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15 May 2026
Greer Man Sentenced to More than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Gerald Larson, II, 52, of Greer, has been sentenced to nearly 12 and a half years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
On Oct. 7, 2024, Larson drove from his residence in Greer with kilograms of cocaine. North Carolina Highway Patrol stopped Larson, and a K-9 alerted to the scent of drugs in his vehicle. Law enforcement searched Larson’s car and found a suitcase containing 15 kilograms of cocaine. Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations obtained a search warrant for Larson’s residence and located over $419,000 and an additional 43 kilograms of cocaine. Larson already had numerous prior state convictions out of California for cocaine trafficking and firearms related charges.
United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain sentenced Larson to 151 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina Highway Patrol, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville City Police Department, Greenville County Drug Enforcement Unit, and the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen is prosecuting the case.###
Georgia Woman Who Faked Identity of Pregnant Teen to Target Adoptive Parents Sentenced on Cyberstalking and Threat OffensesRead the Press Release
A Georgia woman was sentenced today to 20 months in prison and three years of supervised release for cyberstalking, transmitting threats to kidnap or injure in interstate commerce and identity theft.
“Gabryele Watson, an adult woman, stole a pregnant teenager’s identity and cruelly led on couples seeking to adopt a baby, only to later emotionally abuse them, including threatening to terminate the pregnancy and mocking adoptive mothers for not being able to conceive,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “She preyed on would-be parents desperately seeking to adopt a child to add to their family. Her sentence today accounts for the real-world devastation her unrelenting online harassment caused her victims.”
“This defendant, for her own selfish and evil reasons, preyed on the hopes and dreams of a young couple who simply wanted to be parents,” said U.S. Attorney Braden Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee. “This kind of fraud is devastating to those it affects, it cannot be tolerated, and today’s punishment shows that we will hold those who commit it accountable for their actions.”
“Gabryele Watson’s deliberate actions instilled fear in caring people who longed to adopt a child,” said Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “Cyberstalking not only causes panic and anxiety but also leaves victims feeling constantly unsafe and vulnerable. The FBI prioritizes cases involving threats of violence and will always investigate and bring to justice those who use digital platforms to threaten others.”
According to court documents, from May to June 2023, Gabryele Watson, 30, of Athens, Georgia, cyberstalked a married couple living in the Middle District of Tennessee who had been trying to adopt a baby for eight years. To do so, she assumed the identity of a teenager in Pennsylvania who was pregnant (Minor Victim 1), obtaining accurate details about Minor Victim 1 and her pregnancy from Minor Victim 1’s social media posts. Over the next several months, as Minor Victim 1 posted new content on her social media accounts, Watson copied that new content for continued use in her scheme.
Posing as Minor Victim 1, Watson contacted the couple online, initially through her social media adoption page and then later using text spoofing services and other tools and techniques to hide her true identity. In their early conversations, the defendant claimed that she was a teenager facing an unplanned pregnancy and wanted to give her baby up for adoption. She shared detailed information about Minor Victim 1’s life and elicited similar personal information from the couple. Over time, Watson began to demand that the couple be available at all hours to respond to her frequent communications and that they purchase baby-related gear and maternity clothing. Watson also repeatedly threatened to cancel the adoption and claimed that her baby suffered from various life-threatening health emergencies. Watson further threatened to abort or injure the unborn baby, to commit suicide while pregnant, and to kill the couple.
According to court documents, Watson engaged in the same disturbing conduct with another married couple living in the Middle District of Tennessee when she pretended to be a pregnant 18-year-old living in Arkansas. This time, Watson pretended to be pregnant with high-risk twins. She also communicated on speakerphone with the couple’s two young sons and encouraged them to be excited about the adoption. She eventually threatened to kill the couple and their children.
On July 25, 2025, Watson pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, communicating threats to injure in interstate commerce, and unlawful use of a means of identification.
This case was investigated by the FBI Nashville Field Office.
The Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison are prosecuting the case. Former Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky provided substantial contributions to the prosecution.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cyber and IP criminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
Fraud Division Announces Massive Crackdown for Second Straight Week — Over $1 BILLION in Nationwide Fraud Enforcement ActionsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division announced numerous enforcement actions in the past week, as prosecutors across the country pursued the criminals stealing American taxpayer dollars. Notably, a jury in the Southern District of Florida found the founder and owner of HealthSplash guilty for his role in operating a platform that generated false doctors’ orders and prescriptions to defraud Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs, billing more than $1 billion for unnecessary equipment.
"In the past week, prosecutors throughout the Department secured trial convictions of multiple defendants who ran fraud schemes totaling over a billion dollars,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “I am proud of the fearless men and women of the Fraud Division who are fighting to protect the American people and hold fraudsters accountable.”
Other top highlights from the fight against fraud this week include the following enforcement actions.
Benefits Program Fraud
A federal jury found a tax preparer guilty for operating an unemployment insurance fraud scheme to defraud the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program out of over $11 million in fraudulent unemployment benefits.
A former employee of the U.S. Department of Labor pleaded guilty in Boston to fraudulently obtaining over $40,000 in pandemic unemployment assistance benefits.
In Massachusetts, a woman pleaded guilty to fraudulently receiving Social Security disability benefits after failing to notify Social Security that her husband, whose income exceeded the program’s limits, became part of the household.
A judge in the Middle District of Florida sentenced a defendant to 63 months in federal prison for submitting a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application. The court ordered forfeiture in the amount of $739,582.
A grand jury returned an indictment charging a defendant with wire fraud and theft of government money for concealing the death of her aunt in order to obtain Social Security benefits and City of New York pension benefits that did not belong to her. The indictment seeks forfeiture of more than $75,000.
Health Care Fraud
A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a podiatrist and two nurses for allegedly submitting fraudulent claims to Mediare for skin substitute services, resulting in Medicare paying $29 million in claims.
Government Fraud
A Danish researcher—and HHS-OIG top ten most wanted fugitive—was arraigned on wire fraud and money laundering charges. The defendant allegedly stole more than $1 million of CDC grant money by submitting fraudulent documents to the Danish government and a Danish hospital where scientists performed research under the CDC grant.
Tax Fraud
A founder and CEO of a Hong Kong financial services firm pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States by helping high-value U.S. taxpayer-clients conceal more than $60 million in income and assets held in offshore bank accounts and evade U.S. taxes.
In the Middle District of Tennessee, a licensed attorney pleaded guilty to filing false tax returns that failed to report millions of dollars in income from cryptocurrency sales and from his consulting business. In total, the defendant caused a tax loss of more than $550,000.
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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.
Former Seattle area real estate broker sentenced to prison for fraud on investors and the IRSRead the Press Release
Seattle – A former real estate professional who operated a real estate investment fund was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 55 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and multiple counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and tax fraud, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Tamara King, aka Tamara Waln, 56, of Toledo, Ohio, previously resided in Bellevue and Kirkland, Washington. King was convicted in December 2025 following an 8-day jury trial. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez noted that King refuses to accept responsibility for her actions saying, “King testified falsely, she deliberately lied on the witness stand… She was the primary instigator of this fraud… for the most base motivation of all: pure greed.”
“This defendant stole from those who invested not just their money, but their dreams of a secure retirement,” said First Assistant Neil Floyd. “To this day she tries to blame others for her conduct that resulted in convictions for 14 federal felonies. This significant prison time should send a message to other fraudsters that we will investigate and hold defendants accountable.”
“For a decade, investors thought they were prudently saving their hard-earned money for retirement through a real estate fund operated by King and her husband," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "Instead, Ms. King drained the account to fund her lavish lifestyle. The FBI and our partners will carefully follow the money to ensure fraudsters are held accountable for their greed and the damage it causes.”
According to records filed in the case, between August 2009 and December 2013, King’s now ex-husband and co-conspirator Paul Waln, 60, solicited investments in a real estate fund called Halcyon. Twenty-two victims, most of whom were Seattle residents, invested $2.25 million in the fund. Waln told investors their funds would be pooled to purchase and renovate an apartment building in West Seattle and then used for other real estate projects. Investors were required to leave their money in the investment pool for ten years. Waln said that at the end of the 10-year period, Waln would return the investment principal and earnings, which he estimated amount to a 20 percent annual return. Waln was entitled to receive a 1% fee for managing the investment fund.
In 2013, Waln married King, who was also a real estate agent. Waln and King then jointly managed the investment fund. Between February 2014 and December 2018, they conspired to misappropriate money from the fund to pay their personal expenses. The pair secretly transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time from the fund to their management company and then transferred the money to King’s personal accounts. Much of that money went to purchase big-ticket luxury items, and she purchased nearly all of those big-ticket items for herself, not Paul Waln.
For example, King financed the purchase of an early edition, Model X Tesla with customized pink trim for $121,950, and purchased a $49,300, 8.5 carat diamond ring. King used another $189,775 to pay back a personal tax debt. King employed her own personal assistant between May 2016 and 2019.
Waln and King were required to distribute the investment funds to investors in 2019. But in October 2019, King informed the investors that all the money was gone, and the investment had failed. All the remaining investors lost their entire investments.
Victims of the fraud described to the court how King’s theft impacted their lives: forcing them to delay retirements, stress over the cost of care for disabled spouses, and made them ashamed that they had been deceived. One wrote, “Tamara King stole that money and had cosmetic procedures. She stole that money and bought a car much nicer than we ever had. She stole that money and lived in a home twice as large as we’ve ever been able to afford. She stole that money and paid her credit card bills from a very extravagant lifestyle. We don’t believe for one minute that she is remorseful or that she will not do it again. Her arrogance and callous, self-centered nature enable her to believe she can get away with anything.”
King also failed to report over $1.6 million in income over three tax years. For those three tax years, King reported $188,116 in total income, when she actually received $1.85 million. The tax loss to the U.S. is $551,758.
"Without considering the harm inflicted on her victims, Ms. King fraudulently spent investor funds to support her lavish lifestyle instead of funding the promised real estate projects," said Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “IRS-CI is committed to protecting our communities from the devastating effects of financial crime, and we will continue to bring criminals and fraudsters like Ms. King to justice.”
The jury convicted King of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering, and three counts of filing a false tax return.
King’s co-defendant Paul Waln, 60, now of Dallas, Texas, pleaded guilty to the wire fraud conspiracy in June 2025 and was sentenced to 33 months in prison on October 31, 2025.
In asking for a 92-month sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “She showed an utter lack of respect for the law by giving false, and indeed incredible, testimony to the jury for hours. The sentence must be sufficient to deter others from giving false testimony, and also to promote respect for the law by showing there are severe consequences for lying on the stand.”
King will be on three years of supervised release following her prison term. Judge Martinez scheduled a hearing on July 24, 2026, to determine restitution and forfeiture of assets.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson, Cindy Chang, and Jehiel Baer.
Former Machias Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A former Machias man pleaded guilty on May 14 in U.S. District Court in Bangor to one count of possessing child pornography.
According to court records, in May and June of 2025, Ryan Gatcomb, 19, possessed images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The minors lived in other states, and Gatcomb had received the depictions using the internet while he was in the state of Maine. Investigators recovered the images from Gatcomb’s computer and phone. He admitted that he had attempted to delete items from those devices on the morning of June 4, 2025, after being contacted by local law enforcement.
Gatcomb faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Former Federal Prison Employee Convicted of Sexually Abusing Two InmatesRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A federal jury in Rockford has convicted a former employee of the Federal Correctional Institute in Thomson, Ill. of sexually abusing two male inmates.
After a three-day trial, the jury in U.S. District Court in Rockford on Wednesday found DANNY L. SPYKER, 42, guilty of two counts of knowingly engaging in sexual acts with two inmates. Each count is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Sunil R. Harjani set sentencing for Sept. 14, 2026.
According to evidence presented at trial, Spyker worked as a cook supervisor in March 2024 when he knowingly engaged in sexual acts with two inmates. At the time, both victims were in official detention in the prison and under the custodial, supervisory, and disciplinary authority of prison employees, including Spyker.
The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matt Loux, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Midwest Regional Office of the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Kim and Andrew M. Rosati.
Former California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Employee Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute over 300 Grams of Methamphetamine to Inmates at San Quentin Rehabilitation CenterRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Former California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation employee, Keith Reindeer Randle, pleaded guilty in federal court today to possession with intent to distribute over 300 grams of methamphetamine to inmates at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, formerly known as San Quentin State Prison.
Randle, 56, of Vallejo, California, was charged by Information on March 20, 2025, with one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
In pleading guilty, Randle admitted to soliciting and accepting bribery payments in exchange for smuggling and distributing prison contraband, including methamphetamine, marijuana, and tobacco, to inmates at San Quentin. The scheme went on for years, dating back to at least January 2019 and continuing through August 15, 2024. Randle charged inmates and their associates approximately $1,000 per item he smuggled into the prison and initially received payments directly from inmates. However, fearing law enforcement might uncover his contraband and drug distribution scheme, Randle began to solicit and accept bribery payments from the associates of inmates rather than inmates themselves. On August 15, 2024, Randle was caught inside San Quentin with a hollowed out peanut butter jar containing 301 grams of methamphetamine, as well as marijuana. The peanut butter jar was painted brown and glued shut to appear full and unopened.
Randle profited significantly from his years-long bribery and drug distribution scheme. For example, from January 2019 through April 2020, Randle was paid $31,000 from associates of inmates to his PayPal account in exchange for smuggling contraband into the prison. As another example, from July 2021 through August 2022, Randle received approximately $40,926 via Cash App from an inmate’s wife in exchange for smuggling contraband to her husband at San Quentin. In 2023 and 2024, Randle primarily only accepted bribery payments in cash. On October 1, 2024, federal law enforcement seized $55,210 in cash from Randle’s two residences, all of which Randle admitted were proceeds from his bribery and drug distribution scheme. In total, Randle admitted to soliciting and accepting over $100,000 in bribery payments from inmates and their associates. With the illicit proceeds, Randle admitted to making numerous purchases, such as buying cars, motorcycles, and other assets.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Cobo made the announcement.
Randle’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 21, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Susan Illston. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years’ imprisonment and a $5,000,000 fine in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(viii), possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin K. Kleinman is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James, Analisse Iniguez, and Veronica Hernandez. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Five Members of New Jersey and Philadelphia Drug Trafficking Organization—including Two Jamaican Nationals—Arrested in NJ-Homeland Security Task Force OperationRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – Five members and associates of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in southern New Jersey and Philadelphia—including two Jamaican citizens—were arrested this week and charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
“As alleged, this drug trafficking organization distributed large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine throughout southern New Jersey and Philadelphia while operating across state and national borders. Working through the Homeland Security Task Force and alongside our federal, state, and local partners, this Office is committed to dismantling transnational drug trafficking networks that flood our communities with deadly narcotics and fuel violence and addiction.”
- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer
“This investigation dismantled a drug trafficking organization responsible for flooding communities across southern New Jersey and Philadelphia with dangerous quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine,” said DEA New Jersey Field Division Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James. “The seizures in this case represent lives potentially saved from the devastating impact of these deadly narcotics. DEA and our law enforcement partners remain committed to targeting transnational criminal organizations that profit from addiction and violence, and we will continue using every investigative tool available to identify, disrupt, and dismantle these networks operating in our communities.”
This week’s charges are the result of a long-term wiretap investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Agency New Jersey Field Division’s Atlantic County HIDTA Task Force and the New Jersey State Police’s Gangs and Organized Crime South Unit.
Andrew Davis, a/k/a “Flip Mogella,” a/k/a “Floss King,” 47, a Jamaican citizen living in East Nottingham Township, Pennsylvania; Clifford Brown, 52, a Jamaican citizen living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Damion Jones, 44, of Millville, New Jersey; James McBride, 53, of Marlton, New Jersey; and Jule Stubbs, 51, of Millville, New Jersey, all had their initial court appearances earlier this week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann Marie Donio in Camden federal court and were detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In order to take down this DTO, law enforcement obtained wire-tap orders for Davis’s phones, conducted controlled drug purchases with a confidential source, performed physical and electronic surveillance, and executed search warrants. The investigation showed that the DTO distributed large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl/fentanyl analogue, and cocaine. The DTO obtained the drugs from packages sent to addresses the DTO controlled in southern New Jersey and the Philadelphia area. The complaint describes some of the drugs seized by law enforcement as part of the investigation, including more than 38 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, more than 7.5 kilograms of suspected cocaine, and almost 1 kilogram of fentanyl/fentanyl analogue.
The count charging conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute carries a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, and a maximum fine of $10 million.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents and task force officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James, and personnel with the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Jeanne Hengemuhle, with the investigation leading to the charges in this case. U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, under the direction of U.S. Attorney David Metcalf, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Andy Johns, and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw, for their assistance in the investigation.
These arrests are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Atlantic City comprises agents and officers from DEA, FBI, and HSI with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Bender and Dak Cohen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel:
Davis: Edward F. Borden, Jr., Esq., Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Brown: Ikram Ally, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Camden, New Jersey
McBride: Jonathan Sobel, Esq., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jones: Jordan Zeitz, Esq., Haddonfield, New Jersey
Stubbs: Gina Amoriello, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
stubbs.complaint.pdfFederal Jury Convicts Former USC Employee for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Mohammad Ebrahim Torki Harchegani, 40, a legal permanent resident of the United States and Iranian citizen, has been convicted by a federal jury following a three-day trial. Harchegani was found guilty on one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
Evidence introduced at trial showed that on Dec. 3-4, 2024, multiple agencies with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force participated in an online chat operation targeting child sex offenders where an officer posed as a 14-year-old girl. Harchegani met the undercover officer on an online dating application and began messaging with her. Shortly thereafter, he engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the alleged 14-year-old girl over the course of multiple days. Harchegani used the name “Alex Shaw,” along with at least two other aliases, in an effort to disguise his identity. Harchegani ultimately traveled to the residence where he believed the girl was home alone to engage in sexual activities with her. He was arrested thereafter.
Harchegani was a researcher at the University of South Carolina at the time of the chat. Upon his arrest, his employment was suspended and his contract with the university was not renewed.“Those who target children in our state will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “I’d like to thank our law enforcement partners at the FBI, South Carolina Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, and our prosecution team for bringing this defendant to justice.”
“The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our mission to protect children from those who exploit them,” said FBI Columbia Special Agent in Charge Kevin Moore. “This verdict marks a victory in the fight to safeguard children. We applaud the jury for delivering justice and commend the investigative team and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to ensure this outcome.”
Harchegani faces a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and restitution. U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis presided over the trial and will sentence Harchegani after receiving and reviewing a pre-sentence report from the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
The FBI Columbia Field Office, the South Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department participated in the online chat operation and investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle E. Klein and Winston Holliday are prosecuting the case.###
District of Arizona Charges 299 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from May 9, 2026, through May 15, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 299 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 147 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 137 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 15 cases against 15 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Kyle Bowman Marsaw. Kyle Bowman Marsaw was charged by complaint on May 11, 2026, with one count of Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. On May 9, Border Patrol agents observed a Dodge Ram travelling southbound on a highway on the Tohono O'odham Nation then 13 minutes later traveling back north. Agents attempted to stop the vehicle to conduct an immigration inspection, but the driver failed to yield. Agents pursued the vehicle, which reached speeds of 98 mph. The pursuit was terminated, and agents relayed the direction of travel to other agents in the area. Approximately 30 minutes later, the Ram activated a camera, and agents responded to the location, following tire tracks until the Ram was located near a cemetery, unoccupied. Agents then followed footprints and, with the assistance of a K9 unit and air asset, located an individual, later identified as Kyle Bowman Marsaw, hiding in the brush. The air asset was able to guide agents to two other individuals dressed in camouflage hiding in the brush who were determined to be citizens of Mexico, illegally present in the United States. Agents learned that Marsaw was the driver of the Ram and had picked up the two illegal aliens, who had been instructed by their guide to hide in the brush and wait to be picked up. [Case Number: 26-MJ-00426 TUC]
United States v. Derek Dialesandro Amperez-Toledo. Derek Dialesandro Amperez-Toledo was charged by complaint on May 13, 2026, with one count of Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. On May 12, Border Patrol Agents on the Tohono O'odham Nation were advised to be on the lookout for a black BMW potentially involved in human smuggling. Agents located the vehicle and attempted to stop it to conduct an immigration inspection, but the vehicle failed to yield and rapidly accelerated. Agents successfully deployed a vehicle immobilization device. The vehicle then drove off the road and continued for approximately one quarter of a mile before coming to a stop. Multiple individuals then exited the vehicle and ran away. Agents pursued them on foot and apprehended four subjects, including Amperez-Toledo and three citizens of Mexico illegally present in the United States. Agents learned that Amperez-Toledo was the driver of the vehicle who picked up the subjects. Once inside the vehicle, Amperez-Toledo instructed the subjects to get down inside the vehicle to avoid detection by Border Patrol. When the vehicle eventually stopped, the defendant instructed the subjects to flee on foot. [Case Number: 26-MJ-00619 TUC]
United States v. Ever Emmanuel Gonzalez. On May 11, 2026, Ever Emmanuel Gonzalez was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien for Profit and Improper Entry by an Alien. On May 11, 2026, a Department of Public Safety trooper observed that a silver Ford Fusion’s license plate was not properly affixed and was consistently flapping as the car drove. The trooper initiated a traffic stop. The driver, Ever Emmanual Gonzalez, identified himself by his Mexican driver’s license and appeared visibly nervous. The Fusion had three occupants. After further investigation, the trooper contacted Border Patrol for assistance, who determined that Gonzalez and all three passengers were citizens of Mexico, illegally present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-3135 – Phoenix]
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 criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-077_May 15, 2026, Immigration Enforcement
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Defendants Sentenced to Prison in COVID-19 Employment Tax Credit Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On May 14, 2026, Edward Zanes, 51, of Kingsport, Tennessee the last of three defendants charged in an extensive Covid-19 employment tax credit fraud scheme, was sentenced to 65 months in prison by the Honorable Judge Clifton Corker, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Following his release, Zanes will be on supervised release for three years.
This sentence follows an 84-month term of prison imposed earlier this year on co-defendant, Ryan Glidewell, 53, of Kingsport, Tennessee and a 50-month prison term imposed last year on co-defendant, Alyssa Glidewell, 36, of Kingsport, Tennessee for their respective roles in the fraud scheme. Both co-defendants will be on supervised release for three years following their release from imprisonment. Judge Corker also ordered the three to pay $1,806,637 in restitution to the United States.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ryan Glidewell, Alyssa Glidewell, Edward Zanes, and others, conspired to file false tax returns seeking refunds based on the Employee Retention Credit and paid Sick and Family Leave Credit, both of which were created by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. The defendants, led by Ryan Glidewell, created at least eleven phony businesses, which lacked any employees or operations, for the sole purpose of falsely claiming the credits. Members of the conspiracy then filed numerous false tax returns for those businesses and directed the tax refunds to be mailed to addresses controlled by conspirators.
In total, the false returns filed from the eleven sham businesses claimed over $3.4 million in tax refunds, of which the IRS paid $1.8 million.
“The defendants in this case exploited governmental efforts to assist businesses during a time of unprecedented uncertainty,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to vigorously prosecute individuals that steal from the citizenry through tax fraud.”
“Edward Zanes and his co-conspirators created fake companies, filed fraudulent tax forms, and tried to steal from programs meant to help Americans during the pandemic,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office. “IRS CI special agents, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to uncover COVID-19 relief fraud and hold anyone who files false tax returns fully accountable.”
IRS Criminal Investigation and the United States Secret Service investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Blackwell and Mac Heavener, and Trial Attorney Zachary A. Cobb formerly with the Justice Department’s Tax Division, represented the United States.
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D.C. Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for March 2025 Shooting and March 2025 CarjackingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Keon Preston, 19, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in Superior Court today to eight years in prison for his participation in an armed carjacking which took place on March 23, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“It is only by the grace of God that the victim in this case is still alive. These violent teen criminals fired over 30 rounds at the victim and it’s a miracle that this was not a homicide,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Their shooting and carjacking spree shows their lack of regard for human beings, and one wonders whether they should be a part of a civilized society.”
Preston pleaded guilty on September 19, 2025, to assault with intent to kill, possession of a machine gun, and carjacking. His co-defendant, Mekhi Greene, 19, who was seventeen years old at the time of the carjacking and charged under Title 16, pleaded guilty the same day to carjacking. The Honorable Judge Deborah Israel sentenced Preston to eight years of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised probation. Greene is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2026.
According to the government’s evidence, on the afternoon of March 23, 2025, in the 4600 block of G Street Southeast, Preston and two other unidentified suspects fired approximately 30 rounds at a victim as the victim exited his house to walk towards a bus stop. Although the victim was not hit, multiple rounds struck the victim’s house and car.
Later that evening, Preston, Greene, and two unidentified suspects, approached the 3500 block of East Capitol Street, Northeast, wearing masks and dark clothing, and carjacked a victim at gunpoint. After Metropolitan Police Department officers attempted to stop the stolen vehicle, the vehicle abruptly pulled into a dead end on the corner of 33rd Street Southeast and C Street Southeast and the defendants fled on foot. Officers recovered two illegal firearms from the vehicle, one of which had an automatic conversion switch. Preston and Greene were arrested at the scene and have been in custody since.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Green.
2025-CF3-003167
D.C. Man Sentenced to 13.5 Years in Prison for Burglary and Robbery Charges including Stealing the Victim’s DogRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jeffrey Birth, 45, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 13 and a half years in prison in connection with the January 3, 2025, robbery of a victim in Northwest, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Following a jury trial, Birth was found guilty on March 10, 2026, on six counts, including burglary, robbery, assault with intent to commit robbery, unlawful possession of ammunition, and contempt. On March 31, 2026, Birth pleaded guilty to three additional counts of possession of a controlled substance, contempt, and a violation of the Bail Reform Act for failing to appear in court.
In the early morning of January 3, 2025, Birth, who was barred from the apartment building, knocked on the door of a resident inside 1221 M St. NW. When the occupant opened the door, the defendant pushed his way inside and threatened to kill the occupant. Birth demanded money and, when the occupant did not give him money, Birth took phones, a wallet, an iPad, and the occupant’s dog before leaving. Several hours later, MPD officers located the dog in an apartment linked to Birth. A search of the apartment revealed several debit cards in the occupant’s name and two mobile phones belonging to the occupant. When Birth was arrested, he was found in possession of bullets for an unlicensed handgun.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorney Nickolas Reck and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kraig Ahalt, who prosecuted the case.
2025 CF3 002621
D.C. Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Shooting at His Romantic PartnerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Manley, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for shooting his 32-year-old girlfriend in April 2025, while she sat in her car, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Today’s sentence cannot undo the pain the victim has endured, but it sends a clear message that acts of violence against intimate partners will be met with serious consequences here in the District,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Our office is committed to standing up for survivors and ensuring that justice is served.”
Manley pleaded guilty on December 16, 2025, to one count each of assault with intent to kill while armed, unlawful discharge of a firearm and destruction of property. Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe ordered Manley to serve the 10-year prison term to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Manley and the victim were in a romantic relationship for several months. On April 11, 2025, the victim was sitting in her car in front of her residence when the defendant approached her vehicle and shot at her through the driver’s side window. This was not the only time that Manley was violent towards her. On other occasions, he destroyed her property, shot at her apartment building, and repeatedly returned to her residence in violation of a court-issued stay away.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Finally, they thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olivia Hinerfeld and Ariel Lieberman, who prosecuted the case.
2025 FD3 004531
Convicted Felon Charged with Drug & Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida – Quardarell Henry Robinson, 38, of Williston, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for manufacturing crack cocaine, possessing with the intent to distribute multiple controlled substances, possessing a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime, and possessing multiple firearms as a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Robinson appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori Lowry in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for June 17, 2026, at 8:30 am before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.
Robinson faces up to life imprisonment for possessing a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime, at least 5 years of which must be consecutive to any other sentence. Robinson also faces up to thirty years’ imprisonment for each of the controlled substance offenses and up to 15 years’ imprisonment for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The case was jointly investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Florida Highway Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hapner and James A. McCain.
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.
Chinese National Guilty of Violating Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ZIHANG ZENG (“ZENG”), age 24, a resident of China, pled guilty on May 13, 2026, before United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, a mixture and substance containing one hundred (100) kilograms or more of a detectable amount of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846, announced the U.S. Attorney's Office.
According to court documents, on April 14, 2025, DEA Special Agents observed Yilei Zhou pick up Hanjie Wu, a known marijuana distributor, from an airport in Houston, Texas and drive him to a residence in Katy, Texas, where they picked up ZENG, then drove to Denham Springs, Louisiana. The following day, two other individuals, Wei Bin Chen and Like Chen, left the Denham Springs residence and traveled to a nearby storage facility where they retrieved multiple large trash bags from a storage unit before driving to another storage facility in Slidell, Louisiana. Zhou and Wu then drove to same facility in Slidell where they all met with an individual identified as Aaron Steele. Wei Bin and Like Chen then loaded the large trash bags into Steele’s vehicle and all parties left the storage facility.
Forrest County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a traffic stop of Chen’s vehicle on Interstate 59 headed towards Hattiesburg, Mississippi. A consensual search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 43.5 kilograms of marijuana.
Mississippi Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop of Steele’s vehicle on Interstate 59 in Picayune, Mississippi. A consensual search of his vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 22.7 kilograms of marijuana.
Based on the seizures that occurred in Slidell and Mississippi, Livingston Parish officers obtained search warrants for the residence and storage facility in Denham Springs. When the officers arrived at the residence, ZENG ran from the residence and was arrested. Inside the residence, officers located $1,552.00 in currency, hundreds of rubber bands, a vacuum sealer and a money counter. From the storage unit, officers seized 38.5 kilograms of marijuana.
On the drug conspiracy count, ZENG faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, a maximum term of imprisonment of forty (40) years, a fine of up to $5,000,000.00, at least four (4) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Forrest County Mississippi Sheriff’s Office, and the Picayune, Mississippi Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys André Jones and Nolan D. Paige of the Narcotics Unit.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Orleans comprises agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Chinese Man Sentenced for International KidnappingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. –A Chinese national lawfully residing in the United States, Hao Qiu, 39, was sentenced on Friday to 30 months by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell for international parental kidnapping.
Qiu, a citizen of China, has three children with a United States citizen who resided in Fayette County. Qiu and the children’s mother negotiated an agreement, through their attorneys in a custody case, for Qiu to drive the children on a vacation to Florida. Unknown to their mother, Qiu obtained duplicate Chinese passports for each of the three children and made reservations to fly all of them to Beijing, China, through multiple countries. Qui drove the children to California and then removed the children from the U.S., by crossing the border to Mexico. They then flew from Mexico to Cuba to Panama, where the Panamanian authorities detained Qiu as he and the children were boarding a flight to Turkey. Following a rapid response by the FBI, the Department of State, and the Department of Justice, the Panamanian authorities ultimately returned the children to their mother’s custody.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Filed Office jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Boone is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Challenge to Sable Pipeline in California DismissedRead the Press Release
The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California yesterday dismissed the complaint in Center for Biological Diversity v. Burgum – one of several cases challenging Sable Offshore Corp.’s oil and gas operations at the Santa Ynez Unit in the Santa Barbara Channel.
In April 2025, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a decision concluding that Sable was not required to revise its development and production plan for the Unit under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. The plaintiffs then sued and sought a court order compelling the Bureau to require a revised plan. Instead, the court dismissed the lawsuit because the plaintiffs’ asserted procedural injury had no basis in the statute, was not traceable to any action by BOEM, and could not be redressed by an order of the court. Among other problems the court identified with the plaintiffs’ case, they invoked a provision of the statute that governs “approval of a development and production plan,” not revision of an already-existing plan.
“This decision is a clear-eyed interpretation of federal law in keeping with the Supreme Court’s instruction in Loper Bright to follow the best interpretation of statutes,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Our defense of BOEM’s decision supports domestic energy production in furtherance of President Donald J. Trump’s directive to unleash American energy.”
Sable Offshore was required to immediately resume petroleum transportation through the Santa Ynez Pipeline System pursuant to a Defense Production Act order issued by Energy Secretary Chris Wright on March 13. Since then, the Unit has been transporting about 30,000 barrels of oil per day to California and is expected to reach 60,000 barrels per day.
Attorneys with ENRD’s Natural Resources Section handled this matter.
Challenge Dropped to Air Force’s Fighter Jet Training Operations in Eastern OregonRead the Press Release
Earlier this month, the Oregon Natural Desert Association voluntarily dismissed its suit that alleged that the Air Force was illegally discharging countermeasures — chaff and flares — into waterways as part of its fighter jet training operations over the Paradise North area of eastern Oregon. The suit alleged that these releases from aircraft entered waterways and violated the Clean Water Act because the Air Force did not have a permit to do so. The Air Force denied that its operations required a permit in light of an April 20 determination by President Donald J. Trump to exempt for one year the Air Force’s fighter jet training operations in Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada from federal, state, and local requirements respecting the control land abatement of water pollution. The dismissal will minimize any disruption of the Air Force’s training program and save significant time and resources that the litigation would have required.
“Given how critical the Air Force’s training operations are to the nation’s military readiness and national defense, we are gratified to see this case dismissed,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Congress granted the President the authority to exempt certain military operations from Clean Water Act requirements, and doing so here ensures that our pilots continue to receive the best training in the world.”
Military aircraft have been training in eastern Oregon since Mountain Home Army Air Field opened in August 1942. The Air Force currently conducts aerial fighter training for aircraft — primarily F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft — and pilots stationed at the base. This aerial flight training takes place within six Military Operation Areas, including the Paradise North desert lands in southeastern Oregon, as part of the Air Force’s ongoing mission to train and equip America’s elite cadre of fighter pilots. The training occurs over an expansive area and may include fighter jets releasing chaff and flares into the atmosphere as practice for defending against RADAR-guided weapons and heat-seeking missiles. For several decades, the Air Force has, at times, used chaff and flares during aerial training at Mountain Home Air Force Base.
Attorneys with ENRD’s Natural Resources Section handled this matter.
California Man Arrested for Violating Lacey Act for Plot to Illegally Export Trafficked TurtlesRead the Press Release
This week, Donald Do, of Daly City, California, was arrested on federal wildlife trafficking charges. Do is charged with conspiracy and Lacey Act crimes related to submitting false paperwork to obtain a federal export permit and trying to ship protected turtles to Asia.
The indictment alleges that between December 2022 and May 2024, Do and a California accomplice attempted to export 292 loggerhead musk turtles to Taiwan. Do’s co-conspirator obtained an export permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) based on a false claim by Do that he hatched and raised the turtles when he had not.
After obtaining the export permit, Do allegedly bought musk turtles poached from the wild in Florida and elsewhere, and tried to obtain more. Do told sellers he was willing to take “wild caught” and sent instructions to ship turtles to San Francisco. Do and the co-conspirator also allegedly tried to obtain over 200 turtles from Albert Bazaar, of Louisiana, who was detained last week in Phoenix on turtle trafficking charges. After unsuccessfully exporting the turtles, Do allegedly tried to conceal his role by lying to his co-conspirator in California that he had sold the turtles to other domestic buyers.
It is illegal under the Lacey Act to provide false information about wildlife involved in international or interstate commerce or to sell or transport wildlife taken in violation of state law. The USFWS issues permits to import or export fish, wildlife, and plants protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), of which the United States and 184 other governments are signatories. Loggerhead musk turtles were added to the list of protected species in November 2022.
The judge scheduled a bond hearing for May 21 and a status conference for July 31. If convicted, Do faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the conspiracy and Lacey Act charges. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian for the Northern District of California, and Assistant Director Doug Ault, USFWS Office of Law Enforcement announced the arrest and charges.
The USFWS investigated the case as part of Operation Southern Hot Herps, which was a joint federal and state law enforcement operation to detect and deter turtle poachers in the southeastern United States. Homeland Security Investigations, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission assisted with the investigation.
Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Chambers for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Buffalo man arrested on drug chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Delmar Washington, 49, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
According to the complaint, since November 2025, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating a drug trafficking organization operating in Buffalo. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that Washington was involved in the drug trafficking activities. On March 30, 2026, investigators executed a search warrant at a Landon Street residence in Buffalo, seizing approximately 475 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine and 676 grams of fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, and a shotgun, which had previously been reported stolen. Investigators also seized seizing 3.5 grams of suspected crack cocaine and 3.5 grams of suspected fentanyl from Washington at the time of his arrest.
Washington made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and was held pending a detention hearing on May 19, 2026.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Duncan. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Brazilian National Guilty of Reentry of Deported AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –WALYSTTON HENRIQUE DE SOUZA (“DE SOUZA”), age 32, a native of Brazil, plead guilty and was sentenced on May 7, 2026, for reentry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, DE SOUZA, an illegal alien, was found in St. Tammany Parish on March 31, 2026 by agents of the United States Customs and Border Patrol. DE SOUZA had previously been removed to Brazil by the United States Department of Homeland Security on July 2, 2021.
United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced DE SOUZA to time served, then transferred DE SOUZA into ICE Custody for deportation proceedings, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Customs and Border Patrol in investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Rick Veters, of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
Athens, Georgia, Woman Sentenced on Cyberstalking and Threat OffensesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Gabryele “Gabby” Watson, 29, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison today on four counts of cyberstalking, two counts of interstate transmission of threats to kidnap or injure, and two counts of unlawful use of a means of identification, announced Braden H. Boucek, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“This defendant, for her own selfish and evil reasons, preyed on the hopes and dreams of a young couple who simply wanted to be parents,” said U.S. Attorney Boucek. “This kind of fraud is devastating to those it affects, it cannot be tolerated, and today’s punishment shows that we will hold those who commit it accountable for their actions.”
“Gabryele Watson’s deliberate actions instilled fear in caring people who longed to adopt a child,” said Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “Cyberstalking not only causes panic and anxiety but also leaves victims feeling constantly unsafe and vulnerable. The FBI prioritizes cases involving threats of violence and will always investigate and bring to justice those who use digital platforms to threaten others.”
From May to June 2023, Watson cyberstalked a married couple living in the Middle District of Tennessee, who had been trying to adopt a baby for eight years. She assumed the identity of a real 16-year-old in Pennsylvania who was pregnant (Minor Victim 1), obtaining accurate details about Minor Victim 1 and her pregnancy from Minor Victim 1’s social media posts. These included Minor Victim 1’s full name and nickname, her date of birth, her home state, the full name and nickname of Minor Victim 1’s teenaged boyfriend, who was also the baby’s father (Individual A), and details about, and photographs and video recordings depicting, Minor Victim 1’s pregnancy. She obtained photographs and video recordings of Minor Victim 1 and Individual A, including a series of “baby bump” photographs and videos of Minor Victim 1 displaying her pregnant belly at various stages of development. She also obtained sonogram photographs and videos of Minor Victim 1 and Individual A’s unborn baby at various stages of development. Over the next several months, as Minor Victim 1 posted new content on her social media accounts, Watson copied that new content for continued use in her scheme.
Posing as Minor Victim 1 and using Minor Victim 1’s real nickname, Watson contacted Victim One online, initially through her social media adoption page and then later through spoofed text messages, spoofed voice phone calls, and e-mail messages using an account the defendant created in Minor Victim 1’s name. In their early conversations, the defendant claimed that she was 16 years old, was facing an unplanned pregnancy, and wanted to give her baby up for adoption. She shared detailed information about her (really, Minor Victim 1) life and elicited similar personal information from Victim One. Watson shared photographs of sonographs of Minor Victim 1’s unborn baby, and repeatedly assured Victim One and Victim Two (Victim One’s husband) that they were going to adopt her baby and encouraged them to share their good news with others. Over time, Watson began to demand that Victims One and Two be available at all hours to respond to her frequent communications and that they purchase baby-related gear and maternity clothing. Watson also repeatedly threatened to cancel the adoption, claimed that “her” baby suffered from various life-threatening health emergencies, and pretended to being stalked and to have disappeared from home. Watson also threatened to abort or injure the unborn baby or to commit suicide while pregnant. Finally, she threatened to kill Victims One and Two.
Watson engaged in the same disturbing conduct with Victims Three and Four, another married couple living in the Middle District of Tennessee, when she pretended to be a pregnant 18-year-old living in Arkansas (Victim Five). This time, Watson pretended to be pregnant with high-risk twins. She also communicated on speaker phone with Victim Three and Four’s two young sons and encouraged them to be excited about the adoption. She made similar claims about “her” unborn babies’ health, was verbally abusive to Victim Three, and threatened to kill Victims Three and Four and their children.
Following her term of incarceration, Watson will be on supervised release for three years.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison prosecuted the case with the assistance of the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).
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14 May 2026
Wisconsin Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Using the Internet to Sexually Exploit a Minor in the PhilippinesRead the Press Release
Bradley D. Hounsell, 44, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was sentenced today to 13 years in prison, to be followed by seven years of supervised release, for using the internet to coerce and entice a minor in the Philippines to engage in unlawful sexual conduct.
According to court documents, Hounsell used an online social media platform to pay an individual in the Philippines for sexually explicit images and videos of children. In November 2023, this individual informed Hounsell that she had access to an approximately 13-year-old girl, and Hounsell asked to have the minor pose in sexually suggestive positions. Hounsell then offered to pay for a video of the individual penetrating the child’s genitals. After Hounsell sent her money, the individual sent Hounsell a video depicting an adult sexually abusing a nude child. At various points in their conversations, Hounsell offered to pay this individual money for additional images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children. Law enforcement recovered this video and other evidence of Hounsell’s criminal conduct from his phone during a warrant-authorized search of his home in Wisconsin. Hounsell was employed as a correctional officer with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections prior to his arrest.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad D. Schimel for the Eastern District of Wisconsin; Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr of the FBI’s Milwaukee Field Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit and Milwaukee Field Office with the assistance of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office.
Trial Attorney William G. Clayman, formerly of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel R. Humble for the Eastern District of Wisconsin 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
Waterville Man Sentenced for Attempting to Transfer Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Waterville man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Neil Wing, 39, to 21 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Wing pleaded guilty on November 4, 2025.
According to court records, Wing began communicating with an undercover detective posing as a 12-year-old girl on the online chat platform Kik. These conversations quickly became sexual in nature, with Wing repeatedly asking for pictures. Wing subsequently sent the undercover detective a sexually explicit image of himself naked in the bathroom. Wing was interviewed while a search warrant was being executed at his residence and admitted to sending the image.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit–Special Victims investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2025, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received over 21 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Virginia Man Sentenced for Making Threats Against Public OfficialsRead the Press Release
HARRISONBURG, Va. – A Winchester, Va., man, who made online threats to kill, kidnap, or injure former Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Barrack Obama, was sentenced recently to 30 months in federal prison.
Frank Lucio Carillo, 68, pled guilty in April 2025 to one count of sending threatening communications through interstate commerce.
According to court documents, Carillo used the social media platform GETTR to post thousands of messages using the name “joemadarats1.” GTTR is publicly accessible, and users can post articles, statements, and links to other websites, as well as comment on and reply to other users’ posts.
On July 27, 2024, FBI Phoenix received information concerning a threat made against an employee of the Maricopa County, Arizona, Recorder’s Office posted on GETTR by a user with the name “joemadarats1.”
FBI searched the “joemadarats1” user account and discovered approximately 4,359 posts, comments, and replies made by the user targeting various public officials including, but not limited to Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Barrack Obama
In a February 2024 post, “joemadarats1” said he had his “AR-15 LOCKED AND LOADED.”
Authorities used GETTR subscriber information and other investigative methods to determine that the “joemadarats1” username was used by Carillo at his residence in Winchester, Virginia.
On August 2, 2024, authorities at the FBI Richmond executed a search warrant at Carillo’s home and seized a 9 mm pistol, an AR-15 rifle, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
The FBI in both Richmond, Virginia and Phoenix, Arizona, and the United States Secret Service are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Welsh is prosecuting the case.
Ventura Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking of Minors Two Months After His Release from State Prison for Child Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Ventura County man pleaded guilty today to sex trafficking two minors two months after his release from California state prison, where he served time after being convicted of child sex crimes.
Kai Whitney Sommers, 38, of Ventura, and registered sex offender, pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of minors. He has been in federal custody since June 2024.
According to his plea agreement and other court documents, Sommers was convicted and sentenced in September 2021 in Los Angeles Superior Court for statutory rape and lewd or lascivious acts with a child 14/15 years and offender 10+ years older. In that case, Sommers enticed a minor on an online chat room to make money as an escort. He then lured the victim to meet with him, took her to his house, and sexually assaulted the victim.
In June 2023, Sommers was released on post-release community supervision in Los Angeles County and later accepted for supervision in Ventura County. The supervision terms for Sommers include no access or possession of any digital devices that access the internet.
In August 2023, approximately two and half months after his release, Ventura County Probation conducted a search at Sommers’ residence and determined that he was in possession of digital devices that contained child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and during this same month had been in communication with a minor on a messaging platform geared toward teens.
During the review of Sommers devices, law enforcement identified a 16-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl who met Sommers on the online platform. Sommers had requested he and the victims move the conversation to a secure application where he could entice and coerce the minors how to make extra money as escorts.
Sommers enticed one victim to produce CSAM and enticed the other victim to provide fully clothed images for him that, unknown to both victims, he then posted multiple commercial sex advertisements of each victim. The ads on an adult website depicted the victims as “18-year-old” escorts. Sommers also pretended to be the victims while he communicated with the potential adult clients. Sommers told the minors that if the clients asked how old they were, they had to say, “18.”
Sommers ultimately coerced one of the victims to meet with two adult men he found on the adult website and on both occasions a commercial sex act occurred in exchanged for money.
Sommers further admitted in his plea agreement to possessing in August 2023 a phone that contained nearly 150 visual depictions of CSAM. He also admitted to distributing CSAM.
United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton scheduled a September 24 sentencing hearing, at which time Sommers will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The FBI and the Ventura Police Department are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea Norell of the Major Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Venezuelan Gang Member Sentenced for "Jackpotting" and Ordered to Pay RestitutionRead the Press Release
OXFORD, MS – A Venezuelan man with ties to the Tren de Aragua (TdA) international gang was sentenced today for conspiracy to commit bank fraud by United States District Judge Michael P. Mills. Darrin Daza-Segura, 26, living as an illegal alien in Dallas, Texas, was sentenced today to ten months with three years of supervised release. Additionally, he is to pay the victim $47,250 in restitution.
According to court documents, upon release of this prison sentence, the defendant will be surrendered to the custody of ICE for removal from this country. He will not be allowed to re-enter without the written permission of the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Commonly known as “Jackpotting,” Daza-Segura and his co-defendant Winder Alexander Canelon-Tiapa travelled throughout Mississippi and reprogrammed bank ATMs to disperse large amounts of cash. They successfully stole $47,000 from ATMs at Mississippi banks and attempted to steal much more. ATM Jackpotting is a significant problem throughout the country and is a known crime commonly perpetrated by members of the TdA gang from Venezuela.
Winder Alexander Canelon-Tiapa has also pled guilty in this case is set to be sentenced before Judge Mills on May 28, 2026.
U.S. Attorney Scott Leary stated, “These Venezuelan gang members have been categorized as terrorists. In Mississippi, you can trace where they go from Interstate 55 and Highway 45. They do not live here but have come to victimize our citizens in North Mississippi. We are not going to stand for such actions in this district.”
The Cyber Crime Division of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office investigated the case.
“Criminals are always finding new, innovative ways to steal your hard-earned money," said Attorney General Fitch. “And when it gets in their hands, sometimes it funds their criminal enterprises. Working together with our federal, state, and local partners, we were able to stop a dangerous TdA gang member from defrauding Mississippians and potentially using your money to finance their crimes.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton A. Dabbs is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois Announces First-of-Its-Kind Individual Self-Disclosure ProgramRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois today announced the formation of a first-of-its kind Program that both encourages and incentivizes individuals to voluntarily report and/or self-report criminal wrongdoing for non-violent offenses and fully cooperate with the government in its investigation and any subsequent prosecution of other offenders. The Individual Self-Disclosure Program applies exclusively to individuals and does not overlap with the Department of Justice’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy of March 10, 2026. Any corporate disclosures will be governed by the DOJ’s Corporate Enforcement Policy.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office implemented the Individual Self-Disclosure Program to provide greater certainty and equal-access transparency to individuals and their counsel as to what they can expect in exchange for their full, truthful, and complete reporting of criminal wrongdoing and subsequent cooperation. Those who fully and voluntarily self-report criminal wrongdoing that is previously unknown to the government will have the opportunity to secure one of three tiers of potential benefits: (1) letter immunity; (2) a deferred or non-prosecution agreement; or (3) criminal prosecution with substantial sentencing relief. An individual who receives a deferred or non-prosecution agreement under the Program must agree to disgorge any proceeds from the criminal activity through forfeiture or other means and pay restitution to victims consistent with the individual’s role in the offense and applicable law.
The Office will maintain its prosecutorial discretion to determine on a case-by-case basis whether an individual who reports wrongdoing merits one of the three tiers of benefits. As set out in the Program, among the factors that the Office will consider are whether the criminal conduct had previously been made public or was previously known to law enforcement; whether the individual disclosed the criminal conduct voluntarily and not in response to a government inquiry or imminent threat of disclosure or government investigation; the completeness and timeliness of the disclosure; and the individual’s role and participation, if any, in the wrongdoing. There are additional considerations that the Office will factor in its assessment, as is outlined in greater detail in the Program.
The Program supersedes the Northern District of Illinois’s Individual Self-Disclosure Pilot Program for Organizational Misconduct announced on Sept. 16, 2024.
“One of the key hallmarks of effective leadership is constantly striving for progress and innovation,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “When I began serving as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois on April 7, 2025, I embarked on a deep, root-cause analysis of what was working and what was not working in the Office. In fraud and other adjacent program areas, I determined fairly quickly that an overhaul of our self-disclosure program was needed. From there, I personally rolled up my sleeves and got to work reimagining a program that would lead to individual voluntary disclosures, be responsive to the defense bar and its concerns, protect the sanctity of prosecutorial discretion, and be fair and reasonable to individuals who make the difficult decision to come forward with information. Drawing upon some 25 years of experience in the criminal law field, including nearly ten years as Co-Chair of White Collar, eight years as a federal prosecutor in Chicago handling sophisticated white-collar prosecutions, 16 years of teaching criminal law at the University of Chicago Law School, including debating self-disclosure policies with colleagues and thought leaders, as well as authoring some 160 articles and two books on various white-collar, corruption and adjacent topics, I put ‘fingers to keyboard’ on re-envisioning an individual self-disclosure program that not only works, but also comports with Administration priorities. For the first time in the Northern District of Illinois, individual wrongdoers now know upfront with transparency and much greater certainty whether and how they can be rewarded when they self-disclose wrongdoing, fully cooperate with our investigation, and remediate the misconduct. Incentivizing individuals to come forward and do the right thing will result in a better outcome for victims and a just result for the citizens of our District. Although we expect this new self-disclosure Program to substantially increase our intake of fraud and other adjacent investigations, make no mistake: our Office will continue to vigorously pursue criminals who elect to roll the dice and not come forward and self-report their criminal activities. The defense bar now has a unique tool at their disposable that we hope will be used with great frequency. As such, for those individuals who make the decision not to self-report, they should not expect to be treated nearly as favorably as those who turn the corner and take account of their criminal conduct.”
Individuals who wish to make a voluntary disclosure must complete this form and submit it to USAILN.WBP@usdoj.gov. Although anonymous reporting is not allowed, a new, unique feature allows for attorneys to reach out as an initial matter to the Front Office of the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office to provide an attorney proffer of their client’s wrongdoing, role in the offense, and the other criteria and factors discussed in the Program. Attorneys can do this without identifying their client.
The Program is not available to individuals whose misconduct involved violence, the threat of violence, gun trafficking and firearm offenses, terrorism, drug trafficking, child exploitation, human trafficking, or any sex offense involving fraud, force, coercion, trafficking, or a minor victim. Additionally, absent extraordinary or unique circumstances, elected federal, state, local, or foreign officials, and federal law enforcement officers, are not eligible to participate in the Program. Click here for a full list of the Program’s terms and conditions.
ndil_voluntary_self_disclosure_program_2026.pdf ndil_individual_self-disclosure_program_intake_form_2026.pdfU.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah Recognizes Law Enforcement During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah hosted the 2026 United States Attorney’s Awards for Law Enforcement Ceremony. The event took place during National Police Week (May 10 -16, 2026) to honor the courage, sacrifice and dedication of law enforcement officers everywhere.
The United States Attorney’s Award recipients from local, state, and federal law enforcement partners were recognized for their individual exceptional work and distinguished achievements and contributions to the mission of the Department of Justice. This year’s ceremony is in special memory of fallen officers, Officer Eric Estrada and Sergeant Lee Sorenson of the Tremonton-Garland Police Department, who paid the ultimate sacrifice on August 17, 2025.
“We owe Utah’s local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies a profound debt of gratitude. Our men and women in blue work diligently to protect the citizens of Utah at great personal sacrifice, and as we were reminded recently, sometimes the ultimate sacrifice,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “We are thrilled to participate in National Police Week by honoring these sacrifices and the selfless commitment to protect and serve.”
To learn more about National Police Week visit https://www.policeweek.org/.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Honors Officers During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – In observance of National Police Week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement and pays tribute to the officers who have fallen in the line of duty. National Police Week is observed Sunday May 10, through Saturday, May 16, 2026.
“During National Police Week, we honor the brave men and women in law enforcement—especially in the Northern District of Alabama—who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe. These men and women run toward danger without hesitation and deserve our unwavering respect,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine Crosby. “We especially remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Their courage, service, and dedication to their community will never be forgotten.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment to keeping our communities safe.
The names of 363 officers killed in the line of duty were added to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. These names were read on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at the 38th Annual Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C. To learn more about National Police Week, please visit www.policeweek.org.
U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros Recognizes the Law Enforcement Community During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today recognized the tremendous service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers during National Police Week.
“Serving as a sworn law enforcement officer is among the greatest callings in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “All of us at the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office consider it a privilege to work with the valiant men and women of law enforcement who serve our communities with honor, integrity, and bravery. National Police Week reminds us that behind every badge is a story of service, sacrifice, and family. To those brave officers in uniform, I say thank you for risking your life, wellbeing, and security to keep the rest of us safe. To the families of the fallen heroes who paid the ultimate price, we grieve your tragic loss and renew our commitment to supporting law enforcement each and every day and to continuing to fight the good fight on behalf of the people of the district that we serve.”
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15 as the annual Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the week in which that date falls as National Police Week. During National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, and loyalty.
On Wednesday, the names of 363 officers killed in the line of duty, including Chicago Police Officer John Bartholomew, were added to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the 38th Annual Candlelight Vigil. Officer Bartholomew served CPD honorably for ten years and was tragically killed on April 25, 2026. He is survived by his wife and three children.
To learn more about National Police Week, please visit www.policeweek.org.
Two Pakistani Men and One Indian Man Charged with International Narcotics Trafficking on the Dark WebRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on May 12, 2026 charging two Pakistani men and one Indian man living in Hong Kong in connection with international narcotics trafficking using the dark web, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Waleed Shamim, 33, Sameer Shamim, 41, and Shareef Beig, 52, were indicted for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to import controlled substances.
“As alleged, these defendants used dark web marketplaces and international shipping networks to move narcotics and counterfeit pills into the United States and target customers in New Jersey. Individuals who believe they can hide behind online aliases while trafficking dangerous drugs across international borders are mistaken—this Office and our law enforcement partners will identify them, disrupt their operations, and hold them accountable.”
- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer
“The indictments of these foreign nationals highlight the grave dangers posed by transnational organizations who aim to distribute and import controlled substances into the United States,” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy. “Homeland Security Investigations remains steadfast in its commitment to working with our partners at U.S. Postal Inspection Service to identify and dismantle international narcotics trafficking networks that exploit the anonymity of the dark web.”
“Postal Inspectors, federal prosecutors, and our law enforcement partners have diligently worked to identify and disrupt the activities of dark web marketplaces suspected of peddling illegal pills. Postal Inspectors will continue to tirelessly investigate these types of crimes that utilize the U.S. Postal Service to facilitate illegal activity and bring those behind these hidden walls to justice,” said Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen.
According to the indictment filed in this case:
Between November 2021 and June 2022, Waleed Shamim and Sameer Shamim operated vendor accounts on various illicit dark web marketplaces under the moniker “Horsemen” or “Horsemen1,” and recruited people to assist in reshipping narcotics to customers. Waleed Shamim and Sameer Shamim, along with Shareef Beig, coordinated shipments of thousands of pills containing narcotics from Hong Kong to the United States.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to import controlled substances each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited officers and special agents of Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy in Newark, and inspectors the U.S Postal Inspection Serves, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Chief of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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shamimetal.indictment.pdfTren de Aragua leader extradited on terrorism and international drug distribution charges following Homeland Security Task Force investigationRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 24-year-old Venezuelan national is set to make his initial appearance in Houston federal court for providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and significant drug trafficking offenses, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Jose Enrique Martinez Flores aka Chuqui, 24, is alleged to be a high-ranking leader of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua in Bogota, Colombia, and is part of the inner circle of senior TdA leadership.
Colombian authorities arrested him in Colombia March 31, 2025, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant the United States had requested. He has now arrived in Houston and is set for an initial appearance May 15 at 10 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan of the Southern District of Texas.
According to the allegations, Flores is charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support to TdA in the form of personnel (including himself) and services and one count of providing material support to TdA. The indictment also alleges international drug distribution conspiracy based on his involvement in the distribution of five kilograms of cocaine or more in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States. The charges allege the proceeds were used to further TdA’s criminal goals.
As a TdA leader, he allegedly oversaw criminal activities in Colombia such as drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution and murder.
A federal grand jury in Houston returned a second superseding indictment Dec. 16, 2025, which also charges three other TdA leaders - Yohan Jose Romero aka Johan Petrica, 48, Juan Gabriel Rivas Nunez aka Juancho, 45, and Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano aka El Viejo, 38, for conspiring to provide and providing material support to TdA. Mosquera Serrano is also named in the conspiracy and distribution of cocaine charges along with Flores.
The Department of State designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist Feb. 20, 2025.
If convicted, he faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine.
Mosquera Serrano is on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List. Jose Romero and Rivas Nunez are also fugitives. Anyone with information concerning either individual is asked to contact the FBI via WhatsApp or Telegram at 281-787-9939. Those with information may also contact their local FBI office, nearest American Embassy or Consulate or can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
The Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program is also offering a reward of up to $4 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Jose Romero and up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Mosquera Serrano.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz of the SDTX are prosecuting the case along with Deputy Director David C. Smith and Trial Attorneys James Keller and Kelly McGann of Joint Task Force Vulcan.
This case is part of JTFV, which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include SDTX; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and Districts of Nevada and Arizona as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and Department of Justice’s National Security Division. Additionally, Federal Bureau of Prisons; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshals Service and Homeland Security Task Forces are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
This case is part of the HSTF established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Houston comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department; Harris County Sheriff's Office; ATF; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation and IRS Criminal Investigation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
Colombian National Police (Policía Nacional de Colombia) and the Colombian Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación), Justice Department’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, and Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the provisional arrest and extradition of Flores to the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tren de Aragua Leader Extradited on Terrorism and International Drug Distribution Charges Following Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
A 24-year-old Venezuelan national is set to make his initial appearance in Houston federal court for providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and significant drug trafficking offenses.
Jose Enrique Martinez Flores also known as “Chuqui,” 24, is alleged to be a high-ranking leader of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) in Bogota, Colombia, and is part of the inner circle of senior TdA leadership.
Colombian authorities arrested Flores in Colombia on March 31, 2025, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant the United States had requested. He has now arrived in Houston and is set for an initial appearance on May 15 at 10 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan for the Southern District of Texas.
According to the allegations, Flores is charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support to TdA in the form of personnel (including himself) and services and one count of providing material support to TdA. The indictment also alleges international drug distribution conspiracy based on his involvement in the distribution of five kilograms of cocaine or more in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States. The charges allege the proceeds were used to further TdA’s criminal goals.
As a TdA leader, Flores allegedly oversaw criminal activities in Colombia such as drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution, and murder.
A federal grand jury in Houston returned a second superseding indictment Dec. 16, 2025, which also charges three other TdA leaders - Yohan Jose Romero also known as "Johan Petrica," 48, Juan Gabriel Rivas Nunez also known as "Juancho," 45, and Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano also known as "El Viejo," 38, for conspiring to provide and providing material support to TdA. Mosquera Serrano is also named in the conspiracy and distribution of cocaine charges along with Flores.
The Department of State designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist on Feb. 20, 2025.
If convicted, Flores faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.
Mosquera Serrano is on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List. Jose Romero and Rivas Nunez are also fugitives. Anyone with information concerning these individuals is asked to contact the FBI via WhatsApp or Telegram at 281-787-9939. Those with information may also contact their local FBI office, nearest American Embassy or Consulate or can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
The Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program is also offering a reward of up to $4 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Jose Romero and up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Mosquera Serrano.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case along with Deputy Director David C. Smith and Trial Attorneys James Keller and Kelly McGann of Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV).
This case is part of JTFV, which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include the Southern District of Texas, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and Districts of Nevada and Arizona; as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and Department of Justice’s National Security Division. Additionally, Federal Bureau of Prisons; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations(ICE)(HSI); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshals Service and Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF) are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
This case is part of the 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 U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Houston comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department; Harris County Sheriff's Office; ATF; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation and IRS Criminal Investigation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
Colombian National Police (Policía Nacional de Colombia) and the Colombian Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación), Justice Department’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, and Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the provisional arrest and extradition of Flores to the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Takeda Pharmaceuticals Agrees to Pay $13.6 Million to Resolve False Claims Allegations Relating to Improper Payments to PhysiciansRead the Press Release
Settlement found here:
takeda_settlement_-_final_executed_agreement_-_redacted.pdfSACRAMENTO, Calif. – Takeda Pharmaceuticals, U.S.A., Inc. has agreed to pay $13,670,921 to resolve allegations that it knowingly caused the submission of false claims to Medicare and other federal health care programs by paying kickbacks to healthcare providers to induce prescriptions of Trintellix, an antidepressant medication that Takeda marketed and sold to treat major depressive disorder.
“The Department of Justice is committed to vigorously pursuing violations of the False Claims Act arising from illegal kickbacks,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Such conduct can erode the trust that patients place in their healthcare providers and lead to higher drug costs for American taxpayers.”
“This settlement demonstrates the continued commitment of my office to ensure that patients’ best interests remain paramount,” said Eric Grant, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California. “Prescribing decisions should not be influenced by drug companies’ payments or side perks made available to physicians.”
“Alleged kickback schemes such as those described in this matter undermine the trust that patients place in their providers and federal health care programs,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG). “This settlement underscores that HHS-OIG, together with our law enforcement partners, will investigate and hold accountable entities that attempt to disguise purported honoraria or other improper payments as legitimate compensation. Decisions regarding patient care should never be influenced by extravagant meals or other inducements.”
The Anti‑Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and other federal health care programs. The statute is intended to ensure that the judgments of healthcare professionals are not compromised by improper financial incentives.
The civil settlement resolves allegations that, from January 2014 to October 2020, Takeda paid improper remuneration, including in the form of speaker honoraria and meals at high-end restaurants, to healthcare professionals to induce them to prescribe the antidepressant medication Trintellix in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. The United States contends that Takeda selected certain healthcare providers to be part of the Trintellix speaker bureau and provided them paid speaking opportunities with the intent that the speaker honoraria and meals would induce them to prescribe Trintellix. The government further contends that certain prescribers who attended multiple programs on the same topic and received meals and drinks from Takeda received no educational benefit from attending duplicate programs.
“As the investigative arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to protecting the integrity of programs that directly affect our service members and their families,” said John E. Helsing, Special Agent-in-Charge for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “When companies use kickbacks to influence prescribing, they erode trust in healthcare providers, misuse federal healthcare funds, and put the health and readiness of our warfighters at risk. DCIS will continue working with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to stop schemes that threaten those who faithfully serve our country.”
This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, with assistance from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and HHS’s Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Thiess for the Eastern District of California and Trial Attorney Kimya Saied of the Justice Department’s Civil Fraud Section handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Takeda Agrees to Pay $13.6M to Resolve False Claims Allegations Relating to Improper Payments to PhysiciansRead the Press Release
Takeda Pharmaceuticals, U.S.A. Inc. has agreed to pay $13,670,921 to resolve allegations that it knowingly caused the submission of false claims to Medicare and other federal health care programs by paying kickbacks to healthcare providers to induce prescriptions of Trintellix, an antidepressant medication that Takeda marketed and sold to treat major depressive disorder.
“The Department of Justice is committed to vigorously pursuing violations of the False Claims Act arising from illegal kickbacks,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Such conduct can erode the trust that patients place in their healthcare providers and lead to higher drug costs for American taxpayers.”
“This settlement demonstrates the continued commitment of my office to ensure that patients’ best interests remain paramount,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California. “Prescribing decisions should not be influenced by drug companies’ payments or side perks made available to physicians.”
“Alleged kickback schemes such as those described in this matter undermine the trust that patients place in their providers and federal health care programs,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG). “This settlement underscores that HHS-OIG, together with our law enforcement partners, will investigate and hold accountable entities that attempt to disguise purported honoraria or other improper payments as legitimate compensation. Decisions regarding patient care should never be influenced by extravagant meals or other inducements.”
“As the investigative arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to protecting the integrity of programs that directly affect our service members and their families,” said Special Agent in Charge John E. Helsing for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “When companies use kickbacks to influence prescribing, they erode trust in healthcare providers, misuse federal healthcare funds, and put the health and readiness of our warfighters at risk. DCIS will continue working with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to stop schemes that threaten those who faithfully serve our country.”
The Anti‑Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and other federal health care programs. The statute is intended to ensure that the judgments of healthcare professionals are not compromised by improper financial incentives.
The civil settlement resolves allegations that, from January 2014 to October 2020, Takeda paid improper remuneration, including in the form of speaker honoraria and meals at high-end restaurants, to healthcare professionals to induce them to prescribe the antidepressant medication Trintellix in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. The United States contends that Takeda selected certain healthcare providers to be part of the Trintellix speaker bureau and provided them paid speaking opportunities with the intent that the speaker honoraria and meals would induce them to prescribe Trintellix. The government further contends that certain prescribers who attended multiple programs on the same topic and received meals and drinks from Takeda received no educational benefit from attending duplicate programs.
This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, with assistance from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and HHS’s Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Trial Attorney Kimya Saied of the Justice Department’s Civil Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Thiess for the Eastern District of California handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Three Illegal Aliens from Venezuela Plead Guilty to Operating a Sex Trafficking Ring in Baton RougeRead the Press Release
Osleidy Vanesa Chourio Diaz, age 28, a Venezuelan national, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall.
Today’s conviction is the third conviction in this ongoing investigation. Previously, in April 2025, Josmar Jesus Zambrano-Chirinos, age 25, a Venezuelan national, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and in January 2026, Allbert Herrera Machado, age 25, also a Venezuelan national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion.
According to admissions made during their guilty pleas, between February 2024 and April 26, 2024, Zambrano, Chourio Diaz and others were involved in a scheme to recruit women from outside the United States, to arrange for them to enter the United States illegally, and, using force, threats of force, fraud, coercion, and a combination of such means, to cause them to work as prostitutes. Machado knowingly agreed to assist the scheme.
In furtherance of the scheme, Zambrano and Chourio Diaz rented an apartment in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where at least two women lived and worked as prostitutes. In early 2024, Zambrano and Chourio Diaz assisted the first victim as she entered the United States illegally from Mexico. Zambrano discussed with the victim in advance that she would owe a substantial debt to Zambrano and others; that she would be working as a prostitute in the United States; and that while she would keep some of the funds from her prostitution activities, most of the funds would be applied to her debt. Zambrano also facilitated a second victim’s travel to Baton Rouge. Zambrano and Chourio Diaz arranged for the victim to work as a prostitute out of the apartment they had rented, and they led the victim to believe that she, too, owed them a large debt.
Meanwhile, Machado resided at the apartment with the victims and controlled their day-to-day movements and activities. Machado would message customers to schedule sexual encounters with the victims and collect and control payments from customers, who paid in cash. He would also communicate with Zambrano and Chourio Diaz regarding the victims and would receive instructions regarding (a) how much and how often the victims should work, (b) what portion of the proceeds the victims could keep, and (c) whether and under what circumstances the victims could leave the apartment.
On April 26, 2024, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a 911 call placed by one of the victims at the apartment. Deputies arrived at the residence and located Machado and two victims inside the apartment. During a subsequent search of the apartment, deputies recovered evidence confirming that the apartment was being used as part of a prostitution business, including stacks of cash, numerous used condoms, sexual items and devices, multiple cell phones containing messages from potential “clients” who were asking to meet, and several ledger books that appeared to document how much money each of the victims had made each day and how much of their debt remained.
If convicted, each defendant faces a lengthy federal prison sentence, as well as the forfeiture of any and all proceeds from the offense. They are each also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completing their sentences.
U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office with valuable assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin M. Anderson and Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel, lead the prosecution.
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.
Thirteen Charged as Feds Crack International Gun Smuggling Ring Exploiting the U.s. and Canada BorderRead the Press Release
CONCORD – United States Attorney Erin Creegan announced today that five defendants have pleaded guilty to federal firearms offenses and that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging eight additional individuals in connection with an international firearms trafficking conspiracy that funneled illegally obtained weapons from New Hampshire through the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation in New York.
According to court documents, the conspiracy began on or about July 1, 2021, and continued through at least October 2024. Members of the trafficking network recruited individuals in and around Keene, N.H. and Dummerston, V.T., to conduct straw purchases, buying firearms on behalf of others who were legally prohibited from doing so or who sought to conceal their identities, at federally licensed dealers in the region, including American Trikes & Motorsports in Keene, N.H.
The investigation uncovered that members of the Akwesasne reservation in New York would travel to Vermont where they enlisted Justin Jackson to purchase firearms on their behalf. Justin Jackson was prohibited from purchasing firearms and so he utilized Melissa Longe, Dustin Tuttle, and Caleb Wilcott to obtain firearms that the defendants had requested. ATF and HSI have identified approximately 51 firearms potentially trafficked from New Hampshire to Canada through Vermont and New York, several of which were subsequently recovered at various crime scenes, to include kidnapping and attempted murder, in Canada.
GUILTY PLEAS
The following five defendants have pleaded guilty, before U.S. District Judge Joseph N. Laplante, to federal firearms related violations:
- Justin Jackson (1:26-cr-00008-JL-TSM), 46, of Dummerston, V.T., pleaded guilty, on March 24, 2026, to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms, conspiracy to traffic firearms, sale of a firearm in furtherance of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. His sentencing is scheduled for June 26, 2026.
- Melissa Longe (1:26-cr-00004-JL-TSM), 44, of Dummerston, V.T., pleaded guilty, on Feb. 4, 2026, to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms, conspiracy to traffic firearms, and sale of a firearm in furtherance of a felony. Her sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 14, 2026.
- Dustin Tuttle (1:25-cr-00097-JL), 25, of Keene, N.H., pleaded guilty, on Jan. 5, 2026, to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms, conspiracy to traffic firearms, and sale of a firearm in furtherance of a felony. His sentencing is scheduled for July 16, 2026.
- Caleb Wilcott (1:26-cr-00022-JL-AJ), 23, of Chesterfield, N.H., pleaded guilty, on May 6, 2026, to false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm. His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 3, 2026.
- Doug Mulligan (1:26-cr-00013-JL), 80, of New Salem, Mass., pleaded guilty, on March 24, 2026, to being a felon in possession of a firearm arising from his handling of a firearm at American Trikes & Motorsports. His plea agreement contains an image of a note he left on the targets of the ongoing federal investigation stating, “ATF is watching U,” (pictured below). His sentencing is scheduled for July 6, 2026.
INDICTMENT
On May 6, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging eight additional defendants – all of whom are residents of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation– with straw purchasing and firearms trafficking:
- Jonathan Hart, 31;
- Io-Rateka Swamp, 35;
- Ranonkwatseronhawi Gibson, 22;
- Tayson Terrance, 23;
- Nash Oakes, 29;
- Blade Oakes, 25;
- Montana Cook, 27; and
- Conrad Oakes, 25.
Gibson, Terrance, Conrad Oakes and Cook were taken into federal custody earlier this week on May 12, 2026 as part of an ATF led multi-agency takedown operation. Hart, Swamp and Blade Oakes are currently at-large in fugitive status.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
This investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP),Sûreté du Québec (SQ), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police (SRMTP), Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service (AMPS), New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision-Office of Special Investigations, Manchester Police Department, and the Keene Police Department have provided valuable assistance.
“This case alleges a sophisticated firearms trafficking network that exploited New Hampshire gun dealers, straw purchasers, and the international border to move dozens of firearms into Canada. Some of those weapons were later recovered at violent crime scenes involving offenses such as kidnapping and attempted murder. The defendants allegedly treated the Northern Border as a pipeline for illegal gun trafficking. It is not. Our office will continue working with our federal, state, local, tribal, and Canadian law enforcement partners to identify, disrupt, and prosecute organizations that threaten public safety on both sides of the border,” said Erin Creegan, United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire.
“This investigation demonstrates the value of intelligence-driven policing and cooperative law enforcement efforts. Crime gun intelligence connected firearms recovered at different crime scenes in Canada, advancing our Canadian partner’s domestic investigations into violent crime while simultaneously alerting ATF to a transnational firearms trafficking scheme at work in the United States. The individuals indicted in this case exploited both their access to firearms and the freedom to travel while undermining public safety in both countries. ATF is proud of our partnerships with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners here at home as well as with our colleagues in Canada. We will continue to work together to build safe communities on both sides of the border,” said Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of ATF Boston Field Division.
“These charges reflect the serious threat posed by illegal firearms trafficking networks that exploit borders, jurisdictions, and communities for profit. The firearms allegedly trafficked through this scheme fueled violent crime and were recovered in connection with serious offenses, including kidnapping and attempted murder. ATF remains committed to working alongside our local, state, federal, and international law enforcement partners to identify, disrupt, and dismantle trafficking networks that endanger public safety on both sides of the border. This case is a strong example of what can be accomplished through coordinated intelligence sharing, collaboration, and relentless investigative work across jurisdictions. We are proud of the tireless efforts of ATF Boston and ATF New York personnel, HSI New York, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police, the prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire, and our Canadian law enforcement partners whose dedication and collaboration helped advance this significant investigation,” said Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of ATF New York Field Division.
“As alleged, this investigation uncovered a criminal network’s reckless and repeated exploitation of the Northern New York border area to smuggle firearms across the U.S.-Canadian border. At its core, this case underscores a simple truth: our border communities are not a free lane for criminal organizations — they are where our families live and where our livelihoods are built. HSI Massena and our partners will continue to follow the evidence, pursue every member of this network we can identify, and defend the safety of the public we are sworn to serve,” said Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of HSI New York (Buffalo) Field Division.
“This investigation highlights the value of integrated enforcement teams and strong international partnerships. Ontario Provincial Police members assigned to the Border Enforcement Security Task Force work side by side with U.S. agencies to share intelligence and target cross‑border criminal networks. Our collective efforts help prevent firearms and drugs from reaching our communities and underscore the shared responsibility we have for border security,” said Mike Stoddart, Chief Superintendent of the Ontario Provincial Police.
The charge of conspiracy to straw-purchase firearms provides a maximum prison term of 25 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and not more than five years of supervised release. The charge of conspiracy to traffic firearms; sale of a firearm in furtherance of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, provides a maximum prison term of 15 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and not more than three years of supervised release. The charge of false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm provides a maximum prison term of 10 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and not more than three years of supervised release. 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.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the New Hampshire Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs were established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Marin, Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasir Sadat, and Paralegal Specialist Kristina McNamarra are handling the prosecution on behalf of the United States.
Suburban Houston resident admits to killing bald eagleRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 42-year-old man who resides in Porter has entered a guilty plea to shooting and causing the death of a protected species, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Santos Guerrero admitted he shot a bald eagle at his residence Oct. 11, 2024.
Authorities responded to reports of the incident and saw video footage of the eagle being shot and falling from a tree. They proceeded to Guerrero’s residence and matched the tree to the one seen in the video. They located the eagle alive and transported it to an animal hospital, but it had to be euthanized due to its injuries.
A necropsy determined the bullet caused significant damage to the eagle’s wing. The impact from the fall also caused liver fractures, internal bleeding and a fractured leg.
Bald eagles are no longer listed as endangered but remain protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The law prohibits killing, possessing, selling, transporting, exporting or importing any bald or golden eagle, alive or dead, including any part, nest or egg, unless permitted.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray accepted the plea and set sentencing for July 30. At that time, Guerrero faces up to a year in federal prison and $100,000 maximum fine.
Fish and Wildlife Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of Texas Parks and Wildlife. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liesel Roscher and Adam Goldman are prosecuting the case.
Stephenson County, Ill. Man Sentenced to 150 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Stephenson County, Ill. man has been sentenced to 150 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting numerous children, including infants and toddlers.
For more than a decade, MATTHEW KAUFMAN enticed multiple children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and recorded it. Kaufman coerced and enticed some of the children via the social media application Snapchat. He stored hundreds of videos and images of the abuse on his electronic devices.
Kaufman is a registered sex offender who was convicted in 2008 of a felony offense for possessing child pornography. The following year, he began the abuse that gave rise to this federal conviction and 150-year sentence.
Kaufman, 45, of Lena, Ill., pleaded guilty in 2025 to three counts of production of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Iain D. Johnston on Thursday imposed the 150-year prison term and ordered that it be followed by a lifetime of court-supervised release. Kaufman was also ordered to pay $28,000 in restitution to his victims.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Department provided valuable assistance.
“Over the course of at least thirteen years, defendant, a convicted sex offender, preyed upon vulnerable children for his own sexual gratification,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Maveus argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “By repeatedly and violently sexually abusing multiple young girls, defendant has proven that he is truly a predator and that each of the images and videos he created depict a crime scene.”
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to https://www.missingkids.org/ or calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 100 Months for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for illegally possessing a firearm.
Kai Wesley Burton, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 100 months in federal prison without parole, followed by three years of supervised release.
Burton was previously convicted of multiple felonies including unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. In May 2025, the Springfield, Missouri Police Department responded to a call at a restaurant in Springfield, Mo. Witnesses reported that a vehicle driven by Burton went through the drive-thru, bypassing the order kiosk, and drove directly to one of the windows. When he reached the window of the drive-thru, Burton had a pistol on his lap and that pistol was pointed at the building. Burton provided the employee at the window with a sticker containing a food order that had been placed and fulfilled about an hour prior. Due to the presence of the firearm, the employees made the food and gave it to Burton. Burton then drove away without paying for the food.
Burton returned to the restaurant several hours later. An officer attempted to stop and contact Burton. Burton then fled the scene. As police were trying to catch up to Burton, he abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. Officers located the vehicle a short time later. When officers searched the vehicle, they recovered a pistol with a 30-round extended magazine under the driver’s seat, a second pistol on the driver’s seat, methamphetamine, and a cellular phone belonging to Burton.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Greene County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office, and the Springfield, Missouri Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
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.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 109 Months in Prison for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Terrence Baker, 46 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Baker was sentenced to 109 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
“As a convicted armed robber who also had a felony conviction for possession of cocaine, the Defendant had no business possessing a firearm when he shot approximately 8 times at an occupied house located in a residential neighborhood in South Bend. Police Officers responded and observed multiple bullet holes in the side of the two-story house. Law enforcement located and collected spent casings and reviewed text messages sent by Baker threatening the occupant of the home over a $500 dispute. When officers found Baker a couple weeks later, he was in possession of the same .380 caliber handgun used in the shooting,” U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred said.
“As part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and thanks to the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the South Bend Police Department with the cooperation of St. Joseph County Prosecutor Ken Cotter and his office, AUSA Hannah Jones and AUSA Joel Gabrielse were able to prosecute him in federal court” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred.
“Preventing gun violence requires close coordination between our federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial partners. In this case, the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), provided a critical investigative link that helped identify and remove another violent offender from our community. The outcome in this case reflects our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office as well as the South Bend Police Department and I am grateful for their continued collaboration and investigative assistance,” said ATF Chicago Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the South Bend Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah T Jones and Joel Gabrielse.
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.
Six Drug Traffickers, Including One Illegal Alien, Sentenced to Decades in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana has secured prison sentences for six individuals convicted of trafficking methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and other controlled substances. Each prosecution stemmed from a separate investigation and was individually resolved in March or April of 2026.
DefendantConviction(s)SentencePrior ConvictionsAntwan Lamont Shackelford, 46, IndianapolisConspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine20 years’ imprisonment
10 years of supervised release
Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaineJoshua Richey, 43, IndianapolisPossession with intent to distribute controlled substances; Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime15 years’ imprisonment
8 years of supervised release
Dealing in methamphetamineCarlos Bullock, 27, IndianapolisPossession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine; Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon10 years’ imprisonment
8 years of supervised release
Armed RobberyAaron Burk, 50, Brazil, IndianaPossession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine10 years’ imprisonment
5 years of supervised release
Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Possession of marijuanaDerrick Anthony Griffin, 50, IndianapolisPossession with intent to Distribute five kilograms or more of Cocaine; Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl10 years, 10 months’ imprisonment
5 years of supervised release
Wilfredo Alexander Reyes-Dominguez, 26, Hamilton County, INPossession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime10 years’ imprisonment
4 years of supervised release
Notable Case Summaries:
Antwan Lamont Shackelford:
From at least February 2023 through March 29, 2023, Shackelford conspired with his co-defendant to distribute 107.3 grams of pure methamphetamine throughout the Southern District of Indiana, with Shackelford serving as the supplier. Shortly after completing a drug transaction, IMPD officers conducted a traffic stop and arrested both men. During processing at the Marion County Jail, Shackelford was found to be concealing two baggies—8.355 grams of pure methamphetamine and 2.47 grams of fentanyl—in his anal cavity.
Wilfredo Alexander Reyes-Dominguez:
On August 6, 2024, Reyes‑Dominguez was traveling on I‑465 to deliver drugs to a customer in Frankfort, Indiana, when he was stopped by law enforcement officers. He was accompanied in the vehicle by his two‑year‑old daughter, his wife, and his mother. A search of the vehicle uncovered 430.5 grams of pure methamphetamine, 43.1 grams of cocaine, packaging materials, a metal grinder, and a Glock 19X 9mm handgun loaded with seventeen rounds. The methamphetamine and cocaine were found inside his daughter’s diaper bag.
In a subsequent statement to law enforcement, Reyes‑Dominguez admitted that he had paid approximately $9,000 to cross the border and enter the United States illegally. As part of his guilty plea, he acknowledged that he will be subject to removal from the United States upon completion of his sentence and must surrender to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement upon release.
As part of these investigations, law enforcement seized and forfeited:
Drugs
• 124 grams of fentanyl
• 291 grams of fentanyl analogue
• 491 grams of methamphetamine
• 188 grams of heroin
• 1.3 grams of black tar heroin
• 73.5 grams of cocaine
• 127 grams of a substance containing marijuana
Firearms & Ammunition
• Glock 27 handgun with machinegun conversion device
• Ruger Single Six revolver
• Glock 19X 9mm handgun
• Assorted ammunition
Other Items
• Digital scales
• $285,406 in cash
The following agencies investigated or assisted in these cases:
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
- Homeland Security Investigations
- Federal Bureau of Investigation- Indianapolis
- Indiana State Police
- Metro Drug Task Force
- Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
- Clarksville Police Department
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cristina Caraballo-Colon, Samantha Spiro, Kelsey Massa, Lindsay Karwoski, Michelle P. Brady, Patrick Gibson, and Peter A. Blackett, who prosecuted these cases.
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Serial Fraudster Sentenced for Embezzling from Multiple Employers in San AntonioRead the Press Release
Image Credit: U.S. v. Vasquez Case #5:24cr246SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio woman was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Daniella Vasquez, 48, worked as a comptroller for two separate companies between May 2021 and September 2022, where her responsibilities included issuing payments. During her tenure with both employers, Vasquez embezzled $759,235.74, issuing unauthorized payments to herself and her husband, Thomas Vasquez, as well as to companies for personal expenses. She spent much of the embezzled funds on luxury goods, vehicles, concerts, and sporting events, which she flaunted on social media.
Vasquez was arrested on Oct. 25, 2022, by the Shavano Park Police Department on state charges related to her embezzlement from one company. On July 20, 2023, she was interviewed by the FBI at a new place of employment regarding her embezzlement from the other company.
Vazquez was federally indicted on four counts of wire fraud on May 15, 2024. She pleaded guilty to one count on Aug. 5, 2025. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery presided over the case.
Image Credit: U.S. v. Vasquez Case #5:24cr246“Vasquez abused her employers' trust to live the high life, spending thousands of dollars to attend pop concerts and NFL games while wearing expensive luxury items and even rewarding herself with a $1,500 upscale spa experience,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “These greedy criminal schemes are tremendously harmful to the small businesses that are the lifeblood of our community. This sentence demonstrates our office’s commitment to holding fraudsters accountable and sends a message about the consequences they will face when we catch them.”
Image Credit: U.S. v. Vasquez Case #5:24cr246“The FBI worked closely with the Shavano Park Police Department to hold Vasquez accountable as she abused a position of trust by misusing corporate funds for self-enrichment and greed,” said Alex Doran, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “She used stolen funds to support a lavish lifestyle while flaunting the proceeds of her fraud on social media. The FBI has zero tolerance for fraud and the abuse of trust for personal gain. These crimes cause significant financial harm to businesses and erode public trust.”
The FBI and Shavano Park Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Yuen prosecuted the case.
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San Xavier Man Sentenced to 340 Months in Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact with a MinorRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Ski Redfeather Johnson, 37, of San Xavier, Arizona, was sentenced on May 7, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 340 months in federal prison. Johnson previously pleaded guilty to four counts of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor.
Between 2015 and 2020, Johnson engaged in abusive sexual contact with four different minor victims who were all under the age of 12 on multiple occasions at residences where he was living on the Tohono O’odham Nation. Johnson and the minor victims are enrolled members of the Tohono O’odham Nation.
“Ski Redfeather Johnson repeatedly preyed upon and stole the innocence of four children,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “This 28-year sentence reflects the relentless work of FBI Special Agents and Tohono O’odham Nation Tribal Police officers dedicated to protecting these children and bringing their perpetrator to justice.”
“This sentence underscores the severity of Ski Johnson’s crimes and thanks to the courageous victim who came forward, he will spend the next 28 years in prison,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day. “The FBI and our partners remain devoted to identifying, investigating, and holding accountable those who seek to harm our most vulnerable.”
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson Office and the Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 24-CR-8440
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-074_Johnson
San Joaquin County Man Charged for Unlawful Possession of Ammunition in Connection with Fatal Shooting at Oakland NightclubRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Jarvis Toussaint has been charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition. Toussaint, who was already in federal custody for an unrelated offense, made his initial appearance in federal court in Oakland on May 13, 2026.
According to the criminal complaint and court documents filed May 8, 2026, and now unsealed, Toussaint, 40, of Mountain House, CA, is alleged to have engaged in a shootout in a crowded downtown Oakland nightclub in the early morning of March 7, 2026, in which two people were killed, including an Oakland woman who was shot as she attempted to run from the gunfire. At least five others also suffered gunshot wounds during the incident. Although Toussaint fled the scene following the shooting, investigators identified him through a combination of surveillance video, automated license plate reader technology, car dealership records, Instagram evidence, cell phone location data, and DNA analysis. The semiautomatic pistol Toussaint used in the shooting has not been found, but investigators recovered at the scene the spent shell casings from the rounds he had fired. At the time of the shooting, Toussaint had previously been convicted of multiple felonies and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and ATF Special Agent in Charge John Wester made the announcement.
Toussaint is currently in federal custody. Toussaint is next scheduled to appear in magistrate court on May 19, 2026 for a status conference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ajay S. Krishnan.
A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the violation of possessing ammunition as a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonah P. Ross is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James and Analisse Iniguez. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF and the Oakland Police Department.
Rogers Middle School Teacher and Coach Sentenced to More Than 31 Years in Prison for Online Exploitation and Coercion of MinorsRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A former teacher and coach from a Rogers Middle School was sentenced on May 13, 2026, to 375 months in federal prison without the possibility of parole to be followed by twenty-five years supervised release for the offenses of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Online Coercion and Enticement of Minors. The Honorable Chief Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, Bradley Quillen, age 31, utilizing the false online persona of a teenage boy contacted multiple minor females via social media and coerced them to produce and send him sexually explicit images. In April of 2024, the Waukesha County, Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office contacted the Benton County Sheriff’s Office after they identified Quillen as a target responsible for the coercion and enticement of two minor children, ages 8 and 12. Thereafter, the Benton County Sheriff’ Office, in conjunction with the FBI, obtained and executed a residential search warrant at Quillen’s home. A forensic review of Quillen’s electronic devices and social media profiles revealed that Quillen had been using Snapchat and Instagram to contact and exploit multiple minor girls.
At sentencing, the United States presented the Court with evidence and argument that Quillen engaged in a protracted scheme to utilize a fictitious underage social media profile in order to target, groom, and sexually exploit hundreds of minor females in Northwest Arkansas schools and across the United States.
Quillen was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Arkansas in January of 2025 and entered a plea of guilty in November of 2025.
U.S. Attorney Kimberly D. Harris of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Williams prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.
Rockford Restaurant Owner Sentenced to Five and a Half Years in Prison for Burning Down His Restaurant and Filing False Insurance ClaimRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — The owner of a Rockford restaurant has been sentenced to five and a half years in federal prison for burning down his restaurant and filing a false insurance claim.
JAMES PURIFOY intentionally started a fire inside the 15th and Chris restaurant, 201 15th Ave. in Rockford, on Jan. 22, 2023. To hide his involvement from law enforcement, Purifoy left the premises before police and fire personnel arrived to put out the fire. Purifoy admitted to obstructing the subsequent arson investigation by providing false statements to the Rockford Police Department, Rockford Fire Department, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Purifoy later filed a fraudulent insurance claim, which paid him $305,400.
Purifoy, 51, of Rockford, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to a federal arson charge. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the 66-month prison term during a hearing on Wednesday in federal court in Rockford.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge for ATF’s Chicago Field Division, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Timothy Morris, Jr., Division Chief of the Rockford Fire Department The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation and prosecution.
“Arson is a seriously dangerous crime which can have devastating consequences,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Maveus argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “An intentionally set fire unnecessarily risks the lives of bystanders and first responders. Others who engage in reckless and deceitful behavior must be on notice that they will be held accountable.”
“The City of Rockford Fire Department worked closely with the ATF throughout this long investigation,” said Division Chief Morris. “The joint effort between the ATF and City Fire Investigators resulted in a case closure. This outcome reflects our department's commitment to holding those who intentionally set fires fully accountable, protecting our community, our firefighters, and the integrity of the insurance system that citizens and residents depend on.”
Randolph County Man Indicted for CarjackingRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Moberly, Mo. man has been charged by a federal grand jury with carjacking.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, on April 28, 2026, Brian Nicholas Koch, 28, drove his vehicle, which had been heavily damaged, to the Jefferson City Memorial Airport in Callaway County. He abandoned his vehicle in the parking lot of the airport and approached the victim, who was in her Toyota 4Runner. Koch threatened the victim with a starter pistol and a large machete in his attempt to steal her vehicle. The victim was able to drive away. Law enforcement arrived minutes later and apprehended Koch.
Koch recently completed a Missouri prison sentence for first-degree robbery and was on pre-trial bond in a separate case for the class B felony of committing violence to an employee of the Missouri Department of Corrections.
The allegations contained in the indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the allegations must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Komoroski and is being investigated by the Jefferson City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).