Northern District of Ohio

CLEVELAND – An Ohio man has pleaded guilty to creating a phony investment opportunity which he used to convince unsuspecting victims to trust him with their money and then used their funds for his own personal benefit such as to gamble at casinos.

John E. Brown II, 45, of Brecksville, Ohio, pleaded guilty to 17 counts of Wire Fraud and two counts of Engaging in a Monetary Transaction in Criminal Proceeds. U.S. District Judge Dan A. Polster accepted Brown’s plea on Sept. 29, 2026.

According to court documents, Brown devised an investment scheme that he called “rolling code ticket packages” which were, according to Brown, bundled admission tickets to experiences such as sporting events or theme parks.  From about May 2020 to May 2024, Brown promoted his investment opportunity by giving prospective investors information about the ticket packages. One way he convinced victims to invest was to point out that the value of the ticket packages would fluctuate in price based on a variety of factors including the stock price of theme parks or how well a professional sports team was performing that season. Another false selling point Brown highlighted was that the ticket packages frequently “split,” thereby doubling the number of tickets in the bundle and making it more valuable. Brown further misrepresented the investment by telling victims that he could generate profits by trading ticket packages when they increased in value.

Brown even went so far as to engage the assistance of other individuals to act as either successful investors or “code” buyers, in a coordinated effort to assure victims that it was safe to make significant investments. Additionally, he told some victims that the ticket packages were insured against losses, when in fact, they were not.

When victims were finally convinced to invest, Brown directed them to transfer their investment money to his business bank accounts. With the victims’ funds fully in his control, Brown spent the money for the benefit of himself including transferring approximately $1,375,000 to various casinos so he could gamble. When victims asked why they were not seeing returns on their investments, Brown provided them with fake documents suggesting he purchased the ticket codes on their behalf and gave them false assurances that their investments were safe.

Three of the victims were located in Berea, Mayfield Heights, and North Royalton, Ohio. Two victims resided in Cape Coral and Orlando, Florida. Collectively, victims lost more than $3 million by investing in what they were deceptively led to believe was a sound financial opportunity.

Brown faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of Wire Fraud charged in counts 1-17, and 10 years in prison for each count of Engaging in a Monetary Transaction in Criminal Proceeds charged in counts 18 and 19. Brown also faces fines of up to $4,750,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2027. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division.

Assistant United States Attorney Edward D. Brydle led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio. 

CLEVELAND – A 38-year-old man has been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking substantial amounts of controlled substances and for illegal possession of a firearm.

Phillip Moreland, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 180 months (15 years) in prison and five years of supervised released by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan after pleading guilty in May to: •    Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
•    Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine (2 counts)
•    Felon in Possession of a Firearm; prior convictions include Drug Possession, Failure to Comply, and Felonious Assault in 2008, and Tampering with Evidence and Drug Possession in 2016.
•    Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime

During the investigation, officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Moreland for speed and illegal tint violations. Moreland initially complied with the officers’ commands but then began to flee on foot. As officers pursued Moreland, he was observed removing a bag with blue pills from his pocket and throwing it into an open field. He jumped several fences and evaded arrest. During an inventory search of his car, officers found a loaded pistol under the driver seat, two cellphones, two bottles of alcohol, and a plastic bag containing a purple powder which later tested positive for more than 1,500 grams of methamphetamine. The bag thrown into the field was retrieved and later tested positive for more than 55 grams of methamphetamine in pill form. A federal arrest warrant was issued for Moreland and he was later apprehended at his home where additional controlled substances, scales, and a cutting agent was located. Several cellphones were seized and searched pursuant to federal search warrants, yielding evidence of a drug trafficking conspiracy involving Moreland and co-defendant Deonte Dillard, 34, of Cleveland.

Dillard is currently serving a five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to his role in this drug trafficking operation.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration Cleveland Resident Office with assistance from the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Assistant United States Attorney Paul E. Hanna led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.
 

TOLEDO, Ohio – A 46-year-old man was sentenced to federal prison for sending and receiving child pornography through a social media platform and for committing firearms offenses.

Ricardo Gibson, of Willard, Ohio, was sentenced to 292 months (24.33 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick after pleading guilty in May to the charges in the indictment:

• Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM)
• Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; previous conviction for same offense in 2002

Gibson was also ordered to pay $42,000 in restitution to victims, and to serve 20 years of supervised release after serving his prison sentence. 

According to court documents and evidence, in May 2023 federal agents investigated a report made about a man who was buying used children’s clothing from an online marketplace. The seller reported that he was sending her provocative images of prepubescent girls through the platform’s chat function and was expressing his sexual interest in children. Agents subsequently identified Gibson. During a search warrant executed where he was residing, investigators found two cellphones, adult sex toys, little girl’s clothing, two handguns, three magazines and 19, 9mm rounds of ammunition. A forensic analysis of his seized electronic devices determined that approximately 6,448 CSAM files were in his possession.

This case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Resident Agency, the Huron County Sheriff’s Office, and the Willard Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank H. Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio led the prosecution.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CLEVELAND – A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to prison after threatening three victims at gunpoint during carjackings he carried out in Cleveland in July 2025.

Mickey Hodge, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison and five years of supervised released by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Gaughan after pleading guilty to:

• Carjacking (3 counts)
• Using or Carrying and Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence (3 counts)

Judge Gaughan also ordered him to pay $25,1991.81 in restitution, jointly and severally with co-defendants Tayveonn Elliott, 22, of Cleveland, and Tye Campbell, 20, also of Cleveland. Elliott and Campbell are scheduled to be sentenced in October after pleading guilty to their roles in the carjackings, as well as firearms offenses.

According to court documents, on July 16, 2025, three victims were carjacked by a coordinated group of armed assailants, later identified as Hodge, Elliott, and Campbell. The day before the carjackings, a food delivery service employee had left his Honda Civic briefly to go and deliver food to a residence. But when he returned, his car was gone. The next morning at 4 a.m., the defendants threatened a valet at a downtown hotel and demanded the keys to vehicles she had parked. In fear of her life, she complied and the suspects took a Nissan Altima, while a third co-conspirator that was nearby, drove away in the Honda stolen from the delivery service driver. At about 7:30 a.m. the same morning, a woman sitting in her Toyota RAV4 was carjacked at gunpoint in a gym parking lot. Also fearing for her life, she gave the suspects the key fob and they drove off. Later, at about 6 p.m., a third victim was threatened at gunpoint, and he gave the suspects the keys to his Ford Explorer. About four hours later, law enforcement located the Honda and activated lights to initiate a traffic stop. However, the Honda sped away and crashed into two other vehicles at an intersection.  Several suspects, including Hodge and Elliott, got out of the car  and fled on foot but were apprehended. Campbell was arrested on a later date.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division and the Cleveland Division of Police.

Assistant United States Attorney Scott Zarzycki led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – A 30-year-old man with a history of drug trafficking offenses has been sentenced to prison after he was once again found in violation of federal drug and firearms laws.

Jermaine S. Cottrell, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 155 months (12.91 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after pleading guilty in June to:

• Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; prior convictions include Drug Trafficking in 2018, 2020, and 2021
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (3 counts).

Judge Nugent also ordered Cottrell to serve three years of supervised release and to forfeit a pistol, magazine, and ammunition.

According to court documents and evidence presented before the court, in September 2025, Cottrell was located in the parking lot of a CVS pharmacy. As officers attempted to box in the car to prevent flight,  Cottrell, used his vehicle to ram into police cars and then fled on foot.

While officers attempted to secure him in handcuffs, Cottrell shoved several small plastic bags of narcotics into his mouth which he later spit out while EMS transported him to a hospital. A forensic analysis of the drugs in Cottrell’s possession were determined to include cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fluorofentanyl, and fentanyl. A firearm with an extended magazine was in the driver’s side door of the vehicle Cottrell was operating.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Lakewood Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – A Richland County man has been sentenced to federal prison for engaging in online activities that involved Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM).

Shane E. Westerfeld, 51, of Mansfield, Ohio, has been sentenced to 108 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Gaughan, after pleading guilty in May to Receipt of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and Possession of Child Pornography. He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $11,000 in restitution to victims.

According to court documents and evidence presented in court, in February 2024 Westerfeld was discovered trafficking CSAM on an online platform and communicating with an undercover agent posing as a 13-year-old girl. During a search warrant executed on his electronic devices, investigators found that he knowingly received more than 100 computer files which contained the sexual abuse of children. Several files involved prepubescent minors under the age of 12 including toddlers. Upon further investigation, Westerfeld was found to also have a previous conviction for possessing child pornography in Canada.

The investigation leading to the indictment was led by the FBI Mansfield Resident Agency.

Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King for the Northern District Ohio led the prosecution.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CLEVELAND – A Chinese national has been sentenced to prison for using his role as a bank employee to access confidential client information to target elderly customers and create a scheme to steal their money. 

Yue Cao, 36, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison by J. Philip Calabrese after a federal jury convicted him in February of 10 counts of Bank Fraud, four counts of Aggravated Identity Theft, and one count of Money Laundering. He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment.

According to evidence presented before the jury, Cao was a quant analytics manager at an Ohio-based bank who was hired to help protect customers from fraud. He instead used his access to steal the identities and money of elderly customers who had not enrolled in the bank’s online services. He used an offshore service to create email addresses in the names of more than 100 victims. Then, he used these emails to enroll the victims in online banking—all without their knowledge or authorization. Additionally, Cao directed the victims’ bank statements and other notifications to the email addresses he created. Because he controlled their online banking, he transferred the victims’ money directly to his personal bank and credit card accounts. 

He also used the victims’ identities to open bank accounts in their names without their knowledge and transferred their money into them. Some of these were brokerage accounts, where he then engaged in options trading using their money. 

The victims targeted by Cao’s scheme resided in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Washington, and Ohio (Canton in Stark County ) and ranged in age from 90-103 years old at the time that Cao secretly enrolled them in online banking. In total, he conducted approximately $2 million in unauthorized transfers using his control of the victims’ accounts. 

This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division.

Assistant United States Attorneys Edward D. Brydle and Michael L. Collyer led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio. 

CLEVELAND – Five individuals will now face prison time for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy that trafficked illegal drugs from California to Ohio. 

U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent imposed the following sentences:

Terrance Gainer, 29, of Akron, was sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison and five years of supervised released after pleading guilty to:

• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
• Distribution of Methamphetamine (3 counts)
• Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering

Darquan Dixon, 27, of Akron, was sentenced to 200 months (16.6 years) in prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to:

• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances

Allura Ward, 25, of Mansfield, was sentenced to 165 months (13.75 years) in prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to:

• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
• Distribution of Methamphetamine (2 counts)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

Genaro Villa, 39, of San Diego, California, was sentenced to 136 months (11.33 years) in prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to:

• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances

Najiyah Martin, 47, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced to 24 months (2 years) in prison after pleading guilty to:

• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances

Anthony Clark, 31, of Akron, also charged in this case, is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 14 before Judge Charles Esque Fleming after pleading guilty to:

• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
• Distribution of Methamphetamine (3 counts)

In August 2025, a 59-page indictment was unsealed charging the six defendants for operating an interstate drug conspiracy that smuggled large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and other controlled substances from California to Ohio. 

According to court documents, from about February 2023 to April 2024, Villa supplied large quantities of drugs from California to Gainer, Clark, Dixon, and Ward. Martin facilitated kilogram-quantity drug deals involving Villa, Clark, and Gainer.

During the investigation, federal agents discovered that methamphetamine and cocaine were routinely mailed from locations in Los Angeles and San Diego and shipped to several cities in Ohio. Co-conspirators also smuggled drugs in suitcases on commercial flights and then drove to an apartment Gainer maintained in Columbus to drop off the drug shipments. Gainer also recruited additional couriers to help smuggle drugs and cash between California and Ohio.

Once the drugs were transported to Ohio, Gainer, Clark, Dixon, and Ward sold them to customers throughout the state. Additionally, Ward purchased a pill press machine and more than 55 pounds of pill-binding powder, had them shipped to her home in Mansfield, and then used them to press illicit pills.

In total, federal investigators seized more than 33 pounds (15 kilograms) of methamphetamine and more than two pounds of (1 kilogram) of cocaine that were smuggled from California to Ohio in mail parcels or on airline flights. Investigators also seized multiple firearms that were connected to the drug operation.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA Detroit Division’s Cleveland Field Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Cleveland Office, with assistance from the Cleveland MetroParks Police, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, the Wayne County MEDWAY Drug Enforcement Agency, the Cleveland Heights Police Department, the Columbus Division of Police, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

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

Assistant United States Attorney James P. Lewis leads the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio has announced three cases that were part of a nationwide enforcement action led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Small Business Administration (SBA), and the SBA Office of Inspector General targeting fraud in the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). 

From June 12 to Sept. 1, federal prosecutors across the country facilitated enforcement actions spanning over 160 criminal defendants and reaching approximately $245 million intended loss to American taxpayers. 

“Unfortunately, many individuals saw the economic lifelines meant to help our small businesses as their chance for a cash grab,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “Those who lie, deceive, and con their way into obtaining stimulus funds for their personal benefit will be held accountable, and we owe it to every taxpayer to aggressively prosecute these shameless fraudsters.”

“Pandemic loan relief was meant to keep American small businesses alive during government lockdowns—not line the pockets of fraudsters,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The defendants charged during our summer surge allegedly fabricated businesses, submitted false payroll and revenue claims, stole identities, and concealed foreign ties on their applications— but they will now be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“This summer surge shows what is possible when dedicated public servants across the country work together with a single purpose,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Our mission is clear: protect taxpayer funds, safeguard the integrity of federal relief programs, and deliver justice to those who exploited them. We will remain steadfast every day—standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners—to identify fraud, pursue those responsible, and restore confidence in the programs meant to help American small businesses thrive.”

“This announcement represents the largest-ever action against perpetrators of SBA fraud, with 870,000 suspended borrowers tied to $39 billion in suspected fraudulent PPP and COVID EIDL activity. In partnership with Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, we’re putting fraudsters on notice: the federal government will no longer turn a blind eye to those who stole from taxpayers and exploited programs designed to sustain small businesses during the pandemic,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “With demand letters going out to suspected fraudsters, we’re also sending a clear message that they must repay their debts or face Treasury collections and possible federal law enforcement. Under this Administration, the free ride is over. We are restoring accountability, recovering taxpayer dollars, and protecting SBA programs for the legitimate small businesses they were created to serve.” 

In the Northern District of Ohio in July, Travius Holloway, 36, of Richmond Heights, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He obtained a fraudulent PPP loan for his production company in the amount of $121,865, along with $370,982 worth of fraudulent pandemic-era unemployment benefits, for a total intended loss of approximately $494,847. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 20 and faces up to 20 years in prison. A previously announced case in July charged a Lorain County mother and her two sons with conspiracy to defraud the IRS and pandemic-era programs of more than $5 million, including approximately $337,645 in fraudulent PPP loans. In August, Ralph Faulkner, 46, of Jersey City, New Jersey, was charged with obtaining multiple fraudulent PPP and Economic Injury Disaster loans for a purported vodka business. He has since pleaded guilty to causing a loss of approximately $485,541. He faces up to 20 years in prison. A sentencing date is yet to be set.

These cases are being investigated by:

• U.S. Department of Labor-Office of the Inspector General
• Small Business Administration-Office of the Inspector General
• IRS-Criminal Investigations
• U.S. Postal Inspection Service
• FBI Cleveland Division

Assistant United States Attorneys Brenna Fasko, Stephanie Wojtasik, and Erica Barnhill are leading the prosecutions for the Northern District of Ohio.

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

If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

CLEVELAND – A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to prison for making extremely violent and graphic threats that terrorized three women on social media platforms.

Logan Stanford, of Shelby, Ohio, was sentenced to 78 months (6.5 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after pleading guilty in June to three counts each of :

• Cyberstalking
• Threatening Interstate Communications

Stanford was also ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence which includes a provision that prohibits him from internet usage.  

According to the indictment, throughout about a three-year period, Stanford harassed, stalked, intimidated, and threatened three separate female victims online. Some of the victims had never even met Stanford.  He would reach out to the women via various social media platforms, using mostly fake names. Although the women blocked the unwanted communications, Stanford would respond by opening new accounts under different, fictitious names to continue to harass and threaten them. His communications included multiple threats to violently kill the women.  

This case was investigated by the FBI Mansfield Resident Agency.

First Assistant United States Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report cyberstalking, visit stalkingawareness.org/what-to-do-if-you-are-being-stalked/. 

CLEVELAND - Gladys Marina Caal Chen, 21, of Guatemala, pleaded guilty to submitting a sponsorship application with false statements to the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to gain custody of an unaccompanied alien child (UAC).

According to court documents, Caal Chen falsely stated in a UAC sponsorship application under the penalty of perjury that she was the UAC’s sister. The HHS-funded care provider discontinued its consideration of Caal Chen’s application based in part on concerns that Caal Chen misrepresented her identity and relationship with the UAC in application materials. Caal Chen was arrested on May 22, after law enforcement encountered her during a court-authorized search of a residence belonging to another illegal alien from Guatemala who was charged with crimes relating to UACs. Caal Chen was previously sponsored as a UAC by one of that alien’s co-conspirators who fraudulently used an alias. Caal Chen is also alleged to have lied to ORR in or around January 2024 in an application to sponsor a UAC using an alias. At the time of her arrest, Caal Chen lied to law enforcement by providing another alias, but she later admitted her real name was Caal Chen.

“This defendant defrauded and undermined a government program designed to protect children,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The investigative efforts that led to this guilty plea demonstrate that the United States and Joint Task Force Alpha will prosecute those who seek to take advantage of children, ignore the laws designed to protect them, and take measures to thwart our government’s efforts to ensure their safety.”

“Those who intentionally manipulate federal systems and programs to gain illegal custody of children are despicable,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “We will aggressively prosecute anyone who lies to federal authorities, and we will not tolerate actions that enable them to smuggle or traffic others — especially children.”  

“This guilty plea underscores Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) commitment to protecting unaccompanied children from individuals who attempt to exploit the sponsorship process through fraud and deception,” said Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of HSI Detroit. “False statements in these applications can and have placed vulnerable children at serious risk. HSI will continue working with our federal, state and local partners to identify fraudulent schemes, protect potential victims and ensure those who undermine the integrity of the process are held accountable.”

“Caal Chen abused the very program that is designed to help vulnerable children by lying and taking advantage of the system,” said Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI. “The FBI will use every resource at our disposal to safeguard the government programs designed to help these children and to pursue justice against anyone who seeks to exploit them.”

“Fraudulently manipulating the sponsorship process for unaccompanied children not only violates federal law, it endangers vulnerable young children who rely on these protections,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS‑OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue to safeguard programs designed to protect children and will hold accountable anyone who seeks to exploit them.”

Caal Chen pleaded guilty to making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing is set for Nov. 23. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The HSI, FBI, and HHS-OIG Cleveland field offices jointly led the investigation with assistance from HSI’s Attaché team in Guatemala. Additionally, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking and HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., and ORR, have provided valuable assistance. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and prosecutors from Guatemala’s Office of Public Ministry provided significant assistance in this matter.

Deputy Chief Christian Levesque and Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney/Senior Litigation Counsel Carol Skutnik and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward D. Brydle for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Analyst/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.

The investigation and indictment leading to the guilty plea announced today was supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s HRSP Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated prosecutors from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement/HSI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection/Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 483 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 436 U.S. convictions; and more than 371 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.

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

Gladys Marina Caal Chen, 21, of Guatemala, pleaded guilty today to submitting a sponsorship application with false statements to the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to gain custody of an unaccompanied alien child (UAC).

According to court documents, Caal Chen falsely stated in a UAC sponsorship application under the penalty of perjury that she was the UAC’s sister. The HHS-funded care provider discontinued its consideration of Caal Chen’s application based in part on concerns that Caal Chen misrepresented her identity and relationship with the UAC in application materials. Caal Chen was arrested on May 22,  after law enforcement encountered her during a court-authorized search of a residence belonging to another illegal alien from Guatemala who was charged with crimes relating to UACs. Caal Chen was previously sponsored as a UAC by one of that alien’s co-conspirators who fraudulently used an alias. Caal Chen is also alleged to have lied to ORR in or around January 2024 in an application to sponsor a UAC using an alias. At the time of her arrest, Caal Chen lied to law enforcement by providing another alias, but she later admitted her real name was Caal Chen. 

“This defendant defrauded and undermined a government program designed to protect children,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The investigative efforts that led to this guilty plea demonstrate that the United States and Joint Task Force Alpha will prosecute those who seek to take advantage of children, ignore the laws designed to protect them, and take measures to thwart our government’s efforts to ensure their safety.”

“Those who intentionally manipulate federal systems and programs to gain illegal custody of children are despicable,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “We will aggressively prosecute anyone who lies to federal authorities, and we will not tolerate actions that enable them to smuggle or traffic others — especially children.”  

“This guilty plea underscores Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) commitment to protecting unaccompanied children from individuals who attempt to exploit the sponsorship process through fraud and deception,” said Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of HSI Detroit. “False statements in these applications can and have placed vulnerable children at serious risk. HSI will continue working with our federal, state and local partners to identify fraudulent schemes, protect potential victims and ensure those who undermine the integrity of the process are held accountable.”

“Caal Chen abused the very program that is designed to help vulnerable children by lying and taking advantage of the system,” said Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI. “The FBI will use every resource at our disposal to safeguard the government programs designed to help these children and to pursue justice against anyone who seeks to exploit them.”

“Fraudulently manipulating the sponsorship process for unaccompanied children not only violates federal law, it endangers vulnerable young children who rely on these protections,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS‑OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue to safeguard programs designed to protect children and will hold accountable anyone who seeks to exploit them.”

Caal Chen pleaded guilty to making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing is set for Nov. 23. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The HSI, FBI, and HHS-OIG Cleveland field offices jointly led the investigation with assistance from HSI’s Attaché team in Guatemala. Additionally, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking and HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., and ORR, have provided valuable assistance. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and prosecutors from Guatemala’s Office of Public Ministry provided significant assistance in this matter.

Deputy Chief Christian Levesque and Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney/Senior Litigation Counsel Carol Skutnik and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward D. Brydle for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Analyst/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall. 

The investigation and indictment leading to the guilty plea announced today was supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s HRSP Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated prosecutors from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement/HSI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection/Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 483 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 436 U.S. convictions; and more than 371 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.

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

TOLEDO, Ohio – A 54-year-old man employed at a northern Ohio dairy was sentenced after he admitted responsibility for environmental pollutants that were dumped into a waterway.

Teunis Jan Willemsen, a citizen of the Netherlands residing in Frankton, Indiana, was sentenced to 15 months of probation and ordered to pay a $25,000 fine, as well as serve 100 hours of community service. U.S. Magistrate Judge Darrell A. Clay imposed the judgment Sept. 8 after Willemsen pleaded guilty in May to negligently discharging a pollutant in violation of the Clean Water Act. The discharge was dumped into the Little Black Creek, which is a tributary of Saint Mary’s River that flows to the Maumee River.

According to court documents, in December 2022 Willemsen was serving as the manager of Heartland Dairy, when investigators found that a discharge was being pumped from a settling basin on the dairy’s property into a nearby ditch that drained into a waterway. The discharge was analyzed and found to consist of manure and silage leachate, which contained concentrated amounts of ammonia—a pollutant—that resulted in the death of approximately 789 fish and 1,371 other aquatic animals.

“Reckless and careless business practices that threaten Ohio’s environment and wildlife will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “Let this sentence serve as a reminder that we will aggressively enforce federal environmental laws, and anyone found contributing to the diminishment of the quality of our land, air, and water will be prosecuted.”

“The defendant oversaw a discharge of ammonia-laden wastewater to Little Black Creek in the Maumee River, Ohio watershed that poisoned the water for miles and killed thousands of fish and other aquatic animals,” said Special Agent in Charge Allison Landsman of the EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Ohio. “Clean water is one of Ohio’s and America’s most valuable resources. This sentencing demonstrates that the EPA and our enforcement partners will investigate violations that pollute interstate waterways and hold polluters accountable.”

“Ohio’s waterways are vital to our communities, our wildlife and our economy. This case sends a clear message: those who pollute Ohio’s waterways will be held accountable,” said Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson.

The case was investigated by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Special Investigations Unit, with support from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew D. Simko for the Northern District of Ohio, with assistance from Sasha Reyes, U.S. EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel. 

If you have information or see activity that you believe is a potential or immediate environmental problem, please call the Ohio EPA 24-hour Hotline at 800-282-9378 or the National Response Center at 800-424-8802. Potential environmental violations can be reported at https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations.

Today, Jeriah Mast, 45, of Millersburg, Ohio, entered a guilty plea today to two counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors in Haiti. 

According to court documents, Mast traveled from the United States to Haiti on multiple occasions between 2002 and 2019, including with the organization Christian Aid Ministries (CAM), where he sexually abused minors. Law enforcement obtained flight records showing that Mast had taken over 30 flights from the United States to Haiti between November 2002 and August 2018. Sentencing is set for Dec. 15, 2026.

“Jeriah Mast preyed on vulnerable children while working in Haiti as a missionary,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His guilty plea to multiple counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors reflects both the severity of his crimes and our unwavering commitment to holding U.S. citizens accountable when they exploit children abroad. This type of predatory conduct — committed by someone entrusted with missionary work — represents a profound betrayal of trust, and today’s plea is an important step toward justice for the many victims harmed by Mast’s actions.” 

“This defendant violated the innocence of children and violated the trust of those who supported his supposed missionary work,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “It is reprehensible behavior that we will prosecute to the fullest. We thank the investigators from HSI and the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office for their hard work bringing this man to justice.”

“The defendant’s guilty plea underscores HSI’s critical mission to identify and investigate those who exploit children, including individuals entrusted with positions of authority, no matter where the crimes are committed,” said Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit. “Together with our law enforcement partners, HSI Cleveland will continue working to hold child predators accountable in the United States and to seek justice for victims wherever our investigations take us.” 

HSI Cleveland investigated the case with substantial assistance from the Holmes County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Office.

Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Kane and Jennifer King for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

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

Today, Jeriah Mast, 45, of Millersburg, Ohio, entered a guilty plea today to two counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors in Haiti. 

According to court documents, Mast traveled from the United States to Haiti on multiple occasions between 2002 and 2019, including with the organization Christian Aid Ministries (CAM), where he sexually abused minors. Law enforcement obtained flight records showing that Mast had taken over 30 flights from the United States to Haiti between November 2002 and August 2018. Sentencing is set for Dec. 15, 2026.

“Jeriah Mast preyed on vulnerable children while working in Haiti as a missionary,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His guilty plea to multiple counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors reflects both the severity of his crimes and our unwavering commitment to holding U.S. citizens accountable when they exploit children abroad. This type of predatory conduct — committed by someone entrusted with missionary work — represents a profound betrayal of trust, and today’s plea is an important step toward justice for the many victims harmed by Mast’s actions.” 

“This defendant violated the innocence of children and violated the trust of those who supported his supposed missionary work,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “It is reprehensible behavior that we will prosecute to the fullest. We thank the investigators from HSI and the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office for their hard work bringing this man to justice.”

“The defendant’s guilty plea underscores HSI’s critical mission to identify and investigate those who exploit children, including individuals entrusted with positions of authority, no matter where the crimes are committed,” said Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit. “Together with our law enforcement partners, HSI Cleveland will continue working to hold child predators accountable in the United States and to seek justice for victims wherever our investigations take us.” 

HSI Cleveland investigated the case with substantial assistance from the Holmes County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Office.

Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Kane and Jennifer King for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

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

CLEVELAND – Two Georgia women have pleaded guilty to their roles in a scheme to defraud the federal government by causing pandemic unemployment benefit funds to be paid on ineligible claims that had been held or denied for suspected fraud.

Sisters Joirean Creel, 35, of Duluth, and Adriane Creel, 24, of Stone Mountain, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Honest Services Wire Fraud. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan D. Greenberg accepted their guilty pleas Aug. 31.

According to allegations in court documents, the defendants were both hired to work as remote teleservices representatives through a subcontractor for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS). The agency administered Ohio’s unemployment insurance program, which included federally funded unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of their jobs, the defendants were given access to an online system to process and manage unemployment benefits for the claimants. They were supposed to use the system only for their job providing customer service to claimants by phone. Instead, the two women abused their positions and system access to solicit and accept bribes and kickbacks that caused $1.96 million in benefits to be paid. However, the claims paid had been previously flagged as suspected of being fraudulent. The defendants used their system access to nullify and void the suspected fraudulent claims even though they were not authorized to do so.  They also fraudulently obtained additional unemployment benefits for themselves by submitting applications in their own names. The defendants submitted their applications to other states including New York, Pennsylvania, and Nevada, despite being employed to help ODJFS administer the unemployment insurance system. In addition, investigators discovered that Joirean Creel was also employed by the U.S. Postal Service while claiming to be unemployed.

During the investigation, law enforcement seized and forfeited a Mercedes Benz GL450. In total, ODJFS lost more than $2 million as a result of the conspiracy.

This investigation was led by the U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, the FBI Cleveland Division, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Pittsburgh Division-Cleveland Field Office.

The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

Assistant United States Attorneys Elliot Morrison and Erica Barnhill for the Northern District of Ohio lead the prosecution.

CLEVELAND – Today, a federal jury convicted a father and son for their roles in the pre-meditated murder of an on-duty United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier in March of 2024. 

After a nearly two-week-long trial in front of U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent, Kaprise Sledge, 24, of Warren, and Thomas Sledge, 44 of Youngstown, were found guilty of:

• Murder of an Officer and Employee of the United States
• Using, Carrying, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence

According to evidence presented to the jury, on March 2, 2024, the two men aided and abetted one another in the premeditated killing of Jont’e Davis, age 33. At the time of his murder, Davis was carrying out his official duties as a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, in Warren, Ohio, when he was struck by gunfire coming from a gray Dodge Ram truck that drove up next to his parked mail truck. An eyewitness called 911 and identified the vehicle involved in the shooting. Investigators were able to confirm that the truck was registered to Kaprise Sledge. Through video surveillance footage and telephone records, investigators were able to establish that Kaprise Sledge and his father, Thomas, stalked Davis along his delivery route for approximately an hour and a half before shooting and killing him.  Additionally, during the execution of a search warrant at Kaprise Sledge’s residence, agents located evidence of drug trafficking.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 10, 2026. Both Sledge’s face a term of up to life imprisonment on the murder charge, and a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, up to life imprisonment on the firearms charges. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The United States Postal Inspection Service Cleveland Office and the Warren Police Department investigated the case. The Trumbull County Action Group Drug Task Force, FBI Violent Crimes Task Force, and Trumbull County Emergency Management also assisted in this investigation.

Assistant United States Attorneys Carol Skutnik, Peter Daly, Brett Hammond, and Samuel Lioi for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

To report mail theft or other crimes committed through, or towards, the United States Postal Service, call the USPIS at 1-877-876-2455 or visit https://www.uspis.gov/report. 

CLEVELAND – A 47-year-old man has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of sending, receiving, and possessing Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM), and to coercing a 13-year-old girl to meet him for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

Michael Neville, of Elyria, Ohio, pleaded guilty to five counts in a superseding indictment, those being:

• Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
• Possession of Child Pornography
• Interstate Travel to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct
• Sexual Exploitation of Children
• Receipt of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct

District Judge Charles Esque Fleming accepted Neville’s plea Aug. 26.

According to court documents and evidence presented to the judge, from about Jan. 23, 2024, to Sept. 21, 2025, Neville sent numerous sexually explicit communications to an undercover agent purporting to be the father of a 9-year-old girl, using a social media messaging application. The messages were largely focused on the defendant’s sexual interest in children. Federal agents executed a search warrant and seized Neville’s electronic devices. Forensic analysis of Neville’s devices found that they contained CSAM of pre-pubescent children, and that he sent CSAM material involving the sadistic abuse of an infant to others.

During the investigation, agents also discovered that Neville was communicating with a 13-year-old girl online for about a year. They learned that in August 2021, Neville drove more than 700 miles from Ohio to Massachusetts to meet with the 13-year-old he was messaging online. Once there, he met with the girl and took her to a hotel where he proceeded to coerce her to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Investigators also learned that Neville solicited sexually explicit images from a second minor victim.

Neville is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 10, 2026. He faces maximum prison sentences of 20 years for counts 1, 2, and 5, and a maximum of 30 years for counts 3 and 4.

A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Margaret A. Kane for the Northern District of Ohio.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Alfred Falgiani Jr., 72, of Girard, Ohio, the owner and manager of rental properties located in and around Girard, Ohio, for engaging in sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, alleges that Falgiani sexually harassed female tenants beginning in 2008. According to the complaint, Falgiani offered housing-related benefits in exchange for sexual contact, made unwelcome sexual comments and advances to female tenants, subjected female tenants to unwelcome touching and groping, and took adverse housing-related actions against female tenants who refused his sexual advances.

“When landlords exploit their position of power to harass or intimidate tenants, they violate the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those who abuse vulnerable residents and will work tirelessly to ensure that tenants can live free from sexual harassment and coercion.”

“No one should have to live in fear of a landlord making highly inappropriate advances,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “Housing owners and managers who engage in loathsome behavior and infringe on a person’s right to feel secure in their own home will face justice.”

The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, civil penalties to vindicate the public interest, and a court order barring future discrimination.

Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings owned or managed by Alfred Falgiani, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, should contact the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291 (press 1 for English, press 2 for Sexual Harassment, then press 4 to leave a message related to Alfred Falgiani), or send an email to Talk.Falgiani@usdoj.gov. Individuals may also submit a report online.

More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This lawsuit is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 54 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $19 million for victims of such harassment.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the owner and manager of rental properties located in and around Girard, Ohio, for engaging in sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, alleges that Alfred Falgiani, Jr., 72, of Girard, sexually harassed female tenants beginning in 2008. According to the complaint, Falgiani offered housing-related benefits in exchange for sexual contact, made unwelcome sexual comments and advances to female tenants, subjected female tenants to unwelcome touching and groping, and took adverse housing-related actions against female tenants who refused his sexual advances.

“Everyone deserves a home where they feel safe and protected. When landlords exploit their position of power to harass or intimidate tenants, they violate both the law and the basic dignity that housing should provide,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those who abuse vulnerable residents and will work tirelessly to ensure that tenants can live free from sexual harassment and coercion.”

“No one should have to live in fear of a landlord making highly inappropriate advances,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “Housing owners and managers who engage in loathsome behavior and infringe on a person’s right to feel secure in their own home will face justice.”

The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, civil penalties to vindicate the public interest, and a court order barring future discrimination.

Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings owned or managed by Alfred Falgiani, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, should contact the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291 (press 1 for English, press 2 for Sexual Harassment, then press 4 to leave a message related to Alfred Falgiani), or send an email to Talk.Falgiani@usdoj.gov. Individuals may also submit a report online.

More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This lawsuit is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 54 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $19 million for victims of such harassment.
 

CLEVELAND – Hundreds of individuals were apprehended and taken into custody throughout northern Ohio as part of a multi-agency strategic initiative to combat violent crime. The multi-jurisdictional sweep across eight cities, known as Operation Northern Shield, was coordinated among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and task forces. 

In May, June, and July, more than 600 people were arrested and nearly 200 firearms were seized along with varying amounts of fentanyl, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, cocaine, illicit drugs, and U.S. currency. Approximately 264 of these arrests came from surges into individual cities, and an additional 355 arrests were from other areas across the District.

“Operation Northern Shield was a different strategy than what was done before. We’ve never targeted multiple cities simultaneously. But we knew that, historically, rising temps in the summer months tend to correlate with rising crime and we needed to act swiftly across our region, not just in one area,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “We were determined to shield our communities with the highest crime areas. We especially would like to thank the U.S. Marshals Service for taking the lead in this effort to align state and local agencies and resources to take down some of the most wanted criminals in our District while continuing to perform their regular work to hunt down fugitives.”

“Operation Northern Shield succeeded because agencies did not work in silos, they worked as one team. This is what successful multi-agency operations look like. Different patches, uniforms, and chains of command, one mission making northern Ohio safer,” said U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott. “For 23 years our USMS (NOVFTF) was built on and sustained through our partnerships. My special thanks to all the federal, state and local officers, assistant U.S. attorneys, and crime analysts who put in the long hours to make this operation a complete success, ensuring the safety of our communities.”

Plans for Operation Northern Shield began in early 2026, with the goal to partner with local law enforcement agencies in a cohesive and integrated effort to target and apprehend violent fugitives in eight northern Ohio cities including Akron, Cleveland, Lorain, Youngstown, Elyria, Canton, Mansfield, and Toledo.

Fugitives were wanted for crimes of violence such as homicide, manslaughter, assault, robbery, and sex offenses. Other offenses involved human trafficking, firearms, and illegal drugs.

Overall, Operation Northern Shield yielded the following totals from May 17-July 18:

• 619 arrested 
• 684 warrants cleared
• 29 (suspected) gang members arrested
• 1.317 kg of narcotics seized (methamphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy, and fentanyl)
• 6 pounds of marijuana seized
• $120,200 in U.S. Currency seized 
• 198 firearms, 2 suppressors, 2 machine gun conversion devices, 1 inert grenade, 2 sets of ballistic body armor seized

Many of those apprehended will face state charges, and several are expected to be referred for federal prosecution where appropriate.

Among those arrested who are facing federal charges are:

• Sidney Booty, 47, of Cleveland, a previously convicted felon who was allegedly found possessing an illegal firearm, a silencer, and methamphetamine which he intended to distribute and sell.
• Marcus Brown, 36, and Terence Montgomery, 32, both of Cleveland, were allegedly part of a drug conspiracy that trafficked fentanyl, crack, and cocaine. They are also charged with interstate transportation in aid of racketeering.

Operation Northern Shield was led by the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) for the Northern District of Ohio.

U.S. Attorney Toepfer would like to gratefully acknowledge the following agencies for each of their roles in this successful operation to keep Northern Ohio communities safe:

• USMS Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFT)  teams from Akron, Canton, Lorain, Mansfield, Painesville, Toledo, and Cleveland
• USMS Special Operations Group, K-9 Team
• Ohio State Highway Patrol Special Response Team 
• Ohio Adult Parole Authority
• USMS Southern District of Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team
• Akron Police Department, Gun Violence Reduction Team
• Cleveland Division of Police
• Canton Police Department
• Elyria Police Department
• Lorain Police Department
• Mansfield Police Department
• Toledo Police Department
• Youngstown Police Department
• Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
• Drug Enforcement Administration
• FBI Cleveland Division
• U.S. Secret Service

TOLEDO, Ohio – Two people have been sentenced to prison for conspiring to produce child pornography by sexually exploiting two children.

Chaz Jacob, 36, of Toledo, and Amy Fountain, 51, of McDade, Texas, were sentenced to prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick after pleading guilty in February to criminal offenses.

Jacob was sentenced to 420 months (35 years) in prison for Conspiracy to Produce Child Pornography, two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, and Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. He was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and pay a combined $75,000 in restitution to 25 victims.

Fountain was sentenced to 262 months (21.83 years) in prison for Conspiracy to Produce Child Pornography and Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. She was ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.

According to court documents, federal agents were investigating the suspected sexual abuse of a minor victim in Toledo and Jacob was subsequently identified. During a search warrant executed at Jacob’s residence, several of his electronic devices were seized. Forensic analysis of these electronic devices revealed videos that Jacob recorded himself while he sexually abused several minors. Other videos found on the devices depicted Fountain, and her husband Christopher Hagerman, 50, also of McDade, sexually abusing two minors under the age of 12 at Jacob’s residence.

Hagerman pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Produce Child Pornography and Sexual Exploitation of a Minor in June and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 7.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

This prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CLEVELAND and TOLEDO, Ohio – The United States Attorney’s Office has announced immigration enforcement actions in the Northern District of Ohio. These are separate cases and are not related.

The following individuals were sentenced by a U.S. District Court judge after each previously pleaded guilty to their roles in violating federal immigration laws. All defendants will remain detained after serving their sentences, pending deportation from the United States.

Santos DeJesus Gomez, 46, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least two occasions with the most recent being Oct. 26, 2024. He was found near Fremont, Ohio, in Sandusky County, on March 7. 

Alonso Diaz-Espinosa, 38, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least three occasions with the most recent being Feb. 13, 2026. He was found near Fremont, Ohio, in Sandusky County, on March 7. 

Rigoberto Gomez-Arguijo, 46, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced to 10 months in prison after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being Oct. 28, 2010. He was found in Marion, Ohio, in Marion  County, on Jan. 8.

Alan Ramos-Capultitla, 21, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being Feb. 14. He was found near Fremont, Ohio, in Sandusky County, on March 7.

Carlos Sauceda-Alvarez, 38, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least two occasions with the most recent being Sept. 23, 2025. He was found near Fremont, Ohio, in Sandusky County, on March 7. 

Raul Tiburcio-Mavarro, 45, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least five occasions with the most recent being Oct. 30, 2019. He was found in Wauseon, Ohio, in Fulton County, on March 28.

Additionally, federal grand juries returned indictments charging the following individuals:

Moises Aldana-Barrientos, 53, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being April 3, 2012. He was found in Painesville, Ohio, in Lake County, on March 28, 2022. 

Edin Lopez-Herrera, 41, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being on January 29, 2020. He was found in Wickliffe, Ohio, in Lake County, on June 13, 2026. 

Jose Manuel Lujan-Sanchez, 44, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least three occasions with the most recent being Dec. 20, 2017. He was found in Toledo, Ohio, in Lucas County, on July 21.

Fernando Mata Hernandez, 39, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being Aug. 17, 2017. He was found in Edgerton, Ohio, in Williams County, on July 8.

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

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Frank Spryszak, Ava Rotell Dustin, Brett Hammond, and Gene Crawford for Northern District of Ohio.

These investigations were conducted by U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Cleveland Office.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

CLEVELAND – The Bureau of Justice Assistance, a component under the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, awarded almost $290 million to support state, local, and tribal governments in criminal justice activities to keep American communities safe. Of this amount, more than $4 million has been awarded to agencies in the Northern District of Ohio including in Akron, Cleveland, Canton, Lima, Lorain, Toledo, Warren, Youngstown, Lake County, and Mahoning County. 

The awards, provided through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, represent the nation’s leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories. For more than 20 years, the JAG program has provided critical funding to support law enforcement’s ability to protect the communities they serve, supporting critical needs such as personnel, equipment and supplies, technology, training, information systems for criminal justice or civil proceedings, and other operational priorities. JAG funding also supports a wide range of programs that strengthen crime prevention efforts and enhance the effectiveness of prosecutors, courts, corrections agencies, and services for crime victims and witnesses.

“This funding allows our district’s agencies to remain vigilant in their missions to protect our communities and enforce laws,” said United States Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “Whether it’s to acquire new police vehicles and body armor, or to purchase the latest technology to examine and process evidence, these grant awards will make a positive impact toward upholding the rule of law.”

In addition to foundational uses of JAG funds, specific areas of emphasis were included to the JAG funding opportunities highlighting and encouraging state and local jurisdictions to join federal law enforcement in addressing the most pressing public safety challenges. For Fiscal Year 2025, these areas of emphasis included combatting violent crime, immigration enforcement, safe communities, and safe houses of worship. 

BJA awarded more than $199 million in state JAG funding across 56 awards and more than $90 million in local JAG funding across 895 awards. 

Examples of initiatives supported by these grants include:

• Providing specialized training to strengthen the prevention, detection, and response to human trafficking and to enhance proactive crime‑reduction efforts through improved officer readiness and increased patrol capacity.
• Enhancing local crime‑fighting efforts by integrating innovative technology, training, and equipment, and using comprehensive crime‑data analysis to guide decision‑making, measure performance, and strengthen strategies addressing violent crime and other public safety issues. 
• Strengthening enforcement efforts by supporting investigations related to gang activity and narcotics through targeted operations carried out by specialized units. 
• Improving officer safety and readiness by replacing outdated ballistic helmets with modern protective equipment used during high‑risk incidents, tactical operations, active threat responses, warrant service, civil disturbances, and other dangerous calls for service.

All recipients for both state and local JAG awards can be found here.

About the Office of Justice Programs

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation's capacity to prevent and reduce crime; promote fair and impartial administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking or SMART Office – can be found at ojp.gov. 

For current funding opportunities, visit ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities.

CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced that criminal and civil collections for the Northern District of Ohio during the months of April, May, and June totaled $3,246,089.50.

As the chief law enforcement officer for the 40 northern counties in Ohio, U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer is responsible for enforcing collections resulting from settlements, restitution paid to crime victims, or money owed to the U.S. Government. In criminal division cases, monetary penalties included as part of a defendant’s judgment are enforced soon after sentencing and are not suspended due to a defendant’s incarceration. In civil division matters, the amounts collected are often the results of monetary settlements.

The months of April, May, and June represent the third quarter (Q3) of the USAO’s Fiscal Year 2026 which runs Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 31, 2026.

During Q3, the Criminal Division collected $3,081,323.23 and the Civil Division collected $164,766.27. Notable cases include:

U.S. v. Mario Salwan – Mario Salwan, 55, a Chagrin Falls businessman, was sentenced to probation in 2024 on one count of Attempted Tax Evasion. Salwan was ordered to pay $511,396.35 in restitution, plus all applicable interest and penalties, to the Internal Revenue Service; this restitution has now been paid in full.

U.S. v. Yaser Najjar – Yaser Najjar, 64, of Westlake, Ohio, was sentenced in 2022 on four counts of attempt to evade and defeat income tax. Najjar was ordered to pay over $503,000 in restitution to the IRS and a $100,000 fine, paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund. The restitution and fine have now been paid in full.

AKRON, Ohio – A 36-year-old man was sentenced to prison after he admitted to receiving and sending child sexual abuse materials through online and social media platforms.

Eric Michael Spreitzer, of Streetsboro, Ohio, was sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko after pleading guilty in April to:

• Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
• Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM)

He was also ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $49,000 in restitution to victims.

Court documents show that federal agents began an investigation into suspected CSAM activity occurring in Portage County and Spreitzer was identified. During a search warrant executed at his residence, agents seized his electronic devices and online accounts. Forensic analysis determined that numerous files containing the sexual abuse of children were on Spreitzer’s devices and in the accounts. Several of the files in his possession included images of prepubescent minors under the age of 12. Investigators found that the defendant committed criminal offenses from about January 2024 to October 2025.

This case was investigated by the FBI Akron Resident Agency and the Portage County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

This prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel for the Northern District of Ohio.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CLEVELAND – A 42-year-old man was sentenced to prison for intending to distribute nearly four and a half pounds of cocaine that was mailed to Ohio from Puerto Rico.

Jean Carlos Martinez, of Youngstown, was sentenced to 188 months (15.6 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan after he pleaded guilty in April to Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. Martinez was also ordered to serve six years of supervised release after imprisonment.

According to court documents, on Jan. 23, 2025, postal inspectors seized a parcel that was mailed from Puerto Rico to Campbell, Ohio, which was suspected of containing cocaine. Investigators then proceeded to deliver it to the intended address. Shortly thereafter, Martinez arrived at the delivery address to collect the package. Martinez later admitted that he planned to distribute the cocaine that was inside the package. During lab analysis of the package’s contents, it was confirmed to be approximately 2003.9 grams of cocaine.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration-Detroit Division.

Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Joines led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio will join fellow law enforcement partners to participate in “National Night Out Against Crime,” Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, from 4-8 p.m. at Steelyard Commons, 3447 Steelyard Drive, Cleveland, Ohio, 44109. The family-friendly event is free and open to the public. 

“This event gives families the opportunity to meet the men and women of law enforcement who keep their communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “It’s a way for kids to learn about crime prevention in a fun and educational environment.”

Members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be available to provide educational materials about key awareness initiatives such as sextortion facing teens and fraud scams targeting the elderly. 

Additional National Night Out events are planned throughout the Northern District of Ohio. In Akron, activities are planned throughout each of the city’s 10 wards from 4-8:30 p.m. In the Western Division of our District, the Toledo Police Department is sponsoring a community bike riding event from 2:30-4 p.m.

As the chief federal law enforcement official in the Northern District Ohio, U.S. Attorney Toepfer coordinates a comprehensive law enforcement strategy for the Northern District of Ohio that involves federal, state and local partners.

National Night Out was established in 1984 by the Bureau of Justice Assistance through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.

The event is held on the first Tuesday in August each year and provides communities across the country with the chance to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances such as cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, and more.

CLEVELAND – An 80-year-old man pleaded guilty in federal court to shipping firearms purchased in Northeast Ohio to sell in Greece.

George Manuselis, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Greece residing in Canton, pleaded guilty to Smuggling Goods from the United States. U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster accepted his plea on July 30.

According to court documents, in April 2022, a firearm recovered in Greece was found to be originally purchased at a legally licensed firearms dealer in Canton. Manuselis was identified as the purchaser. Upon further investigation, agents discovered that several other firearms that were purchased by Manuselis were also recovered in Greece. Manuselis later admitted that he was smuggling the firearms to Greece by secreting them in his suitcase. Manuselis was provided with a warning notice letter about the legal prohibition against straw purchasing, which he signed to acknowledge that he would not purchase firearms for others, nor would he take them out of the country. 

However, a short time later, authorities were informed that Manuselis was in the process of purchasing another firearm and that he also had a flight to Greece scheduled to leave the same day. Manuselis was later apprehended and taken into custody at John F. Kennedy International Airport before boarding a flight to Athens. Investigators found that Manuselis had, in fact, again purchased multiple firearms—after being served the warning notice—and that he had them in his possession when he was arrested at the airport on his way to Greece.

Manuselis is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 10. He faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. As part of his guilty plea, Manuselis agreed to forfeit all of the firearms at issue, including five pistols and approximately 940 rounds of ammunition. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

The investigation leading to the indictment was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

The prosecution is led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys  Duncan T. Brown and Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel for the Northern District of Ohio.

TOLEDO, Ohio – A South Carolina man was sentenced to prison after he admitted to travelling more than 700 miles from the Augusta area to Toledo to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a purported seven-year-old girl.

Edward Wade Green, 54, of Aiken, South Carolina, was sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick, after he pleaded guilty in March 2024 to: 

• Coercion or Enticement of a Minor
• Traveling with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a Minor
• Transportation of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
• Possession of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct

He was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $78,000 in restitution to 26 victims.

According to court documents, in April 2023, Green was communicating with an undercover agent, on an online platform, who purported to have a seven-year-old daughter. During these communications, Green expressed sexual interest in the purported daughter. After several online conversations, Green agreed to meet the fictitious seven-year-old at a prearranged location in Toledo, Ohio, for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct with her. Upon Green’s arrival at the agreed-upon location, he was apprehended by federal agents and taken into custody. During a forensic examination of Green’s electronic devices, they were found to contain visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, with at least one image involving a prepubescent minor under the age of 12.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Toledo Resident Agency’s Child Exploitation Task Force.

Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank H. Spryszak prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CLEVELAND – A 43-year-old man was sentenced to prison for his role in a conspiracy that trafficked illegal drugs sourced from Mexico and mailed to Ohio through the U.S. Postal Service.

Sherman Thomas, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 275 months (22.9 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese. After a 4-day trial in June 2025, a federal jury convicted Thomas of:

• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
• Using or Maintaining a Drug Premises
• Possession of Firearms and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon; prior convictions include Aggravated Robbery in 2001, Trafficking Offenses, Having Weapons under Disability and Carrying a Concealed Weapon in 2009.

Thomas was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release after imprisonment. 

According to court documents, the conspiracy ran from about July 2022 through April 2023. Thomas, along with several co-conspirators, obtained drugs from Mexico to press into illicit pills for distribution. Co-defendant, Melvin Hodge, 44, of Sagamore Hills, would contact individuals in Mexico and then travel to the U.S.-Mexico border to obtain methamphetamine and send it through the United States mail. When the methamphetamine arrived in the Northern District of Ohio, Hodge met with another co-conspirator—a U.S. postal carrier—who provided addresses to allow for the safe passage of the methamphetamine through his postal route. The postal carrier then informed Hodge of the locations where  the parcels could be retrieved.  After receiving the package from the postal carrier, Hodge would provide the methamphetamine to Thomas. 

As part of his role in the conspiracy, Thomas maintained a drug premises on Reyburn Road in Cleveland Heights, where he had an industrial pill press which he used to produce illegal pills. He then stored the narcotics at his residence on Father Caruso Drive, in Cleveland. In September 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at Thomas’ residence. During a protective sweep of the home, a bedroom window was found open with the screen laying outside on the ground. While no one was in the apartment at the time of the search, multiple witnesses testified at trial that it appeared that Thomas had dropped from the window, appeared hurt, and ran from the apartment when agents arrived to execute the warrant. Agents seized the following contents from the apartment:

• 4.1 grams of methamphetamine
• 22 bags containing multicolored pills that were locked in a safe, containing approximately 4,193.5 grams of methamphetamine
• Three plastic bags with white powder containing 412 grams of methamphetamine
• A Glock 23 with an extended magazine loaded with 18 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition
• A narcotics ledger, several cellphones, a kilogram pill press, and a money counter.

Agents also searched Thomas’ stash house on Reyburn Road and seized several large bags of a pill binding agent, a rifle, and another pill press machine. 

Two co-conspirators were previously sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy. Hodge is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence. Carvin Cook, 46, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced to 41 months (3.41 years) in prison.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration-Detroit Division, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Cleveland Metroparks Police Department, the Cleveland Heights Police Department, and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

The USAO would also like acknowledge the support and assistance of the United States Marshals Service in this case.

Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth M. Crook and James P. Lewis led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.

AKRON, Ohio – Fifteen individuals have been charged in two cases for their alleged roles in a large-scale operation to traffic illegal drugs throughout Northeast Ohio and Pennsylvania. The charges are the result of a year-long investigation by federal and local officials. 

According to court documents, conspiracy members allegedly obtained methamphetamine from drug suppliers in Akron, Ohio, as well as arranged shipments from the U.S. border with Mexico. Methamphetamine was purchased in pound quantities and then re-sold to drug customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere in the region. Four residences in Akron were used as stash houses to store, process and distribute methamphetamine. Investigators seized approximately 15 pounds of methamphetamine and a firearm. The investigation revealed drug transactions totaling more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine. 

Defendants were apprehended in a series of coordinated arrests from April to May resulting from criminal complaints and a federal 21-count indictment returned in May. The following are charged with:

Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

• Clarence Daniels, 44, of Akron, Ohio
• Larry Finch, 43, of Akron, Ohio
• Nicholas Helfrick, 44, of Akron, Ohio
• Ricardo Allison, 44, of Akron, Ohio 
• Sheldon Bell, 45, of Akron, Ohio 
• John Townsend, 41, of Akron, Ohio
• Bryce Dittman, 27, of St. Petersburg, Pennsylvania
• Tyler Smith, 28, of East Brady, Pennsylvania
• Anthony Raunikar, 44, of Akron, Ohio
• Marcus Nixon, 45, of Akron, Ohio
• John Koza, 45, of Akron, Ohio
• Earl Breckenridge, 56, of Oil City, Pennsylvania
• Jazzmin Thomas, 30, of Akron, Ohio
• Samantha Lentz, 30, of Doylestown, Ohio
• Craig Consilio, 62, of Akron, Ohio

Additional charges include:

• Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine –Dittman, Smith, Breckenridge, Lentz, Raunikar, Finch, Allison, and Consilio
• Maintaining Drug Premises – Finch, Helfrick, and Consilio
• Use of a Communication Facility to Facilitate a Drug Offense – Daniels, Finch, Helfrick, Allison, Bell, Townsend, Raunikar, Dixon, Koza, Breckenridge, Lentz, and Consilio
• Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition – Nixon; previous convictions include Illegal Manufacture of Drugs in 2001, and Illegal Assembly or Possession of Chemicals for the Manufacture of Drugs in 2016.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Akron Police Department and Ohio State Highway Patrol.  

Assistant United States Attorneys Kristen Rolph and Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel are leading the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.

Criminal complaints and indictments are charges only and are not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

CLEVELAND – A 50-year-old Niles man was sentenced to prison after he admitted to downloading and sharing thousands of child pornography files. The defendant had a pattern of related criminal activity and was previously convicted at the state level for engaging in the same exact conduct in 2019.

Daniel Scharmer was sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Benita Y. Pearson after pleading guilty in April to:

• Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
• Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM)

He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment. In addition, Scharmer was ordered to pay $71,500 in restitution to victims and $10,000 toward the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which was established in 2015 to impose additional assessment to offenders who commit certain crimes, including sexual exploitation and other abuse of children.

According to court documents and evidence, in June 2024, Scharmer was identified as an active participant in criminal activities involving CSAM. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Scharmer’s residence and seized his electronic devices including two desktop computers, several hard disk drives, two portable hard drives, and five laptops. Investigators found that between Oct. 13, 2022, and Jan. 9, 2025, he received or distributed more than 32,000 files containing CSAM, including more than 11,000 involving sadism and masochism and videos of children engaged in sex acts as well as being abused by adults. Investigators identified Scharmer as one of the top three CSAM downloaders in the state of Ohio in October 2024.

In 2019, Scharmer was convicted in Trumbull County for Pandering Sexually Oriented Matter Involving a Minor and Illegal Use of a Minor in a Nudity-Oriented Material or Performance.

This case was investigated by the FBI Youngstown Resident Agency, the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Niles Police Department.

This prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Margaret A. Kane for the Northern District of Ohio.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CLEVELAND – A 46-year-old man was sentenced to prison after he was found with a loaded gun while lurking outside a Cleveland home.

Adam Hall, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 87 months (7.25 years) in prison by U.S. District Chief Judge Sara Lioi. After a three-day trial in April, a federal jury convicted Hall of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Hall was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. 

According to court documents, on Oct. 3, 2025, Cleveland Police officers responded to a 911 call about an unknown man lurking around a home. The caller reported that the man was repeatedly ringing the doorbell and knocking on windows, and that he refused to leave the property. The caller also reported to 911 dispatchers that the man was dressed in all black and was carrying a backpack. Once on scene, the officers quickly located the man, who was later identified as Hall, in the home’s backyard. Hall was instructed to raise his hands, but he refused and engaged in a physical struggle with several officers. During that struggle, officers recovered a loaded firearm from Hall’s pants. A subsequent search of Hall revealed that he was also carrying ammunition, knives, narcotics, and a condom. At the time he possessed the loaded gun, Hall was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of several prior felonies, including drug trafficking, burglary, and domestic violence against women.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Cleveland Division of Police.

This prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph H. Walsh and Margaret A. Kane for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – A 38-year-old, previously convicted felon, was sentenced to prison after he was found illegally possessing firearms and ammunition.

Brandon Blackman, of Maple Heights, was sentenced to 137 months (11.41 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Gaughan after a federal jury convicted him in January of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm or Ammunition. His prior convictions include Domestic Violence in 2023, Kidnapping and Felonious Assault in 2010, Drug Trafficking in 2019, and Drug Possession in 2008. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. 

According to court documents and evidence, Blackman was sought by local law enforcement after he was suspected of being involved in several criminal incidents in July 2024, including fleeing from police during an attempted traffic stop. A short time later, Blackman entered a police station lobby where he was arrested. Police later located the BMW that he was observed driving. While searching the vehicle, officers located a 9mm loaded pistol, a shoebox containing $56,000 in cash, two cellphones, and several designer apparel items. Evidence presented at trial established that Blackman had $6,165 in cash on his person at the time of arrest, and $3,000 in cash inside his apartment, along with a scale, a Pyrex container with cocaine residue, and other evidence of drug trafficking. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Fairview Park Police Department.

This prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristen Rolph and Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – A Cuyahoga County man was sentenced to federal prison for committing crimes involving Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM).

Anthony C. Hayes Jr., 44, of Maple Heights, Ohio, was sentenced to 108 months (9 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese, after pleading guilty in April to Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct. He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment. 

According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Hayes was identified during an investigation into suspected illegal downloads of child pornography via multiple peer-to-peer file sharing programs. Investigators found that for nearly a year, Hayes was actively sharing CSAM with others through peer-to-peer programs.

During a search warrant executed at Hayes’ residence, his devices were seized and analyzed. Investigators determined that more than 3,000 CSAM files were located on his computer. Much of the illegal content he shared were videos depicting the rape and torture of children as young as four years old. Several videos showed children being sexually abused for more than an hour.

The investigation leading to the indictment was led by the FBI Cleveland Field Office.

Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CLEVELAND – A Summit County man was sentenced to federal prison for receiving, distributing, and possessing materials that depicted the sexual abuse of children.

Brandon Dolly, 23, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced to 151 months (12.58 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko, after pleading guilty in March to Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and Possession of Child Pornography, also known as Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). Dolly was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and is required to register as a sex offender. In addition, he was ordered to pay $46,500 in restitution to victims and $15,200 in special assessments.

Court documents show that in January 2025, FBI agents began an investigation into various social media accounts that were suspected of trading CSAM. Brandon Dolly was then identified. A search warrant was executed at his residence in Akron and resulted in the seizure of several electronic devices. Upon further forensic examination, investigators determined that Dolly’s devices contained approximately 29,788 child sexual abuse images and that he had been actively receiving and distributing CSAM from about October 2023 through March 2025.

The case was investigated by the FBI Akron Resident Agency and the Akron Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District Ohio led the prosecution.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CLEVELAND – A 26-year-old woman was sentenced to prison after admitting to sexually abusing two children in her care while she was employed as their babysitter and producing videos of the abuse to share with other sexually deviant individuals on social media.  

Molly Elisabeth Duncan, of Beachwood, Ohio, was sentenced to 840 months (70 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after pleading guilty in April to:

• Sexual Exploitation of Children (two counts)
• Distribution of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
• Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM)

She was also ordered to serve 25 years of supervised release after imprisonment.

She was additionally ordered to pay the following:

• $20,000 toward the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which was established in 2015 to impose additional assessment to offenders who commit certain crimes, including sexual exploitation and other abuse of children.
• $8,000 toward the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act which was established in 2018 to provide monetary assistance for victims of child sexual abuse.

Judge Barker imposed the sentence on July 22.

According to court documents and evidence, the defendant worked as a nanny in Northeast Ohio for the minor victims’ families from about November 2023 to July 2024.  However, court records also indicate that Duncan worked as a nanny in the Northern District of Ohio for approximately 10 years.  Duncan sexually abused one victim in Portage County and another in Geauga County—both under the age of two—and recorded the visual depictions on her cellphone. She then shared the videos with others who also had a sexual interest in children through a  social media platform. During a forensic analysis of Duncan’s electronic devices, investigators found several CSAM files of each minor victim.

This case was investigated by the Cleveland Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.

Anyone with additional information about this matter is asked to please call the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at 216-698-3151.

This prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret A. Kane and Michelle M. Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CLEVELAND – A Columbiana County man was sentenced to federal prison for receiving, distributing, and possessing hundreds of child sexual abuse files.

Scotty L. Skiba, 39, of Salem, Ohio, was sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams, after pleading guilty in February to Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). He was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $40,000 in restitution to victims. He was additionally ordered to pay $10,000 toward the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act, which was established in 2018 to provide monetary assistance for victims of child sexual abuse.

According to court documents and evidence presented in court, from about July 2024 to June 2025, investigators found that Skiba was knowingly receiving and distributing digital files that contained images of the sexual abuse of children. During the execution of a search warrant execution at his residence, multiple electronic devices were seized. Forensic analysis revealed that Skiba possessed more than 1,500 images and videos of CSAM on his devices. Numerous videos depicting the rape, bondage, and torture of children were more than five minutes long, with at least one video nearly an hour in length. Investigators also learned that Skiba had previously engaged in sexual contact with two minors.

The investigation leading to the indictment was led by the FBI Youngstown Resident Agency and the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the Noble County Sheriff’s Office and the Southeastern Human Trafficking Task Force.

Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CLEVELAND – Sixteen individuals have been charged for their alleged involvement in a drug trafficking ring operating out of a car wash in Mansfield, Ohio. The charges are the result of a three-year-long investigation by federal and local officials. 

According to the superseding indictment filed July 8, the defendants are alleged to be responsible for trafficking large quantities of controlled substances in Richland County and the surrounding areas. Oxycodone was obtained from suppliers in Detroit, Cleveland, and Toledo which co-conspirators redistributed in Mansfield. The drugs and proceeds, were then stored at the New Millinium Car Wash and at a residence on Johns Avenue, both in Mansfield.

Throughout the investigation, agents seized approximately 895 grams of cocaine, 127 oxycodone pills, and 50 grams of cocaine base (crack), as well as 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1,980 pressed fentanyl tablets, and 120 grams of powdered fentanyl. Agents also seized cash proceeds totaling more than $61,832 and numerous illegally possessed firearms during the investigation.

Individuals were apprehended in a series of coordinated arrests. One defendant, Carl Henderson, 56, of Los Angeles, California, remains at large.

A federal grand jury returned an 18-count indictment charging the following individuals with Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Cocaine Base (Crack), and Oxycodone:

• Calvin Caldwell, aka Petey, 67, of Mansfield, Ohio
• Carl Henderson, 56, of Los Angeles, California
• Damell Owens, 48, of Cleveland, Ohio
• Leon Moses, aka Lee, 47, of Toledo, Ohio 
• Phillip Douglas Jr., 44, of Fraser, Michigan
• Robert Wade, aka Hollywood, 53, of Mansfield, Ohio
• Nashone Howard, aka Black, 53, of Mansfield, Ohio
• Edward Brooks, 67, of Ontario, Ohio
• Joann Robertson, 73, of Mansfield, Ohio
• Effie James, 69, of Mansfield, Ohio
• Jaynell Thornton, 67, of Mansfield, Ohio
• Timothy Moyer, 67, of Mansfield, Ohio
• Paul Baumer, 59, of Mansfield, Ohio
• Dreama Henderson, 42, of Mansfield, Ohio
• David George, 55, of Mansfield, Ohio, 
• Toni Crawford, 66, of Mansfield, Ohio

Caldwell was additionally charged with:

• Distribution of Oxycodone
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine
• Felon in Possession of Ammunition; prior convictions include Aggravated Trafficking in 1995, Possession of Drugs in 2004, Distribution of Cocaine Base in 2008, and Trafficking in Cocaine in 2014
• Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
• Distribution of Cocaine Base (Crack)
• Distribution of Oxycodone
• Maintenance of Drug Premises

Owens was additionally charged with:

• Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine
• Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; prior convictions include Felonious Assault in 2004, and Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of Cocaine and Cocaine Base in 2013
• Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime

Howard was additionally charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm; prior convictions include Aggravated Battery/Great Bodily Harm in 1991; Possession of Controlled Substances and Manufacture/Deliver Controlled Substances in 1994.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney David Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Joshua Del Manzo of the FBI Cleveland Division, and Mansfield Police Chief Jason Bammann.

This case was investigated by the FBI Mansfield Resident Agency and the Metro-Richland County (METRICH) enforcement unit with assistance from the Mansfield Police Department, Richland County Sheriff Department, and the Marion County Drug Task Force (MARMET). The U.S. Marshals Service and Wyandot County Sheriff Office assisted with the arrests. The Richland County Prosecutors office provided valuable legal support throughout the investigation. 

The prosecution is being led by Assistant United States Attorney Vasile Katsaros for the Northern District of Ohio.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

TOLEDO, Ohio – A 29-year-old man was sentenced for a drug offense and for assaulting a federal officer while the officer was performing his official duties.

Damarko Amir Kimble, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced to 121 months (10.08 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after pleading guilty in April to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment.

According to court documents, on Oct. 7, 2024, federal officers encountered Kimble at a service plaza parking lot on the I-80/90 turnpike in Sandusky County. Kimble’s rental vehicle had expired registration tags. A K-9 working with the officers alerted to the presence of illegal substances in Kimble’s vehicle. During a probable cause search of Kimble’s vehicle, a backpack was located on the rear floorboard. The backpack contained a plastic bag that officers suspected to be methamphetamine. The substance was later analyzed at a forensic laboratory and confirmed to be 577.7 grams of pure methamphetamine. As the officers attempted to arrest Kimble, he rushed towards one of them and knocked him off his feet, throwing him to the ground. Kimble attempted to flee but was apprehended.

The investigation was led by the U.S. Border Patrol Sandusky Bay Station.

Assistant United States Attorney Dexter L. Phillips for the Northern District Ohio led the prosecution.

AKRON, Ohio – A 45-year-old man was sentenced to prison for his role in operating a drug trafficking enterprise out of his restaurant and home in Summit County.

Jerrick Jermain Daniels, of Canton, was sentenced to 180 months (15.6 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster after pleading guilty in March to:

• Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin
• Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition; prior convictions include Possession of Cocaine in 2002 and 2005, Felonious Assault in 2007, and Trafficking in Cocaine, Possession of Cocaine and Possession of Heroin in 2014.
• Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime

Daniels was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment. 

According to court documents, agents were investigating suspected drug trafficking taking place in Summit County, Ohio, when Daniels was identified as a suspect. In May 2025, federal agents executed a search warrant at his residence located on Navarre Road and at his restaurant on Fremont, both located in Canton. In total, the following items were seized during the investigation:

• Bond Arms Roughneck .45 ACP handgun
• Springfield XD-9 handgun with a loaded magazine
• Smith and Wesson M&P handgun, with an extended magazine
• Carina RTA 12-gauge shotgun 
• Glock 48 handgun
• Glock 42 handgun
• Glock 17 handgun 
• Springfield XD-9 handgun
• Taurus G2C handgun
• Two digital scales with residue
• 156.74 grams of heroin 
• 138.475 grams of pure methamphetamine 
• Packing materials from the narcotics 

Daniels later admitted possessing the narcotics with the intent to distribute them and that he used the firearms to further his drug trafficking operation. 

This case was investigated by the FBI Canton Resident Agency.

Assistant United States Attorney Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – A 32-year-old Summit County man was sent back to prison for committing drug offenses while he was out on parole.

Darren Tibbets, of Akron, was sentenced to a total of 144 months (12 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent. Tibbets received 24 months in prison (2 years) for being in violation of the terms of his supervised release after he was imprisoned for a previous drug conviction. He was also sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison after pleading guilty in December 2025 to the following charges: 

• Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl
• Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl

Both sentences will run consecutively.

Court documents show that in 2025, federal agents began investigating suspected drug trafficking in Akron, Ohio. Tibbets was subsequently identified. During the investigation, law enforcement found that Tibbets was actively involved in illegal drug trafficking. In total, investigators seized approximately 21 grams of heroin and fentanyl from Tibbets.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brett S. Hammond.

CLEVELAND – A Georgia man has been sentenced to prison for participating in a scheme to defraud victim entities by illegally accessing their email accounts to identify their true vendors and then posing as those vendors in emails requesting payments.

Chinedu Opute, 43, of LaGrange, Georgia, was sentenced to 72 months (6 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan after pleading guilty in January to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, and Aggravated Identity Theft. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment, pay a $15,000 fine, and pay over $1.4 million in restitution.

According to court documents and evidence presented in court, in 2023, Opute and his co-conspirators engaged in a widespread campaign to compromise business email accounts and steal victim funds. They gained unauthorized access to victims’ email accounts and then posed as legitimate third-party creditors or vendors to whom the victim business owed money. The conspirators then sent a fraudulent email with payment instructions directing the victims to send funds to bank accounts that the conspirators, in fact, controlled. 

Opute was responsible for setting up the bank accounts that were used to receive, and subsequently disburse, the stolen funds. Specifically, in early 2023, Opute established a fake company, Overseas Dry Food Supplier LLC (ODFS), as well as a fake identity, Angel Adames, that he used to open a bank account in the name of ODFS. In June 2023, the ODFS bank account received more than $1 million in stolen funds from three victims, including a local government entity in the Northern District of Ohio. Opute immediately disbursed the stolen funds by loading them onto prepaid credit cards in the names of real people that were disguised to look like payments to gig employees. Opute then withdrew those funds from the prepaid cards at ATMs in the Atlanta area. 

Opute kept approximately 30-40% of the stolen funds and used the money to fund his lavish lifestyle. He used the funds to make a $200,000 down payment on an Atlanta-area condo and to buy a $100,000 Range Rover and luxury jewelry. 

In total, eight victims lost a combined $1.7 million because of Opute’s scheme. Investigators also discovered that he, and his coconspirators, had targeted other victims in attempts to obtain another $5.1 million through fraud. 

This investigation was led by the FBI Cleveland Division.

Assistant United States Attorney Megan R. Miller for the Northern District of Ohio led the prosecution.

AKRON, Ohio, – A Summit County man, who has been designated, federally, as a career offender, has been sentenced to prison for drug trafficking after a two-year long investigation. 

Robert Parham, 55, of Akron, was sentenced to 247 months (20.5 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster after pleading guilty in March to the following charges as outlined in the indictment:

• Three Counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm; prior convictions include Aggravating Trafficking in Drugs and Trafficking in Cocaine in 2018; Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs and Trafficking in Drugs in 2013; Complicity to Commit Burglary in 2005; and Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs in 1995.
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
• Four Counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Cocaine
• Possession of a Machine Gun
• Maintaining a Drug Involved Premises

In late 2023, federal agents began investigating suspected drug trafficking occurring throughout the Akron, Ohio, area. On July 2, 2024, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Parham’s apartment in Akron where they seized:

• 178 grams of methamphetamine
• 142 grams of cocaine
• 355 grams of fentanyl
• Drug trafficking paraphernalia, including plastic baggies, a digital scale, kilo presses, blenders, and  cutting agent. 
• 28 firearms, including two stolen firearms. One firearm was outfitted with an attached machine gun conversion device. 
• Marijuana, ecstasy tablets, three cellphones, and $1907.88 in U.S. currency. 

The investigation leading to the indictment was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the FBI Akron Resident Agency and the Akron Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District Ohio led the prosecution.

CLEVELAND – A Lorain County man was sentenced to federal prison for receipt, possession and distribution of pornographic materials involving children.

Christopher Jackson, 27, of Elyria, Ohio, was sentenced to 186 months (15.5 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker, after pleading guilty in March to the following charges in the indictment:

• Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
• Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM)

He was also ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release after imprisonment. Restitution will be determined at a later date.

According to court records, agents were conducting investigation into suspected CSAM activity on social media platforms and identified Jackson as an individual downloading child pornography.  Jackson was later apprehended. During a forensic analysis of his electronic devices and online accounts, investigators found approximately 955 images and 371 videos of CSAM. Further investigation revealed that Jackson had been possessing and viewing CSAM for more than 17 years.

The investigation leading to the indictment was led by the FBI Cleveland Division and the Elyria Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Margaret Kane for the Northern District Ohio led the prosecution.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

An indictment was unsealed today in the Northern District of Ohio charging three Russian nationals and two related “bulletproof hosting” companies for their roles in cybercrimes against U.S. victims, causing tens of millions of dollars in losses. 

The indictment, returned in December 2024, charges the following defendants with conspiracy to commit and aid and abet computer fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering:

• Alexander Alexandrovich Volosovik, 43, of St. Petersburg, Russia;
• Kirill Andreevich Zatolokin, 34, of St. Petersburg, Russia;
• Yulia Vladimirovna Pankova, 29, of St. Petersburg, Russia;
• Medialand LLC, headquartered in St. Petersburg, Russia; and
• ML.Cloud LLC, headquartered in St. Petersburg, Russia

In addition to the unsealing of the indictment, the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program announced today that it is offering a reward of up to $10 million and possible relocation for actionable information on foreign government-linked associates of Pankova, Volosovik and Zatolokin, their malicious cyber activities, or foreign government-linked use of Media Land or ML.Cloud. U.S. sanctions were announced in November 2025 against the indicted defendants and companies. 

“From their overseas haven, these defendants ran the criminal infrastructure that powered attacks on critical institutions across our nation,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their actions put the American public at risk. We will continue to dismantle these networks and protect our critical infrastructure from cybercriminals at home and abroad.”

“The victims in this case are not only in Ohio, but also in 20 other states across the country, touching every aspect of Americans’ lives. They include banks, schools, government entities, hospitals, and media companies,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “Together with our international partners, we will aggressively combat the efforts of individuals who hide behind computers anywhere in the world who seek to profit and wreak havoc by targeting the infrastructures that support our communities.”

“With today’s actions, the FBI and our partners are striking at the core services that cybercriminals rely on to attack U.S. critical infrastructure,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of FBI Cyber Division. “Media Land has enabled malicious activity causing tens of millions in losses and impacting victims across 21 states and multiple countries. This is another step in our broader campaign to shrink the space in which these actors can operate, forcing them to work harder, take greater risks, and lose the anonymity they depend on.”

“Today’s announcement underscores the importance of global partnerships and international collaboration, especially in a borderless world riddled with cyber criminals,” said Special Agent in Charge Josh DelManzo of the FBI Cleveland Field Office. “The methods used by these bad actors, including ransomware, malware, phishing and other cyber activity, serves as a reminder that whether for business or personal use, when you are online, criminal networks will stop at nothing to hack, attack, share, or sell your information for their own greed, gain, and profit. The FBI and its partners will continue to identify and cripple criminal networks and freeze their infrastructures to reduce or remove the threats to the public and further protect trusting individuals and companies.”

“The Department of State is committed to countering malicious cyber activities that threaten U.S. critical infrastructure and our national security,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary and Assistant Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service for Cyber & Technology Security Gharun Lacy. “We remain relentless in our efforts to generate information that helps our law enforcement partners disrupt campaigns against our national interest and bring these malicious cyber actors to justice.”

According to allegations in court documents, Medialand LLC (owned by Volosovik) and ML.Cloud (at the time of investigation and indictment, owned by Pankova) were both based in St. Petersburg, Russia, and provided infrastructure including computer servers and related internet services. Medialand’s infrastructure also operated out of multiple countries including China, Finland, the Netherlands, and the United States. These businesses provided what are known as “bulletproof hosting” services for client users to not only conduct criminal activities, but also to evade detection by law enforcement. Such businesses knowingly and intentionally market and/or lease their infrastructure to cybercriminals. According to the indictment, Volosovik advertised their services on criminal forums, touting features and services advantageous to cybercriminals. Medialand and ML.Cloud provided criminal client co-conspirators with the means to infect victim computers with malware and ransomware and then extort those victims for money and cryptocurrency. Other computer-based crimes facilitated by Medialand and ML.Cloud included supporting criminal marketplaces, registering fraudulent domain, and providing a platform from which to launch phishing and brute-force attacks. According to the indictment, 42 victims in 21 states were targeted by criminal groups who used Medialand’s and ML.Cloud’s services.

The November 2025 Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions against the named defendants and entities were joined in full by the United Kingdom’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and in part by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The OFAC sanctions block all U.S. property and prohibit transactions by U.S. persons. Volosovik, Zatolokin and Pankova were individually sanctioned. Medialand and its subsidiaries Media Land Technology (MLT) and Data Center Kirishi (DC Kirishi) along with Medialand’s sister company, ML Cloud were also sanctioned.

The criminal investigation is being led by the FBI Cleveland Division, with the assistance of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and OFAC. Valuable assistance was provided by the National Police of the Netherlands, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, the United Kingdom Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Australian Federal Police.

Trial Attorney Christen Gallagher of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Duncan T. Brown for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cyber and IP criminals and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds. 

This action is part of Operation Riptide, an ongoing FBI campaign targeting the criminal actors, infrastructure, and financial networks behind cybercrime, cyber-enabled crime, and fraud against the American people. Last year, Americans reported over $20 billion in losses to cybercrime, a 26 percent single-year increase. Operation Riptide is the FBI’s sustained enforcement response to that threat.

Anyone with information should contact Rewards for Justice via its Tor-based tips-reporting channel at:

he5dybnt7sr6cm32xt77pazmtm65flqy6irivtflruqfc5ep7eiodiad.onion (Tor browser required).

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

CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio has announced the unsealing of an indictment charging three Russian nationals for their roles in malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure affecting victims in 21 states and in several countries, with losses amounting to tens of millions of dollars. These charges are the result of a seven-year-long investigation. 

A federal grand jury returned an indictment in December 2024 charging the following defendants with Conspiracy to Commit and Aid and Abet Computer Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering:

• Alexander Alexandrovich Volosovik, 43, of St. Petersburg, Russia
• Kirill Andreevich Zatolokin, 34, of St. Petersburg, Russia
• Yulia Vladimirovna Pankova, 29, of St. Petersburg, Russia
• Media Land, LLC, headquartered in St. Petersburg, Russia
• ML.Cloud, LLC, headquartered in St. Petersburg, Russia

In addition to the unsealing of the indictment, the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program announced today that it is offering a reward of up to $10 million and possible relocation for actionable information on foreign government-linked associates of Pankova, Volosovik and Zatolokin, their malicious cyber activities, or foreign government-linked use of Media Land or ML.Cloud. U.S. sanctions were announced in November 2025 against the indicted defendants and companies. 

“From their overseas haven, these defendants ran the criminal infrastructure that powered attacks on critical institutions across our nation,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their actions put the American public at risk. We will continue to dismantle these networks and protect our critical infrastructure from cybercriminals at home and abroad.”

"The victims in this case are not only in Ohio, but also in 20 other states across the country, touching every aspect of Americans’ lives. They include banks, schools, government entities, hospitals, and media companies,” said United States Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “Together with our international partners, we will aggressively combat the efforts of individuals who hide behind computers anywhere in the world who seek to profit and wreak havoc by targeting the infrastructures that support our communities.”

“With today’s actions, the FBI and our partners are striking at the core services that cybercriminals rely on to attack U.S. critical infrastructure,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of FBI Cyber Division. “Media Land has enabled malicious activity causing tens of millions in losses and impacting victims across 21 states and multiple countries. This is another step in our broader campaign to shrink the space in which these actors can operate, forcing them to work harder, take greater risks, and lose the anonymity they depend on.”

According to allegations in court documents, Media Land, LLC, owned by Volosovik, and ML.Cloud, owned by Pankova, at the time of investigation and indictment, were both based in St. Petersburg and provided infrastructure for computer servers and related internet services. Media Land’s infrastructure also operated out of multiple countries including China, Finland, the Netherlands, and the United States. These businesses provided what are known as “bulletproof hosting” services for client users to not only conduct criminal activities, but also to evade detection by law enforcement. Such businesses knowingly and intentionally market and/or lease their infrastructure to cybercriminals. According to the indictment, Media Land and ML.Cloud provided infrastructure and tech support to criminal client co-conspirators with the means to infect victim computers with malware and ransomware and then extorted those victims for money and cryptocurrency. Other computer-based crimes facilitated by Media Land and ML.Cloud included supporting criminal marketplaces, fraudulent domain registrations, and providing the platform from which to launch phishing and brute force attacks.

“Today’s announcement underscores the importance of global partnerships and international collaboration, especially in a borderless world riddled with cyber criminals,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Josh DelManzo. “The methods used by these bad actors, including ransomware, malware, phishing and other cyber activity, serves as a reminder that whether for business or personal use, when you are online, criminal networks will stop at nothing to hack, attack, share, or sell your information for their own greed, gain, and profit. The FBI and its partners will continue to identify and cripple criminal networks and freeze their infrastructures to reduce or remove the threats to the public and further protect trusting individuals and companies.”

“The Department of State is committed to countering malicious cyber activities that threaten U.S. critical infrastructure and our national security,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary and Assistant Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service for Cyber & Technology Security Gharun Lacy. “We remain relentless in our efforts to generate information that helps our law enforcement partners disrupt campaigns against our national interest and bring these malicious cyber actors to justice.”

Investigators found that dozens of victim organizations were targeted by criminal groups who used Media Land’s and ML.Cloud’s services. Victim entities included banks, schools, government entities, hospitals, and media companies. The victims were located throughout the U.S. and across the world. In the Northern District of Ohio, victims were located in: Akron, Brookfield, Canton, Cleveland, Elyria, Medina, Findlay, Solon, and Valley View. At least 20 other states were also affected including: California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington state, and Wisconsin. International victims were located in Australia, the European Union, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and the United Kingdom.

“Cybercriminals persist in their efforts to disrupt networks and systems while remaining undetectable and difficult to trace. Bulletproof hosting providers are increasingly becoming common accomplices, posing an imminent and significant risk to the resilience and safety of critical systems and services,” said CISA Industry Team Operations Manager, Nicholas Colella. “CISA’s global collaboration with governments, law enforcement, and the private sector is making it harder for cybercriminals to remain anonymous online. Our joint BulletProof Defense guide provides actionable information to reduce the effectiveness of this nefarious infrastructure and risk to this threat.”

Anyone with information should contact Rewards for Justice via its Tor-based tips-reporting channel at: he5dybnt7sr6cm32xt77pazmtm65flqy6irivtflruqfc5ep7eiodiad.onion (Tor browser required).

More information is available on the RFJ website at RewardsForJustice.net.

In November 2025, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, joined by the United Kingdom’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, designated Media Land as a Specially Designated National (SDN) for facilitating global ransomware operations, DDoS attacks, and malicious cyber activities. The sanctions block all U.S. property and prohibit transactions by U.S. persons. Volosovik, Zatolokin, and Pankova were individually sanctioned. Media Land subsidiaries Media Land Technology (MLT) and Data Center Kirishi (DC Kirishi) along with Media Land’s sister company, ML Cloud were also sanctioned. 

On July 13, the European Union also announced sanctions as a crucial step in the international fight against cybercrime.

This investigation is being led by the FBI Cleveland Division, with the assistance of the Cybersecurity/Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

U.S. Attorney Toepfer would like to acknowledge the valuable assistance of the following agencies in this investigation:

• National Police of the Netherlands
• Public Prosecutor's Office of the Netherlands
• United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency
• United Kingdom Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office
• Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Australian Federal Police

The prosecution in this case is being led Assistant United States Attorney Duncan T. Brown for the Northern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Christen Gallagher of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).

Additional Partner Statements

• Australian Federal Police

  “The AFP welcomes and supports the United States’ Department of Justice announcement on the indictment on the principal Media Land operator, Aleksandr Alexandrovich Volosovik – also known as Yalishanda,” AFP Assistant Commissioner Cyber and Special Investigations Sandra Booth said. “AFP’s cooperation with partner law enforcement agencies in the United States and internationally is critical in disrupting criminal activity. The AFP remains committed to continuing its relentless work to target cybercriminals.”

  ”Bulletproof hosting enables cybercriminal activity including ransomware, scams, malware infections, and other malicious offending that harms people online in Australia and overseas. 

  “The disruption and removal of bulletproof hosts is a vital step to prevent cybercriminals who prey on the victims online.”

• National Police and Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Netherlands

  Police and Public Prosecution Service: New EU sanctions crucial step in international fight against cybercrime

  “The Netherlands Police and Public Prosecution Service welcome the EU sanctions that were imposed on two Russian companies, the CEO of these companies, and another key player in organised cybercrime. The sanctions were introduced to make it harder for cyber criminals to continue their activities, and to disrupt their criminal business model.”

• United Kingdom National Crime Agency

  The National Crime Agency welcomes today’s action against the key operators behind the bulletproof hosting service Media Land AKA Yalishanda.

  Deputy Director Paul Foster, National Cyber Crime Unit, said “Working together across borders is essential to dismantling the infrastructure that enables serious cybercrime.  This action reflects the strength of close collaboration between international partners to identify, disrupt, and bring cybercriminals to justice. Bulletproof hosting forms a critical part of the cybercriminal ecosystem, providing resilient infrastructure that facilitates ransomware, phishing, malware and other serious offences.  Continued action against these key enablers is essential to reducing their resilience, disrupting the services cybercriminals depend on, and increasing the cost and risk of cybercrime.”

CLEVELAND – A Cuyahoga County man was sentenced to prison for his role in romance fraud schemes that targeted the elderly throughout Northern Ohio and elsewhere. 

Abdoul Issaka Assimiou, 38, of Parma, Ohio, was sentenced to 63 months (5.25 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after pleading guilty in October 2025 to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money Laundering. Assimiou was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $220,485 in restitution to 15 victims.

According to court records, from December 2017 to March 2024, an international elder fraud and money laundering conspiracy targeted older Americans in the Northern District of Ohio and across the United States. Conspirators used dating websites and social media platforms to interact with victims, creating fake personas to establish close, often romantic, relationships. Victims, misled by false stories such as claims of gold inheritances, sent money via wire transfer to accounts controlled by Assimiou and others. For over three years, Assimiou retained portions of these stolen funds and purchased products to ship to co-conspirators in Ghana.

The FBI Cleveland Division investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Brian M. McDonough, prosecuted the case.

This investigation and prosecution are in response to the Elder Justice Initiative Program originating from the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017 (EAPPA). The mission of the EAPPA and Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial fraud, and scams that target the nation’s elderly population.

To report suspected elder financial abuse, visit:  tips.fbi.gov/home or justice.gov/elderjustice/financial-exploitation.

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

CLEVELAND – A 31-year-old Ghanaian National was extradited from the Republic of Ghana to face charges that involve defrauding more than 80 elderly victims out of more than $8 million. 

According to court documents, Frederick Kumi, aka Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng, aka Abu Trica, of Swedru, Ghana, and co-defendant Daniel Yussif, aka Denteni, aka Slab, 31, of Accra Ghana, were part of a criminal network that targeted elderly victims in romance scams across the United States since 2023. Kumi was arrested in Ghana Dec. 11, 2025, and extradited to the United States July 9.

Court records allege that from about April 2023 to November 2025, Kumi was part of a criminal network that devised romance fraud schemes to obtain money from elderly United States citizens. Kumi and Yussif acted as leaders of a group that used online dating sites and social media to identify and target their victims, who were often widows or divorcees. Kumi employed advanced techniques including AI-driven video platforms to engage with the victims under fictitious female personas. Others involved in the deception leveraged Ghanaian associates to communicate directly with victims via encrypted apps and by phone, to maintain the false identities used to facilitate the fraud. After being misled by false stories or gold or diamond inheritances, the victims sent money via wire transfer to financial accounts controlled by conspiracy members. Portions of the funds were further provided to co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere. Kumi and other co-conspirators used money mules based in Ghana, and contacts in the Ghanaian immigrant community in the U.S., to launder millions of dollars through fake businesses and bank accounts.

Kumi allegedly used his ill-gotten gains to acquire luxury vehicles and other items of value. Assets seized by international law enforcement partners included a mansion in Ghana, a Lamborghini, Tesla Cybertruck, Mercedes Benz, and BMW.

Kumi has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Additionally, his ill-gotten gains are subject to forfeiture. Kumi faces up to 20 years imprisonment.

If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to the case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, his role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentences will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian M. McDonough and Elliot Morrison for the Northern District of Ohio.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio would like to acknowledge and thank the Ghana Attorney General’s Office, EOCO – Ghana Economic Organized Crime Office, GPS – Ghana Police Service, Ghana Cyber Security Authority, NACOC – Ghana Narcotics Control Commission, Ghana National Intelligence Bureau, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Sensitive Investigation Unit, U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra for their cooperation in securing the arrest and extradition from Ghana.

The investigation and prosecution are conducted under the Elder Justice Initiative Program, established by the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017 (EAPPA). The EAPPA and Elder Justice Initiative aims to coordinate and strengthen the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat abuse, neglect, financial fraud, and scams targeting older adults.

To submit a report of suspected elder financial abuse, please visit tips.fbi.gov/home or justice.gov/elderjustice/financial-exploitation.