Western District of Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on July 15, 2026, to charges of trafficking fentanyl and cocaine base, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Akeem Evans, 30, pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, a quantity of fentanyl on March 13, 2024, and possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine base on September 12, 2024.

Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for November 13, 2026. The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both on each of the two counts. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, New Castle Police Department, and Lawrence County Drug Task Force conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Evans.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Charles John Beanner, 52, a resident of Homestead, Pennsylvania, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Beanner was arrested on the complaint yesterday by agents with Homeland Security Investigations.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, an investigation by Swedish officials and Homeland Security Investigations identified Beanner among a group of individuals both in the United States and overseas who were sharing videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. The complaint charges Beanner with, on April 12, 2024, and March 26, 2026, knowingly distributing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including some videos that depicted the sexual assault of minors as young as six months old. The investigation by the Swedish government resulted in the arrests of Swedish suspects involved in the sexual exploitation.

The United States has filed a request for detention of the defendant pending trial, asserting that he is a danger to the community and should be held without bail. A hearing on the government’s motion has been scheduled for July 21, 2026.

Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the criminal complaint against Beanner.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Sharon, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 84 months in prison, to be followed by six years of supervised release, on his conviction of drug trafficking and firearm crimes, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Corey Adkins, 29.

According to information presented to the Court, in January 2025, Adkins engaged in armed cocaine trafficking from his Sharon residence, where Adkins’ girlfriend and a young child also resided and were present at the time. Adkins had been convicted twice for cocaine trafficking during the preceding eight years. He pleaded guilty in January 2026 to possessing with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Sharon Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Adkins.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of bank fraud, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Judith A. Hetzell, 63, pleaded guilty to seven counts before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, between November 2023 and February 2025, Hetzell, the former business manager for a non-profit guardianship agency based in the Western District of Pennsylvania, fraudulently drafted checks against individuals’ bank accounts to which the agency had access as a provider of guardianship and other fiduciary services to the victims.

Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for October 13, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Hetzell.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Shaler Township, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of interstate threats and influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official by threat, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

The 12-count Indictment named Robert Hlovchiec, 32, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, between February and March 2026, Hlovchiec posted comments to YouTube videos in which he threatened acts of violence against a member of Congress (identified in the Indictment as “Victim 1”), Democrats and liberals, transgender people, and various minority groups. At times, Hlovchiec identified himself as a Nazi and a white supremacist, also detailing the acts of violence he desired to carry out, including mass shootings, assassinations, and running people over with his truck. The Indictment charged Hlovchiec with issuing the following threats: - “If i get the chance im going to do a mass shooting wherever [Victim 1] is standing. [Victim 1] needs to die. All trailers to America beware. America is not for sale. America is not a Muslim country.”
- “If i get the chance I’ll shoot everyone in [Victim 1]’s family. America is a white Christian nation. We are ready to kill and die before foreigner ll Muslims take over”
- “I would put a bullet in [Victim 1]’s head. [Victim 1] isn’t American”
- “I would shoot [Victim 1] if I get close enough to [Victim 1]”
- “I’ll shoot [Victim 1] if I get the chance”
- “I’ll put a bullet in any democrats head especially democrat politician or [Victim 1]”

As to each of the six counts of interstate threats, the law provides for a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. As to each of the six counts of influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official while they were engaged in, and on account of, their performance of their official duties by threat, the law provides for a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan J. McKenna and Alyssa R. Angotti are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

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

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Meadville, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal child sexual exploitation laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

The four-count Indictment named Jason Michael Dekaye, 50, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on or about January 19 and January 20, 2026, Dekaye received and attempted to receive material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor. The Indictment also alleges that, in January of 2026, Dekaye possessed and accessed with intent to view material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, and possessed obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children.

As to the receipt and attempted receipt charge, the law provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. As to each of the charges of possession of and accessing with intent to view material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children, the law provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Stuart, Florida, Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A citizen of the Dominican Republic illegally residing in The Bronx, New York, has been sentenced in federal court to time served of approximately 35 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution totaling more than $896,000 to dozens of victims on his convictions for conspiracy to transport stolen money in interstate commerce and interstate transportation of stolen money, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Chief United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Stalin Acosta Paulino, 45. Paulino is expected to be deported to the Dominican Republic.

According to information presented to the Court, Paulino participated in a complex fraud with numerous other individuals then living in New York in which they traveled to various states, including Pennsylvania and Virginia, and stole cash from skilled gaming machines they had broken into. Paulino and his conspirators then transported the stolen money to the New York area.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the United States Secret Service and United States Postal Inspection Service, who worked in conjunction with numerous police departments in Pennsylvania and Virginia, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Paulino.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to three years of probation and ordered to pay restitution of $711,253.10 to the Internal Revenue Service on his conviction of willful failure to collect or pay over tax, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Michael D. Funovits, 51.

According to information presented to the Court, between 2016 and 2023, Funovits failed to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service payroll taxes he collected on behalf of his businesses, PennRo Associates LLC and Penn Exteriors LLC.

Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Funovits.

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

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Rafael Gary, 31, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that On December 9, 2022, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police officers were patrolling the East Hills section of Pittsburgh when officers noticed Gary’s vehicle parked. When Gary drove away, officers observed a traffic violation and pulled Gary over. Eventually, the officer developed evidence that Gary concealed illegal material inside the vehicle and got a search warrant for Gary’s vehicle.

The search warrant revealed a handgun, evidence of marijuana trafficking and a cellular telephone. Agents from, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives obtained a search warrant for the cellular telephone, which revealed that Gary had purchased the handgun through the female associate who was the registered owner. Gary has multiple felony convictions that preclude him from the lawful possession of firearms, including previous federal convictions for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number.

Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for October 22, 2026. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Gary.

PITTSBURGH, Pa - A resident of Cleveland, Ohio, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of Money Laundering Conspiracy, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Luis Alfonso Bisono Rodriguez, 35, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Nora Bary Fischer.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that an organized crime group based in the Dominican Republic, operated what is commonly referred to as a Grandparent Fraud Scheme. The organized crime group, for a number of years, ran a scam in which they called elderly individuals impersonating a loved one (often a grandchild) and falsely claimed that the grandchild is in a crisis and needed cash quickly, typically to pay bond related to criminal charges. The victims then accessed cash, typically from their financial institutions, and provided the cash to unknowing ride share drivers from companies like Lyft and Uber. The drivers then drove the cash, often across state lines, and delivered the cash to a member of the conspiracy.

Bisono Rodriguez participated in the conspiracy by receiving the fraudulently obtained money from the Lyft or Uber drivers, and then laundering the money by depositing it into financial institution or wiring the proceeds to the Dominican Republic knowing that the money was obtained fraudulently.

Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for September 9, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, in conjunction with the Parma Police Department (Ohio), and six police departments in Western Pennsylvania conducted the investigation leading to prosecution of Bisono Rodriguez. The six police departments are Millcreek Township Police Department, the Grove City Police Department, the Scott Township Police Department, the Fox Chapel Police Department, the Finley Township Police Department, and the Hermitage Police Department.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to the charge of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

On June 23rd, Dontae Gilbert pleaded guilty to one count of violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1) before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Gilbert was one of two men who, on May 23, 2024, fired a gun at a residence located in the 300 block of E. 18th Avenue in Homestead. Gilbert used a stolen Smith & Wesson pistol to shoot at the home, then attempted to flee the scene with his co-defendant in a black Kia. Law enforcement was able to stop the vehicle and found Gilbert in the driver’s seat of the car with the pistol under his seat. Ballistic testing matched the firearm to spent shell casings found on E. 18th Avenue and gunshot residue was found on Gilbert’s hand.

As laid forth in the Indictment that charged him, Gilbert was previously convicted in federal court for possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin, and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. In his prior matter, Gilbert was sentenced to 68 months of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release. Gilbert was only 9 or so weeks into that term of supervision when he possessed and fired the Smith & Wesson on May 23rd. Gilbert therefore also violated the terms and conditions of his supervision by committing these acts.

Judge Bissoon agreed to allow Gilbert to proceed to sentencing on the same date as his guilty plea. In the combined hearing, Gilbert also admitted to violating the terms of his supervised release and the Court revoked his supervision. Gilbert was sentenced to a total of 90 months of incarceration followed by another three years of supervised release.

Assistant United States Attorney Barbara K. Doolittle prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Munhall and Homestead Police Departments, and the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Dontae Gilbert.

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.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of DuBois, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on fraud and theft of government property charges, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

The two-count Indictment named Steven Paul Gearhart, 61, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, from in and around April 2022 until in and around June 2024, Gearhart concealed and failed to disclose events to the Social Security Administration with the intent to fraudulently misuse Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits as representative payee for his personal use. SSI is a monthly, needs-based payment benefit that is afforded to people with disabilities and the elderly who have little or no income. Applicants are required to report their wages, assets, and living arrangements as those matters are considered by the Social Security Administration when determining eligibility for SSI. The Indictment further alleges that Gearhart converted SSI benefits as a representative payee to his personal use and stole over $1,000 in SSI benefits.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

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

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

ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 10 years of incarceration, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release on his conviction of possessing child sexual abuse material, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Dana Lindstrom, 44, formerly of Erie, Pennsylvania.

According to information presented to the Court, in August 2019, Lindstrom possessed videos depicting a minor female engaged in sexually explicit conduct. These videos were located by investigators on Lindstrom’s phone.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Erie Police Department and the Erie County Detectives Bureau for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lindstrom.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Today, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced criminal charges against two defendants in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud the United States Department of Agriculture. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from the two defendants exchanging Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamp, benefits for cash, allowing certain beneficiary recipients to use this cash to purchase illegal controlled substances.

“Giving customers cash for their SNAP benefits is against the law and violates the clear rules and regulations of a program designed to provide nutritional assistance to families in need,” said United States Attorney Rivetti. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute individuals who attempt to take advantage of both recipients and taxpayers by compromising the integrity of important public health programs and illegally trafficking SNAP and other government benefits.”

The charges announced today by United States Attorney Rivetti are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.

Today’s coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including: • Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
• 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
• Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
• 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.

The following individuals were charged in the Western District of Pennsylvania:

Abdou Jallow, 55, and Alicia Mastrantoni, 39, both of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were charged by Criminal Complaint with food stamp fraud in connection with exchanging SNAP benefits for cash. As alleged in the complaint, Jallow, manager of a Pittsburgh convenience store, and Mastrantoni, an employee of the same store, exchanged these SNAP benefits for cash for various store customers, many of whom used this cash to purchase illegal controlled substances. Jallow and Mastrantoni attempted to conceal the nature of these transactions by using fraudulent universal product codes (UPCs) on the store’s cash register. The store was identified as being involved in fraud through the SNAP benefit transactions, which were significantly high in both volume and dollar amount. It is believed that Jallow and Mastrantoni fraudulently exchanged over $550,000 in SNAP benefits over the course of the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

“Exploiting a vital nutrition program for personal profit and to fuel drug abuse is a betrayal of the communities these benefits are intended to support,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Nathan Abel. “The charges announced today demonstrate the commitment of HSI Philadelphia and our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who defraud the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and threaten public safety. We will continue to trace illicit funds, safeguard taxpayer resources, and hold accountable anyone who seeks to exploit vulnerable families for personal gain.”

The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, in particular, worked with the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division, as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pennsylvania State Police Organized Crime Unit West to investigate and prosecute the case filed during the Takedown.

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

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

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 46 months of incarceration, to be followed by six years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal firearm and narcotics laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Jamar Perminter, 26.

According to information presented to the Court, on July 31, 2025, law enforcement executed search warrants of Perminter’s person, residence, and two vehicles, and recovered a loaded and chambered pistol, a firearm magazine, and 9mm ammunition. In addition, law enforcement recovered dozens of bricks of fentanyl/heroin, a digital scale, multiple cell phones, and approximately $84,000 in United States currency. Perminter previously had been convicted in federal court of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and heroin. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Stowe Township Police Department, McKees Rocks Police Department, and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Perminter.

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.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of trafficking fentanyl, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Edwin Hernandez, 24, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was informed that, on February 2, 2022, Hernandez possessed with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Judge Hardy scheduled sentencing for October 27, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

The Pennsylvania State Police and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Hernandez.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Kittanning, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 36 months of probation, including an initial five months of home detention, and ordered to pay restitution of $17,000 to the United States Social Security Administration on his conviction of theft of public funds, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Chief United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Jared Koeller, 47, on June 17, 2026.

According to information presented to the Court, Koeller was the representative payee for a disabled child, and misused Social Security funds designated for the child after the child was placed in the custody of another person.

Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Koeller.

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

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Imperial, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to three years of incarceration, to be followed by two years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating a federal firearms law, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Ja’Shon Spencer, 22, on June 17, 2026.

According to information presented to the Court, on June 16, 2025, Spencer possessed a Glock semiautomatic pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD), or “Glock switch,” during a drug transaction with undercover members of law enforcement. A MCD is a device that converts a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm. Under federal law, both the MCD as well as the firearm with which the MCD is equipped are considered to be machineguns and are illegal.

Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Spencer.

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.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on June 17, 2026, to 48 months of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $550,000 in restitution on his conviction of violating federal identity theft laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Theodore Brown, 32, of the Hazelwood neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

According to information presented to the Court, from in and around October 2022 to in and around February 2023, Brown and other conspirators used personal identification information and credit card numbers of individuals that the conspirators had purchased through the dark web to rent vehicles from a rental car company. An employee of the rental car company was also part of the conspiracy. The conspirators then rented the vehicles to others in the community, many of whom were involved in drug trafficking and other illegal conduct. The total loss to the rental car company was more than $800,000.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the United States Secret Service and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Brown.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and a resident of Phoenix, Arizona, both pleaded guilty in federal court on June 16, 2026, to charges of violating federal racketeering laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Asiah Young-Atwell, 31, of Johnstown and Monique Valencia, 30, of Phoenix each pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment during separate hearings before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around July 2023 to in and around December 2023, Young-Atwell and Valencia conducted and participated in the affairs of an enterprise through racketeering activity. Specifically, while employed as a medical staff nurse at the Cambria County Prison, Young-Atwell accepted bribes from inmates as an incentive to smuggle contraband—namely, cell phones and THC vape pens—into the prison. That contraband was then given to inmates, who sold the items to other inmates for a substantial profit. Valencia acted as a facilitator in the racketeering activities by sending and receiving payments on behalf of the inmates for the smuggled contraband.

Young-Atwell and Valencia are among 10 residents of Pennsylvania and Arizona indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025 for their alleged participation in the racketeer-influenced corruption organization (RICO) conspiracy. Read the Indictment news release here.

Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for both defendants for October 29, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, the Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, and the Cambria County Prison conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of the defendants.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Phoenix, Arizona, has been sentenced in federal court to 420 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws in relation to a transnational criminal organization (TCO) as part of a Homeland Security Task Force prosecution, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The defendant was among 35 individuals charged through a Second Superseding Indictment unsealed in January 2024 for their participation in a domestic and international narcotics and money laundering conspiracy involving substantial quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine (read the Second Superseding Indictment news release here).

United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Carlos Zamora, 30. Zamora was one of two defendants convicted by a jury in the case following a two-and-a-half-week trial in September 2025 (read the verdict news release here), with the other defendant—Bryce Hill of Seattle, Washington—having been sentenced in February 2026 to 35 years in prison. Zamora is the 33rd defendant sentenced in the case.

Evidence presented during the trial established that Zamora was a significant and longstanding participant in the Phoenix-based Monarrez Drug Trafficking Organization—a transnational criminal organization responsible for the distribution of millions of fentanyl pills, hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, and dozens of kilograms of cocaine from August 2021 to June 2023. The Monarrez TCO provided the drugs to a network of subordinate dealers who redistributed the narcotics throughout the country, including into western Pennsylvania. Zamora was intercepted over a federal wiretap obtaining hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills and kilograms of fentanyl powder for redistribution.

Additional evidence presented at trial included testimony regarding the execution of a search warrant on January 11, 2023, during which law enforcement seized 27 kilograms of fentanyl pills, multiple firearms, and $387,000 cash from Hill’s apartment; an intercepted call from January 9, 2023, in which Zamora discussed with one of the organization’s leaders a drive-by shooting he had carried out the previous day in Phoenix; and the seizure of 28 kilograms of fentanyl pills, 7.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, three kilograms of cocaine, 48 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 20 firearms (pictured below) from a short-term rental property in Scottsdale, Arizona, on December 25, 2022.

Jurors learned that Zamora fired more than three dozen gunshots at a man (later discovered to be a different individual from the one Zamora was targeting) during the January 8, 2023, drive-by shooting in Phoenix. Shell casings test-fired from a Glock switch-equipped semiautomatic rifle seized from Zamora’s residence a few days later matched the shells recovered from the scene of the shooting. In addition to his enforcer or “muscle” role for the criminal organization, Zamora was also responsible for distributing substantial quantities of drugs, including 29 kilograms of fentanyl and 82.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.

Zamora had previously served prison sentences on convictions of armed robbery and aggravated assault on a correctional employee, and is one of 10 individuals indicted in July 2025 for their alleged participation in a racketeer-influenced corruption organization conspiracy related to the bribery of prison employees to smuggle contraband into the Cambria County Prison (read the Indictment news release here).

Assistant United States Attorneys Arnold P. Bernard Jr. and Katherine C. Jordan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

This prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations that have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Western District of Pennsylvania is part of the Philadelphia HSTF, which comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the United States Department of State–Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and state and local law enforcement partners, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

WASHINGTON — Advanced Pathology Solutions PLLC (formerly known as Advanced Pathology Solutions LLC), an anatomic pathology laboratory headquartered in North Little Rock, Arkansas, and its management services organization, APS MSO LLC (together, “APS”), along with current and former owners Kevin Hannah, Donell Burkett, and Daniel Hunter Pledger have agreed to pay a total of $30 million to the United States to resolve allegations that APS and its owners furnished unlawful kickbacks and ordered medically unnecessary pathology testing services.

“Healthcare referrals must be based on the best decision for patients, not the influence of kickbacks,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement demonstrates the Department’s commitment to hold accountable both corporations and individuals who profit from improper kickback arrangements and who burden federal healthcare programs with claims for medically unnecessary services.”

“Fraud against the taxpayer is rampant and insidious and when discovered must be held accountable. Engineering kickbacks to result in unnecessary medical testing which is then paid for by the United States taxpayer is unacceptable and once discovered as with APS, will result in lengthy investigation and review, and ultimately a significant settlement amount as demonstrated by this settlement,” said U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “Our office will continue to work with Main Justice to detect and deter any similar schemes and then hold the wrongdoers accountable under the law.”

“Any entity that participates in health care and reaps illicit profits by taking advantage of and violating the trust given by Medicare and Medicaid programs must be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “This settlement is notice that such illegal conduct simply will not be tolerated.”

“Kickbacks and medically unnecessary testing don’t just violate the law — they endanger patients and drain critical federal health care funds,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Schemes like this erode trust in the health care system and divert resources away from those who truly need care. HHS OIG will move swiftly and aggressively with our law enforcement partners to uncover these abuses and hold every responsible party accountable.”

The settlement resolves allegations made by the United States in a complaint filed on April 8, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. In its complaint, the United States alleged that, from 2015 through July 2022, APS and its owners violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by providing unlawful kickbacks to gastroenterology practices to induce the referral of pathology testing to APS resulting in false claims to federal healthcare programs. The government’s complaint focused on a business model developed by APS and its owners, in which APS set up and managed limited-purpose laboratories (known as “lean labs”) in gastroenterology practices nationwide that enabled the practices to bill for preparing and staining biopsy specimen slides. The complaint alleged that in exchange for various benefits furnished by APS, the gastroenterology practices agreed to exclusively refer their patients to APS by shipping their patients’ slides to APS’s lab in North Little Rock for pathologist interpretation and review. The United States alleged that the arrangements between APS and the gastroenterology practices were improper financial relationships through which APS provided kickbacks to induce the practices to steer their patients to APS.

The United States further alleged that APS and its owners submitted and caused the submission of claims to federal healthcare programs for unnecessary testing. Specifically, APS directed lean lab personnel to automatically order certain special tests (called “special stains”) before a pathologist reviewed a routine test (a hematoxylin and eosin stain) to determine whether additional testing was necessary. By following the special stain protocol, APS and the lean labs ordered special stains that were not medically reasonable and necessary and were ineligible for Medicare coverage or reimbursement. In many cases, APS would also order additional “confirmatory” immunohistochemical testing on patient samples it received from the lean labs, which was also not medically necessary.

In addition to resolving the allegations in the United States’ complaint, the settlement announced today also resolves allegations that from Nov. 1, 2018, to Nov. 30, 2020, APS and CEO Kevin Hannah knowingly and willfully provided unlawful kickbacks to an individual named Richard Sorgnard in the form of volume-based commission payments to induce the referral of patients to APS for epidermal nerve fiber density (“ENFD”) testing. Sorgnard, who previously entered into a settlement with the government to resolve related claims, encouraged medical providers and practices to order ENFD testing from APS for their patients, and in exchange, APS paid Sorgnard 4% of all payments APS collected for ENFD testing referred. The United States contends that this arrangement violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and resulted in false claims under the FCA.

In connection with the settlement, APS entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The CIA requires APS to implement numerous auditing and accountability provisions, including implementation of a robust compliance program, new training and education requirements, and a review of physician referral relationships.

The complaint follows three lawsuits that were originally filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the FCA. Under the FCA, private parties can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the recovery. The FCA permits the United States to intervene in and take over the action, as it has done here. If a defendant is found liable for violating the FCA, the United States may recover three times the amount of its losses plus applicable penalties.

The Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas are handling the matter. The consolidated cases are captioned United States ex rel. Watkins v. Advanced Pathology Solutions, No. 4:20-cv-1110 (E.D. Ark.); United States ex rel. Aucoin v. Advanced Pathology Solutions, No. 4:21-cv-277 (E.D. Ark.); and United States ex rel. Paulsen v. Advanced Pathology Solutions, LLC, No. 3:22-cv-00652-JPG (E.D. Ark.). This settlement follows a $4.75 million settlement reached earlier this year with Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates, a gastroenterology practice and former client of APS.

The matter was handled by Fraud Section Attorneys Evan Ballan, Jeff McSorley, and Kelley Hauser of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Goss Dempsey for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Skirtich for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

The investigation and prosecution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.

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

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of trafficking cocaine and cocaine base, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Richard Jasek, 42, pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was informed that Jasek distributed and/or possessed with intent to distribute quantities of cocaine or cocaine base on three separate dates in late 2024 and early 2025. Specifically, Jasek admitted to, on February 20, 2025, possessing with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine base, and, on both January 29, 2025, and December 17, 2024, possessing with intent to distribute, and distributing, quantities of cocaine.

Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for September 28, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $2 million, or both on each count. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and West Mifflin Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Jasek.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Oluwakayode Ajayi, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone on June 11, 2026.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Ajayi engaged in a scheme to defraud banks by impersonating account holders and presenting forged checks which he negotiated for cash.

A date for sentencing will be scheduled by the Court. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the Court continued Ajayi’s detention.

Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and the Moon Township Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Ajayi.

ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Conneaut, Ohio, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of wire fraud and theft, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

The five-count Indictment named Yelena Andrews, 48, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, from in and around May 2024 to in and around March 2025, Andrews, while employed as a paralegal with an Erie, Pennsylvania, law firm, did devise and intend to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud by means of false and fraudulent pretenses. The Indictment alleges that Andrew’s actions resulted in the embezzlement of approximately $462,376 to which she was not entitled.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

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

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Rockwood, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on charges of attempted murder of federal officers and violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

The 14-count Indictment named Christopher Eric Fisher, 41, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on or about April 16, 2026, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Fisher fired at and attempted to murder a Deputy U.S. Marshal and five U.S. Marshals Service Task Force Officers while the officers were engaged in and on account of the performance of their official duties. The Indictment also charges Fisher—who was previously convicted of both drug and firearm felonies—with carrying, using, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to the attempted murder of the officers and unlawfully possessing that firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

“The defendant here is charged with the most serious of offenses: the attempted murder of law enforcement personnel with a firearm,” said United States Attorney Rivetti. “We will not tolerate these assaults, which strike at the very fabric of our social order. Working with our law enforcement partners, we will ensure that individuals who carry out or seek to carry out such attacks on officers or employees of the government are prosecuted and punished fully for their crimes.”

“This indictment reflects our commitment to holding violent offenders accountable,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “This individual’s attempt to kill brave law enforcement officers demonstrates a blatant disregard for human life and the rule of law. ATF and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue those who threaten the safety of our community and those sworn to protect it.”

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorneys Maureen Sheehan-Balchon and Arnold P. Bernard Jr. are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

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

WASHINGTON — Ahold Delhaize USA Inc. (Ahold Delhaize), headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts, has agreed to pay the United States and participating states a total of $40 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and state analogs by reporting inflated “usual and customary” prices on claims to federal healthcare programs.

“Federal healthcare programs rely on pharmacies reporting accurate pricing information used in the applicable payment formulas,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “If pharmacies report inflated ‘usual and customary’ prices on claims to federal healthcare programs, the programs pay more than they should on those claims.”

“Pharmacies are trusted with charging the contracted prescription prices to Medicare and Medicaid and not unfairly and unlawfully taking advantage of the government and the public,” said U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “This settlement confirms that the United States will take all necessary steps to bring to justice dishonest pharmacies.”

“Pharmacies in federal health care programs must report truthful prices. Inflating those prices, as alleged here, puts the integrity of taxpayer funded programs at risk,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampertof the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, HHS OIG will continue to aggressively pursue such conduct to protect these critical programs and all the people who rely on them.”

The United States alleged that Ahold Delhaize supermarkets with in-store retail pharmacies – including supermarket chains operating under the names Giant, Hannaford, Stop & Shop, Food Lion, and others – operated prescription savings programs pursuant to which enrolled members received discounted prices on prescription drugs. The United States contends that, in light of the features and operations of those savings programs, and the applicable Medicare Part D, Medicaid, and TRICARE program requirements (including, where applicable, contractual requirements), the discounted prices should have been reported as “usual and customary” prices on claims submitted to Medicare Part D, Medicaid, and TRICARE. Reported “usual and customary” prices serve as ceiling prices on payments to pharmacies under the applicable healthcare program payment formulas. The United States contends that Ahold Delhaize pharmacies failed to accurately report their discounted prices as their “usual and customary” prices on claims to Medicare Part D, Medicaid, and TRICARE, causing those programs to pay inflated amounts on such claims.

The Medicaid Program is jointly funded by the federal government and the states. Of the $40 million resolution announced today, the federal share is $32.9 million and the remainder will be paid to states participating in the settlement.

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Lawrence LaBenne, who was a pharmacist at an Ahold Delhaize supermarket in Pennsylvania. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. Mr. LaBenne will receive $6,083,587 from the federal share of the settlement. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. LaBenne v. Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V., et al., Civil Action No. 18-CV-925 (W.D. Pa.).

This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Defense Health Agency, and state Medicaid programs.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Jeffrey A. Toll and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Skirtich for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

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

Ahold Delhaize USA Inc. (Ahold Delhaize), headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts, has agreed to pay the United States and participating states a total of $40 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and state analogs by reporting inflated “usual and customary” prices on claims to federal healthcare programs.

“Federal healthcare programs rely on pharmacies reporting accurate pricing information used in the applicable payment formulas,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “If pharmacies report inflated ‘usual and customary’ prices on claims to federal healthcare programs, the programs pay more than they should on those claims.”

“Pharmacies are trusted with charging the contracted prescription prices to Medicare and Medicaid and not unfairly and unlawfully taking advantage of the government and the public,” said U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “This settlement confirms that the United States will take all necessary steps to bring to justice dishonest pharmacies.”

“Pharmacies in federal health care programs must report truthful prices. Inflating those prices, as alleged here, puts the integrity of taxpayer‑funded programs at risk,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, HHS‑OIG will continue to aggressively pursue such conduct to protect these critical programs and all the people who rely on them.”

The United States alleged that Ahold Delhaize supermarkets with in-store retail pharmacies – including supermarket chains operating under the names Giant, Hannaford, Stop & Shop, Food Lion, and others – operated prescription savings programs pursuant to which enrolled members received discounted prices on prescription drugs. The United States contends that, in light of the features and operations of those savings programs, and the applicable Medicare Part D, Medicaid, and TRICARE program requirements (including, where applicable, contractual requirements), the discounted prices should have been reported as “usual and customary” prices on claims submitted to Medicare Part D, Medicaid, and TRICARE. Reported “usual and customary” prices serve as ceiling prices on payments to pharmacies under the applicable healthcare program payment formulas. The United States contends that Ahold Delhaize pharmacies failed to accurately report their discounted prices as their “usual and customary” prices on claims to Medicare Part D, Medicaid, and TRICARE, causing those programs to pay inflated amounts on such claims.

The Medicaid Program is jointly funded by the federal government and the states. Of the $40 million resolution announced today, the federal share is $32.9 million and the remainder will be paid to states participating in the settlement.

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Lawrence LaBenne, who was a pharmacist at an Ahold Delhaize supermarket in Pennsylvania. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. Mr. LaBenne will receive $6,083,587 from the federal share of the settlement. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. LaBenne v. Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V., et al., Civil Action No. 18-CV-925 (W.D. Pa.).

This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Defense Health Agency, and state Medicaid programs.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Jeffrey A. Toll and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Skirtich for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

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

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Jamaica pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Jason Plummer, 33, of Montego Bay pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Plummer participated in a “lottery scam” in which elderly victims were contacted by telephone and falsely informed that they had won a sweepstakes, often totaling millions of dollars, and then were directed to send money in the form of checks, cash, money orders, and/or wires to pay purported taxes due on their winnings. Specifically, Plummer communicated directly with victims about their purported “winnings,” and with co-conspirators about the broader scam. He also maintained records containing personally identifiable information of various victims and received funds directly from other members of the lottery scam.

Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for October 13, 2026. At Count One (conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud), the law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of the greater of $250,000 or an alternative of twice the pecuniary gain or loss, or both. At Count Two (conspiracy to commit money laundering), the law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of the greater of $500,000 or an alternative of twice the amount of criminally derived property, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the Court continued Plummer’s detention.

Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Plummer, with assistance from Jamaican authorities and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs in the arrest and extradition of the defendant.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 30 months of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of making a threat to injure a local public official and making false statements to government agents, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Edward Arthur Owens Jr., 30.

“Today’s sentencing sends two strong and unequivocal messages,” said United States Attorney Rivetti. “First, it reaffirms that our community remains stronger than hate. Time and again, the people of this district have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to unity, resilience, safety, and dignity for all. Second, it again shows that our office and our law enforcement partners at every level will continue to work side by side to ensure that individuals who commit crimes driven by hate—who harm, threaten, or attempt to intimidate others because of who they are—will be held accountable to the fullest extent of federal law.”

“Nearly 250 years ago, this country fought to establish a foundation of mutual respect and security for every citizen. The threats made by this individual go beyond just hate-fueled words – it is an attack on the very principles of our United States,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec. “Hatred and deception have no place here. The FBI and our partners stand united in defending every corner of our community from hate and deception, and making sure those who threaten our peace face the full force of the law.”

According to information presented to the Court, on May 20, 2025, Owens knowingly and willfully transmitted via a social media messaging app the following threat to injure a local public official: “We’re coming for you [emoji of person raising right hand] [German flag emoji] be afraid. Go back to Israel or better yet, exterminate yourself and save us the trouble. 109 countries for a reason. We will not stop until your kind is nonexistent.” The reference to “109 countries” is an antisemitic assertion that Jews have been expelled from 109 different countries; it is used by antisemites to call for the expulsion of Jews from other countries and otherwise to promote hatred.

Additionally, on or about May 30, 2025, Owens made false statements to special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, telling the agents that his firearms—which included a .22 LR caliber rifle, an AR-15 style rifle, and a 9mm caliber Smith & Wesson pistol—were all in the custody of his mother, that he did not know where the firearms were, and that he did not have access to any of them. Those statements were false in that Owens did, in fact, know that his 9mm caliber Smith & Wesson pistol was still in his custody and control (located inside the vehicle Owens drove immediately prior to making his false statements to the FBI agents), that he still had access to this pistol, and that the pistol was not in his mother’s custody.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Fischer noted that the defendant’s threat “created real fear and trepidation” for the victim and “caused the victim to have to change their way of living.”

Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Owens.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to five months of incarceration on his conviction of violating federal firearms law, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Michael Allen Barnes, 42, also ordering Barnes to serve two years of supervised release following his imprisonment, with the first 150 days of supervised release to be served on home detention with location monitoring.

According to information presented to the Court, on April 11, 2024, law enforcement arrested Barnes in downtown Pittsburgh pursuant to an outstanding Georgia arrest warrant. From the waistband of Barnes’ pants, law enforcement recovered a chambered pistol loaded with approximately nine rounds of ammunition. Barnes had been previously convicted of burglary in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Barnes.

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.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A former inmate at the Cambria County Prison was sentenced in federal court to an additional 57 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of conducting and participating in the affairs of an enterprise through racketeering activity, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The defendant is among 10 individuals charged through an Indictment unsealed in July 2025 with racketeering charges related to the Cambria County Prison (read the Indictment news release here).

United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Blake Young, 37, on June 5, 2026. Judge Haines ordered the sentence to be served consecutively to the 92-month prison sentence imposed on Young in May 2024 on his conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute quantities of heroin, cocaine base, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.

According to information presented to the Court, from in and around July 2023 to in and around December 2023, while incarcerated at the Cambria County Prison, Young conducted and participated in the affairs of an enterprise through racketeering activity. Specifically, Young bribed correctional officers and medical staff to smuggle contraband into the prison, namely cell phones, K2, and Suboxone, which were then sold to other inmates for a substantial profit.

To date, four of the 10 defendants in the case have pleaded guilty, with two now having been sentenced.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, the Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, and the Cambria County Prison for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Young.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Claysburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 97 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Derek Hunter, 34, on June 5, 2026.

According to information presented to the Court, from in and around June 2024 to in and around August 2024, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Hunter conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine. Further, in and around August 2024, Hunter distributed and possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hunter.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Davion Xavier Thompson, 22, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on January 23, 2026, Thompson—who has several prior firearms-related felony convictions—possessed an unserialized Glock-style handgun with an extended magazine. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for October 20, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, Thompson will remain detained.

Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Narcotics Task Force, Allegheny County District Attorney’s Narcotics Enforcement Team (DANET), Stowe Township Police Department, and McKees Rocks Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Thompson.

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.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 54 months of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal identity theft laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on William Knight, 32, on June 3, 2026.

According to information presented to the Court, from in and around October 2022 to in and around February 2023, Knight and other conspirators used personal identification information and credit card numbers of individuals that the conspirators had purchased through the dark web to rent vehicles from a rental car company. An employee of the rental car company was also part of the conspiracy. The conspirators then rented the vehicles to others in the community, many of whom were involved in drug trafficking and other illegal conduct.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the United States Secret Service and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Knight.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on June 3, 2026, to possessing stolen firearms, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Jaemir Beard, 19, of the Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood of Pittsburgh pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on March 17, 2025, Beard and two juvenile males were found in possession of six firearms that had been stolen from a firearms store in Mars, Pennsylvania, through a burglary earlier that day. Beard and one of the juveniles were attempting to sell the firearms through social media and text messages. At the time of his arrest, Beard also was in possession of a key to the stolen vehicle used in the commission of the burglary.

Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for October 1, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Barbara K. Doolittle is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Northern Regional Police Department, and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Beard.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Clairton, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 216 months in prison, to be followed by 12 years of supervised release, on his convictions of production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Joseph Primiero, 28, on June 3, 2026.

According to information presented to the Court, on or about January 24, 2022, Primiero produced images and a video of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and then produced an image and videos of another minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct on or about June 27, 2022. Further, on or about May 22, 2024, Primiero possessed images and videos of other prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Allegheny County Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Primero.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal child sexual exploitation laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

The three-count Indictment named Christopher Jones, 27, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on May 1, 2026, Jones did knowingly, intentionally, and unlawfully coerce and entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. Additionally, on May 3, 2026, and May 4, 2026, Jones produced and attempted to produce material that depicted the sexual exploitation of a minor.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

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

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 84 months of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal firearms law, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on Thomas James Clark, 33.

According to information presented to the Court, on January 20, 2024, law enforcement apprehended Clark on an outstanding arrest warrant relating to aggravated assault charges. Upon encountering law enforcement, Clark dropped the belongings in his possession, which included an AR-15-style rifle with no serial number, a revolver, and dozens of rounds of ammunition. Clark was previously convicted in the Court of Common Pleas of Butler County, Pennsylvania, of methamphetamine production and criminal conspiracy. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly M. Locher and Katherine C. Jordan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police’s Butler Patrol and Fugitive Apprehension Unit, and the Butler City Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Clark.

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.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A former employee of the City of DuBois, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of federal program theft and money laundering, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Roberta Shaffer, 61, of DuBois pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines on May 27, 2026.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from 2010 until 2022, Shaffer was employed as assistant to the City Manager of DuBois, which received federal assistance through grants, subsidies, loans, guarantees, insurance, and other forms in excess of $10,000 in each of the calendar years from 2008 to 2022. In her role as assistant, Shaffer and then-City Manager John Suplizio opened four secret bank accounts that were neither approved nor signed for by the appropriate City officials as required under Pennsylvania law, with Shaffer instead signing the account opening documents at Suplizio’s direction.

Suplizio then diverted approximately $1.5 million that should have been deposited into accounts controlled by the City into the secret accounts, from which Suplizio used the stolen money to make payments on his personal credit card and to pay for various personal expenses, as well as for substantial cash withdrawals made for Suplizio’s benefit. Shaffer wrote and signed many of the checks that paid for the credit card bills and resulted in the cash withdrawals. The secret accounts were also used to pay for donations to local politicians, a fundraiser dinner for a local judge, and a City employee’s wedding reception. In addition, several cashier’s checks purchased through withdrawals from the secret accounts, as well as numerous large cash deposits, were later deposited into Suplizio’s personal banking accounts.

Judge Haines scheduled Shaffer’s sentencing for September 22, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Suplizio’s trial is scheduled to begin October 5, 2026.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway and Special Assistant United States Attorney Summer Carroll (Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General) are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Shaffer.

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

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of theft of government property and was sentenced to six months of probation and ordered to pay a judgment to the United States of $425,000, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Douglas Zych, 70, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone and was sentenced on May 27, 2026.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Zych cannibalized parts of a Huey-1 helicopter entrusted to the care and custody of a museum and sold them. The museum had obtained the aircraft pursuant to the Federal Surplus Property Donation Program administered by the U.S. General Services Administration and which provides donees such as museums with surplus government property for use in a manner consistent with the donee’s mission. During the first five years of the donation, title to the property remains vested in the United States, with title then reverting to the donee after five years. The pilfering of the parts in this case occurred while the helicopter was vested in the United States.

“Douglas Zych stole property donated, and still owned, by the U.S. government in an attempt to profit from its sale,” said United States Attorney Rivetti. “The conversion of government property for personal enrichment that has been donated and intended to benefit the public is a violation of the law. Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who engage in such illegal activity.”

“The integrity of the GSA Federal Surplus Property Program depends on the integrity of its participants and their commitment to serving the public good. Any attempt to exploit the program for personal gain is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Elisa Pellegrini of the U.S. General Services Administration Office of Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Investigations Division. “GSA OIG remains committed to rooting out corruption and ensuring that taxpayer funded programs operate with the highest standards of honesty, accountability, and oversight.”

Assistant United States Attorney Michael L. Ivory prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Zych.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 27 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay more than $4.7 million in restitution on his conviction of defrauding an investment client, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Thomas Pipich, 74.

According to information presented to the Court, Pipich stole millions of dollars from an investment client in order to conceal losses he incurred on behalf of another client. In 2005, Pipich helped to create an investment fund, BarTom Investments, LLC, into which a friend committed millions of dollars. BarTom thereafter suffered catastrophic investment losses that resulted in it having minimal bank and investment account balances as of May 2017. In an attempt to conceal these losses, Pipich created a sham loan between BarTom and another investment client, and transferred a total of more than $3 million from the other client to BarTom pursuant to this purported loan. He also told a series of lies about the purported loan, including providing false asset summaries that overstated the value of the purported loan and pretending that the loan was secured when it was not. Ultimately, Pipich paid himself more than $800,000 from the proceeds of the purported loan, and lost at least $2.6 million through further investment losses.

“This defendant, a financial advisor, betrayed his friend and client, and he stole millions of dollars,” said United States Attorney Rivetti. “Working with our law enforcement partners, our office will continue to ensure that financial advisors who abuse their clients’ trust in order to enrich themselves will be investigated and prosecuted, and as this case demonstrates, face serious consequences and years of incarceration.”

“Fraud schemes like this one directly jeopardize the savings, retirement plans, and financial security victims spent decades building. The harm from this is absolutely life changing,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec. “The FBI and our partners will follow every dollar to find anyone who thinks they can manipulate investor confidence to pad their own bank account. Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that you will be held accountable.”

Assistant United States Attorney William Guappone prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Pipich.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on May 26, 2026, to one count of mail theft and was sentenced to 27 months of incarceration on his conviction and corresponding violation of federal supervised release, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on Tyrone Mobley, 58, of the East Hills neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

According to information presented to the Court, Mobley stole a package from a resident of an apartment building in the Oakland/Shadyside area. The package had been shipped through the United States Postal Service and was stolen by Mobley from the mailbox receptacle area of the apartment building. This was the third time that Mobley, who was under federal supervision for a previous conviction at the time of the theft, has been federally charged and convicted for mail theft.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Hardy stated that mail theft is a very significant offense that is not only a personal invasion to the victim of the theft, but also erodes public trust in the postal system. Judge Hardy added that Mobley’s sentencing should send a message to other individuals who think about stealing mail that they could be imprisoned for such an offense.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Mobley.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Acting pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546(d), the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania has appointed Troy Rivetti to serve as the United States Attorney for the District. After being appointed to the role by the Court’s Board of Judges last week, Rivetti was sworn in yesterday afternoon by Chief United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. The appointment is effective May 28, 2026, and follows a 120-day appointment in January 2026 by the United States Attorney General.

“It is a tremendous honor to be appointed United States Attorney by the judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania; I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve this office and the citizens and law enforcement partners of our district,” said United States Attorney Rivetti. “The Court’s decision is encouraging, as it assures consistency in the leadership of our office and recognizes the ongoing hard work and outstanding commitment to public service and public safety by our attorneys and staff, both individually and collectively.”

Rivetti has led the office since the resignation of United States Attorney Eric Olshan in January 2025, with Rivetti serving as Acting United States Attorney until November 2025 and then as First Assistant United States Attorney—the role Rivetti held prior to being named as Acting United States Attorney—until his appointment as United States Attorney by then-Attorney General Pamela Bondi in late January 2026.

Rivetti’s career in the Department of Justice has spanned nearly 30 years and has included a series of leadership positions in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In addition to previously holding the positions of Acting United States Attorney (February 2023 to June 2023) and First Assistant United States Attorney (November 2021 to January 2025), Rivetti served as Chief of the office’s Criminal Division from 2019 to 2021. He joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 1997.

Throughout his career as a federal prosecutor, Rivetti’s primary area of concentration has involved the investigation and prosecution of violent crime, including large-scale drug trafficking organizations and firearms offenses. Of particular note, Rivetti co-led the multi-year investigation and prosecution of United States v. Robert Bowers, the perpetrator of the worst antisemitic mass shooting in U.S. history. He served as first chair for the trial team throughout the three-month capital jury selection, trial, and sentencing.

Rivetti obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from Dickinson College and his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University. Following graduation from law school, Rivetti was employed for five years as a litigation associate at a large Pittsburgh law firm. He then served as a law clerk for two years for the Honorable D. Brooks Smith.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

The one-count Indictment named Andre Aaron Yates, 26, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on October 8, 2025, Yates, who had been previously convicted of a felony, knowingly possessed a stolen Glock 19 pistol, ammunition, and a 30-round ammunition magazine. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 15 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Pennsylvania State Police, and Monroeville Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

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.

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

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Reading, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 120 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on John Rickenbach Jr., 44.

According to information presented to the Court, from in and around June 2024 to in and around August 2024, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Rickenbach conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine. Further, in and around August 2024, Rickenbach distributed and possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Rickenbach.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Alberta, Canada, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal law related to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

The six-count Indictment named Cyril Borle, 55, as the sole defendant, and charges Borle with three counts of employing, using, persuading, inducing, and enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct and three counts of receiving a visual depiction involving the sexual exploit of a minor.

According to the Indictment, on three separate dates in early 2020, Borle persuaded a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. The Indictment further alleges that, on those same dates, Borle received a visual depiction, the production of which involved the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit content.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $1.5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment, with the assistance of Canadian law enforcement and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs in the arrest and extradition of the defendant.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official or federal law enforcement officer by threat, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

The five-count Indictment named Raymond Eugene Chandler III, 40, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, between April 18, 2025, and May 1, 2026, Chandler repeatedly called members of Congress and left voicemails related to his disagreements with immigration enforcement actions, armed conflicts, and wealth inequality. In those messages, Chandler advocated for various acts of violence against U.S. officials, their families, ICE agents, and the wealthy; shared his plan to publish personally identifiable information of ICE agents; accused U.S. officials of violating their covenants with God or otherwise inciting God’s anger; implied knowing where members of Congress lived; described his purchase of bladed weapons; and stated “I am willing to personally kill.” The Indictment alleges that Chandler threatened to assault and murder ICE agents, a member of Congress and the member’s daughter, and the President of the United States with intent to impede, intimidate, interfere with, and retaliate against U.S. officials and federal law enforcement on account of the performance of their official duties. Chandler’s voicemails included descriptions of the targeted murder and assassination of ICE agents, as well as his plan to “teach” restaurants how to poison ICE agents. The voicemails further asserted his desire to hang a member of Congress, attack a member of Congress and their family member, and instruct a member of Congress to assassinate the President in the Oval Office.

The Indictment further alleges that, on May 1, 2026, Chandler left a voicemail for a member of Congress in which he praised anarchists for committing a historical bombing, ending the message with “I want you to be terrified.” Later that day, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Chandler at his residence. During his subsequent preliminary and detention hearings, the prosecution presented excerpts from Chandler’s journal, which was seized from his residence after his arrest. Chandler wrote in one entry: “I keep calling Congress telling them I want them to kill all the ICE agents and billionaires. I must sound insane to them and yet that is where my heart and head are really at.” In another entry, Chandler wrote: “I emotionally, politically, and intellectually support violence assaults on ICE agents. I actually support it. This is a very scary place to be.” At the conclusion of the hearings, the Court found that the United States had established by clear and convincing evidence that the weight of the evidence against the defendant “is strong,” and that Chandler presents a risk of serious danger to the community and ordered him detained pending trial.

At each count, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

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

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of the Allentown neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics law as part of a Homeland Security Task Force prosecution, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Malik Martinez, 28, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan on May 21, 2026.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, between March 2024 and July 2024, Martinez participated in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, both Schedule II controlled substances, by functioning as a redistributor of street-level amounts of both substances.

Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for September 16, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the Court continued Martinez’s detention.

Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly M. Locher and Katherine C. Jordan are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

This prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations that have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Western District of Pennsylvania is part of the Philadelphia HSTF, which comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the United States Department of State–Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and state and local law enforcement partners, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of the Greenfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms law, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

The one-count Indictment named Jadus Stubbs, 21, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on or about March 22, 2026, Stubbs had two firearms and ammunition in his possession after having been convicted on a prior state felony drug trafficking charge. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

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.

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