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25 June 2026
National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 455 Defendants Charged in Connection with over $6.5 Billion in Alleged FraudRead the Press Release
Today, United States Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida announced criminal charges against 12 defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program (FEHBP), and private insurers. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from schemes involving over $4 billion dollars in fraudulent claims for DME, skin substitutes and wound care products, laboratory testing, and community mental health services that were medically unnecessary, procured by kickbacks to marketers and beneficiaries, and not provided, some of which involved transnational criminal organization activity and significant patient harm and risk to public safety.
"Health care fraud isn't just fraud, it's stealing from every American taxpayer. This Department of Justice is no longer satisfied with chasing stolen money after it's gone,” said U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones. “We're using data to detect suspicious claims earlier, prevent fraudulent payments whenever possible, seize the proceeds of fraud, and bring those responsible before the courts. If you choose to exploit our health care system for personal gain, expect to lose your money, your assets, and your freedom."
“Health care fraud is more than a financial crime. Every dollar stolen through fraud is a dollar diverted from patient care, medical services, and programs that millions of Americans depend upon. The impact is felt not only in government-funded health care programs, but throughout the entire health care system,” said Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of FBI Miami. “The FBI and our partners work tirelessly to investigate health care fraud, but we cannot do it alone. If you believe you have information related to healthcare fraud or someone you know may have been a victim, file a complaint at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.”
“In the far-reaching enforcement action announced today, the HHS Inspector General’s Office and our law enforcement partners effectively shut down an expansive array of alleged high-dollar, corrosive health care fraud schemes and are bringing those we believe responsible to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Isaac M. Bledsoe of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Simply put, fraudsters who exploit Medicare and Medicaid patients and jeopardize these safety net health care programs to enrich themselves will be held accountable for their crimes.”
“Medicaid is your tax dollars meant to help sick children, disabled adults, and struggling families get the doctor visits, therapy, and daily care they need. When someone cheats the system, they steal from the very people who need it most,” said Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. “My office will keep working with our state and federal law enforcement partners to protect your taxpayer dollars so they work for the people who need it—not the cheaters.”
The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. This Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.
This coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including:
Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the HHS-OIG under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.
The following individuals were charged in the Southern District of Florida in connection with the following types of health care fraud schemes:
Fraudulent Wound Care Schemes
Casilda Muniz Rodriguez, 57, of Hialeah, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the government in connection with her role setting up clinics in South Florida that fraudulently billed Medicare for over $117 million for skin substitutes and wound care products that were never provided. Muniz Rodriguez worked with the clinics’ true owners to set up the clinics and fraudulently listed only the names of nominee owners on the paperwork enrolling the clinics with Medicare. Muniz Rodriguez set up at least 11 of these fraudulent clinics, and Medicare paid over $55 million based on the clinics’ fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Acting Assistant Chief Jil Simon and Trial Attorney Emmanuel Hampton of the Florida Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sally Molloy and Jacqueline DerOvanesian for the Southern District of Florida.
In this Takedown, the Department announced the seizure of over $27 million in fraudulent Medicare payments in the Southern District of Florida as part of a data-driven effort to target “bust-out schemes” involving 12 clinics that billed Medicare millions of dollars for skin substitutes and wound care products that were never provided to patients. This novel and proactive “follow and seize the money” approach maximized recovery of stolen taxpayer dollars.
Schemes Posing Significant Patient Harm and Risk to Public Safety
Dr. Jason Finkelstein, 53, of Fort Worth, Texas, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, and health care fraud, in connection with an $89 million cardiovascular testing scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Finkelstein, a board-certified cardiologist licensed in 48 states, was the medical director of a cardiovascular testing company, Company 1, that conducted cardiovascular tests on student athletes at school campuses across the United States. Finkelstein conspired with others to use two companies that he owned, Cardiovascular Testing Services PA and Cardiovascular Healthcare Associates PA, to submit approximately $89 million in false and fraudulent claims to private and public insurers for cardiovascular tests conducted by Company 1, of which approximately $13.1 million was paid. As alleged in the indictment, Finkelstein was the only referring/ordering provider for Company 1’s claims, but he did not conduct any clinical examination to determine whether the student athletes had a clinical diagnosis that warranted the cardiovascular tests. Despite this, the claims fraudulently included false diagnoses for student athletes to induce the insurance companies to pay for the tests. The claims also falsely stated that Finkelstein was the reviewing provider for the tests, when, in fact, he signed and approved the cardiovascular test results within a few seconds of accessing the tests. In October 2024, Finkelstein signed the cardiovascular tests of one student athlete as “normal” even though some of the tests included unconfirmed interpretations noting potential cardiovascular abnormalities. Approximately 24 days later, the student died from sudden cardiac arrest while exercising with his basketball team. Even though Finkelstein was informed of the student’s death, Finkelstein did not change his practice of signing and approving the cardiovascular test results without meaningfully reviewing them, and Cardiovascular Testing Services PA and Cardiovascular Healthcare Associates PA continued to bill insurers for those tests. In connection with today’s announcement, HHS-OIG separately issued a consumer alert to inform student athletes, family members, and the public about cardiovascular testing scams. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Aisha Schafer Hylton of the Florida Strike Force.
Eduardo Javier Ibarra Arrowsmith, 61, of Miami, was charged by criminal complaint with fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to fraudulently certify naturalization applicants as disabled in order to exempt them from the English language and civics requirements of the U.S. citizenship naturalization test. As alleged in the complaint, Ibarra, a Cuban national and convicted felon posing as a licensed medical doctor, impersonated a deceased Miami-Dade neurologist and used that doctor’s credentials — including his name, National Provider Identifier number, and Florida medical license number — to fraudulently complete and sign at least 34 USCIS Form N-648 Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions, resulting in 14 naturalization applicants obtaining U.S. citizenship without completing the required testing. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah P. Dorman for the Southern District of Florida.
Transnational Organizations and International Cooperation
Ibrahim Hilmi, 58, of Miami, was charged by indictment with health care fraud and wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and money laundering, in connection with a $3.76 billion health care fraud scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Hilmi was involved in the operation of ABRH Care, Inc., and Sunshine Senior Solutions LLC, two entirely fraudulent durable medical equipment companies that submitted claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurers for billions of dollars of medical equipment and wound dressings that the companies never provided. Hilmi used his control of Sunshine Senior Solutions’ corporate bank accounts to deposit the proceeds of these fraudulent claims into those accounts, and to wire millions of dollars of fraud proceeds out of the United States to a foreign entity located in Hong Kong. In total, ABRH and Sunshine Senior Solutions submitted at least $3.76 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurers, but only approximately $5.7 million was deposited into ABRH and Sunshine Senior Solutions bank accounts. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Claire Horrell of the Florida Strike Force.
Giorgi Kimeridze, 43, a national of the country of Georgia, was charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with his role in a multi-billion-dollar health care fraud and money laundering scheme to target, exploit, and steal from Medicare, which was uncovered through Operation Gold Rush. As alleged in the complaint, Kimeridze participated in the laundering of fraud proceeds obtained from at least two durable medical equipment (DME) companies that were part of the health care fraud scheme. Together the DME companies billed Medicare, Medicare Supplemental Insurers, Medicare Advantage Organizations, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) more than $1 billion, of which approximately $4.9 million was paid. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Claire Horrell of the Florida Strike Force and Leonid Sandlar of the Northeast Strike Force.
DME and Laboratory Testing Schemes
Laura Seiler-Anstett, 55, of Coral Springs, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, and health care fraud, in connection with a $58.3 million DME scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Seiler-Anstett, a biller and consultant, submitted and conspired with others to submit approximately $58.3 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, of which approximately $30 million was paid. The fraudulent claims were for orthotic braces that were medically unnecessary, ineligible for reimbursement, and procured through the payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes. The fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare on behalf of fourteen DME supply companies. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Aisha Schafer Hylton of the Florida Strike Force.
Rajiv Shah, 65, of Palm Beach Gardens, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, and health care fraud, in connection with an over $64 million scheme to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary DME. As alleged in the indictment, Shah, as the owner and operator of ACC-Q Data, LLC, a medical billing company, conspired with owners and operators of DME companies to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare. Medicare paid over $23 million based on those claims. Shah advised the DME companies how to avoid scrutiny from Medicare for the medically unnecessary DME and how to conceal the fraudulent nature of these claims. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jody King of the Florida Strike Force.
Anthony Tursi, 39, of Boynton Beach, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks in connection with a $62 million scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary genetic testing. As alleged in the information, Tursi owned a call center through which he sold doctors’ orders for genetic tests to laboratories by running deceptive telemarketing campaigns to persuade the Medicare beneficiaries to agree to the tests. His call center then would “doctor chase” the beneficiaries’ physicians to sign orders for the tests by sending them faxes containing false, fraudulent, and misleading representations designed to induce them into ordering the tests. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Reginald Cuyler Jr. of the Florida Strike Force.
Medicaid Fraud
Yilian Cruz, 36, of Miami Lakes, Inti Cruz, 55, of Miami Lakes, and Adaimis Perez Arencibia, 39, of Miami, were charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme involving over $1 million in fraudulently obtained Medicaid reimbursements for PSR services. As alleged in the informations, the Cruzes were the married co-owners of De La Cruz Mental Health LLC (De La Cruz), a Miami mental health clinic where Perez Arencibia worked as a therapist. The Cruzes worked with other co-conspirators to pay illegal kickbacks to elderly Medicaid beneficiaries in order to recruit them as patients and trained therapists, including Perez Arencibia, to implement a false and fraudulent policy that permitted elderly patients to attend only two of their scheduled four PSR days per week while falsely signing attendance sheets reflecting attendance on all four days despite knowing that patients attended only two days. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah P. Dorman for the Southern District of Florida.
Rene Yartu Couceiro, 57, of Miami, was charged by information with conspiracy to make false statements relating to health care matters in connection with a Medicaid and Medicare fraud scheme involving a Miami mental health clinic’s payment of “donations” in the form of cash payments to Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries for agreeing to receive psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy that was not all provided as represented. As alleged in the information, Couceiro was a therapist who conducted group mental health therapy sessions for patients who were expected to attend therapy sessions approximately four days per week. More than half of his patients allegedly were permitted to attend only some of their scheduled therapy sessions while still signing attendance records for all four scheduled therapy days. During an audio/video-recorded meeting with a cooperating patient, Couceiro had the patient sign an attendance record for TMS therapy when the patient had not received therapy on that day. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah P. Dorman for the Southern District of Florida.
As discussed above, $27,425,929 of health care fraud proceeds were seized pursuant to seizure warrants and civil forfeiture complaints from bank accounts belonging to 12 different clinics in South Florida: Always Medical Center Corp., Caso Quality East Corp., CRC Management, Envy South Florida Medical Center, H Services Corp., Hamilton State Inc., Medmed 137 Inc., Miami Special Care, Nakelly Medical Center Corp., Pronto Medical Center, Theron Medical Center LLC, and VCG Best Services. The seizure warrants and civil forfeiture complaints allege that the clinics were “bust outs” — billing Medicare for amniotic wound allografts and services that were never provided. The seizure initiative is being led by Acting Assistant Chiefs Jil Simon and Keith Clouser, and Trial Attorney Owen Dunn, of the Florida Strike Force, Assistant Chief Jamie de Boer of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sally Molloy, Elizabeth Young, Gabrielle Charest-Turken, Nadya Cheatham, Sandra Demirci, Daren Grove, Mitch Hyman, and Brian Zack of the Southern District of Florida.
The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia participated in the investigation of the federal cases announced.
Descriptions of each case involved in the enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
The civil forfeiture complaints for the Southern District of Florida are available here.
Prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Economic Crimes and Cyber Frauds Section and the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division comprise the Florida Strike Force and worked with the following law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the Takedown: the HHS-OIG; FBI; Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS); the Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit; Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; IRS; DEA; and Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Missouri Woman Sentenced to 3 Years of Probation; Ordered to Repay Lottery Scam VictimsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine on Thursday sentenced a Missouri woman who aided scammers by acting as a money mule to three years of probation and ordered her to repay $1.97 million to victims.
Victims of the scam were contacted by phone or text and told that they had won a lottery but needed to prepay “taxes” and “fees” to “intermediates” and “merchant bankers.” If victims didn’t have enough liquid assets to pay the taxes and fees, conspirators told them to obtain reverse mortgages and home equity loans. Sharon Dolisi, 79, moved more than $1.9 million in proceeds of the fraud through her accounts. She deposited cashier’s checks and personal checks from 28 victims into her personal bank accounts from about April 21, 2023, to June 11, 2025. Less than a week after her first deposit, one bank closed her account. On Oct. 28, 2024, Dolisi lied when she told law enforcement officials that she was not receiving money from or sending money to other people. Four days later, in response to an inquiry by bank representatives about three large cash withdrawals totaling $64,500, Dolisi falsely claimed that she buys and sells gold. On June 27, 2025, Dolisi told a bank representative that she immediately needed $54,000 in cash to buy gold and collectibles.
Dolisi supplied debit cards to co-conspirators in Jamaica, who used those debit cards to withdraw victims’ money.
Dolisi, of Phelps County near St. James, pleaded guilty in March in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
“Sharon Dolisi engaged in a scheme where she accepted and transmitted money that was provided by vulnerable elderly victims under false pretenses,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Aaron McCullough with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (OIG). “As a result of this scheme, many elderly victims lost their entire life savings. HUD OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to diligently pursue and hold accountable those who take advantage of vulnerable members of our communities.”“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. With the collaborative efforts of our federal and local law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate fraudsters who utilize the U.S. Mail to perpetuate financial schemes to defraud others in order to enrich themselves. Postal Inspectors seek justice for victims, including those most vulnerable,” said Inspector in Charge, Nicholas Bucciarelli, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Domicile Office.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.
Milwaukee Man Sentenced for Sex Trafficking and Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl Causing DeathRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 23, 2026, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Damien D. Gambrell (age 44) to 240 months’ imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death.
According to court records, in 2022, Gambrell exploited two adult victims by manipulating their vulnerabilities, isolating them, and using threats and violence to compel them to engage in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit. Gambrell transported his victims to multiple locations where he advertised them, arranged prostitution dates for them, and collected the money they earned, including in Green Bay and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and various cities in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois.
Gambrell also directed a fentanyl distribution operation in the Green Bay area in 2024. Evidence showed that Gambrell supplied fentanyl to distributors working on his behalf and directed their sales through electronic communications. One of those distributors sold fentanyl, sourced from Gambrell, to a female victim who died of a fentanyl overdose on May 25, 2024.
“This case demonstrates how the commercial sex trade in this day and age is rife with shocking violence, manipulation, drug abuse and abject fear,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel. “This is what so-called ‘prostitution’ looks like. It is neither innocent nor harmless, and those who drive the demand for commercial sex fuel this evil and share the blame. This defendant is a dangerous career criminal who has been in and out of jail and prison since he was 17. He profited off the misery he inflicted on the women he trafficked and the suffering he caused through the drugs he delivered into our communities. The only way we can be safe from him is to put in prison.”
"Human trafficking and the distribution of fentanyl is a scourge in our communities and Damien Gambrell engaged in both. He is a repeat criminal offender who trafficked women through coercive means across multiple states for his own financial benefit," said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr. "He also directed a drug trafficking enterprise which distributed fentanyl. This 20-year sentence reflects the seriousness of the offenses committed by Gambrell. The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to combat both human and drug trafficking in our communities."
This case was investigated by the Brown County Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Green Bay Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erica Lounsberry and Alex Duros.
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For further information contact:Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Mexican National Indicted and Arrested on "Kingpin" Drug Trafficking Charges from Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jorge Luis Castro-Mercado, 51, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was arrested earlier this month by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nogales Special Agents as he tried to cross the border into the United States from Mexico. Castro-Mercado faces federal charges related to drug trafficking from an indictment in March.
On March 11, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned a 12-count indictment against Castro-Mercado, for operating a Continuing Criminal Enterprise; Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine; Conspiracy to Import Fentanyl and Methamphetamine; Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments; three counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Aiding and Abetting; three counts of Importation of Fentanyl; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Aiding and Abetting, and Importation of Methamphetamine.
The indictment alleges that Castro-Mercado was a principal leader of a drug trafficking enterprise that involved the importation and distribution of dangerous drugs into the United States from Mexico. The law that prohibits the operation of a continuing criminal enterprise is known as the “kingpin” statute. As charged in the indictment, this crime carries a mandatory penalty of life in prison.
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF Tucson comprises agents and officers from HSI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, IRS-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Tucson Police Department, Pima County Sheriff's Office, Oro Valley Police Department, Marana Police Department, and Arizona HIDTA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Lizano, District of Arizona, is handling the prosecution.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 26-CR-01041-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-108_Castro-Mercado# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Memphis Man Sentenced to over Seven Years in Prison for RICO ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Larry Wilson, also known as “L,” 36, of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison following his conviction for RICO conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Wilson admitted to attempting to commit and committing a robbery and distributing methamphetamine as part of a pattern of racketeering activity for Young Mob, a Memphis-based gang founded in 2007. In June 2024, Wilson and multiple other members and associates of Young Mob robbed at gunpoint three customers at a Memphis tattoo shop. Wilson also distributed and conspired to distribute methamphetamine with other Young Mob members.
From March 14, 2024, until June 13, 2024, by court order, investigators monitored wire and electronic communications between Wilson and other Young Mob members. Intercepted communications revealed that Wilson and certain Young Mob members were conspiring to distribute and distributing large quantities of controlled substances to include fentanyl and methamphetamine. Those communications also revealed that Wilson and other Young Mob members were committing acts of violence as part of a pattern of racketeering activity.
On June 11, 2024, Wilson, and certain Young Mob members, to include Braxton Beck, also known as “B Mack,” attempted to rob a customer at the Therapeutic Ink tattoo shop in Memphis. When investigators learned of the plot, they dispatched Memphis Police Department (MPD) marked units to the tattoo shop to prevent the robbery attempt. The MPD deployment succeeded and the Young Mob co-conspirators abandoned their plan.
The next day Wilson, Beck, and others learned that the same customer had returned to the tattoo shop and a second robbery plot was hatched. Investigators again dispatched MPD marked units to the tattoo shop. Investigators believed that the second deployment succeeded in preventing the robbery, but later learned that Wilson, Beck and others returned to the tattoo shop after MPD units left the area. Wilson and Beck, both armed with firearms, stormed the tattoo shop and robbed three individuals, including the customer who was the target of the original plot.
Young Mob gang insignia seized during warrant search of co-defendant Brian Lackland’s house.
Beck previously pleaded guilty to his role in the tattoo shop robbery as part of the RICO conspiracy. On May 12, 2026, Beck was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division made the announcement.
The ATF and the Memphis Police Department and Multiagency Gang Unit (MGU) are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Amanda Kotula of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in Memphis.
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Memphis Man Sentenced to over Seven Years in Prison for RICO ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Larry Wilson, also known as “L,” 36, of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison following his conviction for RICO conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Wilson admitted to attempting to commit and committing a robbery and distributing methamphetamine as part of a pattern of racketeering activity for Young Mob, a Memphis-based gang founded in 2007. In June 2024, Wilson and multiple other members and associates of Young Mob robbed at gunpoint three customers at a Memphis tattoo shop. Wilson also distributed and conspired to distribute methamphetamine with other Young Mob members.
From March 14, 2024, until June 13, 2024, by court order, investigators monitored wire and electronic communications between Wilson and other Young Mob members. Intercepted communications revealed that Wilson and certain Young Mob members were conspiring to distribute and distributing large quantities of controlled substances to include fentanyl and methamphetamine. Those communications also revealed that Wilson and other Young Mob members were committing acts of violence as part of a pattern of racketeering activity.
On June 11, 2024, Wilson, and certain Young Mob members, to include Braxton Beck, also known as “B Mack,” attempted to rob a customer at the Therapeutic Ink tattoo shop in Memphis. When investigators learned of the plot, they dispatched Memphis Police Department (MPD) marked units to the tattoo shop to prevent the robbery attempt. The MPD deployment succeeded and the Young Mob co-conspirators abandoned their plan.
The next day Wilson, Beck, and others learned that the same customer had returned to the tattoo shop and a second robbery plot was hatched. Investigators again dispatched MPD marked units to the tattoo shop. Investigators believed that the second deployment succeeded in preventing the robbery, but later learned that Wilson, Beck and others returned to the tattoo shop after MPD units left the area. Wilson and Beck, both armed with firearms, stormed the tattoo shop and robbed three individuals, including the customer who was the target of the original plot.
Young Mob gang insignia seized during warrant search of co-defendant Brian Lackland’s house.Beck previously pleaded guilty to his role in the tattoo shop robbery as part of the RICO conspiracy. On May 12, 2026, Beck was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division made the announcement.
The ATF and the Memphis Police Department and Multiagency Gang Unit (MGU) are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Amanda Kotula of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in Memphis.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dorchester, Mass. man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for trafficking firearms.
Joshua Morency, 28, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 78 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In March 2026, Morency pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license and one count of possessing a machinegun. Morency was arrested and charged in November 2025.
In August 2025, an investigation of Morency began for unlawfully distributing firearms in the Boston area. Over the course of the investigation, Morency sold 17 firearms in undercover controlled purchases. The majority of the firearms purchased from Morency were 3D-printed, privately made firearms (commonly known as “ghost guns”).
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department and the Suffolk County and Plymouth County Sheriff’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aidan Lang of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a Handgun and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Webster, Massachusetts, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing cocaine with intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Jonathan Bethune (a/k/a “Lord Smitty”), 40, to 111 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Bethune pleaded guilty on January 7, 2025.
According to court records, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents executed a search warrant at Bethune’s Biddeford residence. From a safe, agents recovered a loaded pistol, several baggies of cocaine, approximately 159 grams of cocaine, and $6,820 in cash. Agents also recovered additional firearms from the residence. Bethune possessed the pistol to protect himself, his drugs, and his drug proceeds. Bethune was a convicted felon at the time and therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
HSI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
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Maryland Man Sentenced to 35-Year Prison Term for Vehicular Homicide and Assault in December of 2022Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Spiro Stafilatos, 39, of Silver Spring, MD, was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for striking two pedestrians with his vehicle in December 2022, killing Shuyu Sui and causing life-threatening injuries to Jiahui Wang, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
A jury found Stafilatos guilty on May 6, 2026, of one count each of second-degree murder, aggravated assault while armed, and fleeing. The Honorable Rainey Brandt sentenced Stafilatos to consecutive sentences of 20 years in prison for the murder and 15 years in prison for the assault. The government had asked the court for an upward departure from the sentencing guidelines, and the court agreed with respect to the assault, citing multiple aggravating factors related to the devastating injuries sustained by Ms. Wang.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 4:28 p.m., on December 30, 2022, Stafilatos was driving a dark Buick LeSabre sedan along the 700 block of 14th Street, NW, near the White House. U.S. Secret Service police officers observed that the vehicle’s front tag was missing and the Maryland tag in the rear had no registration sticker. The Buick was then observed turning right into the 1400 block of G Street, NW, and proceeded to the 700 block of 15th Street, NW, where it stopped and let a passenger out.
As officers approached the vehicle, identified themselves, and made contact with the defendant, they advised Stafilatos of his infraction, to which the defendant asked if he was going to get a ticket. Officers asked for the defendant’s license, which he did not provide. Also, during the stop, officers noticed what they believed to be an open beer container to the right of the driver. While conducting the traffic stop, the officers noticed that the vehicle was still in drive and instructed Stafilatos to put the car in park. Instead, the defendant fled the scene, travelling north on 15th Street, NW before turning onto the 1400 block of New York Avenue, NW. As the vehicle entered an intersection on a solid red traffic signal, it was struck by another vehicle that was driving on a green traffic signal and the impact caused the Buick to rotate counterclockwise and strike two pedestrians who were walking nearby in the crosswalk. Both pedestrians were thrown and fell into the road in the middle of New York Avenue, NW. Both victims were transported to local hospitals. Despite all lifesaving measures, one victim, Shuyu Sui, was pronounced dead at Medstar Washington Hospital Center. The second victim, Jiahui Wang, was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where she was treated for trauma to the body and head.
Stafilatos was placed under arrest and transported to Howard University Hospital for complaints of pain in the head and back. Testing conducted several hours after the crash at the hospital revealed that Stafilatos had recently used cocaine. He has been in custody ever since.
Joining in the announcement was U.S. Secret Service Police Chief Richard Macauley and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro, Chief Macauley and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Jamie Carter and Will Lawrence, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
2022 CF1 007710
Major Drug and Weapon Seizure in Johnson CityRead the Press Release
BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK – Robert Randesi of Johnson City was charged federally on June 11th, 2026. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Johnson City Police Department Chief Brent Dodge made the announcement.
The charges in this case are merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
After the execution of search warrants on this case, including at a warehouse style building in Johnson City, New York, police arrested Robert Randesi, age 69, and located evidence including: over 20 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, quantities of marijuana, approximately $24,000 in cash, several firearms including AR-15 style rifles and privately made firearms (also known as “ghost guns”), lower receivers for firearms, and firearm parts and ammunition including a firearm suppressor. Police also located machinist tools and metal fabricating equipment consistent with tools used to construct or mill firearms/firearms parts.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarcone III: “It is disturbing for a small community to have this level of alleged criminal actively going on so brazenly. That’s why I’m grateful to be partnering with our local and federal partners to bring criminal actors to justice. Thanks to the partnerships of the Johnson City Police, Binghamton Police Department, Broome County Sheriff’s Office, and our federal partners that allowed us to unite on this case to achieve a coordinated response.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli: “As alleged in the criminal complaint, Mr. Randesi was in possession of a dangerous amount of illegal narcotics that was intended for distribution throughout our Broome County communities. He was met with the full force of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships and is now facing serious federal charges that, if convicted, will send him to federal prison for a substantial amount of time. The FBI remains committed to working with our partners to aggressively investigate and hold accountable any individual looking to poison our communities through the sale of illicit narcotics.”
Johnson City Police Department Chief Brent Dodge Said: “To put this seizure into perspective, 21 pounds of methamphetamine represents more than half a million dosage units. That’s enough to get every man, woman, and child in Broome County high three times over. I cannot overstate the value, of getting these dangerous drugs and these dangerous weapons off our streets.”The investigation was conducted by the Broome County Special Investigations Unit, a task force composed of members of the Binghamton Police Department, Broome County Sheriff's Office, and Johnson City Police Department. Assisting agencies included: the FBI - Albany; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the Broome County District Attorney's Office. Additional support was provided by the Johnson City Department of Public Works, the Broome County Highway Department, the Johnson City Fire Department, the Binghamton Fire Department, and the Owego Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Grabowski is prosecuting the case.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone
Johnson City Police Department Chief Brent Dodge
FBI Special Agent in Charge Albany Field Office Craig L. Tremeroli
Las Vegas Man with Multiple Felony Convictions Sentenced to over Six Years in Prison for Unlawful Possession of Privately Made AR-15 Pattern PistolRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man who had previously admitted to unlawful possession of an unserialized, privately made AR-15-pattern pistol was sentenced today by United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware, II to 80 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. A privately made firearm without a serial number is sometimes called a “ghost gun.” The government recommended 130 months’ imprisonment.
According to court documents, Noel Lynn Waters possessed and brandished a privately made firearm eight months after he was released from state custody following his prison sentence for a firearm conviction. On October 20, 2023, Waters unlawfully possessed a loaded, privately made 5.56x45mm semi-automatic pistol incorporating an AR-15-pattern lower receiver. He admitted that he pointed the firearm at another person and threatened he was going to “shoot everybody.”
Waters has multiple prior felony convictions in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. He was previously convicted of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person in Clark County, Nevada. Additionally, he was previously convicted of possession of controlled substance for sale; unlawful possession or use of tear gas; felon in possession of a firearm; possession of a controlled substance while armed with a firearm; and transportation, furnishing or sale of controlled substance, all in Los Angeles County. As a convicted felon, Waters is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
In September 2025, Waters pleaded guilty to one-count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge John Wester of the San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
The ATF and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Dan Cowhig prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information about unlawful firearms activity should call ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email ATFTips@atf.gov or submit an anonymous tip at www.reportit.com/.
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Kyle Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal Prison for String of Austin Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A Kyle man was sentenced in a federal court in Austin to 288 months in prison for three charges related to multiple armed robberies he committed in 2025, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Yael Williams, 39, used a firearm during robberies at a Subway restaurant and two 7-11 stores in Austin in June and July 2025. In the presence of store employees, Williams took cash and other property by force and by threatening the employees with a .22 caliber revolver. During his robbery of the Subway restaurant, Williams fired several shots at two bystanders, one of whom was attempting to intervene and prevent the robbery.
Williams pleaded guilty in November to one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
“When you pull a gun on someone in this district, you will face serious consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “Yael Williams robbed three businesses, shot at bystanders, and, in so doing, showed a callous disregard for human life. Americans cannot make good on the promise of America when they don’t feel safe in the very place in which they live. In the Western District, we’re committed to making our neighborhoods, towns, and cities places where Americans can thrive, not merely survive. The sentence secured in this case shows our commitment to that mission.”
The Austin Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Buie prosecuted the case.
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Jewelry Store Robbery Crew Charged in Superseding IndictmentRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Ivel Sanchez Rivera (52, Hialeah), Osmani Barrios Carrera (37, Hialeah), Yunior Lopez Delgado (42, Miami), and Alberto Perez Elias (57, Miami) have been charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery and use, and carry and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, along with a consecutive sentence of 7 years for brandishing a firearm during the robbery. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the superseding indictment and other court documents, the defendants robbed a jewelry store in Cape Coral on January 6, 2026, by breaking into a vacant business next door. They then broke through the wall into the jewelry store before holding the manager at gunpoint. The robbers gained access to a safe and took thousands of pieces of jewelry worth more than $1 million. They then fled to Miami before they were eventually arrested following an investigation. Alberto Perez Elias has not been arrested and remains at large.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Cape Coral Police Department, the Hialeah Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesus M. Casas.
Jefferson City Restaurant Owner Charged with Harboring Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo., man was charged in federal court for harboring illegal aliens.
Danny Wei Cheng, 46, self-surrendered on an arrest warrant related to a criminal complaint signed June 18, 2026, by Chief United States Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr. Cheng, who owns Dragon Kitchen, a Chinese Buffet in Jefferson City, is accused of employing, housing, and transporting multiple illegal aliens.
The complaint alleges that Cheng housed multiple illegal aliens in a residential home owned by Cheng in Jefferson City. The residence was divided into at least eight rooms using plywood and other materials. The City of Jefferson City has since condemned the home. Individuals who worked for Cheng transported illegal aliens to and from work utilizing a van owned by Cheng.
The charges contained in this criminal complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty it is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service, and the Jefferson City Police Department.
Homeland Security Task Force
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
Jamaican Nationals Charged with Running Sweepstakes Scheme that Targeted Elderly Victims Across the U.S.Read the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, and J. Buck Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that the following six individuals have been charged with federal fraud and money laundering offenses stemming from their alleged participation in a sweepstakes scam that defrauded primarily elderly victims across the country of millions of dollars:
ANDRE-JON GAYLE, 33, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida
AALIYAH MAYNE, 25, of Dania, Florida
ONAJE CHEVERS, 29, of Dania, Florida
MATTHEW HUTCHINSON, 24, of Williamsburg, Virginia, COURTNEY REYNOLDS, 31, of Miami, Florida
ROSHAUN THOMPSON, 24, of Fort Lauderdale, FloridaGayle, Mayne, Chevers, Hutchinson, and Reynolds are citizens of Jamaica. Thompson is a U.S. citizen.
The indictment alleges that, beginning in approximately 2022, the defendants participated in a “Publishers Clearing House scam.” As part of the scheme, the defendants and others purchased lists of names of elderly individuals located in Connecticut and throughout the U.S. Claiming to represent Publishers Clearing House, they then contacted individuals on the lists and informed them that they won millions of dollars in the Publisher Clearing House sweepstakes. Victims were told that to claim their prize they had to pay upfront fees or taxes and were directed to send checks, cash, and money orders to the defendants and others. At times, victims were told to send money to other victims of the scheme who believed that, as part of a “sponsor program,” the money was coming from previous winners who were “sponsoring” them by helping to pay their taxes and fees. The “sponsored” victims were then directed to send the money they received on to other victims, the defendants, and their associates.
The indictment further alleges that certain victims also provided scheme participants with their driver’s license, other personal identifying information, and banking and credit card information, which scheme participants used to make personal expenditures. Scheme participants also diverted victims’ social security benefits into Green Dot banking accounts that scheme participants opened and controlled.
On June 2, 2026, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging each of the six defendants with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, five counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each of these offenses carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Mayne, Chevers, and Reynolds were arrested on June 4, Thompson was arrested on June 5, Hutchinson was arrested on June 9, and Gayle was arrested on June 10.
Gayle, Hutchinson, Reynolds, and Thompson appeared today in Bridgeport federal court, pleaded not guilty to the charges in the indictment, and were released on $ 250,000 bonds. Mayne and Chevers are currently detained.
“As alleged, this was an organized sweepstakes scam that ruthlessly preyed upon the vulnerability of our elderly citizens to defraud them out of millions of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Sullivan. “Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our federal and local law enforcement partners, we have dismantled this illicit operation and will hold those responsible accountable for their actions. It is crucial for the public to know that legitimate sweepstakes winners will never need to pay upfront fees or taxes in order to claim a prize. Anyone who demands money to release a lottery or sweepstakes payout is a fraudster, plain and simple.”
“The indictment of these six individuals demonstrates IRS-CI’s ongoing commitment to investigate all those that prey upon the American public,” said Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “These individuals attempted to not only steal the life savings of the elderly to enrich themselves but took it a step further by siphoning off their Social Security benefits, a financial safety net that many older Americans depend on to survive. IRS-CI is committed to our continued cooperation with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to identify any and all individuals that victimize the nation’s elderly population.”
“These charges demonstrate our unwavering commitment to holding fraudsters accountable,” said Acting Inspector in Charge J. Buck Buckley. “Exploiting vulnerable communities through these schemes is a cruel crime, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to aggressively investigate operations that target vulnerable citizens for personal gain. We are deeply grateful to our law enforcement partners and prosecutors whose dedication and teamwork made these charges possible.”
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, the West Saint Paul (Minn.) Police Department, and the Southborough (Mass.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.
Indictment Charges New Haven Gang Members with Committing 2 Murders and Numerous Attempted MurdersRead the Press Release
As a result of a long-term Homeland Security Task Force investigation into gang violence in New Haven, a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned a 19-count indictment charging 16 alleged members and associates of the “Stand On Business” or “SOB” street gang in New Haven with various offenses, including conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, murder, attempted murder, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, and related offenses.
Today’s announcement was made by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the New Haven Judicial District; Thomas A. Greco, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; New Haven Police Chief David Zannelli; and Hamden Police Chief Edward Page Reynolds.
The indictment, which was returned on June 17, charges
BRIAN BACKMAN, a.k.a. “Bri” and “Lil Bri,” 19
EMANUEL LOWERY, a.k.a. “Flip,” 24
SHAQUAN RAGHUBIR, a.k.a. “Quando,” 21
KERWIN ROMERO, a.k.a. “Kerbo,” 20
BRIAN REDD, 18
MAURICE BEVERLY, a.k.a. “Mo Dizz,” 21
LAMONT QUADIR SMITH-REED, a.k.a. “Steph Curry,” 23
SHYON EDWARDS, 20
GIOVANNI CABASQUINI, a.k.a. “Gio,” 22
TAQUORE GOMES, a.k.a. “Poppa,” 23
WADE JOHNSON, a.k.a. “G-wade,” 20
JOHN BROWN, a.k.a. “Man,” and “Hot Head Man,” 21
ANTWAN BALDWIN, a.k.a. “Ant” and “Lil A,” 20
OMARI MUNDLE, a.k.a. “Mari,” 19
JA’TWAN ROBINSON, a.k.a. “Foolie,” 20
JAIVON WILLIAMS, a.k.a. “Jay,” 21The indictment was unsealed after Romero, Redd, Edwards, and Robinson were arrested yesterday. They appeared in federal court and are detained. The other defendants are presently in state custody and will be arraigned in federal court at a later date.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address violence in New Haven, the ATF, FBI, DEA, New Haven Police Department, Hamden Police Department, and Connecticut Department of Correction, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, have been investigating an ongoing gang war. The Stand On Business or SOB street gang, which during its existence has also referred to itself as “Get Back Gang,” “Everybody Killers,” and “EBK,” originated in the geographic area of New Haven known as the “Hill” in the southwestern-most neighborhood of New Haven. In addition to the Hill, SOB has members and associates who are incarcerated, living in other areas of New Haven, and in other Connecticut cities and towns. The SOB gang has long-standing rivalries with other neighborhood gangs in New Haven, including the “Exit 8” gang, which based in the geographic area accessed by exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 8 in New Haven, as well as “24-Hour Shorty,” “Sleepy Land Bitches” or “SLB,” and “the 3s.” Violence between these groups is retaliatory in nature, and members of SOB are responsible for fatal and non-fatal shootings in the Exit 8 section and other areas of New Haven.
The indictment alleges that members and associates of SOB engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms and machine gun conversion devices, and, since 2019, have committed at least two murders and numerous attempted murders. SOB members and associates promoted, coordinated, facilitated, and celebrated their criminal conduct, including acts of violence, through text messaging and the use of social media applications, and in rap songs and videos posted online.
The indictment specifically alleges that SOB members and associates committed the following violent acts:
- On January 26, 2019, Lowery shot and attempted to kill an associate of a rival gang;
- On May 7, 2020, Backman, Cabasquini and others shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of the Exit 8 gang;
- On July 18, 2020, Backman and others shot and killed Kaymar Tanner after mistaking him for a member of the Exit 8 gang;
- On November 19, 2020, Backman, Beverly, and others shot and attempted to kill an individual they mistook for a member of the Exit 8 gang;
- On December 3, 2020, Romero, Lowery, and Johnson shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of the Exit 8 gang;
- On May 8, 2021, Cabasquini, Smith-Reed, Gomes, and others shot at and attempted to kill a member and associate of the Exit 8 gang;
- On May 30, 2021, Backman, Smith-Reed, and Brown shot and killed Semaj Reddick, a member and associate of the rival SLB gang.
- On July 33, 2022, Raghubir and others shot at and attempted to kill a member and associate of the 24-Hour Shorty gang;
- On February 18, 2023, Beverly and others shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of the Exit 8 gang;
- On May 14, 2023, in the early morning, Backman, Raghubir, and Gomes shot at and attempted to kill Exit 8 gang members in downtown New Haven;
- On May 14, 2023, in the evening, Backman and others shot at and attempted to kill Exit 8 gang members and struck an unintended victim in the head;
- On June 23, 2024, Beverly shot and attempted to kill and individual based on a mistaken belief that the victim had provided information to law enforcement leading to the arrest of an SOB associate;
- On November 16, 2024, Edwards shot at and attempted to kill individuals in order to protect SOB drug territory;
- On October 8, 2025, in the early morning, Backman and Redd directed Mundle to shoot at and attempt to kill an individual in retaliation for the murder of an SOB member. Later that day, Backman directed SOB members and associates to shoot at and attempt to kill the same individual;
- On October 8, 2025, in the early evening, Backman directed SOB members and associates to shoot at and attempt to kill an individual for disrespecting SOB and a deceased SOB member.
The indictment charges Backman, Lowery, Raghubir, Romero, Redd, Beverly, Smith-Reed, Edwards, Cabasquini, Gomes, Johnson, and Brown with racketeering conspiracy. If convicted of this charge, Backman, Smith-Reed, and Brown face a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and the others face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
The indictment also charges Backman, Redd, and Mundle with one or more counts of conspiracy to commit murder in aid racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, all related to attempted murders on October 8, 2025. The racketeering offenses carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and the firearm offense carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least 10 years.
In addition, the indictment charges Backman with illegal possession of a machine gun, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and with possession of a machine gun during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least 30 years; Robinson and Johnson with firearms trafficking related to their receipt of machine gun conversion devices, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years; and Cabasquini with use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years.
The indictment also charges each defendant, with the exception of Mundle, with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Cabasquini and Backman are also charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, which also carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
“This indictment describes a cycle of gang warfare that has plagued the streets of New Haven for years,” said U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan. “What is truly alarming, and tragic, is the collective ages of these young men who have chosen a path of extreme, unchecked violence. Their alleged actions demonstrate a reckless disregard for human life and the safety of innocent bystanders. Alongside our federal, state, and local partners, this office remains unyielding in our commitment to dismantle these violent networks and restore peace and safety to our neighborhoods.”
“This investigation and prosecution represent the hard work and shared ongoing commitment of federal, state and municipal partners in using all resources available to stem violent crime in our cities,” said New Haven State’s Attorney John P. Doyle, Jr.
“These charges reflect ATF’s unwavering commitment to reducing violent crime by targeting the individuals and criminal organizations responsible for driving gun violence in our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Thomas A. Greco. “Through relentless investigation and strong partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement, we will continue to identify, disrupt, and dismantle those who use firearms to intimidate, injure, and kill. Today’s charges demonstrate that those who choose violence will be held accountable, and that ATF remains steadfast in its mission to protect the public and deliver justice for victims.”
“Violent gangs thrive when they believe they can operate without consequence,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge P.J. O’Brien. “This investigation demonstrates that law enforcement agencies working together can penetrate these organizations, disrupt their criminal activity, and pursue justice. The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting the citizens of Connecticut by targeting those responsible for violent crime, while building lasting partnerships with the communities we serve. We will continue to bring every available resource to make our neighborhoods safer.”
“Today’s indictment alleges a shocking pattern of violence that includes murders, attempted murders, drug trafficking, and the illegal use of firearms,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget. “These charges underscore the devastating impact that violent gangs have on our communities, where narcotics trafficking and gun violence often go hand in hand. The individuals charged are accused of using violence and intimidation to further their criminal enterprise, placing countless innocent lives at risk.”
“The results of this long-term investigation demonstrate once again that only a small number of people commit the majority of gun violence in our community,” said New Haven Police Chief David Zannelli. “This indictment proves that we do not forget, and that those who perpetrate the most serious offenses will be identified and held accountable for their actions. We are extremely proud of NHPD Detective Cunningham and NHPD Officer Borges for all their hard work throughout this investigation. We are also grateful to the ATF, FBI and DEA New Haven field offices for their collaboration, as well as the US Attorney’s Office and our local law enforcement colleagues.”
“This investigation reflects the determination, faith, and unwavering commitment of our detectives and law enforcement partners,” said Hamden Police Chief E.P Reynolds. “Although years have passed, those involved never gave up on seeking justice for the victims and their families. Today is the result of countless hours of hard work and perseverance. While our hearts and prayers remain with the victims’ loved ones, we hope this outcome brings some measure of peace and serves as a reminder that justice may take time, but we will never stop pursuing it.”
This investigation is being conducted by ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the New Haven Police Department, the Hamden Police Department, the Connecticut Department of Correction and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF New Haven comprises agents and officers from the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Labor, and Connecticut State Police, with prosecutions led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and Nathan J. Guevremont.
Illinois Investment Advisor Indicted on Fraud Charges for Allegedly Swindling Clients in Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — An Illinois investment advisor has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly swindling clients in a Ponzi scheme.
PAARIS KOPSAFTIS operated Illinois-based Blackwater Assets, Inc. From 2020 to 2025, Kopsaftis fraudulently solicited and obtained money from victims based on false representations about the intended use of the investments and the performance and value of the investments, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Kopsaftis falsely told the victims that he would invest the money for their benefit, when, in reality, Kopsaftis knew he intended to use some of their funds for personal use, including paying his own bills, the indictment states.
Kopsaftis allegedly engaged in a Ponzi scheme by using some investor funds to repay prior investors. The indictment alleges that Kopsaftis concealed his fraud by creating and providing false documentation to his victims reflecting that their investments were worth more than they actually were.
Kopsaftis, 42, of Charlotte, N.C., and formerly of Illinois, is charged with four counts of wire fraud. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Tuesday in federal court in Chicago. A status hearing has been set for July 15, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Securities Department of the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and must also order restitution to the victims.
kopsaftis_indictment.pdfIllegal Alien from the Dominican Republic Sentenced to More than Two Years in Prison for Aggravated Identity Theft and Other CrimesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Hyde Park, Mass. was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for misuse of a Social Security number, passport fraud, aggravated identity theft and unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Mariano Andujar Perez, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to two years and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In March 2026, Andujar Perez pleaded guilty to one count of misusing a Social Security number, one count of false statement in application for passport, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Andujar Perez was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2024.
Andujar Perez first entered the United States in 2013 and began using the identity of the victim, a U.S. citizen from Puerto Rico, to obtain identification from the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. After being convicted in state court for drug offenses, he was removed to the Dominican Republic in 2017 and, at unknown time and place, illegally reentered the United States without permission. He resumed using the victim’s identity in 2022 and used it to obtain a Real ID and apply for a U.S. passport.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Mark Comorosky, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John J. Reynolds III and Allegra K. Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Illegal Alien from Mexico Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – An illegal alien from Mexico, living locally in Keswick, Virginia, was sentenced today to eight months in federal prison for illegally possessing a gun while being in the United States unlawfully.
Javier Bernal-Lopez, 38, pled guilty to illegal possession of a firearm while being unlawfully in the United States.
According to court documents, on November 18, 2025, Victim 1 and another person came to the Albemarle County Police Department (ACPD) to report a domestic dispute which had occurred the previous day near Keswick, Virginia. Victim 1 described a violent encounter with her ex-boyfriend, Javier Bernal-Lopez, involving a firearm being shot through their entrance door.
Victim 1 advised detectives with ACPD that Bernal-Lopez always carries a firearm on his person. In addition, Victim 1 advised detectives that she had been dating Bernal-Lopez for several years and she knew him to be a Mexican National illegally present in the United States.
Authorities confirmed that Bernal-Lopez had twice been arrested by U.S. Border Patrol at Nogales, Arizona, in June 2004. Following both arrests he was allowed to voluntarily return to Mexico.
On November 25, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s home. During the search, law enforcement located a SCCY CPX-2 9mm semi-automatic handgun. The firearm was located in a bag along with Bernal-Lopez’s Mexican passport. A box of ammunition, as well as an extended magazine, were located within the home as well.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf for Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. and the Albemarle County Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally J. Sullivan is prosecuting the case.
Illegal Alien from Mexico Charged with Possessing Firearm and Fraudulent Immigration DocumentsRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Mexican citizen, living illegally in Danville, Virginia, was arraigned in federal court this week on charges of illegal reentry of a previously removed alien, unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon and alien illegally in the United States, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of fraudulent immigration documents.
Fernando Bahena Ruiz, 28, was charged based on an incident on March 25, 2026.
According to court records, several people called 9-1-1 to report gunfire in a Danville neighborhood. One person saw muzzle flashes coming from Bahena Ruiz’s backyard. Officers arrived and saw Bahena Ruiz carrying a gun before he went back inside his house.
Officers ultimately took Bahena Ruiz into custody, then executed a search warrant on his house, where they found a handgun, magazines, ammunition, and fraudulent immigration documents, including a green card and Social Security card.
Officers also found at least 71 spent shell casings on Bahena Ruiz’s back porch and peyote plants containing mescaline (a Schedule I controlled substance) in Bahena Ruiz’s basement.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Danville Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Illegal Alien from Honduras Sentenced for $89 Million Off-the-Books Payroll Tax Fraud Scheme Employing Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
An illegal alien from Honduras was sentenced yesterday to 96 months in prison for his role in operating a years-long off-the-books cash payroll scheme that facilitated the employment of illegal aliens working in the United States. The scheme caused a total loss to the United States of more than $38 million.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2015 to 2022, Mario Flores, of Honduras, an illegal alien, conspired with others to create a series of shell companies to run an unlicensed check cashing and cash courier service business. These shell companies cashed approximately $89 million in checks from subcontractors in the construction industry, charging them a percentage of the dollar amount of the checks they cashed as a fee for this service. Through this scheme, construction contractors and subcontractors paid their workers in cash without withholding and paying required payroll taxes, allowing them to operate without regard to the workers’ legal authority to work in the United States. Flores also caused the filing of false tax documents with the IRS to conceal the scheme.
“Today, we held an illegal alien from Honduras accountable for a brazen scheme that stole more than $38 million from American taxpayers to facilitate the employment of illegal aliens,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This case exposes how unchecked illegal immigration fuels widespread tax fraud and underground economies that harm American workers and taxpayers. This sentence sends a strong message: those who exploit our open borders, cheat the U.S. Treasury, and violate federal laws will face justice.”
“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to protecting the integrity of our financial system and enforcing our nation’s laws. Those who orchestrate large-scale payroll tax fraud and facilitate the illegal employment of unauthorized workers will be held accountable,” said HSI Acting Executive Associate Director John Condon. “HSI, alongside IRS Criminal Investigation and our federal, state, and local partners, remains dedicated to dismantling schemes that defraud the United States and undermine the integrity of our workforce.”
In addition, Flores and his conspirators defrauded workers’ compensation insurance companies by leasing their certificates of insurance to contractors and by providing false and fraudulent information to the insurers about, among other things, the number of workers covered by the insurance and the amount workers were paid.
Flores pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Iris Villafranca, Osman Zapata, and Francisco Alvarez, who conspired with Flores, were previously sentenced. Villafranca was sentenced to 17 years in prison. She was ordered to pay more than $38 million in restitution to the United States and forfeit $89 million of criminal proceeds from the scheme. Zapata was sentenced to more than four years in prison and was ordered to pay more than $2.5 million in restitution to the United States. Francisco Alvarez was sentenced to four years of probation and ordered to pay more than $2.3 million in restitution. Conspirator Michael Mayorga awaits sentencing.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe of the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. ICE ERO Miami (Orlando sub-office), Florida Highway Patrol, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service, State Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement have assisted in arrest operations.
Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorney Kavitha Bondada of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Hu of the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Illegal Alien from Honduras Sentenced for $89 Million Off-the-Books Payroll Tax Fraud Scheme Employing Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL - An illegal alien from Honduras was sentenced yesterday to 96 months in prison for his role in operating a years-long off-the-books cash payroll scheme that facilitated the employment of illegal aliens working in the United States. The scheme caused a total loss to the United States of more than $38 million.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2015 to 2022, Mario Flores, of Honduras, an illegal alien, conspired with others to create a series of shell companies to run an unlicensed check cashing and cash courier service business. These shell companies cashed approximately $89 million in checks from subcontractors in the construction industry, charging them a percentage of the dollar amount of the checks they cashed as a fee for this service. Through this scheme, construction contractors and subcontractors paid their workers in cash without withholding and paying required payroll taxes, allowing them to operate without regard to the workers’ legal authority to work in the United States. Flores also caused the filing of false tax documents with the IRS to conceal the scheme.
“These individuals didn’t just run an off the books payroll scheme—they built a pipeline of fraud that stole from taxpayers and helped sustain an unlawful employment scheme,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, Florida Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation, working hand in hand with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, is laser focused on cutting off the financial lifeblood of schemes that exploit workers, cheat honest businesses, and undermine the integrity of our tax system. When criminals think they can hide in the shadows, our agents follow the money—and bring the truth into the light.”
“Today, we held an illegal alien from Honduras accountable for a brazen scheme that stole more than $38 million from American taxpayers to facilitate the employment of illegal aliens,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This case exposes how unchecked illegal immigration fuels widespread payroll tax fraud and underground economies that harm American workers and taxpayers. This sentence sends a strong message: those who exploit our open borders, cheat the U.S. Treasury, and violate federal laws will face justice.”
“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to protecting the integrity of our financial system and enforcing our nation’s laws. Those who orchestrate large-scale payroll tax fraud and facilitate the illegal employment of unauthorized workers will be held accountable,” said HSI Acting Executive Associate Director John Condon. “HSI, alongside IRS Criminal Investigation and our federal, state, and local partners, remains dedicated to dismantling schemes that defraud the United States and undermine the integrity of our workforce.”
In addition, Flores and his conspirators defrauded workers’ compensation insurance companies by leasing their certificates of insurance to contractors and by providing false and fraudulent information to the insurers about, among other things, the number of workers covered by the insurance and the amount workers were paid.
Flores pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Iris Villafranca, Osman Zapata, and Francisco Alvarez, who conspired with Flores, were previously sentenced. Villafranca was sentenced to 17 years in prison. She was ordered to pay more than $38 million in restitution to the United States and forfeit $89 million of criminal proceeds from the scheme. Zapata was sentenced to more than four years in prison and was ordered to pay more than $2.5 million in restitution to the United States. Francisco Alvarez was sentenced to four years of probation and ordered to pay more than $2.3 million in restitution. Conspirator Michael Mayorga awaits sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe of the Middle District of Florida and Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. ICE ERO Miami (Orlando sub-office), Florida Highway Patrol, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service, State Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement have assisted in arrest operations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Hu of the Middle District of Florida, Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty, and Trial Attorney Kavitha Bondada of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Illegal Alien from El Salvador Federally Charged for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Clisma Segovia, 18, a citizen of El Salvador living in Douglasville, Georgia, has been indicted in federal court on one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.
Segovia appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Hope Cannon for his initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for August 3, 2026, at 8:30 am in Pensacola before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
If convicted, Segovia faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Illegal Alien with Violent Criminal Record Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Re-Entering United States After Seven DeportationsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — An illegal alien with a violent criminal record has been sentenced to ten months in federal prison for unlawfully re-entering the United States after previously being deported seven times.
JEFRY ESTRADA-PASTRANA, a native of Honduras, was unlawfully present in the United States on Jan. 20, 2026, when he was arrested in Chicago. Chicago Police officers arrested Estrada-Pastrana after he failed to appear in court related to a Cook County criminal case involving theft and forgery.
Estrada-Pastrana was previously deported from the United States on seven occasions. During the times in which he was illegally present in the United States, Estrada-Pastrana was convicted of criminal offenses including robbery and aggravated fleeing.
Estrada-Pastrana, 37, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to one count of unlawful re-entry after removal. On June 16, 2026, U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall imposed the ten-month prison sentence and ordered that it be followed by three years of court-supervised release. The conviction subjects Estrada-Pastrana to removal from the United States.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Frank Padula, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Chicago. Substantial assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations. The government was represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Diya Rattan.
Houston man sentenced to lengthy federal prison sentence for armed convenience store robberies in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Houston man has been sentenced to over 13 years in federal prison in connection with two armed convenience store robberies in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Fredy Jose Barrera Borjas, 26, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to carry a firearm during a crime of violence; two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, aiding and abetting; and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Borjas was sentenced to 162 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant this week.
According to information presented in court, on March 4 and 5, 2022, Borjas conspired with others to rob the Buy Low Liquor Store in Lewisville and Zoom Zooms Convenience store in Denton, at gunpoint. On both occasions, the defendants entered the businesses by force, brandished firearms, and stole large quantities of cash from the store owners. During one of the robberies, Borjas and others ordered an employee to her knees at gunpoint, while the others went into the manager’s office where he was robbed and severely beaten. Borjas was the final defendant sentenced in this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Denton Police Department, and Lewisville Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chalana A. Oliver.
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Hot Springs Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Hot Springs, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on June 22, 2026.
Cecle Crist, 53, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Crist was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in November 2025. He pleaded guilty on March 9, 2026.
In November 2025, several officers with the Fall River County Sheriff’s Office and the Hot Springs Police Department attempted to arrest Crist on a federal arrest warrant pertaining to another firearm charge. When the officers entered the camper Crist lived in, he hid in a closet, threatened to kill law enforcement, and said he had a gun. The officers exited the camper and called in the Rapid City Special Response Team (SRT). After SRT fired several rounds of OC powder into the camper, Crist exited the camper and was placed under arrest. Officers thereafter located in the camper three loaded rifles, a pellet gun, and several rounds of ammunition, which Crist knew were in his possession. Crist is a previously convicted felon who knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, the Fall River County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hot Springs Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Crist was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Homeland Security Task Force investigation leads to prison sentence for member of Kansas City drug trafficking ring tied to MexicoRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 167 months in prison for his role in a transnational drug trafficking organization with ties to a Mexican cartel. The sentence follows a Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation which has so far led to convictions of approximately a dozen defendants.
According to court documents, Joel Rodriguez, 30, of Kansas City, Kansas, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
In February 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating a drug trafficking ring in the Kansas City metro area headed by Jose Antonio Heredia-Chang. Heredia-Chang, 34, is an illegal alien from Sinaloa, Mexico, who had been living in Phoenix, Arizona. The trafficking ring distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and other narcotics. ATF and DEA investigators determined that buyers/distributors in Kansas City placed orders with Heredia-Chang then he dispatched drivers to deliver the narcotics.
Investigators observed Heredia-Chang’s drivers visiting the home of Joel Rodriguez in Kansas City, Kansas. Agents intercepted calls between Rodriguez and Heredia-Chang discussing drug and firearms trafficking in which Rodriguez provided Heredia-Chang his home address for delivery. Agents observed subsequent deliveries to Rodriguez’s house.
After Heredia-Chang's arrest in September 2023, evidence extracted from his phones showed photographs of firearms and messages about firearm purchases. Further evidence proved Heredia-Chang was collaborating with individuals in Sinaloa, Mexico, to acquire and transport methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, and that Heredia-Chang operated other distribution bases in Seattle, Washington, and Denver, Colorado.
In November 2025, Heredia-Chang pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He is awaiting sentencing.
“The Heredia-Chang drug trafficking ring was a complex and highly structured operation based on a model that in essence worked the same as if you ordered a pizza. Instead of food, these delivery drivers showed up at your doorstep with meth and cocaine,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “We are fortunate our federal agencies have the investigative skills and tools to root out these networks. Our skilled prosecutors are committed to convincing judges that these perpetrators should serve time behind bars.”
"This defendant helped move meth for the Heredia-Chang trafficking network and discussed firearms trafficking with the man who ran it," said Special Agent in Charge Bernard "Butch" Hansen of the ATF Kansas City Field Division. "Firearms are the currency that keeps these drug networks running, and ATF will follow that trade wherever it leads. Now he will spend nearly 14 years in federal prison. The investigation is not over. ATF will continue to stand with our partners to hold violent offenders accountable."
“One-by-one, our agents and those of ATF are dismantling Mexican-sourced drug trafficking organizations responsible for pushing poisons into our midwestern communities,” DEA St. Louis Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey said. “This investigation is a tremendous example of federal agencies working together to bring the full force of the law against violent poly-drug traffickers who use threats and intimidation to maintain control. Fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine have no place on our streets, and the DEA will continue to take down the organizations threading their way into the heartland.”
So far, 10 other co-defendants have pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with the Heredia-Chang drug trafficking network. They include Noel Rios-Salazar, Jesus Villaverde, Jose Cervantes-Valenzuela, Jessica Solano, Gennelle Glackin, Kelly Gray, Marnie Lynn, Christopher Martens, Robert Hicks, and Chad Haviland.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Faiza Alhambra prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas.
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Homeland Security Task Force effort delivers alleged cartel drug trafficker into US custodyRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 46-year-old Mexican national is set to appear in U.S. federal court for significant drug trafficking offenses, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Roberto Bazan-Salinas aka Beto is set for an arraignment and detention hearing at 10 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mitchel Neurock in Corpus Christi.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment against the alleged associate of Cartel del Golfo March 27, 2024.
Between 2021 and 2022, Bazan-Salinas allegedly conspired with others to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and more than 500 grams of a mixture containing meth.
Mexican authorities arrested him in Guanajuato, Mexico, March 5 at the request of the United States. He was extradited June 18.
If convicted, Bazan-Salinas faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Watt is prosecuting the case, which is now part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF South Texas comprises agents and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Interpol/Department of State; and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
The Department of State, Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and Government of Mexico provided invaluable assistance securing the arrest and extradition from Mexico.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Highlands County Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Quincy Owens (51, Sebring) has been sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Owens pleaded guilty on March 30, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the plea agreement, on December 15, 2025, the Drug Enforcement Administration was conducting surveillance on Owens, who had been identified as a fentanyl and methamphetamine dealer. Agents observed Owens obtaining a large black bag from an unidentified male and placing it in the trunk of his vehicle. The Florida Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle Owens was driving and a narcotics-detecting canine alerted positively to the presence of drugs inside the vehicle. A subsequent search of Owens’s vehicle resulted in the seizure of the black bag, which contained over 4,500 grams of pure methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
Gary Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Chester Maclin, Jr., 29 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Maclin was sentenced to 48 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
“On September 30, 2023, the Defendant was the driver of a vehicle pulled over in Munster, Indiana. Evidence led law enforcement to conduct a search of the vehicle, and they found a loaded Glock pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device that allows for the handgun to fire rounds rapidly. Maclin has a prior felony conviction which prohibits him from possessing a firearm or ammunition. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and AUSA Kristian R. Mukoski brought the case as part of Operation Take Back America, and we are safer for their efforts,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristian R. Mukoski.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Four Eden Prairie Firefighters Recognized with Freedom 250 Hometown Hero AwardRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota recognized four members of the Eden Prairie Fire Department as “Hometown Heroes” for their courageous rescue of an infant from a burning townhome on May 31, 2024.
Assistant Fire Chief Justin Johnson, Assistant Fire Chief Matt Worthington (then a Captain), Firefighter Joshua Privette, and Firefighter Michael Do were recognized at a ceremony in Eden Prairie on June 25, 2026.
United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen, Assistant Chief Justin Johnson, Assistant Chief Matt Worthington, Firefighter Joshua Privette, Firefighter Michael Do, and Chief Scott Gerber
On May 31, 2024, Johnson, Worthington, Privette, and Do were among the first responders dispatched to a heavily involved structure fire on the 8500 block of Cardiff Lane. With conflicting reports about whether anyone remained inside, Chief Johnson directed the crew to conduct an immediate search. Entering without a hose line, the firefighters completed a primary search of the first floor before moving upstairs through high heat and low visibility. During the search, Firefighter Privette located an infant in a playpen. The crew quickly carried the child outside and transferred her to Hennepin EMS for transport to Children’s Hospital. The child survived and continues to thrive today.
“These four men entered a burning home with no certainty of what they would encounter and emerged carrying a child to safety,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “Their actions reflect the spirit of liberty, service, and civic responsibility that Freedom 250 was created to celebrate.”
The recognition was given as part of the Department of Justice’s Freedom 250 initiative, a national campaign through which United States Attorneys’ Offices highlight individuals whose dedication, bravery, and leadership have made a significant difference in their communities as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.
Freedom 250 is a nationwide initiative recognizing public servants whose actions exemplify the founding values of the United States. More information is available at freedom250.org.
Four Charged in Scheme to Smuggle Contraband into Wyatt Detention FacilityRead the Press Release
Providence- A federal grand jury in Rhode Island has indicted a former Wyatt Detention Facility programs counselor, two former Wyatt detainees, and a Massachusetts woman for their alleged roles in a scheme to smuggle contraband into the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility.
Adrina Hamrick Cannnon, 51, of Cranston, RI, Randy Diaz-Pizarro, a/k/a Fresh, 34, of Boston, MA, Jaquori Lyons, a/k/a Gizzle and Tottie Y Gizzle, 28, of Boston, MA, and Bernice Carvalho, 25, of Boston, MA, are all charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance. Hamrick Cannon and Carvalho are also charged with providing contraband to a prison inmate and Diaz-Pizzaro and Lyons are also charged with being an inmate of a prison who obtained contraband.
Hamrick Cannon was arrested on May 21, 2026, and was arraigned on the indictment that same day. Carvalho appeared and was arraigned on the indictment on May 26, 2026. Diaz-Pizarro and Lyons were both arraigned on the indictment on June 24, 2026.
According to charging documents, on dates between June 25, 2024 and July 10, 2025, while Diaz-Pizarro and Lyons were inmates at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center, Hamrick Cannon and Carvalho did provide and Diaz-Pizarro and Lyons did receive pieces of paper containing a detectable amount of MDMB-4en-PINACA, a Schedule I controlled substance. Diaz-Pizarro and Lyons were inmates at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center on the dates of the alleged offense conduct because each of them had been detained in federal cases that had been charged in the District of Massachusetts.
Diaz-Pizarro was charged in the District of Massachusetts on February 7, 2024, with drug and firearm offenses. Diaz-Pizarro was detained after his arrest in that case. Diaz-Pizarro pled guilty in that case on January 13, 2025, and was sentenced to a term of 120 months imprisonment. He is currently serving that sentence. (24-cr-10039-WGY). Lyons was charged by complaint, on May 24, 2023, and thereafter, on July 19, 2023, by indictment in the District of Massachusetts with drug, firearm, and conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity offenses. (23-cr-10186-ADB). In that case, Lyons was detained after his arrest. He is awaiting trial on that case.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Denise M Barton.
The matter was investigated by FBI and members of the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center Professional Standards Unit.
Former Social Security Administration Employee Found Guilty of 23 Counts including Theft of Social Security Funds, Social Security Misuse and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On June 24, 2026, after a week-long trial, a federal jury convicted Myrna Faria, a/k/a Myrna Oliveras-Santiago, a former Social Security Administration employee, of embezzling and stealing SSA funds, namely Retirement Insurance Benefits, Survivors Insurance Benefits and Auxiliary Benefit payments, to which she knew she was not entitled.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Faria was employed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) from approximately 1991 through 2019 as a “Social Insurance Specialist” and “Claims Specialist” working in the Workload Support Unit in San Juan, Puerto Rico. From March 2012 through March 2024, Faria embezzled and stole approximately $1,812,455.10 in SSA funds, namely Retirement Insurance Benefits, Survivors Insurance Benefits and Auxiliary Benefit payments, to which she knew she was not entitled.
Faria utilized her position within SSA to submit false claims on behalf of others, using the identity of individuals she believed to be deceased. She then approved those false claims and submitted her own bank and address information to fraudulently receive the corresponding SSA beneficiary proceeds. Faria proceeded to withdraw, transfer, and spend the money from the accounts that fraudulently obtained the SSA funds. Over the span of twelve years, Faria submitted and approved 13 fraudulent claims.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge for the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General; Carlos Goris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office; and Blasdimir Rojo, Postal Inspector in Charge, Miami Division made the announcement.
The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case with assistance from the Puerto Rico Police Department.
Social Security Administration Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vanessa D. Bonano-Rodríguez and Niranjan Emani prosecuted the case.
Myrna Faria is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Gina R. Méndez-Miró on September 29, 2026. She faces a mandatory sentence of two years imprisonment for violating 18 U.S.C. §1028A (aggravated identity theft) which must be served consecutively to any sentence imposed for the violation of 18 U.S.C. §641 (theft of government funds), 18 U.S.C. §1343 (wire fraud), and 18 U.S.C. §1341 (mail fraud).
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Former Executive Extradited from Israel to Face Bank, Wire Fraud Charges in St. LouisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man who was indicted nearly six years ago and accused of a $28 million fraud scheme involving apartment complexes in Missouri and Oklahoma was extradited from Israel Thursday.
Michael Fein, now 47, was indicted Aug. 20, 2020, on one count of bank fraud and one count of wire fraud. The indictment accuses Fein of routinely providing false information on loan applications to obtain financing and refinance loans on projects for the company he co-owned, T.E.H. Management and its affiliates.
U.S. authorities were able to locate Fein in Israel and submitted a request for his extradition. On May 14, Minister of Heritage Amichar Eliyahu – acting by designation in place of the Minister of Justice – approved the extradition of Fein to the United States to stand trial. He arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport Thursday morning and was then flown to St. Louis Lambert International Airport. He is expected to make his first appearance in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Friday.
“I’m very pleased that Michael Fein will be returned to St. Louis to face trial on the accusations that he fraudulently obtained millions of dollars,” U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus said.
“This case reflects the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General’s (FHFA-OIG) steadfast commitment to investigating and bringing to justice those who defraud Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, or the financial institutions engaged in the housing mortgage market. We are thankful to HUD OIG and the FBI for their partnership in this investigation, and to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service for their extraordinary efforts in securing the extradition of the defendant,” said Special Agent in Charge Korey Brinkman, Central Region, FHFA-OIG.
“No one is above the law,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Machelle Jindra with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. “Our office will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to investigate those who threaten the integrity of FHA mortgage programs and hold them accountable for their actions.”
“Michael Fein may have believed that leaving the United States would place him beyond the reach of law enforcement after allegedly swindling millions of dollars from multiple banks," said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. "Bringing Fein back to face justice required years of coordinated effort. This case sends a clear message: no matter where a fugitive runs, the FBI and its partners will relentlessly pursue those who commit serious crimes and attempt to evade accountability."
The indictment says Fein was an owner and vice president of T.E.H. Management, and an owner and manager of T.E.H.-affiliated companies, all of which owned and operated multi-family apartment complexes throughout the United States. Fein was responsible for the day-to-day operations of T.E.H. and the affiliates. T.E.H. and its affiliates owned and operated the 168-unit Pinnacle Ridge apartment complex in St. Louis County, the 304-unit Green Village Townhomes apartment complex in Kansas City, Missouri and the 260-unit Ivy Place Apartments complex in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The indictment alleges that from 2016-2019, Fein falsely inflated the number of tenants at Pinnacle Ridge and other complexes and submitted false budget and income information for Pinnacle Ridge to obtain a $2.8 million loan to purchase the complex.
In 2016 and 2017, Fein submitted false information to refinance Green Village, inflating rental income as well as the occupancy of the complex from 50% to 88.49%, the indictment says. After the $12.5 million loan closed and the outstanding loan balance was paid off, a T.E.H. affiliate received $6 million, the indictment says.
In 2017, Fein submitted a false application to refinance a loan for Ivy Place, inflating the occupancy of the complex from 66.5% to 96.54% and inflating the income statement, the indictment says. After the $7.7 million loan closed, a T.E.H. affiliate received $977,754, it says.
In 2019, Fein attempted to purchase the 208-unit Hanley Crossings apartment complex in St. Louis County by submitting fraudulent loan documents, including a falsely inflated summary of real estate purportedly owned by T.E.H. and affiliates, the indictment says. The $5.2 million application falsely inflated the occupancy rates of twenty-six of the listed multi-family apartment complexes by approximately 18% each, the indictment says. The loan was not approved.
The indictment seeks the forfeiture of at least $23 million in proceeds linked to the alleged scheme.
Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
During March 2020, as a result of substantial tenant complaints concerning substandard living conditions in T.E.H. apartment complexes, the federal government suspended taxpayer-subsidized housing contracts and funding to T.E.H. affiliates in the St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri areas. As many of the residents living in T.E.H. apartment complexes were members of low-income households that were receiving federal housing assistance, the federal government provided transfer vouchers to those residents to assist them in moving to appropriate housing.
This case was investigated by the FHFA – OIG, HUD OIG and the FBI. With the cooperation of Israeli authorities, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance in securing Fein’s extradition. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting the case.
Former CEO Pleads Guilty to $24,000,000 Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on June 24, 2026, Patrick Alan Bucknum, age 55, formerly of Wenatchee, Washington, pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Washington to one count of wire fraud.
As set out in court documents, Bucknum was the Chief Executive Office of Community Clinic Network (CCN), a company located in Wenatchee, Washington. CCN managed health care payment contracts for a conglomerate of health care clinics across Washington. Beginning in April 2017, Bucknum devised a scheme to obtain funds from CCN’s business bank accounts, which he attempted to invest in stocks, options, and exchange-traded funds. Bucknum initially intended to keep profits from the investments for himself and return the embezzled funds to CCN. Bucknum was influenced by social media showing aggressive trading strategies. However, due to Bucknum’s poor trades, he lost the majority of the funds invested. As a result, Bucknum embezzled additional funds in an attempt to recover his losses. Between 2017 and 2023, Bucknum embezzled approximately $30,000,000 from CCN to invest, returning approximately $7,000,000 to CCN over that same time frame.
Bucknum also embezzled funds from CCN for personal purchases, including $100,000 to purchase a pickup truck, $77,000 to purchase a Tesla, and $33,000 to purchase a boat. In August 2024, Bucknum embezzled $1,199,000 to purchase precious metal coins. In total, Bucknum caused a loss to CCN of approximately $24,368,427.37. As part of his plea agreement, Bucknum has agreed to forfeit to the United States the pickup truck, Tesla, boat, and precious metal coins, including coins in gold, silver, and platinum all obtained with embezzled funds.
Bucknum is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on September 23, 2026. The Plea Agreement can be found here.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy J. Kelley and Frieda K. Zimmerman.
2:26-cr-0062-TORFlorida Woman Pleads Guilty for Role in Business Email ScamRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Florida woman pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to execute a business email compromise scheme that stole more than $3 million from victims throughout the United States.
Zamar McPherson, 49, of Boynton Beach, Florida, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud. She has agreed to pay restitution for the entire scope of her criminal conduct. In addition, she has agreed to forfeit $154,474.85.
Two of McPherson’s coconspirators—Garland Shelton, 57, of Wytheville, Virginia, and Olivia Oxley, 35, of Brooklyn, New York—each pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. McPherson, Shelton, and Oxley each face up to 30 years in prison for their roles in this conspiracy.
According to court documents, McPherson conspired with Shelton, Oxley, and others to engage in a business email compromise scheme. The victims in this case had planned to send legitimate wire payments to certain payees. A member of the conspiracy compromised the email accounts of these payees, however, and provided new account information for the wire payments to the victims. The victims were then defrauded into sending large sums of money to bank accounts belonging to McPherson, Shelton, and Oxley. McPherson, Shelton, and Oxley created and utilized personal and illegitimate business accounts at various financial institutions to facilitate these fraudulent wire transfer payments.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci, Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division and Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. made the announcement.
Several law enforcement agencies throughout the United States investigated the case, including Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C., St. Paul; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Eden Prairie, Minnesota Police Department; Virginia State Police; Middlesex County, New Jersey Prosecutor’s Office; and Palm Beach County, Florida Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Hall is prosecuting the case.
Federal Charges Announced in Multi-Million Dollar Medicaid Fraud Scheme and Prescription Drug Diversion Conspiracy; Announcement Made as Part of Justice Department’s National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
Milwaukee, Wisconsin – Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced charges issued in the Eastern District of Wisconsin as part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action.
The first charge announced was against Jasmine Cooper, 37, of Brown Deer, Wisconsin, who is charged by information with health care fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to defraud Wisconsin Medicaid. As charged in the Information, Cooper, who was authorized to run a prenatal care coordination agency (PNCC) to assist at risk pregnant women and women with children, submitted thousands of false claims in which she claimed her company provided much-needed services that beneficiaries never received. Throughout the scheme, Cooper misstated the duration, frequency, date, and nature of services provided. Cooper submitted these false claims to Wisconsin Medicaid between 2019 and 2022. The Information also charges that as part of her scheme to defraud, Cooper committed aggravated identity theft by using the means of identification of another person without lawful authority.
As a result of the scheme, Cooper submitted over $5.8 million in fraudulent claims to Wisconsin Medicaid, of which over $5.4 million was paid. On the same day that charges were filed, the United States also filed a signed plea agreement indicating Cooper’s intention to plead guilty to the charges. A change of plea hearing is scheduled for July 9, 2026, at 10:00 before the Honorable Chief District Judge Pamela Pepper.
Cooper’s charges come on the heels of four similar schemes charged by the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Combined with the charges against Cooper, these fraudulent schemes have cost Wisconsin Medicaid over $15.5 million between 2019 and 2022. Cooper’s case, as well as the similar PNCC-related schemes were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with substantial assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Justice Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Control Unit. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate M. Biebel and Julie F. Stewart.
The second charge was against Jerry Jones III, 70, of Mequon, Wisconsin. Jones was charged by information with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. As alleged in the information, Dr. Jones was a medical provider authorized by the Drug Enforcement Administration to distribute controlled substances as part of a legitimate medical purpose.
Instead, between January 2021 and September 2025, Dr. Jones conspired to distribute controlled substances such as amphetamine-dextroamphetamine, methylphenidate, buprenorphine, diazepam, lorazepam, alprazolam, and pregabalin outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. As part of the conspiracy, Dr. Jones distributed 12,885 pills of Adderall, 8,121 pills of Ritalin, 143,282 units of Schedule III controlled substances, 35,944 units of Schedule IV controlled substances, and 12,374 units of Schedule V controlled substances.
On the same day that charges were filed, the United States also filed a signed plea agreement indicating that Dr. Jones intends to be plead guilty to the charges. A change of plea hearing is scheduled for June 29, 2026, at 11:15 a.m. before the Honorable Lynn Adelman. As part of the plea agreement Dr. Jones agreed to forfeit $294,850.72 in proceeds of the unlawful conspiracy. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Investigations Unit. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie F. Stewart.
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The charges announced by First Assistant United States Attorney Schimel are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death.
The nationwide takedown, announced on June 23, 2026, represented a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme.
The Takedown involved the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.
The nationwide enforcement action involved a whole-of-government approach, including:
• Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
• 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
• Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
• 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.
The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
Descriptions of each case involved in the nationwide enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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For further information contact:Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Fake ID Dealer Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A Fluvanna County man, who used social media platforms to sell hundreds of fraudulent IDs to underage customers, pled guilty in U.S. District Court.
Sebastian Andres Arquilla, 22, of Palmyra, Virginia, pled guilty to knowingly transferring in the mail false identification documents that were and appeared to be driver’s licenses.
According to court documents, beginning in 2022 and continuing through October 2024, Arquilla advertised, sold, and shipped fake identification documents, primarily “scannable” driver’s licenses, to underage customers around the country using a variety of social media platforms and the U.S. mail.
Arquilla created accounts in the name of “The Novelty Team” to market the fake identification documents online using social media platforms, including Instagram, Snapchat, Telegram, and Discord.
Through “The Novelty Team,” Arquilla sold hyper-realistic, polycarbonate IDs for $125 apiece and promised customers they “scan everywhere. All bars/clubs, grocery stores, liquor stores, cannabis dispensaries, vape shops.”
As part of his guilty plea, Arquilla agreed to forfeit at least $84,449 in illicit profits, as well as electronic devices and a magnetic scanner device.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood made the announcement.
The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Browne is prosecuting the case.
Elizabeth Resident Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to the charge of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
On June 23rd, Dontae Gilbert pleaded guilty to one count of violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1) before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Gilbert was one of two men who, on May 23, 2024, fired a gun at a residence located in the 300 block of E. 18th Avenue in Homestead. Gilbert used a stolen Smith & Wesson pistol to shoot at the home, then attempted to flee the scene with his co-defendant in a black Kia. Law enforcement was able to stop the vehicle and found Gilbert in the driver’s seat of the car with the pistol under his seat. Ballistic testing matched the firearm to spent shell casings found on E. 18th Avenue and gunshot residue was found on Gilbert’s hand.
As laid forth in the Indictment that charged him, Gilbert was previously convicted in federal court for possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin, and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. In his prior matter, Gilbert was sentenced to 68 months of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release. Gilbert was only 9 or so weeks into that term of supervision when he possessed and fired the Smith & Wesson on May 23rd. Gilbert therefore also violated the terms and conditions of his supervision by committing these acts.
Judge Bissoon agreed to allow Gilbert to proceed to sentencing on the same date as his guilty plea. In the combined hearing, Gilbert also admitted to violating the terms of his supervised release and the Court revoked his supervision. Gilbert was sentenced to a total of 90 months of incarceration followed by another three years of supervised release.
Assistant United States Attorney Barbara K. Doolittle prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Munhall and Homestead Police Departments, and the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Dontae Gilbert.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
DuBois Resident Indicted on Social Security Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of DuBois, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on fraud and theft of government property charges, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The two-count Indictment named Steven Paul Gearhart, 61, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, from in and around April 2022 until in and around June 2024, Gearhart concealed and failed to disclose events to the Social Security Administration with the intent to fraudulently misuse Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits as representative payee for his personal use. SSI is a monthly, needs-based payment benefit that is afforded to people with disabilities and the elderly who have little or no income. Applicants are required to report their wages, assets, and living arrangements as those matters are considered by the Social Security Administration when determining eligibility for SSI. The Indictment further alleges that Gearhart converted SSI benefits as a representative payee to his personal use and stole over $1,000 in SSI benefits.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within federal benefit programs.
Drug Dealing Duo Indicted for Drug Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – James Christopher Bradford, 34, of Pensacola, Florida, and William Kody Montgomery, 38, of Mobile, Alabama, have both been indicted in federal court on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Bradford was also indicted for one count of distribution of Ketamine and MDMA. Montgomery was indicted for one count of distribution of cocaine and a separate count of distribution of LSD, MDMA, and cocaine. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.
Bradford and Montgomery appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho for their initial appearances at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for July 6, 2026, at 8:30 am in Pensacola before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
If convicted, Bradford and Montgomery face at least 5 years’ imprisonment, and up to 40 imprisonment on the conspiracy count. Bradford faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the distribution of Ketamine and MDMA count. Montgomery faces at least 5 years’ imprisonment, and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, on the distribution of LSD, MDMA, and cocaine count; and up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the distribution of cocaine count.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brooke Lindsay.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Dominican National Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Hartford-Area Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ONIEL ACOSTA-REYES, 27, a citizen of the Dominican Republic residing in Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 48 months of imprisonment and two years of supervised release for a fentanyl trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force revealed that members of a Hartford-area drug trafficking ring were using an apartment on Franklin Avenue in Hartford as a stash location for narcotics. On August 25, 2025, investigators stopped Acosta-Reyes and an associate as they exited the apartment carrying a large cooler. On August 25, 2025, investigators stopped Acosta-Reyes and an associate after they exited the apartment and placed a large cooler in their car. When investigators searched the cooler, they found a kilogram brick of fentanyl, bags of powder fentanyl, cutting agent, and parts for a mechanical press. A subsequent search of the apartment revealed additional drug trafficking paraphernalia, a kilogram drug press, and two firearms.
Acosta-Reyes has been detained since his arrest on August 25, 2025. On March 24, 2026, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Dearington.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Defendant Sentenced to 78 Months for sourcing Spokane-Area IPO Blood Criminal Street GangRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington — First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on June 23, 2026, United States District Court Judge Rebecca Pennell sentenced Jessica Demaine, age 39, to 78 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release for her role in a trafficking methamphetamine to the IPO Blood criminal street gang operating in the Spokane area.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives initiated an investigation in 2025 into members of a Spokane based “IPO Blood” violent criminal street gang. An undercover ATF agent purchased multiple firearms as well as a large quantity of methamphetamine from members of this group. During one of the buys, ATF learned the source of supply for the methamphetamine being sold was a woman whose 3-year-old child had gotten into the source’s “pow” (street slang for fentanyl) and overdosed. Review of local news articles and police reports revealed the source likely to be Jessica Demaine. Demaine is currently pending state charges stemming from this incident and is presumed innocent (Spokane County Superior Court case 25-1-00660-32). Demaine has claimed her boyfriend, Cameron Franklin, was responsible for the minor child’s overdose.
Follow-up investigation by both the ATF and Drug Enforcement Administration confirmed that Demaine was acting as a source of supply to the IPO street gang. Evidence as to Demaine’s role as a drug source of supply was in part confirmed by several sources of information, phone records, text messages, and CashApp records.
Demaine was federally indicted for her role as a source of supply to the gang and arrested in May of 2025. Demaine was released, over the United States’ objection, to attend inpatient treatment in June 2025. The Court then allowed her to live at an Oxford House (clean and sober house) and ultimately with her sister in the Cheney, Washington area.
In December 2025, Demaine tested positive for methamphetamine, and a warrant was issued for her arrest. The next day, Demaine was located at Franklin’s Spokane-area residence when a federal search warrant was executed by DEA stemming from their continued investigation into the Mexico-based source of supply. Demaine was arrested and detained pending sentencing. At her detention hearing, it was learned that despite claims she was caring for an elderly gentlemen, Adult Protective Services (“APS”) was called out to assist and advised the residence was “in complete filth.” In revoking her pre-trial release and ordering her detained, Magistrate Judge Ekstrom found Demaine was not taking her federal charges seriously, despite the gravity of the situation.
In March 2026, Demaine pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Pennel on June 23, 2026, to 78 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. In imposing sentence, Judge Pennell found that Demaine was a risk to the community, noting that even after almost losing her child to a drug overdose, she did not change her behavior. Instead, she remained involved with the very man Demaine claimed was at fault and continued to traffic drugs into the community. Judge Pennell also commented on Demaine’s lack of acceptance of responsibility for her criminal conduct emphasizing that she was not the victim in this case.
First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano said, “This sentence was well deserved in this case given Demaine’s wanton disregard for the safety of the community, including her own child and a vulnerable, elderly gentleman whom she claimed was in her care. I commend ATF, DEA and our local partners for diligently pursuing Demaine, who is connected with an international criminal organization.”
“Jessica Demaine’s sentence underscores the devastating impact that drug traffickers have on our communities when they choose profit over human life,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “By supplying methamphetamine to a violent criminal street gang, Demaine helped fuel the cycle of addiction, violence, and exploitation that threatens public safety in Spokane.”
“Rather than accepting responsibility for her profound betrayal of both the law and the most basic responsibilities of parenthood, Ms. Demaine continues to play the victim,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “But no amount of excuses, deflection, or self-pity can erase the harm caused by her trafficking poison into our community. ATF will remain relentless in its pursuit of drug traffickers, and we will work tirelessly to ensure they are held accountable for the destruction left in their wake.”
For additional information, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington.
2:25-CR-0075-RLP-1Denham Springs Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Assaulting a Postal EmployeeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that Cody Gaspard, age 27, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison following his conviction for assaulting a postal employee. U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson further sentenced Gaspard to serve two years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
“Postal employees perform an essential public service in every community,” said U.S. Attorney Wall. “They deserve to carry out their duties free from threats, intimidation, and violence. While we are pleased with this conviction, the defendant’s actions are inexcusable and warranted an even harsher sentence. When a federal employee is assaulted while serving the public, this office will aggressively prosecute those responsible and seek sentences that reflect the seriousness of those crimes.”
On April 15, 2025, a United States Postal Service rural letter carrier was delivering mail and packages at an apartment complex in Livingston Parish when Gaspard confronted her over packages that had not yet been delivered. The evidence at trial established that what began as a verbal dispute quickly escalated into a violent assault.
Witnesses testified that Gaspard repeatedly confronted the mail carrier as she attempted to continue performing her delivery duties. During the encounter, Gaspard directed racially charged insults at the mail carrier, followed her through the apartment complex, physically grabbed her by the neck, and assaulted her for more than a minute, eventually lifting her and slamming her to the ground. The assault ended only after another resident intervened to help the mail carrier escape.
Gaspard was found guilty of this crime after a three-day jury trial in March 2026.
During sentencing, the Court also considered a victim impact statement submitted by the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association on behalf of approximately 130,000 rural letter carriers nationwide. The Association explained that violence against postal employees extends beyond the individual victim, undermining the safety of postal workers across the country and threatening the public’s ability to receive reliable mail service. The Association urged the Court to impose a sentence that reflected the seriousness of the offense, recognized the physical and emotional harm inflicted on the mail carrier, and deterred future acts of violence against postal employees performing their official duties.
U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamie A. Flowers, Jr. and Ellison C. Travis led the prosecution.
D.C. Woman Sentenced to 29 Years in Prison for 2023 Rock Creek Parkway Crash That Killed 3 PeopleRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nakita Walker, 45, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 29 years in prison, for the March 15, 2023, vehicular deaths of three people on the Rock Creek Parkway, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Walker was found guilty of three counts of involuntary manslaughter for each of the occupants of the car she struck, one count of fleeing a law enforcement officer, and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon on April 6, 2026. The Honorable Judge Rainey Brandt of the D.C. Superior Court, sentenced Walker to the prison term.
“Three lives were lost because of Nakita Walker’s reckless and violent choices,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Their families now carry a grief that can never fully heal. Today’s sentence reflects the profound harm caused and reinforces that fleeing law enforcement and endangering others has devastating consequences.”
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of March 14, 2023, Walker went to a movie and hung out with friends. She drove home in the early hours of March 15, 2023, and was pulled over by a Park Police officer for speeding and running a red light in front of him. She initially complied with the stop, then midway through she took off in the vehicle, reaching speeds of 100 mph on Rock Creek Parkway. While fleeing, she crossed the double-yellow lane line and crashed into another vehicle, killing all three of its occupants.
Joining the announcement was Chief Scott Brecht of the United States Park Police.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Brecht commended the work of those who investigated this case from the United States Park Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Carter, who prosecuted and tried the case.
2023 CF1 003258
Court Clears Way for Energy Development in Gulf of AmericaRead the Press Release
The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland today dismissed a lawsuit challenging the National Marine Fisheries Service’s 2025 biological opinion and incidental take statement for oil and gas activities in the Gulf of America. The court held that the case is moot and that it lacks jurisdiction to proceed because the Endangered Species Committee exempted those activities from the requirements of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The dismissal was effective yesterday.
On March 31, the Endangered Species Committee voted unanimously to exempt all Gulf of America oil and gas activities from the ESA, after the Secretary of War found that the exemption was necessary for reasons of national security. This is the first exemption the committee has ever granted on national security grounds. As the United States explained in its motion to dismiss, the exemption removed the underlying federal action from the ESA’s requirements. With this exemption, the challenged biological opinion and incidental take statement retain no legal force, leaving no live controversy for the court to resolve and no effective relief it could grant.
“The Endangered Species Committee’s exemption reflects a judgment at the highest levels of government that producing American energy in the Gulf of America is essential to our national security,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Today’s decision clears away litigation that threatened development in the Gulf, in furtherance of President Donald J. Trump’s directive to unleash American energy.”
The Endangered Species Committee consists of six senior federal officials and is chaired by the Secretary of the Interior. Congress authorized the Committee to exempt agency actions from Section 7 of the ESA and directed that it grant an exemption whenever the Secretary of War determines that an exemption is necessary for reasons of national security. Because that exemption now governs the Gulf oil and gas program, today’s dismissal ensures that the ESA cannot be used to disrupt energy production the government has determined is vital to the Nation.
Attorneys with ENRD’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section handled this matter.
Convicted Firearms Trafficker Arrested for Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A convicted firearms trafficker from Revere was arrested and charged today in federal court in Boston for being a felon in possession of firearms.
Cory Daigle, 31, of Revere, Mass. was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Daigle made an initial appearance in federal court in Boston today and was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for June 30, 2026.
In August 2024, Daigle was convicted of unlawfully trafficking in firearms, possessing a machinegun, receiving or possessing an unregistered firearm and additional firearms-related offenses. Daigle was sentenced to approximately two years in prison in that case and had only been released from Bureau of Prisons custody a few weeks before he was allegedly found to possess at least eight firearms, more than 100 rounds of ammunition and additional firearm components during a search of his residence on June 25, 2026.
The charge of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Jason Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Revere and Boston Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Columbia Felon Indicted for Illegally Possessing Gun Connected to 2025 Shooting IncidentRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a single-count indictment, presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, charging Jeremiah Antwon Tyleek Drawhorn, 23, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to statements made in court, on June 27, 2025, Drawhorn fired multiple rounds at a group of individuals in the Colony Apartments. When arrested on warrants for charges stemming from that incident, Drawhorn had a 9 mm pistol and ammunition in the car he was driving. Further investigation revealed that Drawhorn’s girlfriend had recently purchased the firearm and that the firearm had been used in the June 27 shooting.
Drawhorn has prior convictions for domestic violence, unlawful carrying of a firearm, assault and battery, among other offenses. His criminal history prohibits Drawhorn from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Drawhorn faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. Drawhorn is currently detained pending trial.
Drawhorn also participated in the April 2025 Ceasefire program hosted by the City of Columbia Police Department. The Ceasefire program identifies prior offenders who are at risk of future firearms offenses and introduces them to community resources such as substance abuse treatment and employment services. During participation in the program, law enforcement emphasizes the likelihood of future state and federal prosecution if participants, like Drawhorn, reoffend.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Columbia Police Department, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Timmons is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.###
California State Prison Inmate and Las Vegas Woman Charged with Conspiracy to Extort and Stalking a Victim in WashingtonRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today charging D’Andre Davis, 39, formerly of Stockton, and Nicole Nowak, 31, of Las Vegas, Nevada, with conspiracy to extort money by means of threatening communications and stalking. The indictment also charges Davis with a separate count of stalking the same victim, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, in July 2021, Davis contacted a victim in Washington state through Instagram and Facebook messages. Although the victim initially engaged in a consensual online relationship with Davis, the victim attempted to end the relationship when Davis began to repeatedly and aggressively demand money. Davis was serving a sentence in a California state prison at the time and used a combination of contraband cellphones and an inmate telephone and messaging service to contact the victim. In May 2024, Nowak assisted Davis, and they threatened to send to the victim’s business associates, clients, family members, and friends compromising images that the victim had shared with Davis unless the victim continued to send money. The victim sent more than $35,000 to Davis and Nowak before contacting the FBI.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Office of Internal Affairs conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa is prosecuting the case.
A federal magistrate judge ordered Nowak detained as a danger to the community on June 16, 2026. Davis is currently serving a prison sentence at Kern Valley State Prison. Both defendants will appear before a federal magistrate judge in Fresno on a date to be determined.
If convicted of the conspiracy charge, Davis and Nowak face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of the stalking charge, Davis faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
California Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Role in Abduction and Extortion of Victim in PeekskillRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that LEWIS LI was sentenced today to six years in prison by U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern for his role in the forceful abduction and extortion of a man in Peekskill, New York.
"Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of this crime and the fear and trauma that Li inflicted on the victim,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Abducting a man in broad daylight, beating him up, and threatening him and his family is a grave offense that ravages the sense of safety that every community deserves. Our Office remains committed to protecting the public and ensuring that those who endanger our communities face justice.”
According to the charging instruments, other public filings, and statements in public court proceedings:
On January 28, 2025, LI and his co-conspirators forcefully abducted and threatened their business partner (“Victim-1”) in an effort to obtain almost $1 million from Victim-1. LI and his co-conspirators planned and prepared for the abduction for at least five days beforehand, taking steps that included purchasing and placing a GPS tracker on the underside of Victim-1’s car, surveilling Victim-1’s home, and digging through Victim-1’s trash. At approximately 11:30 a.m. on January 28, 2025, LI and three co-conspirators followed and abducted Victim-1 outside of a grocery store on Park Street in Peekskill, New York, forcing Victim-1 into the backseat of a vehicle driven by one of the co-conspirators (“CC-1”) in broad daylight. LI and his co-conspirators restrainedVictim-1 in the Jeep for approximately one hour and 45 minutes, before dropping Victim-1 off on the street in Elmsford, New York. During that time, LI and his co-conspirators beat and used a stun gun on Victim-1 and threatened Victim-1 to return approximately $930,000 in cash that LI believed Victim-1 had stolen.
While Victim-1 was in the vehicle, LI and his co-conspirators also threatened Victim-1, in sum and substance, that the money belonged to people involved in organized crime, that Victim-1 owed them an additional $100,000, and that the lives of Victim-1 and Victim-1’s family were in danger unless Victim-1 paid the additional sum. LI and the others also forced Victim-1 to record a video admitting that Victim-1 had taken the money. As a result of the abduction, force, and threats, Victim-1 arranged for the disputed cash to be picked up by two of LI’s co-conspirators at a location in Peekskill, New York. Only after the cash had been retrieved and counted did LI and his co-conspirators release Victim-1 from the vehicle, dropping Victim-1 on the street in Elmsford, New York.
In the days following the abduction, LI and CC-1 continued to threaten to harm Victim-1 and his family in an ongoing effort to extort $100,000 from him. LI was arrested approximately one week after the abduction, before Victim-1 made any further payments. In the apartment where LI was arrested, officers found, among other items, a stun gun and LI’s phone, which LI had hidden in the oven.
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In addition to the prison term, LI, 36, of Huntington Beach, California, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $910,000.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Westchester Safe Streets Task Force.
The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jorja Knauer and Benjamin Levander are in charge of the prosecution.