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30 September 2025
Mercer County Man Admits to Fraudulently Obtaining over $256,000 in Veterans BenefitsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey man admitted that he defrauded the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs by improperly obtaining over $256,000.00 in program benefits, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Mark Stratton, 67, of Lawrence Township, New Jersey, pled guilty on September 25, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with theft of public money.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs provided disability benefits to Stratton’s father, which passed to Stratton’s mother after his father died. Those benefits were paid monthly through electronic funds into a joint bank account held by both Stratton and his mother. After Stratton’s mother died in 2008, the benefits should have been terminated; however, Stratton did not notify the Department of Veterans Affairs about his mother’s death. Instead, he made withdrawals of the disability benefits for his own personal use. Through a joint investigation by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, law enforcement determined that between 2008 and 2025, Stratton improperly withdrew approximately $256,027.00 in benefits.
The charge of theft of public money carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for January 27, 2026.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Abrams of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Jonathan Marshall, Esq.
stratton.information.pdfMays Landing Woman Admits to Conspiring to Defraud the IRSRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Mays Landing woman admitted to conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by filing false employment tax returns that concealed a company’s cash payroll, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Denise Davis, 52, of Mays Landing, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to an information charging her with one count of conspiring to defraud the IRS.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Davis worked at Davis Brothers Chimney Sweep & Masonry (“Davis Brothers”), a business located in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, owned by Davis’s spouse. Davis admitted that between January 1, 2018 and April 30, 2024, she conspired with Henry Collins, the business’s bookkeeper, to defraud the IRS. As part of the conspiracy, Collins utilized a commercial check casher to negotiate a substantial amount of Davis Brothers’s gross receipts checks. Collins used some of the resulting cash to pay himself and other Davis Brothers employees in cash. Collins provided the rest of the cash to Davis and her spouse. Davis and Collins then provided false and misleading information to the business’s outside accounting firm that resulted in the preparation and filing of false payroll tax returns that omitted the employees paid in cash and their cash wages. Davis also admitted that she failed to file individual income tax returns for herself and her spouse during the same time period. Davis admitted that the conspiracy resulted in a tax loss of approximately $1.18 million.
The count of conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for February 4, 2026.
Collins previously pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced in December 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
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Defense counsel: Michele Finizio, Esq., Moorestown, New Jersey
davis.information.pdfMaryland Accountant Sentenced to Federal Prison in Connection with $24-Million COVID Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Harold Dotson, 54, of Gaithersburg Maryland, to three years in federal prison, followed by three years supervised release — including six months of home confinement — in connection with a conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting financial institutions. The fraud involved submitting more than $24 million in fraudulent CARES Act loan applications. Judge Bennett also ordered Dotson to pay $24,807,432 in restitution.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — a federal law enacted in March 2020 — provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It gives financial assistance including forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses. Established by the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) — administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA) — along with the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), helped businesses meet their financial obligations. An EIDL advance does not have to be repaid, and small businesses can receive an advance, even if they are not approved for an EIDL loan. The maximum advance amount is $10,000.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, beginning in April 2020, and continuing through January 2022, Dotson engaged in multiple wire fraud conspiracies. These conspiracies involved submitting fraudulent loan applications for various COVID-19 relief benefits, including EIDL and PPP loans.
Dotson, an accountant and tax preparer, served as the owner and principal of H&M Tax Service LLC (H&M Tax), doing business as H&M Financial Group, LLC — a tax preparation business — during the time frame of the conspiracies. He used his accountant expertise to assist with preparing numerous false and fraudulent EIDL and PPP applications for purported businesses that did not exist in any legitimate capacity.
The fraudulent loan applications included false information about the phony businesses’ number of employees, monthly payroll costs, and revenue. Dotson also routinely created false and fraudulent Internal Revenue Service tax forms. He created the fraudulent tax forms for co-conspirator Ahmed Sary, 47, of Brooklyn, Maryland, and other co-conspirators to submit with the false PPP applications.
In return, Dotson received a percentage of the fraudulent loan proceeds, ranging from 2 to 27 percent. Through the scheme, Dotson received more than $828,498.95 from the co-conspirators. Then Dotson primarily used the fraudulent funds to gamble at various casinos in Maryland, including Maryland Live, the Horseshoe, and MGM National Harbor. He also used the money for a gambling trip to Las Vegas.
Dotson’s conspiracy with Sary resulted in the disbursement of $14,807,609.37 in fraudulently obtained PPP funds in connection with more than 85 fraudulent PPP loans. Additionally, Dotson’s conspiracy with another co-conspirator resulted in the disbursement of at least 30 fraudulent PPP loans valued at least $6,499,823.12. More than $3,500,000 was funded and disbursed in connection with Dotson’s submission of fraudulent EIDL applications.
In June 2024, Judge Bennett sentenced Sary to seven years in federal prison in connection with the conspiracy.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the CARES Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, SBA-OIG and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Joseph L. Wenner, who are prosecuting the case, and recognized Paralegal Specialist Julie Jarman and Joanna Huber for their valuable assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Man and woman arrested for stealing mailRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Alexandria E. Duncan, 22, of West Seneca, NY, and Timothee S. Tidwell, 25, of Buffalo, NY, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit mail theft, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that in October 2024, law enforcement began focusing on specific U.S. Postal Service blue collection box locations that were identified as being regular targets of suspected mass mail theft. One location was adjacent to 35 Main Street, and a second was a small shopping plaza on Sunset Drive, across Camp Road, both in Hamburg, NY.
Between October 9, 2024 through October 12, 2024, law enforcement observed an individual, later identified as Tidwell, use a key to access a mailbox outside 35 Main Street in Hamburg. On October 14, 2024, a Village of Hamburg Police officer on patrol observed Duncan drop off Tidwell near the entrance to the Hamburg Post Office on Camp Road. She then drove to a gas station across the street and parked. The officer approached the vehicle and activated his patrol vehicle police lights. As he did this, Tidwell fled from the are of the mailboxes into a nearby wooded area behind the post office. Investigators executed a search warrant on the vehicle, recovering various opened and unopened mail taken from the mailboxes that did not belong to Duncan or Tidwell.
Later in the day on October 14, 2024, a witness contacted the Town of Hamburg Police to report a suspicious encounter with an individual, later identified as Tidwell, earlier that morning. The witness stated that Tidwell came into the witness’ business seeking shelter. He was soaking wet and muddy, teeth chattering, and requested a cup of coffee. According to the witness, Tidwell stated that he has a key, was at the post office, and told the witness not to put anything in “those boxes” because they are not secure. Tidwell then used the business’s phone, and later, Duncan came and picked Tidwell up. That same day, Duncan’s father posted a Facebook message on the Town of Hamburg Police Department’s Facebook page, stating that his daughter was arrested for mail fraud and that her boyfriend abandoned her while she was getting arrested.
Duncan and Tidwell made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and were released on conditions.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Village of Hamburg Police, under the direction of Chief Richard Schara, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco Ward, Boston Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Maine Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Trafficking Whale and Bird PartsRead the Press Release
Sergey Bachkovsky, of Greene, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland, Maine, to trafficking whale and bird parts in violation of the Lacey Act.
According to court records and statements during today’s hearing, between June 2023 and March 2024, Bachkovsky imported wildlife items from Eastern Europe and sold them online to buyers across the United States. The items included sperm whale and marine mammal teeth (both raw items and scrimshaw art pieces), blue whale and Antarctic minke whale ear bones, and a broad-winged hawk carcass. The charging document also includes a notice of forfeiture for wildlife items that Bachkovsky intended to sell, including marine mammal and bear teeth, whale vertebrae, and feathers and wings from eagles, hawks, owls, and vultures.
It is a violation of the Lacey Act, the oldest U.S. wildlife trafficking law, to trade in wildlife taken, possessed, transported or sold contrary to another U.S. or state law. The sperm whale and blue whale have been protected by the Endangered Species Act since 1973. The Marine Mammal Protection Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibit the sale and transportation of whale and migratory bird items without a permit, such as for public display, scientific study, or enhancement of species survival.
Bachkovsky will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the illegal activity.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting U.S. Attorney Craig Wolff for the District of Maine, and Assistant Director Doug Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.
Bachkovsky was investigated and charged as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Operation Raw Deal, which targeted the unlawful import and resale of whale teeth and bone (such as in a South Carolina case recently sentenced).
Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Scott for the District of Maine are prosecuting the case.
Long-Term International Investigation into Conspiracy to Steal American-Funded Aid Concludes with 2 Indicted, 1 ConvictedRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — A long-term investigation concluded today with the unsealing of an indictment in the District of South Carolina charging two foreign nationals with conspiring against the United States to illegally divert U.S.-funded global health commodities from a Kenyan government-run corporation, Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA).
Eric Ndungu Mwangi, 40, a Kenyan national, and Davendra Rampersaud, 42, a Guyanese national, and their associated businesses were charged in a 2021 superseding indictment brought by a federal grand jury in the District of South Carolina. The superseding indictment was originally filed under seal to protect the ongoing investigation.
The investigation, led by the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), focused on the approximately $650 million USAID-funded KEMSA Medical Commodities Program (MCP). The purpose of KEMSA MCP was to establish and operate a safe, secure, reliable, and sustainable supply chain management system for HIV/AIDS commodities needed to provide care and treatment of persons with HIV/AIDS in Kenya, and to support the warehousing and distribution of select family planning, nutrition, and malaria commodities.
Beginning in 2014, Mwangi and his company, Linear Diagnostics (LD), systematically stole HIV test kits and other commodities intended for KEMSA. The stolen goods found a buyer in Rampersaud and his Guyanese company, Caribbean Medical Supplies, Inc. (CMS). In 2015, Rampersaud fraudulently secured a "Letter of Authority" to operate as an authorized distributor. This allowed him to secure a lucrative, sole-source contract with the Guyana Ministry of Health for the products he was acquiring illegally.
Between 2015 and 2019, Rampersaud paid Mwangi over $177,000 for the diverted medical supplies, including the stolen, USAID-funded HIV test kits meant for Kenya. Rampersaud then profited again by selling these stolen health commodities to the Guyanese government. Rampersaud and CMS also acquired and sold test kits stolen from another separate USAID program.
“This was an incredibly complicated investigation, spanning years and an ocean,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina “These defendants jeopardized a vital public health mission and caused a significant loss to the American taxpayers.”
In February 2021, Kenyan authorities arrested Mwangi on charges relating to theft and fraud. He is currently awaiting trial in Kenya. On the American charges, Mwangi faces up to 20 years on various counts, fines, and a term of supervised release.
In January 2023, Rampersaud was arrested on charges arising out of the superseding indictment when he flew into Miami in the United States during a flight layover, while attempting to travel back to Guyana. He was transported to Charleston, South Carolina, and pleaded guilty to conspiracy and to stealing or converting health commodities that USAID paid for as part of a health care benefit. He was sentenced by United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel. Rampersaud received credit for time served and was additionally sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay an $84,000 fine.
This case was investigated by Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Justice Department and USAID OIG appreciate the substantial assistance provided by the Office of International Affairs, the Department of State’s Regional Security Offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Georgetown, Guyana, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Kittrell and Dean Secor are prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Little Rock Man Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Possess Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Little Rock man was convicted by a federal jury on conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the guilty verdict which was handed down recently.
Spencer Walker, 36, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a superseding indictment on August 5, 2025, and charged with the three counts he took to trial. The four-day jury trial was held before United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky. The jury deliberated less than 45 minutes before returning a guilty verdict on all three counts for which Walker had been indicted.
The evidence at trial revealed that in September 2022, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) intercepted two packages, each containing five pounds of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers performed a controlled delivery of those packages to Walker’s address. After the controlled delivery, they were able to secure a search warrant for Walker’s residence. During a search of Walker’s residence, law enforcement officers located an additional unopened package that was found to contain 10 pounds of methamphetamine; in his bedroom they located a shotgun with a 25-round drum magazine.
Law enforcement officers continued their investigation into the owner of the residence, tracing his location for a period of time. They noted that the owner frequented a house in Bryant, Arkansas. Law enforcement officers then discovered that an additional three packages addressed to the Bryant residence containing 10 pounds of methamphetamine each, had been previously intercepted. In January of 2023, law enforcement officers intercepted another package going to the Bryant residence that contained 10 pounds of methamphetamine. It was through the interception by USPIS of those parcels, as well as several witness statements and photo identification, that law enforcement officers were able to identify Walker as the intended recipient of all the packages containing methamphetamine.
Walker faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the DEA. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katie Hinojosa.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Lewisville man sentenced to federal prison for string of bank robberiesRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Lewisville man has been sentenced to federal prison for bank robbery in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Kyung Heo, 31, pleaded guilty to bank robbery and was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III on September 30, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on November 18, 2022, Heo entered the Comerica Bank on State Highway 121 in Lewisville and approached the bank manager asking if the bank could process a cashier’s check. When told the bank could only process cashier’s checks for clients, Heo produced a handgun and pointed it at the manager. Heo pushed the manager out of the way, pointed the handgun at the tellers, and demanded they give him money. After taking the money, Heo exited the bank and departed the area on foot.
On April 6, 2023, Heo entered the American National Bank on Cross Timbers Road in Flower Mound, approached a teller station, pulled out a handgun, jumped over the counter, and instructed the tellers to empty their cash drawers. Heo then placed the money in a plastic bag before departing the area on foot. Shortly after the robbery, officers searched the area and located a plastic bag containing $18,943 cash in a nearby drainage ditch. American National Bank reported an additional loss of $10,208 for a total amount of loss is $29,151. An analysis of surveillance videos from the two robberies was also used to link Heo to the June 6, 2023, robbery of the Citizen’s National Bank in Weatherford. Heo was convicted in the Northern District of Texas for that robbery and sentenced to 57 months in federal prison. His Eastern District of Texas sentence will run concurrently to the sentence for the Weatherford bank robbery.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Lewisville Police Department, and the Flower Mound Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.
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Leader of Conspiracy to Fraudulently Register Vehicles in Missouri Sentenced to 5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a man to five years in prison for bribing employees of Missouri motor vehicle license offices to fraudulently register motor vehicles.
Judge Schelp also ordered Gary Wilds, 48, to pay restitution of $335,218, including $319,778 to the state of Missouri.
Wilds bribed employees of motor vehicle license offices to falsely represent to the Missouri Department of Revenue that vehicles had passed emissions and safety inspections, that owners had paid their property taxes and had proof of insurance or other evidence of financial responsibility. Wilds also bribed employees into submitting forged documents claiming that vehicle owners were eligible for sales tax exemptions, thus reducing tax assessments from thousands of dollars per vehicle to as little as $11.
Wilds recruited Michelle Boyer and Megan Leone to aid his conspiracy. When Leone was promoted to manager, she told Ashlyn Graeff, who was her subordinate and who began working at the office in 2018, to fraudulently complete vehicle registration documents on behalf of Wilds. Wilds paid his recruits up to $100 for each transaction. Graeff initially conducted one or two fraudulent registrations per week for Wilds but that eventually grew to as many as 10 per day.
Some of the customers of Wilds’ business, Pinnacle Concierge, knew that Wilds was going to fraudulently register their vehicles because their vehicles could not pass emissions tests, they had outstanding child support orders or they had been barred from registering vehicles by another state agency. Customers who weren’t aware have suffered financial losses because Wilds only submitted part of their fees to the state and the fraudulent registrations were subsequently revoked. Even though these customers paid Wilds for their registrations, they are unable to properly register their vehicles without submitting the unpaid taxes and paying taxes and penalties to the state.
In one example in Wilds’ plea agreement, Wilds and Graef fraudulently registered a 2022 Dodge Ram for a customer on Sept. 13, 2022. Wilds told his customer that $1,350 would satisfy the fees and taxes due, but Wilds only sent $14.50 to the Missouri Department of Revenue. Wilds and Graeff avoided paying sales taxes by submitting a fraudulent form that falsely claimed that the vehicle weighed 24,000 pounds and was being leased to an interstate carrier registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Gary Wilds pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 22 counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft and six counts of making a false statement. Graeff, now 40, pleaded guilty to three counts of making a false statement. Leone, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and one count of making a false statement. Boyer, 53, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
Boyer was sentenced on September 18 to five years of probation and ordered to pay restitution of $206,847. Graeff was sentenced on July 17, 2024, to four years of probation and ordered to pay $84,554 in restitution. Leone is scheduled to be sentenced on October 8.
The case was investigated by the Missouri Department of Revenue and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
Latvian Broker Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Illegally Export U.S. Aircraft Technology to RussiaRead the Press Release
Latvian national, Oleg Chistyakov, aka Olegs Čitsjakovs, 56, pleaded guilty today for his role in a years-long conspiracy to circumvent U.S. export laws by filing false export forms with the U.S. government and, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, continuing to procure and sell sophisticated and controlled avionics equipment to customers in Russia without the required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
According to court documents, Chistyakov admitted that he conspired with U.S. citizens Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky, 62, and Douglas Edward Robertson, 58, of Kansas, to facilitate the sale, repair, and shipment of U.S.-origin avionics equipment to customers in Russia and in other countries that operate Russian-built aircraft, including the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB). Buyanovksy and Robertson were charged and arrested in Kansas in March 2023 and have pleaded guilty.
Chistyakov also admitted that, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and despite additional U.S. economic countermeasures levied against Russia, Chistyakov and his conspirators continued to smuggle and export sophisticated and controlled avionics equipment to companies in Russia without the required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Chistyakov further admitted that, while operating from Latvia and often through his Emirati company RosAero FZC, he worked with Buyanovsky and Robertson through their U.S. company, KanRus Trading Company Inc. (KanRus), to circumvent U.S export laws by purchasing avionics equipment from U.S. companies for customers in Russia.
Chistyakov admitted that he and his conspirators took numerous actions to conceal their illegal activities including creating false invoices, transshipping items through third-party countries, such as Laos and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), using bank accounts in third-party countries, such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the UAE, and exporting items to intermediary companies which then reexported the items to the ultimate end destinations. As part of his guilty plea, Chistyakov also agreed to the imposition of a personal forfeiture judgment against him.
As a result of today’s guilty plea, Chistyakov faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 10, 2026.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser for the District of Kansas, and Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI Counterintelligence Division made the announcement.
The FBI and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Rask and Ryan Huschka of the District of Kansas and Trial Attorney Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs secured the arrest and August 2024 extradition from Latvia of Chistyakov and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection provided substantial assistance.
L.A. Fashion District Wholesaler and Executives Sentenced for Money Laundering and Avoiding Customs Duties and TaxesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A wholesale clothing importer located in the Fashion District of downtown Los Angeles and two of its executives have been sentenced for avoiding the payment of more than $8 million in customs duties on imported clothing, and for running a scheme in which the company laundered money and failed to report on tax returns more than $17 million derived from cash transactions, the Justice Department announced today.
On late Monday, C’est Toi Jeans Inc. (CTJ), which imported apparel from China and other nations and exported clothing to customers in Mexico, Central America, and South America, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi to five years of probation and was ordered to submit to federal monitoring. Judge Scarsi also fined CTJ $11.5 million and ordered it to pay more than $15 million in restitution.
Si Oh Rhew, 71, of La Cañada Flintridge, CTJ’s president and a 75% owner of the company, was sentenced by Judge Scarsi to 103 months in federal prison, fined $8 million, and was ordered to pay more than $19 million in restitution.
Lance Rhew, 38, of downtown Los Angeles, Si Oh Rhew’s son, a CTJ corporate officer, and the owner of another Los Angeles-based company called GLLR Inc. that did business as CTJ, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison, fined $500,000, and was ordered to pay restitution.
CTJ was a business owned by Si Oh Rhew and his wife that the Rhews operated. CTJ received U.S. currency in bulk cash that was derived from drug trafficking as payment for customer invoices. Those funds were delivered to CTJ by money couriers unrelated to and unknown to CTJ or to the customers whose invoices were being paid.
CTJ and Si Oh Rhew failed to file currency transaction reports, which are required for any transaction involving more than $10,000 in cash, and the defendants concealed the cash receipts from an accountant who prepared their taxes, which led to the fraudulent omission of more than $17 million in gross sales from tax returns filed with the IRS.
The defendants also avoided customs duties and tariffs by purchasing garments from overseas manufacturers, including from China, but then submitting false information to United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that understated the true value of the items being imported into the United States.
As a result, the import duties owed on the shipments were lowered. The indictment alleges that the defendants sent 515 individual wire transfers totaling $137,156,726 to pay overseas suppliers for undervalued garments. Overall, CTJ imported goods that were undervalued by more than $51 million, causing approximately $8.4 million in unpaid tariffs and duties that should have been paid to CBP.
At the conclusion of a six-week trial, CTJ and Si Oh Rhew were found guilty by a jury in October 2024 of two conspiracies and multiple counts of failure to file reports of currency transaction over $10,000 in a trade or business. All three defendants were found guilty of three counts of entry of falsely classified goods, three counts of entry of goods by means of false statements, three counts of passing false and fraudulent papers through a customhouse, and two counts of international promotional money laundering.
CTJ was found guilty of an additional two concealment money laundering counts involving drug proceeds. Si Oh Rhew was found guilty of an additional two counts of aiding, assisting, and procuring the filing of a false tax return. Lance Rhew was found guilty of one additional count of aiding, assisting, and procuring the filing of a false tax return. Lance Rhew was also found guilty of one conspiracy count.
The jury found the defendants not guilty of several additional criminal counts, including – for CTJ – two counts of concealment money laundering and – for Lance Rhew – several counts of failure to file a report of a currency transaction in a nonfinancial trade or business.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-Criminal Investigation. They were aided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Monterey Park Police Department, the El Segundo Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Gardena Police Department, and the West Covina Police Department.
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 investigation was conducted by the HSI-led El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force that includes federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lana Morton Owens of the Transnational Organized Crime Section and James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section prosecuted this case.
Kansas Woman Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl in South DakotaRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a woman from Prairie Village, Kansas, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025.
Amanda Acosta, 43, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Acosta was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in February 2025. She pleaded guilty on July 17, 2025.
Acosta became involved with a California-based drug trafficking organization, operating out of Sioux Falls, in July 2024. She acted as a sub-distributor for the organization, purchasing significant quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and then selling the drugs for a profit to individuals in Sioux Falls and other areas throughout South Dakota. She also allowed the organization to ship packages of fentanyl pills directly to her residence through the mail. Acosta’s involvement with the organization ended with her arrest in September 2024.
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). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Acosta was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Kansas City Woman Sentenced to 11 Years for Covid-19 Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for her leadership role in two cases that resulted in more than $500,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and more than $3,000,000 in stolen Treasury checks.
Briauna Adams, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 11 years imprisonment based upon her guilty pleas to wire fraud, money laundering, and theft of government funds relating to a counterfeit check scheme and stolen United States Treasury checks. The defendant also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering relating to a scheme to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans, guaranteed by the SBA under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to court documents, Adams rented a townhome in Raymore, Mo., using the name and personal identification information of another person. On July 27, 2024, Adams opened an individual investment account from the Raymore residence. On Aug. 15, 2024, Adams deposited a Treasury check worth $1,445,443.69 in her name to the investment account. Fraud investigators with the investment account company determined the $1,445,443.69 Treasury check was fraudulent and reversed the deposit before suffering a financial loss.
On Nov. 14, 2024, a search warrant was executed on Adam’s rental townhome in Raymore. Approximately 253 stolen Treasury checks were found in the residence. The total value of the checks was approximately $700,000.
Finally, Adams conspired with others to prepare and file fraudulent PPP loan applications on their behalf. Adams filed false PPP loan applications for numerous persons resulting in a loss of approximately $540,302, which she was ordered to pay back in a restitution judgment.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department.
Kansas City Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing eight firearms.
David Michael Gager, also known as David Kash, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 71 months in federal prison without parole for being a felon in possession of firearms.
On Mar. 7, 2025, Gager pleaded guilty to five counts of knowingly being a felon in possession of firearms between Apr. 19, 2024, and May 16, 2024. During this period, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives utilized a confidential informant and an undercover agent to conduct four separate controlled purchases of firearms from Gager. During these transactions, Gager mentioned that he could get machineguns and methamphetamine for future transactions. During one transaction, Gager indicated that he acquires firearms in Kansas City and transports them to Chicago where he sells them for a profit. On May 9, 2024, Kansas City, Mo. Police Department officers executed a warrant for Gager’s arrest. The arrest occurred at a convenience store located on Prospect Avenue. Officers discovered a 9mm handgun that Gager had thrown in a trashcan near the front of the convenience store when he noticed officers approaching.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo. 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).
KC Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Meth and FentanylRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to being in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Donnique H. Kelley, 36, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to participating in a conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, between the dates of Dec. 14, 2022 and March 23, 2023, Kelley and others sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to law enforcement officials on at least seven separate occasions.
On Sept. 12, 2023, following a car stop on East 63rd Street, Kansas City, Mo., a co-conspirator and source of supply of fentanyl and methamphetamine for the conspiracy was found in possession of 4.45 kilograms of methamphetamine, 2.02 kilograms of marijuana, and $14,382.
Under federal statutes, Kelley is subject to a sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the Overland Park, Kansas Police Department.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Files First Lawsuit in Support of Gun Owners Seeking Concealed Weapons PermitsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – In the first affirmative lawsuit in support of gun owners, the Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) alleging a pattern and practice of infringing the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens seeking concealed carry weapons (CCW) permits.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division on March 27, 2025, initiated the first-of-its-kind Second Amendment investigation because of numerous complaints of unreasonable delays in CCW permitting decisions by LASD. After analysis of data and documents spanning more than 8,000 CCW permits, the Division today filed suit seeking relief on behalf of law-abiding applicants.
“Citizens living in high-crime areas cannot afford to wait to protect themselves with firearms while Los Angeles County dithers,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “The right to bear arms is among the founding principles of our nation. It can and must be upheld.”
“The Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit seeks to stop Los Angeles County’s egregious pattern and practice of delaying law-abiding citizens from exercising their right to bear arms.”
Shortly after Assistant Attorney Harmeet K. Dhillon was sworn in to lead the Civil Rights Division, numerous complaints received by the Division revealed inexplicable delays well beyond California statutory requirements and in violation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.
Almost two months after receiving notice of the Division’s investigation, LASD provided data and documents that revealed only two approvals from more than 8,000 applications, and that LASD set out interviews to approve licenses as far as two years after receiving the completed application. The lawsuit was filed in United States District Court for the Central District of California.
This investigation was conducted by attorneys at the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys within the Central District of California’s U.S. Attorney Office.
If you or someone you know has applied for a concealed carry permit in Los Angeles or any jurisdiction within the United States and have not received a reply or decision within four months after applying, please email Community.2ndAmendmentCA@usdoj.gov. The mailbox is actively monitored by attorneys assigned to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.
Justice Department Sues New Orleans-Area Tax Preparation Business and Related Preparers to Stop Alleged Tax Preparation FraudRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a civil injunction suit today in federal court in New Orleans to bar Unnisha Paige, Rosetta Jones, Capriata Oatis, Keyante St. Cyr, Leah Smith, Laporscha Thompson, Deshira Horton, and India Toppins, who do business as Paige’s Income Tax Services (Paige Tax), from preparing tax returns for others and owning or operating a tax preparation business. The complaint also requests that the court require the defendants to disgorge the return preparation fees they obtained by preparing allegedly false or fraudulent tax returns.
According to the complaint, Paige franchises Paige Tax stores and is a full or partial owner of each franchise location. The complaint further alleges that Paige sells tax preparation software and provides training to individuals seeking to start their own tax preparation business. The complaint asks the court to bar Paige from selling or licensing a tax preparation business or franchise and tax preparation software.
The complaint alleges that the defendants, and those acting at their direction, prepare and file tax returns to falsely increase their customers’ refunds, and they profit through high and often undisclosed preparation fees — at the expense of their customers and the U.S. Treasury. According to the complaint, the defendants and those acting at their direction engage in misconduct, including:
- Falsely claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit
- Fabricating businesses and related business income and expenses reported on Forms Schedule C
- Claiming false fuel tax credits
- Claiming false child and dependent care credits
- Claiming fabricated COVID-19-related tax credits
The Tax Division reminds taxpayers that the IRS has information, tips and reminders on its site for choosing a tax preparer carefully (Choosing a Tax Professional and How to Choose a Tax Return Preparer) and has launched a free directory of credentialed federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers taxpayers tips to protect their identities and wallets when filing their taxes.
In addition, IRS Free File, a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $79,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronic federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free. The IRS has tips on how seniors and individuals with low to moderate income can get other help or guidance on tax return preparation, too.
In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained civil injunctions and criminal convictions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Justice Department Sues Missouri Housing Authority for Sexual Harassment of Public Housing Applicant by Former Executive DirectorRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it filed a lawsuit against Eddie Joe Hankins and the Housing Authority of the City of Bloomfield, Missouri, for sexually harassing a female housing applicant in violation of the Fair Housing Act. Hankins was the executive director of the Missouri Housing Authority from 2019 through 2022.
“There is no place in America for public officials who abuse their trust to coerce sexual acts from the people they are duty-bound to help, be it in public housing or other areas. We will hold them accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
The lawsuit, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, alleges that in 2021, a woman living with her three children applied for public housing. After her application was denied, the complaint alleges that she went to meet with Executive Director Hankins, who made unwanted sexual advances toward her. The suit also alleges that Hankins made sexual comments about the applicant’s appearance, conditioned housing for her family upon submission to his conduct, and that he refused to assist her with obtaining housing once she resisted his sexual advances. The lawsuit also alleges that the Housing Authority is vicariously liable for Hankins’ unlawful conduct.
The applicant filed a complaint against the Housing Authority and Hankins with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). After an investigation, HUD determined that the Housing Authority and Hankins discriminated against the applicant in violation of the Fair Housing Act and issued a charge of discrimination. After the applicant chose to have the matter decided in federal court, HUD referred the matter to the Department of Justice.
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate the applicant harmed by the alleged harassment and a court order barring future discrimination.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 50 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered nearly $16.2 million for victims of such harassment.
Justice Department Seeks to Denaturalize Convicted Gun TraffickerRead the Press Release
Today, the United States filed a denaturalization action in the Middle District of Florida against Vladimir Volgaev, a native of Ukraine, who, according to the Department of Justice’s Complaint, concealed and misrepresented his involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle over a thousand firearms components out of the United States and ship them to foreign markets.
Starting in 2011, and continuing for two years after his naturalization, Volgaev engaged in the clandestine purchase, packaging and smuggling of firearm components to individuals in Ukraine and Italy. Also, beginning in 2013, Volgaev underreported his assets and income on applications for federal housing benefits, resulting in his improper receipt of those benefits. A federal court convicted him for these crimes in 2020. Volgaev misrepresented and concealed his crimes throughout his application for naturalization in 2014-15. He naturalized as a U.S. citizen on Jan. 11, 2016.
“This case sends a clear message,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The United States provided Volgaev with safety, housing, and citizenship, and he returned those gains with malice, including by defrauding one of the federal agencies that provided him benefits. We will not reward this kind of behavior by allowing such an individual to retain U.S. citizenship that should not have been granted in the first place.”
This is the eleventh denaturalization action that the Department has filed since Jan. 20.
This case was investigated by the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Felix Romero. The litigation is being handled by Trial Attorney Christopher Lyerla and reviewed by John Inkeles of the Office of Immigration Litigation, General Litigation and Appeals Section, Affirmative Litigation Unit.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Justice Department Opens Investigation into Des Moines Public Schools for Race-Based Employment PracticesRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched an investigation into Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) to determine whether it engages in employment practices that discriminate based on race, color, and national origin in violation of Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964, as amended.
According to its website, Des Moines Public Schools requires that its teaching and learning staff match the student population in terms of “demographics and cultural responsivity.” DMPS also set specific quotas for “increas[ing] the number of teachers of color” in an affirmative action plan. Its staff retention strategy prioritizes “lift[ing] up voices of our People of Color” and “creat[ing] a safer environment for People of Color.” DMPS also operates the “3D Coalition” project, a recruitment and hiring program for “aspiring minority teachers.”
“DEI initiatives and race-based hiring preferences in our schools violate federal anti-discrimination laws and undermine educational priorities,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “School districts must cease these unlawful programs and restore merit-based employment practices for the benefit of both students and employees.”
You can read the notice letter here.
Justice Department Launches Title IV and Title VI Investigation into University of Nevada Las VegasRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched an investigation into the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) to determine whether the University has denied equal treatment of individuals based on race or national origin, in violation of Title IV and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“Publicly-funded universities are barred from discriminating based on race, national origin, or religion,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This Department of Justice is fiercely committed to holding institutions of higher learning accountable and ensuring that every student receives equal access to the opportunity and education to which they are legally entitled.”
The compliance review investigation will examine whether UNLV, a recipient of federal financial assistance, has engaged in discriminatory practices based on race, color, or national origin against its students. The investigation will be conducted pursuant to Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which authorizes the Department to address certain equal protection violations in public colleges, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits a recipient of federal funds from discriminating based on such protected characteristics. Institutions of higher education that are governed by Title IV and Title VI must protect students’ unfettered access to the school’s educational environment and opportunities, free from discrimination. The investigation will focus on the University’s response to antisemitism on campus.
Justice Department Files Complaint Against Social Media Company Iconic Hearts Holdings Inc. and Its CEO Hunter Rice Alleging Targeting of Children with Deceptive Practices in Violation of Federal LawRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), announces the filing of a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Iconic Hearts Holdings Inc. and its founder and CEO Hunter Rice for violations of the FTC Act, the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA), and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and its implementing regulations (COPPA) in connection with the social media messaging app known as Sendit.
“The Department of Justice is committed to preventing companies from using unfair and misleading business practices to profit off of American children,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work with the FTC to enforce federal consumer protection laws to protect young people from such conduct.”
In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the United States alleges that Defendants generated and sent millions of anonymous and often provocative, romantic, or sexual messages to users of the Sendit app, many of whom are children or teenagers. As alleged, Defendants, in violation of the FTC Act’s prohibition on unfair and deceptive business practices, falsely led users to believe the messages were from their social media contacts rather than the Sendit app itself, and that purchasing a “Diamond Membership” would reveal the senders’ identities. The Complaint also alleges Defendants violate COPPA by collecting personal information from app users who are children under the age of 13 while failing to provide notice to their parents or obtain verifiable parental consent. Additionally, as alleged, Defendants violate ROSCA by failing to clearly and conspicuously disclose the material terms of their Diamond Memberships, which automatically renew and cost as much as $9.99 per week.
Defendants allegedly generated tens of millions of dollars in revenue from Diamond Membership purchases. The complaint seeks civil penalties, restitution for consumers, and injunctive relief.
The United States is represented in this action by Trial Attorney Marcus P. Smith and Assistant Director Zachary A. Dietert of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch. Siobhan C. Amin, Miles D. Freeman, and John D. Jacobs represent the FTC.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
The claims made in a complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government must prove by a preponderance of the evidence.
Jacksonville Child Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years for Accessing Child Sexual Abuse Materials Using the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Sean-Michael Smith (36, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for using the internet to access child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). The court also ordered Smith to serve a 15-year term of supervised release after incarceration and to forfeit his computer device. Smith is a registered child sex offender who was convicted in federal court in 2014 of distributing videos and photos of children being sexually abused. Smith was arrested on December 18, 2024, and he pleaded guilty on June 11, 2025.
After serving his federal prison sentence, and while on supervised release, Smith admitted that he had drawn sketches depicting nude children and had also accessed the internet several times. On December 10, 2024, U.S. Probation Officers conducted a search of Smith’s residence. During an interview, Smith admitted that he had accessed CSAM using the internet during August, September, and December 2024. He advised that he used a particular electronic device to access these materials. Officers seized the device and later forwarded the device and its internal computer chip to the FBI for further investigation.
On February 18, 2025, the FBI extracted the contents of the device’s computer chip. A review of the materials revealed that the device had been used by Smith to access at least 35 photos depicting young children being sexually abused.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Inmate Convicted of Possessing Shanks While in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Today, a federal jury in Memphis convicted Mervin Anderson, 40, of Memphis, Tennessee, of one count of possession of contraband in prison, including two homemade knives, or shanks.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Anderson was observed on video surveillance inside of the Detention Center in possession of two sharpened, handmade metal knives, commonly referred to as “shanks.” The defendant confronted another inmate while swinging the shanks at him. A corrections officer immediately responded to the cell block area and found the defendant still in possession of the shanks. When the shanks were taken from the defendant, he exclaimed, “God is on my side, I was about to kill that boy.”
The defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing will be set at a later date.
The defendant is currently awaiting trial in a pending case where he is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. The pending case is currently set for trial on Nov. 3, 2025.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The U.S. Marshals Service and the Shelby County Division of Corrections are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Amanda J. Kotula and Cesar Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in Memphis.
Inmate Convicted of Possessing Shanks While in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, a federal jury in Memphis convicted Mervin Anderson, 40, of Memphis, Tennessee, of one count of possession of contraband in prison, including two homemade knives, or shanks.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Anderson was observed on video surveillance inside of the Detention Center in possession of two sharpened, handmade metal knives, commonly referred to as “shanks.” The defendant confronted another inmate while swinging the shanks at him. A corrections officer immediately responded to the cell block area and found the defendant still in possession of the shanks. When the shanks were taken from the defendant, he exclaimed, “God is on my side, I was about to kill that boy.”
The defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing will be set at a later date.
The defendant is currently awaiting trial in a pending case where he is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. The pending case is currently set for trial on Nov. 3, 2025.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The U.S. Marshals Service and the Shelby County Division of Corrections are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Amanda J. Kotula and Cesar Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in Memphis.
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If you have questions, please use the contacts in the message or call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.
Indictment Charges Hartford Man on Federal Supervised Release with Illegally Possessing Loaded FirearmRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; and Hartford Police Chief James C. Rovella today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging KEVIN BARCO, 41, of Hartford, with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.
The indictment was returned on September 3, 2025. Barco appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge. He has been detained since his arrest by Hartford Police on related state charges on April 24, 2025.
The indictment alleges that, on April 24, 2025, Barco possessed a Springfield Armory XD .40 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number and a high-capacity magazine loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition.
The indictment further alleges that Barco’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for weapon, robbery, and larceny offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
If convicted of the charge, Barco faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. He also faces additional penalties if he is found to have violated the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
On September 27, 2021, Barco was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 39 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun. He was released from federal prison in April 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. A charge is only an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Harford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Hungarian-Spanish Citizen Sentenced in Scheme to Export U.S. Military-Grade Radios to Russian Government End UsersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bence Horvath, 47, a dual citizen of Hungary and Spain who resided in the United Arab Emirates, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 31 months in prison in connection with conspiring to illegally export U.S.-origin radio communications technology to Russian end users without a license, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Horvath pleaded guilty on June 17, 2025, to one count of conspiring to unlawfully export goods to Russia. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates ordered Horvath to serve three of supervised release and to pay a fine of $5,000. Horvath will be subject to deportation on completion of his sentence.
According to court documents, beginning at least around January 2023, Horvath and others initiated discussions with a small U.S. radio distribution company about procuring and exporting to Russia U.S.-manufactured military-grade radios and related accessories. Over several months Horvath worked to secure those items, which he intended to transship to Russia via a freight forwarder in Latvia.
As part of the conspiracy, Horvath purchased 200 of the military-grade radios and intended to export them to Russia. But Horvath was not successful. U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained the shipment and prevented the radios from falling into the hands of prohibited Russian end users.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service Southeast Field Office, and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California provided valuable assistance.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tortorice and Maeghan Mikorski for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
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High School Baseball Coach Accused of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A high school baseball coach in Illinois has been indicted and accused of drug trafficking crimes.
Demetrius Combs, 33, of Sauget, Illinois, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on August 27 with one count of distribution of fentanyl, two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute in excess of 400 grams of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute in excess of 500 grams of methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment accuses Combs of conducting the drug sales between June and August of 2023.
Combs was arrested on September 25 and pleaded not guilty.
A motion seeking to have Combs held in jail until trial says an undercover officer with the St. Louis County Police Department purchased fentanyl on one occasion from Combs and meth on two occasions. During a court-approved search of Combs’ home in Bellefontaine Neighbors, officers found $3,746 in cash and capsules containing fentanyl in Combs’ possession. In his car, police found a pistol, three cell phones and more capsules containing fentanyl. In his home they found multiple firearms, two cell phones, thousands of dollars in cash, a pill press, fentanyl, meth and drug paraphernalia. One of the handguns was equipped with an auto sear or “switch” that converted it into a fully automatic weapon, the motion says.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Hickory Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Production and Transportation of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
HARLOTTE, N.C. – Kelly Lee Setzer, 64, of Hickory, N.C., was sentenced to 50 years in prison today for producing and transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in what the sentencing judge called “horrendous torture of babies,” announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, Setzer was ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison. Setzer was ordered to pay $84,000 in restitution. The Court also ordered forfeiture of, among other things, Setzer’s primary residence in Hickory, where he produced and transported the CSAM.
James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Bryan Adams of the Hickory Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
“Setzer committed some of the most depraved crimes imaginable: preying on young children and producing horrific abuse material,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Fifty years behind bars ensures he will never harm a child again. I hope it is a message to others so future children are spared from similar actions.”
“There are no words to describe the lasting impact of Mr. Setzer’s vile behavior on his victims. At his age, a 50-year sentence is effectively a life sentence. Thankfully, he can never harm another child again. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue predators who victimize innocent children,” said Special Agent in Charge Barnacle.
According to filed documents and the sentencing hearing, on November 3, 2023, officers with the Hickory Police Department executed a search warrant at Setzer’s residence for suspected CSAM activity. The officers seized two computers and other electronic devices from the residence. A forensic examination of the seized devices revealed that on at least four occasions Setzer sexually abused a prepubescent child and produced videos depicting the abuse. Setzer also possessed an extensive CSAM library that contained over 48,000 videos and images of children being sexually abused, some as young as infants and toddlers. During the investigation, law enforcement also determined that Setzer had developed an online relationship with a minor and had induced the minor to send him CSAM on multiple occasions.
Setzer pleaded guilty to four counts of production, one count of transportation, and one count of possession and access with intent to distribute child pornography. He remains in custody pending placement at a federal facility by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
In announcing Setzer’s very significant sentence, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell said, “we are talking about babies here and horrendous torture of babies.”
The FBI and the Hickory Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Cervantes and Benjamin Bain-Creed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled the prosecution and forfeiture proceedings in this case, respectively.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Gloucester Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Gloucester man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for sexual exploiting a minor and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Robert Burnham, 44, was indicted on one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography. Burnham was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in September 2025 and remains detained pending trial. He will be arraigned in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, from on or about June 11, 2024 to Oct. 4, 2024, Burnham allegedly persuaded and coerced a 13-year-old minor female to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing pictures and videos and transmitting them to him via social media. Additionally, on April 28, 2025, Burnham knowingly possessed files that depict CSAM.
The charge of sexual exploitation of a minor provides for a sentence of at least 15 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Harper County Sheriff’s Office, FBI Kansas City, Lincoln Police Department and Gloucester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Georgia Tech Research Corporation Agrees to Pay $875,000 to Resolve Civil Cyber-Fraud LitigationRead the Press Release
Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC) has agreed to pay the United States $875,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and federal common law by failing to meet cybersecurity requirements in connection with certain Air Force and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contracts. GTRC contracts with government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), for research performed at its affiliate, the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).
“When contractors fail to follow the required cybersecurity standards in their DoD contracts, they leave sensitive government information vulnerable to malicious actors and cyber threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Together with DoD and other agency partners, the Department of Justice will continue to pursue and litigate violations of cybersecurity requirements to hold contractors accountable when they violate their cybersecurity commitments.”
“Defense contractors’ adherence to their cybersecurity obligations is essential to safeguarding sensitive government information from malicious actors,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia. “Contractors who fail to implement required cybersecurity controls, provide false information to the government, and otherwise fail to fulfill their cybersecurity obligations will be held accountable.”’
“Failure to follow required cybersecurity requirements puts all of us at risk,” said Stacy Bostjanick, Chief Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity, Deputy Chief Information Officer for Cybersecurity, Office of the Chief Information Officer. “Those who knowingly provide deficient cybersecurity products or services, misrepresent their cybersecurity practices or protocols, or violate obligations to monitor and report cybersecurity incidents and breaches must be held accountable. Enforcement efforts like this should serve as a reminder to industry to prioritize DoD cybersecurity compliance.”
“Deficiencies in cybersecurity controls pose a significant threat to our national security and jeopardize sensitive DoD programs that put our servicemembers at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “As force multipliers, we place a substantial amount of trust in our contractors, and those who ignore the rules will be held accountable.”
“AFOSI is committed to pursuing allegations related to the security of our information systems and neutralizing threats malicious actors pose when contractors fail to meet their contractual obligations,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrell Freeman of Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), Procurement Fraud Detachment 5.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit against GTRC and Georgia Tech where the United States alleged that until December 2021, those entities failed to install, update or run anti-virus or anti-malware tools on desktops, laptops, servers and networks at Georgia Tech’s Astrolavos Lab while the lab conducted sensitive cyber-defense research for DoD. The United States also alleged that until at least February 2020, there was no system security plan in place for the Astrolavos Lab to set out the cybersecurity controls that GTRC’s contracts required.
Finally, the United States alleged that in December 2020 GTRC and Georgia Tech submitted a false summary level cybersecurity assessment score to DoD which supposedly applied campus-wide. That summary level score of 98 was allegedly false because (1) there was no campus-wide IT system at Georgia Tech and (2) the score was premised on a “fictitious” or “virtual” environment and did not apply to any actual covered contracting system at Georgia Tech that would process, store or transmit covered defense information. The United States alleged the submission of a cybersecurity assessment score was a condition of contract award for GTRC’s DoD contracts. The obligation to implement security controls specified in National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-171 (NIST SP 800-171) to protect certain DoD information has applied to DoD contracts, subcontracts, and similar contractual instruments since 2017 and will continue under the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program that DoD recently finalized. The CMMC program further bolsters the assessment requirements applicable to DoD contractors and subcontractors.
The settlement announced today stems from a complaint filed by Christopher Craig and Kyle Koza, former members of Georgia Tech’s Cybersecurity Team, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private persons to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. The Act also permits the Government to intervene and take over the lawsuit, as it did in this case as to certain allegations. The United States intervened in the qui tam suit and filed its complaint in August 2024. The settlement in this case provides for Craig and Koza to receive $201,250 as their share of the recovery.
The investigation, litigation, and resolution in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, DCIS, AFOSI, the Air Force Materiel Command Law Office Procurement Fraud Division, and DARPA. The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Joanna Persio of the Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie D. Hendry and Adam D. Nugent for the Northern District of Georgia.
The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Craig v. Georgia Tech Research Corporation et al., No. 1:22-cv-02698 (N.D. Ga.).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Fruitland Man Charged with Second-Degree MurderRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Fruitland man has been indicted on federal charges in connection with the murder of a woman.
According to court documents, on December 9, 2024, Timothy Begay, 38, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, intentionally killed Jane Doe.
Begay is charged with second degree murder and will be released third-party to a halfway house pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Begay faces up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment (Begay).pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former State Lawmaker Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. —Robert John May, III, 38, of West Columbia, has pleaded guilty to five counts of distributing child sexual abuse material.*
“The conduct May pleaded guilty to represents some of the most depraved and exploitative conduct we investigate,” said Bryan Stirling, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “Our office will bring every resource available to protect children from violence and abuse. This prosecution was made possible through excellent law enforcement coordination between Homeland Security Investigations, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and all those who work to protect the most vulnerable in our society.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2024, a tip was sent by Kik, a social-media platform, to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which indicated that over a five-day period in March and April 2024 a Kik account with the username “joebidennnn69” distributed videos depicting the sexual abuse of children to other Kik users 50 times.
Investigators connected the account to the home IP address and mobile device of May and determined videos depicting the sexual abuse of children were distributed from the account at least 479 times over the five-day period, with the majority resolving to May’s home address or cell phone. Kik records showed the account connected to May’s home Wi-Fi account at least 958 times and to his cell phone 67 times. A federal grand jury charged May with distributing 10 videos depicting child sexual abuse that were shared from the account.
Evidence indicated May was responsible. A forensic analysis of May’s phone revealed that the user dictionary included the term “joebidennnn” and the same email used to register the Kik account. It also revealed Kik, along with Telegram, Mega, and Sessions messenger—all applications referenced in Kik messages—were deleted on April 4, 2024, within 20 seconds of each other. May’s phone also received more than 450 alerts from the Kik application during the time the joebidennnn69 account was active, and several conversations on the joebidennnn69 account correlate with internet searches and application downloads that occurred on May’s phone and laptop at the same time. The investigation further revealed that May and the Kik account user shared the same pseudonym, Eric Rentling.
May faces a minimum penalty of five years in federal prison and a maximum of 20 years. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, up to lifetime supervision to follow the term of imprisonment, and he will be required to register as a sex offender upon release from prison.
United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie accepted the guilty plea and will sentence May on Jan. 14, 2026, after receiving and reviewing a pre-sentence report from the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Matthews, Elliott B. Daniels, and Dean Secor are prosecuting the case with Austin M. Berry of the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
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* The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child. The Associated Press Stylebook also discourages the use of the phrase “child pornography.”
Former School Employee Pleads Guilty to Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a StudentRead the Press Release
Former School Employee Pleads Guilty to Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a Student
CONCORD – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty September 30, 2025, to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Jesus Moore, 36, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for January 13, 2026. Moore will be detained pending sentencing.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, on March 7, 2022, Moore, a basketball coach at Lawrence High School, ordered a rideshare to transport a Lawrence High School student to the Super 8 Motel in Manchester, New Hampshire. Moore also traveled from Massachusetts to the Super 8 Motel. Moore provided the student with alcohol and then engaged in sexual conduct with the student when the student was incapable of consenting.
The Department of Homeland Security, the Lawrence Police Department, and the Manchester Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski is prosecuting the case.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Former Office Manager Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $1.7 Million from Ocean City Home BuilderRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Tammy Barcus, 56, of Berlin, Maryland, pled guilty to a three-count Information, charging her with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and tax evasion.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington D.C. Field Office.
Barcus, a former office manager and bookkeeper for an Ocean City-based home builder, admitted to embezzling at least $1,790,000 from her former employer. She forged a business owner’s signature on business checks at least 500 times. Barcus then concealed the embezzlement from her employer and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by making false entries into the business’ books and records.
In her guilty plea, Barcus acknowledged that she worked for the home builder as a trusted employee with substantial control over business records and financial accounts. As part of her daily job duties, Barcus had access to payment systems and accounting records that belonged to the home builder. She worked with a high degree of independence.
From 2016 through 2024, Barcus used her position of trust to embezzle money by issuing more than 500 fraudulently authorized checks from the home builder’s business bank account. Barcus forged the signature of one of the owners on the face of the business checks and then deposited the checks into bank accounts she controlled. She then used the money for her personal enrichment.
The former office manager and bookkeeper concealed the scheme by hiding the embezzled income from the IRS. She also made materially false and fraudulent edits and entries into the home builder’s internal accounting records to cover up the fraudulent payments and commingled the embezzled funds into a bank account she controlled.
Barcus is facing a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud, five years for tax evasion, and a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence for aggravated identity theft.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Judge Maddox set sentencing for Monday, February 9, 2026, at 10 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended IRS-CI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Murphy and Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry Gruber, who are prosecuting the federal case, and Paralegal Specialists Joanna B.N. Huber and Shelbe Mascaro, for their valuable assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Former HUD Property Manager Receives Five-Year Sentence for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Glenburn woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for embezzling from an organization receiving federal funds and conspiring to alter money orders.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Kelly Ballinger, 59, to 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Ballinger will also be ordered to pay restitution totaling approximately $1 million. Ballinger pleaded guilty on May 1, 2024.
According to court records, Ballinger was a former property manager for a Portland apartment complex with residences funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). From about October 2015 to June 2021, Ballinger stole rent payments made by HUD Housing Choice Voucher Program tenants. Ballinger would direct the tenants to pay their rent with a blank postal money order and then would place her name or that of her subordinate employee Kathleen Conway, 71, on the payee line, adding information such as “groceries” on the memo line to suggest the payments were reimbursements. In some instances, Ballinger would deflate the tenants’ income to as low as $0 so that HUD would pay a larger share of the rent to disguise shortfalls.
Kathleen Conway pleaded guilty to embezzlement and was sentenced on June 6, 2024, to two years of probation and ordered to pay $35,710 in restitution.
In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Woodcock observed that Ballinger was “able to concoct a scheme that avoided detection for years.” The court described her embezzlement as “calculated, deliberate, and devious.”
The HUD Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
“Ballinger and her co-conspirator preyed on the vulnerability of elderly and disabled individuals and altered income and expense documents to falsely increase HUD rental subsidies, which she then funneled to her personal bank account,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice with HUD OIG. “HUD OIG will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to diligently pursue and hold accountable bad actors who willfully misuse federal assets.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service routinely seeks prosecution of individuals like Kelly Ballinger, who swindled funds that were designated to support fellow community members with housing,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “Postal Inspectors, alongside HUD OIG, uncovered the fraud schemes employed by Ballinger and her co-conspirator, to conceal her activities and line her pockets. We will continue to support and collaborate with our federal law enforcement partners to stop those who are engaged in these types of schemes.”
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Former Children’s Physician Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Chicago, Illinois, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 48 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal law regarding the sexual exploitation of minors, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Ashok Panigrahy, 54. Judge Wiegand also ordered Panigrahy to pay a $25,000 fine, a $17,000 assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018 (AVAA), a $5,000 assessment pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA), and $10,000 in restitution to his minor victims.
According to information presented to the Court, from on or about November 21, 2022, through on or about November 22, 2022, Panigrahy knowingly possessed material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. At the time of his criminal conduct, Panigrahy was a children’s physician in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
The Sentencing Memo submitted by the United States explained the following: “The nature and circumstances of the Defendant’s offense is extremely serious. While Panigrahy did not possess a vast collection of child sexual abuse material, the circumstances of Panigrahy’s possession demonstrated that he obtained his material through online conversations on an encrypted platform with other like-minded individuals. The child sexual abuse material Panigrahy saved was all video content, which is arguably more egregious, and included some depictions of very young victims, including toddlers and prepubescent minors being sexually abused. Such conduct is unacceptable, period. However, it is more reprehensible when it is committed clandestinely by an individual who is entrusted with caring for children and is given privileged access to a facility dedicated to helping and treating children. Thus, beyond victimizing the children whose depictions of sexual abuse he possessed, the Defendant’s conduct represents a disturbing betrayal of trust to our community of children and their families in the Western District of Pennsylvania.”
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended Homeland Security Investigations (Pittsburgh and Chicago) for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Panigrahy.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Area Soccer Coach Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025.
James Kooima, age 47, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, five years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 in the amount of $5,000, a special assessment to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance in the amount of $7,500, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Upon release from federal prison, Kooima must register as a sex offender.
Kooima was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2024. He pleaded guilty on May 12, 2025.
The conviction stemmed from an incident in the winter of 2023, when Kooima used Snapchat to befriend a 14-year-old girl from Maine. He manipulated her into believing they were in a romantic relationship, then coerced her into creating and sending him sexually explicit videos and images of herself, including images in which she was using an object to penetrate her vagina.
“Online sexual predators are among the most serious threats to children and adolescents in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “Unfortunately, it is becoming almost commonplace to see adolescents targeted through applications like Snapchat and pressured into sending compromising photos and videos of themselves. We must remain vigilant in monitoring online activity and educating our children about the risks associated with social media.”
This case was investigated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Homeland Security Investigations, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and DCI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb 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.
Kooima was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Five San Fernando Valley Street Gang Affiliates Arrested on Federal Complaint Alleging Murder-for-Hire Plot Against Local Crime BossRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Five members and associates of the San Fernando Valley-based Vanowen Street Locos and Elmwood Rifa 13 gangs were arrested today on federal criminal complaints – four of them charged with taking part in a murder-for-hire plot targeting an Armenian Organized Crime boss but which instead resulted in his significant other getting shot and wounded in front of their two young children earlier this year.
The defendants arrested today are:
- Carlos Armando Ochoa Grimaldi, 47, a.k.a. “Spanky,” of Sylmar;
- Christopher Ayala, 29, a.k.a. “Hits,” of Sylmar;
- Edir De La Cruz, 34, a.k.a. “Temper,” of Van Nuys; and
- Maria de Jesus Mares, 39, a.k.a. “Mary Oceans,” of Van Nuys.
Also arrested on a complaint today was Vanowen Street Locos gang member Jose de Jesus Gonzalez, Jr., 49, a.k.a. “Listo,” of Llano, who is separately charged in connection with the August 2023 shooting of Vahan Harutyunyan, 49, of Hollywood, Florida, who is now in federal custody on kidnapping charges. Approximately five firearms, a silencer, firearm parts, and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition were seized during the search warrant services.
Grimaldi, Ayala, De La Cruz, and Mares are charged with use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. Gonzalez is charged with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
The defendants are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles.
According to affidavits filed with the complaints, Armenian Organized Crime, a Russian Mafia and Mexican Mafia-affiliated transnational criminal organization, has made Los Angeles County a center of its U.S. operations. Since 2022, two local leaders within the organization, also known as avtoritet, which in Russian means “authority,” allegedly have engaged in a power struggle for control in their territory, resulting in multiple assaults, murder attempts, and a kidnapping.
Robert Amiryan, 47, of Hollywood, an avtoritet, has been the target of an assault and attempted murders ordered by a rival avtoritet, Ara Artuni, 41, of Porter Ranch. Amiryan and Artuni are in federal custody after being charged earlier this year with a series of crimes and are scheduled to go on trial in December 2025 and August 2026, respectively.
Artuni is principally charged with ordering the murder of Amiryan on multiple occasions in 2023. In retaliation, Amiryan conspired with members of his own criminal organization to kidnap and torture one of Artuni’s associates in June 2023.
In early 2025, Grimaldi, Ayala, De La Cruz, and others began stalking Amiryan and renewed efforts to kill him. For example, in February 2025, Ayala informed De La Cruz that he and others were still working “on th[e] job” to kill Amiryan.
On March 14, 2025, Grimaldi and Vahagn Stepanyan, 40, of Burbank, shot and wounded Amiryan’s significant other as she arrived home in her car with their two children. Stepanyan is currently in federal custody and is charged with racketeering, fraud, and firearms offenses.
After the shooting, Mares called De La Cruz and reported that the “job [was] done,” and Stepanyan would pay her $50,000 for her role as the getaway driver, according to court documents. In the days afterward, Mares told De La Cruz, that she believed she would not be getting paid because “it was the wife not him.” Stepanyan ultimately paid Mares a reduced rate because Amiryan was not killed.
A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The Los Angeles Police Department Major Crimes Division – Transnational Organized Crime Section; the Burbank Police Department; Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) Northridge and Ventura offices; the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); IRS Criminal Investigation; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lyndsi Allsop and Kenneth R. Carbajal of the Major Crimes Section and Tara B. Vavere of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case. The Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section provided substantial assistance.
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.
Felon Sentenced to 36-Months in Daylight Shooting with an Illegal PistolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dewayne Keith Miles, 29, a convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 36-months in prison in connection with firing a gun in the air 13 times in a residential neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Miles pleaded guilty June 30 to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the 36-month prison term, Judge John D. Bates ordered Miles to serve 3 years of supervised release.
This prosecution comes under the auspices of Make D.C. Safe Again, a program that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
According to court documents, on March 15, 2025, about 3:30 p.m., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers were investigating a robbery on the 4400 block of E Street, SE.
Officers heard several gunshots and looked for their origin. On the 4600 block of Benning Road, SE, officers saw Miles holding a pistol above his head and firing the gun into the air.
Miles fled into a nearby building. At the same time, officers found 13 cartridge casings on the street. A short distance from casings by a curb, officers recovered a Smith & Wesson, SD9 pistol. A records check determined the handgun had been reported stolen.
Miles ultimately surrendered and police transported him to the Sixth District. In a search at the cell block, police discovered Miles had a live round of 9mm ammunition in his pocked, consistant with the ammo found at the scene of the shooting.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.
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Federal grand jury indicts Niagara Falls man on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Charles Barker, 70, of Niagara Falls, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, attempt to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life and a $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt I. Kass, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between June 11 and June 17, 2025, Barker conspired with others to receive large amounts of methamphetamine at his Niagara Falls residence and then sell the methamphetamine. On June 17, 2025, a search of Barker’s residence recovered large amounts of methamphetamine, along with drug paraphernalia and a large amount of cash. Barker also possessed a shotgun and ammunition. In April 2012, he was convicted of a felony in Niagara County Court and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Barker was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was released on home confinement.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco Ward, Boston Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Federal Jury Finds Charleston Man and Woman Guilty of Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After five days of trial, a federal jury convicted Tiwan Robert Bailey, also known as “Quick,” 49, and Carrie Roy, also known as “Carrie Ash,” 52, both of Charleston, on Monday, September 29, 2025, for their roles in a sex trafficking conspiracy that operated in the Charleston and Rand areas of Kanawha County.
Evidence at trial showed that between November 2023 and July 2024, Bailey trafficked four different female victims, including a 17-year-old girl, requiring each to engage in commercial sex acts and provide all they money they received to him. Bailey also obstructed the federal investigation of the sex trafficking conspiracy by seeking to interfere with any potential cooperation and testimony by the minor female victim. Bailey coerced his adult victims through threats and violence, including by sending them threatening voice messages through Facebook Messenger and physically beating and sexual assaulting them. Bailey supplied drugs to the victims who suffered from substance use disorders and withheld drugs from them as punishment.
Roy aided and abetted Bailey and conspired with him and others in the trafficking of the minor female. Roy also transported the three adult victims to and from meetings for commercial sex acts and collected money from these acts for Bailey.
Bailey became a fugitive after a warrant for his arrest was issued in the case on July 23, 2024. The United States Marshals Service (USMS) captured Bailey on January 17, 2025, in Lexington, Kentucky.
The jury found Bailey and Roy guilty of one count each of sex trafficking of a minor and conspiring to commit sex trafficking of a minor. The jury also found Bailey guilty of three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and one count of obstruction of justice.
Bailey and Roy are scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2026. Bailey faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison. Roy faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
“Bailey was particularly brutal in his mistreatment of the victims of this case, subjecting them to violent threats and assaults. Sex trafficking is a depraved crime of exploitation, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia is committed to delivering justice for the victims of sex trafficking,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “I commend the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Charleston Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office for their investigative work in this case, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the West Virginia Fusion Center for the assistance they provided. I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Jennifer D. Gordon and our trial team for securing guilty verdicts on all counts against Bailey and Roy.”
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the jury trial.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-118.
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Federal Detainee Sentenced for Possessing and Distributing Contraband Inside the Wyatt Detention CenterRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center detainee who admitted to participating in a conspiracy with several other individuals, including a now former correctional officer, to possess and distribute contraband inside the facility was sentenced today to federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Matthew Pizarro, 36, previously admitted to a federal judge that he conspired with another detainee and others outside the facility to arrange for the delivery and distribution of contraband that was delivered by now former Correctional Officer Kaii Almeida-Falcones of Smithfield.
Wyatt Detention Center video surveillance records show that on February 14, 2021, Correctional Officer Almeida-Falcone visited Pizarro’s cell for less than a minute after which Pizzaro then visited the cell of another detainee, Emmanuel Nolasco, 38, where he remained for less than a minute.
A strip search of Nolasco revealed a package containing suboxone strips while a search of Pizarro’s cell revealed a plastic bottle containing 4.5 grams of marijuana that was located inside Pizarro’s pillowcase.
The suboxone strips were sent to a lab and confirmed to be 201 strips, 5 of which were partial strips, containing buprenorphine, which is an ingredient in Suboxone, a Schedule III controlled substance.
Pizarro pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025, to one count each of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of Suboxone, and possession of contraband by an inmate. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to 60 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Kaii Almeida-Falcones was sentenced on November 14, 2024, to six months in federal prison to be followed by twenty-four months of supervised release - the first six months to be served on home confinement. He pleaded guilty on June 10, 2024, to the charge of providing contraband to an inmate.
Emmanuel Nolasco was sentenced on November 3, 2024, to forty-eight months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on June 20, 2023, to charges of possession with intent to distribute Suboxone, possession of contraband by an inmate, and possession with intent to distribute Suboxone.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr. and Ly T. Chin.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, the United States Marshals Service, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, and the Professional Standards Unit at the Wyatt Detention Center.
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Federal Correctional Officer Arrested for Sexual Abuse of A Federal Inmate and Receipt of A Bribe by A Public OfficialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Cornelius Alexander Thompson (38, Ocala) with one count of sexual abuse of a ward in federal custody and one count of receipt of a bribe by a public official. If convicted on all counts, Thompson faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Thompson that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $24,550, representing the proceeds of the bribery offense.
According to the indictment, Thompson was a public official and employed by the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, as a correctional officer at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Coleman). Between January 2020 and August 9, 2023, Thompson engaged in a sexual act with a federal inmate under Thompson’s custodial, supervisory, and disciplinary authority at the prison. Furthermore, between January 2020 and April 29, 2024, Thompson received money in return for being influenced to smuggle contraband into FCC Coleman. 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 is being investigated by the United States Department of Justice – Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
Dominican Authorities Extradite to the United States an International Drug Supplier Who Coordinated Local Distribution Through Encrypted Messaging AppsRead the Press Release
Dominican Authorities Extradite to the United States an International Drug Supplier Who Coordinated Local Distribution Through Encrypted Messaging Apps
CONCORD – A Dominican man has been extradited from the Dominican Republic and arrested in connection with his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl to New Hampshire residents, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Starlin Alexander Valdez De Los Santos, 35, was charged in a superseding indictment with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, specifically more than 40 grams of fentanyl. He appeared in federal court on September 30, 2025.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, during the course of the conspiracy, the defendant operated a significant drug distribution network, which involved coordination of suppliers and local distributors over an extended period and utilized sophisticated communication methods to avoid detection while residing outside the United States. The years-long investigation into the defendant’s activities resulted in the total seizure of more than 750 grams of fentanyl during eight undercover purchase operations in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Hudson Police Department provided valuable assistance. Valuable assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and law enforcement partners in the Dominican Republic in securing the arrest and extradition from the Dominican Republic of Valdez De Los Santos. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar Vega is prosecuting the case.
This effort 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).
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Cuban National Admits to Interstate Methamphetamine and Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Christian Mur-Santana, age 39, a Cuban national residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, pled guilty on Friday to conspiracy and methamphetamine distribution charges in connection with his distribution and possession with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement.
Mur-Santana admitted that between April and July 2023, he mailed several packages containing pure methamphetamine and fentanyl from Las Vegas to co-conspirator drug distributors in the Capital Region. During the conspiracy, Mur-Santana used the U.S. Mail to distribute more than five kilograms of methamphetamine and 10 grams of pressed pills containing fentanyl. In September 2023, law enforcement searched Mur-Santana’s Las Vegas residence and recovered approximately 391 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded 9mm pistol.
Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Christian Mur-Santana, while a guest in this country, repeatedly shipped deadly and addictive drugs, several thousand miles, to the Capital Region. He will now be serving at least 10 years in prison. Mailing highly toxic and lethal substances through the U.S. Mail places our Postal workers in danger. We will aggressively pursue abuse of our U.S. Mail system by dangerous criminals like Mur-Santana. I am grateful for and commend the outstanding investigative work of our federal law enforcement partners who worked this important case.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III stated: “The DEA remains committed to stopping the flow of dangerous substances, like methamphetamine and counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl, from reaching our towns and communities. Today’s plea is the result of the tireless work the DEA and our law enforcement partners do when targeting those who weaponize our mail system to traffic illicit narcotics and ensuring justice is delivered. We remain committed to targeting those responsible for fueling addiction and causing needless deaths from the poison they push.”
USPIS Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward stated: “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service takes very seriously any abuse of our nation’s mail system for criminal purposes. Today’s plea is the result of rigorous investigative work and demonstrates that the U.S. Mail is not a safe harbor for drug traffickers. We will continue to safeguard the integrity of the mail and support efforts to protect public health and safety.”
Mur-Santana was one of nine defendants to be charged in this investigation. The following defendants have pled guilty and have been sentenced or are pending sentencing:
- Todd Austin was sentenced to 78 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
- Andrew Deleon was sentenced to 72 months imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
- Stefanie Plass was sentenced to 24 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
- Ahmad Burke was sentenced to 14 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
- Flor Arencibia is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2025;
- Melissa Karwan is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2025; and
- Keisha Duboise is scheduled to be sentenced on January 7, 2026.
Charges against the remaining defendant, Felix Arencibia, are pending. The charges in the indictment against Felix Arencibia are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
At sentencing, Mur-Santana faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. He will be sentenced on January 23, 2026, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
These cases are being investigated by the DEA and USPIS. Assistant United States Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting the cases.
These cases are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Convicted felon going to prison on new child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Joshua Zak, 46, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison and 30 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Franz M. Wright and Colleen M. McCarthy, who handled the case, stated that in May 2018, Zak was convicted of receipt of child pornography and sentenced to serve 72 months in prison and 20 years supervised release, which began in May 2022. In March 2023, a United States Probation Officer interviewed Zak during a home visit, during which he admitted to using a smart phone that he found at his mother's residence to view pornography. Zak also admitted that he found an old SD card that was not located by law enforcement when he was previously arrested. A few days later, U.S. Probation met Zak at his mother's residence, where he led officers to a trash bag that contained several electronic devices, as well as an SD card. A review of the SD card recovered more than 600 images and videos of child pornography, some of which included depictions of violence against children.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Probation Office, under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Timothy Englert, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
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Civil Rights Division Files the First Department of Justice Affirmative Lawsuit in Support of Gun OwnersRead the Press Release
The Civil Rights Division today filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department due to their pattern or practice of infringing the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens seeking concealed carry weapons (CCW) permits. This lawsuit is the first affirmative lawsuit in support of gun owners filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. On March 27, 2025, the Division initiated the first-of-its-kind Second Amendment investigation due to numerous complaints of unreasonable delays in CCW permitting decisions by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. After analysis of data and documents spanning over 8,000 CCW permit applications, the Division today filed suit seeking relief on behalf of law-abiding applicants.
“The Second Amendment protects the fundamental constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Los Angeles County may not like that right, but the Constitution does not allow them to infringe upon it. This Department of Justice will continue to fight for the Second Amendment.”
“The Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit seeks to stop Los Angeles County’s egregious pattern and practice of delaying law-abiding citizens from exercising their right to bear arms.”
“Citizens living in high-crime areas cannot afford to wait to protect themselves with firearms while Los Angeles County dithers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “The right to bear arms is among the founding principles of our nation. It can and must be upheld.”
Shortly after Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon was sworn in to lead the Civil Rights Division, numerous complaints received by the Division revealed inexplicable delays well beyond California statutory requirements and in violation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Almost two months after receiving notice of the Division’s investigation, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department provided data and documents that revealed only two approvals from over 8,000 applications, and that the Sheriff’s Department set out interviews to approve licenses as far as two years after receiving the completed application. The lawsuit is filed within the Federal Central District of California.
This investigation was conducted by attorneys at the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys within the Central District of California’s U.S. Attorney Office.
If you or someone you know has applied for a concealed carry permit in Los Angeles or any jurisdiction within the United States and have not received a reply or decision within four months after applying, please email Community.2ndAmendmentCA@usdoj.gov. The mailbox is actively monitored by attorneys assigned to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.
Chinese national charged in international drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Chinese national illegally residing in the U.S. was charged by criminal complaint yesterday with participating in an international drug trafficking conspiracy that used a virtual mailbox service (VMS), including one in Wasilla, Alaska, to traffic large quantities of methamphetamine from Mexico into the U.S. and then to other countries, specifically New Zealand.
According to court documents, Zukai He, 42, entered the U.S. illegally in 2017 and was subject to an order of removal from September 2024. Court documents further allege that, while illegally living in the U.S., Zukai He allegedly stole personally identifiable information from a California resident to open an account at the Wasilla VMS. In January 2024, law enforcement officials obtained two parcels sent to the fraudulent VMS account that were ultimately destined for New Zealand and obtained federal search warrants to search the packages. Law enforcement officials found close to three kilograms of methamphetamine in the parcels. One parcel had drugs concealed inside a heat transfer stamping machine and the other had drugs concealed inside a 3D printer.
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska U.S. Attorney's Office, District of AlaskaIn May 2024, law enforcement officials further learned that U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) seized four parcels mailed from post offices in Phoenix, Arizona, that were destined for New Zealand. Each parcel contained over one kilogram of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officials identified a fifth similar parcel mailed from Arizona destined for New Zealand. CBP intercepted the parcel and discovered over one kilogram of methamphetamine.
Law enforcement officials identified Zukai He as the individual allegedly mailing the parcels containing drugs. In total, law enforcement seized over 10 kilograms of methamphetamine that Zukai He allegedly tried to traffic through the mail.
On Sept. 8, 2025, law enforcement officials executed a federal search warrant on Zukai He’s residence in California. Federal authorities arrested Zukai He and seized 14 cell phones, two laptops, 25 point-of-sale systems, over six kilograms of a substance consistent with methamphetamine, over $13,000 in cash and various financial documents. The financial documents included information for nine suspected shell or front businesses registered in California, Colorado, Maryland and New York. The businesses were in either Zukai He’s name or under names of victims whose identities were allegedly stolen.
Zukai He is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Zukai He is in federal custody and will make his initial court appearance on a later date before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces up to 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska, Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Seattle Division Office and Special Agent in Charge David Reames of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Seattle Field Division made the announcement.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service Anchorage Domicile and the DEA Seattle Field Division and Anchorage District Office are investigating the case with assistance from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephan Collins and Alana Weber are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime and drug trafficking. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Chester County Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Valuable Coins from Bank Safe Deposit BoxRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Richard DiStefano, 65, of Paoli, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage on one count of bank larceny.
DiStefano was charged by information with that offense earlier this month, arising from his theft of coins from the bank where the owning organization was keeping them.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, starting in July of 2017 and going through February 25, 2021, the defendant stole precious coins that were being stored in a safety deposit box at a Wells Fargo branch on the 100 block of South Broad Street.
In June of 2024, the FBI was notified that this theft had occurred. Subsequently, the FBI was able to obtain records showing that the defendant was the last person to have access to the safety deposit box.
In September of 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at the defendant’s address. During the execution of the search warrant, the defendant admitted to stealing the coins. The investigation showed that, over the course of years, the defendant had removed the coins from the safety deposit box and sold the coins at various auction houses. The coins’ appraised value was just over $1.6 million.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2026, and faces a maximum possible term of 10 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell.