District Not Recorded

Note: Read the letter here

Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division opened an investigation into George Mason University to determine whether it is engaged in discriminatory employment practices based on race and sex.

The investigation stems from statements and policies made by the University’s president, which indicate that race and sex are motivating factors in faculty hiring and other employment decisions to achieve “diversity” goals. Multiple emails and internal documents suggest preferential treatment of certain races and sexes in hiring and other employment practices, including promotion and tenure of faculty members.

“It is unlawful and un-American to deny equal access to employment opportunities on the basis of race and sex,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “When employers screen out qualified candidates from the hiring process, they not only erode trust in our public institutions—they violate the law, and the Justice Department will investigate accordingly.”

The Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section will investigate whether George Mason University is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, sex, and other protected characteristics, pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.

Andrew L. Horn, a former Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Energy at the Department of Energy (DOE), has agreed to pay $59,000 to resolve allegations that he violated conflict-of-interest rules prior to his departure from the agency in 2021.  

Among other things, the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 prohibits executive branch employees from participating personally and substantially in particular matters that will affect their own financial interests or the financial interests of certain parties with whom they have ties outside the government, including any organization with whom they are negotiating prospective employment. The United States alleges that in January 2021, Horn worked personally and substantially on a particular matter affecting the financial interests of a private company with which he was simultaneously negotiating contract terms to serve as a paid senior advisor following his upcoming separation from federal service. As part of the settlement, Horn has agreed to pay a civil penalty to resolve allegations that his conduct violated conflict-of-interest prohibitions for federal employees.

“The Office of Inspector General prioritizes the ethical conduct of executive branch officials and thoroughly investigates all allegations regarding potential misconduct with the thorough help of our colleagues at the Department of Justice,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Lewe F. Sessions of the Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section; DOE, Office of Inspector General; and Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service. This matter was handled by Trial Attorney Robbin O. Lee of the Civil Division.

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

Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Gavin Domingo Alimurong, age 27, from Dededo, Guam was sentenced to 135-months imprisonment.  He was charged in the U.S. District Court of Guam with Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty or More Grams of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A)(viii) and 846. Alimurong also forfeited four vehicles, jewelry, luxury bags, and $350,164 in cash.  The Court also ordered five years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.  In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.

Between July 2019 and July 2022, Alimurong conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Guam. He obtained methamphetamine, cocaine, and ecstasy through the dark web, converting U.S. currency into Bitcoin to pay for drugs shipped to Guam via the U.S. Postal Service. In December 2021, Guam Police Department investigated a domestic violence incident involving Alimurong.  During searches of his residence and vehicle, law enforcement seized 594 grams of methamphetamine and 401 grams of cocaine, in addition to pharmaceuticals including oxycodone, alprazolam, and amphetamine pills.  Police also seized glass pipes, a pill crusher, a digital scale, plastic zip-top bags, a money counter, a postal stamp printer, and various luxury items.  Officers also recovered a firearm, ammunition, and $93,124 in cash.

A search of a storage locker revealed an additional $257,040 in U.S. currency from illegal drug sales. Western Union records indicated that Alimurong wired $103,165 to multiple individuals in China, Vietnam, Bolivia, Colombia, Laos, and the United States.

“Law enforcement removed a prolific drug dealer from the streets of Guam,” stated United States Attorney Anderson.  “Drug defendants, such as Alimurong, face more than a substantial term of imprisonment.  We will also take any property earned from or facilitating drug trafficking.  I applaud our multi-agency partners that continue to protect our communities from this dangerous activity.”

“Drug trafficking will not be tolerated in our communities,” said Anthony Chrysanthis, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division, which oversees Guam. “We will vigorously pursue all criminals who flood our streets with their poison and ensure they face the full force of the law.”

"The defendant in this case callously chased profits with no concern for the impact and harm he brought to public safety," said Homeland Security Investigations Hawaii Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas.  “HSI and its partners in law enforcement will aggressively investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the transnational flow of illegal drugs and ensure those that choose to traffic them are held accountable for the harm they bring to the communities of Guam.”

“You will lose your freedom and the unlawful proceeds or your crime if you try to exploit the U.S. mail to traffic dangerous controlled substances,” said U.S. Postal Inspection Service San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Stephen Sherwood. “I would like to thank our federal partners, and our task force partners with Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, the Guam Police Department, and the Guam Army National Guard Counter Drug Program for helping keep methamphetamine out of the mail and out of our communities.”

“Drugs and guns are a losing combination,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “Mr. Alimurong’s actions put the community in great harm and was only exacerbated by his possession of firearms.  Because of his actions, this sentence is well deserved.” 

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strategic Initiative. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Guam Police Department, with support from Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Guam Police Department Special Investigations Section, and the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency.

Assistant United States Attorney Rosetta L. San Nicolas prosecuted the case in the District of Guam.

Former Fairmont Heights, Maryland, Police Officer Philip Dupree was sentenced today following his conviction at trial on June 17, 2024. Dupree was sentenced to six years and two months in prison.

During the weeklong jury trial, the evidence established that Dupree was on duty as a Fairmont Heights Police Officer on Aug. 4, 2019, when he conducted a traffic stop in the District of Columbia. After detaining a man, Officer Dupree pepper sprayed the man while he was handcuffed and seated in Dupree’s police car. The jury found that Dupree’s use of force constituted excessive force by a law enforcement officer.

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Howland for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case.

The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with H2A Complete II Inc., a Mississippi company, to address evidence that the company violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when it unfairly tipped the scales to hire H-2A visa holders over U.S. workers for agricultural employment opportunities.

This settlement is the second since the Department re-launched its Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative. Originally launched during the first Trump Administration, the Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative targets, investigates, and brings enforcement actions against employers that intentionally discriminate against U.S. workers due to a preference for temporary visa workers.

Under the settlement, the company will pay $25,000 in civil penalties to the United States, undergo training, revise its employment policies, and not include excessive experience requirements in job postings that are unlawfully aimed at excluding U.S. workers from employment opportunities.

“American workers seeking jobs in their own country deserve priority,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will continue to protect our country’s workers from unlawful discrimination in favor of foreign nationals.”

“DOJ’s Civil Rights Division is protecting American workers from unlawful discrimination by employers that prefer to hire foreign visa workers instead of U.S. workers,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Protecting job opportunities for the American workforce is one of our top priorities.”

The public can call the Immigrant and Employee Rights free hotline at 1-800-255-7688 for workers or at 1-800-255-8155 for employers (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired) for informal assistance; sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email IER@usdoj.gov; or visit www.justice.gov/ier.

Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi highlighted the great work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to get illegal drugs off our streets and protect innocent Americans from addiction, overdose, and drug-related crime and violence. Since January 20, 2025, DEA has seized approximately 44 million fentanyl pills, 4,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, nearly 65,000 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 201,500 pounds of cocaine, and made over 2,105 fentanyl-related arrests.

“Our DEA agents are doing historic work to keep our communities safe from deadly drugs like fentanyl and dismantle the cartels selling them,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I want to remind all Americans to exercise extreme caution: a pill can kill.”

“DEA is hitting the cartels where it hurts—with arrests, with seizures, and with relentless pressure. From meth labs in California to fentanyl pills disguised as pharmaceuticals seized at our border, these operations are saving American lives every single day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “We are not slowing down. We are dismantling these networks piece by piece—and we won't stop until the last brick of their empire falls.”

Over the last several weeks, DEA has conducted a number of successful operations across the United States including:

• In Lexington County, South Carolina,  DEA, in coordination with its state and local partners, seized over 156 pounds of fentanyl and 44 pounds of methamphetamine, a firearm and arrested one trafficker.
• In Gainesville, Georgia, DEA, and its state and local partners intercepted over 705 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a truckload of cucumbers and arrested two traffickers.
• In Minneapolis, Minnesota, DEA and its federal and local partners seized 889 pounds of methamphetamine, one handgun and arrested three traffickers.
• In Kern County, California, DEA and its local partners shut down a major methamphetamine conversion lab, seizing over 240 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, 151 gallons of liquid methamphetamine, and arrested five traffickers.
• In Fresno, California, DEA and its federal, state and local partners seized 24 pounds of carfentanil disguised as real prescription pills— the largest single seizure to date of carfentanil in Northern California.
• In Galveston, Texas, DEA, in close coordination with its federal partners at CBP, helped uncover over 1,700 pounds of methamphetamine—worth more than $15 million dollars—hidden inside a vehicle.
• In Austin, Texas, DEA, in coordination with its FBI, state and local partners, seized 783 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside a refrigerated truck carrying blueberries.
• In a single coordinated takedown spanning Indiana, Kentucky, and Arizona, DEA, working alongside its federal, state and local partners, DEA seized 59 illegal firearms, possessed by serious violent felons—along with 74 pounds of methamphetamine, 11 pounds of fentanyl, 11 pounds of cocaine, cash, and conducted 23 arrests.
• In Miami, Florida, DEA in coordination with its FBI partners, seized over $10 million dollars in cryptocurrency, directly linked to the Sinaloa cartel.
• In El Paso, Texas, DEA, with the assistance of its federal partners at HSI and U.S. Border Patrol, seized 115 pounds of methamphetamine from a drug-laden vehicle outfitted with a GPS tracker.
• In Omaha, Nebraska, DEA and its local partners seized machinegun conversion devices, AR-style pistols and fentanyl pills in a raid that dismantled a multi-state poly-drug operation.

WASHINGTON – Today, the Justice Department filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court of Washington, D.C. against three former members of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for refusing to vacate their offices after being removed by President Donald J. Trump.

The subjects of this complaint have continued to operate in office despite their removal and subsequent failure to obtain legal relief protecting their old positions. This litigation reflects the Department’s ongoing commitment to protecting the President’s core Article II powers, which include the authority to make personnel decisions regarding those occupying federal offices.

The complaint asks the court to declare that the former members have not lawfully served on the board since their removals, to enjoin the former members from serving on the board, and to order the former members to refund any compensation during their unlawful terms of service.

Read the full complaint here.

A Texas couple who failed to disclose assets in Dubai and Pakistan waived their bankruptcy discharge of more than $14.6 million in unsecured debt after an investigation by the Department of Justice’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP).

On May 30, the Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas approved a waiver of discharge by chapter 7 debtors Hasan Farid Hashmi and Umme Salma Hashmi. As a result, the Hashmis remain personally liable for their debts, and creditors are free to pursue payment from them after the case is closed.

“The bankruptcy system depends on transparency,” said Lisa Lambert, U.S. Trustee for Region 6, which includes the Northern District of Texas. “Debtors who intentionally undermine that system should not receive the benefit of a fresh start.”

The Hashmis filed for bankruptcy in September 2023 after the closure of several Texas hospitals owned by Hasan Hashmi, a physician. Among their assets, the couple listed a $2 million Dallas home as their only real estate and two American bank accounts with small balances. They also disclosed that they had established a trust for their descendants — which Dr. Hashmi managed as trustee — but claimed no interest in the trust’s assets as owners or beneficiaries. An investigation by the USTP’s Dallas office, however, revealed that the Hashmis owned several other properties and bank accounts in Dubai and Pakistan and that they used funds from the trust to pay personal expenses.

In February 2024, the USTP filed a complaint seeking to bar the Hashmis’ bankruptcy discharge for making false oaths; concealing assets; failing to maintain financial records; failing to cooperate with the chapter 7 trustee’s document requests; and refusing to obey a court order requiring the Hashmis to comply with the U.S. Trustee’s document requests. One day before trial, the Hashmis agreed to waive their discharge.

The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 88 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust. 

Hill ASC Inc., doing business as Hill Associates, of Rockville, Maryland, agreed to pay at least $14.75 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act in connection with a General Services Administration (GSA) contract for information technology services.

This settlement relates to a contract under which Hill provided information technology services to federal agencies from 2018 to 2023 through GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program. The MAS program provides the government with a streamlined process to buy commonly used commercial goods and services.  GSA negotiates contract terms and other agencies can then buy goods and services from the contractor under that GSA MAS contract. The settlement resolves allegations that Hill billed federal agencies for labor of information technology personnel who did not have the experience or education required under the contract. In addition, it resolves allegations that, although GSA required technical evaluations for contractors who sought to offer highly adaptive cybersecurity services to government customers, and Hill had not passed such an evaluation, Hill submitted claims for such cybersecurity services and other services that were not within the scope of the MAS contract. Finally, it resolves allegations that Hill charged the government for unapproved fees, failed to provide government customers with required information about discounts for prompt payment, and included unallowable incentive compensation in a cost submission in connection with a new contract proposal.

Under the settlement with the United States, Hill has agreed to pay $14.75 million, plus additional amounts if certain financial contingencies occur. The settlement amount was based on the company’s ability to pay.

“Information technology contractors are expected to charge the government appropriately for their services,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to pursue cyber fraud and hold accountable those companies that knowingly fail to meet contractual obligations to the American taxpayers.”

“Federal agencies should get what they have paid for from GSA contractors, nothing less,” said GSA Deputy Inspector General Robert C. Erickson. “I appreciate the hard work of all the attorneys, auditors, and special agents involved in this investigation.”

“False claims and similar unfair advantage by contractors undermine the integrity of the contracting process and can result in significant adverse effects to vital security concerns,” said Treasury Deputy Inspector General Loren Sciurba. “Treasury OIG is committed to conducting and assisting other agencies to the utmost in investigations, audits, and other work to detect and prevent these violations of the public trust.”

“As the nation’s tax watchdog, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) is dedicated to safeguarding the integrity of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)’s contracting and procurement processes,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jessica Cipolla of TIGTA’s Gulf States Field Division. “We remain steadfast in our mission to expose and hold accountable those who attempt to defraud the IRS. Anyone doing business with the IRS or the Department of the Treasury is expected to operate with the highest levels of honesty and integrity. We are grateful to the U.S. Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their continued collaboration and critical support in this investigation.”

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the GSA’s Office of the Inspector General, the Treasury Department’s Office of Inspector General, and TIGTA. The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Christopher Terranova of the Fraud Section.

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

WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Justice released Guidance to ensure compliance with President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14224, which establishes English as the official language of the United States of America. Consistent with the Executive Order, the Department of Justice will lead a coordinated effort across federal agencies to minimize non-essential multilingual services, redirect resources toward English-language education and assimilation, and ensure legal compliance with the Executive Order through targeted measures where necessary.

"As President Trump has made clear, English is the official language of the United States," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "The Department of Justice will lead the effort to codify the President’s Executive Order and eliminate wasteful virtue-signaling policies across government agencies to promote assimilation over division."

"President Trump’s Executive Order marks a pivotal step toward unifying our nation through a common language and enhancing efficiency in federal operations," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. "The Department of Justice ensures that while we respect linguistic diversity, our federal resources will prioritize English proficiency to empower new Americans and strengthen civic unity.”

While leaving room for linguistic diversity that exists in private and community spheres, this Guidance will help streamline federal processes, reduce administrative burdens, and increase operational efficiency across agencies by removing extensive translation services and de-prioritizing multilingualism over English proficiency. Implementing the Executive Order will enhance social and economic integration, offer new Americans a vital pathway for civic engagement, and further bind Americans together with a shared language.

President Trump’s Executive Order rescinds Executive Order No. 13,166, signed by President Clinton on August 16, 2000. Executive Order No. 13,166 directed agencies to enhance access to federal programs for persons with limited English proficiency and required tailored guidance for recipients of federal funding—straining federal resources and impeding the assimilation of new Americans.

This is the latest Guidance issued by the Department of Justice to implement and administer President Trump’s agenda.

Read the Guidance HERE.

Today, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in the case of Children’s Health Defense et al. v. Washington Post et al. The lawsuit — led by plaintiffs allegedly deplatformed for sharing independent news and opinion related to the COVID-19 pandemic — alleges that the Washington Post, BBC, AP, and Reuters colluded with one another and with the large digital platforms to suppress competition from independent perspectives that rival mainstream media.  The statement of interest explains how the antitrust laws protect viewpoint competition in news markets.    

“When companies abuse their market power to block out and deplatform independent voices and protect legacy media, they harm competition and threaten the free flow of information on which consumers depend,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “This Antitrust Division will always defend the principle that the antitrust laws protect free markets, including the marketplace of ideas.”   

The Antitrust Division routinely files statements of interest and amicus briefs in federal court where doing so will help protect competition and consumers, including by encouraging the sound development of the antitrust laws. A collection of these statements of antitrust and amicus filings is publicly available on the Division’s website.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced today a decisive move to help end the subsidization of open borders by taxpayers.

As noted in the announcement by the White House yesterday, the Attorney General has rescinded a nearly 30-year-old order allowing for the provision of federal benefits to illegal aliens. In 1996, Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 (PRWORA), which limits public benefits to citizens and “qualified aliens” who have a legal right to be in the United States. 

To conform with President Trump’s Executive Order, the Attorney General has now issued an order expressly declining to exempt any programs from PRWORA, revoking overly broad exceptions put in place by Attorney General Reno nearly three decades ago.

“Previous administrations have acted for decades to undermine the principles and limitations directed by Congress through PRWORA—no longer,”  said Attorney General Bondi. “The Trump Administration’s action will preserve public benefits for American citizens, support the rule of law, and avoid the waste of taxpayer dollars.”

Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division issued the following statement today in connection with the closing of the Department’s investigation into the proposed acquisition of UScellular by T-Mobile:

“After a thorough investigation, the Antitrust Division determined prudentially not to seek an injunction to prevent T-Mobile from closing on its proposed acquisition of UScellular. The investigation nevertheless raised concerns about competition in the relevant markets for mobile wireless services and the availability of wireless spectrum needed to fuel competition and entry. Specifically, as part of the investigation, the Department considered the potential impact on consumers resulting from the elimination of UScellular from the market, the potential for consumer benefits, and the potential impact of the further consolidation of wireless spectrum.

“With respect to the potential impact on consumers, for years, Americans have witnessed the too-familiar pattern of local or regional companies that discern and cater to their customers’ needs vanishing in favor of the ‘one size fits all’ approach of national brands. UScellular, whose tagline was ‘America’s locally grown wireless,’ noted the ‘sea of sameness’ among the ‘Big 3’ national carriers — Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile — and resolved to be ‘fundamentally different’ in how it went to market. The company understood the unmet needs of customers whom they identified as ‘Heartland Families’ or ‘Farmtown Frugals’. UScellular met those needs by building networks, pricing plans, and service offerings that its customers valued, and which for many years the Big 3 often did not offer. To the chagrin of its Big 3 competitors, UScellular maintained a sizable customer base within its network footprint by virtue of its strong emphasis on transparency, integrity, and localized customer service. Accordingly, as part of its investigation, the Department considered the impact of the potential disappearance of the services offered to those customers of UScellular — soon to become T-Mobile customers following the merger — that chose UScellular over T-Mobile or its national competitors.

“In addition to the potential impact on consumers resulting from the elimination of UScellular from the market, the Department also investigated the potential for consumer benefits. Specifically, the Department considered how UScellular subscribers would fare if UScellular continued as a business without completing this transaction. That aspect of the investigation made clear that, due in part to its limited regional footprint and unique structural limitations, UScellular simply could not keep up with the escalating cost of capital investments in technology required to compete vigorously in the relevant market. This would, in turn, lead to the slow degradation of its network quality. In contrast, T-Mobile has publicly committed that it will integrate the two networks in a way that provides UScellular customers with faster data speeds, while T-Mobile customers will obtain broader coverage in rural areas. Accordingly, the Department concluded the loss of the local offerings that UScellular customers value was outweighed by the immediate improvements in network quality promised by this proposed transaction. That conclusion is bolstered by the competitive realities of future investment in wireless networks and spectrum.

“In sum, the Department evaluated the likelihood of harm to competition and the potential effects of the transaction on consumers and determined that, on balance, the potential harm and offsetting benefits of the transaction do not warrant an enforcement action. UScellular’s inability to maintain its competitive position would result in declining value to its subscriber base, whereas the transaction offers them hope that they will be able to experience the benefits of a more robust cellular network.

“More broadly, the Department’s investigation made clear that we stand at a pivotal moment for the wireless industry. The transaction comes near the tail end of a decades-long trend toward consolidation-by-acquisition that has now left most consumers with meaningful choices among just the ‘Big 3’ national carriers. Economists and historians, appropriately, will debate whether this trend ultimately redounded to the benefit of competition and consumers, but the stark facts of today merit our immediate attention: together, the Big 3 account for more than 90 percent of the roughly 335 million mobile subscriptions in the United States.

“As the Department observed in 2019, when T-Mobile acquired Sprint, ‘The merger would also leave the market vulnerable to increased coordination among the remaining three carriers. Increased coordination harms consumers through a combination of higher prices, reduced innovation, reduced quality, and fewer choices.’ The Department also noted at the time that ‘competition between Sprint and T-Mobile to sell wireless service wholesale to [mobile virtual network operators] has benefited consumers by facilitating innovation by some MVNOs.’  These concerns remain highly relevant.

“Spectrum, a national resource that belongs to the American people, is critical to competition in the relevant markets for mobile wireless services. This transaction, and two other deals contingent on its closing, will consolidate yet more spectrum in the Big 3’s oligopoly, which controls more than 80 percent of the mobile wireless spectrum in the country. The Department investigated these spectrum transfers and concluded that they would not result in sufficient harm to competition to warrant an enforcement action, yet the risks to future competition due to further spectrum aggregation by the Big 3 are acute. As revealed in the merging parties’ advocacy in defense of the proposed transaction, the increased revenues and profitability that the Big 3 obtain through transactions like these enable them to even more dramatically outbid independent rivals for spectrum at future auctions.

“It is of concern to the United States that continued spectrum aggregation by the Big 3 threatens to impede the path for a fourth national player to emerge and challenge the entrenched incumbents with new and innovative offerings. Where future spectrum consolidation transactions threaten this path, the Antitrust Division stands ready to investigate and, if warranted by the facts and evidence, use its enforcement power to protect competition and American consumers.”

*          *          *

This statement is limited by the Department’s obligation to protect the confidentiality of certain information obtained in its investigations. As in most of its investigations, the Department’s evaluation has been highly fact-specific, and many of the relevant underlying facts are not public. Consequently, readers should not draw overly broad conclusions regarding how the Department is likely in the future to analyze other collaborations or activities, or transactions involving particular firms. Enforcement decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, and the analysis and conclusions discussed in this statement do not bind the Department in any future enforcement actions. 

GREAT FALLS – A Poplar man who fraudulently obtained money intended for the local fire department was sentenced yesterday to 5 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release and restitution of $16,986.50, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

David Michael Rosebud Mathison, 49, pleaded guilty in March 2025 to one count of wire fraud.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

The government alleged in court documents that David Mathison served as the Fire Chief for the Poplar Volunteer Fire Department from about December 2020 until his official termination in November 2022. The Poplar Volunteer Fire Department is funded through public donations and the funds are intended to be used for Fire Department business through the use of a debit card.  When a Fire Department debit card is used to access funds, those funds are transferred in interstate commerce from the relevant point of sale terminal or ATM to data centers located outside Montana. Mathison was not authorized to possess and use a Fire Department debit card, but he obtained one for purported business expenses. Mathison then used the card for personal expenses, including numerous unauthorized ATM withdrawals at local bars and restaurants.

On or about August 23, 2021, Mathison used a Fire Department debit card to make three separate withdrawals totaling $487.50 from an ATM located at the Buckhorn Bar in Poplar. When confronted about these unauthorized withdrawals, Mathison claimed the funds were used to pay for meals for other firefighters despite there being no Fire Department meeting or event at that time. When Mathison was interviewed, he admitted making the ATM withdrawals and acknowledged that the money was used to purchase alcoholic beverages from the bar. The total amount of loss is $16,986.50.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice.

XXX

Peter C. Anderson has been designated by Attorney General Pamela Bondi as the U.S. Trustee for the Eastern and Northern Districts of California and the District of Nevada (Region 17) on an interim basis effective July 11. Anderson replaces Tracy Hope Davis, who has retired after nearly 28 years of distinguished service to the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP).

Under 28 U.S.C. § 585, the Attorney General may fill U.S. Trustee vacancies by designating an incumbent U.S. Trustee to serve in a second region. Since 2006, Anderson has served as the U.S. Trustee for the Central District of California (Region 16), and he will continue in that role while also overseeing Region 17.

The Executive Office for U.S. Trustees made the announcement.

The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 88 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust.  

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into the State of Minnesota, including the Minnesota Department of Human Services, to determine whether it has engaged in race- and sex-based discrimination in its state employment hiring practices.

In a policy issued earlier this month, the Minnesota Department of Human Services requires its hiring supervisors to provide a “hiring justification when seeking to hire a non-underrepresented candidate.” Hiring supervisors who do not comply with the policy “may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.” The policy seems to be part of a broader effort by the state to engage in race- and sex-based employment practices in its “affirmative action” objectives.

The Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section will investigate whether Minnesota is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, sex, and other protected characteristics, pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.

“Minnesotans deserve to have their state government employees hired based on merit, not based on illegal DEI,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.

“Federal law has long prohibited employment policies that discriminate based on race or sex,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department refuses to tolerate such conduct, and states invite investigation when they engage in biased hiring practices tied to protected characteristics.”

You can read the notice letter here.

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

Argiro de Jesus Velasquez-Velasquez, 66, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 102 months in prison. On Nov. 30, 2024, Velasquez-Velasquez pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and four counts of laundering of monetary instruments.

Velasquez-Velasquez was among 20 individuals from Colombia, Jamaica and Florida who were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022 in connection with the money laundering conspiracy. He is subject to deportation upon completion of his imposed sentence.

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

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

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

Beginning in 2016 and continuing until 2022, an undercover agent infiltrated the organization by portraying himself as an international money launderer able to pick up bulk cash throughout the world, launder the proceeds through his United States-based accounts and send the money to Colombia either through the BMPE.

Throughout the course of the investigation, members of the money laundering organization would contact the undercover agent and arrange meetings for the undercover and the undercover’s purported associates to collect bulk cash throughout the world. Velasquez-Velasquez was involved in cocaine trafficking in Colombia. He and his partner, co-defendant Jose Sanchez-Villanueva, would hire money brokers who would negotiate the money laundering contract by hiring a money launderer to pick up the bulk cash drug proceeds throughout the world, and would then direct where the money was to be sent to various accounts in order to conceal the nature of the funds and facilitate the payout of the laundered proceeds in Colombia for the benefit of the drug suppliers. At sentencing, Velasquez-Velasquez was held personally responsible for the laundering of nearly $600,000 in drug proceeds, however, over the course of the conspiracy Velasquez-Velasquez offered the undercover agent multiple additional contracts to launder large sums of cash drug proceeds.

Velasquez-Velasquez, a Colombian citizen who resided in Colombia was charged in a 50 count indictment along with 19 other individuals in March 2022. Velasquez-Velasquez was arrested in Colombia and extradited to the United States. Velasquez-Velasquez is the 13th defendant to be sentenced. All but one remaining defendant has been convicted either at trial or by pleading guilty. The remaining defendant is scheduled to plead guilty in August 2025.

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

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

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

PROVIDENCE – A Providence man has been convicted for a second time on federal methamphetamine trafficking charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

David Vasbinder, 40, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence today to a charge of possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

In February 2022, Vasbinder was arrested by Glocester, RI police after an officer stopped him for speeding and learned that an arrest warrant for him was pending in Providence in an unrelated matter. A court-authorized search of Vasbinder’s vehicle following his arrest resulted in the discovery of 126 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine and various items used in the packaging and distribution of drugs. Additionally, police seized a total of $972 in cash from Vasbinder’s person and his vehicle.

Court records reflect that in October 2019, Vasbinder was convicted in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida on two counts of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of crystal methamphetamine. He was sentenced in December 2019 to a term of incarceration of 48 months to be followed by three years of supervised release.

The case in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christine D. Lowell.

The matter was investigated by the Glocester Police Department, Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force, and the West Warwick Police Department.

A federal grand jury in Baltimore, Maryland, returned an indictment, unsealed late last week, charging a Maryland woman with tax fraud, theft of government funds, and money laundering.

The following is according to the indictment: between December 2019 and March 2020, Kendra Nicole Scarborough, of Oxon Hill, allegedly assisted with the preparation and filing of false tax returns in order to receive large refunds from the IRS to which she was not entitled. On those returns, Scarborough allegedly claimed nonexistent payments or withholdings and requested more than $1.1 million in refunds. As a result of one of the alleged false tax returns, the IRS issued refunds to Scarborough of more than $412,000.

If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the money laundering charge, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the theft of government funds charge, and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each of the three charges of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Scarborough also faces a period of supervised release, monetary penalties, and restitution.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Assistant Chief Sarah Ranney and Trial Attorney Alexandra Fleszar of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

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

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division today filed suit to enforce Title IX and protect California female student athletes from unfair competition and reckless endangerment by male participation on female high-school sports teams.

According to the complaint, the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) have engaged in illegal sex discrimination against female student athletes by allowing males to compete against them, depriving these girls of the equal education and athletic opportunities afforded to them by federal civil rights law. Thus, the suit seeks declaratory, injunctive, and damages relief for violations of Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any education program or activity that receives federal funding.

As alleged in the complaint, the U.S. Department of Education’s “current allocation of funds to CDE for fiscal year 2025 totals approximately $44.3 billion, of which approximately $3.8 billion remains available for drawdown by CDE, including both discretionary grants and formula grants.”

“The Governor of California has previously admitted that it is ‘deeply unfair’ to force women and girls to compete with men and boys in competitive sports,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.  “But not only is it ‘deeply unfair,’ it is also illegal under federal law. This Department of Justice will continue its fight to protect equal opportunities for women and girls in sports.”

“Title IX was enacted over half a century ago to protect women and girls from discrimination. The Justice Department will not stand for policies that deprive girls of their hard-earned athletic trophies and ignore their safety on the field and in private spaces,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “Young women should not have to sacrifice their rights to compete for scholarships, opportunities, and awards on the altar of woke gender ideology.”

“California is on the wrong side of the law and the wrong side of history,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “Women deserve dignity, respect, and an equal opportunity to compete on their own sports teams. The time for talk is over. California must comply with Title IX and end its civil rights violations against women. No person, no state, is above the law.”

CDE has authority over CIF and local school districts’ interscholastic athletic policies, and CIF oversees 1.8 million students and over 750,000 student-athletes in grades 9 through 12. The complaint is available here.

Last week, a ruling from the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho cleared the way for the Forest Service’s Buckskin Saddle Project on the Panhandle National Forest to proceed. The forest is in northwest Idaho’s panhandle region, and the project area includes approximately 13,000 acres of timber harvest and approximately 6,500 acres of noncommercial fuel reduction treatment.

The district court rejected a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) challenge to the project, which is designed to reduce fire hazards and improve forest landscape resilience. Specifically, the court found that the Forest Service complied with NEPA in all respects, including its summary of how the proposed treatments would meet the tree-size and composition goals set by the forest plan for the project area and its assessment of the effects of the project on wildlife species that rely on large tree habitat. The decision is subject to appeal in the Ninth Circuit.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) made the announcement.

Trial Attorney Hayley Carpenter of ENRD’s Natural Resources Section handled the case. 

The Department of Justice is pleased to announce the opening of the application period for federally recognized Tribes and intertribal consortia to participate in the Tribal Access Program (TAP) for National Crime Information. TAP improves public safety by providing federally recognized Tribes the ability to access and exchange data with national crime information databases for authorized criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes, including the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC).

The program provides software, hardware, and training, as well as a web-based application and biometric/biographic kiosk workstations to process fingerprints, take mugshots, and submit information to FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) systems.  The Department will accept TAP applications from July 9 to August 29. Tribes selected to participate will be notified in September. There are currently 149 federally recognized Tribes participating in TAP.

Using TAP, Tribes have shared information about missing persons; entered domestic violence orders of protection for nationwide enforcement; registered convicted sex offenders; run criminal histories; located fugitives; entered bookings and convictions; and completed fingerprint-based record checks for non-criminal justice purposes such as screening employees or volunteers who work with children.

“As a TAP Pilot Tribe, the Cherokee Nation has been participating in TAP for many years,” said Suzanne Drywater, Senior Director of Justice Services for the Cherokee Nation.  “From sex offender registrations, law enforcement, foster home certification, human resources, and child support, our tribe has been able to exercise our sovereignty, and TAP has proven to be an invaluable resource that we use daily in a multitude of ways.”            

For Tribes that are considering applying, TAP staff will be conducting informational webinars describing the program and its capabilities. Webinars will be offered throughout July and August. For more information about TAP, including webinar dates, times and access information, visit www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap.

To qualify for funding, federally recognized Tribes must have – and agree to use TAP for – at least one of the following:

• A Tribal sex offender registry authorized by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act,
• A Tribal law enforcement agency that has arrest powers,
• A Tribal court that issues orders of protection, or
• A Tribal government agency that screens individuals for foster care placement or that investigates allegations of child abuse/neglect.

TAP is funded by the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office on Violence Against Women. TAP is co-managed by the department’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and Office of Tribal Justice. 

WASHINGTON - Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the State of California, Governor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and other state officials over California laws that impose burdensome red tape on the production of eggs and poultry products nationally in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The laws and regulations challenged by the complaint impose costly requirements on farmers that have the effect of raising egg prices for American consumers by prohibiting farmers across the country from using commonly accepted agricultural methods that helped keep eggs affordable. These laws stand opposed to the Egg Products inspection Act, which sets standards to ensure eggs and egg products are properly labeled and packaged and preempts state laws that impose additional regulatory hurdles.

“Americans across the country have suffered the consequences of liberal policies causing massive inflation for everyday items like eggs,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we will use the full extent of federal law to ensure that American families are free from oppressive regulatory burdens and restore American prosperity.”  

“Bureaucratic red tape and unnecessary regulations implemented by the State of California have made the cost of everyday goods, like eggs, less affordable for Americans," said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate. "This Department of Justice will work to free consumers from this regulatory burden and bring economic prosperity to families.”

On his first day in office, President Trump directed federal agencies to work to end the “crushing regulatory burden” Americans were experience with the riding costs of every day items. This lawsuit is the latest of Department of Justice actions seeking to protect American consumers from predatory commercial practices and regulatory burdens.

WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Justice announced that it has sent more than 20 subpoenas to doctors and clinics involved in performing transgender medical procedures on children.

The Department’s investigations include healthcare fraud, false statements, and more.

“Medical professionals and organizations that mutilated children in the service of a warped ideology will be held accountable by this Department of Justice.” — Attorney General Pamela Bondi

The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division today announces its partnership with the United States Postal Service to create the Whistleblower Rewards Program. For the first time, the Antitrust Division will offer rewards for individuals who report antitrust crimes and related offenses that harm consumers, taxpayers, and free market competition across industries from healthcare to agriculture — under existing law and at no additional cost to the taxpayer.

“Antitrust crimes and related offenses that harm free market competition often occur in secret, making detection a formidable challenge. The new Whistleblower Rewards Program will create a new pipeline of leads from individuals with firsthand knowledge of criminal antitrust and related offenses that will help us break down those walls of secrecy and hold violators accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Antitrust Division. “This program raises the stakes: If you’re fixing prices or rigging bids, don’t assume your scheme is safe — we will find and prosecute you, and someone you know may get a reward for helping us do it.”

“This reporting mechanism gives those with a vested interest in maintaining the integrity of the Postal Service the opportunity to join us in the fight,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “The Postal Inspection Service, along with our partners in the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General will not tolerate anyone who violates Antitrust Laws; we remain committed to seeking justice against anyone who chooses to do so. And for those who are also motivated to using this tool to report Antitrust crimes, we affirm our commitment to fully investigate and bring violators to justice.”

“As a key partner and original member in the Department of Justice’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG), actively collaborates with other federal agencies to detect, investigate, and prosecute antitrust crimes, ensuring fair competition and safeguarding taxpayer’s dollars in federal procurements,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Robert Kwalwasser, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “We are pleased to be partnering with DOJ and the Postal Inspection Service to implement the Whistleblower Rewards Program to incentivize individuals and companies to provide information about collusive behavior without fear of reprisal. This newly established program is an example of DOJ’s commitment to root out illicit behavior in all industries, which includes industries where the USPS procures goods and services either directly or indirectly. The USPS OIG will fully participate in this collaborate effort to ensure the USPS and the U.S. taxpayers are not being defrauded of honest services.”

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and USPS OIG have long played a vital role in uncovering and investigating postal-related antitrust crimes that harm Americans. The Whistleblower Rewards Program will provide individuals with the opportunity to report evidence of antitrust crimes directly to the Antitrust Division and, in appropriate cases, qualify for substantial monetary rewards of up to 30% of any criminal fines recovered, for violations of law affecting the Postal Service, its revenues, or its property. The program expands upon the Division’s long-standing efforts to detect and prosecute cartels and criminal collusion by incentivizing individuals to report specific, credible, and timely information about illegal agreements to fix prices, rig bids, and allocate markets, as well as other federal criminal violations that impact, distort, or undermine the competitive process or market competition.

To facilitate reporting, the Division has established a dedicated Whistleblower Regards Program webpage accessible at www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards. Whistleblowers and their counsel are encouraged to contact the Division promptly.

Today, the Justice Department filed a Statement of Interest in Judicial Watch v. Illinois State Board of Elections, regarding the requirements under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) for states to make reasonable efforts to remove the names of ineligible voters and to make their voter registration list available for public inspection.  The requirement for states to make a “reasonable effort” to clean their voter rolls means that the program should be effective in achieving the goals set out by Congress, and nothing less.

“It is critical to remove ineligible voters from the registration rolls so that elections are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Under the NVRA, states have the responsibility to conduct a robust program of list maintenance. The Department of Justice will vigorously enforce those requirements to ensure compliance.”

More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.

Schaefer Systems International Ltd. (SSI) has agreed to pay $876,000 to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations relating to the payment of a prohibited finder’s fee in connection with the award of an Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) contract to supply a pallet racking system for a warehouse at a U.S. military base in South Korea. SSI markets and sells warehouse logistics systems and provides related services throughout Asia. SSI disclosed the prohibited payment to the government following an internal compliance review and internal investigation.

The settlement resolves allegations that prior to the award of the AAFES contract in 2018, SSI falsely certified its compliance with a procurement integrity provision limiting the payment of commissions to certain bona fide employees and agencies. Unbeknownst to AAFES, SSI intended to pay a finder’s fee to a South Korean national who had informed SSI of the potential contracting opportunity and helped secure the contract.

“Those who do business with the government must do so fairly and honestly,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable contractors that fail to follow procurement rules, but we will also give credit to those who disclose their wrongdoing, take appropriate remedial actions, and meaningfully cooperate with the government’s investigation.”      

“Department of Defense contractors have a duty to uphold their contractual obligations and deliver honest value to the American taxpayer,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Stanley A. Newell of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Transnational Operations Field Office. “This civil settlement demonstrates that illicit payment schemes and kickbacks will not be tolerated. The dedicated professionals of DCIS will work tirelessly to hold those who violate the public trust accountable.”

In connection with the settlement, the United States acknowledged that SSI took a number of significant steps entitling them to credit for cooperating with the government. Following an internal compliance review and independent investigation, SSI promptly disclosed to the government the prohibited payment. SSI also provided the government with a detailed and thorough written disclosure and cooperated with the government throughout its investigation.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and DCIS.

Fraud Section Senior Trial Counsel Andrew A. Steinberg handled the matter.

The claims resolved by the United States in the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.

Stantec Inc. (Stantec) a provider of environmental development and engineering services, with its primary headquarters in Alberta, Canada, along with Cardno Consulting LLC (Cardno), a separate company that Stantec acquired in 2021, have agreed to pay $4 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting or causing the submission of applications to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Brownfields Assessment Grants that falsely certified compliance with federal procurement regulations.

“Applicants for federal grant funds must comply with applicable procurement requirements” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department's Civil Division. “The department will hold accountable those who undermine the integrity of the federal grant process by falsely certifying compliance with regulations that are designed to prevent unfair competitive advantage.”

“The EPA’s Brownfields Grant Program aims to help communities around the country transform contaminated sites into community assets,” said Acting EPA Inspector General Nicole Murley. “Fair competition is critical to the integrity of this program, and the EPA Office of Inspector General will vigorously pursue allegations of false certifications to protect both the program and the taxpayer dollars that fund it.”

The EPA Brownfields Grant Program provides grants and technical assistance to cities, towns, and other municipalities to assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse contaminated properties. The settlement relates to Assessment Grants the EPA awarded from 2014 to 2022. Applicants for EPA Brownfields grants must certify compliance with a requirement that “contractors that develop or draft specifications, requirements, statements of work, or invitations for bids must be excluded from competing on those procurements.”

The United States alleged that, from 2014-2022, Stantec, through its subsidiary Stantec Consulting Services Inc., and Cardno drafted or assisted in the drafting of the requests for proposals and statements of work associated with applications for EPA Brownfields Assessment Grants, and then competed for and won the work for which they had drafted the specifications. The United States alleged that this conduct violated the above requirement and that Stantec and Cardno falsely certified, or caused the communities applying for the grants to certify, that they had complied with it.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the EPA’s Office of Inspector General.

The matter was investigated by Trial Attorney Robin Overby of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and Special Agent Brian Scriver of the EPA’s Office of Inspector General.

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

The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) today filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to prevent unnecessary construction delays for Florida’s temporary immigration detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Everglades.

“The Department of Justice has defended President Trump’s immigration agenda in court since day one and we are proud to protect ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ from baseless, politically motivated legal schemes,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.

“Delaying the construction of Florida’s temporary detention center, as plaintiffs request, would imperil critical immigration enforcement efforts and endanger detainees in overcrowded detention facilities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of ENRD. “We are proud to defend against these unfounded claims and to help the administration fulfill its fundamental obligation to prioritize the safety and security of Americans.” 

On June 27, two political advocacy organizations — Friends of the Everglades Inc. and Center for Biological Diversity — filed a lawsuit to halt the construction and operation of the detention center, alleging failure to analyze the environmental effects of the project as required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The plaintiffs asked for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction.  

In today’s filing, the Justice Department vigorously opposed the request for emergency and injunctive relief. Among other things, the filing highlights that there is no federal final agency action, that the Administrative Procedure Act does not apply to state agency decisions, that any claims related to potential federal funding are unripe, and that the plaintiffs failed to show irreparable harm.  

Attorneys in ENRD’s Natural Resources Section are handling the case. 

Richard Zagger, 58, of Blue Point, New York, was sentenced yesterday to one year in prison and two years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to a four-count indictment charging him with conspiracy and obstruction of official proceedings relating to an investigation into a fatal construction accident.

Zagger was a supervisor for Northridge Construction Corporation, located in East Patchogue, Long Island, New York. As part of his duties, Zagger was responsible for overseeing Northridge employees who were assembling a metal shed on the construction company’s office property. During the assembly, one of the employees fell from the improperly secured shed roof and died.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated the employee’s death and identified several violations of worker safety standards, including the failure to maintain the stability of a metal structure at all times during construction. Additionally, Zagger made false statements and conspired with others to make false statements to obstruct OSHA’s investigation of the accident.

Northridge Construction Corporation was previously sentenced to pay a $100,000 fine and complete a five-year term of probation for violating a worker safety standard causing the death of an employee and making false statements during the subsequent investigation.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) made the announcement.

Senior Trial Attorneys Daniel Dooher and Richard J. Powers and Trial Attorney Rachel Roberts of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A Montgomery County man has been sentenced for illegally possessing a Glock switch, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.

Middle District of Alabama U.S. District Court Judge Myron H. Thompson sentenced Da’Quarious Lamarion Dudley, 21, of Montgomery, Alabama, to 20 months in prison.  In March, Dudley pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a machinegun.

According to court documents, on February 9, 2024, officers with the Montgomery Police Department were alerted to a sighting of a stolen Mercedes Benz. Officers responded to the area and caught up with Dudley, the driver of the stolen vehicle.  Dudley attempted to make a U-turn.  Another officer blocked Dudley, preventing him from driving further. Dudley got out of the vehicle and fled on foot.  During the chase, he grabbed a firearm in his waistband and threw it. Officers recovered a Glock 17 9mm pistol that had been converted to a machinegun using a machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch.” A search warrant of Dudley’s Facebook page revealed that he was regularly in possession of “switches” and even agreed to procure switches for other individuals in the Montgomery area.

ATF Nashville Division investigated the case along with the Montgomery Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Keown, Sr. prosecuted the case.  

Healthcare fraud and abuse depletes taxpayer funds, corrodes public health and safety, and undermines the integrity of the federal healthcare system. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have a long history of partnering to use one of the government’s most effective and successful tools — the False Claims Act (FCA) — to combat healthcare fraud. This Administration is fully committed to supporting such work. HHS and DOJ’s Civil Division are strengthening their ongoing collaboration to advance priority enforcement areas through the DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group.

Membership in the DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group will include leadership from the HHS Office of General Counsel, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Center for Program Integrity, the Office of Counsel to the HHS Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and DOJ’s Civil Division, with designees representing U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. The group will be jointly led by the HHS General Counsel, Chief Counsel to HHS-OIG, and the Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Commercial Litigation Branch.

As part of the Working Group’s coordination work:

• HHS shall make referrals to DOJ of potential violations of the FCA that reflect Working Group priorities. In addition to priority FCA matters previously announced by the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division,[1] the Working Group is announcing the following priority enforcement areas:
  • Medicare Advantage
  • Drug, device or biologics pricing, including arrangements for discounts, rebates, service fees, and formulary placement and price reporting
  • Barriers to patient access to care, including violations of network adequacy requirements
  • Kickbacks related to drugs, medical devices, durable medical equipment, and other products paid for by federal healthcare programs
  • Materially defective medical devices that impact patient safety
  • Manipulation of Electronic Health Records systems to drive inappropriate utilization of Medicare covered products and services
• The Working Group shall maximize cross-agency collaboration to expedite ongoing investigations in these priority areas and identify new leads, including by leveraging HHS resources through enhanced data mining and assessment of HHS and HHS-OIG report findings.
• The Working Group shall discuss considerations bearing on whether HHS should implement a payment suspension pursuant to 42 C.F.R. § 405.370 et seq. or whether DOJ shall move to dismiss a qui tam complaint under 31 U.S.C. § 3730(c)(2)(A), consistent with Justice Manual Section 4-4.111.

The DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group encourages whistleblowers to identify and report violations of the federal False Claims Act involving priority enforcement areas.  Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).  Similarly, the Working Group encourages healthcare companies to identify and report such violations consistent with Justice Manual Section 4-4.112.  

Note: Read a PDF version of the release here

[1] Brett A. Shumate, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division Enforcement Priorities (June 11, 2025), available at www.justice.gov/civil/media/1404046/dl?inline.

BEAUMONT, Texas – A Cleveland, Texas man has been sentenced to more than 14 years in federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

John Matthew Goines, 50, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 175 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on July 1, 2025.

According to information presented in court, in 2024, Goines was stopped for traffic violations on two separate occasions in Liberty County each resulting in the discovery of thousands of dollars in cash, drug trafficking paraphernalia, and over 150 grams of methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Cleveland Police Department, and the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn.

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The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a Statement of Interest in the lawsuit Equality State Policy Center v. Chuck Gray, defending Wyoming’s legitimate interest securing its voting process from fraud by requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.

Longstanding Supreme Court precedent recognizes that states have a significant interest in preventing fraud and safeguarding voter confidence in the election process. Wyoming’s documentary proof of citizenship law is a mechanism to enforce laws that prohibit non-citizen voting and ensure that only eligible voters cast ballots.

“It is a crime for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, and it is important that the American people have confidence in the integrity of our elections.” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Gates of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Requiring documentary proof of citizenship is common sense and ensures that only citizens vote.”

The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

A Florida man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiring to defraud Medicare with false reimbursement claims for durable medical equipment (DME). He was also ordered to pay $21,195,540.18 in restitution and forfeiture in the amount of $2,514,040.

According to court documents, Peter Roussonicolos, 64, of Port Saint Lucie, Florida, owned and operated five DME suppliers as a silent partner. Roussonicolos hid his involvement in the companies from Medicare because he had one or more felony convictions, making him ineligible to enroll with the government program. To further conceal his involvement, he recruited and paid co-conspirators to serve as nominee owners of the DME suppliers and caused others to falsify Medicare enrollment forms, bank records, and other documents to conceal the true ownership and control of the DME suppliers. He also knew that a co-conspirator paid kickbacks and bribes to patient recruiters in exchange for beneficiary referrals. As part of the scheme, the DME companies submitted approximately $61.5 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary DME that was ineligible for reimbursement and were paid approximately $26.7 million of these claims.

“Through lies and deceit, the defendant and his co-conspirators orchestrated a $61 million fraud on Medicare,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendant’s fraud drained critical government resources that could have been used to help vulnerable Americans. Today’s sentencing demonstrates the Department’s steadfast commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring accountability for those who seek to defraud our health care programs.”

"Today’s sentence underscores HHS-OIG’s firm commitment to thoroughly investigating individuals who engage in illegal kickback schemes to prescribe medically unnecessary durable medical equipment for their own personal financial gain,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We remain steadfast in our mission to protect the integrity of Medicare and other federal healthcare programs as well as the people served by those programs.”

“This defendant and his co-conspirators orchestrated an elaborate scheme to steal millions from Medicare through kickbacks and sham billing,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that those who exploit our healthcare system for personal gain will be held accountable. The FBI is committed to working with our partners to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure the integrity of healthcare programs.”

In November 2024, Roussonicolos pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud.

The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Jennifer Burns and Assistant Chiefs Jamie de Boer and Emily Gurskis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Trial Attorneys Joanna Bowman and Lindita Ciko Torza of the Special Matters Unit assisted in the prosecution.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. 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.

Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and the Los Angeles City Council over policies that Los Angeles enacted shortly after President Donald J. Trump’s reelection to interfere with the federal government’s enforcement of its immigration laws.

Not only are Los Angeles’s “sanctuary city” policies illegal under federal law, but, as alleged in the complaint, Los Angeles’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities contributed to the recent lawlessness, rioting, looting, and vandalism that was so severe that it required the federal government to deploy the California National Guard and the United States Marines to quell the chaos.

“Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Jurisdictions like Los Angeles that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level – it ends under President Trump.”

“Today’s lawsuit holds the City of Los Angeles accountable for deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration law,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “The United States Constitution’s Supremacy Clause prohibits the City from picking and choosing which federal laws will be enforced and which will not. By assisting removable aliens in evading federal law enforcement, the City’s unlawful and discriminatory ordinance has contributed to a lawless and unsafe environment that this lawsuit will help end.”

On her first day in office, Attorney General Bondi instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal immigration laws or impede lawful federal immigration operations, and, where appropriate, to take legal action to challenge such laws, policies, and practices. Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal sanctuary city policies across the country, including in New York and New Jersey.

Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in History
More than Doubles Prior Record of $6 Billion

The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.

Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.

Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.

“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”

“As part of making healthcare accessible and affordable to all Americans, HHS will aggressively work with our law enforcement partners to eliminate the pervasive health care fraud that bedeviled this agency under the former administration and drove up costs,” said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the Department of Health and Human Services.

“The Criminal Division is intensely committed to rooting out health care fraud schemes and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate them because these schemes: (1) often result in physical patient harm through medically unnecessary treatments or failure to provide the correct treatments; (2) contribute to our nationwide opioid epidemic and exacerbate controlled substance addiction; and (3) do all of that while stealing money hardworking Americans contribute to pay for the care of their elders and other vulnerable citizens,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices stand united with our law enforcement partners in this fight, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the American people.”

“The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”

“Health care fraud drains critical resources from programs intended to help people who truly need medical care,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who exploit the system for personal gain. With more than $13 billion in fraud uncovered, this is the largest takedown for this initiative to date. Together, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those accountable who steal from the American people and undermine our health care systems.”

Transnational Criminal Organizations

29 defendants were charged for their roles in transnational criminal organizations alleged to have submitted over $12 billion in fraudulent claims to America’s health insurance programs.

For instance, a nationwide investigation known as Operation Gold Rush resulted in the largest loss amount ever charged in a health care fraud case brought by the Department. These charges were announced in the Eastern District of New York, the Northern District of Illinois, the Central District of California, the Middle District of Florida, and the District of New Jersey against 19 defendants. Twelve of these defendants have been arrested, including four defendants who were apprehended in Estonia as a result of international cooperation with Estonian law enforcement and seven defendants who were arrested at U.S. airports and the U.S. border with Mexico, cutting off their intended escape routes as they attempted to avoid capture.

The organization allegedly used a network of foreign straw owners, including individuals sent into the United States from abroad, who, acting at the direction of others using encrypted messaging and assumed identities from overseas, strategically bought dozens of medical supply companies located across the United States. They then rapidly submitted $10.6 billion in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare for urinary catheters and other durable medical equipment by exploiting the stolen identities of over one million Americans spanning all 50 states and using their confidential medical information to submit the fraudulent claims. As alleged, the organization exploited the U.S. financial system by laundering the fraudulent proceeds and deploying a range of tactics to circumvent anti-money laundering controls to transfer funds into cryptocurrency and shell companies located abroad. The arrests announced today also include a banker who facilitated the money laundering of fraud proceeds on behalf of the organization through a U.S.-based bank.

The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team and its partners detected the anomalous billing through proactive data analytics, and HHS-OIG and CMS successfully prevented the organization from receiving all but approximately $41 million of the approximately $4.45 billion that was scheduled to be paid by Medicare. HHS and CMS intend to seek to return the $4.41 billion in escrow to the Medicare trust fund for needed medical care. The scheme nonetheless resulted in payments of approximately $900 million from Medicare supplemental insurers. To date, law enforcement has seized approximately $27.7 million in fraud proceeds as part of Operation Gold Rush.

In another action involving foreign influence, charges were filed in the Northern District of Illinois against five defendants, including two owners and executives of Pakistani marketing organizations, in connection with a $703 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries’ identification numbers and other confidential health information were allegedly obtained through theft and deceptive marketing. The defendants allegedly used artificial intelligence to create fake recordings of Medicare beneficiaries purportedly consenting to receive certain products. According to court documents, the beneficiaries’ confidential information was then illegally sold to laboratories and durable medical equipment companies, which used this unlawfully obtained and fraudulently generated data to submit false claims to Medicare. Certain defendants controlled dozens of nominee-owned durable medical equipment companies and laboratories that allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for products and services the beneficiaries did not request, need, or receive. Certain defendants also allegedly conspired to conceal and launder the fraud proceeds from bank accounts they controlled in the United States to bank accounts overseas. In total, the defendants caused approximately $703 million in alleged fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, which paid approximately $418 million on those claims. The government seized approximately $44.7 million from various bank accounts related to this case.

Finally, a defendant based in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates who owned a billing company allegedly orchestrated a scheme to prey upon vulnerable individuals in need of addiction treatment by conspiring with treatment center owners to fraudulently bill Arizona Medicaid approximately $650 million for substance abuse treatment services. According to court documents, some of the services billed were never provided, while other services were provided at a level that was so substandard that it failed to serve any treatment purpose. As part of the conspiracy, treatment center owners allegedly paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for the referral of patients recruited from the homeless population and Native American reservations. The defendant received at least $25 million of ill-gotten Arizona Medicaid funds as a result of the conspiracy and is charged with a money laundering offense for his alleged use of those funds to purchase a $2.9 million home located on a golf estate in Dubai.

Fraudulent Wound Care

Charges were filed in the District of Arizona and the District of Nevada against seven defendants, including five medical professionals, in connection with approximately $1.1 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health care benefit programs for amniotic wound allografts. As alleged, certain defendants targeted vulnerable elderly patients, many of whom were receiving hospice care, and applied medically unnecessary amniotic allografts to these patients’ wounds. Many of the allografts allegedly were applied without coordination with the patients’ treating physicians, without proper treatment for infection, to superficial wounds that did not need this treatment, and to areas that far exceeded the size of the wound. Certain defendants allegedly received millions in illegal kickbacks from the fraudulent billing scheme.

“Today's unprecedented enforcement action demonstrates that CMS and our federal partners are united in our mission to protect the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid by crushing waste, fraud, and abuse," said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. "Every dollar we prevent from going to fraudsters is a dollar that stays in the system to serve legitimate beneficiaries. Through advanced data analytics, real-time monitoring, and swift administrative action, CMS is leading the fight to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and the trust Americans place in these vital programs. We're not waiting for fraud to happen—we're stopping it before it starts."

Prescription Opioid Trafficking

74 defendants, including 44 licensed medical professionals, were charged across 58 cases in connection with the alleged illegal diversion of over 15 million pills of prescription opioids and other controlled substances. For example, five defendants associated with one Texas pharmacy were charged with the unlawful distribution of over 3 million opioid pills. As alleged, the defendants conspired to distribute massive quantities of oxycodone, hydrocodone, and carisoprodol, which were subsequently trafficked by street-level drug dealers, generating large profits for the defendants. This coordinated action is a continuation of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s systematic approach to stopping drug trafficking organizations and their pharmaceutical wholesale suppliers, which together have fueled an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse for nearly a decade.

DEA also announced today that in the last six months, DEA charged 93 administrative cases seeking the revocation of pharmacies, medical practitioners, and companies authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances.

“Health care fraud isn’t just theft — it’s trafficking in trust. Today’s announcement shows that when doctors become drug dealers and treatment centers become profit-driven fraud rings, DEA will act,” said Acting Administrator Robert Murphy of the DEA. “We’re targeting the entire ecosystem of fraud — from pill mills in Texas to kickback clinics exploiting Native communities. If you abuse your medical license to push poison or pad your pockets, we will hold you accountable.”

Telemedicine and Genetic Testing Fraud

In today’s Takedown, 49 defendants were charged in connection with the submission of over $1.17 billion in allegedly fraudulent claims to Medicare resulting from telemedicine and genetic testing fraud schemes. For example, in the Southern District of Florida, prosecutors charged an owner of telemedicine and durable medical equipment companies with a $46 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries were allegedly targeted through deceptive telemarketing campaigns and then fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare for durable medical equipment and genetic tests for these beneficiaries. The Department continues to focus on eliminating health care fraud schemes that depend on telemedicine, including schemes involving fraudulent claims for genetic testing, durable medical equipment, and COVID-19 tests.

Other Health Care Fraud Schemes

The other cases announced today charge an additional 170 defendants with various other health care fraud schemes involving over $1.84 billion in allegedly false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies for diagnostic testing, medical visits, and treatments that were medically unnecessary, provided in connection with kickbacks and bribes, or never provided at all. For example, in the Western District of Tennessee, prosecutors charged three defendants, including business owners and a pharmacist, with a $28.7 million scheme to defraud the Federal Employees’ Compensation Fund by allegedly billing for medications for injured United States Postal Service employees that were never prescribed by a licensed practitioner and largely were not dispensed as claimed. And in the Western District of Washington and the Northern District of California, prosecutors charged medical providers with allegedly stealing fentanyl and hydrocodone, respectively, that was meant for the providers’ patients, including child patients in need of anesthesia.

“VA’s Integrated Veteran Care Programs provide critical community-based health care to our nation’s disabled veterans and their dependents,” said Acting Inspector General David Case of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG). “Robust oversight of VA’s health care system is one of VA-OIG’s highest priorities. VA-OIG is committed to holding accountable those who defraud government benefits programs intended to care for our nation’s heroes.”

Breaking Down Silos in the Fight Against Health Care Fraud

In connection with the coordinated nationwide law enforcement operation, the Department is announcing that it is working closely with HHS-OIG, FBI, and other agencies to create a Health Care Fraud Data Fusion Center to bring together experts from the Department’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section, Health Care Fraud Unit Data Analytics Team; HHS-OIG; FBI; and other agencies to leverage cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics to identify emerging health care fraud schemes. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team was established in 2018 to enhance the Unit’s ability to detect, investigate, and prosecute complex health care fraud schemes. Joining forces with data analysts from HHS-OIG, FBI, and other partners will increase efficiency, detection, and rapid prosecution of emerging health care fraud schemes. It will also implement the President’s Executive Order Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos (Exec. Order No. 14243, 3 C.F.R. 294 (2025)) by reducing duplicative data teams, increasing operational efficiency through a whole-of-government approach, and leveraging cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and other agency resources.

Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster, Assistant Deputy Chief Rebecca Yuan, Trial Attorney Miriam L. Glaser Dauermann, and Data Analyst Elizabeth Nolte, all of the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, led and coordinated this year’s Takedown. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges.

In addition to FBI, HHS-OIG, DEA, and CMS, HSI, VA-OIG, IRS Criminal Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Labor, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies participated in the operation. The Medicaid Fraud Control Units of California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin also participated in the investigation of many of the federal and state cases announced today.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Forces. Prior to the charges announced as part of today’s nationwide Takedown and since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which operates in 27 districts, charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers more than $27 billion.

The following materials related to today’s announcement are available on the Health Care Fraud Unit’s website through these links:

•  Graphics and Resources

•  Case Descriptions

•  Court Documents

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

WASHINGTON – United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced today that the Department of Justice is now accepting nominations to Honor the Honorable: The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing. This award represents the Department of Justice’s reaffirmed commitment to uplifting the valor and exceptional contributions to policing of our great nation’s law enforcement personnel. It is the mission of the Department of Justice to recognize individuals in law enforcement who exhibit remarkable courage, innovation, and outstanding performance in making America safe again.

The Attorney General’s Honor the Honorable Award recognizes individual or teams of rank-and-file officers from state, local, Tribal or territorial law enforcement agencies for exceptional efforts in policing. The awarded officers, deputies and troopers will have demonstrated exceptional service in one of three areas: criminal investigations, field operations or exemplary community involvement. Within each category, an award will be given to law enforcement agencies serving small, medium and large jurisdictions. Those agency sizes are defined as:

• Small: agencies serving populations of fewer than 50,000;
• Medium: agencies serving populations of 50,000 to 250,000;
• Large: agencies serving populations of more than 250,000.

By acknowledging and rewarding these efforts, the Department strives to advance and reaffirm its dedication to policing and to promote proactive law enforcement methods that support public safety within our nation’s communities. Through this Award, the Attorney General recognizes that the nation’s law enforcement agencies, officers, deputies and troopers continue to work tirelessly to make American communities safe places to live and work again.

The deadline for nominations is July 14, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. More information and the application for nominees can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/ag/policing-award

WASHINGTON — Achieving a result otherwise unavailable through litigation, earlier today the Justice Department advised the court it had reached a settlement with HPE and Juniper that allows their merger to continue. This novel approach by the Justice Department reflects a commitment to solving unique challenges in mergers. Under the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi the laws of this country will be zealously enforced.

“Thank you to the hardworking men and women of the Antitrust Division for their work on this case.” — Gail Slater, Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Divison

“This marks another key legal victory from the Department of Justice’s Antitrust division. Our attorneys will continue fighting and winning to defend the American people and consumers.” — Department of Justice Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle

The settlement requires HPE to divest its Instant On business and mandates that the merged firm license critical Juniper software to independent competitors. HPE must divest its global “Instant On” campus and branch WLAN business, including all assets, intellectual property, R&D personnel, and customer relationships, to a DOJ-approved buyer within 180 days. The agreement also ensures that key software assets will be available to rivals looking to compete with the merged company. The parties must hold an auction to license Juniper’s AI Ops for Mist source code—an important component in modern WLAN systems. The license will be perpetual, non-exclusive, and include optional transitional support and personnel transfers to facilitate competition.

An Illinois man who operated a tax return preparation business pleaded guilty yesterday to preparing and filing false individual income tax returns for clients and for himself.

The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Byron Taylor, of Homewood, owned and operated We Are Taxes, a tax preparation business in Dolton, Illinois. Taylor claimed his business had over 25 years of experience preparing tax returns and boasted that “Everyone Gets a Check!” For many years, Taylor prepared and filed with the IRS false individual income tax returns for clients. On those returns, Taylor included false deductions including medical and dental expenses, gifts to charity, state and local real estate taxes, and unreimbursed employee expenses. Taylor also included false business losses. The false information resulted in Taylor’s clients claiming refunds that they were otherwise not entitled to receive. For tax years 2015 through 2020, Taylor prepared and filed at least 54 false tax returns for clients.

In addition, Taylor filed or attempted to file false individual income tax returns for himself for tax years 2017 through 2021. On these returns, Taylor substantially underreported income received by We Are Taxes or failed to report the business entirely.

Finally, Taylor filed multiple false Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications for several businesses he claimed he owned and operated. The loan applications falsely claimed, for example, that these entities had earned certain amounts of gross income and that such income had been reported to the IRS. In fact, the businesses had not received that income, and Taylor had not filed tax returns reporting these businesses to the IRS. Four of the applications were approved. After he received the PPP loans, Taylor used portions of the funds on personal expenditures, including gambling expenses.

In total, Taylor caused a tax loss to the IRS of $914,745.

Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 4. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for the false return he prepared and filed on behalf of a client, and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for the false return he filed for himself. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Assistant Chief Matthew J. Kluge and Trial Attorney Boris Bourget of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

The owner of a fuel truck supply company, Kris Bird, 62, was sentenced today in Boise, Idaho, to three months in prison and a $24,000 fine for his role in schemes to rig bids, allocate territories, and commit wire fraud over an eight-year period. Further, Bird was ordered to forfeit to the federal government $1,542,387 as proceeds of his wire fraud offenses. The conspiracies Bird participated in related to contracts to provide fuel trucks that assist the U.S. Forest Service’s efforts to battle wildfires in Idaho and the mountain west.

Bird pleaded guilty in March 2025 — two weeks before his trial was set to begin — to the seven-count indictment. The plea followed an investigation that involved evidence from a judicially authorized wiretap and led to charges against two executives in December 2023. Earlier this month on June 5, Bird’s co-defendant, Ike Tomlinson, 61, was sentenced to 12 months in prison and a $20,000 fine for his leadership role in the criminal conduct.

“Mr. Bird stole taxpayer funds allocated for critical wildfire-fighting efforts protecting the American people to line his own pockets,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Trump Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force and its law enforcement partners will continue the fight to ensure that the fraudulent use of taxpayer money results in incarceration.”

“Today’s sentencing underscores the FBI’s commitment to protecting the integrity of our markets,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Antitrust violations are not just corporate misconduct, they’re federal crimes that distort competition, drive up costs for consumers and erode public trust. We will continue to work with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to hold accountable those who rig the system for personal gain.”

“Bid rigging is not a victimless crime. It cheats taxpayers and the honest contractors who play by the rules,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Jason Suffredini of the General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Inspector General (OIG). “GSA OIG and our partners remain committed to pursuing those who engage in procurement fraud.”

According to court documents, the co-conspirators coordinated their bids to inflate prices and to determine who would have priority to receive business from the U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies in the event of a wildfire in a specific geographic area. The co-conspirators further coordinated to exclude and punish potential competitors to further maintain the success of their conspiracy. During the conspiracies, from March 2015 to March 2023, Bird annually submitted false SAM certifications to the federal government covering up his bid-rigging conspiracy and committing wire fraud. 

The Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Boise Resident Agency, and General Services Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant Chief Christopher J. Carlberg and Trial Attorneys Elena A. Goldstein, Daniel B. Twomey, and Matthew Chou of the Antitrust Division's San Francisco Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Mazorol for the District of Idaho have been prosecuting the case.

In addition to today’s criminal sentence, in May 2025, the United States, on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Small Business Administration, entered into a civil settlement with Kris Bird and other related entities and individuals who agreed to pay $781,186 to resolve civil claims after admitting to allegations that they obtained government contracts through bid-rigging and the submission of false SAM Certifications, as well as wrongly obtained a Paycheck Protection Program loan.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General investigated the civil case. Assistant United States Attorney Robert B. Firpo and Civil Chief James Schaefer are handling the case.

In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government—federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above. 

A Michigan doctor was sentenced today to four years in prison for a $6.3 million Medicare fraud scheme in which elderly and disabled patients were sent thousands of orthotic braces that they did not need.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sophie Toya, M.D., 56, of Bloomfield Hills, prescribed over 7,900 orthotic braces to more than 2,600 Medicare patients during a six-month period. The patients were solicited through deceptive television commercials offering free back braces. When they called the advertised telephone number, they were persuaded to accept braces for other parts of their bodies, with the promise that Medicare would pay. Toya spoke to some of these patients briefly over the phone, and she had no contact at all with the others. Toya nonetheless signed orders prescribing more than 7,900 braces, including prescribing four or more braces to nearly 1,000 patients.

Toya prescribed as many as 136 braces in a day, 12 braces for a single patient, and numerous braces for undercover agents posing as Medicare beneficiaries after speaking with them by telephone for less than a minute. The prescriptions and accompanying medical records signed by Toya falsely represented that the braces were medically necessary and that she diagnosed the beneficiaries, had a plan of care for them, and recommended that they receive certain additional treatment. In the case of one patient, to whom Toya prescribed five braces for which Medicare was billed $3,883, she falsely attested that she evaluated the patient and that the patient was mobile when, in fact, the patient had long been confined to a wheelchair, could not walk or stand, and was suffering from a dangerous spinal infection that could not be treated by braces but instead required spinal surgery.

Toya’s false prescriptions were used by brace supply companies to bill Medicare more than $6.3 million. Toya was paid approximately $120,000 by purported telemedicine companies in exchange for signing the fraudulent prescriptions.

On May 10, 2024, Toya was convicted following an eight-day trial on one count of health care fraud and five counts of false statements relating to health care matters. Toya was also ordered to pay $3,606,935 in restitution and $120,475 in forfeiture.

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director in Charge Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Division; and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case. The case was charged as part of Operation Rubber Stamp, a coordinated nationwide law enforcement operation that targeted medical professionals who participated in fraudulent telemedicine schemes.

Assistant Chief Rebecca Yuan and Trial Attorney Chris Wenger of the National Rapid Response Strike Force of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, 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.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into the University of California (UC) system, including its individual campuses, concerning potential race- and sex-based discrimination in university employment practices.

The University of California’s “UC 2030 Capacity Plan” directs its campuses to hire “diverse” faculty members to meet race- and sex-based employment quotas. These initiatives openly measure new hires by their race and sex, which potentially runs afoul of federal law. The Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section will investigate whether the University of California is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, sex, and other protected characteristics, pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“Public employers are bound by federal laws that prohibit racial and other employment discrimination,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Institutional directives that use race- and sex-based hiring practices expose employers to legal risk under federal law.”

The notice letter is available here.

A Canadian national accused of operating fraudulent prize notice schemes was extradited to the United States and made his initial appearance in Las Vegas federal court on June 18, the Department of Justice and U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced today.

Patrick Fraser, 44, of Alberta, Canada, will face federal charges of conspiracy and mail fraud. Fraser was arrested on June 14, 2023, by Canadian authorities pursuant to a U.S. extradition request and was surrendered to the United States this month. A detention hearing was held on June 23, and Fraser was ordered detained pending trial.

According to the indictment, the defendant conspired with others to operate fraud schemes through which he mailed fraudulent prize notifications to individuals in the United States and in other countries. The prize notifications falsely represented that the victims had been specifically chosen to receive a large cash prize, typically over $1 million, and would receive the prize upon payment of a small free. Many of the victims were elderly and vulnerable.

“The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting and pursuing those who perpetrate fraud schemes targeting America’s seniors,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “I thank Canada for assisting in extraditing this individual to face charges here in the United States. The Justice Department and U.S. law enforcement partners will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners across the globe to bring to justice criminals who attempt to defraud U.S. victims from outside the United States.”

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with the Consumer Protection Branch and our law enforcement partners in the United States and the world to identify and pursue transnational criminals who prey on older Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Through our Elder Justice Initiative, Assistant U.S. Attorneys and professional staff are combating elder financial exploitation and fraud. This extradition is another example of the outstanding collaboration between federal law enforcement and international partners.”

“Postal inspectors protect the vulnerable. If you use fake prize offers to scam others, we’ll find you—and you will be held accountable,” said U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Eric Shen.

Fraser is charged in a nine-count indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Las Vegas. If convicted, Fraser faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Senior Trial Attorney Ann Entwistle and Trial Attorney Charles B. Dunn of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case. USPIS investigated the case. The Justice Department is grateful to the Vancouver Police Department as well as the Department of Justice Canada's International Assistance Group, who provided assistance through official requests. The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division accomplished the extradition of Fraser from Canada.

The Justice Department continues to investigate and bring charges in other similar matters. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Consumer complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.

For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its fraud enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. 

Today the United States is challenging laws in Minnesota that provide reduced in-state tuition — and in some cases, free tuition — for illegal aliens. These laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens, who are not afforded the same privileges, in direct conflict with federal law. The Department of Justice has filed the complaint in the District of Minnesota. This challenge builds upon a recently successful lawsuit against the state of Texas on a similar law.

“No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice just won on this exact issue in Texas, and we look forward to taking this fight to Minnesota in order to protect the rights of American citizens first.”

In the complaint, the United States seeks to enjoin enforcement of Minnesota laws that require public colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates (and free tuition under certain circumstances, including if they meet a certain income threshold) for illegal aliens who maintain state residency, regardless of whether those aliens are lawfully present in the United States. Federal law prohibits institutions of higher education from providing postsecondary education benefits to aliens that are not offered to U.S. citizens. These laws blatantly conflict with federal law and thus are unconstitutional under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

This lawsuit follows two executive orders recently signed by President Trump that seek to ensure illegal aliens are not obtaining taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment.

• Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders
• Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens

Read the complaint here.

Today, the Department of Justice announced the filing of a complaint against the U.S. District Court of Maryland for implementing a “Standing Order” that automatic injunctions be issued for federal immigration enforcement actions. This order requires the court clerk to automatically enter an injunction against removing or challenging the legal status of any alien detained in Maryland who files a habeas petition. In doing so, the District Court defies procedural and substantive requirements for issuing preliminary injunctions, flouts congressional intent, and violates Supreme Court precedent.

“President Trump’s executive authority has been undermined since the first hours of his presidency by an endless barrage of injunctions designed to halt his agenda,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.  “The American people elected President Trump to carry out his policy agenda: this pattern of judicial overreach undermines the democratic process and cannot be allowed to stand.”

Since the beginning of the new administration, district courts have abused their Article III powers by interfering with Executive Branch prerogatives. To date, district courts have entered more nationwide injunctions in the first 100 days of the administration than in the 100 years from 1900 to 2000. The District Court of Maryland’s automatic injunctions order is yet another egregious example of unlawful judicial overreach into the Executive Branch’s ability to enforce and administer federal law.

This is the latest action taken by the Department of Justice to reign in unlawful judicial overreach.

Read the full Complaint HERE.

A New Jersey Certified Public Accountant (CPA) pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to defraud the United States by promoting fraudulent tax shelters to his high-income clients.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2018 and 2019, Ofer Gabbay, a CPA, of Paramus, New Jersey, conspired with others, including Jack Fisher, James Sinnott, and their assistant Kate Joy to promote fraudulent syndicated conservation easement tax shelters to their clients. These tax shelters facilitated high-income taxpayers in claiming unwarranted and inflated charitable contribution tax deductions in connection with the donation of a conservation easement over land. To carry out the scheme, Gabbay and others instructed clients to provide backdated checks, agreements and other documents to support the unwarranted tax deductions. Gabbay then prepared false tax returns for his participating clients.

Fisher and Sinnott were sentenced to 25 year and 23 years in prison, respectively, for their roles in the scheme. Joy remains a fugitive.

Gabbay faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Senior Litigation Counsel Richard Rolwing and Trial Attorney Parker Tobin of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Robert Page, the Orange County Registrar of Voters in Orange County, California for refusing to provide the Justice Department with records pertaining to the removal of non-citizens from its voter registration list and for failing to maintain an accurate voter list in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

“Voting by non-citizens is a federal crime, and states and counties that refuse to disclose all requested voter information are in violation of well-established federal elections laws” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Removal of non-citizens from the state’s voter rolls is critical to ensuring that the State’s voter rolls are accurate and that elections in California are conducted without fraudulent voting. The Department of Justice will hold jurisdictions that refuse to comply with federal voting laws accountable.”

The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.

A former senior executive of a Michigan asphalt paving company was sentenced today to six months in prison and a $500,000 fine for his role in multiple conspiracies to rig bids for asphalt paving services contracts in Michigan.

Bruce F. Israel, former vice-president of Pontiac-based Asphalt Specialists LLC (ASI), pleaded guilty in January 2024 to conspiring with Al’s Asphalt Paving Company Inc. (Al’s Asphalt), F. Allied Construction Company Inc. (Allied), and employees from those companies to rig bids in each other’s favor. Israel is one of seven individuals that have been charged as part of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the asphalt paving services industry. Three companies also have been charged as part of the investigation, which to date has resulted in over $8.7 million in criminal fines.

“Bid rigging is cheating, plain and simple,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “By their own admissions, the defendant and his co-conspirators cheated their customers and betrayed the basic notions of free and fair competition, all to benefit themselves. The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will bring to justice all individuals who deprive the public of the benefits of competition by seeking their incarceration.”

“Anyone choosing corporate greed over open and fair competition should take note of the sentence handed down today,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Licari of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Midwestern Region. “This result underscores our firm resolve and ongoing collaboration with law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to identify, expose, and dismantle any efforts to undermine the systems that exist to protect consumers.”

“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of bid rigging that degrades the competitive process,” said Inspector General Tammy Hull of the United States Postal Service. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those companies that commit fraud by conspiring to engage in anticompetitive practices for personal gain and corporate greed.”

According to court documents, the co-conspirators coordinated each other’s bid prices so that the agreed-upon losing company would submit intentionally non-competitive bids. These bids gave customers the false impression of competition when, in fact, the co-conspirators already had decided among themselves who would win the contracts. Israel participated in the conspiracy with Al’s Asphalt from March 2013 through November 2018 and the Allied conspiracy from July 2017 through May 2021.

Israel’s former employer, ASI, also pleaded guilty for its participation in the Al’s Asphalt and Allied conspiracies in January 2024. Another former ASI executive, Daniel Israel, pleaded guilty for his participation in the conspiracy with Al’s Asphalt in October 2023, and a third former ASI executive, Timothy Baugher, pleaded guilty for his participation in the Allied conspiracy in January 2025. ASI was sentenced in August 2024 to pay a fine of $6,500,000.

The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office and the Offices of Inspectors General for the Department of Transportation and U.S. Postal Service investigated the case.

The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office is prosecuting the case.

Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

An indictment was unsealed today in Denver charging Mohamed Sabry Soliman with 12 hate crime counts, including nine counts of violating 18 U.S.C. § 249 and three counts of violating 18 U.S.C. § 844(h), for using Molotov cocktails to attack members of the group “Run for Their Lives” and others who had gathered in the park in front of the Boulder County Courthouse on June 1. Soliman had previously been charged by complaint with a federal hate crime offense on June 2.

According to the indictment, on June 1, Soliman entered the park carrying both a backpack weed sprayer that contained a flammable liquid and a black plastic container that held at least 18 glass bottles and jars, all of which contained a flammable liquid and several of which had red rags stuffed through the top to act as wicks (commonly referred to as Molotov cocktails).

At approximately 1:30 p.m., Soliman approached the Run for Their Lives group and threw two Molotov cocktails that he had ignited. When throwing one of the Molotov cocktails, he shouted, “Free Palestine!”

A handwritten document was later recovered from the vehicle driven by Soliman. The document included the following statements: “Zionism is our enemies untill [sic] Jerusalem is liberated and they are expelled from our land,” and further described Israel as a “cancer entity.”

The indictment further alleges that during an interview with law enforcement, Soliman stated, among other things, that he viewed “anyone supporting the exist [sic] of Israel on our land” to be “Zionist.” The defendant stated that he “decide[d] to take [his] revenge from these people” and “search[ed] the internet looking for any Zionist event.” Soliman stated that he learned of the Run for Their Lives group through internet searches for “Zionist” events and that he identified the “Zionist” group when he saw the flags and signs they carried at the courthouse.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Boulder Police Department.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado and the Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.