District of New Jersey

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 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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“Purdue made billions by unlawfully marketing dangerous opioid products, and deceiving the DEA and the American people,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey. “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.”

“By prioritizing profits over people, Purdue prolonged the suffering of patients, leaving them trapped in opioid addiction long after their initial pain subsided,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt for the District of Vermont. “While no resolution adequately could reflect the struggles of people across New England who lost their lives and their loved ones to addiction, today’s sentence takes a substantial step toward recognizing and redressing the harm Purdue caused.”

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 Washington D.C. Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from investigators from HHS-OIG and the DEA.

Trial Attorney Maryann McGuire of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Walk, Jordan Anger, and Robert Toll for the District of New Jersey and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia Cowles for the District of Vermont prosecuted the case.

Royal Sovereign International Inc., a New Jersey corporation that sold office and home appliances, was sentenced today to pay $395,786 in restitution to victims and a criminal fine of $8 million for failing to report to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) dangerously defective air conditioners allegedly linked to more than 40 fires and one death.

According to court documents, Royal Sovereign, which also did business as Royal Centurian Inc., imported and sold more than 33,000 defective air conditioners manufactured in China between 2008 and 2014. The air conditioners used a faulty drain motor that could short circuit, causing them to catch fire and burn uncontrollably. Royal Sovereign recalled the defective air conditioner models in 2021.

Royal Sovereign pleaded guilty in August 2025 to a criminal information charging the company under the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). In pleading guilty, the company admitted that it willfully failed to report information about the air conditioners immediately to the CPSC. According to the information, the company misled the CPSC in November 2010 by telling the agency that it was aware of only two fire incidents related to the air conditioners, and that it was no longer selling them. In reality, as alleged, the company knew of at least 16 fires and continued to sell the air conditioners. According to the CPSC recall notice, a woman died in August 2016 from smoke inhalation and her two children were injured after their Royal Sovereign air conditioner caught fire.

In addition to pleading guilty in the criminal case, Royal Sovereign previously agreed to a civil settlement with the United States that included a $16,025,000 civil penalty, the maximum authorized by the CPSA. The company has permanently ceased all operations involving the marketing, sale or distribution of consumer products.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Peter Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey, and Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission made the announcement.

Trial Attorney Ethan Carroll of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Renee McCune of CPSC’s Office of the General Counsel and Assistant U.S. Attorney Fatime Meka Cano for the District of New Jersey provided valuable assistance.

Actions involving violative products imported into the United States are coordinated through the Department of Justice Trade Fraud Task Force, a cross-agency law enforcement effort involving the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the Civil Division, the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide. The Task Force is designed to pursue enforcement actions against parties who seek to evade tariffs and other duties, as well as smugglers who seek to import prohibited goods into the American economy. The Criminal Division, in coordination with the Task Force, leverages all the department’s tools and authorities to fight fraud on the federal government and recover funds for the public fisc.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Paterson, New Jersey man was sentenced on April 20, 2026 to 76 months of imprisonment for his role in trafficking firearms and drugs, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Tony “Red” Crowe, 33, of Paterson, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel to an Information charging him with one count of dealing firearms without a license, two counts of being a felon in possession, and one count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.

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

Over the course of a several-month investigation into the illegal trafficking of firearms and narcotics in Paterson, New Jersey, an undercover law enforcement agent purchased multiple firearms, including an AR- and AK-style rifles, as well multiple kilograms of fentanyl from Crowe. He made thousands of dollars from this illegal activity.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Kiel sentenced Crowe to 3 years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka, and officers with the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Thomas Adamo, with the investigation leading to these charges.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case is also part of the Paterson Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which was formed in 2020 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Paterson’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Paterson. 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, the U.S. Marshals, the Paterson Department of Public Safety, the Paterson Police Department, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Parole, Bergen County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, and N.J. Department of Corrections.

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

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Defense counsel: Pasquale F. Giannetta, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – An Indian national was sentenced on April 21, 2026 to 41 months of imprisonment for his role as the leader of a conspiracy to defraud various telephone providers and insurance companies out of millions of dollars by using stolen or fake identities to submit fraudulent claims for replacement cellular devices and then reselling those devices outside the United States, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Dhananjay Singh, 35, an Indian national, previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to an Information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transfer of stolen property.

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

From June 2013 through June 2019, Singh was involved in a widespread scheme to defraud cellular telephone providers and insurance companies using the U.S. mail system, as well as other third-party mail carriers.  Singh and his co-conspirators used stolen and fake identities to submit false claims for lost, stolen or damaged cellular telephones, as well as other devices, in order to obtain replacement devices.  Singh and his co-conspirators maintained a network of mailboxes and storage units across the United States, including in New Jersey, where the replacement devices would be shipped and then held before being sold to third parties outside the United States. The scheme resulted in millions of dollars of losses to the cellular telephone providers and insurance companies.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Arleo sentenced Singh to 3 years of supervised release and ordered restitution of over $10 million dollars.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Roddy in Newark and Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. in New York, postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy; officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, New York Field Office, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Frank Russo; and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, New York Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Wood with the investigation leading to the charges.

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

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Defense counsel: Jeffrey Lichtman, Esq. and Jeffrey Einhorn, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester County man was sentenced for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Ian Dudley, 39, of Williamstown, New Jersey, was previously convicted by a jury of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and with six counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and/or fentanyl; before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court.  On April 16, 2026, Judge O’Hearn sentenced Dudley to serve 360 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

According to the evidence presented at trial:

From June 2023 through October 2023, Dudley conspired with Joseph Watson and others to distribute crystal methamphetamine and fentanyl in Camden County and Gloucester County.  During the conspiracy, Dudley sold approximately 17.5 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and approximately one ounce of fentanyl to an undercover federal agent.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Beau Kolodka, with the investigation.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph McFarlane and Josephine Park in Camden.

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NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury returned an Indictment on April 20, 2026, charging a New Jersey man with illegally obtaining United States citizenship and for fraudulently obtaining a United States passport, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Miguel Dario Bautista Jimenez, 41, of New Jersey was charged in a two-count Indictment with unlawful procurement of naturalization, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1425(b) and 2, and passport fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1542 and 2.

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

Miguel Dario Bautista Jimenez, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was removed from the United States in or around 2013, following a conviction in New York for criminal sale of a controlled substance in the second degree. At some point after his 2013 removal, Bautista re-entered the United States using a false identity after his fingerprints had been partially mutilated. Bautista then used this false identity to fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship documents through naturalization, including a U.S. passport.

The charges of unlawful procurement of naturalization and passport fraud each carry a maximum penalty of ten years’ imprisonment. Each offense carries a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss or gain from the offense, whichever is greatest.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations, New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Amy Connelly, and the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service, New York Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Wood, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor Chenoweth of the Cybercrime Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Priscilla Gabela of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.

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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NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County business owner admitted evading over $230,000 in income taxes and payroll taxes, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Kfir Baroan, 50, of Fair Lawn, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on April 23, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz to an information charging him with tax evasion and willful failure to pay over payroll taxes associated with his business.

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

Baroan operated an auto body shop in Bergen County, New Jersey, through which he earned significant income and had employees.  From 2018 to 2021, Baroan failed to file income tax returns and failed to pay any taxes on his income.  Baroan cashed over $1.5 million in business receipt checks at check-cashing facilities and used bank accounts associated with other businesses to deposit cash and to withdraw funds for personal and business expenses. Baroan also paid his employees in cash, failed to report the employees’ wages to the IRS, and failed to withhold, truthfully account for, and pay over a variety of taxes from employee wages.  In total, Baroan evaded over $233,000 in taxes between 2018 and 2021.

The charge of income tax evasion carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater.  The charge of willful failure to pay over payroll taxes also carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for September 2, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the IRS – Criminal Investigation under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jennifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano, Co-Chief of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Michael Weinstein, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – Twenty-nine members and associates of a Jersey City-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) were arrested this week with fentanyl and cocaine trafficking and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

This week’s charges are the result of a long-term wiretap investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office (HCPO); Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI); U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); the New Jersey State Police; and the Jersey City Police Department. The charges—against 31 individuals—include conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl and cocaine; possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.  (See chart below).

Twenty-nine defendants have been arrested in this operation so far. Twenty-six of the arrested defendants had their initial court appearances yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judges Jessica S. Allen and Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court.  Three additional defendants had their initial court appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen.

“These defendants operated a large-scale drug trafficking enterprise that distributed massive quantities of dangerous drugs, like fentanyl and cocaine.  That ended this week.  Through the incredible, collaborative work of our federal, state, and local partners, we arrested 29 of these purveyors of poison, seized kilogram quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, and took numerous firearms off the street. We will continue to work tirelessly to accomplish our mission – protect the people of New Jersey, drive down violent crime, and shut the flow of dangerous drugs into this District.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“Homeland Security Investigations Newark remains steadfast in its commitment to protect New Jersey communities from the threat of criminal organizations trafficking deadly drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl,” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy. “Through the Homeland Security Task Force framework, and in close partnership with our federal, state, and local counterparts, we are sharing intelligence and resources, identifying regional distributors and suppliers, and dismantling violent gangs linked to transnational criminal networks. Today’s operation marks a decisive step forward in our ongoing efforts to stem the flow of illicit opioids, secure our borders, and confront the fentanyl crisis that endangers lives across our state. New Jersey is safer as a result of these actions, and HSI Newark will continue to pursue those who threaten our communities with relentless determination.”

“These arrests send a clear message that ATF, alongside our federal, state and local law enforcement partners will not tolerate the dangerous combination of drug trafficking and firearms. This case exemplifies our dedication to dismantling criminal enterprises that threaten the safety of our communities and the lives of our citizens,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka.

“U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Office is proud to have contributed to this operation alongside our federal, state, and local partners,” said New York Director of Field Operations Frank Russo. “More than 70 CBP officers, including SRT warrant entry teams, brought critical expertise to this effort, while CBP’s Air and Marine Operations provided essential aerial support. The arrest of dozens of suspected gang members and associates, along with the seizure of firearms, narcotics, and illicit proceeds reflects the professionalism and dedication of the task force teams. We remain committed to protecting our communities and disrupting violent criminal organizations.”

“This outcome is the direct result of law enforcement at all levels, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, HSI, and ATF, working together to make neighborhoods safer. I commend the members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics and Gang Task Force for their professionalism throughout this investigation, and thank all of our law enforcement partners who made this operation a success,” said Prosecutor Wayne Mello of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.  

“This takedown sends a clear and unmistakable message: drug trafficking will not be tolerated in our communities. This operation is the result of seamless coordination among federal, state, county, and local law enforcement—standing united against those who profit from poisoning our streets,” said Jeanne Hengemuhle, Acting Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “These dangerous drugs destroy lives, fuel violence, and erode the safety of our neighborhoods. This operation strikes at the heart of that threat, but our work is far from over. We will relentlessly pursue, dismantle, and hold accountable those who endanger our communities, with unwavering resolve and an unyielding commitment to public safety.”

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

The defendants are members and associates of a Jersey City-based drug trafficking organization that operated and distributed narcotics in the areas of Mrytle Avenue and Mallory Avenue in Jersey City and elsewhere. During the investigation, law enforcement obtained multiple court orders authorizing the interception of wire and electronic communications occurring over multiple cell phones used for the drug trafficking organization’s activities.  Law enforcement also used other investigative techniques including controlled drug purchases using confidential sources, mobile and fixed surveillance, and phone record analysis.

The investigation revealed that the DTO distributes large quantities of suspected fentanyl and cocaine.  During the investigation, law enforcement conducted more than a dozen controlled drug buys, including substances that tested positive for fentanyl, from various members of the organization.  On April 22, 2026, law enforcement executed dozens of search warrants for premises, vehicles, and other locations and seized more than approximately 15 kilograms of suspected fentanyl, three kilograms of suspected cocaine, a kilogram press, nineteen firearms, high-capacity magazines, a bulletproof vest, and more than $160,000 in cash.  Two additional firearms were seized earlier in the investigation.

The count charging conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute carries a maximum potential penalty of 40 years’ imprisonment, a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment, and a maximum fine of $5 million. The counts charging possession with intent to distribute each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. The counts charging possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon carry a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents and task force officers with HSI, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy; special agents with ATF, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka; the HCPO, under the direction of Prosecutor Wayne Mello; special agents of the IRS-CI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; the Jersey City Police Department, led by Chief of Police Robert J. Kearns; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Jeanne Hengemuhle; and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Port Director TenaVel Thomas, with the investigation leading to the charges in this case.

This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City.  As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community.  The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), which 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.

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

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Maloy with the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark, with invaluable assistance from Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Assistant Prosecutor Erica Bertuzzi.

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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                                                                          DEFENDANTS

NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County man was charged on Monday with trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine base (“crack”) and firearms offenses in one of the largest known drug seizures in New Jersey history, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

“Narcotics, especially fentanyl, and illegal firearms are a deadly combination that poisons our communities and fuels violence. These charges send a clear message to those who seek to profit by flooding our communities with dangerous drugs: our Office will find you, no matter where you hide or how sophisticated you believe your operation to be. This investigation reflects our commitment to shutting down drug trafficking operations and keeping the people of New Jersey safe from the violence and destruction they cause.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

Nankel Stuardo Solorzano, 46, Clifton, New Jersey was charged in a four-count superseding complaint with possessing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine base with intent to distribute it, possessing firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes, and unlawfully possessing firearms as a previously convicted felon.

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

Solorzano trafficked large quantities of narcotics out of a residential apartment complex in Clifton, New Jersey. Following an investigation, on April 17, 2026, Solorzano was arrested while attempting to access his stash following two drug deals. After his arrest, and pursuant to court-authorized search warrants, law enforcement conducted a search of Solorzano’s garages and vehicle and discovered millions of dollars’ worth of drugs. Law enforcement seized over 40 kilograms of fentanyl, approximately 52 kilograms of methamphetamine, and more than 2 kilograms of cocaine base. They also recovered four firearms, including a stolen handgun, an AK-47-style rifle equipped with a large capacity magazine, and a 12-gauge shotgun, as well as a variety of ammunition and magazines. Following the charges in the superseding complaint, a court-authorized search warrant revealed an additional significant stash of narcotics in Solorzano’s apartment.  Evidence from the investigation is depicted below.

The two counts charging Solorzano with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances each carry a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, and a maximum fine of $10 million. The count charging Solorzano with possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment, and a maximum fine of $250,000. The count charging Solorzano with possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon carries a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited with the investigation special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Task Force Division Group T-24 under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher Roberts in New York; DEA Charlotte Enforcement Group 2, the New York Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Clifton Police Department.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Ferrara of the General Crimes Unit in conjunction with the Narcotics and International Trafficking Unit in Newark.

The charges 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: Eric W. Feinberg, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County man was sentenced to 211 months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing three firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, United States Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Chief United States District Judge Renée M. Bumb imposed the sentence in Camden federal court today.

“Drug trafficking fueled by firearms poisons our communities, and in this case nearly resulted in the death of a one-year-old child. The District of New Jersey will aggressively pursue traffickers who flood our neighborhoods with drugs, arm themselves to protect their profits, and put our most vulnerable lives at risk. We will hold them accountable under federal law.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

Daniel Garcia Jr., 29, of Maple Shade, previously pled guilty on November 20, 2025, before Chief Judge Renée M. Bumb to a two-count information charging possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A), and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).

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

On June 23, 2024, Garcia and another individual rushed the minor victim to the hospital because the minor was not breathing, having seizures, drooling, and unresponsive. The minor received life-saving care at the hospital and was later flown to a children’s hospital. As part of the medical treatment, the victim’s urine was screened for controlled substances. The tests returned positive results for benzodiazepine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Medical personnel at the children’s hospital informed law enforcement officers that the minor had been administered benzodiazepine and fentanyl during treatment, but that cocaine had not been administered. A doctor at the children’s hospital told law enforcement that the minor’s symptoms—including seizure, cardiac arrest, and cardiac arrythmia—were all symptoms of a cocaine overdose. The one-year-old victim’s heart stopped twice during the course of the medical care, but the minor thankfully was revived and survived.

While the victim was receiving life-saving treatment at the hospital, Garcia left the hospital and drove home. Surveillance video showed Garcia taking a laundry bag out of his home, putting it into the trunk of a different car than he had driven home, parking the second car across the parking lot in a location far from Garcia’s residence, and then driving the first car back to the hospital.

The next day, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Garcia’s home and found approximately $4,252 in cash, rubber bands consistent with those typically used in illegal drug packaging, an empty fold of paper consistent with illegal drug packaging, and an envelope containing both 9mm and .357 magnum ammunition.  The day after that, June 25, 2024, law enforcement searched the car Garcia had parked across the parking lot, finding the laundry bag, $150,000 cash, approximately 329.1g of 100% pure methamphetamine, 767g of cocaine, 41 amphetamine tablets, 102 alprazolam tablets, 272 oxycodone tablets, 2.6g of MDMA powder, 1,341g of marijuana, 9.9g of psilocin and psilocybin mushrooms, 192g of crystalline cutting agents commonly used for illegal drug preparation, three digital scales, drug packaging material, two 9mm handguns, and a .357 magnum revolver. All three firearms were loaded.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, Chief Judge Bumb sentenced Garcia to two concurrent terms of five years of supervised release, to begin after the term of incarceration. Garcia also agreed to forfeit three firearms, more than 200 rounds of ammunition, and more than $155,000 that law enforcement seized in June 2024.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, with the investigation. U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanked the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw, and the Maple Shade Police Department, under the direction of Chief Christopher Fletcher, for their assistance in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa T. Wiygul of the Criminal Division in Camden.

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Defense counsel: Robin Kay Lord, Esq., Trenton, NJ.

NEWARK, N.J. – On April 1, 2026 Adam Brosius, 61, of Delray Beach, Florida, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for his role in a $33 million health care fraud and kickback scheme, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

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

From 2014 through 2016, Brosius and others used Main Avenue Pharmacy, a mail-order pharmacy with a storefront in Clifton, New Jersey, to run an illegal kickback scheme involving medically unnecessary compounded drugs including scar creams, pain creams, migraine mediation, and vitamins. Brosius worked as Main Avenue’s director of business development, and later as its president.

As part of the scheme, Main Avenue identified compounded drugs that would yield exorbitant reimbursements from health insurers, including both federal and commercial payers. Once Main Avenue identified lucrative formulas, it would create large prescription pads with those formulas on it and distribute the pads to marketers across the country. The marketing companies would in turn distribute the prescription pad to telemedicine companies and doctors with whom they had a financial arrangement.

After filling prescriptions, Main Avenue submitted claims to health care benefit programs for reimbursement, including Medicare, Tricare, and commercial payers in New Jersey and elsewhere. After Main Avenue obtained reimbursement, it paid kickbacks to marketers who had generated the prescriptions. Main Avenue signed contracts with many of the marketers, which detailed the illicit kickback arrangement, which called for Main Avenue to pay each marketer money based on the volume of referrals of compounded prescriptions and the reimbursement amount that Main Avenue received. Main Avenue received approximately $33 million in reimbursements for compounded medications alone from health care benefit programs. Over $5.8 million of that amount was paid by TRICARE, a federal payer. 

In addition to the prison term, Judge Madeline Cox Arleo also ordered $33 million in restitution, $27 million in forfeiture, and a term of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited the following law enforcement organizations with the investigation leading to the sentencing: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; and U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Silvestro.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine M. Romano and Matthew Specht.

The Department of Justice has established the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. The attorneys in the National Fraud Enforcement Division will work every day to protect the financial integrity of our government and the tax system that supports it. 

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Defense counsel:

David A. Eskew, Esq., New York, New York.

Mark A. Berman, Esq., Hackensack, New Jersey.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Florida woman who orchestrated a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $465,489 in COVID-19 relief funding was sentenced to 18 months’ incarceration in Newark federal court on Friday, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Jane Batista, 44, of Lake Worth, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin on October 1, 2024 to a two-count Information that charged her with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

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

From April 2020 to August 2021, Batista submitted fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications for herself, her husband, and two businesses they owned and operated. In support of those applications, Batista lied about the number of employees the businesses employed, the income the employees earned, and the revenue Batista and her husband generated as sole proprietors. Batista also submitted forged documents, including fake tax return documents. After the victim lenders funded the loans, Batista used that money for personal expenses and made several large transfers, including one for approximately $15,000.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Padin ordered forfeiture in the amount of $465,489 and imposed a two-year term of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; 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 Department of Justice has established the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.  The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice.  The attorneys in the National Fraud Enforcement Division will work every day to protect the financial integrity of our government and the tax system that supports it.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron L. Webman, Deputy Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit, and Robert Taj Moore of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Murray Richman, Esq.

                                  Renée C. Hill, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Newberg, Oregon man was convicted of possessing and transporting child pornography after a multi-day trial, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Jayson Setera, 51, of Newberg, Oregon, was convicted by a federal jury of one count of possession of prepubescent child pornography and one count of transportation of child pornography following a multi-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jamel K. Semper in Newark federal court.  Sentencing is scheduled for August 17.

“The sexual exploitation of children is a grave crime that fuels ongoing abuse, and it will not be tolerated in this District. This defendant possessed and transported material that victimized some of the most vulnerable among us, and this conviction reflects our unwavering commitment to find, prosecute, and hold accountable those who traffic in child sexual abuse material and to protect victims of these heinous crimes.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

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

On January 22, 2024, Setera returned from an international trip aboard a flight that landed at Newark Liberty International Airport.  Law enforcement searched Setera’s cellular phone and found approximately 170 photographs and 8 videos depicting child sexual abuse material, including material involving pre-pubescent minors. Law enforcement also found messages from Setera soliciting child pornography and referring to the sexual abuse of young children.  In addition, law enforcement found payments from Setera to the individuals sending him child pornography.

The charge of transportation of child pornography carries a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The charge of possession of prepubescent child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. Each count also carries a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy and officers from Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”), under the direction of New York Director of Field Operation Frank Russo, with the investigation leading to the conviction.

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 U.S. Attorneys Robert L. Toll and Matthew Specht of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark. 

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Defense counsel: Tyler Newman, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A former New Jersey pharmacy owner was sentenced to 24 months in prison for his role in a health care fraud scheme to defraud Medicare, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Nestor E. Jaime, 37, of Pine Brook, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty on November 19, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to an Indictment charging Jaime with health care fraud. Judge Hayden imposed the sentence on April 15, 2026.

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

From December 2019 to December 2021, Jaime, through a pharmacy he owned located in Paterson, New Jersey, submitted hundreds of false claims to Medicare for a high reimbursement (i.e., more than $4,000 per prescription) medication called Dificid, which the pharmacy never actually purchased or dispensed. Jaime submitted false claims on behalf of dozens of Medicare beneficiaries who never were prescribed any Dificid. To make it appear as though the Medicare beneficiaries’ health care providers had prescribed the medication, Jaime falsely included the providers’ unique provider numbers on the fraudulent claims. As a result of the scheme, Medicare paid Jaime reimbursements for false claims for Dificid totaling at least approximately $2.5 million, which Jaime spent on luxury vehicles and other personal expenditures.

In addition to a prison term, Judge Hayden sentenced Jaime to two years of supervised release and ordered Jaime to pay $2,505,754 in restitution.

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

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Health and Human Services Agency Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kruti D. Dharia of the Health Care Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.

The Department of Justice has established the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. The attorneys in the National Fraud Enforcement Division will work every day to protect the financial integrity of our government and the tax system that supports it. 

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Defense counsel: Anthony Iacullo, Esq.

TRENTON, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, woman was sentenced to 20 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”), Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), and pandemic unemployment insurance benefits, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Damaris Valerio, a/k/a Damaris Tineo Abreu, 42, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch to an information charging her with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Judge Kirsch, on April 14, imposed the sentence in Trenton federal court.

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

From April 2020 through December 2021, Valerio fraudulently obtained $194,212 in COVID-19 emergency relief funds, which included loans and cash advances meant for distressed small businesses under the EIDL program and PPP, and pandemic unemployment insurance benefits meant for unemployed workers, by submitting false and fraudulent applications inflating her business’s revenues, payroll expenses, and number of employees. After receiving the fraudulent funds, she diverted proceeds from the relief programs for her personal gain.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Kirsch sentenced Valerio to 3 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $194,212 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy in Newark; Special Agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito, and special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General’s Boston-New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin D. Bleiberg and Fatime Meka Cano of the Economic Crimes Unit 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.

The Department of Justice has established the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. The attorneys in the National Fraud Enforcement Division will work every day to protect the financial integrity of our government and the tax system that supports it. 

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: John Russo, Esq, of New York.

TRENTON, N.J. –  A Mercer County man was sentenced yesterday to 260 months’ imprisonment for possessing quantities of fentanyl and cocaine with intent to distribute it, for possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking, and for his unlawful possession of firearms as a previously convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

“Fentanyl, cocaine, and illegal firearms are a deadly combination that poisons our communities and fuels violence. This defendant trafficked in dangerous drugs, and law enforcement recovered guns from his home during the investigation—yesterday’s sentence reflects our commitment to dismantle drug trafficking operations and protect the people of New Jersey from the violence and harm they cause.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“The FBI and our partners take the responsibility of keeping guns, drugs and violent criminals off of the streets very seriously. The Trenton Safe Streets Task Force identified, investigated and presented evidence for Mr. Wilson and his associates. This sentence of over 20 years shows others who wish to perpetuate illegal operations in Trenton and New Jersey, that justice will prevail,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.

Jamal Wilson, a/k/a “Vill,” 49, of Trenton, N.J., previously pleaded guilty before the Honorable Georgette Castner, United States District Judge in Trenton federal court, to a five-count Superseding Information, charging Wilson with possession of fentanyl and cocaine with intent to distribute it, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of two firearms as a previously convicted felon.

In August 2022, Wilson, and 12 other individuals (Theodore Meekins, Louis Williams, Clinton Rodriguez, Kai Bowman Jr., Glenn Moore, Rashied McKines, Michael Williams, Derrick Jiles, Dion Morris, Jerry Farmer, James Edwards, and Alterrick Livingston) were charged by criminal complaint with drug trafficking and/or firearms offenses.

According to documents filed in this case:

Beginning in or around July 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement agencies conducted a two-year investigation of individuals engaged in unlawful drug-trafficking and firearms activities in and around the area of Garfield, Cleveland, and Logan Avenues (referred to as the “GCL” area”), a Trenton neighborhood known for high levels of narcotics activity and gun violence. During the investigation, law enforcement obtained court authorization to intercept Wilson’s telephonic and electronic communications. These intercepted communications and subsequent investigation revealed that Wilson was a significant drug trafficker of fentanyl and cocaine in the GCL and greater Trenton area, including and specifically in the area of the Grand Court Villas apartment building (the “Grand Court Villas”); the intersection of East State Street and South Olden Avenue; and Garfield Avenue Playground. Those communications also revealed the scope of Wilson’s unlawful drug-trafficking activities, including Wilson’s downstream customers and co-defendants. As part of the investigation, law enforcement recovered from Wilson’s residence and his stash apartment approximately one kilogram of fentanyl, two kilograms of cocaine, four firearms (including two unserialized, privately-made firearms), high-capacity magazines, ammunition, gun parts, and two gun suppressors.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Castner sentenced Wilson to 5 years of supervised release.

Wilson’s conviction and sentence are the result of an investigation by the Greater Trenton Safe Streets Task Force. Led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Task Force is comprised of various federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and its mission is to combine the resources and intelligence of the participating agencies to enhance the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of individuals involved in gang-related activities, violent crime, and drug distribution in and around the greater Trenton area.

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, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, Trenton Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Director Steve Wilson; and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey, with the investigation leading to the conviction and sentencing.

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

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Defense counsel: David E. Schafer, Esq.

A New Jersey man pleaded guilty yesterday to criminal charges arising from a 13-year conspiracy to induce foreign nationals to come to the United States through fraudulently obtained visas as part of an unlawful work scheme, and for his failure to pay taxes on the income he obtained through the unlawful scheme.

According to court documents, Hyung Ki Kim, 60, of New Jersey, served as the Director of the International Leadership Training Program (ILTP), an organization that Kim promoted as a leadership training and character development program. Kim and his co-conspirators used ILTP as a vehicle to bring foreign nationals to the United States to illegally obtain their labor.

“The Criminal Division will investigate and prosecute those who, like the defendant, violate our immigration and tax laws while unlawfully exploiting the labor of young persons who came to the United States and worked tirelessly for meager wages because they mistakenly believed that the money they raised was going to charitable causes,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

“Schemes that exploit our immigration system and abuse vulnerable individuals strike at the core of the Administration’s enforcement priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey. “Our Office is committed to working with our federal partners to hold accountable those who manipulate visa programs, evade taxes, and exploit unlawful labor, and to protect the integrity of our immigration system and the people it is meant to serve.”

“Not only did Kim lie to the victims that he illegally employed to raise money about where their fundraising proceeds were going, he compounded his crimes by committing visa and tax fraud,” said Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Division. “The FBI and our federal partners are committed to identifying and disrupting anyone abusing the federal immigration system and other programs for personal gain.”

“This case demonstrates the importance of the strong interagency collaboration between the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and our law enforcement partners in protecting the integrity of our nation’s immigration system,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian K. Wood of the DSS New York Field Office. “We are committed to working with our federal partners to identify and dismantle schemes that exploit vulnerable individuals and undermine U.S. law.”

“Mr. Kim not only orchestrated a years-long scheme built on visa fraud and deception, he also diverted more than a million dollars in illicit proceeds to his own bank accounts,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Newark Field Office. “This case underscores IRS-CI’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to uncover financial crimes that exploit vulnerable individuals and undermine the integrity of our tax system.”

Kim and his co-conspirators recruited young members of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Unification Church), founded by Sun Myung Moon in South Korea in 1954, from different countries to join ILTP. Kim directed the effort to get B-1/B-2 visas for ILTP members through the submission of false and misleading statements throughout the visa application process. Once the visas were approved, Kim coordinated the members’ travel to the United States and purchased their airline tickets.

Members, who entered the country pursuant to nonimmigrant visas, could not lawfully work in the United States. However, Kim required members to travel throughout the country and “fundraise” for ILTP while living in a van with three or four other people. Kim and his co-conspirators set a daily fundraising goal for each member and required members to solicit donations for long hours each day. Members worked until they met their monetary goal during fundraising cycles that lasted several months. In return, members received only $100 per month to cover their expenses and about $25 per day to pay for meals.

Kim controlled all revenue from members’ fundraising work. While the members thought that the money they raised was to support charitable projects in their home countries, Kim actually diverted over a million dollars of the fundraising proceeds to his personal bank accounts and later failed to pay taxes to the Internal Revenue Service on this unreported income.

Kim pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to commit visa fraud, conspiracy to encourage and induce aliens to enter and reside in the United States and tax fraud. As part of the plea, Kim paid $735,000 in restitution to former ILTP Members and $223,536 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for his tax fraud scheme. In addition, Kim agreed to forfeit to the United States approximately $1,265,036 that he obtained through the visa fraud and alien harboring conspiracies, as well as an automobile he purchased with proceeds of his criminal conduct.

Kim is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 19. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Kim faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

The FBI, DSS, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and IRS-CI investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Olimpia E. Michel of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly M. Lyons for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.

NEWARK — A New Jersey man pleaded guilty yesterday to criminal charges arising from a 13-year conspiracy to induce foreign nationals to come to the United States through fraudulently obtained visas as part of an unlawful work scheme, and for his failure to pay taxes on the income he obtained through the unlawful scheme.

According to court documents, Hyung Ki Kim, 60, of New Jersey, served as the Director of the International Leadership Training Program (ILTP), an organization that Kim promoted as a leadership training and character development program. Kim and his co-conspirators used ILTP as a vehicle to bring foreign nationals to the United States to illegally obtain their labor.

“Schemes that exploit our immigration system and abuse vulnerable individuals strike at the core of the Administration’s enforcement priorities. Our Office is committed to working with our federal partners to hold accountable those who manipulate visa programs, evade taxes, and exploit unlawful labor, and to protect the integrity of our immigration system and the people it is meant to serve.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“The Criminal Division will investigate and prosecute those who, like the defendant, violate our immigration and tax laws while unlawfully exploiting the labor of young persons who came to the United States and worked tirelessly for meager wages because they mistakenly believed that the money they raised was going to charitable causes,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

“Not only did Kim lie to the victims that he illegally employed to raise money about where their fundraising proceeds were going, he compounded his crimes by committing visa and tax fraud,” said Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Division. “The FBI and our federal partners are committed to identifying and disrupting anyone abusing the federal immigration system and other programs for personal gain.”

“This case demonstrates the importance of the strong interagency collaboration between the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and our law enforcement partners in protecting the integrity of our nation’s immigration system,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian K. Wood of the DSS New York Field Office. “We are committed to working with our federal partners to identify and dismantle schemes that exploit vulnerable individuals and undermine U.S. law.”

“Mr. Kim not only orchestrated a years-long scheme built on visa fraud and deception, he also diverted more than a million dollars in illicit proceeds to his own bank accounts,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Newark Field Office. “This case underscores IRS-CI’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to uncover financial crimes that exploit vulnerable individuals and undermine the integrity of our tax system.”

Kim and his co-conspirators recruited young members of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Unification Church), founded by Sun Myung Moon in South Korea in 1954, from different countries to join ILTP. Kim directed the effort to get B-1/B-2 visas for ILTP members through the submission of false and misleading statements throughout the visa application process. Once the visas were approved, Kim coordinated the members’ travel to the United States and purchased their airline tickets.

Members, who entered the country pursuant to nonimmigrant visas, could not lawfully work in the United States. However, Kim required members to travel throughout the country and “fundraise” for ILTP while living in a van with three or four other people. Kim and his co-conspirators set a daily fundraising goal for each member and required members to solicit donations for long hours each day. Members worked until they met their monetary goal during fundraising cycles that lasted several months. In return, members received only $100 per month to cover their expenses and about $25 per day to pay for meals.

Kim controlled all revenue from members’ fundraising work. While the members thought that the money they raised was to support charitable projects in their home countries, Kim actually diverted over a million dollars of the fundraising proceeds to his personal bank accounts and later failed to pay taxes to the Internal Revenue Service on this unreported income.

Kim pled guilty to a conspiracy to commit visa fraud, conspiracy to encourage and induce aliens to enter and reside in the United States and tax fraud. As part of the plea, Kim paid $735,000 in restitution to former ILTP Members and $223,536 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for his tax fraud scheme. In addition, Kim agreed to forfeit to the United States approximately $1,265,036 that he obtained through the visa fraud and alien harboring conspiracies, as well as an automobile he purchased with proceeds of his criminal conduct.

Kim is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 19. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Kim faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

The FBI, DSS, and IRS-CI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly M. Lyons for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Olimpia E. Michel of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) are prosecuting the case.

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NEWARK, N.J. – A German man who orchestrated a massive mail fraud scheme by mass mailing false and fraudulent psychic solicitations was sentenced to 70 months’ incarceration in Newark federal court, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

Georg Ingenbleek, 59, a citizen of Germany, was indicted in 2020 and has been a long-time fugitive. He was apprehended in Bolzano, Italy in 2024 and extradited to the United States in May 2025 to face the indictment, which charged him with two counts of mail fraud. Ingenbleek previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to the two counts of mail fraud.

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

From at least 2011 through 2016, Ingenbleek created numerous direct mail solicitations supposedly from world-renowned psychics, falsely and fraudulently offering recipients individual psychic services and objects that would result in great fortune. Many of the letters falsely promised that the psychic services being offered were free of charge. Ingenbleek then directed co-conspirators to send fraudulent billing notices to the same victims that stated that the victims owed money for psychic services and that failure to pay would be “prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” The fraudulent billing notices falsely represented that the victims owed fees and threatened to take legal action if the victim did not send a check, usually for $20 to $50. Through his fraudulent psychic mailing campaign, Ingenbleek obtained more than $13 million dollars from victims.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi ordered forfeiture in the amount of $13,618,921.19 and imposed a three-year term of supervised release.

U.S Attorney Frazer credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen; special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; and special agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, with the investigation leading to the charges, and HSI Rome and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for providing significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Italy.

The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Olta Bejleri of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Daniel Rashbaum, Esq., Miami, Florida.

NEWARK – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced today that it collected $1,507,147,950.92 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2025—the most of any U.S. Attorney’s Office in the country. Of this amount, $1,449,394,479.05 was collected in criminal actions and $57,753,471.87 was collected in civil actions.

The District of New Jersey also worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $154,991,037.56 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $63,222.72 was collected in criminal actions and $154,927,814.84 was collected in civil actions.  In addition, the District of New Jersey, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $348,488,011 in asset forfeiture actions, the second most in the country.

“In fiscal year 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey outpaced the rest of the country, recovering more than $1.5 billion in criminal and civil actions.  The District also recovered more than $348 million in asset forfeiture actions, as well as tens of millions more through other proceedings. As our fiscal year 2025 results demonstrate, the District of New Jersey is dedicated to holding defendants accountable for their wrongdoing, seizing ill-gotten gains from offenders, recovering debts owed to the United States in bankruptcy, and recovering funds for crime victims."

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

Significant recoveries include more than $1.43 billion in fines and more than $328 million in criminal forfeiture from TD Bank, N.A. and TD Bank US Holding Company in connection with the companies’ guilty pleas stemming from their pervasive, systemic anti-money laundering failures. TD Bank was the largest bank in U.S. history to plead guilty to Bank Secrecy Act program failures and the first US bank in history to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The District of New Jersey also had significant recoveries in civil forfeiture actions, including a civil forfeiture complaint to forfeit the proceeds of fraudulently obtained Paycheck Protection Program loans. In that civil forfeiture action, the government forfeited nearly $7 million in funds, as well as a residential property with an estimated market value of over $2 million.

With respect to the District of New Jersey’s affirmative civil enforcement practice, two Pennsylvania companies and one South Carolina company affiliated with Rema Tip Top of America, Inc. entered into a $13 million settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that the companies violated the False Claims Act by taking a total of five Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to which the companies were not entitled.

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. Recoveries in bankruptcy are returned to the federal agencies that are creditors in the case.

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NEWARK N.J. – An Essex County man who robbed pharmacy employees at gun point was sentenced today to 149 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release before the Honorable William J. Martini, U.S.D.J., in Newark federal court, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Following a jury trial in October 2025 before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court, Nariq Petes, 27, of Newark, was convicted of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), Hobbs Act robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), and using and brandishing a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(ii).

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial:

On December 30, 2023, Petes and Xavier Reyes drove together and entered a pharmacy in Livingston, New Jersey wearing black masks and carrying guns. Once inside the pharmacy, Petes and Reyes brandished handguns and demanded prescription drugs. Petes and Reyes took at least 6 bottles of prescription medication.  Three days later, on January 2, 2024, law enforcement arrested Petes at his apartment in Newark, where he was found with stolen medication from the pharmacy. In May 2025, Reyes pled guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a) and Hobbs Act robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), and was later sentenced to 111 months’ imprisonment and a three-year term of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in  Charge Beau Kolodka, members of the Livingston Police Department, under the direction of Gary Marshuetz, and members of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, under the direction of Theodore N. Stephens II, with the investigation leading to these convictions.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael K. O’Leary of the Narcotics/International Trafficking Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Pasquale F. Giannetta Esq., Newark              

NEWARK N.J. – A New Jersey tax preparer who sought more than $170 million in fraudulent COVID-19-related tax refunds was sentenced today to 144 Months in prison and 5 years of supervised release before the Honorable William J. Martini, in Newark federal court, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.  Haynes was also ordered to pay more than $55 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

Following a six-day jury trial in November 2025 before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court, Leon Haynes, 52, of Teaneck, was convicted of 15 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns, one count of mail fraud, and two counts of tax evasion.  This is the largest COVID-19 tax relief fraud case to be tried to date in the country. 

“Pandemic relief programs were created to support Americans during a national crisis, but Haynes—a tax preparer entrusted to help people comply with the law—treated those programs as a personal cash machine. Our office will continue to pursue those who exploit emergency relief programs and hold them accountable for stealing from the American people.”

- U.S. Attorney Rob Frazer

According to documents in this case and evidence at trial:

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact, Congress authorized an employee retention tax credit and sick and family leave credit that small businesses could use to help keep their business afloat and employees on payroll.

From November 2020 to May 2023, Haynes orchestrated a massive, multimillion dollar scam to exploit those COVID-related tax credits for his own greed. As a tax preparer, Haynes prepared and submitted, and worked with others to prepare and submit, more than 1,900 false employment tax returns to the IRS claiming COVID-related tax credits on behalf of himself and his clients. Each of these tax forms contained a number of false statements.  For example, the vast majority of the tax forms claimed a fictitious number of employees and/or fabricated wages.

Haynes and his co-conspirators fraudulently sought more than $170 million in tax refunds on behalf of his own businesses and his clients and successfully caused the government to pay out over $55 million in refunds.

Throughout the scheme Haynes also charged clients a percentage of the refund checks as his fee and requested cash payments. He failed to report the money he received from his clients, thereby evading his own taxes. 

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited special agents the IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly, and postal inspectors from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fatime Meka Cano, Matthew Stark, and Peter A. Laserna 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.

The Department of Justice has established the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.  The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice.  The attorneys in the National Fraud Enforcement Division will work every day to protect the financial integrity of our government and the tax system that supports it. 

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 Haynes: Michael Koribanics, Esq., and Vando Cardoso, Esq. 

TRENTON, N.J. – An Old Bridge, New Jersey man was arrested and charged with child pornography offenses, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

Daniel Berwick, 38, was charged by criminal complaint with two counts of producing child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Berwick made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rukhsanah L. Singh in Trenton federal court today and was detained.

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

In August and September 2025, Berwick persuaded and enticed Minor Victim-1 and Minor Victim-2 to send him photos and video recordings on the social media platform Snapchat that depicted the minors engaged in sexual activity. As part of his scheme, Berwick catfished his victims by presenting himself as a 17-year-old high school student and appropriating the photos and video recordings of an adult content creator. Law enforcement became aware of Berwick after Minor Victim-1 reported him on Snapchat after he threatened to send compromising photos of her to her family and officials at her high school. After searching Berwick’s electronic devices, law enforcement uncovered, among other things at least 1,000 images of child pornography, including prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, sexual abuse or exploitation of an infant or toddler, and images portraying sadistic or masochistic conduct.

The production of child pornography charges each carries a mandatory minimum term of 15 years imprisonment and a maximum term of 30 years imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000.

The possession of child pornography charge carries a maximum term of 20 years imprisonment, which is increased from a maximum of 10 years because at least one image associated with the offense includes a prepubescent minor, and a fine of up to $250,000.

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, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Offense, under the direction of Prosecutor Linda Estremera, and the Old Bridge Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Thomas J. Montagna, for their assistance in 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 U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

The charges 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: Robert C. Scrivo, Esq., Mandelbaum Barrett PC

TRENTON, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man was indicted yesterday for various child exploitation offenses, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Gabriel Perez, 31, of Eastampton, New Jersey, was charged in a two-count Superseding Indictment with attempted enticement and coercion of a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b) (Count One), and attempted transfer of obscene materials to a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1470 (Count Two).

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

Beginning in mid-August 2024, Perez, who was then 29 years old and an officer in the United States Air Force, communicated over Reddit with an undercover law enforcement officer who purported to be a 14-year-old girl. Over the course of two weeks, Perez expressed his interest in meeting with the purported minor for sex. On August 28, 2024, Perez sent an obscene photograph of himself to the purported minor and arranged to meet her the next day to engage in unlawful sexual activity. On August 29, 2024, Perez drove to the pre‑arranged meeting location and was arrested by law enforcement with condoms in his pocket.

If convicted, Perez faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment on Count One of the Superseding Indictment and a maximum prison sentence of ten years’ imprisonment on Count Two of the Superseding Indictment. Each of the offenses carry a maximum fine of $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited law enforcement members with the Air Force Office of Special Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Bates, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and the Eastampton Police Department for their assistance with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Belgiovine and Richard Shephard 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 Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel: Ray Mateo, Esq. and Emily Arezzi, Esq.

TRENTON, N.J. – A Missouri man has pleaded guilty to crimes related to his hacking of computer networks and extortion of employees, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Daniel Rhyne, 59, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty on April 1, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with extortion in relation to a threat to cause damage to a protected computer and intentional damage to a protected computer.

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

Rhyne, then a New Jersey resident, worked as a core infrastructure engineer at a U.S.-based industrial company headquartered in New Jersey (“Victim-1”). In or around November 2023, Rhyne took steps to execute a scheme to hack Victim-1’s computer network and extort Victim-1 into paying a ransom. Specifically, and among other things, Rhyne initiated unauthorized remote desktop sessions and prepared for the attack by scheduling tasks that would trigger damage to Victim-1’s network. These tasks included deleting network administrator accounts, changing passwords to certain other Victim-1 accounts, and shutting down multiple Victim-1 servers.  On November 25, 2023, Rhyne began deploying the scheduled tasks and, on the same date, sent an extortion email to Victim-1 employees in which he threatened to continue shutting down Victim-1 servers unless and until he received approximately 20 bitcoin, which, at the time, was valued at approximately $750,000.

The extortion charge to which Rhyne pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and the intentional damage to a protected computer violation to which Rhyne pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Each violation also carries a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross amount of gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.

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. He also thanked the FBI Kansas City, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus, for its assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Taj Moore of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Jonathan F. Marshall, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – The owner of several New Jersey companies, including an emergency medical services company, pleaded guilty to willfully evading taxes, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

Louis V. Greco III, 38, of Highland Mills, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Georgette Castner in Trenton federal court today, to an information charging him with tax evasion for tax years 2018 to 2022.

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

Greco owned NJ Mobile Health Care LLC (“NJMHC”), an emergency medical services company that provided ambulance services out of Mahwah, New Jersey. Beginning in or around 2018, Greco caused NJMHC to fail to pay over payroll taxes that were collected from NJMHC’s employees. After the IRS began efforts to collect the outstanding payroll taxes, Greco opened SSME Services LLC (“SSME”) and moved NJMHC’s employees to SSME. Greco then caused SSME to fail to pay to the IRS payroll taxes that were collected from SSME’s employees. After the IRS began efforts to collect the outstanding payroll taxes owed by SSME, Greco opened Lime Line Operations LLC (“LLO”), and moved employees that were previously under NJMHC and SSME’s payrolls to LLO’s payroll. From 2018 to 2022, Greco caused these three companies to fail to pay to the IRS more than $1.4 million in payroll taxes, as well as over $400,000 in Trust Fund Recovery Penalties the IRS assessed against Greco for causing the three companies to fail to pay their employment taxes.

The tax evasion charge carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for August 5, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter A. Laserna, Deputy Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering and Recovery Unit.

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Defense counsel: Kevin G. Walsh, Esq., Florham Park, New Jersey

                                Jude Roberto Cardenas, Esq., Carle Place, New York

NEWARK, N.J. – A Georgia man was charged with kidnapping his former girlfriend on or about December 24, 2025 and transporting her to New Jersey without her consent after shooting her in his car, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

Jovan Young, 37, was charged by a two-count complaint with one count of kidnapping and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. He had an initial appearance earlier today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court and was ordered detained.

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

On or about the evening of December 24, 2025, Young and the victim, who had been traveling from Georgia to New York to celebrate Christmas with the victim’s family, engaged in a dispute while they were driving in Young’s car in New York.  At that time, Young pulled out a gun and shot the victim in her abdomen, paralyzing her. Young then transported the victim from New York to New Jersey without her consent and trapped her in Young’s vehicle for several hours after the shooting before leaving her on the side of the road in or around Denville, New Jersey, where she was later found by law enforcement.  Following Young’s arrest on December 25, 2025, he was found to be in possession of a firearm with a green laser that matched the victim’s description of the gun that he used to shoot her.

The kidnapping charged in Count One is punishable by a maximum penalty of life in prison. The unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition charged in Count Two is punishable by a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Both are also punishable by a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss or gain, whichever is greatest.  

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s North Jersey Violent Crimes Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, under the direction of Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, and the Denville Police Department Detective Bureau, under the direction of Chief Scott Welsch, with the investigation leading to the charge. He also thanked the Boonton Police Department for their assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Guarracino of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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NEWARK, NJ. –  A New Jersey man admitted to a scheme to defraud elderly and other victims out of more than $1 million that he told the victims he would invest on their behalf or otherwise use for their benefit, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Antonio Petrosino, a/k/a Anthony Petrosino, 60, of Union City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler on March 25, 2026 to Count One of an Indictment charging him with wire fraud.

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

From in or around January 2016 through in or around November 2024, Petrosino fraudulently induced the victims to transfer investment funds, mortgage payments, and other money to Petrosino. As part of the scheme to defraud, Petrosino held himself out to be a financial services professional to his victims and falsely led them to believe that he would invest the victims’ money in brokerage accounts and other investment products or otherwise use it for their benefit. To perpetuate his fraud, Petrosino provided one elderly victim with falsified investment statements that purported to show that she had hundreds of thousands of dollars deposited in various investment accounts in her name. Petrosino also made various statements to victims assuring them that their money had been invested or used as promised.

In reality, Petrosino failed to invest the victims’ funds or otherwise use victim monies for the victims’ benefit as promised. Instead, Petrosino misappropriated the money to pay for his personal expenses, including gambling, credit card payments, and rent on his luxury apartment unit. When confronted by victims about the status of the money they sent to Petrosino, he provided the victims and their family members false reassurances about the status of the victims’ funds to cover up his fraud. In total, Petrosino stole approximately $1.1 million from the victims. 

The wire fraud charge that Petrosino pleaded guilty to carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross amount of gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.  Sentencing is scheduled for August 5, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; special agents of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System - Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker; and the Wyckoff Police Department, under the direction of Chief David V. Murphy, with the investigation leading to Petrosino’s indictment. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kozar, Co-Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s General Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Nadel of the Narcotics and International Trafficking Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Michael A. Thomas, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark

NEWARK, N.J. – A Monmouth County man was convicted of defrauding the Social Security Administration following a four-day trial, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Steven D. Stankovits, 57, of Matawan, New Jersey, was convicted by a federal jury on March 5, 2026, of four counts of wire fraud and one count of false statements to the Social Security Administration, all related to his receipt of Disability Insurance Benefits, following a trial before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court.

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

In May 2010, Stankovits was found eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits, and received benefits retroactive to 2007. This finding of eligibility was based on lies to the Social Security Administration, including that Stankovits was unable to work, could not comfortably sit for more than 15 minutes, could not bend down to put on his clothes, struggled to lift a carton of milk, and had been forced to give up skiing.  Stankovits failed to correct and reiterated these lies through statements and written submissions to the Social Security Administration over the next ten years.  As a result, the Social Security Administration paid more than $585,000 in disability benefits.

In fact, Stankovits was a licensed funeral director working at two different funeral homes.  Stankovits’s work included gardening, shoveling snow, carrying 160-pound caskets down a flight of stairs, and climbing a ladder onto the roof to install a sign.  In addition, Stankovits took long flights to go skiing in Cortina, Italy, Lake Tahoe, and Park City, Utah, and purchased a skiing season pass in Killington, Vermont. All of this conduct was incompatible with Stankovits’s repeated lies to the Social Security Administration for nearly 15 years.    

“For nearly 15 years, Steven Stankovits exploited the Social Security Administration’s disability insurance program,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer.  “By repeatedly lying about his work and physical disability, Stankovits collected more than half a million dollars in fraudulent benefits.  This conviction sends a clear message: those who lie to obtain government benefits will be identified, prosecuted, and brought to justice.”

“Today’s guilty verdict holds Steven Stankovits accountable for a nearly 15-year scheme that exploited Social Security’s disability insurance program for personal gain. By committing wire fraud and making false statements to the Social Security Administration, he stole funds intended for individuals who truly depend on these benefits,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First Assistant. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and pursue those who attempt to defraud Social Security programs and ensure they are brought to justice.”

The wire fraud charges carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.  The false statements charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment. Both charges carry a maximum potential fine equal to the greatest of $250,000, twice the gain to the defendant, or twice the loss to the Social Security Administration.

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited agents of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Conor Washington, and the Social Security Administration’s New Jersey-based Cooperative Disability Investigations Unit, under the direction of Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge, Gilberto Camilo.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eli Jacobs and Alison Thompson of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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Defense counsel: Charles Alvarez, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – An Indiana man was charged with stalking a minor child in the District of New Jersey over the internet and enticing her to harm herself, and possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Billy Joe Holman, a/k/a “William Holman,” 26, of West Lebanon, Indiana, was charged in a two-count complaint with cyber stalking and possession of child pornography. He had an initial appearance yesterday, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott J. Frankel in federal court in the Northern District of Indiana and was ordered detained.

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

Holman met the minor female victim (“Victim 1”) in or around October 2025 on a social media platform. Holman systematically targeted Victim 1—whom he knew to be 12 years old—by grooming, coercing, and otherwise compelling her to carry out his orders. Holman used coercive control, a pattern of behavior used to dominate another person through manipulation, including the weaponization of affection followed by verbal abuse or threats, to direct Victim 1’s actions. Over the course of approximately a month, Holman coerced Victim 1 to harm herself by, among other things, carving Holman’s initials into her skin and punching herself in the stomach on video and sending that video to Holman. Holman also demanded Victim 1 to take photographs of herself that constituted images of child sexual abuse materials and sending them to Holman.

The charge of stalking carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and possession of child pornography carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Holman is also facing a fine of up to $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited the Newark and Indianapolis Joint Terrorism Task Forces of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, New Jersey, and Special Agent in Charge Timothy O’Malley in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James M. Gannon, and the Dover Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jonathan Delaney, with the investigation leading to the charge. He also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana, under the direction of United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.

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 U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek of the National Security Unit in Newark, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.

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

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NEWARK, N.J. – A Hoboken, New Jersey man was charged with unlawful possession and making of destructive devices, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Alexander Heifler, 26, was charged by a two-count complaint with one count of unlawful possession of destructive devices and one count of making destructive devices. Heifler’s initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Stacey D. Adams is scheduled in Newark federal court at 2:00 pm.

As alleged in a criminal complaint, a Hudson County man has been charged in connection with a plot to construct and use improvised incendiary devices targeting another individual’s residence.  This is an ongoing investigation. There is no current threat to the community. We thank our law enforcement partners for their work in identifying and removing this potential threat to the citizens of New Jersey.

The charges of unlawful possession of destructive devices and making of destructive devices each carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited the New York and Newark Field Offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle in New York, New York and Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, New Jersey, the New York Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, and the Hoboken Police Department, under the direction of Chief Steven Aguiar with the investigation leading to the charge. He also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, under the direction of United States Attorney Jay Clayton.

The government is represented by Timothy M. Lanni, Acting Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, with assistance from the Office’s National Security Unit.

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

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NEWARK, N.J. – Former Hudson County Parks Department Director Thomas A. DeLeo (“DeLeo”) and business owner William A. Murray each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, Special Attorney Jordan Fox announced. DeLeo also admitted to conspiring to launder the proceeds of the scheme.

Special Attorney Fox also announced that Russell Fallacara, who succeeded DeLeo as Hudson County Parks Department Director, has been charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in the scheme.

On March 5, DeLeo, 76, of Little Silver, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to a two-count Information charging him with conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. On March 17, Murray, 56, of Jersey City, also pleaded guilty before Judge Cecchi to an Information charging him with conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. On March 20, Fallacara, 58, of Bayonne, made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa and was released on bond.

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

The conspiracy, which operated from in or around 2019 through in or around 2024, involved more than $1.5 million in bribes and kickbacks. Murray made the payments to DeLeo and Fallacara so that Murray’s company would be awarded contracts to work on various Hudson County Parks Department projects, including but not limited to landscape maintenance, paving, and general contracting projects. The bribes and kickbacks often came in the form of cash payments to DeLeo and Fallacara. In one instance, DeLeo received a bag containing between approximately $60,000 and $90,000 in cash. In other instances, DeLeo received money that was transmitted through a consulting company specifically formed to receive bribes and kickbacks, in order to conceal the source and nature of the payments. As alleged, Fallacara received over $400,000 in cash bribes and kickback payments. Other bribes and kickbacks came in the form of free home repairs and renovations for DeLeo, Fallacara, and their associates. 

During their respective tenures as Parks Department Director, DeLeo and Fallacara took official action in exchange for bribes and kickbacks to ensure that Hudson County awarded various contracts to Murray’s company, which, over the course of the conspiracy, performed over $5 million of work for Hudson County.

Both the conspiracy to commit honest services fraud charge and the conspiracy to commit money laundering charge carry a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.   

Special Attorney Fox credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, and special agents with 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 the prior convictions and today’s charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Specht and Francesca Liquori of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Goldberg, Chief of the Narcotics and International Trafficking Unit.

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

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Defense counsel:

David A. Schwartz, Esq. and Michael J. Pappa, Esq. (for Thomas DeLeo)

Joel Silberman, Esq. (for Russell Fallacara)

John J. Bruno, Jr., Esq. (for William Murray)

NEWARK, N.J. – A Georgia chiropractor was sentenced to 43 months in prison for her role in a $14.9 million health care fraud and illegal kickback conspiracy, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

“This defendant built a business model around fraud—using kickbacks, sham arrangements, and medically unnecessary equipment to siphon millions from Medicare. Health care programs exist to serve patients, not to bankroll schemes like this one.  Today’s sentence holds her accountable and underscores that those who abuse our federal health care system for profit will face serious consequences.”

- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello

Teflyon Cameron, 59, of Powder Springs, Georgia, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz on March 2, 2026, in Newark federal court to an Information charging her with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback statute.

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

For several years, Cameron conspired to defraud health insurers, including Medicare, by causing the submission of claims for medically unnecessary Durable Medical Equipment (DME) and Cancer Genetic Tests (CGx).  In total, Cameron and her conspirators caused a loss to Medicare of more than $14.9 million, and Cameron pocketed more than $1.3 million in fraud proceeds.

Cameron and her conspirators owned, operated, and had a financial interest in DME companies through which they obtained doctors’ orders for durable medical equipment, namely orthotic braces, for Medicare beneficiaries without regard to medical necessity. Cameron and her conspirators obtained DME orders using marketing call centers and telemedicine companies, caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, and paid illegal kickbacks. 

Cameron and her conspirators also owned, operated, and had a financial interest in a CGx company through which she agreed to provide a clinical laboratory with leads of beneficiaries who were qualified to receive federal health care benefits for cancer genetic tests. Cameron submitted invoices to the clinical laboratory seeking payment on a per-lead basis, but entered into a sham agreement to disguise kickback and bribe payments.

Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello credited the following law enforcement organizations with the investigation leading to the sentencing: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; and U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Silvestro.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Health Care Fraud & Opioids Enforcement Unit.

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Defense counsel:

Melissa L. Jampol, Esq. 

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man was convicted of firearm and narcotics offenses following a three-day trial, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Mookadean Cheeseboro, 38, of Newark, was convicted by a federal jury on February 11, 2026, of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine following a trial before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court.

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

On December 20, 2021, while executing a search warrant, New Jersey State Police officers saw Cheeseboro engaged in drug trafficking. When State Police detectives searched Cheeseboro, they found 74 doses of cocaine and fentanyl packaged for sale and a key to a vehicle. When detectives opened the vehicle, they found a .380 caliber handgun and thirty rounds of ammunition. Cheeseboro admitted in a post-arrest statement that he possessed the drugs and had the firearm for his protection.

The felon in possession charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The possession with intent to distribute controlled substances charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years of imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine. 

Cheeseboro was previously convicted in 2015 of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. U.S. District Judge William J. Martini sentenced him to serve 70 months’ imprisonment for that offense.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited with the investigation special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James, as well as the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Lt. Col. Jeanne Hengemuhle, with the investigation leading to this conviction.

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

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John M. Maloy, of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit, and Kelly M. Lyons, Acting Chief of the Narcotics and International Trafficking Unit.

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Defense counsel: F. R. “Chip” Dunne, III, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man was sentenced on February 26, 2026, to 18 months in prison for failing to report over $1.6 million in income on his federal income tax returns that he embezzled from his employer, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Jooyeong Lee of Westbury, New York previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to an information charging him with filing a false federal income tax return. Judge Hayden imposed the sentence.

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

From approximately 2015 through 2021, Lee embezzled over $1.6 million from various high-end car dealerships in New Jersey where he worked. When he filed his tax returns, Lee failed to report or pay tax on the funds as income.  Over seven years, Lee caused a tax loss of $494,082.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation that led to the sentencing in this case.

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

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Defense counsel: Jason A. Seidman, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – Two North Jersey men have admitted to conspiring with doctors and others to purchase nearly $50 million worth of oncology and ophthalmology medications, under false pretenses, and then diverting and reselling these medications for profit, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Frank Incognito, 46, of Englishtown, New Jersey, and Stephen Corba, 50, of Farmingdale, New Jersey, have pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to conspiring to unlawfully resell various medications, including expensive oncology and ophthalmology medications, that a healthcare entity previously purchased.  Corba entered his guilty plea earlier today, while Incognito entered his guilty plea on February 18, 2026.

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

For years, Corba owned and ran a wholesale drug distributor, operating under New Jersey corporations located in Sewaren, New Jersey.  During this time, Incognito worked as the operations manager of this drug distributor. 

Corba and Incognito conspired with each other and multiple doctors to obtain expensive prescription medications that Corba and Incognito otherwise would not have been able to obtain on their own.  These medications were first “straw-purchased” through the doctors’ medical practices, using the doctors’ medical licenses, and on the express condition that the medications would be used to treat the doctors’ own patients.  After the medications were purchased, Corba, Incognito, the doctors, and their co-conspirators illegally transferred and resold the medications to others.  Primarily, these medications were cold-chain biologic infusion medications that physicians typically use to treat cancers, macular degeneration, and autoimmune diseases.

In order to purchase the drugs, Corba, Incognito, and the doctors made numerous false and misleading representations to the pharmaceutical manufacturers and authorized distributors.  These misrepresentations included that the doctors were purchasing the drugs to treat their own patients, and that the drugs would not be resold or redistributed to others. In actuality, none of the drugs were used to treat any of the doctors’ own patients but were instead sold to customers of Corba and Incognito, for a profit.

Corba’s and Incognito’s fraudulent scheme  ran from June 2012 through January 2019, and included the purchase and sale of more than $47.5 million in prescription drugs.  Doctors Anise Kachadourian, Jon Paul Dadaian, and Joel Lerner also previously pled guilty to their roles in the scheme.

The conspiracy to which Corba and Incognito pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In their plea agreement, Corba and Incognito also agreed to make restitution for the full amount of any losses resulting from their offenses. Sentencing for Incognito is scheduled for June 23, 2026, and sentencing for Corba is scheduled for July 8, 2026.

Senior Counsel Lamparello 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, and special agents of U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Maltese, with the investigation leading to Corba’s and Incognito’s guilty pleas.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph McFarlane and Sara Aliabadi of the U.S Attorney’s Office in Camden.

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Defense Counsel for Corba: Robert Stahl, Esquire

Defense Counsel for Incognito: Rocco Cipparone, Esquire

NEWARK, N.J. – A former Passaic County Correctional Officer was sentenced yesterday for his role in assaulting a pretrial detainee and conspiring to obstruct justice, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Jose Gonzalez, 47, previously pled guilty on May 28, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court to a two-count indictment charging him with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. Judge Farbiarz imposed the sentence yesterday in Newark federal court.

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

On January 22, 2021, a pretrial detainee at the Passaic County Jail (PCJ) squirted a mixture containing urine onto a correctional officer.  The following day, on January 23, 2021, Gonzalez admitted that he, along with former Sergeant Donald Vinales, and former Correctional Officer Lorenzo Bowden, who were also charged in this case, transported the detainee through an area of the PCJ that does not have a video surveillance camera, which Correctional Officers and inmates at the PCJ have referred to as a “blind spot.” While in that “blind spot,” Gonzalez admitted that he and Vinales assaulted the detainee, while he was handcuffed, when they knocked him to the ground and struck him multiple times.  One day after the assault, the detainee was taken to a local hospital, which documented injuries from the assault.

The defendants were required to submit documentation regarding their use of force.  None of them submitted any such reports.

In March 2022, Gonzalez admitted that he made false statements to federal law enforcement officers during an interview in connection with this investigation.  Additionally, in April 2022, after receiving federal grand jury subpoenas in connection with this investigation, Gonzalez, Vinales, Bowden, among others, met to discuss the federal investigation. During that meeting, the group agreed not to cooperate with the federal investigation and also agreed to say that nothing had happened to the detainee, referring to the assault. Thereafter, during an interview with federal investigators in October 2022, Bowden falsely stated that the detainee had not been assaulted and that there had not been any meeting or communication among those who participated in or witnessed the assault.

Bowden pled guilty on April 18, 2024 before Judge Farbiarz to an information charging him with conspiracy to obstruct justice and is awaiting sentencing.

Vinales pled guilty on May 21, 2025 before Judge Farbiarz to a two-count indictment charging him with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. He is also awaiting sentencing.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Farbiarz sentenced Gonzalez to two years of supervised release.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; and the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office Division of Internal Affairs, under the direction of Sheriff Thomas Adamo.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Deputy Chief of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark, and R. Joseph Gribko, Senior Trial Counsel in Trenton. 

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Defense Counsel: Valerie Palma DeLuisi, Esq., Clifton, New Jersey 

NEWARK, N.J. – A British citizen was sentenced to 140 months’ imprisonment for possessing multiple images of child sexual abuse and traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Stephen Hudson, 54, of Ealing, England, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court on February 10, 2026, to an information charging him with possession of child pornography and travelling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

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

From April 14, 2022 to May 6, 2022, Hudson communicated with undercover agents using an encrypted email account, in an attempt to make arrangements to sexually abuse two minor female children. Hudson agreed to travel from Massachusetts to New Jersey and pay approximately $1,200 in cash in exchange for, among other things: engaging in sexual acts with minor girls; illicit drugs that he planned to administer with alcohol to the minor girls. On May 6, 2022, Hudson traveled to an agreed-upon location in New Jersey to have sex with the two minors and provided approximately $1,200 in cash to the undercover law enforcement agents as previously agreed. After providing the cash to law enforcement, Hudson was arrested.

A search of Hudson’s laptop revealed 1,751 images of child sexual abuse, including material portraying prepubescent minors and the sexual abuse and exploitation of infants and toddlers.

In addition to a prison term, Judge Farbiarz sentenced Hudson to 5 years of supervised release.

Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Nadel of the Narcotics/International Trafficking Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Rahul Sharma Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark 

NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County man was convicted of firearms and narcotics offenses following a three-day trial, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

David Reams, 37, of Paterson, was convicted by a federal jury on January 27, 2026, of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime following a trial before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court. The sentencing date is scheduled for June 30.

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

On May 6, 2024, Paterson Police Department observed Reams conducting movements consistent with possession of a firearm. When Paterson detectives attempted to stop Reams, he attempted to flee. Paterson detectives ultimately recovered a 9-millimeter pistol, loaded with an extended magazine, as well as over 450 individual doses of fentanyl and crack cocaine from Reams’s person.

The felon in possession charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The possession with intent to distribute controlled substances charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years of imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine.  The possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of imprisonment, which must be imposed consecutively to any other sentence imposed, up to life imprisonment, and a maximum fine of $250,000.

Reams was previously convicted in 2017 of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Judge Chesler sentenced him to serve 103 months’ imprisonment for that offense.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited with the investigation special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas Kalogiros, as well as the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Officer in Charge Patrick Murray, with the investigation leading to this conviction.

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

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Kober, of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit, and Daniel H. Rosenblum, of the Narcotics and International Trafficking Unit. 

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Defense counsel: John McMahon 

A Brooklyn, New York man was sentenced on February 18, 2026 to 30 months in prison for his role in a scheme to steal and alter checks from the mail and fraudulently obtain funds from banks by depositing the stolen and altered checks into bank accounts fraudulently accessed by others, senior counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Noah Aranzamendi, 27, of Brooklyn, New York, previously pled guilty in July 2025 before U.S. District Judge Edward Kiel in Camden federal court to a two-count indictment with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and the receipt and possession of stolen mail.

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

From February 2020 to February 2022, Aranzamendi conspired with others to steal checks from the mail in Bergen County and elsewhere, which he then sold to third parties or deposited, sometimes in altered or duplicate form, into the bank accounts of complicit accountholders who had provided access to their bank accounts for the scheme. Aranzamendi obtained stolen official USPS arrow keys, which Aranzamendi used to access mail and steal checks directly from USPS boxes. Aranzamendi and his conspirators then targeted the accounts associated with the checks he stole and created false identifications in the names of the accountholders, which he and his conspirators used to make fraudulent withdrawals from those accounts. The scheme resulted in losses to victims of at least $240,213.

This conviction is Aranzamendi’s fifth conviction arising out of similar schemes.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; and special agents with the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office. He also thanked the Teaneck Police Department under Chief Andrew R. McGurr.

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

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Defense counsel for Aranzamendi: Ikram Ally, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – SEA BOX, Inc., a corporation specializing in the design, modification, and manufacturing of shipping containers headquartered in Cinnaminson, New Jersey, has entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that it violated the Cargo Preference Act and its contracts with the Department of War by using foreign-flagged vessels to transport shipping containers manufactured for the Department of the Army, Department of the Air Force, and Defense Logistics Agency, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

According to the contentions of the United States contained in the settlement agreement, since approximately 1904, any supplies bought for any Department of War agency may only be transported by sea in a vessel of the United States.  This requirement is found both in the Cargo Preference Act and in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations, and it is incorporated into defense contracts. The requirements protect American shipping and ensure that the United States has a merchant marine capable of commercial and military use.

Between late 2017 and late 2021, SEA BOX was awarded approximately 35 contracts to provide shipping containers consistent with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards for the Department of the Army and Department of the Air Force, primarily through the Defense Logistics Agency. Notwithstanding the legal prohibitions on doing so, SEA BOX arranged to have these containers delivered on less expensive, foreign-flagged vessels.  In so doing, SEA BOX not only deprived U.S.-flagged shipping of revenue, but it also reduced the cost of its own bids, undercutting competition that followed the statutory and contractual requirements.  When confronted by military authorities about the issue, SEA BOX presented inaccurate, misleading information about its actions.  SEA BOX has agreed to settle claims under the civil False Claims Act for a payment of $2.6 million, plus interest, over a three-year schedule.

“Protecting American business is a critical part of the mission of the Department of Justice and of the United States military. We support American shipping through contracting and enforcement, and this Office will prosecute any entity that takes from American business in order to win contracts with the United States government.”

- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello

“Ensuring companies follow statutory and contractual requirements is an important part of protecting the Department of Defense procurement process,” said Christopher M. Silvestro, Special Agent in Charge, DCIS Northeast Field Office, the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General.  “DCIS will continue to work with the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners to pursue those companies that try to corrupt and compromise the integrity of the system.”

“This settlement sends a clear message: AFOSI will not tolerate those who prioritize profit over the integrity of the federal procurement process,” said Special Agent in Charge William W. Richards of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI). “We, alongside our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, will work tirelessly to combat fraud threatening the Department of the Air Force.”

Senior Counsel Lamparello credits special agents of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of the Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the Department of the Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations, and members of the Defense Contract Audit Agency, Defense Logistics Agency, and U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul W. Kaufman of the Healthcare Fraud and Opioid Enforcement Unit. 

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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Counsel for SEA BOX: John Brownlee and John McAdams, Holland & Knight, Washington, D.C.

NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey-based couple originally from Colombia admitted yesterday to illegally operating unlicensed money transmitting businesses, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Nicholas Ortega Munoz, 23, a Colombian national formerly of Hackensack, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court yesterday to an Information charging him with conspiring to, and operating, an unlicensed money transmitting business. Isabella Valderrama Ospina, 23, a resident of Hackensack, New Jersey, also pleaded guilty before Judge Wigenton to a separate Information charging her with operating and aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Ortega Munoz, Valderrama Ospina, and others used a novel scheme to secretly move money from the United States to Colombia using two fake companies: BLK Graphics Group and Technology SD.  The sham companies were built to serve as cash pipelines to move tens of millions of dollars to Latin America and avoid law enforcement detection.  At no point were BLK or Technology SD ever appropriately registered as a money transmitting business, as FinCEN required them to be.

To carry out the scheme, BLK and Technology SD used a rotating stable of bank accounts at multiple financial institutions to funnel money deposited from pornographic websites and other entities to Latin America. For example, one website allowed online consumers to send “tokens” to pay adult performers for online performances. As part of the scheme, those “tokens” were then withdrawn from the websites and deposited into BLK and Technology SD bank accounts. Ortega Munoz, Valderrama Ospina, and others, then quickly directed the transfer of those funds to shell companies in Colombia. Between April 2021 and June 2025, BLK and Technology SD moved over $62 million in proceeds to accounts in Colombia.

The charges of conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and operating and aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business each carry a statutory maximum prison sentence of five years and a statutory maximum fine of the greatest of $250,000, twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain that any persons derived from the offense, or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary loss sustained by any victims of the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing for Mr. Ortega Munoz is scheduled for June 23, 2026.  Sentencing for Ms. Valderrama Ospina is scheduled for June 25, 2026.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy and investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud & Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Ileana Montes, Esq. (Nicholas Ortega Munoz); Tyler Newman, Esq. (Isabella Valderrama Ospina).

NEWARK, NJ - An Essex County, New Jersey man was sentenced yesterday to over 11 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release for multiple firearms offenses, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Kaiyir Green, 23, of Newark, New Jersey, previously pled guilty in July 2025 before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner in Trenton federal court to a four-count indictment charging him with two counts of possession of a firearm and/or ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of illegal possession of a machine gun, and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm.

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

On March 1, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to a report of a stolen vehicle and saw Green trying to get into the stolen vehicle.  When law enforcement approached, Green ran away.  Law enforcement ran after Green, eventually apprehending him and recovering from him a ghost gun loaded with five rounds of ammunition.  After Green was arrested, Green obstructed justice by making several phone calls from a recorded line at the detention center in which he directed another person to go to his home and remove “everything” including a “black bag.” Law enforcement later saw someone remove a black bag from Green’s home.  Law enforcement searched the bag and found a firearm that had been modified with a switch rendering the firearm into a fully automatic machine gun, loaded with one round of 9mm ammunition in a large capacity magazine. Law enforcement also found a 50-round capacity drum magazine.  Further investigation revealed that Green was involved in trafficking dozens of firearms, including AR-style pistols, machine guns and multiple firearms with extended or drum magazines, from out of state into New Jersey where he then sold them to third parties.

Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello credited law enforcement members with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas Kalogiros; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Lieutenant Colonel David Sierotowicz, and Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Chief Giacomo Sacca, with the investigation leading to the charges.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

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

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Defense counsel for Green: Claressa Lowe, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County accountant and tax preparer on February 17,2026 admitted to running a Ponzi and bank fraud scheme that bilked victims out of more than $10 million dollars and a related bank fraud scheme, among other crimes, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Evangelos Drosos, 51, of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with three counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of failure to file an individual income tax return.

“For years, Evangelos Drosos abused the confidence his clients placed in him, operating a Ponzi scheme that funneled millions of their hard-earned dollars into his own lifestyle instead of legitimate investments. When investor funds ran dry, he escalated his conduct with additional fraud to keep the scheme going.  This guilty plea holds him accountable and sends a clear message: those who run Ponzi schemes and exploit the faith of investors for personal gain will be identified, prosecuted, and brought to justice.”   

- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello

“Mr. Drosos created a complex fraud scheme that turned trusting investors into devasted victims,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office.  “IRS-CI will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who betray the public’s trust and hold them accountable.”

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

From 2013 through June 2025, Drosos used various businesses that he controlled to run a Ponzi scheme to falsely represent to his clients and other victim investors that he would manage their money through various investment strategies.  In reality, Drosos did not invest his clients’ money and, instead, co-mingled those funds with his other accounts, and used the funds either to repay other investors  or pay his personal expenses, including vacations, a luxury vehicle, and real estate. In order to hide the scheme , Drosos provided his victim investors with false account statements.  Drosos caused his victims to send him more than approximately $10 million, resulting in aggregate losses of more than approximately $3 million to victims.

In June 2024, the Ponzi scheme fell apart, and Drosos no longer had sufficient investor deposits to repay other investors.  To cover his tracks,  Drosos engaged in a check-kiting scheme in which he cut checks that exceeded the funds in his bank accounts, then deposited and quickly withdrew funds from other bank accounts before the bogus checks bounced.   Using this scheme, Drosos fraudulently obtained nearly $500,000 from the victim banks.

Drosos also admitted that he failed to file an individual income tax return for tax year 2023.

The counts of wire fraud each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest. The count of bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest.  The count of failure to file a tax return carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Sentencing is scheduled for June 23, 2026.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark; Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Mid Atlantic Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Carpenter; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to this guilty plea. He also thanked the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Mark Musella; and the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Daniel M. Perez, for their assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert L. Toll and George L. Brandley (Unit Chief) of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud & Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel:  Maximillian Novel, Esq.

NEWARK, NJ – Edward Low, a/k/a “a Mang Wah Low,” a/k/a “Eddie Low”, a former New York-based employee of TD Bank, N.A. and another financial institution, pleaded guilty today to accepting bribes to provide confidential customer information of TD Bank customers and to falsifying bank records to open a bank account at another financial institution, which helped co-conspirators commit more than $500,000 of fraud.

Low, 31, pleaded guilty today 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 July 14, 2026.

“This defendant chose to sell his access to the banking system from the inside.  By accepting bribes at two separate financial institutions, he betrayed the trust placed in him and enabled outside fraudsters to exploit customer accounts and falsify bank records for personal gain. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to root out corruption within our financial institutions and hold accountable those—whether insiders or outsiders—who undermine the integrity of our banking system.”

- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello

According to court filings and statements made in court, from January 2021 through May 2021, Low, of Flushing, New York accepted bribes and leveraged his position to obtain confidential TD Bank customer information.  He then passed the information to outside co-conspirators, who used it to take over accounts and steal money from customers. Low also processed some of the illicit transactions for co-conspirators. In total, Low received at least $26,700 in bribes and facilitated $484,572.16 of fraud.

Then, from May 2022 through August 2022, Low was an employee at another financial institution. In exchange for a bribe, Low falsified bank records to help a co-conspirator open an account in the name of a shell company. Co-conspirators then used that account to commit at least $47,195 of fraud.

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.

IRS-CI and FDIC-OIG investigated the case. The department also thanks the Morristown Police Department for their assistance with the investigation.

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

The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’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: Michael P. Koribanics, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – The founder and executive chairman of a now-defunct beverage company was sentenced yesterday for lying to solicit investments, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Todd O’Gara, 46, of Austin, Texas and Reno, Nevada previously pled guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court. Judge Chesler sentenced O’Gara to serve 51 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

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

O’Gara, who founded and managed a beverage company, Wanu Water, Inc., raised over $6.6 million dollars from individual victim investors. O’Gara repeatedly lied to solicit those investments and to encourage investors to maintain their investments. Among other things, O’Gara lied about the size of purchase orders from retailers and about major investments from private equity firms. As part of this fraudulent scheme, O’Gara sent investors fake documents including doctored emails and forged term sheets.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Roddy, Newark Field Division, 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: John Yauch and Shaiba Rather, Newark, New Jersey

NEWARK, N.J. – A former teacher admitted to possessing child pornography, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced today.

Matthew Ozol, 40, of Jersey City, New Jersey pleaded guilty before Judge Evelyn Padin to an Information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography.

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

In August 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ozol’s home.  Ozol’s text messages showed that since 2022, Ozol had sent and received messages on encrypted applications expressing a desire to sexually abuse children, including in a chat group titled “Baby Rapist.”  Law enforcement found more than 100 images and 75 videos on Ozol’s electronic devices depicting child pornography, including many involving sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.

The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been scheduled for August 2026.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

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 U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division.

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Defense Counsel:

Eric R. Breslin, Esq., Florham Park, New Jersey

Sarah Fehn Stewart, Esq., Florham Park, New Jersey

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, N.J., man with a felony criminal record has been convicted by a federal jury for carrying two loaded semi-automatic pistols, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Ken Anderson, 33, of Newark, was convicted of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition following a trial that began on February 3 before United States District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court.  Sentencing is scheduled for June 23, 2026.

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

Detectives with the Essex County Sheriff’s Office responded to a tip from a confidential informant in the early evening of July 22, 2025, about a man with a firearm in the area of the Wynona Lipman Gardens housing development located in Newark’s Central Ward.  Detectives located Anderson sitting in a vehicle, double-parked within the housing development.  When the detectives approached with their sirens and lights, Anderson fled.  He drove recklessly through the housing development, reached a dead-end street, and rolled out of his moving vehicle.  Before the vehicle crashed into a handicapped sign, he grabbed a backpack, and ran away through the housing development.  He jumped over fences, then ran across Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and onto Interstate 280, where officers arrested him.  Detectives found two loaded firearms from the backpack and a bullet from one of Anderson’s pant pockets.

The charge of being a felon in possession carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello credited the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Roddy, and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Amir D. Jones, with the investigation.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

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

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Defense counsel: Tyler Newman, Esq. and Mallory Olwig, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, man was sentenced today to 180 months’ imprisonment for having a minor victim create and send him sexually explicit images and videos, and sending the victim obscene images of himself, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Francisco Andres-Medina, 35, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to two counts of an indictment charging him with receipt of child pornography and transfer of obscene material to a minor.

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

In March and April 2020, Medina communicated over the internet with a 15-year-old victim located in Camden County, New Jersey. After learning the victim was 15, Medina sent her obscene photographs. Medina also had the victim produce videos and images of her engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Medina then caused the victim to send him the sexually explicit images and videos. Medina also directed the victim to send him a video of the victim having sex with another individual.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, and the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crimes and Special Victims Units, under the direction of Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay, with the investigation leading to today’s sentence.

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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

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

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Defense counsel: Ikram Ally, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender

TRENTON, N.J. – An Airman with the United States Air Force pled guilty to receiving child pornography on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced today.

Christian Keilberg, 34, of Ocean County, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Georgette Castner today, in Trenton federal court, to an information charging him with receipt of child pornography. Sentencing is scheduled for June 18, 2026.

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

From November 2020 through November 2022, while Keilberg was an enlisted active-duty Airman with the United States Department of the Air Force living and working on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Keilberg used online chat applications and social media to communicate with minor victims located within and outside of New Jersey. Keilberg exchanged sexually explicit messages with the minor victims and asked them to send him images and videos of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which they did. A search of Keilberg’s electronic devices found in his on-base housing revealed additional videos and images of child pornography. Keilberg received more than 600 images of child pornography, including depictions of minors between twelve and fifteen years old.

The charge of receipt of child pornography is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the United States Department of the Air Force, Office of Special Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Rebecca B. Bates, with the investigation. He also credited the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance.

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 U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

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Defense counsel: Andrea Aldana, Esq., Trenton, New Jersey