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18 September 2026
Clinic owner imprisoned for health care fraud kickback scheme causing $49 million lossRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 53-year-old Willis resident has been sentenced for conspiring to pay and receive health care kickbacks.
Henry Allen Gonzales pleaded guilty June 30, 2022.
Chief U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge ordered Gonzales to serve 30 months in federal prison, to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. In imposing the sentence, the court noted the significant financial loss to the Department of Labor Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (DOL-OWCP). The court also ordered Gonzales to pay more than $49 million in restitution to the DOL-OWCP.
“Gonzales treated injured workers as a personal ATM, bleeding a federal program of nearly $50 million through kickbacks, bogus prescriptions, and outright greed,” said U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz. “Under President Trump and Vice President Vance’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, this kind of theft from the American people will not be tolerated. My office will keep working hand-in-hand with DOJ’s National Fraud Enforcement Division to track down every fraudster preying on federal benefit programs and make them pay in full and behind bars.”
Gonzales owned and operated Option 1 Pain & Rehab Clinic, formerly Direct Medical Clinic, and received more than $2 million in kickbacks from Rayford ACP Pharmacy. In exchange, he referred prescriptions for expensive compounded medications to the pharmacy.
Gonzales also admitted paying marketers to refer DOL-OWCP claimants to his clinic and bribing doctors to sign prescriptions for the compounded medications.
After the Rayford ACP kickback scheme ended, Gonzales opened Farmacia, and continued fraudulently billing DOL-OWCP.
From 2015 to 2018, Rayford ACP and Farmacia received approximately $49,014,183.03 in DOL-OWCP claims involving medically unnecessary compounded medications.
Gonzales was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service OIG, FBI – Houston, and Department of War Defense Criminal Investigative Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Olson and Alexander Alum prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division, which 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.
Calhoun County Man Sentenced to over Ten Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
ANNISTON, Ala. – A Calhoun County man has been sentenced for trafficking methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.
U.S. District Court Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Quinton Montral Gunn aka “Poo Nanny,” 45, to 126 months in prison. In May, Gunn pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
“Drug dealers who plague our streets with methamphetamine put our communities and our families at risk, and we will not stop pursuing them,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Our law enforcement partners and prosecutors work tirelessly to ensure these dangerous and illegal drugs and dealers are removed from our streets. If you choose to profit from putting methamphetamine or any illegal drugs into our communities, you should expect to be held accountable in federal court.”
“If you choose to flood our neighborhoods with methamphetamine, you aren’t just running a criminal enterprise, you are reserving a spot in federal prison,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge John P. Scott, New Orleans Field Division. “This 126-month sentence should serve as a blunt warning to every dealer pushing poison: law enforcement is hunting you down with unprecedented fury, and we will not rest until you are locked behind bars.”
According to court documents, during three separate controlled drug transactions in 2023, Gunn sold methamphetamine to a confidential source (CS). On September 7, 2023, as part of the investigation, the CS met Gunn at Parkwin Kitchen to purchase two ounces of methamphetamine for $500. On October 6, 2023, the CS met Gunn at a location on Parkin Avenue to purchase three ounces of methamphetamine for $675. A third controlled purchase was conducted on September 30, 2024, the CS met Gunn at Gunn’s residence in Anniston to purchase three ounces of methamphetamine for $450.
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.
DEA investigated the case along with the 7th Judicial Major Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany T. Byrd prosecuted the case.
Brooklyn Man Charged with Sex Trafficking, Interstate Prostitution, and Promotion of Prostitution at “Penn Track” in East New York, Brooklyn and ElsewhereRead the Press Release
Earlier today, an indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn, charging Michael Brown, also known as “Mack Bills,” with sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; interstate prostitution; and promotion of prostitution. The charges relate to Brown’s trafficking of women to work as prostitutes in New York, including along an open‑air sex trafficking market on a stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in Brooklyn known as the “Penn Track,” and his transportation of women from New York to at least one other state with the intent that they engage in commercial sex for his financial benefit. Brown was arrested today and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lara K. Eshkenazi.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the arrest and charges.
“As alleged, the defendant trafficked women to serve as commercial sex workers for him on the notorious Penn Track in Brooklyn and in at least one other state,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s arrest demonstrates our commitment to protecting victims of exploitation. Our Office will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of sex trafficking crimes that threaten the safety and dignity of our communities, and to eradicate this blight in our district.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the FBI and the New York City Police Department Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force for their work on the case.
“Michael Brown allegedly trafficked multiple women to engage in prostitution, benefitted financially from their involuntary arrangement, and even threatened violence when challenged. The FBI and its law enforcement partners will continue to work tirelessly to get these criminals off of the streets to face justice for their heinous acts,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
According to court filings, between March 2026 and August 2026, Brown had numerous women working in prostitution for him on the Penn Track and other locations, and trafficked at least two of those women using force, fraud, and coercion. Specifically, evidence obtained pursuant to the investigation reflects that Brown regularly required his female victims to solicit customers on the Penn Track and other locations, including in at least one other state, and to engage in commercial sex acts with those customers. Brown collected the proceeds earned by these women after they engaged in commercial sex acts with customers, and he used threats, emotional manipulation, and violence to discipline and control them.
For example, in several communications, women working for Brown call him “daddy,” discuss giving money from “dates,” i.e., paid sexual encounters, to the defendant, and discuss posting advertisements for prostitution and tips on how to increase making money in prostitution. Brown also has messages discussing methods to discipline the women working in prostitution for him. In a message sent in or about September 2025, he talks about insubordination from a woman working for him and stated in substance and in part that he “need[s] something more creative than the gut punch for this one…” and decides he “[m]ight put that Hoe on her knees on rice.”
If convicted of sex trafficking, Brown faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment. The interstate prostitution and promotion of prostitution charges each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorney Erin Reid is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
MICHAEL BROWN (also known as “Mack Bills”)
Age: 35
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-267 (NRM)
michael_brown_ecf_stamped_detention_letter_2026.9.18.pdf 26-cr-267_ecf_indictment.pdfBronx Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison in Connection with June 2024 ShootingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, announced today that ANTHONY NORTHOVER was sentenced to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition in connection with a June 4, 2024, shooting during which NORTHOVER, who previously had been convicted of several felonies, fired multiple shots on a residential street in the Bronx, striking a victim and causing him life-threatening injuries.
“Today’s lengthy sentence protects New Yorkers from gun violence and sends an important message, especially to recidivist violent criminals—those who bring illegal guns and violence into our communities will be investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “In February 2024, Northover was released from federal custody after serving a lengthy sentence for racketeering, narcotics, and firearm-related offenses. But on June 4, 2024, less than four months later, while on supervised release, Northover fired a gun multiple times on a residential street in the Bronx, striking and severely injuring a victim, before fleeing.”
As alleged in public court filings, statements in public court proceedings, and the charging documents in the case:
On June 4, 2024, at approximately 11:25 p.m., NORTHOVER shot a male individual (the “Victim”) several times in the vicinity of Van Nest Avenue and between Melville Street and Van Buren Street in the Bronx. After the Victim was hit and fell to the ground, NORTHOVER continued shooting at other individuals who were in the vicinity and running away from the gunfire. NORTHOVER fled the scene of the shooting by moped.
Shortly after the shooting, several law enforcement officers—who, at the time, were unaware that NORTHOVER had just committed a shooting—saw NORTHOVER, who was driving a moped, commit a traffic violation in the vicinity of Prospect Avenue and Freeman Street in the Bronx. While driving, the defendant discarded a firearm on a pile of trash on the sidewalk. Law enforcement officers stopped NORTHOVER and, following a brief canvass of the sidewalk on which the defendant drove, recovered the firearm where the defendant had dropped it and arrested NORTHOVER.
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In addition to the prison term, NORTHOVER, 40, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department, and thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their assistance with the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca T. Dell and Dana R. McCann are in charge of the prosecution.
Brockton Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to being a felon in possession. The defendant participated in a violent shootout that left a female victim with a gunshot wound to her chest.
Romeo Miller, 28, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition before U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns who scheduled sentencing for Dec. 17, 2026. Miller was arrested and charged in April 2025, along with his alleged co-conspirators
According to court filings, on June 2, 2024, at approximately 1:45 a.m., law enforcement responded to a “shots fired” call to a home in Brockton. Upon arrival, officers observed a large crowd outside the home and a 31-year-old female victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital and survived.
It is alleged that numerous bullet casings were found scattered throughout the front yard and driveway of the Brockton residence. According to court documents, video footage obtained from the home’s surveillance system determined that a house party at the residence led to a physical altercation in the driveway and, allegedly, an exchange of gunfire between the victim and Natalio Miranda, Miller and Jonathan Alves.
Specifically, surveillance video captured Miranda as he allegedly discharged several bursts of ammunition from an automatic weapon in the front yard of the residence before leaving the scene. Miller, and allegedly Alves, are also seen firing towards the victim from the driveway. In addition, Miller is later seen crossing the street to hide behind a parked car, where he shot the victim in the chest. Surveillance video captured Miller returning to the driveway, where he passed his firearm off to Monteiro, before the two drove away in separate parked cars.
At the time of the shooting, Miller was on state probation for unlawfully possessing a firearm, after having served a prison sentence for assault and battery on a police officer.
The charge of being a felon in possession of ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $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; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Division; and Brockton Police Chief Brenda I. Perez made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the U.S. Marshals Service in the District of Massachusetts, Massachusetts State Police and the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Pohl of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Border enforcement efforts result in nearly 250 more cases filed in the Southern District of TexasRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Another 254 people have been charged with immigration and border security-related crimes from Sept. 11-17.
A total of 176 criminal complaints were filed for felony reentry after prior removal, while another 43 people face charges of illegal entry. Most of those illegal aliens have prior felony convictions involving narcotics, violent crimes, immigration crimes, and more. In addition, 29 people have been charged with human smuggling, including 20 illegal aliens themselves. The remaining cases charged this week relate to other immigration crimes and firearms charges.
As part of the newly filed complaints, Albanian national Arben Cima has been charged with illegal reentry into the country. According to the charges, authorities previously removed him March 12, 2022, before discovering him again near Mission. According to his complaint, he has a prior conviction for possession with intent to distribute heroin.
One of the cases includes Hector Bartelemi Morales-Valle, a Honduran illegal alien who law enforcement allegedly discovered unlawfully in the country near Roma. The criminal complaint against him alleges he has a prior conviction for burglary. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigrants, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault, and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen, and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state, and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Baytown man sent to prison following Homeland Security Task Force cocaine investigationRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 40-year-old Baytown man has been sentenced for possession with intent to deliver cocaine.
Pablo Luis Fuentes-Rivas pleaded guilty July 2, 2025.
At a Sept. 17 hearing, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ordered Fuentes-Rivas to serve 70 months in federal prison. His prison term will be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
The investigation revealed that on March 29, 2025, authorities conducted an undercover operation involving the delivery of a tractor-trailer loaded with cocaine to the Houston and Baytown areas.
Three vehicles traveled in tandem with the drug load and conducted counter-surveillance during the trip. Efren Pinales-Hernandez drove one of the vehicles.
Law enforcement later observed Fuentes-Rivas, Pinales-Hernandez, and Daniel Teniente-Marfileno at a Baytown truck lot offloading bundles of cocaine from the tractor-trailer into a Ford F-150 driven by Teniente-Marfileno.
After Teniente-Marfileno left with the cocaine, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop, took him into custody, and seized approximately 182.25 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of nearly $2.3 million. Authorities then arrested Fuentes-Rivas and Pinales-Hernandez at the truck lot as they attempted to leave.
Teniente-Marfileno, 39, a Mexican citizen residing in Baytown, also pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing Sept. 29.
Pinales-Hernandez, 51, Weslaco, is set for further criminal proceedings.
Fuentes-Rivas has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is 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.
4 Indicted for Wire Fraud and Counterfeiting CurrencyRead the Press Release
This press release has been edited to correct Moorer's age to 48.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a 13-count indictment, presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, charging four individuals in a wire fraud conspiracy involving counterfeit currency.
- Octiva Rasheem Moorer, 48, of Orangeburg, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, one count of manufacturing counterfeit currency and one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
- Brittney Kay Pringle, 38, of Summerville, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud. Pringle was an employee with the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services at the time of the conduct.
- Amy Chavis, 34, of Marion, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and four counts of passing counterfeit currency.
- Priscilla Sweeper, 50, of Orangeburg, was charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of manufacturing counterfeit currency.
The indictment alleges that Moorer coordinated a scheme to manufacture counterfeit currency by bleaching $10 bills and printing the image of a $50 bill onto the face of the bleached bill. Moorer and Chavis then loaded the counterfeit bills onto various Cash App accounts at Dollar General stores throughout South Carolina. The defendants then transferred the money to each other via Cash App.
Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a three-year term of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, and the Dillon County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Matthews 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.
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17 September 2026
Yakima Man Sentenced for Possessing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on September 11, 2026, Ricardo Louis Espinosa, age 47, of Yakima, Washington, was sentenced to 120 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release by Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. Chief Judge Bastian also ordered Espinosa pay $33,000 in restitution to victims. Espinosa pled guilty to one count of Possession of Child Pornography on May 19, 2026.
According to court documents and information presented at sentencing, on September 8, 2025, Espinosa was involved in a domestic violence incident and told responding Yakima Police Department officers that he had “kiddy stuff” on his phone that he had received online. Espinosa represented that he wished to help law enforcement. Further investigation by an HSI task force officer with Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations revealed that Espinosa sought “samples” from vendors of child pornography on internet message services and possessed twenty-six videos and thirty-three images of child pornography on his cellular telephone.
Prior to the federal investigation, in 2001 Espinosa was convicted of Lewd or Lascivious Acts with Child Under 14 in Sacramento Superior Court, Sacramento, California. He also had a prior conviction in 2006 for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender in Benton County Superior Court, Kennewick, Washington.
“Repeat offenders who persist in exploiting children pose a grave and ongoing threat to our communities,” stated Serrano. “Espinosa’s history made his horrific conduct even more alarming, and our prosecution through the hard work of the ICAC Task Force and the Yakima Police Department resulted in a strong sentence that reflects the seriousness of these crimes. Our office will continue to prioritize cases involving repeat offenders and pursue every available measure to protect children and hold predators fully accountable.” “It is clear Espinosa is a danger to the community, and this sentence will keep him off our streets for a significant amount of time,” said Acting HSI Seattle Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “We will do everything we can to find and investigate predators like this. Our children and our communities deserve no less."
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations and the Yakima Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Murphy.
1:25-cr-02125-SAB
Western District Celebrates Constitution Day with Naturalization Ceremony Held at the University of Louisiana at LafayetteRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE – On September 17, 2026, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette hosted a naturalization ceremony marking the end of a proud journey for candidates seeking United States citizenship, with United States District Judge David C. Joseph administering the Oath of Allegiance to two new United States citizens.
Joanne Henry-Mills Judge Joseph (r) and new citizenJudge Joseph opened the ceremony by welcoming the candidates and acknowledging the dedication shown by each applicant throughout the naturalization process. The ceremony then featured a moving performance of the Star-Spangled Banner by the UL Lafayette choir, followed by Judge Joseph’s introduction of U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller, who spoke briefly about the privileges and responsibilities of American citizenship. Mr. Keller then introduced the candidates, asking them to individually stand and state their names and countries of origin. Mr. Keller then formally moved the Court to grant citizenship to each candidate.
Joanne Henry-Mills U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller (r) and new citizenJudge Joseph then administered the Oath of Allegiance, the defining moment of every naturalization ceremony. Candidates raised their right hands and recited the oath together — and officially became citizens of the United States on this Constitution Day.
Following the oath, Judge Joseph led the newly sworn citizens in the Pledge of Allegiance alongside other attendees. The ceremony concluded with Judge Joseph presenting each new citizen with a Certificate of Naturalization, marking their happy realization of a long-held dream: to become an American.
Joanne Henry-Mills left to right: First Assistant United States Attorney Myers Namie; United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller; and United States District Judge David C. Joseph
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CONTACT: Public Affairs: USALAW-News@usdoj.gov
United States Attorney’s Office: www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
X: @USAO_WDLA
Facebook: USAO_WDLA
(337) 262-6704
West Dallas Man Pleads Guilty to $15 Million Bank FraudRead the Press Release
DALLAS — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould announced that a West Dallas man pleaded guilty today to bank fraud and admitted to using stolen identities and fake IDs to deposit over $15 million in U.S. Treasury checks intended for various business throughout the United States.
Kendrick Lamont Fugett, 34, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S District Court Judge Reed O’Connor. Fugett was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on Aug. 20.
Mr. Fugett’s guilty plea reflects our office’s commitment to protecting federal funds,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who steal from the American taxpayer and Main Street Americans.”
As Fugett admitted in his plea agreement, he assumed the identity of the chief financial officer of a software company based in Austin, Texas, to open a business account at an Origin Bank branch in Dallas. To pass himself off as the company’s CFO, Fugett used a fake Texas driver’s license and forged corporate documents, later arranging the deposit of a Treasury refund check worth more than $13.8 million.
Fugett’s scheme extended to several other banks in the Dallas area. For example, court documents reveal that Fugett successfully deposited a refund check for more than $447,000 at a Bank of America branch in Mesquite, Texas, that had been made out to a real business. In connection with that transaction, Fugett assumed the identity of the billionaire chairman of the holding company that owns that business and presented a fake Illinois driver’s license bearing his own image.
Fugett faces a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 14, 2027.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ignacio Perez de la Cruz and Alexander Schwab from the Fraud section are prosecuting the case.
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Washington County Man Sentenced to Five Years’ Imprisonment for Possession of Sexually Explicit AI Photos of ChildrenRead the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – A Washington County man was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment after law enforcement found child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his phone, which had been digitally altered.
The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen comes after Jared Marsh, 49, of Santa Clara, Utah, pleaded guilty on May 4, 2026, to possession of child pornography. In addition to his term of imprisonment, he was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made at Marsh’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on June 8, 2024, and continuing through November 21, 2024, Marsh was in possession of child pornography. As stated in court documents, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Marsh’s phone after being contacted by a victim who reported Marsh had sexually explicit photos of her without her consent. In reviewing the contents of Marsh’s phone, law enforcement found approximately 20 photographs of children ranging in age from 12 to 17 years old that had been digitally altered to make the children appear to be completely nude. The investigation revealed that the photos were first placed on the phone shortly after Marsh had completed a probationary term for a State of Utah misdemeanor voyeurism conviction.
“Digitally altering a child’s image through technology is illegal and will be met with severe consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah. “I have zero tolerance for this conduct and will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The Santa Clara–Ivins Police Department is proud of the investigative work that brought this case forward. We appreciate the partnership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Chief Jaron Studley of the Santa Clara-Ivins Police Department. As technology continues to evolve, our focus remains the same: protecting victims, holding offenders accountable, and doing everything we can to keep our children and communities safe.”
The case was investigated by the Santa Clara-Ivins Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Burton of The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Joins DOJ Fraud Division, SBA, and SBA OIG in Surge Takedown Exceeding $245 Million in COVID-era Loan FraudRead the Press Release
View the national press release and a dynamic map of the Fraud Division & SBA’s Operation “No Doze” Summer Surge here.
INDIANAPOLIS- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana today announced one sentencing as part of a nationwide enforcement action led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Small Business Administration, and the SBA Office of Inspector General targeting fraud in the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The Southern District of Indiana was a key participant in this surge effort.
From June 12 to September 1, federal prosecutors across the country facilitated fraud enforcement actions spanning over 160 criminal defendants, including approximately 80 newly charged defendants, reaching approximately $245 million dollars in intended loss to American taxpayers.
In the Southern District of Indiana, U.S. Attorney Tom Wheeler announced that Sandra Pierce, 42, of McCordsville, has petitioned the court to plead guilty to two counts of wire fraud for PPP-related fraud involving approximately $632,905 in losses. According to court documents, Pierce was the sole owner of a business called Sandy’s on the Run and purported to help individuals and businesses obtain COVID-19 relief program loans. In that position, Pierce executed a wire fraud scheme by drafting and submitting 22 fraudulent COVID-19 relief loan applications under the names of others in exchange for more than $100,000 from clients. Additionally, Pierce submitted applications in her own name and received $48,191 from the government. The total loss was approximately $632,905.
This case is being prosecuted by U.S. Postal Services – Office of Inspector General. Pierce faces up to 20 years in federal prison per count. A sentencing hearing will be set by a U.S. District Court Judge at a later date.
“Exploiting a national crisis for personal gain goes against every fiber of Hoosier decency,” said U.S. Attorney Tom Wheeler. “Programs like the Paycheck Protection Program were created to help honest small business owners survive an unprecedented hardship, not to serve as an opportunity for fraud. Our office will continue working with our federal partners to identify those who took advantage of this moment of need, hold them accountable, and protect relief programs meant to support Hoosiers when they need it most.”
“Pandemic loan relief was meant to keep American small businesses alive during government lockdowns—not line the pockets of fraudsters,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The defendants charged during our summer surge allegedly fabricated businesses, submitted false payroll and revenue claims, stole identities, and concealed foreign ties on their applications— but they will now be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This summer surge shows what is possible when dedicated public servants across the country work together with a single purpose,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Our mission is clear: protect taxpayer funds, safeguard the integrity of federal relief programs, and deliver justice to those who exploited them. We will remain steadfast every day—standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners—to identify fraud, pursue those responsible, and restore confidence in the programs meant to help American small businesses thrive.”
“Today’s announcement represents the largest-ever action against perpetrators of SBA fraud, with 870,000 suspended borrowers tied to $39 billion in suspected fraudulent PPP and COVID EIDL activity. In partnership with Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, we’re putting fraudsters on notice: the federal government will no longer turn a blind eye to those who stole from taxpayers and exploited programs designed to sustain small businesses during the pandemic,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “With demand letters going out to suspected fraudsters, we’re also sending a clear message that they must repay their debts or face Treasury collections and possible federal law enforcement. Under this Administration, the free ride is over. We are restoring accountability, recovering taxpayer dollars, and protecting SBA programs for the legitimate small businesses they were created to serve.”
“Operation No Doze brings a focused and coordinated approach to pursuing fraud in SBA’s pandemic relief programs,” said SBA Inspector General William Kirk. “By concentrating our investigative resources and working closely with SBA and our law enforcement partners, we are strengthening our ability to identify fraud, recover taxpayer funds, and hold accountable those who exploited programs created to help small businesses in a time of extraordinary need. This initiative makes clear that the passage of time does not diminish our commitment to accountability.”
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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Two Defendants Indicted for COVID-19 FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two women from the Kansas City metropolitan area have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their receipt of fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Alyshia Smith, 33, of Kansas City, and Michelle Green, 36, of Grandview, Mo., were charged in separate sealed indictments returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on August 26, 2026. These indictments were unsealed following the initial appearances of these individuals in court this week. This is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
Smith’s indictment alleges that she submitted a fraudulent application for a PPP loan and received a loan in the amount of $20,415, which was later forgiven by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Green’s indictment alleges that she submitted two fraudulent applications for PPP loans and received loans totaling $34,997.
The charges contained in these indictments are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Wagner. They were investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General.
National Fraud Enforcement Division
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.
Trinitarios Gang Member Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for racketeering charges, including his participation in the attempted murder of two victims.
Westyn Lantigua, a/k/a “Wes,” a/k/a “Muddy,” 25, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 135 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In May 2026, Lantigua pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. Lantigua was arrested and charged in February 2025.
The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Trinitarios adhere to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to organize and execute violence, and undertake extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members.
Photographs and videos showed Lantigua wearing Trinitarios beaded necklaces, making Trinitarios gang signs with his hands and associating with other members and leaders. Lantigua admitted to his membership in the gang and to his participation in a June 2022 shooting outside of a fast-food restaurant in Lynn. Lantigua drove past the drive-thru lane of the restaurant, where a vehicle believed to be used by rival gang members was in line. The vehicle was in fact occupied by two innocent female victims. Surveillance video showed Lantigua’s white Mercedes parked across the street from the exit of the parking lot waiting for the victims’ vehicle to leave.
As the victims’ vehicle left the fast-food restaurant parking lot, surveillance video showed Lantigua exit his vehicle and discharge numerous rounds from a fully automatic firearm at the victims’ vehicle. Both female occupants were hit by gunfire and survived, and their vehicle had 10 bullet holes. Fifteen 9mm casings were recovered at the scene. A review of Lantigua’s cellular phones showed photographs and videos of him possessing a fully automatic handgun around the time of the shooting and showed Lantigua in possession of distribution quantities of drugs.
Lantigua also participated in the Trinitarios conspiracy to conduct burglaries of convenience stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Through these burglaries, the Trinitarios stole lottery tickets that they would cash in shortly after they were stolen. Lantigua participated in multiple such break-ins and was captured on video redeeming stolen tickets with other members of the Trinitarios.
In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. The charges were the result of a multijurisdictional investigation, which began in the aftermath of four murders as well as a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members. On June 9, 2026, additional federal racketeering and drug charges were unsealed charging 26 additional leaders, members and associates of the Lawrence, Haverhill and Boston Chapters of the gang. According to court documents, members of the Trinitarios have allegedly participated in at least 15 murders in Essex County since 2017. Since 2025, a total of 56 leaders, members and associates have been charged in federal court.
The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $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, Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case 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 Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.
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#
FIRST NAME
LAST NAME
DOCKET NO.
CASE STATUS
1
Ricardo
Bratini-Perez
24-CR-10310
Pleaded Guilty,
Sentenced to 120 Months
2
Rosnel
Polanco
24-CR-10263
Pleaded Guilty,
Awaiting Sentencing
3
Eric
Rosario
24-CR-10263
Pleaded Guilty,
Awaiting Sentencing
4
Robert
Santana
24-CR-10263
Pleaded Guilty,
Awaiting Sentencing
5
Yeferson
Vallecillo Cambar
24-CR-10335
Pending
6
Elvis
Trujillo
24-CR-10336
Pending
7
Abel
Severino-Reyes
24-CR-10373
Pleaded Guilty,
Awaiting Sentencing
8
Warly
Ruiz
24-CR-10380
Pleaded Guilty,
Awaiting Sentencing
9
David
Garcia
25-CR-10006
Pleaded Guilty,
Awaiting Sentencing
10
Tomy
Sanchez
25-CR-10007
Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing
11
Carlos
Ramirez
25-CR-10008
Pleaded Guilty
12
Justin
Alba
25-CR-10058
Pending
13
Darwin
Batista
25-CR-10058
Pending
14
Janoy
Batista
25-CR-10058
Pending
15
Aaron
Diaz Liranzo
25-CR-10058
Pleaded Guilty,
Sentenced to 168 Months
16
Israel
Garcia-Vasquez
25-CR-10058
Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing
17
James
Jimenez
25-CR-10058
Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing
18
Ery
Jordani Rosario
25-CR-10058
Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing
19
Westyn
Lantigua
25-CR-10058
Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing
20
Kelvin
Liranzo Roman
25-CR-10058
Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing
21
Michael
Miliano
25-CR-10058
Pleaded Guilty,
Awaiting Sentencing
22
Enmanuel
Paula-Cabral
25-CR-10058
Pending
23
Luis Jeffrey
Santana
25-CR-10058
Pleaded Guilty,
Sentenced to 120 Months
24
Luis Enrique
Santana
25-CR-10058
Pleaded Guilty,
Sentenced to 136 Months
25
Angel
Santos
25-CR-10058
Pending
26
Wilving
Lopez
25-CR-10062
Pleaded Guilty,
Awaiting Sentencing
27
Leonardo
Espinoza
25-CR-10236
Pleaded Guilty,
Awaiting Sentencing
28
Isiah
Medina
25-CR-10302
Pending
29
Rodderrith
Peralta
25-CR-10302
Pending
30
Derek
Mercado
25-CR-10411
Pleaded Guilty,
Sentenced to 37 Months
31
Yordali
Yorro
25-CR-10058
Pending
32
James
Cabrera
25-CR-10058
Pending
33
Luis
Crispin
25-CR-10058
Pending
34
Angel
Castillo-Garcia
25-CR-10058
Fugitive
35
Osviallis
Serrano
25-CR-10058
Fugitive
36
Jervis
Almanzar
25-CR-10058
Pending
37
Enrique
Duran
25-CR-10058
Pending
38
Abigail
Arias
25-CR-10058
Pending
39
Justane
Garcia
25-CR-10058
Pending
40
Riky
Montilla
25-CR-10058
Pending
41
Jeremy
Felix
25-CR-10058
Pending
42
Jose
Martinez
25-CR-10058
Pending
43
Jayden
Muniz
25-CR-10058
Pending
44
Geovane
Fernandes
25-CR-10058
Pending
45
Jahir
Davila
25-CR-10058
Pending
46
Yanuel
Mejia
25-CR-10058
Pending
47
Luis
Fernandez Lopez
25-CR-10058
Pending
48
Victor
Diaz
25-CR-10058
Pending
49
Xavier
Puello
25-CR-10058
Pending
50
Joelfry
Cabrera
25-CR-10058
Pending
51
Richard
Pena
25-CR-10058
Pending
52
Hector
Mota
25-CR-10058
Pending
53
Jean
Delgado
25-CR-10058
Pending
54
Luis
Cabral
25-CR-10058
Pending
55
Yoldari
Tejeda Coronado
25-CR-10058
Pending
56
Martin
Taveras
25-CR-10058
Pending
Trax Retail, Inc. Agrees to Pay $3 Million to Resolve Allegations of PPP Loan FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Trax Retail, Inc. (Trax) has agreed to pay approximately $3 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that the company falsely certified to the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) its eligibility for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.
As detailed in the settlement agreement, Trax admits that, in February 2021, it obtained a second draw PPP loan and certified that it was eligible to receive the loan under the PPP rules. When it applied for the loan and when it applied for forgiveness, Trax, together with its foreign parent company and affiliates, had over 300 employees. Businesses with more than 300 employees were not eligible for second draw loans.
Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and the Economic Security Act (CARES Act) on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses through the PPP, which the SBA administered. On May 5, 2020, the SBA issued guidance that explained that, for purposes of meeting size eligibility requirements (i.e. whether the applicant is a “small business concern” or otherwise falls below the cap on employee headcount), an applicant must count all its employees and the employees of its U.S. and foreign affiliates, absent a waiver of, or an exception to, the affiliation rules.
The claims resolved in today’s settlement include claims that were brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. As part of today’s resolution, the whistleblower will receive approximately $300,000.
The settlement credits Trax for cooperation under the Department of Justice’s Guidelines for Taking Voluntary Disclosure, Cooperation and Remediation into Account in False Claims Act Matters.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and the Small Businesses Administration made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Brazier of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the case.
Texas Man Sentenced for Distributing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Texas man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for distributing and possessing child pornography.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Kenneth Kring, 23, to 13 ½ years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Judge Walker also ordered Kring to pay $34,500 in restitution to victims whose images he possessed and distributed. Kring pleaded guilty on April 27, 2026.
According to court records, while assigned to the USS Cheyenne, a submarine stationed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, then-U.S. Navy sailor Kring engaged in ongoing distribution of child sexual abuse material. In January 2025, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) executed a search warrant at Kring’s residence on the naval base, during which time he voluntarily admitted to accessing, viewing, and distributing child sexual abuse material over the internet, including the instant messaging mobile app Kik Messenger. Investigators also located child sexual abuse material on his cell phone. A subsequent search warrant to MediaLab.ai, the parent company of Kik, revealed Kring had created 11 separate Kik Messenger accounts that he used to distribute sexually explicit material of children to other Kik users.
NCIS investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Takedown of “Operation Klean Strip” Dismantles Two Methamphetamine Conversion Labs; Nine Arrested, Three IndictedRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — The United States Attorney’s Office announced the results of Operation Klean Strip, a multi‑agency investigation that dismantled two large‑scale clandestine methamphetamine conversion laboratories in Bakersfield and Visalia. The operation began in November 2025 and ended today with nine arrests and the execution of 16 search warrants where agents seized 4,000 marijuana plants, $20,000 drug proceeds, and 20 firearms adding to the 2,171 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and hundreds of gallons of methamphetamine seized earlier.
“This investigation struck at the heart of high‑volume methamphetamine conversion operations that were pumping poison into communities across the Central Valley,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. “Through the relentless effort of our federal, state, and local partners, we have taken nine alleged conspirators off the streets and secured indictments against three more. Operations like this underscore our unwavering commitment to dismantling the criminal networks that manufacture and traffic these dangerous drugs, and we are far from finished.”
“Today is an example of the great work that can be done when law enforcement agencies from all levels of government come together for one, unified mission,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Stopping the production of illegal drugs is about more than enforcing the law. It’s about protecting our families and communities from the life-threatening danger these drugs pose. Public safety is priority number one at the California Department of Justice, and we will continue to pursue it in our communities and in the courtroom. Thank you to all the agencies and individuals who worked together to make California a safer place.”
“This takedown reflects exactly what the Homeland Security Task Force framework was designed to achieve: federal, state, and local partners operating as one team to dismantle the networks trafficking dangerous narcotics into our communities,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Brian Tosh. “These partnerships bring the shared expertise, resources, and resolve that make operations of this magnitude possible.”
According to court documents, agents with the Fresno High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and partner agencies seized 2,171 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and hundreds of gallons of methamphetamine in solution from the two conversion laboratories—721 pounds from the Bakersfield site on April 20, 2026, and 1,450 pounds from the Visalia site on May 20, 2026. In a related traffic stop on April 20, 2026, deputies recovered approximately 320 pounds of crystal methamphetamine from a vehicle driven by Ramiro Luna, 52, of San Bernardino.
Luna and his passenger Robert Gray, 54, of San Bernardino, were charged by indictment on Aug. 20, 2026, with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Gustavo Alejandro Mendoza‑Felix, 27, of Visalia, was arrested on May 20, 2026, when HITT and other law enforcement agencies served a search warrant at the Visalia methamphetamine lab where he resided. He was indicted on June 11, 2026, charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
A criminal complaint charges the following nine defendants with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine:
- Jesus Efrain Lopez‑Felix, 34, of Tulare;
- Elvis Ramirez‑Beltran, 25, of Mexico, residing in Porterville;
- Gabriel Ramirez‑Beltran, 27, of Mexico, residing in Selma;
- Marissa Lopez‑Felix, 30, of Porterville;
- Jose Armando Lopez‑Felix, 29, of Mexico, residing in Yokuts Valley;
- Jaciel Lopez‑Felix, 23, of Mexico residing in Sanger;
- Faustino Romero‑Leon, 50, of Mexico, residing in Sanger;
- Alberto Lopez‑Castillo, 21, of Visalia;
- Jesus Adrian Rios‑Ramirez, 27, of Mexico.
This case is the product of an investigation led by the FBI and the California Department of Justice Fresno High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), which is made up of partner agencies from Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Fresno Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Madera County Sheriff’s Office, King’s County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Additional assistance was provided by the Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), consisting of Kern County HIDTA and Tulare County HIDTA, along with Department of Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force, the Kern County District Attorney’s Office, and the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Catto, Luke Baty, and Antonio Pataca are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years and up to life in prison, and fines up to $10 million, depending on drug quantity and prior convictions. 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.
This case 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. The Central Valley HSTF is composed of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
Bakersfield Methamphetamine Conversion Laboratory Photograph of igloos with liquid methamphetamine.
Photograph of metal pots and burners.
Photograph of individually bagged crystal methamphetamine.
Photograph of crystal methamphetamine, propane tanks, and 5-gallon acetone containers.
Photograph of crystal methamphetamine drying on tabletops.
Photograph of igloo containers with liquid methamphetamine.
Photograph of 5-gallon acetone containers used in methamphetamine conversion process.Stepfather in 2-Month-Old’s Death Arrested and ChargedRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Demetrius Beatty, 40, of the District of Columbia, was arrested and charged with first-degree felony murder and first-degree cruelty to children for the August 16 death of a two-month-old child in his custody, in Southeast, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Beatty made his initial appearance September 17 before Superior Court Judge Dorsey Jones. Judge Jones found probable cause that Beatty committed the offenses and ordered him to be held without bond pending a preliminary hearing on September 28, 2026, before Judge J. Michael Ryan.
According to court documents, on August 16, 2026, Beatty was left with two of his stepchildren, two-month-old twins, alone in his residence with three other minor children. Officers responded to 809 New Jersey Avenue Southeast and located a two-month-old child unconscious and unresponsive. An autopsy was done on the baby where it was determined that her cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries to the head and the manner of death was homicide.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery W. Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being investigated by the Special Victims Unit of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Charges in a complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
2026 CF1 014643
Serial Embezzler Sentenced in San Antonio to 13 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio woman was sentenced in federal court Wednesday to 160 months in prison for embezzling from several employers and their clients, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, during three separate periods between June 2021 and February 2025, Monica Marie Padilla, 49, worked as a bookkeeper for multiple businesses. As bookkeeper, Padilla had access to bank and credit accounts. At each of the three employers, Padilla used various methods to fraudulently steal funds from the accounts. With the stolen money, Padilla remodeled her home, purchased Disney merchandise, bought hundreds of DoorDash orders, and funded her daughter’s cheerleading activities along with a more than $5,700 trip to California.
Padilla was first charged in a 30-count indictment on Aug. 16, 2023, then in an 18-count superseding indictment on Feb. 19, 2025, both of which included more than a dozen wire fraud counts. While on pretrial release after the February 2025 superseding indictment, Padilla violated her bond conditions, lied to pretrial services, and obtained employment as a remote bookkeeper for an accounting firm, where she again defrauded her employer and her employer’s clients. Throughout Padilla’s multi-year criminal scheme, she defrauded three separate businesses for a total loss of at least $595,585.41.
On Aug. 13, 2025, Padilla was named in a five-count information, which charged her with just three wire fraud charges, one mail fraud charge, and one money laundering charge. She pleaded guilty to all five of those counts on Aug. 20, 2025.
“An embezzling bookkeeper can do incalculable harm not just to the victimized businesses but to the lives of many innocent people. The monetary harm is usually just the tip of the iceberg in these types of cases,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “With numerous prior convictions, Monica Padilla acted as a financial predator. Thanks to FBI and our justice system, we were able to tame this particular predator as she will be spending the next thirteen-plus years behind bars.”
“For several years, Monica Padilla betrayed the trust of her employers and stole company funds at numerous businesses, all for her own personal gain,” said FBI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Daniel Faith. “Her spending spree with the stolen money of her victims has finally come to an end and now she will face justice.”
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Harris prosecuted the case.
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Russian National Sentenced for Synthetic Identity Theft Fraud Scheme and Conspiring to Submit Fraudulent Voter RegistrationsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL — Dmitry Shushlebin (age 45), a Russian citizen living in Miami Beach, was sentenced to six years in prison and three years of supervised release for organizing an identity theft fraud scheme that included efforts by the conspirators to submit fraudulent voter registrations. He was also ordered to pay $458,839.69 in restitution.
“Voting is one of the most significant rights and responsibilities Americans have,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to investigate threats to the integrity of our electoral process and prosecute those who engage in fraud or other means to violate our nation’s voting laws.”
“Those who engage in fraud and deception in our election processes will be investigated and prosecuted,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “After arriving in the United States, Dmitry Shushlebin created sham companies to facilitate a multi-year financial fraud scheme. He used these companies to commit identity theft, which allowed him to create synthetic or fake identities that appeared real after they were used to submit over 100 false voter registrations.”
“The FBI is committed to supporting our election security partners ensuring fraudulent schemes, like the defendant’s identity-theft scheme using fraudulent voter registration applications, never have a chance to succeed,” said Special Agent in Charge Rodney Crawford of the FBI Tampa Division. “We have the investigative tools and the strong partnerships to detect and disrupt these crimes.”
“Combatting fraud and identity theft are critical missions of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,” said Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Miami Division. “We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to investigate those individuals who use the mail to enrich themselves at the expense of others.”
On July 24, 2025, the United States filed a four-count superseding information charging Shushlebin with conspiracy to give false information in registering to vote and submit fraudulent voter registrations, wire fraud, making false statements, and aggravated identity theft. Shushlebin pleaded guilty to all four counts on July 25, 2025.
According to court documents, Shushlebin hired Sanjar Jamilov, an Uzbekistani national, and others to submit more than 100 fraudulent voter registration applications to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections in February and March 2023. One purpose of registering these fake voters was to create synthetic or fake identities that Shushlebin could use to commit financial fraud. Shushlebin used the fake identities to obtain fraudulent credit cards and loans. He perpetrated this scheme against the victim financial institutions hundreds of times using hundreds of different synthetic identities.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Schmidt for the Middle District of Florida and Acting Chief Edward P. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne C. Nebesky for the Middle District of Florida is handling the forfeiture.
Richland County Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Child Sexual Abuse OffensesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Richland County man has been sentenced to federal prison for engaging in online activities that involved Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM).
Shane E. Westerfeld, 51, of Mansfield, Ohio, has been sentenced to 108 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Gaughan, after pleading guilty in May to Receipt of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and Possession of Child Pornography. He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $11,000 in restitution to victims.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, in February 2024 Westerfeld was discovered trafficking CSAM on an online platform and communicating with an undercover agent posing as a 13-year-old girl. During a search warrant executed on his electronic devices, investigators found that he knowingly received more than 100 computer files which contained the sexual abuse of children. Several files involved prepubescent minors under the age of 12 including toddlers. Upon further investigation, Westerfeld was found to also have a previous conviction for possessing child pornography in Canada.
The investigation leading to the indictment was led by the FBI Mansfield Resident Agency.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King for the Northern District Ohio led the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Guy Anthony Wachob, 64, of Leicester, North Carolina, was sentenced to nine years in prison today for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Wachob was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
“There’s a price to pay for convicted sex offenders who exploit children, and that price is prison,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We have a responsibility to protect children from those who seek to harm them, and we take that responsibility seriously. My office will continue seek lengthy sentences for repeat offenders who pose a threat to children.”
“Wachob is a convicted sex offender who distributed horrific child sexual abuse material,” said Mark M. Zito, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Carolinas. “HSI Carolinas and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue these offenders relentlessly and do everything within our authority to protect children from further harm.”
According to filed court documents and the sentencing hearing, in 2017, Wachob was convicted of Sexual Battery and Assault on a Female. As a result of that conviction, he was required to register as a sex offender. In August 2024, Wachob accessed a chatroom dedicated to the exchange of CSAM and began communicating with an undercover HSI agent. Between August and September 2024, during his communications with the HSI agent, Wachob discussed his sexual interest in young children. Wachob also used an encrypted messaging app to distribute CSAM to the undercover agent, including videos that depicted prepubescent minors being sexually abused.
On September 10, 2024, HSI agents, Franklin Police Department officers, and Macon County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Wachob. During an interview with law enforcement, Wachob admitted that he had been sending CSAM to the undercover agent.
Wachob remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making the announcement U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson commended the HSI Greenville Office, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Franklin Police Department for their work on this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Benjamin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Recidivist New Castle Felon Sentenced to More Than 17 and a Half Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 212 months in prison, to be followed by six years of supervised release, on his conviction of trafficking fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine while on federal supervised release, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Melvin Dorsey-Pace, 33.
According to information presented to the Court, on February 12, 2025, Dorsey-Pace possessed with intent to distribute a mixture of fentanyl and heroin, as well as a mixture of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Dorsey-Pace was on federal supervised release at the time, following a 2024 release from prison for a prior drug trafficking conviction. The instant offense was Dorsey-Pace’s third federal drug trafficking conviction during the last 10 years, with the defendant also having been on federal supervised release when he engaged in the criminal conduct that led to his second federal drug trafficking conviction. Additionally, Dorsey-Pace was on Pennsylvania state parole following a prison sentence for a drive-by shooting when he engaged in the criminal conduct that led to his first federal drug trafficking conviction.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Lawrence County Drug Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Dorsey-Pace.
Rawlins man sentenced for role in multi-county drug trafficking ringRead the Press Release
CASPER, Wyo. — On September 14, 2026, Denny Jason Shrove, 48, of Rawlins, was sentenced to 216 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for the distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations, launched a sweeping campaign against a major drug trafficking organization spanning multiple counties in Wyoming and Colorado.
Agents identified Shrove as the lead distributor in Wyoming alongside co-conspirators Bryan Hackleman, Gregory McCoy, Nicole Phipps, Alysha Dahl, Jonathan Burton, Cainen Taylor, and dozens of others charged through state court. The group worked together to transport narcotics from Colorado and distribute them across Natrona, Carbon, Campbell, Laramie and Albany counties in Wyoming. The investigation revealed Shrove was responsible for redistributing at least 23 pounds of methamphetamine in Wyoming.
Over the course of the investigation, authorities seized approximately 1,429.7 grams of methamphetamine, 25.3 grams of fentanyl pills, 67.5 grams of heroin, 16.4 grams of cocaine, fentanyl powder, psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana.
"The trafficking of highly addictive substances like methamphetamine and fentanyl threatens the safety and well-being of families across Wyoming," said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith. "Today's sentencing holds a key distributor accountable and underscores our resolve to pursue those who profit from drug abuse."
The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the case with the assistance of the DEA, HSI, and multiple state and local agencies in Colorado and Wyoming. Shrove was arrested on Jan. 23, 2026, and remained in continual custody until he pleaded guilty. Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence in Casper.
Case No. 26-CR-00071-SWS
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 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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Pine Ridge Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact of a Young GirlRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on September 14, 2026.
Donovan He Crow, 53, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. He Crow will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
He Crow was indicted for Abusive Sexual Contact by a federal grand jury in November 2025. He pleaded guilty on March 6, 2026.
He Crow entered a child’s bedroom during the nighttime and forcibly engaged in sexual contact with her by groping her bare breast. The child was between the ages of 12 and 13 when the offense occurred.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
He Crow was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Pierre Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Pierre, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on September 14, 2026.
Duane Long Pumpkin, age 27, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Long Pumpkin was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025. He pleaded guilty on June 11, 2026.
Long Pumpkin was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in U.S. District Court in 2023. Consequently, he is required to register as a sex offender and update his registration within three business days of relocation or changing employment or student status. In October 2024, Long Pumpkin updated his sex offender registration to reflect that he was residing in Allen, South Dakota. He relocated to Pierre in December 2024, but he did not update his sex offender registration. Long Pumpkin was arrested in Pierre on February 14, 2025.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Pierre Police Department. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Long Pumpkin was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Pensacola Mail Handler Pleads Guilty to Drug and Postal CrimesRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Divincent M. Madison, Jr., 25, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail by a postal employee, one count of delay or destruction of mail, and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This defendant sought to exploit his position with the USPS to facilitate a drug trafficking operation through the U.S. Mail, but thanks to the excellent investigative work by the USPS Inspector General that supported the successful prosecution by my office, he now faces federal prison time.”
Court documents reflect that in July 2023, while working at the United States Postal Service Processing and Distribution Center in Pensacola, the defendant would smell mail packages, cut them open, and steal marijuana located inside the parcels. Federal agents intercepted the defendant while leaving work and found over 1,000 grams of marijuana inside of his lunchbox. Later the same day, the defendant attempted to have another mail handler help him retrieve a package containing 448 grams of marijuana that the defendant had hidden inside the Distribution Center.
Madison faces up to 5 years imprisonment on each count.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher C. Patterson and Brooke Lindsay.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 10, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. in the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
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 available 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.
Oregon Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Newberg, Oregon man was sentenced on September 16, 2026, to 480 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for child pornography offenses, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Jayson Setera, 51, of Newberg, Oregon, was convicted by a federal jury on April 15, 2026, of one count of possession of prepubescent child pornography and one count of transportation of child pornography following a trial before U.S. District Judge Jamel K. Semper in Newark federal court. Judge Semper also imposed the sentence, which constitutes the statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of conviction. Judge Semper ordered that the sentences on each count run consecutively.
“This sentence underscores our unwavering commitment to prosecute and hold accountable those involved in child sexual abuse material. The statutory maximum sentence imposed by the Court represents justice to the victims and should serve as a warning to others who engage in these heinous crimes.”
- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On January 22, 2024, Setera returned from an international trip aboard a flight that landed at Newark Liberty International Airport. Law enforcement searched Setera’s cellular phone and found approximately 170 photographs and 8 videos depicting child sexual abuse material, including material involving pre-pubescent minors. Law enforcement also found messages from Setera soliciting child pornography and referring to the sexual abuse of young children. In addition, law enforcement found payments from Setera to the individuals sending him child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy and officers from Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”), under the direction of New York Director of Field Operation Frank Russo, with the investigation leading to the conviction.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Toll of the Health Care Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark. Valuable assistant in the prosecution was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Southern District of New York.
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Defense counsel: Tyler Newman, Esq.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida –Ronald Pate Newman, III, 27, of Youngstown, Ohio, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release for two counts of the production of child pornography. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This case highlights the growing threats our children face online from sexual predators, like this defendant, who seek to sexually exploit and victimize them. This substantial prison sentence is righteous punishment for the disgusting crimes this defendant committed in robbing the child victim of their innocence. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute predators, like this defendant, and seek maximum punishments to ensure they can never again victimize another child.”
Court documents reflect that in April 2025, law enforcement became aware that a previously convicted sex offender used an 11-year-old child from Florida to produce images of the child engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The defendant met the victim on a “safe for work” account, meaning all posts must be publicly appropriate, but he soon convinced the child to message him privately where he began grooming and then directing the child to create explicit photographs, which he posted in other accounts. The defendant was arrested in Ohio, and a subsequent forensic analysis of seized devices identified over 500 images of child pornography.
Due to his prior convictions, Newman was sentenced to a mandatory minimum of thirty-five years’ imprisonment in federal prison. When released, he will be supervised for the remainder of his life, which includes registering again as a sex offender.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Levy County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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 for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
North Texas man receives federal prison sentence for threatening to kill ICE agentsRead the Press Release
DALLAS — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould announced that a North Texas man was sentenced Sept. 16 to 17 months in federal prison for threatening to shoot and kill ICE agents.
Robert Wilson King, 36, pleaded guilty June 16 to transmitting an interstate threat in connection with a post he made on a social media platform, stating, “If I see ICE agents in my neighborhood I’m opening fire. It’s time to stop being p****** and put the second amendment to work. ICE are not real cops, they are a secret police force with no real legal authority. Kill them.”
“There is no place for political violence in this country, and that includes hiding behind a keyboard to threaten the lives of the men and women who serve in federal law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents perform critical duties for our nation, and they should never have to fear for their own lives or the safety of their families simply for doing their jobs. Those who attempt to intimidate, harass or threaten federal officials will be tracked down and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The FBI takes all threats of violence seriously. Online threats directed at federal law enforcement officers is a federal crime and carries serious consequences,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We would like to thank our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners that contributed to the outcome of this investigation. Law enforcement’s collaborative effort ensured this offender was held accountable for his actions.”
“Threats of violence against federal law enforcement officers are not protected speech; it is a criminal act that will be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly,” said HSI Dallas Deputy Special Agent in Charge Antwoine Jones. “This sentence sends a clear message that those who threaten officers or attempt to intimidate them from performing their lawful responsibilities will be held accountable.”
“This sentence sends a strong message that political violence will not be tolerated and those who threaten members of law enforcement will be held accountable,” said U.S. Secret Service Dallas Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christina Foley. “Through strong partnerships with our federal, state and local counterparts—and by leveraging our unique technical and investigative capabilities—we remain committed to bringing to justice those who threaten the safety and lives of others.”
According to court documents, this was one of several politically themed violent threats King posted on social media.
U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr sentenced King to 17 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office and the McKinney Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Brasher prosecuted the case.
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Norfolk predator sentenced to over 18 years in prison for attempting to sexually exploit childrenRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A former Navy Petty Officer was sentenced today to 18 years and four months in prison for attempted sexual exploitation of children.
According to court documents, over a period of at least three years, Tucker Lee Martin, 32, engaged in various forms of online child exploitation, including sending sexual messages to minors through social media, requesting sexual images from minors, sending sexual pictures to minors, and possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
As the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) investigated Martin’s Tumblr account, which he had used to receive CSAM, investigators identified a photo Martin took of himself performing or simulating the performance of a sexual act while seated next to the three-year-old son of his then fiancée. Investigators also found a message from Martin expressing his desire to sexually abuse “a little 8-year-old.”
Martin used his snapchat account to ask an adult to take a sexually explicit picture of her six-year-old niece and send it to him, and then asked if he could touch the niece. On Feb. 20, 2022, Martin used Snapchat to send a sexually explicit photo of himself to a 14-year-old girl and requested that she send him nude images of herself.
In another Snapchat exchange, on Feb. 16, 2022, Martin asked a girl he believed to be 13 years old to send him a sexually explicit photo of herself. Martin expressed his interest in having sex with the girl, but she explained that she lived in another state. Martin then encouraged her to engage in bestiality and provided her with instructions for how to do so.
On Martin’s cellphones, investigators identified a total of 217 CSAM or suspected CSAM files. A search of Martin’s Kik account revealed 172 files containing CSAM or suspected CSAM. Martin also used Kik to communicate to another user that one of his goals included repeatedly raping that user’s five-year-old daughter.
Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Steven DiGiantommaso, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hannah E. Wirt and Nikolas Nelson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-32.
Newport News man sentenced to 10 years in prison for child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, William Thomas Alley, 41, used Kik and Telegram applications to chat with other users about CSAM and solicited CSAM online.
In December 2025, the FBI searched Alley’s place of employment, where he was living at the time, and seized seven electronic devices. On those devices, Alley possessed 398 images of CSAM, including images of toddlers, bestiality, and bondage, and 58 video files of CSAM.
Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker. The Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children (SOVA ICAC) Task Force at Bedford County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter G. Osyf prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:26-cr-14.
New Orleans Man Sentenced in Homeland Security Task Force Investigation for Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS –DARREN HULBERT, SR., age 54, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on September 10, 2026, by United States Judge Carl Barbier, to 120 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release, after he previously pled guilty to violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act and the Federal Gun Control Act, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
HULBERT previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute at least 40 grams of fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846. HULBERT also pled guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
The Court also imposed a mandatory $100 special assessment fee per count.
According to court documents, HULBERT conspired with others to distribute at least 40 grams of fentanyl in the Eastern District of Louisiana. On May 4, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) searched HULBERT’S residence and seized approximately 82.4 grams of cocaine base, 69.9 grams of cocaine, 7.89 grams of fentanyl, 7.36 grams of methamphetamine, and marijuana. Law enforcement also seized three firearms, including: a Smith and Wesson Model 6906 9mm pistol, a Springfield XD-S, .45 caliber handgun, and a Century Arms AK Style Rifle.
United States Attorney David I. Courcelle praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and André Jones are in charge of the prosecution.
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 New Orleans comprises agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
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Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 18 Years for Commercial Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, together with Brad Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Stelio Kalkounos, 53, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced last week by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson, to 18 years in federal prison for receiving child sex abuse material (CSAM). Kalkounos pleaded guilty to this charge on May 13, 2026.
In 2022, Kalkounos met a 16-year-old girl online. In 2022 and 2023, Kalkounos met the girl at hotels in Racine County, in the Eastern District, and paid her to engage in sexual activity. In 2023, Kalkounos again went online and met another 16-year-old girl. Although the girl disclosed that she was a minor almost immediately after meeting him online, Kalkounos went on to solicit and pay for sexually explicit images and videos from her. Kalkounos progressed to meeting her at hotels in Madison, in the Western District, for commercial sex. This lasted for at least five months.
Calling Kalkounos’s crime “very disturbing,” Judge Peterson found Kalkounos pressured the survivors to perform sex acts they did not want to do and treated them cruelly. This had a devastating effect on the survivors, who were “not prepared” for the man they met on the internet, according to Judge Peterson.
In assessing Kalkounos’s danger to the community, Judge Peterson noted Kalkounos’s criminal history. In 2006, Kalkounos was convicted in the Eastern District of traveling across state lines for sex with what he believed was a 14-year-old girl but was actually an undercover officer. After serving a federal prison term for that offense, Kalkounos had a successful career in the restaurant industry and owned Five O’clock Steakhouse at the time of the offense. Without confidence that Kalkounos could be prevented from returning to similar crimes in the future, Judge Peterson found the lengthy term of imprisonment was warranted.
The charge against Kalkounos was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI. The case was handled by Western District Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Stelljes and Julie Pfluger and Eastern District Assistant U.S. Attorney Abbey Marzick.
This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Metairie Man Indicted for Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JOSHUA STEPHEN JOHNSON (“JOHNSON”), age 32, of Metairie, Louisiana, was indicted on September 17, 2026, for receipt of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
If convicted, JOHNSON faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years and a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $250,000.00. In addition, JOHNSON faces a term of supervised release of no less than five (5) years and up to life and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. JOHNSON may also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, allegedly, beginning at a time unknown, and continuing until on or about June 26, 2026, JOHNSON, did knowingly receive, and attempt to receive, digital images, computer images, and digital video files that involved a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office; and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Anne Flippo, of the Public Integrity Unit and Human Trafficking Child Exploitation Task Force.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Violate the Anti-Kickback StatuteRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Massachusetts man was sentenced on Sept. 10, 2026 for conspiring to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute.
Deane Gilmore, 36, of Walpole, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy to 13 months in prison, to be followed by 18 months of supervised release with the first year to be served on home confinement. Gilmore was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $2.3 million. In January 2026, Gilmore pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks after Gilmore was charged in December 2025.
From approximately March 2020 through April 2022, Gilmore owned and managed two durable medical equipment (DME) companies, Jupiter Medical Associates Inc. and Granite Medical Associates Inc. Gilmore. Through these companies, Gilmore illegally paid telemarketers who obtained medical information from Medicare beneficiaries to prepare orders for DME, such as back, knee, wrist, or ankle braces. The orders provided by the telemarketers made it appear that medical practitioners were legitimately prescribing DME to these beneficiaries, when, in fact, the orders were frequently medically unnecessary and based on false documentation. By paying these telemarketers on a per-order basis, Gilmore violated the Anti-Kickback Statute.
Over the course of his scheme, Gilmore submitted or caused to be submitted a total of approximately $6.5 million in kickback-tainted claims to Medicare. Medicare ultimately paid out approximately $2.3 million for these kickback-tainted claims.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General; Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Looney of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts.
Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement 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.
Maryland Nurse Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud Conspiracy for Role in $14 Million D.C. Medicaid SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Vera Nyiawung, 34, a registered nurse from Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in connection with a $14 million health care fraud scheme that billed D.C. Medicaid for mental health services that were never provided or were grossly inflated, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Padding call lengths, recycling notes, and billing Medicaid for care that never happened isn’t healthcare—it’s organized theft,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Vera Nyiawung was trusted to oversee care for vulnerable youth but instead used her position to validate fake records and facilitate a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme. My office will relentlessly prosecute those who exploit public healthcare programs for personal gain.”
Nyiawung pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Nyiawung faces up to 10 years in prison a $250,000 fine and restitution.
According to court documents, Nyiawung was employed as a nurse at a D.C. Medicaid provider authorized to deliver mental health rehabilitative services to youth and adolescents, beginning in January 2023. In addition to her nursing duties, Nyiawung performed Community Support Worker (CSW) duties, supervised other staff, and reviewed encounter notes for approval.
Nyiawung conspired with company employees and other community support workers to siphon millions from D.C. Medicaid through thousands of fraudulent claims for reimbursement. Company employees directed Nyiawung and other workers to bill the maximum allowable time per consumer regardless of medical necessity or actual service.
To execute the scheme, workers, like Nyiawung, billed a full hour for telephonic encounters even if the calls only lasted a few minutes. Workers were trained to evade false claims detection by randomly selecting times a few minutes below the 60-minute maximum call length. Workers were directed to bill three hours, and later one hour, for diagnostic assessments regardless of how much time was spent with the consumer. Community support workers were told to recycle information from a single telehealth session to generate multiple fabricated encounter notes. This resulted in bills to D.C. Medicaid for several days of services that were based on only one actual conversation with the consumer.
Investigators determined that Nyiawung’s participation in the conspiracy resulted in a loss to Medicaid of over $550,000.
Joining in the announcement was Matthew Wilcoxson, Interim Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The District Department of Health Care Finance’s Division of Program Integrity referred this matter and provided assistance during the investigation.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Facci of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.
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.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
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Maryland Long Term Care Pharmacy Pays $5.3M to Settle Allegations of Billing for Drugs Without Valid PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
Remedi SeniorCare Holding Corporation (Remedi), headquartered in Towson, Maryland, has agreed to pay over $5.3 million to the United States to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by billing the Medicare and Medicaid programs for prescription drugs despite lacking valid prescriptions. The settlement is based on Remedi’s ability to pay and will be paid over time.
The United States alleged that, from Jan. 1, 2015 through March 31, 2021, Remedi submitted false claims to the Medicare and Medicaid programs for prescription drugs that lacked valid prescriptions and were dispensed to residents of assisted living facilities in various states.
“When pharmacies dispense drugs without valid prescriptions, they undermine both patient safety and the integrity of vital federal healthcare programs,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s resolution demonstrates the Department’s commitment to protecting vulnerable populations and holding accountable pharmacies that fail to comply with their obligations under the False Claims Act.”
“Billing Medicare and Medicaid for prescription drugs without a valid prescription is unlawful and can present serious risks,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio. “As evidenced by this settlement, my Office will enforce the FCA to hold responsible those who improperly bill federal programs.”
“Billing Medicare and Medicaid for drugs dispensed without valid prescriptions puts residents of assisted living facilities at risk and undermines essential safeguards designed to protect patient health and federal health care programs,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS OIG, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to hold accountable those who disregard requirements meant to ensure the safety of patients and the integrity of taxpayer funded programs.”
The settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Maureen Gearhart and Laura Griffieth, former employees of Remedi. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Gearhart & Griffieth v. Remedi SeniorCare Holding Corp., et al., No. 1:20cv970 (S.D. Ohio). The settlement provides for the whistleblowers to receive a share of the settlement payments made over time.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, with assistance from HHS-OIG and the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Ohio.
The matter was handled by Fraud Section Senior Litigation Counsel Laurie A. Oberembt of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandi Stewart for the Southern District of Ohio.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Note: This release was updated from a previous version
Marion Woman Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding FEMA After Hurricane HeleneRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Today, Chief U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced Peggy Lee Cantrell, 41, of Marion, North Carolina, to three years in prison followed by four years of supervised release for defrauding the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following Hurricane Helene, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Cantrell was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $30,631.59 to FEMA.
“In the wake of Hurricane Helene, disaster relief was essential for rebuilding our community. Every dollar of that money should have gone to those that needed it. Instead, Cantrell stole that taxpayer money —and committed her fraud while she was in jail,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We will continue to root out fraud and prosecute those who exploit federal programs, because every dollar taken through fraud is a dollar that cannot help our communities recover.”
According to court records, on or about February 22, 2025, Cantrell filed an application for disaster assistance with FEMA for a dwelling she claimed was located at 193 Beaver Creek Road in Marion, and that she falsely claimed was destroyed by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. In the application, Cantrell asserted that she rented the property and that the damaged dwelling was her primary residence. On or about February 27, 2025, Cantrell falsely amended her FEMA application’s residential status from renter to owner of the damaged dwelling. Then, on February 28, 2025, Cantrell falsely represented to a FEMA inspector that she owned the residential trailer that was destroyed, but not the land where the trailer was placed. Contrary to her claims, Cantrell never lived at, rented, or owned a residence or structure at that location, and no dwelling existed at that location at the time the storm struck the area. At the time Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina, Cantrell was an inmate with the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections and outside the effects of the storm.
Court records show that, in March 2025, Cantrell submitted a handwritten letter to FEMA attesting that the information she had provided was “true and correct,” falsely claiming that she had purchased the dwelling for $8,500 and that she had lived there for 25 years. She also falsely attested that all of her important personal documents “got washed away by Hurricane Helene.” The same month, FEMA paid Cantrell’s false claim and wired her $30,631.59
In October 2025, Cantrell pleaded guilty to fraud in connection with a major disaster or emergency benefits. She is currently in federal custody after her bond was revoked for drug use. She will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General, and FEMA’s Fraud Investigations and Inspections Division for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Gast of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
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.
Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 18 Years for Commercial Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, together with Brad Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Stelio Kalkounos, 53, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced last week by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson, to 18 years in federal prison for receiving child sex abuse material (CSAM). Kalkounos pleaded guilty to this charge on May 13, 2026.
In 2022, Kalkounos met a 16-year-old girl online. In 2022 and 2023, Kalkounos met the girl at hotels in Racine County, in the Eastern District, and paid her to engage in sexual activity. In 2023, Kalkounos again went online and met another 16-year-old girl. Although the girl disclosed that she was a minor almost immediately after meeting him online, Kalkounos went on to solicit and pay for sexually explicit images and videos from her. Kalkounos progressed to meeting her at hotels in Madison, in the Western District, for commercial sex. This lasted for at least five months.
Calling Kalkounos’s crime “very disturbing,” Judge Peterson found Kalkounos pressured the survivors to perform sex acts they did not want to do and treated them cruelly. This had a devastating effect on the survivors, who were “not prepared” for the man they met on the internet, according to Judge Peterson.
In assessing Kalkounos’s danger to the community, Judge Peterson noted Kalkounos’s criminal history. In 2006, Kalkounos was convicted in the Eastern District of traveling across state lines for sex with what he believed was a 14-year-old girl but was actually an undercover officer. After serving a federal prison term for that offense, Kalkounos had a successful career in the restaurant industry and owned Five O’clock Steakhouse at the time of the offense. Without confidence that Kalkounos could be prevented from returning to similar crimes in the future, Judge Peterson found the lengthy term of imprisonment was warranted.
The charge against Kalkounos was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI. The case was handled by Western District Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Stelljes and Julie Pfluger and Eastern District Assistant U.S. Attorney Abbey Marzick.
This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Kansas man indicted for having a machine gunRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with a firearms offense.
According to court documents, Robert Brandon Jackson, Jr., 20, of Kansas City, Kansas, was indicted on one count of possession of a machine gun.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Hines is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Martin Efrain Monreal-Gallegos, 26, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case.
Aaron Ramses Matuz-Dominguez, 39, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case.
Joshue Eugenio Parrequin-Soriano, 39, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case.
Gregorio Santiago-Gutierrez, 47, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was indicted on one count of reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case.
Robertoni Suchiapa-Gutu, 47, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of reentry of a removed alien. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Jury Finds D.C. Man Guilty of Manslaughter for Stabbing Co-Worker at Audi FieldRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Wali Shabazz, 51, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty yesterday, by a Superior Court jury, for a stabbing incident that took place on the sidewalk of Audi Field, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Shabazz was found guilty of one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed and one count of carrying a dangerous weapon on September 16, 2026. The Honorable Judge Danya Dayson scheduled sentencing for November 13, 2026.
According to the government’s evidence, on the early evening of April 27, 2024, just prior to a D.C. United soccer game, Shabazz and the victim, Martin Gross Jr., were scheduled to work at the bike valet service provided at the T and 2nd Street SW corner of Audi Field. The two men barely knew each other. When Mr. Gross arrived very late to his shift and tried to apologize to the other valets, everyone but the defendant acknowledged Mr. Gross’s efforts. The victim, feeling disrespect by Shabazz, began to confront Shabazz by calling him names and getting in his face. When the bike valet owner dismissed Mr. Gross from his shift for this disruption, Mr. Gross gathered his bookbag to leave and again confronted Shabazz. After Mr. Gross got in Shabazz’s face once again and jabbed at him with just his fists, Shabazz pulled out a sharp item, likely a knife, and stabbed Mr. Gross such that Mr. Gross fell to the ground. As Mr. Gross laid face up on the ground, Shabazz stabbed him in the chest and then around the torso area a total of 12 times, ultimately killing him. Shabazz was arrested on scene.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jin Park.
2024 CF1 004113
Indian National Illegally in U.S. Convicted at Trial of Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Gurlal Singh, 31, an Indian national who has been residing in the U.S. illegally, has been convicted at trial of drug and gun offenses.
The defendant was charged by superseding indictment in September of last year and found guilty by a federal jury of possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and possession of a firearm by an alien illegally and unlawfully in the U.S.
As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, on August 28, 2024, at approximately 1:17 a.m., Pennsylvania State Police troopers from Hamburg Barracks and Bethel Township Police Department officers responded to the defendant’s Bethel Township, Berks County residence for a report of a shooting incident related to a home invasion. Troopers secured the location, conducted a safety sweep, and located an AK-47 style rifle near the front door, as well as a fired cartridge casing and projectile on the first floor.
The same day, investigators obtained and executed a state search and seizure warrant for the residence. A search of the premises revealed a quantity of cocaine, kilogram size wrapping materials, and a black digital scale.
Law enforcement learned that between April 2024 and August 28, 2024, Singh and another person, charged elsewhere, possessed with the intent to distribute 28 kilograms of cocaine. The cocaine was initially stored at Singh’s Bethel residence, which is in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and subsequently moved by the defendant and the other person to an area storage facility located in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
In addition to the AK-47 style rifle that he possessed and discharged in his home, Singh was found to have two shotguns, a pistol, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, which, as an illegal alien and prohibited person, he was not lawfully permitted to possess.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on January 7 and faces a maximum possible term of life imprisonment.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Pennsylvania State Police, with assistance from the Bethel Township Police Department and the Berks County District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rosalynda M. Michetti and Josh Davison.
Illegal Alien from Mexico and Utah Restaurant Owner Indicted for Drug Trafficking and Immigration CrimesRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging a previously removed illegal alien from Mexico with drug trafficking and immigration crimes after he allegedly trafficked narcotics out of his residence and restaurant.
Jose Gilardo Soto-Moya, 58, residing illegally in West Jordan, Utah, was initially charged by complaint on September 9, 2026.
According to court documents, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force (UCMC) initiated a criminal investigation on Soto-Moya and co-conspirators, associated with a drug trafficking organization believed to be distributing large quantities of heroin and other narcotics in the District of Utah. As alleged, in August 2026, agents conducted a controlled purchase of heroin from Soto-Moya at his restaurant in South Salt Lake City, Utah. As a result, detectives obtained a search warrant for Soto-Moya’s residence in West Jordan and his restaurant. On September 8, 2026, agents executed the search warrant and Soto-Moya was located at his residence where agents recovered approximately $180,630 in cash packaged in cellophane and coffee grounds. During the search of his restaurant, detectives found approximately 1,027 grams of field-tested positive heroin, and 4,047 grams of field-tested positive cocaine. Some of the drugs were also covered in coffee grounds similar to the cash found at the residence.
Soto-Moya was previously removed from the United States in 2015.
Soto-Moya is charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and reentry of a previously removed alien. A three-day jury trial is scheduled for November 23, 2026 at the Orrin G. Hatch United States Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force (UCMC). Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Peter Reichman is prosecuting the 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Illegal Alien Residing in Leesville Indicted for Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES – On September 16, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Fernando Mejia, 36, of Mexico, residing in Leesville, with Possession of a Firearm by an Alien. Mejia faces up to 15 years in federal prison if convicted.
“Firearm possession by illegal aliens poses an unnecessary, unacceptable, and preventable danger, and this case presents the tragic consequences that can result,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Louisiana’s state, local, and federal law enforcement partners are actively investigating these matters when they arise, and this Office will continue to work with those law enforcement partners to vigorously enforce federal gun laws to protect our children and our communities.”
According to court documents, this investigation began when a child was accidentally shot inside a residence in Leesville on June 8, 2025. When law enforcement arrived on scene, their investigation found that Mejia had illegally acquired the weapon and was storing it in his residence when a child accessed the firearm and discharged it, striking another child. Subsequent investigation confirmed that Mejia is unlawfully present in the United States and prohibited from possessing firearms.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Border Patrol, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division investigated this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney LaDonte A. Murphy with assistance from Legal Assistant Christy Angelle.
An indictment and criminal complaint are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer. The case number for this matter is currently pending assignment.
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CONTACT: Public Affairs: Cara.Alexander@usdoj.gov
United States Attorney’s Office: www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
X: @USAO_WDLA
Facebook: USAO_WDLA
(337) 262-6704Illegal Alien Charged with Possession of Child Pornography; Faces up to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE – On September 15, 2026, a federal criminal complaint was filed charging Josue Perez, 18, who had resided in Lafayette, with Possession of Child Pornography. Perez, a Panamanian national and illegal alien, is currently in federal custody. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, the investigation began on November 25, 2025, when the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI) Cyber Crime Unit initiated an investigation based on a cybertip received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The cybertip was regarding the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse materials on an electronic communications platform. Subsequent police investigative work led to a search warrant at a residence occupied by Perez. A forensic analysis of these devices confirmed they contained child sexual abuse material. Some of the images and videos allegedly depict very young children and even infants.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the LBI Cyber Crime Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica D. Cassidy and E. Ashley Hammons, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Denise Duhon and Legal Assistant Tanya Broussard.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. Learn more at https://www.justice.gov/psc/about-project-safe-childhood.
This case is also 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.
An indictment and criminal complaint are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Number 26-mj-231.
###CONTACT: Public Affairs: USALAW-News@usdoj.gov
United States Attorney’s Office: www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
X: @USAO_WDLA
Facebook: USAO_WDLA
(337) 262-6704Idaho Man Sentenced to over Six Years in Prison for Assaulting Two United States Park Rangers in Southern UtahRead the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – An Idaho man was sentenced to 75 months’ imprisonment after he assaulted two on-duty United States Park Rangers by ramming his pickup truck into their vehicle in May 2025.
The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen, comes after Gegory Aaron Farley, 52, of Hazelton, Idaho, pleaded guilty on December 1, 2025, to assault on an employee of the United States with a deadly weapon. In addition to his term of imprisonment, he was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made at Farley’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on May 3, 2025, while in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Southern Utah, Farley used his GMC Sierra Denali pickup truck to assault two on-duty United States Park Rangers who conducted a traffic stop on Farley. During the traffic stop, Farley, the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, fled the scene while one of the rangers was speaking to him, nearly hitting one of the rangers. A vehicle pursuit ensued, and at one point, Farley turned his vehicle around and rammed his truck into the driver’s side of the rangers’ vehicle, pushing them into the shoulder of the road, causing their vehicle’s air bags to deploy and rendering the driver’s side door inoperable. See prior press release: Idaho Man Indicted after Allegedly Assaulting U.S. Park Rangers in Southern Utah.
“This case underscores the dangers our park rangers and other law enforcement officers face as they work to keep our national parks and communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “My office, in alignment with this administration, has zero tolerance for violence against law enforcement. Together with our partners, we will thoroughly investigate and prosecute offenders who commit such acts.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office’s St. George Resident Agency, the National Park Service, Kane County Sheriff’s Office, Utah Highway Patrol, Page Police Department, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Hood of The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Houston-area man receives over 11 years for enticing teenage girl to commit sex actsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 53-year-old Spring resident has been sentenced for the sex trafficking of a minor.
John Alberth pleaded guilty Nov. 18, 2025.
U.S. District Judge George P. Hanks has ordered Alberth to serve 135 months in federal prison. Alberth was further ordered to serve five years on supervised release following his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Alberth was also ordered to register as a sex offender.
From Aug. 26 through Oct. 5, 2023, Alberth exchanged messages with a 16-year-old girl, and offered money in exchange for sexual activity and explicit photos.
As part of his plea, Alberth admitted paying the minor through CashApp and asking her to send him photos of herself that constituted child sexual abuse material.
Law enforcement discovered text messages confirming Alberth knew the victim was a minor.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Houston Police Department and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Galveston Counties.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Houston resident sentenced for Halloween robberyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 24-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison for aiding and abetting a robbery and unlawful possession of firearm.
Felipe Ortuno pleaded guilty March 31.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now handed Ortuno a 240-month term of imprisonment for the robbery and an additional 120 months for the firearm charge. The court ordered the sentences to run consecutively, resulting in a total 360-month prison term to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release.
On Oct. 31, 2019, Ortuno and others robbed a Houston-area stash house and held two women at gunpoint, forcing them to lie face down.
The owner of the stash house returned during the robbery, and the group attacked him. He sustained a gunshot wound during the altercation and later died from his injuries.
Surveillance showed Ortuno and his accomplices committing the robbery.
Ortuno will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anh-Khoa Tran and Anthony Franklyn prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.