line,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Kickback schemes like this not only violate federal law, but they erode the public’s trust in our health care system. That’s why the FBI, and our partners, will continue to ensure individuals who put their company’s profits ahead of patient care are brought to justice.”

“This sentencing sends a clear message that the VA Office of Inspector General will work diligently to ensure that individuals who conspire to pay kickbacks to influence medical decisions are held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri of the VA OIG’s Northeast Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement partners for their collaboration and exceptional work in pursuing justice in this case.”

Humad conspired with SpineFrontier to enter into contracts with surgeons, agreeing to pay the surgeons between $250 and $1,000 per hour for purported consulting for SpineFrontier. In reality, however, Humad directed SpineFrontier to pay the surgeons for using SpineFrontier’s products. Although the surgeon-consulting program was purportedly directed at gathering technical feedback about SpineFrontier’s products, Humad used the bribes they paid pursuant to that program to induce surgeons to use SpineFrontier’s products in surgeries that were paid for by federal health care programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and the Veterans Health Administration. Additionally, the surgeons frequently spent only a small fraction of their reported time, if any, performing actual consulting.

Humad previously agreed to pay a fine pursuant to a civil settlement agreement, including a fixed amount totaling more than $150,000 (including interest) and potential additional contingency payments based upon his annual income.

In May 2025, Chin pleaded guilty to making false statements to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. He was subsequently sentenced in August 2025 by Judge Talwani to one year of supervised release with the first six months to be served in home confinement. Chin was also ordered to pay a fine of $9,500 in addition to $40,000 he personally agreed to pay as part of a related civil settlement and $855,000 that his wholly-owned company agreed to pay as part of the same settlement.

In related criminal prosecutions, in August 2020, surgeon Jason Montone, D.O, 50, of Lawson, Miss., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and obstruction. Medical device distributor John Balzer, 48, of Lenexa, Kan., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and one count of witness tampering. Montone and Balzer are scheduled to be sentenced in September 2026.

In related civil enforcement, in March 2020, five doctors agreed to pay civil settlements to resolve allegations of accepting sham consulting fees in violation of the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute: Dr. F. Paul DeGenova agreed to pay $486,985; Dr. Michael Murray agreed to pay $330,668; Dr. Joseph Shehadi agreed to pay $323,419; Dr. Agha Khan agreed to pay $310,843; and Dr. John Atwater agreed to pay $105,149. In April 2020, Dr. John Carlson agreed to pay $1.75 million dollars to resolve the same allegations.       

U.S. Attorney Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General; Ted E. Docks, 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 Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abraham R. George, Christopher R. Looney and Mackenzie A. Queenin prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A member of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to racketeering charges, including his participation in two murders.

Kelvin Liranzo Roman, a/k/a “Whoopty,” 27, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Nov. 17, 2026. Liranzo Roman was arrested and charged in February 2025.

The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Trinitarios adhere to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to coordinate and execute violence, and undertake extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members.

During today’s court proceedings, Kelvin Liranzo Roman admitted to his membership in the gang and his participation as an accessory before the fact to the Sept. 2, 2023 murders of Jandriel Heredia and Abraham Diaz. During this incident, three members of the Trinitarios drove by Essex Street in Lynn and discharged numerous rounds at the people gathered outside. The gathering was a party celebrating a recent high-school graduation and a young man heading off to college. Seven people were shot during this incident, including Abraham Diaz and Jandriel Heredia who later died from the gunshot wounds they sustained. 

Liranzo Roman admitted that before the shooting, he brought the vehicle used in the shooting to Lynn, knowing it would be used by the Trinitarios later that night to target rival gang members that the Trinitarios believed were at the party. The vehicle used in the shooting was owned by the deceased Trinitarios member and was used to send a message to rival gang members. After the shooting, the driver and two shooters were brought to Lawrence, and then later were brought to Liranzo Roman’s residence.

In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. The charges were the result of a multijurisdictional investigation which began in the aftermath of four murders as well as a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members. In March 2025, a Lynn member of the Trinitarios was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In June 2025, two members of the Trinitarios were charged with kidnapping a drug supplier. In July 2025, the leader of the Lynn Chapter was sentenced to 14  years in prison. In December 2025, two members of the Lynn Chapter, Michael Miliano and James Jimenez pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. In April 2026, Luis Enrique Santana pleaded guilty. In May 2026, Westyn Lantigua pleaded guilty. In June 2026, Luis Jeffrey Santana pleaded guilty. 

On June 9, 2026, additional federal racketeering and drug charges were unsealed charging 26 additional leaders, members and associates of the Lawrence, Haverhill and Boston Chapters of the gang. According to court documents, the Trinitarios have allegedly participated in five additional murders in Essex County since 2017, bringing the total of federally charged murders to 11. Kelvin Liranzo Roman is the 12th defendant to plead guilty in the case

The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five 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; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester, N.H. Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

BOSTON – The founder and primary operator of “MyTrade,” a financial services firm known in the cryptocurrency industry as a “market maker,” was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a wide-ranging conspiracy to manipulate cryptocurrency markets on behalf of client cryptocurrency companies.

Liu Zhou, 41, a Canadian citizen and Chinese national, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to pay a fine of $10,000. In October 2024, Zhou was charged along with 17 co-conspirators and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud.

MyTrade provided financial services to cryptocurrency clients through its “MyTrade MM” website and online application. Those services included the wash trading of client cryptocurrencies across multiple cryptocurrency exchanges. Wash trading occurs when a single trader, or a number of traders working in coordination, buy and sell the same asset repeatedly in order to mislead the market by artificially inflating the trading volume or price of the asset via trades that have no lawful commercial purpose. Wash trading is a form of fraud intended to stimulate interest in an asset. MyTrade MM’s clients had access to a dashboard available through MyTrade MM’s website that allowed clients to specify the desired amount of daily wash trades, a service described as “Volume Support,” on identified cryptocurrency exchanges. MyTrade MM used computer programs known as “bots” to generate the fraudulent wash trades for clients.

MyTrade MM’s unlawful wash trading service was identified through an undercover law enforcement operation which included the creation of NexFundAI, a purported cryptocurrency company that had a website ((https://nexfundai.com) and an Ethereum-based token that traded on the Uniswap cryptocurrency exchange before being disabled by law enforcement.

In discussions with purported NexFundAI promoters, Zhou described how MyTrade MM “does self-trades - a buy and a sell in the same second,” and that its volume bot can be used to execute “pump and dumps.” Zhou also described the “objective” as finding “other buyers from the community, people you don’t know about or don’t care about” because “we have to make [the other buyers] lose money in order to make profit.” As of Oct. 1, 2024, MyTrade MM was providing the “volume support” function, which consisted of wash trades made by trading bots, to dozens of clients.

As part of Zhou’s plea in October 2024, MyTrade MM was required to cease providing “Volume Support” services and to permanently deactivate its wash trading bots, which had been responsible for millions of dollars’ worth of daily wash trades for approximately 60 different cryptocurrencies. MyTrade MM was also required to add the following disclaimer to its website: “Volume support is a form of wash trading and illegal under the laws of the United States.”

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
 

BOSTON – A Somerville, Mass. man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. The defendant possessed more than 100 privately made firearms (PMFs), more commonly known as, “ghost guns,” at his residence – including machine guns and firearm silencers, as well as a 3D printer and ammunition in varying calibers.  

Robert Butland, 39, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton who scheduled sentencing for Nov. 10, 2026. Butland was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in August 2025 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025. The defendant remains in federal custody.

During an August 2025 search of Butland’s residence, a locked closet inside his bedroom was found to contain numerous PMFs as well as numerous solvent traps commonly used as illegal firearm suppressors. Additional ghost guns were found in nightstands, backpacks and coffee table drawers throughout the bedroom. Multiple 3D printers, firearm parts and accessories purchased from companies across the country, filament, a workbench and tools consistent with the assembly and manufacture of firearms were also recovered from the residence. Ammunition in multiple calibers – including 9mm Luger, 5.56 Hornady Frontier and 7.62x39mm rounds – were also seized.

Butland is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior state convictions in Lawrence District Court for assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest and wanton destruction of property. According to court document’s Butland also has state convictions for negligent operation of a motor vehicle, possession of a Class B controlled substance and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

The charge of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a felon provides for a sentence of up to 10 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; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division; and Jason Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Somerville Police Department; the Boston Police Department; and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
 

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

Angel Daniel Cruz-Sanchez, 51, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Nov. 12, 2026. Cruz-Sanchez was charged in April 2026.

Cruz-Sanchez is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who was deported in 2019 and 2023. In 2003, 2008 and 2018, Cruz-Sanchez was convicted in separate drug trafficking cases.

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien 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 David T. Wesling, Acting 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 Dominican national unlawfully residing in Lawrence, Mass. has been indicted for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.

Eddy Antonio Perdomo, 32, is charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Perdomo will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Aug. 10, 2026.

Perdomo previously pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien in July 2025. He was subsequently sentenced to time served (approximately four months in prison) on Sept. 5, 2025 and removed from the United States on Sept. 15, 2025. It is alleged that sometime after his September 2025 removal, Perdomo illegally reentered the United States without permission.

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 David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Conroy 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts participated in National Night Out events in communities across the Commonwealth. The annual campaign brings together law enforcement, community organizations and residents to strengthen relationships and promote safer neighborhoods.

National Night Out is held each year on the first Tuesday in August and is celebrated in thousands of communities across the country through neighborhood gatherings, block parties, cookouts, youth activities, safety demonstrations and other events.

“The work of keeping our communities safe extends far beyond the courtroom. It depends on strong partnerships between law enforcement and the people we serve,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “National Night Out is a meaningful opportunity to connect with residents, listen to their concerns and reinforce our shared commitment to safer, stronger communities throughout Massachusetts.”

National Night Out is coordinated locally by law enforcement agencies and community volunteers and encourages meaningful engagement between residents and the public safety professionals who serve them. In the District of Massachusetts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office participated in National Night Out events in cities and towns across the state. 

Established in 1984 with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance within the U.S. Department of Justice, National Night Out is administered by the National Association of Town Watch.

For more information about National Night Out, visit www.natw.org. 

BOSTON – A Rhode Island man has been arrested and charged in connection with possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).   

Frank DeCaro, 47, of Westerly, R.I., was charged with one count of possession of child pornography. DeCaro was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston at 1 p.m. today. 

According to the charging documents, DeCaro is a registered sex offender following a 2014 conviction for possession of CSAM in Rhode Island state court, for which he received a probationary sentence. In November 2025, DeCaro was stopped at Boston Logan Airport attempting to enter the country from an international trip to Italy. During a subsequent search, multiple images and videos depicting CSAM were allegedly discovered on DeCaro’s phone.

The charge of possession of child pornography after a previous similar offense provides for a sentence of no less 10 years and up to 20 years 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; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Jennifer B. De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Rhode Island State Police and the Westerly (R.I.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Hawkins 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 Puerto Rican man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for an incident in which he opened an emergency exit door while aboard a JetBlue flight preparing for takeoff from Boston to Puerto Rico. 

Angel Luis Morales Torres, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Senior Judge F. Dennis Saylor to one year of probation. Morales Torres was also ordered to pay approximately $60,000 in restitution. In May 2026, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of damaging or disabling an aircraft. Morales was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2025. 

On Jan. 7, 2025, Morales was a passenger aboard a JetBlue flight scheduled to fly from Boston to Puerto Rico. While the aircraft was on the taxiway preparing for takeoff, Morales stood up from his seat, ran down the aisle and entered an empty emergency exit row, where he began attempting to open the emergency exit door. A flight attendant attempted to restrain Morales and he was eventually tackled by another passenger. Prior to being restrained, Morales managed to open the emergency door, causing the emergency inflatable slide to deploy, and rendering the aircraft inoperable.   

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – The owner of a Brockton clothing store, “Banks & Brancos,” pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to drug trafficking and firearm charges.

Felipe Jonet-Branco, 31, of Brockton, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and 10 counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy scheduled Jonet-Branco’s sentencing for Nov. 2, 2026. Seven members and associates of the Brockton-based Harvard Street Gang were charged in February 2026, following the execution of search warrants at numerous residences and stash locations associated with the group, including Banks & Brancos.

On Feb. 4, 2026, a search was executed at Banks & Brancos in Brockton where 10 firearms, over 35 pounds of marijuana with packaging, over 200 grams of psilocin mushrooms and over $40,000 in cash was seized during the search. Eight of those firearms, along with large-capacity magazines and several empty bottles of promethazine with codeine, were found inside a hidden drawer underneath the store’s front counter. The guns included a large-caliber rifle and a Glock handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device. An additional gun was hidden inside the store’s vending machine, and another was in plain view in a storage room. Jonet-Branco is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior conviction for felony battery in Miami-Dade County, Fla.

The charge of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, supervised release for at least three years and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of firearms provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, supervised release for up to three years 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; Ted E. Docks, 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 Homeland Security Investigations, Boston Division; the Abington, Acushnet, Ashland, Boston, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brockton, Chelsea, East Bridgewater, Medford, Quincy, Randolph, Raynham, Stoughton, Taunton and West Bridgewater Police Departments; the Plymouth and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Departments; Massachusetts Department of Correction; and the Plymouth, Norfolk and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Cutshall and Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture action to recover $1,413,037 in alleged proceeds of an insider trading scheme seized from a U.S.-based brokerage account held in the name of Zhi Ge, of Singapore.  

As described in the civil complaint, Ge is alleged to have engaged in and conspired with others to commit securities fraud and was charged in a superseding indictment returned in November 2025, by a federal grand jury in Boston. The indictment alleges that, from at least in or about November 2016 and continuing to in or about February 2024, Ge conspired with his co-defendants and others known and unknown, to obtain material non-public information (MNPI) about the financial performance and merger-and-acquisition activity of various publicly traded companies, executing securities trades while in possession of that MNPI, and providing that MNPI, in exchange for a percentage of trading profits, to others known and unknown, who traded while in possession of the MNPI.

The civil complaint alleges that the seized funds are proceeds traceable to the purchase and sale of call option contracts made by Ge while in possession of MNPI.    

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Lyons of the Asset Recovery Unit is prosecuting the civil forfeiture action and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy E. Moran is prosecuting the criminal action.

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

BOSTON – Two alleged members of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in and around Western Massachusetts have been charged in federal court with conspiring to distribute fentanyl.

Jose Luis Alvarado Gonzalez, Jr., 33, of Springfield, Mass. and Samuel Colon Rosado, 33, of Holyoke, Mass. were each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl.

Alvarado Gonzalez and Colon Rosado were arrested on July 28, 2026, and following detention hearings in federal court in Springfield, Alvarado Gonzalez was released on the condition of home confinement and Colon Rosado was detained.

According to the charging documents, Alvarado Gonzalez was identified as the alleged leader of a DTO operating in Holyoke and Springfield that distributed fentanyl. The organization allegedly used multiple locations in the area to facilitate drug distribution and utilized glassine baggies stamped with the brand name “Nipsey Hussle” to package fentanyl for sale.

The charging documents allege that between September 2025 and April 2026, Alvarado Gonzalez coordinated at least nine fentanyl transactions involving a cooperating witness. It is alleged that Alvarado Gonzalez directed the witness to designated meeting locations, where Rosado and other associates allegedly delivered fentanyl on his behalf. According to court documents, laboratory testing confirmed that the fentanyl purchased during the investigation included approximately 69 grams, 74 grams and 140 grams of fentanyl.

Following a search on July 28, 2026 at the Springfield and Holyoke locations related to the DTO’s operations, suspected fentanyl packaged for distribution, firearms, ammunition, cash and other valuables were seized.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes governing the determination of a sentence.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Holyoke Police Department, Springfield Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Barnico, Jr. of the Springfield Branch Office is 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 the court of law.  
 

BOSTON – An Ecuadorian national unlawfully residing in Milford, Mass. has been charged with illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Defendant has been previously deported from the United States and arrested four times for driving under the influence in Massachusetts.

Luis Rolando Clavijo Tacuri, 32, is charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, the defendant remains in federal custody pending further proceedings.

According to court filings, Tacuri was first encountered by immigration officials in October 2015, while he was incarcerated on charges of operating under the influence in Holliston, Mass. At the time, it was Tacuri’s third operating under the influence offense. Tacuri was allegedly subsequently placed into removal proceedings and deported to Ecuador in December 2016.  

Sometime after his removal, it is alleged that Tacuri illegally reentered the United States. On May 27, 2024, Tacuri was allegedly arrested in Milford, Mass., for allegedly again operating under the influence.  

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; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office 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 – United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz announce that the District Attorney’s Office (PCDAO) has been awarded $701,581 through the FY 2026 OJP Special Attorney’s Grant Program. As a result of the grant award, a state prosecutor will be designated as a Special United States Attorney (SAUSA) to work on cross-designated matters on multi-jurisdictional crimes including fraud, drug crimes, human trafficking, and criminal immigration matters. The grant will foster continued coordination on federal cases, increase enforcement and prosecution and enhance working relationships in Plymouth County.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance administers that grant program and selected PCDAO as one of 30 grantees across the country. This grant program supports state, local, Tribal and territorial prosecuting agencies to assign or hire qualified prosecutors to serve full-time or part-time as Special Attorneys under the direction of the National Fraud Enforcement Division or the Criminal Division, or to serve as Special Assistant United States Attorneys within a United States Attorney’s Office.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts has a longstanding, collaborative relationship with the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office in advancing public safety. This grant will strengthen that existing foundation, allowing us to act as a force multiplier for the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, to bring more cases and stronger investigations. Tim Cruz has demonstrated a strong commitment to reducing crime, seeking justice on behalf of crime victims and promoting safer communities. He has been a valued law enforcement partner, supporting shared values, initiatives and public safety priorities. This funding will strengthen our offices’ ability to bring even more worthy federal cases to protect our communities,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “I am so pleased that the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office was selected and I am confident that the more than 540,000 residents of Plymouth County will benefit greatly from the grant and our shared mission, to serve and protect.”

“This is an exciting opportunity, and we are committed to enhancing our working relationship with U.S. Attorney Foley, and all their federal law enforcement partners. One of the grant’s objectives will be to coordinate federal cases originating in Plymouth County, to increase enforcement and prosecutions, and to enhance the working relationship with immigration authorities to ensure that undocumented immigrants accused of state crimes in Plymouth County are prosecuted. We have already selected an experienced prosecutor to assign to this new role, and I am proud that our offices are able to work together successfully and collaborate to protect public safety in our communities,” said Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz. 

This multi-year federal grant will fund a Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney (ADA) to be appointed as Special Assistant United States Attorney who will be housed at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston. The SAUSA will work as a federal prosecutor and will be supervised by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

More information regarding the FY26 Special Attorney’s Program can be found here: https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/OJP-FY26-Special-Attorneys-Program

BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office has filed a civil forfeiture action to recover 47,461.73111 USDT (Tether), alleged to be proceeds of an online fraud scheme in which scammers directed victims to deposit funds into cryptocurrency ATMs and then took the funds. The cryptocurrency currently has an estimated value of approximately $47,000.

As alleged in the complaint, the home computer of a Ware Mass. resident became unresponsive, and a pop-up window directed her to call a customer support telephone number. The victim spoke with an individual who claimed to be a customer service representative but in reality, was a scammer. The scammer told the victim that their bank account had been compromised and to “protect” their money, the victim needed to transfer their money to the government for safekeeping. At the direction of the scammers, the victim withdrew funds from their bank account and deposited them into a Bitcoin Depot brand cryptocurrency ATM at a gas station in Ludlow, Mass. From there, the victim’s money was transferred to the fraud perpetrators.

Law enforcement traced some funds to a cryptocurrency wallet and seized those funds in March 2026. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement identified four other victims of a similar scam whose funds could be traced to the same cryptocurrency wallet.  

It is a violation of federal law to use wire communications as part of a scheme to defraud or to obtain money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses. It is also a violation of federal law to conduct a financial transaction knowing that the transaction is designed to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, or control of criminal proceeds. A civil forfeiture action allows third parties to assert claims to property, which must be resolved before the property can be forfeited to the United States and returned to victims.

This is one of several civil forfeiture actions the U.S. Attorney’s Office has filed seeking to forfeit cryptocurrency traced to fraud schemes targeting Massachusetts victims.

Members of the public who believe they are victims of a cybercrime – including cryptocurrency scams, tech support scams, investment scams and business email compromise fraud scams – should contact  USAMA.CyberTip@usdoj.gov.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Field Office made the announcement today. The Ludlow Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carole E. Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit is prosecuting the civil forfeiture action.

The details contained in the civil forfeiture complaint are allegations. 
 

BOSTON – Two Brockton men pleaded guilty on July 24, 2026 in federal court in Boston to the Sept. 24, 2024, robbery of the Energy Credit Union in West Roxbury, Mass. The defendants stole $197,146 from the Credit Union where one brother was employed as a teller.  

Jenel Flounoury, 30, and Justin Flounoury, 34, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit larceny from a credit union. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Oct. 19, 2026. Both men were indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2025.

The Flounourys conspired to stage a “robbery” of the Credit Union where Jenel was employed. Specifically, on the day of the robbery, Justin entered the Credit Union wearing a hat, dark clothing, sunglasses and a mask. At the time, Janel was working at the teller window inside the Credit Union. Justin approached the teller window and passed Jenel a note reading “Hand it Over.” Rather than provide the “robber” with the limited amount of cash in his teller drawer, Jenel got up from his chair, entered the Credit Union’s vault and gathered almost $200,000 in cash. Unable to carry that amount in his hands, Jenel got a bag from within the vault and placed that cash inside to provide the “robber.” Justin then left the Credit Union with the bag of cash. Cellphone records showed Justin travelled home to the residence he shared with Jenel.

Within hours of his arrival home, Jenel and Justin were observed lighting a fire on a grill, and then burning dark colored clothing, consistent with that worn by the robber. These events were captured on video and burnt clothing was later recovered from the grill.

A search of the defendants’ shared residence later that night resulted in the recovery of over $160,000 in cash, including 10 $100 bills whose serial numbers matched those stolen from the Credit Union vault during the robbery.  

The charge of conspiracy 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; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Grady and John Potapchuk of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – A Springfield, Mass., man has been sentenced for distributing and conspiring to distribute fentanyl.

Emilio Garcia-Cappas, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to four years in prison, to be followed by six years of supervised release. In April 2026, Garcia-Cappas pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024.

Between Feb. 5, 2024, and Feb. 22, 2024, Garcia-Cappas conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. On Feb. 12, 2024, Garcia-Cappas distributed and possessed with intent to distribute fentanyl. On three separate occasions, Garcia-Cappas and his co-conspirators sold fentanyl to undercover law enforcement.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd E. Newhouse and Thomas A. Barnico, Jr. of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case. 
 

BOSTON – A Norfolk man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to sexually exploiting a two-year-old minor victim from Massachusetts.

Ethan Irving, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for Oct. 27, 2026. Irving was arrested and charged in January 2026.

In June 2025, Irving was identified as an online user who uploaded three files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to Kik Messenger. A July 2025 forensic analysis of two cell phones sized from Irving’s residence located multiple media files depicting CSAM. As a result of the findings, Irving was arrested and charged in Wrentham District Court in July 2025. He subsequently pleaded guilty to Dissemination of Obscene Matter and Possession of Child Pornography on Dec. 3, 2025, for which he was sentenced to two years of probation with conditions that prohibit his contact with children.

According to the charging documents, on Dec. 15, 2025, while reviewing evidence related to Irving’s state prosecution, additional CSAM was located on Irving’s devices that had not previously been seen by investigators. Specifically, the images appeared to be a continuous series, sequential in time, depicting Irving sexually abusing a two-year-old female toddler. The images appeared to have been taken inside a bedroom at Irving’s residence, with the bedding depicted in the images matching sheets observed and photographed during a search of the home in July 2025.

The charge of sexual exploitation of minors (and attempt and conspiracy) provides for a sentence of no less than 15 years and up to 30 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; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner of the Boston Police Department, Michael Cox; Mark Comorosky, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; and James Floyd, Chief of the Plainville Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, the East Bridgewater Police Department, and the Norfolk Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.

The case was 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 Montana man who allegedly threatened to kill a Massachusetts resident was arrested yesterday.

Matthew Shelley, 37, of Missoula, Montana, was indicted on July 23, 2026, by a federal grand jury in Boston with one count of transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce. Shelley is scheduled to have an initial appearance and detention hearing in the District of Montana on Aug. 3, 2026. He will appear in Boston at a later date.

According to court documents, on Oct. 18, 2025, Shelly used X (formerly Twitter) to threaten a Massachusetts resident.: He allegedly wrote, “You work for k|kes who murdered my family family. I will kill you.”

On July 30, 2026, Shelley was arrested at his home in Montana.

The charge of transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce carries a maximum 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 and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of the National Security 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 – Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston, Inc. (OCB) has agreed to pay $3,902,588.28 to resolve allegations that it falsely billed federal healthcare programs.  

Between Jan. 1, 2015 and July 30, 2025, OCB submitted claims to Medicare and MassHealth—Massachusetts’s Medicaid program—for office visits at which ophthalmologists administered intravitreal (i.e., directly into the eye) injections of certain medications. However, Medicare and MassHealth do not permit billing for office visits in addition to billing for the injections themselves, except under special circumstances. OCB billed for the office visits using a special billing code (Modifier 25) even when it did not perform the service to justify billing the extra amount or have documentation to support the extra billed amount. The government contends that, through this conduct, OCB submitted false claims to Medicare and MassHealth for these office visits.

The settlement credits OCB for cooperation under the Department of Justice’s Guidelines for Taking Voluntary Disclosure, Cooperation, and Remediation into Account in False Claim Act Matters.  

The claims against OCB were brought under the whistleblower or qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the FCA, private parties may sue on behalf of the government for false claims for government funds and receive a share of any recovery. The relator will receive a share from the proceeds of the settlement. The lawsuit is captioned United States, et al., ex rel. John Doe v. Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston, Inc., et al., 24-cv-11495.

U.S. Attorney Foley and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Sharobem of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit.  
 

BOSTON – A Longmeadow woman was sentenced yesterday for defrauding commercial lenders out of almost $20 million dollars over a four-year period.

Christine Gendron, 62, a former certified public accountant, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to one year of confinement, with six months to be served in federal prison and six months under home confinement with a GPS monitoring device, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Gendron was also ordered to pay $392,607 in restitution for bank fraud, her apportioned share of the total loss. In June 2025, Gendron pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

Gendron engaged in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud along with her sister, Jeanette Norman, and brother-in-law, Louis Masaschi, defrauding commercial lenders on multiple occasions. Together, they provided false and fraudulent rent rolls and forged lease agreements for numerous properties located in Springfield, Mass.; East Longmeadow, Mass.; and Enfield, Conn.

Gendron worked as the financial manager for Norman and Masaschi at LL Realty Developers, LLC, an umbrella company which owned primarily commercial and some residential property in Western Massachusetts, Connecticut and elsewhere. The three conspired with each other to fraudulently obtain loans from financial institutions and commercial lenders by providing materially false, fictitious and fraudulent financial information – including false rent rolls and forged lease agreements. After receiving the loans, they defaulted on the loans, causing substantial losses to the financial institutions and commercial lenders, including two community credit unions, and leaving the buildings vacant.

Between May 2016 and November 2018, the coconspirators fraudulently obtained or sought to obtain approximately $60,123,000 in loans and caused a total loss of $18,203,030.  

In July 2026, Masaschi was sentenced to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Masaschi was also ordered to pay $18,203,030 in restitution. Gendron’s sister and other co-conspirator, Jeanette Norman pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug.11, 2026.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven H. Breslow and Caroline Merck of the Springfield Office prosecuted the case.  
 

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

Yodenny Michael Baez-Cabrera, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Sept. 22, 2026. Baez-Cabrera was charged in April 2026.

Baez-Cabrera was deported from the United States on July 18, 2017. Sometime after his July 2017 removal, Baez-Cabrera illegally reentered the United States without permission. In 2015, Baez-Cabrera was convicted of felony assault with a dangerous weapon and witness intimidation in Peabody District Court.

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 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 and David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lynn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aidan Lang of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – A former U.S. Postal Inspector has pleaded guilty to stealing over $340,000 cash from packages mailed by elderly victims of lottery fraud scams, laundering some of the cash and failing to report it to the IRS.

Scott Kelley, 52, of Pembroke, Mass. pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud; five counts of mail fraud; five counts of mail theft by a postal officer; 23 counts of money laundering; one count of structuring to evade reporting requirements; and five counts of filing false tax returns. U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled Kelley’s sentencing for Nov. 18, 2026.

Kelley was a federal law enforcement officer authorized to carry a firearm, make arrests and execute search warrants. He worked at the Boston Division headquarters of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service. The primary mission of USPIS is to protect postal customers from criminal use of the mail system.

In 2015, Kelley became the Team Leader in charge of the Mail Fraud team. He supervised Postal Inspectors who investigated lottery and other scams that targeted senior citizens and other vulnerable populations. Kelley worked hand in hand with federal prosecutors investigating and prosecuting federal crimes involving the mail.

Working with Jamaican law enforcement authorities, USPIS began a nationwide crime-prevention initiative, Jamaican Operations Linked to Telemarketing (“JOLT”), to disrupt mail fraud scams originating in Jamaica that targeted U.S. residents with false promises of sweepstakes or lottery winnings. Posing as lottery representatives, scammers contacted elderly persons and other vulnerable victims and persuaded them to mail funds to pay “fees” or “taxes” that they supposedly needed to front before they could collect their prize.

USPS created a daily JOLT Report, a list of packages that likely contained cash sent by scam victims. Between Jan. 2019 and Aug. 11, 2023, Kelley requested – directly or through support staff – that about 1,950 JOLT parcels be intercepted and sent to him. It is alleged that Kelley received hundreds of those packages. He opened the ones that looked or felt like they might contain cash and stole any cash inside.

Victims of Kelley’s scheme included:

• A retired Army veteran in Kansas, then age 76, who mailed $19,100 cash;
• A retired construction supervisor in Mississippi, then age 82, who mailed $7,500 cash;
• An Indiana resident who cleaned houses while raising five children, who mailed $2,000 cash when they were 78;
• A retired nurse with Parkinson’s disease living in Waltham, Mass., who mailed $5,400 cash when they were 78;
• A 56-year old victim on Social Security disability benefits living in Holliston, Mass., who mailed $15,000 cash;
•  A retired apartment building manager in New Jersey, then age 82, who mailed $1,400 cash; and
• A retired nurse’s aide in Oklahoma, then age 70, who mailed $10,800 cash.

Although it is unknown how much Kelley stole in total, he possessed approximately $340,000 in cash during the period when he was receiving hundreds of intercepted JOLT parcels. Of this amount:

• He deposited about $131,000 into four separate bank accounts, on about 60 different dates, in amounts never exceeding $4,800. He allegedly did so to avoid being flagged as a customer depositing an unusually large amount of cash, which, as Kelley knew, could trigger the banks to report him to federal financial regulators.
• He paid about $158,000 in cash to buy approximately 165 postal money orders, most of which he deposited into his bank accounts or used to pay credit card bills. He always bought less than $3,000 in a day, knowing that post offices are required to collect identification information only from customers who buy $3,000 or more in money orders in a single day. On more than 20 of the money orders he bought, Kelley falsely identified two of his relatives as the payers. He did so to try to conceal that he was the cash purchaser of the money orders.
• He made almost $50,000 in cash purchases. These included $20,500 for a patio around his backyard pool: 

He also paid $4,800 in cash for a marble countertop on his pool bar and to heat the pool; $4,888 in cash to install landscape lights around the pool and lighting for the pool bar; and $4,300 in cash for bar drinks and other expenses incurred during Caribbean cruises he took with his family. Kelley also paid $15,400 in cash to two prostitutes whom he met during workdays and with whom he texted using a burner phone:

Members of the public who believe they may be victims of this case or other elder fraud scams should contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov. Suspected mail fraud can also be reported to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service online or by calling (877) 876-2455.

The charges of wire fraud each provide 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 charges of mail fraud each provide 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 charges of mail theft by a postal officer each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of money laundering each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to 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 structuring provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of filing false tax returns each provide for a sentence of up to three years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000. 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; Michael Ray, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Professional Responsibility, Technical and Sensitive Operations Field Office, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General; and Tom Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and Eric L. Hawkins are prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – A Lowell, Mass. man with allegiance to the Asian Boyz gang was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for distributing and conspiring to distribute thousands of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine.

Owen Landry, a/k/a “Oski,” 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 11 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In April 2026, Landry pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; and two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine. Landry was among five charged in January 2025.

In 2021, an investigation began into the Asian Boyz gang to disrupt the manufacturing and distribution of substantial quantities of methamphetamine pills impacting Lowell.

The investigation revealed that Landry, an Asian Boyz gang member, formed an alleged conspiracy with another gang member, Sovath Yern, a/k/a “Stryke,” to profit from the sales of bulk quantities of the counterfeit Adderall pills. Co-defendant Zachary Hansen agreed to let Landry use his residence in Lowell as one of the group’s storage and distribution centers. At Landry’s direction, Hansen also sold the counterfeit Adderall pills and collected payments.

Specifically, Landry negotiated two large counterfeit Adderall pill deals in July and August 2024 and directed the buyers to Landry’s Lowell residence to complete the transactions.  Unbeknownst to Landry and Hansen, the pill deals were part of law enforcement operations to surveil and record the purchases. In July 2024, a cooperating witness met Hansen inside the Lowell residence and paid him $2,000 in exchange for 5,000 pills. In August 2024, a co-conspirator was observed, travelling back and forth from Landry’s residence in Lowell during a deal with a second cooperating witness, who paid another $2,000 in exchange for 2,000 pills.

Later in 2024, Landry himself sold pills he had allegedly obtained from Yern’s apartment in Billerica to a cooperating witness. Specifically, on two separate occasions in November 2024 and December 2024, Landry directed the cooperating witness to meet him in the garage of Yern’s apartment complex. After meeting the cooperating witness and taking the cash payments, Landry then entered the building where Yern allegedly escorted him inside. Landry was seen entering Yern’s apartment with the money and then leaving with large bags of pills. Landry then returned to the cooperating witness to deliver methamphetamine pills – 4,000 pills in November 2024 and 5,000 pills in December 2024.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Greg C. Hudon, Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Billerica, Haverhill, Methuen, North Andover and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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

BOSTON – A Maryland man pleaded guilty on July 23, 2026 in federal court in Springfield, Mass. to inducing three individuals, including two minors, to travel across state lines to engage in prostitution.

David Kaufman, 45, pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging three counts of knowingly persuading, inducing, enticing and coercing an individual to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution and aiding and abetting, as well as one count of conspiring to do the same. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Nov. 13, 2026. Kaufman was arrested in April 2025. In May 2025, a federal grand jury charged Kaufman in a superseding indictment that included additional charges against Kaufman as well as a co-conspirator.

In January and February of 2024, Kaufman and a co-conspirator made arrangements for a victim  to travel to Baltimore to stay with Kaufman, who paid for the travel. Once at Kaufman’s residence in Baltimore, Kaufman persuaded and enticed the victim to allow Kaufman to perform sex acts on the victim in exchange for money and things of value. In March, the victim and co-conspirator again traveled from Massachusetts to Maryland, where Kaufman once again persuaded and enticed the victim to allow Kaufman to perform sex acts on the victim in exchange for money and things of value.

In June 2024, a minor victim and a co-conspirator traveled from Massachusetts to Maryland to stay with Kaufman. Kaufman again paid for the travel. Once there, Kaufman persuaded and enticed the minor victim to allow him to perform sex acts on the minor victim and paid the victim money to do so. Kaufman continued to communicate with the minor victim and encouraged the victim to return to Maryland to engage in additional sex acts for money. In late June, the minor victim and the co-conspirator again traveled from Massachusetts to Baltimore, and Kaufman paid for the tickets in anticipation of the victim engaging in additional sex acts with him for money. Once back in Baltimore, Kaufman and the minor victim engaged in sex acts in exchange for money in Kaufman’s bedroom. At that time, the victim was 16 years old but, at the co-conspirator’s urging, told Kaufman that he was 18 years old.

In July 2024, Kaufman traveled to Boston, Mass.. Kaufman and his co-conspirator arranged to meet in Boston and the co-conspirator introduced Kaufman to another minor victim, convincing the minor to travel from Connecticut to Massachusetts to meet Kaufman for prostitution. Once Kaufman, his co-conspirator and the minor victim were in Boston, Kaufman engaged in sex acts with the victim in exchange for money. At that time, the minor was 17 years old but, at the co-conspirator’s urging, told Kaufman that he was 18 years old.

If you have information or questions about this investigation, or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking or child exploitation, please contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.

The charge of knowingly persuading and inducing a person to travel for purposes of prostitution 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 charge of conspiracy to knowingly persuade and induce a person to travel for purposes of prostitution provides for 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 statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Maryland; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and the Baltimore Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torey B. Cummings, Craig E. Estes and Kunal Pasricha 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 Pittsfield pharmacist has been charged in federal court in Boston with allegedly diverting Adderall and Dextroamp-amphetamin (generic Adderall) from a national pharmacy chain.

Joshua Bradley, 30, of Pittsfield, was charged with five counts of acquiring a controlled substance by fraud, deception and subterfuge. The defendant will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Sept. 9, 2026.

According to the charging documents, while working as a licensed pharmacist at a national pharmacy chain, Bradley allegedly diverted various quantities of Dextroamp-amphetamin  for his own use on four occasions in August, September and November 2024. Additionally, on Nov. 10, 2024, Bradley is alleged to have also diverted Adderall. These controlled substances originally were intended for customers.

The charge of acquiring a controlled substance by fraud, deception, and subterfuge provides for a sentence of up to four years in prison, one year 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 Jarod A. Forget, 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, the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department and the Barnstable, Harwich, Bourne, Brewster, Sandwich, Falmouth, Mashpee, Yarmouth and Dennis Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Cleary of the Health Care Fraud 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 Peabody man has been arrested and charged with allegedly transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM). 

Felix Santos, 34, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of transporting child pornography. Santos was arrested and appeared in federal court in Boston yesterday. 

According to the charging documents, on May 18, 2026, Santos traveled to Boston Logan International Airport from the Dominican Republic. Upon his arrival at Logan, Santos was referred to secondary inspection by border agents. During a screening of Santos’ phone, multiple files consistent with CSAM were allegedly located in his Telegram chat application. It is further alleged that subsequent analysis revealed at least 20 photos and 952 videos depicting CSAM on the phone.

The charge of transporting 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.  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 Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today.  Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Conroy 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 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 – An Indian national unlawfully residing in Worcester, Mass., was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with a conspiracy to conduct staged armed robberies of convenience stores for the purpose of allowing store clerks to falsely claim they were crime victims on immigration applications.

Mitul Patel, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to time served (one day) in prison and a $1,000 fine. The defendant was also ordered removed from the United States. 

The defendant, along with 10 others involved in the scheme, was charged by criminal complaint in March 2026 and pleaded guilty in June 2026. 

According to the charging documents, beginning in March 2023, Rambhai Patel and his co-conspirators set up and carried out staged armed robberies of at least six convenience/liquor stores and fast-food restaurants in Massachusetts and elsewhere. It is alleged that the purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the clerks present to falsely claim that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for U non-immigration 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 allegedly threaten store clerks with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, while the interaction was captured on store surveillance video. The clerks would then wait five or more minutes until the “robber” had escaped before calling police to report the “crime.” The “victims” are alleged to have each paid Rambhai Patel to participate in the scheme. In turn, Rambhai Patel paid the store owners for the use of their stores for the staged robbery.

The organizer Rambhai Patel, the “robber,” and the getaway driver Balwinder Singh were previously charged and later convicted in May 2025. Mitul Patel, sentenced today, paid Rambhai Patel so that he could participate as a “victim” in a staged armed robbery of a store in Worcester, Mass. in October 2023. 

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, 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, the Western District of Washington, the Northern District of Ohio, the Eastern District of Missouri and the Eastern District of Kentucky; FBI’s New York, Seattle, Louisville, Cleveland and St. Louis Field Offices; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; Massachusetts State Police; Worcester County District Attorney’s Office; and the Boston, Dedham, Hingham, Malden, Marshfield, Randolph, Somerville, Weymouth, Worcester, Upper Darby, (Pa.), West Pittston (Pa.), Louisville, (Ky.) and Bean Station (Tenn.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Criminal Division 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 Brockton man has been charged for allegedly making false statements to law enforcement regarding his transfer of 24 firearms he had purchased. More than half of the firearms allegedly surfaced at various crime scenes across the Northeast including a Boston homicide. 

Klordenzsky Senecharles, 29, has been charged with making materially false statements.  The defendant was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint in April 2026 and subsequently released on pretrial conditions. 

According to the charging documents, between March 2020 and May 2021, Senecharles purchased a total of 28 firearms and later sold four of them. Of the 24 firearms still registered to Senecharles, 13 firearms were allegedly recovered in connection with criminal activity, including a Feb. 26, 2024 homicide in Boston. According to the charging documents, when law enforcement questioned Senecharles about the whereabouts of the 24 firearms, Senecharles claimed that he had sold 21 of the 24 firearms to various Massachusetts registered firearms dealers. The firearms dealers allegedly reported that they had no record of purchasing any of the 21 firearms from Senecharles. 

The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of up to five 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.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement today.  Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan C. Cleary and Colin T. Missett of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents 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 retired Sergeant for the Massachusetts State Police was sentenced on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, for fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, which was later forgiven.

Damian Halfkenny, 54, of Boston, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to one year of probation. The defendant was also ordered to pay a fine of $5,000, restitution in the amount of $21,333 and forfeiture of $21,333. In April 2026, Halfkenny was charged with one count of wire fraud.

In 2021, Halfkenny was employed full-time as a Sergeant with the Massachusetts State Police earning $160,378 per year. He also owned and rented several real estate properties in Boston. In March 2021, Halfkenny submitted a PPP loan application for his real estate business, falsely representing that he had a monthly payroll expense of $8,488. In support of this application, Halfkenny provided a fabricated IRS Schedule C. Based on his misrepresentations, the U.S. Small Business Administration issued Halfkenny, and later forgave, a $21,220 PPP loan.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A former U.S. Postal Inspector – a federal law enforcement officer authorized to carry a firearm, make arrests and execute search warrants – has agreed to plead guilty to allegedly stealing over $330,000 in cash from packages mailed by elderly victims and then laundering the cash and failing to report it to the Internal Revenue Service. The defendant allegedly used the stolen cash to pay for a pool patio, granite countertop for his outdoor bar, lighting for his pool and bar, Caribbean cruise expenses, and escorts.

Scott Kelley, 52, of Pembroke, Mass., has agreed to plead guilty to 44 counts of a 45-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Boston. Specifically, Kelley has agreed to plead guilty to five counts of wire fraud; five counts of mail fraud; five counts of mail theft by a postal officer; 23 counts of money laundering; one count of structuring to evade reporting requirements; and five counts of filing false tax returns. U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs has scheduled a change-of-plea hearing for July 29, 2026, at 1:00 pm.

Kelley was a Postal Inspector at the Boston Division headquarters of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service. In 2015, Kelley became the Team Leader of the Mail Fraud Unit, which, among other things, investigated lottery and other scams that targeted senior citizens and other vulnerable populations. 

According to the indictment, between January 2019 and Aug. 11, 2023, Kelley used deceptive emails to cause unwitting postal employees to intercept packages that a USPIS algorithm had flagged as likely having been mailed by scam victims, and send them to him. In total, Kelley allegedly requested that approximately 1,950 packages be intercepted and mailed to him. It is alleged that Kelley opened intercepted parcels that looked or felt like they might contain cash, and stole any cash inside.

The indictment identifies seven victims who were scammed into mailing cash in parcels that Kelley allegedly intercepted and opened, and that he stole the cash inside. The average age of the victims was 75, with the oldest victim being 82. The victims mailed between $1,400 and $19,100 cash. One victim died after Kelley was indicted.

The charges of wire fraud each provide 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 charges of mail fraud each provide 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 charge of theft of government money provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of money laundering each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to 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 structuring provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of false tax returns each provide for a sentence of up to three years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000. 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; Michael Ray, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Professional Responsibility, Technical and Sensitive Operations Field Office, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General; and Tom Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and Eric L. Hawkins of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the indictment 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 Boston man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to leaving a residential re-entry center where he was serving the remainder of his federal sentence after being convicted of being a felon in possession of ammunition.

Tyreek Hall, 23, pleaded guilty on July 23, 2026 to escape. U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Oct. 15, 2026. Hall was charged in February 2026.

According to the charging documents, in May 2024, Hall was sentenced in the District of Massachusetts to 46 months in prison for illegally possessing ammunition while on parole as a convicted felon. In July 2025, Hall was transferred from a correctional institution to a residential re-entry center in Boston to serve the remainder of his confined sentence.

As part of the reentry program, Hall was employed as a “part-time vehicle cleaner.” At approximately 11 p.m. on Sept. 7, 2025, when Hall returned to the residential re-entry center from work, staff conducted a breathalyzer test as part of their standard security screening. Hall tested positive, refused a subsequent breathalyzer test and refused to submit to a urinalysis test. After his refusals, Hall was allowed to go to his living quarters. At approximately 11:56 p.m., Hall returned to the front desk and walked out of the front door. Hall did not return to the residential re-entry center and was considered an active escape from federal custody until his apprehension.  

The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts Dennis Matulewicz made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dawley of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – Two men pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to conspiring to distribute fentanyl following a series of controlled purchases in Brookline and Boston.

Kerry Charlotin, a/k/a “KG,” 36, of Rockland and Shaquylle Burden, 31, of Roslindale, pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled Charlotin’s sentencing for Oct. 26, 2026. Burden is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 19, 2026. The defendants were arrested in December 2025 and remain detained in federal custody pending sentencing.  

According to the charging documents, in June 2025, an investigation began into drug trafficking activities conducted by Charlotin and Burden. The investigation revealed that the defendants were actively selling fentanyl in the greater Boston area. On two separate dates in October and December 2025, Charlotin and Burden sold or arranged the sale of fentanyl to undercover law enforcement during controlled purchases. One firearm was found in Burden’s Roslindale residence at the time of his arrest.

At the time of the conduct, Charlotin was on federal supervised release for a 2020 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, for which he was sentenced to five years in prison.

The charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 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; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Boston; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Columbia Field Office in South Carolina. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
 

BOSTON – Three individuals, including one from Massachusetts, have been charged for their alleged involvement in multi-state schemes to defraud property owners by impersonating them and selling their land, and launder the proceeds of the deed fraud scheme. One defendant allegedly defrauded property owners of approximately $1.5 million, while all three defendants are accused of laundering the proceeds of the fraud between June 2023 and June 2024. The following individuals have been charged by criminal complaint:

• Moshe Levi, 57, of Carrollton, Texas, was charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy;
• Kyon James, 44, of Middleboro, Mass. was charged with money laundering conspiracy; and 
• Bradley Beauge, 41, of Somerset, N.J., was charged with money laundering conspiracy.

The defendants were arrested on July 16, 2026. James was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston later that day. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston today, Beauge was released on conditions. Levi was detained following an initial appearance in Kansas City, Mo., and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. 

According to the charging document, Levi and co-coconspirators executed a deed fraud scheme by identifying vacant and unencumbered real properties in Massachusetts, Georgia, Indiana and Tennessee that were owned by individuals who lived out of state. Levi and co-conspirators allegedly established email and internet telephony accounts and obtained fake identifications, including driver’s licenses and passports, all in the names of the properties owners. Using the fake identifications and accounts, Levi and his co-conspirators allegedly impersonated the record owners of the properties in order to trick real estate professionals into listing and negotiating the sale of the properties and deeding the properties to unsuspecting buyers in exchange for payment. 

It is further alleged that Levi, Beauge and James conducted financial transactions involving the proceeds of the fraudulent sale of properties, including by check and wire transfer, through individual and corporate bank accounts that they and others controlled, with the intent to conceal and disguise the nature, the location, the source, the ownership and the control of the proceeds. According to court documents, since approximately June 2023, Levi, Beague, James and others allegedly shared and attempted to share in illegal proceeds of approximately $1.5 million. 

The charge of wire fraud conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the scheme, whichever is greater. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the financial transactions that were the object of the conspiracy. 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 Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Lunenburg man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Michael Myers, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In March 2026, Myers pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. Myers was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in December 2024 and has remained in federal custody since that time.  

In 2015, Myers was convicted of possession of CSAM, for which he was sentenced to two years’ probation by state authorities. He is a Level One Sex Offender.

In August 2023, Myers was identified as the owner of a Kik Messenger account transmitting CSAM files. One of the files depicted a male victim, approximately as young at eight years old, being raped by an adult male. Separately, in April 2024, Myers was identified as the owner of a Reddit account transmitting CSAM files depicting the abuse of a minor male victim. Search warrants obtained for both the Kik and Reddit accounts revealed several chats further demonstrating Myers’ criminal sexual interest in young boys.  

During a search of his Lunenburg residence in December 2024, an anonymous private messenger application was found on Myers’ cell phone and showed that several videos and pictures depicting CSAM were sent and received.  

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Lunenburg Police Interim Police Chief Jeffrey M. Thibodeau made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted 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.
 

BOSTON – A married couple from New Bedford was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a scheme to defraud individuals seeking insurance coverage through the couple’s business, BL Insurance Brokerage, LLC.

Brendan Lawler, 59, and Lisa Lawler, 46, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The defendants were also ordered to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date. In March 2026, the Lawlers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The Lawlers were charged by criminal complaint in August 2025.

From March 2023 through March 2024, the Lawlers solicited and collected insurance payments from BL Insurance’s clients, which should have been paid to the clients’ insurance providers. Instead of paying the insurance companies, the Lawlers pocketed their clients’ payments and used the money for their own purposes. To conceal this theft of client funds and to keep their BL Insurance afloat to perpetuate the scheme, the Lawlers used incoming client funds to pay outstanding balances due to other clients’ insurers. The Lawlers also created and distributed certain insurance documents to clients that falsely suggested that the clients were insured. In total, through this scheme, the Lawlers defrauded at least 50 individuals or insurance providers and stole more than $962,000 from individual customers, insurance providers, premium finance companies and hard money lenders.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Division of Insurance and Insurance Fraud Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Cleary of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.