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4 June 2026
Fraud Division Announces Federal–State Partnership in Ohio to Prosecute FraudRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced unprecedented federal and state cooperation in Ohio in the fight against fraud, including partnerships and a data sharing agreement to enhance the detection and prosecution of fraud; federal and state charges against 9 defendants for their alleged participation in over $42 million in fraud; orders of detention this week for three defendants, with two additional defendants pending extradition in connection with an additional $15 million in fraud; and the creation of the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list. The charges announced today involve numerous types of fraud, including health care fraud, government program fraud, and consumer fraud schemes.
“Ohio is leading the charge in the fight against fraud, and some states should take notice,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Working closely with Ohio officials, the Department of Justice dismantled a sophisticated Medicaid fraud scheme that exploited taxpayers to fund exotic cars and lavish lifestyles. By holding these fraudsters accountable and partnering with the FBI on a robust Most Wanted fraudster list, we are pursuing fraud more aggressively than ever. No fraud scheme is beyond our reach.”
“The Fraud Division is building a replicable model to combat the full range of fraudsters that are preying on Americans across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s Fraud Division. “Whether its health care, emergency relief funds, or consumer frauds, fraudsters go where the money flows, and with our enhanced data analytics tools, dedicated prosecutors, and federal and state partners, the days of oversight lagging and accountability lacking are now over.”
“As the cases announced today demonstrate, my Office will aggressively prosecute all forms of fraud by leveraging strong relationships with our federal and state partners,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Dominick S. Gerace II. “In establishing the Southern District of Ohio Fraud Task Force, we have now reinforced those partnerships by formalizing our processes and injecting an even greater sense of urgency into our efforts to hold fraudsters accountable for pilfering taxpayer resources.”
“The days of deception are over. As the stewards of your tax dollars, if we find evidence of willful and deliberate abuse of government programs, we will investigate and prosecute those individuals responsible to the full extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer, for the Northern District of Ohio. “We also commit to protecting our elderly who are so often targeted by conniving and scheming fraud rings who use scams that are deliberately designed to drain them of their life savings. With the full resources of this federal and state partnership, we are determined to rein in rampant fraud and bring criminals to justice.”
“Today’s takedown of multiple healthcare companies and four individuals who allegedly robbed taxpayer funded Medicaid is the latest victory in the Trump administration’s total war on fraudsters,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Together with our interagency partners we seized 7 bank accounts worth $600,000 and 14 vehicles worth millions - all of which allegedly came as direct proceeds from robbing value community healthcare resources from Americans who needed it - many of which were Medicaid enrolled children. Furthermore, today we are launching the Vice President’s historic initiative of the “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list, representing some of the alleged worst of the worst who stole millions in taxpayer money - allowing federal law enforcement to mobilize the full weight of law enforcement to bring these individuals and more to justice. I want to thank Vice President Vance for his leadership of this task force, our interagency partners for their relentless work, and most importantly thank President Trump for showing America that fraud won’t be tolerated in this country any longer.”
“These cases demonstrate that the days of fraudsters hiding behind shell companies, complex billing schemes, and other silos are coming to an end,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “By bringing together federal and state law enforcement, advanced data analytics, and unprecedented information sharing, we are building a national fraud-fighting model that identifies bad actors faster, protects taxpayer dollars, and safeguards the integrity of programs millions of Americans rely upon.”
Building a National Model of Federal-State Cooperation
In connection with these fraud enforcement actions, the Fraud Division, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Ohio Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and other partners announced the inaugural Fraud Division–State Partnership Roundtable in Ohio and the following innovative steps to enhance federal–state cooperation to detect, investigate, and prosecute fraud:
- The Fraud Division and the Ohio Secretary of State announced a data sharing agreement that provides the Fraud Division access to corporate registrant data held by the State of Ohio. Among other things, such data will be used in proactive data analysis to quickly identify ownership links between clinics, labs, and billing entities that fraudsters use to obscure control over health care fraud and other fraud schemes.
- The Ohio Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Ohio Auditor’s Office has served as a model for state and federal partnerships, and has reaffirmed its commitment to continue to (1) cross-designate or detail prosecutors to the Fraud Division’s Health Care Fraud Strike Forces and U.S. Attorney’s Offices, as they did in prosecuting one of the cases announced today, (2) deconflict with federal partners on new Medicaid fraud investigations monthly to ensure state-federal coordination, and/or (3) participate in national initiatives in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are working with Ohio to identify Medicaid fraud and refer any appropriate criminal matters to the Fraud Division through CMS’s participation in the Health Care Fraud Data Fusion Center.
These steps demonstrate how state and federal partners can work together to strengthen fraud detection, share information, and accelerate enforcement efforts nationwide. The inaugural Fraud Division–State Partnership Roundtable included, alongside the top leadership of the Department of Justice and federal law-enforcement and public health agencies, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague, Ohio Auditor Keith Faber, and Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson. The Department encourages every state across the country to partner with the Fraud Division on similar efforts.
Behavioral Health Fraud
In the Southern District of Ohio, four defendants were charged in connection with an over $30 million behavioral health scheme. Two defendants owned and operated behavioral health services organizations that claimed to provide therapeutic behavioral services and psychotherapy to children and young adults attending summer camps, church groups and recreational programs. As alleged, the defendants conspired to submit false and fraudulent claims for services that were medically unnecessary and not provided as represented. After one company failed to renew its credentialing with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and was no longer able to submit claims for mental health services to Medicaid, the defendants then allegedly conspired with a co-defendant to continue submitting the fraudulent claims through a different entity. In connection with these charges, the Department seized three bank accounts with $469K in funds and 14 vehicles worth $800K, including six Mercedes Benz, a Bentley, a BMW, a Jaguar, a Maserati, two Land Rovers, a GMC, and a McLaren.
The case is being investigated by HHS-OIG, the FBI, and Ohio’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Kenneth F. Affeldt and Justin Sheridan and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Walter and Jonathan Metzler from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Office are prosecuting the case.
In Butler County Common Pleas Court, Robert Haley, 63, of Cincinnati, was charged by indictment with an over $12 million scheme to fraudulently bill Medicaid for therapeutic behavioral services that were not actually provided to children in Butler County after-school programs. The case is being prosecuted by Ohio’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in Butler County Common Pleas Court.
Government Program Fraud
In the Southern District of Ohio, four defendants were charged in a conspiracy scheme to defraud the government out of more than $1.4 million in Covid-19 relief funds. The defendants allegedly submitted fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on behalf of businesses, including health care providers, and applications for forgiveness to the Small Business Administration (SBA), prompting the SBA and its lenders to approve the loans and ultimately forgive the entire amount of each loan. Defendants allegedly provided false information on their PPP loan applications, claiming their businesses generated more than $100,000 in gross income for the 2019 tax year, submitted a fraudulent 1040 Schedule C with their applications, and misused the proceeds on personal expenses.
The case was investigated by SBA-OIG and VA-OIG. Assistant United States Attorney Liz McCormick and Special Assistant United States Attorney Dwight Keller are prosecuting the case.
Consumer Fraud
In the Northern District of Ohio, Jamal Abubakari, aka Jamal Abubakar, aka Arrangement, 22, of Accra, Ghana; Kamal Abubakari, aka Kamal Abubakar, aka Lancaster, 22, of Accra, Ghana; and Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, aka Amanda Joy Glum, aka Amanda Joy Kessei Bierman, 53 were ordered detained this week in connection with an over $15 million romance scam that defrauded over 130 victims across the United States. Frederick Kumi, aka Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng, aka Abu Trica, 31, of Swedru, Ghana; and Daniel Yussif, aka Denteni, aka Slab, 31, of Accra, Ghana, are awaiting extradition.
According to allegations in the three indictments, from about July 2024 to April 2026, the defendants targeted older Americans on dating websites and social media platforms to engage in romance fraud schemes. They employed advanced techniques including artificial intelligence-driven video platforms to engage victims under fictitious female personas. After being misled by false stories, the victims sent money via wire transfer to financial accounts controlled by conspiracy members, which were further transferred to co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere. The operation involved search and arrest operations in Ghana – assets seized are estimated to amount to over $3 million and include a Lamborghini, Tesla Cybertruck, Mercedes Benz, and BMW.
This investigation highlights the successful collaboration between numerous international and national partners, including the Ghana Attorney General’s Office; Economic Organized Crime Office (EOCO); Ghana Police Service (GPS); Ghana Cyber Security Authority; Ghana Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC); Ghana Financial Intelligence Centre; Ghana Immigration Service; Ghana National Intelligence Bureau; DEA’s Sensitive Investigations Unit; Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs; U.S. Department of State; FBI Washington Field Office; and FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra. The Department of Justice remains committed to dismantling complex international cyber fraud networks and protecting U.S. citizens from financial exploitation. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian McDonough and Elliot Morrison of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
FBI Most Wanted Fraudsters List
To enhance the fight against health care fraud, program fraud, and other fraud schemes, the FBI today announced the “Most Wanted Fraudsters” program to publicize fugitive fraudsters. The FBI recognizes the need for public assistance in tracking fugitives. Apprehensions off of the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitive” have been the result of citizen recognition of “Ten Most Wanted Fugitive” publicity. The FBI, Department of Justice, and other law enforcement partners are committed to using every means available to apprehend the Most Wanted Fraudsters.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Four L.A.-Based MS-13 Members Found Guilty of Committing Three Grisly Murders in the Angeles National ForestRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Four members of Mara Salvatrucha, a violent street gang and terrorist organization known as MS-13, were found guilty by a jury today of brutally murdering three victims in the Angeles National Forest, including one victim who had his heart carved out of his chest and his body dismembered then tossed down a canyon.
The following defendants, all of whom remain in federal custody, were found guilty of racketeering conspiracy and violent crimes in aid of racketeering – murder:
- Angel Amadeo Guzman, 31, of Panorama City;
- Fernando Garcia Parada, 28, of Panorama City;
- Edgard Velasquez, 43, of Reseda; and
- Jose Jonathan Castillo, 34, of Koreatown.
According to evidence presented at a 17-day trial, MS-13 Los Angeles is a violent criminal street gang that operates through subsets known as “cliques,” including the Fulton clique in the San Fernando Valley and the Francis clique around MacArthur Park. The gang derives income from drug trafficking, extorting legal and illegal businesses, committing robberies, and via other illicit means.
The gang implemented rules that require its members to use murder and extreme violence to rise within its ranks.
From March 2017 to June 2017, the defendants committed three murders on behalf of MS-13. In March 2017, one victim was accused of painting the graffiti of a rival gang. Velasquez authorized the victim’s murder. Guzman, Garcia, and others later abducted the victim, strangled him, and drove him to the Angeles National Forest, where they and several co-conspirators attacked the victim with machetes. Later, they dismembered the victim, carving out his heart and throwing his body parts into a canyon.
In April 2017, Guzman and co-conspirators killed another victim, who had fled El Salvador without MS-13’s permission when it had been investigating the victim for cooperating with law enforcement. One conspirator used the Facebook account of a teenage girl to catfish the victim, who was lured to the Angeles National Forest and then killed.
Finally, in June 2017, Castillo, Garcia, and co-conspirators murdered another victim, an MS-13 associate who was accused of overstating his position in the gang. The victim was taken to the Angeles National Forest, where he was stabbed and hacked to death.
United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld, Jr., scheduled October 20 sentencing hearings for these defendants, all of whom will face one or more mandatory sentences of life in federal prison.
Federal prosecutors have secured more than 30 convictions in this case.
In November 2025, five MS-13 members were convicted of committing six murders to advance their standing in the gang. Their sentencing hearings are scheduled to occur in the coming months.
The FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office investigated this matter.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. 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. The HSTF utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Siddall of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, and Assistant United States Attorneys Jason C. Pang of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, and William Larsen and Suria M. Bahadue of the Criminal Appeals Section are prosecuting this case.
Former Mercer County Pharmacist Sentenced to 120 Months’ Imprisonment After Convictions for Illegally Distributing Oxycodone from Trenton PharmacyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A former Mercer County pharmacist was sentenced yesterday for her role in a conspiracy to distribute and dispense outside the course of professional practice large quantities of Schedule II controlled substances, including oxycodone, from a pharmacy formerly located in Trenton, New Jersey, United States Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Florence Ndubizu, 66, of Princeton Junction, New Jersey, was convicted on January 22, 2025 following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court on two counts of an indictment charging her with conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense Schedule II controlled substances, including oxycodone, between 2014 and 2017 and maintaining a premises for the illegal distribution of controlled substances. Judge Quraishi imposed the 120-month sentence on June 2, 2026 in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence presented at trial:
Between 2014 and 2017, Ndubizu was the co-owner and pharmacist-in-charge of Healthcare Pharmacy in Trenton. She and her employee conspirators, acting at her direction, filled fraudulent prescriptions outside the usual course of professional practice, knowing that the drugs would not be used for a legitimate medical purpose, but instead would be illegally diverted, including to street-level drug dealers. Ndubizu, operating a single-location pharmacy, purchased and distributed millions of dosage units of oxycodone, including over 800,000 pills in 2014; over 900,000 pills in 2015; over 800,000 pills in 2016; and over 200,000 pills in 2017, the year that the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) suspended the pharmacy’s registration.
Ndubizu diverted oxycodone pills and then evaded state and federal reporting requirements by manipulating the pharmacy’s records. The DEA conducted an audit of Healthcare Pharmacy’s inventory and found that between April 2015 and August 2017 alone, Ndubizu and Healthcare Pharmacy diverted more than 64,000 oxycodone containing pills.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentenced Ndubizu to three years of supervised release following Ndubizu’s term of imprisonment and ordered a fine of $350,000.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents, diversion investigators, and task force officers of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James; special agents of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the supervision of Director Steve Wilson, members of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey, and members of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Andrew B. Johns, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
26-110 ###
Defense counsel: Shrey Sharma, Esq., of Oberheiden P.C.
Final Defendant Sentenced in $3 Million Bank Fraud Conspiracy InvestigationRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – The final defendant tied to a larger FBI investigation into a $3 million bank fraud conspiracy targeting a Morris Bank branch in Gray, Georgia, was sentenced to prison for his role in cashing checks in violation of the federal Bank Secrecy Act.
James Kevin Meyers, 57, of Gray, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 12 months and one day in prison on June 4, after he pleaded guilty to one count of causing the filing of false currency transaction reports on Feb. 18.
In two related cases, Ronnie Atkinson, 57, of Macon, Georgia, was sentenced to serve a total of 84 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on Feb. 5, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft on May 12, 2025. Atkinson was also ordered to pay a total of $3,357,073.21 in restitution.
Alan Childs, 60, of Gray, Georgia, was sentenced to serve twelve months and one day in prison on Sept. 17, 2025, and was ordered to pay $3,094,200.98 in restitution after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud on April 12, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell presided over the cases. There is no parole in the federal system.
“This case makes clear that we will identify and hold accountable every individual involved in a fraud scheme,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to stop financial crimes and protect the public’s trust.”
“Financial crimes like this undermine trust in our banking system and harm everyday people across our communities,” said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta’s Macon office. “Whether someone is committing fraud directly or helping conceal it, we will continue holding every participant accountable for abusing positions of trust and enabling million-dollar schemes.”
According to court documents and statements made in court in the related cases, Atkinson obtained his first loan for his timber-harvesting business with Morris Bank in March 2018, which was handled by Childs, the bank’s Market President; all subsequent loans were handled by Childs. By June 2019, Atkinson reached the maximum $500,000 loan threshold, and Childs was not allowed to make additional loans to Atkinson without higher approval. Also, Atkinson’s loans were downgraded to substandard, indicating they displayed a well-defined weakness that could jeopardize collection.
Beginning in August 2019 and continuing through May 2022, Atkinson had relatives and friends appear as borrowers on loans intended for his benefit, which Childs knew were for Atkinson's benefit, and which exceeded his $500,000 limit without proper approval. In loans involving the purchase of goods, Atkinson included many fraudulent bills of sale. In addition, Atkinson instructed some of the so-called reported sellers of the goods to just cash the loan checks instead and give the money to him or one of his relatives.
As it relates to Meyers’ case, Atkinson brought several Morris Bank loan and cashier’s checks to Mr. Kevin’s Check Cashing in Macon, a money services business managed by Meyers. As a domestic financial institution, Meyers’ company was required to comply with the Bank Secrecy Act regulations and reporting requirements, including filing Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs) for transactions exceeding $10,000. Atkinson cashed the loan checks several times without the listed payee present, each for more than $10,000. The CTR should have listed the person who presented the check and left with the cash as Atkinson. Instead, the CTRs listed the payees of the check, although they were not present and did not collect the cash. Meyers would either personally cash these checks for Atkinson or direct his employees to cash them and file the CTRs with the listed payees’ names, even though Atkinson cashed the checks.
As a result of the conspiracy, Morris Bank issued 57 loans to and for the benefit of Atkinson, with a total loss of between $1.5 million and $3.5 million. As part of the larger investigation, agents found that five of the Morris Bank loan checks were cashed illegally under Meyer’s direction for $166,788, $117,409, $93,338, $126,743, and $280,013.
On April 7, 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.
The case was investigated by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Howard prosecuted the case for the Government.
Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Dismantle San Angelo Drug Trafficking Ring – 48 Arrested as Part of “Operation Concho Valley Shakedown”Read the Press Release
Forty-eight alleged drug traffickers and violators from San Angelo and the surrounding areas have been arrested as part of an 18-month-long narcotics operation, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould at a press conference in San Angelo, Texas today.
“This message should send a loud and clear message to drug dealers in the Concho Valley. We are coming for you,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This operation is proof of concept for state, local, and federal agents coming together to dismantle an alleged drug trafficking network. As U.S. Attorney, I will put more time, attention, and resources into ensuring that the Concho Valley is safe.”
“Operation Concho Valley was a decisive, collaborative effort. By combining resources and expertise, we dismantled this drug trafficking organization and removed a dangerous presence that had cast a shadow over West Texas communities. These drugs fuel addiction, breed violence, and destroy families. The network we targeted was importing large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and lethal fentanyl — substances that threaten public safety and the quality of life for residents,” said DEA San Antonio Division Special Agent in Charge Miguel Madrigal.
Twenty-four of the alleged drug dealers were federally indicted on May 13, 2026, and were arrested following a large-scale drug bust in San Angelo last week. Another 24 alleged violators were charged by local district attorneys on felony and misdemeanor offenses related to the operation.
Those charged in three separate federal indictments include:- Oscar Leonel Casillas Jr., charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Cedrick Jerrod Jones, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- George Henry Walker, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Marcus Maurice Parker, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Miguel Angel Hernandez Jr., charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Shunte Gregory Ray, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine
- Tasha Diane Rose, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Juan Carlos Sanchez, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm
- Audry Michelle Allen, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Carlos Gregory Lopez Jr., charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Amanda Marlene Burney, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Michael Todd Holleman, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Daniel Arizola, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Alissa Johnn Catrett, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Jeannetta Antonetta James, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Brian Matthew Epperson, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Brandon Chappell, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Bannon Dalhart Roe, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Marcella Sanchez Hererra, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Roy Gene Nichols Jr., charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Ray Enriquez, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Rebecca Salcedo Leon, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Eric Hernandez, distribution and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Armando Meza, distribution and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
Those charged by the 51st District Attorney, Allison Palmer, and the 119th District Attorney, John H. Best, include 16 additional state felony cases and 9 misdemeanor cases, alleging various drug offenses, evading arrest offenses, and other violations.
The operation involved over 30 agents, officers, and deputies from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s San Antonio Field Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s San Angelo Field Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, the San Angelo Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshal’s Office, the U.S. Customs & Border Patrol – Air & Marine Operations – San Angelo, and the Abilene Police Department.
Over the course of the operation, agents seized over 35 kilograms of methamphetamine, 303 grams of cocaine, and 10 firearms.
“Operation Concho Valley Shakedown” was a San Angelo-area first: a comprehensive narcotics investigation that involved seven separate local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, and the combined efforts of federal and state prosecutors. The collaboration by the agencies was evident in the attached video taken during the takedown that occurred on May 28, 2026.
If convicted, some defendants face a sentence of up to life in federal prison.
This HSTF investigation was conducted by agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s San Antonio Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s San Angelo Field Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, the San Angelo Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshal’s Service, U.S. Customs & Border Patrol – Air & Marine Operations – San Angelo, and the Abilene Police Department, with the prosecution being led by the Abilene Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
“Operation Concho Valley Shakedown” 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.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Urbana Woman for Pandemic Era Unemployment Benefit FraudRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A federal grand jury indicted an Urbana woman, Titianna Ammons, of the 1100 block of North Busey Avenue, on three counts of wire fraud for allegedly defrauding the U.S. Department of Labor and Illinois Department of Employment Security from October of 2020 to October of 2021.
The indictment alleges that Ammons applied for and received unemployment insurance benefits from around October 24, 2020, until around September 10, 2021. Beginning in January of 2021, Ammons’s unemployment insurance benefits included approximately $300 extra per week in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefits that were authorized and paid in connection with the presidentially declared major disaster and emergency proclamation concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment alleges that, during the time Ammons was receiving unemployment insurance benefits, she worked for and received money from various entities, including as an elected District 11 representative on the Champaign County Board. Nonetheless, Ammons falsely certified to the Illinois Department of Employment Security that she did not work and did not receive any wages while receiving benefits. As a result, she received unemployment insurance benefits to which she was not entitled, according to the indictment.
Ammons was served with a summons to appear in federal court in Urbana for arraignment on June 11, 2026. If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for each of the alleged crimes charged are a maximum of thirty years of imprisonment, a maximum five-year term of supervised release, a maximum $1 million fine, and restitution.
Agencies participating in the investigation include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene Miller is representing the government in the prosecution.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Eugene Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Enticing a Minor OnlineRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Eugene, Oregon, man was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison Wednesday for enticing a minor and the father of another minor to send sexually explicit images, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Gino J. Hinojos-Castle, 34, was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison and 5 years supervised release. He was ordered to pay restitution to the victims depicted in child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that agents learned he had exchanged with others online.
“The exploitation of children is among the most reprehensible crimes we prosecute,” said U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford. “Today’s 12-year sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct and the lasting harm these offenses inflict on victims. Our office, together with our law enforcement partners, remains committed to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those who exploit children, and to ensuring that offenders are held fully accountable under federal law.”
According to court documents, on August 12, 2024, and October 14, 2024, Hinojos-Castle used the social media platform Kik to chat with a minor and a father of another minor where he requested sexually explicit images of the minors. From June 2024 through July 2025, Hinojos-Castle sent CSAM to users on Kik and also sent several messages describing past instances in which he said he had sexually abused minors in a Eugene park.
On July 24, 2025, pursuant to a search warrant, agents seized Hinojos-Castle’s cellphone upon his arrival at the Eugene airport from an out of state trip. Agents found CSAM-related chat applications and CSAM, which he had traveled with from the state of Wyoming.
On September 18, 2025, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a six-count indictment charging Castle with attempted enticement of a minor, attempting to use a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct and transportation, distribution, and receipt of child pornography.
On January 28, 2026, Hinojos-Castle pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor.
The FBI investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought in collaboration with 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
Dover Man Indicted for Possession of Child Sex Abuse Materials and Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
Dover Man Indicted for Possession of Child Sex Abuse Materials and Child Exploitation
CONCORD – A Dover man was indicted this week for possession of child sex abuse materials (CSAM) and child exploitation, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Syrus McCauley, age 24, was indicted by a federal Grand Jury on one count of possession of and access with intent to view child pornography and two counts of child exploitation. He will appear in federal court in Concord on a later date.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, McCauley communicated with minor victims online via Snapchat and other platforms and persuaded them to create and send him CSAM on multiple occasions.
The charging statutes provides a sentence of up to 10 years for possession of CSAM and a minimum sentence of 15 years for child exploitation. 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.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Special Assistant U.S Attorney Heather Anderson is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. 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 better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Dealers in Fentanyl Deal in Death—Bronx Man Charged with Trafficking Fentanyl That Caused the Deaths of Three VictimsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Task Force Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Christopher Roberts, and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging ELVIN VILA with drug-trafficking crimes that led to three fatal overdoses. VILA was arrested and will be presented tomorrow before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary Stein.
“As a result of more than a million tragedies, we all have learned a simple and deeply disturbing truth: if you deal in fentanyl, you deal in death,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “As alleged, Elvin Vila sold fentanyl that killed three people, and he kept dealing even after his customers died from overdoses. He now faces justice. The women and men of the SDNY, the DEA, the NYPD, and all our tri-state area law enforcement partners are committed to holding dealers in death accountable.”
“Today’s arrest of Elvin Vila reflects the DEA’s unwavering commitment to target those individuals responsible for pushing fentanyl into our communities and the devasting harm it causes,” said DEA New York Task Force Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Roberts. “Mr. Vila’s drug trafficking activities not only allegedly claimed the lives of three individuals; they also left a trail of grief and heartbreak for the families and loved ones now forced to mourn their loss. Every life matters, and it is the DEA’s mission to hold accountable those responsible for taking them. The victims and their families deserve justice, and together with our law enforcement partners, we will work tirelessly to ensure they receive it.”
“This defendant made a business out of selling deadly fentanyl, and his actions contributed to the fatal overdoses of three people,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “He put profit over people’s lives again and again. Thanks to the tireless work of the NYPD detectives and our partners at the DEA and U.S. Attorney’s Office, he is finally out of this deadly business for good.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint and in materials submitted to the Court:
On dozens of occasions between 2023 and 2026, VILA was the leader of a drug-trafficking conspiracy whereby he drove from the Bronx to other locations to sell fentanyl to his customers. VILA’s drugs caused at least three overdose deaths: (i) the death of a 57-year-old man (“Victim-1”) on or about April 16, 2025, in Stamford, Connecticut; (ii) the death of a 32-year-old woman (“Victim-2”) on or about April 25, 2025, in Port Chester, New York; and (iii) the death of a 69-year-old man (“Victim-3”) on or about January 21, 2026, in Port Chester, New York.
In the month leading up to Victim-1’s death, VILA drove to sell narcotics to Victim-1 on at least 10 occasions. Several days after the last meeting, VILA sent Victim-1 several text messages asking if Victim-1 was “good” or “ok.” Despite Victim-1 not responding, because Victim-1 had overdosed and died, VILA continued selling deadly fentanyl, ultimately resulting in two additional fatal drug overdoses.
Approximately one day after his last unanswered text message to Victim-1, VILA delivered narcotics to Victim-3, who shared them with Victim-2. Approximately a week later, Victim-2 died of an overdose from the drugs that VILA distributed.
Following Victim-2’s death, VILA continued to make deliveries of narcotics to Victim-3, including on or about January 9, 2026. On January 21, 2026, Victim-3 died of an overdose from the drugs that VILA distributed.
On June 4, 2026, members of law enforcement searched Vila’s house in the Bronx pursuant to a judicially authorized search warrant. Among other things, the search revealed suspected narcotic powders; narcotics mixing and stamping equipment; numerous glassine envelopes for individual packaging; and a safe containing a gun, cash, and a ski mask. Photographs of some of the items recovered during the search warrant are shown below.
Suspected Narcotics and Glassine Envelopes
Stamping and Mixing Equipment
Gun, Cash, and Ski Mask
* * *
VILA, 50, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death and three counts of distribution of narcotics resulting in death, all of which carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA and the NYPD. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Port Chester Police Department, the Stamford Police Department, and the New York State Police for their invaluable assistance in this case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Getzel Berger is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
^
As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Dayton man pleads guilty to illegally possessing machinegunRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A defendant who was arrested as part of the Dayton downtown violent crime reduction initiative pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to illegally possessing a machinegun.
Rondell Coleman, 18, of Dayton, was indicted in February after Dayton police officers encountered Coleman during a domestic violence incident. Coleman admitted to carrying a stolen pistol with a machinegun conversion device in his pants. The pistol was loaded with ammunition and had a high-capacity magazine.
Coleman faces up to 10 years in prison. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Dayton Police Chief Eric Henderson announced the guilty plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Christina E. Mahy is representing the United States in this case.
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Coos County Oregon Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Coos County, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for distributing thousands of images and videos of the sexual exploitation of minors, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Ryan Scott Groce, 41, was sentenced to 98 months in federal prison and 5 years of supervised release. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
“Today's sentence sends a clear message: those who exploit children will face significant consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford. “Protecting children and pursuing justice for victims remain among the highest priorities of this office, and we will continue to use every available resource to combat child exploitation and abuse.”
“The volume of files distributed by Mr. Groce is staggering,” said HSI Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “The number of victims—many of whom remain unidentified—is deeply troubling. HSI remains committed to leading the global fight against child exploitation and will continue to investigate crimes targeting our most vulnerable population – our children.”
According to court documents, from November 15, 2023, through November 11, 2024, Groce distributed at least 15,000 files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. Investigators searched Groce’s cell phone and found file-sharing software actively downloading and uploading CSAM. Groce’s cell phone also contained over 1000 videos of CSAM.
On Aug. 21, 2025, Groce was charged by information with one count of distribution of child pornography. On Sept. 12, 2025, Groce pleaded guilty.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sweet prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children is encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought in collaboration with 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
Columbia Men Sentenced to Federal Prison After Breaking into Cars, Stealing Guns During ConcertRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Damion Walker, 25, and Malcolm Price, 38, both of Columbia have been sentenced to federal prison for being felons in possession of firearms.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on Nov. 18, 2022, Price and Walker were present on the campus of the University of South Carolina during a concert at the Colonial Life Arena. An officer with the University of South Carolina Police Department (USCPD) patrolled the area near the arena and saw Walker and Price near a vehicle with a broken window. The officer entered the parking lot to investigate, and Price and Walker left the parking lot with Price driving. USCPD officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and found Price and Walker in possession of four firearms, a window punch tool, and various personal effects stolen from multiple vehicles. Further investigation by USCPD found that Price, Walker, and a co-conspirator traveled to various parking lots around the Colonial Life Arena, broke into multiple vehicles, and stole firearms and other personal items belonging to attendees of the concert.
Price had prior convictions for strong arm robbery and domestic violence 2nd degree. Walker had prior convictions for failure to stop for a blue light and multiple convictions for breaking into motor vehicles and grand larceny of $10,000 or more. These convictions prevented them both from possessing firearms under federal law.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Damion Walker to 27 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. Judge Lydon sentenced Malcolm Price to 70 months imprisonment to be followed by a two-year term of court ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives., the University of South Carolina Police Department, and the City of Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall prosecuted the case.###
Cleveland, Oklahoma, Man Charged with Threatening to Assault and Murder a United States Senator and His FamilyRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, an indictment was unsealed charging a Cleveland, Oklahoma, man with eight counts related to threatening to assault and murder a Senator and his family.
David Glen Shuck, 63, is charged with three counts of Threatening to Assault and Murder a Member of Congress with Intent to Impede, Intimidate, Interfere, and Retaliate; three counts of Interstate Communication with a Threat to Injure; and two counts of Threatening to Assault and Murder an Immediate Family of a Member of Congress with Intent to Impede, Intimidate, Interfere, and Retaliate.
Court documents show that Shuck called a United States Senator on three separate occasions in March 2026. Shuck is charged with allegedly attempting to interfere and retaliate against a Senator by threatening to kill him and his family members.
The United States Capitol Police and the FBI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Michel and Stephane Ihler are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is part of the nationwide National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, which is a White House directed, interagency effort to integrate federal, state, and local partners in protecting First Amendment rights while targeting individuals and organizations engaged in political violence and is led by the investigative and prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vanguard.
Clairton Resident Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Clairton, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 216 months in prison, to be followed by 12 years of supervised release, on his convictions of production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Joseph Primiero, 28, on June 3, 2026.
According to information presented to the Court, on or about January 24, 2022, Primiero produced images and a video of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and then produced an image and videos of another minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct on or about June 27, 2022. Further, on or about May 22, 2024, Primiero possessed images and videos of other prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Allegheny County Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Primero.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Chicago Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chicago man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to sexually exploiting a 14-year-old minor victim from Massachusetts.
Joshua Rogers, 31, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Sept. 29, 2026. Roger was arrested in December 2025 in Chicago.
According to the charging documents, in July 2025, local law enforcement were notified of an individual purporting to be a 17-year-old boy named ‘John’ –later identified as Rogers – engaging in sexually explicit communications with a 14-year-old female minor victim on Snapchat. A review of cell phone data revealed numerous communications from Rogers in which he coerced the minor to engage in sexually explicit acts – many of which he demanded be documented by photo or video. In his communications, Rogers also discussed kidnapping the minor or the minor running away.
The charge of sexual exploitation of minors (and attempt and conspiracy) provides for a sentence of no less than 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime 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; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Chief Jennifer Paster of the Brookline Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Chicago Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
California Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material and Coercing and Enticing a MinorRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Rigoberto Rios Gallardo (33, Los Angeles, California) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge William F. Jung to 30 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for three counts of production of child sexual abuse material and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Rios Gallardo pleaded guilty on March 2, 2026.
According to court documents, Rios Gallardo initially met the 12-year-old victim on TikTok and began communicating with the victim on other internet-based applications including Telegram, Discord and Signal. On three dates in August and September 2024, Rios Gallardo used, persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced the victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual images. Between August 2024 and December 2024, Rios Gallardo knowingly persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced the victim to engage in sexual activity.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the North Port Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Buffalo man pleads guilty to machinegun chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jeremy Hinman, 26, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession and transfer of a machinegun, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
On April 27, 2023, an individual working with law enforcement met with Hinman to purchase a firearm and a “Glock switch,” also known as a machine gun conversion device. Hinman gave the individual a Glock 43x handgun and a conversion device in exchange for $1,400. Hinman explained the operation of the conversion device, specifically stating which actions would make a firearm operate in a semiautomatic versus automatic manner.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan DiGirolamo.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 1, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
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Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Stephen D. Nicholas, 31, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 24, 2024, Nicholas sold a substance containing 20.94 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Oak Hill, West Virginia, in exchange for $1,200. As part of his guilty plea, Nicholas admitted to conducting the transaction. Nicholas further admitted to selling a 27.91-gram mixture of fentanyl and heroin in exchange for $1,200 in Oak Hill on April 29, 2024, 10.87 grams of fentanyl in exchange for $600 in Fayetteville on May 2, 2024, and 10.93 grams of fentanyl in exchange for $600 in Fayetteville on May 7, 2024. All three transactions were with a confidential informant.
Nicholas also admitted that he intended to distribute 24.544 grams of fentanyl and 97.04 grams of cocaine seized by law enforcement while executing a search warrant on May 9, 2024, at a residence Nicholas was associated with in Oak Hill. Officers also seized four firearms, assorted ammunition including three loaded AR-15 magazines, and $2,484 including $600 in prerecorded buy money from the controlled purchases during the search.
Nicholas is scheduled to be sentenced on September 17, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Central Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-33.
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Austin Woman Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Theft of More Than $1.7 Million from a Federally Funded Non-Profit OrganizationRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Star Rana Jackson, who was employed for more than ten years at the American Indian Center of Arkansas (AICA) and for a period of time served as the Executive Director before her termination, will spend the next 48 months in federal prison for wire fraud. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, by United States District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr.
On January 14, 2026, an Information was filed with the federal district court charging Jackson, 50, of Austin, with one count of wire fraud. Jackson pleaded guilty that same day to the charge in the Information. Judge Marshall also sentenced Jackson to three years’ supervised release and ordered Jackson to pay $1,788,858.99 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system.
The AICA is a non-profit organization entirely funded by federal grants from the Department of Labor, Department of Education, and the Department of Health and Human Services. The AICA provides services to indigenous people living in Arkansas, as well as others in need. After having been employed by AICA for several years, Jackson was appointed executive director in October 2022 before being terminated in May 2025. While serving as Executive Director, Jackson was the sole person with access to the federal payment management system and who completed withdrawals for grants that were awarded to AICA.
An investigation revealed that during her tenure as Executive Director of AICA, Jackson completed a withdrawal of funds on approximately June 24, 2024, from the Department of Education grant in the amount of $30,000. The grant funds were deposited into an account opened by Jackson and without the knowledge of AICA’s Board of Directors. On or about June 27, 2024, Jackson completed another withdrawal of funds from a Department of Health and Human Services grant in the amount of $40,000. Those grant funds were deposited into a non-active AICA account that Jackson still had access to, along with grant funds from the Department of Education in the amount of $15,000 on or about July 1, 2024. Through the investigation, it was determined that Jackson used an online payment platform to send a payment of $10,000 to a separate financial institution using a bank account that was in the name of Jackson and her husband.
Jackson made several withdrawals of grant funds over a period of three months while serving as Executive Director and completed approximately 180 deposits directly from AICA accounts for her own personal use. The investigation also revealed Jackson purchased cashier’s checks with AICA funds to make unauthorized purchases and used AICA funds to pay for unauthorized subscription streaming services. Jackson embezzled over $1.7 million of the grant funds.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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@USAO_EDAR
American citizen pleads guilty to working as an agent for the PRCRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Thomas Weir Pauken II, 50, an American citizen who lived and worked in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), pled guilty today to acting as an agent of a foreign government within the United States.
According to court documents, from at least 2019 until February 2026, Pauken worked at the direction and control of people he knew worked for the PRC, including a person he met in 2017 identified as “Cathy.” Cathy provided Pauken with taskings, including meeting with potential intelligence assets, providing them with devices such as a laptop and cellphone to communicate with Cathy, providing taskings for the assets on what information was required, and providing Cathy with reports from the assets.
Pauken received at least $100,000 for his work with Cathy. Cathy also paid for Pauken to travel several times between 2019 through 2025 from China to meet with individuals in the United States who could provide Pauken, and ultimately Cathy and the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), with information.
Pauken worked for two other people in China whom he met in 2017 and knew as “Richard” and “William.” They told Pauken that reports he wrote for them went to Japan, but Pauken believed they worked for the PRC government.
Pauken also sold reports to a group of Chinese individuals from Wuhan who sought information about technology and the U.S. Department of Justice. The Wuhan clients wanted Pauken to find an expert to help them engage in cyber espionage.
Pauken is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 1 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Philadelphia Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gavin R. Tisdale the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Elis Ross of the Counterintelligence & Export Control Section of the National Security Division are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:26-cr-103.
American Citizen Pleads Guilty to Working as an Agent for the People's Republic of ChinaRead the Press Release
Thomas Weir Pauken II, 50, an American citizen who lived and worked in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), pleaded guilty today to acting as an agent of a foreign government within the United States.
“In effect, Pauken admitted to being part of a conspiracy to obtain sensitive information from the U.S. government for the PRC,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “His actions are a betrayal of this Nation and pose an unacceptable risk to our national security. NSD remains committed to safeguarding information essential to our national security, including through appropriate prosecution.”
“By his own admission, not only did Thomas Pauken attempt to infiltrate U.S. political circles at the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security, but he gathered intelligence on his American targets and reported it back to his Chinese intelligence handlers,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “This case illustrates the lengths to which the Chinese Communist Party will go to undermine our democratic institutions and degrade our political freedoms, but it also demonstrates the FBI’s resolve to defend the homeland from threats to our national security. Let this plea serve as a clear warning: If you attempt to help a foreign adversary as an unregistered agent in the U.S., the FBI will find you and bring you to justice.”
According to court documents, from at least 2019 until February 2026, Pauken worked at the direction and control of people he knew worked for the PRC, including a person he met in 2017 identified as “Cathy.” Cathy provided Pauken with taskings, including meeting with potential intelligence assets, providing them with devices such as a laptop and cellphone to communicate with Cathy, providing taskings for the assets on what information was required, and providing Cathy with reports from the assets.
Pauken received at least $100,000 for his work with Cathy. Cathy also paid for Pauken to travel several times between 2019 through 2025 from China to meet with individuals in the United States who could provide Pauken, and ultimately Cathy and the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), with information.
Pauken worked for two other people in China whom he met in 2017 and knew as “Richard” and “William.” They told Pauken that reports he wrote for them went to Japan, but Pauken believed they worked for the PRC government.
Pauken also sold reports to a group of Chinese individuals from Wuhan who sought information about technology and the U.S. Department of Justice. The Wuhan clients wanted Pauken to find an expert to help them engage in cyber espionage.
Pauken is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 1 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Philadelphia Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Trial Attorney Eli Ross of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gavin R. Tisdale for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
Note: The Assistant Attorney General's quote has been updated from the previous version
Agency Village Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a man from Agency Village, South Dakota, convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death. The sentencing took place June 1, 2026.
Canaan Renville, 27, was sentenced to 21 years and 10 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.
Renville was indicted for of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death by a federal grand jury in May 2025. He pleaded guilty on November 17, 2025.
On October 9, 2024, law enforcement responded to a residence in Sisseton, where they found a deceased male victim in the living room of his apartment. Near the victim’s body was a small piece of aluminum foil with trace amounts of fentanyl powder. An autopsy confirmed the victim’s cause of death as fentanyl toxicity. A search of the victim’s cell phone revealed a series of messages between him and Renville indicating that the victim had been purchasing fentanyl from Renville. The messages showed that the victim had purchased fentanyl from Renville only hours before his death. Investigators executed a search warrant on Renville’s residence and found both fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder. Renville admitted selling the fentanyl powder to the victim that resulted in the overdose and death.
“At the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, we depend on strong partnerships to confront the fentanyl crisis,” said Deputy Associate Director Tom Atkinson. “The significant sentence in this case reflects the deadly harm caused by fentanyl and highlights our outstanding partnerships with the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribe.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the FBI, the Sisseton Police Department, and the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribal Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Renville was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Addiction Recovery Care Founder Indicted for Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY- The founder and owner of Addiction Recovery Care, LLC (ARC), Timmy G. Robinson, Jr., 50, was indicted on Thursday for one count of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering.
The indictment alleges that in July 2025, Robinson caused ARC to enter into a sales agreement wherein the buyer made a $2.7 million advance payment in exchange for ARC’s rights to an anticipated tax refund from the IRS called an Employee Retention Credit (ERC). This ERC was calculated based on ARC’s payroll information for the first quarter of 2021. In September 2025, Robinson caused ARC to assign its rights to another ERC, based on the second quarter of 2021 payroll, to the same buyer. According to the indictment, in November 2025, notwithstanding these prior sales and assignments, Robinson caused ARC to sell the very same assets – its first and second quarter 2021 ERCs – to a second buyer. Robinson falsely represented that the assets were available to purchase and, in an electronically signed sales agreement transmitted via interstate wire, falsely represented that the assets had not previously been sold or encumbered. As a result, the second buyer paid ARC a $4.7 million advance payment for the ERCs on November 12, 2025. This conduct is alleged to constitute wire fraud. Robinson then engaged in significant monetary transactions with these proceeds, which are alleged to constitute money laundering. According to the indictment, when the IRS issued the ERC payments to ARC in December 2025, Robinson directed ARC not to repay either buyer.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigations, Detroit Field Division; and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the indictment.
The investigation was conducted by the IRS-Criminal Investigations and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul McCaffrey is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
A date for Robinson appear in court has not yet been scheduled. Robinson faces up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud charge and 10 years in prison on each of the money laundering charges.
Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial where the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Aberdeen Woman Sentenced for Child Sexual Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – An Aberdeen, Maryland, woman learned her fate in federal court, today, for committing child sexual exploitation crimes.
U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Ashley Graybeal, 27, to 17 ½ years in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for sex trafficking a child, sexually exploiting a child, and distributing child sexual abuse material. Graybeal pled guilty to the charges in February 2026.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI – Baltimore Field Office; Alison M. Healey, Harford County State's Attorney; and Sheriff Jeff Gahler, Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
According to court documents, in January 2025, Graybeal began using her Kik account to contact other Kik users. She offered other Kik users sexually explicit images of two minor victims, or to perform sex acts with the two children via livestream, in exchange for money.
Graybeal then sent sexually explicit images of the two children to other Kik users and received payment for those images through an online banking app. The images were reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children through their Cybertipline, in February 2025, and law enforcement acted quickly to intervene and recover the two children.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office, and Harford County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn and Reema Sood who prosecuted this federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Abbeville Man Who Fled to Mexico Convicted on Federal Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Today, United States Attorney Thomas Govan announced the conviction of an Abbeville, Alabama, man on federal methamphetamine and firearms charges.
On June 2, 2026, a federal jury convicted 42-year-old Cassime Dion Lingo of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and receipt of a firearm while under indictment for a 2017 felony drug offense in Houston County, Alabama.
“The defendant’s decision to flee to Mexico delayed justice, but it did not prevent it,” said U.S. Attorney Govan. “I commend the United States Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners for their diligence in locating the defendant, securing his return to the United States, and ensuring that he was held accountable for his crimes.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Lingo’s residence in April 2021. During the search, officers recovered more than 100 grams of methamphetamine, two firearms, and additional controlled substances, including cocaine, MDMA tablets, and marijuana.
Following his arrest on state charges, Lingo was released on bond and fled to Mexico. After a federal indictment was returned, the United States Marshals Service (USMS) worked with law enforcement partners to locate Lingo in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2022. In 2025, Mexican authorities deported Lingo to the United States, where he was taken into USMS custody.
Following a two-day trial in Dothan, Alabama, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all three counts charged in the indictment. Lingo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, consisting of a 10-year mandatory minimum term for the methamphetamine offense and a consecutive 5-year mandatory minimum term for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine Lingo’s sentence after considering the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Alabama Drug Task Force, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, the Eufaula Police Department, and the Abbeville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Christine Levi and John J. Geer III are prosecuting the case.
3 June 2026
Wyatt Detention Facility Inmate Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Prison Contraband ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – An inmate housed at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls pleaded guilty today in federal court in Rhode Island to possession of prison contraband and possession with intent to distribute multiple controlled substances, including fentanyl.
Brian Slutzkin, “aka” Lello Brian Bongiorno, age 41, admitted that he possessed controlled substances that he concealed on his person while incarcerated at the Wyatt Detention Facility, with the intent to distribute them to others.
Slutzkin is scheduled to be sentenced on September 24, 2026. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, a search of Slutzkin revealed a sock hidden on his person containing seven balloons crafted from latex gloves. Examination determined the balloons contained distributable quantities of a powder containing fentanyl, pills containing oxycodone hydrochloride and acetaminophen, strips containing buprenorphine and naloxone, and marijuana.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and investigators at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility.
Used Car Salesman Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Defrauding Customers Seeking Wheelchair-Accessible VehiclesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Edward Scott Rock, 50, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 41 months in prison, three years of supervised release, $1,457,617 in victim restitution, and a forfeiture judgment of $1,469,617 by United States District Chief Judge Wendy Beetlestone for a non-delivery sales scheme in which Rock accepted payment for, but failed to deliver, more than 100 vehicles and caused victims significant financial losses.
The defendant was charged by indictment in December 2023 and pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud in October of last year.
As detailed in court filings, between 2019 and 2023, Rock, a used car salesman in Northeast Philadelphia, advertised and accepted payment for, but failed to deliver, wheelchair accessible vehicles to dozens of unsuspecting customers.
He repeatedly lied to clients, forged Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) compliance letters, fabricated excuses for non-delivery, sold the same vehicle to multiple buyers, accepted payment for non-existent vehicles, used family accounts to conceal his transactions, passed bad checks, stopped payment on refunds, and converted his victims’ funds into cash.
Rock’s victims included people with disabilities and elderly customers, along with medical transport companies, senior living homes, and other small businesses.
Altogether, Rock fraudulently took in over $2.5 million from more than 100 victims over the course of three years. While some victims were subsequently refunded, often with money received from the scheme’s later victims, over 75 victims remain unpaid and without their purchased vehicle, and more than $1.45 million in fraudulently obtained proceeds remains unreturned by Rock.
To induce buyers to purchase vehicles, Rock sometimes used a forged letter to falsely certify that the vehicles listed for sale were ADA-compliant and had undergone a conversion with a reputable manufacturer of wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
On several occasions, Rock sold the same vehicle to multiple customers. After agreeing to sale terms and accepting payment from a customer for a particular vehicle, Rock continued to list, sell, and accept payment for that same vehicle again, this time from a new victim-purchaser.
For example, Rock agreed to sell the same wheelchair-accessible 2017 Ford T150 van to 16 different buyers over an 11-month period between February 2022 and January 2023. He collected more than $330,000 in payments for this accessible van from various buyers, eventually delivering it to one purchaser without proper title, and leaving the other buyers without their vehicle.
This case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department Major Crimes Auto Squad and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Consumer Protection, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Samuel S. Dalke and Jessica Rice.
United States Attorney’s Office and FBI Crack Down on Aircraft Lasing as Maui Man Awaits SentencingRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii, in partnership with the FBI and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is working to identify and prosecute those endangering aircraft with laser pointers. Shining a laser at an aircraft can impair a pilot’s vision—sometimes permanently—during critical moments of flight. These incidents present a serious safety risk to everyone on board the aircraft and to the communities below.
“Hawaii has one of the highest rates of aircraft lasing in the nation,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “That is simply unacceptable. Pointing a laser at an aircraft is highly dangerous, illegal, and will be met with the full force of federal law enforcement. My office is committed to working with the FBI and other law enforcement partners, as well as with the FAA, to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.”
Federal law treats aircraft lasing as a serious criminal offense. Knowingly aiming a laser pointer beam at an aircraft or its flight path is a federal felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to five years. Where the aircraft is federally operated, lasing the aircraft can also constitute assault on a federal officer. Individuals who aid and abet such conduct, or even those who act as accessories after the fact, may also face federal prosecution.
Jesse Kong, 33, of Maui, Hawaii, pled guilty in federal court on April 15, 2026, to being an accessory after the fact to a laser-pointer assault on a federal pilot. He faces up to 6 months of imprisonment for that crime. Kong admitted in his plea agreement to purchasing a laser pointer online and loaning it to an associate who, in Kong’s presence, aimed the laser at a federal aircraft and into its cockpit, disorienting the pilot and interfering with the aircraft’s operations. Shortly after the incident, FBI agents intercepted Kong and his associate, questioning both, and Kong falsely represented that the individuals responsible had already left the scene, thereby assisting his associate in eluding apprehension. Kong is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17, 2026.
As Kong’s prosecution shows, the FBI can swiftly track down those responsible for laser strikes on aircraft.
Image 1. Still from video footage of aircraft lasing incident involving Kong.
Image 2. Still of video footage of individuals near laser origin in incident involving Kong.
As video footage of various aircraft lasing incidents demonstrates, shining a laser at an aircraft can significantly impair a pilot’s field of vision and presents a danger to those in the aircraft and on the ground.
“Aiming a laser at an aircraft is not a prank; it is a direct assault on the safety of the pilot, the passengers, and everyone on the ground below,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “These high-powered beams can instantly impair a pilot’s vision during the most critical phases of flight, turning a routine journey into a potential catastrophe. We use every resource at our disposal to track the illegal use of these lasers back to the source. If you light up the sky and an aircraft, expect us to come knocking at your door.”
“The FBI’s action demonstrates the positive safety impacts of working closely with our law enforcement partners. During the first five months of 2026, we have seen a 10.6% decrease in laser strikes in Hawaii. This is an example of how support of the FAA’s ‘Lose the Laser’ campaign is getting results,” said FAA Associate Administrator for Security and Intelligence Ben Supko.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also warns that laser pointers sold online are often mislabeled as to classification and power output. Devices marketed as low-powered, handheld pointers may in fact emit laser radiation at much higher power levels than advertised. Some handheld devices can start fires and cause severe ocular damage.
Pilots and aviation personnel should report laser strikes immediately to air traffic control and the FAA. Members of the public who witness someone pointing a laser at an aircraft are encouraged to contact authorities.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Slack is prosecuting the case.
United States Announces $36.5 Million Settlement of Medicare Fraud Lawsuit Against Matrix Medical NetworkRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), Naomi Gruchacz, announced that the United States has settled a civil healthcare fraud lawsuit against COMMUNITY CARE HEALTH NETWORK, LLC, D/B/A MATRIX MEDICAL NETWORK (“MATRIX”), a health services company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, that contracts with Medicare Advantage Organizations (“MAOs”) to perform in-home health assessments of Medicare patients. The settlement resolves claims that MATRIX violated the False Claim Act by causing the MAOs to submit to the Government false and invalid patient diagnoses for certain chronic conditions, thereby artificially inflating the Medicare payments the MAOs received for providing insurance coverage to patients enrolled in their plans. The Government alleges that MATRIX focused on reporting diagnoses that could lead to higher payments for its client MAOs, instead of ensuring that all of its diagnoses were appropriate and well-supported.
Under the settlement, which was approved by U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter, MATRIX will pay the United States a total sum of $36.5 million. MATRIX made extensive factual admissions in the settlement regarding its conduct, including that in numerous instances MATRIX reported certain conditions where its health assessment forms did not contain sufficient clinical information to support the diagnosis. In connection with the settlement, MATRIX also entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (“CIA”) with HHS-OIG. The CIA requires MATRIX to implement numerous accountability and auditing measures. In particular, MATRIX must conduct annual risk assessments and other monitoring, and an independent review organization will conduct compliance reviews focused on MATRIX’s systems, processes, and procedures relating to MATRIX’s risk adjustment activities and MATRIX’s services provided to Medicare Advantage plan enrollees.
“For years, Matrix generated false and invalid diagnoses for patients enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans that were later reported to the Government,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Matrix advertised its ability to identify new diagnosis codes that would boost Medicare Advantage insurers’ payments, and it delivered on that promise by reporting lucrative diagnoses that frequently fell well short of meeting recognized clinical criteria. Matrix did so to generate business for itself, at the expense of the public fisc. New Yorkers hate fraud that drains public funds. Why? Because New Yorkers are smart and they know fraud involving taxpayer-funded programs costs all New Yorkers. This Office is proud to join with the rest of the Department, including the National Fraud Enforcement Division, to hold perpetrators of fraud accountable in Medicare and other contexts.”
“Matrix manipulated Medicare managed care’s reimbursement structure for financial gain,” said HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz. “By generating unsupported and clinically invalid diagnoses, Matrix undermined the integrity of federal health care programs and put profits above patients. This settlement demonstrates our unwavering commitment to holding entities accountable when they inflate Medicare payments through improper practices and fail to uphold the standards beneficiaries deserve.”
The Medicare Advantage program, also known as Medicare Part C, allows Medicare beneficiaries to opt out of traditional Medicare and enroll in health plans that are administered by private insurance companies known as MAOs. The MAOs contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) to provide traditional Medicare coverage to beneficiaries enrolled in their plans in exchange for capitated payments. CMS adjusts these capitated payments based on the health status of each beneficiary as determined through diagnoses submitted by the MAOs. Specifically, CMS uses these diagnoses, along with demographic factors, to calculate a Risk Adjustment Factor (“RAF”) score for each member and, in turn, the amount of the monthly payment it will pay the MAO for covering that member, pursuant to the Hierarchical Condition Category (“HCC”) model. In general, CMS pays insurers more for sicker beneficiaries likely to incur higher healthcare expenses and less for healthier beneficiaries. Diagnosis codes submitted to CMS must be supported by the beneficiaries’ medical records and be accurate, complete, and truthful, based on the best knowledge, information, and belief of the MAO making the submission.
As alleged in the Government’s Complaint:
MATRIX contracts with MAOs to conduct health assessments of Medicare Advantage plan members in their homes. Based on these in-home assessments, MATRIX provides diagnosis codes to the MAOs for ultimate submission to CMS as part of the MAOs’ risk adjustment data. The MAOs paid MATRIX a fee, generally in the range of $350 to $450, for each assessment. CMS relies on this risk adjustment data, including the medical diagnosis codes, to determine the payments paid to the MAOs for each beneficiary. As a “first-tier entity” that contracts with MAOs, MATRIX is required to certify the accuracy and truthfulness of the data it generates relating to claims for payment submitted by MAOs.
During the period from 2014 to 2019, MATRIX knowingly caused MAOs to submit false and invalid diagnoses of the following chronic medical conditions to CMS for risk adjustment purposes: proliferative diabetic retinopathy, drug-induced polyneuropathy, rheumatoid polyneuropathy, atrial fibrillation, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and simple chronic bronchitis (the “Invalid Diagnoses”). MATRIX reported the Invalid Diagnoses to MAOs based on its in-home assessments even though: (a) there was not sufficient information to support the diagnoses; (b) the diagnoses did not conform with the guidelines for coding and reporting diagnoses as required by CMS; and (c) the conditions were frequently not diagnosed by any other healthcare provider who saw the beneficiary during the year in which the home visit occurred or in the preceding two years or subsequent two years. As a result of the reporting of these Invalid Diagnoses, the MAOs obtained inflated risk adjustment payments from CMS to which they were not entitled.
MATRIX’s home visit program was designed in large part to identify additional diagnosis codes that could be reported to CMS to increase patient risk scores, and therefore the capitated payments that the MAOs received for their plan members. MATRIX regularly recorded Invalid Diagnoses for complex conditions without performing the testing, imaging, or other diagnostic clinical steps necessary to establish those diagnoses. The purpose of the home visits was not to treat patients’ medical conditions; indeed, MATRIX did not provide medical treatment or prescribe medications as part of the home visits. Nor did it refer the patients to specialists for follow-up care, other than generalized suggestions that the patient follow up with their doctors.
MATRIX marketed its services to MAOs in part by representing that the in-home assessments would allow MAOs to capture diagnoses for use in the risk adjustment process that had not been reported by the plan members’ other providers. In marketing and other materials provided to MAOs, MATRIX advertised its ability to find and document diagnoses that were not otherwise reported by a patient’s primary care physicians and would therefore increase a patient’s risk adjustment score and the MAOs’ payments. For example, Matrix advertised its ability to secure HCC “Lift,” meaning to make diagnoses that resulted in higher HCC disease scores and, thus, higher risk adjustment payments. MATRIX also advertised and calculated the “increase in RAF score” from MATRIX’s assessments and estimated the amount by which the diagnoses MATRIX identified increased the risk adjustment payments received by the MAOs.
MATRIX’s in-home assessments were typically conducted by nurse practitioners. Based on the visit, the nurse practitioner completed an electronic, check-the-box form concerning the individual’s reported medical history and the results of a basic physical assessment. MATRIX’s coding teams later reviewed the assessment forms and diagnoses listed and identified the applicable diagnosis codes to be sent to the MAOs for ultimate submission to CMS as part of their risk adjustment data. Additionally, after the visits, MATRIX’s “Quality Improvement” staff reviewed the diagnoses entered to assess whether the nurse practitioner had any “missed” diagnoses, which they then urged the nurse practitioner to add. At times, MATRIX even added diagnoses without the nurse practitioner’s signoff.
The Invalid Diagnoses generated by the MATRIX home visits did not conform to the International Classification of Diseases (“ICD”) Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting (the “ICD Guidelines”), as required by applicable federal regulations. The diagnoses did not affect patient care, treatment, or management during the home visit, as required under the ICD Guidelines, and thus were ineligible for risk adjustment. In addition, the Invalid Diagnoses were not supported by the minimal information recorded on the MATRIX assessment forms, in violation of the ICD Guidelines’ medical record documentation requirement.
Through the operation of its home assessment program, MATRIX reported codes for thousands of Invalid Diagnoses to MAOs, which in turn submitted those codes to CMS. Based on these unlawful false claims, the MAOs improperly received millions of dollars in risk adjustment payments from CMS, in violation of the False Claims Act.
As part of the settlement, MATRIX admitted and accepted responsibility for certain conduct alleged by the Government including the following:
- MATRIX contracted with over 30 MAOs to conduct health assessments of Medicare Part C plan members in their homes.
- The in-home assessments were typically performed by nurse practitioners, who collected health histories and medication information, conducted physical exams, and documented diagnostic information on electronic health assessment forms. The nurse practitioners did not provide clinical medical treatment to the plan members or prescribe medications.
- Certain contracts with MAOs required MATRIX to, among other things, assist the MAO in “capturing Member diagnoses for use in [MAO’s] risk adjustment process” and report on the MAO’s “ROI,” or return on investment. MATRIX calculated an MAO’s ROI based, in part, on the estimated increase in Medicare Part C reimbursements received by the MAO that was attributable to risk score increases resulting from Matrix assessments.
- MATRIX’s in-home assessments resulted in diagnoses of plan members, and the submission to CMS of resulting risk-adjusting diagnosis codes, that frequently had not been reported by any other healthcare provider who treated the plan member during the year in which the home visit occurred or during the two years before and after the calendar year in which the home visit occurred.
- In numerous instances, MATRIX reported the following conditions to MAOs where the health assessment forms did not contain sufficient clinical information to support the diagnosis: proliferative diabetic retinopathy; drug-induced polyneuropathy; rheumatoid polyneuropathy; atrial fibrillation; rheumatoid arthritis; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and simple chronic bronchitis. The MAOs in turn frequently submitted the diagnosis codes corresponding to those conditions to CMS for risk adjustment purposes, which often resulted in the MAOs receiving higher Medicare Part C reimbursements.
In connection with the filing of the lawsuit and settlement, the Government joined a private whistleblower lawsuit that had been filed under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act.
In a separate settlement announced today by the Civil Division of the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, DPN USA d/b/a HealthFair (“HealthFair”), a company acquired by MATRIX in 2018 that performed health assessments on mobile health care buses, and HealthFair’s prior owner Shahriah “James” Ekbatani, are agreeing to resolve separate allegations that HealthFair knowingly reported certain diagnoses to MAOs that were unsupported, unsubstantiated, and/or invalid on the basis of these mobile assessments.
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Mr. Clayton thanked HHS-OIG for its assistance with this case.
This case is being handled by the Civil Frauds Unit within the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachael Doud and Ilan Stein are in charge of the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Seeks Potential Victims in Case Against Columbia, Missouri DoctorRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – In April of 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Missouri announced that a federal grand jury charged physician Jonathan Wayne Morris with health care fraud and illegal prescribing crimes related to his clinic, located at 619-621 N. Providence Road, Columbia, Missouri 65203.
The indictment alleges that from at least August 6, 2021, to at least April 8, 2025, Morris engaged in a pattern of issuing and causing to be issued controlled substance prescriptions outside of the usual course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose, including by giving controlled substance prescriptions to individuals that, as Morris knew, had substance use disorders and individuals with whom he had sexual relations. The indictment also alleges that from at least May 1, 2019, to at least April 8, 2025, Morris defrauded Medicare and Missouri Medicaid by billing them for services that falsely represented Morris as the rendering provider when, in fact, those services were rendered not by Morris, but by assistant physicians, medical school graduates who have not entered a residency program and therefore require training and supervision by a fully licensed physician.
The indictment alleges that, during the same timeframe, Morris caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement to the Medicare and Missouri Medicaid for controlled substance prescriptions that were not eligible for reimbursement, in that such prescriptions were issued other than in the course and scope of professional practice and in violation of federal law.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
On May 27, 2026, U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen R. Welby issued an order directing the government to employ alternative victim notification procedures so that any member of the community who believes they may be a crime victim is made aware of their potential rights.
The government is asking members of the community who believe they may be a victim of illegal prescribing of controlled substances or fraudulent billing practices by Dr. Morris to contact the Victim-Witness Unit at USAMOE.Victims@usdoj.gov.
Former patients of Morris or their families may still be facing the aftermath of illegal prescribing of controlled substances or fraudulent billing practices. The victim-witness program provides information, services and support to individuals during federal prosecutions.
Case updates will be provided on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmo/pr.
Please also be aware of these free, confidential resources that may be of assistance:
- Always call 911 if it’s a life-threatening emergency.
- To find supportive services, dial 2-1-1 to call United Way. Operational hours are 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday. If you call after hours, please leave a message. Phone calls will be returned the next business day. 2-1-1 provides information and referral service that connect people to vital community, health and social services provided by a range of nonprofit, government and tribal agencies.
- SAMHSA has a national helpline to assist with finding behavioral health support or substance use management at 800-662-HELP (4357), TTY: 800-487-4889, or online at findtreatment.gov. Calls are manned 24/7 and are routed to the DHSS Division of Behavioral Health during DHSS operational hours.
- Help is available 24/7 through Missouri's Crisis Hotline (https://dmh.mo.gov/behavioral-health/treatment-services/specialized-programs/crisis-services), 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you or someone you know is in a mental health, suicide or substance use crisis; reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or the 988 Lifeline Chat.
Three Illegal Aliens with Prior Felony Convictions Charged for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – Three Mexican nationals unlawfully residing in Las Vegas made their initial court appearances yesterday to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country.
Rodolfo Arnoldo Campillo-Castro, Carlos Joaquin Lopez-Orozco, and Hugo Cesar Astorga-Nunez, all citizens of Mexico, are each charged with one count of deported alien found in the United States. Preliminary hearings for all three defendants are scheduled for June 16, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts.
According to allegations contained in the criminal complaints and statements made during court proceedings, Campillo-Castro, Lopez-Orozco, and Astorga-Nunez were all previously deported and removed from the United States and reentered the United States illegally.
On August 14, 2025, officers with the North Las Vegas Police Department arrested Campillo-Castro for trafficking in controlled substance. On May 29, 2026, after serving a term of 16 to 40 months in prison for Conspiracy to Violate Uniform Controlled Substances Act, Campillo-Castro was remanded by the Nevada Department of Corrections to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in Las Vegas, Nevada. Campillo-Castro had been previously deported to Mexico on or about January 13, 2009.
On May 17, 2024, officers with the North Las Vegas Police Department arrested Lopez-Orozco for trafficking in controlled substance. On May 21, 2026, after serving a term of 24 to 60 months in prison for trafficking in controlled substance, Lopez-Orozco was remanded by the Nevada Department of Corrections to ICE custody in Las Vegas, Nevada. Lopez-Orozco had been previously deported to Mexico on or about March 26, 2019.
On May 19, 2026, ICE, Las Vegas, Field Operations Team, while conducting targeted enforcement activities, arrested Astorga-Nunez. Astorga-Nunez, who had been previously deported to Mexico on or about May 24, 2011, and again on or about December 2, 2017. Astorga-Nunez has prior felony convictions for Possession of Controlled Substance with Intent to Sell, Conspiracy to Violate Uniform Controlled Substances Act, and Transport of a Controlled Substance.
If convicted, Astorga-Nunez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
If convicted, Campillo-Castro and Lopez-Orozco each face a maximum statutory penalty of two years in prison, a one-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Acting Field Office Director Alejandro Almeida made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Ten-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 33 months in prison for illegally possessing stolen firearms as a ten-time convicted felon.
According to court documents, David Vincent Primm, 28, admitted to illegally possessing two firearms that had been reported stolen during vehicle burglaries. On March 1, 2025, police responded to a call of a vehicle break-in and theft in a residential neighborhood of Mobile. The victim had a Sig Sauer and a Glock pistol stolen from a vehicle parked in his backyard. Later that same day, a second victim who lived down the street from the first victim called police and reported that an intruder had burglarized her vehicle and stolen her debit card and driver’s license. Days later, the second victim notified police that someone had incurred more than $700 in fraudulent charges on her stolen debit card at a Walmart, a hair salon, and a smoke shop. Surveillance videos from those locations depicted Primm using the victim’s stolen debit card.
On March 10, 2025, police executed a search warrant to locate and arrest Primm at an apartment complex in Mobile. Officers found Primm hiding inside a bedroom closet piling clothing on top of himself. Primm briefly tried to run away from officers, who detained him and seized his cell phone to obtain a warrant to search its contents. Primm admitted to police that he had used the second victim’s stolen debit card. He further admitted that an individual had given him the first victim’s stolen Sig Sauer and Glock pistols to sell to another person. Primm said he received $250 for the stolen guns and kept $50 of the illicit proceeds as his “cut.”
Officers searched Primm’s phone, which contained pictures of the first victim’s stolen Sig Sauer and Glock pistols with the serial numbers visible. Primm admitted that he took the photos of the guns as part of his effort to sell them. At the time Primm illegally possessed the stolen guns, he admitted he knew he had ten prior felony convictions, including six convictions for breaking and entering vehicles and four convictions for credit card fraud. Under federal law, Primm’s felony convictions rendered his possession of any firearms unlawful.
In addition to the 33-month prison sentence, Chief U.S. District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock ordered Primm to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will be subject to drug testing and will receive mental health evaluation and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Chief Judge Beaverstock ordered Primm to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Statement from the Civil Division on U.S. District Court Ruling in Rhode IslandRead the Press Release
The Civil Division issued the following statement on a recent ruling in the District of Rhode Island:
“Department of Justice attorneys are properly held to the highest standards of ethical conduct. In a May 13, 2026 order, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island accused Civil Division attorneys of misrepresenting or withholding information in litigation concerning certain administrative subpoenas.
“Such accusations against Department attorneys are rare and serious. The Department treats them accordingly and is committed to taking all appropriate remedial action where warranted.
“The Civil Division has thoroughly reviewed the District Court’s allegations and concluded that they are without merit. Our attorneys did not misrepresent facts, withhold relevant information, or otherwise mislead the Court. The Department stands behind its attorneys without reservation and has appealed the District Court’s erroneous order.”
South Bend Man Sentenced to 32 Months in Prison for Controlled Substance OffenseRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Steven Briones, 37 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Briones was sentenced to 32 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
“Investigators intercepted two postal packages containing thousands of pressed methamphetamine pills and obtained a search warrant for Briones’ house after they watched another person go into his house carrying the two packages. While executing the search warrant, investigators found a Ziploc bag that contained about 64 grams of orange pressed methamphetamine pills packed away in Briones’ living room chest. Thanks to the combined efforts of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the South Bend Police Department, the Mishawaka Police Department, and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office led by Ken Cotter and AUSA Lydia Lucius, the poison was intercepted, and the Defendant is going to prison,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the South Bend Police Department, the Mishawaka Police Department, and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius.
Shreveport Resident Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Robert Thomas Richardson, age 43, of Shreveport, Louisiana, entered a guilty plea to one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The Indictment alleged that Richardson was convicted of Rape by Instrumentation, in Rogers County on September 30, 2004, and Rape in the Second Degree, in Rogers County on December 21, 2010, and was required to register as a sex offender, and that from September 18, 2024, until January 17, 2026, Richardson failed to register and update his registration despite traveling in interstate commerce and entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the United States Marshals Service.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Richardson will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.
Scam Center Strike Force Announces Results of U.S. & Private Industry “Disruption Week”Read the Press Release
The Department of Justice, through U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, today announced the results of a first-of-its-kind event combining the focus of government entities and private industries to tackle cyber-enabled and cryptocurrency fraud targeting Americans.
During “Disruption Week,” the private sector took voluntary action to interrupt millions of social media, email, and internet access accounts used by transnational organized crime actors in Southeast Asia that were being used to defraud Americans, and the government shared information which enabled private sector actors to voluntarily freeze over $3.8 million in cryptocurrency involved in laundering of funds stolen from Americans.
“Cyber-enabled and crypto investment fraud is devastating Main Street Americans, wiping out life savings and preying on some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “We will not allow transnational scammers or the Chinese organized crime groups behind them to use America’s internet infrastructure against us or let U.S. companies stand idly by. I formed the Scam Center Strike Force with a goal of bringing private industry into the fight against this threat. When the public demands accountability, corporations respond. Disruption Week shows what is possible when governments and private industry focus their efforts in tandem: millions of scam accounts interrupted, and criminal networks pushed of the U.S. internet platforms on which they rely. This week’s results show our commitment to disrupting these schemes and protecting the American public.”
“America is facing an unprecedented threat from industrial-scale, foreign organizations looking to prey on our citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “And unprecedented problems call for novel, bold solutions. As Disruption Week demonstrates, the Department’s Criminal Division will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with U.S. Attorney Pirro and her office, U.S. and foreign law enforcement, and any private sector firms that commit to joining the battle to save American resources from flowing to criminal groups abroad.”
“The FBI is going to leverage everything at its disposal to impose cost on criminals stealing from the American people through fraudulent investment schemes that have caused immense harm across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “One of the best tools we have in combatting these illicit actors is our partnerships and they are only getting stronger. We’re preventing further victimization by working with other agencies, our foreign law enforcement counterparts, and the private sector who have all taken part in this Disruption Week.”
The Department’s Scam Center Strike Force convened in-person meetings in Washington from May 18 to May 21 with foreign government officials and private industry representatives. Federal investigators from the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) provided information to private sector representatives on specific targets in Southeast Asia, in order to help industry identify infrastructure used to defraud Americans through cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes. Based on the data shared, as well as their own information, and in collaboration with each other, private sector participants voluntarily identified and disrupted scam actors operating on their networks who were violating the provider’s terms of service. Private sector participants included officials from Apple, Coinbase, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Silent Push, SpaceX, TRM Labs, and Zenlayer. Foreign law enforcement counterparts from the Australian Federal Police, Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, New Zealand Police, the Royal Thai Police, and U.K. National Crime Agency also joined Disruption Week. Meta played a key role in coordinating the event and encouraging broad private sector participation to maximize scam compound disruption.
The Scam Center Strike Force’s convening of these participants shows the magnitude of disruptions that can occur when there is a common focus on a specific threat and through information shared, including:
- Disruptions of criminal activity across more than 1.4 million social media and email accounts;
- Interruptions of malicious IP address traffic and of network connections hosted by scammers;
- Decommissioning of servers, colocation environments, and hosting infrastructure linked to scam networks operating across Southeast Asia;
- Identification of multiple scammers and scam platforms, and referrals of the same to U.S. authorities for investigation and possible prosecution; and
- Arrests of seven scammers in Thailand and the opening of new cases by the Royal Thai Police Anti Cyber Scam Center.
The governments and private industry also voluntarily exchanged information about how transnational organized crime operates within U.S. infrastrucure, and developed relationships to enable future disruptions of scams occurring on U.S. networks.
“Cyber-enabled and crypto investment fraud is devastating Main Street Americans, wiping out life savings and preying on some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “We will not allow transnational scammers or the Chinese organized crime groups behind them to use America’s internet infrastructure against us or let U.S. companies stand idly by. I formed the Scam Center Strike Force with a goal of bringing private industry into the fight against this threat. When the public demands accountability, corporations respond. Disruption Week shows what is possible when governments and private industry focus their efforts in tandem: millions of scam accounts interrupted, and criminal networks pushed of the U.S. internet platforms on which they rely. This week’s results show our commitment to disrupting these schemes and protecting the American public.”
“America is facing an unprecedented threat from industrial-scale, foreign organizations looking to prey on our citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “And unprecedented problems call for novel, bold solutions. As Disruption Week demonstrates, the Department’s Criminal Division will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with U.S. Attorney Pirro and her office, U.S. and foreign law enforcement, and any private sector firms that commit to joining the battle to save American resources from flowing to criminal groups abroad.”
“The FBI is going to leverage everything at its disposal to impose cost on criminals stealing from the American people through fraudulent investment schemes that have caused immense harm across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “One of the best tools we have in combatting these illicit actors is our partnerships and they are only getting stronger. We’re preventing further victimization by working with other agencies, our foreign law enforcement counterparts, and the private sector who have all taken part in this Disruption Week.”
Cyber-enabled and cryptocurrency investment fraud (referred to by the scammers as “pig butchering”) is among the fastest growing and most financially devastating forms of fraud targeting Americans. In these schemes, victims are cultivated over time and deceived into depositing funds into fraudulent investment platforms that appear to show substantial returns. In reality, all victim funds flow directly to the scammers. The scam continues until the victim runs out of money or discovers the fraud, at which point the scammers cease contact.
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), investment scams became the most commonly reported crime type in 2023, with cryptocurrency investment fraud comprising 83 percent of that category. Reported losses from these scams rose from $3.96 billion in 2023 to $5.8 billion in 2024. Reported losses rose 24 percent in 2025 to over $7.2 billion, according to IC3’s newly released 2025 annual report. Those figures, based largely on victim reports, are believed to significantly underrepresent actual losses, as many victims do not report to law enforcement. According to one government report, a conservative estimate of the annual value of funds stolen by scam syndicates worldwide approached $64 billion as of the end of 2023.
Many of these schemes are run out of industrial-scale compounds in Cambodia, Laos, and in Burma along the border with Thailand. Criminal syndicates often lure workers to Thailand with promises of high-paying technical jobs, then seize their identification documents and traffic them to work in scam compounds. Within the compounds, trafficked workers are frequently forced to conduct fraud operations against victims in the United States and elsewhere under threat of violence. Public reporting on these compounds has documented beatings, electrocutions, and murder.
The Strike Force has taken a number of actions against Southeast Asian Scam Centers, including, among other things, filing criminal complaints against individuals who participated in cryptocurrency investment fraud operations in Burma, seizing cryptocurrency and other infrastructure used to fund and facilitate scam operations, and working with other federal agencies taking action against Scam Center organizations.
Although the Strike Force and other government personnel have exchanged information with private industry in the past in an effort to disrupt cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, never before have so many private firms convened for an event dedicated to protecting Americans through voluntarily sharing of information and voluntary action by the private sector.
**********************************************
About the Scam Center Strike Force
The Scam Center Strike Force was officially launched by U.S. Attorney Pirro in November 2025 to address the growing threat posed by Chinese organized crime syndicates operating scam centers primarily in Southeast Asia. The Strike Force targets cryptocurrency investment fraud, cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering operations that have cost American victims billions of dollars.
On March 6, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Administration to prioritize cybercrime, fraud, and predatory schemes draining American families of their life savings. Through the executive order, President Trump is unleashing every available tool to stop foreign-backed criminal networks that exploit vulnerable Americans through cyber-enabled fraud. The Scam Center Strike Force is a critical node in executing the mission outlined in the President’s order.
The Strike Force’s founding partners are the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, the FBI, and the U.S. Secret Service, which have now been joined by U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, and HSI-DC, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Alaska, Rhode Island, and Western Washington. The Strike Force works in collaboration with other agencies, including the Treasury and State Departments. The Strike Force works in strategic partnership with private industry and calls on all U.S. businesses to take more proactive steps to protect users from scam operations.
The Scam Center Strike Force will use every tool available to help secure Main Street Americans from these scams. With its interagency and public partners, it will educate Americans on how to identify these scams, prevent generational wealth from flowing from America into the pockets of Chinese organized crime, and work with unwavering focus to return stolen funds to victims.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert for the District of Columbia directs the Strike Force, in consultation with Associate Counsel Richard Goldberg of the Department’s Criminal Division.
Scam Center Strike Force Announces Results of U.S. & Private Industry ‘Disruption Week’Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice, through U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, today announced the results of a first-of-its-kind event combining the focus of government entities and private industries to tackle cyber-enabled and cryptocurrency fraud targeting Americans.
During “Disruption Week,” the private sector took voluntary action to interrupt millions of social media, email, and internet access accounts used by transnational organized crime actors in Southeast Asia that were being used to defraud Americans, and the government shared information which enabled private sector actors to voluntarily freeze over $3.8 million in cryptocurrency involved in laundering of funds stolen from Americans.
The Department’s Scam Center Strike Force convened in-person meetings in Washington from May 18 to May 21 with foreign government officials and private industry representatives. Federal investigators from the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) provided information to private sector representatives on specific targets in Southeast Asia, in order to help industry identify infrastructure used to defraud Americans through cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes.
Based on the data shared, as well as their own information, and as in collaboration with each other, private sector participants voluntarily identified and disrupted scam actors operating on their networks who were violating the provider’s terms of service. Private sector participants included officials from Apple, Coinbase, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Silent Push, SpaceX, TRM Labs, and Zenlayer. Foreign law enforcement counterparts from the Australian Federal Police, Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, New Zealand Police, the Royal Thai Police, and U.K. National Crime Agency also joined Disruption Week. Meta played a key role in coordinating the event and encouraging broad private sector participation to maximize scam compound disruption.
The Scam Center Strike Force’s convening of these participants shows the magnitude of disruptions that can occur when there is a common focus on a specific threat and through information shared, including:
- Disruptions of criminal activity across more than 1.4 million social media and email accounts;
- Interruptions of malicious IP address traffic and of network connections hosted by scammers;
- Decommissioning of servers, colocation environments, and hosting infrastructure linked to scam networks operating across Southeast Asia;
- Identification of multiple scammers and scam platforms, and referrals of the same to U.S. authorities for investigation and possible prosecution; and
- Arrests of seven scammers in Thailand and the opening of new cases by the Royal Thai Police Anti Cyber Scam Center.
The governments and private industry also voluntarily exchanged information about how transnational organized crime operates within U.S. infrastrucure, and developed relationships to enable future disruptions of scams occurring on U.S. networks.
“Cyber-enabled and crypto investment fraud is devastating Main Street Americans, wiping out life savings and preying on some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “We will not allow transnational scammers or the Chinese organized crime groups behind them to use America’s internet infrastructure against us or let U.S. companies stand idly by. I formed the Scam Center Strike Force with a goal of bringing private industry into the fight against this threat. When the public demands accountability, corporations respond. Disruption Week shows what is possible when governments and private industry focus their efforts in tandem: millions of scam accounts interrupted, and criminal networks pushed off the U.S. internet platforms on which they rely. This week’s results show our commitment to disrupting these schemes and protecting the American public.”
“America is facing an unprecedented threat from industrial-scale, foreign organizations looking to prey on our citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “And unprecedented problems call for novel, bold solutions. As Disruption Week demonstrates, the Department’s Criminal Division will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with U.S. Attorney Pirro and her office, U.S. and foreign law enforcement, and any private sector firms that commit to joining the battle to save American resources from flowing to criminal groups abroad.”
“The FBI is going to leverage everything at its disposal to impose cost on criminals stealing from the American people through fraudulent investment schemes that have caused immense harm across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “One of the best tools we have in combating these illicit actors is our partnerships and they are only getting stronger. We’re preventing further victimization by working with other agencies, our foreign law enforcement counterparts, and the private sector who have all taken part in this Disruption Week.”
Cyber-enabled and cryptocurrency investment fraud (referred to by the scammers as “pig butchering”) is among the fastest growing and most financially devastating forms of fraud targeting Americans. In these schemes, victims are cultivated over time and deceived into depositing funds into fraudulent investment platforms that appear to show substantial returns. In reality, all victim funds flow directly to the scammers. The scam continues until the victim runs out of money or discovers the fraud, at which point the scammers cease contact.
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), investment scams became the most commonly reported crime type in 2023, with cryptocurrency investment fraud comprising 83 percent of that category. Reported losses from these scams rose from $3.96 billion in 2023 to $5.8 billion in 2024. Reported losses rose 24 percent in 2025 to over $7.2 billion, according to IC3’s newly released 2025 annual report. Those figures, based largely on victim reports, are believed to significantly underrepresent actual losses, as many victims do not report to law enforcement. According to one government report, a conservative estimate of the annual value of funds stolen by scam syndicates worldwide approached $64 billion as of the end of 2023.
Many of these schemes are run out of industrial-scale compounds in Cambodia, Laos and in Burma along the border with Thailand. Criminal syndicates often lure workers to Thailand with promises of high-paying technical jobs, then seize their identification documents and traffic them to work in scam compounds. Within the compounds, trafficked workers are frequently forced to conduct fraud operations against victims in the United States and elsewhere under threat of violence. Public reporting on these compounds has documented beatings, electrocutions, and murder.
The Strike Force has taken a number of actions against Southeast Asian Scam Centers, including, among other things, filing criminal complaints against individuals who participated in cryptocurrency investment fraud operations in Burma, seizing cryptocurrency and other infrastructure used to fund and facilitate scam operations, and working with other federal agencies taking action against Scam Center organizations.
Although the Strike Force and other government personnel have exchanged information with private industry in the past in an effort to disrupt cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, never before have so many private firms convened for an event dedicated to protecting Americans through voluntarily sharing of information and voluntary action by the private sector.
**********************************************
About the Scam Center Strike Force
The Scam Center Strike Force was officially launched by U.S. Attorney Pirro in November 2025 to address the growing threat posed by Chinese organized crime syndicates operating scam centers primarily in Southeast Asia. The Strike Force targets cryptocurrency investment fraud, cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering operations that have cost American victims billions of dollars.
On March 6, 2026, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the Administration to prioritize cybercrime, fraud, and predatory schemes draining American families of their life savings. Through the Executive Order, President Trump is unleashing every available tool to stop foreign-backed criminal networks that exploit vulnerable Americans through cyber-enabled fraud. The Scam Center Strike Force is a critical node in executing the mission outlined in the President’s Order.
The Strike Force’s founding partners are the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, the FBI, and the U.S. Secret Service, who have now been joined by U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the IRS Criminal Investigation, and HSI-DC, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Alaska, Rhode Island, and Western Washington. The Strike Force works in collaboration with other agencies, including the Treasury and State Departments. The Strike Force works in strategic partnership with private industry and calls on all U.S. businesses to take more proactive steps to protect users from scam operations.
The Scam Center Strike Force will use every tool available to help secure Main Street Americans from these scams. With its interagency and public partners, it will educate Americans on how to identify these scams, prevent generational wealth from flowing from America into the pockets of Chinese organized crime, and work with unwavering focus to return stolen funds to victims.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert for the District of Columbia directs the Strike Force, in consultation with Associate Counsel Richard Goldberg of the Department’s Criminal Division.
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Ringleader Sentenced to 122 Months in Prison in Connection with $63 Million Mail Theft Conspiracy That Included Two Postal EmployeesRead the Press Release
DETROIT – The ringleader of a $63 million scheme that involved stealing checks from the mail and selling them online was sentenced to just over 10 years in prison yesterday, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced today.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by U.S. Postal Service Inspector General Tammy Hull; Detroit Division Inspector in Charge Felicia B. George, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd, Detroit Field Office, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation; Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Mid-Atlantic Field Division; and Anthony P. D'Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor.
Jaiswan Williams (32, of Rochester Hills) was the last of four defendants to be sentenced. Co-defendant Daquan Foreman (32, of Eastpointe), Vanessa Hargrove (40, of Detroit), and Crystal Jenkins (32, of Detroit), were all previously sentenced, as follows:
- Foreman: 48 months in custody;
- Hargrove: 12 months and 1 day in custody;
- Jenkins: 1 day in custody, followed by 3 years’ supervised release.
All four defendants, including Williams were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Judith E. Levy.
Hargrove and Jenkins were United States Postal Service employees who diverted and ultimately stole checks and other negotiable instruments from the mail, including a high volume of tax refund checks issued by the U.S. Treasury. Williams and Foreman were the administrators of the online marketplaces used to sell the checks.
According to court records, postal employees Hargrove and Jenkins would provide the stolen checks to Williams and Foreman in exchange for payments. Williams and Foreman would take those checks and market them for sale via Telegram Messenger, a cloud-based, cross-platform instant messaging application. Prices varied based on the face-value of the checks. One of the Telegram channels, named “Whole Foods Slipsss,” was used to advertise high-dollar checks, while another channel, named “Uber Eats Slips,” was used to advertise lower-dollar checks. “Slips” is a term commonly used in these schemes to refer to stolen checks. Transactions were completed off-platform using a variety of electronic payment systems. Purchasers of these checks would then attempt to fraudulently cash them using a variety of methods. The investigation revealed that the two Telegram channels marketed more than 10,000 individual checks for sale, with a combined face value of more than $63M.
Williams’s sentence also reflected a conviction for money laundering activities dating back to October 2022. In addition, he accepted responsibility for $1.5M in fraudulent pandemic unemployment insurance benefit claims he submitted between August and December 2020, using the personally identifiable information (PII) of dozens of individuals.
“The sentencings in this investigation represent the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working alongside our federal law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges in this mail theft investigation.” said Tammy Hull, Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service, “The OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of Postal Service employees and those external subjects who collude with them.”
"The sentencings in this case underscore the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's dedication to safeguarding the nation's mail system and holding to account those who seek to exploit it and, by extension, the American public," said Detroit Division Inspector in Charge Felicia B. George. "Let this be a warning: if you abuse the U.S. Postal Service and victimize the citizens who rely upon it, we will utilize every avenue and tool at our disposal to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."
“The stealing of checks is not a victimless crime. The stolen checks belonged to citizens, to help them make payments for vital services or help through a tough time,” said Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd, Detroit Field Office, IRS‑CI. “With today’s sentencing, all of those responsible are now held to account for exploiting the public and undermining trust in critical government systems. We are committed, along with our law enforcement partners, to using our unique expertise to track intricate financial systems, find criminals, and hold them accountable for the crimes committed.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) aggressively investigates individuals who attempt to exploit U.S Treasury refund checks meant for hard working taxpayers for their own private gain,” said TIGTA Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay . “TIGTA's mission is to protect the integrity of our nation's tax administration system. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who violate federal laws are prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.”
“Jaiswan Williams exploited his platform as a rapper, using his celebrity status to rip off American taxpayers. These criminal acts will not be tolerated. We remain relentless in this war on fraud and will ensure every fraudster that attempts to undermine the American people receives their prison sentence. I want to thank the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners that support this critical mission,” said Anthony P. D'Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor.
This multi-agency investigation was led by the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG), with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI); the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA); and the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General (DOL-OIG). It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Particka.
Repeat Child Sex Offender from Colorado Sentenced to 150 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – A child sex predator from Colorado was sentenced today in Southern Utah to 150 months’ imprisonment and a lifetime of supervised release after he travelled from Colorado to Utah to have sex with who he thought was a 13-year-old girl, when in fact he was communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer.
The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen, comes after Cody Williams, 31, of Grand Junction, Colorado, pleaded guilty on January 22, 2026, to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to court documents and statements made at Williams’s sentencing and change of plea hearings, for over a month, Williams exchanged dozens of sexual messages with whom he thought was a 13-year-old girl. In reality, Williams was communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer. Williams told the undercover officer, who was posing as a 13-year-old girl, that he would teach her about various sexual acts and sent her links to sexually explicit videos to teach her. Williams also repeatedly asked for sexually explicit photos of the “13-year-old” girl in return. Working in an undercover capacity, the officer and Williams made plans to meet to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Ahead of meeting, law enforcement followed Williams from his home in Colorado to the planned meeting place in Utah and arrested him. Officers executed a search warrant for Williams’s cell phone and found the text message thread between Williams and the undercover officer posing as the teenage girl. Williams has a history of sex offenses against minors. In 2021, he was convicted in Colorado State Court of unlawful sexual contact after committing a sexual assault against a 14-year-old child.
“Communities are safer with predators like Williams behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “Williams is a repeat and dangerous sex offender, and my office has zero tolerance for people who threaten the safety of our most vulnerable population and repeatedly break the law.”
“This sentence illustrates HSI’s strong commitment to protect our children from predators like Williams who attempt to exploit children,” said HSI Rocky Mountain Region SAC Steven Cagen. “The teamwork of HSI working with Grand County Sheriff’s Office and the U. S. Attorney’s Office ensures this predator is behind bars and we hope this brings some closure to the victim.”
The case was investigated jointly by the Grand County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
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.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Child Solicitation and Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on June 1, 2026.
On each charge, Brockton Dominquez, 28, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $100 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Each sentence was ordered to run concurrently with the other for a total of 20 years. Dominquez was also ordered to pay restitution of $10,000 to a victim of his child pornography offense.
Dominquez was indicted for the charges by a federal grand jury in August 2024 and February 2026. He pleaded guilty on February 17, 2026.
On July 12, 2024, Dominquez used his Facebook account to begin an online conversation with someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl but was, unbeknownst to Dominquez, an undercover police officer. On August 2, 2024, Dominquez reinitiated conversation with the girl and made arrangements to meet with who he believed would be the 14-year-old girl at West Middle School in Rapid City. Dominquez arrived only to find police officers on scene to arrest him.
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 South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Dominquez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Pensacola Felon Indicted for Gun & Drug PossessionRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Joseph Jerome Reynolds, Jr., 31, has been indicted in federal court for one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and two counts of possession of a controlled substance. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Reynolds, Jr. appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for July 6, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida before United States District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
Reynolds, Jr. faces a maximum of 15 years’ imprisonment if convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and up to three years’ imprisonment for each count of possession of a controlled substance.
The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Passenger Charged After Allegedly Attempting to Open Aircraft Doors Mid-Flight and Assaulting TravelerRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Chicago man made his initial appearance in federal court after allegedly attempting to open an emergency exit door and the flight deck door during a commercial flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Chicago, Illinois, forcing the aircraft to divert to Miami.
According to court records, Juan Gabriel Reyes, 51, of Chicago, Illinois, became disruptive during the flight and repeatedly failed to comply with instructions from flight attendants. Reyes allegedly attempted to open both an emergency exit door and the flight deck door while the aircraft was in flight. He then allegedly assaulted another passenger before passengers and crew members restrained him. The aircraft was diverted to Miami, where Reyes was arrested.
Reyes is charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants and assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the interference charge and up to one year in prison on the assault charge.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami is investigating the case, with assistance from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Olinghouse is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.sdfl.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.sdfl.uscourts.gov, under case number 26-mj-02992.
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Owners of Nationwide Nail Salon Business Plead Guilty to Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A Texas man and woman pleaded guilty on Monday to operating a significant under-the-table cash payroll at their nationwide nail salon business.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Vinh Q. Ho, 53, and Thanh Lan Do, 34, owned and managed a business comprised of over 60 high-end nail salons across the United States, doing business as the Anthony Vince Nail Salons, Prive Nail Spas, and Zen Nail & Spas. Ho was the de-facto CEO and Do oversaw management of the salons.
The salons employed nail technicians, a significant portion of whose compensation was paid in cash. At the end of each year, the business prepared tax forms reporting each nail technician’s compensation. To help the technicians conceal that income and evade taxes, these forms did not include the cash compensation. Ho and Do trained salon managers to operate the under-the-table cash payroll. They also prepared false Forms 1099 and instructed employees to keep the true payroll hidden.
Ho also underreported income on his 2020 and 2021 individual income tax returns.
As part of his plea agreement, Do agreed that between 2016 and 2024, the nail salons paid over $116 million in cash compensation that was not reported to the IRS, which caused an estimated actual tax loss of at least $32 million.
Ho and Do both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, and Ho also pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. They are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. Ho faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Do faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio made the announcement.
New Orleans Woman Charged for $1.3 Million COVID Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
The alleged total loss to the Small Business Administration for the fraudulent loans is $447,305.98.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle announced a two-count bill of information, charging AMANDA CLAYBORNE-WILLIAMS (“CLAYBORNE-WILLIAMS”), age 44, with wire fraud and tax evasion.
Count One charged CLAYBORNE-WILLIAMS with wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. Count Two charged CLAYBORNE-WILLIAMS with tax evasion, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 7201.
According to the bill of information, between April 2020 and January 2021, CLAYBORNE-WILLIAMS submitted twelve false and misleading applications for loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program, seeking approximately $1.3 million. It is alleged that, as a result of these applications, CLAYBORNE-WILLIAMS received approximately $447,305.98 through fraud. CLAYBORNE-WILLIAMS then used the PPP and EIDL funds for personal and unauthorized expenses, including for a mortgage payment on her personal residence. In addition, CLAYBORNE-WILLIAMS attempted to evade paying income tax by filing a false form with the IRS in November of 2022, which substantially understated her monthly income and assets.
If convicted of Count One, CLAYBORNE-WILLIAMS faces up to twenty (20) years of imprisonment. If convicted of Count Two, CLAYBORNE-WILLIAMS faces up to five (5) years of imprisonment. Each count also carries a term of supervised release for up to three (3) years and a fine of up to $250,000. A mandatory $100 special assessment fee for each count is also applicable.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that a bill of information 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 Internal Revenue Service on this investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Neopit Man Indicted for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury on Menominee Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 27, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Damien J. Peters (age 39) from Neopit, Wisconsin, for aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 113(a)(6) and 1153(a).
According to the indictment, on or about April 21, 2026, while at a location on the Menominee Indian Reservation, Peters struck another person in the head, causing pain, swelling, and a concussion. If convicted, Peters faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
The Menominee Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Mother and daughter guilty of human smugglingRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A federal jury has convicted two family members from the Rio Grande Valley of transporting an illegal alien, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The jury deliberated for two hours before returning guilty verdicts against Enedelia Garcia, 55, Weslaco, and Ashley Garcia, 37, Brownsville, following a two-day trial.
On the evening of July 22, 2025, Enedelia Garcia drove to the Border Patrol checkpoint near Kingsville with her daughter in the backseat and another passenger in the front seat. During an immigration inspection, law enforcement noticed nervous behavior from that passenger who was also unable to produce identification.
Authorities determined he was an illegal alien with no authorization to be in the country.
At trial, he testified he was smuggled into the United States and was expecting the pair to take him to Houston. The jury also heard that Ashley Garcia was texting a friend at the time of the smuggling event and said “not to ask” about her trip to Houston.
The defense attempted to convince the jury that they were deceived into believing the illegal alien was a U.S citizen. They did not believe those claims and found them both guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos presided over the trial and set sentencing for Sept. 1, at which time the mother and daughter both face up to 10 years in federal prison.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Lamont 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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Mishawaka Man Sentenced to 6 Months in Prison for Unlicensed Dealing in FirearmsRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – James Hanback, 61 years old, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to unlicensed dealing in firearms, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Hanback was sentenced to 6 months in prison followed by 18 months of supervised release with the first 6 months to be served on home detention.
“As part of Operation Take Back America, agents of the BATFE traced numerous firearms that were involved in crimes to unlicensed gun dealer James Hanback. The Defendant purchased about 204 firearms from licensed dealers between January 2021 and the summer of 2025, and he listed about 165 firearms for sale on the internet, though he himself was not a federally licensed firearms dealer. He also made numerous cash deposits totaling more than $98,000 into his bank account. Investigators executed a search warrant at Hanback’s home after he sold two firearms to an undercover officer, and they recovered 10 more firearms and other documents relating to firearms transactions,” U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred said.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse.
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.
Member of an International Money Laundering Organization Pleads Guilty to Laundering Millions of Dollars in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
A Georgia man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to launder the proceeds of drug trafficking.
According to court documents and proceedings, since at least 2021, Puquan Huang, 50, a Chinese national residing in Buford, Georgia, was a member of an international money laundering organization that engaged in a sophisticated trade-based money laundering scheme.
Huang and his co-conspirators routinely traveled throughout the United States, including South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia, to collect bulk cash generated from the sale of drugs in the United States, including fentanyl and cocaine, from drug traffickers and distributors. Due to the illicit nature of the transactions, Huang and his co-conspirators confirmed their authorization to collect drug cash not by using their names or personal details, but by presenting verification codes, which were oftentimes unique serial numbers taken from U.S. currency notes. To avoid detection by law enforcement, Huang and his co-conspirators met with drug trafficking representatives at odd hours in atypical locations, such as gas stations and parking lots, for very short periods, and refrained from using traditional banking systems, such as wire transfers. Pickups of drug cash were typically coordinated by and occurred at the direction of co-conspirators.
Using aliases, Huang and his co-conspirators primarily communicated on encrypted platforms, such as WeChat, with co-conspirators located in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, and other foreign countries to arrange for the laundering of the drug proceeds by purchasing bulk electronics in the United States and exporting them to co-conspirators in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.
Huang conspired to launder several millions of dollars of drug proceeds, with money pickups and exchanges typically ranging between approximately $80,000 and $200,000. As part of the conspiracy, law enforcement stopped Huang transporting approximately $272,000 in drug proceeds in North Carolina.
Huang pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Bryan P. Stirling for the District of South Carolina, and Administrator Terrance C. “Terry” Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made the announcement.
The DEA’s Charleston, South Carolina Resident Office and Atlanta, Georgia Division Office, Homeland Security Task Force/959 Group is investigating the case with assistance from the DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit; DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit; DEA’s office in Columbia, South Carolina; the FBI’s offices in Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina; the U.S. Air Force, Office of Special Investigations; and state and local law enforcement in South Carolina and North Carolina.
Trial Attorneys Jasmin Salehi Fashami and Stephanie Williamson of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett E. McMillian for the District of South Carolina are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit investigates and prosecutes sophisticated money laundering schemes involving financial facilitators, gatekeepers, and other individuals and entities laundering criminal proceeds, and litigates complex civil forfeiture cases to recover assets on behalf of victims.
Member of Multi-State Fentanyl Trafficking Ring Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – A Wheeling, West Virginia man, who was selling blue fentanyl pills in the Ohio Valley, was sentenced today, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Matthew Clemont, 33, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Clemont worked with others in a drug trafficking operation in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. Clemont was one of 13 distributors in the drug trafficking operation that spanned from Las Vegas, Nevada, to the Ohio Valley.
“Clemont was one of several individuals who worked together to distribute deadly pills disguised as legitimate prescription medication in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Harvey. “Our message is simple: anyone who traffics fentanyl will face swift and serious consequences in the Northern District of West Virginia.”
Of the 13 defendants in the case, 9 have been convicted. Two have been sentenced, with the others pending.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, Marshall County Drug Task Force, and the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, all HIDTA-funded initiatives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; West Virginia State Police; Wheeling Police Department; Ohio County Sheriff’s Office; and the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Find the related press release here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/federal-grand-jury-indicts-twenty-six-drug-trafficking
McLean man sentenced to over a year in prison for threating to kill a public officialRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A McLean man was sentenced today to a year and three months in prison for transmitting threats in interstate commerce.
According to court documents, on Dec. 23, 2025, Scott Allen Bolger, 33, used Google Voice, which allows users to send text messages to others while obfuscating their phone numbers, to send a threatening message to a public official. In his message, Bolger threatened to put a bullet in the official’s head. Prior to sending the threat, Bogler researched the official’s personal phone number and made contact with him prior to sending the text message.
When federal investigators arrived at Bolger’s residence to investigate the threat, they identified themselves as federal law enforcement officers, and Bolger falsely identified himself as Brian Black. Bolger told them he did not know anyone by the name of Scott Bolger.
During his plea, Bolger also admitted to sending threatening and harassing messages to a second victim (Victim-2) who is not a public official. From at least October 2022, Bolger created multiple fictious accounts on X and Proton Mail to harass Victim-2, and researched Victim-2 on the internet through at least November 2025. Bolger sent Victim-2 private indecent images of Victim-2, and on at least one occasion, made a public facing profile with indecent images of Victim-2.
The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force Washington Field Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Mercer and Russell L. Carlberg prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:26-cr-8.