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11 September 2026
Former Postal Worker Convicted of Stealing Nearly $1 Million in Tax-Free Federal Disability BenefitsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a federal jury in Central Islip convicted Luann Middleton, a former United States Postal Service (USPS) employee, of wire fraud in connection with her repeated submission of false workers compensation forms to the United States Department of Labor (DOL), in which she claimed total disability, and thereby received approximately $40,000 per year in federal workers’ compensation benefits for nearly 25 years. The verdict followed a four-day trial before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown. When sentenced, Middleton faces up to 20 years in prison, as well as financial penalties.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Matthew M. Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office (USPS-OIG), announced the verdict.
“For more than 20 years and until her lies caught up to her, the defendant refused to come to work and instead collected tax-free disability benefits for a highly-exaggerated injury,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office and the Administration has made it a priority to hold accountable those who exploit government benefits programs for personal gain and steal funds that are designated for workers who truly need them.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the USPS-OIG and the United States Department of Labor (DOL) for their assistance with the case.
“This verdict sends a clear message that workers’ compensation fraud will not be tolerated," stated USPS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Modafferi. "These benefits are intended to support U.S. Postal Service employees who are truly injured, not those who misrepresent their condition for personal gain. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General remains committed to protecting the Postal Service, its employees, and federal benefit programs from fraud and abuse. We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General for their partnership in this case.”
As proven at trial, in August 1997, Middleton, who was in her mid-forties, claimed that she had sustained an injury to her lower back while performing her duties as a postal clerk. Middleton submitted a claim for compensation to the DOL and began receiving workers’ compensation benefits approximately three months later. Middleton briefly returned to work in a limited duty capacity in February 1999, after a medical doctor found that she was in fact capable of working; but then claimed she had a recurrence of her back injury, which rendered her totally and permanently disabled. She again began receiving workers’ compensation benefits – roughly two-thirds of her annual salary, tax-free – from the DOL. Between November 1997 and September 2022, Middleton regularly submitted medical evaluations and records to the USPS and the DOL claiming that she was incapable of returning to work, and that she was totally disabled. The evaluations claimed, for example, that Middleton could sit, stand, walk, bend, lift and reach above her shoulders for zero hours and could not participate in any physical activities because of her excruciating back pain.
However, the investigation revealed that between October 2015 and March 2022, Middleton engaged in numerous physical activities, including cleaning out a garage, sitting through a movie for more than two hours, standing for more than one hour at a cookie decorating class, climbing stairs and retail shopping. Middleton was observed, and captured on video footage, carrying groceries and laundry bags, lifting and reaching for objects at heights she claimed she could not reach, bending to the floor to retrieve items, and hoisting a bag of potting soil from the bottom of her shopping cart into her vehicle. Records from USPS and DOL indicate that Middleton received more than $900,000 in fraudulent workers’ compensation benefits as the result of her claimed physical limitations.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Charles P. Kelly and Ashlyn Miranda are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samantha Schroder, Legal Assistant Danielle Rompel, and Automated Litigation Specialist Michael Compitello.
The Defendant:
LUANN MIDDLETON
Age: 72
Glen Cove, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-339 (GRB)
Former Indiana Medical School Student Petitions to Plead Guilty to $325K COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Jonathan Andrew Jones, 31, of Lafayette, has petitioned to plead guilty to two counts of wire fraud for a $325,000 COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. The charges were brought as part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. Jones is currently scheduled to formally enter his guilty plea and be sentenced on November 19, 2026.
According to court documents, during the relevant period, Jones was a medical student in Indiana and the sole owner of a purported tutoring business called Med School Side Hustle.
Between January 2021 and December 2022, Jones defrauded the federal government by submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications in his own name and in the names of others.
In one instance, Jones submitted an EIDL application falsely claiming that his business generated thousands of dollars in revenue and had significant payroll costs. In reality, Med School Side Hustle had no customers, no employees, no revenue, and no expenses. To support these claims, Jones submitted fabricated invoices for tutoring services that were never provided to clients who did not exist. As a result, he received $197,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Jones also submitted three PPP loan applications on behalf of himself, claiming he was the sole proprietor of a business with average monthly payroll costs exceeding $8,000. Two of the applications were approved, resulting in $38,148 in disbursed funds.
Additionally, Jones filed fraudulent PPP loan applications using the identities of five friends and family members for a total of approximately $69,629. Within days of the funds being deposited into accounts under those individuals’ names, Jones transferred the money into his own personal bank accounts.
In total, Jones submitted 11 fraudulent EIDL and PPP applications in his name and the names of others, illegally obtaining $326,510.41 in federal relief funds. He used the money for personal expenses, including gambling and purchasing cryptocurrency.
The U.S. Secret Service, Small Business Administration-OIG, the Department of Transportation-OIG, and the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee investigated this case.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Sawa and Adam Eakman, who prosecuted this case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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Five Defendants Indicted for Attempted Enticement of Minors Following a Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
Hagåtña, Guam – United States Attorney Shawn N. Anderson, serving the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announces the results of Operation Protektot Y Famagu’on (Defender of Children). This law enforcement initiative was led by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Guam, with support from HSI Saipan, HSI Honolulu, HSI Atlanta Special Agents, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and HSI Task Force Officers from the Guam Police Department, Guam Customs & Quarantine Agency, and Guam Airport Police.
The operation, conducted from August 22 through August 27, involved a coordinated online undercover effort within the District of Guam aimed at identifying individuals attempting to engage in unlawful sexual conduct with minors. This initiative reflects the continued commitment of federal law enforcement agencies nationwide to protect children, hold offenders accountable, and prevent internet facilitated offenses.
As a result of Operation Protektot Y Famagu’on, five individuals were arrested for Attempted Enticement of a Minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2422(b) and 2:
Mike Ybanez Balbuena, 44-year-old, a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines
Eli Valentine, 21-year-old, an active-duty U.S. Navy service member
Keola Joaquin H. Flores, 30-year-old, a United States citizen
Peter John San Nicolas, 36-year-old, a United States citizen
Augusto Bagat Anselmo, 44-year-old, a Lawful Permanent Resident of the U.S. and citizen of the Republic of the Philippines
If convicted, the defendants each face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. There is no parole in the federal system. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
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 Guam comprises agents and officers from HSI, FBI, ATF, CBP, CGIS, DCIS, DEA, IRS-CI, NCIS, USMS, USSS, USPIS, USCIS and local law enforcement with prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal jury convicts Wellsville man on multiple charges, including distribution of fentanyl causing death, kidnapping and witness intimidationRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal jury has convicted Simon Gogolack a/k/a Greek, 42, of Wellsville, NY, of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of fentanyl, which resulted in a death, narcotics conspiracy, maintaining a drug involved premises, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, kidnapping and witness tampering. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a maximum of life.
According to testimony presented by the Government, between July 2 and October 17, 2023, Gogolack conspired with others to sell fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, Xanax, and Adderall. Between July 31 and August 1, 2023, Gogolack distributed fentanyl, which resulted in the death of Crystal Quinn. During the course of the conspiracy, Gogolack used a Scott Avenue residence in Wellsville to conduct his drug trafficking activities. In addition, Gogolack possessed firearms during the conspiracy. He was previously convicted of a felony in 2007 and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms. Gogolack was also convicted of kidnapping and threatening an individual and threatening a second individual to prevent them from cooperating with investigators.
“Today’s verdict ensures that Simon Gogolack is being held accountable for the violence and devastation his drug trafficking brought into our community and reflects the commitment by my office to pursue and prosecute those that engage in such conduct” stated U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo.
The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas T. Cooper, Casey L. Chalbeck, and Katerina Powers. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Patrone, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Allen D. Davis, II.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 9, 2027, before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford, who presided over the trial of the case.
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Eye Practice and Physician Owner Agree to Pay $350,000 to Resolve Allegations of False Claims to MedicareRead the Press Release
BOSTON – St. Michael’s Eye & Laser Institute, a Florida ophthalmology practice, and Dr. John Michaelos, an ophthalmologist and owner of St. Michael’s Eye & Laser Institute, have agreed to pay $350,000 to resolve allegations that they caused the submission of false claims to Medicare in violation of the False Claims Act.
The United States alleges that from September 2015 through December 2020, St. Michael’s Eye & Laser Institute (St. Michael’s) and Dr. Michaelos caused the submission of false claims for transcranial doppler (TCD) tests to Medicare and the Veterans Health Administration. A TCD test is a non-invasive diagnostic test that can be used to estimate the blood flow through certain blood vessels in the brain by bouncing high-frequency sound waves off blood cells. As part of the settlement agreement, St. Michael’s and Dr. Michaelos admitted to and accepted responsibility for facts underlying the settlement agreement. St. Michael’s had contractual agreements with an independent medical diagnostics company, Eyecuity, PLLC (Eyecuity). During the relevant time, Eyecuity paid St. Michael’s for referrals that St. Michael’s made for TCD tests, even though the parties’ contracts called for payment based on the cost of office space, staff, and utilities, and not per-patient or per-test that St. Michael’s referred to Eyecuity. When documenting the purported medical necessity of these tests, Eyecuity submitted claims to Medicare that indicated that patients had Vertebro-Basilar Syndrome or Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency (VBI), a very rare condition. But St. Michael’s physicians did not have reason to believe that patients had a diagnosis of VBI.
The United States contends that the claims for the TCD tests that St. Michael’s and Dr. Michaelos caused Eyecuity to submit to Medicare for payment were false because St. Michael’s received payments from Eyecuity that violated the Anti-Kickback Statute.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles B. Weinograd of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the case.
michaelos_fca_settlement_agreement.pdf
Eastern District of Virginia hosts 9/11 observance on 25th anniversary of attacksRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia observed the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center with a reflective presentation hosted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos. The observation featured remembrances from former U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Spencer.
Three months after the attacks, Al Qaida terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui was indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia. Moussaoui was convicted at trial of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, conspiracy to commit aircraft piracy, conspiracy to destroy aircraft, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to murder employees of the United States, and conspiracy to destroy property. U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema sentenced Moussaoui to life in prison.
Moussaoui remains the only individual to date to have ever been convicted in a U.S. court in connection with the September 11 attacks.
“It is impossible to adequately describe either the responsibility of bringing a measure of justice for those lost on September 11, 2001, or the honor of having been entrusted with that responsibility,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Stamos. “Dedicated EDVA employees passed the Pentagon on their daily commute to this office where they tirelessly worked on the prosecution of Zacarias Moussaoui. Among the best ways we can honor those who were lost that day are vigilance against those who seek to harm America and its people and the unyielding pursuit of justice each day.”
Downsville Man Previously Convicted of Receiving Child Pornography Indicted Again for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MONROE – On September 10, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Randy Allen Powell, 46, of Downsville, with Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. As a re-offender, Powell faces an enhanced sentence if convicted of all charges that carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to a combined 60 years in federal prison. He was previously convicted of receiving child pornography in 2014, which led to a sentence of 15 years in federal prison and four years of supervised release. Powell was serving his term of federal supervision at the time of this alleged offense.
“As alleged, Powell’s receipt of child pornography while knowing he was being supervised by federal probation officers displays a level of desperate perversion that should concern every member of our community,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Protecting our children is the most sacred and urgent duty that this Office and our federal and state partners perform every single day. We will aggressively investigate and prosecute recidivist offenders, seeking federal prison sentences that reflect the need to deter this sick conduct and protect the public.”
As alleged in the indictment, Powell possessed child pornography on April 2, 2026, after having received it from between March 21 and 23 of 2026. Property subject to forfeiture as a result of the offense include a laptop, flash drive, smartphone, and tablet.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Probation Office investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amy Miller, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Stewart.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. Learn more at https://www.justice.gov/psc/about-project-safe-childhood
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer. The case number for this matter is currently pending assignment.
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CONTACT: Public Affairs: USALAW-News@usdoj.gov
United States Attorney’s Office: www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
X: @USAO_WDLA
Facebook: USAO_WDLA
Cara Alexander: (337) 262-6704Dothan Tax Preparer Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Prison for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A Dothan, Alabama tax preparer was sentenced yesterday to 57 months in federal prison for aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false tax returns, announced United States Attorney Thomas Govan for the Middle District of Alabama.
“The defendant was entrusted with helping taxpayers comply with the law, yet she repeatedly chose to manipulate the tax system for her own benefit,” said U.S. Attorney Govan. “What makes this case particularly troubling is that the defendant did not change her ways after being indicted. While on federal pretrial release and under an explicit order not to commit additional crimes, she continued preparing false tax returns. Her decision to disregard both the law and the conditions of her release resulted in additional criminal charges and a significant federal prison sentence.”
“As a tax preparer, Carlotta Lampley had a responsibility to prepare and submit accurate tax returns for herself and her clients,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman of the IRS Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office. “She failed to fulfill that responsibility in order to obtain fraudulent refunds. IRS Criminal Investigation special agents will investigate unscrupulous tax preparers, and they will be held accountable for their actions.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, Carlotta Elaine Lampley, 41, operated a tax preparation service in Dothan and began preparing tax returns for clients in 2015. As part of her business practice, Lampley commonly withheld her tax-preparation fees from clients’ tax refunds before transferring the remaining refund proceeds to the clients.
An investigation revealed that Lampley prepared and filed false tax returns for herself and various clients during tax years 2020 through 2025.
In her plea agreement, Lampley admitted that, in 2024, she prepared and filed a federal income tax return for herself for the 2023 tax year that falsely reported her income as $52,343. Lampley knew the reported income was false because it failed to include fees she earned from preparing clients’ tax returns and withheld from their refunds.
A federal grand jury subsequently indicted Lampley, and she was arrested on September 24, 2025. As a condition of her pretrial release, Lampley was prohibited from committing any new violations of law while awaiting trial.
Despite being under federal indictment and released on bond, Lampley continued to prepare false tax returns. On January 22, 2026, she prepared a tax return for a client that falsely claimed the client operated a business and had earned a profit from that business, even though the client did not operate such a business and had never told Lampley that the client did. Lampley also falsely reported “other earned income” for the client despite knowing that the client had not received such income.
Lampley admitted that she knew the false statements were material and were intended to affect the client’s federal tax liability in a manner that benefited the client at the expense of the Internal Revenue Service and the American taxpayer. The conduct also violated the terms of her pretrial release and resulted in a superseding indictment charging Lampley with additional criminal conduct.
Lampley’s 57-month prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
During the September 10, 2026, sentencing hearing, the court also ordered Lampley to pay restitution in the amount of $314,247. This consists of $62,915 associated with her own tax returns and $251,332 associated with tax returns she aided and assisted other taxpayers in filing. The estimated actual loss amount from Lampley’s false tax-return scheme over the full period of her criminal conduct exceeded $2.1 million.
The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division investigated this case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan A. Kirkpatrick prosecuted.
Dominican National Sentenced to over Three Years for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Jorge Junior Alvarez Rodriguez, 23, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 41 months in prison. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In April 2026, Alvarez pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. Alvarez was charged in May 2025.
On May 3, 2025, upon arrival at Boston’s Logan Airport from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Alvarez was flagged for secondary screening. During a review of Alvarez’s cell phone, files depicting CSAM were found. Multiple files depicting children as young as four to seven years old were discovered.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection, Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and Julissa Walsh of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
District of Arizona Charges 306 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Sep. 5 through Sep. 11, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 306 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 145 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 137 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 20 cases against 24 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE- Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Luis Carlos Leyva-Clark. On Sep. 10, 2026, Luis Carlos Leyva-Clark was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. On Sep. 9, 2026, a Department of Public Safety Trooper stopped a Nissan Altima on I-10 for displaying suspended plates. As he approached the vehicle, the trooper saw that the front seat passenger and the three backseat passengers were wearing camouflage clothing. Border Patrol Agents (BPAs) were called to the scene and confirmed that the four passengers were aliens, all unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-5444]
United States v. Frank Bubbico. Frank Bubbico was charged by criminal complaint on Sep. 8, 2026, with one count of Transportation of an Illegal Alien for Profit. On Sep. 4, 2026, BPAs observed a Honda Civic traveling at a high rate of speed on State Route 82. Records checks revealed that the Honda Civic’s license plate belonged to a different vehicle, so BPAs attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver, Bubbico, initially activated his hazard lights and appeared to be looking for a spot to pull over. However, Bubbico failed to yield and instead accelerated, reaching speeds of approximately 70 miles per hour. Other BPAs in the area deployed a vehicle immobilization device and successfully spiked the Honda Civic, but Bubbico still did not slow down. Bubbico’s vehicle lost both front tires as it was approaching the town of Sonoita and he was finally pulled over by a Department of Public Safety trooper. BPAs joined the trooper and found a Mexican citizen hiding in the vehicle who was unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-03864]
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-156_September 11, 2026 Immigration Enforcement
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Department of Justice Removes Alien Terrorist in First Use of United States Alien Terrorist Removal CourtRead the Press Release
In the first-ever case before the United States Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC), Nazira Haji Zada, 47, an Afghan national previously residing in Fort Worth, Texas, was removed from the United States after conceding that she is an alien terrorist. As the matriarch in her family, she supported a plot to commit an ISIS-inspired mass shooting on Election Day in 2024 for which her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, and son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, were previously arrested and convicted. The ATRC issued an order of removal on Aug. 20 that was unsealed earlier today following her return to her country of origin. This was the first case ever brought before the ATRC, which Congress established decades ago, and which no previous administration had used. Zada is now permanently inadmissible to the United States.
The application to remove Zada, certified by Attorney General Todd Blanche, was filed on July 15, and Zada appeared in open court for the first time on July 30. ATRC Chief Judge Joan N. Ericksen presided over that hearing and later signed the removal order. In compliance with the ATRC statute, the government used classified information to establish that Zada is an alien terrorist. Additionally, the government provided Zada and her lawyers, two federal public defenders, with approximately half a terabyte of documents supporting the government’s case. With her lawyers, Zada conceded that she is an alien terrorist and waived appeal of the removal order, terminating her previous status.
“This landmark case, resulting in the prompt removal of this alien terrorist to her country of origin, is a win for national security and the rule of law,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Those who support and condone terrorism should not be living in the United States, and this first-ever case before the ATRC shows how the Department will use every tool at its disposal to protect our country.”
“This is a historic and vitally important step in our work to protect the U.S. homeland from terrorism,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “An individual who supported a plot by ISIS-sympathizing family members to commit an attack in America has paid the price for that. She came to our country, betrayed it, and has now lost the right to live here and enjoy our democratic freedoms. This FBI and our Justice Department partners will protect the American people from the threat of terrorism, using all means necessary.”
“From the moment President Trump took office, he made clear that his Administration would put the safety and security of the American people first,” said Secretary Markwayne Mullin of the Department of Homeland Security. “The President’s direction to use the Alien Terrorist Removal Court to expel Nazira Haji Zada, an Afghan national who plotted with members of her family to carry out an ISIS-inspired attack on American soil, delivers on that promise. Thanks to the President’s leadership and the coordinated efforts the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice and State, Nazira Haji Zada’s final order of removal is now FINAL. Those who plot acts of terrorism against the United States have no place in our country. We will find them, and we will use every lawful tool available to remove them.”
“Zada supported her sons’ terrorist plot to attack the United States while she enjoyed the privilege of residing here as a resident alien,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “She abused our Nation’s hospitality and represented a clear threat to our national security. The United States is a safer place now that her sons are in custody and she has been deported.”
“Those who support terrorism against the American people will face the consequences,” said State Department Spokesman Tommy Pigott. “We will secure our borders, and we will use every tool to stop those who intend us harm from entering or remaining at-large in our country. Under the leadership of President Trump, the State Department, alongside the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, will always work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our people and the security of our nation.”
Tawhedi and Abdullah Haji Zada were arrested on Oct. 7, 2024, after purchasing firearms and ammunition to be used in an Election Day terrorist attack from an undercover FBI employee. Nazira’s son Abdullah, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. As part of the plea agreement, Abdullah stipulated to the entry of a judicial order of removal from the United States to Afghanistan following his term of incarceration. Abdullah acknowledged that the order of removal would terminate his lawful permanent resident status, and waived his right to appeal the conviction except in limited circumstances or seek any form of appeal or relief from his removal and deportation, including but not limited to, seeking asylum. Tawhedi, 28, pled guilty to two terrorism-related offenses: conspiring and attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition in furtherance of a federal crime of terrorism on June 13, 2025, and is awaiting sentencing.
According to court documents, Tawhedi admitted that between June 2024 and October 2024, he conspired with at least one other individual to purchase two AK-47 rifles, 500 rounds of ammunition, and 10 magazines, with the intent to carry out a mass-casualty attack on or around Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024, on behalf of ISIS. According to a criminal complaint affidavit filed in the case, Tawhedi communicated with an ISIS facilitator about his plan to purchase firearms for use in the terror plot, including asking the individual whether 500 rounds of ammunition would be sufficient.
According to the criminal complaint, to raise funds for their attack, in 2024, the family started selling off their property, including furniture, computers, a mobile phone, and the family’s two vehicles. Zada signed a contract to sell the family house. The family also purchased one-way airfare for travel to Kabul, Afghanistan shortly before Election Day 2024 for its members, including for Zada and other minor children but not Abdullah and Tawhedi.
The ATRC is a specialized federal court, which Congress established in 1996. The court has jurisdiction to swiftly remove alien terrorists from the United States when the government establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that an alien is a terrorist. See Title 8 of the United States Code, Sections 1227(a)(4)(B), 1531(1), and 1534(g). It is run and staffed by U.S. federal district court judges confirmed to the judiciary pursuant to Article III of the Constitution and then appointed to the ATRC by the Chief Justice of the United States. See Title 8 of the United States Code, Sections 1531 to 1537.
The court allows the government to use classified information where disclosing that information to the public would pose risks to national security. The statutory provisions that establish the court provide paid counsel to the aliens if necessary and also permit either party to appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
This removal proceeding reflects the coordinated efforts of multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service, as well as the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Hayden O’Byrne of the National Security Division led the litigation with assistance from Deputy Chief Larry Schneider and Trial Attorneys Anna Donnell, Garrett Coyle and Evan Schultz.
For more information on the ATRC and to view court documents visit: www.atrc.uscourts.gov/. The Department of Justice previously announced the arrest here: www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-files-first-case-us-alien-terrorist-removal-court-deport-afghan-alien-who
Delaware Army Reservist Arrested for Production of Child Pornography and Traveling for Sex with a 9-Year-OldRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – A Delaware Army Reservist was arrested and made his initial appearance in federal court on September 9, 2026, on charges of production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and travel with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
According to court documents, Leobardo Carrasco, 39, of Wilmington, communicated with multiple minors on Snapchat, where he engaged in sexually explicit conversations, sent them nude photos of himself, and asked the minors to send nude photographs and videos to him. For example, Carrasco convinced a 9-year-old girl to send him sexually explicit photographs and videos and to also share her location with him over Snapchat. After receiving her location, Carrasco traveled from Delaware to the girl’s Maryland residence in the middle of the night and tried to convince her to come with him. The girl did not get in his vehicle and Carrasco left.
Carrasco is charged in a criminal complaint with travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(b); production of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a); receipt of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2); and possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B). If convicted, Carrasco faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace made the announcement. The FBI Baltimore’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case with assistance from Anne Arundel County Police Department and Army Criminal Investigation (CID) Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Claudia L. Pare 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. 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 26-mj-466.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Dairy Manager Sentenced for Role in Polluting Waterway with Waste That Caused a Fish KillRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A 54-year-old man employed at a northern Ohio dairy was sentenced after he admitted responsibility for environmental pollutants that were dumped into a waterway.
Teunis Jan Willemsen, a citizen of the Netherlands residing in Frankton, Indiana, was sentenced to 15 months of probation and ordered to pay a $25,000 fine, as well as serve 100 hours of community service. U.S. Magistrate Judge Darrell A. Clay imposed the judgment Sept. 8 after Willemsen pleaded guilty in May to negligently discharging a pollutant in violation of the Clean Water Act. The discharge was dumped into the Little Black Creek, which is a tributary of Saint Mary’s River that flows to the Maumee River.
According to court documents, in December 2022 Willemsen was serving as the manager of Heartland Dairy, when investigators found that a discharge was being pumped from a settling basin on the dairy’s property into a nearby ditch that drained into a waterway. The discharge was analyzed and found to consist of manure and silage leachate, which contained concentrated amounts of ammonia—a pollutant—that resulted in the death of approximately 789 fish and 1,371 other aquatic animals.
“Reckless and careless business practices that threaten Ohio’s environment and wildlife will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “Let this sentence serve as a reminder that we will aggressively enforce federal environmental laws, and anyone found contributing to the diminishment of the quality of our land, air, and water will be prosecuted.”
“The defendant oversaw a discharge of ammonia-laden wastewater to Little Black Creek in the Maumee River, Ohio watershed that poisoned the water for miles and killed thousands of fish and other aquatic animals,” said Special Agent in Charge Allison Landsman of the EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Ohio. “Clean water is one of Ohio’s and America’s most valuable resources. This sentencing demonstrates that the EPA and our enforcement partners will investigate violations that pollute interstate waterways and hold polluters accountable.”
“Ohio’s waterways are vital to our communities, our wildlife and our economy. This case sends a clear message: those who pollute Ohio’s waterways will be held accountable,” said Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson.
The case was investigated by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Special Investigations Unit, with support from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew D. Simko for the Northern District of Ohio, with assistance from Sasha Reyes, U.S. EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel.
If you have information or see activity that you believe is a potential or immediate environmental problem, please call the Ohio EPA 24-hour Hotline at 800-282-9378 or the National Response Center at 800-424-8802. Potential environmental violations can be reported at https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations.
Criminal Illegal Alien from Mexico Sentenced to Federal Prison After Threatening a Woman with a KnifeRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida – Moises Ramiro Lopez-Zenteno, 37, of Mexico, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegal reentry into the United States. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “This violent criminal illegal alien has learned that we have zero-tolerance for criminality of any kind in the Northern District of Florida, and he’ll see the inside of a federal prison before being removed from our country. Keeping our citizens safe from the predations of violent criminal illegal aliens, like this defendant, is of paramount importance, and my office stands ready to aggressively prosecute cases like this to ensure our immigration laws are fully enforced.”
Court documents reflect that the defendant, a citizen of Mexico, departed the United States in 2016 after an Immigration Judge entered an Order of Removal. On September 27, 2025, the defendant was involved in a domestic dispute where he struck a female and threatened her with a knife. The defendant was arrested and convicted of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon.
"Criminal illegal aliens who have previously been removed from the United States and choose to return illegally return and commit additional crimes against our citizens show a blatant disregard for our laws," said ICE Miami Field Office Director Matthew Elliston. "ICE remains committed to our mission of public safety by identifying, arresting, and removing those who pose a danger to the public, especially those who have demonstrated violent behavior."
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Gainesville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Tyler Fleming 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.
Compton Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Injuring Federal Officer During Anti-Immigration Enforcement Riot Last YearRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Compton man was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison for assaulting and injuring a federal officer by throwing large rocks at passing government vehicles during an anti-immigration law enforcement riot last year in Paramount.
Elpidio Reyna, 42, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha.
Reyna pleaded guilty on February 17 to one felony count of assault on a federal officer by deadly or dangerous weapon resulting in bodily injury. He has been in federal custody since July 2025.
“Disagreeing with laws passed by Congress does not give you a right to assault federal officers,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “This defendant thought he would go unpunished for throwing large rocks at law enforcement. Instead, he’ll be serving time in federal prison, where he can reflect on his poor decision.”
According to his plea agreement, on June 7, 2025, Reyna forcibly and intentionally assaulted with a deadly and dangerous weapon a federal law enforcement officer engaged in his official duties, resulting in the infliction of bodily injury to the officer.
On that day, federal law enforcement officers were staging a joint enforcement operation in Paramount in the vicinity of a Home Depot. Protestors, including Reyna, began to throw rocks at the officers’ official vehicles, lit objects on fire, and impeded law enforcement activity.
During this time, Reyna knowingly and intentionally lit objects on fire in the middle of the street and threw rocks at a convoy of law enforcement vehicles occupied by United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, including the victim – identified in court documents as “R.T.” – all of whom were engaged in their official duties as federal officers.
Reyna threw a rock at R.T.’s government vehicle, which caused glass to shatter and injure R.T. by cutting his forehead.
“[Reyna’s] reflection on the circumstances surrounding his conduct, that his actions were ‘sudden and emotional and fueled by alcohol,’ because of his anger regarding immigration policy in the United States, is simply not an adequate excuse for his violence,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Border Patrol investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Brenda N. Galván of the Transnational Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Cincinnati Man Sentenced in Fentanyl Distribution leading to Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Cincinnati man, Juan Wesley McKenzie, Jr., 25, was sentenced to 300 months in prison on Friday by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.
According to court documents, McKenzie supplied fentanyl pills to Andrew Rossi, who then distributed portions of those pills to Steffany Keene. Keene subsequently sold several pills to a victim, who consumed them and died from fentanyl toxicity.
Following the death, investigators used the victim’s cellphone to arrange controlled purchases that led to the arrests of Keene and Rossi on February 13, 2024. Both individuals admitted their roles in the distribution chain and confirmed the defendant as their supplier. Laboratory analysis verified that the seized pills contained fentanyl, and an autopsy confirmed fentanyl toxicity as the cause of death.
McKenzie also has a prior conviction for trafficking a fentanyl‑related compound. In 2025, while jailed, the defendant directed an associate to alter or destroy seized cellphones to impede the ongoing federal investigation.
After previously pleading guilty to distribution and possession of a fentanyl resulting in death, Rossi received 150 months in prison in July 2026, and Keene received 144 months in prison in June 2026.
Jason Parman, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and; Scott Hardcorn, Director of the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Spievack prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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Chicago Trader Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Federal Prison for Engaging in Unauthorized Trading That Caused $30 Million in LossesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago trader has been sentenced to more than 16 years in federal prison for engaging in unauthorized speculative bond trading that cost his employer and others more than $30 million in losses and also caused his employer to become insolvent, which in turn led to more than 200 people losing their jobs.
KEITH WAKEFIELD worked as the head of fixed income trading for IFS Securities, Inc., a broker-dealer in Chicago. In 2019, Wakefield knowingly and fraudulently engaged in unauthorized speculative trading in U.S. Treasury bonds using his employer’s trading accounts, exposing his trading to approximately $250 million in losses and actually causing more than $30 million in losses to the employer and its counterparties. Wakefield attempted to conceal the unauthorized trades and losses by entering fake off-setting trades into a clearing broker’s order system, creating the false impression that he had profitably traded through a different clearing broker.
In addition to the fraudulent trading scheme, Wakefield from 2017 to 2019 embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from IFS Securities by falsifying the company’s books and records to create fake commissions that Wakefield knew were not actually owed to him.
A jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago in 2024 convicted Wakefield, 52, of Chicago, of securities fraud and wire fraud. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger sentenced Wakefield to 16 years and eight months in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ryan Whalen, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission provided valuable assistance.
“This crime was driven by pure greed,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant’s fraud had a ripple effect causing multiple financial institutions to lose money and causing IFS to go out of business.”
California Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for Distributing Sadistic Child Sexual Abuse Material over the Dark WebRead the Press Release
James David Johnson, 58, of Santee, California, was sentenced today to 151 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release for distributing images and videos over the dark web that depicted the sexual abuse of children.
Johnson pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography on Oct. 14, 2025. According to court documents, Johnson was a member of at least five dark web communities dedicated to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and the sexual exploitation of children. He distributed large volumes of CSAM on these websites and provided other users with advice on how to evade law enforcement. On one of these websites, which was in part dedicated to content depicting children being subject to pain and suffering, he rose through the ranks to become a high-ranking staff member. FBI agents executed search warrants at Johnson’s home and place of work and seized computer devices containing more than 260,000 images and videos of apparent child sexual abuse and exploitation, as well as autopsy and crime-scene photos depicting deceased children.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California; Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office; and Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FBI’s San Diego Field Office and Child Exploitation Operational Section investigated the case.
Acting Deputy Chief Kyle P. Reynolds of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Griffith for the Southern District of California prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Buffalo man previously convicted of possessing child pornography going to prison on new chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jamie Anderson, 27, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography by a person having a prior conviction relating to the possession of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison and 40 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
In January 2022, Anderson was convicted of Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child in New York State Court. In December 2024, the New York State Police executed a search warrant at Anderson’s Buffalo residence, after receiving a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that he uploaded files containing child pornography to Kik. During the search, law enforcement seized a tablet, which contained at least 10 images of child pornography.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen M. McCarthy. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Allen D. Davis, II. Additional assistance was provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
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Brooklyn Adult Daycare Owner Sentenced to Prison for Leadership Role in $64M Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Brooklyn woman was sentenced yesterday to 76 months in prison in connection with her leadership of a vast $64 million Medicaid fraud and illegal kickback scheme at her two social adult daycare centers and home health care company. The defendant was also ordered to pay over $56 million in restitution and to forfeit $5 million in fraud proceeds, including two properties, cash, and gold jewelry seized during a search of her home, as pictured below.
Photograph of cash seized when a search warrant was executed on Zakia Khan’s home. Photograph of cash seized when a search warrant was executed on Zakia Khan’s home. Photograph of jewelry seized when a search warrant was executed on Zakia Khan’s home.“The Fraud Division will relentlessly hold accountable individuals who exploit Medicaid and take advantage of services meant to support our seniors,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This sentence should put all Medicaid fraudsters on notice — if you steal from Medicaid, we will uncover your conduct, protect the beneficiaries you harm, and ensure you are brought to justice.”
“Yesterday’s sentencing sends a strong message of deterrence in our District,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Our Office and the Justice Department are focused on protecting American taxpayers from fraudsters and as such, we will vigorously prosecute corrupt health care owners and operators in our district.”
“Social adult day care and home health services are designed to support seniors, not line the pockets of fraudsters,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Today’s sentence sends an important message that anyone who illicitly exploits the Medicaid program will be held accountable to the full extent of the law.”
“Khan acted with staggering greed, leading a scheme to defraud Medicaid of millions of dollars intended for people in need. She and her co-conspirators set up social adult day cares but, instead of providing care and services to our most vulnerable neighbors, they enriched themselves with cash, gold and property,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Pete Gizas of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York. “Today’s sentence sends a message: we will be relentless in our pursuit of justice against fraudsters. HSI is working side by side with our law enforcement partners to uncover and dismantle complex fraud networks like this one.”
“Zakia Khan stole $64 million from the Medicaid program through bribes and kickbacks—money meant to support the most vulnerable,” stated NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “This was not only deeply illegal but also immoral, and the NYPC will continue to investigate anyone who exploits government programs for personal gain. I thank our NYPD investigators and all our partners in law enforcement for their work in stopping this criminal and bringing this case to a close.”
According to court documents, Zakia Khan, 55, of Brooklyn, New York, owned two social adult daycare centers—Happy Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc. (Happy Family) and Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc. (Family Social). She also owned a home health care fiscal intermediary called Responsible Care Staffing Inc. and an entity she used to receive and disguise fraud proceeds called Tanwee Services Inc.
From approximately October 2017 through July 2024, in exchange for kickbacks and bribes, a web of marketers referred Medicaid recipients to Khan’s social adult daycare centers. As depicted in the pictures below, Khan and the marketers paid kickbacks and bribes to the Medicaid recipients to induce them to sign up for services that Khan then billed to Medicaid. These services were never actually provided as represented to Medicaid.
Between 2017 and 2024, Happy Family and Family Social fraudulently billed Medicaid approximately $64 million. Medicaid paid approximately $56 million based on these false and fraudulent claims. Khan and her co-conspirators used multiple business entities to launder the fraud proceeds and generate the cash used to pay kickbacks and bribes to the marketers and the Medicaid recipients.
Zakia Khan on an undercover recording paying illegal kickbacks inside her office at Happy Family. Medicaid recipients receiving illegal cash kickbacks in exchange for filling out false attendance sheets for Zakia Khan’s social adult daycare centers. Medicaid recipients receiving illegal cash kickbacks in exchange for filling out false attendance sheets for Zakia Khan’s social adult daycare centers.In August 2025, Khan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay health care kickbacks.
HHS-OIG, HSI New York, and NYPD investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Patrick J. Campbell and Trial Attorney Leonid Sandlar of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Health Care Fraud Section prosecuted the case, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Claire Kedeshian for the Eastern District of New York who assisted with forfeiture matters.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Arrested at Airport, Man Voluntarily Returns to Minnesota to Face Charges of Defrauding $1.3 Million in Housing Stabilization Services FundsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Kaamil Omar Sallah, 26, was arrested at the Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) International Airport on the evening of September 10, 2026.
This arrest happened approximately nine months after the defendant flew from MSP Airport to Amsterdam on or about November 26, 2025. His return was coordinated by the Federal Defenders Office after the defendant reported that he wanted to self-surrender and voluntarily return to Minnesota.
The defendant was indicted by grand jury on December 16, 2025, and he is charged with four counts of wire fraud. Sallah had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shannon G. Elkins on September 11, 2026.
According to the indictment, Sallah participated in a scheme to fraudulently receive Medicaid benefits from Minnesota’s Housing Stability Services (HSS) Program, a program designed to help people with disabilities and addictions find and maintain housing. Rather than provide such help, Sallah obtained and misappropriated funds to enrich himself and his coconspirators.
Sallah owned and operated a company called SafeLodgings, Inc. The defendant registered the company in March 2023, and in the same month, submitted paperwork to enroll the company as an HSS Program provider. The company was supposed to provide services to qualifying people in need including housing consulting, transitioning, and sustaining services.
From approximately March 2023 through August 2025, Sallah and his company fraudulently claimed to be entitled to approximately $1.4 million for providing HSS Program services and received nearly $1.3 million. Sallah knowingly submitted fake and inflated bills and his coconspirators submitted false claims that significantly overrepresented the services through SafeLodgings. In 2024 alone, Sallah claimed to have personally provided more than 3,600 billable service hours of reimbursable services. Sallah additionally hired employees to expand operations at SafeLodgings.
“I commend the work of our law enforcement partners in coordinating the safe transfer of the defendant back to Minnesota. Sallah will now face justice for his role in defrauding Minnesotans and the American people,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
“As alleged in the indictment, Kaamil Sallah defrauded Medicaid for approximately $1.3 million. When he learned he was under investigation, he chose to flee,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “This American taxpayer money was designated to help stabilize the housing situation of those in most dire need in our community. The FBI is dedicated to rooting out the fraud that plagues our most vital community services programs, holding fraudsters responsible, and working to ensure those that attempt to flee justice are brought to account.”
This case was the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Steven R. Forrest are prosecuting the case. Assistant United States Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Note: Previous press release on the indictment linked here.
Armed Carjacking in Chicago Leads to Nearly Ten-Year Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to nearly ten years in federal prison for committing an armed carjacking in Chicago.
The carjacking occurred on Oct. 23, 2024, on a street in the Austin neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side. The victim and a companion—who played a part in the carjacking—were sitting in the victim’s idling Dodge Challenger when the companion reached over to the gear shift to attempt to place the Challenger into park. The victim and the companion struggled over the gear shift. JAMES HAMPTON and ANDY COLON, JR. then approached the vehicle and brandished firearms. Hampton told the victim, “Don’t be stupid,” meaning that he would shoot the victim if he did not comply with his demands. Hampton and Colon stole the victim’s watch, gold necklace, and cell phone before they and the companion drove off in the Challenger. They were arrested a short time later after Chicago Police gave chase.
Unbeknownst to the victim, the companion—MELIZA CALDERON—had been communicating with another individual about setting up the carjacking. The other individual allegedly told Calderon that he would send “the guys” to “handle it.”
Hampton, 19, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal carjacking and firearm charges. On Sept. 3, 2026, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey sentenced Hampton to nine years and nine months in federal prison.
Hampton’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ryan Whalen, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih.
Colon pleaded guilty earlier this year to carjacking and firearm charges. Judge Blakey set Colon’s sentencing for Sept. 24, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.
Calderon pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy, carjacking, and firearm charges. Judge Blakey set Calderon’s sentencing for Oct. 15, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.
Alleged Trinitarios Gang Member Charged with Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An alleged member of the Lawrence Chapter of the Trinitarios has been arrested and charged in connection with a years-long conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Jhesy Rodriguez, a/k/a “J Sav,” 31, of Lawrence, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The defendant was arrested today and will appear in federal court in Boston later today.
According to charging documents, Rodriguez was encountered during the execution of a search warrant in Lawrence, Mass., in September 2025. That search resulted in the seizure of three firearms, approximately 10 grams of counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl and multiple cellular phones. The search of cellular phones revealed that Rodriguez had allegedly been distributing drugs for multiple years, all while subject to pretrial release conditions and a GPS bracelet ordered by the state court in a pending firearm case.
Text messages recovered from Rodriguez’s phone allegedly revealed that he arranged for drug transactions to take place at his child’s birthday party that was being held at a Chuck E. Cheese, and after a drug test. The charging documents also describe multiple cooperating witnesses in the Trinitarios investigation who identified Rodriguez’s alleged participation in two Trinitarios shootings, one in Lynn and one in Lawrence, as part of the Trinitarios.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, a controlled substance, provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lawrence Police Chief Maurice Aguiler made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by US Marshal Service for the District of Massachusetts, Lowell Police and Middlesex Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
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.
Adair County Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Levi Grant Loyd, a/k/a Levi Grant Lloyd, age 37, of Westville, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service.
On November 6, 2025, Loyd pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on June 4, 2025, law enforcement serving an outstanding felony arrest warrant discovered Loyd in knowing possession of one 12 gauge, semi-automatic shotgun, one 20 gauge pump paction shotgun, one .22 caliber, bolt action rifle, one .22 caliber, semi-automatic rifle, 8 rounds of 12 gauge ammunition, and 18 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Loyd will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edith Singer represented the United States.
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's Office Recent SentencingsRead the Press Release
Narcotics
Joseph Randall Summerlin, 52, of Billings, Montana, was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, in May 2025, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) learned that Summerlin was selling methamphetamine on the Wind River Reservation. Special agents conducted a controlled buy, purchasing more than one ounce of methamphetamine from him. DCI investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Summerlin was indicted Sept. 16, 2025, and pleaded guilty May 27, 2026. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence Sept. 9, 2026, in Cheyenne. Case No. 25CR00137-01KHR
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers.
The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include:
Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
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. It also streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Victim Witness Program
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.
To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime
Aaron Farinacci Federally Indicted for ArsonRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on that on September 9, 2026, Aaron Farinacci was indicted by a federal grand jury for starting the Old Trails fire on August 1, 2026.
A team of federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have been working alongside our state partners to identify applicable federal offenses. The investigation is active and ongoing as to additional potential federal charges. Farinacci is currently in state custody pending related state charges.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
10 September 2026
Woman Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Fraudulently Writing Opioid PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A woman has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for using information stolen from physicians to fraudulently write opioid prescriptions.
AMANI IBRAHIM fraudulently caused prescriptions for oxycodone, hydrocodone, and other controlled substances to be issued under the names of real medical providers and often in the names of nominal patients, neither of whom knew the prescriptions were being written. Ibrahim or others involved in the scheme would then pick up the prescriptions at Chicago-area pharmacies and work to distribute the drugs on the streets. Ibrahim was not a licensed physician and could not lawfully prescribe medications.
From 2022 to 2025, Ibrahim was responsible for the unlawful distribution of 149,152 dosage units of oxycodone, 41,853 dosage units of hydrocodone, 30,517 dosage units of alprazolam, 22,625 dosage units of promethazine-codeine syrup, and 6,990 dosage units of amphetamine. Ibrahim also financially benefited from the scheme, resulting in the forfeiture of $200,800 in illicit proceeds that was seized from her residence.
Ibrahim, 48, of Palos Hills, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal drug conspiracy charge. On Sept. 4, 2026, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly sentenced Ibrahim to five years in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Todd C. Smith, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Hennessy.
Four other defendants were also convicted as part of the federal investigation.
Waynesboro Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Bobbie Jerome Newton, age 32, of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 30 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick for failure to register as a sex offender.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Newton was convicted in 2018 of statutory sexual assault and related offenses. As a result, he was required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). In December 2024, Newton cut off the GPS ankle monitor that Pennsylvania state probation required him to wear and traveled across state lines to Baltimore, Maryland, where he took up residence. He did not update his registration to reflect that move, as required by law.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera prosecuted the case.
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Virginia Beach cocaine dealer sentenced to eight years in prisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to eight years in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, in April, May and June of 2025, Virginia Beach Police (VBPD) conducted controlled purchases of cocaine from Andre Lawrence Shorts, 35. After a fourth transaction was arranged, law enforcement arrested Shorts a short distance from his residence. From Shorts’ vehicle, investigators recovered 199.45 grams of cocaine, 7.25 grams of methamphetamine, 11 methamphetamine tablets, 47 amphetamine tablets, three capsules containing a heroin/fentanyl mixture, baggies, a scale, two cell phones, $546, and a stolen handgun.
From Shorts’ residence, investigators recovered 251.97 grams of cocaine and $1,030. After Shorts was turned over to the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office for booking, a deputy discovered another 27.68 grams of cocaine concealed in a body cavity.
Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Eric Weindorf, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-42.
Victorville Man Arrested on Federal Indictment Alleging He Paid People to Sign Ballot Petitions Using Stolen Voter IdentitiesRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A San Bernardino County man was arrested today on a federal grand jury indictment charging him and two other defendants with paying people on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles to sign petitions using stolen identities of registered voters to qualify initiatives on ballots in California elections.
James Brass, 47, a.k.a. “Lord,” of Victorville, was arrested this morning and is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Riverside.
Also charged in the two-count indictment are two petition circulators who worked for Brass: Courtney Price, 49, of Jacksonville, Florida, and Jateisha Herron, 33, of Boron, California.
All three defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit identity fraud in furtherance of a state felony. Brass and Price are charged with an additional count of identity fraud in furtherance of a state felony.
“These defendants are charged with using stolen identities of registered voters to manufacture signatures on ballot petitions used to shape California law,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “They allegedly used people, including members of Skid Row’s vulnerable homeless population, to try to cover up their tracks. The charged conduct undermines the confidence voters have in our election systems, and we will vigorously investigate and charge anyone involved.”
“It is imperative that Americans have confidence in our voting system and election infrastructure” said Patrick Grandy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The scheme outlined in today’s indictment sought to undermine an essential pillar of our democracy and cause an undue burden on taxpayers. We will remain vigilant in detecting those trying to weaken our political process and we will aggressively investigate any allegations of voter fraud or other election crimes.”
According to court documents, California’s constitution contains a process for direct democracy in which state voters can bypass the California State Legislature and enact laws or constitutional amendments directly through the ballot initiative process.
To qualify an initiative for inclusion on a ballot in 2026, an initiative’s proponent was required to submit 546,651 signatures to place a proposed statute on the ballot, and 874,641 signatures to place a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot. An initiative’s proponent had up to 180 days to gather these signatures and needed to submit them no later than 130 days before the date of an election.
Given the large number of signatures required in such a short period of time, proponents of initiatives typically hired petition management companies to gather the signatures. These companies charge significant fees and set a price for each signature gathered, contracting with outside individuals to collect signatures.
According to the indictment that a federal grand jury returned on Wednesday, Brass managed a team of signature collectors and collected signatures himself while Price and Herron were signature collectors who worked for Brass. From February 2026 to August 2026, the defendants used a database to identify registered California voters. On Skid Row, Brass and Price handed out these voters’ stolen identities and paid petition signers to copy the voters’ personal information onto ballot initiative petitions and fraudulently sign the petitions in those voters’ names.
After the petitions were signed, Brass and Herron signed declarations at the bottom of the petitions, falsely declaring under penalty of perjury that they personally witnessed the named registered voters sign the petitions and that each signature was, to the best of their knowledge, “the genuine signature of the person whose name it purports to be.”
Brass and Herron then turned in the bogus petitions to several petition coordinators, knowing the false representations regarding the signatures’ authenticity would result in false and fraudulent signatures being counted in connection with the effort to place the initiative at issue on the ballot.
Brass further knew the false representations about the signatures’ authenticity would result in payments to him from a petition management company.
In total, Brass received approximately $41,600 from coordinators working with one such petition management company.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count.
The FBI is investigating this matter with assistance from special agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nandor F.R. Kiss of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section and Michael G. Wheat of the Orange County Office are prosecuting this case.
Ukrainian National Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Wire Fraud Conspiracy in Connection with Conti RansomwareRead the Press Release
Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko, 44, a Ukrainian national, was sentenced today to four years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a conspiracy to deploy Conti, a ransomware variant that infected the computers of more than 1,000 victims worldwide.
According to court documents, Lytvynenko, formerly of Cork, Ireland, conspired with others to deploy Conti ransomware to extort victims and steal their data. From 2020 until 2022, Conti was used to attack computers and networks in 47 states, 31 foreign countries, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The FBI estimates that, as of January 2022, there had been victim payouts associated with Conti ransomware exceeding $150,000,000.
“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of ransomware and the Department’s commitment to protecting America’s hospitals, schools, businesses, and local governments,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “For years, the Conti ransomware group executed a sustained and sophisticated campaign that victimized hundreds of organizations across the United States and abroad, including critical infrastructure entities, causing losses in the millions of dollars. Lytvynenko joined that conspiracy as both an intruder and a developer — personally harming at least 12 companies, storing stolen data from victims, and helping build the malicious tools Conti used to extort and threaten communities. Even after the Conti conspiracy ended, he continued engaging in active ransomware operations until his arrest. Cybercriminals who build, deploy, or profit from malware like Conti — no matter where they operate — will face justice and meaningful consequences in U.S. courts.”
“Ransomware attacks like Conti cause real harm to businesses, institutions, and families here at home and around the world,” said U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Today’s sentence demonstrates that cybercriminals cannot hide behind borders or a keyboard to escape justice. We are grateful to our law enforcement and international partners whose work made this result possible.”
“Lytvynenko and his co-conspirators used Conti ransomware to attack computers and networks in nearly every state, and today’s sentence reflects the gravity and extent of those crimes,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Ransomware criminals should know they are not anonymous and operating from overseas does not mean operating without consequences. The FBI and our partners will use every lawful tool to dismantle their infrastructure and bring them to justice.”
“Conti ransomware caused extraordinary harm, targeting victims across nearly every state and dozens of countries and disrupting critical operations for organizations across multiple industries,” said Assistant Director Brent Daniels of the U.S. Secret Service’s Office of Field Operations. “Today’s sentence is a measure of justice for the victims whose data, operations, and livelihoods were put at risk. It underscores the Secret Service’s commitment to pursuing ransomware actors and their networks wherever they operate and protecting the American people.”
Lytvynenko pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy on June 10. Evidence recovered from Lytvynenko’s online accounts showed he possessed data stolen from eight U.S. victims and four overseas victims. Lytvynenko further admitted to joining a team run by a Conti conspirator during which time Lytvynenko was directed to work on coding a “loader,” which is typically a type of malware, or malicious software, that is used to load programs necessary to execute other malicious attacks. Forensic artifacts recovered at the time of his arrest in July 2023 in County Cork, Ireland, further demonstrated ongoing involvement in ransomware activity.
In September 2023, an indictment charging four other Conti conspirators was unsealed in the Middle District of Tennessee.
The FBI’s San Diego, Nashville, and El Paso Field Offices and the U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case. The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations New York field office provided valuable assistance.
Trial Attorney Sonia V. Jimenez of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Phillips for the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the Irish Department of Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration, the Irish Office of the Attorney General and the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau provided valuable assistance to secure the arrest and extradition of Lytvynenko.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cyber and IP criminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
Ukrainian National Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Wire Fraud Conspiracy in Connection with Conti RansomwareRead the Press Release
Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko, 44, a Ukrainian national, was sentenced today to four years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a conspiracy to deploy Conti, a ransomware variant that infected the computers of more than 1,000 victims worldwide.
According to court documents, Lytvynenko, formerly of Cork, Ireland, conspired with others to deploy Conti ransomware to extort victims and steal their data. From 2020 until 2022, Conti was used to attack computers and networks in 47 states, 31 foreign countries, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The FBI estimates that, as of January 2022, there had been victim payouts associated with Conti ransomware exceeding $150,000,000.
“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of ransomware and the Department’s commitment to protecting America’s hospitals, schools, businesses, and local governments,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “For years, the Conti ransomware group executed a sustained and sophisticated campaign that victimized hundreds of organizations across the United States and abroad, including critical infrastructure entities, causing losses in the millions of dollars. Lytvynenko joined that conspiracy as both an intruder and a developer — personally harming at least 12 companies, storing stolen data from victims, and helping build the malicious tools Conti used to extort and threaten communities. Even after the Conti conspiracy ended, he continued engaging in active ransomware operations until his arrest. Cybercriminals who build, deploy, or profit from malware like Conti — no matter where they operate — will face justice and meaningful consequences in U.S. courts.”
“Ransomware attacks like Conti cause real harm to businesses, institutions, and families here at home and around the world,” said U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Today’s sentence demonstrates that cybercriminals cannot hide behind borders or a keyboard to escape justice. We are grateful to our law enforcement and international partners whose work made this result possible.”
“Lytvynenko and his co-conspirators used Conti ransomware to attack computers and networks in nearly every state, and today’s sentence reflects the gravity and extent of those crimes,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Ransomware criminals should know they are not anonymous and operating from overseas does not mean operating without consequences. The FBI and our partners will use every lawful tool to dismantle their infrastructure and bring them to justice.”
“Conti ransomware caused extraordinary harm, targeting victims across nearly every state and dozens of countries and disrupting critical operations for organizations across multiple industries,” said Assistant Director Brent Daniels of the U.S. Secret Service’s Office of Field Operations. “Today’s sentence is a measure of justice for the victims whose data, operations, and livelihoods were put at risk. It underscores the Secret Service’s commitment to pursuing ransomware actors and their networks wherever they operate and protecting the American people.”
Lytvynenko pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy on June 10. Evidence recovered from Lytvynenko’s online accounts showed he possessed data stolen from eight U.S. victims and four overseas victims. Lytvynenko further admitted to joining a team run by a Conti conspirator during which time Lytvynenko was directed to work on coding a “loader,” which is typically a type of malware, or malicious software, that is used to load programs necessary to execute other malicious attacks. Forensic artifacts recovered at the time of his arrest in July 2023 in County Cork, Ireland, further demonstrated ongoing involvement in ransomware activity.
In September 2023, an indictment charging four other Conti conspirators was unsealed in the Middle District of Tennessee.
The FBI’s San Diego, Nashville, and El Paso Field Offices and the U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case. The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations New York field office provided valuable assistance.
Trial Attorney Sonia V. Jimenez of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Phillips for the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the Irish Department of Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration, the Irish Office of the Attorney General and the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau provided valuable assistance to secure the arrest and extradition of Lytvynenko.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cyber and IP criminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
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Two Men, including a Mexican National, Indicted for Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two men, including a Mexican national, were arraigned after being indicted for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy to transport a large quantity of cocaine into New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Oscar Salvador Pelayo-Guzman, 55, a Mexican national, and most recently of Missouri, and Michael Brandon Araiza, 27, of California were charged in a one-count Indictment with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. They were arraigned on September 10, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Jamel K. Semper in Newark federal court. Both entered pleas of not guilty.
Two other defendants charged in the drug distribution conspiracy, Jose Manuel Amaya Villarreal and Reymond Alex Avina Samaniego, both of California, previously entered guilty pleas before Judge Semper to separate Informations charging them with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Villarreal was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment on August 7, 2026; sentencing for Samaniego is scheduled for November 9, 2026.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Pelayo-Guzman is associated with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel operating in Mexico and a principal member of a Kansas City-based drug trafficking organization involved in the international and interstate transportation and distribution of narcotics. Beginning in January 2025, Pelayo-Guzman, Araiza, Villarreal, and Samaniego conspired to transport large quantities of cocaine to New Jersey. Specifically, Pelayo-Guzman and Araiza traveled to New Jersey in April 2025 and arranged for a shipment of approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine to be delivered to Newark, New Jersey from California via a truck driven by Villarreal and Samaniego. After delivering the approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine in exchange for over $300,000 in cash, law enforcement officers arrested Villarreal and Samaniego. Pelayo-Guzman and Araiza were arrested shortly afterwards.
The charge in the Indictment carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10 million.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James, with the investigation leading to the Indictment. He also thanked the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy; IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark; the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago; the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer; the Asbury Park Police Department, under the direction of Police Director John B. Hayes; the Newark Department of Public Safety, Newark Police Division, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda; the Middletown Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police R. Craig Weber; the Lakewood Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Gregory H. Meyer; the Neptune Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Anthony Gualario; the Ocean Gate Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Kuchta; and the Spotswood Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Philip Corbisiero, for their assistance in 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.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel:
Oscar Salvador Pelayo-Guzman: Adalgiza A. Núñez, Esq.
Michael Brandon Araiza: Patrick J. Joyce, Esq.
Jose Manuel Amaya Villarreal: Perry Primavera, Esq.
Reymond Alex Avina Samaniego: Joseph D. Rotella, Esq.
guzmanetal.indictment.pdf samaniego.information.pdf villarreal.information.pdfThe Department of Justice Files Complaints Against Hawaii, DC, Arkansas, and Utah over Preferential Treatment for Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice filed its final four lawsuits against three states and the District of Columbia who seek to undermine federal law by placing illegal aliens over citizens in clear defiance of Congress’s commands. The Department filed complaints against Hawaii, the District of Columbia, Arkansas, and Utah, challenging their state laws that provide in-state tuition and financial assistance for illegal aliens.
Our filings hold that these laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens who are not afforded the same reduced tuition rates or scholarships, create incentives for illegal immigration, and reward illegal aliens with benefits that U.S. citizens are not eligible for, all in direct conflict with federal law. These final lawsuits come after the United States District Court for the District of Kansas ruled yesterday that Kansas’ state law allowing in-state tuition for illegal aliens is unconstitutional.
“No more placing illegal aliens over American citizens on this Department of Justice’s watch,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward, Jr. “We have now sued every state across our Nation that has a state law or regulation granting illegal aliens in-state tuition. We look forward to favorable court rulings and will continue to deliver on President Trump’s promise: illegal aliens will not receive benefits denied to American citizens.”
“This is a simple matter of federal law: colleges cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This Department of Justice will not tolerate American students being treated like second-class citizens in their own country.”
In the complaints, the United States seeks to enjoin enforcement of Hawaii, DC, Arkansas, and Utah laws and regulations that require colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates for all aliens who maintain in-state residency, regardless of whether those aliens are lawfully present in the United States. Additionally, the complaint seeks to enjoin Hawaii, DC, Arkansas, and Utah from enforcing their state laws and regulations that afford financial assistance and scholarships to illegal aliens.
Today’s lawsuits bring the Department’s total to 25 lawsuits challenging in-state tuition for illegal aliens. Under the leadership of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the Department’s efforts have already delivered wins for the American people, as six lawsuits in Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Illinois, and Kansas have resulted favorable orders permanently enjoining and declaring unconstitutional similar laws that gave reduced tuition to illegal aliens, including an order from the Fifth Circuit.
Lawsuits against other states whose state laws similarly put illegal aliens ahead of U.S. citizens are pending across the across the country in Minnesota, Virginia, California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, Colorado, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington.
Texas Woman Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Fraudulently Selling Thousands of Counterfeit Coupons Causing Losses to Retailers Across the United States in Excess of $17 MillionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A San Antonio, Texas woman received a 15-month prison sentence for her role in a conspiracy to distribute counterfeit coupons that were used at retail stores across the United States to procure more than $17 million in unauthorized discounts, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Janet Bernal, 49, of San Antonio, Texas, previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge William Martini in Newark federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge Martini imposed the sentence on September 9, 2026.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From June 2020 through August 2024, Bernal orchestrated a fraudulent scheme to produce and sell counterfeit coupons for use by purchasers at retail stores throughout the United States, including large pharmacies and grocery stores. In furtherance of her scheme, Bernal offered counterfeit coupons through a monthly fee-based subscription group that was available on a commonly-used Internet cloud-based messaging application. Members subscribed to the group, paid the monthly fee, and then had unlimited access to numerous types of counterfeit coupons that Bernal posted for download.
Members paid the monthly fee via mobile cash accounts that Bernal directly controlled. Over the span of the scheme, members downloaded thousands of counterfeit coupons and redeemed them at retail stores throughout New Jersey and elsewhere in the United States. In total, the loss to the retail stores and to the manufacturers whose products were purchased with the counterfeit coupons was in excess of $17 million.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martini also sentenced Bernal to two years of supervised release, ordered her to forfeit $67,290.68, and ordered her to pay $17,865,614.70 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Webman, Deputy Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit.
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Defense counsel: Mary E. Warner, Hampton, New Jersey
St. Louis Felon Admits Being Caught in Stolen Car with Two ShotgunsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from St. Louis on Thursday admitted being caught in a stolen car with two shotguns.
Maurice Brown Jr., 27, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On April 12, 2026, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers learned that a recently stolen Audi A4 was spotted driving in St. Louis. After following the car, Brown was seen by officers walking away from the car and a local resident identified him as the driver. Brown had an active warrant and was on probation at the time. When officers searched Brown, they found the keys to the car in his pocket. In the car, they found two shotguns. As a felon, Brown is barred from possessing firearms.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Freedlund is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
St. Charles, Missouri Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man who possessed child sexual abuse material and uploaded it to Snapchat was sentenced Thursday to 14 years in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release.
Joshua J. Klenke, 21, of St. Charles, pleaded guilty in June in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of receiving child pornography. He admitted uploading child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to Snapchat. After an investigation sparked by CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, investigators found videos and pictures containing CSAM on Klenke’s phone, as well as a picture of him kissing a 4-year-old girl on the lips. Klenke, who worked for a cleaning company, encountered the girl in a client’s home.
The St. Charles County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Southeast Missouri Man Who Victimized Children Sentenced to 40 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A Southeast Missouri man who recorded his sexual abuse of children was sentenced Thursday to 40 years in prison.
Lantz D. Crawford, 26, of Ripley County, near Doniphan, recorded his sexual abuse of five girls, ages 2, 4, 5, 6 and 6, between the summer of 2024 and late 2025. In December of 2025, the mother of the 4-year-old girl contacted the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office after her daughter reported the abuse. Crawford’s phone was seized and investigators found child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting young children.
“This is one of the worst cases involving crimes against children I’ve encountered in my 23 years with the FBI, period. The abhorrent sexual abuse inflicted on these five preschool-aged children is beyond the pale,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Lantz Crawford deliberately positioned himself to gain access to vulnerable children. He exploited the trust of single mothers who believed he was offering a helping hand, volunteering to watch their children or drive them places, when in reality, he was creating opportunities to prey upon them.”
Crawford pleaded guilty in June in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to five counts of production of child pornography.
The Ripley County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 98 Months in Prison for Controlled Substance OffenseRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Quintel Miller, 36 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Miller was sentenced to 98 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
“The Defendant distributed large amounts of dangerous drugs on the streets of our Indiana communities. The illicit drugs endangered hundreds of Hoosiers and made our neighborhoods less safe. The Defendant sold about 830 grams of methamphetamine to another person in exchange for money. Thanks to the strong partnerships and efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Indiana State Police, our streets are safer, and our communities are stronger,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred.
“Today, many across America, including here in Indiana, continue to struggle with addiction to methamphetamine. People are suffering and families are hurting. There is no room in our communities for anyone who distributes methamphetamine, thus ruining lives, families, and dreams. The Drug Enforcement Administration, along with its law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, will never cease in holding drug dealers accountable. The arrest and prosecution of Mr. Miller serve as a fine example of public safety working closely and diligently to keep Indiana and its Hoosiers safe,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chip Cooke.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Indiana State Police. The case was prosecuted by Appellate Chief Joseph P. Falvey and Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
Sex Offender Living in Mayes and Tulsa Counties Sentenced for Failing to RegisterRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A man required to register as a sex offender was sentenced today for knowingly failing to register that he was living in Mayes and Tulsa Counties, announced U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Nassar.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced James Robert Hurley, aka Daniel Gomes, 25, for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Hurley was ordered to serve 21 months' imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. Upon release, he will be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, Hurley was convicted in 2021 for soliciting sexually explicit images from a 12-year-old. As a result, Hurley was sentenced in tribal court to a three-year suspended sentence and ordered to register as a sex offender. Three months after receiving his sex offense conviction, Hurley was charged in state court for obstruction and public intoxication, and the tribal court filed a motion to revoke his suspended sentence. Hurley failed to appear in both cases, and warrants were issued for his arrest. He was eventually detained, and the tribal court revoked his suspended sentence and ordered Hurley to serve three years' imprisonment.
After being released from prison, Hurley knowingly failed to register as a sex offender. Court documents show that after being released from prison, Hurley married his spouse, claiming his name as Hurley. However, Hurley was born “Daniel Gomes” and has never legally changed his name. Hurley’s criminal history under the name “Gomes” includes convictions for third-degree burglary, carrying a weapon unlawfully, unauthorized use of a vehicle, second-degree burglary, obstructing an officer, and public intoxication in Oklahoma and joyriding in Tennessee. His spouse was granted an annulment because Hurley made false representations and deceived her.
Hurley is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and he will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, local, and tribal resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Seven, Including El Salvadoran National, Sentenced to Federal Prison for Armed Drug Trafficking Ring Crossing State LinesRead the Press Release
NEW ALBANY- Seven individuals have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in an armed fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy that crossed state lines:
DefendantCharge(s)SentenceJose Buval, 35, SeymourPossession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (x2) & Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking 19 years, 2 months’ imprisonment, 5 years of supervised releaseCesar Melendez-Martir, 27, El SalvadorPossession with intent to distribute methamphetamine & carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime 15 years’ imprisonment, 5 years supervised releaseBrandon Bowman, 32, SeymourMaking a false statement during the purchase of a firearm & Distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine10 years’ imprisonment, 5 years supervised releaseJames McMillian, 49, Columbus, INPossession with intent to distribute methamphetamine4 years’ imprisonment, 3 years of supervised releaseRobert Zambrano, 50, Columbus, INPossession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine5 years’ imprisonment, 3 years of supervised releaseJonathan Ojeda, 32, Columbus, INDistribution of 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine10 years’ imprisonment, 5 years supervised release Jorge Santana-Martinez, 30, IndianapolisDistribution of 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine13 years’ imprisonment, 5 years supervised releaseAccording to court documents, Jose Buval orchestrated the distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl throughout Indianapolis, southern Indiana, and Ohio. Buval directed the drug trafficking activities of his co-conspirators, supplying them with drugs and firearms.
On September 21, 2023, law enforcement observed Buval and several co-conspirators traveling in tandem from Indiana to the Dayton, Ohio, area. While in Dayton, Buval obtained more than 2,800 grams of methamphetamine. Co-conspirator Melendez-Martir took possession of the drugs. The Indiana State Police conducted a traffic stop on Melendez-Martir’s vehicle in Ripley County, Indiana, as he returned across state lines. Officers recovered approximately 2,854.7 grams of methamphetamine and the handgun Buval had provided to Melendez-Martir.
Over the course of the nearly three-year investigation, law enforcement seized 890 grams of cocaine, 12 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1 kilogram of fentanyl, $11,250 in drug proceeds, and 25 firearms.
At the time of the offenses, Melendez-Martir was unlawfully present in the United States and will be deported to El Salvador following completion of his prison sentence.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Postal Inspection Service, Indiana State Police, Seymour Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, Hamilton/Boone County Drug Task Force, Shelbyville Police Department and Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team, and the Ripley County Prosecuting Attorney investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judges Tanya Walton Pratt, James P. Hanlon, and Jane Magnus-Stinson
“These sentences make clear that armed drug traffickers who flood our communities with methamphetamine and fentanyl will face serious federal consequences. Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, remains committed to stopping violent drug networks and protecting the people of Indiana,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
“Armed drug trafficking networks that move fentanyl and methamphetamine across state lines put communities at serious risk,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino. “HSI and our federal, state, and local partners worked across jurisdictions to disrupt this organization, seize deadly drugs and firearms, and support a prosecution that resulted in significant federal prison sentences. This outcome underscores our shared commitment to protecting the public and holding accountable those who fuel drug-related violence.”
“Fentanyl and methamphetamine leave a trail of broken families and damaged communities, but they also leave a trail of money,” said Robert J. Kuszynski, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “Our special agents are uniquely trained to trace those proceeds and turn the money behind an illegal drug enterprise into evidence against the people profiting from it. We’re proud to stand alongside our federal, state and local partners to bring accountability to those who choose to make a living peddling poison in our communities.”
“This case was a success thanks to the partnership between the Department of Justice, the DEA, and local law enforcement Task Force Officers,” said Greg O’Brien, Chief of the Seymour Police Department. “Without these TFOs, small rural towns wouldn’t have the resources to carry out operations like this. We value and appreciate our ongoing collaboration with the Department of Justice.”
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Gibson, who prosecuted this case.
These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. Crossroads HSTF comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Services, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Indiana National Guard, Indiana State Police, HIDTA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and Plainfield Police Department, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
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Seminole Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dalton Dean Harjo, a/k/a Dolo, age 19, of Seminole, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Use, Carry and Brandish a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence, punishable by no less than 7 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on April 8, 2026, Harjo knowingly used, carried, and brandished a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol during and in relation to a crime of violence for which he may be prosecuted in a court of the United States, that is, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm.
The crime occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Seminole Police Department, and the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police Department.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Harjo will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edith A. Singer represented the United States.
Rumford Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Rumford man pleaded guilty on September 9, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Portland to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, in May 2025, the Lewiston Police Department received multiple reports of gunshots. Callers reported a male had been shooting a firearm and then entered a dark-colored vehicle parked on the street. Upon arrival, police encountered Troy Blanchard, 37, seated in the driver’s seat of a black vehicle. A standoff ensued with Blanchard ignoring police commands to exit the vehicle. Police were eventually able to remove Blanchard from the vehicle after firing pepper balls through the rear window. Police subsequently located a Kel-Tec .22 caliber pistol on the passenger seat next to Blanchard. At the time of his arrest, Blanchard was prohibited from possessing firearms due to multiple prior felony convictions.
Blanchard faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with the assistance of the Lewiston 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).
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Repeat sex offender from Licking County sentenced to more than 19 years in federal prison for new child pornography crimesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A repeat sex offender was sentenced in federal court here today to 235 months in prison for receiving and possessing child pornography.
Christopher McInturf, 56, of Newark, Ohio, pleaded guilty to the crimes in February.
According to court documents, in February 2025, the Homeland Security Investigations Cyber Crime Center referred an investigative lead regarding McInturf using CashApp to pay for child pornography. Further investigation revealed that McInturf met an individual online who he believed to be in Paraguay. McInturf would pay the person typically $80 or $86 for bundles of child pornography.
In January 2025, McInturf messaged the individual asking for “something new? Rape is good. 10 to 15 yr…”
Investigators discovered child sexual abuse material of prepubescent female victims on McInturf’s digital devices. For example, one video was a 70-minute compilation of 55 children being sexually assaulted who were approximately two to 10 years old.
On a thumb drive, McInturf had an explicit photo of a minor previously identified as the victim in a case against the defendant in Licking County. McInturf was convicted in 2011 in Licking County of two counts of rape and two counts of sexual battery. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in his local case.
McInturf was charged federally in February 2025.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and HSI Detroit Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Tyler J. Aagard is representing the United States in this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Repeat Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in D.C. After Shooting Two Women in Separate Attacks Months ApartRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joseph Knight, 32, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 120 months in prison in connection with two separate shootings and his unlawful possession of firearms as a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Knowing full well he was barred from possessing a firearm, Joseph Knight shot one woman seven times and later shot another woman three times after pistol‑whipping her,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “This defendant posed a grave danger to our community, and he is now headed where he belongs: prison.”
Knight pleaded guilty on April 8, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras to two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a previously convicted felon, one count of aggravated assault while armed, and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. In addition to the 120-month prison sentence, Judge Contreras ordered Knight to serve 5 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on Sept. 18, 2024, Knight went to the Anacostia Library in Southeast to charge his cellphone, then left the library and met with a woman, identified in court papers as S.F.
Knight gave S.F. $5 to buy a synthetic stimulant known as “boot.” A dispute arose between the two. Knight pulled out a pistol and shot S.F. seven times, hitting her in both legs and both hands. He then fled. Officers found S.F. suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the sidewalk in the 1600 block of Marion Barry Ave. SE. Police collected seven spent 9mm shell casings from the ground.
On Sept. 25, 2024, Anacostia Library security called police after spotting Knight. An officer approached Knight and asked to speak with him. Knight ran off. As Knight fled police, he tossed a satchel containing a loaded 9mm Smith & Wesson M&P pistol under a car.
On Nov. 11, 2024, a woman identified in court papers as T.C. called 911 after Knight shot her three times. Officers responded to the scene, about a block and a half from the library, and learned the woman had engaged in an argument with Knight as she changed the locks on her front door. The dispute escalated and Knight pulled out a 9mm firearm and pistol-whipped T.C. in the head. He then shot her in her abdomen, ankle, and upper thigh.
On Nov. 15, 2024, Metropolitan Police Officers arrested Knight for the September 18 and November 11 shootings. During a police search, officers recovered a 9mm Canik METE MCS pistol from the waistband of Knight’s pants.
Knight has several prior felony convictions including a 2013 conviction for carrying a pistol outside a home or business and a 2016 conviction on four counts of robbery and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.
The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Washington Field Division.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared English.
Still photo taken by police body-worn camera on Sept. 25, 2024, in front of the Anacostia Library.
The loaded 9mm Smith & Wesson M&P pistol found in Knight’s discarded satchel on Sept. 25, 2024.
The 9mm Canik METE MCS pistol used in the November 11, 2024, shooting.
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RAD Diversified REIT Co-Founders Indicted for Stealing Funds from Their Employees’ Benefit PlansRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Brandon “Dutch” Mendenhall (47, Brandon, Florida) and Amy Marie Smith Vaughn (48, New Port Richey, Florida) with 10 counts of theft or embezzlement from employee benefit plans and five counts of theft or embezzlement in connection with health care. If convicted, Mendenhall and Vaughn each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Mendenhall and Vaughn that the United States intends to forfeit the proceeds traceable to the offenses.
According to the indictment, Mendenhall and Vaughn were the founders, registered agents, or officers of several entities, including RAD Diversified REIT, RADD Capital, The Seminar Solution, and DHI Holdings. The employees of these entities could participate in the companies’ 401(k) retirement plan and health insurance plan by having funds directly withheld from their paychecks. Beginning in the spring of 2024, Mendenhall and Vaughn stopped contributing the funds that were being withheld from their employees’ paychecks to the 401(k) plan. Then beginning in September of 2024, Mendenhall and Vaughn stopped contributing the funds being withheld from their employee’s paychecks to the company’s health insurance plan.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation – Bureau of Financial Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Merrilyn Hoenemeyer.
Proposed $125M Settlement Agreement Provides Critical Work for Advancing the Lower Passaic River Superfund CleanupRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), today lodged a proposed settlement agreement with Environmental Resource Holdings LLC (ERH) to perform critical work to support the cleanup of the Diamond Alkali Superfund site, including the lower 17 miles of the Passaic River. The work is estimated to cost $125 million and focuses on the next steps needed to get the in-river work started.
Under the proposed consent decree, ERH would construct an upland processing facility and several upland support facilities that would enable dredging and capping work in the Lower Passaic River. The construction would include a facility to handle sediment dredged from the river before it is sent for off-site disposal. The upland support facilities would provide land and infrastructure needed to support future in-river construction work. ERH would sample the lower 8.3 miles of the river to establish a baseline and reimburse EPA for future oversight costs related to this work.
“Over many decades, industrial activity contaminated the Lower Passaic River,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This settlement is a significant step toward cleaning up a site that has been a longstanding priority for EPA. We will continue to partner with EPA to promote public health by ensuring that responsible parties remediate Superfund sites.”
“The construction ordered in this consent decree is the next step in cleaning up the Lower Passaic River and finally remediating one of the oldest Superfund sites,” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Jeffrey Hall. “This settlement demonstrates this Administration’s commitment to expediting work through cooperative engagement and well-tailored agreements.”
“This is a huge step in cleaning up one of New Jersey’s most complex Superfund sites,” said Regional Administrator Michael Martucci of EPA Region 2. “The work laid out in this proposed settlement gets shovels in the ground and lays the foundation for dredging and that brings us one important step closer to a cleaner and restored Passaic River.”
ERH is a potentially responsible party for the site and a corporate successor to Occidental Chemical Corporation and to Diamond Alkali Company/Diamond Shamrock Corporation, which owned and operated the former Diamond Alkali facility in Newark.
The proposed consent decree was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey and is subject to a 30-day comment period. The complaint and the proposed consent decree are available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Attorneys with ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling this matter.
Prior sex offender going to prison on new child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Andrew Yannello, 30, of Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography following a prior conviction under New York law relating to sexual abuse, was sentenced to serve 14 years in prison and 35 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
In September 2014, Yannello was convicted of Attempted Sexual Abuse in the 1st Degree in New York State Court and sentenced to serve 10 years’ probation. In November 2017, following a probation violation, Yannello was sentenced to serve 1 1/3 to 3 years in prison. On August 23, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at Yannello’s residence after it was discovered that he uploaded files of child pornography to Facebook and distributed the images to other Facebook users. During the search, a cell phone, laptop computer and desktop computer were seized, and all were found to contain images and videos of child pornography child pornography. Some of the images contained prepubescent minors as well as the sexual abuse of an infant or toddler, and depictions of violence.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Allen D. Davis, II, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief Corey Flatau, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto.
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Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Key Role in Large-Scale Cargo TheftsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Haneef Palmer, aka “Lew,” 33, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 121 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $1,080,786.44 in restitution by United States District Chief Judge Wendy Beetlestone for his central role in a large-scale cargo theft conspiracy.
The defendant was charged by superseding indictment in December 2024 and pleaded guilty in March of this year to one count each of conspiracy, robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), possession of items from interstate shipment theft, theft of government money, and possession of stolen government money, and five counts of theft from an interstate shipment.
As detailed in court filings and statements, between January 1, 2023, and July 31, 2023, Palmer conspired with co-defendants to steal goods moving as parts of interstate shipments located on tractor trailers around Philadelphia.
While a trailer was unattended overnight, or while the driver was asleep, the members of the conspiracy participating in the theft would use bolt cutters and other tools to break into the trailer and steal the goods inside. The members of the conspiracy would then offer the goods for sale to local contacts.
Among other acts, Palmer admitted to participating in the robbery of a tractor trailer carrying commercial refrigerators on April 1, 2023, during which he and others attacked and injured the driver, and to participating in the theft of over $230,000 worth of U.S. dimes on April 13, 2023. The members of the conspiracy committed numerous other thefts, stealing goods with a total estimated value of more than $1.5 million from more than 10 victims.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Bowerman and Christopher Diviny.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Key Role in Large-Scale Cargo TheftsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Haneef Palmer, aka “Lew,” 33, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 121 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $1,080,786.44 in restitution by United States District Chief Judge Wendy Beetlestone for his central role in a large-scale cargo theft conspiracy.
The defendant was charged by superseding indictment in December 2024 and pleaded guilty in March of this year to one count each of conspiracy, robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), possession of items from interstate shipment theft, theft of government money, and possession of stolen government money, and five counts of theft from an interstate shipment.
As detailed in court filings and statements, between January 1, 2023, and July 31, 2023, Palmer conspired with co-defendants to steal goods moving as parts of interstate shipments located on tractor trailers around Philadelphia.
While a trailer was unattended overnight, or while the driver was asleep, the members of the conspiracy participating in the theft would use bolt cutters and other tools to break into the trailer and steal the goods inside. The members of the conspiracy would then offer the goods for sale to local contacts.
Among other acts, Palmer admitted to participating in the robbery of a tractor trailer carrying commercial refrigerators on April 1, 2023, during which he and others attacked and injured the driver, and to participating in the theft of over $230,000 worth of U.S. dimes on April 13, 2023. The members of the conspiracy committed numerous other thefts, stealing goods with a total estimated value of more than $1.5 million from more than 10 victims.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Bowerman and Christopher Diviny.