Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Three individuals were convicted today at trial in connection with a racketeering conspiracy encompassing multiple fraud schemes, including visa fraud to employ foreign workers unlawfully, soliciting salary kickbacks from the employed workers, and health care fraud billing schemes resulting in over $32 million in losses to Pennsylvania Medicaid.

As proven at trial, Bhaskar and Arun Savani built a complex criminal enterprise they dubbed “the Savani Group” that amassed tens of millions of dollars through outright fraud at every turn. Bhaskar was a dentist by training and controlled the numerous dental practices of the Savani Group, and Arun generally controlled the finances and real property holdings of the Savani Group. Ola Radomiak was a long-term employee and executive at the Savani Group and facilitated the Savanis’ conspiracy to defraud Medicaid. Through their criminal enterprise, Bhaskar and Arun Savani substantially enriched themselves over the course of a decade. Their offenses included filing numerous false H-1B visa applications, fraudulently billing health care benefit programs in the names of non-treating dentists, obstructing a grand jury investigation, laundering fraud proceeds through a complex web of financial transactions, wire fraud, and mail fraud. By their fraud, they obtained more than $32 million from Medicaid through nominee-owned dental practices used to bill Medicaid after the Savani Group’s Medicaid contracts were terminated.

“This significant prosecution exemplifies the commitment of the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners to protect taxpayer-funded programs from fraudsters and corrupt healthcare professionals who seek their own personal enrichment by bilking government programs and then laundering their ill gotten gains,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division, and all of our partners including the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, will continue using every law enforcement tool available to identify, disrupt and dismantle organized fraud and those who corruptly manipulate the worker visa and Medicaid programs. Fraudsters and money launderers like Bhaskar and Arun Savani and their associates who do so will pay a heavy price.”

“This sprawling investigation and prosecution meant untangling a complex web of fraudulent billing practices and sham medical entities,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “Our office worked with numerous state and federal partner agencies to unravel and prove the multiple healthcare fraud schemes at the heart of this operation. It’s gratifying to dismantle this crooked enterprise and hold those responsible to account. Fraud and abuse cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars a year and rob the healthcare system of vital resources.”

“This conviction demonstrates the critical importance of partnerships across law enforcement agencies when confronting complex financial and organized criminal activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office. “By leveraging our collective expertise and resources, we were able to expose and dismantle a racketeering enterprise built on deception and fraud. The FBI, working closely alongside our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, will continue to pursue those who exploit others for personal profit and bring them to justice.”

“Today’s verdict sends a clear message: those who corrupt the Medicaid program for personal gain — no matter how elaborate their schemes — will be held fully accountable,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The Savani Enterprise exploited vulnerable patients, manipulated government programs, and siphoned taxpayer dollars for their own benefit. HHS‑OIG, alongside our federal and state law enforcement partners, remains unwavering in our commitment to protect the integrity of Medicaid and to defend the public’s trust in our healthcare system.”

“The defendants orchestrated a years‑long scheme to defraud Medicaid, evade taxes, and launder millions of dollars through a complex network of companies and accounts,” said Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Newark Field Office. “These crimes do not just enrich wrongdoers, they drain vital public resources and erode trust in government programs. These convictions make clear that those who defraud the government will be held accountable. IRS‑CI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to dismantle financial fraud schemes and protect the public.”

“Today’s convictions send a clear message that those who build criminal enterprises on the backs of vulnerable patients, exploited workers, and U.S. taxpayers will be held to account,” said Special Agent in Charge of Eric McLoughlin of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia Field Office. “For years, the Savani Group manipulated our immigration system, corrupted healthcare programs, and laundered their illicit proceeds through a maze of shell companies and accounts. This investigation and resulting prosecution reflect the strength of our partnerships with federal and state agencies and our shared commitment to dismantling complex fraud schemes wherever they take root.”

“Visa fraud undermines our legal immigration system and often victimizes those seeking legitimate opportunities in the United States,” said Resident Agent in Charge Anthony Tortora of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Philadelphia Resident Office. “The Diplomatic Security Service is committed to investigating these schemes and protecting the integrity of the visa process. This conviction sends a clear message that such fraud will not be tolerated.”

“Today’s verdict holds the defendants accountable for their criminal conduct,” said Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). “The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is unwavering in its commitment to protect the integrity of the Foreign Labor Certification programs. When bad actors exploit vulnerable workers or attempt to game the system, we investigate, we expose, and we hold them accountable. We will continue working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure these programs serve legitimate labor needs — not criminal enterprises. Fraud will not be tolerated. Accountability is not optional.”

Brothers Bhaskar and Arun Savani, charged in January 2023, have now been convicted by a jury of conspiracy to conduct a racketeering enterprise, conspiracy to commit visa fraud, visa fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, money laundering conspiracy, concealment and transactional money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Treasury, and wire fraud. Bhaskar Savani was also convicted of conspiracy to distribute in interstate commerce an adulterated and misbranded medical device.

Bhaskar and Arun Savani, respectively, face a statutory maximum penalty of 420 years in prison and 415 years in prison. Sentencing hearings are scheduled on July 8 for Bhaskar Savani and July 9 for Arun Savani.

Aleksandra “Ola” Radomiak was convicted of conspiracy to conduct a racketeering enterprise, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and health care fraud. Ola Radomiak’s sentencing hearing is scheduled before the Honorable Jeffrey L. Schmehl on July 14.

This case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG, IRS-CI, HSI, DSS, Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, DOL-OIG, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and the State of Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Kenneth Kaplan and Chelsea Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Scicchitano, Paul Shapiro, and J. Andrew Jenemann for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s (MNF) mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.

MNF’s Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit investigates and prosecutes sophisticated money laundering schemes involving financial facilitators, gatekeepers, and other individuals and entities laundering criminal proceeds, and litigates complex civil forfeiture cases to recover assets on behalf of victims.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Complete Business Solutions Group, Inc., doing business as Par Funding (“Par Funding”), entered a plea of guilty before United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud arising from a wide‑ranging scheme that defrauded investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars. Par Funding is currently under the control of a receiver appointed by a federal judge in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s civil lawsuit against Par Funding and its principals, and that receiver appeared today to enter the plea on behalf of the corporation.

In January 2025, the Court found the Par Funding fraud scheme caused an actual fraud loss of approximately $404,737,299, which it reduced to $288,395,088 after factoring in credit for collateral that federal authorities seized from Par Funding when the investigation became public in July 2020, upon the SEC placing Par Funding in receivership.

According to court filings and statements made in court, Par Funding operated a merchant cash advance company in Center City Philadelphia that provided short‑term financing to small businesses across the country. To fund those advances, the company and its principals raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors while making materially false and misleading representations regarding the company’s leadership, underwriting practices, financial condition, and risk profile.

As described in the indictment, the defendants concealed the identity and criminal history of company founder Joseph LaForte, misrepresented the company’s underwriting standards and portfolio performance, and misled investors about default rates, profitability, insurance coverage, and self‑dealing by company insiders. These misrepresentations were used to solicit and maintain investments used to finance the company’s merchant cash advance business, which failed to generate enough profit to sustain itself without the continued influx of new investor money.

The Par Funding investigation has also resulted in guilty pleas and sentences for the company’s primary principals. Joe LaForte, the company’s founder and leader, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and related offenses, and was sentenced to approximately 15½ years in prison. His brother, James LaForte, a senior executive involved in enforcing collections, also pleaded guilty and received a sentence of roughly 11½ years. Joseph Cole Barleta, the company’s CFO, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and was sentenced to 5½ years in prison. Perry Abbonizio, Renato Gioe, and Lisa McElhone, and tax professionals Rodney Ermel and Kenneth Bacon, also pleaded guilty to felony offenses related to their involvement with Par Funding and the LaFortes, and where each received a prison sentence.

This case was investigated by the FBI, FDIC OIG, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Pennsylvania State Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Newcomer, Samuel Dalke, and Eric Gill. The SEC in Florida investigated and litigated the civil securities fraud charges, which formed the basis of a portion of the criminal prosecution.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jalen Smith, 30, of Charlotte, North Carolina, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Court Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro on charges in connection with a bribery and point-shaving scheme to fix National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men’s basketball games and Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) games and charges related to an unlawful possession of a firearm. Smith pleaded guilty to Counts One, Two, and Five of the indictment charging him with bribery in sporting contests, and aiding and abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 224 and 2 (Count One); conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Count Two); and wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (Count Five); and to Count One of an information charging him with possession of a firearm by a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).

In an indictment unsealed on January 15, 2026, Smith had been charged in connection with the bribery and point-shaving scheme. Smith engaged in the scheme to influence or fix NCAA and CBA men’s basketball games from at least in or about September 2022 through at least in or about February 2025. After co-schemers profited on fixed CBA games, the co-schemers turned their attention to fixing NCAA men’s basketball games and Smith was enlisted as a “fixer,” working together with others to recruit and bribe NCAA men’s basketball players to underperform and help ensure their team failed to cover the spread in games during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 NCAA men’s basketball seasons. Then, through various sportsbooks, Smith helped to arrange for large wagers to be placed on those games, betting against the team whose player or players they had bribed to engage in this point-shaving scheme. Smith had a leadership role in the scheme, particularly in recruiting, managing, and paying players for their roles in the scheme. Smith and other fixers approached and communicated with the players, in person and through social media, text message communications, and cellular telephone calls, offering the players bribe payments, usually ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game.

Smith and other fixers specifically targeted college players for whom the bribe payments would meaningfully supplement, or exceed, the student-athletes’ legitimate opportunities for “Name-Image-Likeness” compensation. The fixers also generally targeted their scheme players on teams that were underdogs in games and sought to have them fail to cover the spreads in those games. Many of these players accepted the offers and agreed to help fix specific games so that the fixers would win their wagers. The bribery and point-shaving scheme involved, in total, more than 39 players on more than 17 different NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams who then fixed and attempted to fix more than 29 NCAA games.

In early March 2024, for example, Smith and other fixers recruited and offered a bribe to a player on an NCAA men’s basketball team, and the player agreed to underperform in an upcoming game. Around halftime of that game, when the score was tied, Smith texted the player, expressed his concern about the score, and urged the player to underperform in the second half, telling him that the game “need[ed] to be a blowout,” that the player was “supposed to be . . . losing” and was costing him money, and that the team needed to get “blow[n] out next half.”

To capitalize on this scheme, the fixers made wagers totaling millions of dollars, generating substantial proceeds for the fixers and the players who collectively received hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribe payments for fixing their teams’ basketball games. When the fixers were successful with their wagers on fixed games, Smith and other co-schemers traveled to NCAA campuses and made cash bribe payments to the players who had agreed to participate in the point-shaving scheme.

On March 6, 2026, Smith was charged by information with possession of a firearm by a felon. This firearms charge arose from a search of Smith’s residence in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 21, 2025, where Smith was found in unlawful possession of a loaded Khar Arms CT380 semi-automatic pistol.

The bribery in sporting contests charge carries a maximum possible sentence of five years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud brings a maximum possible sentence of 20 years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The firearms charge carries a maximum possible sentence of 15 years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

This case was investigated by FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and Jerome M. Maiatico.

Anyone who believes they may have information about these crimes and would like to report the information is asked to call FBI Philadelphia at 215-418-4000 and reference “NCAA point-shaving.”

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mahady Sacko, 50, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with fraudulent voting in the 2024 federal election by an illegal alien.

Sacko is an illegal alien who was ordered deported in 2000. Despite being an illegal alien, Sacko allegedly unlawfully voted in person in the 2024 general election for federal office. Sacko falsely represented that he was a U.S. citizen in order to vote and register to vote.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations. 

The charges and allegations contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Montez Moore, 32, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to 32 years in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay over $200,000 in restitution to victims by United States District Court Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for robbing several cellphone stores and individuals who sold high-end merchandise on Facebook Marketplace, and, in one instance, kidnapping and carjacking an employee of a business.

Moore was charged in three separate indictments filed in October 2023, December 2023, and March 2025. As charged in the first indictment, in March 2022, Moore robbed a jeweler at gunpoint after Moore tricked the jeweler into believing that Moore intended to purchase a high-end watch from him on Rising Sun Avenue. As charged in the second indictment, in December 2022, Moore and several other defendants robbed a Castor Avenue cellphone store at gunpoint and stole a firearm from the manager of the store. In May 2023, Moore was arrested at his Henry Avenue apartment in possession of the manager’s firearm. In that same case, also in December 2022, Moore also conspired with others to rob a Castor Avenue check cashing business that resulted in the owner of that business being kidnapped and carjacked at gunpoint. As charged in the third indictment, Moore and several other defendants robbed two cellphone stores at gunpoint, one on South Broad Street in December 2021, and one on Castor Avenue in November 2022. Prior to the robbery on South Broad Street, Moore and his codefendants kidnapped and carjacked an employee of the store. Additionally, Moore committed seven additional gunpoint robberies and one burglary in Philadelphia between December 2022 and February 2023.

In November 2025, Moore pled guilty to interference with interstate commerce by robbery, kidnapping, carjacking, and using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. At the time of his guilty plea, all of Moore’s charges in indictments were consolidated for sentencing. The facts of Moore’s three cases revealed one constant, overarching theme— Moore was a conman who robbed innocent victims after deploying trickery or ambush. He selected his victims either by using the internet or stalking businesses that he thought would be easy to rob. In some instances, Moore created a phony Facebook Marketplace account and purported to be a man from Delaware who moonlighted as a high-end jewelry salesman and sold goods on the secondary market. Moore then solicited transactions from individuals who offered to sell him watches, jewelry, and handbags, and arranged to meet his victims under the guise of engaging them in legitimate financial transactions. But, when the victims arrived at the agreed upon location to conduct business, Moore stuck a gun in their faces and stole their property. On one another occasion, Moore selected a cellphone store on South Broad Street as a business to rob. He recruited two accomplices to follow an employee of the store home on New Year’s Eve in 2021. When the victim arrived at the parking lot of his apartment complex, Moore’s accomplices forced the victim into his own car at gunpoint and drove him back to the store where Moore met them and used the victim’s keys to access the store and steal cellphones, tablets, and videogame consoles worth tens of thousands of dollars.

In all, Moore harmed fourteen people in the wake of his crimes. He decided to use a gun to exert power over victims who had what he wanted: cash, cellphones, watches, jewelry, handbags, and electronics. The seriousness of the offenses cannot be overstated, and the severe punishment he received is warranted and necessary to protect the public. The citizens of this district and country expect that violent crimes committed against innocent, hardworking people are treated seriously and carry significant consequences. The lengthy sentence Moore received accounts for the public’s basic expectations and serves to promote respect for the law and how it is enforced.

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

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that a correctional officer and his former supervisor were convicted at trial, in connection with the violation of an inmate’s constitutional rights and an attempt to cover it up.

Jahaan Andrews, 34, and Georgia Malloy, 58, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, worked at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility. Andrews was a correctional officer (“C.O.”) and Malloy was a lieutenant with the Philadelphia Department of Prisons (“PDP”) who supervised him.

Andrews and Malloy were charged by indictment in September of last year, along with another C.O., Oneil Murray, 31, of Philadelphia, with Deprivation of rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury and aiding and abetting, Falsification of records, and other related charges. Murray pleaded guilty to the charges earlier this month.

As proven at trial, on or about October 6, 2020, Andrews detained Inmate 1, a pretrial detainee, in a holding room, purportedly because Inmate 1 was wearing the wrong color jumpsuit. The defendants, along with the correctional sergeant, charged elsewhere, and another C.O. subsequently removed Inmate 1 from the holding room and escorted him to his cell, to conduct a strip search of Inmate 1 and have him change into the correct jumpsuit.

Once inside Inmate 1’s cell, the group of correctional officers ordered Inmate 1 to strip. They then punched, kicked and assaulted Inmate 1 numerous times, knocking him to the ground. As a result of the assault, Inmate 1 was hospitalized with injuries to his face, ribs, and scrotum, and had to undergo emergency surgery.

After any use of force by a C.O. against an inmate, PDP correctional officers who used force, and those who witnessed another C.O. use force, were required to complete reports about what happened, prior to the end of their shift.

In the weeks that followed the assault, the defendants and the correctional sergeant conspired to falsify records, with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation and proper administration of a matter within the jurisdiction of the FBI.

Andrews and Murray wrote their use of force reports about the October 6 incident, and Malloy her investigation report, so that they exaggerated the aggressiveness of Inmate 1 and disclosed as little of the true nature of the force the C.O.s used against him as they believed was necessary, to avoid scrutiny of their conduct by their superior officers and others. The reports also falsely claimed that the correctional sergeant did not use force in the October 6, incident.

Andrews faces a maximum possible sentence of 35 years in prison and Malloy a maximum possible sentence of 40 years in prison.

“Correctional officers hold extraordinary power over those in their custody, and with that power comes a clear obligation to protect individuals’ rights while in custody,” said U. S. Attorney Metcalf. “The defendants abused that authority by violently assaulting an inmate and then attempting to conceal their misconduct. This guilty verdict affirms that civil rights violations, especially by those sworn to uphold the law, will be investigated and prosecuted, and those responsible will be held accountable.”  

"Let these convictions show that no law enforcement officer is above the law," said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Field Office. "Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to aggressively investigate potential abuses of power and civil rights violations in our community. We remain steadfast in investigating and bringing to justice those who abuse their authority."

This case was investigated by the FBI, with significant assistance from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Michael Miller. 
 

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Josh S. Verne, 48, formerly of Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, now a resident of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was sentenced today to 111months in prison, 3 years supervised release, $1300 special assessment and forfeiture in the amount of $12,173,759 by United States District Judge John F. Murphy for a series of schemes through which the defendant defrauded dozens of investors, prospective investors, employees, and business partners out of millions of dollars.

The defendant was charged by indictment in August 2024 and, in March of last year,

pleaded guilty to nine counts of wire fraud, three counts of securities fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

As detailed in case filings and admitted to by the defendant, Verne carried out a series of schemes from at least in or about 2017 to 2020, through which he defrauded dozens of investors, prospective investors, employees, and business partners out of millions of dollars, forged documents, and obstructed justice by threatening, intimidating, and retaliating against others in connection with the federal criminal investigation.

Verne held himself out as a wealthy and successful businessman, entrepreneur, and investor, and he carried out his fraudulent activities through a series of limited liability companies, of which he was the chief executive and over which he maintained control.

Among other things, Verne falsely represented his prior business successes, falsely represented his personal net worth, falsely represented his own investments, and falsely represented the financial health of his companies and investments, in order to induce others to invest in or provide loans to him or his companies. For instance, he provided an investor with a forged Goldman Sachs statement that showed family investment holdings for Verne of more than $50 million, when, in fact, Verne did not have an investment account at Goldman Sachs in his own name or in his family’s names, much less an account with a market value of more than $50 million.

Further, Verne misused business and investor funds to repay prior debts and to finance an affluent lifestyle he could not afford, such as personal expenses related to renovations to his showcase vacation property on the Jersey shore, travel on private jets, contributions to political candidates, personal charitable contributions, and country club payments.

In order to delay and prevent discovery by law enforcement of his own misconduct, Verne later sent bank and FedEx confirmations purporting to confirm delivery of funds to investors to whom he had promised repayment; the bank and FedEx confirmations were false and fraudulent.

At one point, Verne stole the identity of a former employee from his company, forging the employee’s signature on a sales agreement to disguise an unauthorized sale of the employee’s shares of stock. Verne obtained $150,000 from the unauthorized sale and used those funds to make payments to himself and to a prior investor.

Finally, after Verne met with FBI agents and learned details about the investigation, the defendant obstructed justice by contacting the former employee and threatening to divulge false, embarrassing information about him because the employee provided information to law enforcement.

This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul Shapiro and Jerome Maiatico. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Philadelphia Regional Office investigated civil securities fraud charges against Verne, which are pending. 

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Matthew Laiss, 32, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was convicted today at trial of election fraud offenses in connection with the 2020 presidential election.

The defendant was charged by indictment in September of last year with one count of voting more than once in a federal election and one count of voter fraud and was convicted on both charges.

As detailed in court filings, from at least October 2012 until about August 2020, Laiss resided in, and was lawfully registered to vote in, Ottsville, Pennsylvania, a municipality located in Bucks County. In or around August 2020, Laiss moved his primary residence from Ottsville, Pennsylvania, to Frostproof, Florida. The same month, he applied for and obtained a Florida driver’s license and registered to vote in Florida.

In or about October 2020, the Bucks County Board of Elections mailed a ballot for the November 2020 general election to the defendant’s former address in Ottsville, Pennsylvania, where Laiss’s parents continued to reside.

As proven at trial, on or about October 31, 2020, Laiss filled out and returned the Pennsylvania mail-in ballot, casting a vote for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States of America.

Then, on or about November 3, 2020, Laiss went to a polling location in or around Frostproof, Florida, and voted in the 2020 general election, casting a vote for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States of America.

“Today’s conviction reinforces a simple principle: our elections must be fair, secure, and lawful, " said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Casting a ballot in more than one jurisdiction undermines public trust and dilutes the votes of others. Our office will continue to protect the integrity of federal elections and hold accountable those who violate the law.”

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced June 10, 2026, and faces a maximum possible sentence of five years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $10,000 to $250,000 fine, for each of the charges on which he was convicted.

This case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Department of State, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Dubnoff. 

PHILADELPHIA — United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Quadir Findley, 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh for his role in an August 5, 2023, armed carjacking in Philadelphia. Co-defendant Eric Dickerson, 25, also of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was previously sentenced on April 16, 2025, by United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh for his role in the carjacking.

Findley was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Following a jury trial, he was convicted of carjacking, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Dickerson was sentenced to 7 years’ imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Following a jury trial, he was convicted of carjacking.

As proven at trial, in the early morning hours of August 5, 2023, the defendants approached the victim and forcibly stole the victim’s vehicle at gunpoint. During the offense, Findley threatened kill the victim and forced the victim to the ground before the defendants fled in the stolen vehicle.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Catherine S. Dos Santos and Priya T. De Souza.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jose Torres-Vega, aka “Pete” and “Big Hommie” of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage to 216 months’ imprisonment followed by 8 years of supervised release for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.

The defendant was charged in a 20-count superseding indictment in June of 2023 with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and maintaining a drug house.

As detailed in case filings and statements, Torres-Vega was the leader and organizer of a drug trafficking group which operated in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. Torres-Vega obtained distribution quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine from suppliers in and around the Philadelphia area, and coordinated street sales of narcotics via his subordinates. Torres-Vega utilized a stash property, where he stored bulk narcotics and multiple firearms. A search warrant executed at the stash property revealed a cache of loaded firearms, to include an assault rifle, as well as bulk fentanyl.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Pennsylvania State Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erica Kivitz and Lindsey Mills.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that John A. Miller, 76, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Kelly B. Hodge to one count of wire fraud and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction involving criminally derived property.

Miller served as the executive director and treasurer of a Philadelphia-based religious nonprofit organization that provided financial assistance to the widows and orphans of deceased clergy members. From 2015 through 2022, he diverted money to himself by masking wires intended for beneficiaries with personal checks issued to himself.  To conceal the payments, Miller made false and misleading records in the nonprofit’s internal accounting ledgers.  In total, Miller misappropriated more than $1.6 million.

According to court filings, after Miller diverted the nonprofit funds into his personal accounts, he used the proceeds for personal expenses, including luxury travel and the purchase of a luxury condominium in Philadelphia. After being made aware of the fraud investigation, Miller liquidated the proceeds by selling the property. Despite the sale, law enforcement agents seized the fraudulent proceeds as the transaction took place.

Under the plea agreement, the defendant will pay $1,626,556 in restitution and forfeit $281,109.96 in fraud proceeds derived from the sale of the condominium.

Miller faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for June 22, 2026.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alisa Shver and Alexander Bowerman.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Nasir Warlow, 21, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania entered a plea of guilty before United States District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky on one count of carjacking and one count of using and carrying firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

On March 20, 2025, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania indicted Nasir Warlow in connection with a September 3, 2024, carjacking in Southwest Philadelphia. He is charged with carjacking and a related firearms offense stemming from the forcible theft of a 2017 Nissan Sentra.

At approximately 5:08 a.m., the victim parked his silver 2017 Nissan Sentra on the 6700 block of Woodland Avenue when Nasir Warlow and two accomplices, all wearing masks and dressed in black, approached the vehicle. Warlow approached the driver’s side, pointed a firearm at the victim, and ordered him out of the car, while the two accomplices approached from the passenger side. Warlow and the two accomplices then entered the vehicle and fled northbound on 68th Street.

Police located the stolen Nissan near Cobbs Creek Parkway and Baltimore Avenue and initiated a pursuit. The chase ended when Warlow crashed into the front porch of a residence on the 300 block of Horton Street, causing significant damage to both the home and the vehicle.

After pleading guilty, Warlow is set to be sentenced on June 8th, 2026, before the Honorable Joel H. Slomsky.

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 Special Assistant United States Attorney Sandra Urban.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that four foreign nationals convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this month.

Fernando Hernandez-Mercano, 33, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge John F. Murphy to 18 months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States for the third time.

Hernandez-Mercano’s prior removals were both in April of 2012, after encounters with the U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) became aware that the defendant was again in the U.S. illegally, and, between May 2022 and August 2024, had been arrested in Pennsylvania four times for driving under the influence.

Immigration officers took him into custody in May of last year and he was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in June, pleading guilty in September.

Jose Osmon-Flores, aka Wilson Omar Santos-Paz, 32, a Honduran national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez to 15 months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.

The defendant had previously been removed from the U.S. in April 2012, after he was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol near Laredo, Texas.

In January 2023, ICE learned that Osmon-Flores had been arrested by the Philadelphia Police Department for the sexual abuse of his then-three-year-old daughter.

Pursuant to a guilty plea, the defendant was convicted in July 2025 in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas of indecent assault on a person less than 13 years of age and unlawful contact with a minor – sexual offenses. He was sentenced to a term of 11½ to 23 months of confinement but received credit for time served and was immediately released.

Days later, on July 11, 2025, ICE, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) conducted a joint operation, surveilling a Philadelphia address where Osmon-Flores was believed to reside. After confirming the defendant’s identity, they arrested him without incident on a criminal complaint and warrant.

Osmon-Flores was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in August and pleaded guilty in October.

Leonel Hernandez-Martinez, 41, a Guatemalan national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Kai N. Scott to eight months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.

Hernandez-Martinez had previously been removed from the U.S. four times: in January 2011, after an encounter with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Washington, D.C., area; October 2016, after the U.S. Border Patrol encountered him in Arizona; January 2019, after an illegal reentry conviction in the Middle District of Pennsylvania; and in April 2021, following an illegal reentry conviction in the District of New Mexico. The defendant’s criminal history also reflects convictions in the commonwealth of Virginia, for identity theft (2008), forgery, trespass, and driving while intoxicated (2010).

Last summer, ICE learned that Hernandez-Martinez was in Lancaster County Prison. He was taken into federal custody in August, charged by indictment with illegal reentry in September, and pleaded guilty in October.

Ivan Josue Ruiz Hernandez, aka Josue Ivan, 26, a Honduran national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage to time served, approximately two and a half months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.

Ruiz Hernandez had previously been removed from the U.S. in January 2014. After he was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol in April 2018, he was charged with illegal reentry in the District of New Mexico, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 38 days’ confinement, after which he was again deported to Honduras.

ICE became aware that the defendant had entered the U.S. illegally once again and took him into custody on a criminal complaint in December of last year. He was charged by information with illegal reentry and pleaded guilty in January, waiving prosecution by indictment.

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

The cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, HSI, and the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alisa Shver, Sara Solow, Mark Sendek, and Josh Davison.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Justin Heimbach, 34, of Bath, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge John M. Younge on six counts of mail fraud and four counts of wire fraud.

The defendant was charged with those offenses by indictment in August 2024, arising from his schemes to defraud the federal government and multiple local car dealerships.

In March of 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program (PUA). The PUA program provided unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation, or extended unemployment benefits.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, Heimbach, who operated a construction company called TeamKJ Construction, engaged in a scheme that caused fraudulent PUA applications to be filed in the names of individuals allegedly no longer employed by TeamKJ as a result of COVID-19. In reality, the applications contained a number of materially false statements, including that the applicant had lost their job with TeamKJ as a result of COVID-19 and the date the applicant lost their job with TeamKJ due to the pandemic.

In addition, Heimbach successfully defrauded multiple Lehigh Valley car dealerships by purchasing vehicles in the names of other construction companies registered to or associated with him, and writing checks for those vehicles on bank accounts that had an insufficient balance to cover the transaction.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2026. 

This case was jointly investigated by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney S. Chandler Harris.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Phillip Gillard, 48, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison, 10 years’ supervised release, and $2,400 in fines and assessments by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.

In July 2023, a grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania returned a 54-count superseding indictment charging Gillard and eight co-defendants with their participation in a large-scale drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) operating in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia, in the immediate vicinity of the Memphis Street Academy, a charter school located at 2950 Memphis Street.

The defendant was convicted at trial of federal drug trafficking and firearm offenses in February 2024.

The charges arose from the FBI’s two-year investigation into the Gillard drug trafficking organization, which supplied other drug traffickers with wholesale quantities of methamphetamine, phencyclidine (“PCP”), fentanyl, and other narcotics.

Throughout the course of the investigation, law enforcement agents conducted surveillance and undercover sting operations, during which drugs were purchased from the defendants. Gillard and his co-defendants maintained three separate properties in connection with their drug trafficking organization, all of them less than 1,000 feet away from the Memphis Street Academy.

In total, the FBI confiscated over 20 pounds of pure methamphetamine, three gallons of PCP, one and a half kilograms of cocaine, 900 grams of crack cocaine, 400 grams of fentanyl, and 11 firearms.

Co-defendants Diane Gillard, Sharif Jackson, Amin Whitehead, Cesar Maldonado, Terrence Maxwell, Raphael Sanchez, Melvin Dreher, and Arron Preno pleaded guilty to their roles in the Gillard DTO.

Diane Gillard was sentenced to 16 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release, Jackson to 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release, Whitehead to 11½ years in prison and 10 years of supervised release, Maldonado to eight years in prison and eight years of supervised release, Maxwell to more than seven and a half years in prison and five years of supervised release, Sanchez to seven and a half years in prison and three years of supervised release, Dreher to five years in prison and three years of supervised release, and Preno to six months in prison and two years of supervised release.   

This case was investigated by the FBI, Philadelphia Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations, with extraordinary cooperation from the Memphis Street Academy, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Robert Schopf.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the arrest of the last of six defendants charged in connection with a scheme to remove or destroy evidence from a vehicle impounded by the Pennsylvania State Police.

The six defendants — Tyree Goldsmith, 38, Kyle Smith, 41, Lamont Sparrow, 38, Latonya Upchurch, 57, and Taleah Goldsmith, 39, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Shafiq Taylor, 30, of Glenolden, Pa. — were charged by second superseding indictment, which was unsealed in August of last year, and all but Sparrow were arrested soon thereafter.

Last week, the U.S. Marshals Service located Sparrow and took him into custody. He made his initial appearance in federal court in Philadelphia before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lynne A. Sitarski.

All six defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of tampering with objects or proceedings, and one count of destruction or removal of property to prevent search or seizure.

Tyree Goldsmith, Smith, Sparrow, and Taylor have also been charged with one count of malicious damage by means of fire to a vehicle used in interstate commerce.

In addition, Tyree Goldsmith, Taleah Goldsmith, and Upchurch have been charged with two counts of wire fraud, and Tyree Goldsmith with one count each of possession of a firearm by a felon and use of fire to commit a felony.

The indictment alleges that the defendants’ conspiracy arose from a traffic stop that resulted in Tyree Goldsmith’s vehicle being impounded.

As detailed in the indictment, on April 27, 2024, at approximately 3:29 a.m., members of the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) conducted a traffic stop of Tyree Goldsmith while he was operating his Ford F-450 in Philadelphia. After observing marijuana and a scale in plain view inside the truck, PSP troopers advised Goldsmith that they would be requesting a tow truck and impounding his vehicle at the PSP barracks, pending a search warrant. The troopers further advised the defendant that criminal charges may be filed, depending on what they recovered from inside the F-450.

A short time later, the vehicle was towed to the PSP Philadelphia Barracks impound lot.

Early the same morning, PSP troopers obtained and executed a Philadelphia County search warrant for the Ford F-450, recovering a .40 Glock semiautomatic pistol loaded with 19 live rounds of ammunition, nine plastic bags containing marijuana, a digital scale, and $865 in U.S. currency.

The indictment alleges that, between approximately April 27, 2024, and April 29, 2024, the six defendants, and others, created and executed a plan to gain entry into the PSP Philadelphia Barracks impound lot, in order to remove the gun, marijuana, and other items from the Ford F-450. They allegedly did so at the behest of Tyree Goldsmith, who was on federal supervision and state parole, and sought to avoid being charged with additional crimes that would violate the conditions of his release.

After breaking into the impound lot and discovering that the firearm and drugs had already been removed from the Ford F-450, the indictment alleges, the defendants decided to set fire to the vehicle, believing that, if the truck were destroyed, PSP would not be able to use the recovered items as evidence against Tyree Goldsmith.

The indictment further alleges that Tyree Goldsmith purchased an insurance policy prior to the Ford F-450 being set on fire, and, after he, Smith, Sparrow, Taylor, and others ignited a blaze on April 29, 2024, that damaged the truck, he directed Upchurch and Taleah Goldsmith to file a fraudulent insurance claim for the vehicle.

This case is currently scheduled to go to trial in October.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Arena and Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Martin.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Geoffrey Magistrate, 61, a current resident of Limassol, Cyprus, and a prior resident of Pennsylvania,[1] was sentenced this week to 18 months in prison by United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert for money laundering.

The defendant was arrested on a criminal complaint in August of last year. He was charged by information in October and pleaded guilty in November to one count of money laundering, waiving prosecution by indictment.

As detailed in court filings, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”) Global Illicit Financial Team (“GIFT”) identified Magistrate as a corporate service provider in Cyprus potentially involved in concealing and laundering funds obtained from illicit enterprises.

Based upon this information, an IRS undercover agent (the “Undercover Broker”) proceeded to contact Magistrate by phone and explained that the Undercover Broker had clients looking to shield their identities and move money. Magistrate immediately probed the Undercover Broker for more information about what services the Undercover Broker’s clients needed, and provided detailed suggestions of how to achieve the supposed clients’ goals of laundering money.

As further detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, after meeting the Undercover Broker’s “client” (the “Undercover Client,” another IRS agent) in person, Magistrate developed a scheme to launder what he believed to be proceeds of bank fraud through a bank account he controlled in Cyprus.

The scheme consisted of claiming that a U.S. company was investing in Magistrate’s Cypriot company, which would then, in turn, send money back to the United States to purchase real estate property in the Philadelphia area. In fact, the money would be sent back to a company that Magistrate believed was controlled by the Undercover Client.

In furtherance of the scheme, Magistrate created a false paper trail to document the bogus purpose of the transfers of purported bank fraud proceeds to Cyprus, sent misleading emails purporting to document and describe a phony real estate investment, concocted a story to facilitate the transfer of purported bank fraud proceeds from Cyprus back to the United States, created fake documents showing that Magistrate’s company would invest in real estate properties in the Philadelphia area, and advised the Undercover Broker on how to shield the Undercover Client’s identity from banks and regulators by having someone else pose as the ultimate beneficial owner of the U.S. company to which the funds would be returned.

From January 2025 to July 2025, in multiple transactions, the defendant laundered a total of $800,000, keeping a $60,000 commission for himself.

This case was investigated by IRS-CI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ruth Mandelbaum.

[1] The defendant is a dual citizen of the United States and Cyprus.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Carlos Sacanell, 59, of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 24 months’ imprisonment and a $5000 fine by United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone for insider trading.

The defendant was charged by indictment in October 2024. In September of last year, he pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud (insider trading) and one count of making a false statement to a federal agency.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, Sacanell 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 this matter, both CVS and Oak Street Health were publicly traded companies on the New York Stock Exchange, with ticker symbols CVS and OSH, respectively.

Sacanell 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 on February 8, 2023, resulting in him obtaining profits of approximately $617,000.

When the defendant was interviewed by the FBI in April 2024, he falsely told agents 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.

This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Francis A. Weber. The Securities and Exchange Commission also charged Sacanell, in a parallel matter.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Christos Sinchuk Rallis, 52, of Warrington, Pennsylvania, was sentenced this week to 100 months’ imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky for child pornography offenses. Judge Slomsky also ordered Sinchuk Rallis to pay $38,000 in restitution to minor victims.

The defendant was charged by indictment in January of last year with distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to both charges in August.

As detailed in court filings and statements, Sinchuk Rallis actively sought out and shared images of horrific sexual abuse of children, including images depicting rape, torture, or bondage of children as young as infants. A forensic analysis of the defendant’s devices found more than 609 videos and 249 standard images of child sexual abuse material.

Sinchuk Rallis committed these offenses while employed as a Bucks County Correctional Officer. Prior to relocating to Pennsylvania, he worked as a San Francisco police officer for 16 years.

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 Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ruth Mandelbaum.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Symair Carson-Williams, aka “Lil Meer,” 20, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 253 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and over $10,000 in restitution by United States District Judge Gerald A. McHugh for taking part in a carjacking spree in the city in early 2024.

Carson-Williams was charged by indictment in May 2024 with conspiracy to commit carjacking, three counts of carjacking, and three counts of using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. In March of last year, he was convicted on all charges at trial.

As proven at trial, the defendant was part of a group that conspired to commit three armed carjackings in Philadelphia in less than one hour. Video surveillance footage, cell phone data, forensic evidence, items recovered from one of the stolen vehicles, and victim testimony linked Carson-Williams to the carjackings.

Carson-Williams and his co-conspirators first stole a blue 2019 Honda CR-V from the 1800 block of Lansing Street in Philadelphia during the overnight hours of January 27, 2024.

Approximately 90 minutes later, just before 5 a.m., they drove the stolen CR-V to the Sunoco gas station located on the 5300 block of North 5th Street and pulled up next to a 67-year-old man putting air in his car’s tires. Two of the offenders jumped out of the CR-V, both armed with handguns, wearing black clothing and black balaclava masks, and demanded that the victim give up the keys to his 2011 BMW 328i. One of the offenders put a gun to the back of the man’s head and forced him to the ground. When the victim told the males that the key was in the car, one of the carjackers entered the BMW and the other male returned to the Honda CR-V. Both vehicles fled the scene.

At approximately 5:15 a.m., a 34-year-old man parked his gray 2013 Chevrolet Equinox on Shelmire Avenue in the northeast section of the city. Two of the carjackers suddenly ran up to the driver’s side of his car and pointed guns at him. As they held the victim at gunpoint, the stolen Honda CR-V drove up. The gunmen ordered the victim to lay on the ground with his face down and threatened to shoot him if he got up. The offenders then stole the victim’s vehicle and personal possessions, including his wallet, money, watch, and power tools.

Finally, at approximately 5:45 a.m., the stolen blue CR-V pulled up next to a 54-year-old man pumping gas at the Conoco station on the 5700 block of Rising Sun Avenue. Two of the offenders, both armed with handguns, approached the victim and pointed the guns at his face. After forcing the victim to the ground at gunpoint, one of the carjackers got behind the wheel of the victim’s Honda Accord, and the other male reentered the CR-V. Both vehicles fled in the same direction.

“The victims of these carjackings were on their morning routines, when Symair Carson-Williams and his co-conspirators put a gun to their heads and made them fear for their lives,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Today’s sentence demonstrates that if you terrorize the people of Philadelphia, you can expect life-changing consequences. This defendant, now 20, will be spending more than 21 years behind bars.”

“Federal carjacking penalties are severe, and Carson-Williams will spend many years in prison for this triple-carjacking spree,” 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 making Philadelphia’s streets safer by bringing criminals like this to justice.”

This 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 Branwen McNabb O’Donnell and Brian Doherty.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Robert Redding, 43, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 35 years’ imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert for child pornography offenses. Judge Pappert also ordered Redding to pay $25,000 in restitution to the minor victims.

The defendant was charged by indictment in March of last year with one count of distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. In August, he pleaded guilty to all charges.

As detailed in court filings and statements, Redding had previously served more than a decade in prison for hands-on sexual offenses committed against a 13-year-old girl, and after his release, was required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law.

While still under the supervision of Pennsylvania State Parole, Redding resumed his criminal activities, this time by participating in an online child pornography community, trading videos depicting children, including some as young as babies and toddlers, being raped by adult men, and uploading images of child sexual abuse to online accounts.

The defendant committed some of these new crimes while residing at Kintock Residential Reentry Center as a condition of his state parole and used at least one electronic device unknown to and unauthorized by his parole officer, to commit some of the offenses.

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 prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly Harrell and Eileen Castilla Geiger.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Afeez Olatunji Adewale, 26, was extradited from Nigeria to the United States to face charges related to the sexual extortion and death of a young man in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Adewale is charged by indictment with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. He appeared in federal court in Philadelphia before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lynne A. Sitarski yesterday.

Adewale was arrested in Nigeria on August 17, 2023, as part of a wider operation with the FBI to apprehend sexual extortionists targeting minors in the United States. He was extradited to the United States on Friday, February 13, 2026, with the assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Legal Attaché in Abuja, and the FBI, who took him into custody. The support and assistance of Nigerian security authorities was essential to this effort, notably that of Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Federal Ministry of Justice’s International Criminal Justice Cooperation Department, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Adewale’s co-defendants, Imoleayo Samuel Aina, aka “Alice Dave,” 27, and Samuel Olasunkanmi Abiodun, 26, were extradited to the U.S. in August 2024.

Abiodun pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud and was sentenced by United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky in June 2025 to five years in prison.

Aina later pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, interstate threat to injure reputation, receiving proceeds of extortion, money laundering conspiracy, and wire fraud, and was sentenced by Judge Slomsky in October 2025 to six years in prison.

This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency and the Abington Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Brown.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Cristian Geovanni Rojas Benitez, 37, a Mexican national who overstayed his visa and remained illegally in the United States, was sentenced today to 14 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with an officer of the United States, while using a deadly or dangerous weapon — specifically, a motor vehicle — while the officer was engaged in the performance of official duties.

Rojas Benitez was charged by indictment in August of last year and pleaded guilty in October. During his plea hearing, the defendant admitted that he intentionally drove his pickup truck in the direction of a federal agent.

As detailed in court filings and statements, on the morning of June 23, 2025, that Homeland Security Investigations ("HSI") agent and other federal officers were attempting to locate Rojas Benitez and take him into administrative custody after he had violated conditions of his immigration release, including a 2024 conviction in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas for false identification to law enforcement, operating a vehicle without ignition interlock, knowing and intentional possession of a controlled substance, and driving an unregistered vehicle.

Based on information they had received, the federal officers surveilled a residence in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. At approximately 8:30 a.m., a man matching the description and photograph of Rojas Benitez exited the residence and got into a pickup truck. When the defendant started to drive away, the federal officers quickly conducted a vehicle stop.

Rojas Benitez did not comply with the federal officers’ commands to get out of the vehicle or roll down his window. During this encounter, the HSI agent moved to the front of the vehicle to maintain visibility of the driver. The law enforcement officers told Rojas Benitez that if he did not comply, his window would be broken, and when Rojas Benitez continued not to comply after multiple warnings, one of the federal officers broke the rear driver’s side window of the truck.

The defendant then put the vehicle in drive and drove over the sidewalk in the direction of the HSI agent, who had to push off the truck with his hand and jump out of way to avoid being struck. The defendant also narrowly avoided hitting a passing school bus.

Rojas Benitez then fled the state and was ultimately located by the U.S. Marshals Service on July 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

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

The case was investigated by HSI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Carlian Gonzalez, 36, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 188 months in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Kai N. Scott for possession of a firearm by a felon.

The defendant was charged by indictment in June 2024 and pleaded guilty last November.

As detailed in court filings and statements, on September 14, 2023, Gonzalez robbed a victim of his cell phone on a sidewalk in North Philadelphia, pointing a gun to his head and demanding he turn over his phone. Shortly after the robbery, the victim stopped police officers patrolling the area and informed them that Gonzalez had robbed him and was armed with a gun.

The officers followed behind Gonzalez and activated their lights and sirens, in an attempt to stop him. Video footage shows Gonzalez dismount the bicycle he was riding, raise his arm, and fire several shots at the police vehicle. One officer returned fire and hit Gonzalez in the ankle, causing Gonzalez to fall and drop his gun, which the defendant knew that he was not permitted to possess, due to his status as a convicted felon.

This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Osborne.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Kristian Jackson, 20, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 102 months’ imprisonment, a five-year term of supervised release, and restitution of $7,400 by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez for committing an armed carjacking in West Philadelphia in September 2024.

Jackson and co-defendants Legend Hall, 20, also of Philadelphia, and Jalaal Claitt, 20, of Atlanta, Georgia, were charged by superseding indictment in April of last year.[1] Jackson pleaded guilty in October to one count of carjacking and one count of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

As detailed in court filings and statements, on September 17, 2024, Victim #1 parked on the 300 block of 62nd Street in Philadelphia and reported being immediately approached by three males, later identified by investigators as Hall, Jackson, and Claitt.

One of the defendants asked Victim #1 to drive them somewhere. When Victim #1 refused, two of the males took out handguns and told Victim #1 to get out of the car. The three males then got into Victim #1’s black Chevy Malibu and drove off with Victim #1’s iPhone 14 and approximately $500 that was in the car.

Last week, Claitt pleaded guilty to two counts of carjacking and one count of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; Hall pleaded guilty to the same counts last July. They will be sentenced at a later date, and both face a maximum possible sentence of life in prison, with a mandatory minimum term of seven years’ imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert and Special Assistant United States Attorney Samantha A. Arena.

[1] In addition, Claitt and Hall were charged with an October 2024 carjacking in Upper Darby, Pa.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Samuel D. Marcus, 33, of Oreland, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, six counts of illegal monetary transactions, and one count of money laundering – illegal concealment, arising from his alleged role as a money mule for a group of Nigerian-based scammers, in which he received, concealed, and laundered millions of dollars in fraud proceeds.

The indictment alleges that, from approximately July 2023 to December 2025, while employed as a Logistics Specialist with the Department of Defense, the defendant was in direct and regular contact with a group of Nigeria-based fraudsters, who operated under the aliases “Rachel Jude” and “Ned McMurray,” among others. These fraudsters engaged in a variety of wire fraud schemes that targeted victims based in the United States, including romance fraud, cyber fraud, tax fraud, financing fraud, and business email compromise schemes, to which victims lost millions of dollars.

The fraudsters employed a network of money mules in the United States to help launder the fraud proceeds, and instructed victims to transfer funds to financial accounts opened and operated by various money mules, including those controlled by Marcus.

The indictment alleges that, under the direction of fraudsters, the defendant and other money mules conducted a series of rapid financial transactions to convert fraud victim funds deposited into their accounts into cryptocurrency and to move those funds into foreign accounts. Marcus personally deposited and transferred millions of dollars of fraudulently obtained money into and through his personal and business accounts, while fully aware that “Rachel Jude” and “Ned McMurray” were scammers who carried out sophisticated fraud schemes. Marcus also affirmatively misled and lied to his financial institutions and law enforcement officers about the laundered funds, to include sending fraudulent invoices to make the transactions appear legitimate.

In fact, the indictment alleges that the defendant continued to work as a money mule for the fraudsters after being informed by FBI agents that the money passing through his accounts had been stolen from other people and that his monetary transfers were consistent with money laundering.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 100 years’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and a $2 million fine.

The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samuel S. Dalke.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Richard Pridgen, 20, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 214 months’ imprisonment, five years’ supervised release, and $11,709.82 in restitution by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez for committing two carjackings in the city just days apart.

The defendant was charged by superseding indictment in August 2024 and pleaded guilty in October of last year to two counts of carjacking and two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

As detailed in court filings and statements, the first carjacking was on July 3, 2023, when Pridgen carjacked a victim, who had been sitting in his parked blue Jeep, at gunpoint. Pridgen had at least one co-conspirator who drove him there in a separate vehicle.

Then, on July 6, 2023, Pridgen and two co-defendants, Raheem Bivens and Raheim Brown, used the first victim’s blue Jeep to carjack a second victim of his white Jeep. Pridgen and Bivens both pointed firearms with extended magazines at the victim, demanding the car and keys. Pridgen and Bivens then fled in the second victim’s white Jeep, with Bivens behind the wheel.

Philadelphia police located both Jeeps quickly and pursued all three men. Bivens crashed the white Jeep into several other cars, and Brown, who was driving the blue Jeep, crashed into another car. All the men ran, but all were apprehended, and police recovered both guns. Pridgen had the second victim’s identification on him when he was apprehended.

Pridgen carried out these carjackings right after his release from juvenile state custody for committing several violent gunpoint commercial robberies in 2021.

Co-defendants Bivens, 22, and Brown, 25, both also of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty in 2024 to one count of carjacking and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. They were each sentenced to 14 years in prison and five years of supervised release, with Bivens also ordered to pay $11,709.82 in restitution.

This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Shulman and Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Bowerman.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Walter Tharrington, aka “Black” and “Roaadblock,” 32, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 192 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky for sex trafficking and child pornography offenses.

Tharrington was charged by indictment in August 2024. In April of last year, he was convicted at trial of sex trafficking of a minor and possession of child pornography.

As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, in or about the summer of 2023, the defendant asked Minor 1, then 14 years old, to help him make money. In order to do so, Tharrington directed Minor 1 to engage in commercial sex, with the defendant facilitating the commercial sex by soliciting customers through online advertisements.

Tharrington used his cellular phone to post explicit content of Minor 1 to accompany the online advertisements. The defendant set the prices for the encounters and instructed Minor 1 on what sexual acts to perform in exchange for money.

At the defendant’s direction, Minor 1 engaged in sexual encounters with buyers. The evidence established that Tharrington kept and controlled the profits from the encounters, while providing shelter for Minor 1, who lived at Tharrington’s house during the summer of 2023.

Tharrington physically assaulted Minor 1 on multiple occasions. Minor 1’s injuries were observed by another minor female, who corroborated Minor 1’s account and confirmed that the defendant had solicited her to work for him, as well.

“Walter Tharrington sexually exploited a child for his own profit, actions both inhumane and inexcusable,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “While it’s gratifying that Tharrington will be behind bars for quite a while, no sentence can erase the harm he inflicted on his victim. We hope this result provides her not just a measure of justice, but also gives her some peace. We know that it will keep Tharrington from victimizing any more young girls.”

“Sex trafficking, especially when it involves a child, is one of the most egregious crimes the FBI investigates,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Field Office. “This sentencing sends a clear message: the FBI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue those who prey on our most vulnerable and ensure they are brought to justice.”

“The sentencing of Walter Tharrington is an important step in holding traffickers accountable, but it does not erase the harm done,” said Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse. “Sex trafficking, especially of minors, is a monstrous crime and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold each and every participant accountable for their actions. I want to thank U.S. Attorney Metcalf and his team for their diligence and unfailing cooperation. Delaware County is fortunate to be able to call them partners as we all work to protect our children.”

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.

This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Ashenfelter and Amanda McCool.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Cihan Calkap, 42, of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Kai N. Scott on one count of tax evasion.

As detailed in court filings and statements, Calkap owned and operated Mimmo’s Pizza and Kitchen, a Philadelphia restaurant. Between 2015 and 2019, Mimmo’s earned significant total income and employed approximately 25 employees. Rather than depositing all of the receipts into business bank accounts, Calkap took cash from the business. He used this cash to pay himself and to operate an “off the books” payroll for most of his employees.

Calkap avoided paying taxes on this money by providing his accountant with incomplete information about the restaurant’s income and expenses. In particular, Calkap gave his return preparer access only to the business’s bank records, knowing that those records did not include all of the cash income. This caused the accountant to prepare false corporate and personal income tax returns on behalf of Mimmo’s and Calkap that were filed with the IRS. From 2015 to 2018, Calkap underreported Mimmo’s total receipts.

Calkap also falsely told his return preparer that Mimmo’s only had four employees, including himself, when in reality it had approximately 25 employees. As a result, Calkap was able to minimize the employment taxes he collected and paid over to the IRS on behalf of Mimmo’s.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on May 14 and faces a maximum possible term of five years in prison.

The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant Deputy Chief Thomas F. Koelbl and Trial Attorney Likhitha Butchireddygari of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Tax Section, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Murray of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that five foreign nationals convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this month.

Roberto Garcia-Antonio, aka Angel Rondon and Roberto Sandoval-Antonio, 49, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage to 18 months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States once again.

Garcia was previously removed from the country five times, and this is his fifth illegal reentry conviction. He was previously prosecuted twice in this District (May 2011 and March 2015) and twice in the Southern District of Texas (January 2013 and November 2016).

In January 2025, law enforcement encountered Garcia while executing a state search warrant at a home in Philadelphia and he was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Garcia was charged by indictment with illegal reentry last May and pleaded guilty in October.

Ricardo Henriquez Carmona, aka Dario Henriquez, 55, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge to 14 months in prison and one year of supervised release for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.

Henriquez Carmona had previously been removed from the U.S. in the summer of 1997, after pleading guilty to a narcotics offense in the Superior Court of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The defendant subsequently reentered the U.S. illegally and had a string of encounters with law enforcement, accruing convictions, under aliases, for selling drugs, stealing property, resisting arrest, trespassing, and committing aggravated assault.

Henriquez Carmona was arrested on a criminal complaint in June of last year, after ICE learned that he’d again entered the country illegally. He was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in July and pleaded guilty in October.

Magdaleno Ochoa-Avalos, 42, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mia Roberts Perez to 12 months and one day in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States for the sixth time.

Ochoa-Avalos had previously been removed from the U.S. in May 2008, after pleading guilty in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas to homicide by vehicle and serving his resulting prison sentence. He was removed three times in August 2008, after encounters with the U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona, and again in August 2020, following his illegal reentry conviction in the District of South Carolina.

In early 2025, ICE received information that Ochoa-Avalos was again in the U.S. illegally. After conducting surveillance to ascertain the defendant’s identity and location, he was arrested in June on a criminal complaint, charged by indictment with illegal reentry in July, and pleaded guilty in September.

Luis Urrutia-Noyola, 33, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gerald A. McHugh to time served, approximately four months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.

Urrutia-Noyola had previously been removed from the U.S. in April 2018 after an encounter with the U.S. Border Patrol in California.

In March of last year, ICE became aware that the defendant had been arrested by the Oxford (Pa.) Police Department for striking and threatening his domestic partner, and Urrutia-Noyola was then convicted and sentenced in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas. After ICE arrested him in August on a criminal complaint, he was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in September and pleaded guilty in October.

Diego Jacome-Esquibel, 51, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer to time served, approximately three and a half months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.

Jacome-Esquibel had previously been removed from the U.S. in March 2012 and April 2012, after encounters with the Border Patrol in Texas and Arizona.

Last year, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) learned that the defendant had once again illegally reentered the country. Jacome-Esquibel was arrested on a criminal complaint in October, charged by indictment with illegal reentry in November, and pleaded guilty this month.

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

The cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and HSI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kwambina Coker, Eileen Castilla Geiger, S. Chandler Harris, Justin Ashenfelter, and Jessica Rice.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that John Frances “Jack” Griffin, 62, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney for wire fraud and tax evasion. Judge Kenney also ordered Griffin to pay $899,948 in restitution — $776,205 of that going to the victims of the fraud and the remaining $123,743 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).

As detailed in court filings and statements, Griffin was the principal and founder of Second Story Farming Inc., which did business as Metropolis Farms. Second Story Farming had several lines of business, including growing crops in vertical farms to sell to customers, developing sustainable vertical farming technologies, and selling vertical farming systems to customers. Vertical farming refers to a practice of growing crops indoors vertically in horizontally stacked layers to reduce the amount of space needed.

In 2017, Griffin, through Second Story Farming, sold vertical farming systems along with the equipment, supplies, materials, and operational instructions necessary to operate them, to two companies. Before doing so, Griffin provided financial projections to them that grossly overstated the anticipated revenues that could be generated by the vertical farms and grossly understated the anticipated expenses necessary to operate them. The purchasers relied on those projections when they bought the vertical farms from Griffin.

Rather than use those funds to provide them with vertical farms he promised, Griffin used most of the money to pay, among other things, his own personal expenses, such as his mortgage and clothes from Nieman Marcus.

From 2015 through 2018, Griffin received more than $650,000 in income from his work at Second Story Farming. Despite earning this income, Griffin did not file tax returns for any of those years. Instead, Griffin tried to conceal that he received income, by, among other things, withdrawing cash from his personal and business bank accounts, paying personal expense from his business’s bank accounts, and transferring funds from his business to his wife.

This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Francis Weber and Trial Attorney Catriona M. Coppler of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Tax Section.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jasmine Williams, 34, of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to five years in prison by United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge for a scheme to defraud the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) in the wake of Hurricane Ida.

Williams was charged by indictment in April 2024 with one count of fraud related to a major disaster declaration, 24 counts of wire fraud, and seven counts of mail fraud. She pleaded guilty to all 32 charges in September of last year.

As presented in court filings, in September 2021, President Joseph R. Biden issued a major disaster declaration for much of the eastern part of Pennsylvania, after the remnants of Hurricane Ida struck the Commonwealth. This declaration authorized FEMA to provide financial assistance to residents whose homes and properties were damaged by the hurricane.

As further detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, Williams recruited others over social media, advertising that she could assist them in applying for FEMA benefits. Court filings show that Williams solicited participants in her scheme, whether they were renters, owners, or homeless. Williams then submitted fraudulent documents to FEMA on behalf of almost 200 others, including fraudulent leases, letters from landlords, utility bills, earning statements, and home repair estimates.

In exchange, Williams requested half of the payout for herself, amassing hundreds of thousands of dollars. When one participant did not pay, Williams took to social media, posting the participant’s personally identifiable information and an extended video criticizing her for not paying the 50% Williams charged. Williams also used social media to solicit images of damaged homes to submit in support of the fraudulent applications.

In total, the Court determined that FEMA paid $1,744,982.64 in assistance based on false representations made by Williams from October 2021 through March 2023.

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, with assistance from FEMA Fraud Prevention and Investigations, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Mandelbaum and S. Chandler Harris.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ibrahim Tougouma, 24, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Tyler Glenn-Hayward, 21, of Pennsauken, New Jersey, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to steal government funds, two counts of bank fraud, and possession of stolen mail. Glenn-Hayward was also charged with four counts of theft of government funds.

The indictment alleges that, from about May 2024 to August 2024, the defendants conspired, together and with others, to steal and convert to their own use Treasury checks issued by the federal government, to which Tougouma and Glenn-Hayward knew they were not entitled.

It was part of the conspiracy, the indictment further alleges, that after coming into possession of stolen Treasury checks, Glenn-Hayward altered and counterfeited the stolen checks, including at Tougouma’s direction, and received payments from Tougouma through peer-to-peer payment apps for doing so.

Specifically, on or about May 24, 2024, the indictment alleges that Tougouma, using a messaging app, sent Glenn-Hayward a photograph of a stolen Treasury check (“Check #1”), which had been issued by the Social Security Administration for victim M.O. in the amount of $15,926.25. Tougouma asked Glenn-Hayward to alter the payee information and provide a counterfeit of the valid Treasury check with the altered payee information for Check #1.

Glenn-Hayward agreed to do so, stated his price, and, once Tougouma had paid him the $100, he produced and sent to Tougouma two .pdf files of the counterfeit Treasury check for Check #1, with the payee information altered as Tougouma had directed. On or about May 29, 2024, Tougouma caused the counterfeit Treasury check for Check #1 to be deposited at a financial institution via an ATM located in Wilmington, Delaware.

The indictment further alleges that, on or about July 11, 2024, defendants Tougouma and Glenn-Hayward exchanged messages discussing the resale of Treasury checks and how to deposit the checks themselves. Glenn-Hayward directed Tougouma to send him a photo of a stolen Treasury check, and Tougouma sent an image of a stolen Treasury check issued by the Internal Revenue Service for victim G.M. in the amount of $173,194 (“Check #2”).

Glenn-Hayward altered the payee information on Check #2, copying the rest of the check’s information. On or about July 12, 2024, Glenn-Hayward caused the counterfeit Treasury check for Check #2 to be deposited at a financial institution via an ATM located in Annapolis, Maryland.

Additionally, the indictment alleges that, in April 2024, Glenn-Hayward stole and deposited four U.S. Treasury checks totaling more than $6,000 in government benefits to which he knew he wasn’t entitled.

If convicted, Tougouma faces a maximum possible sentence of 70 years’ imprisonment and Glenn-Hayward faces a maximum possible sentence of 110 years’ imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Indictment - U.S. v. Tougouma, et al

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Fatima DeMaria, 65, of Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, was charged by superseding indictment with eight counts of asylum fraud, eight counts of mail fraud, and four counts of tax evasion. DeMaria was the owner and operator of Immigration Matters Legal Services, located in Oxford, Pa.

The superseding indictment alleges that the defendant falsely represented herself to clients and prospective clients as an immigration attorney who could help undocumented aliens obtain employment authorization or “work permits.” However, DeMaria was neither a licensed attorney, nor accredited or authorized by the Executive Office for Immigration Review to represent individuals in immigration proceedings.

As alleged, from at least December 2021 to July 2024, DeMaria prepared, and caused to be prepared, fraudulent Form I-589 asylum applications in her clients’ names, without their knowledge or consent, knowingly making, and aiding and abetting the making of, false and material misstatements in the I-589 asylum applications.

For example, the defendant caused to be stated on each asylum application that the applicant was “seeking asylum or withholding of removal” based on “political opinion” and “Torture Convention.” Her clients, however, were not seeking asylum based on either of these categories, and never informed DeMaria or anyone at Immigration Matters Legal Services of facts that could make them eligible for asylum under either of these categories.

According to the superseding indictment, DeMaria placed, and caused to be placed, her clients’ signatures on the Form I-589 asylum applications, certifying under penalty of perjury that the applications and supporting evidence were true and correct, again without her clients’ knowledge or consent.

The superseding indictment further alleges that the defendant, and those acting at her direction, failed to advise clients that the mechanism through which she would help them obtain work permits from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) was by filing frivolous Form I-589 asylum applications. Nor did the defendant advise clients that, if the asylum applications filed on their behalf were rejected or referred by USCIS, it would result in their being placed in removal proceedings, at which point the filing of the baseless asylum application could jeopardize their eligibility for future immigration benefits.

According to the superseding indictment, DeMaria charged her clients approximately $6,000-$9,000 per individual, and $12,000-$15,000 per couple, for her purported legal services in conjunction with their applications. As alleged in the superseding indictment, she also frequently had her clients pay her in cash or peer-to-peer transactions that were deposited into her personal bank accounts, hundreds of thousands of dollars of which were withdrawn at casinos.

Finally, the superseding indictment alleges that the defendant willfully attempted to evade and defeat a large part of her income tax due and owing by her and her husband to the United States of America for calendar years 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 through various means, including the failure to report substantial business income from Immigration Matters Legal Services in Internal Revenue Service (IRS) filings; deposits of significant amounts of business funds, consisting of lmmigration Matters Legal Services’ gross receipts, into DeMaria’s personal bank accounts; and concealing amounts of DeMaria’s true and correct income, and the frequency with which she deposited money, by structuring cash deposits into her personal and business bank accounts.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 260 years’ imprisonment and a $5 million fine. The government is also seeking forfeiture of the defendant’s alleged ill-gotten earnings, which are alleged to be at least $1 million.

This case is being investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation. USCIS, the Diplomatic Security Service, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service provided assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Solow and Eileen Castilla Geiger.

The charges and allegations contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Superseding Indictment - U.S. v. DeMaria

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Damon Bell, 32, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 102 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $14,711.27 in restitution by United States District Judge Mia Roberts Perez for carrying out a carjacking in April 2024.

Bell was charged by indictment with one count of carjacking in October 2024 and pleaded guilty in July of last year.

As detailed in the indictment and other public filings, on April 15, 2024, at approximately 3:20 a.m., the victim was sitting in his car in a surface parking lot at 13th and Vine streets in Center City Philadelphia. The defendant and three other individuals approached the victim, displayed guns, and demanded his keys. The victim tried to drive away, but the offenders’ vehicle blocked him into a spot.

When the victim then heeded the carjackers’ demands and got out of his car, they pistol-whipped him repeatedly in the head. At that point, the victim managed to escape the area on foot. Bell and his co-conspirators split up among the two vehicles, leaving the scene in the victim’s car and the one they had arrived in.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Osborne.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Tiriq Henson, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to nine days’ incarceration, followed by two years of supervised release, by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for helping another person bypass airport security at the Philadelphia International Airport.

In September of last year, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of entering an airport area in violation of security requirements.

As detailed in court filings, on March 9, 2024, Henson, then employed as a wheelchair assistant at Philadelphia’s airport, aided and abetted the entry of his associate, David Easley, into a secure airport area, permitting Easley to use the defendant’s security badge and credentials to bypass airport security entirely and gain access to the boarding area reserved for screened passengers.

Easley pleaded guilty to the same offense in July of last year and was also sentenced to a term of imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the FBI, with significant assistance from the Transportation Security Administration and the Philadelphia Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya De Souza.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Victor Milbourne, 52, of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison, three years of supervised release, $241,690 in restitution, a $20,000 fine, and a $1,000 special assessment by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond for defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) out of approximately $241,260 in benefits.

The defendant was charged by indictment in August 2022 and pleaded guilty in September of last year to 10 counts of theft of government funds.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from December 1, 2013, through December 1, 2022, Milbourne knowingly defrauded the VA by claiming that he was severely disabled and unable to work due to service-connected injuries, in order to receive disability benefits to which he was not entitled.

In reality, the defendant led a very active lifestyle, including international travel, running his own business, and doing intensive physical workouts multiple times a week. Milbourne used the funds he stole from the VA to support his preferred lifestyle, including frequent dinners out and luxury vacations.

This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura Bradbury and Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Scicchitano and MaryTeresa Soltis.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Henry Ford, also known as Cleothus “Lefty” Jackson, 51, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, was sentenced today to 66 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $2,095,480 in restitution by United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky, for defrauding investors out of approximately $5 million.

Ford was charged by indictment in March 2023 and pleaded guilty in May of last year to one count of securities fraud and seven counts of wire fraud.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Ford founded and operated a business named Fallcatcher, the stated goal of which was to develop and market an electronic system designed to track use of medication by addiction recovery patients to prevent relapse.

In May 2018, Ford was seeking additional investors in Fallcatcher, which had been running out of funding. At this time, Ford used an acquaintance in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania who had access to a network of investors to raise funds from these investors. Ford provided his acquaintance false and misleading information about the Fallcatcher investment proposal, so that the acquaintance would agree to send the information to his investor network.

Additionally, Ford made presentations in person to potential investors, who were part of this acquaintance’s network, at locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. During these presentations, Ford made false and misleading statements regarding the proposed investment opportunity and showed investors a fraudulent letter of interest, which falsely stated that a major insurance company had agreed to conduct a pilot program using Fallcatcher’s system. Ford caused his acquaintance to distribute further false and misleading statements after these presentations.

As a result of these deceptive fundraising efforts, Ford caused approximately 60 investors to invest about $5 million in total in Fallcatcher.

In 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) began to investigate Ford’s acquaintance, which resulted in a request for documents from Fallcatcher. During the SEC investigation, in the fall of 2018 and the first half of 2019, Ford took various actions to conceal his fraud upon the investors in Fallcatcher. For example, Ford, through his counsel, produced to the SEC an email purporting to show that the fraudulent letter of interest described above was legitimate. In fact, the email produced to the SEC, like the letter of interest, was also shown to be false and fabricated.

This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Murray and Francis A. Weber. The SEC’s New York Regional Office investigated and litigated the civil securities fraud charges, which formed the basis of a portion of the criminal prosecution.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Isaiah Smith, 19, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Mary Kay Costello on possession of child pornography.

As detailed in the indictment and admitted to by the defendant, Smith maintained a collection of child pornography images and videos of prepubescent minors, including videos that the defendant recorded as he sexually abused two different child victims: a six-year-old girl, and a nonverbal three-year-old boy, on multiple occasions. The child sexual abuse material was discovered after a friend of the defendant walked in on Smith orally raping one of the child victims.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6 and faces a maximum possible term of 20 years’ imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of five years up to lifetime supervised release, mandatory financial penalties, and mandatory registration as a sex offender under SORNA and Megan’s Law.

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 the Philadelphia Police Department’s Special Victims Unit and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.

PHILADELPHIA – At a news conference this morning, United States Attorney David Metcalf announced charges against 26 people in connection with an alleged bribery and point-shaving scheme to fix NCAA Division I men’s basketball games and Chinese Basketball Association games.

U.S. Attorney Metcalf discussed the case alongside FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey and FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs.

“The stakes here are far higher than anything on a bet slip. The criminal charges we have filed allege the criminal corruption of collegiate athletics through an international conspiracy of NCAA players, alumni, and professional bettors,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “It’s also yet another blow to public confidence in the integrity of sport, which rests on the fundamental principles of fairness, honesty, and respect for the rules of competition. When criminal acts threaten to corrupt such a central institution of American life, the Department of Justice won’t hesitate to step in.”

“Over the past two years, the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office led an investigation into a point-shaving and sports-bribery conspiracy resulting in the indictments announced today,” said FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey. “This case reflects the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting the American people and the institutions they trust. I am proud of the outstanding work of the FBI teams involved in the case. To those who choose corruption and betrayal: we will find you, we will investigate you, and we will hold you accountable.”

“Today’s arrests and charges would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our agents, analysts, and professional staff whose expertise, persistence, and commitment to justice over the past two years were the driving force behind this investigation,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Let this be a clear warning to professional and collegiate athletes, and to anyone who seeks to manipulate them — there is nowhere to hide — the short-term gain will never be worth the long-term loss.”

As alleged in an indictment and other filings unsealed this morning, the scheme was led by “fixers” Jalen Smith, 30, of Charlotte, North Carolina; Marves Fairley, 40, of Carson, Mississippi; Shane Hennen, 40, of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Antonio Blakeney, 29, of Kissimmee, Florida; Roderick Winkler, 31, of Little Rock, Arkansas; and Alberto Laureano, 24, of Bronx, New York.

The indictment alleges that, beginning in or about September 2022, a group of individuals, including defendants Fairley and Hennen, worked together to recruit and bribe players to help influence or “fix” Chinese Basketball Association (“CBA”) men’s basketball games through point shaving. The fixers, including Fairley and Hennen, bribed CBA players to underperform and help ensure their team failed to cover the spread in certain games and then arranged for large wagers to be placed on those games against that team.

During the 2022-2023 CBA season, the indictment further alleges, the fixers, including Fairley and Hennen, recruited defendant Blakeney, then a player on the CBA’s Jiangsu Dragons (“Jiangsu”) and one of the league’s leading scorers, for their point-shaving scheme. Blakeney agreed to participate in the scheme and then recruited other players from his team to join the scheme, working together with the fixers to influence the outcome of Jiangsu games.

In or about April 2023, at the conclusion of the CBA regular season, the indictment alleges that defendant Fairley left a package containing nearly $200,000 in cash, representing bribe payments and proceeds from the scheme, in Blakeney’s storage unit in Florida.

The indictment further alleges that, after profiting on the fixed CBA games, the fixers, including Fairley and Hennen, along with Blakeney, turned their attention to fixing NCAA men’s basketball games. The three men enlisted additional participants, including defendants Smith, Winkler, and Laureano, to help them operate this scheme and recruit NCAA players who would accept bribes to influence games.

As alleged, during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 NCAA men’s basketball seasons, the fixers, including defendants Smith, Fairley, Hennen, Winkler, Laureano, and Blakeney agreed to recruit NCAA players who would help ensure that their team failed to cover the spread of the first half of a game or an entire game. The fixers would then place wagers on those games, betting against the team whose player or players they had bribed to engage in this point-shaving scheme.

Defendants Smith, Fairley, Hennen, Winkler, Laureano, and Blakeney approached and communicated with NCAA basketball players, in person and through social media, text message communications, and cellular telephone calls, the indictment alleges, with the fixers offering the players bribe payments, usually ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game, to participate in the scheme.

The indictment alleges that the fixers specifically targeted college players for whom the bribe payments would meaningfully supplement, or exceed, the student-athletes’ legitimate opportunities for “Name-Image-Likeness” compensation. The fixers also generally targeted for their scheme players on teams that were underdogs in games and sought to have them fail to cover the spreads in those games. Many of these players accepted the offers and agreed to help fix specific games so that the fixers would win their wagers.

The indictment alleges that the defendant fixers engaged in a point-shaving scheme involving, in total, more than 39 players on more than 17 different NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams who then fixed and attempted to fix more than 29 NCAA games. To capitalize on this scheme, the fixers made wagers totaling millions of dollars, generating substantial proceeds for the fixers and the players who collectively received hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribe payments for fixing their teams’ basketball games. When the fixers were successful with their wagers on fixed games, the indictment further alleges, defendant Smith and other co-schemers traveled to NCAA campuses and made cash bribe payments to the players who had agreed to participate in the point-shaving scheme.

A list of all defendants and the charges against them is linked below.

If convicted on a bribery in sporting contests charge, the maximum possible sentence a defendant would face is five years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud brings a maximum possible sentence of 20 years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine, if convicted.

This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and Jerome M. Maiatico.

Anyone who believes they may have information about these crimes and would like to report the information is asked to call FBI Philadelphia at 215-418-4000 and reference “NCAA point-shaving.”

Mr. Metcalf also thanked the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI’s New York Field Office for their valuable assistance with the investigation.

The charges and allegations contained in the charging documents are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Defendants chart

Indictment - U.S. v. J. Smith et al

Information - U.S. v. Blakeney

Information - U.S. v. Adams

Information - U.S. v. Etienne

Information - U.S. v. Gray

Information - U.S. v. Hines

Information - U.S. v. D. Smith

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that All Veterinary Supply, Inc. (AVS) of Doral, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of introduction and delivery of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce and was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark A. Kearney to three years of probation, an $18,000 fine, and forfeiture of $748,507.25, the company’s approximate gross profit from the illicit sales.

AVS was charged by information in August of last year, arising from its illegal distribution of xylazine outside the scope of its state permit, which did not permit the company to sell drugs to other wholesalers.

While xylazine was only approved for veterinary use in the United States, it was increasingly found in the illegal drug supply and linked to overdose deaths. The drug, colloquially known as “tranq,” is particularly dangerous when combined with fentanyl, but even on its own has harmful side effects, including soft tissue necrosis for users who inject the drug.

As detailed in the government’s court filings, AVS sold approximately 180,993 bottles to its two primary wholesaling customers in Puerto Rico, in violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, including xylazine that ultimately ended up in the illicit drug supply in Philadelphia.

This case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony D. Scicchitano and Bryan C. Hughes, with Department of Justice Trial Attorneys Steven R. Scott and Brett Ruff of the Civil Division’s Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch, former DOJ Trial Attorney Michael Wadden, and EDPA contract investigator Michael Sullivan.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Dante Shackleford, 26, and Mujahid Davis, 24, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were charged by superseding indictment in connection with multiple robberies and attempted robberies last year that targeted armored trucks.

Both defendants have been charged with four counts of robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery). Davis is also charged with two counts, and Shackleford with one count, of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

The superseding indictment alleges that they participated in the following crimes:

• the July 2, 2025, robbery of a Brinks truck in Philadelphia
  (Davis and others)
• the July 15, 2025, attempted robbery of a Brinks truck in Philadelphia
  (Shackleford, Davis, and others)
• the July 22, 2025, attempted robbery of a Brinks truck in Elkins Park, Pa. 
  (Shackleford and others)
• the August 12, 2025, robbery of a Brinks truck in Elkins Park, Pa.
  (Shackleford, Davis, and others)
• the October 3, 2025, attempted robbery of a Brinks truck in Philadelphia
  (Shackleford, Davis, and others)

If convicted, the defendants face maximum possible sentences of life imprisonment. Davis also faces a fine of $1,500,000 and Shackleford a fine of $1,250,000.

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

The investigation is being conducted jointly by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Eckert and Kwambina Coker.

The charges and allegations contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Abdullah Hartage, 28, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 18 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and $60,000 in restitution by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez for two violent home invasion robberies targeting business owners and employees.

Hartage and codefendant Ali Chandler were charged by superseding indictment in October 2022. Both pleaded guilty in October 2024 to conspiracy to commit robbery which interferes with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and two counts of committing or threatening physical violence in furtherance of a plan or purpose to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery. Chandler is still awaiting sentencing.

As detailed in court filings and statements, on November 13, 2021, Hartage, Chandler, and others met at their intended victims’ area business and waited outside until closing time, when the owners and their adult daughter left. The robbers, who had conducted prior surveillance to determine where the family lived, then drove to the residence, arriving before the victims.

When the victims opened their garage and parked inside, the four perpetrators, armed with handguns, stormed in. One of the gunmen struck the 61-year-old male victim several times in the head, causing injuries, and forced him to the ground. Another gunman forced the business owners’ daughter to the ground at gunpoint, and yet another perpetrator forced the 65-year-old female victim from the garage into the home at gunpoint, striking her several times in the head and causing injuries. After the home’s security alarm sounded, the perpetrators fled, taking the daughter’s backpack, which contained her credit/debit cards and ID.

In the next robbery, committed on December 4, 2021, Hartage, Chandler, and others targeted an employee of an area store. They had spent weeks casing the store, following the victim home and identifying her house. On the night of the robbery, the perpetrators again arrived ahead of the victim. Within minutes of the victim arriving home, three armed men broke in, one telling her “I know where you work.”

The 68-year-old victim was zip-tied to a chair and pistol whipped in the face, causing head injuries, including a gash requiring stitches and a concussion. The perpetrators made off with a safe containing cash, coins, and jewelry.

Hartage had served more than two years in state prison for previous violent home invasion robberies targeting business owners and was still on state probation when he planned and committed these 2021 home invasions.

This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Montgomery Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Doherty.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ronald Byrd, 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 22 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for his role in the armed carjacking of a FedEx truck in August of 2022 and related offenses.

Byrd and co-defendant Saikeen Dixon, 33, also of Philadelphia, were charged by superseding indictment in September 2023. In June of this year, both were convicted at trial of carjacking and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. In addition, Byrd was convicted at trial of attempted possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. After trial, Byrd also agreed to plead guilty to an additional firearms charge.

Judge Weilheimer sentenced Dixon last month to more than 12 years in prison.

As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, on August 9, 2022, a package was sent from “Karen Boothe” of “Caliber Consulting LLC” in Buena Park, California, to “Universal Medical Inc” at 3401 North Broad Street, Suite 101, in Philadelphia, which is the address for Temple Hospital.

A FedEx Express driver, J.H., was delivering packages to Temple Hospital on the morning of August 10, 2022. J.H. began receiving phone calls and text messages from a former FedEx Express employee, P.A., asking for a package addressed to “Universal Medical Inc” at Temple Hospital.

After J.H. arrived at the Temple Hospital loading dock, P.A. met him there and asked him again for the package addressed to “Universal Medical Inc.” J.H. told P.A. he could not give him the package. P.A. continued asking for it, even offering J.H. $5,000 in exchange. J.H. refused and called his supervisors.

J.H.’s supervisors, R.J. and D.J., arrived at the Temple Hospital loading dock driving a FedEx van. They took the package P.A. was asking for onto their FedEx van, told J.H. to do his next round of deliveries at Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, which is right next to Temple Hospital.

D.J. saw a black Jeep Cherokee come out of the Temple Hospital loading dock and follow the FedEx truck. P.A. then approached D.J. and asked her if he could have the package that he had asked J.H. for; she told him that he could not.

After finishing his deliveries at Shriners, J.H. drove his FedEx truck south on Broad Street towards the FedEx distribution center at 3600 Grays Ferry Avenue, with D.J. and R.J. following behind in their FedEx van. The black Jeep Cherokee that D.J. had seen continued following J.H.’s FedEx delivery truck.

At a red light about a block from the FedEx facility, the black Jeep, driven by Dixon, pulled in front of the FedEx truck. Defendant Byrd got out of the passenger side of the Jeep, pointed a black semi-automatic pistol at J.H., and approached the driver’s side of the FedEx truck. J.H. jumped out of the passenger side door and ran into oncoming traffic, heading toward the FedEx facility.

Byrd climbed into the FedEx truck and drove westbound across the Grays Ferry Bridge before pulling over at 47th and Linmore in Southwest Philadelphia, with Dixon following him in the Jeep. Byrd tried to open the back of the FedEx truck but could not, so he abandoned the FedEx vehicle and got back into the Jeep, which fled the scene.

After the carjacking, a trained narcotics K9 alerted to the package that P.A. had been asking for and investigators obtained a search warrant. Inside were nine individual packages wrapped in plastic and labeled “DSQUARED2,” each of which weighed approximately one kilogram and field-tested positive for cocaine. Lab testing later confirmed that the packages contained a total of approximately 9.005 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $500,000.

“The defendant was willing to get his shipment of cocaine by any means necessary, stalking and carjacking a FedEx truck at gunpoint on a busy Philly street,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “He did all of this in broad daylight — while on supervised release for a prior federal drug conviction. Ronald Byrd is clearly a danger to our community with zero regard for the law. This sentence both holds him accountable and makes the city safer.”

“This defendant’s conduct placed Philadelphia residents at risk,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Today’s result was made possible by the tireless efforts of the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department, the United States Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Together, we remain resolute in disrupting violent criminal activity, preventing further harm, and delivering justice for the victims and communities affected by violence.”

This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Bowerman.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mario Fernandez Nunez, 23, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison by United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney for drug trafficking and gun offenses.

The defendant was charged by superseding indictment in July 2024 and pleaded guilty in May of last year to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine; three counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a protected location.

As detailed in court filings and hearings, from November 2023 through February 2024, Nunez conspired with co-defendant Yercy Fernandez Salcedo and others to distribute fentanyl. Typically, Salcedo arranged drug sales over the phone and then sent defendant Nunez to meet the buyer with the narcotics and collect the money.

As part of the drug trafficking conspiracy, Salcedo arranged to have Nunez live at and manage the stash house, located on the 4700 block of Worth Street in Philadelphia. A federal search warrant executed at the property in February 2024 recovered six firearms, tens of thousands of packets of fentanyl, a kilogram of cocaine, packaging materials, and paraphernalia.

Salcedo pleaded guilty in July to drug trafficking and gun offenses and is awaiting sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shayna Gannone.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that four foreign nationals convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this month.

Juan Vargas Ramirez, aka Juan Vargas and Seferino Vargas-Ramirez, 30, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher to time served, approximately seven months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.

The defendant had previously been removed from the U.S. five times after encounters with U.S. immigration authorities: once in March 2014, twice in January 2015, and twice in October 2016.

In May of this year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that Vargas Ramirez had illegally reentered the U.S. and took him into custody. He was charged by federal indictment with illegal reentry in June and pleaded guilty in August.

Miguel Limon Ascencion, aka Miguel Limon, 42, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez to time served, approximately three months, plus seven days, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.

The defendant had previously been removed from the U.S. in April 2018, after being encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol near Brownsville, Texas.

ICE learned that Limon Ascension had been arrested in July of this year by the Norristown Police Department. He was charged by federal indictment with illegal reentry in September and pleaded guilty in October.

Jenfry Then Regalado, 29, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gerald A. McHugh to time served, approximately seven months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.

The defendant had previously been removed from the U.S. in July 2016, after an encounter that March with the U.S. Border Patrol in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.

ICE became aware that Then Regalado had illegally reentered the United States following his arrest by the Philadelphia Police Department on narcotics charges, to which he pleaded no contest in May of this year. In June, Then Regalado was charged by federal indictment with illegal reentry and pleaded guilty in September.

Kevin Arley Rosas-Pabon, 27, a Colombian national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage to time served, approximately four months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.

The defendant had previously been removed from the U.S. in late 2021, following an encounter with the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas.

In July of this year, ICE learned that he had reentered the U.S. illegally and frequented an address in Easton, Pa. Rosas-Pabon was taken into custody in August, charged by indictment with illegal reentry in October, and pleaded guilty the same month.

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

The cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Martin E. Howley Jr., Lindsey Mills, Maureen McCartney, and Rosalynda M. Michetti. 

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mary Blakley, 76, and Fred Blakley, 61, both of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Gerald A. McHugh to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and to defraud the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The defendants were charged by superseding indictment in June of this year, along with their business associate, Janmarie Lanzo, 66, also of Lake Havasu City. Lanzo pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of conspiracy to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and defraud the FDA.

Fred Blakley also pleaded guilty to an information charging him with possession of a firearm by a felon, after investigators seized more than 30 firearms and 30,000 rounds of ammunition from a garage he used. He had been previously convicted of federal charges for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.

As detailed in court filings, Mary Blakley, who described herself as “Doctor Mary,” and Fred Blakley were the principals of a medical clinic business that charged clients throughout the United States approximately $300 — usually in cash — for conducting what the defendants described as “full body scans” using an ultrasound machine. Lanzo worked in the clinics and sold products to clients that were recommended by Mary Blakley as a result of the scans.

The defendants falsely claimed that, through the deployment of “smart chip technology” supposedly invented by Mary Blakley and installed in conventional ultrasound machines, their “full body scans” could diagnose, treat, and cure a wide variety of human diseases and medical conditions, including cancers. Mary Blakley would claim to “activate” the “smart chip” or “light it up like a Christmas tree” to detect cancer cells. She would also claim to conduct non-invasive colonoscopies, measure immune system levels, and clean out scarring or toxins from the lungs or brainstem, among other feats. All of these claims were false.

Based on the results of these “full body scans,” the defendants falsely and fraudulently prescribed various supplements, creams, and veterinary products. The defendants promoted and sold Aetheion, a product marketed as a cosmetic cream, to treat cancer, gastric hernias, and various other conditions. In fact, Mary Blakley would claim to activate a “laser” on her ultrasound machine to “drive” Aetheion cream into a patient’s body to kill cancer cells.

The defendants also promoted and sold fenbendazole to treat cancer in humans. Fenbendazole is a veterinary antiparasitic (intended for deworming horses and other animals) that is not approved for use in humans; indeed, fenbendazole packaging even warns that it should not be used in animals intended for human consumption. In addition, the defendants promoted and sold ProArgi9+, a vitamin supplement, to treat cardiovascular disease and to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

To promote their clinics and gain the trust of potential clients, the defendants made various false and misleading claims touting Mary Blakley’s background and credentials. For instance, Mary claimed that she had obtained a Ph.D. from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. However, she never attended the Karolinska Institutet, and in fact, has never left the United States.

To conceal their scheme, the defendants falsely claimed they were only doing research, when they actually sold products and services and refused to keep any records or documentation; used coded language, avoiding terms like “diagnose” or “prescribe” and saying “bad cells” instead of “cancer”; and disguised the nature of the clinics as a private or religious organization, requiring clients to execute membership or confidentiality agreements.

The Blakleys are scheduled to be sentenced in April. Mary Blakley faces a maximum possible term of 25 years in prison. Fred Blakley faces up to 40 years in prison. Lanzo is scheduled to be sentenced in March and faces a maximum possible term of five years in prison.

This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency and the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Mandelbaum and Paul G. Shapiro and Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Bowerman.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Richard Adamsky, 66, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert on one count of receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

Adamsky was indicted in September of 2025, for knowingly receiving a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct on or about June 15, 2024. Additionally, Adamsky possessed two computers and two flash drives containing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. These depictions included prepubescent minors and minors under 12 years of age. At the time of his arrest, Adamsky had been a 7th and 8th grade teacher at Nativity of Our Lord grade school in Warminster, Pa., where he had taught for the last 38 years.

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 Fort Washington Resident Agency, the Warminster Township Police Department, Upper Merion Township Police Department, and Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maureen McCartney.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Alberto Cintron, aka “Bert” and “Nephew,” 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 234 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Judge John M. Younge for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.

The defendant was charged by indictment in May of 2024 and pleaded guilty this July to more than a dozen charges, including conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl; distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl within 1,000 feet of a school; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and possession of a firearm by a felon.

As detailed in court filings and statements, in July 2023, law enforcement learned that Cintron was the leader of a drug trafficking group (“DTG”) distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Montgomery County, Chester County, and Philadelphia areas. The investigation revealed a common pattern or method of conducting business, namely, the defendant would either direct his associate to deliver drugs to customers, or Cintron would deliver the controlled substances himself.

From approximately July 2023 through October 2023, the Cintron DTG distributed, or possessed with the intent to distribute, more than five kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 1,000 grams of fentanyl, and other controlled substances. Recovered during search warrants at both his residence in Philadelphia and drug stash houses that he maintained were over 5,500 individually packaged bags of fentanyl, several pounds of methamphetamine and multiple firearms that the defendant was legally prohibited from having.

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

The case was investigated by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Upper Merion Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Mills and Special Assistant United States Attorney and Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Kathleen McLaughlin.

PHILADELPHIA – The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.

“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes."

“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”

“My office and our partners at the FBI are working every day to unmask child predators, prosecute them to the fullest extent, and get justice for their victims,” said United States Attorney David Metcalf. “Protecting children from sexual exploitation will always be a top priority.”

“The men and women of FBI Philadelphia work every day to protect and support children across the communities we serve,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Operation Relentless Justice underscores our unwavering commitment to combatting child exploitation, one of the most heinous offenses we investigate. Alongside our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to pursue those who prey on our most vulnerable and bring them to justice.”

In the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, two defendants have been charged under Operation Relentless Justice.

Sean Gallagher, 31, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

Derek Weaver, 29, of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt of child pornography.

Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, Texas, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as well as a police officer from Raleigh, North Carolina, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.

As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.

This effort follows two other successful nationwide operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders.

The FBI's Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.

These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. attorneys’ offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/psc.

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

The charges and allegations contained in indictments and criminal complaints are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.