District of New Jersey

NEWARK, N.J. – A Belgian national was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte for assaulting flight attendants aboard a flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Zurich, Switzerland in March 2024, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today. 

Jan Daeninck, 43, of Belgium, previously pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte to an Information charging him with one count of assaulting a flight attendant by beating, wounding or striking. Daeninck was sentenced on June 1, 2026 to 10 months in prison and one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay over $73,000 in restitution.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On March 31, 2024, Daeninck was a passenger aboard a Swiss International Airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Zurich, Switzerland. Shortly after takeoff, Daeninck walked up to a female flight attendant, grabbed both of her breasts with his hands, shook her, and began yelling at her, threatening to kill her. After the flight attendant was able to get away from Daeninck, he tried to get into the cockpit by kicking and beating the door. Then, when a male flight attendant approached Daeninck, he assaulted him by punching and kicking the flight attendant, striking him in head and upper body with a closed fist. Flight crew members were able to intervene and restrain Daeninck on the floor near the cockpit door for the rest of the flight. As a result, the flight turned around and landed back at Newark Liberty International Airport.

“The defendant’s actions threatened the safety and security of innocent passengers, crew members, and the flight itself. Violence against flight crew members and attempts to compromise aircraft security will not be tolerated. This sentence demonstrates that those who jeopardize flight safety will face serious consequences, including prison time.” 

– U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“The traveling public should feel confident the FBI takes aviation safety seriously. When a passenger attempts to breach a cockpit or assaults crew members, they are not just attacking individuals, they are threatening the safety of every single person on board,” said FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy of Newark, with the investigation.  U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanked the Port Authority Police Department under the direction of Edward T. Cetnar, for their assistance in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle L. Goldman of the Office’s Narcotics and International Trafficking Unit in Newark.

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Defense Counsel: Anthony Pope, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. — A Wrightstown, New Jersey landlord has agreed to pay $62,500 in monetary damages to resolve a lawsuit alleging race and national origin discrimination in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA). 

The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing, including discrimination because of race and national origin. The United States’ complaint, filed on November 13, 2024, alleged that the landlord, Burlington Preservation Associates, LLC (Burlington), had applied an incarceration provision in its lease agreement to discriminate against a Black and Hispanic tenant living in subsidized housing. The incarceration provision in the lease gave landlord or property manager the discretionary authority to change the locks of incarcerated tenants and then evict them. As alleged in the complaint, Burlington took almost immediate action to evict the Black and Hispanic tenant living in subsidized housing during a brief period of incarceration while treating a white, incarcerated tenant very differently. The complaint further alleged that, when the tenant filed a fair housing complaint with a federal agency, the defendant retaliated against him by attempting to evict him a second time and by disrupting the recertification process required to maintain the tenant’s subsidized housing.

In addition to paying monetary damages to the tenant, Burlington has also agreed to remove the lease provision at issue in this case as part of the resolution announced today. 

The case was referred to the Department of Justice after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development received a complaint, completed an investigation, and issued a charge of discrimination. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Millenky. 

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TRENTON, N.J. – An Edison, New Jersey man was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment for laundering money obtained from a variety of internet-based scams, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. 

U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner sentenced Kenny Osas Okuonghae, 38, of Edison, NJ to 51 months of incarceration yesterday. Judge Castner also ordered 3 years of supervised release and $1,275,190 in restitution. Okuonghae previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner on April 29, 2025, to Count One of an Indictment charging him with conspiring to commit money laundering.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From approximately 2019 through approximately December 2023, Okuonghae laundered money that was obtained from a variety of internet-related scams, including property rental scams, romance scams, and a “pig butchering” scam.  “Pig butchering” refers to an internet scheme where a romance scam victim develops what the victim perceives to be a romantic relationship online with the perpetrator. The perpetrator emotionally “fattens” the victim up before enticing the victim to invest in a fake scheme and then, metaphorically, “slaughters” the victim by taking the victim’s money. Okuonghae opened up several different bank accounts across at least seven different banks and permitted the proceeds of criminal activity to be deposited into and transferred out of these accounts. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation leading to the sentence. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel:  Loraine Gauli-Rufo, Cedar Grove, New Jersey.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County pharmacist was charged in an indictment with unlawfully distributing oxycodone, and his wife was separately charged in a criminal complaint with making false statements on her naturalization application, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

According to the indictment, Charles Suh, 63, was a pharmacist at a pharmacy in Voorhees, New Jersey.  On 15 occasions between June and November 2021, Suh illegally dispensed oxycodone based on prescriptions that he knew or should have known were forged. 

According to the criminal complaint in a separate case, So Yong Suh, 62, who is the wife of Charles Suh, applied to become a United States citizen by submitting an application for naturalization (an “N-400”). An N-400 requires the applicant to swear under penalty of perjury that the information she provided in the application is complete, true, and correct.  In her N-400, Mrs. Suh falsely claimed that she had never been arrested or convicted of a crime when, in fact, she had been arrested at least four times.  In addition, Mrs. Suh falsely stated that she had never provided any false or misleading information to the United States when, in fact, she failed to disclose a civil suit settlement in her bankruptcy proceeding.  Her bankruptcy proceeding was dismissed because she had failed to disclose the settlement.

Charles Suh and So Yong Suh made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Skahill in federal District Court in Camden on May 27, 2026.  If convicted of unlawfully dispensing a controlled substance, Charles Suh faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment per count.  If convicted of making false statements, So Yong Suh faces a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James; and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, with the investigations.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McFarlane in Camden.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment and the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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TRENTON, N.J. – A Maryland man admitted to the transportation of a stolen firearm in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

“Trafficking illegal firearms poses a direct threat to the safety of our communities. Vargas admitted to selling firearms, including a handgun stolen out of Texas, for his own profit. This Office will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who bring illegal weapons into New Jersey.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

Luiz Vargas, a/k/a, “El Biggie,” 26, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner to a one-count Information charging him with transportation of a stolen firearm. 

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Beginning in January 2025, law enforcement investigated Vargas for trafficking firearms into New Jersey from, among other places, Texas and Maryland. Using a confidential source acting at the direction and supervision of law enforcement, officers conducted four controlled purchases of firearms, which yielded a total of eight firearms: two semiautomatic rifles and six handguns. Two of the handguns were reported stolen out of Texas and Colorado, respectively, and the two semiautomatic rifles had no serial numbers or other identifiable markings on them. On at least one occasion, Vargas provided cocaine to the confidential source after being unable to follow through with a promised sale of firearms. Vargas has never held a federal license to deal or manufacture firearms. 

The transportation of a stolen firearm charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for September 30, 2026.

United States Attorney Frazer credited special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanked the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations Newark, under the direction of Acting Field Office Director Arthur J. Wilson Jr., the Howell Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police John Storrow, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy, the Asbury Park Police Department, under the direction of Police Director John B. Hayes, the Freehold Borough Police Department, under the Direction of Chief of Police Chris Colaner, the Lakewood Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Gregory H. Meyer, the Little Silver Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Paul Halpin, the Marlboro Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Peter Pezzullo, the Middletown Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police R. Craig Weber, the Monroe Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Griffin N. Banos, and the Wall Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Sean O’Halloran, for their assistance in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

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Defense counsel: Andrea Aldana, Esq., Federal Public Defenders.

TRENTON, N.J. – A former Mercer County pharmacist was sentenced yesterday for her role in a conspiracy to distribute and dispense outside the course of professional practice large quantities of Schedule II controlled substances, including oxycodone, from a pharmacy formerly located in Trenton, New Jersey, United States Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Florence Ndubizu, 66, of Princeton Junction, New Jersey, was convicted on January 22, 2025 following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court on two counts of an indictment charging her with conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense Schedule II controlled substances, including oxycodone, between 2014 and 2017 and maintaining a premises for the illegal distribution of controlled substances. Judge Quraishi imposed the 120-month sentence on June 2, 2026 in Trenton federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence presented at trial:

Between 2014 and 2017, Ndubizu was the co-owner and pharmacist-in-charge of Healthcare Pharmacy in Trenton. She and her employee conspirators, acting at her direction, filled fraudulent prescriptions outside the usual course of professional practice, knowing that the drugs would not be used for a legitimate medical purpose, but instead would be illegally diverted, including to street-level drug dealers. Ndubizu, operating a single-location pharmacy, purchased and distributed millions of dosage units of oxycodone, including over 800,000 pills in 2014; over 900,000 pills in 2015; over 800,000 pills in 2016; and over 200,000 pills in 2017, the year that the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) suspended the pharmacy’s registration.

Ndubizu diverted oxycodone pills and then evaded state and federal reporting requirements by manipulating the pharmacy’s records. The DEA conducted an audit of Healthcare Pharmacy’s inventory and found that between April 2015 and August 2017 alone, Ndubizu and Healthcare Pharmacy diverted more than 64,000 oxycodone containing pills.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentenced Ndubizu to three years of supervised release following Ndubizu’s term of imprisonment and ordered a fine of $350,000. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents, diversion investigators, and task force officers of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James; special agents of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the supervision of Director Steve Wilson, members of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey, and members of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Andrew B. Johns, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

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Defense counsel: Shrey Sharma, Esq., of Oberheiden P.C.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Jersey City man was sentenced on June 1, 2026 to 48 months’ imprisonment for engaging in a conspiracy to burglarize logistics warehouses and transport the goods stolen from those warehouses and an additional 8 months’ imprisonment for violating his supervised release, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Derek Spivey, 38, of Jersey City, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel to an information charging him with conspiring to transport stolen goods.  Spivey also previously pleaded guilty to violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon. 

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Spivey conspired with Jamil Bethea, Jamal Reid, Rasheed Sharpe, and others to burglarize trailers at logistics warehouses in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, transport the goods stolen from those warehouses, and sell the stolen goods to others.  As part of the conspiracy, burglars stole $50,000 of Department of Defense laptops from a Pennsylvania warehouse in January 2025; $200,000 of high-end perfume from a Pennsylvania warehouse in March 2025; and $20,000 of liquor from a New Jersey warehouse in March 2025.  Spivey and his co-conspirators then transported stolen goods into and through New Jersey for the purpose of selling them. 

Bethea, Reid, and Sharpe previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy.  Judge Kiel previously sentenced Sharpe to 41 months’ imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy.  Bethea and Reid are scheduled to be sentenced later this year. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.  He also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Philadelphia Field Division with its assistance in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.

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Defense counsel: Thomas Young, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender. 

NEWARK, N.J. – Carmelo Garcia, 51, a former City of Newark official who served as Deputy Mayor and Director of the Newark Department Economic and Housing Development (DEHD) and served as Executive Vice President and Chief Real Estate Officer of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC), was sentenced on June 3, 2026 to 12 months and one day in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release for participating in a corrupt scheme to obtain bribes and kickbacks from two Newark business owners, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. These bribes were intended to influence and award Garcia for assisting the business owners with the acquisition and redevelopment of various Newark-owned properties.

Garcia previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to three counts of an Information charging him with conspiracy to defraud the City of Newark and the NCEDC of Garcia’s honest services, honest services wire fraud, and receiving bribes in connection with the business of a federally funded local government and organization. 

According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in court:

From at least 2017 through April 2019, while serving as a high-level Newark official, and prior to that, as an executive officer of the NCEDC (now known as Invest Newark), Garcia sought and received significant monetary payments and other benefits from Frank Valvano, Jr., Irwin Sablosky, and others in exchange for Garcia’s use of his official positions and influence within the City of Newark and the NCEDC to advance real estate development matters of interest to Valvano and Sablosky. These matters included obtaining preliminary designation letters for Valvano and Sablosky and securing Newark-approved redevelopment agreements (RDAs) that allowed them to purchase and acquire various Newark-owned properties for redevelopment, and to ensure that Garcia did not use his influence and authority to act against their interests.  In addition to cash, Garcia also received jewelry, including multiple high-end watches and chains, from Valvano and Sablosky’s pawnbroker and jewelry business. 

Phone records and text messages obtained by law enforcement show extensive communication between Garcia, Valvano, Sablosky, and others throughout this period of time, including text messages in which Garcia arranged to personally collect cash provided by Valvano and Sablosky.  In one instance, in June 2018, Garcia, then the City’s Acting Deputy Mayor and Director of the City’s DEHD, received an envelope containing $25,000 in cash, supplied by Valvano through an intermediary, in the restroom of a New Jersey restaurant.

Garcia originally was charged by indictment in October 2021 with Valvano, 57, of Florham Park, New Jersey, and Sablosky, 66, of Springfield, New Jersey. Both Valvano and Sablosky pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and bribery, and both have been sentenced. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, and special agents of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Shawn A. Rice, with the investigation leading to today’s conviction.

The government is represented by Elaine K. Lou, Chief of the Criminal Division, Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney and Matthew Specht of the Criminal Division.

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Defense counsel:

Garcia: Robert G. Stahl, Esq., Laura K. Gasiorowski, Westfield, New Jersey.

NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury returned an Indictment on Friday charging the former Business Administrator of the Hillsborough Township School District (“HTSD”) in connection with an overtime fraud and kickback scheme, United States Attorney Robert Frazer announced. 

According to the Indictment, Aiman Mahmoud, 56, who served as the Business Administrator for the HTSD from 2008 through the end of 2021, accepted tens of thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks in connection with a  multi-million dollar project that aimed to upgrade existing school facilities as well as to construct a new school building that had been greenlighted by a 2019 referendum.  To oversee aspects of the project including safety monitoring, Mahmoud arranged for Kenneth Gratto, 54, to be appointed as the site supervisor/owner’s representative to assist two companies involved in carrying out the construction project. 

The Indictment also alleges that shortly after Gratto was hired, Gratto agreed to provide substantial cash kickbacks to Mahmoud in exchange for Mahmoud’s agreement to approve Gratto’s time sheets which substantially exaggerated the number of overtime hours that Gratto had worked on behalf of the HTSD.  After receiving his paychecks from the companies involved – who were in turn reimbursed by the HTSD for those amounts – Gratto would deposit the checks, withdraw cash in the amount of the intended kickback, and deliver that cash in envelopes at locations of Mahmoud’s choosing, typically, within Mahmoud’s unlocked school vehicle.  Mahmoud is alleged to have taken at least approximately $70,000 in kickbacks from Gratto. 

The six-count Indictment charges Mahmoud and Gratto with conspiring to embezzle, steal, and obtain by fraud funds belonging to and under the care, custody and control of the HTSD, contrary to Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.  The maximum term of imprisonment for this offense is five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.  Each defendant is also charged individually with embezzling, stealing and obtaining by fraud those same funds belonging to and under the care custody and control of the HTSD, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A).  Those charges carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum fine of $250,000.   In addition, the two defendants are charged with conspiring to commit extortion under color of official right, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951(a).  Both Mahmoud and Gratto are individually charged with extortion under color of official right, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951(a) and 2. These latter three charges all carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a maximum fine of $250,000. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas; and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor John P. McDonald, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. McCarren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division.

The charges and allegations contained in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

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Defense counsel:

Stephen G. McCarthy, Esq., New York, NY (for defendant Mahmoud).

Timothy Donahue, AFPD, Newark  (for defendant Gratto).

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man on June 2, 2026 admitted using an assault rifle during an armed carjacking, as well as possessing two firearms and controlled substances with the intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Quadir Whitehead, 32, of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to six counts of an indictment charging him with one count of carjacking, one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, two counts of conspiracy, one count of possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On August 6, 2020, Whitehead and two accomplices committed a gunpoint carjacking in Irvington, New Jersey. During the carjacking, Whitehead ordered one of the two victims to get out of a car while pointing an assault rifle at that victim. Then, Whitehead got into the car and drove away. On September 5, 2020, law enforcement officers arrested Whitehead  when they saw him selling drugs in Newark. After the arrest, law enforcement found narcotics, an assault rifle, and a revolver, which Whitehead admitted were the same firearms used in the Irvington carjacking.

The conspiracy to commit carjacking offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 5 years in prison. The carjacking offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison. The conspiracy to use and carry a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence offense carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 7 years and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. The possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. The narcotics offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The conspiracy, carjacking and firearm offenses each carry a fine of up to $250,000 and the narcotics offense carries a fine of up to $1 million.  Sentencing is scheduled for October 14, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents and members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; members of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda and Chief of Police Sharonda Morris; and members of the Irvington Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Tracy Bowers, with the investigation leading to the charges and guilty plea. 

The investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI).  The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark.  As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community.  The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Chief of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent D. Romano of the National Security Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment against Elijah Lott are still pending, are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel: Stephen Turano, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – Eight current or former Burlington County, New Jersey residents have been sentenced to prison in recent months after pleading guilty to narcotics and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. The defendants were charged as a result of a federal wiretap investigation.

On May 28, 2026, U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn sentenced the final defendant, Mansfield Johnson, a/k/a “Money Mike,” 40, of Florence, New Jersey, to 225 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release. Johnson previously pleaded guilty on September 22, 2025 before Judge O’Hearn to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, conspiring to traffic a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Johnson also admitted to dealing powder and crack cocaine. 

Judge O’Hearn has now sentenced all eight defendants who were charged as a result of the federal wiretap investigation, as follows:

• Conspiracy to distribute 40g or more of fentanyl
• Conspiracy to traffic firearm
• Possess of a firearm by a convicted felon

• Conspiracy to distribute cocaine

• Conspiracy to distribute 40g or more of fentanyl (3 counts)

• Conspiracy to traffic firearm

• Conspiracy to distribute 28g or more of crack cocaine

• Conspiracy to traffic firearm
• Conspiracy to distribute cocaine

• Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl
• Conspiracy to traffic firearm

• Conspiracy to distribute cocaine

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From August 2023 through February 2024, Johnson and his co-conspirators distributed fentanyl, powder cocaine, and crack cocaine. Johnson, Hines, Stratton, and Fowler also conspired to illegally traffic a firearm, and they in fact sold a firearm to an undercover agent. Further, Johnson admitted to illegally possessing a different firearm, despite being a convicted felon. Johnson also used threats of violence to protect his drug trafficking.

Fowler previously had been convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, as a result of a different federal wiretap investigation, and his criminal conduct in this case violated his federal supervised release conditions.

Federal law enforcement agents and their state and local partners made these cases by intercepting telephone calls and text messages pursuant to court-authorized wiretap orders, making controlled purchases of fentanyl, cocaine, and a firearm, using confidential sources, executing numerous search warrants, and other investigative techniques.  A total of four firearms were recovered as a result of the investigation.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited Special Agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF), Newark Field Division, Trenton Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka; Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations Newark, under the direction of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris; New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle; Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw; Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Janetta Marbrey; Willingboro Township Police, under the direction of Chief of Police Ian Bucs; Burlington Township Police, under the direction of Public Safety Director Bruce Painter; Florence Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Brian Boldizar; Westampton Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Brian Ferguson; Edgewater Park Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police John B. Harris, Jr.; Pemberton Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Jonathan Glass; Burlington City Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Ryan P. Elbertson; Delran Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Matthew Gasper; Mount Holly Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Cliff Spencer; Bordentown Police Department, under the direction of Director of Police Frank Lombardo; Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Steve Wilson, with the investigation leading to the sentencings in this case. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa T. Wiygul of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.

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Defense counsel: 

M. Johnson: Troy Archie, Esq.

A. Johnson: Stanley King, Esq.

McCray: Megan Davies, Esq.

Fowler: Ikram Ally, Esq.

Phillips: Robert Wolf, Esq.

Hines: Jonathan Sobel, Esq.

Stratton: Michael Huff, Esq.

Hutchinson: John Brennan, Esq.

An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 234 months in prison and five years of supervised release for the distribution of hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl analogues and money laundering.  

According to court documents, Thomas Padovano, 52, of Newark, New Jersey, admitted that from approximately January 2014 through September 2020, he and other members of the drug trafficking organization agreed to import and distribute various controlled substances and controlled substance analogues, including fentanyl-related substances, methylone, and ketamine. Members of the conspiracy placed orders with a source in China and agreed to distribute, and did distribute, the controlled substances and analogues in New Jersey, both in bulk and in the form of counterfeit pharmaceutical pills that contained fentanyl analogues. Padovano additionally admitted to having engaged in financial transactions aimed at concealing the origin and true ownership of more than $300,000 in drug proceeds.  

“Mr. Padovano led a drug trafficking organization that imported and distributed massive amounts of dangerous opioids in New Jersey, and then he laundered the profits,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These illegal narcotics destroy families and wreak havoc in the community. The Criminal Division will actively pursue offenders who distribute such poison in our neighborhoods.”  

“Today’s sentence sends an important reminder: those who profit from trafficking deadly drugs and laundering the proceeds of their crimes will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey. “For years, Padovano helped lead an organization responsible for distributing massive quantities of fentanyl analogues and other dangerous controlled substances in New Jersey. This sentence — nearly twenty years in prison — reflects the devastating harm caused by that conduct and our office’s unwavering commitment to dismantling the organizations that fuel the illegal drug trade.”

“Padovano is behind bars for his direct role in unleashing the deadly scourge of fentanyl across America,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark Field Division. “This decisive outcome underscores HSI Newark’s unwavering commitment to protecting our communities and our relentless pursuit of justice alongside our law enforcement partners.”

The Newark Field Division of HSI led the investigation, with assistance from HSI in Philadelphia, the FBI Newark Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Newark Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection in New Jersey, New York and Kentucky, the Newark Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Chief Stephen Sola of the Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Hasapidis-Sferra for the District of New Jersey.

The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s (MNF) mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.

MNF’s Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit investigates and prosecutes sophisticated money laundering schemes involving financial facilitators, gatekeepers, and other individuals and entities laundering criminal proceeds, and litigates complex civil forfeiture cases to recover assets on behalf of victims.

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man and one of the leaders of a drug trafficking organization responsible for the importation and distribution of hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl analogues was sentenced today to 234 months in prison, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

“Today’s sentence sends an important reminder: those who profit from trafficking deadly drugs and laundering the proceeds of their crimes will be held accountable. For years, Padovano helped lead an organization responsible for distributing massive quantities of fentanyl analogues and other dangerous controlled substances in New Jersey. This sentence—nearly twenty years in prison—reflects the devastating harm caused by that conduct and our Office’s unwavering commitment to dismantling the organizations that fuel the illegal drug trade.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“Mr. Padovano led a drug trafficking organization that imported and distributed massive amounts of dangerous opioids in New Jersey, and then he laundered the profits,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva. “These illegal narcotics destroy families and wreak havoc in the community. The Criminal Division will actively pursue offenders who distribute such poison in our neighborhoods.”

“Padovano is behind bars for his direct role in unleashing the deadly scourge of fentanyl across America,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This decisive outcome underscores HSI Newark’s unwavering commitment to protecting our communities and our relentless pursuit of justice alongside our law enforcement partners.”

Defendant Thomas Padovano, 52, of Newark, New Jersey previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to drug trafficking conspiracy and concealment money laundering conspiracy. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. A co-defendant, William Panzera, was previously convicted by a jury and sentenced to 144 months in prison. Seven other co-conspirators have pleaded guilty in the case and are awaiting sentencing.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From approximately January 2014 through September 2020, Thomas Padovano and other members of the drug trafficking organization agreed to import and distribute various controlled substances and controlled substance analogues, including fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, methylone, and ketamine. Members of the conspiracy placed orders with a source in China and agreed to distribute, and did distribute, the controlled substances and analogues in New Jersey, both in bulk and in the form of counterfeit pharmaceutical pills that actually contained fentanyl analogues. They also sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to China using wire transfers and Bitcoin to pay for the drugs. Padovano, who was one of the two leaders of the conspiracy, additionally engaged in financial transactions aimed at concealing the origin and true ownership of more than $300,000 in drug proceeds.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Padovano to 5 years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Frazer and Assistant Attorney General A. Duva made the announcement. U.S. Attorney Frazer credited the special agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, with the investigation. He also thanked HSI in Philadelphia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Newark Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Newark Police Department, and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Hasapidis-Sferra of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Stephen Sola, Chief of the Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture (MNF) Section. Financial Investigator Kathryn Montemorra of MNF supported the investigation.

This prosecution 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 Newark comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS and local law enforcement officers with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. 

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Defense counsel: Michael Baldassare, Esq. for defendant Thomas Padovano; 

Christopher D. Adams, Esq. for defendant Bartholomew Padovano.

NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today that Joyce M. Malliet has been appointed First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. As First Assistant, Malliet will serve as the Office’s second-ranking official and assist in leading the Office’s operations and mission throughout the District of New Jersey.

“Joyce Malliet is an exceptional prosecutor, leader, and public servant whose career reflects an unwavering commitment to justice and the people of New Jersey. For nearly twenty-four years, she has served this Office with distinction, and I am confident that her experience, judgment, and dedication will continue to strengthen our mission and support the outstanding work of our prosecutors and staff.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

Malliet has served as an Assistant United States Attorney for nearly twenty-four years and currently serves as Chief of the National Security Unit, becoming the first woman to lead that section. During her tenure, she has helped lead efforts to prevent, disrupt, and prosecute threats to national security and terrorism. She previously served in the Office’s Special Prosecutions Division and Securities and Health Care Fraud Unit and has long been involved with the District’s ReNew Re-Entry Court, which helps formerly incarcerated individuals successfully reintegrate into society. Before entering public service, Malliet was the first African-American partner at Clausen Miller, P.C. She is a Trustee of the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey and a founding member of the Black Prosecutors Association of New Jersey. Throughout her career, Malliet has distinguished herself as a respected prosecutor, mentor, and leader within both the Office and the broader legal community.

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TRENTON, N.J. – Nathaniel Anderson, a town councilman and the former Mayor of Willingboro in Burlington County, New Jersey, was sentenced to prison for committing mortgage fraud in connection with a fraudulent short sale of real estate, and his business associate Chrisone Anderson was sentenced to eight months’ home confinement for her role in the scheme, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. 

Nathaniel Anderson, 59, and Chrisone Anderson, 58, were previously convicted by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, one count of bank fraud, and two counts of making a false statement on a mortgage application.  On June 1, 2026, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Kirsch sentenced Nathaniel Anderson to 12 months and one day in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release.  Chrisone Anderson was sentenced to eight months’ home confinement to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release.  Both Nathaniel Anderson and Chrisone Anderson were ordered to pay restitution to the victims in the total amount of $221,862.71.

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:

From March 2015 through June 2017, Nathaniel Anderson and Chrisone Anderson conspired and agreed to orchestrate a fraudulent short sale of a property in Willingboro from Nathaniel Anderson to Chrisone Anderson.

As part of the conspiracy to defraud a government-sponsored enterprise to discharge a mortgage obligation on Nathaniel Anderson’s property in Willingboro and to induce a mortgage lending business to issue a new mortgage on the property, Chrisone Anderson executed – and Nathaniel D. Anderson aided and abetted the execution of – mortgage documents containing materially false representations. These included that the short sale was an arm’s length transaction, that Chrisone Anderson did not have a prior business relationship with Nathaniel Anderson, that Nathaniel Anderson would not continue to occupy the property as his residence following the short sale, and that Chrisone Anderson would occupy the property as her primary residence.

As a result of the fraudulent short sale, the government-sponsored enterprise discharged Nathaniel Anderson’s mortgage obligation, causing a total loss of over $200,000, and the victim lender issued a new mortgage on the property. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; and special agents of the Northeast Region of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McFarlane of the Special Prosecutions Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Trombly, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Andrea Aldana and Adalgiza Nunez (Nathaniel Anderson)

                            Troy Archie (Chrisone Anderson)

NEWARK, N.J. – A Brooklyn man was charged with threatening to assault and murder a U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement officer outside an ICE detention facility, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Nicholas Matthew Scelfo, 27, of Brooklyn, New York, was arrested for influencing, impeding, and retaliating against a federal officer by threat. Scelfo appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacey D. Adams in Newark federal court on June 1, 2026, and was released on a $100,000 bond. He was also prohibited from returning to Delaney Hall.

“As alleged, the defendant threatened a federal law enforcement officer and members of that officer’s family with violence and death. Threats against federal officers and their families are serious crimes and will not be tolerated. Federal officers serve our communities every day, often in difficult circumstances, and this Office is committed to holding accountable those who, as alleged here, threaten violence against them or their loved ones.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“Federal law enforcement officers face danger with great courage, and they should be able to do their jobs without being threatened and fearing for their families’ lives,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “We take such threats very seriously and will prosecute those who make them to the fullest extent of the law.”

“This individual allegedly threatened violence toward one of our federal law enforcement officers and their family — and by using facial recognition technology, within 24 hours this FBI got him,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “In particular, I want to thank Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche who moved extremely quickly to locate, pursue, and bring the subject to justice — as well as our FBI Newark and New York teams who executed brilliantly. Let this be a message to any criminal actor who may try something similar: you touch a cop, and this FBI will put you down.”

“This violent rioter who allegedly threatened to murder an ICE law enforcement officer and his family is being brought to justice,” said Secretary Markwayne Mullin of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “Our ICE officers are facing an 8,000% increase in death threats against them as they put their lives on the line to arrest murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists. Our officers have been assaulted, doxxed, their families threatened. This violence against law enforcement must end. President Trump and I will always stand with our law enforcement officers.”

“There is no place for the violent threats Scelfo allegedly screamed at law enforcement. Instead of protesting peacefully, there are groups and individuals targeting federal law enforcement agents who are carrying out their duties,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy for the Newark Field Office. “We will follow the law and hold anyone who chooses to break the law accountable.”

“Calling for the murder of a federal law enforcement officer and his family is not speech safeguarded by the Constitution; it is a grave criminal offense that will not be tolerated,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark. “Homeland Security Investigations remains resolute in ensuring that individuals who threaten or attack law enforcement face the full force of the law. We are grateful to our partners at the FBI for their outstanding work in helping us identify and locate this defendant so he can face justice.”

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: 

On or about May 27, 2026, during a demonstration outside an ICE detention facility in Newark, Scelfo threatened to assault and murder an ICE officer.  According to a video posted to social media and other evidence obtained by law enforcement, Scelfo screamed toward the ICE officer: “I’ll kill your whole fucking family! Your whole fucking family is dead! Your children, your wife, all dead! I have your face, motherfucker! You’re dead! Dead!”  

The threat charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum fine of up to $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark and Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. in New York; Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas; and the New York Police Department under the direction of Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch for their assistance in the investigation.  

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camila A. Garces and Casey S. Smith of the National Security Unit in Newark. 

The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel: Laura Sayler, Assistant Federal Public Defender.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County man was arrested on May 28, 2026 and charged with assaulting federal officers and causing bodily injury, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

“As alleged, this defendant responded to lawful orders from federal officers by kicking one and biting two others who were performing their official duties.  Assaulting law enforcement officers is unacceptable.  Period.  Federal officers must be able to carry out their responsibilities without being subjected to violence, intimidation, or obstruction.  This Office will continue to prosecute those who, as alleged here, assault officers and interfere with the lawful execution of their duties.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“Peaceful protest doesn’t translate to violently attacking federal law enforcement officers,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Federal officers are protecting United States’ property and facilities. With virtually no local law enforcement support from New Jersey, rioters are regrouping and attacking. We will not tolerate the vicious attacks we have seen in Newark the last few days, and we will make arrests and hold people accountable for criminal conduct.”

“As alleged in the Justice Department's complaint, this violent rioter savagely bit an ICE law enforcement officer outside of Delaney Hall. The Trump Administration will always stand with our law enforcement officers,” said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “Anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“To be clear, peaceful protest does not mean biting, kicking, or punching law enforcement officers. “said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “The repeated assaults on federal officers at Delaney Hall are criminal acts—not protected speech. Homeland Security Investigations is unwavering in its commitment to hold those who attack law enforcement fully accountable under the law.”

“This defendant’s court appearance is a clear step toward justice after 21 individuals were arrested for assaulting federal officers at Delaney Hall from May 26-29,” said ERO Newark acting Field Office Director Arthur J. Wilson Jr. “Instead of peacefully protesting, rioters blocked ICE officers conducting their lawful duties, ignored repeated lawful commands and threatened violence. Our brave ICE officers risked their lives to protect everyone present inside and out of Delaney Hall and we will continue to pursue charges against agitators and ensure violent offenders have real consequences.”

Brendan John Geier, 26, of Madison, was charged by complaint yesterday and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais, and was released with location monitoring, a curfew, and prohibited from returning to Delaney Hall.  

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On May 28, 2026, officers of the U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) were engaged in official duties relating to security and crowd-control operations during a demonstration near the ICE Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark. Certain ICE Deportation Officers were assigned to conduct perimeter enforcement for the Facility, which included clearing the road leading to and from the Facility for vehicles. At approximately 10:30 p.m., a large group of demonstrators was blocking that road. Deportation Officers, in an attempt to clear the road, formed into a line and began to move towards the group of demonstrators, which included Geier. The Deportation Officers issued commands to the demonstrators to “move back,” but the demonstrators, including Geier, ignored those commands and refused to clear the road. One Deportation Officer, Victim-1, moved in Geier’s direction, which caused Geier to lose his balance. Geier then kicked Victim-1 in the leg, and in response, Victim-1 struck Geier’s leg with a baton. Other officers, including Victim-2 and Victim-2, came to Victim-1’s assistance. As they lifted Geier to remove him from the location of the original struggle, Geier bit the forearm of Victim-2, as shown below, and the knuckle of Victim-3. Geier also kicked Victim-1 in the forearm. All three victims received medical attention from Emergency Medical Technicians on site; Victim-2 and Victim-3 also received treatment for their injuries at a hospital in Newark.

The charge for assault resulting in bodily injury carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, with the investigation. He also thanked Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sinclair of the General Crimes Unit in Newark. 

The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel: K. Anthony Thomas, Esq., Federal Public Defender.

A New Jersey man was arrested yesterday and charged with assaulting federal officers and causing bodily injury.

Brendan John Geier, 26, of Madison, New Jersey, was charged by complaint today and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais.

“Peaceful protest doesn’t translate to violently attacking federal law enforcement officers,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Federal officers are protecting United States’ property and facilities. With virtually no local law enforcement support from New Jersey, rioters are regrouping and attacking. We will not tolerate the vicious attacks we have seen in Newark the last few days, and we will make arrests and hold people accountable for criminal conduct.”

“As alleged in the Justice Department's complaint, this violent rioter savagely bit an ICE law enforcement officer outside of Delaney Hall. The Trump Administration will always stand with our law enforcement officers,” said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “Anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“As alleged, this defendant responded to lawful orders from federal officers by kicking one and biting two others who were performing their official duties,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey. “Assaulting law enforcement officers is unacceptable. Period. Federal officers must be able to carry out their responsibilities without being subjected to violence, intimidation, or obstruction. This Office will continue to prosecute those who, as alleged here, assault officers and interfere with the lawful execution of their duties.”

“To be clear, peaceful protest does not mean biting, kicking, or punching law enforcement officers,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark. “The repeated assaults on federal officers at Delaney Hall are criminal acts — not protected speech. Homeland Security Investigations is unwavering in its commitment to hold those who attack law enforcement fully accountable under the law.”

“This defendant’s court appearance is a clear step toward justice after 21 individuals were arrested for assaulting federal officers at Delaney Hall from May 26-29,” said ICE-Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Newark acting Field Office Director Arthur J. Wilson Jr. “Instead of peacefully protesting, rioters blocked ICE officers conducting their lawful duties, ignored repeated lawful commands and threatened violence. Our brave ICE officers risked their lives to protect everyone present inside and out of Delaney Hall and we will continue to pursue charges against agitators and ensure violent offenders have real consequences.”

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, on May 28, officers of the U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) were engaged in official duties relating to security and crowd-control operations during a demonstration near the ICE Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, New Jersey. Certain ICE deportation officers were assigned to conduct perimeter enforcement for the facility, which included clearing the road leading to and from the facility for vehicles.

At approximately 10:30 p.m., a large group of demonstrators was blocking that road. Deportation officers, in an attempt to clear the road, formed into a line and began to move towards the group of demonstrators, which included Geier. The deportation officers issued commands to the demonstrators to “move back,” but the demonstrators, including Geier, ignored those commands and refused to clear the road. Geier instead engaged in a struggle with deportation officers, kicking officers and ultimately biting an officer’s forearm, and another’s knuckle. Both victims received treatment at a local hospital.

The charge for assault resulting in bodily injury carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

HSI Newark investigated the case. ICE and the FBI provided assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sinclair for the District of New Jersey is handling this matter.

The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

TRENTON, N.J. – A New Jersey man was found guilty by a jury for fraudulently obtaining more than $2.1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and laundering the proceeds, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Nikenson Jean Mathurin, aka “Nik Mathurin,” aka “Jean Mathurin,” 46, of Sparta, New Jersey, was convicted of three counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering on May 21, 2026 following a four-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court. Sentencing is scheduled for October 6, 2026.

“Pandemic relief programs were created to help struggling businesses keep workers employed and survive a national emergency—not to serve as a personal payday for fraudsters. The evidence at trial showed that Mathurin submitted fraudulent loan applications packed with fake payroll records, false tax documents, and fabricated business information to obtain more than $2.1 million in federal relief funds. This Office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who stole taxpayer-funded emergency assistance for personal gain.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“Individuals who exploit pandemic relief programs undermine the integrity of our financial system and divert vital resources intended to support Americans in times of crisis.  Through deception and fraud, Mathurin stole more than $2 million from the very businesses these programs were created to help,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office.  “This verdict underscores IRS-CI’s commitment to protecting taxpayer funds and holding those who abuse these programs accountable.”

According to documents in this case and evidence at trial:

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact, Congress authorized emergency funding that small businesses could use to help keep their businesses afloat and employees on payroll. 

Beginning in April 2020, Mathurin participated in a scheme to defraud lenders and the Small Business Administration to obtain federal COVID-19 emergency relief money by submitting fifteen fraudulent PPP and EIDL applications on behalf of businesses he claimed to own. Mathurin’s fraudulent applications included false information concerning, among other things, the applicant entities’ average monthly payroll, gross revenue, and number of employees, and fake supporting tax documents and payroll records. As a result of his fraudulent applications, Mathurin unlawfully obtained more than $2.1 million in federal COVID-19 emergency relief money.

Each wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and the money laundering charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Each charge also carries a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest.

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited special agents the IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Stark and Fatime Meka Cano of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark. 

The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 

On April 7, 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.

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

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Defense Counsel for Mathurin: Mark G. Davis, Esq.

TRENTON, N.J. – A husband and wife admitted to conspiring to promote prostitution in spas in New Jersey and New York, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. 

Zhejun Piao, 38, and Miyeon Choi a/k/a “Maya,” 38, both of Palisades Park, New Jersey, each pleaded guilty on May 26, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court to an Information charging them with one count of conspiracy to commit interstate travel and use of the mail and any facility in aid of a racketeering enterprise.

According to documents filed in the cases and statements made in court:

Choi admitted to being a leader or organizer of the conspiracy in which she, Piao, and other co-conspirators owned or operated the following nine massage parlors, often referred to as spas:

• Coco Spa in Paterson, New Jersey;
• Gold Spa and 785 Spa in Passaic New Jersey;
• 365 Spa in Fairview, New Jersey;
• Queen Spa and Hawaii Spa in Edgewater, New Jersey
• Good Day Spa in East Brunswick, New Jersey;
• Spa Wellness in Toms River, New Jersey; and
• New Soothing Day Spa in New Rochelle, New York.

Each of the spas operated in a similar way in which women workers provided sexual services to paying customers in exchange for a fee of $160 or $175.  Many of the spas provided customers with loyalty or rewards cards whereby customers would receive a stamp for each visit and receive a free visit after collecting a certain number of stamps.  The spas typically opened for service from approximately 8:00 am to midnight, seven days a week with many of the women living at the spas, and according to ledgers for the spas, some of the women performed sexual services to approximately 20 men a day. 

As a leader of the conspiracy, Choi admitted to among other things, recruiting women to work at the spas, communicating with customers by phone to book appointments, controlling the money generated by the spas, and advertising the sexual services offered at the spas online. She also admitted to directing other co-conspirators in furtherance of the conspiracy, such as requesting one co-conspirator to deliver groceries and condoms to spas or delegating responsibilities to communicate with customers and record appointments to another co-conspirator. 

For his role, Piao admitted to delivering supplies to the spas, including groceries, mouthwash, cleaning supplies, medications, and condoms, as well as picking up ledgers, receipts, and cash proceeds from the spas.  Both Choi and Piao admitted to storing tens of thousands of condoms in their home in addition to approximately $1.2 million in cash. As part of their guilty pleas, Choi and Piao agreed to forfeit the cash, numerous designer handbags, luxury watches, and jewelry.

The charge of conspiracy to commit interstate travel and use of the mail and any facility  in aid of a racketeering enterprise carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.  Sentencing is scheduled for October 6, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy; the U.S. State Department, Diplomatic Security Service; and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Jeanne Hengemuhle.  He also thanked HSI New York, Hudson Valley Office; Customs and Border Protection; the Passaic County Prosecutors Office; Passaic County Sheriff; Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office; Bergen County Sheriff; Edgewater Police Department; Fairview Police Department; Paterson Police Department; East Brunswick Police Department; New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice; South Toms River Police Department; Edison Police Department; South Toms River Police Department; Morris County Prosecutor’s Office; Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office; New Rochelle Police Department; Westchester District Attorney’s Office; Federal Air Marshals; New York State Police; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations; the Westwood Police Department; and the Ridgefield Park Police Department; and the Palisades Park Police Department.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the Criminal Division in Newark.

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Defense counsel: 

Miyeon Choi: Warren Sutnick, Esq.

Zhejun Piao: Paul Brickfield, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – An Elmer, New Jersey, businessman yesterday admitted to income tax evasion, failing to pay payroll taxes to the IRS, and fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Zackary Sulpizi, 30, of Sewell, New Jersey, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to an information charging him with income tax evasion, failing to collect, account for, and pay over payroll taxes, and bank fraud resulting from his fraudulent loan.

Previously, on April 1, 2026, Sulpizi’s father, William Brent Stephens, 58,  appeared before Judge Williams and pleaded guilty to income tax evasion, failing to collect, account for and pay over payroll taxes, bankruptcy fraud, and providing false statements to the IRS.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Sulpizi was part owner of BZS Contracting Incorporated, which was doing business as Stephens Contracting Inc. in Elmer, New Jersey. Stephens Contracting provided landscaping and construction services.  At times, Sulpizi helped his father run Stephens Contracting. Sulpizi also formed several other businesses, which were used to operate Stephens Contracting. 

Sulpizi admitted that he opened business and personal bank accounts at several financial institutions and used those bank accounts to withdraw cash to pay biweekly cash payroll.  Sulpizi deposited customer checks into his personal bank accounts and cashed business checks against those accounts to pay payroll.

Sulpizi admitted that for tax years 2019 through 2022, he paid his employees approximately $446,573 in cash wages and that he willfully failed to file payroll tax returns and failed to pay over $34,162 in employment taxes on behalf of his employees. 

Sulpizi further admitted that for the years 2019 through 2022, when he filed his income tax returns with the IRS, he failed to report approximately $389,650 that he had received in income from his business.  He also failed to report personal expenses paid by his business, as well as other income that he had received.  As a result, Sulpizi failed to pay approximately $74,920 in taxes during this time period.

In addition to Sulpizi defrauding the IRS, Sulpizi also submitted a fraudulent application to a lender to obtain a PPP loan, resulting in bank fraud.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted in March 2020 and was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of hundreds of billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the Paycheck Protection Program.  The CARES Act also authorized the Small Business Administration to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to eligible small businesses that were experiencing substantial financial disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To obtain a PPP loan, a qualifying small business was required to submit an application and provide information about its operations, including the number of employees and expenses.  In addition, businesses generally had to provide supporting documentation for their application.

In May 2021, Sulpizi submitted an application to obtain a PPP loan.  In the application, he falsely represented to the lender that he had employees and payroll expenses.  In further support of his application, Sulpizi submitted various IRS Forms to establish that he was paying compensation to his employees and various schedules showing gross receipts and profits.  Those forms contained false information, and they were never actually submitted to the IRS, as Sulpizi had claimed; instead, the forms were only created and used for the purpose of securing the loan. 

Based on Sulpizi’s misrepresentations, the lender approved the PPP loan and disbursed approximately $16,935 in federal COVID-19 emergency relief funds meant for distressed small businesses to Sulpizi.

The charges of income tax evasion and failing to collect, account for and pay over payroll taxes each carry a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The charge of bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million.  As part of his guilty plea, Sulpizi agreed to make restitution to the IRS in the full amount of the taxes that he owes, and he also agreed to make restitution to the lender in the full amount of the PPP loan.  Sulpizi’s sentencing is scheduled for October 19, 2026.

Sulpizi’s guilty plea came less than two months after his father, Stephens, admitted to committing tax and fraud crimes in connection with Stephens Contracting. 

During his April 1, 2026 plea hearing, Stephens admitted that during 2019 through 2023, he owned Stephens Contracting LLC.  At times his son, Sulpizi helped him run Stephens Contracting.  Stephens also admitted to having an ownership interest in two massage parlors in New Jersey.

Stephens admitted that for years 2019 through 2022, he failed to report approximately $1,165,268 of income that he earned from his various businesses on his Income Tax Returns. Based on that income, Stephens admitted that he owes $288,297 in taxes to the IRS.

Stephens also admitted to running a cash payroll for his employees and failing to pay payroll taxes to the IRS.  Between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2022, Stephens’ companies hired and paid employees to work on various landscaping and construction projects. Stephens paid his employees approximately $718,237 in wages.  During this time, Stephens failed to collect and pay over to the IRS approximately $54,946 in employment taxes.

Stephens further admitted that, as part of his bankruptcy proceedings filed in the District of New Jersey, he deliberately concealed his assets, including the amount of income that he received from operating his contracting businesses, his income from the massage parlors, his unemployment insurance payments, and the sale of Stephens Contracting vehicles. He further admitted to lying to the IRS Special Agents when they interviewed him in January 2023 during their investigation into his business’s failure to pay over payroll taxes and his failure to pay income taxes.

The charges of income tax evasion and failing to collect, account for and pay over payroll taxes, bankruptcy fraud, and false statements, each carry a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.  As part of his guilty plea, Stephens agreed to make restitution to the IRS in the full amount of the taxes that he owes.  Stephens’ sentencing is scheduled for August 4, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Jenifer L. Piovesan, Special Agent-in-Charge, New Jersey Field Office, with the investigation leading to yesterday’s guilty plea.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud 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 government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Richardson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.     

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Defense counsel: Christopher St. John, Esq., Marlton, N.J. for Zachary Sulpizi

Martin Isenberg, Esq., Gibbsboro, for William Brent Stephens

NEWARK, N.J. – A New York-based former employee of TD Bank N.A., Cheungkin Lam, also known as “Kelvin Lam,” pleaded guilty yesterday to defrauding TD Bank customers and bribing an employee at another financial institution to falsify bank records, which, in total, facilitated more than $3.4 million of fraud, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Lam, 28, pleaded guilty yesterday before the Honorable Esther Salas in Newark to a two-count Information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and making false bank entries or reports. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 15, 2026.

“Lam leveraged his and a co-conspirator’s insider positions at two different financial institutions to facilitate millions of dollars of fraud in exchange for bribes. We expect bank employees to help root out fraud, not enable it.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to hold financial institutions and their employees accountable when they break the law and undermine the integrity of the financial system.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“Lam abused his position as a bank employee to help fraudsters steal money from unwitting customers and bribed another bank employee to do the same,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Bank employees are the first line of defense against money laundering, fraud, and other financial crimes. When bank employees violate the public trust by using their positions to enrich themselves through financial crime, the Criminal Division will investigate and prosecute them.”

“Cheungkin Lam’s conduct represents a grave breach of the trust placed in financial professionals.  By exploiting his access to sensitive customer information, Lam facilitated a significant fraud and compromised the integrity of the financial system and the security of innocent victims,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office.  “IRS-CI remains firmly committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable those who abuse positions of trust for personal gain.”

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in Court:

From January 2021 through May 2021, Lam accepted bribes and leveraged his position at TD Bank to identify bank accounts with large balances and steal confidential customer information. Lam shared that information with outside co-conspirators, who used it to defraud customer accounts. Separately, from May 2022 through August 2022, Lam engaged in a scheme to bribe a co-conspirator employed at another financial institution to falsify bank records in opening a bank account for use in various fraud schemes by Lam’s co-conspirators. In total, Lam received at least $155,000 in bribes and facilitated $3,433,989.07 in fraud losses.

The charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense or lost by a victim of the offense, whichever is greater. The charge of making false bank entries carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense or lost by a victim of the offense, whichever is greater.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents and task force officers of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca, with the investigation.  U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanked the Morristown Police Department for its assistance with the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Bank Integrity Unit of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case.

MNF’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

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Defense counsel: Eric Jaso, Esq.

A New York-based former employee of TD Bank N.A., Cheungkin Lam, also known as Kelvin Lam, pleaded guilty yesterday to defrauding TD Bank customers and bribing an employee at another financial institution to falsify bank records, which, in total, facilitated more than $3.4 million of fraud.

According to court documents, from January 2021 through May 2021, Lam, 28, of Queens, New York, accepted bribes and leveraged his position at TD Bank to identify bank accounts with large balances and steal confidential customer information. Lam shared that information with outside co-conspirators, who used it to defraud customer accounts. Separately, from May 2022 through August 2022, Lam engaged in a scheme to bribe a co-conspirator employed at another financial institution to falsify bank records in opening a bank account for use in various fraud schemes by Lam’s co-conspirators. In total, Lam received at least $155,000 in bribes and facilitated $3,433,989.07 in fraud losses.

“Lam abused his position as a bank employee to help fraudsters steal money from unwitting customers and bribed another bank employee to do the same,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Bank employees are the first line of defense against money laundering, fraud, and other financial crimes. When bank employees violate the public trust by using their positions to enrich themselves through financial crime, the Criminal Division will investigate and prosecute them.”

“Lam leveraged his and a co-conspirator’s insider positions at two different financial institutions to facilitate millions of dollars of fraud in exchange for bribes,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey. “We expect bank employees to help root out fraud, not enable it. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to hold financial institutions and their employees accountable when they break the law and undermine the integrity of the financial system.”

“Cheungkin Lam’s conduct represents a grave breach of the trust placed in financial professionals,” said Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Newark Field Office. “By exploiting his access to sensitive customer information, Lam facilitated a significant fraud and compromised the integrity of the financial system and the security of innocent victims. IRS-CI remains firmly committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable those who abuse positions of trust for personal gain.”

“Lam abused his trusted position as an employee of TD Bank to engage in bribery and perpetrate fraud that resulted in financial losses to unknowing bank customers,” said Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG) New York Region. “The FDIC OIG stands firm in its commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable bank insiders who exploit their positions for their own gain and threaten the safety and soundness of our Nation’s financial institutions.”

Lam pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and making false bank entries or reports. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 15 and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

IRS-CI and FDIC-OIG are investigating the case. The Department also thanks the Morristown Police Department for its assistance with the investigation.

Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division for the District of New Jersey, are prosecuting the case.

The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s (MNF) mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.

MNF’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Maryland man was sentenced to 36 months in prison after pleading guilty for his role in a conspiracy to traffic personal identifying information (PII), U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Chief United States District Judge Renée M. Bumb imposed the sentence on April 23, in Camden federal court.

Chouby Charleron, 27, of Severn, Maryland, pleaded guilty before Chief Judge Bumb on November 19, 2025, to a single count Information that charged him with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From at least February 2020 through his arrest on January 22, 2024, Charleron accessed and obtained the PII of thousands of unwitting individuals and then sold that PII to a network of co-conspirators through interstate wires using a web-based encrypted messaging application that users could access on their cellphones. Charleron was the administrator of a chat group that advertised the sale of PII to prospective co-conspirators. Charleron sold the PII, including Social Security numbers, of more than 5,000 victims to multiple co-conspirators. Charleron sold the PII with the knowledge that his co-conspirators would use the PII to, among other things, defraud or attempt to default the victims whose PII had been stolen.

In addition to the prison term, Chief Judge Bumb also ordered $102,288.18 in restitution and a term of supervised release of 2 years.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dak Cohen and Alison Thompson of the Criminal Division in Camden and Newark respectively.

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Defense counsel: Gary Mizzone, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Honduran national was sentenced for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute it, United States Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Diogenes Galvez, 21, of Atlantic City, New Jersey, previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on May 19, before U.S. District Chief Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court.  Chief Judge Bumb sentenced Galvez to serve 175 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

According to the evidence and statements made in court:

On September 27, 2023, Atlantic City Police Department officers and agents with the FBI Safe Streets Task Force executed a search warrant at Galvez’s home.  Officers found methamphetamine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana, and other controlled substances.  Officers also found a loaded semiautomatic handgun that had a defaced serial number, as well as nearly $5,000 in cash.  Prior to possessing the controlled substances and defaced firearm, Galvez had been convicted of multiple firearms offenses.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy of Newark, with the investigation.  U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanked the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William Reynolds, for its assistance in the investigation.  The investigation was part of the U.S. Attorney and Atlantic County Violent Crimes Initiative (VCI), which is a collaboration of multiple local, state and federal law enforcement agencies operating within Atlantic County, including, but not limited to, the Atlantic City Police Department and the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department, designed to identify the most violent offenders and coordinate law enforcement efforts.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McFarlane in Camden.

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TRENTON, N.J. – A Somerset County man was arraigned yesterday for attempted production and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

David Chapinski, 45, of Somerset, New Jersey, was charged in a three-count Indictment with attempted production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.  Chapinski was arraigned yesterday before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On August 31, 2025, David Chapinski was released from custody after completing multiple state sentences for child-exploitation, including creating “upskirting” photographs or videos of minors and possession of CSAM. Within days of his release, on September 2, 2025, Chapinski attempted to film or photograph up the skirt of a 13-year-old minor. Less than two weeks later, on September 13, 2025, Chapinski surreptitiously recorded up the skirt of a 17-year-old minor, when a nearby good Samaritan detained him. Law enforcement executed a search warrant of Chapinski’s phone and found hundreds of images of CSAM. Investigators also identified additional CSAM in Chapinski’s online accounts.

If convicted, and because Chapinski has been previously convicted of certain qualifying offenses, Chapinski faces mandatory minimum prison sentences of 35 years’ imprisonment and maximum sentences of life imprisonment on the attempted production counts of the Indictment. If convicted of the possession count, Chapinski faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.  Each of the offenses carry a maximum fine of $250,000, in addition to restitution and other assessments.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited law enforcement members with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation leading to the charges.  He also thanked the New Brunswick Police Department, under the direction of Chief Vicent Sabo, the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas Bryan, and the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Linda Estremera, for their assistance with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Belgiovine of the Criminal Division in Trenton.

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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel: Richard Potter, Esq.

TRENTON, N.J. – A New York man pleaded guilty today to participating in a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $229.6 million in loans and to acquire multifamily and commercial properties through deception, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazerannounced.

Mordichai Weiss, 29, of Monsey, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud conspiracy.

“Commercial mortgage fraud schemes of this scale undermine the integrity of the lending system and inflict significant losses on financial institutions and taxpayers alike. Weiss and his co-conspirators orchestrated an elaborate scheme built on falsified records designed to trick lenders into funding loans that never should have been approved, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in losses to lenders and the public fisc. This case demonstrates our Office’s commitment to holding accountable those who exploit the financial system through deception and fraud.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“Multifamily properties serve an essential role in our housing system,” said Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak.  “When fraudsters like Weiss and his co-conspirators provide false financial information to obtain loans on these properties, they not only defraud the lenders, but they also harm innocent tenants in New Jersey and across the U.S. who live in these buildings.  In partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FHFA-OIG will continue to vigorously identify, investigate, and prosecute the fraudsters who undermine the integrity of our mortgage finance system.”

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Between April 2022 and June 2023, Weiss conspired with others to deceive lenders into issuing multifamily and commercial mortgage loans in amounts they otherwise would not have approved. To carry out the scheme, Weiss and his co-conspirators submitted falsified documents to lenders, including altered bank records and fraudulent settlement statements, to misrepresent the true purchase prices of the properties.

For example, in May 2023, Weiss agreed to purchase an apartment complex in Houston, Texas for approximately $66.9 million. Weiss and his co-conspirators provided the lender with a fraudulent purchase agreement reflecting a price of $97.8 million. That inflated figure was repeated across multiple falsified documents submitted in support of the loan. Relying on these misrepresentations, the lender approved and funded a loan of approximately $68.5 million, on which Weiss later defaulted.

In total, Weiss obtained approximately $229.6 million in loans from multiple financial institutions through this scheme. Ultimately, he defaulted on the loans, or the loan balances substantially exceeded the value of the underlying collateral, resulting in approximately $94.4 million in losses to lenders, including the Federal National Mortgage Association, commonly known as Fannie Mae, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, commonly known as Freddie Mac.

The sole count in the Information carries a maximum penalty of twenty years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest. The sentencing date is not yet scheduled.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.  Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support 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.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the FHFA-OIG with the investigation.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Belgiovine of the Criminal Division in Trenton.

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Defense counsel: Gedalia Stern, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey physical therapist was sentenced today for her role in a health care fraud scheme targeting Amtrak’s health care plan, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Taejin Kim, 44, of Fort Lee, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on June 11, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Kim was sentenced today to 12 months plus one day of imprisonment, two years’ supervised release, and ordered to pay over $2.2 million in restitution.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From October 2019 through June 2022, Kim and her co-conspirators agreed to engage in a scheme to bill the Amtrak health care plan for fraudulent claims for services that never were provided and were medically unnecessary. Kim, a licensed physical therapist, allowed her license and business bank accounts to be used in the fraudulent billing scheme, in return for a portion of the proceeds.  Other members of the conspiracy recruited Amtrak employees to participate in the scheme by paying them cash, in return for allowing the conspirators to use their personal and insurance information to submit false and fraudulent claims.

The conspiracy involved dozens of Amtrak employees and multiple health care providers, who paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks to Amtrak employees over the course of the scheme.  In total, the Amtrak health care plan paid over $11 million in fraudulent claims associated with providers connected to the scheme.  The Amtrak health care plan paid out approximately $2,253,453 for claims associated with Kim.  The investigation has resulted in the prosecution of nineteen individuals, including Kim. All have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James Harper, the Amtrak Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief of Police James Cook, and special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III in New York, with the investigation.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.  Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support 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 government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano, Co-Chief of the General Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen O’Leary of the Health Care Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit.  

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Defense counsel:  Alyssa Cimino, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey cheese manufacturer today admitted to introducing adulterated queso fresco into interstate commerce, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Abuelito Cheese Inc. a/k/a “El Abuelito Cheese,” a distributor of food products located in Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais in Newark federal court to an Information charging the company with introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Abuelito manufactured food products, including soft, fresh cheese known as queso fresco, at its facility in New Jersey.  It distributed products, including queso fresco, within New Jersey and to neighboring states.  In February 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted an inspection of Abuelito’s facility and alerted the company to the presence of non-pathogenic Listeria innocua and Listeria grayi in its facility. In June 2020, the FDA issued a Warning Letter to Abuelito, expressing serious concerns regarding alleged Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) violations, and warning that conditions in the company’s facility were conducive for pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes. Abuelito’s products were ultimately linked to a February 2021 outbreak of listeriosis that resulted in at least 13 hospitalizations and one death across four states.

The offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 5 years of probation, and a fine of $500,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for October 15, 2026.

Individuals who believe they may have been impacted by the 2021 listeriosis outbreak associated with products sold as El Abuelito Cheese brand, distributed in Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York; Rio Grande Food Products brand, distributed in Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland; and Rio Lindo brand, distributed in North Carolina and Maryland, may contact the Department of Justice’s Victim Witness Unit via the following toll free number: (888) 549-3945 or email:  VictimAssistance.fraud@usdoj.gov.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations New York Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Fernando McMillan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano, Co-Chief of the General Crimes Unit, and Trial Attorney Lauren M. Elfner of the Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section. 

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Defense counsel:  Matthew Oliver, Esq.

Newark, N.J. – A New Jersey man admitted to engaging in wire fraud and aggravated identity theft that caused losses of more than $250,000, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Terrance Hart, 47, of Garfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court yesterday to an Information charging him with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.  The sentencing date is scheduled for October 14. 2026.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Hart opened or caused others to fraudulently open various bank accounts in the names of other individuals or entities, but that were actually under his control. Hart then deposited or caused others to deposit fraudulently obtained funds, including stolen United States Treasury checks, into the bank accounts. Then, Hart withdrew money from the bank accounts and converted the resulting funds to his personal use.

The wire fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the value of the gain or loss, whichever is greater. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the value of the gain or loss, whichever is greater.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Franklin Township Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, and special agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark with the investigation leading to this plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Claressa Lowe, Esq.

TRENTON, N.J. – A Mexican man was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and illegal firearm possession, United States Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Hector Riano-Corcuera, 34, a citizen and national of Mexico, living in East Brunswick, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on May 19 before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi on January 8, 2026 to a two-count Information charging him with distribution of controlled substances and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Judge Quraishi imposed the 120-month sentence on May 19, 2026 in Trenton federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In June 2025, law enforcement officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Riano-Corcuera after he sold approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine to another person. Before the arrest, Riano-Corcuera ran away from the officers. When they caught him, they found a loaded Sig Sauer 9mm firearm in his bag. When they executed a search warrant at Riano-Corcuera’s home, law enforcement found more cocaine, two semiautomatic rifles, three handguns, and ammunition.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentenced Riano-Corcuera to five years of supervised release following Riano-Corcuera’s term of imprisonment and ordered forfeiture of firearm and ammunition that Riano-Corcuera used to commit the offense.

United States Attorney Frazer credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James, with the investigation leading to the sentence. U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge­­­­ Stefanie Roddy, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Linda Estremera, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Bradley D. Billhimer, the Asbury Park Police Department, under the direction of Police Director John B. Hayes, the East Brunswick Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Frank LoSacco, the Lakewood Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Gregory H. Meyer, the Manchester Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Antonio Ellis, the Middletown Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police R. Craig Weber, the Neptune Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Anthony Gualario, the Ocean Gate Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Kuchta, and the Spotswood Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Philip Corbisiero, for their assistance in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

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Defense counsel: Andrea Aldana, Esq., Federal Public Defenders.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Florida resident made his initial appearance in Newark Federal Court yesterday after he was arrested last week in Miami, Florida on charges that he used and affixed a fraudulently made Department of Justice seal on correspondence that he mailed to a luxury car company with corporate offices in New Jersey, while falsely representing that he was a federal prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Paul Richard Johnson, 55, of Miami, Florida, is charged by complaint with fraudulent use of a government seal on a letter dated October 15, 2024, to an automotive manufacturer with corporate offices in New Jersey, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 506(a)(2).   The defendant appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Johnson, who had never been employed by the DOJ, began corresponding with an automobile manufacturer around July 2024 to resolve a dispute related to Johnson’s unpaid automobile lease.  Due to the length of the delinquency, the automobile company had referred the matter to collections and wrote off Johnson’s debt, which ultimately resulted in Johnson receiving negative credit report entries.  In his attempt to get the automobile manufacturer to take steps to repair his credit history, Johnson affixed the DOJ seal to letters he transmitted to the company. 

For example, on or about July 11, 2024, Johnson sent a letter to the company’s corporate offices in central Ohio that featured the DOJ seal on the letterhead along with a heading of “US Department of Justice” and a subheading of “National Security Division.”  Johnson wrote this letter to complain that the company had “reported me to all three credit bureaus for a loan write-off.”  Further, Johnson wrote that “DOJ’s internal security team which monitors my, and other, personal information” had purportedly confirmed that the automobile manufacturer had reported a delinquency that led to the notification of the three credit bureaus.  Johnson signed the letter, described his position as “Supervising Attorney, Criminal Division,” and listed a fraudulent DOJ e-mail address, despite never having been employed there.

Johnson sent at least two additional letters to the automobile manufacture’s Ohio headquarters in which he affixed the fraudulent DOJ seal and represented himself to be an “Assistant United States Attorney.”   

Then, around October 15, 2024, Johnson wrote a fourth letter, this one directed to the automobile manufacturer’s corporate offices in Bergen County, New Jersey.  As with the three earlier letters, Johnson used letterhead featuring the DOJ seal and referred to the “US Department of Justice” under which appeared the subheading “National Security Division.”  Johnson rehashed many of the statements and requests from his earlier letters, but added, in the concluding paragraph, that “[i]f there is anything you can do to facilitate an alternative outcome, I can categorically state that your actions will be looked upon both favorably by me, including but not limited to, the 94 other US Attorneys’ offices.”  Beneath his signature, Johnson listed his occupation as “Assistant United States Attorney,” and listed the same fake e-mail account purportedly with the DOJ.

The charge of fraudulently using a government seal is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.  The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, and special agents of the United States Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Maltese in Newark, with the investigation leading to Johnson’s arrest.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McCarren of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

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Defense counsel:

John Yauch, AFPD, Newark

NEWARK, N.J. – A Sussex County, New Jersey woman was sentenced in United States District Court to 20 years in prison in connection with the exploitation of a child and production of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

“There are few crimes more disturbing than the sexual exploitation of a young child. As the defendant admitted in court, she preyed on an exceptionally vulnerable four-year-old child, produced images of that abuse, and then distributed those materials online for others to view and share.  This sentence reflects the extraordinary harm the defendant caused and demonstrates this Office’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and pursuing justice for victims who cannot protect themselves.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“The victim here is the epitome of innocent; a defenseless four-year old. The egregious crime cannot be erased, but this sentence should show others who think they can exploit children, the FBI Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force will track you down and you will be brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.

Dominique Saczawa, 34, of Sparta, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel in Camden federal court to production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, advertisement of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.  Judge Kiel imposed the sentence on May 18.

According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in Court:

In August 2021, law enforcement determined that Saczawa had sexually exploited a then-four-year-old child by engaging in sexual contact with the child and then producing images and videos of that sexual contact.  Saczawa also shared these videos and images with others online.

Saczawa later admitted to running a group chat within an online messaging application in which participants discussed and shared content and images of child pornography.  As an administrator of this group, Saczawa solicited participants to share such content and participants would be expelled from the group if they did not share. The images Saczawa shared included images of toddlers potentially as young as one year old being sexually assaulted.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Kiel also sentenced Saczawa to 15 years supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation.

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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit in Newark.

Defense counsel: Stephen Natoli, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. — A grand jury in the District of New Jersey returned a superseding indictment today charging Treva Edwards, 61, of Orange, New Jersey with two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, three counts of forced labor, and conspiracy to commit forced labor. The superseding indictment also charged his wife, Christine Edwards, 64, of Orange, New Jersey with conspiracy to commit forced labor.

According to the superseding indictment, Treva and Christine Edwards were the founders and pastors of a church they named “Jesus is Lord by the Holy Ghost,” which they operated out of a multi-unit apartment building in Orange, New Jersey, and where they conspired with each other and others to obtain the compelled labor of church members.

“Treva Edwards allegedly exploited faith, fear, and coercion to control vulnerable victims for his own benefit. As alleged in the superseding indictment, Edwards manipulated members of his church into providing uncompensated labor and subjected victims to physical, emotional, spiritual, and sexual abuse under the guise of religious authority. This Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals who, as alleged here, use positions of trust and influence to traffic, exploit, and abuse vulnerable people.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

As charged in the superseding indictment, between 2010 and 2025, the defendants identified and recruited victims who were facing struggles in their personal lives, including financial and familial struggles, to join the church and live and worship at the church building. Treva Edwards told the victims that he was a prophet who could communicate directly with God and that disobeying him would result in spiritual retribution, as well as physical, emotional, and financial harm.

The Edwardses secured labor contracts to provide manual labor in and around Orange, New Jersey, including cleaning and gutting commercial and residential properties, shoveling snow, removing bulk trash, moving furniture, cleaning raw sewage, and exterminating rodent infestations. The Edwardses dispatched the victims to perform the contracted labor. They did not pay wages to the victims for their work and kept the money earned from their labor.

Treva Edwards preached to the victims that he communicated God’s will, that it was God’s will for them to work, and that members had to perform labor to serve God. The Edwardses convinced the victims that they would lose favor with God and “the Prophet” if they did not perform labor. Treva Edwards spread fear among the victims through verbal and emotional abuse and threats of reputational harm, homelessness, hunger, spiritual retribution, punishments, and more hard labor to gain their obedience and compel them to perform unpaid labor. The Edwardses instituted and enforced strict rules about when and whether the victims could eat or sleep, when and for how long they were to pray and work, and whether they could speak to non-members or leave the church building. They isolated the victims, monitored their communications and whereabouts, and convinced them that non-members were evil or possessed by the devil. They also deprived the victims of sleep and typically fed them only once a day after they completed their work.

According to the allegations in the superseding indictment, Treva Edwards controlled and subjected two victims to repeated physical and sexual assaults, impregnating one victim and instructing her to get an abortion, and telling the other victim that having sex with him was God’s will and would prevent her from becoming mentally ill.

The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion against Treva Edwards carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. The forced labor charge against Treva Edwards carries a maximum penalty of twenty years or life in prison if the violation included aggravated sexual abuse. The conspiracy to commit forced labor charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, and special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to this indictment.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trevor Chenoweth and Susan Millenky for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case.

The charges and allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

HSI Newark is asking anyone with information about Treva Edwards, Christine Edwards, or their organization known as Jesus is Lord by the Holy Ghost (JLHG), to contact its tip line at (866) 347-2423 or email HSINewarkHumanTrafficking@hsi.dhs.gov. The tip line is monitored 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Additionally, there is an online tip form.

If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888.

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Defense counsel:

Treva Edwards: Laura Sayler, Esq., Newark, New Jersey

Christine Edwards: Wanda Akin, Esq., Newark, New Jersey 

A grand jury in the District of New Jersey returned a superseding indictment yesterday charging Treva Edwards, 61, Orange, New Jersey, with two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, three counts of forced labor, and conspiracy to commit forced labor. The superseding indictment also charged his wife, Christine Edwards, 64, also of Orange, with conspiracy to commit forced labor.

According to the superseding indictment, Treva and Christine Edwards were the founders and pastors of a church they named “Jesus is Lord by the Holy Ghost,” which they operated out of a multi-unit apartment building in Orange, where they conspired with each other and others to obtain the compelled labor of church members.

As charged in the superseding indictment, between 2010 and 2025, the defendants identified and recruited victims who were facing struggles in their personal lives, including financial and familial, to join the church and live and worship at the church building. Treva Edwards told the victims that he was a prophet who could communicate directly with God and that disobeying him would result in spiritual retribution, as well as physical, emotional, and financial harm.

The Edwardses secured labor contracts to provide manual labor in and around Orange, including cleaning and gutting commercial and residential properties, shoveling snow, removing bulk trash, moving furniture, cleaning raw sewage, and exterminating rodent infestations. The Edwards couple dispatched the victims to perform the contracted labor. They did not pay wages to the victims for their work and kept the money earned from their labor.

Treva Edwards preached to the victims that he communicated God’s will, that it was God’s will for them to work, and that members had to perform labor to serve God. The defendants convinced the victims that they would lose favor with God and “the Prophet” if they did not perform the prescribed labor. Treva Edwards spread fear among the victims through verbal and emotional abuse and threats of reputational harm, homelessness, hunger, spiritual retribution, punishments, and additional hard labor to gain their obedience and compel them to perform unpaid labor. The Edwardses instituted and enforced strict rules about when and whether the victims could eat or sleep, when and for how long they were to pray and work, and whether they could speak to non-members or leave the church building. They isolated the victims, monitored their communications and whereabouts, and convinced them that non-members were evil or possessed by the devil. They also deprived the victims of sleep and typically fed them only once a day after they completed their work.

According to the allegations in the superseding indictment, Treva Edwards controlled and subjected two victims to repeated physical and sexual assaults, impregnating one victim and instructing her to get an abortion, and telling the other victim that having sex with him was God’s will and would prevent her from becoming mentally ill.

The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion against Treva Edwards carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. The forced labor charge against Treva Edwards carries a maximum penalty of 20 years or life in prison if the violation included aggravated sexual abuse. The conspiracy to commit forced labor charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey, Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark Field Office, and Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito for the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General made the announcement.

HSI Newark Field Office and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General Newark Field Office are investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trevor Chenoweth and Susan Millenky for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.

HSI Newark is asking anyone with information about Treva Edwards, Christine Edwards, or their organization known as Jesus is Lord by the Holy Ghost (JLHG), to contact its tip line at (866) 347-2423 or email HSINewarkHumanTrafficking@hsi.dhs.gov. The tip line is monitored 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Additionally, there is an online tip form.

If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888.

The Justice Department announced today that a New Jersey man was charged with making interstate threats to a Jewish organization located in New York, NY.

Cameron Patterson, 34, of Newark, New Jersey, was indicted on May 18 for transmitting interstate threats to injure the person of another. According to court records, Patterson sent three emails threatening physical harm to a New York-based Jewish non-profit organization on Oct. 6, 2024. The individuals who received these emails feared for their safety and reported the communications to law enforcement officers. A subsequent search of Patterson’s iCloud account revealed multiple images depicting or referencing violence, threats of violence, and mass shootings. Patterson, who was previously charged by complaint and released, will be arraigned on a date to be determined.

The charge of transmitting a threat in interstate or foreign commerce carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy of the FBI Newark Field Office with the investigation leading to these charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Millenky for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

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

NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey man was charged with making interstate threats to a Jewish organization located in New York, NY, United States Attorney Robert Frazer and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced.

Cameron Patterson, 34, of Newark, New Jersey, was indicted on May 18, 2026 for transmitting interstate threats to injure another person. According to court records, Patterson sent three emails threatening physical harm to a New York-based Jewish non-profit organization on October 6, 2024. The individuals who received these emails feared for their safety and reported the communications to law enforcement. A search of Patterson’s iCloud account revealed multiple images depicting or referencing violence, threats of violence, and mass shootings. Patterson, who was previously charged by complaint and released, will be arraigned on a date to be determined.

The charge of transmitting a threat in interstate or foreign commerce carries a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum fine of $250,000.

United States Attorney Frazer and Assistant Attorney General Dhillon credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to these charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Millenky of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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CAMDEN, N.J. – Five members and associates of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in southern New Jersey and Philadelphia—including two Jamaican citizens—were arrested this week and charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

“As alleged, this drug trafficking organization distributed large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine throughout southern New Jersey and Philadelphia while operating across state and national borders. Working through the Homeland Security Task Force and alongside our federal, state, and local partners, this Office is committed to dismantling transnational drug trafficking networks that flood our communities with deadly narcotics and fuel violence and addiction.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“This investigation dismantled a drug trafficking organization responsible for flooding communities across southern New Jersey and Philadelphia with dangerous quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine,” said DEA New Jersey Field Division Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James. “The seizures in this case represent lives potentially saved from the devastating impact of these deadly narcotics. DEA and our law enforcement partners remain committed to targeting transnational criminal organizations that profit from addiction and violence, and we will continue using every investigative tool available to identify, disrupt, and dismantle these networks operating in our communities.”

This week’s charges are the result of a long-term wiretap investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Agency New Jersey Field Division’s Atlantic County HIDTA Task Force and the New Jersey State Police’s Gangs and Organized Crime South Unit.

Andrew Davis, a/k/a “Flip Mogella,” a/k/a “Floss King,” 47, a Jamaican citizen living in East Nottingham Township, Pennsylvania; Clifford Brown, 52, a Jamaican citizen living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Damion Jones, 44, of Millville, New Jersey; James McBride, 53, of Marlton, New Jersey; and Jule Stubbs, 51, of Millville, New Jersey, all had their initial court appearances earlier this week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann Marie Donio in Camden federal court and were detained.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In order to take down this DTO, law enforcement obtained wire-tap orders for Davis’s phones, conducted controlled drug purchases with a confidential source, performed physical and electronic surveillance, and executed search warrants.  The investigation showed that the DTO distributed large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl/fentanyl analogue, and cocaine.  The DTO obtained the drugs from packages sent to addresses the DTO controlled in southern New Jersey and the Philadelphia area.  The complaint describes some of the drugs seized by law enforcement as part of the investigation, including more than 38 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, more than 7.5 kilograms of suspected cocaine, and almost 1 kilogram of fentanyl/fentanyl analogue.

The count charging conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute carries a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, and a maximum fine of $10 million.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents and task force officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James, and personnel with the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Jeanne Hengemuhle, with the investigation leading to the charges in this case.  U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, under the direction of U.S. Attorney David Metcalf, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Andy Johns, and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw, for their assistance in the investigation.

These arrests are 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 Atlantic City comprises agents and officers from DEA, FBI, and HSI with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Bender and Dak Cohen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel:

Davis: Edward F. Borden, Jr., Esq., Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Brown: Ikram Ally, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Camden, New Jersey

McBride: Jonathan Sobel, Esq., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Jones: Jordan Zeitz, Esq., Haddonfield, New Jersey

Stubbs: Gina Amoriello, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on May 12, 2026 charging two Pakistani men and one Indian man living in Hong Kong in connection with international narcotics trafficking using the dark web, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Waleed Shamim, 33, Sameer Shamim, 41, and Shareef Beig, 52, were indicted for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to import controlled substances.

“As alleged, these defendants used dark web marketplaces and international shipping networks to move narcotics and counterfeit pills into the United States and target customers in New Jersey. Individuals who believe they can hide behind online aliases while trafficking dangerous drugs across international borders are mistaken—this Office and our law enforcement partners will identify them, disrupt their operations, and hold them accountable.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“The indictments of these foreign nationals highlight the grave dangers posed by transnational organizations who aim to distribute and import controlled substances into the United States,” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy. “Homeland Security Investigations remains steadfast in its commitment to working with our partners at U.S. Postal Inspection Service to identify and dismantle international narcotics trafficking networks that exploit the anonymity of the dark web.”

“Postal Inspectors, federal prosecutors, and our law enforcement partners have diligently worked to identify and disrupt the activities of dark web marketplaces suspected of peddling illegal pills. Postal Inspectors will continue to tirelessly investigate these types of crimes that utilize the U.S. Postal Service to facilitate illegal activity and bring those behind these hidden walls to justice,” said Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen.

According to the indictment filed in this case:

Between November 2021 and June 2022, Waleed Shamim and Sameer Shamim operated vendor accounts on various illicit dark web marketplaces under the moniker “Horsemen” or “Horsemen1,” and recruited people to assist in reshipping narcotics to customers. Waleed Shamim and Sameer Shamim, along with Shareef Beig, coordinated shipments of thousands of pills containing narcotics from Hong Kong to the United States.

The charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to import controlled substances each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited officers and special agents of Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy in Newark, and inspectors the U.S Postal Inspection Serves, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Chief of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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CAMDEN, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man admitted to denotating an explosive device under a vehicle that was parked at his former supervisor’s residence, announced U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer.

Michael Patrick Takacs, Jr., 44, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to an Information charging him with one count of transporting an explosive with the knowledge and intent that it would be used to intimate an individual and used unlawfully to damage and destroy property.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

After being terminated from his employment in or around April 2025, Takacs manufactured an improvised explosive device, commonly referred to as an “IED,” using explosive chemicals and a remote pyrotechnic device he purchased and filling the IED with shrapnel, including nails.  In the early morning hours of July 26, 2025, Takacs transported the IED from Pennsylvania to his former supervisor’s personal residence in Delran, New Jersey and placed it under a vehicle parked in the driveway.  While transporting the IED, Takacs took steps to conceal his identity by removing the license plate from his vehicle, leaving his personal cell phone at his house, and wearing a mask on his face. Ultimately, Takacs remotely detonated the IED in an effort to intimidate his former supervisor and to damage and destroy the vehicle.

The charge of transporting an explosive to intimidate or damage property carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Sentencing is scheduled for October 8, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited the following with the investigation leading up to this guilty plea: special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs in Philadelphia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, under the direction of U.S. Attorney David Metcalf, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, under the direction of Director Thomas G. Hauck, New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Jeanne Hengemuhle, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of LaChia L. Bradshaw, the Delran (NJ) Township Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Matthew J. Gasper, the Warminster (PA) Township Police Department under the direction of Chief James Donnelly III, the Bucks County (PA) Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Daniel Ceisler, and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Joe Khan.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey S. Smith and Vincent D. Romano of the National Security Unit in Newark, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.

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Defense counsel: Thomas Young, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A New York physical therapist today admitted participating in a health care fraud scheme to defraud Amtrak, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Jaekwan Lee, 41, of Flushing, New York, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an Indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From January 2022 through June 2022, Lee and his co-conspirators agreed to engage in a scheme to bill the Amtrak health care plan for fraudulent claims for services that never were provided and were medically unnecessary. Lee, a licensed physical therapist, allowed his license and business bank accounts to be used in the fraudulent billing scheme, in return for a portion of the proceeds.  Other members of the conspiracy recruited Amtrak employees to participate in the scheme by paying them cash, in return for allowing the conspirators to use their personal and insurance information to submit false and fraudulent claims.

The conspiracy involved dozens of Amtrak employees and multiple health care providers, who paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks to Amtrak employees over the course of the scheme.  In total, the Amtrak health care plan paid over $11 million in fraudulent claims associated with providers connected to the scheme.  The Amtrak health care plan paid out over $800,000 for claims associated with Lee.  The investigation has resulted in the prosecution of nineteen individuals, including Lee. All have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

The health care fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for October 8, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James Harper, the Amtrak Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief of Police James Cook, and special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III in New York, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano, Co-Chief of the General Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen O’Leary of the Health Care Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit.  

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Defense counsel:  Megan Rha, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – Two men were charged under the New Jersey Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) with conspiring to distribute over 260 pounds of methamphetamine into New Jersey, which represents the largest seizure of methamphetamine in the state’s history, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

“By preventing hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine from hitting the streets, this historic seizure has made New Jersey a safer place.  And it has also sent an unmistakable message to drug traffickers who plan to enter the Garden State: stay out. We will find you and you will answer for any attempt to bring poison into our communities. I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their tireless work in this case and for putting themselves at risk for the benefit of public safety every day.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“Seizing 260 pounds of methamphetamine, the largest seizure in New Jersey, is a critical step in preventing these deadly drugs from reaching our neighborhoods,” stated DEA New Jersey Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James. “This success highlights the power of collaboration between DEA and our law-enforcement partners at every level. By working together, we are making our community safer and holding drug traffickers accountable.”

“This seizure and the resulting charges are a tremendous demonstration of partnerships at work, with members of the Homeland Security Task Force bringing these drug traffickers to justice. Over six million dollars of methamphetamine was seized, but what is priceless is the number of lives potentially saved by the extraordinary efforts of law enforcement in New Jersey,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.

“This seizure represents a decisive blow against a large‑scale drug trafficking organization that sought to move an extraordinary volume of methamphetamine into our state,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office.  “This case reflects the dedication and cooperation of every agency involved, and together we will continue to safeguard the residents of New Jersey by pursuing those who finance and facilitate the distribution of dangerous narcotics.”

“Our communities are safer today as a result of the unwavering partnership between Homeland Security Investigations, the DEA, and our federal counterparts,” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy. “This operation underscores our collective dedication to disrupting transnational criminal organizations and safeguarding the public from the threats posed by illicit drugs.”

Marcos Cesar Acosta, 47, most recently of Chicago, Illinois, and Carlos H. Cordero-Guiterrez, 53, a citizen and national of Mexico, were charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Acosta and Cordero-Guiterrez made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal on April 29, 2026 and were detained.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On April 28, 2026, Acosta traveled to New Jersey to supervise the delivery of hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine by a truck driven by Cordero-Guiterrez. That evening, after the truck arrived in New Jersey loaded with the methamphetamine, law enforcement officers arrested Acosta and Cordero-Guiterrez. Law enforcement seized three black storage boxes, one duffel bag, and a garbage bag from the truck cab, all of which contained methamphetamine. Collectively, the seized methamphetamine weighed over 260 pounds.

The conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10 million.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) MOPOD Enforcement Group 11 and the DEA Camden Resident Office under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James, for the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge­­­­ Stefanie Roddy in Newark, and IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, for their assistance in the investigation.

This operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative. The HSTF is a United States government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, transnational gangs, and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) worldwide. This initiative identifies TCOs engaged in a wide range of criminal schemes that violate federal law, while dismantling cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks that fuel violence and instability that threatens the safety and security of the United States and its global partners.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

                                                                                                                     ###

Defense counsel: Marcos Cesar Acosta: Margaret M. Grasso, Esq.

Carlos H. Cordero-Gutierrez: James P. Maguire, Esq., Federal Public Defenders.

NEWARK, N.J. – The former chief executive officer of a publicly traded healthcare services company was sentenced on May 5, 2026, for his role in a large-scale conspiracy to defraud investors in connection with the purchase or sale of the company’s securities, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Parmjit Parmar, a/k/a “Paul Parmar,” 55, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, had pleaded guilty on May 7, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Parmar was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and ordered to pay more than $125 million in victim restitution.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From May 2015 through September 2017, Parmar and his conspirators, including Sotirios Zaharis, a/k/a “Sam Zaharis,” and Ravi Chivukula orchestrated an elaborate scheme to defraud a private investment firm and others out of hundreds of millions of dollars in connection with the funding of a transaction to take private a healthcare services company traded publicly on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market. To fund the transaction, the private investment firm put up approximately $82.5 million and a consortium of financial institutions put up another $130 million, for a total of approximately $212.5 million. The coconspirators utilized fraudulent methods to grossly inflate the value of the company and tricked others into believing that it was worth substantially more than its actual value.

Parmar and the conspirators sought to raise tens of millions of dollars in the public markets, purportedly to fund the company’s acquisitions of various operating subsidiaries. In reality, a number of those entities either did not exist or had only a fraction of the operating income attributed to them. The conspirators funneled the proceeds of these secondary offerings through bank accounts they controlled and used the money for a variety of purposes that had nothing to do with acquiring the purported targets. The conspirators went to great lengths to make it appear that these funds were revenue, concocting phony customers and altering bank statements to make it appear as if the funds were coming from customers.

To perpetuate the scheme, Parmar and his conspirators also falsified and fabricated bank records of subsidiary entities in order to generate a phony picture of Comrevenue streams and made material misrepresentations and omissions to the private investment firm and others.

Parmar and his conspirators’ actions caused victims to value the company at more than $300 million for purposes of financing the transaction to take the company private. The scheme was uncovered in September 2017, when Parmar and his conspirators resigned from their positions with the company or were terminated. On March 16, 2018, the company and numerous of its affiliated entities filed for bankruptcy, attributing the company’s financial demise, in large part, to the fraud scheme.

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with assistance from FBI Headquarters Forensic Accountant Support Team.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys George M. Barchini of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit and Kelly M. Lyons of the Economic Crimes Unit, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olta Bejleri of the Economic Crimes Unit,  Carolyn Silane, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit, and Peter A. Laserna, Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit in Newark.

                                                           ###

Defense counsel for Parmar: John H. Hemann, Esq., San Francisco, CA; Andrew D. Goldstein, Victoria R. Pasculli, Esqs., New York, NY; Anuva V. Ganapathi, Esq., Palo Alto, CA

NEWARK, N.J. – A Morristown man pled guilty on May 4, 2026 to conspiring to defraud small businesses by making false promises to induce them to enter debt relief contracts, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

“This defendant didn’t just break the law—he exploited the financial vulnerability of small business owners who were trying to stay afloat and keep their doors open. By peddling sham debt-relief services and diverting millions for personal use, he turned trust into a weapon and hardship into profit. This case reflects our Office’s sustained commitment to pursuing complex financial fraud schemes and holding accountable those who target everyday business owners for personal gain.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“Small businesses are often the lifeblood of local economies. The cash-strapped victims in this investigation sought Csantaveri's help, hoping to keep their doors open during the COVID pandemic. Instead, he and his co-conspirators stole millions from unsuspecting owners. Fraud schemes are insidious and can take on many different forms and dimensions. If you or anyone you know has been swindled by fraudsters, please contact FBI Newark at 800-CALL-FBI,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.

Mark Csantaveri, 53, of Morristown, New Jersey, pled guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to a single-count Information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The sentencing date is scheduled for September 29, 2026.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Csantaveri and his co-conspirators operated businesses that purported to provide small businesses with debt relief services. As part of the scheme, Csantaveri induced victims to make regular payments to one of Csantaveri’s businesses by falsely claiming that he would hold their money while negotiating favorable settlements with the victims’ creditors. Instead of using victim funds as promised, Csantaveri and his co-conspirators misappropriated it for their personal use, including over $1 million in gambling expenses. Over the course of the conspiracy, Csantaveri’s businesses took in approximately $3.7 million from small businesses and transferred approximately $3 million to Csantaveri’s and his co-conspirators’ accounts.

Conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss involved in the offense, whichever is greatest.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Webman, Deputy Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Kristen Santillo, New York, NY

TRENTON, N.J. – A Somerset man admitted to distributing fentanyl and heroin that led to the death of a victim, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Thomas Kane Miller, 41, of Somerset, New Jersey pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court to a superseding information charging him with three counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In October 2022, in Somerset County, Miller distributed a substance containing fentanyl and heroin to a person who died as a result of using the substance. He also distributed fentanyl and heroin in Somerset County and Middlesex County on two other occasions in December 2022 and January 2023.

“Trafficking fentanyl and heroin can have deadly consequences and remains among the most serious crimes we prosecute. This defendant chose to traffic in deadly drugs, and that choice cost a life—today’s guilty plea reflects our commitment to hold accountable those who bring this poison into our communities and to pursue justice for the victims and families left behind.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

Each of the three counts of drug distribution carries a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison.  The sentences on each count may run consecutively.  Each count also carries a potential fine of $1 million, and the defendant must be sentenced to a term of supervised release after any term of imprisonment imposed.  Sentencing is scheduled for September 9, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the DEA Strike Force, New York Task Force Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher Roberts, and members of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor John P. McDonald, and members of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine M. Romano, Co-Chief of the General Crimes Unit, and Benjamin Levin, Chief of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark. 

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Defense counsel: Aidan P. O’Connor, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – Four resident aliens in New Jersey were charged in separate criminal complaints in connection with illegally voting in federal elections and making false statements while applying for United States citizenship, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

According to the separate criminal complaints filed against them, David Neewilly, 73, of Atlantic County; Jacenth Beadle Exum, 70, of Bergen County; Idan Choresh, 43, of Monmouth County; and Abhinandan Vig, 33, of Monmouth County, were non-citizens when they registered to vote in New Jersey.  On their respective voter registration forms, however, they falsely certified and attested that they were United States citizens.  In order to register, and to vote, in federal elections, a person must be a United States citizen.  

“As alleged, the defendants broke federal law by voting in elections they were not eligible to participate in, and then made false statements under oath to conceal that conduct.  Today’s charges reflect this Office’s commitment to protecting the integrity of our election system, and ensuring that those who attempt to circumvent both our voting laws and our naturalization process are held accountable.”  

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“This administration will not tolerate aliens who attempt to vote in our elections when they know they are not eligible,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “As alleged, these green card holders lied in order to register to vote and then lied again to immigration authorities by falsely claiming never to have voted in a federal election. This Justice Department will use every authority to protect the integrity of U.S. elections, including by prosecuting any noncitizens who lie about their legal status in an attempt to vote.”

“Securing our elections from criminal actors here at home and around the world is one of the top priorities for this FBI,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Noncitizens voting is a federal crime - period - and while other administrations may have looked the other way in the past, those days are over. We continue to work around the clock with our interagency partners to ensure those who engage in such conduct will not get away with it.”

“HSI is actively investigating and rooting out election fraud wherever it can be found,” said ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “This case shows that there is still work to do. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, HSI is committed to ensuring integrity in our election systems and ensuring that American citizens — and only American citizens — are electing American leaders.”

“The subjects are alleged to have knowingly circumvented one of our most sacred rights as citizens, the right to vote. The FBI and our partners will continue to pursue justice for those in violation of federal law, and keep the integrity of our elections intact,” said FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.

“This case highlights HSI’s dedication to safeguarding the integrity of the nation’s democratic and immigration processes,” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy. “HSI remains committed to collaborating with law enforcement partners to identify and address violations that threaten public trust in federal institutions.”

According to the criminal complaints, each of the defendants, still without United States citizenship, cast ballots in at least one federal election. Neewilly voted in the 2020 and 2024 general elections, Beadle Exum and Vig voted in the 2020 general election, and Choresh voted in the 2022 general election. The 2020 and 2024 general elections each included the election for the office of President and Vice President of the United States, and the 2022 general election included the election for Members of the House of Representatives. 

The criminal complaints also allege that after illegally voting in federal elections, the defendants each applied to become United States citizens by submitting applications for naturalization (an “N-400”).  An N-400 requires the applicant to swear under penalty of perjury that the information provided in the application is complete, true, and correct.  Each of the defendants falsely claimed in their respective N-400 to have never registered, or voted,  in any federal elections.    

Neewilly was charged with Voting by an Alien in a Federal Election, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 611; and False Statements in Relation to Naturalization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1425(a). He had an initial appearance on April 22, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sharon A. King in Camden federal court.

Choresh was charged with Voting by an Alien in a Federal Election, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 611; Procurement of Citizenship or Naturalization Unlawfully, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1425(a); and False Statements in Relation to Naturalization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1015(a).  He had his initial appearance on May 1, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais in Newark federal court.

Vig was charged with Procurement of Citizenship or Naturalization Unlawfully, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1425(a).  He had his initial appearance on May 1, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais in Newark federal court.

Beadle Exum was charged with False Statements in Relation to Naturalization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1015(a); and False Statements in Relation to Naturalization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1425(a).  She had her initial appearance on May 1, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais in Newark federal court.

If convicted, the defendants face the following maximum sentences:

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy; and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with the investigations.

These cases were brought under the United States Attorney’s Office’s Election Integrity Task Force, a coalition of federal law enforcement partners focused on preserving and protecting the integrity of elections conducted in the District of New Jersey.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. McCarren and Joseph McFarlane of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Bleiberg of the Criminal Division.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

                                                                                                         ###

NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County man and former Revenue Agent for the Internal Revenue Service was arrested on April 30, 2026 for embezzling more than $12 million and money laundering as the then-Chief Financial Officer and Controller of a fuel company based in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

“As alleged in the complaint, Robert McCloughy — a former IRS Revenue Agent entrusted to enforce the tax laws — used his position as a company’s CFO and Controller to steal more than $12 million and then launder the proceeds for his own benefit.  This Office is committed to rooting out sophisticated financial fraud and holding accountable those who illegally exploit their positions to enrich themselves at the expense of others.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

Robert M. McCloughy, 43, of Carlstadt, New Jersey was charged in a three-count complaint with one count of wire fraud and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property.  McCloughy is expected to have his initial appearance on Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

McCloughy previously served as a Revenue Agent with the Internal Revenue Service.  In or around 2009, McCloughy was hired by a New Jersey-based fuel company (“Company-1”), where he served interchangeably as the CFO and Controller.  From around March 2017 through March 2025, McCloughy misappropriated approximately $12 million from Company-1, separate and apart from what he was paid in the normal course.  He did so through at least two methods: (1) causing Company-1’s payroll company to pay him unauthorized “expense” reimbursements; and (2) causing unauthorized transfers to be made from Company-1’s bank accounts to his personal bank accounts.  To hide the fraud, McCloughy made false entries in Company-1’s books and records. Then, once McCloughy received the misappropriated funds, he engaged in money laundering transactions, including gambling large sums at online sportsbooks and casinos.

The charge of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain that any persons derived from the offense or of any pecuniary loss sustained by any victims of the offense, whichever is greatest. Each charge of money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the amount of criminally derived property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on 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.

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited special agents of IRS — Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Maltese with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marko Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division in Newark and Carolyn Silane, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

                                                                                       ###

A German national living in Colombia was extradited to the United States on charges that he owned and operated “The Versus Project,” an online dark web marketplace that enabled its over 380,000 registered users to buy and sell illegal goods.

The Versus Project, also known as Versus, was a leading dark web marketplace that enabled users to buy and sell illegal goods, including heroin and other illicit drugs, stolen and fraudulent identification documents and access devices, counterfeit currency, malware, and hacking tools. Versus operated from about November 2019 through about May 2022. During that time, Versus had over 380,000 registered users, offered over 32,000 product listings and facilitated over 300,000 completed orders, resulting in millions of dollars’ worth of transactions.

According to court documents, Patrick Schmitz, 37, of Taganga, Colombia, was a cofounder of Versus and handled the day-to-day management, such as responding to user tickets for assistance with issues on the platform, reviewing vendor applications, and resolving disputes between vendors and customers. Over time, Schmitz recruited and supervised staff who worked on Versus and reported to him. Schmitz also promoted Versus on the dark web, recruited vendors, and developed strategies to monetize Versus. Schmitz received a portion of the profits generated and his virtual currency wallets transacted in cryptocurrency worth millions of dollars.

“This extradition demonstrates the strength of the Justice Department’s international partnerships, and our ability to identify dark web criminals running platforms engaging in such widespread and varied illegal conduct,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Versus Project allowed thousands of criminals to endanger the American people with heroin, illegal drugs, and tools for fraud and hacking. Although Versus hid on the dark web, today’s announcement demonstrates that Versus was not beyond the reach of the Justice Department and its international partners. Illegal online criminal marketplaces, no matter where they are located, will be targeted and brought down.”

“The indictment makes clear that law enforcement will shine a bright light on criminal conduct on the dark web,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey. “We will investigate and prosecute those who seek to use the anonymity of the dark web to profit from the sale of illegal goods. No matter how many monikers a user hides behind or where in the world they are, we will use all legal means to find them and bring them to justice.”

“HSI Newark’s unwavering efforts led to the identification, arrest, and extradition of a key international cybercriminal, significantly disrupting a major illicit online marketplace,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark Field Office. “This action underscores the dedication of HSI and our partners to combating cyber-enabled crime and ensuring individuals who exploit the internet for illegal activities are held accountable.”

Versus was modeled after an e-commerce website. Users could choose a username and password to create a free account to access Versus. Users could then search for products by keyword or scroll through listings by category. The categories of products on Versus included “drugs,” “fraud,” “digital items,” “services,” and “software & malware.”

Versus required its users to transact in digital currencies, including Bitcoin and Monero, and did not allow for transactions in fiat currencies. Versus and its users were therefore able to bypass traditional financial systems, which collect information about their customers and maintain anti-money laundering and fraud programs. Versus generated revenue through multiple methods, including by keeping a percentage of each completed transaction as a commission and vendors were required to pay penalties if they were found to have violated Versus’ rules.

In June 2024, Schmitz was arrested in Colombia pursuant to a U.S. provisional arrest request. On April 29, Schmitz was extradited to the United States and earlier today had an initial appearance, was arraigned, and was ordered detained pending trial.

Schmitz is charged with one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison; one count of narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison; one count of conspiracy to import controlled substances, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; one count of distribution of controlled substances by means of the internet, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; one count of use of a communications facility, which carries a maximum penalty of 4 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to unlawfully transfer an identification document, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison; and one count of money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison.

The investigation was led by HSI Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy. Valuable support was provided by the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeff Berkebile, and the IRS- Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan. The Justice Department’s Office of the Judicial Attache in Bogota, Colombia, and the Policía Nacional de Colombia provided valuable assistance concerning Schmitz’s provisional arrest and extradition. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the United States Marshals Service also provided valuable assistance in securing Schmitz’s arrest and extradition.

Trial Attorneys Jorge Gonzalez and Stefanie Schwartz of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the Cybercrime Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting this case.

This investigation 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).

This is also the latest in the Justice Department’s ongoing JCODE efforts (Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement) to address the growing number of illicit vendors operating on the darknet providing large quantities of harmful substances to thousands of people across the United States. The Justice Department established the FBI-led JCODE team to lead and coordinate government efforts to detect, disrupt and dismantle major criminal enterprises reliant on the darknet for trafficking opioids and other illicit narcotics, along with identifying and dismantling their supply chains.

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

NEWARK, N.J. – A German national living in Colombia was extradited to the United States on charges that he owned and operated “The Versus Project,” an online dark web marketplace that enabled its over 380,000 registered users to buy and sell illegal goods, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

A federal grand jury in the District of New Jersey previously returned an eight-count indictment, unsealed yesterday, charging Patrick Schmitz, 37, of Taganga, Colombia, in connection with his operation of the marketplace.  In June 2024, Schmitz was arrested in Colombia pursuant to a U.S. provisional arrest request.  On April 29, 2026, Schmitz was extradited to the United States and earlier today had an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais where Schmitz was detained pending trial.

The Versus Project, also known as Versus, was a leading dark web marketplace that enabled users to buy and sell illegal goods, including heroin and other illicit drugs, stolen and fraudulent identification documents and access devices, counterfeit currency, malware, and hacking tools. Versus operated from about November 2019 through about May 2022. During that time, Versus had over 380,000 registered users, offered over 32,000 product listings and facilitated over 300,000 completed orders, resulting in millions of dollars’ worth of transactions.

According to court documents, Patrick Schmitz, 37, of Taganga, Colombia, was a cofounder of Versus and handled the day-to-day management, such as responding to user tickets for assistance with issues on the platform, reviewing vendor applications, and resolving disputes between vendors and customers. Over time, Schmitz recruited and supervised staff who worked on Versus and reported to him. Schmitz also promoted Versus on the dark web, recruited vendors, and developed strategies to monetize Versus. Schmitz received a portion of the profits generated and his virtual currency wallets transacted in cryptocurrency worth millions of dollars.

“The indictment leading to this extradition makes clear that law enforcement will shine a bright light on criminal conduct on the dark web. We will investigate and prosecute those who seek to use the anonymity of the dark web to profit from the sale of illegal goods.  No matter how many monikers a user hides behind or where in the world they are, we will use all legal means to find them and bring them to justice.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“This extradition demonstrates the strength of the Justice Department’s international partnerships, and our ability to identify dark web criminals running platforms engaging in such widespread and varied illegal conduct,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Versus Project allowed thousands of criminals to endanger the American people with heroin, illegal drugs, and tools for fraud and hacking. Although Versus hid on the dark web, today’s announcement demonstrates that Versus was not beyond the reach of the Justice Department and its international partners. Illegal online criminal marketplaces, no matter where they are located, will be targeted and brought down.”

“HSI Newark’s unwavering efforts led to the identification, arrest, and extradition of a key international cybercriminal, significantly disrupting a major illicit online marketplace,” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy. “This action underscores the dedication of HSI and our partners to combating cyber-enabled crime and ensuring individuals who exploit the internet for illegal activities are held accountable.”

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Versus was modeled after an e-commerce website. Users could choose a username and password to create a free account to access Versus. Users could then search for products by keyword or scroll through listings by category. The categories of products on Versus included “drugs,” “fraud,” “digital items,” “services,” and “software & malware.”

Versus required its users to transact in digital currencies, including Bitcoin and Monero, and did not allow for transactions in fiat currencies. Versus and its users were therefore able to bypass traditional financial systems, which collect information about their customers and maintain anti-money laundering and fraud programs. Versus generated revenue through multiple methods, including by keeping a percentage of each completed transaction as a commission and vendors were required to pay penalties if they were found to have violated Versus’ rules.

In June 2024, Schmitz was arrested in Colombia pursuant to a U.S. provisional arrest request. On April 29, Schmitz was extradited to the United States and earlier today had an initial appearance where he was detained pending trial.

Schmitz is charged with one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison; one count of narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison; one count of conspiracy to import controlled substances, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; one count of distribution of controlled substances by means of the internet, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; one count of use of a communications facility, which carries a maximum penalty of 4 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to unlawfully transfer an identification document, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison; and one count of money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, with leading the investigation.  He also thanked the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Kansas City Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeff Berkebile. The Justice Department’s Judicial Attache in Bogota, Colombia, and the Policía Nacional de Colombia provided valuable assistance concerning Schmitz’s provisional arrest and extradition. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the United States Marshals Service also provided valuable assistance in securing Schmitz’s arrest and extradition.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the Cybercrime Unit in the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorneys Jorge Gonzalez and Stefanie Schwartz of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section in Washington, D.C.

This investigation 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).

This investigation is also the latest in the Justice Department’s ongoing JCODE efforts (Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement) to address the growing number of illicit vendors operating on the darknet providing large quantities of harmful substances to thousands of people across the United States.  The Justice Department established the FBI-led JCODE team to lead and coordinate government efforts to detect, disrupt, and dismantle major criminal enterprises reliant on the darknet for trafficking opioids and other illicit narcotics, along with identifying and dismantling their supply chains.

The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel: Alexis Schacht, Esq., New York; Donald Yanella, Esq., Ridgewood, NJ.

NEWARK, NJ — Opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma LP (Purdue) was sentenced today in federal court in Newark, New Jersey, and ordered to pay criminal penalties of over $5 billion for its role in fueling the opioid epidemic.

“Purdue made billions by unlawfully marketing dangerous opioid products, and deceiving the DEA and the American people. Purdue profited by paying illegal kickbacks to induce providers, including those who diverted opioids to drug abusers, to prescribe even more opioids. Today’s multi-billion-dollar sentence holds Purdue accountable for its criminal conduct.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“Purdue Pharma put profits over patient health and safety,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The company willfully rejected the law and ignored the diversion of their highly addictive prescription drugs. Their actions contributed to the opioid crisis that claimed countless lives and destroyed entire families and communities. Today's sentence is a prime example of the Department’s effort to redress past wrongs by rooting out and punishing unlawful conduct by companies that have contributed to the national crisis.”  

“The opioid epidemic in the United States is a plague that has ruined lives and destroyed families,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Purdue Pharma complicitly contributed to this national epidemic in the name of their own greed by blatantly ignoring the health and safety of patients putting countless lives at risk. The FBI and our DOJ partners will always work tirelessly to ensure that companies, like Pharma, pay for the harm they have inflicted and warn others that they will not get away with violating the law for personal gain.”

“Purdue Pharma undermined the government’s efforts to ensure compliance and prevent prescription drug diversion,” said Administrator Terrance Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Their actions fueled a surge in addiction and cost many Americans lives. The prescription opioid epidemic directly paved the way for today’s fentanyl crisis. DEA remains committed to working with registrants, communities, faith-based organizations, and schools to address the damage and end the opioid epidemic that has gripped our nation for far too long.”

“Purdue Pharma put profit ahead of American lives and, in doing so, helped engineer a public health catastrophe that has left a trail of suffering for families and communities across this nation,” said Inspector General T. March Bell of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “No penalty can undo the widespread devastation Purdue has inflicted, but today’s sentence serves long‑overdue accountability for its reckless and unlawful conduct. HHS‑OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue to investigate large corporations and conglomerates when they violate the Anti‑Kickback Statute and other federal laws designed to protect patients and the integrity of federally funded health care programs.”

“This generational case against Purdue Pharmaceuticals is one of the most important corporate enforcement cases ever brought by the Department of Justice,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The opioid epidemic was and continues to be a national tragedy that has destroyed far too many lives, families, and communities. Purdue callously focused on profits when it knew that providers were prescribing these addictive opioids to patients without a legitimate medical purpose. While good progress has been made in combating the national opioid crisis, today’s sentencing is a reminder that there is much additional work to be done. Companies like Purdue that place illicit profits over the obligation to be a good and honest corporate citizen will be investigated and prosecuted. Today’s sentencing reflects Purdue’s role in fueling the opioid crisis and concludes the Department’s efforts to hold Purdue accountable for diversion of its products. The Criminal Division remains steadfast in our mission to seek justice on behalf of the American people.”

According to court documents, from 2007 and 2017, Purdue illegally marketed its opioid products to hundreds of prescribers the company had good reason to believe were prescribing these addictive drugs without a legitimate medical purpose. Purdue defrauded the DEA by misrepresenting the effectiveness of its programs designed to prevent illegal diversion, and used prescriptions written by problematic prescribers to justify its fraudulent requests to the DEA to increase the amount of its products it was permitted to manufacture. In order to induce doctors to prescribe more of its addictive opioid products, Purdue also paid kickbacks to prescribers through its doctor speaker program and to an electronic health record platform.

The court ordered Purdue to pay a criminal fine of $3.544 billion, which will be assessed in connection with the bankruptcy proceedings, and an additional $2 billion in criminal forfeiture. The Department will credit up to $1.775 billion against the $2 billion forfeiture amount based on the value conferred to state, local, and tribal governments through Purdue’s bankruptcy if Purdue ceases to operate in its current form and emerges from bankruptcy as a public benefit company (PBC) or entity with a similar mission designed for the benefit of the American public. The proceeds of the PBC will be directed toward state and local opioid abatement programs. In addition, Purdue is required to host a public document repository containing documents relating to the criminal charges.

On Nov. 24, 2020, Purdue pleaded guilty to a three-count felony information charging it with one count of a dual-object conspiracy to defraud the United States and to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and two counts of conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute.

The FBI’s Washington, D.C. and Newark field offices investigated the case, with assistance from investigators from HHS-OIG and the DEA.

The government is represented in the District of New Jersey by Deputy U.S. Attorney R. David Walk, Jr. and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan M. Anger and Robert Toll. Trial Attorney Maryann McGuire of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia Cowles for the District of Vermont also prosecuted the case.

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