Eastern District of Pennsylvania

PHILADELPHIA – Jacqueline C. Romero announced the conclusion of her tenure as United States Attorney, effective immediately.

Ms. Romero was sworn in as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (EDPA) on June 21, 2022, following her nomination by President Joseph R. Biden and confirmation by the U.S. Senate. She oversaw one of the largest Districts in the country, with nearly six million residents across nine counties, and one of the busiest United States Attorney’s Offices, with a staff of over 300 located at offices in Philadelphia and Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Prior to her appointment as U.S. Attorney, Ms. Romero had served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the same Office for 16 years, specializing in fraud investigations and civil rights cases.

“When I came here, almost 20 years ago now, it was to do the job, to be a prosecutor. I didn’t come here for a title,” said Ms. Romero. “But it has been the absolute honor of my life to hold this title of U.S. Attorney. The work we’ve done these last years — scores of violent offenders and child predators taken off the street, fraudsters who preyed on investors and the elderly locked up, drug dealers and dirty doctors who poisoned our communities brought to justice, civil rights violations brought to light, and much more — all of it has made the Eastern District of Pennsylvania safer, stronger, and more just.”

“I’m extraordinarily proud, too, of our outreach efforts,” Ms. Romero said. “My team and I have gone out and met the people of this District where they are. It’s helped build trust in the community and that isn’t just something, it’s everything. I know that all of my colleagues here, no matter their role, will carry on this Office’s important work, on behalf of the people of southeastern Pennsylvania.”

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Under Ms. Romero’s leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania prioritized both the prosecution of violent crime, fraud, and civil rights violations, and proactive anti-crime efforts through community engagement, youth outreach, and reentry initiatives.

U.S. Attorney Romero also oversaw the expansion of EDPA’s Allentown office to better serve the residents of Lancaster, Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton Counties, hiring three experienced Assistant District Attorneys from Lehigh, Berks, and Northampton Counties, to add to an experienced team with deep roots in the area. The expansion also increased the office’s physical footprint and upgraded its facilities, to meet the increased investigative workload from the Office’s law enforcement partners from the Lehigh Valley to Lancaster.

Violent Crime

U.S. Attorney Romero doubled the size of EDPA’s Violent Crime Unit, pursuing data-driven prosecutions that targeted the predominant drivers of violence in the District. Through focused partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, the Office took illegal guns off the street, dismantled dangerous gangs and drug trafficking organizations, and sent a message to area carjackers and other violent offenders. These collaborative efforts significantly contributed to a 40 percent drop in violent crime in many areas of the District.

During Ms. Romero’s tenure:

• Her Office, the ATF, FBI, and Philadelphia Police Department, working together as the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force, charged dozens of carjackers federally, resulting in substantial prison sentences.
• USAO-EDPA, following an investigation by HSI and the Reading Police Department, secured life imprisonment for the leaders of a violent drug and sex trafficking gang known as the Sevens, putting a permanent end to their reign of terror in the city.
• EDPA prosecutors secured the conviction at trial of Rafael Vega-Rodriguez for the attempted murder of three FBI agents, resulting in a 45-year prison sentence.

White Collar Crime

Under U.S. Attorney Romero, the Office successfully prosecuted numerous complex financial fraud and public corruption cases.

Among them:

• Bringing racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, and related charges against Joseph LaForte and James LaForte, the main principals of the fraudulent investment vehicle Par Funding, which is alleged to have generated over $100 million in illegal proceeds for the defendants to the detriment of Par Funding’s numerous investors. The brothers have both pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
• The convictions at trial of former Local 98 business manager John Dougherty and former Local 98 president Brian Burrows for embezzling union funds and related charges. Dougherty was sentenced to six years in prison for these offenses and public corruption crimes for which he was convicted at an earlier trial; Burrows was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment.

• The conviction at trial of Joseph Cammarata for stealing more than $40 million in a years-long securities fraud scheme carried out with two codefendants. Cammarata, a securities claims aggregator, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was subsequently convicted at a separate trial of tax evasion related to the securities scheme and sentenced to a partially concurrent term of 72 months in prison.

Civil Enforcements

Under U.S. Attorney Romero, EDPA maintained one of the most active affirmative civil enforcement dockets in the country, including False Claims Act qui tams, civil Controlled Substances Act investigations, and civil rights matters. U.S. Attorney Romero was able to do so while supporting the Civil Division’s handling of an increased defensive litigation docket.

During her tenure:

• The District recovered hundreds of millions of dollars through False Claims Act settlements, including $172 million from national insurer the Cigna Group; almost $60 million in total from cardiac monitoring company BioTelemetry Inc. and two of its subsidiaries; $25 million from generic drug manufacturer Glenmark Pharmaceuticals; $20 million from durable medical equipment supplier Electrostim Medical Services, Inc. and its chairman; more than $16 million from optical lens and lens equipment maker Essilor; more than $15 million from Kansas chiropractic company Titan Medical Compliance and its owner; and over $8 million from the Boeing Company for allegedly failing to adhere to critical manufacturing specifications in the production of composite parts for V-22 Osprey military aircraft.
• The District sued AmerisourceBergen, one of the country’s largest wholesale pharmaceutical distributors, for allegedly violating federal law in connection with the distribution of controlled substances to pharmacies and other customers across the country, thereby contributing to the prescription opioid epidemic. That litigation is ongoing.
• Ms. Romero prioritized the Office’s civil rights work. This included the resolution of the most redlining investigations in the country, in which EDPA held financial institutions like Citadel Federal Credit Union, ESSA Bank & Trust, and Trident Mortgage Company accountable for such alleged practices.

Community Outreach

U.S. Attorney Romero was committed to strengthening the Office’s partnerships in the diverse communities it serves throughout the District, particularly those struggling with violent crime, opioid abuse, and the legacy of systemic exclusion from education, health care, housing, and employment.

She expanded the Office’s outreach efforts, adding a youth engagement coordinator and other personnel to form a dedicated External Engagement team, which bolsters EDPA’s public safety mission.

U.S. Attorney Romero and the team worked proactively with local leaders, schools, and organizations to identify potential issues that could be addressed through better community engagement, outreach to area youth, and support for people returning home to our communities from prison.

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Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr., the District’s First Assistant United States Attorney, is now Acting U.S. Attorney upon Ms. Romero’s departure from the Office. Mr. Thayer is a career prosecutor with over three decades of experience in the Department of Justice.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Pennsylvania resident Ronald Hoplamazian has agreed to pay $3,277,486.35 to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by misusing funds received through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program administered by the Small Business Administration (“SBA”).

Hoplamazian, who runs a Pennsylvania-based consulting firm, Eclipse Capital Partners, LLC, applied for — and received — an EIDL totaling $1,900,000. In applying for the EIDL, Hoplamazian represented that he would use the funds solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hoplamazian instead allegedly transferred a majority of the EIDL proceeds to a personal investment account, which is inconsistent with EIDL regulations.

“SBA loaned Hoplamazian almost two million dollars to help his business recover from economic harms caused by the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Hoplamazian instead allegedly used the EIDL proceeds for an entirely different purpose — to make personal investments — a purpose he knew to be inconsistent with the rules of the EIDL program. We will continue working with our partners to hold accountable individuals and businesses who misuse government programs like this.”

“This settlement underscores the SBA Office of Inspector General’s commitment to identifying and holding accountable those who attempt to defraud programs intended to support small businesses,” said Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge of SBA OIG’s Eastern Region. “The Economic Injury Disaster Loan program was created to provide financial relief to businesses struggling due to unforeseen circumstances, not for personal enrichment through fraudulent means. SBA OIG will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure these critical funds reach those who truly need them.”

This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General. It was handled by Deputy Chief Charlene Keller Fullmer, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mansi G. Shah, and Auditor Denis Cooke.

The settled civil claims are allegations only. There has been no determination of civil liability.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Donald Seefeldt, 65, of Wilmette, Illinois, entered a plea of guilty yesterday before United States District Court Judge Wendy Beetlestone to a one-count information charging him with conspiracy to commit federal program bribery.

As presented in the information, on or about December 10, 2015, a masonry restoration contractor (the “Contractor”) was awarded a $58,473,000 contract by Amtrak to be the main contractor on a façade repair and restoration project at Amtrak’s 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.

Federal funding supplied approximately 90 percent of the money Amtrak used to pay the Contractor for the repair and restoration of the 30th Street Station façade.

Defendant Seefeldt was the Senior Executive Vice President of the Contractor with responsibility to provide executive oversight of the Contractor’s performance on the 30th Street Station façade project.

Lee Maniatis and Khaled Dallo, both charged elsewhere, were Vice Presidents of the Contractor, with responsibility to supervise the Contractor’s performance on the 30th Street Station façade project. Official #1 was the sole owner and a senior officer of the Contractor.

Amtrak Employee #1 was employed by Amtrak as the Project Manager on the repair and restoration project. In that capacity, Amtrak Employee #1 was responsible for communicating with the Contractor about the work being done on 30th Street Station. Amtrak Employee #1 was also responsible for reviewing the invoices, change orders, and requests for payment that the Contractor submitted to Amtrak. Amtrak Employee #1 had the power to approve or reject these invoices, change orders, and requests for payment. Although Amtrak Employee #1 did not have the singular authority to approve Amtrak payments to the Contractor, his approval was a critical step in that process.

The contract between Amtrak and the Contractor prohibited the defendant and other Contractor officials from “offer[ing] to any Amtrak employee, agent, or representative any cash, gift, entertainment, commission, or kickback for the purpose of securing favorable treatment with regard to award or performance of any contract or agreement.”

As alleged in the information, from in or about May 2016 through in or about November 2019, in Philadelphia, in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and elsewhere, Seefeldt conspired, combined, and agreed with others known and unknown to the United States Attorney, including Amtrak Employee #1, Maniatis, Dallo, and Official #1, to commit an offense against the United States; that is, to knowingly and corruptly give, offer, and agree to give, a thing of value to Amtrak Employee #1, an agent of an organization which received in each one-year period from 2016 through 2019, benefits in excess of $10,000 under a federal program involving a grant, contract, subsidy, loan, and other form of federal assistance, intending to influence and reward Amtrak Employee #1 in connection with any business, transaction and series of transactions involving a thing of value of $5,000 or more.

Specifically, the information alleges, Seefeldt and the others, with the knowledge and agreement of Official #1, provided Amtrak Employee #1 with gifts and other things of value totaling approximately $323,686, including, among other things, paid vacations, jewelry, cash, dinners, entertainment, and transportation, to ensure that Amtrak Employee #1 used his power and influence to benefit the Contractor during the performance of the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project.

In return for these gifts and other things of value, Amtrak Employee #1 allegedly used his position at Amtrak to access internal agency information available only to Amtrak employees about the 30th Street Station Project and shared this internal information with the defendant and other officials with the Contractor.

The information further alleges that Amtrak Employee #1 used his position at Amtrak to approve additional, more expensive changes to the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project, thereby increasing the amount and value of the work to be performed by the Contractor. These additional expenses were reflected in a series of change orders or contract modifications. In total, Amtrak Employee #1 approved over $52 million of additional payments from Amtrak to the Contractor. Amtrak Employee #1 and officials with the Contractor, including defendant Seefeldt, falsely inflated the true costs of some of the work to be performed by the Contractor under these change orders, causing Amtrak to be substantially overbilled by over $2 million for the completion of the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project.

Seefeldt is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22 and faces a maximum possible sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Full restitution of as much as $2,062,374, joint and with several other co-conspirators, also shall be ordered.

“Every dollar of federal funding lost to fraud is a dollar less to put toward legitimate programs and projects,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “My office and our partners will continue to hold accountable those who try to pad their pockets at taxpayers’ and the U.S. government’s expense.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Kevin Kelly Murray, 30, of Oreland, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for child exploitation and child pornography offenses.

In June 2022, Murray was charged by indictment with one count of use of an interstate commerce facility to entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, one count of manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to all three charges in October of last year.

As presented in court filings, on September 1, 2020, a user of the online chat service Omegle uploaded and shared videos depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of prepubescent children. A content moderator for Omegle reported the activity to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”), with NCMEC subsequently providing this report in the form of a cybertip to the Pennsylvania Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Records revealed that the unlawful content had been distributed online using an internet account registered to the defendant’s residence.

On October 22, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Murray’s residence and found the defendant inside. After being advised of the reason for the search warrant, Murray admitted to possessing child pornography on his computer. Murray then consented to an interview at the local police station, where he confessed to police that he had accessed Omegle to both download and share child pornography. He further admitted to soliciting “preteen” girls over Omegle to undress themselves and perform sexual acts on themselves, at which point he would record their images/videos on his computer for his sexual gratification.

A forensic review of his electronic devices showed that from 2019 through 2020, the defendant used his cell phone and his computer to obtain at least 361 images and 93 videos of child pornography. Among the videos were several taken during Murray’s Omegle video chats with at least three different young girls, including Minor #1, who appeared to be approximately eight to ten years old. Chat records documented the defendant directing the child to engage in sexually explicit behavior. In response, Minor #1 engaged in the sexually explicit conduct and the defendant created three videos depicting the conduct.

“Murray preyed on children, grooming them for his own deviant purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “He exposed these young girls to child pornography to normalize sexual behavior in their minds, convinced them to engage in explicit acts on camera, then saved the material for his repeated consumption. My office and our partners are working every day to prosecute predators like this, get justice for their victims, and keep all children safe from similar harm.”

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

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Abington Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya T. De Souza.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Lawrence McKay, 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh to 32 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for leading six violent armed robberies in the city and surrounding counties in February 2021, all targeting cell phone stores. Judge McHugh also ordered McKay to pay restitution to victims, including money toward medical bills, of more than $100,000.

In February of last year, McKay pleaded guilty to all six robberies with which he was charged and two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

At each robbery, McKay had at least one co-conspirator with him, and together they would force employees at gunpoint to turn over the store’s merchandise and cash. During one of these robberies, McKay shot a store employee in the stomach, and in another, codefendant Brenton Holmes shot a store employee in the leg. Both employees survived.

Holmes pleaded guilty to participating in five of the robberies with McKay and was sentenced in May of last year to 30 years in prison.

Dana Toby pleaded guilty to participating in two of the robberies and was sentenced in September 2023 to 15 years in prison.

Demon McNeil and Dashonna Hoskins each pleaded guilty to participating in one robbery, with McNeil sentenced in June 2024 to eight years in prison and Hoskins in May 2024 to 50 months in prison.

“Lawrence McKay and his crew were a crime spree unto themselves, racking up six armed robberies in less than three weeks,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “In these holdups, they made store employees fear for their lives, threatening them at gunpoint, bringing them into back rooms, tying some up, and even shooting two victims. It was imperative to get McKay off the street before anyone else was harmed, or worse, at his behest. This sentence keeps him behind bars for decades and holds him accountable for the crimes he led. My office and our partners are committed to making our communities safer by focusing on the most violent offenders and bringing them to justice.”

“The brazen acts committed in this case instilled fear in our community and put our citizens at risk,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to working alongside our local, state, and federal partners to combat violent crime, protect our city, and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the Lower Merion Township Police Department, Bristol Township Police Department, Norristown Police Department, and Warminster Township Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda R. Reinitz, Amanda McCool, and Anthony Carissimi.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Jenny Espinal Tejada, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Joshua D. Wolson to 18 months in prison, $1,841,402 in restitution, and forfeiture of the proceeds of her offenses, for defrauding the U.S. government.

The defendant was charged in July of last year by superseding indictment and pleaded guilty in October to one count of wire fraud and one count of defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”).

Espinal Tejada admitted that she used her small corner grocery store in Philadelphia to redeem SNAP benefits, even though she knew the store had not been approved to participate in SNAP as a merchant. She gained access to the program by misappropriating merchant identification numbers that had been assigned to stores that participated in the program legitimately. By using the misappropriated numbers, she was able to work around the rules of SNAP, and she further abused the program by trading benefits for cash in her store.

“Espinal Tejada sought to profit illicitly from the SNAP program, diverting nearly $2 million of the USDA’s money,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “On behalf of the folks who rely on these resources every day — and the taxpayers who fund the programs — we and our partners will continue to prosecute abuses like this and ensure that those who commit them are held appropriately accountable.”

“SNAP was created to provide food and nutrition to those who truly need this assistance,” said Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG). “This joint investigation identified those who sought to profit from SNAP through illegal schemes. We are thankful to our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners and will continue to dedicate investigative resources in order to protect the integrity of these programs and bring those who commit fraud to justice.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Abrams. 

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Tory Garvin, 49, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Wendy Beetlestone to 180 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possessing large quantities of methamphetamine and unlawfully possessing ammunition.

Garvin was charged by indictment in June 2022, and in October of last year pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of ammunition by a felon.

“Tory Garvin was a significant supplier of methamphetamine in Philadelphia, found in possession of about 10 pounds of the drug,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “My office and our partners will continue to bring to justice the people flooding our neighborhoods with illegal narcotics, to help boost the city’s safety, health, and quality of life.”

The case was investigated by the DEA and the Pennsylvania State Police as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Lanni and Angella Middleton.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Gregory Fiocca, 32, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl to two years of probation for unlawfully demanding money as a union representative from a union employer for hours he did not work, in an amount not exceeding $1,000.

On August 19, 2020, following a week where he did little work and was frequently absent, Fiocca received a paycheck that was for substantially less than 40 hours. In response, Fiocca confronted and assaulted a Local 98 member who was the project manager. Fiocca slapped the project manager, choked him, threw him across a desk, spit on him, and threatened to beat him and the owner if they continued to monitor his attendance and performance. Fiocca then unlawfully demanded money from the project manager for hours he did not work.

Fiocca was charged by superseding information and pleaded guilty in September 2024.

"Fiocca, as the nephew of then-Local 98 Business Manager John Dougherty, abused his power and influence and resorted to violence to unlawfully claim wages he did not rightfully earn. That force and intimidation is detrimental to the integrity of hardworking and law-abiding members of Local 98, and such actions cannot be tolerated as business as usual," said U.S. Attorney Romero. "Many thanks to our law enforcement partners at FBI for their persistence in fighting corruption in Philadelphia and helping to ensure no one is threatened by economic retaliation or physical harm while engaging in honest business practices."

"Gregory Fiocca exploited his position within the union and resorted to violence in an unlawful attempt to claim wages he did not rightfully earn," said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. "The FBI remains committed to working alongside the U.S. Attorney's Office to root out corruption and uphold the integrity of our city for the citizens we serve."

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell and former Assistant United States Attorney Frank Costello.

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Jacqueline C. Romero, announced today that the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has entered a consent judgment against Michael DiCiurcio of Philadelphia, PA. In its complaint against DiCiurcio, the United States alleges that DiCiurcio operated small unmanned aircraft systems (“sUAS”) – commonly known as drones – unlawfully and unsafely in the Philadelphia area between at least December 2019 to the present, in violation of Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) requirements.

The United States alleges that DiCiurcio operated flights at night, in close proximity to the William Penn Statue, PSFS Building, and Liberty One Building, resulting in the sUAS almost striking a church steeple during one flight. The United States alleges that during certain flights DiCiurcio improperly operated the sUAS inside of controlled airspace near the Philadelphia airport, over people and cars, and, in at least one instance, lost control of the sUAS, causing it to fly uncontrolled over Philadelphia.

The FAA warned DiCiurcio in writing and provided him with counseling and education regarding requirements for safe operations of a sUAS under the Federal Aviation Regulations. The United States alleges that DiCiurcio nonetheless has continued to operate sUASs illegally and in a careless or reckless manner that endangers others.

Terms of the Consent Judgment

On January 23, 2025, before Magistrate Judge Jose Arteaga, DiCiurcio agreed to the terms of the consent judgment, including that: DiCiurcio (1) admits that all allegations of his conduct set forth in the Verified Complaint are true and accurate; (2) admits that the conduct as alleged in the Verified Complaint violated FAA regulations and safety guidance as alleged; and (3) accepts the administrative findings of violations and further acknowledges that the FAA will deem those matters as findings of violations that may be considered aggravating factors in any future enforcement proceedings against him.

In addition, DiCiurcio agrees that he will: (1) never operate in any manner any sUAS of any type, size, model, of any kind within the United States, nor will he ever seek any type of certification or license to operate any type or form of sUAS; (2) take down the YouTube channel known as “Philly Drone Life” and no longer operate or resurrect its content or any part in any form; (3) abandon those sUAS and other items he surrendered to the FAA on May 23, 2024, pursuant to the Court’s Order sanctioning DiCiurcio for contempt of the preliminary injunction entered by the Court on February 29, 2024.     

On January 29, 2025, Chief Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg signed the consent judgment.

“We work hard to educate people about safely flying their drones, and we don’t hesitate to take strong enforcement action when pilots deliberately flout the rules,” said Deputy FAA Administrator Katie Thomson.

“Failing to adhere to the safety requirements for flying small unmanned aircraft systems endangers people and property,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “All drone flyers have a responsibility to ensure that they observe all applicable regulations and guidance. Our Office is committed to ensuring total compliance with the FAA regulations and we will vigorously enforce violations wherever we find them.”

The allegations regarding unsafe sUAS flights in violation of FAA regulations are described in detail in the complaint. The case is captioned United States of America v. Michael DiCiurcio, Case No. 24-0612 (E.D. Pa.).

The case has been investigated by the FAA’s Flight Standards Division, and the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Viveca D. Parker.

All civil claims are allegations only.  There has been no determination of civil liability.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Francis J. Battista, 39, of Aston, Pennsylvania, was convicted at trial on all charges against him — 12 counts of wire fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft, and seven counts of money laundering — for defrauding federal COVID-19 assistance programs of $8.4 million. United States District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond remanded the defendant into custody following the verdict on Friday afternoon.

Battista was charged by indictment with these offenses in June of 2022.

As proven at trial, between March 2020 and June 2021, the defendant fraudulently applied for 19 loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, seeking over $10 million in proceeds. PPP and EIDL were federal government programs intended to provide emergency financial assistance to small businesses and their workers, who were suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Battista applied for one fraudulent PPP loan using his own name, and submitted fake and fabricated documents in support of the application. For the rest of his applications, he used other people’s names and personal identifying information on applications and the bogus support documents submitted in support of those applications. In one instance, Battista falsely renewed the Pennsylvania photo ID card of a deceased family friend, had it mailed to his house, and then used it to apply for a PPP loan.

Nine of Battista’s 19 loan applications were funded, with the defendant receiving $8.4 million in PPP payments. Battista used the proceeds of the loans to attempt to purchase waterfront property in Florida, buy a Range Rover, engage in risky stock trading that resulted in millions of dollars of losses, and pay for his children’s private school, among other unauthorized expenses.

The government has located and seized $6.3 million of those funds through forfeiture proceedings.

Battista will be sentenced on a date to be determined and faces a maximum possible sentence of 316 years in prison.

“Frank Battista tried to cash in on a public health crisis, diverting federal money meant to support businesses and workers hobbled by the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “He didn’t care that he was defrauding the government and all of us taxpayers — he just wanted to live larger on somebody else’s dime. As his case shows, my office and our partners are committing to prosecuting these shameless COVID crooks and holding them fully accountable.”

"Mr. Battista took advantage of our nation's generosity in a time of need by fraudulently applying for and obtaining COVID-19 program funds," said Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation.  "IRS-CI, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate those who scheme to exploit federal relief programs for their personal gain."  

"The Secret Service is proud to work alongside our federal partners to bring these defendants to justice," said Glenn M. Dennis, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service. "Criminals exploiting the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program steal valuable funds from the American taxpayer and from businesses who rightfully needed these programs to continue operation during the pandemic. The Secret Service is committed to continuing our work with federal, state, and local law enforcement to track down and prosecute those who abused the PPP and EDIL Programs."

The case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nancy E. Potts and Eric D. Gill.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Dr. Ghodrat Pirooz Sholevar and his company, Nueva Vida Multicultural/Multilingual Behavioral Health, Inc., have agreed to pay $900,000 to resolve allegations in the United States’ Amended Complaint that they fraudulently billed Medicaid for medication management appointments for children and other patients that were too short pursuant to applicable regulations. The government alleges that the visits violated rules promulgated by Community Behavioral Health, the local Medicaid program administrator, and the False Claims Act.

Sholevar and Nueva Vida operated three mental health clinics in Northeast Philadelphia and provided psychiatry services under the Medicaid program to adults and children. Among other mental health services, Sholevar provided medication management appointments for his patients. A medication management appointment or “med check” is required to prescribe, and monitor the effects of, certain drugs for mental health conditions. During a med check, a doctor typically obtains a patient’s relevant history, examines his mental status, assesses his response to the medication, and adjusts any prescriptions or treatment plans if necessary. Medication management appointments are required to be at least 15 minutes in length to be fully reimbursable and documentation of the actual time in clock hours that services were provided is a condition of payment for Medicaid services rendered to patients in Philadelphia.

In an amended complaint filed on May 7, 2024, the United States contends that, from January 15, 2009, through March 31, 2017, Nueva Vida regularly submitted false bills for medication management appointments performed by Sholevar because these visits were not at least 15 minutes long and instead were likely substantially shorter. Nueva Vida also regularly billed for more medication management appointments than could be completed in a single workday if each appointment were 15 minutes long as required. Nueva Vida billed Medicaid for whole single “units” of medication management, thereby falsely representing that each patient had been seen for the required 15 minutes. The government alleges that, despite conducting appointments that were much shorter than 15 minutes, Sholevar falsely recorded start and end times in patients’ files that made it appear that the patients were seen for a full 15 minutes. These false “clock times” included overlapping times where Sholevar was purportedly seeing two or three patients during the same 15-minute window, and at two different clinic locations.

The United States further contends that the defendants knew or recklessly disregarded the Medicaid rules regarding the timing of medication management visits. The defendants’ fee schedules for services to Medicaid patients specified that the medication management visit was 15 minutes per “unit” of service billed. The defendants were notified in an audit as early as 2004 that medication management visits ranging from six to twelve minutes were too short. The Medicaid program administrator also regularly recouped payments from the defendants for medication management visits that did not include start and end times, or where there was evidence that the appointment was less than 15-minutes long. But the defendants continued providing too-short appointments and failing to document clock times in treatment records, even after these issues were repeatedly brought to their attention. Nueva Vida ceased operating mental health clinics in 2018.

“The defendants allegedly overbilled the Medicaid program at the expense of low-income Philadelphians, including children, who were seeking mental health services,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “These individuals deserved full and appropriate health care services, including careful management of psychiatric drugs that can have dangerous side effects. We will hold accountable those who bill Medicaid but fail to provide the full service, because this not only defrauds the government, but deprives vulnerable individuals of care.”

“Medicaid provides important mental health services to adults and children,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The defendants’ actions defrauded the Medicaid program and may have resulted in patients not receiving the full services they deserve. HHS-OIG will continue to work with our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office to investigate allegations of Medicaid fraud and ensure proper services are provided to patients.”

This settlement resolved a lawsuit that the United States filed under the False Claims Act in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The government’s resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. For the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the investigation and settlement were handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Lindgren and Gregory in den Berken and auditor George Niedzwicki.

The case is captioned United States v. Nueva Vida Multicultural/Multilingual Behavioral Health, Inc. and Ghodrat Pirooz Sholevar, M.D., Civ. No. 24-1451 (E.D. Pa.). The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. 

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Tyleeya Williams, 22, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Gerald J. Pappert to 40 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for sexually abusing and exploiting a child in her care and multiple child pornography offenses.

In May of 2023, Williams was charged by indictment with the manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. She pleaded guilty to all four charges in June of last year.

As part of her guilty plea, Williams admitted that she sexually abused a one-year-old girl in her care, and that she had planned the abuse with another child sex offender with whom she was communicating online. The defendant photographed her molestation of this child and distributed those images of her abuse – which included the child’s face – via the internet. Williams also admitted that she had trafficked thousands of images and videos showing the sexual abuse of dozens of other children, sharing that material with groups of child sex offenders online.

“Tyleeya Williams was entrusted with the care and protection of this little girl, but instead sexually abused and exploited her,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The defendant further victimized this child by documenting the abuse and sharing the horrific images with other sex offenders. While Williams’ 40-year sentence can’t reverse the immeasurable harm she’s done, it prevents her from harming anyone else’s child and is a measure of justice for all the innocents whose images she collected and shared. My office and the FBI will never stop working to hold accountable criminals ready and willing to hurt our children.”

“The crimes Tyleeya Williams committed are among the most egregious the FBI investigates,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Even in the face of such horrific crimes, our office remains unwavering in our pursuit of justice against those who abuse and exploit our most vulnerable.”  

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

The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Khalif Ward, 27, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky to a term of 46 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $25,000 fine for firearms offenses.

In December of 2023, Ward was indicted on one count of possession of a machine gun and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. He pleaded guilty to both charges in October.

The defendant, a rap artist known as “Leaf Ward,” with hundreds of thousands of online followers, committed the offenses while on release for a state case involving the straw purchase and illegal transfer of firearms, and after he was found in possession of a firearm after being shot in 2020.

As stated in court documents, on August 16, 2023, Ward took a stolen vehicle to the Bahama Breeze restaurant in the King of Prussia Mall. Officers doing proactive details in the parking lot ran the registration for the car, which came back stolen out of Philadelphia. The officers then began the process of towing the vehicle. While the car was in the process of being towed, Ward exited the restaurant with his girlfriend.

Ward ran toward the tow truck, until he saw the uniformed police officers and the marked police vehicle. He then sprinted back into the restaurant, where an employee saw him put a loaded Glock firearm into a kitchen trash can and discard his hat nearby.

Officers chased Ward into the restaurant and through the kitchen, apprehending him behind the eatery and recovering the loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol, which was found to be fitted with a illegal switch converting it from semi-automatic to fully automatic fire.

“Despite two prior gun convictions, Ward continued to wield these weapons, boldly displaying them in his videos and carrying them on the street,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Moreover, the pistol he tried to ditch when running from police was altered to enable automatic fire. This office will continue to work with the ATF and our state and local partners to get guns out of the hands of people not permitted to have them, to tamp down violent crime and make the public safer.”

“Keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals is why the law prohibits felons from having firearms,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF's Philadelphia Field Division. “In this case, the defendant was not only illegally carrying a loaded weapon in a busy public location, but he was carrying a pistol turned into a machine gun. Such converted weapons are extremely dangerous as they can fire an entire magazine of bullets in seconds, often hitting uninvolved bystanders. ATF is committed to working with our partners to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals like Ward who endanger our neighborhoods.”

The case was investigated by the ATF, United States Secret Service, and the Upper Merion Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Lanni, Everett Witherell, and Shayna Gannone.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Joseph Gallo, 80, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Juan R. Sanchez to 10 years in prison, five years of supervised release, $12,750 in restitution, and $10,000 in additional special assessments, for possessing thousands of images and videos of child pornography.

In March of last year, the defendant was charged by information with possession of child pornography as a second-time child sex offender. He pleaded guilty in July, admitting that, over a period of more than three years, he had amassed a collection of more than 18,000 images depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

At the time Gallo committed these crimes, he was already a registered sex offender under Megan’s Law, attending court-ordered sex offender treatment, and serving a sentence of supervised county probation, following his 2015 prosecution in Bucks County for similar offenses.

“Gallo learned nothing from his first conviction and again started seeking out those abhorrent images,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Consumers of child pornography like him perpetuate the exploitation and trauma of innocent victims, which my office, HSI, and our partners simply won’t abide. We’ll continue to hold accountable collectors of child sexual abuse material, because protecting kids everywhere is paramount.”

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

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Mary Blakley (aka “Marye Blakley,” “Mary Blakely,” “Mary Blakeley,” “Mary Davis,” “Mary Venable,” “Mary Cammer,” “Rosemary Cammer,” “Rosemary Davis,” “Yvonne Davis,” and “Mary Blaksley”) and Fred Blakley (aka “Fred Blakely” and “Floyd Blakely”) with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Mary Blakley and Fred Blakley are residents of Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

The indictment alleges that the two defendants were the principals of a medical clinic business that charged clients throughout the United States approximately $300 for conducting what the defendants described as “full body scans” by use of an ultrasound machine. The defendants falsely claimed that, through the deployment of a “smart chip technology” invented by defendant Mary Blakley and purportedly added to the ultrasound machines, their “full body scans” could diagnose a wide variety of human diseases and medical conditions, including blood cancers, such as leukemia, and candida in the bowel.

The indictment further alleges that the defendants falsely and fraudulently claimed that the Blakley Clinics’ full body scans, using the purported “smart chip technology,” could perform many other medical procedures, including colonoscopies, non-invasive prostate exams, and electrocardiograms. Based on the results of these “full body scans,” the defendants falsely and fraudulently prescribed to their human clients various supplements, creams, and veterinary products as treatments for conditions purportedly discovered during the full body scans.

According to the indictment, the defendants also claimed that Mary Blakley’s purported “smart chip technology” could treat and cure a wide range of human diseases, illnesses, and conditions, including by: (i) “driving” a substance known as Aetheion into the body to kill cancer; (ii) “cleaning” the lungs and brainstem; and (iii) removing kidney stones. In fact, neither the purported “smart chip technology” nor the substances prescribed by the defendants had been approved by the FDA to treat diseases in human beings.

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 165 years in prison.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Office of Criminal Investigations of the Food and Drug Administration, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Mandelbaum and Paul G. Shapiro.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Mauricio Sarmiento, 35, of Ecuador, was sentenced today to one year of non-reporting probation, a $500 fine, and a $100 special assessment by United States District Court Judge John M. Gallagher for introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.

On November 20, 2024, Sarmiento pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging him with that offense.

Since in or about 2022, Sarmiento, an Ecuadorian physician, made regular trips to the United States to provide medical care and prescription drugs in return for payment. Sarmiento did so even though he was not licensed to practice medicine or prescribe drugs in the United States. He also caused some of the drugs he dispensed while in the United States to be shipped from Ecuador.

On September 10, 2024, law enforcement encountered Sarmiento and seized misbranded drugs and medical equipment, including intravenous medications and a centrifuge used to provide plasma therapy.

“Medical care and treatments are tightly regulated in this country, to keep people healthy and safe,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Sarmiento was well aware that he wasn’t licensed to practice here and that the drugs he dispensed were misbranded. This office and the FBI will continue to work on the public’s behalf to prosecute such medical malfeasance.”

"Protecting the safety of our community is our highest priority," said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. "The FBI is steadfast in its commitment to investigating fraud, safeguarding the integrity of our healthcare systems, and ensuring those who exploit them are held accountable."

The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Boscia.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Scott Mason, 66, of Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, was charged by criminal information with wire fraud, securities fraud, investment adviser fraud, and filing false tax returns, arising from two fraudulent schemes that Mason, through his investment advisory firm Rubicon Wealth Management LLC, orchestrated to divert millions of dollars in client funds in order to finance his lavish lifestyle.

The information alleges that between 2016 and 2024, Mason — who had a fiduciary duty to make investment decisions in his clients’ best interests — transferred more than $17 million from 13 Rubicon clients to an entity that he owned and controlled, and ultimately used that money to finance his personal expenditures, including international travel, country club membership dues, credit card bill payments, and the purchase of an ownership stake in a Jersey Shore-based miniature golf course.

The information further alleges that Mason targeted clients with whom he had a longstanding relationship and who trusted him implicitly, including longtime friends and family members, and he often liquidated those clients’ securities holdings in order to finance the fraudulent transfers. Mason allegedly either forged client signatures on distribution authorization forms or omitted all pertinent details of the so-called “investments” when seeking client authorization for the transfers and instead falsely represented that he was investing client funds in diversified short-term bonds.

In reality, as the information alleges, Mason was converting client funds to his own personal use. He also used a portion of the fraud proceeds to repay another Rubicon client from whom Mason had allegedly misappropriated an additional several million dollars dating back to at least 2014, in order to avoid detection by that victim.

Finally, the information alleges that Mason failed to report any of his fraud proceeds on his personal income tax returns, generating a tax loss of approximately $3.225 million.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 80 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $6,760,000.

The case was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Rice. In a parallel matter, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced charges against Mason today.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

A New Jersey man pleaded guilty yesterday to using and possessing a green card that he unlawfully obtained by making false statements about his involvement in the civil war in the West African nation of Liberia.

According to court documents, Laye Sekou Camara, 46, of Mays Landing, New Jersey, was a general with a Liberian rebel group from approximately 1999 to 2003 and fought against the Liberian government that was led by then-President Charles Taylor. Camara, also known as K-1 and Dragon Master, entered the United States pursuant to an immigrant visa and later obtained Lawful Permanent Resident status and a green card by falsely stating on immigration forms that he had never participated in extrajudicial killings or other acts of violence; had never been involved with a paramilitary unit, rebel group, or guerilla group; and had never engaged in the recruitment or use of child soldiers.

Camara pleaded guilty to three counts of using and one count of possessing a fraudulently obtained green card. According to the indictment, Camara used the green card when he applied for a Pennsylvania identification card in 2017, applied for a New Jersey home health care aide license in 2020, and sought employment at a New Jersey-based home health care agency in 2020, and he was in possession of the green card when he was arrested in 2022 at JFK International Airport in New York before attempting to board an international flight.

Camara is scheduled to be sentenced on May 19, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; and Special Agent in Charge Edward V. Owens of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia made the announcement.

HSI is investigating the case, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia.

Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Linwood C. Wright Jr., Patrick J. Brown, and Kelly M. Harrell for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.

Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE, or complete the FBI online tip form or the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement online tip form.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero, the Justice Department, and Homeland Security Investigations announced that Laye Sekou Camara, 46, of Mays Landing, New Jersey, entered a plea of guilty yesterday before United States District Court Judge Chad F. Kenney to using and possessing a green card that he unlawfully obtained by making false statements about his involvement in the civil war in the west African nation of Liberia.

Camara pleaded guilty on the eve of trial to all charges against him — three counts of using, and one count of possessing, a fraudulently obtained green card.

According to court documents, Camara was a general with a Liberian rebel group from approximately 1999 to 2003 and fought against the Liberian government that was led by then-President Charles Taylor. Camara, also known as K-1 and Dragon Master, entered the United States pursuant to an immigrant visa and later obtained Lawful Permanent Resident status and a green card by falsely stating on immigration forms that he had never participated in extrajudicial killings or other acts of violence; had never been involved with a paramilitary unit, rebel group, or guerilla group; and had never engaged in the recruitment or use of child soldiers.

According to the indictment, Camara used the green card when he applied for a Pennsylvania identification card in 2017, applied for a New Jersey home health care aide license in 2020, and sought employment at a New Jersey-based home health care agency in 2020, and he was in possession of the green card when he was arrested in 2022 at JFK International Airport in New York before attempting to board an international flight.

Camara is scheduled to be sentenced on May 19, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison.

“Respecting both human dignity and the rule of law is fundamental to who we are as a nation,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Camara lied about his brutal history in Liberia to get a green card and live in the United States, enjoying the benefits and protections provided by our government’s laws, even as he flouted them. The Department of Justice is committed to working with our federal and international partners to deny human rights violators safe haven in this country.”

“The guilty plea by Laye Sekou Camara is another resounding example of coordination and collaboration targeting human rights violators globally,” said Edward V. Owens, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia. “Camara fraudulently claimed that he had not participated in Liberia’s civil war. In fact, Camara, also known as ‘Dragon Master,’ was a high-ranking member of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebel group during Liberia's Second Civil War. As such, he was involved in committing atrocities, including the massacre of civilians, and the recruitment of child soldiers. HSI, along with the excellent prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will continue to thoroughly investigate and prosecute such offenses to ensure that war criminals that engage in such horrific crimes against humanity will find no refuge within the United States.”

This case is being investigated by HSI, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Linwood C. Wright Jr., Patrick Brown, and Kelly M. Harrell are prosecuting the case, with Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.

Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE, or complete the FBI online tip form or the ICE online tip form.

Note: View the affidavit here.

The Justice Department and FBI today announced a multi-month law enforcement operation that, alongside international partners, deleted “PlugX” malware from thousands of infected computers worldwide. As described in court documents unsealed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, a group of hackers sponsored by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), known to the private sector as “Mustang Panda” and “Twill Typhoon,” used a version of PlugX malware to infect, control, and steal information from victim computers.

According to court documents, the PRC government paid the Mustang Panda group to, among other computer intrusion services, develop this specific version of PlugX. Since at least 2014, Mustang Panda hackers then infiltrated thousands of computer systems in campaigns targeting U.S. victims, as well as European and Asian governments and businesses, and Chinese dissident groups. Despite previous cybersecurity reports, owners of computers still infected with PlugX are typically unaware of the infection. The court-authorized operation announced today remediated U.S.-based computers infected with Mustang Panda’s version of PlugX.    

“The Department of Justice prioritizes proactively disrupting cyber threats to protect U.S. victims from harm, even as we work to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This operation, like other recent technical operations against Chinese and Russian hacking groups like Volt Typhoon, Flax Typhoon, and APT28, has depended on strong partnerships to successfully counter malicious cyber activity. I commend partners in the French government and private sector for spearheading this international operation to defend global cybersecurity.”

“Leveraging our partnership with French law enforcement, the FBI acted to protect U.S. computers from further compromise by PRC state-sponsored hackers,” said Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Today’s announcement reaffirms the FBI’s dedication to protecting the American people by using its full range of legal authorities and technical expertise to counter nation-state cyber threats.”

“This wide-ranging hack and long-term infection of thousands of Windows-based computers, including many home computers in the United States, demonstrates the recklessness and aggressiveness of PRC state-sponsored hackers,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “Working alongside both international and private sector partners, the Department of Justice’s court-authorized operation to delete PlugX malware proves its commitment to a ‘whole-of-society’ approach to protecting U.S. cybersecurity.”

“The FBI worked to identify thousands of infected U.S. computers and delete the PRC malware on them. The scope of this technical operation demonstrates the FBI’s resolve to pursue PRC adversaries no matter where they victimize Americans,” said Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office.

The international operation was led by French law enforcement and Sekoia.io, a France-based private cybersecurity company, which had identified and reported on the capability to send commands to delete the PlugX version from infected devices. Working with these partners, the FBI tested the commands, confirmed their effectiveness, and determined that they did not otherwise impact the legitimate functions of, or collect content information from, infected computers. In August 2024, the Justice Department and FBI obtained the first of nine warrants in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania authorizing the deletion of PlugX from U.S.-based computers. The last of these warrants expired on Jan. 3, 2025, thereby concluding the U.S. portions of the operation. In total, this court-authorized operation deleted PlugX malware from approximately 4,258 U.S.-based computers and networks.

The FBI, through the victims’ internet service providers, is providing notice to U.S. owners of Windows-based computers affected by this court-authorized operation.

The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office and Cyber Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the National Security Cyber Section of Justice Department’s National Security Division led the domestic disruption operation. This operation would not have been successful without the valuable collaboration of to the Cyber Division of the Paris Prosecution Office, French Gendarmerie Cyber Unit C3N, and Sekoia.io.

The FBI continues to investigate Mustang Panda’s computer intrusion activity. If you believe you have a compromised computer or device, please visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). You may also contact your local FBI field office directly. The FBI strongly encourages the use of anti-virus software as well as the application of software security updates to help prevent reinfection.

Note: View the affidavit here.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero, the Justice Department, and the FBI announced today a multi-month law enforcement operation that, alongside international partners, deleted “PlugX” malware from thousands of infected computers worldwide.

As described in court documents unsealed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, a group of hackers sponsored by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), known to the private sector as “Mustang Panda” and “Twill Typhoon,” used a version of PlugX malware to infect, control, and steal information from victim computers.

According to court documents, the PRC government paid the Mustang Panda group to, among other computer intrusion services, develop this specific version of PlugX. Since at least 2014, Mustang Panda hackers then infiltrated thousands of computer systems in campaigns targeting U.S. victims, as well as European and Asian governments and businesses, and Chinese dissident groups. Despite previous cybersecurity reports, owners of computers still infected with PlugX are typically unaware of the infection. The court-authorized operation announced today remediated U.S.-based computers infected with Mustang Panda’s version of PlugX.

“This wide-ranging hack and long-term infection of thousands of Windows-based computers, including many home computers in the United States, demonstrates the recklessness and aggressiveness of PRC state-sponsored hackers,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Working alongside both international and private sector partners, the Department of Justice’s court-authorized operation to delete PlugX malware proves its commitment to a ‘whole-of-society’ approach to protecting U.S. cybersecurity.”

“The FBI worked to identify thousands of infected U.S. computers and delete the PRC malware on them. The scope of this technical operation demonstrates the FBI’s resolve to pursue PRC adversaries no matter where they victimize Americans,” said FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs.

The international operation was led by French law enforcement and Sekoia.io, a France-based private cybersecurity company, which had identified and reported on the capability to send commands to delete the PlugX version from infected devices. Working with these partners, the FBI tested the commands, confirmed their effectiveness, and determined that they did not otherwise impact the legitimate functions of, or collect content information from, infected computers.

In August 2024, the DOJ and FBI obtained the first of nine warrants in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania authorizing the deletion of PlugX from U.S.-based computers. The last of these warrants expired on January 3, 2025, thereby concluding the U.S. portions of the operation. In total, this court-authorized operation deleted PlugX malware from approximately 4,258 U.S.-based computers and networks.

The FBI, through the victims’ internet service providers, is providing notice to U.S. owners of Windows-based computers affected by this court-authorized operation.

The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office and Cyber Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the National Security Cyber Section of DOJ’s National Security Division led the domestic disruption operation. This operation would not have been successful without the valuable collaboration of the Cyber Division of the Paris Prosecution Office, French Gendarmerie Cyber Unit C3N, and Sekoia.io, a private French cybersecurity technology company.

The FBI continues to investigate Mustang Panda’s computer intrusion activity. If you believe you have a compromised computer or device, please visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). You may also contact your local FBI field office directly; FBI Philadelphia can be reached at 215-418-4000. The FBI strongly encourages the use of antivirus software, as well as the application of software security updates to help prevent reinfection.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Philip C. Pulley, 62, of Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Court Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg to three years’ probation, 100 hours of community service, with 50 of those hours dedicated to an entity that works toward the promotion of free and fair elections, a fine of $9,500, and a $400 special assessment, for committing multiple election fraud offenses. Chief Judge Goldberg also ordered Pulley to write a letter explaining why he committed the offenses.

Pulley was charged by information in August of last year with falsely registering to vote, double voting, and election fraud, and pleaded guilty to those charges in September.

In 2018, while registered to vote in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, the defendant also registered to vote in Broward County, Florida.

In 2020, while already registered to vote in Montgomery County and Broward County, he registered to vote in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, using a false home address in Philadelphia and social security number.

In the 2022 general election, which included the election for United States Senator, Pulley voted in both Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.

“Free and fair elections are critical to the health of our democracy, and people who seek to corrupt the process can dangerously erode the public’s trust,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Protecting the integrity of the vote is a priority for my office and the FBI. We will continue to investigate and prosecute election fraud cases and bring offenders like Philip Pulley to justice.”

“Safeguarding the right to participate in free and fair elections is a cornerstone of our democracy and a top priority for the FBI and our partners,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Working closely with our partners, we are committed to investigating and holding accountable anyone who undermines the integrity of our electoral process.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nancy E. Potts and Mark B. Dubnoff, with support from James Price, Senior Deputy Attorney General and Special Assistant United States Attorney.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Diego Castillo-Pedraza, 35, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. to 240 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in trafficking methamphetamine between July 2019 and March 2021.

In July 2019, FBI agents intercepted a package containing approximately six pounds of pure methamphetamine shipped through the U.S. mail from California to a residence in Reading, Pennsylvania. At the time of the shipment, agents were conducting a wiretap investigation and later determined that the package was shipped at the direction of Castillo-Pedraza.

In March 2021, Berks County Detectives executed a search warrant at the same residence in Reading and recovered approximately two pounds of methamphetamine from a safe inside of a bedroom. Fingerprint analysis revealed that Castillo-Pedraza’s fingerprint was on the exterior packaging of the methamphetamine.

In April 2023, Castillo-Pedraza was charged by indictment with one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and aiding and abetting.

On September 19, 2024, he was convicted by a jury after a three-day trial. The evidence at trial established that Castillo-Pedraza orchestrated a scheme to receive and store large quantities of methamphetamine at the residence in Reading and directed at least two other individuals to assist with his trafficking operation.

“For several years, Castillo-Pedraza profited by selling methamphetamine, a highly addictive and dangerous drug that’s plagued communities nationwide, including Reading,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Putting him out of business can’t make up for the damage he and his drugs have done, but it does make the city safer. Working together, my office, the FBI, and our Berks County partners will continue to target these traffickers for prosecution, to get them and the poison they’re pushing off our streets.”

“We have seen the devastating impact methamphetamine has across our country, and there is no place for it in our cities,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “This sentence is a product of a yearslong investigation and the tireless dedication of the FBI and our law enforcement partners in pursuit of those who bring these dangerous drugs into our communities.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and Berks County Detectives as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Ashenfelter.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Mason Williams-Surzano, 20, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Karen S. Marston to nine years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for committing two carjackings in a matter of hours in December 2023.

In September, the defendant pleaded guilty to an information charging him with the carjackings, as well as one count of aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence.

On December 13, 2023, at approximately 6:30 p.m., the defendant and three others approached Victim 1 in the area of 1700 Brill Street in Philadelphia. They confronted him at gunpoint and forced him to surrender the keys to his vehicle, a 2016 Volkswagen Passat. Williams-Surzano and the other assailants then fled in the victim’s vehicle, which was recovered by Philadelphia police a few hours later, less than half a mile away from the scene.

On December 14, 2023, at approximately 1:10 a.m., the defendant and the same three assailants approached Victim 2 in the area of 1600 Sparks Street in Philadelphia. They confronted him at gunpoint and forced him to surrender the keys to his vehicle, a 2017 Kia Forte. Williams-Surzano and the other carjackers then fled in the Kia.

“Imagine staring down the barrel of a gun as a criminal crew demands your car,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Anyone committing a carjacking — let alone two in just a few hours — is a clear danger to our community. We and our partners on the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force are working every day to make this city safer by identifying, prosecuting, and bringing to justice offenders like Williams-Surzano.”

“Violence against innocent Philadelphia victims will not stand, and Williams-Surzano is going to federal prison for the dangerous and senseless crime of carjacking at gunpoint,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF's Philadelphia Field Division. “Together with our Carjacking Task Force partners, and using ATF’s unique forensic and investigative tools, we are bringing criminals like this to justice.”

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

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael R. Miller and Kwambina I. Coker.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Kyle Teat, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge John M. Younge to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release for firearms offenses.

In July of last year, Teat pleaded guilty to dealing in firearms without a license and possession of a firearm by a felon, charges arising from the defendant unlawfully possessing and selling to an undercover federal agent a semiautomatic rifle capable of accepting a large-capacity magazine, in October 2019.

“Kyle Teat knew that he wasn’t supposed to possess a firearm, given his criminal record, and he certainly knew he wasn’t permitted to sell one,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Nonetheless, he did both. Getting guns away from people who shouldn’t have them is critical to battling violent crime in Philadelphia. My office and our partners will use every tool at our disposal to do so, as we work to make the city safer.”

“Keeping guns out of the hands of criminals is a key means to preventing violent crime,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF's Philadelphia Field Division. “Because of his criminal convictions Kyle Teat was prohibited from owning a gun. He further trafficked firearms, putting a semiautomatic rifle on the streets for criminals to threaten and injure or kill their victims. ATF is committed to working with our partners to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals who endanger our neighborhoods.”

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Tyrone Wise, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Timothy J. Savage to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release for setting fire to a West Philadelphia building.

In September, Wise pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with malicious damage by means of fire of a building used in interstate commerce.

He admitted that, on May 31, 2020, at about 8:49 p.m., amid both lawful protests and unlawful civil disturbances occurring in Philadelphia, he intentionally set fire to the SunRay Drugs Pharmacy located on the first floor of 25 South 60th Street in West Philadelphia.

The blaze caused extensive fire, water, and smoke damage to the pharmacy on the first floor and throughout the remainder of the building, which included a basement, and apartments on the second and third floors. The fire resulted in $1.2 million in damage and caused the SunRay Drugs at that location to close.

“Tyrone Wise’s actions were incredibly dangerous,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “He set this fire with no regard for the two apartments upstairs and any people who might be in them, the potential for the flames to spread to adjacent buildings, or the risks to first responders who would have to fight the blaze. Arson threatens lives and communities, and my office will continue to work with our investigative partners to prosecute these offenders and hold them fully accountable.”

“Tyrone Wise took advantage of the lawlessness of the moment to torch this drug store and extensively damage people’s apartments for no reason,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Arson not only hurts our communities with property damage, but also wrecks opportunity and puts people in danger of injury and death. In cooperation with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to track down and prosecute arsonists in Philadelphia for the safety and prosperity of our city.”

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Jayne.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Naim Newsome-Bostick, 27, and Nadir Gray, 22, both of Philadelphia, Pa., have been sentenced to prison by United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney, for one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery.

Judge Kearney sentenced Newsome-Bostick today to 160 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment, and, in December, sentenced Gray to 92 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

Newsome-Bostick and Gray were charged by superseding indictment in September 2023. In July of last year, both pleaded guilty to robbing a man they believed to be a marijuana dealer on September 14, 2022, in West Philadelphia. As part of their plea, the defendants admitted that the robbery was carried out at gunpoint.

Newsome-Bostick and Gray forced the victim into their vehicle at gunpoint, then robbed him of his Rolex watch, wallet, and $3,000. As the defendants drove around, the victim began resisting and fighting with one of the men in the back. Amid the commotion, the defendants’ vehicle crashed into a parked car. Newsome-Bostick shot the victim three times, then he and Gray fled the scene. Philadelphia police officers responded and transported the victim to hospital, where he was treated, eventually recovering from his wounds.

Newsome-Bostick was arrested later that day by the Philadelphia Police Department and Gray was arrested in September 2023 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“Anyone who thinks they can carry out an armed robbery in this city and get off scot-free should take a good look at this case,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “My office, the ATF, and the Philadelphia Police Department will continue to prioritize and prosecute these violent crimes — no matter who the victim may be — and we’ll see to it that the perpetrators are held accountable.”

“For the sake of some cash and a watch, these criminals kidnapped their victim at gun point, threatened his life, and shot him three times!" said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF's Philadelphia Field Division. “The victim is lucky to be alive, and the defendants are lucky to not be facing murder charges. Working with our law enforcement partners, ATF will continue to bring justice for the victims of violent crime and help make our communities safer for all.”

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

The case was investigated by the ATF and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert E. Eckert and Jason D. Grenell.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Zamer Williams, 19, of Camden, N.J., entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Court Chief Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg to two counts of carjacking and one count of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the commission of a crime of violence.

Williams was charged with these offenses by superseding indictment in April of this year, in connection with two November 2023 carjackings in South Philadelphia.

As described in the superseding indictment and other publicly filed documents in this case, on November 11, 2023, at approximately 9 p.m., the first victim, an Uber driver, was picking up a passenger at the Ikea on Columbus Boulevard in South Philadelphia. The driver had briefly stepped out of his vehicle, a 2016 Mazda CX-5, when the defendant and another person approached him, demanding his car keys at gunpoint. The victim handed over his keys and the defendant and his accomplice fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle. The victim borrowed an Ikea worker’s phone and called 911.

Two days later, on November 13, 2023, the second victim entered the Wawa on Columbus Boulevard in South Philadelphia, leaving her car running. When she observed the defendant getting into the driver seat of her vehicle, a 2016 Ford Fusion SE, she went outside to confront him. The defendant drove the victim’s car away from the Wawa, with the victim holding onto the driver’s side door. After hanging on for about nine to 10 feet, the victim let go and the defendant fled in her car.

Williams is set to be sentenced on March 25, 2025, and faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of seven years’ imprisonment.

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

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kwambina I. Coker and Robert E. Eckert.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Larry Leonard, 60, and Nathaniel “Nat” Leonard, 68, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to transport and sell stolen goods in interstate commerce and interstate transportation of stolen property. Larry Leonard was also charged with money laundering.

The defendants, who are cousins, jointly ran three pawn shops: Society Hill Loan and K&A Money Loan Pawnbrokers (“K&A”), both in Philadelphia, and Lou’s Jewelry and Pawnshop (“Lou’s Jewelry”) in Wilmington, Delaware.

Larry Leonard controlled the day-to-day operations of K&A and oversaw the day-to-day operations of Lou’s Jewelry, and Nat Leonard controlled the day-to-day operations of Society Hill Loan.

The indictment alleges that the defendants were using their businesses to buy and sell large volumes of new, stolen, in-box merchandise supplied by two main groups of people.

The first group, known colloquially as “boosters,” collectively stole millions of dollars of new retail merchandise from retailers in the Philadelphia and Delaware region, and elsewhere, including from The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, CVS, Rite Aid, Safeway, and others, which the boosters then sold to the Leonards’ pawn shops for cash.

The other group, referred to by the defendants as “mooks,” collectively stole millions of dollars of new retail merchandise from across the United States, which the “mooks” then resold in bulk quantities to the defendants and other pawn shop employees for cash on a recurring basis.

The defendants are alleged to have transferred the stolen goods from Lou’s Jewelry in Delaware and K&A in the Kensington section of Philadelphia to Society Hill Loan in South Philadelphia, where the defendants listed the stolen merchandise for sale via the Society Hill Loan eBay site, which they controlled.

From November 2019 through December 2023, the Leonards are alleged to have sold more than $19 million in stolen merchandise via their eBay site. The defendants are alleged to have shipped the stolen merchandise from Society Hill Loan in Philadelphia to customers across the country.

Larry Leonard is also charged with three counts of money laundering for using the proceeds of the illegal sale of stolen merchandise to pay off more than $120,000 in credit card bills from December 2022 through April 2023.

If convicted, Larry Leonard faces a maximum possible sentence of 45 years’ imprisonment and Nathaniel Leonard faces a maximum possible sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the IRS, Delaware State Police, and the Philadelphia Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew T. Newcomer and S. Chandler Harris.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Darnell Jackson, aka “Major Change,” 52, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro to 240 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for murder-for-hire solicitation and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

On February 28, 2023, after a five-day trial, a jury found the defendant guilty of use of interstate commerce facilities in the solicitation of a murder-for-hire and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

The murder-for-hire plot the defendant orchestrated stemmed from an ongoing state drug trafficking investigation. On July 19, 2021, and in the days immediately following, Jackson communicated with an individual via cell phone calls and text messages, in an effort to arrange the killing of another person, sending a photo of the intended victim and indicating that he was willing to pay $5,000 to have someone commit the murder. When the individual reported to Jackson that he had located the intended victim, they allegedly agreed that the killing would occur on the evening of July 21, 2021.

That same evening, the individual called Jackson to report that the intended victim had been killed, which was false. In response, Jackson replied that he was on his way to meet the individual to pay him for carrying out the murder.

A few minutes later, Jackson was stopped by law enforcement while driving a vehicle in the vicinity of 65th Street & Guyer Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia. Jackson was found in possession of a Glock-style “ghost gun” loaded with 16 live rounds of ammunition. He was immediately arrested and charged by federal complaint.

“If you’re willing to casually order a hit — if you have so little respect for human life — you forfeit your right to walk around free with everyone else,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Darnell Jackson has proven he’s a dangerous man and this sentence holds him accountable. My office, the FBI, and the Philadelphia Police Department will continue to identify, arrest, and prosecute our city’s most violent offenders.”

“By orchestrating this egregious plot, Jackson underestimated both the capability of law enforcement to uncover his actions and our unwavering commitment to protecting citizens from violence,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI, in close partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, remains steadfast in our mission to keep our communities safe.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Ashenfelter.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Nateirah Ortiz, 25, of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 96 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $300 special assessment by United States District Court Judge Chad F. Kenney, for one count of carjacking; one count of carrying and using a firearm during, and in relation to, the commission of a crime of violence; and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

Ortiz was indicted on those violations in April of this year. She pleaded guilty in August, admitting to carjacking a man at approximately 7 p.m. on January 31, 2024, in South Philadelphia. As part of her plea, the defendant also admitted to carrying and using a firearm to commit this offense. 

According to the publicly filed documents in this case, the victim reported being carjacked on the 1100 block of Washington Avenue. He relayed that, while walking to his vehicle, a silver 2018 Toyota RAV4, the defendant demanded his car keys and pointed a gun at him. The victim complied, giving the defendant his key, and ran to a nearby business for assistance calling 911. The defendant entered the victim’s vehicle and fled the scene.

Information about the incident was soon broadcast via police radio citywide. At approximately 9:17 p.m., 24th District police officers on patrol observed the carjacked vehicle traveling on the 3100 block of Kensington Avenue and attempted to conduct a vehicle investigation. The officers stopped their vehicle in front of the RAV4 and another police unit stopped behind it. After waiting for the officers to get out of their car and approach her, Ortiz fled at a high rate of speed, nearly striking their police vehicle in the process. The officers immediately went over the air requesting assistance, and units in the area began searching for the carjacked vehicle.

As police officers drove down Richmond Street, they observed that a RAV4 fitting that description had crashed into several cars parked on the 3700 block of Richmond. The officers saw the defendant walking away from the scene and apprehended her, with police recovering a loaded handgun from underneath a parked van a few feet away.

“Gunpoint carjackings are terrifying for victims and unsettling for the entire community,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “That’s why this office will continue to work hand-in-hand with the Philadelphia Police Department and ATF to prosecute these violent offenders. As Nateirah Ortiz’s sentence shows, committing a carjacking in our city is a life-changing decision. A crime that took just moments will land you in prison for years.”

“Nateirah Ortiz is going back to prison for a senseless and dangerous crime — carjacking a man at gunpoint, endangering the neighborhood and police as she sped away, and wrecking multiple cars,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “Working together with the Philadelphia Police Department in the Carjacking Task Force, we will continue to hold carjackers accountable and help keep Philadelphia’s streets safe.”

“Today’s sentencing is a powerful reminder of the impact we can have when law enforcement agencies stand shoulder-to-shoulder,” said Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. “Through constant collaboration with our federal partners — particularly the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the ATF — we’ve sent a clear message that violent crime will be met with swift, decisive action. By working together, we ensure that those who endanger our communities are held fully accountable, and we reinforce our shared commitment to keeping every Philadelphian safe.”

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

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony J. Carissimi and Robert E. Eckert.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Dewayne Quinones, 30, and Mayco Alvarez-Jackson, 27, both of Reading, Pennsylvania, were sentenced by United States District Court Judge Juan R. Sánchez to life in prison for murder, kidnapping, drug distribution, and firearms offenses, crimes committed as members of a violent Reading-area drug trafficking organization (DTO).

The Trinidad DTO was responsible for multiple homicides, kidnapping, and conspiracies to kidnap in 2017 and 2018, including a quadruple homicide on January 28, 2018. In October 2022, Quinones, Alvarez-Jackson, and DTO leader Jesus Feliciano-Trinidad were convicted at trial of federal murder and weapons charges relating to the quadruple homicide, with Feliciano-Trinidad sentenced to life in prison last December.

More than 15 defendants were charged in a series of indictments resulting from a years-long investigation into the Trinidad DTO’s receipt, processing, and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine.

The indictments detailed the defendants using a number of buildings, residences, firearms, and acts of violence to further their drug dealing efforts in and around Reading, including kidnapping and/or shooting multiple individuals in 2017 and 2018; conspiring to shoot and kill Miguel Reyes on December 13, 2017; kidnapping, shooting, and killing Hector Gonzalez-Rivera on January 24, 2018; and shooting and killing Jarlyn Lantigua-Tejada, Juan Rodriguez, Nelson Onofre, and Joshua Santos on January 28, 2018.

“The Trinidad organization thoroughly terrorized the Reading area for years,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Through remorseless violence they controlled their turf, to keep pushing their poison and making their money. As this case shows, my office, the FBI, and our local law enforcement partners will never cede control of our communities to violent drug gangs. We’ll continue to work on the public’s behalf to lock up these dangerous offenders who shatter folks’ sense of security and quality of life.”

“From murder and kidnapping to drug distribution and firearms offenses, gangs like these inflict fear and harm on our communities,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “These sentences serve as a testament to the unwavering dedication of our Allentown Resident Agency and our law enforcement partners in investigating, dismantling, and holding these violent offenders accountable for their actions.”

“The life sentences imposed by the Federal District Court after the successful prosecution of this violent Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) by the U.S. Attorney’s Office ensure that these defendants will never again be a threat to our community,” said Berks County District Attorney John Adams. “These sentences should send a message that we will not tolerate violence or drug trafficking and we’ll work with our state and federal partners to combat this type of activity in our community. We appreciate our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in the prosecution of this violent DTO.”

The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency, the Berks County District Attorney’s Office, the Berks County Detectives, and the Reading Police Department, with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police and the Montgomery County Detectives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly A. Lewis Fallenstein, Assistant United States Attorney Rosalynda M. Michetti, and Assistant United States Attorney Vineet Gauri.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Zachkey James, 29, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick to 48 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and forfeiture of $345,681.68 for impersonation of a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier, unlawful possession of three USPS Arrow Keys, mail theft, and possession of stolen mail.

James was charged by complaint and arrested in November 2022, and in April of this year, pleaded guilty to all charges in a 12-count superseding information.

From 2020 through his arrest, the defendant perpetrated an elaborate scheme to steal more than $300,000 from hundreds of victims. He dressed as a United States Postal Service letter carrier and traveled through Philadelphia using stolen Arrow Keys to steal the mail from blue USPS collection boxes in broad daylight.

He rifled through the stolen mail, pulling out checks and money orders, altered the payee name on these checks and money orders to be payable to himself and co-conspirators, and then either cashed the forged checks and money orders or deposited the forged checks and money orders into accounts controlled by himself and co-conspirators.

When Postal Inspectors executed a federal warrant to search his apartment and vehicle, they found piles of undelivered mail, hundreds of checks and money orders waiting to be forged, approximately 15 undelivered mail-in ballots (all of which were delivered to the appropriate county board of election in time to be counted), solvent and toothbrushes used to wash checks and money orders, multiple stolen Arrow Keys, and a USPS letter carrier uniform.

“These weren’t just pieces of paper that Zachkey James stole,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “These were people’s mortgage and utility payments, their loan payoffs, their child support checks — and for numerous victims, the repercussions of his thefts were devastating. My office and the USPIS will continue to investigate and prosecute these mail theft cases to hold the perpetrators fully accountable.”

“Protecting the mail from theft is a core mission of the Postal Inspection Service,” said Christopher Nielsen, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division for the Postal Inspection Service. “When someone steals mail, Postal Inspectors will work relentlessly to hold those individuals to account. Today, accountability came for Zachkey James, who was sentenced for stealing checks out of the U.S. Mail and fraudulently passing those checks through the financial system. I want to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for their continued support in prosecuting these cases.”

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Brown.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Murat Aslansan, 55, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Joshua D. Wolson to 12 months and one day in prison, two years of supervised release, and a $10,000 fine, and was ordered to pay $327,723 to the Internal Revenue Service for committing tax evasion.

Aslansan was the sole owner and operator of MA-SA Construction LLC, a general contracting construction and maintenance company that provided home remodeling and maintenance services. Aslansan operated the business from his home in the Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia.

From 2016 to 2018, Aslansan cashed his business checks at a check cashing business and failed to report all of his gross receipts from his business on his tax returns. Specifically, Aslansan failed to report over $600,000 of gross receipts for this business on his 2016 to 2018 tax returns.

In 2019 and 2020, Aslansan continued to use the check cashing business instead of his business bank accounts to cash business checks and failed to file tax returns in 2019 and 2020. As a result, Aslansan attempted to evade the assessment of his taxes and owed $327,723 to the IRS.

Aslansan pleaded guilty to tax evasion in July of this year.

“By evading his tax responsibilities of more than $300,000, Murat Aslansan cheated not just the government, but all taxpayers who dutifully, if ruefully, pay their fair share to the IRS,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Tax evasion may seem tempting, but be forewarned, it will wind up costing you dearly when you’re arrested, prosecuted, and even imprisoned for these crimes.”

“Individuals like Mr. Aslansan, who intentionally violate the law to evade paying their fair share of taxes undermine public confidence in our tax system,” said Acting IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Amy MacNeely. “Anyone contemplating cheating on their taxes should know that our largest enforcement program is directed at the portion of American taxpayers who willfully and intentionally violate their known legal duty of filing and paying their taxes.”

The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tiwana Wright.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Donavon Parish, 29, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe to 24 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for cyberstalking and the antisemitic harassment of synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses.

According to a June 2023 indictment and superseding information filed this May, the defendant used a Voice Over Internet Protocol service to make a series of phone calls in April and May 2022 to synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

In these calls, the defendant spoke to individuals answering the telephone calls on behalf of their respective institutions, at which time he repeatedly referenced the genocide of approximately six million Jewish people during the Holocaust, stating, among other things, “Heil Hitler,” “all Jews must die,” “we will put you in work camps,” “gas the Jews,” and “Hitler should have finished the job.”

In June of this year, Parish pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking and five counts of abuse and harassment using a telecommunications device. He also admitted to a special finding that he targeted his victims based on their actual and perceived religion.

“Donavon Parish’s harassment and hateful antisemitic threats terrorized those he targeted — their sense of security abruptly shaken by fears of escalation and physical harm,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “People of all faiths and backgrounds deserve to feel safe in their communities. That’s why my office and the FBI are committed to working these cases and bringing offenders like Parish to justice.”

“No member of our community should live in fear, regardless of where they work, live, or worship,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “This sentence demonstrates the FBI and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate such repeated and vile threats that seek to disrupt our community’s sense of safety and security, and we will bring the perpetrator to justice, no matter where they are.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Justin Sher with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division (Counterterrorism Section), with assistance from DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Cesar David Martinez-Gonzalez, 39, of Chester, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh in connection with a conspiracy to help smuggle and encourage and induce dozens of migrants from South America to enter the United States illegally so that he could profit from their labor.

The object of the conspiracy, for the personal financial gain of Martinez-Gonzalez and others, was to illegally smuggle citizens of South American countries into the United States across the U.S.-Mexico border, and to encourage and induce them to enter the United States.

Martinez-Gonzalez fronted money to “coyotes” in Mexico who guided migrants across the Rio Grande and through holes in the U.S.-Mexico border wall, and provided them with information to give to Customs and Border Protection so that they could be released—on parole—to his residences. Martinez-Gonzalez then paid for airplane flights to bring the migrants to Philadelphia, and, once they arrived, transported them to houses in and around Chester, Pa.

At this point, Martinez-Gonzalez and his associates would impose upon the migrants thousands of dollars in “debts” owed to him, which the migrants would have to pay off through working long hours at low-paying jobs and forfeiting half of their wages to the defendant. Martinez-Gonzalez also helped the migrants obtain false identification and low paying jobs. The debts imposed by the defendant were well in excess of what it cost to get the individuals to Chester and house them there.

Martinez-Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18, 2025. He faces a maximum possible sentence of 120 years in prison.

“Martinez-Gonzalez took advantage of vulnerable migrants for his own financial benefit,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “He induced them to come to the United States, then imposed thousands of dollars of so-called ‘debts,’ which they had to repay through weeks or months of labor. My office and our partners will continue to target these human smugglers, who both prey on disadvantaged populations and flout our country’s immigration laws.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, HSI, and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara A. Solow, Louis D. Lappen, Eileen Castilla Geiger, and J. Andrew Jenemann.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Al-Ashraf Khalil, 31, and Isaam Jaghama, 31, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were convicted today at trial in the June 18, 2022, arson fire at a Fairhill pizza shop, which resulted in the death of Philadelphia Fire Department Lieutenant Sean Williamson and injuries to five other first responders inside the building when it collapsed.

A federal jury convicted the defendants on one count each of conspiracy to commit malicious damage by means of fire of a building used in interstate commerce, and one count each of malicious damage by means of fire of a building used in interstate commerce. Khalil was also found guilty of one count of wire fraud, and one count of using fire in furtherance of the commission of that wire fraud.

Khalil was the owner of the property at 300 West Indiana Avenue, which housed both apartments and the pizza shop. As proven at trial, in the early hours of June 18, 2022, he and Jaghama set a fire inside the building so that Khalil could profit by filing an insurance claim related to the fire. The day of the fire, Khalil signed paperwork authorizing an insurance adjuster to file a more than $400,000 insurance claim on his behalf.

At sentencing, Khalil faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 17 years in prison and a maximum possible sentence of life in prison. Jaghama faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.

“This fire wasn’t an accident or act of God,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “But for these defendants, it never would have started, the building would still stand, and Lt. Williamson would still be with his family — a wholly preventable tragedy, sparked by greed. While today’s convictions can never make up for such an immeasurable loss, they ensure a measure of justice for Lt. Williamson, the Williamson family, and the dedicated first responders of the Philadelphia Fire Department. They also reinforce that anyone reckless enough to commit arson will be held to account for their actions.”

“Arson is a dangerous deadly crime,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Office. “In this case two families with children had to run for their lives, four responders were buried alive, and a firefighter was killed. Bringing together the resources of the ATF Philadelphia Arson & Explosives Task Force and the ATF National Response Team, the Philadelphia Fire Department, the Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office, the Philadelphia Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we brought these arsonists to justice, and they now face up to life in federal prison. ATF is committed to protecting our communities from dangerous criminals and will continue to partner to prevent and prosecute crimes like this.”

“The Philadelphia Fire Department will forever mourn the loss of Lieutenant Sean Williamson. We thank the United States Attorney and Justice Department for their diligence in bringing these men to justice. Our fervent hope is that this verdict will bring even a small amount of closure to Lt. Williamson’s family, both at home and in the PFD,” said Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson.

This case was investigated by ATF Philadelphia and the ATF’s National Response Team, the Philadelphia Fire Department, the Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Philadelphia Police Department, with significant assistance provided by the Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections. Special thanks are given to the United States Marshals Service for their assistance in the international apprehension of Al-Ashraf Khalil. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda R. Reinitz and Michael Miller.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Naod Tsegay, 25, of Collingdale, Pennsylvania; Fode Bangoura, 23, of Philadelphia; and Zyier Williams, 21, also of Philadelphia, were sentenced to prison by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond in connection with their scheme to fraudulently alter and deposit personal and business checks that they had stolen from the U.S. mail. Najae Thomas, 24, of Philadelphia, was also sentenced to prison by United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone for related crimes.

Tsegay was sentenced yesterday to 42 months’ incarceration, five years of supervised release, and $11,811 in restitution. On January 11 of this year, he pleaded guilty to three counts of bank fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of possession of stolen United States Postal Service (USPS) keys, and two counts of possession of stolen mail.

On October 5, 2023, Bangoura pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud, and on October 23, 2023, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. They were each sentenced this March to six months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release, with Bangoura ordered to pay $7,711 and Williams $4,100 in restitution.

Between March and June 2021, Tsegay, Bangoura, and Williams recruited individuals to provide their bank account and debit card information, and then used those recruits’ bank accounts to deposit checks that had been stolen from blue USPS collection boxes located throughout the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. After altering the stolen checks by changing the designated payees and increasing the dollar amount — often from a nominal sum to a payment of several thousand dollars — Tsegay deposited the stolen checks into the recruits’ bank accounts and later withdrew or attempted to withdraw the fraudulently deposited funds.

Tsegay was ultimately found in unlawful possession of dozens of checks and money orders stolen from USPS collection boxes, as well as three USPS Arrow Keys, which Postal employees use to access blue collection boxes throughout the District. The total amount stolen or attempted stolen as a result of the scheme exceeded $150,000.

Najae Thomas, who was charged separately, had communicated with Tsegay about Thomas’s own check-washing scheme, which involved an intended loss of over $200,000. Thomas was found in unlawful possession of hundreds of checks stolen from USPS collection boxes located throughout the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Delaware, as well as four USPS Arrow Keys.

Like Tsegay, Thomas pleaded guilty to bank fraud (five counts), aggravated identity theft (three counts), and possession of stolen mail (one count). Last month, Thomas was sentenced to 61 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $61,688.

“When Naod Tsegay, the ringleader of this scheme, was arrested, police recovered multiple stolen keys capable of unlocking every blue USPS box across four local zip codes,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The amount of mail stolen and the number of checks these defendants sought to alter and cash is significant. My office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and our partners won’t allow criminals who target the U.S. Postal Service to disrupt the nation’s mail system and commit identity theft with impunity. As these cases prove, we will prosecute, and you will be held accountable.”

The cases were investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Rice. The Yeadon Borough Police Department assisted with the Tsegay investigation.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Jason Donte Hayes, 26, of Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond to 135 months in prison and five years of supervised release for the armed robbery of a Delaware County cellular phone store. At the time of the crime, Hayes was on state probation for burglary and a previous robbery.

In August 2022, Hayes was charged by indictment with one count of robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, pleading guilty to those charges in May of this year.

On the afternoon of June 9, 2022, Hayes entered a Metro by T-Mobile store in Clifton Heights, Pa. He initially posed as a customer, asking the store employee about the price of a wireless headset. Shortly thereafter, Hayes pointed a gun at the employee and stated that he “wanted the stuff.” In response, the employee placed the headset into the defendant’s open backpack. “No, the money,” Hayes replied. The employee opened the cash register and put $452 into the defendant’s backpack.

Hayes, removing a roll of duct tape from the backpack, ordered the employee to a rear office. He tied the employee to a chair and left the office, then walked out of the store with the headset and cash. The employee was eventually able to free himself and call 911.

As part of their investigation, Clifton Heights police obtained numerous video surveillance clips from residences and businesses in the area. They determined that the robber left the store on foot and walked to a Clifton Heights home, which proved to be the defendant’s residence.

Details of the robbery and the surveillance footage were disseminated within the Clifton Heights Police Department. Two weeks after the robbery, police officers spotted Hayes in front of his residence and took him into custody. At the time of his arrest, the defendant was wearing the stolen wireless headset and carrying a loaded .45 caliber pistol and ammunition in his backpack.

“Terrorizing an employee who’s just trying to earn a living so that you can steal money and merchandise is outrageous,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “My office, the FBI, and our partners are working every day to hold armed repeat offenders like Mr. Hayes accountable, with the public’s safety our number one priority.”

“Armed robberies threaten the safety and security of our communities, undermining the hard work the FBI and its partners put in every day to protect the public," said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Today's sentencing sends a clear message: the FBI is steadfast in its commitment to removing violent offenders from our streets and ensuring they face justice."

The case was investigated by the Clifton Heights Police Department and FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Sandra M. Urban.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that John R. Young, 47, of Easton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl to 360 months of imprisonment and lifetime supervised release, with victim restitution to be determined at a later date, for production of child pornography. Young was also ordered to forfeit various electronic devices.

According to court documents, the FBI had been investigating a site on the dark web dedicated to child pornography. The investigation identified Young as a user of the website who had posted child pornography there.

On October 17, 2023, FBI and other law enforcement agents executed a federal search warrant at Young’s residence and seized various electronic devices. Young’s devices were found to contain thousands of images of child pornography, including one that Young had produced and posted to the website. Young admitted to law enforcement that he was a user of the dark web site and that he produced the image of child pornography found on the website, which involved a child under 10 years old. Young also admitted that he possessed other images of child pornography on his devices. Finally, Young admitted using a secret video recording device disguised to look like a pen to attempt to produce additional child pornography.

On October 17, 2023, the FBI arrested Young, and in June of this year, he pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography.

“Not only was John Young a prolific collector of child pornography, he sexually exploited a child to produce such an image and shared it with other predators,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “His actions are unconscionable. My office and the FBI are working every day to find and bring to justice anyone victimizing children by creating or trading these horrible images of sexual abuse.”

“Children are among the most vulnerable members of our community, and sexual exploitation of them is one of the most devious crimes the FBI investigates,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “This sentence is testament to the dedication of the Allentown Resident Agency and our partners at the U.S. Attorney's Office in the pursuit of justice for these victims.” 

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

The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia's Allentown Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Boscia and Kyle Reynolds of the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Anthony Lombardo, 46, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro to 54 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for assault on a federal officer.

On the morning of January 17, 2023, Lombardo drove to the James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse at 7th & Market Streets in Philadelphia, where he brandished a large kitchen knife and approached a court security officer who was patrolling the exterior of the building. After Lombardo ignored the officer’s request to drop the knife, the officer discharged his firearm, striking Lombardo.

While first responders administered aid to Lombardo, they discovered another kitchen knife hidden in his shirtsleeve and makeshift body armor attached to his chest and midsection.

Lombardo was thereafter charged by federal complaint and remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals once he was released from the hospital in February 2023. At the time of his arrest, Lombardo was on state supervision following a conviction for aggravated assault on a police officer in 2006.

On April 9, 2024, Lombardo was charged by information with assault on a federal officer. On May 6, Lombardo waived prosecution by indictment and entered a plea of guilty.

“Twice now, Anthony Lombardo has targeted police and security officers with violence,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Whatever your goals or grievances, if you try to harm someone working to protect a federal courthouse or facility, rest assured that my office and our partners will work to hold you fully accountable.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the United States Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Ashenfelter.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that two defendants charged for their roles in the alleged Savani Group racketeering conspiracy have been sentenced by United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl.

Vivek Savani, 37, of North Wales, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 10 days' imprisonment, three years of supervised release, the first 60 days of which are served in home detention, a $1,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment for conspiracy to commit visa fraud. He pleaded guilty to that offense in July, admitting involvement in a scheme to unlawfully obtain H1-B nonimmigrant work visas, which allow an employer to temporarily employ a foreign worker in the United States on a non-immigrant basis in a “specialty occupation.”

Susan Malpartida, 29, of Passaic, New Jersey, was sentenced on Friday to one year of probation, a $500 fine, and a $100 special assessment for conspiracy to obstruct justice. In May, Malpartida pleaded guilty to lying to a federal grand jury in an effort to thwart a government investigation into serious visa fraud crimes allegedly committed at her employer, American Unity Dental.

Vivek Savani and Malpartida were among 12 defendants charged in a sweeping 42-count indictment unsealed in January 2023, which alleged that, for more than a decade, brothers Bhaskar Savani, Arun Savani, and Niranjan Savani, and others operated a criminal enterprise through a multi-state network of dental practices and related dental businesses. (Note: Vivek Savani is not related to the Savani brothers.) The case is scheduled to go to trial in April 2025.

This case was investigated by the FBI; the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General; IRS Criminal Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations; the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations; the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office; and the State of Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley Bonney, Kevin Jayne, and Anthony Scicchitano, and Department of Justice Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section Attorney Darrin McCollough, Senior Policy Advisor. The asset seizure and forfeiture is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Grieb and Andrew Jenemann.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Euddy Izquierdo, 42, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez to 240 months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, para-flourofentanyl, heroin, crack cocaine, and cocaine, and unlawfully possessing a firearm.

On January 10, 2022, Izquierdo was arrested by the Drug Enforcement Administration, after agents seized a large cache of drugs from a residence on the 2000 block of Sanger Street in Philadelphia. The defendant admitted to the agents that he rented the place to store and package his drugs, which he sold in the city’s Kensington neighborhood.

Inside the basement apartment, DEA agents recovered 237.8 grams of para-flourofentanyl (a fentanyl analogue), 93.1 grams of fentanyl, 132.1 grams of heroin, 29.7 grams of crack cocaine, 153.8 grams of cocaine, and 26 grams of xylazine (also known as “tranq”), a veterinary sedative commonly used as a cheap cutting agent to dilute controlled substances on the street and increase profits for drug traffickers. Agents also recovered a loaded 9mm pistol on a table in the apartment.

At the time of his arrest, Izquierdo was on federal supervised release following a previous drug trafficking conviction in 2015. Because of his prior conviction, Izquierdo was not permitted to possess a firearm under federal law.

On June 18, 2024, after a two-day trial, a federal jury found Izquierdo guilty of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of para-fluorofentanyl, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of heroin, 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, and cocaine; maintaining a drug-involved premises; possession of a firearm by a felon; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

“Euddy Izquierdo was like a one-stop shop for narcotics,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Heroin, crack, fentanyl, powder cocaine — he pushed all of it into Kensington, profiting from other people’s pain and addiction. Getting illegal drugs off the street and illegal guns out of criminals’ hands makes our city immeasurably safer. My office and the DEA will continue to put these traffickers out of business and behind bars.”

“Izquierdo received a severe sentence in federal prison for the distribution of dangerous drugs such as fentanyl, heroin, crack cocaine, and cocaine, which was further aggravated by the fact that he was on supervised release for a prior federal drug conviction at the time of his arrest,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “Izquierdo was convicted at trial for distributing these drugs in Kensington, an area that has been disproportionately affected by the ravages of the opioid crisis. For that he will spend the next 20 years in a federal prison.”

This case was investigated by the DEA as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Ashenfelter.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Edward Decker, 46, of West Chester, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro to six months’ imprisonment, one year of supervised release, and $4,000 in restitution for abusive sexual contact on an aircraft.

The defendant pleaded guilty to that offense in May of this year.

On July 29, 2022, while on board an American Airlines flight from San Diego, California, to Philadelphia, Decker intentionally touched the thigh and breast of a minor while she was sleeping. The victim woke up from her sleep on this overnight flight to find Decker, who was seated in her row, with his hands and face under her clothes and on her body.

“Edward Decker’s actions on that plane are profoundly disturbing,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “There’s no excuse for touching anyone in a sexual manner without their consent — let alone a sleeping underage stranger. The victim in this case has shown remarkable courage throughout this entire process. My office and the FBI will continue to seek justice for victims of crimes within our jurisdiction, whether committed on the street or on a flight thousands of feet above.”

“Every person has an expectation of and, indeed, the right to fly on a U.S. aircraft without being abusively sexually contacted,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Our office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to ensure both that victims of such crimes are supported and that those who commit such crimes are held accountable. We also thank our partners at the Philadelphia International Airport for their assistance in this case.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh A. Davison.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Carlos Sacanell, 58, of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with insider trading and making a false statement to a federal agency.

The indictment alleges that the defendant obtained material nonpublic information from his domestic partner, who was an executive at Oak Street Health, about CVS Health Corporation’s acquisition of Oak Street Health in 2023. At all times relevant to the indictment, both CVS and Oak Street Health were publicly traded companies on the New York Stock Exchange, with ticker symbols CVS and OSH, respectively.

The defendant allegedly used the material nonpublic information obtained from his domestic partner to trade stock and options in Oak Street Health before the transaction was publicly announced by CVS and Oak Street Health on February 8, 2023, resulting in him obtaining profits of approximately $617,000.

The indictment further alleges that on April 3, 2024, when the defendant was interviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, he falsely told the FBI that he did not obtain from his domestic partner information regarding CVS’s planned acquisition of Oak Street Health before the acquisition was publicly announced on February 8, 2023.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Francis A. Weber. In a parallel matter, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced charges against Sacanell today.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Ramiz Duka, 61, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, was convicted today at trial of conspiracy to commit arson.

The facts at trial established that Duka recruited two men into a conspiracy to set fire to a warehouse located at 1388 Bridgewater Road in Bensalem, Pa., paying them $15,000 to do so. Over the course of several weeks, the three co-conspirators met and planned the arson.

On December 10, 2022, one of the men recruited to the conspiracy by Duka set fire to the building. During fire suppression operations, one firefighter was seriously injured when a ladder collapsed. Damages from the fire totaled nearly $6 million.

At sentencing, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum of five years of imprisonment, and a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison.

The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bensalem Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda R. Reinitz. Special thanks to the Bensalem Township Fire Rescue and the volunteer firefighter companies in and around Bensalem who responded to the fire.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Andrew Garrett, 30, of Steelton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Juan R. Sánchez to 84 months in prison and three years of supervised release for attempted robbery which interferes with interstate commerce (“Hobbs Act robbery”), for his role in the October 2018 attempted armed robbery of Smithgall’s Pharmacy in Lancaster, Pa.

Garrett is the last of four defendants in the case to be sentenced. Garrett, Brandon Galette, Johnny Straining, and Lamar Black were charged in 2019 in connection with the attempted robbery, in which they sought to steal prescription opioids. Straining and Black were also charged in connection with another armed pharmacy robbery they committed in York, Pa., the day before they attempted to rob Smithgall’s. All eventually admitted participation and entered guilty pleas.

Galette, 30, of Harrisburg, Pa., was sentenced this February to 148 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $12,650 in restitution for attempted Hobbs Act robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Straining, 28, also of Harrisburg, was sentenced in August 2023 to 168 months in prison and two years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and attempted Hobbs Act robbery.

Black, 35, also of Harrisburg, was sentenced in August 2023 to 180 months in prison and two years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

On the afternoon of October 23, 2018, Galette entered Smithgall’s with a loaded firearm, given to him by Black, and demanded prescription opioid pills at gunpoint. He assaulted a customer, then tried to corral pharmacy employees into a back room.

As he did, the owner of the pharmacy pulled a gun from his desk drawer and shot Galette three times. Galette lunged at the owner, and they wrestled on the ground for several seconds. Galette then tried to flee but collapsed from his injuries on the sidewalk outside the pharmacy.

Upon hearing shots, Straining, who had entered the pharmacy to help take the pills, ran out of the store and fled with Black and Garrett in a getaway car.

“This attempted armed robbery was a terrifying experience for the employees and customers of Smithgall’s,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “My office and our law enforcement partners won’t stand for these armed robbery crews targeting our stores, businesses, and the people in them. We’ll continue to take violent offenders off the street and hold them accountable for their actions, making our communities safer for one and all.”

“This sentencing makes clear, even the attempt to commit an armed robbery carries serious consequences,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Alongside our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Lancaster City Bureau of Police, we will continue our efforts toward safer communities.”

The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Capital Area Resident Agency and the Lancaster City Bureau of Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Stengel.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Alan C. Redmond, 42, of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, was charged by indictment with six counts of failure to pay over employment taxes between 2019 and 2021 for Bene Market LLC, a call center in Reading, Pa., that purported to act as a broker of insurance, selling health insurance and related products over the telephone. The defendant made his initial appearance in federal court on these charges this afternoon.

The indictment alleges that, as the 96% general partner of Bene Market, and as the individual with ultimate and final decision-making authority for the corporation, Redmond was legally obligated to withhold Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from wages paid to employees (known as “trust fund taxes”) and to pay over these taxes to the IRS each quarter, along with matching contributions from the employer for Social Security and Medicare taxes.

The indictment further alleges that between 2019 and 2021, Redmond caused Bene Market to withhold over $1 million in trust fund taxes from the wages and paychecks of its employees, but Redmond did not pay over these withheld amounts to the IRS on behalf of the employees, as required. Instead of paying over the trust fund taxes withheld from employee paychecks, Redmond caused Bene Market to make thousands of dollars of expenditures for his own personal benefit, including property purchases, airline tickets, limousine services, vehicle purchases, event tickets, mortgage payments, and partnership distributions.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a three-year period of supervised release, and a $1,500,000 fine.

The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mary Crawley and Samuel Dalke.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Gabriel Rivera-Otero, aka “Carlos Vasquez,” aka “Gustavo,” 42, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Angel Reyes-Valdez, aka “Abel Anton Alberto Nunez,” 47, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, were sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Harvey Bartle III to 293 months in prison plus 10 years of supervised release, and 300 months in prison plus five years of supervised release, respectively, for drug offenses.

In July of this year, after a four-day trial, the jury found the defendants guilty of possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and maintaining a drug-involved premises. Reyes-Valdez was also convicted of illegal reentry after deportation; upon completion of his sentence, he will be deported. 

As proven at trial, on October 28, 2020, Rivera-Otero and Reyes-Valdez met in a parking lot in Philadelphia to transfer six kilograms of fentanyl between them. Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested both men, after recovering the fentanyl from a diaper box on the front passenger seat of Rivera-Otero’s vehicle.

The same day, DEA agents searched two separate Philadelphia residences where Rivera-Otero and Reyes-Valdez stored and packaged large quantities of controlled substances. At the residence used by Rivera-Otero, agents seized approximately 700 grams of fentanyl, drug packaging material, and drug manufacturing equipment. At the residence used by Reyes-Valdez, agents seized approximately 30 kilograms of fentanyl, including numerous brick-shaped packages of the drug and over 110,000 fentanyl pills, as well as drug packaging material, drug manufacturing equipment, a loaded firearm, and over $90,000 in U.S. currency.

Both defendants have prior felony drug convictions in the United States and Reyes-Valdez had been previously deported from the U.S. to the Dominican Republic three times between 2007 and 2014.

“Four years ago today, in a Philly parking lot, Rivera-Otero and Reyes-Valdez met to exchange multiple kilos of fentanyl and wound up in handcuffs instead,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “In all that day, the DEA seized 36 kilos of fentanyl from the defendants, which otherwise would have ended up on the street, with potentially deadly consequences. The lengthy sentences imposed on these repeat offenders ensure that they won’t soon push more poison in our city — or anywhere else, for that matter.”

“Together Rivera-Otero and Reyes-Valdez possessed over 36 kilograms of fentanyl, which is a staggering amount of a potentially lethal drug that has had catastrophic effects on our region and across the nation at large,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “That Reyes-Valdez was deported from the United States on three prior occasions and returned to the Philadelphia area where he was found in possession of the kilograms of fentanyl noted above, over 110,000 fake pills containing fentanyl, and a loaded firearm shows the threat he posed to our community. Both he and Rivera-Otero have earned these severe federal prison sentences.”

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the Department of Homeland Security and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Ashenfelter and Timothy Lanni. 

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Felton Hayman, 54, of Wilmington, Delaware, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney to 12 months and a day in prison and three years of supervised release for defrauding the City of Philadelphia of almost $150,000. Hayman was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine, $149,000 in restitution to the City, forfeiture of $100,000, and a $300 special assessment.

In July 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against the defendant, charging him with three counts of wire fraud. Hayman pleaded guilty to all charges in April of this year.

From approximately July 2014 through approximately September 2018, Hayman devised and willfully participated in a scheme to obtain money and property from the City of Philadelphia – specifically, real estate located in and owned by the City – by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.

The defendant used his longtime friendship with a Philadelphia city councilmember to obtain three vacant city properties at below-market prices, based on a promise that Hayman would build affordable housing on the lots. Hayman, however, never intended to develop affordable housing on any of the three sites. Instead, he planned to sell the properties as quickly as he obtained them, in order to make a profit.

Hayman’s scheme largely succeeded. In late August 2018, his construction company, Hayman Construction, purchased the vacant properties located at 1200 South Bucknell Street, 2040 Titan Street, and 2046 Titan Streets for a total of $101,000.

Less than a month later, Hayman sold the Titan Street properties for approximately $115,000 apiece. Hayman also entered into a separate agreement to sell the South Bucknell Street property for $150,000, but that deal fell apart, despite Hayman’s efforts to further defraud city officials about the nature of that sale.

In total, Hayman profited by at least $165,000 from his fraud, with the loss to the City of Philadelphia estimated to be $149,000.

“Felton Hayman got a steal of a deal on these lots because he promised to build affordable housing,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “But his plan all along was to flip the properties for a quick and tidy profit — he advertised them for sale before even holding title! Hayman defrauded the City and people of Philadelphia, purely out of greed, and my office and the FBI will continue to work to hold fraudsters like him accountable.”

“Under false pretenses, this defendant sought and succeeded in buying properties from the City of Philadelphia and used the proceeds to line his own pockets,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Today’s sentencing shows, we at the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office will pursue crimes of corruption that impact our city.” 

This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Dubnoff.