Eastern District of Virginia

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced today case updates on seven immigration cases in the district.

On Jan. 20 the President signed executive orders addressing the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. Protecting the American People Against Invasion recognized that enforcing our Nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States, and that it is the policy of the United States to faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens, particularly those aliens who threaten the safety or security of the American people. The order tasked the Department of Justice with prioritizing the prosecution of criminal offenses related to the unauthorized entry or continued unauthorized presence of aliens in the United States. Securing Our Borders prioritizes the pursuit of criminal charges against illegal aliens who violate immigration laws and against those who facilitate their unlawful presence in the United States.

On April 30, 2014, pursuant to a final order of removal, Honduran national Jose Alvarenga Aguirre, 30, was removed from the United States. Alvarenga Aguirre illegally reentered the United States, and on Aug. 9, 2024, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that he had been arrested in Fairfax County for charges of receiving or buying stolen goods and mob and simple assault or battery. On May 30, Alvarenga Aguirre pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-CR-137

On April 23, 2023, Honduran national Gerson Josue Lopez was removed from the United States. Four days later, authorities again encountered and removed Lopez from the United States. On Dec. 2, 2024, Lopez was removed again following his arrest for abduction by force and intimidation and assault and battery on a family member after assaulting the mother of his two-year-old child. Lopez illegally reentered the United States in February 2025 and on Feb. 21 he was arrested by the Loudoun County Sherriff’s Office. On May 30, Lopez pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal and he remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-CR-132

On Feb. 7, 1999, pursuant to a final order of removal, Mexican national Raul Hector Vasquez-Robles, 53, was removed from the United States. Vasquez-Robles illegally reentered the United States, and on Feb. 1, he was arrested on charges of possession of cocaine. ICE agents learned that he had been arrested after he was booked into the Chesapeake jail. On May 27, Vasquez-Robles pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 2:25-CR-51

On Jan. 16, 2020, Salvadoran national Jamie Alvarado Machuci, 39, was found illegally present in the United States after he was arrested, charged, and convicted of a felony hit and run in Prince William County. On June 30, 2020, pursuant to a final order of removal, Alvarado Machuci was removed from the United States. On Dec. 2, 2024, ICE agents learned that Alvarado Machuci had returned to the United States when he was arrested again in Prince William County. Alvarado Machuci pled guilty on June 4 to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-CR-137

On March 23, 2015, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) first encountered Guatemalan national Heliberto Figueroa Gomez, aka Greivin Armindo Juares Mazariegos, 31. On Aug. 29, 2019, pursuant to a final order of removal, Figueroa Gomez was removed from the United States. On Dec. 2, 2019, CBP again encountered Figueroa Gomez illegally present in the United States, and he was removed again on Dec. 12, 2019. Figueroa Gomez again illegally reentered the United States, and on Feb. 20 was arrested by Chesterfield Police on a pending driving while intoxicated (DWI) charge. On May 6, Figueroa Gomez pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 3:25-CR-31

On Feb. 13, 2018, Honduran national Nilson Javier Hernandez-Flores, 33, was removed from the United States pursuant to a final order of removal. Hernandez-Flores illegally reentered the United States and was removed again on Nov. 8, 2019. On March 19, 2022, ICE agents learned that Hernandez-Flores was subject to an arrest warrant for malicious wounding, use of a firearm in a felony, and grand larceny. Hernandez-Flores was arrested by Virginia Beach Police on Feb. 11, 2024. On June 4, Hernandez-Flores pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 4: 24-CR-42

On Aug. 23, 2007, Liliana Yamileth Martinez-Medrano, aka Lidia Medrano and Jacqueline L. Reyes Vanegas, 40, was removed from the United States, and was removed again on April 4, 2017, pursuant to a final order of removal. On July 20, 2019, ICE agents found Martinez-Medrano, who was being held on local charges, at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. Martinez-Medrano self-deported on March 21, 2022. Martinez-Medrano later illegally reentered the United States. On Dec. 14, 2023, Martinez-Medrano self-surrendered on a warrant for her arrest for contributing to the delinquency of a minor after stealing packages with her nine-year-old child. On May 23, Martinez-Medrano was found in violation of her terms of supervised release. She remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:21-CR-143

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for the case number provided above.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for kidnapping a Virginia woman.

According to court documents, on March 17, 2022, Troy Edwin Leitner, 61, of Scranton, abducted a victim, identified as Jane Doe, from a residence in Norfolk, transported her to various locations, and eventually left her at a hospital in Manning, South Carolina, two days later.

Jane Doe was renting a room inside a residence in Norfolk and was struggling with an addiction to heroin. Leitner went to a neighboring residence, presented a photograph of Jane Doe to the neighbor, and claimed that he had an arrest warrant for Jane Doe. Leitner also presented what appeared to be valid credentials and was wearing tactical clothing, a jacket marked "Fugitive Recovery Agent," a badge, and a pistol in a holster. Believing Leitner to be affiliated with law enforcement, the neighbor agreed to assist him.

Though Jane Doe wasn’t home at the time, the neighbor called Leitner later that afternoon and informed him that the residents were back. Leitner returned, entered the residence, and abducted Jane Doe. Leitner placed handcuffs on Jane Doe and told her that she was under arrest. Leitner told Jane Doe that he was taking her somewhere to ask her questions and would bring her back to her residence. Jane Doe believed Leitner was affiliated with law enforcement and complied with his directions.

Leitner took Jane Doe to the Ocean View Inn, handcuffed Jane Doe to a table, and told her he would shoot her if she ran. Leitner and Jane Doe stayed for approximately an hour before leaving. Leitner told Jane Doe that they were going to his office, which he claimed was located in Richmond.

Leitner then transported Jane Doe to Richmond where she consumed heroin. Leitner then took Jane Doe southbound and Leitner rented several hotel rooms from Richmond to South Carolina. When Leitner and Jane Doe got out of his vehicle, Leitner would tell Jane Doe to stay close to him and pretend she was his girlfriend so that he would not have to embarrass her by putting her in handcuffs. Jane Doe feared Leitner and complied with his directions. At some point during the trip, Leitner called Jane Doe's mother on the telephone and falsely claimed that he was taking Jane Doe to a rehabilitation center in Florida.

While Leitner and Jane Doe were at a hotel in Hamer, South Carolina, on March 18, 2022, Leitner received a call from a law enforcement officer. Leitner falsely claimed that his "office" in Washington had received information about drug and prostitution activity at Jane Doe's residence and that Jane Doe had agreed to assist in the apprehension of a drug dealer. He also falsely claimed that he was taking Jane Doe to rehabilitation and that he was part of “Federal Fugitive Recovery.” Leitner and Jane Doe left the hotel and drove for approximately one to two hours before stopping again.

On March 19, 2022, when Jane Doe began to feel very sick, Leitner left her at a hospital in Manning. A security guard at the facility observed Leitner pull his vehicle into the ambulance bay of the hospital. Leitner was “jittery" and "nervous," and told security his name was "Agent Leitner " and that he was a bounty hunter. Leitner falsely claimed that he had picked up Jane Doe on the side of the road and that she was on drugs. The security guard became suspicious and photographed Leitner's Pennsylvania license plate.

Leitner was later arrested in Pennsylvania.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan M. Montoya and Anthony C. Marek prosecuted the case.

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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-57.

RICHMOND, Va. – A North Chesterfield man pled guilty today to burglary of a post office.

According to court documents, on June 7, 2024, officers with the Chesterfield County Police Department responded to a reported break in at a U.S. Post Office in North Chesterfield. When officers arrived, they observed Elijah Holmes, 25, wearing a ski mask and rubber gloves. Holmes was carrying three duffle bags full of mail he had just stolen, including letters, envelopes, and other mail matter addressed to more than 700 individuals.

Holmes is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 21 and faces up to five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Summer L. Speight accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Day is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-49.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to 19 years and seven months in prison for attempted coercion and enticement of a child.

According to court documents, in July 2024, a task force officer was posing as a 13-year-old child online, identified in court records as Jane Doe. On July 10, 2024, Matthew Ian Britt, 40, under the username “weedsmoke,” sent a private message to Jane Doe through the Whisper social media platform. Britt told Jane Doe that he was 33 years old, and Jane Doe told Britt that she was 13.

Britt sent an image of a male exposing himself and requested photographs of Jane Doe, including asking for “a naughty pic.” Jane Doe explained that she would get in trouble with her parents if they found out she sent such a photograph, and Britt sent another picture of an exposed male. Britt asked Jane Doe if she ever engaged in sex. Britt also asked where Jane Doe lived and continued to talk about how attracted he was to her. Britt provided another sexually graphic image, asked Jane Doe if she would touch him in a sexual way, and asked if he could touch her. As he continued to send graphic sexual images, Britt asked Jane Doe if she would sit naked under a blanket with him and offered to make it happen.

Britt provided his cellphone number to Jane Doe to continue communicating and on July 11, 2024, Britt messaged Jane Doe and told her that he wanted to meet her and sit naked. He requested an address, and one was provided. The following day, Britt arrived at the residence in Hampton that he believed was Jane Doe’s and was taken into custody.

Britt previously was convicted of, among other crimes, aggravated sexual battery and carnal knowledge of a child 13 to 15.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Jimmie Wideman, Chief of Hampton Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Heath prosecuted the case.

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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-75.

Richmond, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Pakistani national today on charges related to smuggling Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry destined for the Houthis in Yemen and threatening multiple witnesses.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on the night of Jan. 11, 2024, U.S. Central Command Navy forces operating from the USS LEWIS B. PULLER, including Navy SEALs and members of the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team East, boarded an unflagged dhow, a small vessel, in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Somalia. The U.S. boarding team encountered 14 individual mariners on the vessel, including the captain, Muhammad Pahlawan, 49.

During a search of the dhow, the U.S. boarding team located and seized Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry, including ballistic missile components, anti-ship cruise missile components, and a warhead. The type of weaponry found aboard the dhow is consistent with the weaponry used by the Houthi rebel forces during the time of the charged conspiracy against merchant ships and U.S. military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden after the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel.  During the interdiction, Pahlawan lied to the boarding team, instructed other crewmembers to lie, and eventually threatened the lives of his crewmembers and their families.

Pahlawan’s January 2024 trip was part of a larger operation. From in or around August 2023 through in or around January 2024, Pahlawan worked with two Iranian brothers, Shahab Mir’kazei (Shahab), and Yunus Mir’kazei (Yunus), affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to smuggle materials from Iran to the Houthi rebel forces in Yemen. Pahlawan completed multiple smuggling voyages, coordinated and funded by Shahab and Yunus, by traveling with cargo from Iran to the coast of Somalia and transporting that cargo to another vessel for a nighttime ship-to-ship transfer. Pahlawan worked with Shahab and Yunus to prepare the dhow for these smuggling voyages, received specific coordinates from them for the ship-to-ship transfers, and received multiple payments from them for his role in the smuggling operation.

Pahlawan was convicted of: conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists, providing material support and resources to Iran’s weapons of mass destruction program, providing material support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s weapons of mass destruction program, conspiring to and indeed transporting explosive devices to the Houthis knowing those explosives would be used to cause harm, and threatening his crew. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 22 and most statutes of conviction include a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Donald M. Holstead, FBI Assistant Director of Counterterrorism; and Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the verdict.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Troy A. Edwards Jr. and Gavin R. Tisdale for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Joseph N. Kaster of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. Former Eastern District of Virginia prosecutor Danya Atiyeh and former National Security Division Trial Attorney Lesley Woods supported the case.

The following government agencies provided invaluable support to the case: the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Defense, the Diplomatic Security Service, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of State.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-41.

A federal jury convicted a Pakistani national today on charges related to smuggling Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry destined for the Houthis in Yemen and threatening multiple witnesses.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on the night of Jan. 11, 2024, U.S. Central Command Navy forces operating from the USS LEWIS B. PULLER, including Navy SEALs and members of the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team East, boarded an unflagged dhow, a small vessel, in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Somalia. The U.S. boarding team encountered 14 individual mariners on the vessel, including the captain, Muhammad Pahlawan, 49.

During a search of the dhow, the U.S. boarding team located and seized Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry, including ballistic missile components, anti-ship cruise missile components, and a warhead. The type of weaponry found aboard the dhow is consistent with the weaponry used by the Houthi rebel forces during the time of the charged conspiracy against merchant ships and U.S. military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden after the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel.  During the interdiction, Pahlawan lied to the boarding team, instructed other crewmembers to lie, and eventually threatened the lives of his crewmembers and their families.

Pahlawan’s January 2024 trip was part of a larger operation. From in or around August 2023 through in or around January 2024, Pahlawan worked with two Iranian brothers, Shahab Mir’kazei (Shahab), and Yunus Mir’kazei (Yunus), affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to smuggle materials from Iran to the Houthi rebel forces in Yemen. Pahlawan completed multiple smuggling voyages, coordinated and funded by Shahab and Yunus, by traveling with cargo from Iran to the coast of Somalia and transporting that cargo to another vessel for a nighttime ship-to-ship transfer. Pahlawan worked with Shahab and Yunus to prepare the dhow for these smuggling voyages, received specific coordinates from them for the ship-to-ship transfers, and received multiple payments from them for his role in the smuggling operation.

Pahlawan was convicted of: conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists, providing material support and resources to Iran’s weapons of mass destruction program, providing material support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s weapons of mass destruction program, conspiring to and indeed transporting explosive devices to the Houthis knowing those explosives would be used to cause harm, and threatening his crew. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 22 and most statutes of conviction include a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director Donald M. Holstead of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division; and Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Troy A. Edwards Jr. and Gavin R. Tisdale for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Joseph N. Kaster of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. Former Eastern District of Virginia prosecutor Danya Atiyeh and former National Security Division Trial Attorney Lesley Woods supported the case.

The following government agencies provided invaluable support to the case: the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Defense, the Diplomatic Security Service, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of State.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a dual U.S.-Lebanese citizen with conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and conspiracy to launder money.

According to the indictment, Ali Farhat, 59, owned and operated a Lebanese company, identified in court records as Company 1, that acquired electronics equipment in the United States and resold it to other entities located primarily in the Middle East and Africa. As alleged in the indictment, one of Farhat’s customers was Al Manar TV, a television station based in Lebanon that is owned and operated by Hizballah, which was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on Oct. 8, 1997, by the U.S. Secretary of State. Al Manar TV was designed to cultivate support for Hizballah by, among other things, raising money for its activities and recruiting volunteers for future attacks.

Farhat and Company 1 allegedly used a relative in the United States, identified as Co-Conspirator 1, and other U.S.-based co-conspirators, to purchase audio, video, and other equipment. The merchandise was then consolidated, often at the residence of Co-Conspirator 1, and shipped overseas, at which point some of it was sold to Al Manar TV or to front companies affiliated with Al Manar TV. Farhat allegedly arranged for the purchase of these items in a convoluted manner designed to obscure the source of the funds and the intended destination of the items.

Farhat allegedly periodically reimbursed Co-Conspirator 1 for expenses and paid a commission on purchases Co-Conspirator 1 made for Company 1. Farhat transferred money to Co-Conspirator 1 and other co-conspirators primarily through international wire transfers to Co-Conspirator 1, including into a bank account in a third party’s name that was controlled by Co-Conspirator 1. In total, Farhat allegedly sent approximately $1,192,000 in international wire transfers to Co-Conspirator 1. Farhat also allegedly caused other co-conspirators and businesses to send wire transfers and transfers over digital payment networks to Co-Conspirator 1. In total, Farhat allegedly caused approximately $130,000 to be transferred in this manner to Co-Conspirator 1.

Farhat allegedly made a payment in Lebanon that triggered a Florida-based co-conspirator to send structured money orders to Co-Conspirator 1 and/or other U.S.-based co-conspirators. The money orders were purchased in amounts that evaded anti-money laundering regulations. In total, Farhat allegedly caused approximately $396,160 in structured money orders to be paid to U.S.-based co-conspirators.

Co-Conspirator 1 filed U.S. tax returns on Farhat’s behalf containing false information. Co-Conspirator 1 used the tax refund generated to offset expenses incurred on Farhat’s or Company 1’s behalf.

If convicted, Farhat faces up to 20 years in prison for each count. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Courtland Rae, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Counterterrorism Division, made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony T. Aminoff is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-162.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today the seizure of approximately 145 darknet and traditional internet domains, and cryptocurrency funds associated with the BidenCash marketplace. The operators of the BidenCash marketplace use the platform to simplify the process of buying and selling stolen credit cards and associated personal information.

BidenCash commenced operations in March 2022. BidenCash administrators charged a fee for every transaction conducted on the website. The BidenCash marketplace had grown to support over 117,000 customers, facilitated the trafficking of over 15 million payment card numbers and personally identifiable information, and generated over $17 million in revenue during its operations.

The BidenCash marketplace domains will no longer be operational and will be redirected to a U.S. law enforcement-controlled server, preventing future criminal activity on these sites. The marketplace also sold compromised credentials that could be used to access computers without proper authorization.

Between October 2022 and February 2023, the BidenCash marketplace published 3.3 million individual stolen credit cards for free to promote the use of their services. The stolen data included credit card numbers, expiration dates, Card Verification Value (CVV) numbers, account holder names, addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers.

According to court records, the United States obtained court authorization to seize cryptocurrency funds that BidenCash marketplace used to receive illicit proceeds from its illegal sales.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; John Szydlik, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Frankfurt Resident Office; and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service’s Frankfurt Resident Office, the U.S. Secret Service’s Cyber Investigative Section, and the FBI Albuquerque Field Office.

The Department of Justice thanks the Dutch National High Tech Crime Unit, The Shadowserver Foundation and Searchlight Cyber for their assistance with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell in these matters.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to five years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, on July 21, 2023, a Richmond Police officer was patrolling the Gilpin Court neighborhood in Richmond when he observed a vehicle that had been reported stolen. The officer followed the vehicle until it stopped, then approached the vehicle and directed the driver, Timothy Garnett Covington, 39, to turn off the vehicle. Covington refused, and when the officer attempted to remove Covington from the vehicle, Covington reached under his shirt and retrieved a handgun from his waistband. The officer returned to his vehicle and Covington drove away.

Covington drove down an alley before abandoning the vehicle and fleeing on foot. Officers located Covington inside a residence and detained him. Officers later located two firearms and .5 grams of methamphetamine inside the residence.

As a previously convicted felon, Covington cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Gilliland, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.

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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-136.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to three years and four months in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, in November 2020, FBI agents received information from KIK Messenger about username "boredani" sharing videos believed to be CSAM. On Dec. 8, 2021, agents searched the residence of Hasson Julian Roberts, 42. Agents seized several electronic devices belonging to Roberts, including an external hard drive. A forensic examination of the external hard drive revealed that it contained over 100 CSAM files, including a video file depicting a prepubescent minor engaged in various sexual acts.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather H. Mansfield prosecuted the case.

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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-137.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former U.S. Army private pled guilty today to two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and one count of sexual abuse.

According to court documents, from October 2010 to September 2013, Austin Blair Johnson, while he was an active duty soldier, resided on Fort Belvoir. On June 25, 2012, Johnson was watching an infant, identified as Minor Victim 1 (MV1), who was born prematurely only 16 days earlier. MV1 was crying, so Johnson picked her up and carried her, but she continued to cry. While holding MV1 in front of him with one hand under each of her arms, Johnson rapidly and forcefully shook MV1 multiple times before letting go of her, causing her to flip and land on her head.

Johnson then picked up MV1 and ran with her upstairs to a bedroom where he woke MV1’s mother, identified as Adult Victim 1 (AV1). Johnson falsely told AV1 that he had accidentally dropped MV1 and that he had successfully broken her fall with his foot. AV1 and Johnson took MV1 to the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital emergency room where she presented with a fever, bruising on her head and shoulder, and blood coming out of her mouth. A CT scan conducted there revealed that MV1’s skull had been fractured. MV1 was transferred later to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Walter Reed Medical Center. MV1 was diagnosed with extensive injuries and remained hospitalized at Walter Reed for the next 10 days.

The day she was discharged, MV1 was left in Johnson’s care while AV1 was out. Johnson again rapidly and forcefully shook MV1 and dropped her. MV1 was 26 days old. The following morning, AV1 took MV1 to a previously scheduled follow-up appointment with a pediatrician at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. At the appointment, MV1 began having seizures and was sent directly to the emergency room. MV1 was transferred later to the PICU at Children’s National Medical Center, where doctors discovered myriad injuries, including a second skull fracture, and identified extensive brain damage.

When she was finally discharged on July 20, 2012, MV1 was placed in the custody of Child Protective Services, where she remained for approximately 14 months until she was returned to the custody of Johnson and AV1. On June 22, 2015, MV1 was forced to undergo a hemispherectomy during which the entire left hemisphere of her brain was removed in an effort to control her irrepressible seizures.

MV1 is now legally blind, non-verbal, and the entire right side of her body is paralyzed. Cognitively, MV1 functions at the level of a mature infant.

In addition to his assaults on MV1, in 2013, at their residence on Fort Belvoir, after AV1 had rebuffed Johnson’s requests to be intimate with her, Johnson proceeded without her consent. AV1 protested and tried to hit Johnson to get him to stop, which he did.

Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 22, 2025. He faces up to life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Emily Odom, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; and Jake Cameron, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander E. Blanchard is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-151.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An IT specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) was arrested today for attempting to transmit national defense information to an officer or agent of a foreign government.

Nathan Vilas Laatsch, 28, of Alexandria, was arrested in northern Virginia and will make his initial court appearance tomorrow.

According to court documents, Laatsch became a civilian employee of the DIA in 2019, where he works with the Insider Threat Division and holds a Top Secret security clearance. In March, the FBI commenced an operation after receiving a tip that an individual - now known to be Laatsch - offered to provide classified information to a friendly foreign government. In that email, the sender wrote that he did not “agree or align with the values of this administration” and was therefore “willing to share classified information” to which he had access, including “completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation.”

After multiple communications with an FBI agent - who Laatsch allegedly believed to be an official of the foreign government - Laatsch began transcribing classified information to a notepad at his desk and, over the course of approximately three days, repeatedly exfiltrated the information from his workspace. Laatsch subsequently confirmed to the FBI agent that he was prepared to transmit the information.

The FBI implemented an operation at a public park in northern Virgina where Laatsch believed he would deposit the classified information for the foreign government to retrieve. On May 1, FBI surveillance observed Laatsch proceed to the specified location and deposit an item. Following Laatsch’s departure, the FBI retrieved the item, which was a thumb drive later found to contain a message from Laatsch and multiple typed documents, each containing information that was portion-marked up to the Secret or Top Secret levels. The message from Laatsch indicated that he had chosen to include “a decent sample size” of classified information to “decently demonstrate the range of types of products” to which he had access.

After receiving confirmation that the thumb drive had been received, on May 7, Laatsch allegedly sent a message to the FBI agent, which indicated Laatsch was seeking something from the foreign government in return for continuing to provide classified information. The next day, Laatsch specified that he was interested in “citizenship for your country” because he did not “expect[] things here to improve in the long term.” Although he said he was “not opposed to other compensation,” he was not in a position where he needed to seek “material compensation.”

On May 14, the FBI agent advised Laatsch that it was prepared to receive additional classified information. Between May 15 and May 27, Laatsch again repeatedly transcribed multiple pages of notes while logged into his classified workstation, folded the notes, and exfiltrated the classified information in his clothing.

On May 29, Laatsch arrived at a prearranged location in northern Virginia, where Laatsch again allegedly attempted to transmit multiple classified documents to the foreign country. Laatsch was arrested upon the FBI’s receipt of the documents.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Roman Rozhavsky, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division; Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office; and Lee M. Russ, Executive Director of Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) Office of Special Projects, made the announcement.

The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Air Force OSI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Kromberg for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Christina Clark and Mark Murphy of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

An IT specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) was arrested today for attempting to transmit national defense information to an officer or agent of a foreign government.

Nathan Vilas Laatsch, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia, was arrested today in northern Virginia, and will make his initial court appearance in the Eastern District of Virginia tomorrow.

“The conduct alleged in this case is a profound betrayal of the American people and a direct threat to our national security,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “When someone entrusted with access to classified information attempts to provide it to a foreign government, it jeopardizes our intelligence capabilities, our military advantage, and the safety of our nation. The National Security Division is committed to using every tool available to uncover, disrupt, and hold accountable those who seek to harm the United States.”

According to court documents, Laatsch became a civilian employee of the DIA in 2019, where he works with the Insider Threat Division and holds a Top Secret security clearance. In March 2025, the FBI commenced an operation after receiving a tip that an individual — now known to be Laatsch — offered to provide classified information to a friendly foreign government. In that email, the sender wrote that he did not “agree or align with the values of this administration” and was therefore “willing to share classified information” that he had access to, including “completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation.”

After multiple communications with an FBI agent — who Laatsch allegedly believed to be an official of the foreign government — Laatsch began transcribing classified information to a notepad at his desk and, over the course of approximately three days, repeatedly exfiltrated the information from his workspace. Laatsch subsequently confirmed to the FBI agent that he was prepared to transmit the information.

Thereafter, the FBI implemented an operation at a public park in northern Virginia, where Laatsch believed he would deposit the classified information for the foreign government to retrieve. On or about May 1, 2025, FBI surveillance observed Laatsch proceed to the specified location and deposit an item. Following Laatsch’s departure, the FBI retrieved the item, which was a thumb drive later found to contain a message from Laatsch and multiple typed documents, each containing information that was portion-marked up to the Secret or Top Secret levels. The message from Laatsch indicated that he had chosen to include “a decent sample size” of classified information to “decently demonstrate the range of types of products” to which he had access.

After receiving confirmation that the thumb drive had been received, on May 7, Laatsch allegedly sent a message to the FBI agent, which indicated Laatsch was seeking something from the foreign government in return for continuing to provide classified information. The next day, Laatsch specified that he was interested in “citizenship for your country” because he did not “expect[] things here to improve in the long term.” Although he said he was “not opposed to other compensation,” he was not in a position where he needed to seek “material compensation.”

On May 14, the FBI agent advised Laatsch that it was prepared to receive additional classified information. Between May 15 and May 27, Laatsch again repeatedly transcribed multiple pages of notes while logged into his classified workstation, folded the notes, and exfiltrated the classified information in his clothing.

On May 29, Laatsch arrived at a prearranged location in northern Virginia, where Laatsch again allegedly attempted to transmit multiple classified documents to the foreign country. Laatsch was arrested upon the FBI’s receipt of the documents.

Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, and Executive Director Lee M. Russ of Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) Office of Special Projects made the announcement.

The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Air Force OSI and with thanks to the Defense Intelligence Agency for its cooperation.

Trial Attorneys Christina Clark and Mark Murphy of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Kromberg for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

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

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland woman was sentenced yesterday to four years in prison for bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, on Nov. 23, 2022, Loryn Michelle Dorsey, 36, of Elkridge, Maryland, fraudulently obtained the personal identifying information (PII) of two victims, identified as K.R. and Z.B, due to their high credit scores, which she needed to fraudulently obtain a loan from a bank to purchase a vehicle. Dorsey also assumed the fake identity of “Julia Ball,” who is not a real person.

On December 6, 2022, Dorsey used K.R.’s PII to apply online for financing to purchase a vehicle from a car dealership in Fairfax, falsely presenting herself as K.R., a female. The dealership then submitted the information to financial institutions to provide the requested credit. Ally Bank, among others, received but rejected the application, but no loan was awarded, and no vehicle was purchased.

Later that day, Dorsey again attempted to obtain approval for financing to purchase a vehicle from the same dealership, this time applying with Z.B. as the co-purchaser and “Julia Ball” as the co-owner. Through the dealership’s website, Dorsey was granted conditional approval of a loan from Ally Bank based on Z.B.’s good credit rating. Because Z.B. had to be present to complete the purchase, and because Z.B. is a man, Dorsey asked a coconspirator to accompany her to the dealership and fraudulently present himself as Z.B. Dorsey also arranged for someone to create a fraudulent identification document with Z.B.’s information and the co-conspirator’s photograph.

Dorsey and the co-conspirator, at Dorsey’s direction, completed paperwork to purchase a 2015 Cadillac Escalade for $48,629.20, with $1,000 cash downpayment provided by Dorsey and the remaining sum of $47,629.20 to be financed by Ally Bank. Fairfax County Police (FCPD) arrived at the dealership after the paperwork was completed. When Dorsey was arrested, she was in possession of a firearm. In 2016, Dorsey was convicted of possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance in Maryland. As a previously convicted felon, Dorsey cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Emily Odom, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.

FCPD Auto Crimes Enforcement and the FBI WFO TOC-E/Major Theft Task Force investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Durham prosecuted the case.

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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-7.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Both Management Services, Inc., located in Virginia Beach, has agreed to pay $750,000 to settle False Claims Act allegations that it certified that it was eligible to receive first and second draw loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for which it was not eligible.

The PPP offered loans to eligible small businesses for economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. Only businesses with fewer than 500 employees (or fewer than an industry-based size standard, if applicable) were eligible for PPP loans. Under the Small Business Administration’s “affiliation rules,” businesses under common ownership or control were required to add their employee counts together when determining their size for purposes of eligibility. The PPP allowed certain eligible borrowers that previously received a PPP loan to apply for a second draw PPP loan with the same general loan terms as their first draw PPP loan.

The settlement began with a lawsuit involving Both Management Services, Inc.’s second draw PPP loan, United States ex rel. Verity Investigation, LLC v. Both Management Services, Inc., , which was filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act.

The settlement resolves allegations that Both Management Services, Inc. obtained two PPP loans by falsely representing the total number of its employees and/or its affiliates’ employees. The United States alleged that Both Management Services, Inc. falsely certified it was eligible, on the date of both applications, to receive PPP loans and forgiveness.

This resolution was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Small Business Administration.

The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Beerbower.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Case records may be found on PACER under case number 2:24-cv-474.

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

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A South Carolina man was sentenced today to six years in prison for wire fraud in connection with an oil drilling investment scheme.

According to court documents, in 2016, Charles Eli Colburn III, 70, of Pawley’s Island, held himself out as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Geo Reserve Corporation, also known as Geo Reserve Group (GEO RESERVE). GEO RESERVE ostensibly was in the business of securing leases on land that had been deemed unproductive for oil production and using its employees’ and affiliates’ expertise in the oil and gas industry to drill and produce oil profitably.

At times, Colburn or his associates represented that GEO RESERVE had secured, or was imminently going to secure, millions of dollars in financing from individuals in the professional sports world; that GEO RESERVE had a current partnership with Ralph E. Davis Associates, a long-standing oil and gas engineering and consulting firm; and that GEO RESERVE had already acquired leases to hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of acres of land in Montana, New Mexico, Texas, and Wyoming. They also represented that GEO RESERVE was an active, ongoing concern with revenue from oil production and substantial assets in the form of land and/or mineral rights holdings, and that GEO RESERVE was imminently planning to begin public trading of its stock, which was expected to appreciate quickly.

Investors’ money, they claimed, would be used to purchase additional leases and cover expenses and supplies associated with developed land for oil drilling. Instead, Colburn used investor money for personal expenses, such as lavish rental properties, a Hummer SUV, a golf cart, and home furnishings.

For example, in 2020, Colburn was introduced to an individual identified as S.G. Colburn and an associate told S.G. that Geo Reserve owned two wells in Montana, that Geo Reserve needed money to purchase equipment to reconstruct the wells to make them productive, that work was already being done on the wells, and that Geo Reserve would use money made from those wells to expand and purchase additional land and wells. Based on those statements and promotional materials supplied by Colburn and his associate, S.G. invested $250,000 in a wire transfer from S.G.’s account to an account held in the name of GEO RESERVE, that Colburn controlled and that previously held a $0 balance.

The following day, Colburn deposited a $50,000 check, drawn on S.G.’s investment, into Colburn’s personal checking account. Colburn used the money for personal expenses. In the weeks that followed, Colburn used more than $ 100,000 of S.G.’s investment toward the purchase of a family home.

Altogether, Colburn swindled more than 45 investors out of more than $1.6 million. The Court ordered Colburn to pay full restitution and to forfeit nearly $1.56 million.

During tax years 2017-2021, Colburn never filed any personal or business income tax returns. He failed to report and pay over any taxes due and owing on GEO RESERVE investment funds he and family members used for personal expenses.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Emily Odom, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine E. Rumbaugh and Russell L. Carlberg prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-121.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to three years and eight months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, on Aug. 12, 2023, Richmond Police (RPD) officers responded to a 911 call reporting that Trevon Barfield, 28, had a gun and was pointing it at his ex-girlfriend. Barfield also had an outstanding arrest warrant.

When the officers arrived at the apartment complex, they found Barfield sitting atop a stairwell. The officers approached Barfield and notified him of the arrest warrant. One of the officers observed a bulge in Barfield’s left front pants pocket that he believed was a firearm, and Barfield reached for the object. After a brief struggle, the officers detained Barfield and recovered a handgun, which was loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition. Officers also found cocaine in Barfield’s pocket.

At the time of the arrest, Barfield had been convicted previously for, among other crimes, possession of cocaine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a weapon in a correctional facility. As a previously convicted felon, Barfield cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Colette Wallace McEachin, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Groover, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, prosecuted the case.

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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-160.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three people have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a multi-million-dollar Medicare billing scheme.

According to court documents, in November 2018, Jeremie Vargas Ramirez, 50, of Vienna, Jordana Lee Arpa, 42, of Vienna, and several other business partners agreed to create Kynetic Medical Group, doing business as NOVA DME, a durable medical equipment (DME) supplier. Ramirez was the de facto owner of NOVA DME and handled the day-to-day business operations, including business development, advertising, marketing, and billing. Arpa and Ramirez agreed that Arpa would be named as President and CEO of NOVA DME to conceal from Medicare that Ramirez was NOVA DME's true owner.

NOVA DME was approved in June 2021 to operate as a Medicare provider based on Arpa’s false statements, and Arpa, on behalf of NOVA DME, acknowledged Medicare's prohibition on direct solicitation to beneficiaries. Arpa’s false statements facilitated the fraud scheme.

In early 2021, Ramirez enlisted Dennis William Karnes, 56, of Lake Elsinore, California, to help make NOVA DME more profitable. Karnes had worked in the DME industry since at least 2000 and had taught classes on wheelchair sales and billing. Ramirez asked Karnes for DME "leads," a list of insured customers who needed and were prescribed DME.

Karnes assisted in procuring "leads" from foreign-based coconspirators, but many of these leads were for Medicare beneficiaries who did not need or want DME. Karnes introduced Ramirez to co-conspirators in Mexico and Russia. Though the standard industry practice is to vet leads to ensure they are legitimate before billing Medicare or other insurers, Karnes and Ramirez knew the leads were not vetted. Based on the frequency of complaints and returns, they also knew that many of the leads were fraudulent, though NOVA DME still submitted claims for reimbursement to Medicare.

Karnes acted as a health care consultant to Ramirez and NOVA DME. Even though Karnes knew Ramirez and NOVA DME submitted claims for unnecessary and unwanted DME for Medicare beneficiaries, if Medicare denied a claim, Karnes often altered and resubmitted claims for approval.

Around February 2022, Karnes introduced Ramirez to a Russian-based co-conspirator who owns and controls multiple DME companies throughout the United States. Karnes also knew that all the owner’s U.S.-based companies were eventually closed, some due to suspicions of billing fraud. From around January 2022 until June 2024, Karnes was responsible for transferring money on behalf of the companies because he was U.S. based and could conduct financial transactions without arousing as much suspicion as would a Russian-based businessperson. In addition to Karnes, a Russian-based associate was responsible for all Medicare billing for the companies.

From approximately February 2022 until December 2023, with Ramirez's permission, the Russian-based owner and associate submitted claims for Medicare beneficiaries on behalf of NOVA DME. Medicare sent payment for approved claims to NOVA DME via check or direct deposit. They then directed Karnes how much money to collect from Ramirez for the leads and where to send the money. At the Russian-based owner’s direction, Karnes instructed Ramirez to make regular payments to the Russian-based owner via a shell company called Sharp Ventures, LLC, which facilitated the laundering of Medicare fraud proceeds to Russia and elsewhere outside the United States. The payments ranged from $10,000 to $50,000 on a roughly weekly basis.

DME recipients and their caretakers returned the DME and complained directly to Ramirez that they did not request or need the DME they received. Ramirez frequently relayed those reports of returned DME and customer complaints to Karnes.

From January 2022 through December 2023 NOVA DME billed Medicare approximately $13,526,920 and was paid approximately $7,610,462, of which at least $4,060,000 to the Russian-based owner via Sharp Ventures, LLC at Karnes' direction. Over the same period, Medicare received at least 508 complaints from at least 491 Medicare beneficiaries about NOVA DME. The complainants reported beneficiaries did not receive services from the provider, did not know the provider, returned the items but did not receive a refunds, and suspected identity theft.

From this scheme, NOVA DME, Ramirez, and Arpa received at least $2,256,787 in fraudulent proceeds from Medicare. Karnes personally profited at least $888,500.

Ramirez pled guilty on Jan. 31 to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. On April 18, he was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $2,256,787.

Karnes pled guilty on Jan. 31 to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. On May 2, he was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $2,256,787.

Arpa pled guilty on Feb. 7 to conspiracy to making false statements relating to healthcare matters. She was sentenced today to six months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $2,256,787.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Emily Odom, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; and Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary H. Ray prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1: 25-CR-13 (Ramirez); 1: 25-CR-14 (Karnes); and 1: 25-CR-15 (Arpa).

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced significant case updates on nine immigration cases in the district.

On Jan. 20 the President signed executive orders addressing the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. Protecting the American People Against Invasion recognized that enforcing our Nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States, and that it is the policy of the United States to faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens, particularly those aliens who threaten the safety or security of the American people. The order tasked the Department of Justice with prioritizing the prosecution of criminal offenses related to the unauthorized entry or continued unauthorized presence of aliens in the United States. Securing Our Borders prioritizes the pursuit of criminal charges against illegal aliens who violate immigration laws and against those who facilitate their unlawful presence in the United States.

In May 1997, Guatemalan national Enrique Montesflores España, 49, was apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for entering the United States without inspection, and in February 1998, an Immigration Judge ordered him removed. Montesflores España failed to surrender, however, and became an immigration fugitive for over ten years. In July 2008, after an arrest in Arlington County for peeping or spying into a dwelling or enclosure, Montesflores España was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and removed pursuant to the final order of removal. In November 2008, Montesflores España illegally reentered the United States, and on Dec. 5, 2008, pursuant to the prior order of removal, Montesflores España was removed from the United States again. Following his second removal, Montesflores España again illegally reentered the United States. On Jan. 30, ICE agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement learned that Montesflores España had been detained at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Facility on charges of solicitation by electronic means of a child of at least 15 years of age and attempted engagement in consensual sexual acts with a child of at least 15 years of age. On April 30, Montesflores España pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal and remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-CR-111. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Fisher prosecuted this case.

On May 5, 2017, pursuant to a final order of removal, Honduran national Esteban Amado Diaz Alvarez, 29, was removed from the United States after he was convicted of carnal knowledge of a child aged 14 (2016, City of Alexandria). On an unknown date after his prior removal, Diaz Alvarez illegally reentered the United States. On Feb. 9, 2025, ICE agents learned that Diaz Alvarez was illegally present in the United States after he was stopped by Fairfax County Police. On May 1, 2025, Diaz Alvarez pled guilty to failing to register as a sex offender and illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal subsequent to a conviction for an aggravated felony. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-CR-87. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Lowry prosecuted this case.

On Aug. 30, 2019, pursuant to a final order of removal, Salvadoran national Jose Edenilson Campos-Guzman, 25, was removed from the United States after being convicted of possession of marijuana, disorderly conduct, and being drunk in public (2018, Fairfax County). On Aug. 5, 2022, ICE agents learned that Campos-Guzman was illegally present in the United States. Campos-Guzman was convicted of being drunk in public and disorderly conduct (2022, Arlington County), and, again, being drunk in public (2023, Arlington County), and possession of Schedule III drugs (2023, Arlington County). On March 18, Campos-Guzman pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal and remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-CR-49. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Galarza prosecuted this case.

On Nov. 16, 2012, pursuant to a final order of removal, Guatemalan national Juan Antonio Garcia-Julian, 38, was removed from the United States. On Nov. 25, 2021, ICE agents learned that Garcia-Julian had been detained in Prince William County, and on April 10 ICE officers arrested him. On May 20, Garcia-Julian pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal and remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-CR-130. Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Mercer and Alex Amico prosecuted this case.

On August 25, 2005, pursuant to a final order of removal, Salvadoran national Manuel Angel Henriquez-Escalante, 46, was removed from the United States. On July 23, 2021, pursuant to the prior order of removal, Henriquez-Escalante was removed from the United States again. Following his second removal, Henriquez-Escalante again illegally reentered the United States. On April 18, 2024, ICE agents learned that Henriquez-Escalante had been arrested in Fairfax. On May 14, Henriquez-Escalante pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a removal subsequent to a felony conviction. Case No. 1:25-CR-64. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Albrecht prosecuted this case.

ICE agents first encountered Colombian national Mario Yunior Valencia-Asprilla, 40, in Harris County, Texas, after his arrest for armed robbery. On April 24, 2017, pursuant to a final order of removal, Valencia-Asprilla was removed from the United States. On March 29, 2021, ICE discovered that Valencia-Asprilla was illegally present in the United States after he was arrested in Fairfax County and later convicted of burglary and attempting to enter a house to commit assault and battery. Upon release from state custody, ICE arrested Valencia-Asprilla on Dec. 23, 2024. On Feb. 13, Valencia-Asprilla pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal and he remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-CR-7. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Bolzman prosecuted this case.

On May 5, 2002, pursuant to a final order of removal, Guatemalan national Claudio Abel Oliva Mendez, 40, was removed from the United States. Oliva Mendez illegally reentered the United States and in May 2005 was convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI). He was convicted of DWI again in September 2006. In June 2007, he was convicted of false identification. In June 2008, Oliva Mendez was convicted again for DWI. In July 2008, the defendant was convicted of assault and battery of a family member. Pursuant to the prior order of removal, Oliva Mendez was removed from the United States on Sept. 23, 2008, and again on Nov. 28, 2008. Oliva Mendez again illegally reentered the United States and was convicted of DWI in April 2011. In January 2012, Oliva Mendez was convicted of illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal, and he was removed again on Oct. 2, 2012. Oliva Mendez illegally reentered the United States again and, in April 2014, was convicted of one count of identity theft and three felony counts of forging public records in Arlington County. On Dec. 23, 2014, pursuant to the prior order of removal, Oliva Mendez again was removed from the United States. ICE agents learned that Oliva Mendez had been convicted of felony probation violations in Arlington County in April 2024. On March 27, Oliva Mendez pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal and remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-CR-61. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Max Willner-Giwerc prosecuted this case.

Following convictions for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, drinking while driving, and possession of marijuana, on Jan. 27, 2020, pursuant to a final order of removal, Salvadoran national Ulices Martinez Melendez, 29, was removed from the United States. On April 3, 2022. ICE agents learned that Martinez Melendez had returned to the United States when he was arrested for being drunk in public and then fingerprinted at the Fairfax County Detention Center. On May 20, Martinez Melendez pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal and remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-CR-135. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lowry prosecuted this case.

Following a conviction in Michigan in 2012 for felony identity theft, pursuant to a final order of removal, Honduran national Walter Lagos-Duron, 38, was removed from the United States on May 24, 2013. On July 13, 2024, ICE agents learned that Lagos-Duron had returned to the United States when they encountered him in Fauquier County. On May 12, Lagos-Duron pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal and he remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-CR-93. Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zakeria Haidary and Meredith Clement and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Morgan prosecuted this case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for the case number provided above.

RICHMOND, Va. – An Emporia man was sentenced yesterday to five years and five months in prison for a Hobbs Act Robbery.

According to court documents, on Aug. 19, 2023, David Earl Gay, 60, entered a Walmart in Emporia, approached a clerk, and told her that he had a gun in his pocket, that if she did anything he would shoot her, and to hand him all the money. The clerk complied, handing him money from the service desk. Gay fled the Walmart in a rusted white van.

Law enforcement responded to the address where the van was registered and located the van. Investigators executed a search warrant on the trailer located at that address and found Gay inside. Gay had some of the money from the robbery in his pants pocket. Investigators then found additional money from the robbery in a metal shed on the property.

Gay was previously convicted of, among other crimes, breaking and entering, uttering forged paper or instrument, common law forgery, uttering forged check, statutory burglary, larceny, possession of stolen goods or property, forgery of instrument, abuse of a child – neglect, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and armed bank robbery. At the time he robbed the Emporia Walmart, Gay was on supervised release for his armed bank robbery conviction.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick J. McGorman, Stephen E. Anthony, and Vetan Kapoor prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-23.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to five years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, on March 16, 2023, Richmond Police detectives performed a traffic stop on a vehicle with no front license plate. James Marvin Smith, 43, was driving the vehicle. While speaking with Smith and a passenger, the detectives observed a crumpled lottery ticket near the cupholders and noticed that the passenger had white powder on his nose. The detectives asked Smith and the passenger to get out of the car.

While searching the vehicle for drug evidence, a detective found a firearm and a detached extended magazine. The firearm had one round of ammunition in the chamber and the magazine was loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition.

Prior to his arrest, Smith had been convicted of, among other crimes, possession of heroin, obstruction of justice, resisting arrest with force, possession of cocaine, breaking and entering, using a firearm in the commission of a felony, robbery, unlawful wounding, illegal possession of a firearm, assault and battery, possession of a firearm by a convicted violent felon, and grand larceny. As a previously convicted felon, Smith cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police; and Colette Wallace McEachin, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Groover, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, prosecuted the case.

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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-23.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Uruguayan national pled guilty to a money laundering conspiracy that involved millions of dollars in drug-trafficking proceeds.

According to court documents, Federico Ezequiel Santoro Vassallo, aka Capitan, 44, was a Paraguay-based transnational money launderer. Santoro was a close associate of Uruguayan national Sebastian Enrique Marset Cabrera, 29, who, as alleged in an indictment unsealed this week, is a transnational drug-trafficker responsible for moving ton quantities of cocaine worth millions of dollars from South America to Europe. Santoro served as a transnational money launderer for drug-trafficking organizations and facilitated the movement of millions of dollars of drug proceeds from various countries in Europe to South America and elsewhere.

Marset allegedly is the leader of a large-scale drug trafficking organization that distributed thousands of kilograms of cocaine, including as many as ten tons at a time, from South America typically to Europe. The Marset drug trafficking organization allegedly traffics cocaine in Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, and elsewhere.

Santoro and his co-conspirators arranged for the collection of narcotics proceeds and utilized couriers and tokens to covertly deliver bulk illicit currency, typically in euros. Santoro’s co-conspirators specialized in placing the illicit currency into the global banking system. He then would direct the movement of the funds internationally, usually via bank wire transfer. Santoro typically directed that the funds be delivered in U.S. dollars and a correspondent bank in the United States would facilitate the transaction.

Santoro used at least seven businesses to facilitate the transmission of money and hid the location and ownership of the assets being laundered by using unrelated companies, all registered as purportedly doing business in different, unrelated industries. Santoro used businesses registered in South America and Asia to receive the laundered drug proceeds and concealed the source of the funds by creating false invoices to justify the wire transfers.

Santoro and, allegedly, Marset threatened violence to protect their drug-trafficking and money laundering activities. Santoro laundered millions of dollars of drug proceeds and in a span of less than five months directed the movement of at least $8 million in drug-trafficking funds through U.S. banks. As payment, Santoro took a percentage of the illicit bulk cash proceeds that he laundered.

In January 2021, Marset allegedly was owed more than €17 million from the proceeds of a single shipment of cocaine. Santoro arranged the collection and laundering of at least €5 million of those funds, the vast majority of which was laundered using the U.S. banking system.

In coordination with the Department of Justice, the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs announced today a reward of up to $2 million under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) for information leading to Marset’s arrest and/or conviction. This is in addition to a $100,000 reward in Bolivia announced in 2023.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Louis A. D’Ambrosio, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division, made the announcement.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and law enforcement partners in Paraguay provided substantial assistance to secure the arrest and extradition of Santoro Vassallo.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony T. Aminoff and Catherine Rosenberg are prosecuting the case.

Anyone with information about Marset’s operation, including his drug trafficking, money laundering, and use of (or threats to use) violence, or about his whereabouts, is urged to contact the DEA by email at MarsetTips@dea.gov.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-143.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Petersburg woman was sentenced today to five years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents, between June 28, 2024, and July 2, 2024, Miranda Lynn Hubert, 29, distributed 141.75 grams of meth. On July 2, 2024, Hubert, who had several outstanding warrants at the time, arrived at a 7-Eleven in Richmond to sell meth. Law enforcement took Hubert into custody and conducted a search of her vehicle. Investigators recovered 84 grams of meth, a handgun, and a digital scale.

Hubert was convicted previously for possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, larceny, probation violation, entering a house to commit larceny, and assault and battery.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne. The Prince George County Police Department assisted in the investigation of this case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Gilliland, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-168.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Virginia man and Maryland woman yesterday on charges of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering for their parts in defrauding a non-profit corporation dedicated to global public health.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from Dec. 1, 2014, to Aug. 21, 2020, Abiodun A. Ogunwale, 46, of Haymarket, served as Director of Business Development for the non-profit. Ogunwale exercised substantial control over the hiring and paying of consultants for the non-profit’s Business Development department as well as the payment of department expenses.

In August 2016, Ogunwale hired Abimbola Ajayi, 41, of Rockville, Maryland, as a business development consultant for the non-profit. Ajayi purportedly served as a business development consultant for the non-profit through May 2020. Ogunwale created invoices and work descriptions for Ajayi to use to bill the non-profit and drafted emails for Ajayi to send to the non-profit to make it appear that Ajayi performed work on specific proposals she had not performed. Three different witnesses who did work in business development had never met Ajayi. Ogunwale used his personal email account to send the invoices he created for Ajayi along with instructions for Ajayi to email them to the non-profit, and Ogunwale then approved the fraudulent invoices. Ogunwale also conspired with Ajayi to submit fraudulent receipts claiming false business expenses for which her company, AbbiFabDynamics, LLC, was paid.

During the scheme, Ajayi would kick back and launder the funds to Ogunwale by a variety of means, including depositing cash into the account of his company, Compass Management Services and Solutions, LLC, and by paying his credit card bills.

In addition to conspiring with Ajayi, Ogunwale hired a family member as another consultant.  He also used this family member to submit false expense reports. Ogunwale embezzled funds by submitting false expense reports claiming Compass Management was entitled to payment. 

The jury also convicted Ogunwale for mail fraud.

Ogunwale and Ajayi face up to 20 years in prison for each count when sentenced on Aug. 7. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Nyema Morais, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General; and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff accepted the verdict.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly M. Shartar and Kathleen E. Robeson are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-165.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to five years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, on May 15, 2024, officers with the Richmond Police Department (RPD) were attempting to locate Rushion Leeper, 22, for an outstanding warrant for grand larceny of a firearm. RPD officers, assisted by Virginia State Police, were conducting surveillance near a gas station and observed and approached Leeper. Leeper noticed the officers, however, and fled on foot. Officers eventually detained Leeper and recovered a loaded firearm from Leeper’s pants leg. The firearm had been reported stolen to RPD on April 30, 2024.

Leeper had been convicted previously of a felony hit and run and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As a convicted felon, Leeper cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Col. Matt Hanley, Superintendent of Virginia State Police; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Gilliland, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller prosecuted the case.

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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-170.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Oakton doctor was sentenced today to 13 years in prison for conspiring to distribute oxycodone and amphetamines, maintaining drug premises, and false statements relating to health care matters.

According to court documents, David Allingham, 65, was the owner of and sole medically licensed practitioner at Oakton Primacy Care Center (OPCC), an urgent care center. His practice advertised on his website that Allingham specialized as an “Addiction Medicine Family Doctor” with “special training and skill in preventing, diagnosing, and treating patients with addiction.”

Between at least April 2019 and January 2024, Allingham wrote prescriptions for opioids and amphetamines for numerous patients without properly assessing the individual needs of those patients, which was outside the usual course of professional practice and regulations and without legitimate medical purpose. During that time, Virginia pharmacies filled approximately 7,330 prescriptions for oxycodone prescribed by Allingham, totaling approximately 405,164 pills.

All of Allingham’s patients were instructed to pay out of pocket for office visits at Allingham’s practice, which cost $300-$550 per patient, typically paid via cash, credit card, or Venmo. An extra $700 was required if the patient wanted a doctor’s letter. Allingham required his chronic pain patients to pay for an office visit at least every 21 days, though he allowed a significant number of these “office visits” to be conducted via a phone call to employees who were not medically trained. Allingham authorized renewals of opioid medication without physically examining patients or without medical indication other than the uncorroborated information the patients provided.

Multiple pharmacies investigated Allingham’s opioid prescribing practices and thereafter refused to fill prescriptions for controlled substances issued by Allingham. After a national pharmacy chain informed Allingham that its stores would no longer fill prescriptions written by him, Allingham instructed his employees to phase out all brand pharmacies in favor of “mom and pop” pharmacies to avoid further scrutiny of his patients and so he could continue to prescribe high-dose opioids for them.

Allingham typically required a urine drug screen (UDS) at each in office appointment but failed to act on them in a medically appropriate way. Allingham consistently excused or ignored failed UDSs, which were then withheld from patient files or falsely documented in his medical records. One patient failed 40 drug tests between 2019 and 2023. Allingham’s medical record falsely documented that the patient had tested positive for cocaine in his urine merely from handling currency contaminated with cocaine residue. Allingham nevertheless continued to prescribe oxycodone to the patient.

Allingham also prescribed amphetamines to multiple chronic pain patients to assist them in weight loss in contravention of regulations. Allingham prescribed amphetamines for weight loss purposes regardless of whether the patient was obese. During the conspiracy, Allingham distributed at least 527 prescriptions for amphetamines for this purpose, totaling over 13,500 pills.

Allingham also unlawfully used and directed his employees to use another doctor’s identity without authorization to prescribe medications for himself and his family. Allingham instructed his employees to provide the OPCC phone number for prescriptions purportedly written by that doctor and directed them how to respond if pharmacists called inquiring about the prescriptions, because at that time the doctor was not an employee of OPCC.

Multiple of Allingham’s patients died of drug overdoses within hours, days, or weeks of receiving an oxycodone prescription from Allingham.

In July 2023, law enforcement conducted a search of Allingham’s residence and medical practice. When interviewed by law enforcement, Allingham made false statements regarding his prescribing practices and directed at least one of his employees to delete records of her text message communications with him.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and Col. Matt Hanley, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr.

The Fairfax County Police Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather D. Call prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-2.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Suffolk man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for sexual exploitation of children.

According to court documents, Gary Owens Jr., 42, of Suffolk, engaged in a scheme to "catfish" teenage boys. Using images of a real, adult woman, including sexually explicit images, Owens pretended to be a minor female named “Jessica Lincon” on Instagram before enticing boys to Kik to obtain sexually explicit images and videos from them.

Owens exploited children over at least a five-year period from 2019 to 2023 and amassed a collection of at least 1,800 images and videos of child sexual abuse material and age questionable material. Law enforcement identified at least 35 minor victims in 2022 alone.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes. This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Significant assistance was provided by the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura D. Withers and Rebecca Gantt prosecuted the case.

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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-78.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to four years in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

According to court documents, on Sept. 16, 2024, law enforcement conducting mobile traffic enforcement in Henrico County observed Sterling Hill Jr., 37, making an improper lane change. Officers then observed Hill failing to stop at a stop sign, and a traffic stop was initiated.

A K9 narcotics officer and his partner were on scene, and the canine alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a grocery bag in the rear floorboard of the vehicle that contained multiple kilograms of powder cocaine. Officers located more cocaine in a toolbox on the rear passenger seat. In total, Hill possessed over 20 kilograms of cocaine.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; and Colette Wallace McEachin, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Groover, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman prosecuted the case. The Henrico Police Department assisted in the investigation of this case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-163.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to seven years in prison for distribution of cocaine and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, on Jan. 16, 2024, law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase of fentanyl from Demario Avanti Henderson, 39. On Jan. 24. 2024, agents arranged another controlled purchase where Henderson sold cocaine and fentanyl. During the transaction, Henderson was openly carrying a handgun. Upon completion of the transaction, agents arrested Henderson and recovered the handgun, which was loaded.

Henderson was previously convicted of 17 criminal offenses, including, among other crimes, for larceny, eluding police causing endangerment, assault and battery of a family member, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and assault on law enforcement.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman prosecuted the case.

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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-73.

RICHMOND, Va. – A New York man was sentenced today to two years in prison for making false statements on loan applications he submitted on behalf of his clients through a pandemic relief program.

According to court documents, Baltej Singh Brar, 42, of South Richmond Hill, New York, owned and operated Aspire Tax & Accounting Services Inc., a tax preparation, accounting, and consulting firm where Brar was an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) registered tax preparer. In 2021, Brar began filing loan applications on behalf of other individuals through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a COVID-19 relief program intended to provide loans backed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to certain businesses, nonprofit organizations, and others to help them remain afloat during the pandemic.

Brar advertised, including on TikTok, that he would file PPP loan applications on behalf of clients in exchange for a flat up-front fee paired with 10% of the loan value after the loan was approved. Brar instructed prospective PPP applicants to provide him with their Social Security number, a copy of their driver’s license, email address, prior bank statements, 2019 tax return, and a void check to be used as supporting documentation on applications.

Most of Brar’s clients were sole proprietors, including taxi drivers, truck drivers, and construction workers. Where clients’ prior year incomes fell below the threshold to receive the maximum PPP loan amount of $20,833, Brar falsely inflated the income amounts in the PPP applications to trigger the maximum loan amount. Brar generated and submitted false and fabricated IRS forms as supporting documentation. Brar certified on each application that the information provided in the applications and supporting documents and forms was “true and accurate in all material respects.”

Many of Brar’s clients were eligible to receive PPP loans, though not in the inflated amounts of the PPP loan applications that Brar prepared. Others were not entitled to receive PPP loans at all. Across the hundreds of PPP loan applications that Brar falsified, Brar caused the SBA at least $550,000 in actual losses.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Patricia Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, New York Field Office; Harry Chavis, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York Field Office; Edward Gallashaw, Acting Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division; Brian Tucker, Special Agent in Charge of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Inspector General, Eastern Region; Patrick J. Freaney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, New York Field Office; and Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge for the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-148.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Florida man pled guilty today to wire fraud in connection with his online betting scheme.

According to court documents, Phillip James Krnyaich, 43, of Clermont, is a professional gambler who operated as a “bookie,” using WAGERHUB888.COM and other websites to manage his customers’ bets. Krnyaich purchased “sales leads” spreadsheets from an entity named “CapperTek” that contained the names and contact information for thousands of individuals Krnyaich contacted to advertise his gambling business.

From April 2020 through April 2023, Krnyaich sought out individuals interested in online gambling, managed their bets, and then, on numerous occasions, failed to pay them after they attempted to withdraw their funds. When those individuals sought return of their funds, Krnyaich, using aliases and multiple email addresses, provided false reasons for failing to pay. In some cases, Krnyaich consistently solicited additional money under the false pretense that providing additional funds would allow him to return bettors’ previously provided funds. Krnyaich used bettor funds to make personal purchases.

In total, Krnyaich fraudulently obtained over $550,000 in connection with his various gambling websites.

Krnyaich is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29 and faces up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Ray is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-57.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced today case updates on seven immigration cases in the district.

On Jan. 20 the President signed executive orders addressing the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. Protecting the American People Against Invasion recognized that enforcing our Nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States, and that it is the policy of the United States to faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens, particularly those aliens who threaten the safety or security of the American people. The order tasked the Department of Justice with prioritizing the prosecution of criminal offenses related to the unauthorized entry or continued unauthorized presence of aliens in the United States. Securing Our Borders prioritizes the pursuit of criminal charges against illegal aliens who violate immigration laws and against those who facilitate their unlawful presence in the United States.

On Nov. 19, 2009, pursuant to a final order of removal, Salvadoran national Oscar Adolfo Serpas Cruz, 39, was removed from the United States. On Sept. 7, 2014, Serpas Cruz illegally reentered the United States. On Oct. 14, 2014, pursuant to the prior order of removal, Serpas Cruz was removed from the United States again. Following his second removal, Serpas Cruz again illegally reentered the United States. On April 27, 2020, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that Serpas Cruz had been arrested in Arlington County. On April 8, Serpas Cruz pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He was sentenced on April 24 to time served and remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-cr-74

On Jan. 28, 2013, Mexican national Juan Manuel Rocha-Romo, 31, was removed from the United States. Rocha-Romo later illegally reentered the United States and on Aug. 1, 2013, was removed again. On Sept. 11, 2023, ICE learned that Rocha-Romo had illegally reentered the United States. On April 9, Rocha-Romo pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9 and remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 25-cr-83-1

On July 4, 2018, Guatemalan national Jaime Lopez-Yanes, 25, was removed from the United States. On Sept. 6, 2018, Lopez-Yanes illegally reentered the United States and was removed again on Sept. 20, 2018. On June 24, 2024, following Lopez-Yanes’ arrest for felony strangulation, ICE agents learned that he had illegally reentered the United States. On April 1, Lopez-Yanes pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States, and he remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 25-cr-66

On Oct. 17, 2008, Salvadoran national Saul Recinos Dueñas, 47, was removed from the United States. After Recinos Dueñas’ arrest in Fairfax County for felony rape by force on Oct. 22, 2020, ICE agents learned that Recinos Dueñas had illegally reentered the United States. On April 4, Recinos Dueñas pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States, and he remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 25-cr-72

On Feb. 21, Kenyan national Christin Nyabate Nyandemo, 33, arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport on a flight from Accra, Ghana. Upon arrival, Nyandemo presented a passport and travel visa, both in her sister’s name, to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. An inspection of her bags revealed that Nyandemo was carrying two passports, a marriage license, birth certificate, Kenyan tax registration document, Kenyan identification card, and three bank cards, all in her sister’s name. On April 2, Nyandemo pled guilty to willfully and knowingly attempting to use a passport issued or designed for the use of another. Case No. 25-cr-77

Marcos Gregorio Mateo, 35, was first encountered by ICE on Jan. 31, 2011, in Stafford County. Mateo was removed from the United States to Mexico on Feb. 25, 2011. Mateo illegally reentered the United States and on Sept. 23, 2021, was convicted for assault and battery on a family member. On Oct. 19, 2022, Mateo was again convicted of assault and battery on a family member as well as a protective order violation. On Feb. 9, 2023, Mateo was convicted for abduction; assault and battery of a family member; felony and misdemeanor protective order violations; and statutory burglary. On Jan. 10, 2025, Mateo pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States. On April 17, Mateo was sentenced to eight months in prison and remains subject to a standing order of removal. Case No. 24-cr-259

Honduran national Enrique Ortiz-Hernandez was previously prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia in 2023 for illegal reentry into the United States after a prior deportation and for failing to register as a sex-offender. Ortiz-Hernandez was sentenced to two years in prison to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Among the conditions of his supervised release was the requirement that he not illegally reenter the United States. Following his release from prison on Aug. 29, 2024, Ortiz-Hernandez was removed on Sept. 30, 2024. Ortiz-Hernandez was found illegally present in Louisiana on Dec. 3, 2024. On April 24, Ortiz-Hernandez was found to be in violation of the terms of his supervised release and sentenced to a year in prison. Case No. 1:23-CR-12

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for the case number provided above.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Springfield man was sentenced yesterday to 30 years and four months in prison for his efforts to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from at least October 2019 through October of 2022, Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, 35, collected and sent money to female ISIS members in Syria to benefit ISIS in various ways, including by financing the escape of female ISIS members from prison camps and supporting ISIS fighters. Chhipa would raise funds online on various social media accounts. He would receive electronic transfers of funds and travel hundreds of miles to collect funds by hand. He would then convert the money to cryptocurrency and send it to Turkey, where it was smuggled to ISIS members in Syria.

“This defendant directly financed ISIS in its efforts to commit vile terrorist atrocities against innocent citizens in America and abroad,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This severe sentence illustrates that if you fund terrorism, we will prosecute you and put you behind bars for decades.”

“Those who fund and facilitate terror bear the same responsibility as those who carry out attacks,” said Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Mohammed Chhipa knowingly and persistently collected and provided a considerable amount of money to fund the violence of an organization bent on forcing their extremist ideology on others. That he did so from a nation that holds individual freedom sacrosanct is unconscionable.”

“With this sentencing, this defendant will pay the price for helping finance ISIS, a brutal terrorist organization,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This is more proof that the FBI will investigate and work with our DOJ partners to hold accountable anyone who assists ISIS or other terrorist groups. Whether you are a fighter or send money, these activities are illegal and against the national security interests of the United States.”

“Mr. Chhipa transferred more than $185,000 to members of a designated terrorist organization,” said Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Such funds could have been used to enable terrorist operations and attacks targeting innocent U.S. citizens at home and abroad. Today’s sentencing underscores the FBI’s commitment to severing these streams of funding and keeping the American people safe.”

His primary co-conspirator was an ISIS member residing in Syria who was involved in raising funds for prison escapes, terrorist attacks, and ISIS fighters.

Over the course of the conspiracy, Chhipa sent over $185,000 in cryptocurrency.

In December 2024, a federal jury convicted Chhipa of one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization and four counts of providing and attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony T. Aminoff and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda St. Cyr for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Andrew John Dixon and former Trial Attorney Andrea Broach for the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-97.

Former Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) lieutenant Shronda Covington, 49, was sentenced yesterday to 12 months in prison followed by 12 months of home confinement and three years of supervised release for violating the civil rights of an inmate in her custody and control by showing deliberate indifference to the inmate’s serious medical needs, resulting in the inmate suffering, bodily injury, and for lying to federal investigators about the offense. The inmate later died of injuries he sustained over the course of a 30-hour period spanning Jan. 9 and 10, 2021.

Former BOP nurse Tonya Farley, 54, was also sentenced today to six months in prison, six months of home confinement, and three years of supervised release for lying to federal investigators about the circumstances of the death of the inmate, who was entrusted to her care.

According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, Covington was on duty and working in her official capacity at the Federal Correctional Institution at Petersburg, Virginia, on Jan. 9, 2021. She willfully failed to ensure that the inmate, a 47-year-old man identified as W.W., was provided with necessary medical care during her shift, even though she knew that W.W. had serious medical needs, and W.W. suffered bodily injury as a result. Covington was also found guilty of making false statements to federal agents about the incident.

Another BOP official, former lieutenant Michael Anderson, previously pleaded guilty for his role in the inmate’s death and was sentenced to three years in prison.

“Federal correctional officials who fail to do their jobs at the cost of inmate safety should be held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Further, officials who obstruct investigations of their misconduct violate the public’s trust.”

“Custody includes a responsibility for safety and wellbeing,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Corrections staff must uphold that responsibility for persons in their care – or they will be held accountable for their failure to do so, like the defendants in this case.”

“This case is a powerful reminder that BOP officials who disregard their responsibility to provide a humane environment for inmates will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Tim Edmiston of the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region.

Evidence presented at trial established that, in the early morning hours of Jan. 9, 2021, W.W.’s cellmate reported to facility staff that W.W. was exhibiting unprecedented behavior, including that he was suddenly disoriented, unable to talk, unable to stand or walk without falling, and unable to control his bladder. Over the course of two days, BOP officials knew of but disregarded W.W.’s symptoms.

Without medical attention to address his medical crisis, W.W. fell into walls and other objects numerous times, causing significant bruising and bleeding to his head and body. Although BOP policy requires staff to provide necessary medical care to inmates, defendant Covington failed to respond to repeated calls for help from the officers she supervised during her shift on the morning of Jan. 9, 2021.

On the morning of Jan. 10, 2021, W.W. finally fell head-first into a wall and then to the floor in an observation cell, where — despite inmate-observers’ continued calls for help — he lay for an hour and 40 minutes before officers rendered aid. An autopsy concluded that W.W. died of blunt force trauma to his head and that the lack of medical assistance he received during his series of falls and after his last fall contributed to his death.

Farley was the last medical provider to see W.W. before his death. Despite BOP policies requiring her to confer with a physician about W.W.’s care, and despite Farley’s admission that she should have conferred with a physician and sent W.W. to the hospital, Farley failed to take these steps. She then falsely told federal investigators that she had conferred with a physician, even though she had not done so. Farley also misled investigators about her conversations with another prison official.

The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett for the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Litigation Counsel Kathryn E. Gilbert and Trial Attorney Katherine McCallister of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.

A Springfield, Virginia, man was sentenced yesterday to 364 months in prison for his efforts to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from at least October 2019 through October 2022, Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, 35, collected and sent money to female ISIS members in Syria to benefit ISIS in various ways, including by financing the escape of female ISIS members from prison camps and supporting ISIS fighters. Chhipa would raise funds online on various social media accounts. He would receive electronic transfers of funds and travel hundreds of miles to collect funds by hand. He would then convert the money to cryptocurrency and send it to Turkey, where it was smuggled to ISIS members in Syria.

“This defendant directly financed ISIS in its efforts to commit vile terrorist atrocities against innocent citizens in America and abroad,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This severe sentence illustrates that if you fund terrorism, we will prosecute you and put you behind bars for decades.”

“With this sentencing, this defendant will pay the price for helping finance ISIS, a brutal terrorist organization,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This is more proof that the FBI will investigate and work with our DOJ partners to hold accountable anyone who assists ISIS or other terrorist groups. Whether you are a fighter or send money, these activities are illegal and against the national security interests of the United States.”

“Those who fund and facilitate terror bear the same responsibility as those who carry out attacks,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Mohammed Chhipa knowingly and persistently collected and provided a considerable amount of money to fund the violence of an organization bent on forcing their extremist ideology on others. That he did so from a nation that holds individual freedom sacrosanct is unconscionable.”

His primary co-conspirator was an ISIS member residing in Syria who was involved in raising funds for prison escapes, terrorist attacks, and ISIS fighters.

Over the course of the conspiracy, Chhipa sent over $185,000 in cryptocurrency.

In December 2024, a federal jury convicted Chhipa of one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization and four counts of providing and attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony T. Aminoff and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda St. Cyr for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Andrew John Dixon and former Trial Attorney Andrea Broach of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.

RICHMOND, Va. – Former Bureau of Prisons (BOP) lieutenant Shronda Covington, 49, was sentenced yesterday to a year in prison to be followed by a year of home confinement and three years of supervised release for violating the civil rights of an inmate in her custody and control by showing deliberate indifference to the inmate’s serious medical needs, resulting in the inmate suffering bodily injury, and for lying to federal investigators about the offense. The inmate later died of his injuries he sustained over the course of a 30-hour period spanning Jan. 9 and 10, 2021.

Former BOP nurse Tonya Farley, 54, was sentenced today to six months in prison, six months of home confinement, and three years of supervised release for lying to federal investigators about the circumstances of the death of the inmate, who was entrusted to her care.

According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, Covington was on duty and working in her official capacity at the Federal Correctional Institution at Petersburg on Jan. 9, 2021. She willfully failed to ensure that the inmate, a 47-year-old man identified as W.W., was provided with necessary medical care during her shift, even though she knew that W.W. had serious medical needs, and W.W. suffered bodily injury as a result. Covington was also found guilty of making false statements to federal agents about the incident.

Another BOP official, former lieutenant Michael Anderson, previously pled guilty for his role in the inmate’s death and was sentenced to three years in custody.

“Custody includes a responsibility for safety and wellbeing,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Corrections staff must uphold that responsibility for persons in their care – or they will be held accountable for their failure to do so, like the defendants in this case.”

“Federal correctional officials who fail to do their jobs at the cost of inmate safety should be held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Further, officials who obstruct investigations of their misconduct violate the public’s trust.”

“This case is a powerful reminder that BOP officials who disregard their responsibility to provide a humane environment for inmates will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Tim Edmiston of the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region.

Evidence presented at trial established that, in the early morning hours of Jan. 9, 2021, W.W.’s cellmate reported to facility staff that W.W. was exhibiting unprecedented behavior, including that he was suddenly disoriented, unable to talk, unable to stand or walk without falling, and unable to control his bladder. Over the course of two days, BOP officials knew of but disregarded W.W.’s symptoms.

Without medical attention to address his medical crisis, W.W. fell into walls and other objects numerous times, causing significant bruising and bleeding to his head and body. Although BOP policy requires staff to provide necessary medical care to inmates, defendant Covington failed to respond to repeated calls for help from the officers she supervised during her shift on the morning of Jan. 9, 2021.

On the morning of Jan. 10, 2021, W.W. finally fell head-first into a wall and then to the floor in an observation cell, where — despite inmate-observers’ continued calls for help — he lay for an hour and 40 minutes before officers rendered aid. An autopsy concluded that W.W. died of blunt force trauma to his head and that the lack of medical assistance he received during his series of falls and after his last fall contributed to his death.

Farley was the last medical provider to see W.W. before his death. Despite BOP policies requiring her to confer with a physician about W.W.’s care, and despite Farley’s admission that she should have conferred with a physician and sent W.W. to the hospital, Farley failed to take these steps. She then falsely told federal investigators that she had conferred with a physician, even though she had not done so. Farley also misled investigators about her conversations with another prison official.

The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett for the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Litigation Counsel Kathryn E. Gilbert and Trial Attorney Katherine McCallister of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-68.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to seven years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

According to court documents, Mamud Sesay, 36, of Bowie, was a source of supply for fentanyl for customers, which included fentanyl redistributors. Sesay also sold fentanyl pills from his home. The pills Sesay distributed were light blue and imprinted with “M” on one side, and “30” on the other to resemble legitimate, 30-milligram oxycodone pills.

On Nov. 26, 2023, Phillip Donnell Mosby, 36, of Alexandria, contacted Sesay asking for 2,000 fentanyl pills. On November 27, 2023, Sesay met Mosby and distributed the pills to him. Mosby redistributed the pills in Arlington County later that day.

On April 15, 2024, Mosby contacted Sesay again asking for 4,000 fentanyl pills, and Sesay met Mosby at a gas station later that day and distributed the pills to Mosby. The following day, Mosby was arrested in Maryland in connection with his involvement in the conspiracy. Law enforcement searched Mosby’s Lexus and found approximately 4,000 fentanyl pills.

On Oct. 17, 2024, law enforcement searched Sesay’s residence and seized over 5,000 pills and approximately $2,500.

Mosby pled guilty on June 20, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced on Sept. 25, 2024, to 10 years in prison.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher M. Carter and Catherine Rosenberg prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-1.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

“Child sexual exploitation is a horrific crime,” said Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, arrest, and prosecute those who seek to harm innocent children.”

"Finding and arresting offenders who prey on children is one of the FBI's top priorities," said Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. "I thank our partners in law enforcement and at U.S. attorney's offices for their unwavering support. Through collaboration, rigorous enforcement, and a shared dedication to justice, we are working together to prevent child abuse and ensure safer futures for all children."

Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims. The FBI Washington Field Office also made two arrests in the Eastern District of Virginia as part of this operation.

The FBI Norfolk Field Office arrested three people. In one of the cases, a suspect from Williamsburg was arrested after he allegedly threatened to sexually abuse a local police officer’s young family member. The suspect also allegedly sent photos of the officer’s personal residence to the officer to demonstrate that he had knowledge of where he lived, as well as obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children.

“Child sexual exploitation cases are among the most disturbing the FBI works,” said FBI Norfolk Acting Special Agent in Charge, Patrick O’Brien. “It’s why the work that we do in this field is so impactful. Operation Restore Justice showcases the commitment we have to stopping and holding accountable anyone who engages in sexual exploitation of children, as well as the threat of exploitation. It is not a one-time mission; it’s work that the FBI does and will continue to do daily to protect our most vulnerable.”

The FBI Richmond Field Office arrested two people in Henrico and Richmond for possession and receipt of child sexual abusive material as part of this operation.

“Child exploitation cases are among our top priorities, as they involve our most vulnerable victims,” said FBI Richmond Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador. “The FBI Richmond team through our Child Exploitation Task Forces works around the clock to track down these subjects and hold them accountable for their heinous actions.”

In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents at an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, New York.

This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

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

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

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

Other online resources:

Electronic Press Kit

Violent Crimes Against Children

How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

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

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A North Carolina man was sentenced yesterday to two years and three months in prison for his role in a dogfighting ring.

According to court documents, from at least March 2015 through December 2022, Charles Reginald McDougald, aka “Luke” and “Bottom Boy,” 55, and other conspirators from Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and North Carolina used a messaging app private group referred to as "The DMV Board" or "The Board," to discuss training fighting dogs, exchange videos about dogfighting, and arrange and coordinate dog fights.

Members of the DMV Board also used the app to compare methods of killing dogs that lost fights, circulate media reports about conspirators who had been caught by law enforcement, and discuss ways to avoid being caught. McDougald posted multiple offers to arrange dogfights for thousands of dollars per fight.

McDougald’s sentencing follows the convictions of 19 of his fellow members of the DMV Board.

On Dec. 22, 2017, Rodriguez Norman, aka “Tough Love,” 31, of Washington, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to traffic in contraband cigarettes, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture.  On April 6, 2018, Norman was sentenced to nine years in prison for bank fraud, cigarette, and identity theft charges, and an additional year for the dogfighting conspiracy.

On April 28, 2021, Carlos Harvey, aka “Roc9,” of King George, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture.  On Dec. 10, 2021, Harvey was sentenced to six months in prison.

On Nov. 4, 2022, Charles Edward Williams, III, aka “Never Say Never,” 50, of Capital Heights, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On Feb. 21, 2023, Williams was sentenced to two years in prison.

On Nov. 9, 2022, Michael Roy Hilliard, aka “No Dayz Off,” 38, of Fort Washington, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On March 1, 2023, Hilliard was sentenced to six months in prison.

On Nov. 10, 2022, Laron West, aka “Frog” and “Get Sick,” 46, of Forestville, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. West was murdered on Feb. 12, 2023, prior to sentencing.

On Nov. 29, 2022, Derek Aaron Garcia, aka “Fatal Attraction,” 40, of Woodbridge, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture.  On March 7, 2023, Garcia was sentenced to 10 days in prison.

On Nov. 29, 2022, Ricardo Glen Thorne, aka “Rip,” 53, of Camp Springs, Maryland, pled guilty to advertising an animal for use in an animal fighting venture. On March 7, 2023, Thorne was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.

On June 16, 2023, Tarry Jeron Wilson, aka “Tejai” and “City Limits,” 39, of Warsaw, Virginia, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On June 20, 2023, Wilson was sentenced to two years in prison.

On March 18, 2024, Eldridge Jackson, aka “Big Head” and “4B,” 48, of Temple Hills, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On June 18, 2024, Jackson was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

On March 21, 2024, Bashawn Allen, aka “425,” 35, of Trenton, New Jersey, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On June 18, 2024, Allen was sentenced to a year and six months in prison.

On March 21, 2024, Larry Alston, aka “Big Goon,” 49, of Windsor Mills, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On June 18, 2024, Alston was sentenced to two years in prison.

On March 21, 2024, Dandre Wallace, aka “Abstract,” 47, of Laurel, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On June 18, 2024, Wallace was sentenced to two years in prison.

On March 22, 2024, Isaac Weathersby, aka “Big Fist” 43, of High Point, North Carolina, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On June 18, 2024, Weathersby was sentenced to a year and nine months in prison.

On March 28, 2024, Charles Davis, aka “Cat Daddy” and “Deep in the Game,” 44, of Woodbridge, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On July 2, 2024, Davis was sentenced to 60 days in prison.

On April 8, 2024, Mark Rodriguez, aka “Slow Poke,” of Stafford, was convicted at trial of conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On July 2, 2024, Rodriguez was sentenced to 14 days in jail.

On May 28, 2024, Kevin Jackson, aka “4B1,” 47, of White Plains, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On Sept. 6, 2024, Jackson was sentenced to 10 days in prison.

On Aug. 6, 2024, Elijah Loatman, aka “Nephew the Genius,” 33, of Elkton, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On Nov. 8, 2024, Loatman was sentenced to 30 days in prison.

On July 23, 2024, Mario Flythe, aka “the Barber,” 50, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in the District of Maryland to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture and interstate travel or transportation in aid of a racketeering enterprise.  On Jan. 23, 2025, Flythe was sentenced to six months in prison.

On Aug. 22, 2024, Frederick Moorfield, aka “Geehad,” 64, of Arnold, Maryland, pled guilty in the District of Maryland to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture and interstate travel or transportation in aid of a racketeering enterprise.  On Dec. 12, 2024, Moorefield was sentenced to a year and six months in prison.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland provided valuable assistance in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon D. Kromberg and Vanessa K. Strobbe prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:22-cr-154 and 1:23-cr-176.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Credit Suisse Services AG pled guilty and was sentenced for conspiring to hide more than $4 billion from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in at least 475 offshore accounts. The guilty plea by the Swiss corporation is the result of a years-long investigation by U.S. law enforcement to uncover financial fraud and abuse.

In addition to the plea, Credit Suisse Services AG entered into a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with the Department of Justice, Tax Division, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in connection with U.S. Accounts booked at Credit Suisse AG Singapore. Under the NPA, Credit Suisse Services AG agreed to cooperate with the Department of Justice in ongoing investigations and to pay significant monetary penalties for maintaining accounts in Singapore on behalf of U.S. taxpayers who were using offshore accounts to evade U.S. taxes and reporting requirements.

According to the Plea Agreement, NPA, and documents filed in court, from Jan. 1, 2010, and continuing until at least July 2021, Credit Suisse AG, which has ultra-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individual clients around the globe, conspired with employees, U.S. customers, and others to willfully aid U.S. customers in concealing their ownership and control of assets and funds held at the bank. This enabled those U.S. customers to evade their U.S. tax obligations in several ways, including by opening and maintaining undeclared offshore accounts for U.S. taxpayers at Credit Suisse AG, and providing a variety of offshore private banking services that assisted U.S. taxpayers in the concealment of their assets and income from the IRS and allowed for their continued failure to file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts. Among other fraudulent acts, bankers at Credit Suisse falsified records, processed fictitious donation paperwork, and serviced more than $1 billion in accounts without documentation of tax compliance. In doing so, Credit Suisse AG committed new crimes and breached its May 2014 plea agreement with the United States.

Between 2014 and June 2023, Credit Suisse AG Singapore held undeclared accounts for U.S. persons, which Credit Suisse AG Singapore knew or should have known were U.S., with total assets valued at over $2 billion. Credit Suisse AG Singapore failed to adequately identify the true beneficial owners of accounts and failed to conduct adequate inquiries about U.S. indicia in the accounts. In 2023, during the post-merger of UBS AG Singapore and Credit Suisse AG Singapore, UBS became aware of accounts held at Credit Suisse AG Singapore that appeared to be undeclared U.S. accounts. UBS froze some of the accounts, voluntarily disclosed information about those identified accounts to DOJ, and cooperated by undertaking an investigation into the identified accounts.

Under today’s resolutions, Credit Suisse Services AG and, by extension, UBS AG, is required to cooperate fully with ongoing investigations and affirmatively disclose any information it may later uncover regarding U.S.-related accounts. The agreements provide no protections for any individuals. Pursuant to the guilty plea and the NPA, Credit Suisse Services AG will pay a total of $510,608,909 in penalties, restitution, forfeiture, and fines.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Karen E. Kelly, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Criminal Matters for the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Guy Ficco, Chief of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.

Special Agents from IRS-CI’s International Tax & Financial Crimes specialty group, a team based out of Washington, D.C. that is dedicated to uncovering international tax crimes, is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in obtaining important evidence.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly M. Shartar for the Eastern District of Virginia and Senior Litigation Counsels Nanette L. Davis and Mark F. Daly and Trial Attorney Marissa R. Brodney of the Tax Division, are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Credit Suisse Services AG pleaded guilty and was sentenced today to conspiring to hide more than $4 billion from the IRS in at least 475 offshore accounts. The guilty plea by the Swiss corporation is the result of a years-long investigation by U.S. law enforcement to uncover financial fraud and abuse.

In addition to the plea, Credit Suisse Services AG entered into a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in connection with U.S. Accounts booked at Credit Suisse AG Singapore. Under the NPA, Credit Suisse Services AG agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department in ongoing investigations and to pay significant monetary penalties for maintaining accounts in Singapore on behalf of U.S. taxpayers who were using offshore accounts to evade U.S. taxes and reporting requirements.

According to the Plea Agreement, NPA, and documents filed in court today: from Jan. 1, 2010, and continuing until about July 2021, Credit Suisse AG, which had ultra-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individual clients around the globe, conspired with employees, U.S. customers, and others to willfully aid U.S. customers in concealing their ownership and control of assets and funds held at the bank. This enabled those U.S. customers to evade their U.S. tax obligations in several ways, including by opening and maintaining undeclared offshore accounts for U.S. taxpayers at Credit Suisse AG, and providing a variety of offshore private banking services that assisted U.S. taxpayers in the concealment of their assets and income from the IRS and allowed for their continued failure to file FBARs. Among other fraudulent acts, bankers at Credit Suisse falsified records, processed fictitious donation paperwork, and serviced more than $1 billion in accounts without documentation of tax compliance. In doing so, Credit Suisse AG committed new crimes and breached its May 2014 plea agreement with the United States.

Between 2014 and June 2023, Credit Suisse AG Singapore held undeclared accounts for U.S. persons, which Credit Suisse AG Singapore knew or should have known were U.S., with total assets valued at over $2 billion. Credit Suisse AG Singapore failed to adequately identify the true beneficial owners of accounts and failed to conduct adequate inquiry about U.S. indicia in the accounts. In 2023, during the post-merger of UBS AG Singapore and Credit Suisse AG Singapore, UBS became aware of accounts held at Credit Suisse AG Singapore that appeared to be undeclared U.S. accounts. UBS froze some of the accounts, voluntarily disclosed information about those identified accounts to the Justice Department and cooperated by undertaking an investigation into the identified accounts.

Under today’s resolutions, Credit Suisse Services AG and, by extension, UBS AG, is required to cooperate fully with ongoing investigations and affirmatively disclose any information it may later uncover regarding U.S.-related accounts. The agreements provide no protections for any individuals. Pursuant to the guilty plea and the NPA, Credit Suisse Services AG will pay a total of $510,608,909 in penalties, restitution, forfeiture, and fines.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.

Special Agents from IRS-CI’s International Tax & Financial Crimes specialty group, a team based out of Washington, D.C. that is dedicated to uncovering international tax crimes, is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in obtaining important evidence.

Senior Litigation Counsels Nanette L. Davis and Mark F. Daly as well as Trial Attorney Marissa R. Brodney of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly M. Shartar for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. 

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man was sentenced yesterday to 14 years in prison for distributing fentanyl.

According to court documents, law enforcement identified Alphonso Page, aka Zoe and Fonzie, 35, as a narcotics distributor in Northern Virginia. On March 14, 2024, and April 2, 2024, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases from Page of approximately 2,300 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl for a total net weight of 247.92 grams.

Page was convicted twice previously on drug charges in Arlington County. On March 14, 2008, Page was convicted of distribution of cocaine and the distribution of an imitation controlled substance. On July 16, 2018, Page was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Page also has previous convictions for conducting an illegal gambling operation, trespassing, identity theft, petit larceny, maliciously shooting at a dwelling, and the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Rosenberg prosecuted the case.

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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-257.

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted an inmate at the Petersburg Federal Correctional Institution (FCI Petersburg) yesterday for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on March 7, 2024, correctional officers at FCI Petersburg searched the cell of inmate James Skibinski, 61, and found him in possession of prison contraband photos. Skibinski’s personal property was collected from his cell and held by staff of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. On April 10, 2024, another correctional officer received information that Skibinski had a folder with hidden compartments where he kept altered images and photographs of children. The officer retrieved Skibinski’s property bags, located the folder, and found the hidden compartments. Inside these hidden compartments were envelopes containing images of young children that had been altered to depict the children engaging in sexual acts.

Skibinski faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on Sept. 11. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the verdict.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather H. Mansfield is prosecuting the case.

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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-145.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A California man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for enticing a 12-year-old minor from Prince William County to engage in unlawful sexual activity.

Cash Taylor Dalton, 30, of Morro Bay, California, pleaded guilty on Jan. 16, 2025, to enticement of a minor. According to court documents, FBI agents began investigating Dalton after the victim’s parents discovered communications on their daughter’s cellphone between her and Dalton. The investigation revealed that Dalton and the victim had been communicating for approximately three months, and that he sent her sexually explicit images of himself and graphic sexual messages via text and email, including directing her to engage in sexual activity. In November 2024, FBI agents searched Dalton’s home and recovered evidence of Dalton’s communications with the victim, as well as with three other minors who were under the age of 16.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano for the Eastern District of Virginia Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation & Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case.

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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1: 24-CR-227.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Ashburn man was sentenced today to three years in prison for fraud relating to his risky trading that lost millions of dollars of his clients’ funds while he provided them with false information.

According to court documents, Andrew Corbman, 53, was affiliated with a national estate planning company through which he obtained access to individuals interested in estate planning and setting up trust vehicles. Corbman offered financial advice to clients and potential clients, including assisting them with long-term financial planning such as trusts, annuities, and life insurance.

Over a period of years, Corbman worked with two individuals and two couples who loaned him money believing he would invest those funds and earn outsized returns. These clients did not know that in 2016 Corbman was suspended and then permanently barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) from acting as a financial advisor or that Corbman filed for bankruptcy in 2015. Corbman suggested the clients could improve their investment returns if they loaned him money or rolled over existing loans they had made to him. Through false claims of investing success, Corbman induced his Clients to loan him up to $4.2 million, promising to invest or continue investing the money in stock market options trading. Corbman promised to repay the loans at high rates of return, as much as a 30% annual interest rate, plus a share of his own trading profits.

Corbman misrepresented his past trading performance to induce the clients to invest or to reinvest what he owed them when the loans came due in the form of a new loan. Corbman provided at least two of his potential clients a document he claimed showed his 2021 investment results. The document boasted “112 wins, 82% win history and a 90% average return.” In fact, Corbman’s trading history for each year from 2019 onward resulted in substantial losses. Altogether, Corbman lost over $4,000,000 of his clients’ money, and returned only $120,000 to one victim late in the scheme.

Corbman, fully aware of the risks and the calamitous results he was producing, not only concealed the risks from his clients, but actively misled them in an attempt to stave off requests for funds and to attempt to obtain new funds. Corbman provided his victims with fabricated trading win histories.

In late 2022 and early 2023, when Corbman’s creditors demanded repayment of their expired loans agreements, Corbman indicated to his clients that he was unable to repay the loans due to unanticipated trading losses. Corbman ultimately filed for bankruptcy, seeking to discharge over $4 million in losses he had inflicted on his clients.

As a result of Corbman’s fraudulent scheme, at least one victim incurred substantial financial hardship, including having to mortgage a home, postpone retirement, and seek employment at an advanced age.

In addition to his term of imprisonment, Corbman must pay $4.15 million in restitution.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell L. Carlberg prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-255.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The career services manager for a Virginia school offering job training programs to veterans pled guilty today to wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of nearly $3 million.

According to court documents, Jeffrey Williams, 37, of Alexandria, used false records to defraud the VA of millions of dollars from approximately July 2022 to May 2024. During that time, the defendant was a career services manager at an educational institution offering veterans educational programs in cyber that could be paid for by the VA. As part of the scheme, Williams created fraudulent employment offer letters, falsified certifications, and forged veterans’ signatures to make it appear as if veterans had attained the meaningful employment needed for the educational institution to receive tuition payments from the government. Williams caused the submission of hundreds of false documents to the VA, claiming approximately $2.9 million in fraudulent tuition payments for at least 189 veterans.

Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 17 and faces up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The VA Office of Inspector General is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Lauren Archer of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.   

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-122.

A Virginia career services manager for a school offering job training programs to veterans pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of nearly $3 million.

According to court documents, Jeffrey Williams, 37, of Alexandria, used false records to defraud the VA of millions of dollars from approximately July 2022 to May 2024. During that time, the defendant was a career services manager at an educational institution offering veterans educational programs in cyber that could be paid for by the VA. As part of the scheme, Williams created fraudulent employment offer letters, falsified certifications, and forged veterans’ signatures to make it appear as if veterans had attained the meaningful employment needed for the educational institution to receive tuition payments from the government. Williams caused the submission of hundreds of false documents to the VA, claiming approximately $2.9 million in fraudulent tuition payments for at least 189 veterans.

Williams pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The VA Office of Inspector General is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Lauren Archer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pled guilty today to theft of postal keys.

According to court documents, on June 9, 2024, Lee Vann Tyner, 48, broke into the Jolliff Station post office in Chesapeake by shattering the glass door to an entrance. Tyner entered the post office and stole several keys used to unlock mail receptacles.

On June 11, 2024, a Chesapeake Police officer conducted a traffic stop on an SUV that matched the description of a vehicle that the officer had received information was being used to sell narcotics. Tyner told the officer that he had no driver’s license or identification with him, and, initially, gave the officer a false name, date of birth, and Social Security number. Tyner falsely claimed that he had rented the SUV using Turo.

Inside the vehicle were postal keys that were confirmed to have been stolen from the Jolliff Station post office. Several Georgia driver’s licenses, mail, credit cards, debit cards, and Social Security cards that did not belong to Tyner were also found inside the SUV.

Tyner is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 9 and faces up to 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony C. Marek is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-4.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division today announced the formation of the Eastern District of Virginia Equal Access to Banking Task Force.

The Task Force will investigate allegations of “debanking,” when banks refuse customers access to credit and other financial services based on impermissible factors under current federal and state law. This initiative will address allegations of debanking in the Commonwealth of Virginia by investigating allegations of debanking actions taken against Virginians, and if appropriate, seeking civil relief against banking institutions in federal or state court.  The Task Force is currently staffed with officials from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and the Office of the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“Access to banking services is essential in today’s modern economy, and unlawful debanking practices prevent citizens from achieving financial security,” said U.S. Attorney Siebert. “My office, along with our partners in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and the Virginia Office of the Attorney General, is dedicated to eliminating these unlawful actions and ensuring that all Virginians can realize their own personal American dream.”

“All Americans have the right to fair access to banking,” said Assistant Attorney General Dhillon.  “No customer should be refused credit or other financial services for discriminatory or unlawful reasons. The Justice Department will work together with our federal and state partners to vigorously enforce these rights and protections to the fullest extent of the law.”

"The practice of unlawful debanking undermines public trust and erodes the foundational principle of equal treatment under the law," said Attorney General Jason Miyares. "When banks act without accountability, they threaten not only individual livelihoods but also the broader promise of fairness and freedom that makes Virginia, and America, strong. No American should ever be denied access to basic financial services because of their political views, religious beliefs, or lawful activities."

The Task Force will work in partnership with federal financial regulatory agencies to systematically address and combat unlawful debanking. As part of this effort, U.S. Attorney Siebert and Assistant Attorney General Dhillon will convene regulatory partners to bring the full power of the federal government to bear on this important issue.

Individuals or entities who believe that they have been the victim of inappropriate debanking practices in Virginia are also encouraged to submit a complaint directly to the Task Force at  USAVAE.debanking@usdoj.gov. Complaints in other jurisdictions can be submitted to the Civil Rights Division’s complaint portal. The Task Force will investigate whether the allegations demonstrate violations of federal or state law that warrant government enforcement action and will refer matters for civil and criminal prosecution as appropriate.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Hampton woman was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison for mail theft.

According to court documents, Kiesha L. Brown, 32, worked for the U.S. Postal Service as a city carrier assistant at the LC Page Post Office in Norfolk. Beginning in June 2023, the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (OIG) began receiving complaints regarding mail theft and check fraud from customers utilizing the LC Page Postal Station.

In June 2023, a victim whose business was on Brown’s delivery route reported that 16 checks had been stolen from the mail. The victim reported that one check in the amount of $146.64 did not reach the intended recipient, but was altered and deposited in a bank account in the amount of $4,890.02. Numerous customers on Brown’s postal route complained of similar frauds occurring with checks they had mailed through the LC Page Post Office.

Brown was observed in her postal vehicle using drugs and rummaging through and stealing mail. Brown provided mail to an accomplice in exchange for cash to support her daughter and her drug habit. Investigators identified 37 people victimized by Brown. Brown’s theft caused an intended loss of approximately $245,000 and an actual loss of $155,297.91.

In addition to her term of imprisonment, the Court ordered that Brown is to pay restitution in the total amount of $155,297.91.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kathleen Woodson, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid Atlantic Area Field Office for the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph L. Kosky prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-117.