Eastern District of Pennsylvania

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

Kevin Emmanuel Rodriguez-Martinez, 32, a Honduran national, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Catherine Henry to time served, just over two months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.

Rodriguez-Martinez had been previously removed from the United States in September 2011 and November 2012, following encounters with the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) became aware in May of this year that Rodriguez-Martinez had unlawfully returned to the U.S. In June, HSI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers located the defendant in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and took him into custody. He was charged by information with illegal reentry the same month and pleaded guilty this week, waiving prosecution by indictment.

Osman Guevara-Guevara, 35, a Honduran national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. yesterday to time served, about two and a half months, for illegally reentering the United States. Having completed his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.

In February 2012, Guevara-Guevara was arrested by ICE near Seattle, Washington, and was removed to Honduras in April of that year. Following his removal, the defendant illegally re-entered the United States on an unknown date, was arrested in southern Texas by the U.S. Border Patrol in March 2013, and was removed from the country that April.

Earlier this year, ICE became aware that Guevara-Guevara had been arrested by the Phoenixville (Pa.) Police Department — after having entered the country without authorization a third time — and took him into custody in June. In July, he was charged by indictment with illegal reentry and pleaded guilty this week.

Jorge Miles, 30, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Kay Costello on Tuesday to eight months in prison for illegally reentering the United States. Upon the completion of his sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

Miles had previously been removed from the U.S. in March 2014, after he was arrested by the East Norriton Township (Pa.) Police Department and pleaded guilty to robbery. He reentered the country illegally on an unknown date.

In February of this year, ICE became aware that Miles had been arrested by the West Whiteland Township (Pa.) Police Department and took him into custody. In April, he was charged by indictment with illegal reentry and pleaded guilty in May.

Yobani Bonilla-Bonilla, aka Gilberto Perez Alvarado, 40, a Honduran national, was sentenced by Judge Henry on Monday to time served, almost two months, for illegally reentering the United States. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

Bonilla-Bonilla had previously been removed from the U.S. in June 2015, after he was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas. He reentered the country illegally on an unknown date.

In May of this year, ICE received information that the defendant was residing in Easton, Pennsylvania, and that there was an active arrest warrant for him in Honduras.

ICE located Bonilla-Bonilla and took him into custody in June, with the assistance of HSI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). He was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in July and pleaded guilty this week.

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. 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 cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, HSI, and the DEA and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rosalynda M. Michetti, Rebecca Kulik, and Shayna Gannone.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that ViaClean Technologies, LLC and its founder, James Young, 46, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, were charged by indictment with conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, mail fraud, and violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (“FIFRA”). Sean Storrie, 59, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was also charged with FIFRA violations.

Young and Storrie made their initial appearances in federal magistrate court in Philadelphia this afternoon. ViaClean Technologies, LLC will have its initial appearance on September 5.

The indictment alleges that ViaClean Technologies, LLC and Young conspired with others to sell registered pesticides using false and misleading claims about the products, knowingly misleading potential customers by claiming that the pesticide products, which were used to inhibit the growth of odor-causing and stain-causing bacteria, fungi (mold and mildew), and algae, were effective at killing the SARS-CoV-2 virus. All defendants are also charged with misdemeanor FIFRA violations for selling the pesticide products by making claims that differed from the approved master labels for the products.

The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division and the United States Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Abrams.

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 Xavier Peterson, 19, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, arising from an armed carjacking earlier this year.

Peterson was ordered detained in federal custody at a detention hearing this afternoon.

The indictment alleges that, on April 4, 2025, the defendant carjacked a couple at gunpoint, forcing them out of their vehicle, which he then stole.

As detailed in court filings, on the night of April 4, Victim 1 parked his Subaru Crosstrek in West Philadelphia, to drop off his girlfriend, Victim 2. A masked male approached the couple, pointed a handgun at them, and forced them out of the car. The carjacker then drove away from the scene.

Approximately 40 minutes after the carjacking, Victim 2 received a notification that her credit card, which had been in the Crosstrek, was used in Upper Darby, Pa. Law enforcement in Delaware County began searching for the carjacked vehicle.

About an hour after the carjacking, a Haverford police officer saw the stolen car speeding on West Chester Pike towards the Blue Route. When the officer proceeded to pull the vehicle over on Interstate 476, court filings allege, the defendant fled from the driver’s seat on foot, while the vehicle’s three passengers remained in the car. About five minutes after Peterson fled, officers found him hiding in the underbrush next to the highway, and subsequently located a loaded semiautomatic handgun lying nearby.

If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department, the Haverford Township Police Department, the Radnor Township Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Miller.

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.

Mark Tucci, 44, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before U.S. District Judge Gerald A. McHugh to multiple charges arising from racist, violent threats made by phone, email, text message, and in person, that targeted African Americans.

The defendant was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant in January of this year and charged by information in March with one count each of a threat to use a dangerous weapon, interfering with federally protected activities, cyberstalking, interstate communication of threats, and threats interfering with federally protected activities. Tucci pleaded guilty to all the charges.

As detailed in the information and other court filings, the defendant repeatedly called and sent text messages and emails that consisted of racial epithets and violent threats to harm an employee (Victim 1) of an agency of the City of Philadelphia (Philadelphia Agency 1), and Victim 1’s colleagues.

Between about April 18, 2024, and June 2, 2024, Tucci emailed Victim 1 multiple times regarding a records request he had made to the agency. This escalated on June 3, 2024, when he repeatedly called Philadelphia Agency 1, and during two of those calls, he spoke with Victim 1, identified himself by name, and screamed at Victim 1, who asked him to stop screaming. He continued to do so, causing Victim 1 to hang up each time.

During subsequent calls on June 3 with Philadelphia Agency 1, Tucci spoke with two of Victim 1’s colleagues, using racial epithets and making threats. Specifically, the defendant said that he was going to come down to Philadelphia Agency 1 the next day and hurt everyone, and that he had Victim 1’s home address and was going to hurt Victim 1.

Tucci sent multiple emails to Victim 1 the same day, using similar racial epithets and threats. He also texted Victim 1 on their personal cell phone, a phone number that Victim 1 had never provided to the defendant. The text messages from Tucci to Victim 1 mentioned Victim 1 by name, and the name of the street on which Victim 1 resided at the time. The messages included a warning that “This is personal now,” and additional threatening language.

Tucci’s communications caused Victim 1 severe emotional distress, and fear that Tucci would find Victim 1 and seriously injure or kill them or their family members.

Tucci willfully intimidated and interfered, and attempted to intimidate and interfere, with Victim 1 because of Victim 1’s race and color, and because Victim 1 was enjoying employment by, and all perquisites of, an agency of the City of Philadelphia, a subdivision of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Also detailed in court filings, on the morning of Feb. 1, 2024, Tucci pulled up next to another car in heavy traffic on I-95 southbound, lowered his windows, and repeatedly screamed racial epithets and threats to kill and shoot the other car’s driver (Victim 2), who is African American. Tucci then reached down into his car, pulled out a glass mug containing coffee, and threw it at Victim 2’s vehicle, terrifying Victim 2 and damaging their car.

The defendant will be sentenced in December of 2025 and faces a maximum penalty of 21 years in prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Jeanette Kang for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Samuel Kuhn of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mark Tucci, 44, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Gerald A. McHugh to multiple charges arising from racist, violent threats made by phone, email, text message, and in person, that targeted African Americans.

The defendant was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant in January of this year and charged by information in March with one count each of a threat to use a dangerous weapon, interfering with federally protected activities, cyberstalking, interstate communication of threats, and threats interfering with federally protected activities. Tucci pleaded guilty to all the charges.

As detailed in the information and other court filings, the defendant repeatedly called and sent text messages and emails that consisted of racial epithets and violent threats to harm an employee (Victim 1) of an agency of the City of Philadelphia (Philadelphia Agency 1), and Victim 1’s colleagues.

Between about April 18, 2024, and June 2, 2024, Tucci emailed Victim 1 multiple times regarding a records request he had made to the agency. This escalated on June 3, 2024, when he repeatedly called Philadelphia Agency 1, and during two of those calls, he spoke with Victim 1, identified himself by name, and screamed at Victim 1, who asked him to stop screaming. He continued to do so, causing Victim 1 to hang up each time.

During subsequent calls on June 3 with Philadelphia Agency 1, Tucci spoke with two of Victim 1’s colleagues, using racial epithets and making threats. Specifically, the defendant said that he was going to come down to Philadelphia Agency 1 the next day and hurt everyone, and that he had Victim 1’s home address and was going to hurt Victim 1.

Tucci sent multiple emails to Victim 1 the same day, using similar racial epithets and threats. He also texted Victim 1 on their personal cell phone, a phone number that Victim 1 had never provided to the defendant. The text messages from Tucci to Victim 1 mentioned Victim 1 by name, and the name of the street on which Victim 1 resided at the time. The messages included a warning that “This is personal now,” and additional threatening language.

Tucci’s communications caused Victim 1 severe emotional distress, and fear that Tucci would find Victim 1 and seriously injure or kill them or their family members.

Tucci willfully intimidated and interfered, and attempted to intimidate and interfere, with Victim 1 because of Victim 1’s race and color, and because Victim 1 was enjoying employment by, and all perquisites of, an agency of the City of Philadelphia, a subdivision of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Also detailed in court filings, on the morning of February 1, 2024, Tucci pulled up next to another car in heavy traffic on I-95 southbound, lowered his windows, and repeatedly screamed racial epithets and threats to kill and shoot the other car’s driver (Victim 2), who is African American. Tucci then reached down into his car, pulled out a glass mug containing coffee, and threw it at Victim 2’s vehicle, terrifying Victim 2 and damaging their car.

The incident occurred while Victim 2 was enjoying a facility provided and administered by a State and a subdivision thereof, that is, driving on I-95.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang and Trial Attorney Samuel Kuhn of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Rubiel Perez, 31, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release for carrying out an armed robbery spree in Lehigh County, Pa., in March of 2023.

Perez was charged by indictment in November 2023 and pleaded guilty in March of this year to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

As detailed in the indictment and admitted to by the defendant, on March 28, 2023, Perez entered a 7-Eleven convenience store on Union Boulevard in Allentown, pointed a handgun at a store employee, and stole $937 before fleeing.

The next night, the defendant targeted a 7-Eleven convenience store on South 4th Street in Allentown. He pointed a handgun at a store employee and threatened him, before stealing $150 from the store. Later that same night, the defendant entered a 7-Eleven on West Tilghman Street in South Whitehall Township and attempted to rob the store by pointing a firearm at the store employee and threatening him.

“Three times in two days, Rubiel Perez pointed his gun at store clerks and made them fear for their lives,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Prosecuting violent offenders is a priority for my office. We will not permit criminals to prey on the people in our communities.”

“In 25 hours, Rubiel Perez robbed three 7-Eleven stores, threatening the employees’ lives at gunpoint,” said Shannon Hamm, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “Stopping violent criminals who terrorize our communities like Perez is a primary ATF mission. Thanks to our agents’, detectives’, and prosecutors’ combined efforts, he is now going to federal prison where he will no longer endanger this town. Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to make Pennsylvania’s communities safer for all.”

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Allentown Police Department, and the South Whitehall Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert W. Schopf.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that James Sessoms, 60, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney to 28 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $398,708.58 in restitution, for his scheme to use stolen identities and Social Security numbers (SSNs) to file for government benefits, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid payments, with a total loss to the government of $1,063,633. As part of the scheme, the defendant would sell the fraudulently acquired SNAP cards for profit at a local supermarket.

Sessoms was charged by indictment in October of 2024 and pleaded guilty this April to one count of SNAP fraud, seven counts of false statements in connection with health care benefits, and seven counts of Social Security fraud.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from approximately November 2019 through November 2023, Sessoms defrauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) of SNAP benefits, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS) of Medicaid benefits, by submitting false and fraudulent benefit applications, including false and fraudulent identification documents in connection with his applications.

As part of the scheme, Sessoms obtained or created the names, SSNs, and personally identifiable information for several fictitious persons, and obtained the names and personally identifiable information of other persons, including valid SSNs, which he placed on the applications for SNAP and Medical benefits, which were submitted to PA DHS under penalty of perjury. To obtain these benefits, Sessoms also submitted false and fraudulent driver’s licenses bearing his photograph under those fictitious and other persons’ names.

On some of the online applications, the defendant added purported family members, such as a spouse and children, which caused for more funds to be awarded for SNAP benefits, but also caused additional Medicaid costs, including additional costs for all of the added family members. To obtain these benefits with family members on the applications, Sessoms submitted fraudulent names and personally identifiable information for a spouse and children, to include fraudulent birth certificates for the children. The Social Security numbers utilized in connection with these identities were valid SSNs, assigned by the Commissioner of Social Security, but assigned to other individuals than the names alleged by the defendant.

From approximately November 2019 to November 2023, PA DHS, with joint federal funding from HHS, provided Medicaid coverage to Sessoms under his numerous aliases, as well as to his purported family members as he indicated on his fraudulent applications.

Over the same time period, PA DHS, with federal funding from the USDA, provided SNAP benefits to Sessoms under his numerous aliases, as well as to his purported family members as he indicated on his fraudulent applications.

“Stealing money from government programs is an awful crime,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We will continue to prosecute fraud against the government and hold crooks like Sessoms accountable, on behalf of all the taxpayers funding these programs.”

“We appreciate the collaboration with our law enforcement partners for their hard work on this investigation. Those who are involved in fraud regarding USDA taxpayer-funded programs will be investigated by our office to protect the integrity of those programs,” said USDA Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker.

“Mr. Sessoms orchestrated an audacious scheme—creating fake Social Security numbers while exploiting real ones—to siphon off more than $1 million from programs meant to safeguard the most vulnerable,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Acting Inspector General, Social Security Administration. “Let this case serve as a warning; those who exploit taxpayer-funded programs will be met with aggressive investigation and prosecution.”

The case was investigated by the USDA-OIG, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, HHS Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran.

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 charged by indictment with forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, and interfering with an officer of the United States, while using a deadly or dangerous weapon, that is, a motor vehicle, while the officer was engaged in the performance of official duties.

Specifically, the indictment alleges that, on the morning of June 23, 2025, the defendant used his full-size pickup truck to assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, and interfere with a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), while the agent was carrying out his official duties.

As detailed in court filings, on that date, the HSI agent and other federal officers were attempting to locate Rojas Benitez and take him into administrative custody because he violated the terms of his release pending removal proceedings.

Based on information they had received, the federal officers surveilled a Downingtown, Pennsylvania, residence. 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.

As alleged in court filings, 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.

As alleged, 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. As alleged, the defendant also narrowly avoided hitting a passing school bus. The defendant then fled the state and was ultimately located by the U.S. Marshals Service in Washington, D.C., on July 24.

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 HSI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

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 Earl Burford, 47, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher to nine years in prison, six years of supervised release, and $3,000 in restitution, for child pornography and firearms offenses.

The defendant was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in September 2024, then charged by information in March of this year with distribution of child pornography and possession of a firearm by a felon. Burford pleaded guilty to both counts in May, waiving prosecution by indictment.

As detailed in court filings, in August 2024, the FBI learned that a user of the instant messaging application Kik, an account named “freakyfam69,” was using the app to communicate regarding child pornography and child abuse, to include sending and receiving images depicting child pornography.

Investigators received information from Kik that “freakyfam69” used the email address “goldmusicsoul3@gmail.com” to register the Kik account.

When law enforcement obtained subscriber and IP login information for that email, it showed that “goldmusicsoul3@gmail.com” was subscribed to an Earl Burford, with the IP addresses used to access the email account matching the IP information provided by Kik for the user “freakyfam69.”

Cellular phone records subsequently obtained by the FBI showed that the defendant was the subscriber of the IP addresses in question.

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

The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency and FBI Oklahoma City and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rosalynda M. Michetti.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Robert Rosado, 44, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged by indictment with false impersonation of a federal officer and robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), in connection with the June 8, 2025, robbery of an auto repair shop.

The indictment alleges that Rosado entered the auto repair shop, located on the 6400 block of Harbison Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia, and identified himself as a federal immigration officer. He then allegedly victimized a female employee, forcefully restraining her and stealing $1,000 from the business.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 23 years’ imprisonment and a $500,000 fine.

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 FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Martin and Special Assistant United States Attorney Meghan A. Farley.

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 Zyair Dangerfield-Hill, 24, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond to 199 months in prison and five years of supervised release for the gunpoint carjacking of a 73-year-old man in April 2021.

The defendant was charged by indictment in July of that year with one count of carjacking and aiding and abetting, and one count of carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting. In April of this year, he was convicted on both charges at trial.

As proven at trial, just after 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, the victim was walking his dog on Pine Street, in the Spruce Hill neighborhood of West Philadelphia, and had stopped to put something in his parked vehicle, when the defendant and his associate walked up and pointed loaded handguns at the victim. They demanded the victim’s car keys, cell phone, and wallet, and threatened to shoot him if he didn’t comply.

The victim told them that he didn’t have his wallet or phone on him, but handed over a $20 bill and his car keys. At that time, two other males approached, also pointing their guns at the victim. All four of the carjackers then jumped into the victim’s vehicle, with the defendant in the front passenger seat, and drove away.

The Philadelphia Police Department was alerted about the carjacking, with officers arriving on scene a few minutes later. They broadcast over police radio a description of the victim’s vehicle, the four carjackers, and their direction of travel, and two officers on patrol spotted a car matching that description about a mile from the carjacking scene.

The officers turned on their lights and sirens and pursued the stolen car, which was driving erratically and at a high rate of speed, soon crashing into yellow metal pillars at 52nd Street and Paschall Avenue. Four males jumped out of the car and took off running, with the officers giving chase on foot. A short time later, the defendant was found hiding behind a motorcycle about three and a half blocks from the crash scene. DNA, latent prints, location data, and other evidence subsequently linked the defendant to the crime.

“Dangerfield-Hill participated in the ambush of an innocent stranger in a brazen daylight carjacking, the victim surrounded by assailants pointing guns and shouting threats,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We will not permit armed criminals to prey on people in this city. We’ll continue to work with our partners to put violent offenders behind bars, where they belong.”

“Let this sentencing serve as a clear warning to anyone considering violent crime in our city: we will find you, and we will bring you to justice,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “Carjackings are a vicious crime that endanger lives, spread fear, and erode the very fabric of community safety. The FBI will continue working side by side with our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department to protect our citizens and ensure those who commit these crimes are held fully accountable.”

The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Weisberg.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Daishaun “Daisha” Hughes-Murchison, 30, Brian Wallace, 31, and Trayvine Jackson, 31, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and use of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, in connection with the June 21, 2025, armed robbery of a Brink’s armored car, in which they stole more than 2 million dollars.

The defendants had their initial appearances in court last week. Jackson has been ordered detained, Wallace and Hughes-Murchison will have detention hearings later this week.

As presented in the criminal complaints and other filings, on June 21, 2025, at approximately 8 a.m., a Brink’s armored car driver was nearing a Home Depot on the 2500 block of Castor Avenue in Philadelphia, as part of his scheduled route.

The driver was walking down the rear alley of Home Depot, when two men armed with AR-style rifles approached him from behind. The men forced the driver to the ground, disarmed him of his company-issued firearm, and took his keys. One of the robbers stayed with the driver, while the other entered the armored vehicle and stole a significant amount of cash belonging to Brink’s Inc.

The two men then fled in a black Hyundai Sonata bearing a Virginia temporary tag, with a third man following in silver Ford Fusion with a Pennsylvania tag.

As alleged, investigators determined that the Ford Fusion belonged to Hughes-Murchison, and the Hyundai Sonata had been rented by Wallace, who returned the car a few hours after the robbery. Video surveillance footage obtained by law enforcement showed that, after returning the Sonata, Wallace walked to Hughes-Murchison’s Fusion, got into the passenger side, and the vehicle left. Cell records place the phones of defendants Wallace and Jackson in the area of the car rental site at that time, the complaints allege, and place Wallace’s and Hughes-Murchison’s phones in the area of the Home Depot at the time of the robbery.

As detailed in court filings, Brink’s advised investigators that Jackson had been a Brink’s employee, until he was suspended and then terminated after an internal investigation.

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 Amanda R. Reinitz.

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 Shurlan Guppy, aka Shurlan Gorin, Rafael Oquendo, Christopher Hughes Matthews, and Marc Roman, 48, of Trinidad and Tobago, was arrested and charged by indictment with conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and cocaine and related drug offenses.

Guppy made his initial appearance in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania last week, following his extradition from Trinidad and Tobago. He was ordered detained in federal custody at a detention hearing this afternoon.

The indictment alleges that, from approximately 2017 to July 2022, in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the District of Delaware and elsewhere, Guppy conspired with others to distribute bulk amounts of various controlled substances, including heroin and cocaine.

The indictment further alleges that Guppy distributed such controlled substances in person and by other means, including through various delivery services in exchange for cash.

Guppy and the others communicated with each other in person and via cell phones, the indictment alleges, sometimes on Facetime and through encrypted internet/phone application WhatsApp, to discuss pricing, availability, and delivery and payment arrangements for controlled substances, sometimes using coded language to describe their drug trafficking activities.

If convicted of all charges, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lizmar Bosques.

Significant assistance with the extradition was provided by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and its Transnational Organized Crime Unit, the Trinidad and Tobago Central Authority of the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago Customs and Immigration, the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, the U.S. Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.

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 West End Services, Inc. will pay $825,000 to resolve liability allegations under the False Claims Act.

West End Services, Inc. (“WES”) and its owner-pharmacist, Christopher Leon, have agreed to pay $825,000 to the federal government, based on their ability to pay, to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by billing Medicare for prescription medications that were not actually dispensed. During the period of January 1, 2014, to February 24, 2019, WES billed Medicare for prescription drugs that were not actually dispensed to Medicare beneficiaries. These medications included, but were not limited to, Latuda, Humira, Abilify, Invega Sustenna, Seroquel, Acyclovir, Flovent, and Truvada.

“Pharmacy fraud remains a priority for our office and taxpayer dollars should be spent on needed medications, not wasted on fraud and abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Pharmacies and pharmacists have a responsibility to serve as gatekeepers of a closed system of prescription drug distribution. That responsibility was allegedly used for profit here. This investigation and resolution illustrate this District’s continued emphasis on combatting healthcare fraud, including pharmacy fraud. One of the most powerful tools to combat this type of waste, fraud, and abuse is the False Claims Act, and this District maintains one of the most active affirmative civil dockets in the country.”

Other similar pharmacy fraud settlements include:

• Pennmark Pharmacy (2024)
• Future Pharmacy Inc. and JJ Pharmacy (2023)
• Fountain Hill Pharmacy (2023)
• Northeast Discount Pharmacy (2022)
• Murray-Overhill Pharmacy, Inc. (2022)
• LAN Apothecary, Inc. (2021)
• G&A Somerton Pharmacy LLC (2019)

“As U.S. Attorney Metcalf said, this investigation further solidifies this District’s focus on holding pharmacies and healthcare providers accountable for their handling of controlled substances, and the importance of maintaining on honest inventory balance, instead of putting profits at the forefront,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Regional Office of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Pharmacies are integral partners in patient care, and they are expected to act with integrity. We take allegations of pharmacy fraud seriously, and today’s settlement reflects our commitment to working with our partners to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent in an appropriate manner — on needed services, not wasted on fraud and abuse.”

This investigation was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Service Office of Inspector General. For the United States Attorney’s Office, Assistant United States Attorney Alfred J. Vogt and former Assistant United States Attorney Deborah W. Frey handled the investigation, with contributions from auditor George Niedzwicki.

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

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Christopher Burton, 45, and Khalil Jackson-Fletcher, 33, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were convicted today at trial of charges arising from the kidnapping of one individual in December 2021, the kidnappings of five individuals, including an infant, in February 2022, and related crimes.

The defendants were charged by indictment in August of 2023 with conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping, robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. A federal jury convicted both defendants of all counts.

As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, Burton orchestrated both kidnappings to steal large sums of money from the intended victims, who were known to him, and enlisted Jackson-Fletcher and other co-conspirators to participate.

In December 2021, Burton placed ads offering vending machines for sale on the online marketplace OfferUp, as a ruse to attract his intended victim, who contacted him and agreed to buy the machines. The two arranged to meet in Northeast Philadelphia on December 18, 2021, to complete the deal. On that date, however, the purchaser’s then-business partner (Victim 1), went to the meetup in the purchaser’s place.

When Victim 1 arrived, Jackson-Fletcher and a co-conspirator forced Victim 1 into his own transit van at gunpoint, maintaining constant communication with Burton, who was watching nearby. The men zip-tied Victim 1’s wrists together and took his wallet and cell phone, using the phone to transfer approximately $6,000 from the victim’s Cash App account into an account they controlled. The men then transferred the Victim 1 into their vehicle and drove him to several ATMs, forcing him to withdraw more than $9,000 from his bank account. The abductors eventually released Victim 1.

In January 2022, Burton came up with a plan to kidnap and steal money from Victim 2, who owned a business that purchased, sold, and shipped goods throughout Pennsylvania, other states, and other countries.

On February 4, 2022, at around 10 a.m., Victim 2 left his Northeast Philadelphia home to go to work. As he was walking to his car, Burton, Jackson-Fletcher, and a co-conspirator pulled up in a car, forced Victim 2 into their vehicle at gunpoint, then handcuffed him, and took his cell phone, cash, and bank cards. They proceeded to pistol whip Victim 2, demanding more money.

The abductors were eventually able to wire $25,000 from the victim’s bank account to an account that they controlled, but continued to demand even more money, brutally assaulting Victim 2. That night, the men brought Victim 2 back to his residence. Burton and Jackson-Fletcher then forced Victim 2 and Victim 2’s wife into the basement and ransacked the space, looking for more money.

For more than two days, the abductors held the family captive in their home, beating, burning, and torturing Victim 2 and choking him and his wife, with Jackson-Fletcher even choking the baby. At times, the men forced Victim 2 to leave with them, driving him around to multiple banks so that he could withdraw cash, to stores to buy merchandise with his bank card, and to a local casino, where they made Victim 2 take out a $25,000 cash advance.

On the evening of February 6, 2022, Burton left Victim 2’s home after an argument with a co-conspirator and fled the Philadelphia area. The same night, Jackson-Fletcher and the other co-conspirators took Victim 2 from the home to a local casino, where they released him.

Burton and Jackson-Fletcher are scheduled to be sentenced on November 18. They face maximum possible sentences of life in prison and a mandatory minimum term of incarceration of 34 years.

“Burton and Jackson-Fletcher thoroughly terrorized their victims,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “The lengths the defendants went to — to steal other people’s hard-earned money — are chilling. While today’s verdict can’t reverse the physical and emotional harm done, it ensures that these violent offenders don’t walk free to hurt anyone else.”

“Burton and Jackson-Fletcher are convicted of a vicious nightmarish crime spree,” said Shannon Hamm, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “They stalked their victims, kidnapping them at gunpoint. Holding a family and baby hostage, they tortured their victims for three days while repeatedly robbing them. These criminals’ efforts to disguise themselves was no match to the meticulous work of the ATF Special Agents, Philadelphia Police Detectives and federal prosecutors who brought these brutal criminals to justice.”

“This case represents some of the most disturbing and violent criminal behavior our city has seen,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. “The cruelty these victims endured is unimaginable. I commend the tireless work of our detectives, our federal partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in securing these convictions. Today’s verdict is a powerful message - that those who commit such heinous acts in our communities will be relentlessly pursued and brought to justice.”

This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Jeanette Kang and Anthony Carissimi and Special Assistant United States Attorney Izabella Babchinetskaya.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Khyrie Brown, 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert to 36 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and full restitution, for his role in the armed robbery of a North Philadelphia dollar store.

Brown was charged by indictment in July 2024 with robbery which interferes with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and pleaded guilty in March of this year.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, on November 6, 2023, at approximately 6:30 p.m., he and three other males entered a dollar store on the 2800 block of Ridge Avenue. One of the males approached the counter and pretended to purchase multiple items.

At that same time, one of the other males pulled out what appeared to be a black handgun, pointed it at the store clerk and told the clerk to open the safe. Two of the robbers jumped the counter, while the other two circled around the counter, where Brown then removed a cash drawer from the safe and carried it out of the store. All four males entered a waiting getaway vehicle and fled the scene with approximately $3,000 in coins and U.S. currency.

Responding Philadelphia police officers tracked the group to the area of 30th and Gordon streets, where a police K9 located Brown hiding in an abandoned property on the 2300 block of North 30th Street.

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

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that three men convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations have been sentenced.

Wilfido Hernandez-Ordonez, aka Leo Acevedo and Leo Hernandez, 40, a Guatemalan national, pleaded guilty today to illegal reentry and was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. to time served, almost three months. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

Hernandez-Ordonez previously had been deported from the United States in May 2009, pursuant to the order of an immigration judge. Following his removal, the defendant illegally re-entered the United States on an unknown date.

Earlier this year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) became aware that Hernandez-Ordonez was in the Lehigh County jail, taking him into custody in May. He was charged by information with illegal reentry in June.

Leondro Medina-Murillo, 45, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty today to illegal reentry and was sentenced by United States District Judge John M. Younge to time served, almost four months, for illegally reentering the United States. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

Medina-Murillo had previously been removed from the U.S. in September 2013, after his conviction in Chester County, Pennsylvania, on a state drug charge. He was subsequently removed twice more, in April 2014 and May 2014, following encounters with the U.S. Border Patrol in California.

In January of this year, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received information that Medina-Murillo had returned to the U.S. and was living in Chester County. After conducting records checks and surveillance to verify his identity and location, HSI took Medina-Murillo into custody in April. He was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in May.

Jillian Santiago-Cruz, aka Julian Santiago, Julian Santigo Rodas, and Julian Santiago De La Cruz, 38, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Karen S. Marston last week to time served, about three and a half months, for illegally reentering the United States. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

In March 2011, an immigration judge ordered Santiago-Cruz’s removal from the U.S. in absentia, due to his illegal entry. He was eventually deported in November of 2019, following his conviction in Ohio for driving under the influence of alcohol.

The defendant later re-entered the United States illegally and was arrested in March of this year by the Plymouth Township (Pa.) Police Department on several charges.

ICE became aware of Santiago-Cruz’s arrest and took him into custody in April. He was charged by indictment with illegal reentry the same month and pleaded guilty in June.

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. 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 cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and HSI and are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Schopf, J. Andrew Jenemann, and Mary E. Crawley.

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

The 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 (“EOIR”) 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 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 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 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 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.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 240 years’ imprisonment and a $4 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 is an ongoing matter, with investigators seeking to identify additional potential victims of Fatima DeMaria. Anyone with information on DeMaria’s activities at Immigration Matters Legal Services is asked to contact the FBI via one of these online forms:

Seeking Victim Information in Fatima DeMaria/Immigration Matters Investigation

Se Solicita Información en la Investigación de Fatima DeMaria/Immigration Matters

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

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 Willie Jordan, 68, of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Harvey Bartle III to two counts of wire fraud.

Jordan was charged with those offenses in an information unsealed today, in connection with two separate fraud schemes he conducted.

As detailed in court filings and statements made in court, the defendant was a deacon and trustee for Religious Organization #1, located in Philadelphia, Pa. Jordan was responsible for managing and overseeing various financial matters involving Religious Organization #1, including collecting funds for the organization, depositing those funds in the organization’s bank accounts, and paying the organization’s expenses.

Religious Organization #1 placed defendant Jordan in a position of trust and allowed him to exercise almost total control over its funds. The defendant did not receive a salary from Religious Organization #1. Rather, he received his salary from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where he was a Director of Operations for a state senator.

From at least in or about January 2020 through at least in or about January 2024, Jordan exploited Religious Organization #1 for his personal financial benefit. On a regular basis, the defendant improperly issued checks to himself from Religious Organization #1’s business checking account, and made it appear that such checks were to reimburse him for expenses that he incurred on behalf of Religious Organization #1. In fact, Jordan did not incur those expenses and simply issued those checks for his personal benefit. The defendant engaged in this activity fraudulently and without the knowledge or permission of Religious Organization #1, its trustees, or members.

As part of this scheme, Jordan issued approximately 82 fraudulent checks to himself totaling approximately $57,384, resulting in significant losses to Religious Organization #1.

As presented in court filings and statements, Political Organization #1 was one of 66 wards in Philadelphia and a subdivision of Political Organization #2, which represented the interests of a political party in the City of Philadelphia.

From in or about 1996 through in or about April 2025, the defendant was the elected leader of Political Organization #1 and controlled and managed the organization’s finances. Jordan did not receive a salary from Political Organization #1.

From at least in or about January 2020, through at least in or about January 2024, Jordan exploited Political Organization #1 for his personal financial benefit. He opened two bank accounts in name of Political Organization #1, made himself the sole signatory on the accounts in the name of Political Organization #1, and obtained, for both accounts, debit cards that he controlled.

On a regular basis, the defendant improperly conducted financial transactions, through debit card charges, checks, and ATM cash withdrawals, using Political Organization #1’s bank accounts to transfer the funds of Political Organization #1 to himself or others, for his personal benefit.

Jordan used Political Organization #1’s funds for personal purchases at airlines, car dealerships, furniture stores, grocery stores, and other retail establishments. He also used those funds to pay his personal credit card bills, utility bills, and cellular telephone bills. In or about the summer of 2023, Jordan used the funds of Political Organization #1 to pay more than $12,500 in expenses for a family member’s funeral. The defendant engaged in these personal financial transactions without any benefit flowing to Political Organization #1 and without the knowledge or permission of any of its members.

As part of this scheme, Jordan defrauded Political Organization #1 and its members of at least $85,607.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on November 19 and faces a maximum possible term of 20 years’ imprisonment for each count of wire fraud.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen and Special Assistant United States Attorney James E. Price.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Abdul Porter, 28, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg to 48 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon.

The defendant was charged by indictment with that offense in June 2024 and pleaded guilty in April of this year.

As detailed in court filings, on May 2, 2023, at approximately 9:12 p.m., uniformed officers with the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) were on routine patrol in the 39th District, traveling eastbound on the 1900 block of West Cambria Street. A black Hyundai Sonata traveling westbound passed the officers, who observed and then ran a database search for the car’s South Carolina license plate. The Hyundai, which was occupied by two men, came up as having been stolen in a carjacking in Philadelphia just days prior, on April 28, 2023.

The PPD officers made a U-turn and drove in the same direction as the Hyundai. As they did so, the Hyundai pulled over and parked on the north side of Cambria Street. Approaching in their patrol vehicle, the officers observed the individual in the driver’s seat, later identified as the defendant, exit the stolen vehicle and cross Cambria Street. Soon thereafter, Porter started running and was quickly apprehended.

One of the police officers then went back to the Hyundai and saw a black gun in plain view on the floor in front of the driver’s seat. A subsequent DNA analysis of the firearm by the PPD lab found evidence of Porter’s DNA on the weapon, a Ruger 9mm semiautomatic pistol.

Porter had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and was not permitted to possess a firearm.

The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Zaleski.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Joshua Lang, 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage to 430 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for extensive child sexual exploitation and child pornography offenses. The defendant was also ordered to pay $23,545 in restitution and $14,300 in special assessments.

As detailed in court filings, the crimes of Lang and his partner, co-defendant Kenneth Miller, came to light after the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victims Unit (PPD SVU) began investigating a lead from the Tampa (Fla.) Police Department in July 2023 that Lang had purchased child pornography from a 13-year-old girl on Instagram in December 2022.

On July 19, 2023, PPD SVU and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia executed a state search warrant at Lang and Miller’s Mayfair residence based on this information. As the search unfolded, law enforcement learned that Lang and Miller’s child sexual abuse and exploitation activities extended far beyond Lang’s online activities, to include hands-on sexual abuse of children, and their scheme to manufacture, trade, and collect videos and images of one of their victims, his siblings, and his friends.

Lang and Miller were arrested the same day and charged in Philadelphia County with numerous sexual offenses. They remained in Philadelphia County custody until they were charged in federal court via complaint and warrant in September 2023.

On February 8, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a 16-count indictment against Lang and Miller, charging them with conspiracy to manufacture child pornography and six counts of manufacture and aiding and abetting the manufacture of child pornography. Lang was also charged with three additional counts of manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography and three additional counts of receipt of child pornography.

Miller, who pleaded guilty to multiple offenses, was sentenced in September of last year to 400 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

The investigation showed, and the defendants subsequently admitted, that over the course of approximately three years, they sexually abused Minor 1 when he was between the ages of 12 and 14 years old, recording videos of the acts to forever memorialize the child’s abuse. The pair also installed hidden cameras in their bathroom and surreptitiously produced and attempted to produce sexually explicit images of at least five children, ages nine to 17, using the bathroom and showering at their residence.

Throughout this three-year period, on a near-daily basis, Lang and Miller discussed with each other their sexual interest in children, strategized ways to groom minor children for sexual abuse and exploitation, and carried out these tactics to gain the child victims’ trust and further increase their access to these children. The defendants also regularly traded and discussed the images and videos of child sexual abuse material that they created of the children.

On his own, Lang also engaged in and recorded hands-on sexual abuse of Minor 2 when she was between the ages of eight and nine years old, sharing the videos with Miller. Lang was also well immersed in the online world of child exploitation, amassing a collection of more than 13,000 unique files of child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) on his iPhone, including the images purchased online from a 13-year-old girl that kicked off PPD SVU’s investigation.

“The crimes Lang committed are stomach-turning,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “He sexually abused two children, documented that exploitation, and violated the privacy and trust of other children for his and his partner’s gratification. Together, they strategized ways to sexually groom minors to whom they had access. Our community is emphatically safer with these predators in prison, and today’s sentence ensures Lang will remain behind bars where he can’t harm another innocent child.”

“Today’s sentencing brings a just end to the depravity of two grown men, Joshua Lang and Kenneth Miller, who conspired to sexually exploit and abuse innocent children over an extended period of time. Their actions were not only reprehensible but meticulously planned and executed,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Edward V. Owens. “The collaborative efforts of HSI Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania were crucial in uncovering the full extent of their vile actions and bringing them to justice. We remain steadfast in our commitment to relentlessly pursuing those who engage in such abhorrent crimes and safeguarding our communities from such predators.”

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 Philadelphia Police Department and HSI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly Harrell and Amanda McCool.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Brian Zenszer, 44, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Harvey Bartle III to 144 months’ imprisonment, seven years of supervised release, and $32,000 restitution for child pornography offenses.

The defendant was charged by indictment in December 2024, and, in April, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. At the time of his arrest, Zenszer was employed as a SEPTA police officer.

As presented in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, on or about July 21, 2024, Zenszer knowingly distributed a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and, on or about November 6, 2024, possessed a Samsung cellular phone containing visual depictions of minors, including one or more prepubescent minors who had not attained 12 years of age, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

The charges arose from two CyberTips reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding two accounts on the Kik messaging app that had uploaded suspected files of child pornography. Investigators determined both accounts belonged to Zenszer.

“Brian Zenszer broke the law while sworn to uphold it, and the nature of his crimes is truly abhorrent,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Those who trade images of children being sexually abused perpetuate the victimization of the vulnerable, and, like Zenszer, they must be held accountable.”

“Crimes like these are among the most egregious offenses the FBI investigates, and protecting the vulnerable remains one of our top priorities,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “This sentencing is a testament to the diligent and unceasing work of the FBI and our law enforcement partners in pursuing justice. We will continue to hold offenders accountable for their crimes and safeguard the innocent from predators.”

“The sentencing of Brian Zenszer sends a clear message that those who engage in the abhorrent act of child pornography will be held accountable,” said Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn. “We are committed to working with our federal partners, like the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to relentlessly pursue and prosecute individuals who exploit children, ensuring justice for victims and protecting the most vulnerable members of our community.”

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 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 Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay $629,043 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by failing to contribute the required percentage of resources in exchange for AmeriCorps funds the county received.

Allegheny County agreed to meet a certain cost-sharing threshold to receive federal funding for its AmeriCorps program. For the 2018 to 2020 grant years, Allegheny County claimed it contributed “in-kind” resources to meet this threshold, including classroom and office space, and salaries of teachers and administrative staff who worked on the AmeriCorps program. However, Allegheny County could not provide supporting documentation for $314,521 of the in-kind contributions it claimed.

This settlement resolves claims that Allegheny misrepresented its in-kind contribution. Allegheny County agreed to pay $629,043, of which $314,521 was restitution.

“When receiving federal funds, grantees must meet the terms of the agreements tied to those funds,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “This settlement is a reminder that organizations receiving federal grant funds must adhere to grant compliance requirements.”

“AmeriCorps programs often require grantees to contribute some of their own resources to ensure the programs are successful,“ said Acting AmeriCorps Inspector General Stephen Ravas. “The AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General will continue our work with our law enforcement partners to pursue organizations that do not hold up their end of the bargain.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania handled this investigation with the AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Anthony St. Joseph of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania handled the investigation and settlement.

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

A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for transporting a minor with the intent to sexually abuse the child and for accessing with intent to view child pornography. He was also ordered to pay $12,000 in restitution.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, George Travis Woodfield, 41, of Macungie, drove an 11-year-old child across state lines for an overnight trip to New York City in November 2018 in order to engage in sexual activity with the child. After a day of sightseeing, Woodfield sexually abused the child in his hotel room. Further, between September 2015 and July 2024, Woodfield accessed numerous depictions of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including images of prepubescent children being sexually abused.

“Child sexual abuse is a depraved criminal act that harms the most innocent among us,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This defendant took a child across state lines with the express intent of abusing that child, and he exploited others by viewing child sexual abuse material. We will swiftly bring to justice any individual who commits these horrific crimes against children in our communities.”

“Woodfield didn’t just view images of child sexual abuse, he sought out sex with a child,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “The sexual exploitation of children causes unthinkable harm. While prosecuting a predator like Woodfield can’t undo that damage, his prison sentence prevents him from causing further harm and provides his victim justice.”

“There’s no greater priority than safeguarding our children from those who seek to exploit or harm them,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “I commend the work done by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit and our field office whose expertise was critical in bringing this offender to justice. This sentence is a testament to our shared resolve to hunt down predators that rob children of their innocence. We will not rest until those who commit these heinous crimes are held fully accountable.”

"The exploitation of children remains among the most heinous crimes we investigate,” said Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office. “Let today's sentencing send a message: if you prey upon our most vulnerable, you will be found and you will be brought to justice. This case is a powerful testament to the unwavering dedication of the personnel in our Allentown Resident Agency and our law enforcement partners, who work tirelessly to protect our children and ensure those who harm them are held accountable.”

The case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency and FBI Richmond, with assistance from the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).

CEOS Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban, CEOS Senior Trial Attorney Jennifer Toritto Leonardo and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca J. Kulik for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case.

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

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that George “Travis” Woodfield, 41, of Macungie, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. to 360 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and accessing with intent to view child pornography. Woodfield was also ordered to pay $12,000 in restitution.

Woodfield was indicted by a federal grand jury in December of last year and pleaded guilty in March.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, Woodfield drove an 11-year-old child across state lines for an overnight trip to New York City in November 2018 in order to engage in sexual activity with the child. During the trip, Woodfield sexually abused the child in their hotel room. Further, between September 2015 and July 2024, Woodfield accessed numerous depictions of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including images of prepubescent children being sexually abused.

“Woodfield didn’t just view images of child sexual abuse, he sought out sex with a child,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “The sexual exploitation of children causes unthinkable harm. While prosecuting a predator like Woodfield can’t undo that damage, his prison sentence prevents him from causing further harm and provides his victim justice.”

“The exploitation of children remains among the most heinous crimes we investigate,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Let today’s sentencing send a message: if you prey upon our most vulnerable, you will be found and you will be brought to justice. This case is a powerful testament to the unwavering dedication of the personnel in our Allentown Resident Agency and our law enforcement partners, who work tirelessly to protect our children and ensure those who harm them are held accountable.”

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

The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency and FBI Richmond, with assistance from CEOS’s High-Tech Investigations Unit, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca J. Kulik, CEOS Senior Trial Attorney Jennifer Toritto Leonardo, and CEOS Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban.

The Justice Department announced today that Grosfillex Inc. (Grosfillex), a patio furniture company located in Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay $4.9 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and other statutes by evading antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) on items made of extruded aluminum originating from the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

The Department of Commerce assesses, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects, antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) to level the playing field for domestic producers. Antidumping duties protect against foreign companies “dumping” products on U.S. markets at prices below cost, while countervailing duties offset foreign government subsidies. The settlement announced today resolves allegations that Grosfillex knowingly submitted, and caused to be submitted, false customs forms to CBP claiming that certain furniture parts made of extruded aluminum were not subject to AD/CVD. For a subset of such parts, the United States alleged that Grosfillex attempted to camouflage the aluminum extrusions by packaging the parts as sham furniture “kits.” In addition, for a different subset of such parts, Grosfillex knowingly failed to correct customs forms it had submitted previously, even after learning that the forms falsely stated to CBP that certain extruded aluminum parts were not subject to AD/CVD.

“Antidumping and countervailing duties protect American companies from unfair subsidies and trade practices that harm domestic industries,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates that the Justice Department will continue to actively pursue those who knowingly fail to pay customs duties.”

“This settlement should serve as a warning that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania will use every tool available to combat fraud in international trade,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “We will pursue those who seek an unfair advantage in U.S. markets by attempting to evade paying the customs, duties, or tariffs on foreign imports meant to level the playing field for U.S. manufacturers.”

“The investigation into Grosfillex Inc. highlights our relentless dedication to enforcing our nation's trade laws and protecting the integrity of our economy. By uncovering and dismantling intricate schemes to defraud the government, we ensure that all businesses operate on a fair and level playing field,” said Special Agent in Charge Edward V. Owens of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) at the Philadelphia office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “The successful settlement of this case is a testament to the outstanding collaboration between HSI, CBP and the U.S. Department of Justice. We remain vigilant in our efforts to identify and hold accountable those who attempt to exploit our trade system for their benefit.”

The allegations resolved by this settlement arose from a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act by Edward Wisner, a former employee of Grosfillex. Under the False Claims Act, private citizens can sue on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. Wisner will receive a $962,662.74 share of today’s settlement.

The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, with assistance from CBP.

Trial Attorney Nelson Wagner in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Sherer for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania handled the matter.

The pursuit of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating fraud, waste, and abuse. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential customs fraud can be reported to CBP at www.help.cbp.gov/s/tip.

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

Note: Read the Settlement here.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced today that Grosfillex, Inc., a French company that manufactures and imports outdoor furniture, and whose North American headquarters is in Robesonia, Berks County, Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay $4.9 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and other statutes by evading antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) on items made of extruded aluminum originating from the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

The U.S. Department of Commerce assesses, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects, antidumping and countervailing duties to level the playing field for domestic producers. Antidumping duties protect against foreign companies “dumping” products on U.S. markets at prices below cost, while countervailing duties offset foreign government subsidies.

The settlement announced today resolves allegations that Grosfillex knowingly submitted, and caused to be submitted, false customs forms to CBP claiming that certain furniture parts made of extruded aluminum were not subject to AD/CVD. For a subset of such parts, the United States alleged that Grosfillex attempted to camouflage the aluminum extrusions by packaging the parts as sham furniture “kits.”

In addition, for a different subset of such parts, Grosfillex knowingly failed to correct customs forms it had submitted previously, even after learning that the forms falsely stated to CBP that certain extruded aluminum parts were not subject to AD/CVD.

“This settlement should serve as a warning that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania will use every tool available to combat fraud in international trade,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We will pursue those who seek an unfair advantage in U.S. markets by attempting to evade paying the customs, duties, or tariffs on foreign imports meant to level the playing field for U.S. manufacturers.”

“The investigation into Grosfillex, Inc. highlights our relentless dedication to enforcing our nation’s trade laws and protecting the integrity of our economy. By uncovering and dismantling intricate schemes to defraud the government, we ensure that all businesses operate on a fair and level playing field,” said Edward V. Owens, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia. “The successful settlement of this case is a testament to the outstanding collaboration between HSI, CBP and the U.S. Department of Justice. We remain vigilant in our efforts to identify and hold accountable those who attempt to exploit our trade system for their benefit.”

The settlement also resolves a lawsuit originally brought by Edward Wisner, a former Grosfillex employee, filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The civil lawsuit was filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and is captioned United States ex rel. Wisner v. Grosfillex, Inc., No. 20-cv-511. As part of the resolution, Mr. Wisner will receive approximately $963,000. He is represented in this matter by attorney David J. Caputo of Youman & Caputo LLC in Philadelphia.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with investigative assistance from CBP and HSI.

The matter is being handled in the U.S. Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Mark J. Sherer.

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

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ivory S. Cousins, 36, of Glassboro, New Jersey, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez to 60 months’ incarceration, a three-year period of supervised release, and a $325 special assessment for violating the constitutional rights of an inmate while employed as a Philadelphia correctional officer. The Philadelphia Department of Prisons provided substantial assistance with this case.

The defendant was charged by indictment in August 2024 with violating the inmate’s constitutional rights for ignoring his significant injuries from an assault by other inmates, pepper spraying him, helping another inmate to steal from him, and obstructing the investigation of what happened to him.

In April of this year, a federal jury convicted Cousins at trial of three counts of depriving an inmate of his civil rights under color of law and one count of filing a false report about the incident.

As proven at trial, while on duty at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, the defendant became aware that an inmate had been assaulted by other inmates and had serious injuries, but she was deliberately indifferent to his serious medical needs, failed to get him medical attention, and prevented a superior officer from discovering the inmate’s injuries.

After her partner discovered the injured inmate and called for medical attention, but before assistance arrived to escort him to the medical unit, Cousins subjected the injured inmate to excessive force, unreasonably pepper spraying him.

When the injured inmate had been escorted out of the area for medical attention, Cousins further violated the injured inmate’s constitutional rights by helping one of the inmates involved in his assault to steal the injured inmate’s personal belongings from his cell.

When she later completed a report about the incident, Cousins provided false information about the injured inmate being aggressive, engaging in a fight, and using a weapon.

“Corrections officers have significant authority over the inmates in their charge and it’s their duty to wield that power responsibly,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “If they fail to meet this standard, and violate a prisoner’s civil rights, as with Ivory Cousins, they will be prosecuted and held accountable.”

“Today’s sentencing serves as a powerful reminder that no one is above the law — especially those who take an oath to uphold it,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “The FBI, together with our partners, will continue to pursue allegations of civil rights violations and abuses of power with determination and integrity. We remain firmly committed to holding individuals accountable when they betray the public’s trust.”

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

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Pascal Gedeon, 31, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Kai N. Scott yesterday to 165 months’ imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for child pornography offenses.

The defendant was charged by indictment in May 2021 and pleaded guilty in May of last year to two counts of distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography, charges arising from Gedeon’s sharing of videos and images involving the graphic sexual abuse of children, including toddlers, via his Tumblr blog.

As detailed in court filings and statements, Gedeon ran a Tumblr blog called “younger-are-the-best,” where he posted thousands of images — including 14 lurid video files — depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Moreover, the defendant participated in chat conversations with other Tumblr users, in which he exchanged images containing child pornography. The defendant also admitted to law enforcement that he had uploaded and shared child pornography through multiple other online platforms. 

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

The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eileen Castilla Geiger and Kelly Harrell.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Hassan Elliott, aka “Haz,” 26, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez to 900 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and a special assessment of $2,500 for the fatal shootings of Philadelphia Police Sergeant James O’Connor, Kaseem Rogers, Tyrone Tyree, and Dontae Walker, and numerous other crimes arising from the defendant’s membership in a violent drug trafficking organization known by several names, including “SG1700” and “L-Block,” which operated in the Frankford section of Northeast Philadelphia.

Elliott, along with Khalif Sears, aka “Leaf” and “Lil Leaf,” 23, Kelvin Jimenez, aka “Nip,” 34, and Dominique Parker, aka “Dom,” 34, all of Philadelphia, were charged in March 2023 by superseding indictment with conspiracy to engage in a racketeer influenced corrupt organization (RICO), violent crimes in aid of racketeering, to include murder, stemming from the killings of victims Rogers, Walker, Tyree, and Sergeant O’Connor, and numerous related offenses.

Elliott and Sears pleaded guilty this January to RICO conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, causing the death of Sergeant O’Connor by firearm, and multiple drug, gun, and violent offenses.

Jimenez and Parker were convicted at trial in March of all charges against them, including racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, maintaining a drug-involved premises, assaults in aid of racketeering, firearms offenses, and related crimes. Jimenez was also convicted of the murder of Kaseem Rogers, and Parker of the murder of Dontae Walker.

On March 13, 2020, Elliott, Sears, and others previously indicted were inside a stash house on the 1600 block of Bridge Street, when Sergeant O’Connor and other members of the Philadelphia Police Department SWAT team arrived with an arrest warrant for Elliott for the March 2019 murder of Tyrone Tyree. As Sergeant O’Connor and his fellow officers ascended the staircase to the second floor of the residence and repeatedly announced their presence, Elliott fired a semiautomatic assault rifle 16 times, striking and killing Sergeant O’Connor.

Sears, Parker, and Jimenez will be sentenced at a later date.

“Hassan Elliott murdered a police officer who was protecting and serving his community,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Unfortunately, Philadelphia Police Department Sergeant James O’Connor is only one of many victims of SG1700’s rampage of violence. The punishment Mr. Elliott received today is justice for these outrageous crimes, and our efforts — past, present, and future — to prosecute anyone who harms law enforcement will forever honor the sacrifice of Sergeant O’Connor.”

“Hassan Elliott is now facing justice for the murder of Sergeant O’Connor and his other victims,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Philadelphia Field Division. “Criminal gang members can’t hide from the mayhem they inflict, especially when their violence turns against the law enforcement officers who protect our communities. Thanks to the diligent and meticulous work in partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office, Elliott and those who enabled him are being held accountable for these heinous crimes.”

The case was investigated by the ATF and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Martin, Christopher Diviny, and Lauren Stram.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ramon Ramirez-Frias, aka “Willy Ramirez-Frias” and “Mollo,” 40, a Dominican national illegally residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Kai N. Scott to nine months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after prior deportation. Upon the completion of his sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

In April 2004, following his arrest by U.S. Border Patrol in Puerto Rico, Ramirez-Frias was processed for voluntary removal from the United States. The defendant later illegally reentered the country, and was arrested by FBI Philadelphia in April of 2022 on federal drug charges. Ramirez-Frias pleaded guilty in February 2023 to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and two counts of possession with intent to distribute heroin and was removed from the U.S. in November 2023, pursuant to an immigration judge’s order.

Earlier this year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI received information that Ramirez-Frias had returned to the U.S. illegally and was living in Philadelphia. He was located and arrested in February, indicted in March, and pleaded guilty to illegal reentry in April.

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 ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney S. Chandler Harris.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Phillis Fugah, 24, of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage on one count of carjacking, and one count of using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in connection with an August 29, 2024, carjacking and shooting in Upper Darby.

The defendant was charged by indictment in November of last year.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, she and a male subject rushed a Honda Pilot parked on the 7100 block of West Chester Pike, where a man sat in the backseat with his two young children, awaiting his wife’s return. The male subject fled the scene after opening the passenger side door.

Fugah pulled open the front driver’s-side door, got behind the wheel, aimed a gun at the man, and demanded money. The man’s five-year-old son jumped out of the open front passenger door onto the sidewalk. The man got out of the rear driver’s side door and told Fugah that his infant child was still in the vehicle, as he tried to open the front driver’s side door. Fugah resisted and struggled with the man over the door.

The defendant raised her gun and shot at the male victim, with the bullet partially shattering the driver’s side window and hitting the man’s baseball cap, narrowly missing his head. A piece of the bullet struck the window of an occupied SEPTA bus across the street, passing over the heads of several passengers. Fugah then fled in the Honda Pilot, which was soon located a short distance away with the infant inside and unharmed.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on November 4 and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.

This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency and the Upper Darby Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Doherty and Sandra Urban.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Alpha Omega Mayhue, 40, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Karen S. Marston to 65 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $3,100 special assessment for stealing the personal information of multiple U.S. servicemembers and using it to inflict emotional distress, and related offenses.

The defendant was charged by indictment in January 2024, pleading guilty in July of last year to one count of conspiracy to commit identity theft, seven counts of misuse of a Social Security number, one count of aggravated identity theft, 21 counts of false statements, and one count of cyberstalking.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from February 2018 to March 2021, Mayhue, who served in the United States Army with his victims, stole and used their personally identifiable information to harass and stalk them over past grievances he had with them in the military.

Mayhue and unknown co-conspirators impersonated the victims and conducted numerous unauthorized transactions with banks, credit unions, the Federal Trade Commission, and other entities, including terminating their military and disability benefits, rerouting direct deposit payments, changing account information such as email addresses, physical addresses and phone numbers, and reporting their debit cards as stolen. In addition, Mayhue cyberstalked one victim, claiming he was surveilling her and subjecting her to sexual threats.

“Investigating individuals who hold positions of trust and misuse Department of Defense (DoD) information is a priority for the DoD Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Silvestro, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates our commitment to work with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to protect our nation’s service members.”

“Today’s sentencing holds Mr. Mayhue accountable for his role in an account takeover scheme that targeted members of the U.S. Army by using their personally identifiable information to impersonate them and conduct unauthorized transactions with various entities,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Scalzo of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Electronic Crimes Unit. “The FDIC OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate such schemes that harm consumers and threaten to undermine the safety and soundness of our nation’s banking system.”

The case was investigated by the DCIS, FDIC OIG, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and Federal Trade Commission Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh A. Davison.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Tyree Hatch, aka “Jamal Morris” and “Omar Reed,” 48, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer this week on three counts of robbery which interferes with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), three counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

In January of this year, the defendant was charged by indictment with those offenses, arising from three armed robberies of Northeast Philadelphia businesses in November 2024.

As detailed in court documents and admitted to by the defendant, on November 23, 2024, at approximately 1:12 p.m., he entered a convenience store located on the 6700 block of Castor Avenue, made conversation with an employee (Victim 1), then brandished his firearm. The defendant placed the gun into Victim 1’s back and walked him to the cash register. Hatch then grabbed money, Victim 1’s iPhone, and boxes of Newport cigarettes and fled the scene. Video recovered after the robbery showed the defendant entering a black Ford Explorer with PA tags.

On November 24, 2024, at approximately 9 p.m., the defendant entered a smoke shop located on the 2000 block of Cottman Avenue, confronted an employee (Victim 2) and demanded money from the register. During the interaction, Hatch pulled out a firearm, and, believing the gun was fake, Victim 2 tried to disarm him. The gun went off during the struggle and Victim 2 suffered a gunshot wound to the shin. Hatch then fled the store with cash from the register. Video recovered after the robbery showed the defendant driving the same black Ford Explorer as the day prior.

On November 25, 2024, at approximately 3:45 p.m., officers with the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) were dispatched to a smoke and vape shop located on the 7100 block of Castor Avenue, in response to a robbery in progress. Upon their arrival, an employee (Victim 3) informed them that the armed robber had taken cash, an iPhone, a carton of Newport cigarettes, and boxes of cigars.

Aware of the previous two robberies, PPD officers surveyed the area for the black Ford Explorer and found it parked outside the defendant’s residence. Hatch was then seen entering the home, and a barricade was declared. The defendant soon exited the residence and was placed under arrest.

Hatch is scheduled to be sentenced on November 3 and faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 24 years in prison.

The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kwambina Coker and Linwood C. Wright Jr.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Isiah Surzano-Glover, 22, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 168 months in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Karen S. Marston for two gunpoint carjackings.

In March 2024, the defendant was charged by indictment, and he pleaded guilty in November to two counts of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, on January 2, 2024, at 7:30 p.m., he and accomplices lured victim P.M. to the 5400 block of Walker Street in Philadelphia by posing as a female named “Mercedes” on a dating app. When P.M. arrived, Surzano-Glover and the others, all masked, approached the victim, brandished guns, and threatened to shoot P.M. if he moved. The carjackers took P.M.’s keys, wallet, and phone, and drove away in his 2011 Ford Crown Victoria.

On January 3, 2024, at approximately 8:30 p.m., the defendant and several others, again using an app and the “Mercedes” ruse, lured R.E. to the 1700 block of Brill Street in Philadelphia. Upon R.E.’s arrival, the masked carjackers pointed handguns at him, pistol-whipped R.E. in the head with a gun, and took his keys and phone. They ordered him to run, then drove away in his 2006 Toyota Tacoma.

Approximately 30 minutes after R.E. was carjacked, Philadelphia police officers located R.E.’s Tacoma parked unattended at 5000 Valley Street, approximately half a mile from the scene of the crime. Other officers then observed what proved to be P.M.’s Crown Victoria, parked in an alley near the intersection of Pratt and Hawthorne streets, about a quarter of a mile from 5000 Valley Street, and placed the car under surveillance.

Around 10:15 p.m., P.M.’s Crown Victoria drove off and officers followed. The vehicle made its way to 5000 Valley Street, where a police car was alongside R.E.’s Tacoma, and then sped off, initiating a police pursuit. Multiple individuals eventually bailed from P.M.’s vehicle at the intersection of Worth Street and Margaret Street, and the defendant was arrested, following a foot pursuit.

In addition to the above crimes with which he was charged, Surzano-Glover admitted to participating in four other Philadelphia carjackings.

The case was investigated by the ATF and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Miller and Kwambina Coker.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ahmed Hassan, 71, of Collegeville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John F. Murphy to 64 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release for defrauding his employer, the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”), of over $500,000. The defendant was also ordered to pay $565,058.70 in restitution, with $150,000 of that restitution due in 30 days, and a $2,200 special assessment.

Hassan was charged by indictment in April 2021. After a one-week trial in October of 2024, a federal jury convicted the defendant of 22 counts of wire fraud for misusing his VA position to steal from the agency.

As proven at trial, Hassan was a trusted supervisory engineer at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (“VA Medical Center”) in Philadelphia. In that position, Hassan was responsible for all mechanical and large HVAC systems at the Medical Center and was further charged with overseeing and implementing contracts in his area of responsibility.

From approximately 2013 through October 2017, Hassan schemed to defraud the VA by drafting and submitting for payment, false invoices of a shell company called HT Mechanical. But unbeknownst to Medical Center management, and in violation of Hassan’s duties to the VA, HT Mechanical was a fraudulent entity that Hassan had secretly set up with his then-paramour, Lynn Hanrahan[1] — a social worker with no knowledge of, or expertise in, HVAC or mechanical systems — in order to defraud the VA.

For years, the defendant made up fake work, drafted false invoices on HT Mechanical letterhead, submitted them for payment to the VA under the VA purchase card program, and lied to the VA, claiming that the work had been done, when the so-called jobs did not exist, and no work was performed. After the VA made payment to HT Mechanical based on the defendant’s lies, his paramour returned the payments to the defendant, either by check or by giving the defendant envelopes of cash.

“Fraud against the government hurts us all,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “It heightens the cost of public services and threatens their availability to deserving citizens. In this case, out of sheer greed, Ahmed Hassan thoroughly betrayed the veterans the VA exists to serve and stole from American taxpayers. Today’s sentence shows that criminals who cheat the U.S. government will pay for it, in the end.”

“This sentencing demonstrates that those involved in defrauding VA, particularly VA employees in positions of public trust, will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the integrity of VA’s programs and services.”

The case was investigated by Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran and Assistant United States Attorney Mary E. Crawley.
 

[1] Hanrahan was charged in a related scheme, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced on January 8, 2025.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that two men convicted of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations have been sentenced.

Hugo Henry Hernandez-Bonilla, 49, a Salvadoran national, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Mia Roberts Perez to time served, approximately four months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

Hernandez-Bonilla had been previously removed from the United States in September 2011.

Following his removal, the defendant illegally reentered the United States and was arrested in July 2024 by the Lancaster City (Pa.) Bureau of Police on a charge of driving under the influence.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned of Hernandez-Bonilla’s arrest and took him into custody in February of this year. In March, he was charged by federal indictment with illegal reentry, and he pleaded guilty in May.

Noel Velasquez-Basurto, 33, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond last week to time served, approximately four months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

Velasquez-Basurto had previously been removed from the U.S. in October 2013, after being encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol near Nogales, Arizona. Later that month, after authorities again found him in Arizona, he was charged by criminal complaint with illegal entry, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 60 days’ imprisonment. Velasquez-Basurto was deported in January 2014, after completing his term.

In February of this year, ICE encountered the defendant in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, determined that he was in the country illegally, and took him into custody.

In April, Velasquez-Basurto was charged by indictment with illegal reentry, and he 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. 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 cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda McCool, Brittany Jones, and Lindsey Mills.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Joseph Perkins, 31, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 84 months in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Karen S. Marston for robbing multiple city banks in a two-week span.

Perkins was charged by indictment in October 2024 with four counts of bank robbery and pleaded guilty in March. As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, he would present threatening demand notes to bank personnel in order to obtain and abscond with money.

The offenses committed by Perkins are as follows:

• the August 26, 2024, robbery of the Citizens Bank branch located inside the ACME Market at 2497 Aramingo Avenue, Philadelphia
• the August 29, 2024, robbery of the Citizens Bank branch located at 2101 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia
• the September 4, 2024, robbery of the TD Bank branch located at 6304 Roosevelt Boulevard, Philadelphia
• the September 7, 2024, robbery of the TD Bank branch located at 2267 East Butler Street, Philadelphia

Perkins received cash in the first three robberies but fled the fourth empty-handed.

The 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 Kwambina Coker.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Marvin Enrique Pena-Portillo, 38, a Honduran national unlawfully residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg to possession of a firearm by a felon.

The defendant was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant in April of this year and charged by information in June.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, on April 15, 2025, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents arrested the defendant for immigration violations, Pena-Portillo had a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol in his waistband.

In August of 2024, in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Pena-Portillo had pleaded guilty to carrying an illegal firearm in public and was sentenced to two years of probation for that offense.

Pena-Portillo is scheduled to be sentenced on October 22.

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 ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and the ATF and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Eckert.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mikal Portalatin, 34, of Reading, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge John M. Gallagher yesterday to one count of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of armed bank robbery.

The defendant was indicted on those charges in January 2024, in connection with three armed robberies in Berks County in the second half of 2022:

• July 27, 2022; Citgo gas station convenience store, 200 block of Buttonwood Street
• August 3, 2022; Sunoco gas station convenience store, 1500 block of Lancaster Avenue
• November 21, 2022; Members First Credit Union, 500 block of E. Lancaster Avenue

During the July robbery, Portalatin discharged his firearm at an employee who chased him as he fled; no one was hit.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on October 30 and faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment.

The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency, the Cumru Township Police Department, and the Reading Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rosalynda M. Michetti and Kelly Lewis Fallenstein.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Macangelo Tillman, 52, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe to 72 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and over $150,000 in restitution, in connection with a scheme to steal the title to Philadelphia properties that were the subject of future sheriff’s sales.

In December 2023, Tillman was charged by indictment with five counts of wire fraud arising from the scheme. He pleaded guilty to those charges in March of this year.

As detailed in court filings and statements, as part of the scheme, the defendant had deeds prepared that fraudulently transferred the ownership of the properties either to himself or his associates. Then, Tillman or others associated with him and acting at his direction, recorded those deeds with the City of Philadelphia.

The defendant obtained notary stamps on deeds that were created to transfer title to properties by making false statements to notaries and/or using unauthentic notary stamps. He paid one notary public $50 to illegitimately notarize deeds that were purportedly executed by the grantor, without the grantors being present and/or without validating the identification for the grantors. He had a second notary do the same, as a favor to him. On other occasions, counterfeit deeds that were presented as legitimate to the Office of the Recorder of Deeds by Tillman, or others at his direction, displayed the forged signatures of the titleholders and were notarized using fraudulent notary stamps.

Tillman’s scheme victimized the City of Philadelphia, as well as 11 homeowners or their heirs. His criminal acts deprived the City of the revenue from sheriff’s sales, and the payment of outstanding taxes related to properties previously owned by deceased individuals, or then currently owned by financially distressed individuals. Additionally, any balance exceeding the amount due the City of Philadelphia from the proposed sheriff’s sales would have been distributed to the homeowner or their heirs.

Tillman’s scheme was motivated by his own, and his associates’, financial gain. Some of the stolen homes were rented, and others were sold to buyers who had no idea they were purchasing properties that had been acquired fraudulently.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Office of the Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anita Eve.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Anthony Randall, aka “Anthony McZeal,” 39, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage to 25 years and 19 days in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for armed robbery and gun offenses.

Randall was charged by indictment in February 2024 with two counts of robbery which interferes with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He pleaded guilty in March of this year.

In addition to the two robberies with which he was charged — the September 1, 2021, gunpoint robbery of the CVS store located at 1600 Wadsworth Avenue in Philadelphia, and the September 11, 2021, gunpoint robbery of the Philadelphia Pretzel Factory store located at 1555 Wadsworth Avenue — Randall admitted carrying out 17 other armed robberies in the fall of 2021.

The defendant began committing these crimes just months after his March 2021 release from federal prison, where he’d been incarcerated for six armed robberies committed in 2006.

“Anthony Randall terrorized the community during his extreme armed robbery spree — all while on supervised release for his previous string of gunpoint crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Prosecuting committed offenders like this is a priority for my office. We’ll continue to get violent criminals off the street and make Philadelphia safer.”

“No one should have to live or work in fear,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Armed robberies don’t just endanger lives, they erode the sense of safety that every person deserves. Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: the FBI is unwavering in its commitment to protecting our communities and holding violent offenders accountable for their actions.”

The case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Miller and Amanda Reinitz.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that David Easley, 39, of Georgia, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer to one count of evading airport security.

The defendant was charged by information in May of this year, arising from his use of the identification badge of an airline employee to access a secured, sterile area of Philadelphia International Airport, knowingly and willfully bypassing airport security. Easley has never been employed at the Philadelphia International Airport.

As detailed in court filings and statements, on March 9, 2024, Easley was a ticketed domestic airline passenger, scheduled to fly from Philadelphia to Atlanta, Georgia, on a flight departing at 7:05 p.m. At approximately 6:35 p.m., video surveillance captured Easley using an airport Secure Identification Display Area (SIDA) badge belonging to an airport employee, typing a passcode on the keypad, and gaining access through the secure doors leading from the public side of the airport ticketing area to the secure area of the airport.

The defendant entered a restricted area for employees that is between the public, pre-security ticketing area and the public, post-security “sterile” terminal. Easley did not go through TSA screening before entering this secure area.

Easley then used another door to enter the public “sterile” terminal area of the airport, that being the area where screened passengers have access to board their flights. The TSA encountered Easley while conducting random security inspections to prevent prohibited items and unauthorized individuals from accessing the sterile area.

Easley is scheduled to be sentenced on October 28, 2025.

The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya De Souza.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that three defendants convicted of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this week.

Rigoberto Buox, 44, a Guatemalan national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Catherine Henry yesterday to time served, almost three months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

Buox previously had been removed from the United States in September 2016, following his encounter and arrest by the U.S. Border Patrol.

In August of last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that Buox had been arrested by the Phoenixville (Pa.) Police Department on an assault charge. ICE officers took the defendant into custody this April. He was charged by information with illegal reentry in May and pleaded guilty this week, waiving prosecution by indictment.

Kevin Portillo-Urquia, 32, a Honduran national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage on Tuesday to time served, approximately three and a half months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

Portillo-Urquia had previously been removed in July 2012, after the U.S. Border Patrol found that he had crossed the border illegally.

In February of this year, ICE and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were conducting a joint enforcement operation in Philadelphia, when they encountered the defendant and confirmed that he was not the ICE fugitive they were looking for.

After determining that Portillo-Urquia had been previously removed from the United States for illegal entry, ICE took him into custody in March. In April, he was charged by indictment with illegal reentry and pleaded guilty this week.

Wagner De Leon-Morales, 46, a Mexican national, was sentenced by Judge Henry on Monday to time served, almost three months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

De Leon-Morales was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol after illegally crossing the border and was removed back to Mexico in August 2008. The U.S. Border Patrol then encountered De Leon-Morales in September of 2008, during an immigration inspection of a vehicle in Arizona, and he was again removed back to Mexico.

In March of this year, during an ICE worksite enforcement operation in Bethlehem Township, Pa., De Leon-Morales admitted to agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) that he was in the country illegally. He was taken into custody in April, charged by information with illegal reentry in May, and pleaded guilty this week, 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. 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 cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, ATF, and HSI and are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly Lewis Fallenstein, S. Chandler Harris, and Rebecca Kulik.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced today that Lehigh Valley Hospital Network, Inc. (LVHN) has agreed to pay $2,750,000 to resolve allegations that it failed to comply with provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) that are designed to prevent the diversion of controlled substances for illegal uses.

In particular, the settlement resolves LVHN’s disclosure to the United States that on approximately 40 occasions, a pharmacy technician at LVHN’s Cedar Crest pharmacy used another employee’s password to access, remove, and divert controlled substances, and created fictitious reports to hide the discrepancies of controlled substances. The settlement also resolves allegations that, at certain facilities, the controls and procedures that LVHN had in place failed to effectively guard against theft and diversion of controlled substances from its inpatient pharmacies to outpatient pharmacies and hospice facilities, resulting in the transfer of controlled substances between locations without proper documentation. LVHN also allegedly failed to maintain complete and accurate records of its stock of controlled substances.

Since the discovery of the Cedar Crest thefts, LVHN has worked cooperatively with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to identify potential CSA violations and develop better practices to prevent further diversions, improper transfers, and recordkeeping deficiencies. To that end, LVHN has expended considerable resources on physical security enhancements, training, diversion-detection software, and the hiring of employees and consultants knowledgeable in CSA compliance.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to aggressively combatting the opioid crisis on all fronts, including by holding hospitals and pharmacies responsible when they fail to take adequate steps to prevent controlled substances from being diverted for unlawful purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “In fashioning appropriate resolutions, we also give credit to DEA registrants like LVHN who act in good faith to report potential CSA violations, prevent further deficiencies, and improve compliance efforts. While the penalties here are substantial, they may have been far greater but for LVHN’s disclosures and cooperation.” 

“The Drug Enforcement Administration ensures that medical providers and facilities follow established laws and procedures while dispensing controlled substances,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Philadelphia Field Division. “DEA holds medical professionals to a high standard to protect public safety and ensure accountability, and this settlement demonstrates DEA’s resolve to maintain these standards.”

The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Carr and Charlene Keller Fullmer, and former auditor Dawn Wiggins.

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

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jonathan “Jon” Beaulieu, 32, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Hey to one year of probation and restitution in the amount of $59,143 for entering an airport area in violation of security requirements.

Beaulieu was charged by information in January of this year and pleaded guilty in February.

As detailed in court filings and statements in court, on June 26, 2024, at approximately 12:12 a.m., witness J.M. was working as a security guard at Philadelphia International Airport. She was assigned to the Terminal C exit lane to prevent unauthorized people from entering what’s known as the airport’s “sterile area” – the terminals beyond the TSA security checkpoint.

At that time, the defendant approached the exit lane and stated that he left his phone in the airport and needed to retrieve it. J.M. called police dispatch and told them that Beaulieu was trying to get into the airport to get his phone. After the dispatcher informed the witness that the police couldn’t look for Beaulieu’s phone, he started to walk past the witness into the airport. The witness repeatedly told Beaulieu that he could not enter the airport.

Beaulieu then dropped a $50 bill onto the witness’s desk and asked her if that would get him into the airport. J.M. left the bill on the desk and again told Beaulieu that he could not enter the airport’s sterile area. She called the police again and informed dispatch that Beaulieu was now attempting to go around her and into the airport.

After a few minutes of arguing with the witness, Beaulieu walked around her, entered the airport’s sterile area, and walked away. J.M. called the police, informed dispatch that there was a security breach, and described Beaulieu. The flash information was broadcast over police radio and officers started searching the terminals.

Airport security personnel checking the facility’s cameras saw that Beaulieu had boarded a plane at Gate A-20. Upon responding to the gate, Philadelphia police found that the plane doors were closed and the plane was preparing for departure. The captain of the plane was then informed that there was a passenger aboard who had bypassed security, and the plane returned to the gate. All passengers were removed and Beaulieu was located and arrested. Due to the boarding of an unscreened passenger, the entire plane had to be searched, resulting in the flight’s cancellation. American Airlines reported that the cost of the flight cancellation was $59,143.

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

PHILADELPHIA – The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has appointed David Metcalf as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. After receiving his oath of office today, and pursuant to the Vacancy Reform Act, Mr. Metcalf remains the United States Attorney indefinitely while he awaits confirmation from the United States Senate.

“I am honored that the court has extended my service to our district,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Our commitment to prosecuting criminals and upholding the rule of law does not change.”

Last March, Attorney General Pamela Bondi named Mr. Metcalf the Interim United States Attorney for a period of 120 days, and President Trump nominated Mr. Metcalf to serve as the United States Attorney for the full term of four years. Last week, the United States Senate Judiciary Committee voted to send Mr. Metcalf’s nomination to the full Senate for a confirmation vote.

Mitchell S. Goldberg, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, swore in U.S. Attorney David Metcalf on June 30, 2025.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced criminal charges today against a Bucks County woman in connection with the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.

Hemal Patel, 59, of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, has been charged by information with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, in connection with a home care fraud scheme, where Patel is alleged to have received kickbacks to refer home care patients to home care agencies. Patel and others devised a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicaid for home care services that were never provided, resulting in a loss to Medicaid of approximately $1,069,384.38.

As alleged in the information, Patel forged doctor signatures on forms required to certify individuals as eligible for home care services, and unlawfully used individuals’ personally identifiable information without their knowledge to enroll them for home care services they were not entitled to while those individuals were living out of the country.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alisa Shver.

The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Metcalf are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in intended loss and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. The United States has seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets, in connection with the takedown.

“Health care fraud hurts us all, heightening the cost of services and threatening their availability to people in need,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “My office will continue to target fraud, waste, and abuse within our federal health care programs and ensure that individuals stealing taxpayers’ money answer for their crimes.”

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that three men convicted of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this week.

Hernan Molina-Perez, 33, a Honduran national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney yesterday to time served, approximately three months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

Molina-Perez had been deported from the United States in October of 2007, following his arrest by the U.S. Border Patrol and the issuance of a removal order by an immigration judge.

In December of last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that Molina-Perez was again in the country illegally, and had previously been arrested by the Philadelphia Police Department. ICE officers took Molina-Perez into custody in April. He was charged by information with illegal reentry in May and pleaded guilty this week, at which time he waived prosecution by indictment.

Oscar Navas-Rixtun, 37, a Guatemalan national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone on Wednesday to four months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon the completion of his sentence, he again will be removed from the country

Navas-Rixtun had previously been deported in February 2020, after he was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol and arrested for being in the country illegally.

In March of this year, ICE became aware that Navas-Rixtun was being held in the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia on arson and related charges. ICE officers took the defendant into custody the same month. In April, he was charged by indictment with illegal reentry and pleaded guilty in May.

Pedro Jimenez-Georges, aka Edwin Quezada Jimenez and Jose Quezada, 40, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez on Monday to time served, approximately three months, for illegally reentering the United States. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

Jimenez-Georges had previously been deported in October 2018, pursuant to a removal order issued after he failed to appear at a June 2008 immigration hearing in Texas.

In March of this year, ICE received information that Jimenez-Georges may be living in Philadelphia. After conducting surveillance to verify the defendant’s identity and location, ICE arrested the defendant. In May, he was charged by information with illegal reentry and pleaded guilty this week, 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. 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 cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Judy Smith, Robert Eckert, and Lindsey Mills.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania filed criminal charges today against the School District of Philadelphia alleging violations of legal requirements to timely inspect, remediate, and report damaged asbestos in multiple city schools.

The United States and the School District of Philadelphia have entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) in this case, which has been filed with the court today and remains subject to judicial review and approval.

This is the first time in the nation that a school district has been criminally charged with this type of environmental violation, and the first time that criminal violations under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) have been brought against a public entity. It is also the first use of a DPA in a case against a public school district in an AHERA case.

These charges are the result of a five-year investigation conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID).

Legal Obligations Regarding Asbestos

Federal law requires school districts to safeguard their schools from airborne toxins, like asbestos, and timely inspect, remediate, and report any damaged asbestos. More specifically, the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) requires that, every three years, school districts conduct formal inspections of all buildings containing asbestos and remediate any damaged asbestos. 

In addition, every six months, all such buildings must undergo surveillance inspections, to ensure that areas containing asbestos remain safe. School districts are also responsible for promptly responding to and addressing internal reports and complaints of damaged asbestos and filing timely reports of these activities.

Asbestos

Asbestos was used in many building materials until the 1970s. Because it is an effective fire retardant and resisted overheating, it was a popular building material for many years.

When left intact and undisturbed, asbestos is safe. However, any damage or disturbance of asbestos can break and emit particles into the air that pose tremendous health hazards. Small shards of asbestos can become lodged in lung tissue, and can cause asbestosis, a chronic lung disease, and mesothelioma, an aggressive form of cancer.

The School District of Philadelphia has approximately 339 buildings, most of them quite old, almost 300 of which are known to contain asbestos.

The Charges and Facts

The information filed today sets forth eight criminal charges, arising from offenses allegedly committed between June 2018 and April 2023.

Counts One through Seven charge the school district with failing to conduct timely three-year inspections in seven specific schools: William Meredith Elementary; Building 21 Alternative High School; Southwark Elementary; S. Weir Mitchell Elementary; Charles W. Henry Elementary; Universal Vare Charter School; and Frankford High School.

Count Eight charges the school district’s failure to conduct timely six-month inspections at Building 21 Alternative High School.

By entering into the DPA, the school district has agreed to waive indictment by a grand jury.

The Deferred Prosecution Agreement

The pending DPA contains an agreed statement of facts, which sets forth in greater detail the findings of the investigation, including 61 specific facts detailing the asbestos problems in the schools, and the school district’s failures to address those problems.

The statement of facts demonstrates a longstanding and widespread problem of asbestos contamination in Philadelphia schools that endangered students and teachers, and, in some cases, foreclosed any education at all by requiring the closure of the school. The DPA lists 31 school buildings that had asbestos problems from April 2015 to November 2023. Some schools had multiple areas of damaged asbestos, which posed continuing and repeated problems and sometimes went unattended or were improperly addressed. In the worst instances, schools had to be shuttered. The investigation also uncovered some instances in which damaged asbestos was improperly addressed, including the use of duct tape to cover it up.

As filed, the terms of the DPA provide that the school district’s actions will be monitored by the federal court to ensure compliance with the law.

If the school district maintains compliance, the United States Attorney’s Office and DOJ can drop the criminal charges after a period of time. If the school district fails to do so, it faces criminal sanctions. The term of the DPA and its mandated monitoring is approximately five years.

“This deferred prosecution agreement, if approved, affords the government the highest available level of prosecutorial and judicial oversight over the School District of Philadelphia and its efforts to comply with its legal obligations to provide safe schools,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Most importantly, the DPA provides the best possible platform for students, teachers, staff, and others who may spend time in our schools to breathe clean air free of asbestos.”

“EPA is committed to pursuing the prosecution of knowing violations of our nation’s environmental laws, especially where such lawbreaking could result in harm to students and teachers on school grounds,” said Special Agent in Charge Allison Landsman of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. “This resolution requires additional accountability on the School District of Philadelphia to ensure protections are in place to prevent future asbestos exposure.”

This case was investigated by the EPA-CID, Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Troyer, and Department of Justice trial attorney Ronald Sarachan. AUSA Troyer is prosecuting the case.