Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
6 May 2026
Nigerian Man Indicted on Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that in March 2026, a federal grand jury indicted Kenneth Godwin, a Nigerian man, for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Unauthorized Access to a Protected Computer in Furtherance of Fraud.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Between May 2023 and March 2026, Godwin, while believed to be living in Nigeria, conspired with others to embezzle funds from the Prairie Wind Casino & Hotel in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, in order to enrich themselves.
“No agency on earth is better at this than the FBI,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “They will track down those who steal from and commit fraud against the people of the United States wherever those offenders may be.”
“This international business e-mail compromise (BEC) scheme caused substantial financial damage to a business owned and operated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “This indictment is an example of how the FBI operates every day to dismantle and disrupt criminal enterprises in Indian County and across the United States that target businesses and citizens in communities. The message is clear; we will work with our partners to hold fraudsters accountable.”
The charges are merely accusations, and Godwin is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Niagara Falls man pleads guilty to attempting to disable a CSX railroad switchRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Charles Wilson, 66, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to damaging or impairing the operation of a train control system, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
CSX uses railroad switches to control the movement of trains throughout the CSX Railyard. On June 29, 2025, Wilson entered the CSX Railyard, removed a 102 switch lock, and replaced it with a different lock. By replacing the lock, Wilson impaired the operation of the railroad switch by preventing CSX personnel from operating the railroad switch in a timely manner. Previously, on June 22, 2025, Wilson replaced a 102 switch lock on a railroad switch at the CSX railyard with a different type of lock. This delayed an Amtrak passenger train because the railroad switch could not be unlocked. In addition, on July 1, 2025, Wilson moved a railroad switch at the CSX railyard into a new position after a train carrying hazardous materials had passed the switch.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly. The plea is the result of an investigation by the CSX Police Department, under the direction of Chief Sean Douris, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Phillip Tejera.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 14, 2026, before Judge Vilardo.
# # # #
New Orleans Woman Guilty of Conspiracy to Make & Pass Counterfeit $100 BillsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – AMANDA CANGELOSI (“CANGELOSI”), age 40, a resident of New Orleans, LA pleaded guilty on April 23, 2026, to conspiracy to make, and pass, counterfeit United States currency, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, CANGELOSI conspired with others to manufacture counterfeit bills and used the counterfeit bills to pay for goods and services. CANGELOSI and her co-conspirators used genuine $1 bills to create the counterfeit $100 bills in an effort to deceive merchants into believing the currency was a genuine $100 bill. Investigators seized several items CANGELOSI, and her co-conspirators used to create the counterfeit currency.
CANGELOSI faces up to five years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 mandatory special assessment fee. CANGELOSI also may be ordered to pay restitution.
This case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiwana Wright of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
* * *
New Orleans Man Indicted for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JONATHAN BURDEN, 53, from New Orleans, was charged in a recently unsealed indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the indictment, on or about February 4, 2024, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, BURDEN, knowing that he had been previously convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, was found in possession of two firearms.
BURDEN faces up to fifteen years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
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).
U. S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit.
Missouri man indicted for creating child pornographyRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Missouri man with producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Joshua David Kolb, 43, of Independence, Missouri, was indicted on one count of production of child pornography, one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, two counts of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and one count of interstate communications with a threat to injure.
Kolb allegedly directed a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct to create visual depictions. He is also accused of traveling from Missouri to Kansas on multiple occasions for the purpose of having sex with a minor.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey McCormick is prosecuting the case.
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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.OTHER INDICTMENTS
Noah Luke Atteberry, 30, of Kansas City, Kansas, was indicted on two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.
Mitchell J. Garlach, 38, of Olathe was indicted on one count of felon in possession of a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case.
Eric Marcell Thomas Jr, 20, of Kansas City, Missouri, was indicted on one count of illegal possession of a machine gun. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Mexican man sentenced for using fraudulent immigration documentsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Mexican man who used fake immigration documents was sentenced today to time served, 62 days, and remanded to the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
Salvador Santiago-Lopez, 33, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to one count of use and possession of fraudulent immigration documents.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on March 6, 2026, law enforcement stopped a car near Malta in which Salvador Santiago-Lopez was a passenger. During the stop, law enforcement discovered he is a Mexican citizen without papers to be in the United States legally.
Santiago-Lopez was informed of his Miranda rights, acknowledged understanding them, and continued to answer questions. He admitted to being a citizen and national of Mexico without legal documentation to enter, pass through, or remain in the United States. He further admitted to crossing the international boundary illegally without inspection by an Immigration Officer at a designated Port of Entry.
Santiago-Lopez claimed ownership over $18,000 of US currency found in his duffle bag and said the purpose of his travel was to borrow $12,000 from his brother in Washington so he would have $30,000 to pay to have his sister smuggled into the United States. Santiago-Lopez was found to be in possession of a fake social security card and a fake I-551 card. He said he used the fake documents to gain employment. Santiago-Lopez also acknowledged using the fake documents when he was arrested for DUI.
DHS records indicate that Santiago-Lopez entered the United States illegally on August 20, 2017.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The U.S. Border Patrol and Phillips County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
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.
XXX
Mexican National Sentenced to 11 Years for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican National was sentenced in federal court today for possessing more than 56 pounds of methamphetamine.
Pedro Alberto Quiroz Ayala, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 11 years in prison without parole for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
On Sept. 3, 2024, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a gray 2011 Acura MDX on Interstate 29, near the N.W. 112th Street exit in Kansas City, Mo. Ayala, who did not have a valid driver’s license, was driving the Acura, with a female juvenile in the front passenger seat and other adults in the back seat.
When the trooper searched the vehicle, he found a large duffle bag in the third-row seating area that contained approximately 55.6 pounds of methamphetamine. He also found a grocery bag that contained approximately one pound of methamphetamine on the floorboard where the female juvenile had been sitting, and a loaded firearm in the driver’s door pouch.
When the four occupants got out of the vehicle for the search, Ayala fled on foot. A manhunt ensued and he was apprehended a short time later.
Ayala told investigators that he drove to Omaha, Neb., to pick up drugs and that he was going to receive approximately $2,000 for his help in transporting the drugs.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Jackson County Drug Task Force, Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
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.
Mexican National Indicted for Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican National was indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday for illegally reentering the U.S. after being removed multiple times. The defendant was originally charged through a criminal complaint on April 27, 2026.
Victor Rubio-Trejo, 48, was charged in a one-count indictment with illegal reentry.
On April 10, 2026, Rubio-Trejo was arrested by the St. Joseph, Missouri Police Department. The next day, Rubio-Trejo was identified by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and transferred into ICE’s custody. ICE determined that Rubio-Trejo has been removed from the U.S. on five separate occasions and has a prior felony conviction for illegal reentry.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint and indictment are simply accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty it is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas P. Heberle. It was investigated by ICE with assistance from the St. Joseph, 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.
Memphis Bank Robber Sentenced to over 48 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Mario Patterson, 45, of Memphis, has been sentenced to 579 months in federal prison for his role in a series of three bank robberies, an additional attempted bank robbery, the use of firearms during the bank robberies, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Patterson is amongst eight Memphis men who have previously pled or been convicted of these crimes. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced Patterson’s sentence today.
Evidence at a contested jury trial in January 2026 proved that between April 2023 and December 2023, the defendant, Mario Patterson, joined a conspiracy to rob banks in and around Memphis. Three other co-defendants ─ Courtney Trenell, 34; Devin Hinds, 36; and Joshua Cribbs, 33, were found guilty by a separate federal jury in July 2025. Four other co-defendants ─ Robert Haley, 45, Travis Drain, 39, Marquarius Trenell, 35, and Monterrio Trenell, 29 ─ already pleaded guilty to bank robbery and using a firearm during the robberies.
According to evidence presented at the trials, on:
- April 27, 2023 - Patterson and Drain robbed a branch of First Horizon Bank on North Watkins in Memphis. Patterson brandished an AK-style pistol during the robbery as Drain jumped the teller counter. The pair escaped with a large amount of money to an awaiting car driven by Haley.
- August 11, 2023 - Drain and Marquarius Trenell ran into a branch of Truist Bank, jumped the counter, and robbed the bank. Hinds and Haley served as lookouts and getaway drivers.
- October 20, 2023 - The group simultaneously robbed two banks located near Germantown Parkway and Trinity Road. Patterson and Drain entered a branch of First Horizon, with Patterson brandishing a revolver as the two demanded money. Haley served as a lookout nearby and aided in the escape. Across the street, Marquarius Trenell and Cribbs robbed a branch of the Bank of Bartlett and fled in a car driven by Monterrio Trenell. During the Bank of Bartlett robbery, Courtney Trenell operated a second getaway vehicle stationed about a mile from the robbery, aiding his co-defendants in fleeing the area.
- October 25, 2023 - Patterson and Drain returned to the First Horizon on North Watkins in an attempt to rob it again. The security guard saw them approaching, with Patterson brandishing an AK-style pistol, and fired at the would-be robbers. Patterson fired back and struck the security guard and an employee.
- November 5, 2023 - Patterson was located committing a business burglary. After a pursuit by Memphis Police Department patrol officers from Airways Precinct, Patterson was arrested and officers located a revolver in his vehicle, which bears a striking resemblance to the revolver used in the October 20, 2023 First Horizon robbery.
- December 22, 2023 - Patterson and Drain went to a branch of the Independent Bank on Union Avenue, with Patterson again carrying an AK-style pistol. Patterson also wore a bulletproof vest during this robbery. Hinds and Haley waited as lookouts and getaway drivers.
In total, the group stole over $170,000 cash from five bank robberies.
This case is set before the Honorable Judge Thomas L. Parker. On November 19, 2025, Cribbs was sentenced to 144 months in prison. On December 4, 2025, Haley to 204 months in prison. On December 5, 2025, Hinds was sentenced to 194 months in prison. On March 3, 2026, Marquarius Trenell was sentenced to 46 months in prison. On April 3, 2026, Travis Drain was sentenced to 120 months in prison, plus an additional 18 months in prison for his supervised release violation.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, “In less than 8 months, this violent robbery crew committed five armed bank robberies, terrorized the community, and inflicted fear and harm on multiple victims. Patterson’s violent crime spree is over, for good. This 48-year sentence for a 45-year-old offender is well deserved and sends a clear message that there will always be a reckoning, a real and significant consequence, for the commission of violent crimes."
“This sentence should serve as a reminder that repeated criminal conduct carries escalating consequences and will be met by swift justice,“ said Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and our partners at the Memphis Police Department will continue to work together to target the serial offenders creating fear and havoc in our community.”
Memphis Police Department investigators assigned to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force investigated and solved the case. This case is part of the Safe Streets Task Force’s efforts to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee and surrounding areas.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg Wagner and Tony Arvin, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, along with Trial Attorney Ashleigh Atasoy, of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
###
For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Members of the "Paper Gang Family" and Accomplices Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Antonio Pierre Ashmeade, the last of 13 defendants prosecuted for their roles in a drug trafficking operation dismantled by Atlanta’s multi-agency Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”), has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison.
“This HSTF investigation and federal prosecution disrupted an extensive drug distribution ring run by metro-Atlanta gang members,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The defendants’ lengthy sentences, which must be served without the possibility of parole, demonstrate that the potential financial gains from trafficking dangerous street drugs are not worth the consequences.”
“This case is a testament to the strength of our partnerships,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Federal, state, and local law enforcement worked side by side to dismantle this organization piece by piece. Today’s sentencing underscores what we can accomplish when we stand united against drug trafficking.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2019, a DEA investigation revealed that individuals associated with the Paper Gang Family (“PGF”), an ostensible rap music label, were distributing large quantities of narcotics in the Atlanta area.
During the investigation, agents observed PGF members openly conduct drug deals on the same streets where school buses dropped off children. In April 2023, agents observed Ashmeade provide a plastic shopping bag with suspected narcotics to a drug customer in a southeast Atlanta parking lot. When a Georgia State Patrol trooper attempted to stop his vehicle, the drug customer fled and tossed a plastic bag with methamphetamine onto a sidewalk on Memorial Drive. On that occasion, law enforcement recovered half a kilogram of methamphetamine. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills, 25 kilograms of methamphetamine, 20 kilograms of cocaine, and 30 firearms connected with the PGF organization.
Earlier today, Ashmeade, 42 of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Ashmeade was convicted of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine following a jury trial on December 17, 2025.
The following defendants were previously sentenced in this case:
- Demarco Harper, 48, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on June 3, 2025, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Cyguifredo Hernandez, 34, of Jonesboro, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on December 18, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Rodrigus Dartez Williams, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine following a trial by jury on December 17, 2025.
- Christian Tevaris Wash, 45, of Stockbridge, Georgia, was sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on March 27, 2024, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Arthur Lee Hempen, 37, of Marietta, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on May 22, 2024, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and wire fraud.
- Alexavier Negron, 40, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on September 5, 2025, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Mario Bernard Peek, 39, of Ellenwood, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on August 26, 2025, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Terez Montavious Pippins, 39, of Forest Park, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on June 11, 2024, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Dresten Toron Daniels, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on August 25, 2025, to possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Kory Keon Solomon, 40, of Macon, Georgia, was sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, after he was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute cocaine following a trial by jury on January 8, 2026.
- Philip Michael Ricks, 40, of Leighton, Alabama, was sentenced to three years and six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on March 26, 2024, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Daronta Arne Lee, 43, of Snow Hill, North Carolina, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on May 6, 2024, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Georgia State Patrol, the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Henry County Police Department, Atlanta Police Department, Crisp County Sheriff’s Office, Fulton County Sheriff’s Department, DeKalb County Police Department, and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Johnny Baer, C. Brock Brockington, Teresa M. Stolze, and Elizabeth M. Hathaway prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sekret Sneed substantially assisted with the judicial forfeiture of the seized firearms, drug proceeds, and vehicles.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Mason City Man Sentenced to More Than 18 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Justin Zobel, 37, from Mason City, Iowa, was sentenced May 5, 2026, to more than 18 years in federal prison, after a December 15, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence in the case revealed that between February 2023, and continuing through February 2024, Zobel was involved in an ongoing methamphetamine distribution conspiracy based in Mason City, Iowa. Law enforcement documented Zobel actively engaged in drug trafficking, including the sale of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. Zobel has a lengthy criminal history and began distributing methamphetamine immediately after being released from custody for a prior conviction. Zobel’s prior convictions include numerous thefts, burglaries, eluding, domestic abuse assault, assault, and controlled substance convictions.
Zobel was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 225 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Zobel is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-3024.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Marrero Woman Guilty of Tax Fraud and PPP FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - On April 21, 2026, AMANDA WILKERSON (“WILKERSON”), age 57, a resident of Marrero, Louisiana, pled guilty to a Bill of Information charging her with one count of failure to pay over payroll/trust fund taxes, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7202, one count of failure to file her individual income tax return, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7203, and one count of providing false statements on a government Cares Act Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan application, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, WILKERSON owned and operated Divine Purpose Home Care LLC (“Divine”), a home healthcare business. Beginning in or about 2017 through December 2024, WILKERSON withheld taxes from her employees’ paychecks, including federal income taxes, Medicare, and social security taxes (commonly referred to as payroll taxes or “trust fund”). WILKERSON then failed to properly report Divine’s trust fund taxes and failed to remit $57,000 to the IRS, which represented the trust fund taxes WILKERSON withheld from her employees’ wages in the third quarter of 2023. In 2023, WILKERSON earned over $1.6 million of income but failed to file her 2023 individual income tax return. Also, in February 2021, WILKERSON made materially false and fraudulent statements to the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) on her PPP loan application. In her application, WILKERSON stated that a non-operational business she established in 2016 had annual gross income of $75,639 in 2019. To support her false PPP application, WILKERSON submitted a fraudulent IRS Individual Tax Return, Form 1040, Form Schedule C that falsely reported that the non-operational business had gross income of $75,639. WILKERSON knew that the business was never operational and did not have gross annual earnings of $75,639 and that the IRS Form 1040 Schedule C she submitted in support of the loan application was a false document, resulting in her receipt of a SBA backed PPP loan in the amount of approximately $19,907. In August 2021, WILKERSON applied to the SBA to have the PPP loan she received, forgiven. The SBA approved WILKERSON’s forgiveness application, and WILKERSON was not required to repay the PPP loan she fraudulently received.
WILKERSON faces a possible maximum sentence of 11 years of imprisonment, up to a $600,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and payment of a mandatory $250 mandatory special assessment fee. WILKERSON also may be ordered to pay restitution.
The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiwana Wright, of the Financial Crimes Unit.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing a Firearm Fitted with a Glock SwitchRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced to prison yesterday for illegally possessing a firearm fitted with a machinegun conversion device commonly known as a “Glock switch,” announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Shyheem Jaqun DuPont, 24, was ordered to serve 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) joined U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
“Glock switches turn a regular gun into a machine gun. They can turn a violent act into a catastrophic act in mere seconds,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “We save lives by aggressively prosecuting individuals who possess and use these illegal conversion devices.”
According to court documents and court proceedings, on February 21, 2024, CMPD officers initiated a traffic stop of DuPont’s vehicle as it parked in a parking lot. DuPont, who was in the driver’s seat, was the registered owner of the vehicle and had multiple outstanding felony arrest warrants. Court records show that DuPont reversed his car into the marked police vehicle, striking it. DuPont then drove forward before reversing again and striking the marked police vehicle a second time. As CMPD officers approached DuPont’s vehicle, they observed a firearm on the defendant’s lap. One of the officers removed the firearm, a black Glock, Model 19, 9mm semiautomatic firearm, with a 31-round capacity magazine, and a Glock switch. Elsewhere in the vehicle, the officers found a black Glock, Model 20, 10mm semiautomatic firearm, a black Springfield, Model XD-M, 10mm semi-automatic firearm, a 9mm 50-round capacity drum magazine, a Del-Ton Model DTI 15, 5.56mm semiautomatic pistol, marijuana, and a digital scale.
On April 11, 2025, DuPont pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The ATF and CMPD investigated the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William Wiseman with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Man Sentenced for Robbing Gainesville BankRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida – Patrick Shane Johnson, 51, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced to 46 months in prison after previously pleading guilty in federal court to bank robbery and larceny. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the lightning-fast response of the Gainesville Police Department, this violent criminal was quickly caught and now my office has ensured he will be kept off our streets for several years. This is yet another successful prosecution under Operation Take Back America, which launched under the direction of President Donald J. Trump to devote the full might of the Department of Justice toward removing violent criminals like this defendant from our communities to deliver the safe streets our citizens deserve.”
Court documents reveal that on August 27, 2025, the defendant entered a Wells Fargo bank on Archer Road and passed a note to a teller. The note read, “This is no joke, it is an armed bank robbery. All of the money now I am armed.” The defendant grabbed over $1,000 cash and fled. The Gainesville Police Department responded and immediately apprehended the defendant.
“A violent threat inside a bank is every employee’s nightmare, but because of the immediate response by our officers, this dangerous offender was taken back into custody within moments,” said Chief Moya, Gainesville Police Department.
The sentencing of this repeat offender reflects the seriousness of recidivism among violent offenders and the danger it poses to the public," said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “We will continue working closely with our partners to pursue repeat offenders and protect our communities.”
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Gainesville Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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.
Man Pleads Guilty to “Doxxing” Home Address of United States Supreme Court JusticeRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Kyle Andrew Edwards, 59, of Alexander, N.C., appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to a “doxxing” charge for posting online the home address of a United States Supreme Court Justice with the intent to threaten, intimidate, or incite a crime of violence against the Justice, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
“Doxxing” is the act of gathering, by licit and illicit means, and posting on the internet personal identifying information (PII), such as a home address, and other sensitive information of an individual without the person’s knowledge and consent.
Edwards pleaded guilty to knowingly making public restricted personal information, that being the home address of a Supreme Court Justice, with the intent to threaten, intimidate, and incite violence against the person or a member of the person’s family, and knowing that the restricted personal information would be used to threaten, intimidate, and facilitate the commission of a crime of violence against the Supreme Court Justice or a family member.
“Doxxing is dangerous. It exposes officials to all sorts of people that may cause harm, and that harm may be even worse than the doxxer expected or intended,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “That is why we take it seriously. Threatening or harming federal officials is not the way to change policy. If you want to change policy, get involved and go vote.”
According to information contained in documents filed as part of Edwards’ plea and the plea hearing, from April through June 2026, Edwards frequently used an online social media account that was publicly accessible to post comments critical of certain United States Supreme Court Justices. Many of the posts were threatening in nature or were responses to threatening comments made by other users. For example, on June 27, 2025, Edwards posted that the Supreme Court “must be destroyed.” Two days later, on June 29, Edwards posted that a certain Supreme Court Justice should “buy Kevlar robes.”
According to court documents, on April 8, 2025, Edwards used his social media account to post the correct home address of a United States Supreme Court Justice. On the same day, Edwards posted partial or historical information about the neighborhoods or former home addresses of two other United States Supreme Court Justices. On the day Edwards publicly disclosed the Justice’s home address, he made several threatening posts toward other Justices. For example, Edwards posted that a different Justice’s home address was unavailable online “to prevent people from assassinating him.” Edwards also posted that Justices should “think again” if they thought that “their families are safe.” Edwards also encouraged others to “start dragging the SC out by their robes,” and to turn the Justices “into charcoal.” Court documents show that Edwards posted these comments publicly on his own social media account and within conversations in which some other posters were also making similar threats.
Edwards was released on bond following the guilty plea. The statutory maximum penalty for the doxxing charge is five years in prison. Edwards’ sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not been set.
This case was investigated by the Supreme Court of the United States Police - Protective Intelligence Unit.
* * *
In a separate case, on April 23, 2026, Wyatt Austin Salus, 26, of Cullowhee, N.C., was sentenced to three years of probation, after pleading guilty to making interstate threats to kill and injure United States Senator Thom Tillis. According to court records, on March 17, 2025, Salus called Senator Tillis’s office and left a message threatening to injure and kill Senator Tillis.
The FBI investigated Salus’s case with assistance from the United States Capitol Police.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is in charge of the prosecutions.
Man from the Republic of Congo Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Selling a Tenth of a Gram of Fentanyl That Caused the Overdose Death of His CustomerRead the Press Release
BOISE – Boniface Binene, a/k/a “Bones,” 25, a citizen of the Republic of Congo, Brazzaville, and a Lawful Permanent Resident of the United States, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl to another person that resulted in death, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.
According to court records, Binene pleaded guilty to the offense on November 19, 2025. Binene admitted to selling a tenth of a gram of fentanyl powder to Andrew (Connor) Doyle, on May 3, 2024, in Meridian, Idaho. Mr. Doyle, age 31, of Boise, Idaho, used the fentanyl powder and died in his parked vehicle in front of Binene’s residence. The Ada County Coroner’s Office preformed an autopsy and determined the victim died from acute fentanyl intoxication. The victim’s mother, Kari Bryant, spoke at the sentencing hearing and advised the Court that the victim was participating actively in drug treatment and had 355 days clean, but had recently relapsed. She advised the Court that she is committed to raising awareness about the devastating impact “this weapon of mass destruction called fentanyl” has on families.
Chief U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Binene serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Binene was ordered to pay $1,773.08 in restitution for the family’s funeral expenses. Because Binene was convicted of a crime which resulted in the death of the victim, Binene will likely be deported after serving his prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney Davis made the announcement and commended the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Meridian Police Department, Caldwell Police Department, and the Ada County Coroner’s Office, which led to the charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian S. Nafzger prosecuted the case.
###
Long Beach Man Sentenced to 2½ Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Molotov Cocktail at Anti-ICE Protest Last Year in Downtown L.A.Read the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Long Beach man who possessed a Molotov cocktail during an anti-immigration enforcement protest in downtown Los Angeles last year was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison.
Wrackkie Quiogue, 28, was sentenced by United States District Judge Anne Hwang.
Quiogue pleaded guilty in November 2025 to one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device. He has been in federal custody since June 2025.
In June 2025, federal law enforcement officials began conducting immigration enforcement operations throughout the greater Los Angeles area. During and following those operations, protests occurred in and around Los Angeles County. While many of the protestors peacefully exercised their First Amendment rights, some individuals directly engaged in violent actions to obstruct, impede, or injure law enforcement officers.
One such protest that turned violent occurred on June 8, 2025, in the Civic Center area of downtown Los Angeles. Members of the crowd threw rocks and bottles at law enforcement officials. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) declared an unlawful assembly.
One police officer witnessed Quiogue possessing a Molotov cocktail. The glass bottle he held contained a flammable liquid (ethanol) and a source of ignition, namely a yellow piece of cloth soaked in ethanol, which acted as a wick.
Fearing that Quiogue would light the Molotov cocktail and throw it at the officers, police approached Quiogue, causing him to attempt to flee. As the LAPD officers pursued him, Quiogue threw the unlit Molotov cocktail into the air. LAPD officers subdued and arrested Quiogue, who was holding a lighter in his right hand.
Quiogue admitted to knowingly possessing the destructive device and that he had not registered it with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law.
“Unlike many of the individuals in the crowd, who were gathered to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights and protest immigration enforcement operations, [Quiogue] came prepared to instigate violence and inflict harm on the law enforcement officers assigned to protect the Roybal Federal Building,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Quiogue]’s premeditated actions endangered the law enforcement officers protecting Roybal Federal Building and the civilians who gathered to peacefully protest.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this matter with the assistance of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney David C. Lachman of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Lexington Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Olundi Uhuru Anderson, 52, of Lexington, has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Evidence presented in court showed that on the evening of Jan. 7, 2025, a deputy with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department attempted to stop a vehicle near the intersection of Broad River Road and Bush River Road after the driver ran a red light. Anderson was identified as the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. Although he initially pulled over, Anderson fled the scene, leading deputies on a brief pursuit that ended when the vehicle struck a curb.
After his arrest, a search of the vehicle revealed an open container of alcohol, crack cocaine, and a loaded pistol.
Anderson has prior convictions for robbery, grand theft of a motor vehicle, battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, burglary, attempted aggravated battery, obstruction of justice, and failure to stop for blue lights. Due to these prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
United States District Judge Joseph Anderson sentenced Anderson to 41 months in prison, to be followed by three years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore prosecuted the case.###
Lewiston man charged with enticement for attempting to have sex with a 13-year-old girlRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that CJ A. Wolf, of Lewiston, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with enticement of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a maximum of life.
According to the criminal complaint, on October 4, 2025, Wolf began communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer via text message, after responding to an advertisement, posted online by investigators, of a purported minor female willing to meet in person to have sex. During these communications, Wolf was told to travel to a specific location where he could have sex with the purported 13-year-old girl who was advertised online. Wolf traveled to a retail parking lot and interacted with the undercover officer who was coordinating the sexual interaction between Wolf and the purported 13-year-old girl. Wolf was asked if he had the money, which he confirmed by showing he had $200 and agreeing for “a half hour.” After some further conversation, Wolf was arrested.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright. The complaint is the result of an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto.
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.
# # # #
Kansas City, Missouri, Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo, man pleaded guilty in federal court today for felon in possession of a firearm that was a part of Operation Spring Cleaning.
Mitchell D. Gibbs, 34, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie Epps, Jr. to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the plea agreement, Joplin, Missouri Police officers responded to a report of gun shots. Upon arrival, officers conducted a traffic stop in the parking lot of a local storage facility. The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was identified as Mitchell D. Gibbs. As officers investigated the shots fired report, they located an empty shell casing near the storage unit owned by Gibbs. Officers then observed a handgun that was partially underneath the driver’s seat of Gibbs’ vehicle.
Gibbs was found in possession of two firearms, At the time of his plea, Gibbs admitted that he knew he was a convicted felon and that he knowingly possessed firearms in violation of federal law.
Under federal statutes, Gibbs is subject to sentences of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole and a maximum fine of $250,000. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Joplin, 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Justice Department Sues Colorado for Unconstitutional Weapons Ban of Standard-Capacity Firearms MagazinesRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department filed suit against the State of Colorado alleging that the State unconstitutionally bans certain constitutionally protected standard capacity firearm magazines. This law unconstitutionally infringes on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms in common use for lawful purposes.
“Colorado’s ban on certain magazines is political virtue signaling at the expense of Americans’ constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Under my direction, the Division’s Second Amendment Section will continue to defend law-abiding Americans’ rights against unconstitutional restrictions on their right to possess arms which are owned by tens of millions of their fellow citizens.”
As the complaint explains, a State of Colorado statute makes it a crime to possess so-called “large-capacity magazines.” But the State has previously admitted that it bans magazines that come standard with many of the most popular firearms in the Nation, including AR-15-style rifles, which are the most popular rifles in America. Law-abiding Americans own hundreds of millions of magazines such as those banned by the State.
In 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court, in its landmark decision District of Columbia v. Heller, held that the Second Amendment protects the right of law-abiding citizens to possess weapons that are in common use for lawful purposes.
The Civil Rights Division’s Second Amendment Section enforces the Second Amendment. If you believe your right to keep and bear arms is being infringed, please submit a complaint through justice.gov/crt/second-amendment-section.
Justice Department Notifies Fairfax County, Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney of Investigation into His Plea Bargaining, Charging Decisions, and Sentencing PolicyRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department notified the Fairfax County, Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano of the initiation of a federal investigation into the Commonwealth’s Attorney Plea Bargaining, Charging Decisions, and Sentencing Policy. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will investigate whether the Office of the Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney discriminated against United States citizens by offering preferential treatment only to illegal alien criminal defendants.
“Under my leadership, the Civil Rights Division will not allow local prosecutors to pick and choose winners based on their immigration status,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This investigation will uncover whether this prosecutor is putting the community at risk in offering sweetheart deals to illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes.”
The Department has not reached any conclusions regarding allegations in these matters. The Department will investigate under various statutes, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Safe Streets Act, and law enforcement misconduct statute 34 U.S.C. § 12601. The Department has conducted similar investigations where violations have been found, and the resulting settlement agreements have led to important reforms.
Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Department via civilrights.justice.gov/report/. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Justice Department Investigation Determines UCLA’s Medical School Discriminated Based on Race in AdmissionsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has completed a year-long investigation into the admissions policies and practices at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
The Department uncovered evidence that UCLA’s leadership intentionally selected applicants based on their race. Documents reviewed by the Division reveal that UCLA adheres to the dubious contention that patients receive the best care when treated by a doctor of the same race, rather than by the most qualified.
“UCLA’s admissions process has been focused on racial demographics at the expense of merit and excellence — allowing racial politics to distract the school from the vital work of training great doctors.” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Racism in admissions is both illegal and anti-American, and this Department will not allow it to continue.”
“Federal law and the Supreme Court precedent are clear: Race discrimination has no place in our nation’s institutions of higher learning,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “The pattern of illegal and odious conduct by UCLA’s medical school is abhorrent to our Constitution and our nation’s founding principles.”
The investigation showed that, on average, admitted black and Hispanic applicants had consistently lower academic qualifications than their white and Asian counterparts. These facts support the Department’s finding that UCLA violated the law by intentionally discriminating based on race in its admissions selections.
Medical schools use substantial federal financial assistance to train the next generation of doctors. The Department is continuing its focus on eradicating illegal race politics from admissions at medical schools, where quality and excellence are vitally important.
Justice Department Investigation Determines UCLA’s Medical School Discriminated Based on Race in AdmissionsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has completed a year-long investigation into the admissions policies and practices at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
The Department uncovered evidence that UCLA’s leadership intentionally selected applicants based on their race. Documents reviewed by the Division reveal that UCLA adheres to the dubious contention that patients receive the best care when treated by a doctor of the same race, rather than by the most qualified.
“UCLA’s admissions process has been focused on racial demographics at the expense of merit and excellence — allowing racial politics to distract the school from the vital work of training great doctors.” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Racism in admissions is both illegal and anti-American, and this Department will not allow it to continue.”
“Federal law and the Supreme Court precedent are clear: Race discrimination has no place in our nation’s institutions of higher learning,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “The pattern of illegal and odious conduct by UCLA’s medical school is abhorrent to our Constitution and our nation’s founding principles.”
The investigation showed that, on average, admitted black and Hispanic applicants had consistently lower academic qualifications than their white and Asian counterparts. These facts support the Department’s finding that UCLA violated the law by intentionally discriminating based on race in its admissions selections.
Medical schools use substantial federal financial assistance to train the next generation of doctors. The Department is continuing its focus on eradicating illegal race politics from admissions at medical schools, where quality and excellence are vitally important.
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Iron PursuitRead the Press Release
In One Month, Over 200 Child Victims Identified and More than 350 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in Nationwide Crackdown. Two Offenders Charged in the Western District of Michigan.
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice today announced the results of Operation Iron Pursuit, a one-month, nationwide enforcement effort to find child victims of sex abuse and arrest child sex predators. More than 200 child victims were located and over 350 child sexual abuse offenders were arrested. All 56 FBI field offices and U.S. Attorneys' offices around the country participated in the coordinated takedown effort.
The operation commenced April 1 and ended April 30. The Administration for Children and Families recognize April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
“This operation puts every child predator on notice: we are coming for you,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The sexual exploitation of minors is an abomination with no place in our society. We will hunt down these offenders, hold them fully accountable under the law, and deliver justice for victims.”
“Every single day this FBI is working 24/7 to break networks of child abusers all across this country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Last year we joined our partners delivering a record year, identifying and rescuing over 6,300 missing children, and today’s announcement of Operation Iron Pursuit is just the latest success in that work — with over 200 victims located and over 350 offenders arrested. Let this be a message to criminal actors who seek to target America’s children: you will be pursued, and you will be brought to justice.”
Victims recovered include a 10-year-old from Utah who was flown from Cuba to home and the child’s biological mother. The child was supposed to be on a camping trip with a transgender parent, partner, and another child. The group instead flew from Canada to Mexico and then to Cuba; concerns existed that the 10-year-old child was taken to Cuba for gender reassignment surgery. FBI Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted with the recovery of the children, providing crisis support and stabilization.
Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, abuse, kidnapping, and possessing, distributing, or receiving child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). Some of the alleged offenders include:
- A Columbus, Ohio, man who pleaded guilty to creating AI-generated obscene material of adults and children and to cyberstalking exes;
- A District of Columbia man charged with producing child pornography;
- A New York man charged with sexually exploiting a child; and
- A Pennsylvania man and former felon charged with sexually exploiting a child and illegally possessing a gun.
“You can see from this one-month snapshot that child sexual exploitation remains a major law enforcement concern for all of us, including the Western District of Michigan,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey. “We have adapted our investigative methods as these child predators have moved onto the internet, and we will continue to do whatever it takes to bring these offenders to justice.”
In the Western District of Michigan, a grand jury returned an indictment against Matthew David Coad on April 7, 2026. Coad was charged with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Because of a prior conviction for criminal sexual conduct against a minor, he faces enhanced penalties if convicted: prison for a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years for distribution of child pornography and a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to 20 years for possession of child pornography.
On the same date, the same grand jury returned an indictment charging Christopher Patrick Owens with seven counts of sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a child. If Owens is convicted, each sexual exploitation count requires a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison; attempted coercion and enticement carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison.
“Our participation in Operation Iron Pursuit is another example of the work we do every day in Michigan to protect children and hold predators accountable,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “I am grateful for the dedicated efforts of our FBI Bay City, Flint, and Grand Rapids Resident Agencies, alongside the FBI Detroit Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, whose work continues to safeguard our communities and protect children from those who seek to harm them.”
This effort follows three other successful operations last year. Operation Relentless Justice, concluded in December 2025, resulted in the rescue of 205 children and arrests of 293 offenders. Operation Enduring Justice, concluded in August 2025, resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders. And Operation Restore Justice, concluded in May 2025, resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders.
The FBI’s VSD assisted victims during Operation Iron Pursuit and provided services such as forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
-###-
26-449
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Iron PursuitRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG — The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Iron Pursuit, a one-month, nationwide enforcement effort to find child victims of sex abuse and arrest child sex predators. More than 200 child victims were located and over 350 child sexual abuse offenders were arrested. All 56 FBI field offices and U.S. Attorneys' offices around the country participated in the coordinated takedown effort.
The operation commenced April 1 and ended April 30. The Administration for Children and Families recognizes April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
“This operation puts every child predator on notice: we are coming for you,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The sexual exploitation of minors is an abomination with no place in our society. We will hunt down these offenders, hold them fully accountable under the law, and deliver justice for victims.”
“Every single day this FBI is working 24/7 to break networks of child abusers all across this country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Last year we joined our partners delivering a record year, identifying and rescuing over 6,300 missing children, and today’s announcement of Operation Iron Pursuit is just the latest success in that work — with over 200 victims located and over 350 offenders arrested. Let this be a message to criminal actors who seek to target America’s children: you will be pursued, and you will be brought to justice.”
Victims recovered include a 10-year-old from Utah who was flown from Cuba to home and the child’s biological mother. The child was supposed to be on a camping trip with a transgender parent, partner, and another child. The group instead flew from Canada to Mexico and then to Cuba; concerns existed that the 10-year-old child was taken to Cuba for gender reassignment surgery. FBI Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted with the recovery of the children, providing crisis support and stabilization.
Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, abuse, kidnapping, and possessing, distributing, or receiving child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). Some of the alleged offenders include:
- A Columbus, Ohio, man who pleaded guilty to creating AI-generated obscene material of adults and children and to cyberstalking exes;
- A District of Columbia man charged with producing child pornography;
- A New York man charged with sexually exploiting a child; and
- A Pennsylvania man and former felon charged with sexually exploiting a child and illegally possessing a gun.
The Middle District of Pennsylvania charged two individuals relating to Operation Iron Pursuit:
Christopher Vuiller, age 38, of York, PA, was charged for child pornography offenses. The indictment alleged that Vuiller knowing received dozens of images and videos containing the sexual exploitation of children. It was further alleged that Vuiller possessed several devices that contained child pornography depicting the exploitation of prepubescent children and children younger than 12 years of age.
John Rivera Pesante, age 25, of York, PA, was charged with sexual exploitation of children offenses. The indictment alleged that Rivera Pesante coerced and enticed a minor to engage in prostitution and other sex offenses. Rivera Pesante is also charged with several counts of receiving child pornography.
This effort follows three other successful operations last year. Operation Relentless Justice, concluded in December 2025, resulted in the rescue of 205 children and arrests of 293 offenders. Operation Enduring Justice, concluded in August 2025, resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders. And Operation Restore Justice, concluded in May 2025, resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders.
The FBI’s VSD assisted victims during Operation Iron Pursuit and provided services such as forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
-###-
Jury Finds Maryland Man Guilty of 2022 Vehicular Homicide and AssaultRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Spiro Stafilatos, 38, of Silver Spring, MD, was found guilty today by a jury in D.C. Superior Court, for the vehicular death of pedestrian, Shuyu Sui, in December 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Stafilatos was found guilty of one count each of second-degree murder, aggravated assault while armed and fleeing. The Honorable Rainey Brandt scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2026.
According to court documents, at approximately 4:28 p.m., on December 30, 2022, Stafilatos was driving a dark Buick LeSabre sedan along the 700 block of 14th Street, NW, near the White House. Uniformed U.S. Secret Service agents, on mountain bikes, observed that the vehicle’s front tag was missing and the Maryland hard tag in the rear had no sticker. The Buick was then observed turning right into the 1400 block of G Street, NW and proceeded to the 700 block of 15th Street, NW, where it stopped and let a passenger out. Officers positioned themselves behind the vehicle and ran the tags through dispatcher, who advised that the tag belonged to a 2016 Chevrolet.
As officers approached the vehicle, identified themselves, and made contact with the defendant, they advised Stafilatos of his infraction, to which the defendant asked if he was going to get a ticket. Officers asked for the defendant’s license, which he did not provide. Also, during the stop, officers noticed what they believed to be an open beer container to the right of the driver. While conducting the traffic stop, the officers noticed that the vehicle was still in drive and instructed Stafilatos to put the car in park. Instead, the defendant fled the scene, travelling north on 15th Street, NW before turning onto the 1400 block of New York Avenue, NW. As the vehicle entered an intersection on a solid red traffic signal, it was struck by another vehicle who was driving on a green traffic signal and the impact caused the Buick to rotate counterclockwise and strike two pedestrians, who were walking nearby in the crosswalk. Both pedestrians were thrown and fell into the road in the middle of New York Avenue, NW. Both victims were transported to local hospitals. Despite all life-saving measures, one victim, Shuyu Sui, was pronounced dead at Medstar Washington Hospital Center. The second victim, Jiahui Wang, was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where she was treated for trauma to the body and head.
Stafilatos was transported to Howard University Hospital for complaints of pain in the head and back. He was placed under arrest and has been in custody since.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jamie Carter and Will Lawrence.
2022 CF1 007710
Judge orders civil forfeiture of $1.7M Brownsville mansion tied to drug proceedsRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A home acquired with drug proceeds and used to launder money has been civilly fortified to the United States, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Authorities identified a major cocaine supplier allegedly linked to multiple cartels. The forfeiture action indicated thousands of kilograms of cocaine had been imported from Mexico into the United States for distribution in several states, including California, Nevada, North Carolina, Indiana and Florida.
According to the court filings, the mansion was purchased with proceeds from the drug trafficking activities which were also used to make substantial improvements, including construction of a pool, pool house and a full renovation of the residence.
The mansion includes six bedrooms, four bathrooms and more than 6,900 square feet and has been appraised at approximately $1.7 million. The property will be sold at government auction.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. approved the final order of forfeiture after concluding the property was acquired with drug proceeds and involved money laundering activities. No unaddressed claims to the property had been filed.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the civil and criminal investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Foster and Zachary Blackmon handled the civil forfeiture. AUSA Lance Watt is prosecuting the related criminal case.
Justice Department Awards over $2 Million in Grants to Area Foundation and Agencies to Combat Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women has awarded $2,130,000 collectively to the Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response Center, Baton Rouge City Office of the Treasurer, and Louisiana Department of Justice, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall.
The Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response (STAR) Center was awarded $1,200,000 to improve the Criminal Justice Response Program which assists state, local, and tribal governments and courts in improving the criminal justice response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and to seek safety and autonomy for victims. The project will support medical and/or law enforcement accompaniment services for victims of sexual assault and follow-up calls after acute crisis response; advocacy services for victims to ensure they are connected to resources; court accompaniment; and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners clinical trainings, consultation, and peer review. STAR is a nonprofit organization committed to serving youth and adult survivors of sexual trauma and building institutional capacity to prevent and respond responsibly to sexual violence in the community.
The Baton Rouge City Office of the Treasurer (BRCOT) was awarded $500,000 and the Louisiana Department of Justice (LA DOJ) was awarded $430,000 to support their continued efforts of the Abby Honold Program which aims to improve law enforcement’s response to allegations of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Grant funds will provide continued training of covered individuals in the use of evidence-based, trauma-informed, and victim-centered approaches and apply knowledge of crime victims’ rights throughout an investigation; and to work to improve the response of covered individuals to domestic and sexual violence and stalking. BRCOT serves as a parent organization for various municipal functions in East Baton Rouge Parish.
For more information about this award, contact the Office on Violence Against Women at 202-307-6026 and ask for the Policy, Communication, and Evaluation Division.
Independence Man Charged for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man has been charged with distributing fentanyl.
Mark A. Foster, 32, was charged by a federal grand jury on April 15, 2026, with distribution of a controlled substance. The indictment was unsealed on Monday following Foster’s initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge.
According to court documents, the distribution of fentanyl that Foster has been charged with is connected to an overdose death in Jamesport, Mo. A Jackson County medical examiner determined that the cause of death of the associated victim was “fentanyl and mitragynine toxicity.”
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Northwest Missouri Drug Task Force and the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office.
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).
Illegal Mexican National with Sinaloa Cartel Connections SentencedRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jose Alberto Camarena Rocha has been sentenced for his role in a drug trafficking organization that sold cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Jose Alberto Camarena Rocha, 32, was sentenced to 159 months in federal prison for a drug conspiracy involving over one kilogram of heroin and reentering the country illegally. Rocha, living in Phoenix, Arizona, was a supplier for this drug organization, using his connections with the Sinaloa Drug Cartel in Mexico, traveling across the country to pick up supply and deliver it to others who would then sell cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. Total drug weights for Rocha’s involvement is one and a half kilograms of heroin.
“Rocha thought he could get away with bringing this poison from California to the Mountain State. He was wrong and will now spend more than 13 years in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. “Make no mistake. We will eliminate these ruthless cartels and will not tolerate their presence in our home.”
The operation, led by Juan Suarez-Lugo, involved 18 defendants. Suarez-Lugo, Rocha, and 10 others have admitted their guilt. Nine, including Rocha, have been sentenced so far. Four defendants are scheduled for trial in June 2026, and two are still pending arrest on this Indictment.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force was the lead investigative unit. Other investigative agencies that assisted include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, San Juan, and Philadelphia Field Offices; United States Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; United States Postal Service; Drug Enforcement Administration, Louisville and Chicago Divisions; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Martinsburg Police Department; Ranson Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; Berkeley County Sheriff's Office; Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; West Virginia Air National Guard; Mineral County Sheriff's Office; Grant County Sheriff's Office; Hampshire County Sheriff's Office; Keyser Police Department; Northwest Regional Drug Task Force, Virginia; Pennsylvania State Police; Franklin County Sheriff's Office, Pennsylvania; Winchester Police Department, Virginia; Frederick County Sheriff's Office, Virginia; Virginia State Police; Sunnyvale Police Department, California.
Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Find the related press release here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/twenty-five-charged-drug-trafficking-eastern-panhandle]
Illegal Immigrant Sentenced After Re-entering United States Five TimesRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mexican national was sentenced on May 5, 2026, to time served in prison for illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported.
According to court documents, Jesus Penaloza-Munoz, 33, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents on February 23, 2026, after a traffic stop. Penaloza-Munoz was the driver of the vehicle and presented the Border Patrol agent with a Mexican Consular Identification Card and stated he was a citizen and national of Mexico. When questioned about his presence in the United States, Penaloza-Munoz stated that he was not in possession of any documents allowing him to be in, remain in, or pass through the United States legally. Penaloza-Munoz’s fingerprints were entered into the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, and records revealed he had previously been deported from the United States five times.
At sentencing, Chief Judge Beaverstock imposed the time served sentence of incarceration and a one-year term of supervised release upon his future release. Upon his release from prison, Penaloza-Munoz is to be referred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. Penaloza-Munoz was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and the Gulf Shores Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Hutchins III prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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.
Illegal Alien Previously Convicted of Drug Trafficking Charged with Healthcare Benefit Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Dorchester, Mass. has been arrested and charged with healthcare benefit fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Manuel Antonio Baez, 52, was charged with one count of falsely representing a Social Security number, one count of making false statements relating to health care matters and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to the charging documents, Baez allegedly used the stolen identity of a U.S. citizen, including the citizen’s social security number, to obtain government benefits. Specifically, Baez allegedly represented that he was a U.S. citizen when applying for healthcare benefits in Massachusetts and submitted a sworn affidavit falsely alleging the same. It alleged that Baez ultimately obtained over $80,000 in MassHealth benefits using the stolen identity. Baez also allegedly committed drug offenses in the name of the U.S. citizen, including a 2018 conviction for trafficking heroin and other offenses and a 2007 conviction for possession with intent to distribute a Class B substance.
The charge for falsely representing a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of making false statements relating to a health care program provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-year sentence to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. 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.
On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. The Team is led by two senior federal prosecutors serving as Fraud Coordinators, whose mission it is to aggressively investigate and prosecute misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits in Massachusetts.
Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin T. Missett of the Health Care Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Huron County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A 46-year-old man has pleaded guilty in federal court to sending and receiving child pornography through a social media platform and to firearms charges.
Ricardo Gibson, of Willard, Ohio, pleaded guilty to the charges in the indictment:
- Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM)
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; previous conviction for same offense in 2002
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, in May 2023 federal agents were investigating a report made by an online marketplace seller about a man who was buying her children’s used clothing and who then sent her provocative images of prepubescent girls through the platform’s chat function. Agents subsequently identified Gibson and found he continued to express his sexual interest in children and send CSAM to the seller. During a search warrant execution where he was residing, agents found two cellphones, adult sex toys, little girl’s clothing, two handguns, three magazines and 19, 9mm rounds of ammunition. A forensic analysis of his electronic devices uncovered 6,448 CSAM files in his possession.
Gibson is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 20, 2026. He faces a maximum prison sentence of 40 years for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography and a 15-year maximum for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Toledo Resident Agency, the Huron County Sheriff’s Office, and the Willard Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank H. Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Huntington Park Medical Practice and Doctor to Pay More Than $6.7 Million to Settle Allegations of Billing Medicare for Unnecessary ProceduresRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Huntington Park-based medical practice and its physician have agreed to pay more than $6.73 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims for medically unnecessary vascular interventional procedures on 20 Medicare beneficiaries.
The United States alleged that, from 2016 to 2024, Dr. Feliciano Serrano of Serrano Kidney & Vascular Access Center performed medically unnecessary dialysis access interventions, including angioplasty and stent procedures, on 18 patients, purportedly to treat stenosis in patients’ dialysis segments.
Dr. Serrano scheduled interventions on a routine basis, without waiting for complications to present, and he frequently repeated procedures on patients every few days or weeks despite that the procedures were not effective and did not result in any clinical benefit. One Medicare patient received approximately 42 stents in the dialysis segment between 2016 and 2023, including during a period when Dr. Serrano informed the patient he did not need dialysis.
The United States also alleged that from 2019 to 2024, Dr. Serrano performed medically unnecessary peripheral artery disease interventions, including stent and atherectomy procedures, on 17 patients, purportedly to treat stenosis in patients’ legs. Dr. Serrano performed interventions on patients who had only mild or no stenosis and who had only minor symptoms.
Although patients complained of pain only in one leg, he performed procedures on both legs and then repeated procedures on both legs every few months. Dr. Serrano told patients that if they did not receive the procedure, their legs would need to be amputated, when, in fact, there was little risk of amputation for mildly symptomatic peripheral artery disease. One Medicare patient received approximately 16 atherectomies in his legs between 2019 and 2023.
The United States alleged that across both categories of procedures, Dr. Serrano performed interventional procedures on vessels that did not qualify for treatment under accepted standards of medical practice; overstated the degree of stenosis to make the procedures appear to meet generally recognized medical standards when, in fact, they did not; falsely documented patient symptoms and conservative therapy measures in medical records to justify the procedures; and performed procedures in excess of accepted standards of medical practice.
As a result of the settlements, Dr. Serrano will pay nearly $6.51 million to the United States and nearly $229,000 to the State of California.
“False claims to Medicare and Medicaid cause millions of dollars in losses to the government,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bilal A. Essayli of the Central District of California. “This settlement sends a clear message to physicians that the United States will zealously pursue appropriate action against those who submit false claims for taxpayer funds.”
“Physicians should not be performing and billing for unnecessary and excessive medical interventions. False documentation of symptoms compromises the integrity of our federal health care programs and the well-being of beneficiaries,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Physicians who place their own profit over patient needs will be held accountable.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought by Lincoln Analytics, Inc. under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the act, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States and State of California ex rel. Lincoln Analytics, Inc. v. Dr. Feliciano Serrano, et al., Civil Action No. 23-cv-04178 (C.D. Cal.). Lincoln Analytics, Inc. will receive approximately $976,000 as its share of the federal recovery.
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, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, and the California Department of Justice, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules.
The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
Assistant United States Attorney Karen Y. Paik of the Civil Frauds Section and Justice Department Trial Attorney Tiffany L. Ho of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section handled this case.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Honduran National Unlawfully Residing in the United States Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy and Unlawfully Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Honduran national unlawfully residing in the United States pleaded guilty today for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that lead to a fatal fentanyl overdose and for unlawfully possessing firearms as an illegal alien.
Cristhian Martinez, 21, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and alien in possession of a firearm. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Martinez also admitted as part of the conspiracy to distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of an adult victim.
According to court documents, in September 2023, members of the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF) were called to investigate a fatal overdose in Clackamas County. While processing the scene, investigators discovered numerous counterfeit M30 Oxycodone pills believed to be manufactured with fentanyl, as well as fentanyl powder. Martinez was soon identified as the person who sold fentanyl to the deceased victim’s dealer.
On November 16, 2023, investigators located Martinez traveling north from California into Oregon, followed his vehicle, and conducted a traffic stop in Gladstone, Oregon. During a K-9 sweep of Martinez’s vehicle, investigators found multiple concealed packages containing more than one kilogram of compressed fentanyl:
Later the same day, investigators executed a search warrant on Martinez’s Gladstone apartment where they seized more fentanyl, a 20-ton shop press used to produce “bricks” of fentanyl powder, multiple firearms, ammunition, and other materials consistent with drug trafficking:
Martinez faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, a $10 million fine, and five years of supervised release. The government will seek a sentence of 210 months’ imprisonment. Martinez will be sentenced on August 4, 2026, before a U.S. District Court judge.
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI, CCITF, and Westside Interagency Narcotics team (WIN). It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
CCITF, led by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, works to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating in and around Clackamas County, and reduce illegal drugs and related crimes throughout the community. The task force is comprised of members from the Canby Police Department, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, the FBI, and the Oregon National Guard Counterdrug Task Force. CCITF is supported by our community with the passage of the Public Safety Levy and grant funding from the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.
WIN is a Washington County-based interagency drug interdiction task force that includes members from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Beaverton and Hillsboro Police Departments, Oregon National Guard Counter Drug Program, FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and HSI.
This arrest 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 Portland comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, USMS, IRS-CI, ATF, USPIS, CBP, TSA, U.S. Coast Guard, Oregon Air, Army National Guard Counterdrug program, and Oregon-Idaho HIDTA with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Honduran Illegal Alien Found Living in Greenbrier County Sentenced for Immigration CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jorge Elpidio Erazo-Jimenez, 35, a Honduran citizen living illegally in Lewisburg, was sentenced today to time served for reentry of a removed alien. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has an immigration detainer on Erazo-Jimenez for his transfer to ICE administrative custody for removal proceedings.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 30, 2025, law enforcement officers filed an ICE detainer for Erazo-Jimenez following his incarceration at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver on state-level criminal charges. Erazo-Jimenez later pleaded guilty to domestic battery in Greenbrier County Circuit Court. ICE agents confirmed that Erazo-Jimenez is a citizen of Honduras in the United States illegally and that he had previously been deported from the United States twice, on December 19, 2011, after he was found near Sarita, Texas, and on December 9, 2016, after he was found near Roma, Texas.
Erazo-Jimenez had no identification documents permitting him legal status in the United States. Erazo-Jimenez never obtained the express consent of the Secretary of U.S. Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States for either of the prior removals, nor did he seek to reenter the United States through other legal means.
Erazo-Jimenez has a criminal history that also includes prior convictions for possession of methamphetamine and obstructing an officer with threats of harm.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO).
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case, as part of a special unit within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia focused on the immigration enforcement objectives of Operation Take Back America.
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-180.
###
Hartford Man Charged with Drug Distribution and Firearm Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, today announced that KENNY LAPORTE, 39, of Hartford, has been charged by indictment with drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, an investigation determined that Laporte was distributing large quantities of fentanyl and other narcotics to customers and other drug sellers in the Hartford area and was using a residence on Amity Street in Hartford to store the drugs. In April and May 2025, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of distribution quantities of fentanyl from Laporte.
Laporte was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on May 29, 2025. On that date, a search of the Amity Street residence and a garage behind the residence revealed approximately 1.7 kilograms of fentanyl, 150 grams of powder cocaine, 25 grams of crack cocaine, 22 grams of heroin, nine handguns, ammunition, jewelry, and $21,000 in cash. Laporte possessed an additional $1,675 in cash at the time of his arrest.
Laporte’s criminal history includes felony convictions for narcotics, firearm, and assault offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
On April 28, 2026, a grand jury in New Haven returned a seven-count indictment charging Laporte with five counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled substances, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count; one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and one count unlawful possession of firearms by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Laporte appeared today in Hartford federal court and pleaded not guilty to the charges in the indictment. He is released on a $100,000 bond pending trial.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shan Patel.
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.
HSTF: Three Dominican Nationals Plead Guilty to Cocaine Conspiracy Charges After Importation of 1,694 kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Three Dominican nationals pleaded guilty for their roles in importing approximately 1,694 kilograms of cocaine into South Florida.
Erasme Catalino Paulino Rodriguez, 35; Joseito Diaz De Oleo, 48; and Ober Alexander Villavicencio Jimenez, 36 — all of the Dominican Republic — pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import a controlled substance.
“This was a large-scale maritime cocaine smuggling operation aimed at bringing nearly 1.7 metric tons of poison into South Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “That amount of cocaine fuels addiction, violence, and cartel profits on a massive scale. These guilty pleas disrupted a major trafficking pipeline and reflect the strength of coordinated federal enforcement at sea and on land. If you move narcotics toward our shores, you will be intercepted, prosecuted, and sent to federal prison.”
According to court documents, on Dec. 2, 2025, approximately six nautical miles off the coast of Government Cut in Miami-Dade County, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) interdicted the M/V Best Bet, a 65-foot sport-fishing vessel. After escorting the vessel to U.S. Coast Guard Station Miami Beach, law enforcement discovered 1,694 kilograms of cocaine concealed in hidden compartments.
Rodriguez, De Oleo, and Jimenez admitted they piloted the Best Bet east from Miami to a pre-determined location near the Turks and Caicos, where they met a smaller vessel carrying four Dominican men who transferred duffle bags filled with cocaine. The defendants then concealed the drugs on board and began the return trip to Miami, where they were intercepted.
Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones, Special Agent in Charge Miles Aley of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, made the announcement.
DEA Miami Field Division and HSI Miami are investigating the case, with assistance from the USCG, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (AMO), and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Miami Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn Kirkpatrick is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Miami comprises of agents and officers from DEA Miami, HSI Miami, USCG, U.S. Customs and Border Protection AMO, and FBI Miami with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20541.
###
Guilty Verdict for California Biolab OperatorRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Following a two-week trial, a jury found Jia Bei Zhu, 64, a Chinese national, guilty of fraudulently selling more than a million COVID tests for nearly $4 million through his Fresno-based company Universal Meditech Inc. (UMI), to customers across the United States and of lying to the FDA about his identity and role with UMI, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
“This verdict holds the defendant accountable for actions that exploited a public health crisis for his own gain. He flouted the lawful authority of the FDA and deliberately deceived the public by repackaging low-quality, foreign-made test kits at a time when accuracy and reliability were critical,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “This conduct, tied to the unlawful operations uncovered at the Reedley laboratory, put lives at risk. Our office remains committed to prosecuting those who endanger the public through fraud, especially in matters affecting the health and safety of our communities.”
“The defendant’s scheme to distribute medical devices that were misbranded and falsely represented as FDA-approved undermined public health during a critical time,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Los Angeles Field Office. “The FDA works closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which is designed to ensure, among other things, that medical devices are safe and effective. We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who threaten the health of consumers by evading FDA requirements.”
"Mr. Zhu saw a public health crisis and chose to profit from it by misrepresenting the origin, quality, and FDA approval status of his tests with the intent to flood the market with misbranded medical devices," said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. "This verdict is the result of diligent investigative work, the courage and cooperation of the witnesses, and our strong partnership with the FDA. The FBI is committed to safeguarding the integrity of the medical supply chain that Americans depend on."
Zhu was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of substantive wire fraud, two counts of distributing adulterated and misbranded medical devices, and one count of making a false statement to the FDA. His romantic partner Zhaoyan Wang is also charged in the case. She fled the United States shortly before Zhu’s arrest and remains a fugitive from justice in China.
Importantly, the FDA, CDC, and FBI determined that the vivarium and fridges with pathogens and toxins in inappropriate containers were part of a failed effort by UMI to manufacture the COVID tests at its Fresno facility. They did not pose any risk to humans.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Zhu founded UMI with Zhaoyan Wang and hired inexperienced employees who would not ask any questions. The employees were cellphone salespeople, supermarket workers, childcare workers, and stay-at-home parents before starting at UMI. Some of the employees were hired through the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation, which is a public organization that helps find jobs for unskilled workers and provides significant subsidies to employers that hire them.
From approximately August 2020 through March 2023, Zhu, Wang, and others at UMI conspired with each other to import faulty COVID tests from China and then sell them to customers based on several different false representations. The false representations included that the tests: (1) were authorized by the FDA, (2) were made in the USA, (3) were made in connection with a certified medical lab, and (4) worked.
False Representation on Internet re: FDA Approval, Made in USA, and Test Accuracy
Several of the employees testified at trial. They explained that Zhu instructed them to make false representations to customers. The employees explained that they knew what they were doing was wrong but went through with it because they did not want to lose their jobs. They also explained that they feared Zhu would physically hurt them if they defied his orders.
Many of the victims also testified at trial. They explained how the tests they received from UMI were missing basic parts and could not even detect COVID.
Zhu’s scheme was first revealed in mid-2022 when one of the victims filed a civil lawsuit against UMI and performed a court-ordered inspection of UMI’s Fresno facility. The inspection showed that UMI lacked the ability to manufacture COVID tests and that it was nothing more than an unsanitary warehouse that was far below established quality standards for facilities that house medical devices. For example, there was vivarium that was not sealed off from the rest of the facility and multiple fridges with pathogens and toxins in juice, soda, and other inappropriate containers. A vivarium is supposed to be a dedicated space for housing and studying living animals in controlled environments.
Pathogens and Toxins in Inappropriate Containers
The inspection also showed hundreds of boxes of COVID tests from China.
Boxes of COVID Tests from China
Zhu tried to escape the civil lawsuit by moving UMI from Fresno to Reedley, a neighboring town, and changing its name to Prestige Biotech Inc. (PBI). This tactic, however, did not work and the FDA began investigating him. Zhu subsequently met with investigators from the FDA and CDC in May 2023 and falsely claimed to be a different person, Qiang “David” He, who had just recently come to the United States from China on an asylum application. He also falsely claimed that he did not know anything about UMI or PBI’s background.
The evidence showed that Zhu was previously an executive at the company IND in Canada in the early 2000s and that IND had gotten into trouble with the Canadian equivalent of the FDA for misconduct like the misconduct at issue in this case. He then came to the United States unlawfully, founded UMI, and began fraudulently selling COVID tests shortly thereafter.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arelis Clemente and Joseph D. Barton are prosecuting the case.
Zhu is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Aug. 24, 2026. Zhu faces maximum statutory penalties of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy charge and each of the wire fraud charges, three years in prison for each of the distribution of adulterated and misbranded medical device charges, and five years in prison for the false statements charge. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Foxborough Man Charged with Impersonating a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Foxborough man was charged today in federal court in Boston with impersonating a federal immigration officer.
Francisco Soares, 56, was charged with impersonating a federal officer on April 29, 2026 and arrested on April 30, 2026. Soares was subsequently released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on May 1, 2026.
The criminal complaint alleges that Soares told various Brazilian nationals that he worked for U.S. Immigration and that for a price, he could provide the individuals assistance with obtaining U.S. citizenship. Soares, who has never worked for the U.S. government, allegedly took thousands of dollars from his victims.
In 2014, Soares was charged, and later convicted in 2015, with impersonating a federal officer, in the U.S. District Court in Boston and sentenced to three years of probation and 12 months of home confinement. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $5,000 fine and $4,300 in restitution.
The charge of impersonating a federal officer or employee provides for a maximum sentence of three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fourth Illinoisan Sentenced After Cashing Out Stolen Government Money at a Dubuque CasinoRead the Press Release
A woman from Northwest Illinois who fraudulently obtained approximately $100,000 in pandemic-era unemployment benefits, which she then converted to cash at a Dubuque casino, was sentenced on May 5, 2026, to more than three years in federal prison. Jackie L. Smith, age 39, from Galena, Illinois, received the prison term after a November 4, 2025, guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.
Evidence at Smith’s guilty plea and sentencing hearings established that Smith orchestrated a scheme to defraud various states out of approximately $100,000 in federally subsidized unemployment insurance (“UI”) benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Smith filed a false UI application in her own name, recruited others into the UI fraud scheme in exchange for a share of the fraud proceeds, and stole others’ personally identifiable information and pocketed the UI moneys for herself. Smith then made cash withdrawals at a Dubuque casino.
Smith is a felon with an extensive criminal history. Smith has convictions in Illinois, Texas, and Wisconsin for bail jumping, methamphetamine possession, burglary, theft, resisting a law enforcement officer, receiving stolen property, and operating under the influence.
Smith was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Smith was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $95,708 in restitution to three states. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Smith is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
Smith is the fourth Illinoisan whom Chief Judge Williams has sentenced for making cash withdrawals at a Dubuque casino from stolen UI fraud money during the pandemic:
In April 2026, Jeffrey Alan Edmonds, age 58, from Galena, Illinois, was sentenced to four months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release after he pled guilty to one count of wire fraud. Edmonds was ordered to pay $10,923.30 in restitution to one state.
In January 2026, Michael Angelo Martinelli, age 35, a self-employed gambler from Galena, Illinois, was sentenced to six months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release after he pled guilty to one count of wire fraud. Martinelli was ordered to pay $170,144.70 in restitution to two states.
In September 2024, Dezaray Elizabeth Seitz, age 35, from Galena, Illinois, was sentenced to 78 days in jail and three years of supervised release after she pled guilty to one count of wire fraud. Seitz was ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution to one state. In December 2025, after Seitz violated the terms of her supervised release, Chief Judge Williams sentenced Seitz to nine additional months in federal prison.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 24-CR-1019 (Smith), 25-CR-1032 (Edmonds), 25-CR-1025 (Martinelli), and 23-CR-1024 (Seitz)
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Former Rohnert Park Police Officers Sentenced to 30 Months and 20 Months in Federal Prison After Convictions for Conspiracy to Commit Extortion, Impersonating Federal Officers, Obstruction of Justice, and Other Charges Related to Marijuana Seizure SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Former Rohnert Park police officer Joseph Huffaker, 41, of Rohnert Park, California, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison, and Brendon Jacy Tatum, 43, of Santa Rosa, California, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, for their roles in a marijuana extortion scheme, impersonation of federal agents, and obstruction of justice. Senior U.S. District Judge Maxine M. Chesney handed down the sentences on May 6, 2026.
At the conclusion of a week-long trial in July 2025, a federal jury convicted Huffaker on six counts of extortion under color of official right, falsifying records in a federal investigation, impersonating a federal officer, and conspiracy to commit those offenses. Tatum pled guilty in December 2021 to conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, falsifying records in a federal investigation, and tax evasion, and testified as a witness at Huffaker’s trial. According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, Huffaker and Tatum were both employed between 2012 and 2019 with the City of Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety (RPDPS) as police officers. The jury found that Huffaker and Tatum conspired to pull over drivers they suspected of possessing significant amounts of marijuana and extorted their marijuana by falsely claiming to be ATF agents and threatening to arrest drivers if they contested seizures of their property. The jury also found that Huffaker and Tatum conspired to obstruct justice by creating a false police report two months after their extortions and sending that report to the FBI.
According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, RPDPS previously operated an interdiction team between 2014 and early 2017 that conducted traffic stops on vehicles along Highway 101 between Cloverdale and Rohnert Park in an effort to seize illegal drugs. In December of 2017, 11 months after the interdiction team had been disbanded, Huffaker and Tatum extorted significant quantities of marijuana from individuals, declaring to the individuals that they were ATF agents, that their property would be seized, and at times threatening to arrest and charge them. After extorting the marijuana, Huffaker and Tatum sold it for personal profit. These seizures occurred while the officers were not on duty and not wearing their uniforms or body-worn cameras.
In February 2018, the FBI received a complaint from a citizen who claimed to have been shaken down by police officers on the highway and an FBI agent asked Tatum for the police report related to the incident. Thereafter, the jury found that Huffaker and Tatum falsified a police Incident/Investigation Report regarding an unlawful December 18 traffic stop and marijuana seizure. Tatum then forwarded both the falsified press release and report to an FBI agent who was investigating the stop.
In addition to engaging in the extortion and obstruction of justice conspiracies with Huffaker in 2017 and 2018, Tatum admitted in his plea agreement that he engaged in additional criminal conduct. Specifically, Tatum admitted that in 2015 and 2016, he stole marijuana from the Rohnert Park police station, extorted marijuana from drivers on Highway 101, sold marijuana for personal profit, and committed tax evasion, netting himself over $400,000 in illicit proceeds.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo, and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen made the announcement.
In addition to the prison terms, Judge Chesney also sentenced Huffaker and Tatum to a three-year period of supervised release and ordered restitution in the amount of $301,145.70 for Tatum and $20,000 for Huffaker. Huffaker will begin serving his sentence on September 15, 2026, and Tatum will begin serving his sentence on January 11, 2027.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abraham Fine, Benjamin Kleinman, and Cynthia Frey are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Veronica Hernandez, Amala James, and Janice Pagsanjan. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the IRS-CI.Former Postal Employee Pleads Guilty to Embezzling U.S. MailRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former U.S. Postal Service employee pleaded guilty in federal court today to embezzling a large amount of U.S. mail.
Tiara McGill-Rushing, 34, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to one count of embezzlement of mail matter by a U.S. Postal Service employee.
By pleading guilty today, McGill-Rushing admitted that, on March 22, 2024, she embezzled at least 70 individual letters with the intent to convert gift cards found in the letters to her own use.
Under federal statutes, McGill-Rushing is subject to a sentence of five years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. McGill-Rushing’s sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas P. Heberle. It was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.
Former Lee’s Summit Teacher Sentenced to 12 Years for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Lee’s Summit West High School teacher was sentenced in federal court today for distributing child pornography.
Seth Brummond, 39, of Greenwood, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 12 years in federal prison without parole. The Court also ordered Brummond to serve supervised release for 10 years following his incarceration.
Brummond pleaded guilty to sharing over 60 videos depicting child pornography using the Kik Messaging application between September 2024 and December 2024.
In December 2024, Lee’s Summit Police Officers, acting on a Cyber Tip Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, arrested Brummond on his way to work and seized his cell phone. Investigators located hundreds of images and videos containing depictions of child pornography on Brummond’s cell phone. In a subsequent interview, Brummond admitted to investigators that he had shared child pornography on the Kik Messaging application.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the Lee’s Summit, Missouri Police Department and the Heart of America Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Former Basketball Coach Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Sending Sexually Explicit Photos to StudentsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a former high school basketball coach to 90 months in prison for sending sexually explicit photos to students and engaging in sexually explicit conversations with them.
Lee Anthony Bogan Jr., 29, was working at a St. Louis area high school at the time. Bogan, known as “Coach Teejay,” used a social media application to contact high school students beginning in the spring of 2024. Bogan sent photos of his genitals and expressed romantic and sexual interest in the students, seeking to gauge their responses. Bogan was unaware that the minors took screen shots of the explicit photos before they disappeared.
In court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards said that the students interrupted Bogan’s attempt to groom them by reporting his conduct.
Bogan pleaded guilty in February to one count of attempting to receive child pornography. He will be on supervised release for life after his release from prison.
The Ladue Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards is prosecuting 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. 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.
- Former Bank Employee Admits Stealing More Than $125,000 from Elderly Customer with Dementia
Former Account Manager at Beverly Hills Business Management Firm Charged with Embezzling More Than $2 Million from Celebrity ClientRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former account manager at a high-end Beverly Hills business management and tax firm was charged today in an eight-count federal indictment with embezzling more than $2 million from one of the firm’s celebrity clients.
Frank Musoke, 38, formerly of Woodland Hills, is charged with five counts of wire fraud and three counts of tax evasion.
He is believed to have fled to Uganda, where he has dual citizenship with the United States.
According to the indictment, Musoke was employed as an account manager at a full-service business management and tax firm identified in court documents as “Company A.” This Beverly Hills-based firm primarily served high-net-worth celebrities in the entertainment industry.
In this role, Musoke was entrusted with managing the complete financial and business affairs of Company A’s elite clientele. His job was to help clients with asset protection, investment strategies, and financial planning to help them preserve and grow their wealth.
The victim, identified in the indictment as “Individual A,” is a well-known television host and producer and had been a Company A client for nearly 20 years. Musoke was Individual A’s account manager and had full access to Individual A’s financial accounts, including control of his debit cards.
From December 2019 to June 2023, Musoke gained unauthorized access to debit cards and the associated personal identification numbers (PINs) connected to Individual A’s business bank account. Without Individual A’s knowledge or consent, Musoke – in breach of his fiduciary duty – fraudulently used Individual A’s debit cards to withdraw approximately $1,733,688 at a bank’s ATMs, spend $165,270 on Amazon purchases, incur $191,543 in personal travel expenses, and spend more than $160,000 on other personal expenses.
In total, Musoke embezzled more than $2 million from Individual A.
Company A terminated Musoke in July 2023, after the fraud was discovered.
From May 2021 to May 2023, Musoke filed false federal income tax returns in which he failed to report a total of approximately $1,766,367 in income he embezzled through the unauthorized use of debit cards.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, Musoke would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each tax evasion count.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter.
Chief Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Waier is prosecuting this case.
Florida Man Sentenced for Bank Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Fort Lauderdale, Florida man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Richard Harris, 23, to 32 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $31,400 in restitution. Harris pleaded guilty on December 16, 2025.
According to court records, Harris and a coconspirator, Paul Logugune, broke into unattended vehicles to steal purses and wallets containing driver’s licenses and checkbooks. Harris and Logugune forged checks using the stolen checkbooks and made the checks payable to the names on the stolen licenses. They then recruited others to cash the forged checks at branches of a federal credit union throughout southern Maine using the stolen IDs to impersonate the ID theft victims.
Logugune also pleaded guilty to his role in the offense. On August 29, 2024, he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and ordered to pay over $32,000 in restitution.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Freeport Police Department.
###
Firearms Violators Sentenced to Decades in PrisonRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Three firearms violators have been sentenced across the Northern District of West Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Zachary Mongold, 37, of Moorefield, West Virginia, was sentenced to 180 months in prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm. Mongold was the subject of another investigation into a violent crime, and the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office stopped his vehicle. A search of the car recovered a firearm with ammunition. Mongold is prohibited from having firearms because of a prior domestic battery conviction. Mongold’s brother, Jeremy, was convicted at a trial of three charges related to purchasing the firearm for Zachary. He is scheduled to be sentenced in June 2026.
Jason Gordon, 39, of Baker, West Virginia, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. Officers responded to a domestic violence call at Gordon’s residence. A consent search of the home recovered firearms in the attic of the home. Gordon admitted they were his. He has prior felony and domestic violence convictions, prohibiting him from having firearms.
Montez Taryle Lincoln, 41, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm. West Virginia State Police were investigating a report of a marijuana grow operation on a property in Martinsburg. A search warrant was executed, and officers seized two pistols and some crack cocaine from Lincoln’s bedroom. Lincoln, also known as “Fatz,” was prior felony drug convictions, prohibiting him from having firearms.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eleanor Hurney, Andrew Cogar, and Stephen Warner prosecuted the cases on behalf of the United States.
Investigative agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the West Virginia State Police; and the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided over the Mongold and Gordon sentencings.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided over the Lincoln sentencing.