District of New Jersey

NEWARK, N.J. – Six people have been charged for their roles in smash-and-grab robberies targeting jewelry stores across New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Since early 2025, numerous jewelry stores have been victimized by smash-and-grab robberies in New Jersey and Staten Island, New York, each committed by groups of individuals employing similar tactics.  While the victim jewelry stores were open for business, masked and gloved perpetrators used crow bars and/or sledgehammers to smash the glass doors and front windows of the store.  Once inside, the perpetrators smashed glass display cases, stealing whatever jewelry was inside. 

“As alleged, these defendants committed brazen, day-time robberies of jewelry stores by smashing through glass, creating chaos, instilling fear in employees and customers, and making off with hundreds of thousands of dollars in jewelry, but in the end, thanks to the work of federal law enforcement and our state and local partners, these defendants now face serious federal charges.  These arrests serve as a reminder that if you commit violent crimes in New Jersey, law enforcement will use every tool to find you and make sure that you face justice.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“Customers at these jewelry stores found themselves caught in the middle of violent robberies carried out by masked men who showed little regard for anyone who might get hurt,” said FBI Newark, Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Roddy. FBI Newark partnered with state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and track down these subjects so no one else would be put in danger. The work being done to protect the people of New Jersey has been incredible, and this case is just one stellar example.”

Shaquan Jones, 24, of Newark, and Kayron Caldwell, 34, of Newark, were each separately charged with one count of Hobbs Act robbery for robbing a jewelry store in Paterson, New Jersey on May 14, 2025.  Caldwell was indicted on August 5, 2026.  He appeared before the Honorable Susan D. Wigenton on August 13, 2026, entered a plea of not guilty, and was ordered detained.  Jones was charged by complaint and appeared before the Honorable José R. Almonte, United States Magistrate Judge, on July 29, 2026; he was ordered detained.   

Wyzier Peterson, 28, of Paterson, New Jersey; Corey Boyd, 29, of Paterson, New Jersey; and Terrance Drakeford, 33, of Paterson, New Jersey, were each charged by complaint with one count of Hobbs Act robbery for robbing a jewelry store in Wayne, New Jersey on June 16, 2026.  All three defendants appeared before the Honorable José R. Almonte, United States Magistrate Judge, on September 10, 2026, and were ordered detained. 

Derreck Proctor, 33, of Newark, New Jersey was charged by complaint with one count of Hobbs Act robbery for robbing a jewelry store in Union City, New Jersey, on March 7, 2026.  Proctor appeared before the Honorable André M. Espinosa, United States Magistrate Judge, on September 23, 2026, and was released on bail. 

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

The perpetrators of the May 2025 robbery in Paterson smashed through the glass door and front windows of the jewelry store in the middle of the day using crow bars. Two perpetrators cut themselves on broken glass, leaving behind blood.  Investigators tested the blood on the scene and found that it contained Jones’s DNA and Caldwell’s DNA.  In the days following the robbery, Jones took pictures of himself holding a wad of cash with a bandage on his left hand, which investigators recovered from Jones’s online cloud storage account.  Following the robbery, Caldwell ran internet searches for butterfly bandages and wound treatment. 

Investigators apprehended Proctor for his role in the March 2026 Union City robbery based on blood evidence as well.  During that robbery, perpetrators carrying 10-pound brand-name sledgehammers smashed display cases inside the store and took jewelry from inside the cases.  When examining the crime scene, law enforcement found blood left behind by a perpetrator who had likely cut their hand on broken glass.  DNA analysis confirmed that the blood matched Proctor. Security camera footage from a hardware store showed that Proctor purchased two 10-pound, brand-name sledgehammers with cash several weeks before the robbery. 

The perpetrators of the June 2026 Wayne robbery also smashed through the jewelry store’s glass front door using sledgehammers before smashing the display cases and fleeing in an SUV. Video surveillance captured the perpetrators changing to a second vehicle several blocks from the robbery.  Boyd drove the second getaway car, in which Peterson and Drakeford were both passengers.  When Haledon Police attempted to stop the second getaway car for a traffic infraction a few minutes later, the car fled and crashed one block away.  Law enforcement apprehended Drakeford at the scene of the crash, but the other occupants fled on foot.  Boyd and Peterson were later identified and apprehended. 

Each defendant faces up to 20 years imprisonment for Hobbs Act robbery, and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the amount of money involved in the offense, whichever is greater.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Newark Field Division, under the direction of Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation.  He also thanked the New Jersey State Police Auto Theft Task Force, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Union City Police Department, the Wayne Police Department, the Jersey City Police Department, the Perth Amboy Police Department, the Woodbridge Police Department, the Paterson Police Department, the Edison Police Department, the Bloomfield Police Department, the City of Passaic, the Haledon Police Department, the Newark Police Department, the North Brunswick Police Department, the Paramus Police Department, and the New York Police Department for their roles in this collaborative effort to investigate and apprehend the individuals engaging in the smash-and-grab robberies, occurring across multiple jurisdictions. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Thompson of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit and Sean Nadel of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

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

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Defense counsel:

Shaquan Jones: F.R. “Chip” Dunne, III, Esq., Springfield, NJ

Kayron Caldwell: John Yauch, Office of the Federal Public Defender, Newark, NJ

Wyzier Peterson: Benjamin West, Esq., Office of the Federal Public Defender, Newark, NJ

Corey Boyd: Charles Alvarez, Esq., Bloomfield, NJ

Terrance Drakeford: Stacy A. Biancamano, Esq., Kenilworth, NJ

Derreck Proctor: Michael J. Pappa, Esq., Hazlet, NJ

NEWARK, N.J. – Four members of the Paterson based neighborhood street gang known as “4K” were sentenced for their roles in a shooting, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

Jatrail Avent, a/k/a “Curry” (“Avent”), Shequan Roberts, a/k/a “Shingy” (“Roberts”), Jahmir Moody, a/k/a “Jahdi” (“Moody”), and Wiziar Johnson, a/k/a “Wababy” (“Johnson”), all of Paterson, each previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to Superseding Informations charging them each with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

On September 2, 2026, Avent was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release.  Thereafter, on September 9, 2026, Roberts was sentenced to 104 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release and Moody was sentenced to 84 months and one day’s imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. Most recently, on September 15, 2026, Johnson was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release.

These charges are the result of a long-running investigation coordinated between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, among other law enforcement agencies. 

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

Avent, Roberts, Moody, and Johnson were all members and associates of the neighborhood-based street gang known as “4K,” which operates in the area of Rosa Parks Boulevard near Lyon Street, Keen Street, and Mercer Streets in Paterson, New Jersey (the 4K Enterprise).  Members and associates of the 4K Enterprise have engaged in numerous criminal acts in furtherance of their gang, including shootings, robberies, homicides, and drug trafficking. Members and associates of the 4K Enterprise have also engaged in acts of violence against members of rival gangs.

In the early morning hours of November 6, 2022, Avent, Roberts, Moody, and Johnson opened fire in a residential area of Paterson on members of a rival gang, called the 230 Boys, who were inside a van, as part of a dispute between 4K and the 230 Boys. In total, the 4K members fired over 60 rounds during this shooting. 

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited law enforcement members with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka; the New Jersey State Police, Gangs and Organized Crime North Unit, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle; the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Thomas Adamo; the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Officer in Charge Patrick Murray, with the investigation leading to today’s charges. 

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

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Defense counsel:

Jatrail Avent – Michael T Simon

Shequan Roberts - Richard J. Verde

Jahmir Moody - Ernesto Cerimele 

Wiziar Johnson - Mary E. Carpenito 

NEWARK, N.J. – An Atlantic City public official was charged in connection with a scheme to solicit bribes from a cannabis business, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

Kashawn McKinley, 42, Director of Constituent Services in Atlantic City and a member of the Atlantic City School Board, was charged by complaint with honest services fraud and two counts of soliciting bribes. McKinley had his initial appearance today, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sharon A. King in federal court in Camden.

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

McKinley solicited more than $20,000 in cash and marijuana in exchange for his official assistance to a cannabis business owner in connection with the opening of the business and resolving certain fees owed by the business owner to the City of Atlantic City. In one instance, McKinley received a bribe payment for his assistance in getting the cannabis business classified as a “micro” cannabis business instead of a standard cannabis business, which resulted in the business paying a $2,500 annual fee to renew its mercantile license instead of the $25,000 annual fee required for standard cannabis businesses. 

In addition to receiving cash and cannabis, McKinley in one instance expected payment in the form of services. Specifically, in October 2025, McKinley directed the business owner to assault another person in exchange for McKinley’s official assistance in resolving the fee disputes between the business owner and Atlantic City. When McKinley was later shown what appeared to be a photograph of the injured victim, McKinley expressed pleasure and assured the cannabis business owner that when it came to the fee disputes with Atlantic City: “you don’t have to worry about nothing.”  

The honest services fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The bribery charges each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Atlantic City Resident Agency and the FBI’s Atlantic City Public Corruption Task Force, both under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation leading to the charges. 

The government is represented by Francesca Liquori, Senior Trial Counsel for the Special Prosecutions Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Assistant United States Attorney Jena Tiernan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal 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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Defense counsel: James Maguire, Esq., AFPD

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man and a Middlesex County woman, both aliens, were each charged with illegally voting in a federal election and making false statements while applying for United States citizenship, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

Patrick Terrance Reid, 61, a Jamaican national and resident of Orange, New Jersey, and Danubis Bernat, 49, a Venezuelan national and resident of South Amboy, New Jersey, were each charged by separate complaints with voting by an alien in a federal election and making false statements while applying for United States citizenship.  Reid had his initial appearance on September 24, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in federal court in Newark. Bernat had her initial appearance on September 24, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in federal court in Trenton. 

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

Reid and Bernat were non-citizens when they registered to vote.  In their voter registration forms they each falsely certified and attested that they were United States citizens.  In order to register, and to vote in federal elections, a person must be a United States citizen.  

Each of the defendants, still without United States citizenship, cast ballots in at least one federal election.  Reid voted in-person in the presidential elections held in November 2012 and November 2016, and via mail-in ballot in the presidential elections in November 2020 and November 2024.  Bernat voted in-person in the 2024 general election.  Each of those elections included candidates who were vying for election to federal offices.  At the time they cast their respective ballots, Reid, who entered the United States from Jamaica on an SA1 immigrant visa, and Bernat, who entered the United States from Venezuela on a B-2 tourist visa, were not United States citizens and were therefore not authorized to vote in federal elections.

After illegally voting in federal elections, each of the defendants applied to become a United States citizen by submitting applications for naturalization (an N-400).  An N-400 requires the applicant to swear under penalty of perjury that the information provided in the application is complete, true, and correct.  In their respective N-400 application, both Reid and Bernat falsely claimed that they had never registered to vote or voted in any federal elections.

The counts of voting by an alien, carry a maximum sentence of 1 year’s imprisonment, and a fine of up to $100,000.  The counts of making false statements while applying for United States citizenship carry a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.

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

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

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

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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CAMDEN, N.J. – A Romanian national admitted to conspiring with an American to enter into a sham marriage so that she could obtain U.S. citizenship, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Antonia-Beatrice Mircea, 33, of Atlantic City, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court.  According to statements made in court and documents filed in the case, Mircea is a citizen of Romania and entered into a sham marriage with U.S. citizen Victor Purilla for the purpose of obtaining permanent residence in the United States. On forms submitted to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Mircea falsely stated that she lived with Purilla in Atlantic City when, in fact, Purilla never lived with Mircea and maintained his own residence in Absecon.  Judge O’Hearn scheduled sentencing for January 25, 2027.

The charge of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud has a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of three years of supervised release. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, and of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, and USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security officers, with the investigation.

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

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Defense counsel: Timothy Farrow, Esq., Domers Bonamassa & Farrow, P.C.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Monmouth County man was sentenced to a year and a day in prison after being convicted of defrauding the Social Security Administration, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. 

Steven D. Stankovits, 57, of Matawan, New Jersey, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison by U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court on July 21, 2026.  Stankovits was also ordered to pay a $50,000 fine, restitution of $585,629.80, and to forfeit $480,968 in ill-gotten proceeds.  This followed Stankovits’s conviction on March 5, 2026, after a jury trial 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. 

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.     

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. – A Newberg, Oregon man was sentenced on September 16, 2026, to 480 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for child pornography offenses, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Jayson Setera, 51, of Newberg, Oregon, was convicted by a federal jury on April 15, 2026, of one count of possession of prepubescent child pornography and one count of transportation of child pornography following a trial before U.S. District Judge Jamel K. Semper in Newark federal court.  Judge Semper also imposed the sentence, which constitutes the statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of conviction. Judge Semper ordered that the sentences on each count run consecutively.

“This sentence underscores our unwavering commitment to prosecute and hold accountable those involved in child sexual abuse material. The statutory maximum sentence imposed by the Court represents justice to the victims and should serve as a warning to others who engage in 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.

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. Attorney Robert L. Toll of the Health Care Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.  Valuable assistant in the prosecution was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Southern District of New York. 

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Defense counsel: Tyler Newman, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County woman was charged in a criminal complaint with illegally voting in a federal election and making false statements while applying for United States citizenship, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

According to the criminal complaint, Sanata Coulibaly, 64, of Hudson County was a non-citizen when she registered to vote via a paper application at the Office of the Hudson County Superintendent of Elections.  On her voter registration form she falsely certified and attested that she was a United States citizen.  In order to register, and to vote in federal elections, a person must be a United States citizen.  

According to the criminal complaint, Coulibaly cast ballots in the November 2018 mid-term election, the July 2020 primary election, the November 2020 general election, and the 2024 general election.  Each of those elections included candidates who were vying for election to federal offices.  At the time she cast her ballots, Coulibaly, who entered the United States from Senegal on a B-1 nonimmigration visa, was not a United States citizen and was therefore not authorized to vote in federal elections.

The criminal complaint also alleges that after illegally voting in federal elections in 2018 and 2020, the defendant applied in October 2024 to become a United States citizen by submitting an application for naturalization (an “N-400”).  An N-400 requires the applicant to swear under penalty of perjury that the information provided in the application is complete, true, and correct.  In her N-400 application, the defendant falsely claimed that she had never registered to vote or voted in any federal elections.

Coulibaly was charged with voting by an alien in a federal election, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 611, and making false statements while applying for United States citizenship, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1425(a).  She had her initial appearance on September 17, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark federal court.  If convicted of making false statements while applying for United States citizenship, Coulibaly faces a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment.  If convicted of voting by an illegal alien, Coulibaly faces a maximum sentence of 1 year’s imprisonment.   

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

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

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael K. O’Leary of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division.

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

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TRENTON, N.J. – Cameron Paige, 43, Ian Dennis, 32, Eden Germain, 27, Joe Lee McQuay, 48, and Keith Navarro Palmer, 41, were charged for their roles in connection with a scheme to smuggle contraband into Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix (“Fort Dix”), U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

Paige, who is a Fort Dix corrections officer and Dennis, who is a former Fort Dix corrections officer, conspired with federal inmates McQuay and Navarro Palmer and two of the inmates’ colleagues outside Fort Dix, to smuggle contraband into the prison.  All five defendants are charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to provide contraband in prison.  In addition to being charged for their roles in the smuggling conspiracy, Dennis and Paige were also charged with agreeing to receive and receiving bribes.

Dennis, a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Paige, a resident of Cinnaminson, New Jersey, and Germain, a resident of Delran, New Jersey, had their initial appearances on Sept. 16, 2026 before U.S. Magistrate Tonianne J. Bongiovanni and were all released on bail. McQuay and Navarro Palmer are serving federal terms of imprisonment and their initial appearances will be scheduled for a later date.

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

From May 2025 through May 2026, the defendants conspired with each other and others to smuggle contraband, including knives, marijuana, tobacco, cellular phones, vapes, cell phone chargers, tool kits, and a tattoo kit into Fort Dix, for sale to inmates detained at Fort Dix. One of the knives that the conspirators smuggled into the prison was later used by defendant McQuay to stab another inmate during a dispute involving money. In one instance, in August 2025, the co-conspirators discussed smuggling 20 cellular telephones, 8 cellular telephone charging blocks, 8 ounces of THC wax, and 10 vapes into the prison.   

To facilitate the smuggling scheme, the conspirators relied in large part on Dennis, who at times was assigned to search employees who reported for work at Fort Dix and run those employees’ belongings through a metal detector.  Inmates and inmates’ associates paid both Dennis and Paige bribes and kickbacks in exchange for their official assistance in bypassing the facility’s screening procedures.  During the course of the conspiracy, over $100,000 was transferred among the co-conspirators through the use of electronic payment applications including Zelle, Apple Pay, CashApp, and Venmo.   

The bribery charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.  The conspiracy to smuggle contraband charge carries a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Trenton Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy and the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Edminston, with the investigations with the investigation leading to the charges. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division. 

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

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Defense counsel:

John Holliday, counsel for Cameron Paige.

John B. Brennan, counsel for Ian Dennis.

Christopher St. John, counsel for Eden Germain.

TRENTON, N.J. – Five members of the Cape Town Zone of the Neo Black Movement of Africa, also known as “Black Axe,” who were extradited from South Africa to the United States on wire fraud and money laundering charges, will have their initial appearances and arraignments today at 1:00 pm before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Perry Osagiede, aka “Lord Sutan Abubakar de 1st,” aka “Rob Nicolella,” aka “Alan Salomon,” 57; Franklyn Edosa Osagiede, aka, “Lord Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela,” aka, “Edosa Franklyn Osagiede,” aka “Dave Hewitt,” aka, “Bruce Dupont,” 42; Osariemen Eric Clement, aka, “Lord Adekunle Ajasi,” aka, “Aiden Wilson,” 40; Collins Owhofasa Otughwor, aka, “Lord Jesse Makoko,” aka, “Philip Coughlan,” 42; and Musa Mudashiru, aka “Lord Oba Akenzua,” 38; all originally from Nigeria, are charged by superseding indictment with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy, spanning from 2011 to 2021. 

Perry Osagiede, Franklyn Osagiede, and Clement are also charged with wire fraud, and Perry Osagiede, Franklyn Osagiede, and Otughwor are also charged with aggravated identity theft.

“The alleged members of Black Axe believed that operating behind electronic devices thousands of miles away would place them beyond the reach of American justice. They were wrong. This extradition demonstrates that our Office, together with our law enforcement partners in the United States and abroad, will relentlessly pursue transnational criminal organizations that victimize Americans, no matter where they operate and hide.”

- U.S. Robert Frazer

"Black Axe is a notoriously violent transnational criminal organization that also happens to dabble in romance scams to make money,” said FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy. “The ability of FBI Newark and our partner agencies to reach into South Africa illustrates our resolve to hold accountable any and every type of fraudster who preys on innocent victims here in the United States. We also want to use this investigation as a message to victims: please call us if you have been scammed and help us stop these predators from continuing their vicious criminal activity."

“This case reflects the result of a years-long effort by the U.S. Secret Service and our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and bring to justice those who allegedly preyed on victims through sophisticated online fraud and money laundering schemes,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Marech of the U.S. Secret Service’s Newark Field Office. “This case demonstrates the power of cooperation and sends a clear message that the Secret Service and our partners will pursue those who target U.S. victims wherever they operate, anywhere in the world.”

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

Perry Osagiede, Franklyn Osagiede, Clement, Otughwor, and Mudashiru (the “Black Axe defendants”) were all leaders of the Neo Black Movement of Africa, also known as “Black Axe,” an organization headquartered in Benin City, Nigeria that operates in various countries. Black Axe is organized into regional chapters known as “zones,” and the defendants were all leaders within the Cape Town Zone in South Africa. Perry Osagiede founded the Cape Town Zone of Black Axe and worked as its zonal head. The Black Axe defendants and other members of Black Axe took part in, and openly discussed, fraud schemes amongst their membership.   

From at least 2011 through 2021, the Black Axe defendants and other conspirators worked together from Cape Town to engage in widespread internet fraud involving romance scams and advance fee schemes. Many of these fraudulent narratives involved claims that an individual was traveling to South Africa for work and needed money or other items of value following a series of unfortunate and unforeseen events, often involving a construction site or problems with a crane. The conspirators used social media websites, online dating websites, and voice over internet protocol phone numbers to find and talk with victims in the United States, while using a number of aliases.   

The conspirators’ romance scam victims believed they were in romantic relationships with the person using the alias and, when requested, the victims sent money and items of value overseas, including to South Africa. Sometimes, when victims expressed hesitation in sending money, the conspirators used manipulative tactics to coerce the payments, including by threatening to distribute personally sensitive photographs of the victim. 

The conspirators used the bank accounts of victims and individuals with United States-based financial accounts to transfer the money to South Africa. On certain occasions, the conspirators convinced victims to open financial accounts in the United States that the conspirators would then be permitted to use themselves. In addition to laundering money derived from romance scams and advance fee schemes, the conspirators also worked to launder money from business email compromises. In addition to their aliases, the conspirators used business entities to conceal and disguise the illegal nature of the funds.

The wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud charges each carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. The money laundering conspiracy charge carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greatest. The aggravated identity theft charges carry a mandatory term of two years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed on a defendant.

The Black Axe defendants were arrested in South Africa in 2021 at the request of the United States and extradited to the United States on September 11, 2026.

Anyone who believes they may be a victim may visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/blackaxe for information about the case, including a questionnaire for victims to fill out and submit.   

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; and under the direction of Law Enforcement Attaché Mark F. Grimm at the FBI Law Enforcement Attaché Office at the United States Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa; special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Craig Marech in Newark and under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Todd Bratz of the U.S. Secret Service Criminal Investigative Division; and the U.S. Secret Service Pretoria Resident Office, with the investigation leading to the charges.

He also thanked the South African Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (HAWKS), the South African Police Service, the South African National Prosecuting Authority & Asset Forfeiture Unit, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development for the Republic of South Africa, and Interpol for their assistance in this case. U.S. Attorney Frazer thanked officials in South Africa for their assistance.  

He also thanked special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Assistant Law Enforcement Attaché Ian A. Hallenius; and deputy U.S. marshals of the U.S. Marshal Service, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Nicholas Ricigliano, for organizing, coordinating, and conducting the foreign transfer of custody flight that brought the Black Axe defendants to the United States for prosecution. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard G. Shephard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrests of the Black Axe defendants and their extradition to the United States.

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

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NEWARK, N.J. – Two men, including a Mexican national, were arraigned after being indicted for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy to transport a large quantity of cocaine into New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Oscar Salvador Pelayo-Guzman, 55, a Mexican national, and most recently of Missouri, and Michael Brandon Araiza, 27, of California were charged in a one-count Indictment with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. They were arraigned on September 10, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Jamel K. Semper in Newark federal court. Both entered pleas of not guilty. 

Two other defendants charged in the drug distribution conspiracy, Jose Manuel Amaya Villarreal and Reymond Alex Avina Samaniego, both of California, previously entered guilty pleas before Judge Semper to separate Informations charging them with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Villarreal was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment on August 7, 2026; sentencing for Samaniego is scheduled for November 9, 2026.

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

Pelayo-Guzman is associated with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel operating in Mexico and a principal member of a Kansas City-based drug trafficking organization involved in the international and interstate transportation and distribution of narcotics. Beginning in January 2025, Pelayo-Guzman, Araiza, Villarreal, and Samaniego conspired to transport large quantities of cocaine to New Jersey. Specifically, Pelayo-Guzman and Araiza traveled to New Jersey in April 2025 and arranged for a shipment of approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine to be delivered to Newark, New Jersey from California via a truck driven by Villarreal and Samaniego. After delivering the approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine in exchange for over $300,000 in cash, law enforcement officers arrested Villarreal and Samaniego. Pelayo-Guzman and Araiza were arrested shortly afterwards.

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

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James, with the investigation leading to the Indictment. He also thanked the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy; IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark; the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago; the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer; the Asbury Park Police Department, under the direction of Police Director John B. Hayes; the Newark Department of Public Safety, Newark Police Division, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda; the Middletown Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police R. Craig Weber; the Lakewood Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Gregory H. Meyer; the Neptune Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Anthony Gualario; the Ocean Gate Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Kuchta; and the Spotswood Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Philip Corbisiero, for their assistance in the investigation.

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. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

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

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Defense counsel:

Oscar Salvador Pelayo-Guzman: Adalgiza A. Núñez, Esq.

Michael Brandon Araiza: Patrick J. Joyce, Esq.

Jose Manuel Amaya Villarreal: Perry Primavera, Esq.

Reymond Alex Avina Samaniego: Joseph D. Rotella, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A San Antonio, Texas woman received a 15-month prison sentence for her role in a conspiracy to distribute counterfeit coupons that were used at retail stores across the United States to procure more than $17 million in unauthorized discounts, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Janet Bernal, 49, of San Antonio, Texas, previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge William Martini in Newark federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge Martini imposed the sentence on September 9, 2026.

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

From June 2020 through August 2024, Bernal orchestrated a fraudulent scheme to produce and sell counterfeit coupons for use by purchasers at retail stores throughout the United States, including large pharmacies and grocery stores. In furtherance of her scheme, Bernal offered counterfeit coupons through a monthly fee-based subscription group that was available on a commonly-used Internet cloud-based messaging application. Members subscribed to the group, paid the monthly fee, and then had unlimited access to numerous types of counterfeit coupons that Bernal posted for download.

Members paid the monthly fee via mobile cash accounts that Bernal directly controlled. Over the span of the scheme, members downloaded thousands of counterfeit coupons and redeemed them at retail stores throughout New Jersey and elsewhere in the United States. In total, the loss to the retail stores and to the manufacturers whose products were purchased with the counterfeit coupons was in excess of $17 million.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Martini also sentenced Bernal to two years of supervised release, ordered her to forfeit $67,290.68, and ordered her to pay $17,865,614.70 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, with the investigation.

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

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Defense counsel: Mary E. Warner, Hampton, New Jersey

NEWARK, N.J. – An Irvington man and a Roselle Park man both admitted to conspiring to steal checks from the mail using stolen or misappropriated arrow keys belonging to the United States Postal Service (“USPS”), U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today. 

Leslie Blackwood, 25, of Irvington, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an Information charging him with conspiracy to steal checks from the mail. Verly Antenor, 24, of Roselle Park, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty on July 16, 2026, before Judge Salas to the same charge.

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

Between September 2021 to March 2022, Blackwood and Antenor agreed with other individuals to steal checks from the mail. They possessed and used stolen or misappropriated arrow keys to access USPS collection boxes in Livingston and Clifton and steal mail containing checks.  To profit from the scheme, Blackwood and Antenor sold, deposited, or caused to be deposited the stolen checks to fraudulently obtain funds from financial institutions.  Blackwood and Antenor sometimes “washed” the stolen checks by erasing the date, payee, amount, and memo line from the stolen checks and replacing the information, oftentimes for higher amounts than the amounts originally written on the checks. Overall, Blackwood and Antenor agreed that the scheme caused an actual loss of approximately $670,313.46.   

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail theft carries a maximum potential penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.  Sentencing for Blackwood is scheduled for February 16, 2027, and sentencing for Antenor is scheduled for December 17, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited postal inspectors with the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher 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, with the investigation.  He also thanked the Livingston Police Department and the Clifton Police Department for their assistance.

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

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Defense counsel for Blackwood:        Claressa Lowe, Esq.

Defense counsel for Antenor:             Roberto Espinosa, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County man admitted to failing to pay over to the IRS payroll taxes for the employees of his business, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer and Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald announced.

Tyrone Pitts, 60, of Lawnside, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an information charging him with one count of failing to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over to the IRS payroll taxes.

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

From 2020 through 2023, Pitts was the owner, operator, and president of a construction company called Arline Electrical Construction Services LLC (“AECS”).  Pitts had the authority to exercise significant control over AECS’s financial affairs and was a “responsible person” of AECS, meaning that he was required to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over to the IRS the payroll taxes withheld from the wages of AECS’s employees. However, during that same time period, Pitts almost entirely failed to file Form 941 employment tax returns and failed to pay over to the IRS approximately $810,403 in employment taxes. 

The tax fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.  Sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2027. 

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer and Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

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

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden and Trial Attorney Hayter L. Whitman of the National Fraud Enforcement Division.

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Defense counsel: Nicholas Harbist, Esq., Princeton, New Jersey.

Five individuals living in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Wisconsin were charged this week related to illegal voting in the 2022 or 2024 election. 

“The integrity of our elections, which are fundamental to democracy, should be of utmost importance to every American,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “It is a cherished right for eligible American citizens, and only eligible American citizens, to vote for their representatives in government. Election fraud is a serious crime, and it is the duty of the Department of Justice to treat it as such.”

“As alleged, these five individuals in New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, including two illegal aliens, stole votes from American citizens when they decided to break the law and undermine our elections,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Protecting election integrity for the American people is one of the top priorities for this FBI. Every American citizen has a right to free and fair elections, and we will not hesitate to use all available resources to investigate every credible allegation of election fraud and illegal voting.”

“The crime of illegal voting undermines the integrity of our elections and harms citizens by stealing the power of our votes,” said U.S. Attorney Brian Miller for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “Illegal voting is not a victimless crime but a serious affront to the principles of our democratic republic. This office will prosecute to the full extent of the law those who illegally vote in federal elections as well as those who facilitate illegal voting.”  

“Government has a responsibility to the people to safeguard elections,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey. “Even one illegal vote is one too many. Here in New Jersey, the federal government is taking this responsibility seriously and violations of federal election law will be investigated and prosecuted to preserve the integrity of our democracy and ensure that no citizens’ votes are diluted.”

“Protecting the integrity of federal elections is a fundamental responsibility of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma for the Western District of Wisconsin. “The charge against this defendant reflects our commitment to enforcing the law and ensuring that every vote cast complies fully with federal requirements. No one is above these obligations, and my office will continue to pursue cases where unlawful voting occurs.”

“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to safeguarding the integrity of our nation’s election systems and ensuring that allegations of unlawful voting, fraudulent registration, and other election-related crimes are thoroughly investigated,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “The American people deserve confidence that our elections are protected from fraud and criminal exploitation, and that those who seek to undermine the law are held accountable. As reflected in these cases, HSI special agents worked alongside our federal partners to identify alleged criminal conduct, follow the evidence, and support prosecutions that reinforce public trust and uphold the rule of law.”

Middle District of Pennsylvania

Thomas Holtzman, 68, and his wife Marisol Guzman, 50, both of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to Guzman illegally voting as an alien in the 2024 election. Guzman was charged with voting as an alien. Holtzman, a U.S. citizen, was charged with false statement of citizenship in order to vote and aiding and abetting and fraudulent registration and aiding and abetting. 

Katya Rodriguez, 30, an illegal alien from Mexico living in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to illegally voting as an alien in the 2024 election. Specifically, Rodriguez was charged with false statement of citizenship in order to vote, fraudulent registration, and voting as an alien. 

If convicted, Holtzman faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a term of supervised release, and a fine. Guzman faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison, a term of supervised release, and a fine. Rodriguez faces a maximum penalty of 11 years in prison, a term of supervised release, and a fine. Any sentence would be imposed by a judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

HSI investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Ford for the Middle District of Pennsylvania is prosecuting the cases.

District of New Jersey

Mercedes Alexandra Cardoso of Union County, New Jersey, was charged with voting by an alien in a federal election. According to the complaint, Cardoso was a non-citizen when she registered online via the New Jersey Division of Elections Online Voter Registration System. On her voter registration form she falsely certified and attested that she was a U.S. citizen, which is required to register to vote and vote in federal elections. 

Cardoso allegedly cast a ballot in the June 2024 primary election, which included candidates who were vying for election for the office of President and Vice President of the United States. At the time she cast her ballot, Cardoso, who entered the United States from Ecuador on a B-2 visa, was not a U.S. citizen and was therefore not authorized to vote in federal elections.

If convicted of voting by an illegal alien, Cardoso faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison. She is scheduled to have an initial appearance on Sept. 8.

The FBI, HSI, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McCarren for the District of New Jersey is prosecuting the case.

Western District of Wisconsin

Jesus Javier Jurado Garcia, 25, an illegal alien from Mexico living in Beloit, Wisconsin, was charged on Sept. 2, with illegally voting as an alien in the November 2022 election. 

According to a criminal information, on Nov. 8, 2022, Jurado Garcia, knowing he was not a U.S. citizen, illegally voted in an election held in part for the purpose of electing a candidate for the offices of Member of the Senate and Member of the House of Representatives. 

If convicted, Jurado Garcia faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison. Any sentence would be imposed by a judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

A complaint, indictment, and information merely contain accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County woman was charged in a criminal complaint with illegally voting in a federal election, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

“The integrity of our elections, which are fundamental to democracy, should be of utmost importance to every American,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “It is a cherished right for eligible American citizens, and only eligible American citizens, to vote for their representatives in government. Election fraud is a serious crime, and it is the duty of the Department of Justice to treat it as such.”

“Government has a responsibility to the people to safeguard elections. Even one illegal vote is one too many. Here in New Jersey, the federal government is taking this responsibility seriously and violations of federal election law will be investigated and prosecuted to preserve the integrity of our democracy and ensure that no citizens’ votes are diluted.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

According to the criminal complaint, Mercedes Alexandra Cardoso, 41, of Union County was a non-citizen when she registered online via the New Jersey Division of Elections Online Voter Registration System.  On her voter registration form she falsely certified and attested that she was a United States citizen.  In order to register to vote and vote in federal elections, a person must be a United States citizen.  

According to the criminal complaint, Cardoso cast a ballot in June 2024 primary election.  That primary included candidates who were vying for election for the office of President and Vice President of the United States.  At the time she cast her ballot, Cardoso, who entered the United States from Ecuador on a B-2 visa, was not a United States citizen and was therefore not authorized to vote in federal elections.

Cardoso was charged with Voting by an Alien in a Federal Election, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 611.  She is scheduled to have an initial appearance on September 8, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte in Newark federal court.  If convicted of voting by an illegal alien, Cardoso faces a maximum sentence of 1 year’s imprisonment.

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

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

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

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

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NEWARK, N.J. – United States Attorney Robert Frazer is encouraging New Jersey schools, youth-serving organizations, athletic programs and other community groups to take advantage of free training and prevention resources available through the Department of Justice to help protect children from online sexual exploitation and abuse.

The call comes as the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) launches an expanded effort to engage schools and other organizations in preventing online exploitation of children. In an open letter issued this week, Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva encouraged organizations that work with children to partner with the Department on prevention and education efforts and highlighted resources available to help communities address emerging threats, including online grooming, sextortion, sadistic online exploitation and the misuse of artificial intelligence to create sexually explicit deepfake images of children.

The initiative builds on prevention efforts already underway in New Jersey. Last month, our office obtained an admission of guilt by a defendant who had persuaded and enticed minors to produce and send child pornography. In addition, a defendant was sentenced to 324 months for multiple child exploitation offenses.  In June, our office secured a 320 months prison sentence for a defendant who was producing child pornography. We look forward to continuing to work with the community to find and prosecute cases of child exploitation. 

“The digital world is evolving faster than ever, and with it come increasingly sophisticated threats to our children. By the time law enforcement becomes involved, it is often too late to prevent the harm that has already been done to a victim. The Department of Justice is providing these resources to help parents, concerned citizens, and communities recognize the warning signs, take action, and, most importantly, prevent grave harm before it occurs.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

Training can be arranged virtually or in person, depending on the needs of the organization. The Department of Justice’s CEOS provides free prevention programming to schools and other organizations through in-person presentations and webinars and can help connect organizations with prevention experts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey can also help connect New Jersey organizations with Assistant U.S. Attorneys and federal agents with experience investigating and prosecuting online child exploitation and related offenses who can provide education and outreach in their areas of expertise.

Organizations interested in arranging prevention programming or learning more about available resources can contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey at USANJ.CommunityOutreach@usdoj.gov. CEOS's prevention resources are available through the Department of Justice's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section Prevention webpage.

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TRENTON, N.J. – Menashe Davidovitz, 31, of Airmont, New York, a real estate developer, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner today to a four-count Information that charged him with conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with the business and transactions of a federally funded local government and organization, conspiracy to sell false seals and conspiracy to sell official insignia, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. These charges related to Davidovitz’s role in a scheme to bribe Newark, New Jersey employees and to sell law enforcement identification cards embossed with the insignia of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

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

From June 2024 through November 2024, Davidovitz conspired with others to provide City of Newark employees with cash and other benefits in exchange for the employees’ official action in matters related to City of Newark properties that Davidovitz owned. Specifically, Davidovitz paid bribes in order to obtain permits and certificates, including certificates of occupancy, which were required before his properties could be occupied or sold. Davidovitz also paid bribes to local officials for their help in resolving violations at his properties. 

Additionally, from October 2021 through January 2023, Davidovitz worked with co-conspirators, including Jonathan Ledesma, a former U.S. Air Marshal, to sell “Law Enforcement Family Member” cards that identified their bearers as “family member[s]” of Ledesma, “a Federal Officer.” These cards were embossed with the apparent insignia of the DHS as well as a QR code that was linked to Ledesma’s cellular phone. Though Davidovitz was not authorized to sell the insignia of the DHS, or any colorable imitation of the insignia, he received approximately $30,000 in proceeds from the sale of these cards. 

On July 17, 2024, Ledesma pleaded guilty before District Judge Castner to a two-count Information that charged him with making false statements and selling official insignia without authorization. On December 13, 2024, Ledesma was sentenced to three years of probation.

The conspiracy to commit honest services fraud charge that Davidovitz pleaded guilty to carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment. The conspiracy to sell false seals and conspiracy to commit bribery charges each carry a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment. The conspiracy to sell official insignia charge is punishable by a maximum penalty of six months in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for January 21, 2027.

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 and special agents of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Shawn A. Rice with the investigation leading to the charges. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division. 

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Defense counsel:

Jerome A. Ballarotto, Esq., Trenton, New Jersey

John W. Mitchell, Esq., Bedford, New York

Newark, N.J. – A Morris County man was charged with unlawfully possessing and storing explosives and explosive materials in Morris County, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Joseph Rizos, 37, of Denville, New Jersey is charged by complaint with one count of unlawful receipt of explosive materials; one count of unlawful storage of explosive material; and one count of unlawful possession of plastic explosives without a detection agent. Rizos had an initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court on August 26, 2026, and was ordered detained.

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

Between in or around April 2020 through in or around June 2026, Rizos purchased and received various explosive materials and other items, including fuels, fuses, precursor chemicals, and laboratory equipment from various online retailers which he illegally stored at his personal residence located in Denville, New Jersey.

Further, on or about June 24, 2026, law enforcement searched Rizos’s residence and recovered from his bedroom, basement and garage a sophisticated home laboratory and laboratory equipment, numerous detailed receipts to manufacture multiple types of explosives, and a wide variety of suspected industrial and pharmaceutical chemicals that can be utilized to manufacture explosives. Additionally, law enforcement also recovered from Rizos’s bedroom various containers of suspected explosives. 

Counts 1 and 3 of the Complaint each carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Count 2 of the Complaint carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 1 year, and a maximum fine of $100,000. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle; the Morris County Sherrif’s Office, under the direction of James M. Gannon; and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Smith and Vincent D. Romano of the Office’s National Security 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: Brian J. Neary, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A native of the Dominican Republic admitted, on August 25, 2026, to fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Carlos Gonzalez-Rodriguez, a/k/a/ Braulio Cepeda-Rodriguez, 41, a native of the Dominican Republic, pled guilty today to fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship in a hearing in Camden federal court before District Court Judge Karen M. Williams.  According to statements made in court and documents filed in the case, Gonzalez-Rodriguez is a native of the Dominican Republic who was previously deported from the United States after being convicted of attempted armed robbery.  Gonzalez-Rodriguez re-entered the United States using another person’s identity. Gonzalez-Rodriguez subsequently applied for and obtained U.S. citizenship using the other person’s identity. In his application for citizenship, Gonzalez-Rodriguez lied about his name, date of birth, criminal history, and history of deportation.

The count of fraudulent obtaining U.S. citizenship has a maximum penalty of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of three years of supervised release.  In addition, the sentencing court will revoke Gonzalez-Rodriguez’s citizenship at the time of sentencing.  Sentencing is scheduled for February 1, 2027.

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

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

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Defense counsel: Jenny Hurwitz, Areeb Salim, Assistant Federal Public Defenders

NEWARK, N.J. – A New York woman was convicted by a federal jury yesterday for offenses related to her trafficking of 400 grams or more of fentanyl in April and May 2020, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Naomi Hernandez, 34, of New York, New York, was convicted for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl on May 13, 2020, and for conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl between April 2020 and May 13, 2020, before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court yesterday, August 26, 2026 following a one week jury trial. Sentencing is set for January 12, 2027, at 10:00 a.m.

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

In April 2020, Hernandez began communicating with two confidential sources working for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on an online messaging platform, seeking to sell a large quantity of fentanyl. Hernandez, a New York City resident, met with one of the confidential sources in Paterson, New Jersey, twice in April 2020 to hand over samples of the fentanyl she was offering for sale. She then met with the confidential source again in Paterson on May 11, 2020, and sold 98.6 grams of fentanyl for $5,500.  She was arrested two days later, on May 13, 2020, riding in a van from her residence in upper Manhattan to Paterson on her way to meet with the confidential source again to sell a larger quantity of fentanyl for $45,000.  When law enforcement stopped the van and arrested Hernandez, they also found and seized the 499.6 grams of fentanyl that Hernandez planned to sell to the confidential source.

Hernandez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life, imprisonment, on each count of conviction.  She also faces a maximum fine of $10 million.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James, with the investigation.  U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanked the members of the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Brian N. Sinclair of the Narcotics and International Trafficking Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Lorraine Gauli-Rufo, Esq.

The leader of a Dominican Republic-based international cocaine trafficking and money laundering organization was extradited from Colombia to the United States yesterday to face drug trafficking charges filed in two separate indictments in the Districts of Puerto Rico and New Jersey as well as money laundering charges in the District of New Jersey. The prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative.

Erick Randhiel Mosquea Polanco, also known as “Ramon” and “E,” 45, made his initial appearance in Puerto Rico today. He will make an initial appearance in New Jersey at a later date. Mosquea Polanco was identified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a Regional Priority Organizational Target (RPOT).

“During the Homeland Security Task Force investigation against this leader of a Dominican based drug trafficking organization extradited from Colombia, law enforcement seized millions of dollars worth of cocaine and narcotics proceeds from his drug trafficking organization,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Numerous other members of the organization have already been convicted. Under this administration, federal law enforcement has the tools to find these high-profile drug lords and dismantle their organizations anywhere in the world, because we have President Trump as a leader who unified a permanent interagency task force across all 52 U.S. states and territories.”

“The defendant is alleged to have been the leader of an international drug trafficking organization based in the Dominican Republic that distributed thousands of kilograms of cocaine in the United States and laundered millions of dollars of narcotics proceeds,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey. “After the defendant fled the Dominican Republic using false documents, we and our domestic and international law enforcement partners did not rest until he was located in Colombia and extradited to face charges in New Jersey and Puerto Rico.  As this prosecution shows, my Office will continue to take the fight to drug cartels, both here and abroad.”

“This extradition is another important step in our fight against drug trafficking and transnational organized crime. This prosecution demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Justice, and our law enforcement partners, and the cooperation of international authorities to work together to bring drug traffickers to justice,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Héctor Ramírez Carbó for the District of Puerto Rico. “We will continue to maximize our multi-agency efforts to disrupt and dismantle international drug cartels that smuggle drugs into Puerto Rico and the continental United States.”

“Mosquea Polanco ran a cocaine trafficking network that stretched across Colombia, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Now he will answer for his alleged crimes in the United States,” said DEA Administrator Terry Cole. “This extradition underscores the reach of our partnerships and our resolve to bring drug traffickers to U.S courts, no matter where they operate.” 

Charges in Puerto Rico

Mosquea Polanco was arrested in Colombia on December 2024 at the request of the United States and extradited to Puerto Rico on Aug. 26. According to the indictment filed in Puerto Rico in October 2016, Mosquea Polanco and other coconspirators began no later than January 2013 to import and attempt to import cocaine into the United States. Mosquea Polanco also is charged with three counts of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. In a separate indictment filed in Puerto Rico June 2022, Mosquea Polanco is charged with four counts of conspiracy to distribute for purpose of unlawful importation of cocaine from places outside of the United States, including the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Colombia, and importation of cocaine.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is leading the investigation on the 2016 charges and the DEA’s Caribbean Division is leading the investigation of the 2022 charges.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille García for the District of Puerto Rico is prosecuting the cases in Puerto Rico.

Charges in New Jersey

In a three-count superseding indictment in the District of New Jersey, Mosquea Polanco is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute five kilograms of more of cocaine, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Mosquea-Polanco was the leader of a Dominican Republic-based international drug trafficking organization that distributed more than a thousand kilograms of cocaine in New Jersey, New York, and elsewhere from January 2020 through September 2023. In addition, Mosquea-Polanco coordinated the laundering of millions of dollars of cocaine proceeds to the Dominican Republic and elsewhere.  During the investigation, law enforcement seized dozens of kilograms of cocaine and more than $6 million in narcotics proceeds from Mosquea’s drug trafficking organization. Numerous other members of the drug trafficking organization have already been convicted, including the recent conviction at trial of Samuel Alectus, also known as “Capet,” 37, on July 16.

The DEA — including the Newark Field Office as well as in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico — led the investigation with assistance from the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marko Pesce and Christopher Fell for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case in New Jersey.

If convicted of the drug trafficking counts, Mosquea Polanco faces, for each count, a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison, as well as a maximum fine of $10 million. The money laundering conspiracy charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a statutory maximum fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The U.S. Marshals Service, Justice Department’s Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, and the Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest of Mosquea-Polanco and his extradition to the United States. Colombian officials and the Colombian National Police also provided assistance.

These prosecutions are part of the HSTF initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

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

NEWARK, NJ. – The leader of a Dominican Republic-based international cocaine trafficking and money laundering organization was extradited from Colombia to the United States today, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Erick Randhiel Mosquea-Polanco, a/k/a “Ramon,” a/k/a “E,” 45, is charged in a three-count Superseding Indictment in the District of New Jersey with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms of more of cocaine, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.  Mosquea-Polanco was arrested in Colombia at the request of the United States in December 2024, and extradited today to Puerto Rico, where he also faces federal charges. Mosquea-Polanco had his Rule 5 initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcos E. López in Puerto Rico federal court and was detained.  He will have an initial appearance in the District of New Jersey at a future date.

“During the Homeland Security Task Force investigation against this leader of a Dominican based drug trafficking organization extradited from Colombia, law enforcement seized millions of dollars worth of cocaine and narcotics proceeds from his drug trafficking organization,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Numerous other members of the organization have already been convicted. Under this administration, federal law enforcement has the tools to find these high-profile drug lords and dismantle their organizations anywhere in the world, because we have President Trump as a leader who unified a permanent interagency task force across all 52 U.S. states and territories.”

“The defendant is alleged to have been the leader of an international drug trafficking organization based in the Dominican Republic that distributed thousands of kilograms of cocaine in the United States and laundered millions of dollars of narcotics proceeds. After the defendant fled the Dominican Republic using false documents, we and our domestic and international law enforcement partners did not rest until he was located in Colombia and extradited to face charges in New Jersey and Puerto Rico. As this prosecution shows, my Office will continue to take the fight to drug cartels, both here and abroad.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“Mosquea Polanco ran a cocaine trafficking network that stretched across Colombia, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Now he will answer for his alleged crimes in the United States,” said DEA Administrator Terry Cole. “This extradition underscores the reach of our partnerships and our resolve to bring drug traffickers to U.S courts, no matter where they operate.”   

“Today’s extradition represents another significant step in dismantling an international cocaine trafficking and money laundering organization that operated across borders and brought thousands of kilograms of cocaine into our communities,” said DEA New Jersey Field Division Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James. “This investigation demonstrates the commitment of the men and women of DEA to pursuing drug trafficking organizations wherever they operate and holding their leaders accountable for the harm they cause. We will continue to work closely with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to disrupt the flow of dangerous drugs, seize illicit proceeds, and bring those responsible to justice.”

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

Mosquea-Polanco, identified by the DEA as a Regional Priority Organizational Target (RPOT), was the leader of a Dominican Republic-based international drug trafficking organization that distributed more than a thousand kilograms of cocaine in New Jersey, New York, and elsewhere from January 2020 through September 2023.  In addition, Mosquea-Polanco coordinated the laundering of millions of dollars of cocaine proceeds to the Dominican Republic and elsewhere.  During the investigation, law enforcement seized dozens of kilograms of cocaine and more than $6 million in narcotics proceeds from Mosquea’s drug trafficking organization.  Numerous other members of the drug trafficking organization have already been convicted, including the recent conviction at trial of Samuel Alectus, a/k/a “Capet,” 37, on July 16, 2026.

The charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison, and a statutory maximum fine of $10 million.  The money laundering conspiracy charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a statutory maximum fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents and task force officers of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James.  He also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, New Jersey; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Bogota, Colombia; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in the Dominican Republic; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Puerto Rico; and the United States Marshals Service in Bogota, Colombia.  The Justice Department’s Judicial Attaché in Bogotá and Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest of Mosquea-Polanco and his extradition to the United States. U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanked officials in Colombia and the Colombian National Police for their assistance in the investigation.

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

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

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: Silvia Pinera-Vazquez, Miami, Florida 

CAMDEN, N.J. – A New Jersey man admitted to participating in a multimillion-dollar mortgage fraud scheme and fraudulently obtaining more than $1.8 million of federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans, United States Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

Arthur Spitzer, 39, of Toms River, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on August 19, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel to one count of bank and wire fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering. Spitzer’s co-defendants, Mendel Deutsch, 39, and Joshua Feldberger, 44, previously pleaded guilty before Judge Kiel to their respective roles in the fraudulent schemes and are awaiting sentencing.                                                                       

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

In June 2020, Spitzer conspired with Deutsch and Feldberger to make it appear as if Spitzer owned three properties in Brooklyn, New York and agreed to sell them to Deutsch, who obtained a $4.5 million mortgage loan in connection with the transaction. Feldberger facilitated the fraudulent transaction as the owner of the settlement company that handled the transaction. The defendants created and sent letters stating that Deutsch had deposited significant funds into escrow toward the transaction, when in reality he had not; instead, they created fake documentation purportedly transferring control of the properties to Spitzer, and made false statements to the mortgage lender by claiming that the settlement company had received more than $2 million from Deutsch at closing, which led the mortgage lender to fund the loan. The defendants then used the mortgage loan proceeds to fund Deutsch’s down payment, which he had supposedly already provided.

Spitzer also agreed that he was responsible for the losses resulting from five additional fraudulent loan schemes in 2019 and 2020, amounting to more than millions of dollars.

Further, in 2020 and 2021, Spitzer fraudulently obtained approximately $1.8 million of government loans that were intended for small businesses distressed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted in March 2020 and was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) of up to $2 million to eligible small businesses that were experiencing substantial financial disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To obtain an EIDL loan, a qualifying small business was required to submit an application and provide information on its operations, including the number of employees and revenues or expenses. Spitzer obtained EIDL loans for businesses that had little or no operations by submitting loan applications that included false statements about the applicant companies’ number of employees, revenues, cost of goods sold, or lost rents. Spitzer then laundered some of the proceeds of the EIDL loan fraud. 

The count of bank and wire fraud conspiracy is punishable by a maximum of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The count of money laundering is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.

Spitzer has agreed to pay full restitution to the victims of the offenses of conviction and relevant conduct, including $1,000,000 to the true owner of the Brooklyn properties, as well as at least $1,845,400 to the SBA, subject to any applicable credits for amounts already repaid to the victims. Spitzer also agreed to forfeiture in the amount of $2,250,000 as to the bank and wire fraud conspiracy and $100,000 as to the money laundering of fraudulent EIDL loan proceeds, for a total of $2,350,000.

Spitzer is scheduled to be sentenced on December 21, 2026. Deutsch is scheduled to be sentenced on October 6, 2026, and Feldberger is awaiting the scheduling of a new sentencing date.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; special agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark; and special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Patricia Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge, New York Regional Office, with the investigation leading to these guilty pleas.

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

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.

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

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Defense counsel: 

Spitzer: Henry Mazurek, Esq. and Jason Ser, Esq., New York

Deutsch: Timothy Sini, Esq, New York

Feldberger: Zach Intrater, Esq., New York

TRENTON, N.J. – An Old Bridge, New Jersey man admitted to producing and possessing images and recordings of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

Daniel Berwick, 39, pleaded guilty on August 18, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court to a three-count Information charging him with two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. 

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 create and 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 using the photos and video recordings of an adult content creator as if they were pictures of him. Eventually, Berwick even threatened to send compromising photos of Minor Victim-1 to her family and high school officials, if she did not meet his demands for money or sexual acts. 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 related to Minor Victim-1 and Minor Victim-2 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. Sentencing is scheduled for December 21, 2026. 

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 guilty pleas. 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.

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Defense counsel: Robert C. Scrivo, Esq., Mandelbaum Barrett PC.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A man with ties to New Jersey, Georgia, Malaysia, Morocco, and Albania was charged with threatening to kill and injure victims in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Jarvis Shabazz, 37, who most recently was living in Albania, was charged in an indictment with eight counts of interstate threats and two counts of cyberstalking. He made his initial appearance and was arraigned today in Camden federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Sharon A. King.

According to the Indictment and statements made in court:

On October 10, 2022, Shabazz left a graphic voicemail for a victim, threatening to kill that victim and stating that Shabazz would soon be “dismembering bodies and carving human f***ing flesh.” Approximately a week later, Shabazz left another threatening voicemail for the same victim, stating, “there is not a white paramilitary organization on planet Earth that is going to prevent me from taking your life. I want you to understand me well.  You will die at my hands.  White people cannot protect you.  And your children will suffer the same fate. Inshallah mother f***er.”

For the next fifteen months, Shabazz continued to send additional death threats and harassing communications to this same victim, as well as to another victim. Shabazz made his threats in voicemails and text messages. He frequently changed his phone number, so that he could continue making threats to the victims even after they had blocked his number.  Shabazz’s threats were filled with violent imagery, religious references, racial epithets, and obscenity. 

Each of the counts of interstate threats, and each of the counts of cyberstalking, carries a maximum penalty of up to 5 years in prison, for a total potential maximum penalty of up to 50 years in prison. Each of the charged counts also carries a maximum fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Philadelphia Field Office and South Jersey Resident Agency Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs, with the investigation leading to these charges. He also thanked the West Deptford Police Department Office, under the direction of Chief John Craig, for their valuable assistance in the investigation.

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

                                                                                                                ###

TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County man admitted to defrauding more than 97 victims of more than $47 million through a Ponzi-like investment scheme, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Leor Moshe, 43, of Tom’s River, New Jersey pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2026.

“The defendant turned the trust of his own religious community into a tool for fraud, exploiting personal relationships to fuel a massive Ponzi scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Frazer. “Thanks to the combined efforts of our colleagues at the SEC and federal law enforcement, he has been brought to justice. Our Office will continue to expose financial fraud, protect the investing public, and hold accountable those who abuse positions of trust for personal gain.” 

“Investment fraud can drain people's bank accounts and also upend their lives. Dozens of victims placed their trust in promises made by Moshe, who admits he used their money to pay off his gambling habit, among other things,” said Federal Bureau of Investigations, Newark Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy. “FBI Newark will pursue anyone who breaks the law to exploit victims, and we will do all we can to bring justice to every victim impacted by fraudsters.”

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

Between June 2019 and June 2023, Moshe induced investors to invest in his company, Capital Funding ASAP LLC, by falsely representing, among other things, that their investments would be used exclusively to fund short-term business loans that would generate returns between 9% and 53%. In reality, Moshe used the money to make Ponzi-like payments to earlier investors and for personal expenses such as gambling debts, home renovations, mortgage loans, and car loans. Moshe obtained approximately $47 million from investors, who were predominately members of the Orthodox Jewish community, and used approximately $11 million for personal expenses.

The wire fraud charge carries 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.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, and special agents under the Associate Director of the SEC’s New York Regional Office, Thomas P. Smith., Jr., with the investigation. 

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

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Fell of the Economic Crimes Unit, and Jennifer Kozar, Chief of the General Crimes Unit, in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Steven Yurowitz, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County man, who orchestrated a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $670,292 in COVID-19 relief funding, was sentenced on August 12, 2026, to 24 months imprisonment, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Malak Faltawws, 49, of Rutherford, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark Federal Court to two counts of an Indictment charging wire fraud and money laundering. Judge Padin also imposed the sentence.

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

From March 2020 through November 2021, Faltawws fraudulently obtained approximately $670,292 of COVID-19 emergency relief funds, which included loans and cash advances meant for distressed small businesses under the EIDL and PPP programs, by submitting false and fraudulent applications, inflating his businesses’ revenue, payroll expenses, and number of employees. After receiving the fraudulent funds, he diverted the proceeds for his personal gain.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Padin sentenced Faltawws to three years of supervised release and to pay restitution in the amount of $670,292 and a fine of $10,000.

United States Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Jenifer L. Piovesan.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Farhana C. Melo of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

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

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Defense counsel: Daniel Goldman, Esq., San Clemente, California

NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County man was sentenced on August 5, 2026, to 180 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release for firearms and narcotics offenses, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer 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. Judge Chesler also imposed the sentence. 

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. 

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 and 3 years of supervised release for that offense, and Reams was serving that term of supervised release at the time he committed the May 6, 2024 offenses. On August 5, 2026, Judge Chesler also sentenced Reams to a concurrent term of 24 months imprisonment for violating his prior term of supervised release.  

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

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. 

                                                                                                                     ###

Defense counsel: John McMahon, Esq. 

NEWARK, N.J. – Silvia Vasquez Rivera, 29, of Queens, New York, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit a pattern of racketeering activity that included attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery of United States Postal Service (USPS) mail carriers, and wire fraud in furtherance of a scheme to steal mail, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

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

Vasquez was the leader of a fraud enterprise that used illegally acquired USPS keys to open USPS collection boxes, steal mail, and then deposit or sell stolen checks.  Vasquez and other enterprise members conspired to steal mail on at least approximately 100 occasions, and posted for online sale more than 1,400 checks totaling more than $2.8 million. 

In May 2023, after Victim-1 unsuccessfully brokered an investment in Victim-1’s luxury car business, Vasquez conspired to kidnap Victim-1, paid a group of masked men to assault Victim-1, took Victim-1 from New York to New Jersey and back, and held Victim-1 for ransom, releasing Victim-1 only after Victim-1’s family and friends made a ransom payment. 

In March 2024, after Vasquez was robbed of enterprise proceeds, Vasquez directed other enterprise members to shoot guns into a vehicle in the Bronx, New York, that Vasquez believed contained the person responsible for robbing her. 

In August 2024, Vasquez directed other enterprise members to steal keys from two USPS mail carriers.  One victim mail carrier was assaulted, requiring hospitalization, and the conspirators brandished a gun at the other victim mail carrier. 

The charge of conspiracy to commit a pattern of racketeering activity carries a potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. 

Sentencing is scheduled for December 10, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen; the New York Police Department, under the direction of Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch; the NYPD-FBI Metro Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement 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 New York City area; and the Englewood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas Greeley. 

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

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Defense counsel: Javier Solano, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Georgia man admitted to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, conspiring to defraud banks by negotiating stolen U.S. Treasury checks, and obtaining a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Elvis Sonson, 51, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an information charging him with conspiring to distribute fentanyl, conspiring to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud. 

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

Over the course of several months in 2024, Sonson distributed pills containing fentanyl.  Sonson admitted that he distributed pills in person in Camden, New Jersey, distributed pills by mail to Camden, and directed a co-conspirator to distribute pills.  In total, Sonson admitted to distributing more than 2,000 pills that collectively weighed more than 730 grams.

During the same period, Sonson also worked with others to sell and attempt to sell U.S. Treasury checks that were stolen from the U.S. mail.  The goal of their bank fraud conspiracy was to negotiate the stolen checks at banks.  As part of this conspiracy, Sonson offered to sell stolen checks valued at more than $1,200,000.

Sonson also admitted to obtaining a $325,215 loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal program that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The loan was approved based on a fraudulent application submitted by Sonson stating that a company he owned in Piscataway, New Jersey, had 21 employees and a monthly payroll of $130,086.  The application also contained a fake tax return. In fact, Sonson’s business had no employees other than himself and no payroll.

The fentanyl conspiracy count carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The bank fraud and bank fraud conspiracy counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison. Each count carries a maximum $1 million fine.  Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Wayne Jacobs, and agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.  

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

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

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Defense counsel: 

Maggie Moy, Assistant Federal Public Defender.

TRENTON, N.J. – Eight defendants admitted to their roles in a conspiracy to defraud banks by depositing stolen checks and withdrawing the funds, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. 

The following individuals each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to a one-count Information charging them with conspiracy to commit bank fraud:

• Britany Brown, 39, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on July 21, 2026. Sentencing is scheduled for December 8, 2026.
• Clarence Semmon, 42, of Trenton, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on July 21, 2026. Sentencing is scheduled for December 9, 2026.
• Joseph Graves-Carmichael, 43, of Trenton, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on July 22, 2026. Sentencing is scheduled for December 9, 2026.
• Andrew Hooper, 38, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on July 22, 2026. Sentencing is scheduled for December 7, 2026.
• Thomas Lee, 56, of Beverly, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on July 22, 2026. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2026.
• Patricia Kearse, 47, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on July 22, 2026. Sentencing is scheduled for December 7, 2026.
• Shabazz Rouzard, 34, of Ewing, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on July 22, 2026. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2026.
• John Gerard Ebert, 42, of Hamilton, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on August 4, 2026. Sentencing is scheduled for December 17, 2026.

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

From March 2023 through June 2025, the Defendants conspired to deposit stolen checks—including U.S. Department of Treasury checks—at various banks in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The conspirators impersonated the businesses or individuals listed as payees on the stolen checks, often by acquiring business documents in the names of the payees. Once the conspirators acquired fraudulent business documents or opened fraudulent bank accounts, they deposited the stolen checks and split the proceeds. In total, the conspirators deposited or attempted to deposit over 100 Treasury and commercial checks totaling over $11 million. Many of the Treasury checks were refunds issued as Employee Retention Credits, a program the Internal Revenue Service created during the COVID-19 pandemic to encourage businesses to retain employees. 

The bank fraud conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and also carries a fine of up to $1,000,000, 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. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark-Trenton Resident Agency under the direction of Special Assistant in Charge Stefanie Roddy; special agents with Homeland Security Investigations, Cherry Hill, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas; special agents with the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents with Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Northeast Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Carpenter; special agents with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Jessica Herrington; special agents with the U.S. Air Force – Office of Special Investigations, Detachment 307, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Rebecca B. Bates; and postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge, Christopher Nielson, with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas. 

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

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Bleiberg of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. 

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Defense counsel:

Brown: Vincent J. LaPaglia, Esq.

Ebert: Maximillian Novel, Esq. 

Graves-Carmichael: Kevin Buchan, Esq. 

Hooper: Jacqueline E. Cistaro, Esq. 

Kearse: William Strazza, Esq. 

Lee: Terrell A. Ratliff, Esq. 

Semmon: Tara Breslow-Testa, Esq.

Rouzard: Kathleen Theurer-Platts, Esq. 

CAMDEN, N.J. – An Illinois man admitted to conspiring to distribute over 260 pounds of methamphetamine into New Jersey—the largest seizure of methamphetamine in the state’s history—U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today. 

Marcos Cesar Acosta, 47, most recently of Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Wiliams in Camden federal court to a one-count Information charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

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

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

The conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10,000,000. Sentencing is scheduled for December 17, 2026.

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

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

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

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Defense counsel: Margaret M. Grasso, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Texas man was sentenced in United States District Court to 25 years in prison in connection with the exploitation of a child and production of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

“Crimes against children strike at the heart of our communities, and the exploitation of a child is among the most disturbing crimes we encounter. This case is particularly egregious because it involved a man directing and commanding a mother to abuse her own four-year-old child and then capture those images in video recordings. Particularly troubling is the fact that this defendant was already a registered sex offender.  The children of our state deserve to be protected.  Our Office is committed to holding accountable anyone who exploits children, whether they abuse a child directly or direct others to do so.  Today’s sentence sends a clear message: Those who prey on children will be identified, prosecuted, and held fully accountable for the devastating harm they cause.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

Russell Lynn Davis, Jr., 48, of Texas previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel in Camden federal court to conspiracy to sexually exploit a child, sexual exploitation of a child, and receipt of child pornography. Judge Kiel imposed the sentence today.

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

Between June and August 2021, Davis received at least fourteen videos from a female based in New Jersey who engaged in sexual contact with her then-four-year-old child and then produced and sent those videos to Davis.  Law enforcement’s review of messages between Davis and the abuser revealed that Davis had directed and commanded the abuser in committing specific sexual acts against the child.  Davis is a registered sex offender.  

In addition to the prison term, Judge Kiel also sentenced Davis to 10 years supervised release.

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

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

The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Criminal Division in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Anhtony Iacullo, Esq.

NEWARK, NJ – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey will join their law enforcement partners, neighbors, and communities for National Night Out events in Jersey City, Newark, Westfield, Scotch Plains, Verona, Cedar Grove, Fairview, Rahway, South Orange, Mansfield, Trenton, Haddon Township, Mount Olive, Salem and Wall across the District of New Jersey.

“National Night Out reminds us that the foundation of effective public safety strategies are the partnerships between neighbors, law enforcement, and the community coming together. Safe communities are built through relationships, respect, and neighbors looking out for one another. We honor law enforcement who courageously serve on the front lines of public safety and welcome the opportunity to work alongside our communities to prevent crime, support victims, and help neighborhoods thrive throughout New Jersey.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions of people take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country.

National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.

Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe. 

For more information, visit https://natw.org/.

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NEWARK, N.J. – A North Jersey man was sentenced on July 29, 2026, to 30 months’ imprisonment for conspiring with doctors and others to purchase nearly $50 million worth of oncology and ophthalmology medications, under false pretenses, and then reselling these medications for profit, United States Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Frank Incognito, 46, of Englishtown, New Jersey, previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging him with conspiring to unlawfully resell various medications, including oncology and ophthalmology medications, that previously had been purchased by a healthcare entity.  These medications had been purchased through the medical licenses and offices of various doctors, with the express representation and on the condition that the medications would be used to treat the doctors’ own patients.  In actuality, these medications were not used to treat the doctors’ patients; instead, the medications were resold by Incognito and/or his coconspirators for profit.

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

For several years, Incognito worked as an operations manager of a wholesale drug distributor located in Sewaren, New Jersey.  Incognito conspired with others, including multiple doctors, to obtain expensive prescription medications that Incognito and his coconspirators otherwise would not be able to obtain on their own. These medications were “straw-purchased” through the doctors’ medical practices, and then Incognito and his co-conspirators illegally transferred and resold those medications. Primarily, these medications were cold-chain biologic infusion medications that typically are used to treat cancers, macular degeneration, and autoimmune diseases.

In purchasing the drugs, Incognito and his coconspirators made numerous false and misleading representations to the pharmaceutical manufacturers and authorized distributors, including 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 administered to any of the doctors’ own patients but were ultimately sold to customers for a profit.

The scheme in which Incognito participated ran from approximately June 2012 through January 2019.  During this time, Incognito conspired with others to buy and sell more than $47.7 million worth of the prescription drugs.  Incognito is the third defendant who has been sentenced in connection with this fraudulent scheme, in addition to doctors Anise Kachadourian and Joel Lerner.

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

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: Rocco Cipparone, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Maryland man was sentenced to 60 months in prison for conspiring to transport stolen property from burglarized consignment shops across multiple states, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. 

Dominique Hayes, 30, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, was sentenced to 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court on July 29, 2026. Hayes was also ordered to pay restitution of $2,167,688 to victims of the offense. This followed Hayes’s guilty plea on November 18, 2025 to one count of conspiracy to receive stolen property. 

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

Hayes was part of a commercial burglary ring that committed at least 18 burglaries in multiple states between March 2024 and November of 2024, including in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. On several dates, Hayes and his co-conspirators targeted consignment shops, broke in using sledgehammers and other objects in the middle of the night, destroyed windows, doors, and other property in the shops, stole dozens of designer handbags and other items from each shop, and transported the stolen goods across state lines where they were sold or otherwise disposed of. Hayes and his co-conspirators burglarized some of the consignment shops on more than one occasion. As a result, the consignment shop victims collectively lost more than $2 million in valuable property.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited officers of Homeland Security Investigations-Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the New Jersey State Police, Delaware State Police, Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Philadelphia Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, Cape May Police Department, Cherry Hill Police Department, Colts Neck Police Department, Englewood Police Department, Guilderland Police Department, Haddonfield Police Department, Livingston Police Department, Manalapan Police Department, Margate Police Department, Millburn Police Department, Montclair Police Department, North Castle Police Department, Roxbury Police Department, Saratoga Springs Police Department, Springfield Police Department, Tenafly Police Department, Warren Police Department, and Watchung Police Department for their assistance.

Anyone who believes they may be a victim, or has information about the theft group or burglaries, is asked to call 1-866-DHS-2-ICE, or call a local field office. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly M. Lyons of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. 

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Defense counsel: Bruce S. Rosen, Esq., Hackensack, New Jersey.

TRENTON, N.J. – A Hunterdon County man admitted to possessing videos and images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

David Tuytjens, 70, of Tewksbury Township, New Jersey, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to a one-count Indictment charging him with possession of child pornography.

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

In December 2024, officers from the New Jersey State Parole Board visited Tuytjens’ residence and discovered various electronic devices, including a 64 gigabyte MicroSD storage card. Officers conducted their visit because Tuytjens is prohibited from possessing, among other things, Internet-capable devices as an individual under Community Supervision for Life due to a prior State conviction for aggravated sexual assault. The storage card contained at least 800 images and 30 video files containing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). The CSAM included images depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, images portraying sadistic or masochistic conduct, and sexual abuse or exploitation of an infant or toddler.

Due to Tuytjens’ prior convictions, including a federal conviction for possession of child pornography, the charge of possession of child pornography carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. The charge also carries with it a maximum $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2027.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in the Newark Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, the U.S. Probation Office, District of New Jersey, under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Joseph A. DaGrossa, the New Jersey State Parole Board, under the direction of Chairman Samuel J. Plumeri, Jr., and the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson, 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 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 Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

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Defense counsel: Carlos Diaz-Cobo, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A South Carolina corporation entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by applying for and receiving a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for which the company was not eligible, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

According to the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement:

China Jushi USA Corp. (China Jushi USA) is a South Carolina corporation with a place of business in Columbia, South Carolina. China Jushi USA is a subsidiary of China Jushi Corp., a Chinese company that manufactures and sells fiberglass products. During the period of July 27, 2020 to June 21, 2021, China Jushi USA applied for and received a PPP loan and loan forgiveness totaling $3,590,007 (including interest). 

The United States contends that China Jushi USA falsely certified eligibility to receive this first-draw PPP loan and loan forgiveness totaling $3,590,007 (including interest). The United States contends that China Jushi USA knowingly made false statements, or caused false statements to be made, when it certified in its PPP loan application that it was eligible for a PPP loan. At the time of its loan application, China Jushi USA was not eligible to participate in the PPP because, inclusive of affiliates’ employees, China Jushi USA exceeded applicable size standards. In addition, because of China Jushi USA’s false statements on its loan application, the United States paid $35,581 in lender processing fees associated with the first-draw loan for which China Jushi USA was ineligible.   

In accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement, China Jushi USA paid the United States $5,075,823. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. In this matter, the relator is receiving $507,582 as the share in the recovery. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited the Small Business Administration (SBA)’s Office of General Counsel for their assistance in this matter.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan J. Pappy of the Health Care Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark, with assistance from Trial Attorney Denise Grugan of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

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.

The qui tam case is captioned US ex rel. Aidan Forsyth v. China Jushi USA Corp., 24-cv-09959 (D.N.J.). 

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

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Counsel for China Jushi USA Corp.: John J. Pease III, Esq., Steven Strauss, Esq., Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.

Relator’s counsel: Eric H. Jaso, Esq., Spiro, Harrison & Nelson LLP.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, man was sentenced on July 30, 2026, to 324 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for various child exploitation offenses, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Bobbyjean Orak, 31, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to a five-count Indictment, charging him with transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, and the production and possession of child pornography.  Judge Williams also imposed the sentence.

“There is no greater duty than protecting children from those who seek to exploit them. For years, the defendant groomed a vulnerable child before transporting her across state lines to commit horrific sexual abuse. After a month-long manhunt, the FBI and our local law enforcement partners apprehended the defendant and discovered that this child was not his only victim, but one of many that he targeted and exploited. Those who prey on our children should know this: our office will relentlessly pursue them, aggressively prosecute them, and hold them fully accountable under the law.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

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

Beginning in February 2022, Orak, who was then a 27-year-old man, began an online relationship with a then-11-year-old girl (Victim-1). Orak, who initially disguised his true age and gender, developed his relationship with Victim-1 into a sexual one, and through his exploitation of Victim-1, Orak obtained child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting Victim‑1. In their chats, Orak described in graphic detail the sex acts he intended to perform on Victim-1. Meanwhile, Orak engaged in a campaign to convince other minor victims, whom he found online, to send him sexually explicit photographs or videos of themselves to him, including by blackmailing these other victims.

In July 2024, Orak arranged for Victim-1 to flee her home in Philadelphia in the middle of the night and transported her to New Jersey. There, the two moved between various hotels in an effort to evade law enforcement. While concealing their whereabouts, Orak sexually exploited Victim-1 and isolated her from friends and family to reduce the likelihood that authorities would locate them. To finance their time on the run, Orak committed a series of robberies at gas stations throughout Burlington County.

Following a month-long search effort, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) located Orak and Victim-1 at a hotel in Galloway, New Jersey. FBI agents and local law enforcement officers arrested Orak and safely reunited Victim-1 with her family that same evening. After Victim-1 was found, investigators examined Orak’s cellphone and online accounts and discovered over 1,000 images and videos of CSAM depicting Victim-1 and other minor victims.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited law enforcement members with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation leading to Orak’s conviction and this sentencing. He also thanked the Philadelphia, Galloway Township, Evesham, Delran, Waterford Township, and Winslow Township Police Departments, the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Burlington County Department of Corrections for their assistance with the investigation.

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

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

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Defense counsel: Thomas Young, Assistant Federal Public Defender.

NEWARK, N.J. – A former postal worker admitted to repeatedly burglarizing post offices in January and February 2023 to steal mail, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Zyeama Johnson, 31, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty on July 28, 2026, before U.S. district Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to six counts of an indictment charging her with burglary of a post office. The sentencing date is scheduled for November 24, 2026.

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

Zyeama Johnson had previously been employed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) when she burglarized post offices six times in January and February 2023. During each burglary, Johnson entered after business hours with the intent of stealing mail from the post office.  For example, on January 10, 2023, Johnson broke into a post office in Jersey City and stole two USPS mail bins and a parcel bin.

Each of the burglary charges carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the value of the gain or loss, whichever is greater. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited postal inspectors with the United States 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. Attorney Chana Y. Zuckier of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Linda Foster, Esq. 

NEWARK, N.J. – Two men from Montclair, New Jersey and a man from Kent, Washington admitted to charges related to supporting the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (“ISIS”), U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Tomas-Kaan Jimenez-Guzel, 19, and Milo Sedarat, 21, both of Montclair, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on July 27, 2026 and July 28, 2026, respectively, before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to terrorism-related offenses. Jimenez-Guzel pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, and Sedarat pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with concealment of  material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. 

Additionally, Saed Ali Mirreh, 20, of Kent, Washington pleaded guilty on July 22, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones in U.S. District Court in Seattle, Washington to an Information charging him with conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.  Mirreh was originally charged with the conspiracy in the District of New Jersey and consented to have his case transferred to the Western District of Washington for purposes of pleading guilty. 

“Any individual supporting ISIS or other terrorist organizations, regardless of whether it involves organizing an attack, planning to travel overseas, or funding others to join ISIS will be investigated swiftly and prosecuted. Jimenez-Guzel and Mirreh planned to travel abroad to actively fight with ISIS, and Sedarat surreptitiously provided funding for those plans.  This Office is committed to disrupting foreign terrorist organizations, preventing ISIS-inspired terrorism, and holding accountable those individuals who support terrorist organizations.”

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“These men actively plotted and planned to go overseas to fight with ISIS, one of the worst terrorist organizations responsible for unspeakable violence all over the world. FBI Newark Joint Terrorism Task Force and our law enforcement partners thwarted their plans and stopped Jimenez-Guzel as he arrived at the airport. Regardless of the intent to either fight overseas or plot an attack on our soil - we will tenaciously investigate and arrest anyone supporting and conspiring with terrorists,” said Stefanie Roddy, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Newark.

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

From July 24, 2025 to November 4, 2025, through communications on encrypted messaging applications, Jimenez-Guzel, Mirreh, and other co-conspirators agreed to travel to Turkey in November 2025. They also agreed with other co-conspirators to travel from Turkey to “sham,” which is an Arabic term for the historical region of greater Syria, to join ISIS as fighters.  On October 18, 2025, Sedarat met with Jimenez-Guzel and provided him $500 in cash to assist with buying a plane ticket for Mirreh to travel to join ISIS as part of the conspiracy.  Sedarat took steps to conceal that monetary transfer from law enforcement by instructing Jimenez-Guzel to not take his cell phone to the meeting where the money was exchanged and by deliberately using cash instead of other electronic money transfers.  On October 26, 2025, Jimenez-Guzel then transferred $500 to Mirreh. 

On October 27, 2025, Jimenez-Guzel purchased a plane ticket to depart from Newark Liberty International Airport to Istanbul, Turkey on November 17, 2025. On October 28, 2025, Mirreh purchased a ticket to depart from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Istanbul, Turkey on November 16, 2025.  After other individuals in Dearborn, Michigan, with whom Jimenez-Guzel and Mirreh were communicating were arrested on October 31, 2025, and charged with offenses related to those individuals’ plot to carry out a violent attack on behalf of ISIS, Jimenez-Guzel, Mirreh, and their co-conspirators accelerated their travel plans.

On November 3, 2025, Jimenez-Guzel re-booked his flight to Turkey to leave instead on November 5, 2025 (in the early morning hours, shortly after midnight on November 4, 2025). Then, on November 4, 2025, after communicating with Jimenez-Guzel and other co-conspirators, Mirreh booked an additional flight to Turkey to depart  on November 5, 2025. On November 4, 2025, Jimenez-Guzel was arrested after arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport, and Mirreh was arrested later that evening at his home in Washington.

The count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization to which Jimenez-Guzel and Mirreh pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of life of supervised release. The charge of concealing material support to which Sedarat pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of life of supervised release. Mirreh’s sentencing is scheduled for October 16, 2026, Sedarat’s sentencing is scheduled for December 2, 2026, and Jimenez-Guzel’s sentencing is scheduled for December 3, 2026. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited Special Agents and Joint Terrorism Task Force Officers 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 W. Mike Herrington in Seattle, Washington; and officers of the New York Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, Montclair Police Department, under the direction of Chief Todd M. Conforti, and Rowan University Police Department, under the direction of Chief Rachel Baum. 

The government is represented in the cases against Jimenez-Guzel and Mirreh by Assistant U.S. Attorney Camila A. Garces of the National Security Unit in Newark, New Jersey with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg of the National Security Unit in Seattle, Washington.  The government is represented in the case against Sedarat by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the National Security Unit in Newark, New Jersey.  Trial Attorneys John Cella, Patrick Cashman, and James Donnelly of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division provided substantial assistance for all three cases.

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Defense counsel for Jimenez-Guzel: Deirdre von Dornum, Esq.

Defense counsel Sedarat: Areeb Salim, Esq. and Anita Aboagye-Agyeman, Esq.

Defense counsel for Mirreh: Dawn Farina, Esq. and Casey M. Arbenz, Esq.

The National Fraud Enforcement Division today announced the resolution of a criminal health care fraud investigation into Campus Eye Management Holdings LLC, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Campus Eye Management LLC (collectively, Campus Eye), pursuant to Part I of the Department of Justice (Department) Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy (CEP). The Department declined to prosecute Campus Eye, a management services organization that provided billing and other services to an optometry practice and ambulatory surgery center (ASC), for health care fraud, illegal kickbacks and bribes, and conspiracy after it voluntarily self-disclosed the misconduct, fully cooperated with the Department’s investigation, and timely and appropriately remediated the wrongdoing. As part of the resolution, Campus Eye agreed to pay back $1 million to victims. 

“The Fraud Division is committed to robust and fair corporate enforcement, which aids our prosecutions of individuals who defraud the government,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “The Department’s policies afford companies that take responsibility for their misconduct with a clear path to a declination. Businesses that ignore the law and profit from their executive’s lies and deceit will be held accountable.” 

Separately, the Department announced a seven-count indictment against the founder of the optometry practice and ASC for his role in orchestrating diagnostic testing and kickback schemes, both prior to and after he and outside investors formed Campus Eye in December 2021 and he became the CEO. According to court documents, from at least 2015 through March 2023, E. Bruce DiDonato, 71, of Princeton, New Jersey, allegedly conspired with others to defraud Medicare by billing for unnecessary diagnostic eye tests. DiDonato allegedly paid kickbacks and bribes to ophthalmologists in exchange for their referral of patients who needed eye surgeries, and then subjected the patients to diagnostic tests that were duplicative of tests they had previously received or were unnecessary for the type of surgery being performed. As alleged, neither DiDonato nor the optometrist reviewed the tests, and in most instances the ophthalmologists did not review or rely on the tests to inform their treatment decisions in advance of surgery. 

According to the indictment, DiDonato concealed the payment of kickbacks and bribes by creating sham agreements that described the payments as consulting fees, and paying in the form of monthly “flat fees” that were actually based on a percentage of the optometry practice’s Medicare reimbursement for diagnostic tests performed on patients the providers had referred in the previous year. DiDonato allegedly caused the submission of approximately $3.4 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, of which Medicare paid approximately $1 million. DiDonato then marketed and sold Campus Eye to private equity investors, based in part on the lucrative reimbursements he received from Medicare. 

The Department resolved its investigation into Campus Eye after considering the factors set forth in the CEP, including (1) Campus Eye’s timely and voluntary self-disclosure of the misconduct; (2) Campus Eye’s full and proactive cooperation in this matter and its agreement to continue to cooperate with any ongoing government investigations and prosecutions; (3) the nature and seriousness of the offense; (4) Campus Eye’s timely and appropriate remediation, including an internal review and subsequent revision of certain billing, payment, and compensation policies, and substantial improvement of its compliance program by, among other things, conducting ongoing risk assessments and monitoring, hiring new personnel with compliance responsibilities, and implementing compliance trainings; (5) the absence of aggravating factors that, when weighed against Campus Eye’s cooperation and remediation, warrant a disposition other than a resolution under Part I of the CEP; and (6) the fact that Campus Eye agreed to compensate victims.

This is the Department’s first declination of a health care company under the new Department-wide Corporate Enforcement Policy that was announced by Acting Attorney General Blanche on March 10, 2026, following an uptick of corporate enforcement actions against health care companies by the Department in recent years. 

DiDonato is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, two counts of health care fraud, and three counts of payment of illegal health care kickbacks. If convicted, DiDonato faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the health care fraud conspiracy and substantive health care fraud counts, 5 years in prison on the kickback conspiracy count, and 10 years in prison for each of the substantive kickback counts.

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey; Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy of the FBI; and Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz of the Department of Health and Human Services, Officer of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and made the announcement.

FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case. 

National Fraud Enforcement Division Acting Assistant Chief Darren C. Halverson and Trial Attorney Lindsey D. Carson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Nasar for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case. Marnee Rand, Acting Chief of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Corporate Enforcement Section, provided valuable assistance to the CEP declination.

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

The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

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

NEWARK, N.J. –Charges were brought today against the founder and former CEO of a New Jersey based management company that oversaw an optometry practice and eye surgery center for conspiring to commit and committing health care fraud and violating the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, announced U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer. 

E. Bruce DiDonato, 71, of Princeton, New Jersey, was charged in a seven-count Indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, two substantive counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to offer and pay health care kickbacks in connection with illegal referrals, and three substantive counts of paying health care kickbacks.

“As alleged, the defendant used his company to pay doctors and surgeons illegal kickbacks in exchange for the surgeons bringing patients to his eye care practice, where they were subjected to unnecessary diagnostic tests all so the defendant could enrich himself by billing Medicare. This Office will continue to pursue and prioritize complex health care fraud schemes that waste Government funds and harm patients.” 

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“Dr. DiDonato's alleged deception of his patients, staff, and Medicare, which countless Americans depend on, is a scheme rife with disregard for the rules and integrity that govern the medical industry.” says FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy. “People must be able to trust their doctors, and many do so, albeit blindly. This case demonstrates the FBI's commitment to rooting out fraudsters and bringing justice to the victims impacted by these crimes.”

“Medicare patients deserve care guided by medical need, not illicit financial arrangements,” said Special Agent in Charge Naomi D. Gruchacz of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “As alleged, the defendant put profit ahead of patient well‑being and misused the Medicare program through unnecessary testing and illegal kickbacks, diverting critical resources away from those who rely on them. HHS‑OIG, alongside our law enforcement partners, remains steadfast in protecting patients, safeguarding taxpayer funds, and upholding the integrity of federally funded health care programs.”

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

DiDonato was the founder of Campus Eye LLC and Campus Eye Surgery Center LLC, an optometry practice and ambulatory surgery center located in Hamilton Township, New Jersey. In 2021, DiDonato sold a portion of his interest in those entities to a private equity firm and assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of a newly-formed management company, Campus Eye Management Holdings, LLC, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Campus Eye Management, LLC (together, the “Campus Eye Entities”), which operated the optometry care practice and eye surgery center. 

Both prior to and after he and outside investors formed the Campus Eye Entities and he became the CEO, DiDonato conspired with others to defraud Medicare by performing and billing for unnecessary diagnostic tests at the surgery center. DiDonato allegedly paid kickbacks and bribes to ophthalmologists in exchange for their referral of patients who needed eye surgeries and then subjected the patients to diagnostic tests that were duplicative of tests they had previously received or were unnecessary for the type of surgery being performed. Neither DiDonato nor the optometrist reviewed the tests, and in most instances the ophthalmologists did not review or rely on the tests to inform their treatment decisions in advance of surgery. DiDonato allegedly concealed the payment of kickbacks and bribes by creating sham agreements that described the payments as consulting fees, and paying in the form of monthly “flat fees” that were actually based on a percentage of the optometry practice’s Medicare reimbursement for diagnostic tests performed on patients the providers had referred in the previous year. DiDonato allegedly caused the submission of approximately $3.4 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, of which Medicare paid approximately $1 million. 

If convicted, DiDonato faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment on the health care fraud conspiracy and substantive health care fraud counts, 5 years imprisonment on the kickback conspiracy count, and 10 years imprisonment for each of the substantive kickback counts. 

Separately, the Department of Justice announced that it has resolved its criminal health care fraud investigation into the Campus Eye Entities pursuant to Part I of the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy (CEP). As part of the resolution, the Department has declined to prosecute the Campus Eye Entities for the healthcare fraud and kickback scheme carried out by DiDonato and others, and the Campus Eye Entities have agreed to pay $1 million in disgorgement. 

United States Attorney Frazer credited special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, in Newark, New Jersey, and the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz, 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. Attorney Jake A. Nasar and Unit Chief George L. Brandley of the Office’s Health Care Fraud and Opioid Enforcement Unit, and Acting Assistant Chief Darren C. Halverson and Trial Attorney Lindsey D. Carsen of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. 

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:         Thomas H. Barnard, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Middlesex County woman was charged in a criminal complaint with sexual abuse of an individual in federal custody, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.

Jordan Pensak, 27, a corrections officer at Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix (“Fort Dix”), was charged by complaint with one count of sexual abuse of an individual in federal custody.  Fort Dix is a low-security federal correctional institution in Burlington County. 

According to the complaint and statements made in court:

Pensak had a consensual sexual relationship with an inmate at Fort Dix and had sex with him in January 2026.  Pensak and the inmate also exchanged sexually explicit photographs and messages over social media and electronic applications, facilitated by the inmate’s use of two contraband cell phones while in custody at Fort Dix. Pensak admitted to having a sexual relationship with the inmate in text messages sent to multiple individuals, including family members of the inmate. In one of those communications Pensak raised concerns that she might be pregnant with the inmate’s child. 

Pensak made her initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal in federal District Court in Camden on July 28, 2026, and was released on bail.  If convicted of sexual abuse of an individual in federal custody, Pensak faces a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; and the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Edminston, with the investigations.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McFarlane of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions 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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Defense counsel: Mark Catanzaro, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Barrington man, who was the Chief Operating Officer for a security business was charged for his role in embezzling $3 million from a Westville business and bank fraud for the loss of $9 million that the company held in trust for a bank, announced U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer.

Also charged was a Clementon man, who was the Deputy Director of the Westville security company for his role in embezzling over $2 million, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Robert Cormier, 51, of Barrington, New Jersey, was charged in an indictment with embezzlement by bank agent, bank fraud, money laundering, income tax evasion and failing to collect and pay over payroll taxes.  Cormier made his initial appearance and was arraigned on July 20, 2026 in Camden federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal.

Richard Eisler, 38, of Clementon, New Jersey, was charged in a separate indictment with embezzlement by bank agent, money laundering, income tax evasion and witness tampering.  Eisler made his initial appearance and was arraigned on 7/24/26 in Camden federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal.

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

In 2017, Robert Cormier started Erigere Rapidus Solutions, Inc. (ERS), a security services business, that was located in Westville, New Jersey.  In late 2019, ERS entered into an agreement with a local bank to collect, count, transport, store and deposit cash on behalf of a bank at the Federal Reserve Bank in Philadelphia.  ERS’s employees, including Eisler, were responsible for picking up cash from various customers of the bank, counting the cash at ERS’s office, and providing accurate daily reports of the cash to the bank.  Those reports were supposed to reflect accurately the cash that ERS had collected on behalf of the bank.  Cormier was responsible for providing the bank accurate information about the daily balance of cash in ERS’s vault, including cash transactions coming in and out of ERS, the denominations of each of the transactions, and the ending balance of bank’s cash that was being stored by ERS. The bank relied on the reports from ERS to appropriately credit the relevant customers’ accounts for the cash that had been collected by ERS on behalf of the bank. 

After picking up the cash from the bank’s customers, ERS stored the cash in a vault at ERS’s office in New Jersey, until it could be deposited in the Federal Reserve Bank in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for deposit on behalf of the bank. 

From March 2019 to September 2022, ERS collected, counted, stored, transported, and deposited millions of dollars in cash for the bank.  On a daily basis, ERS stored cash in its vault, in varying amounts ranging from $1 to $12 million.  At the time that the bank ended their relationship with ERS, the bank determined that over $8 million was missing from the vault.

Beginning in 2020 and continuing until 2022, Cormier took various amounts of cash out of ERS’s vault, which cash belonged to the bank, without authorization by the bank.  Cormier embezzled and stole at least approximately $3 million.  Cormier used the embezzled funds to: pay cash payroll for employees at ERS; pay invoices for the installation and monitoring of security systems at various businesses; pay for the installation of security systems in the ERS Offices and vehicles; pay for ERS company vehicles; deposit, and caused to be deposited, cash into ERS’s bank accounts; and pay personal expenses for himself and his family members, including, among other things, the installation of a deck and a pool, and household renovations.  Cormier did not report this extra income to the IRS nor did he collect and pay over payroll taxes for ERS’s employees.

Beginning in 2020 and continuing until late 2021, Eisler took various amounts of cash belonging to the bank out of ERS’s vault without authorization by the bank. Eisler embezzled and stole at least approximately $2 million of this money.  Eisler used the embezzled funds to pay personal expenses for himself and family members and deposit cash into his personal account, joint accounts, or his family members’ bank accounts.  The funds were used to purchase luxury vehicles, such as an Audi RS7, Audi R8, Porsche 911, Ford F450 truck, Dodge Durango, Harley Davidson motorcycle, and a recreational vehicle.  Eisler also used the funds to pay for his wedding rings, wedding reception, a roof on his residence and to pay off an automobile loan.  Eisler did not report this extra income to the IRS. Additionally, during the investigation, Eisler attempted to obstruct the investigation by attempting to persuade a witness to lie to the federal agents.

For Cormier, the counts of embezzlement by bank agent and bank fraud each carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest.  The counts of income tax evasion each carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest.  The counts of failure to collect and pay over payroll taxes each carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 3 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest.  The counts of money laundering carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the value of the laundered money, whichever is greatest.

For Eisler, the count of embezzlement by bank agent carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest.  The counts of concealment money laundering each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the value of the laundered money. The counts of launder money – transacting in criminal proceeds each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the value of the laundered money, whichever is greatest. The counts of income tax evasion each carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest.  The count of witness tampering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest. 

The charges and allegations contained in the indictments against Cormier and Eisler are merely accusations, and Cormier and Eisler are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Wayne Jacobs, and agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to these charges.  He also thanked the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Grace MacAulay, for their valuable assistance in the investigation.

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

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Defense counsel: 

Cormier:         Maggie Moy, Esq. Camden, New Jersey.

Eisler:              Zach Intrater, New York, New York. 

NEWARK, N.J. – An illegal alien who was previously removed from the United States on 12 separate occasions was arraigned earlier today on a charge of illegal re-entry after previously being convicted of a felony, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Aedo Cruz Gonzalez, 40, of New Jersey, was charged in a one-count Indictment with illegal re-entry by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1326(a) and (b)(1).

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

Cruz Gonzalez, a citizen of Mexico, was removed from the United States to Mexico 12 separate times for illegally entering the United States between 2011 and September 2024.

On February 6, 2012, Cruz Gonzalez pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona to a felony offense of illegally re-entering the United States, and was sentenced to five months’ imprisonment. He was subsequently removed from the United States to Mexico for the third time on or about August 20, 2012. 

Following his removal in August 2012, Cruz Gonzalez illegally entered the United States on nine additional occasions and was removed to Mexico each time. After his most recent removal on or about September 24, 2024, Cruz Gonzalez again unlawfully re-entered the United States.  He was subsequently arrested by the Hillsborough Police Department on or about December 7, 2024 and charged with numerous crimes, including exhibiting a false motor vehicle insurance card and operating a motor vehicle during license suspension. Cruz Gonzalez was convicted in Somerset County Superior Court on those two charges on May 22, 2025.

The charge of unlawful re-entry by a convicted felon carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain to the defendant as a result of the offense, or twice the gross loss to a person other than the defendant as a result of the offense, whichever is greatest.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations – Newark Field Office, under the direction of Acting Field Officer Director Arthur J. Wilson Jr., for their assistance with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Miller 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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Defense counsel: Adam Axel, Esq. and Meagan McGurl, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defenders

Newark, N.J. – A New York man admitted to engaging in a conspiracy to receive and transport stolen goods causing losses of more than $1,500,000, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Raimond Cabrera De Leon, 33, of New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Jamel K. Semper in Newark federal court on July 16, 2026, to an information charging him with conspiring to receive and transport stolen goods. 

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

Cabrera De Leon was part of an international and nationwide ring involved in the widespread theft of electronic device shipments from FedEx and other carriers.  The ring identified valuable packages to steal through two primary means:  (1) the creation and use of automated computer scripts to scrape data from the public and customer-facing tracking systems of FedEx and Victim-1, a major U.S. cellular provider; and (2) bribing corrupt Victim-1 employees to provide confidential information about Victim-1 customers, including orders, names, tracking numbers, and delivery addresses. This criminal network operated in layers with some members, referred to as “dispatchers,” obtaining and selling the delivery information and others, referred to as “runners,” purchasing this delivery information and stealing the packages. Cabrera De Leon operated a major “fence” location out of a residential building in the Bronx, New York, where an almost constant stream of people brought stolen devices for sale.

The conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the value of the gain or loss, whichever is greater. 

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited Homeland Security Investigations, New York Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Pete Gizas, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, the New York City Police Department under the direction of Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel and Chief Walter Laurencio with the investigation leading to this plea.

U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanked the Dominican Republic’s Procuraduría Especializada Contra los Crímenes y Delitos de Alta Tecnología (PEDATEC), (Specialized Prosecutor's Office for High Technology Crimes and Offenses) and HSI’s Newark Field Office for their collaboration in this matter.

In 2024, New Jersey experienced a surge of over 400 identified package thefts targeting cellular devices.  To combat this threat, Union County Prosecutor’s Office partnered with New Jersey State Police Real Time Crime Center North and FBI Newark to spearhead a task force of investigators from impacted jurisdictions along with federal, state, and county agencies to collaborate on emerging intelligence. Through private sector partnerships, collusive employees were identified. Prospective delivery information was also shared among the task force to proactively identify, surveil, and arrest individuals involved in package theft within New Jersey. The following agencies are credited with contributing:

Cranford Police Department, Sparta Police Department, Moorestown Police Department, Barnegat Police Department,  Paterson Police Department, Belleville Police Department, Department of Homeland Security-U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations, Port Authority Police Department, Edison Police Department, Woodbridge Police Department, Rahway Police Department, Elizabeth Police Department, Kenilworth Police Department, Plainfield Police Department, Westfield Police Department, Summit Police Department, Linden Police Department, Scotch Plains Police Department, Berkeley Heights Police Department, Union County Police Department, Mountainside Police Department, Hillside Police Department, Fanwood Police Department, Clark Police Department, New Providence Police Department, Roselle Police Department, Roselle Park Police Department, Springfield Police Department, Union Police Department, Wayne Police Department, South Amboy Police Department, Brick Police Department, Wyckoff Police Department, Rutherford Police Department, Carlstadt Police Department, Oakland Police Department, Glen Rock Police Department, Fort Lee Police Department, Montvale Police Department, Little Falls Police Department, Wallington Police Department, Englewood Police Department, Leonia Police Department, Bloomfield Police Department, Fair Lawn Police Department, Closter Police Department, Verona Police Department, Elmwood Park Police Department, Clifton Police Department,  Woodcliff Lakes Police Department, Cresskill Police Department, Palisades Park Police Department, Hillsdale Police Department, Franklin Lakes Police Department, Warren Township Police Department, Caldwell Police Department, Fairview Police Department, New Milford Police Department, Bergenfield Police Department, Branchburg Police Department, Wayne Police Department, Paramus Police Department, Jersey City Police Department, Secaucus Police Department, Randolph Police Department, Teaneck Police Department, Middlesex Police Department, Montvale Police Department, Manalapan Police Department, Toms River Police Department, Riverdale Police Department, Morristown Police Department, Dover Police Department, Roxbury Police Department, Montville Police Department, Parsippany Police Department, Denville Police Department, Chatham Township Police Department, Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, North Brunswick Police Department, New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trevor A. Chenoweth and Andrew Kogan of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Sarah Sulkowski, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A company providing inspection, repair and maintenance services based in Harvey, Louisiana, with offices in Hackensack, New Jersey, entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by taking a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to which it was not entitled, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

According to the allegations in the complaint and the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement:

In January 2021, CAN USA, Inc. applied for and received a $2 million PPP loan.  Under the eligibility rules in effect at that time, businesses with more than 300 employees were not eligible for PPP loans. Applicants were instructed that the 300-employee limit included employees working for the applicant’s affiliates.  In its loan application, CAN USA certified that it was eligible for the loan and that it employed no more than 300 employees. However, CAN USA was not eligible for its loan because, inclusive of employees working for the company’s foreign affiliates, CAN USA had more than 300 employees. After receiving the PPP loan, CAN USA sought and received forgiveness of the total amount of the loan, plus accrued interest. 

CAN USA fully cooperated in the investigation and resolution of this matter. In accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement, CAN USA will pay the United States $2,916,900. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. In this matter, the relator is receiving $291,690 as the share.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of the Health Care Fraud and Opioid Enforcement Unit in Newark.

The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Clearwater Metrics LLC v. CAN USA Inc., Civil Action No. 26-3469 (D.N.J.).

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

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Counsel for CAN USA, Inc.: Duris Holmes, Esq., New Orleans, LA

Counsel for Relator ClearWater Metrics, LLC: Jason Marcus, Esq., Atlanta, GA

NEWARK, N.J. – A manufacturer and distributor of fashion and leather products with a principal place of business in Mercer County, New Jersey, entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by taking a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to which it was not entitled, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

According to the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement:

In May 2021, Longchamp USA, Inc. (Longchamp) applied for and received a $1,379,972 PPP loan. Under the eligibility rules in effect at that time, businesses with more than 300 employees were not eligible for PPP loans. Applicants were instructed that the 300-employee limit was inclusive of the applicant’s affiliates, including affiliates whose employees were based outside the United States. In its loan application, Longchamp certified that it was eligible for the loan and that it employed no more than 300 employees. However, Longchamp was not eligible for the loan because, inclusive of its affiliates and their foreign employees, it had more than 300 employees. After receiving the PPP loan, Longchamp sought and received forgiveness of the total amount of the loan, plus interest that had accrued. The United States also paid an associated lender processing fee of $41,399.

Longchamp fully cooperated in the investigation and resolution of this matter. In accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement, Longchamp paid the United States $1,997,110. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. In this matter, the relator’s share was $199,710.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thandiwe Boylan of the Health Care Fraud & Opioid Enforcement Unit in Newark, with assistance from Trial Attorney Denise Grugan of the Office of Capital Access, U.S. Small Business Administration.

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.

The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. GNGH2, Inc. v. Longchamp USA, Inc., Civil Action No. 24-4488 (D.N.J.).

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

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Counsel for Longchamp USA, Inc.: Justin C. Danilewitz, Esq., Philadelphia, P.A.

Counsel for Relator GNGH2 Inc.: David Abrams, Esq., New York, NY