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16 September 2025
Tango Blast gang member sentenced for firearm felonyRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 28-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been ordered to federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The court found documented Tango Blast gang member Kristian Ariel Garcia guilty as charged following a one-day bench trial Feb. 18.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Garcia to serve 70 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court considered the circumstances of his arrest and noted Garcia’s violent criminal history to include murder, burglary of a habitation, kidnapping and aggravated assault.
At the hearing, the court also heard additional evidence that Garcia had victimized his girlfriend after breaking into her house, kidnapping her and her 18-month-old daughter and holding them captive. Evidence showed he had drugged the baby to keep her quiet during the ordeal. Judge Ramos also considered the fact that Garcia has been convicted of murder after stabbing a woman to death.
“Violent felons like Mr. Garcia have no business possessing firearms,” Ganjei said. “This sentence sends a strong message to other felons—handle a firearm and we will hand you a prison term.”
On Jan. 9, 2021, authorities conducted a traffic stop because Garcia was driving without headlights. Before stopping, Garcia handed the gun to his then girlfriend and instructed her to hide it.
As law enforcement recovered the weapon, they discovered blood and organic matter on the slide. The investigation revealed that less than 24 hours earlier, Garcia had used the firearm to assault a man while stealing his cellphone.
At trial, the court heard that Garcia had previous felonies at the time he had the firearm. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Corpus Christi Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Peña prosecuted the case.
Suburban Chicago Man Indicted on Federal Healthcare Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been indicted on federal healthcare fraud charges for allegedly submitting more than $17.3 million in fraudulent claims to a private insurer.
SHAWN BASHIR created fictitious entities called Success for Kids and Growing Kids Therapy, which purportedly provided early intervention services to children. From 2019 to 2025, Bashir submitted and caused to be submitted false and fraudulent claims from those entities to a private insurer for therapy services that had not actually been provided, according to an indictment unsealed Friday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Bashir submitted and caused the submission of approximately $17.3 million in false and fraudulent claims, causing the private insurer to pay at least $1.4 million for services that were not provided, the indictment states.
The indictment charges Bashir, 39, of Grayslake, Ill., with eight counts of healthcare fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Bashir pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment on Friday in federal court in Chicago. A status hearing was scheduled for Nov. 12, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis.
The charges against Bashir mark the first indictment returned by the newly created Healthcare Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago. U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros created the Section last month to bring greater focus, efficiency, and impact to one of the Department of Justice’s top fraud enforcement priorities. The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged nearly $2 billion in alleged healthcare fraud schemes since Mr. Boutros became U.S. Attorney in April 2025.
The indictment against Bashir was announced by U.S. Attorney Boutros and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Megan Howell, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and Kelli Hammerl, Acting Regional Director of the Chicago Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Irene Hickey Sullivan.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
bashir_indictment.pdfSt. Helena Man Ordered to Pay $15K into Wildlife Conservation Fund for Trafficking Sperm Whale PartsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Lauren Deloach, 69, of St. Helena, has been sentenced to 30 days of home confinement and a $15,000 fine for violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Lacey Act.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Deloach illegally imported, sold, and possessed sperm whale teeth and bones from September 2021, through September 2024. Deloach knew importing and selling these whale parts was illegal and would falsely label shipments with these products to avoid detection from law enforcement. The Government provided the court with two sperm whale teeth and one whale ear bone, which were among the approximately 47 whale teeth and two whale ear bones that Deloach had previously surrendered to law enforcement prior to his guilty plea.
The sperm whale is native to U.S. waters in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and weighs up to 45 tons. It can grow 52 feet and live 60 years. The sperm whale population was decimated by the commercial whaling industry from 1800 to 1987. Studies have shown that these highly socialized animals communicate over great distances and associate in clans defined by the dialect pattern of their sonar clicks.
The Government advocated for a substantial fine to be paid to the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, also known as the Lacey Act Reward Fund. United States District Judge David C. Norton agreed and imposed a $15,000 fine on Deloach to be paid to the Lacey Act Reward Fund to serve as a deterrent and assist future wildlife trafficking investigations. Judge Norton also sentenced Deloach to 30 days home confinement and two years of probation.
This case was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle E. Klein and Winston D. Holliday, Jr. and Department of Justice, Environmental Crimes Section, Trial Attorney Ryan C. Connors are prosecuting the case.
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Slidell Man Sentenced to 12 Months and One Day in Prison for Machine Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on September 11, 2025, CUONG QUOC TRAN (“TRAN”), age 39, of Slidell, La, was sentenced, by United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe, for possession of a machine gun, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 922(o). He was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison, one-year of supervised release, a $10,000 fine and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on January 5, 2022, the Coast Guard Cutter Tiger Shark intercepted a fishing vessel named the “Lucky Jean” approximately four nautical miles from Southwest Pass, and within the jurisdictional limits of the Eastern District of Louisiana. During their safety search, Coast Guard personnel found multiple rifles capable of fully automatic fire. The captain of the vessel, TRAN, was subsequently interviewed by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). TRAN admitted to possessing seven weapons found on the vessel which he had converted into weapons capable of being fully automatic, in other words, a machine gun. ATF subsequently tested the weapons, and determined them to be fully automatic.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Sioux Falls Man with History of Eluding Local Police Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment. The sentencing took place on September 15, 2025.
Boru Guye Wako, Jr., 39, was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Wako was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment by a federal grand jury in November 2023. He was found guilty following a two-day jury trial on July 1, 2025.
The conviction stemmed from an incident in Sioux Falls, SD, on March 8, 2023, when the Sioux Falls Police Department received a report of a stolen vehicle last seen driven by Wako. When detectives with the Sioux Falls Violent Crime Unit located Wako in the stolen vehicle, they attempted to initiate a traffic stop. Rather than comply, Wako fled in the vehicle through a residential neighborhood, later abandoning the vehicle in an alleyway. As the detectives approached Wako a second time, he fled on foot, eventually escaping by stealing a second vehicle. Detectives then searched the first vehicle from which Wako fled and discovered a firearm in the driver’s side door. Later analysis revealed Wako’s DNA on the firearm. Having previously been convicted of a felony, and at the time being under indictment for a separate felony, Wako is prohibited from possessing firearms.
“This case is the result of powerful partnerships between local and federal law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “For nearly three years now, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has worked with the Sioux Falls Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to charge local violent offenders with federal firearm offenses whenever possible. Through federal prosecution, we have been removing violent offenders from the streets of Sioux Falls for significant periods of time, interrupting violence and keeping our community safe.”
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen and U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell prosecuted the case.
Wako was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Seven-time felon imprisoned for unlawfully reentering the U.S. and drunkenly firing a weaponRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 39-year-old Mexican national with a felony criminal history has been sentenced for illegally reentering the country without authorization following a felony theft conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Manuel Albert Aragon-Hernandez pleaded guilty July 1.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Aragon-Hernandez to serve 44 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard evidence that after unlawfully reentering the United States, Aragon-Hernandez had fired a weapon while intoxicated. Authorities also found him in possession of narcotics. In handing down the sentence, the court took into consideration that Aragon-Hernandez has been in custody for narcotics offenses since 2023.
“If you illegally reenter the United States after being removed or deported, you are going be imprisoned and then sent home again,” Ganjei said. “Save yourself the trouble—and the prison time—by just staying home in the first place.”
Aragon-Hernandez has convictions for failure to identify with intent to give false information and theft from a person as well as three prior convictions for illegal entry and two for possession of a controlled substance.
He was first removed from the country Sept. 14, 2010, and returned illegally three times. While in the country after illegally reentering the last time, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a speeding vehicle he was driving and found him in possession of methamphetamine and marijuana. Immigration authorities ultimately encountered him April 2.
Aragon-Hernandez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation along with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Wirsing prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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.
Seven Charged with Kidnapping ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Seven Massachusetts men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly conspiring to kidnap and torture a victim in February 2025.
The following defendants have been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of obstruction of justice by tampering with a witness, victim, or informant by physical force or threat. Two additional unnamed defendants were also charged.
- Brian Cardoso, a/k/a “B,” 33, of Dorchester;
- Marcus Castaldi, a/k/a “Skino,” 29, of Revere;
- Melvin Coleman, a/k/a “Mel,” 34, of Roxbury;
- Anthony Lima, a/k/a “YT,” 37, of Quincy; and
- Samuel Alouidor, 27, of Dorchester.
On April 22, 2025, Cardoso was charged by criminal complaint in connection with the alleged offenses.
According to charging documents, Cardoso has been identified as a member/associate of NOB, a Dorchester-based street gang. NOB – an abbreviation for the Norton/Olney/Barry streets in Dorchester – is alleged to be a violent criminal enterprise whose members and associates are involved in numerous types of criminal activities, including murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, robberies, firearm offenses and other violent crimes.
It is alleged that, on Feb. 27, 2025, the kidnappers, with masks concealing their faces, assaulted the victim outside his home in Quincy and forced the victim at gunpoint into the passenger seat of the victim’s vehicle. The masked kidnappers allegedly drove the victim to a garage in Saugus where they demanded ransom from the victim, held the victim at gunpoint, threatened to kill the victim and beat, burned and assaulted the victim.
The kidnappers allegedly used the victim’s cell phone to videocall the victim’s contacts, including the victim’s spouse, to demand ransom. It is alleged that during these videocalls, the kidnappers displayed their torture of the victim. Some of the defendants allegedly picked up ransom from the victim’s spouse and an acquaintance of the victim.
The kidnappers allegedly obtained approximately $4,000 in cash from the victim as well as the victim’s credit and debit cards, and a total of $18,000 in cash and a Rolex watch from the victim’s spouse and an acquaintance of the victim whom the kidnappers had video called. The kidnappers then allegedly drove the victim back to Quincy and released the victim in the early morning hours of Feb. 28, 2025.
“The conduct alleged in this case is nothing short of barbaric. These defendants allegedly inflicted unimaginable suffering, not only on the victim but on his loved ones. Such lawless depravity is an affront to every value we stand for and it will not be tolerated in our communities,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Today’s arrests make clear that the law – not violence and intimidation – will have the final word, and those who commit such savage crimes will face the full weight of the federal justice system.”
“Today’s arrests by FBI Boston’s Violent Crimes Task Force ensures the men behind these alleged heinous acts of violence are brought to justice for what they’ve done and prevents them from terrorizing anyone else. What they’re accused of doing is nothing short of a terrifying nightmare brought to life; forcing a victim into their car at gunpoint and driving to a garage where the victim was beaten, burned, tortured, and used as a human bargaining chip for ransom,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Our goal is to provide some measure of justice for the victim in this case, and work with our partners to eradicate the drivers of violent crime in our communities.”
The charge of conspiracy to commit kidnapping provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of obstruction of justice by tampering with a witness, victim, or informant by physical force or threat provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three 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.
U.S. Attorney Foley and FBI SAC Docks made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; and the Quincy, Boston, Central Falls (R.I.), Everett, Wellesley, Braintree, Revere, Somerville, Malden and Dedham Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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.
Save our Seniors efforts results in eight arrestsRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that an effort known as Save our Seniors, which targets defendants who prey on and defraud senior citizens, has resulted in the arrest of eight defendants in seven different criminal complaints. The defendants are responsible for over $11,053,989 in actual and attempted losses, impacting over 139 victims, many here in the Western District of New York (WDNY). Named in the seven criminal complaints are:
Dhruv Patel, 34, of Franklin Park, NJ, is charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering, and transportation of stolen money in interstate commerce and conspiracy to transport stolen money in interstate commerce, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. According to the complaint against Patel, he was caught attempting to pick up $567,000 worth of gold bars from an elderly woman in the WDNY, who fell victim to a customer support scam. Just weeks before, he was arrested in the Northern District of New York while trying to pick up $48,000 from another elderly victim, who also fell victim to a customer support scam. Patel also allegedly acted as a middleman between fraudsters and couriers, arranging for pickups to take place around the country. Patel is accused of defrauding at least 12 victims out of more than $9,100,000. Patel is currently serving a sentence of probation for a state fraud conviction.
Stephen Odiboh, 53, of Stone Mountain, GA, is charged with mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. According to the complaint against Odiboh, he received money from an elderly woman in the WDNY who fell victim to a romance scam. The victim lost over $175,000, with Odiboh personally receiving $70,000. Odiboh then laundered that money. He was previously convicted of money laundering in the Southern District of New York was on supervised release when he laundered the victim’s money. Odiboh was also previously convicted of Forgery in the third degree in Gwinett County Superior Court, Gwinett, Georgia. He is accused of victimizing individuals, with losses and attempted losses totaling $356,525.
Renee Thompson, 52, of North Lauderdale, FL, is charged with bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carry which carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. According to the complaint against Thompson, she created 17 counterfeit checks totaling $193,167 from a company in the WDNY, deposited them into her own checking account, and laundered the funds. The investigation revealed that she also deposited approximately $7,000 in counterfeit checks from a second company. Thompson was issued a “money mule letter,” which warns a person that they are laundering fraudulent proceeds through their accounts and can be charged with a crime if they do not stop. Despite receiving that warning, Thompson continued to launder money through her bank account, with losses and attempted losses totaling $234,485.22. She was previously convicted of bank embezzlement in the Southern District of Florida.
Christopher Hernandez, 29, of North Bergen, is charged with possession and transfer of fraudulent identification documents and conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, computer fraud and conspiracy to commit computer fraud, and money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison and a maximum of 15 years. According to the complaint against Hernandez, he was part of a conspiracy that hacked into the retirement account of a victim located in the WDNY and stole $175,000 from her, which he then deposited into his own bank account and dispersed the proceeds. The investigation also discovered that Hernandez is manufacturing and selling identification documents and bank cards using stolen personally identifiable information. One of the victims whose name and information was used to create a fake license and bank card resides in the WDNY. Hernandez is accused of losses and attempted losses totaling $265,800.89. Hernandez has an extensive criminal history that includes convictions in City of Mary’s, Pennsylvania, for Felony Access Device Fraud and Felony Identity Theft; Bronx County Supreme Court for Attempted Possession of a Forged Instrument-2nd Degree; Credit Card Crime-CR Card Theft-4th Degree in Hudson County Superior Court; and Hudson County, New Jersey, for Aggravated Assault-Knowingly Pointing a Firearm-4th Degree.
Touhedul Tuhin, 24, and Iftekhar Latif Nieon, 23, both of Kent, OH, are charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. According to the complaint against Tuhin and Nieon, they collected $40,000 from an elderly resident in the WDNY, who fell victim to a scam in which the perpetrators posed as Federal Trade Commission (FTC) agents; $38,000 from an 81-year-old resident of the WDNY, who fell victim to a scam in which the perpetrators posed as tech support (tech support scam); $19,500 from an elderly victim in the WDNY who fell victim to a tech support scam; and $28,000 from an elderly resident of the WDNY who fell victim to a tech support scam. The defendants, who are both in the United States on student visas, are accused of taking money from several other elderly victims in other jurisdictions including $15,000 from an elderly victim in Ohio. Tuhin and Nieon are accused of losses and attempted losses totaling $276,000.
Elias Circle, 23, of Rossford, OH, is charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. According to the complaint against Circle, he and his co-conspirators sent email solicitations to elderly victims and falsely represented that they were writing on behalf of a government agency that was responsible for distributing restitution to victims. Between 2017 and 2024, Circle fraudulently induced an elderly resident of the WDNY to send him payments totaling approximately $600,000.
Estermarie Jones, 35, of Rochester, NY, is charged with conspiracy, altering a postal money order, identification document fraud, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud and conspiracy to commit access device fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carry mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison. According to the complaint against Jones, she obtained approximately 50 $1.00 Postal Money Orders, altered them to increase their value to $1,000, and then deposited (or attempted to deposit) them. In addition, she used the names and other personally identifiable information of eight other victims to create fraudulent driver’s licenses with her own photograph, which she then used to open bank accounts, register two businesses with the Monroe County Clerk’s Office, fraudulently endorse checks, register for and pay utilities for her residence, and withdraw money from a victim bank account. Jones allegedly possessed approximately 31 fraudulent or stolen identification cards, four fraudulent or stolen Social Security cards, and 65 fraudulent or stolen bank cards. Jones is accused of losses and attempted losses totaling $190,032.
“These cases should send a loud and clear message that if you prey on the senior citizens of our community, no matter where you are in the country, we will identify, arrest and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,” stated U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “Too often, many seniors fall victim to these fraudsters, who don’t think twice about taking advantage of our parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles. It’s important that we all consistently remind the seniors in our lives to reach out to a loved one or friend if they think they could be the victim of a scam.”
Save our Seniors (SOS) in a working group founded in April 2025. It’s comprised of members of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, Secret Service, New York State Police, the Monroe County Sherriff’s Office, the Rochester Police Department, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and Lifespan of Greater Rochester Inc.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire. Additional assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida, the Northern District of Georgia, the District of New Jersey, and the Northern District of Ohio.
If you or someone you know is asked to do any of these things mentioned in the above case, you are dealing with a fraudster, and you should do the following immediately:
- Do not send any more money
- Save copies of your communications, receipts, bank records, etc.
- Call your local police department or sheriff’s office, the New York State Police, or the FBI
- Submit a complaint online at IC3.gov
In addition, an individual employed by the federal government will never:
- Tell you to withdraw any of your money from your bank accounts.
- Ask you to convert your money to gold bars or some other form of currency.
- Come to your house or meet you at a predetermined location and take money from you.
- Ask you to wire money to an account.
- Ask you to send money via CashApp, Zelle, Apple Pay, or any other peer-to-peer platform.
- Ask you to send cryptocurrency.
- Ask you to buy gift cards and send them (either by mailing the physical cards or by scratching them off and sending pictures of the redemption information).
- Tell you they need remote access to your computer or any of your accounts.
- Ask you for your social security number, bank account information, or any other sensitive information over phone or email.
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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Roanoke Home Health Care Attendant Pleads Guilty to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A home health care attendant pled guilty today to fraudulently billing Medicaid for services she did not provide.
Vicki Lynn Dowdy, 55, of Roanoke, Virginia, pled guilty today to healthcare fraud. At sentencing, Dowdy faces up to 10 years in federal prison. In addition, Dowdy was ordered to pay $24,760 in restitution to the Virginia Medicaid program.
According to court documents, Dowdy was hired as a home health attendant (HHA) to provide home health care and respite care services to Medicaid recipients in the greater Roanoke region. Specifically, Dowdy was contracted to provide home health care and respite care services to two recipients of Medicaid, Individual 1 and Individual 2.
From January 16, 2021 through March 30, 2022, Dowdy submitted fraudulent timesheets and billed Medicaid for 1,970.5 hours of personal home health care and respite services that were not rendered to Individual 1 and Individual 2.
As a result, Medicaid issued $24,760 in total payment to Dowdy for services she never performed.
Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares made the announcement.
The Virginia Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the United States Department of Health and Human Services is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlene R. Day and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Terry, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, are prosecuting the case.
Richmond, Vermont Man Charged with Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Kenneth Beane, 37, of Richmond, Vermont, has been charged by criminal complaint with Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials. On September 8, 2025, Beane appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. A detention hearing was held on September 9, 2025, during which the government requested Beane be held pending trial, due to his prior federal conviction for possession of child sexual abuse materials (“CSAM”) and his prior violations of release conditions that included unapproved contacts with minors. Magistrate Judge Doyle denied the government’s motion and ordered Beane released on conditions that included location monitoring, not having contact with children, and avoiding places where children are likely to congregate.
According to court records, in July of 2025, Homeland Security Investigations began investigating a person who was sharing CSAM materials on a peer-to-peer network involving sexual assaults of prepubescent children. The IP address for the person sharing the materials led investigators to a residence in Richmond, Vermont which was determined to be Beane’s home. On September 8, 2025, HSI and members of the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force executed a federal search warrant at Beane’s Richmond apartment. Inside the apartment, law enforcement found a hand-held tablet on which CSAM materials were located.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Beane is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Due to his prior conviction, Beane faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years of imprisonment and a maximum sentence of up to 20 years of imprisonment, if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Merrimack County (New Hampshire) Sheriff’s Office, and the Vermont ICAC Task Force. Acting U.S. Attorney Drescher also thanked the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the Richmond, Vermont Police Department for their assistance.
The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys David Golubock and Jonathan Ophardt. Beane is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Richland County Man Sentenced for Possession of Illegal DrugsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — William Justin Marshall, 43, of Columbia, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that a deputy with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department made a traffic stop on a car in which Marshall was a passenger. During the stop, a K-9 officer alerted to the car. The car was searched, and the deputy found a digital scale with a heavy white residue consistent with crack cocaine. The substance field tested positive for cocaine. Both the driver and Marshall denied ownership and were charged with possession of crack cocaine and taken to a field office for processing.
While in processing, Marshall became defensive and would not allow the officers to do a complete search of him. Marshall then asked to be taken to the hospital. At the hospital, police removed his shoes and found multiple bags containing fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
United States District Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Marshall to 120 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.
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Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Sentenced to Six Years in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Admiral Robert P. Burke (USN-Ret.), 62, of Coconut Creek, Florida, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 72 months in prison in connection with accepting future employment at a government vendor in exchange for awarding that company a government contract, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Following a five-day trial, a federal jury found Burke guilty on May 19 of conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, performing acts affecting a personal financial interest, and concealing material facts from the United States. In addition to the six-year prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered Burke to serve three years of supervised release, to pay $322,850 in restitution, and to pay $86,748.08 in forfeiture.
Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Stanley A. Newell of the DoD Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Transnational Operations Field Office, and Assistant Director in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division.
“Integrity — not cash — is the currency of public service. Admiral Burke rose to the pinnacle of the U.S. Navy, entrusted with leadership and honor. But instead of leading by example, he cashed in that trust — turning four stars into dollar signs and trading duty for a corporate payday,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message: if you sell your honor and trade your influence, you’ll pay the price — in prison time.”
“No individual, regardless of rank or prior service, is above the law,” said Special Agent in Charge Newell of the DCIS. “The actions uncovered in this investigation represent a serious breach of the public trust and dishonor the values of integrity and accountability that military service demands. DCIS remains committed to ensuring that corruption of this nature is met with consequences.”
“Any individual involved in corrupting Department of the Navy acquisitions will be held accountable, regardless of rank or position,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS remains steadfast in bringing those to justice who commit crimes that erode public trust in the Department of the Navy’s procurement process.”
"When Burke awarded a contract to Kim and Messenger's company in exchange for future employment, he put himself ahead of thousands of civilian and military personnel serving under his command," said Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division. "As today's sentencing demonstrates, the FBI remains committed to bringing government officials — even four-star admirals — to justice when they abuse their positions of power for personal gain."
According to court documents and as the evidence proved at trial, from 2020 to 2022, Burke was a four-star Admiral who oversaw U.S. naval operations in Europe, Russia, and most of Africa, and commanded thousands of civilian and military personnel.
Burke’s co-defendants, Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger, were the co-CEOs of a company (Company A) and provided a workforce training pilot program to a small component of the Navy from August 2018 through July 2019. The Navy terminated that contract with Company A in late 2019 and directed Company A not to contact Burke directly about contracting actions.
Despite the Navy’s instructions, the co-defendants met with Burke in Washington, D.C., in July 2021, to reestablish Company A’s business relationship with the Navy. At the meeting, the co-defendants agreed that Burke would use his position as a Navy Admiral to steer a contract to Company A in exchange for future employment at the company. They further agreed that Burke would later use his official position to influence other Navy officers to award another contract to Company A to train a large portion of the Navy with a value one of the co-defendants allegedly estimated to be in the “triple digit millions.”
In December 2021, Burke ordered his staff to award a $355,000 contract to Company A to train personnel under Burke’s command in Italy and Spain. Company A performed the training in January 2022. Thereafter, Burke promoted Company A in a failed effort to convince another senior Navy Admiral to award another contract to Company A. To conceal the scheme, Burke made several false and misleading statements to the Navy, including by falsely implying that Company A’s employment discussions with Burke only began months after the contract was awarded and omitting the truth on his required government ethics disclosure forms.
In October 2022, Burke began working at Company A at a yearly starting salary of $500,000 and a grant of 100,000 stock options.
This case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca G. Ross for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Trevor Wilmot and former Trial Attorney Kathryn Fifield. It was investigated and indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein.
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Reliance Man, Seventh in a Large-Scale Conspiracy, Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine in the Pierre AreaRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man from Reliance, South Dakota, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on September 15, 2025.
Heath Choal, age 51, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was further ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Choal was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. He pleaded guilty on June 2, 2025.
This conviction stemmed from a drug distribution conspiracy beginning in June 2023 and continuing until September 2024. Choal would obtain methamphetamine from his codefendants Misty and Heather Stahlhoefer, who were the sources of supply to several other individuals in the Pierre area. The Stahlhoefers would acquire up to one pound of methamphetamine per trip to be further distributed by themselves and others including Choal, Whitney Marrowbone, Wendy Mealer, Brent Larvie, and David Rinehart. The conspiracy involved between 30 and 35 pounds of methamphetamine.
The co-defendants who were earlier sentenced to federal prison are as follows:
- Misty Stahlhoefer was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison.
- Heather Stahlhoefer was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison.
- Marrowbone was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison.
- Mealer was sentenced to six years in federal prison.
- Larvie was sentenced to four years and six months in federal prison.
- Rinehart was sentenced to two years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Pierre Police Department, the Chamberlain Police Department, and the Lyman County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges.
Choal was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Raleigh County Man Sentenced to Prison for COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Ryan Keith Bailey, 47, of Beaver, was sentenced today to one year and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,134,900 in restitution for theft of government money. Bailey obtained $2,166,517.40 in loans through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for his business and instead converted nearly all the proceeds for his personal use.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 20, 2020, Bailey applied for a $166,517.40 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan available under the CARES Act on behalf of his business, RKB Inc. Guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA), PPP loans were a source of emergency financial assistance provided by the CARES Act to Americans suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bailey certified that he would use the PPP loan proceeds only for permissible expenses, specifically to maintain payroll and cover mortgage interest, lease, and utility costs. Bailey’s PPP loan application was approved and $166,517.40 was deposited into the RKB Inc. business checking account on May 1, 2020.
Between May 1 and May 19, 2020, Bailey transferred $160,000 of the PP loan proceeds to his personal bank accounts and a personal brokerage account, using those proceeds for his personal benefit. As part of his guilty plea, Bailey admitted that his certification was false and that only $6,517.00 of the PPP loan proceeds were spent for RKB Inc.’s legitimate business expenses.
Loan forgiveness was allowed under the PPP program when proceeds went solely to eligible purposes. On November 30, 2020, Bailey falsely certified that the PPP loan proceeds were used only on permissible expenses when he applied to have RKB Inc.’s loan forgiven. The SBA ultimately forgave $157,456.50 of the $166,517.40 PPP loan for RKB Inc.
Bailey also admitted to relevant criminal conduct as part of his guilty plea. Bailey obtained an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) for RKB Inc. from the SBA on January 6, 2021, and later successfully applied several times to increase its amount from $150,000 to the maximum allowable amount of $2,000,000. The CARES Act authorized the SBA to provide EIDL program loans of up to $2 million to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruption because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bailey admitted that he transferred over $1,974,900 of the EIDL proceeds to his personal bank accounts, his personal brokerage account, and a cryptocurrency exchange platform for his own personal benefit.
Bailey paid $192,000 of the court-ordered restitution in advance of today’s sentencing. The United States has also frozen assets of Bailey totaling $1,348,249.81.
“This defendant stole more than $2.1 million in taxpayer funds for his own personal benefit. Today’s sentence shows that this office will use all available means to bring those who commit such crimes to justice and recover their fraudulent gains,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “Prosecuting these schemes protects the contributions of hard-working Americans, preserves confidence in government relief programs, and ensures that aid from those programs reaches those who truly need it. I commend the excellent investigative work of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG), the United States Secret Service, the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU), and since-retired Litigation Financial Analyst Steve Rowley from this office.”
NASA OIG is an active member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes prosecuted the case with assistance from Asset Forfeiture Assistant United States Attorney Justin Marlowe.
Bailey’s brother, Ross Jay Bailey, 50, of Cool Ridge, pleaded guilty on June 2, 2025, to theft of government money. Ross Jay Bailey obtained a $2 million loan through the CARES Act for his business and instead converted at least $1.4 million of the proceeds for his personal enrichment. Ross Jay Bailey is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12, 2025.
Mark William Bailey, 53, of Beckley and a cousin of Ross Jay Bailey and Ryan Keith Bailey, pleaded guilty on September 8, 2023, to theft of government monies, admitting he stole approximately $451,237.51 in SBA loans he obtained through the CARES Act. On October 25, 2024, Mark William Bailey was sentenced to five years of federal probation, including one year on home detention, and paid $451,237.51 in restitution and an additional $451,237.98 as a civil penalty to settle False Claims Act allegations.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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 Nos. 5:24-cr-106.
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Queens Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in A Conspiracy to Act as an Illegal Agent of the Chinese Government in the United StatesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced today that YUANJUN TANG, a naturalized citizen of the United States and resident of Flushing, Queens, pled guilty to conspiring to act in the United States as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) before U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl. TANG will be sentenced on January 29, 2026.
“For years, Yuanjun Tang abused the trust he had gained among pro-democracy activists in New York City and around the United States by secretly accepting tasks from Chinese intelligence officers and reporting on persons of interest to the PRC and events conducted in support of democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Tang’s covert operations violated our nation’s sovereignty and threatened the security of New Yorkers exercising their fundamental rights to free speech and free association. Tang’s plea today illustrates our profound commitment to protecting American ideals from malign foreign influence.”
“Today, Yuanjun Tang admitted that, for years, he willingly acted on orders of the Chinese government to report on the constitutionally protected activities of US-based Chinese dissidents,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “Tang's betrayal of the ideals of the US to help the Chinese government repress pro-democracy activists goes against the very values he claimed to promote. The FBI will continue to defend the freedoms enshrined in our Constitution and bring to justice anyone willing to break the law by illegally acting on behalf of a hostile foreign nation.”
As alleged in public court filings, statements at public court proceedings, and the charging documents in the case:
TANG is a former PRC citizen who was imprisoned in the PRC for his activities as a dissident opposing the one-party authoritarian political system controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (“CCP”), the PRC’s sole ruling party, including during the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations. In 2002, TANG defected to Taiwan, and he was subsequently granted political asylum in the U.S. He has since resided continuously in New York City, where he has regularly participated in events with fellow PRC dissidents and leads a nonprofit dedicated to promoting democracy in China.
Between at least 2018 and June 2023, TANG acted in the U.S. as an agent of the PRC by gathering information and completing tasks at the direction of the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (“MSS”), which is the PRC’s principal civilian intelligence agency. The MSS is responsible for, among other things, the PRC’s foreign intelligence, counterintelligence, espionage, and political security functions.
Specifically, TANG regularly received instructions from and reported to an MSS intelligence officer regarding individuals and groups viewed by the PRC as potentially adverse to the PRC’s interests, including prominent U.S.-based Chinese democracy activists and dissidents. This included providing the MSS information about specific individuals identified by the MSS as persons of interest, as well as naming, photographing, and recording individuals participating in pro-democracy activities in the U.S. TANG provided the MSS a range of additional information, such as contact information belonging to immigration lawyers based in New York City and details about the process for gaining political asylum in the U.S.
TANG accepted monetary payments for his work and traveled at least three times to Macau and mainland China for face-to-face meetings with MSS intelligence officers, during which he submitted to polygraphs and questioning. During one of these meetings, he allowed the MSS to install an application on one of his cellphones to facilitate the instantaneous transmission of photographs and other information from his phone to the MSS and accepted a laptop for use in communicating with the MSS.
TANG used a large number of electronic devices and online services to collect or transmit information on behalf of the MSS. Law enforcement agents recovered specific instructions TANG received from the MSS, including via encrypted methods, as well as photographs, videos, and documents that TANG collected or created for transmission to the MSS. TANG not only provided the MSS information about specific individuals and events but also helped the MSS infiltrate a group chat on an encrypted messaging application used by numerous U.S.-based PRC dissidents and pro-democracy activists to communicate about pro-democracy issues and express criticism of the PRC government.
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TANG, 68, of Flushing, Queens, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Division, and thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Yumi Chong is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Sean O’Dowd of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced for Role in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 18 months of imprisonment on his conviction of conspiring to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Cayce Williams, 23, of the Allentown neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
According to information presented to the Court, between March 2024 and July 2024, Williams participated in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, both scheduled controlled substances, by functioning as a redistributor of street-level amounts of the drugs.
Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine C. Jordan and Kelly M. Locher prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Williams.
This prosecution is 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.
Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to fentanyl and heroin trafficking and violating federal firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Antonio Arrington, 23, of the Allentown neighborhood of Pittsburgh pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan to conspiring to distribute and possession with intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl and heroin and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a felon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, between March 2024 and July 2024, Arrington participated in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin, both scheduled controlled substances, by functioning as a redistributor of street-level amounts of the drugs. In April 2024, law enforcement recovered a loaded stolen firearm from Arrington’s vehicle. Arrington has multiple prior felony convictions involving drug trafficking and firearms. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for January 15, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine C. Jordan and Kelly M. Locher are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and City of Duquesne Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Arrington.
This prosecution is 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.
Pinellas Park Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Samuel Rinehart (58, Pinellas Park) to 9 years in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Rinehart will also be required to register as a sex offender and pay $27,000 in restitution. The court ordered Rinehart to forfeit approximately 50 electronic devices and 2 plastic sex dolls, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Rinehart pleaded guilty on May 29, 2025.
According to court documents, Rinehart used file-sharing software to download and possess more than 600 images and videos of CSAM, which included depictions of young children and sado-masochistic abuse towards children.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King.
This case was 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 and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pine Hills Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Firearm as Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton has sentenced Ellie Edward Dulaire (27, Orlando) to six years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Dulaire is currently serving a sentence in the Florida Department of Corrections. His federal sentence will commence on October 9, 2026, when the state sentence is scheduled to end. The court also ordered Dulaire to forfeit a Smith & Wesson firearm and ammunition, which were used in the offense. Dulaire pleaded guilty on June 24, 2025.
According to court documents, on January 23, 2022, Dulaire was observed at the Florida Gun Show by a deputy from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy recognized Dulaire from a prior case and knew that he was wanted on an arrest warrant from Lake County. After making contact with Dulaire, deputies located a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield firearm inside his vehicle. The firearm was reported stolen out of Pasco County in 2021. Dulaire is a nine-time convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael P. Felicetta and Courtney Richardson-Jones.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Penitas man charged with impeding federal law enforcement during arrest of othersRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a 19-year-old man for impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement agents in the course of their duties, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Diego Masiel Torres remains in custody following the filing of the original criminal complaint. He will remain there pending his appearance on the charges in the indictment.
On Aug. 27, authorities were conducting a consensual worksite enforcement operation in Harlingen, according to the charges. Upon their arrival, several people allegedly fled from the area.
While authorities attempted to apprehend an illegal alien, Torres allegedly attempted to physically remove a law enforcement officer from that person.
“The Southern District of Texas is committed to fully enforcing our country’s immigration laws, and anyone who tries to stop a federal agent from carrying out this mission will be held accountable before a judge and jury,” said Ganjei. “So, the message is simple. Don’t end up on the wrong end of a federal indictment – keep your hands to yourself.”
If convicted, he faces up to eight years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Salazar 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.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Pensacola Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Interstate Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Jafari J. Williams, 48, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for his participation in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I am incredibly proud of the excellent collaboration between our state and federal law enforcement partners that dismantled this drug trafficking operation, and this successful prosecution ensures this offender will be removed from our community for a long time. My office will not hesitate to target those who flood our streets with deadly drugs for aggressive prosecution and sentencing, and will deploy the full force of the law to keep our communities safe.”
Court documents reflect that Williams was identified during a federal wiretap investigation conspiring with others regarding shipments of cocaine coming from Texas. During execution of a search warrant of a building where Williams maintained his contraband in Pensacola, law enforcement seized approximately seven and a half kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of methamphetamine, drug distribution paraphernalia, an AR-15-style rifle, and approximately $10,000 in United States currency.
“In total, eight law enforcement partners pulled resources and personnel to make this investigation a success,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “Pensacola communities will be safer with this drug distributor off the streets.”
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office; the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office; the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; the Pensacola Police Department; the Gulf Breeze Police Department; and the Florida Highway Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Oneida County Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – John Secor, Jr., age 44, of Rome, New York, appeared in federal court on Friday on charges of sexual exploitation of a child and receipt of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The complaint filed against Secor, Jr. alleges that beginning in or about May 2025, Secor Jr. began chatting online with a 16-year-old girl. Secor Jr.’s chats with the child quicky became sexual in nature with Secor Jr. requesting that the child create sexually explicit images and videos of herself for him, which she did. The complaint also alleges that on least one occasion Secor Jr. attempted to arrange a meeting with the child during which Secor Jr. planned to engage in sex acts with the child. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. Secor, Jr. is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The receipt charge filed against Secor, Jr. carries a mandatory minimum term of 5 years in prison and a maximum term of 20 years. The exploitation charge carries a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in prison and a maximum term of 30 years. Both charges carry a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release between 5 years and life. Secor, Jr. would also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. 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.
Secor Jr. was arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric and ordered detained pending further proceedings.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated, “We thank HSI and the NYSP for their tireless work in this case that, once again, resulted in a dangerous sexual predator facing justice and a child saved from unspeakable horrors. The defendant’s conduct as alleged in the complaint is disgusting and despicable and my office will make sure he is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. He is also detained pending trial, which would not have happened had he been charged in a local court thanks to the bail ‘reform’ that has been plaguing New York State for eight years and counting.”
Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Buffalo Field Office, stated, “These allegations represent some of the most reprehensible crimes imaginable, preying on the innocence of a child. HSI remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting our communities by leveraging our investigative expertise and partnerships to bring predators like this to justice. We will continue to work tirelessly with our federal, state, and local partners to ensure those who exploit children are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “Anyone involved in child pornography, promoting the acts of child predators, or performing predatory acts against children must understand that such crimes will not be tolerated. Through the partnership among members of the United States Attorney’s Office and the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations we were able to gather the necessary evidence and bring charges against Mr. Secor. The charges send a clear message as to the severity of the alleged crimes and our diligence in finding justice for the victims.”
HSI and NYSP are investigating this case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adrian LaRochelle as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Omaha Men Sentenced to Years in Federal Prison for Interstate Transportation of Stolen MoneyRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced two men from Omaha, Nebraska, convicted of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Money. The sentencings took place on September 15, 2025.
Roberto Carlos Gonzalez Miranda, age 24, was sentenced to five years and ten months in federal prison. Co-defendant Roberto Orellana, age 46, was sentenced to four years and two months in federal prison. Both Orellana and Miranda were ordered to pay $352,000 in restitution to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Miranda was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund; Orellana, $200.
Miranda and Orellana were indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2024. They both pleaded guilty on June 3, 2025.
Shortly after 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 25, 2024, personnel at the Grand River Casino in rural Mobridge, South Dakota, received a call from someone claiming to be a U.S. Government official. The caller claimed the casino owed $700,000 in audit fees and that steep fines would be levied if the casino did not immediately make a down payment on the debt. Acting at the direction of the caller, casino personnel took cash from the casino vault and transported it to Mitchell, South Dakota, to make a payment.
Miranda and Orellana occasionally worked as money mules for a transnational criminal organization during the winter of 2023-2024. On February 25, 2024, the organization dispatched them to Mitchell to collect the casino funds. The caller who arranged the fraud was not identified, and the casino funds have not been recovered.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the South Dakota DCI, the Mitchell Police Department, and the Corson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Miranda and Orellana were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Omaha Gang Member Sentenced to 220 Months for Fentanyl and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Clifford Wright III, 36, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 10, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Wright to a total of 197 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Wright’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Chief Judge Rossiter also sentenced Wright to a consecutive 23 months’ imprisonment for violating his supervised release from a 2021 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
A jury convicted Wright of the three charges on June 6, 2025, after a seven-day trial. The evidence at trial established Wright, a documented member of the 29th Street Bloods in Omaha, who was observed on surveillance footage at a crowded gas station in north Omaha on October 31, 2022, making apparent hand-to-hand drug transactions from his vehicle. Shots erupted toward the crowded parking lot from across the street and Wright exited his vehicle holding a handgun, but his handgun appeared to malfunction or not fire.
Omaha police identified Wright based upon prior investigations and their knowledge of Wright as a gang member. Wright has two prior convictions in federal court for illegal firearm possession, including the conviction for which he was on supervised release at the time.
Wright was arrested on November 2, 2022. A search of a safe belonging to Wright pursuant to a warrant uncovered approximately 850 fentanyl pills and three loaded handguns, including a 9mm handgun that was visually consistent with the handgun Wright tried to fire at the gas station on October 31, 2022. The 9mm was the only handgun from the safe that had a round in the chamber. Two of the handguns had been reported stolen, including one stolen from the inventory of a federal firearms licensee in Omaha during a burglary.
Review of extracted data from Wright’s cell phone showed that he had been dealing drugs dating back to February 2022, the month after he was most recently released from federal prison. Wright appeared to also be selling cocaine, ecstasy pills, and marijuana, based upon his text messages.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department. An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also testified as a firearms expert at trial. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Olive Branch Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding Covid-19 Relief Program of over $5,000,000Read the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Lisa Evans, 43, of Olive Branch, Mississippi, has been sentenced to federal prison for defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal program intended to help small businesses and their employees survive the COVID-19 pandemic, out of over $5,000,000. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, Evans submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications for numerous individuals who were not entitled to PPP loans. The applications Evans submitted contained false representations, including fake federal tax documents. When the individual borrowers obtained the PPP loan funds, they then paid Evans kickbacks of 20 to 30%. The loss to the PPP program was $5,126,258.
Evans was sentenced on September 11, 2025, by United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker to 18 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Evans was also ordered to pay $4,400,723 in restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Secret Service, Memphis Field Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony R. Arvin.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
North Platte Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Michael W. Stroble, 32, of North Platte, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 11, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln for one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine actual. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Stroble to 138 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Stroble’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
Between July 2022 and February 2023, Joey Romero, Jamie Hopkins, Michael Stroble, Luke Schwartz, and others conspired to sell methamphetamine in and around North Platte. The group was responsible for the distribution of pounds of methamphetamine and was subject to multiple controlled buys, search warrants, and arrests.
By January 2023, Stroble and Hopkins were dating, living together, and selling methamphetamine together. On January 17, 2023, a controlled buy of 48 grams of methamphetamine from Schwartz and Stroble occurred less than half a mile from Hopkin’s home. On January 30, 2023, another controlled buy of 36 grams of methamphetamine from Hopkins and Stroble occurred at Hopkins’s home.
A search warrant was served on Hopkins’s residence in North Platte on February 7, 2023. During the search, law enforcement found multiple baggies of methamphetamine to include on a nightstand, a bed, Hopkins’s purse, on the floor, and in the toilet. Law enforcement also found two bongs, 29 pills, owe notes, three scales, spoons with residue, 224 rounds of 9mm ammunition, a box of Winchester .380 ammunition with 23 rounds in it, and empty baggies in the house.
Stroble’s co-defendants were sentenced in 2024. Schwartz was sentenced on September 5, 2024, to 120 months’ imprisonment; Hopkins was sentenced on October 17, 2024, to 120 months’ imprisonment; and Romero was sentenced on December 12, 2024, to 120 months’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the CODE Task Force which is made up of law enforcement agencies throughout a 22-county area in west-central/southwest Nebraska and includes the North Platte Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, Ogallala Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Noble Outdoors Associate Sentenced for Lacey Act Violation for 2019 Mule Deer HuntRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Mark Cooper, 73, of North Platte, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 11, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for violating the Lacey Act. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Cooper to two years’ probation, a $5,000 fine, and $15,000 restitution. In addition to the sentence imposed, Cooper abandoned a 5 X 5 mule deer taxidermy mount originating from the illegal 2019 mule deer hunt associated with the conviction, three additional mule deer taxidermy mounts and antler sets, and several white-tailed deer antlers. Judge Bazis also ordered that Cooper shall not hunt, fish, trap, guide, outfit, or otherwise associate or be in the field with anyone engaged in those activities for a period of two years.
Enacted 125 years ago, the Lacey Act protects the nation’s wildlife resources by prohibiting wildlife violations that cross state or international borders. A joint investigation conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Law Enforcement Division determined that Dustin Noble operated a big game guiding and outfitting business from his North Platte residence and provided illegal hunting and guiding services to paying clients, family, and other associates, many from outside the state of Nebraska, between 2015 and 2021. Noble also operated a commercial taxidermy business providing services of converting hides, skins, antlers, and other trophy parts of wildlife into taxidermy mounts. Some of Noble’s taxidermy clients included hunters unlawfully guided by Noble. During those hunts Noble’s friends, associates and clients agreed with Noble to violate Nebraska hunting laws to take wildlife including mule deer and wild turkeys.
The investigation determined that on numerous occasions Cooper, a close associate of Noble, hunted with and on various occasions accompanied Noble while providing guiding services to hunting clients, and assisted Noble transporting raw hides for the Noble Outdoors taxidermy business. On October 31, 2019, Cooper illegally killed an approximately 172-inch 5 X 5 mule deer during the archery deer season in Lincoln County, Nebraska, while accompanied by Noble and two Noble Outdoors clients. Cooper killed the mule deer from a seated position within Noble’s pickup while parked on a public roadway with a center-fire rifle. Under Nebraska state law, hunters are prohibited from possessing firearms or using firearms to hunt deer during the archery season and from shooting from or over a roadway. On November 7, 2019, Cooper delivered a shipment of raw wildlife skins on behalf of Noble Outdoors to a commercial carrier. Cooper delivered the shipment containing numerous wildlife skins knowing the shipment was destined for a fur dressing company in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and knowing it contained illegally taken wildlife including at least Cooper’s 172-inch mule deer and another trophy-sized mule deer Cooper knew was taken illegally by Noble on October 28, 2019.
The investigation substantiated 114 unlawful hunts conducted and provided by Noble during the course of the conspiracy. Noble’s unlawful activities primarily targeted trophy-sized mule deer, including early season mule deer in velvet antlers. As revealed by extensive evidence obtained during this investigation, Noble’s illegal hunts included the taking of more than 12 species of wildlife, including most notably: 61 mule deer, 33 wild turkeys, 4 pronghorn, 3 white-tailed deer, an American alligator, a timber rattlesnake, and approximately 12 upland game birds, migratory non-game birds, game fish, and furbearing or non-game animals.
This sentencing completes the final prosecution of numerous defendants related to violations committed by Dustin Noble and Noble Outdoors associates and clients between 2015 and 2021. Twenty defendants have been collectively sentenced to 22 months’ imprisonment, 15 years’ probation, 32 years’ hunt/fish/trap restrictions, and ordered to pay more than $275,000 in fines and restitution for state and federal convictions related to this case. The investigation included the seizure and subsequent forfeiture or abandonment of more than 50 trophy wildlife antlers or taxidermy mounts from 27 Noble Outdoors clients or associates.
The operation was a joint investigation conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Law Enforcement Division.
Nigerian National Sentenced for Defrauding Colorado Woman in Romance SchemeRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Adetomiwa Seun Akindele, age 37, a Nigerian national who had been residing in Minnesota prior to his arrest, has been sentenced to 71 months in federal prison, ordered to pay $1,692,945 in restitution, and a forfeiture money judgement in the same amount after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Upon serving his sentence, Akindele will be deported to Nigeria.
According to the plea agreement, beginning in January 2018, and continuing until October 2018, Akindele posed as a wealthy Italian American businessman, “Frank Labato,” on a dating website, where he met a widowed Colorado woman. In February 2018, Akindele began emailing the victim, and in March 2018, the two began exchanging telephone calls. During these communications, Akindele provided the victim with additional false details about his personal and work background, images, and photos, to substantiate his fictitious persona of “Frank.” In March 2018, Akindele represented to the victim that he had encountered a financial crisis related to his purported work abroad for which he claimed to need money, funds, and assistance from the victim. At Akindele’s direction, the victim opened a cryptocurrency exchange account, where she eventually wired over $1.6 million dollars as directed by Akindele. From there, Akindele converted the money into various cryptocurrencies, laundered it across multiple crypto exchanges and then converted it back into U.S. dollars and deposited it into his own bank accounts. Akindele fraudulently represented to the victim that he would repay her for the requested “loans” to his business. Over the course of the scheme, Akindele executed three fraudulent “promissory notes” to reassure the victim that she would be repaid.
“This sentence both serves justice to the victim and helps prevent this individual from scamming someone else,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “This case should be a reminder to the public to be cautious when engaging with people they meet online - especially when those people are asking for money.”
“Romance scammers are relentless and cunning, preying on trust and emotion to exploit victims,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “This was an egregious case, and through relentless investigative work the perpetrator was tracked down and brought to justice.”
United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the sentencing.
The FBI Denver Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Martha A. Paluch handled the prosecution.
Case number: 22-cr-00326-CNS
Newcomb Man Pleads Guilty to Assault with a FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Newcomb man pleaded guilty to federal charges arising out of an altercation.
According to court documents, on February 28, 2025, James Smiley, Jr., 56, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, entered a residence within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation and pointed a firearm at three men while making threats to kill them without provocation.
Smiley pleaded guilty to one count each of assault with a dangerous weapon and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. At sentencing, Smiley up to life in prison. Upon his release from prison, Smiley will be subject to no less than five years and up to life of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting 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 Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case.
New Orleans Man Indicted for Sexually Abusing Fifteen-Year-Old FemaleRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that KENDRICK WHITE, SR. (“WHITE”) age 40, a resident of New Orleans, was indicted on September 11, 2025 for sexual abuse, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 2242(3) (Count 1), and sexual abuse of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 2243(a) (Count 2).
According to the indictment, on or about November 22, 2023, WHITE, with intent to gratify his sexual desire, knowingly engaged, and attempted to engage, in a sexual act with Minor Victim, a female born in January 2008 and who, at the time, was fifteen years old. WHITE committed the offense within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
WHITE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen (15) years as to Count One and a maximum term of life in prison as to Count Two. WHITE also faces a lifetime of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and can be required to register as a sex offender. He also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count.
Acting U. S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 United States Attorneys= Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Possessing Machine Gun and Being Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on September 10, 2025, ROY HILTON (“HILTON”), age 26, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to a two-count indictment charging him in Count 1 with possession of a machine gun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2), and in Count 2 with felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2).
U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan will sentence HILTON on January 15, 2026.
According to court documents, on August 20, 2024, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), while conducting surveillance in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans, observed HILTON meeting with other possible gang associates who were in possession of firearms. HILTON himself possessed two firearms with extended magazines tucked into his front waistband. Based on their observations of seeing multiple individuals possessing firearms, when NOPD officers in their vehicles approached them, HILTON ran, chased by police, and ditched a firearm that he previously held. HILTON was apprehended. Officers later located HILTON’s firearm that contained a machine gun conversion device, commonly known as a “Glock switch.” This device converts a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machine gun.
Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms. HILTON is a convicted felon, having previously been convicted in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court of possession of cocaine.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crime Unit/Strike Force Unit.
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New Bedford Man Indicted for Possessing Firearm on Foxborough Elementary School GroundsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Bedford man was indicted today by a federal grand jury for allegedly possessing a firearm and ammunition on the grounds of the Charles G. Taylor Elementary School in Foxborough.
Jameel Clark-White, 32, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and one count of possessing a firearm in a school zone. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the indictment, Clark-White allegedly possessed a .45 caliber Glock 41 pistol and 49 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition within 1,000 feet of the Charles G. Taylor Elementary School on June 12, 2025. The indictment also alleges that Clark-White was previously convicted of a felony.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possessing a firearm in a school zone provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000. 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 Scott Riordan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Foxborough Police Department and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Cutshall of the Organized Crime & Gang 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.
Muscatine Man Sentenced to 58 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Muscatine man was sentenced to 58 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to public court documents, in May 2024, Robert Owen Knapp, III, 33, fled on foot armed with a pistol, following an attempted traffic stop. Knapp was apprehended and had a pistol in his hand. At the time, Knapp was on federal supervised release due to a 2017 conviction for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Knapp will be required to serve a four-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Knapp’s supervised release for his prior federal conviction was revoked and the Court sentenced Knapp to a nine-month term of imprisonment, consecutive to the 58-month sentence.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Morgan County Man Sentenced for Firearms ViolationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Remington Colt Arnold, 34, of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, West Virginia State Police were serving a parole violation warrant on Arnold at a home. The homeowner allowed officers inside, where officers found Arnold asleep with a pistol nearby. Following Arnold’s arrest, a search resulted in a seizure of a backpack containing ammunition. Arnold is prohibited from having firearms because of prior assault and grand larceny convictions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eleanor Hurney prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the West Virginia State Police.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Montgomery County Woman Pleads Guilty to Scheme That Defrauded FEMA of over $1.5 Million in Hurricane Ida Disaster BenefitsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jasmine Williams, 34, of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge yesterday to one count of fraud related to a major disaster declaration, 24 counts of wire fraud, and seven counts of mail fraud, arising from a scheme to defraud the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) in the wake of Hurricane Ida.
Williams was charged by indictment with those offenses in April of last year.
As presented in court filings, in September 2021, President Joseph R. Biden issued a major disaster declaration for much of the eastern part of Pennsylvania, after the remnants of Hurricane Ida struck the Commonwealth. This declaration authorized FEMA to provide financial assistance to residents whose homes and properties were damaged by the hurricane.
As further detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, Williams recruited others over social media, advertising that she could assist them in applying for FEMA benefits. Williams then submitted fraudulent documents to FEMA on behalf of dozens of others, including fraudulent leases, letters from landlords, utility bills, earning statements, and home repair estimates. In exchange, Williams collected half of the payout for herself. In total, the government calculates that FEMA paid over $1,500,000 in assistance based on false representations made by Williams.
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on January 12, 2026.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, with assistance from FEMA Fraud Prevention and Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Mandelbaum and S. Chandler Harris.
Minnesota Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Harboring FugitiveRead the Press Release
A Minnesota man who harbored and concealed a fugitive in 2022 was sentenced today to nine months in federal prison. Jay Anthony Tapper, age 57, from Rosemount, Minnesota, received the prison term after a May 13, 2025, guilty plea to one count of harboring a fugitive.
At his plea and sentencing hearings, it was established that, in August and September of 2022, Tapper knew there was a federal warrant outstanding for the arrest of Mary Kate Nguyen. Tapper booked hotels for Nguyen in his own name, bought her a camper in which to stay, and served as a lookout during a meeting with a potential fraud victim. Tapper intended to prevent Nguyen’s discovery and arrest on then-pending felony charges.
During the time Nguyen was on the lam in 2022, Tapper and Nguyen submitted the winning $1.3 million bid to purchase the former U.S. Courthouse in Bemidji, Minnesota. Tapper later continued to have telephone calls with Nguyen while she was incarcerated, helping her with financial transactions.
U.S. Marshals ultimately arrested Nguyen, and she was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment on fraud and contempt charges in January 2025. Tapper also admitted he made false statements to, and withheld documents from, a grand jury that was investigating Nguyen for financial crimes in 2022.
Tapper was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Tapper was sentenced to 9 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Tapper was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation-Special Enforcement Operations Bureau. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Woodbury (Minnesota) Police Department, U.S. Marshal’s Service, Sioux County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement, and Iowa Division of Intelligence assisted in the investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 25-CR-4024 (Tapper) and 21-CR-3037 (Nguyen).
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Mexico Residents – Brother and Sister – Sentenced to Prison for Kidnapping Victim in Mexico Then Coming to U.S. to Collect RansomRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A brother and sister from Rosarito, Mexico, have been sentenced to federal prison terms for their roles in a kidnapping and ransom scheme in which the brother pretended to act as an intermediary between the victim’s family and the kidnappers while his son and sister crossed the border into the United States to collect the ransom money, the Justice Department announced today.
Mario Alex Medina, 55, a.k.a. “Shyboy,” was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson to 25 years in federal prison and was ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution.
Judge Wilson on Monday also sentenced María Alejandra Medina, 52, a U.S. citizen living in Mexico, to eight years in federal prison and ordered her to pay $30,000 in restitution.
At the conclusion of a four-day trial in October 2024, a jury found both Medina siblings guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking and one count of conspiracy to demand a ransom payment. The jury also found Mario Medina guilty of one count of making a foreign communication with intent to extort.
On November 5, 2022, Mario Medina directed and helped accomplices break into the house of a neighbor, identified in court documents as “R.V.,” kidnapping the victim at gunpoint, pistol whipping him and firing a gun near his head. The next day, one of the co-conspirators placed a ransom call to the victim’s family in Los Angeles County and demanded $70,000 for his release. The kidnappers, through WhatsApp, also sent a video of the victim being beaten.
On November 10, 2022, an accomplice called R.V.’s family and threatened to kill R.V. if his family did not pay $30,000. Later that day, Mario Medina – pretending to be an intermediary between R.V.’s family and the hostage takers – told the victim’s family to meet at a McDonald’s restaurant in San Ysidro, located north of the U.S.-Mexico border, to make the ransom payment.
José Salud Medina, 32, a.k.a. “Gordo,” who is Mario Medina’s son and María Medina’s nephew, and María Medina met the victim’s family the next day at the McDonald’s restaurant, collected the $30,000 ransom payment from the victim’s family, and took the money back to Mexico.
The hostage takers on November 11, 2022, then left R.V. tied up and alone in a small, subterranean trench, where Mexican law enforcement rescued him later that day.
José Salud Medina is in Mexican custody on unrelated charges. He is expected to be tried separately in this case, in which he is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking, one count of conspiracy to demand a ransom payment, and one count of making a foreign communication with intent to extort.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jena A. MacCabe and Derek R. Flores of the Major Crimes Section, and Michael J. Morse of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section prosecuted this case.
Mexican National Charged for Possessing over 13,000 Rounds of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mexican national is facing federal charges for allegedly possessing almost 14,000 rounds of ammunition found during a routine traffic stop.
According to court documents, on August 14, 2025, an officer from Las Cruces Metro Narcotics conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Luis Carlos Martinez Monge, a Mexican national, for speeding, and found 699 boxes of ammunition concealed within the vehicle. Monge admitted to transporting the ammunition for an acquaintance, receiving $1,600 for expenses and agreeing to an additional $200 per box. He acknowledged that, as a nonimmigrant tourist, transporting ammunition was unlawful and that he hid the boxes. A total of 13,980 rounds, a vehicle, and $1,340 were seized.
Monge is charged with being an alien in possession of ammunition and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Monge faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Jason T. Stevens, Special Agent in Charge of HSI El Paso, made the announcement today.
Homeland Security Investigations El Paso investigated this case with assistance from Las Cruces Metro Narcotics and the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Saltman is prosecuting the case.
View the Criminal Complaint (Monge).pdfA criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Memphis Company Pleads Guilty to Clean Air Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – P.T. Services, Inc., a Memphis company that specialized in repairing diesel engines has entered a guilty plea and agreed to pay a fine in connection with violations of the Clean Air Act. Interim United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr. announced the guilty plea today.
According to an information filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, P.T. Services, Inc. modified and deleted emissions control monitoring devices from diesel engines. Under provisions of the Clean Air Act, it is a crime to falsify, tamper with, and render inaccurate emissions control monitoring devices. The plea was entered by a representative of P.T. Services, Inc. before United States Magistrate Judge Charmiane Claxton. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the company agreed to pay a fine of $150,000.00.
The case was investigated by agents with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Carroll L. André III, for the Western District of Tennessee, is prosecuting the case.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Medical Device Company Exactech, Inc. Agrees to Pay $8 Million for Selling Allegedly Defective Knee Implant DevicesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Exactech Inc., a medical device company based in Gainesville, Florida, has agreed to pay $8 million to resolve allegations that the company violated the federal False Claims Act by knowingly submitting or causing the submission of false claims for payment to Medicare, Medicaid, and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in connection with defective knee replacement devices.
The settlement relates to two separate components of Exactech’s total knee replacement systems. First, the settlement resolves allegations that as early as January 2008, Exactech was aware that its finned tibial tray (a metal component of its knee replacement system that fits into a patient’s tibia) failed prematurely at a higher than acceptable rate and therefore was not reasonable and necessary for use during total-knee replacement surgeries performed on Medicare, Medicaid, and VA beneficiaries. Exactech nonetheless continued to market and sell that component for surgeries between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2018. Second, the settlement also resolves allegations that, as early as January 2019, Exactech was aware that the polyethylene component in certain Logic and Truliant knee replacement systems failed prematurely at a higher than acceptable rate and therefore was not reasonable and necessary for use during total-knee replacement surgeries performed on government beneficiaries. Exactech nonetheless continued to market and sell the Logic and Truliant knee systems with these defective polyethylene components for use during total-knee replacement surgeries between January 1, 2019, and February 7, 2022.
“Today’s resolution reaffirms our commitment to protect the health and safety of patients,” said Prim F. Escalona, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. “Medical device manufacturers must ensure their medical devices, which may be implanted in patients’ bodies, meet the necessary standards of safety and effectiveness at all times.”
“Patients who need a medical device to enjoy their lives rely on device manufacturers to put patient safety first. When a manufacturer learns that its device is defective, it must promptly and transparently address the problem,” Hayes said. “We will hold companies accountable who knowingly sell defective devices.”
Under the terms of the settlement, Exactech will pay a total of $8 million, of which $7,640,000 is the federal share. The states will enter into separate agreements with Exactech relating to the $360,000 state share. The settlement is based on Exactech’s financial condition.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Brooks Wallace, Robert Farley and Dr. Manuel Fuentes in a case captioned United States ex rel. Wallace v. Exactech, Inc., No. 7:18-cv-1010 (N.D. Ala.) (the “Alabama Action”) and by Dr. Pasquale Petrera in a case captioned United States ex rel. Petrera v. Exactech, Inc., Civil No. 21-3325-SAG (D. Md.) (the “Maryland Action”). Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The settlement in this case provides for the Alabama whistleblowers to receive a $1,329,360 share of the settlement amount and the Maryland whistleblower to receive a $565,360 share of the settlement amount.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Alabama and the District of Maryland, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the United States’ emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Long in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Haven in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, and Senior Trial Counsel Michael Hoffman of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Act as Illegal Agent of the Chinese Government in the United StatesRead the Press Release
Yuanjun Tang, 68, a naturalized citizen of the United States and resident of Flushing, Queens, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to act in the United States as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
According to court documents, Tang is a former PRC citizen who was imprisoned in the PRC for his activities as a dissident opposing the one-party authoritarian political system controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the PRC’s sole ruling party, including during the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations. In 2002, Tang defected to Taiwan, and he was subsequently granted political asylum in the United States. He has since resided continuously in New York City, where he has regularly participated in events with fellow PRC dissidents and leads a nonprofit dedicated to promoting democracy in China.
Between at least 2018 and June 2023, Tang acted in the United States as an agent of the PRC by gathering information and completing tasks at the direction of the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), which is the PRC’s principal civilian intelligence agency. The MSS is responsible for, among other things, the PRC’s foreign intelligence, counterintelligence, espionage, and political security functions.
Specifically, Tang regularly received instructions from and reported to an MSS intelligence officer regarding individuals and groups viewed by the PRC as potentially adverse to the PRC’s interests, including prominent U.S.-based Chinese democracy activists and dissidents. This included providing the MSS information about specific individuals identified by the MSS as persons of interest, as well as naming, photographing, and recording individuals participating in pro-democracy activities in the U.S. Tang provided the MSS a range of additional information, such as contact information belonging to immigration lawyers based in New York City and details about the process for gaining political asylum in the United States.
Tang accepted monetary payments for his work and traveled at least three times to Macau and mainland China for face-to-face meetings with MSS intelligence officers, during which he submitted to polygraphs and questioning. During one of these meetings, he allowed the MSS to install an application on one of his cellphones to facilitate the instantaneous transmission of photographs and other information from his phone to the MSS and accepted a laptop for use in communicating with the MSS.
Tang used a large number of electronic devices and online services to collect or transmit information on behalf of the MSS. Law enforcement agents recovered specific instructions Tang received from the MSS, including via encrypted methods, as well as photographs, videos, and documents that Tang collected or created for transmission to the MSS. Tang not only provided the MSS information about specific individuals and events but also helped the MSS infiltrate a group chat on an encrypted messaging application used by numerous U.S.-based PRC dissidents and pro-democracy activists to communicate about pro-democracy issues and express criticism of the PRC government.
Tang pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 29, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI New York Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Yumi Chong for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney Sean O’Dowd of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Members of Transnational Fraud Organization Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - Jerelle George William Jones, 29, of Jersey City, New Jersey, and Quint Gasque, 48, of Charlotte, North Carolina, were sentenced yesterday to nine and a half years and six years in federal prison, respectively, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and forgery or false use of a passport. The sentences were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “These defendants engaged in a sophisticated scheme to enrich themselves by defrauding financial institutions using stolen identities, but thanks to the outstanding investigative work of our local and federal law enforcement partners their scheme has been dismantled. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute these types of crimes to protect the members of our community from fraudsters like these defendants.”
According to court records, in February 2024, Gasque was recruited by Jones and others to help commit a fraud scheme to obtain money from customer accounts at financial institutions. The scheme involved Gasque falsely impersonating bank customers and presenting fraudulent identification—including counterfeit U.S. passport cards—at several banks and credit unions located throughout the southeastern United States. Jones, Gasque, and others fraudulently obtained $2,600 at a financial institution in Escambia County, and fraudulently obtained, and attempted to obtain, more than $10,000 from multiple branches of a financial institution in Tallahassee.
On March 11, 2024, Gasque was caught by bank employees in Tallahassee who called the Tallahassee Police Department. They reported that Gasque, who was impersonating an elderly bank customer, was attempting to fraudulently withdraw funds from the customer’s account. An investigation revealed that the group traveled from the Carolinas through Florida, Georgia, and Alabama to commit the scheme to defraud at various financial institutions. A search of Jones’s cellular phone contained hundreds of images of other counterfeit driver’s licenses and U.S. passport cards, social security cards, checks, and debit cards.
“This case is yet another example of the relentless work of the men and women of the Tallahassee Police Department, in partnership with our federal counterparts, to protect our community and remove those who seek to exploit it,” said Chief Lawrence Revell of the Tallahassee Police Department. “Thanks to the skill and determination of our investigators and all involved, we shut down a counterfeit operation that was targeting Tallahassee and the southern region.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) is dedicated to identifying and investigating passport fraud and pursing criminals who exploit false identities to undermine national security and defraud victims,” said DSS Miami Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan McSeveney. “Protecting the integrity of U.S. passports and passport cards is vital to our nation’s security. Financial fraud tied to identity theft can devastate victims, causing severe economic loss and long-term harm. This investigation underscores DSS’s commitment to securing the U.S. travel system and shielding individuals from these crimes.”
Both defendants’ terms of imprisonment will be followed by a five-year term of supervised release. The defendants were ordered to pay restitution to their victims.
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Little Eagle Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Committing Child AbuseRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a man from Little Eagle, South Dakota, convicted of Child Abuse. The sentencing took place on September 15, 2025.
Leslie Gerald Bobtail Bear, age 27, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Bobtail Bear was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024. He pleaded guilty on June 16, 2025.
The conviction stems from conduct that occurred between May 12, 2023, and November 21, 2024, when Bobtail Bear and his romantic partner severely neglected their baby, leading to the child’s emergency hospitalization. The conduct occurred in Corson County, South Dakota, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, authorizes certain crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country to be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Bobtail Bear was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Lawrence Men Charged with Manufacturing Counterfeit PillsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Lawrence men were charged yesterday in connection with an investigation targeting a drug manufacturing ring. Over 18 kilograms of suspected controlled substances and a pill press were recovered during searches.
Jose Vasquez Lantigua, 47, and Manuel Santana-Soto, 35, both of Lawrence, Mass., were each charged with one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute and manufacture controlled substances, and one count of manufacture and possession of controlled substances with intent to manufacture and distribute. Lantigua and Santana-Soto were both arrested and charged in state court on Aug. 28, 2025, along with a third alleged co-conspirator, Joshua Morales. Morales was charged with federal drug offenses in connection with this case on Aug. 29, 2025 and remains in federal custody. Lantigua and Santana-Soto remain in state custody and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Morales was observed entering and leaving a known drug distribution and manufacturing location inside a third-floor apartment in Methuen. It is alleged that Morales then drove to a location in Lawrence, where he was detained. During a search of Morales’ vehicle, 10,000 counterfeit Percocet pills believed to contain fentanyl were allegedly recovered.
During a search of the residence in Methuen, fresh footprints in powders believed to be controlled substances were observed upon entry into the premises. Those footprints led down an interior staircase to the second-floor apartment, where Lantigua and Santana-Soto were allegedly encountered. Lantigua and Santana-Soto were allegedly observed to be wearing flip flops with soles that matched the powdered footprints. According to the charging documents, Lantigua and Santana-Soto are believed to had fled the third-floor unit and broken into the second-floor unit of another tenant before officers made entry.
During the search of the third-floor apartment, an automated pill press was allegedly located, along with multiple kilograms of counterfeit Adderall and Percocet pills believed to contain fentanyl and methamphetamine. Numerous implements used in the pill manufacturing process, including cutting agents, blenders, scales, bowls and bags full of suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine powders and binding agents were also located.
The charge of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute or manufacture, provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of manufacturing and possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute or manufacture provides for a maximum penalty of up to 20 years, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Methuen Police Chief Scott J. McNamara made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Essex and Middlesex County District Attorney’s Offices; the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; and the Lynn, Medford and Peabody Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit 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.
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.
Kaukauna Man Sentenced to Federal Prison and Ordered to Forfeit over $140,000 After Drug Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on September 15, 2025, John R. Sloan (age: 58), formerly of Kaukauna, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 150 months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court records, in August 2024, investigators with the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group – Drug Unit (“LWAM”) searched Sloan’s vehicle, residence, and multiple storage units. In total, investigators seized over 7 pounds of methamphetamine, over $140,000 cash, four firearms, and a vehicle. Sloan later admitted to obtaining large quantities of methamphetamine from a source of supply in California. He further admitted to distributing more than 20 pounds of methamphetamine in the Fox Valley area.
Sloan has over 40 prior criminal convictions dating back to 1985. At the time of the offense, Sloan was on state supervision for a distribution of methamphetamine conviction.
In addition to the prison term, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach ordered Sloan to forfeit to the government $142,190, three handguns, a shotgun, and a 2016 Dodge Challenger.
This case was investigated by LWAM, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Wisconsin Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alex Duros.
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Justice Department Sues Rhode Island Department of Education and Providence Public School District for Racial Discrimination Against TeachersRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit today against the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and the Providence Public School District (PPSD) over their “Educators of Color Loan Forgiveness Program” (Program) through which new PPSD teachers who identify as “teachers of color” can receive up to $25,000 in student loan forgiveness while only white teachers are excluded from the Program.
In its complaint, the United States alleges that RIDE and PPSD established the Program in 2021, in partnership with the Rhode Island Foundation (RIF), a publicly supported non-profit organization, to provide $3,175,000 in student loan forgiveness to “teachers of color” over at least five years. The Program is described as an “incentive” to “encourage teachers of color” to teach at PPSD and obliges PPSD to “recruit and retain up to 127 teachers of color” during that period. Under the Program, “Teachers of color” includes teachers “who identify as Black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian, and/or 2 or more races” and excludes only white teachers. In its complaint, the United States alleges that this race-based exclusion is a pattern or practice of discrimination of PPSD teachers who do not identify as “teachers of color” in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. The complaint asks the court to declare that the Program discriminates on the basis of race, to enter a permanent injunction against RIDE and PPSD stopping them from implementing the Program or any similar race-based program, and to award equitable relief to PPSD teachers who were not eligible for the Program solely because of their race.
“While assisting new teachers in paying off their student loans may be a worthy cause, such a benefit of employment simply cannot be granted or withheld on the basis of the teachers’ race,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “We will not tolerate such plainly prohibited discrimination in employment.”
This case stems from an investigation launched by the Employment Litigation Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
You can view the complaint here.
Justice Department Sues Oregon and Maine for Failure to Provide Voter Registration RollsRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division sued the states of Oregon and Maine, and their respective Secretaries of State, for failing to provide information regarding voter list maintenance procedures and electronic copies of statewide voter registration lists.
“States simply cannot pick and choose which federal laws they will comply with, including our voting laws, which ensure that all American citizens have equal access to the ballot in federal elections,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “American citizens have a right to feel confident in the integrity of our electoral process, and the refusal of certain states to protect their citizens against vote dilution will result in legal consequences.”
The lawsuit against Oregon alleges that Oregon and its Secretary of State Tobias Read violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), and the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (CRA) by refusing to produce the current unredacted electronic copy of the state’s voter registration list, to provide information on the state’s voter list maintenance program, and to disclose registration information for any ineligible voters.
The lawsuit against Maine alleges that Maine and its Secretary of State Shenna Bellows violated the NVRA, HAVA, and CRA by refusing to provide data regarding the removal of ineligible individuals and to produce an unredacted, computerized state voter registration list.
Yet both states gave identical information requested by the Justice Department to a private organization.
Justice Department Secures Denaturalization of Maryland Man Who Repeatedly Raped Minor VictimRead the Press Release
On September 15, a U.S. District Court in Maryland granted a Justice Department motion for judgment revoking the naturalization of convicted sex offender Jorge Antonio Graciano Lara. The government sued in November 2024 to strip Graciano Lara of his U.S. citizenship, based on his September 2017 conviction for second degree rape. Graciano Lara had pleaded guilty in Maryland state court to having vaginal intercourse with a minor, who was under 14 years old at the time. Indeed, Graciano Lara repeatedly had sexual intercourse with the victim over the course of a four-year period. Graciano Lara threatened his victim so that she would not disclose his abuse.
The Court found the government met its burden to show that Graciano Lara had lacked the requisite good moral character to naturalize due to his crimes, that he had provided false testimony for the purpose of obtaining an immigration benefit, and that he procured his naturalization by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.
“American citizenship is a sacred privilege that this monster should never have obtained,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will continue working to denaturalize criminals like these who lie about their past actions to take advantage of our immigration system.”
“Sex offenders who try to naturalize by hiding their unlawful acts from immigration officials must learn that if the United States finds out, the government will come after their citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
The case was investigated as part of Operation Prison Lookout, an ongoing national initiative involving the Justice Department and ICE to identify and prosecute sex offenders who have fraudulently obtained United States citizenship. This case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Bradley M. Brinkman of the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, General Litigation and Appeals Section, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from HSI and ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor.
Justice Department Files Motion for Summary Judgment in Challenge to Vermont’s “Climate Superfund” LawRead the Press Release
Note: View motion here.
The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) yesterday filed a motion for summary judgment in its challenge to the State of Vermont’s “climate superfund” law, which imposes what will likely be billions of dollars in liability on foreign and domestic energy companies for their alleged past contributions to climate change. The complaint was filed in May, along with a complaint against the State of New York for its similar statute, to advance President Donald J. Trump’s executive order to protect American energy from state overreach.
As the Justice Department explains in its motion, “Vermont is defying federal law, the Constitution, and binding precedent—all so it can punish disfavored businesses for ill-defined harms, without regard to the real harm to our federal system and the Nation’s energy needs.” The motion asks the court to “end Vermont’s lawless experiment.”
“Like New York, Vermont is usurping the federal government’s exclusive authority over nationwide and global greenhouse gas emissions,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of ENRD. “More than that, Vermont’s flagrantly unconstitutional statute threatens to throttle energy production, despite this Administration’s efforts to unleash American energy. It’s high time for the courts to put a stop to this crippling state overreach.”
Chief of Staff and Senior General Counsel John Adams and Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General Riley Walters of ENRD filed the motion.
Motion for Summary Judgment - Vermont.pdfJury finds previous sex offender guilty of coercion and child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A previous sex offender from Billings who attempted to obtain nude photos from a person he was thought was 12 years old was found guilty by a federal jury today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Following a one-and-a-half-day trial, Steven Dwayne Scott, 51, was found guilty of one count of attempted coercion and enticement and one count of possession of child pornography. Scott faces 10 years to lifetime imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years to a lifetime of supervised release on both counts of conviction.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for January 8, 2026. Scott was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that in March 2024, law enforcement, acting in an undercover capacity and posing as a 12-year-old juvenile female, electronically reached out to Scott on Facebook. Scott accepted the invite and the two parties began conversing. The communications eventually transitioned to KIK.
The communications lasted from roughly March 7, 2024, until May 28, 2024. During the chats, Scott was put on notice of the “child’s” age, indicated he should not be talking to her yet continued, and sought pictures of her, including nude pictures. On May 21, 2024, Scott sent the “child” images of a gift card and payment for possible nude images from her. Scott provided instructions to the undercover officer as to the best way to verify money was on the card. Thereafter, on May 27, 2024, Scott sent a $25 Amazon gift card to the “child,” again for the purpose of obtaining images from the child. The last communication law enforcement received from Scott was on May 28, 2024.
When law enforcement reached out to Scott, he was a registered sex offender as a result of a 1997 conviction for Sexual Abuse of a Minor, issued in the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota.
Finally, in 2018 Scott corresponded with multiple juvenile females online. One of those children was Jane Doe 1. A law enforcement investigation stemming from Jane Doe 1’s disclosure led to a search warrant of Scott’s Snapchat account and the discovery of his interest in juvenile females. Sexually explicit images of Jane Doe 2 were discovered on Scott’s Snapchat account.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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