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30 June 2025
Fight over a Hat Yields Prison Term for Chinatown StabbingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tanade Warsame, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to a total of 66 months in prison for a knife attack during a fight in May 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Warsame was found guilty in September 2024, after a jury trial in Superior Court. The jury found him guilty of one count of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, an offense he committed while on release in another matter. Warsame also pleaded guilty to one count of contempt. On June 27, 2025, Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe sentenced Warsame to 48 months for assault with significant bodily injury while armed, 12 months for committing that offense while on release, and 180 days for contempt. In addition to the prison term, Judge Pipe ordered Warsame to serve five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 4, 2024, Warsame and the victim agreed to a fist fight over a hat. During the fight, Warsame produced a knife in his hand and made multiple striking and slicing motions toward the victim. The victim was stabbed three times. Notably, prior to this incident, Warsame had been ordered to stay away from Chinatown in a previous case.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jasmine Dohemann and former Assistant United States Attorney Katelyn Benton.
Federal and State Officials Announce Efforts to Crack Down on Healthcare Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson is joined today by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, FBI Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr., and representatives of IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, to announce the results of a health care fraud crackdown that led to criminal charges filed against nine individuals involved in separate health care fraud schemes that allegedly defrauded the North Carolina and the South Carolina Medicaid Programs of millions of dollars.
The announcement was made as part of the Justice Department’s national healthcare fraud takedown that resulted in 324 defendants being charged in connection with more than $14.6 billion in alleged fraud.
“The United States spends almost $5 trillion per year on healthcare, and about 45% of that is from government insurance programs,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Fraudsters not only drain theses taxpayer funded insurance programs that millions rely upon and every taxpayer contributes to, but, in the process, exploit patients, and increase healthcare costs for everyone. We’re working with our federal and state partners at all levels to uncover and dismantle healthcare fraud schemes, protect public dollars, and bring to justice those who abuse taxpayer-funded healthcare systems for personal gain.”
“Healthcare fraud isn’t a crime that only exists on paper. These schemes drain taxpayer-funded government programs designed to assist citizens who may not otherwise be able to afford healthcare. The FBI and our partners work tirelessly to stop people from defrauding the government, protect the integrity of the programs for those who truly need it, and bring offenders to justice,” said FBI Charlotte Acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr.
“Medicaid fraud not only steals money from the taxpayer but also means that many people, including children, may not get the health care they need. My office has been working diligently to hold these criminals accountable and we will continue to focus on rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse,” said South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson.
“This North Carolina business owner allegedly stole almost $2 million in taxpayer money from our Medicaid program under the guise of providing health care services for people who need them,” said North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “I’m thankful to NCDOJ’s Medicaid Investigations Division for helping bring her to justice alongside state and federal partners. We’ll keep working to hold anyone who defrauds North Carolinians accountable.”
“Healthcare fraud not only victimizes patients, but it also misuses taxpayer dollars and endangers the livelihood of healthcare programs,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard Gaskins, Charlotte Field Office, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. “We remain committed to uncovering misconduct in use of healthcare funds and holding offenders accountable. Together with federal and state law enforcement partners, IRS-CI will continue to pursue anyone trying to exploit federal programs for personal gain.”
“The alleged actions of these individuals represent a blatant abuse of the Medicaid program for personal gain, violating the public trust and diverting resources from those who need them most. This conduct undermines the integrity of a vital healthcare safety net designed to serve our most vulnerable citizens,” said Kelly J. Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG remains committed to working together with our law enforcement partners to identify and investigate those individuals who allegedly engaged in fraud targeting our federal health care programs.”
“Every taxpayer dollar that is lost to waste, fraud and abuse through a public health care program is a resource that could have been used to serve another purpose in our community,” said South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Director Eunice Medina. “When fraudsters target state Medicaid programs, they not only target taxpayer funds, but may also compromise access to medical services for the extremely vulnerable populations served by South Carolina’s Medicaid program. SCDHHS is grateful for our collaboration with the South Carolina Attorney General’s and U.S. Attorney’s Offices and looks forward to further collaboration with our investigatory partners as we work to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse.”
South Carolina Medicaid Fraud Cases – U.S. v. Saunders et al. & U.S. v. Hill
Federal criminal charges were filed in the Western District of North Carolina against eight individuals that allegedly conspired to defraud the South Carolina Medicaid Program (SC Medicaid) of more than $21 million by filing false and fraudulent reimbursement claims for behavioral health care services that were either inflated or not provided at all. It is alleged that these individuals bought and sold personal identifying information (PII) of SC Medicaid beneficiaries, and submitted reimbursement claims for patients that never knew their information was being used and never received the services.
The seven individuals charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and to pay and receive illegal kickbacks are:
- Donald Calvin Saunders, 62, of Charlotte. Saunders is also charged with six counts of health care fraud; one count of unlawful purchase of beneficiary identification numbers; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering; and three counts of money laundering.
- Vanessa Ragin-Boatright, 59, of Manning, South Carolina. Boatright is also facing two counts of health care fraud; one count of unlawful purchase of beneficiary identification numbers; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
- Dajuan Strickland, 47, of Charlotte and Buffalo, New York. Strickland is also charged with three counts of health care fraud; two counts of unlawful purchase of beneficiary identification numbers; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering; and three counts of money laundering.
- Cynthia Jenkins Harris, 60, of Elgin, South Carolina. Harris is also facing one count of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
- Latarsa Hitchcock, 56, of Jacksonville, North Carolina.
- Stephanie Corbett, 59, of Jonesboro, Georgia.
- Karen McClary, 51, of Kingstree, South Carolina.
David Corey Hill, age 54, of Concord, North Carolina, who was also part of the scheme was charged separately via a criminal bill of information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and money laundering. Hill has agreed to plead guilty and is expected to appear in federal court for a plea hearing in the days ahead.
According to allegations contained in charging documents and other court records, from 2017 to 2024, the defendants conspired with each other and others to defraud the SC Medicaid program by submitting false and fraudulent reimbursement claims for behavioral health services that were not rendered as claimed and were tainted by illegal kickbacks and bribes. To carry out the scheme, the co-conspirators allegedly filed thousands of fraudulent claims using a network of companies in the Charlotte area and elsewhere. SC Medicaid beneficiaries are permitted to receive behavioral health services from qualified North Carolina providers located within a 25-mile radius from the South Carolina border.
The indictment alleges that Saunders was an organizer and leader of the scheme to defraud SC Medicaid and to pay and receive illegal kickbacks and bribes for Medicaid beneficiary names and identification numbers used to facilitate the scheme. As the leader of the conspiracy, Saunders allegedly helped other conspirators, including Hitchcock, Strickland, and Hill, create and operate billing companies or companies that provided behavioral health care services used to file fraudulent reimbursement claims with SC Medicaid. In exchange, Saunders received a portion of the illegal proceeds generated by those companies. Other individuals in the conspiracy, including Jenkins, McClary, and Corbett, supported the scheme by selling the PII of SC Medicaid beneficiaries; suppling licensed behavioral health professionals’ National Provider Identification (NPI) numbers; creating fictitious service notes for SC Medicaid beneficiaries who purportedly received services; or submitting fraudulent claims to SC Medicaid for reimbursement.
The indictment alleges that the beneficiaries whose names and PII were purchased and sold did not know that Medicaid claims had been submitted in their name and did not receive the services as represented to SC Medicaid.
In addition to using stolen PII of SC Medicaid beneficiaries, during the investigation the South Carolina Attorney General’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (SAG VAMPF), with the Assistance of the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS), created fictitious Medicaid beneficiaries which they then sold to the co-conspirators. The indictment alleges that the co-conspirators used the fictitious beneficiaries’ numbers to file fraudulent reimbursement claims with SC Medicaid for services that were never rendered.
It is further alleged that the co-conspirators paid bribes and illegal kickbacks to other individuals involved in the scheme, including providers who allowed the defendants to use their NPIs in connection with the filing of fraudulent claims. However, according to the indictment, many of the NPIs used by the co-conspirators belonged to professionals who were not part of the scheme but were tricked into providing their NPIs and credentials to the co-conspirators as part of an application for a job that never materialized. In the state of South Carolina, rendering providers of mental health services are licensed by the South Carolina Department of Labor Licensing and Regulations (LLR) and most are licensed independent practitioners.
The indictment alleges that the defendants were collectively paid over $21 million dollars as a result of the health care fraud scheme. It is further alleged that the defendants engaged in a money laundering conspiracy and conducted financial transactions designed to conceal and disguise the nature and source of the payments. For example, it is alleged that kickback agreements and payments were disguised as consulting contracts, payroll, and other seemingly legitimate expenses.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison on the healthcare fraud conspiracy count, ten years in prison on the healthcare fraud counts, twenty years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy count, and ten years in prison on the money laundering counts. Ultimately, their sentences will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
North Carolina Medicaid Fraud Case: U.S. v. Crystal Jackson
It was also announced today that Crystal Sherrell Jackson, 39, of Charlotte, is charged with health care fraud and money laundering for submitting fraudulent reimbursement claims to the North Carolina Medicaid Program (NC Medicaid) for psychotherapy services and urine drug testing. The bill of information alleges that Jackson, who held herself out as a licensed clinical addiction specialist, owned and managed Jackson Consulting Services LLC (JCS). Jackson licensed JCS as a mental health agency, clinical laboratory, and consulting business registered with NC Medicaid to provide services to eligible beneficiaries.
According to allegations in the bill of information, between January 2020 and June 2024, Jackson billed NC Medicaid over $1.9 million and was paid over $1.6 million for fraudulent claims for drug testing and psychotherapy sessions that were not medically necessary or never rendered.
To carry out the scheme, Jackson and her associates allegedly obtained and used the personal information of eligible persons, including their names, addresses, dates of birth, and NC Medicaid beneficiary numbers. In many cases, the beneficiaries did not know their information had been used to file the fictitious reimbursements claims and never received the services for which Jackson billed NC Medicaid. In addition, more than a dozen of the beneficiaries whose information Jackson used to bill NC Medicaid were incarcerated or deceased at the time the alleged services were provided.
According to the bill of information, in addition to billing NC Medicaid for non-existent psychotherapy services, JCS also falsely billed for unnecessary urine drug testing. To maximize criminal proceeds from the scheme, Jackson operated a fraudulent lab licensed under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), which enabled Jackson to bill NC Medicaid for the highest eligible drug testing.
In addition to health care fraud, Jackson is also charged with transactional money laundering for using criminal proceeds in furtherance of the scheme and to buy a vehicle and pay thousands of dollars for rent, food delivery, and ride sharing.
This is the latest charge involving fraudulent billing schemes targeting NC Medicaid. To date, a multiple defendants have been convicted of health care fraud and sentenced to prison for defrauding NC Medicaid, including a Greensboro clinic owner who was sentenced to 52 months in prison for a scheme that defrauded the NC Medicaid of more than $4.7 million in fraudulent claims for behavioral services.
Civil Enforcement Actions
In addition to the criminal charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office also announced recent civil enforcement actions that have resulted in settlements and judgments of nearly $5 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations.
In May, Nirvana Hyperbaric Institute, LLC (Nirvana), owner Roger Hunter, and Dr. Herminia De Guzman Ferreras, agreed to pay $200,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting claims to Medicare for hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments that were not adequately supervised by a physician.
Also last month, Charlotte Clinic Owner Steven Osbey of Kernersville, N.C., agreed to settle allegations of NC Medicaid fraud, and during the course of settlement negotiations has agreed for entry of judgment against him for over $4.7 million in favor of the United States and the State of North Carolina over allegations that a clinic he co-owned improperly charged NC Medicaid for physician home visits that never occurred.
In January, the U.S. Attorney’s office and the State of North Carolina filed a False Claims Act complaint against Benson I. Ejindu alleging that he knowingly submitted or caused the submission of false claims to NC Medicaid, through a durable medical equipment business he operated, for more expensive medical supplies than were provided to Medicaid beneficiaries.
Last fall, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that LabXperior Corporation and its owner, Tina Ball, paid $235,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the Federal False Claims Act and North Carolina False Claims Act by knowingly billing NC Medicaid for urine drug tests that were medically unnecessary and resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute.
“Even where it is not criminal, we will pursue false payments by civil action to recover taxpayer money and protect our American healthcare system,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Office of the South Carolina Attorney General VAMPF, the North Carolina Attorney General’s Medicaid Investigations Division, the FBI in North Carolina, IRS-CI, HHS-OIG, and SCHHS for their investigative efforts and ongoing coordination that led these cases, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that participated in this effort.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson also thanked the Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the criminal and civil divisions for their work on the cases and recognized Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina Fleisch with the North Carolina Medicaid Division who is prosecuting the case against Crystal Jackson.
An indictment or information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If you suspect Medicare or Medicaid fraud, please report it by phone at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477), or via email at HHSTips@oig.hhs.gov.
To report Medicaid fraud in North Carolina, call the North Carolina Medicaid Investigations Division at 919-881-2320 or fill out an online complaint form.
To report suspected Medicaid fraud in South Carolina, contact the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services via the toll-free tip line at 1-888-364-3224.
TRICARE fraud can be reported here.
Fraud against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system can be reported at www.vaoig.gov/hotline.
Four Pensacola Women Charged with Illegal Drug DiversionRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Today, United States Attorney John P. Heekin announced criminal charges against 4 defendants with an alleged scheme to unlawfully divert oxycodone, hydrocodone, and amphetamine. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
All the cases are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in intended loss and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. The United States has seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles and other assets in connection with the takedown.
The following individuals were charged in the Northern District of Florida: Alexandra M. Christensen, 31, Lindsay N. McCray (also known as Lindsay Rogers), 41, Heather T. Bradley (also known as Heather Thomas), 36, and Jennifer E. Purves, 39, all of Pensacola, Florida.
According to court records, Christensen and McCray are charged with conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances, McCray, Bradley, and Purves are charged with distribution of controlled substances, and McCray is charged with identity theft in connection with a scheme to unlawfully divert oxycodone, hydrocodone, and amphetamine. As alleged in the indictment, between 2015 and 2024, McCray, while employed by a medical practice, forged controlled substance prescriptions using the names, signatures, and Drug Enforcement Administration registration numbers of the practice’s two physicians without their knowledge or authorization. As a result of the conspiracy, McCray, Christensen, and others caused to be unlawfully distributed and dispensed over 300,000 hydrocodone pills and over 30,000 oxycodone pills. McCray is further charged with distributing and aiding and abetting the distribution of amphetamine with Bradley and Purves.
Trial for all defendants is currently set for August 18, 2025, at 9 a.m. before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell II. If convicted, McCray faces a maximum of 80 years’ imprisonment, and Christensen, Bradley, and Purves each face up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges.
Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/2025-national-health-care-fraud-takedown.
The Northern District of Florida, in particular, worked with the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Control Division, with assistance from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
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.
Ellsworth Man Sentenced for Trafficking Methamphetamine in Downeast MaineRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Ellsworth man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiring to commit money laundering.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Lucas Michaud, 33, to 70 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Michaud pleaded guilty on January 13, 2025.
According to court records, from May 2022 through May 2023, Michaud and others conspired to traffic methamphetamine in Maine. A source in California would mail shipments of methamphetamine to Maine for distribution in Downeast Maine. Proceeds from the sale of the methamphetamine were sent to the source using various money services, including Walmart2Walmart, Cash App, and Venmo. A co-conspirator enlisted the aid of Michaud and others to use their identifications and accounts to receive the money. This was done to conceal and disguise the source’s involvement in the transactions and the money laundering.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Postal Service, Ellsworth Police Department, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Holden Police Department, and Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.
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Eastern Iowan Sentenced to Federal Prison for Derecho and COVID-19 Pandemic Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
An Eastern Iowa woman who stole over $25,000 in federal benefits intended for victims of the August 2020 derecho and the COVID-19 pandemic was sentenced on June 27, 2025, to over a year in federal prison. Denisha Clarice Morrison, age 28, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after January 10, 2025, guilty pleas to one count of theft of government funds and one count of wire fraud.
On August 10, 2020, a severe storm, commonly referred to as a derecho, struck multiple counties in the Northern District of Iowa, as well as other parts of the States of Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. The derecho caused long-duration power outages across the Northern District of Iowa and extensive damage in Cedar Rapids in particular. In response to the derecho, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) declared Disaster No. 4557 for the State of Iowa on August 17, 2020. Victims of the disaster who resided in the Iowa counties approved for assistance could apply to the FEMA for disaster relief assistance to help meet repair and replacement expenses not covered by insurance. The derecho occurred less than six months after the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
In a plea agreement, Morrison admitted that, in October 2020, she received over $7,000 in FEMA benefits after falsely claiming she was living in an apartment on the west side of Cedar Rapids when the derecho hit and had suffered damage to her residence and personal property. In truth, Morrison was not living there and suffered no damage from the derecho.
Morrison also admitted that, in June 2021, she filed a fraudulent application for Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan moneys. At that time, the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) and its participating lenders offered low-interest, forgivable loans to small businesses who were suffering from the economic effects of the pandemic. Morrison falsely claimed to be the owner of a cleaning business and, as a result, received $20,000 in fraudulent PPP moneys.
While her federal case was pending, Morrison committed a theft in Waterloo and violated the terms of her pretrial release on multiple occasions by testing positive for an illegal substance, failing to find full-time employment, and violating location monitoring requirements while in home detention. Morrison has an extensive criminal history that includes a dozen other convictions in state court, including multiple theft and forgery convictions, carrying weapons, and assault causing bodily injury.
Morrison was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Morrison was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $27,191.45 in restitution to FEMA and the SBA. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Morrison is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 24-CR-55 and 25-CR-2001.
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East Conemaugh Man Sentenced to 11.5 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of East Conemaugh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 138 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his convictions of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and unlawful possession of a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Kari Ameen Wheeler, 38.
According to information presented to the Court, on or about August 21, 2024, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Wheeler distributed and possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Further, on or about August 23, 2024, Wheeler possessed two firearms and ammunition after previously having been convicted of a felony. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force and Cambria County Drug Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Wheeler.
District of South Dakota Seizes 230 Illegally Possessed Firearms in 2024Read the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that over the course of 2024, federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies seized 230 firearms that were possessed in violation of federal law. In the same year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota charged approximately 112 defendants with illegally owning, possessing, using, or obtaining one or more such firearms.
“By seizing firearms from individuals who are prohibited from possessing firearms, law enforcement agencies prevented countless violent and drug-related crimes from occurring in communities across South Dakota,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is grateful for the strong law enforcement partnerships in South Dakota, which allow us to combine federal, state, and tribal resources to target some of the most dangerous individuals in our state and remove illegal firearms from our streets.”
Efforts to seize illegal firearms are the result of close cooperation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), South Dakota State Highway Patrol, and numerous sheriff’s offices and police departments across the state, including Sioux Falls and Rapid City.
Examples of the types of firearms-related cases resolved by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2024 include the following:
- United States v. Bryan Louis Archambeau—In the evening of November 2, 2023, Archambeau went to the 49’er Marathon C-Store in Sioux Falls wearing a medical mask. He entered the store and took two cases of Twisted Tea and exited the store without paying for the items. When confronted about the theft, Archambeau lifted his shirt, brandished a pistol, and then left the scene. Then, in the evening of November 3, 2023, Archambeau went to the Freedom Valu Center in Sioux Falls. He placed two-12 packs of Twisted Tea on the counter and pulled out a pistol from his waistband. He pointed it at the clerk, racked the slide of the pistol, and demanded money. Archambeau then left the scene. Archambeau was later convicted of Interference with Commerce by Means of Robbery and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. He was sentenced to nearly 11 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the ATF and the Sioux Falls Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert-Webb.
- United States v. Charles Colhoff—On November 4, 2023, Colhoff was involved in a shooting in Rapid City where he and another individual exchanged gunfire following an argument. Colhoff was uninjured but the other individual sustained two gunshot wounds and required surgery. Officers processing the scene located three 9mm cartridge casings related to the shooting. Colhoff was located by law enforcement on November 11, 2023, and found to be in possession of a Browning 9mm semi-automatic pistol believed to be the same pistol Colhoff used in the shooting. Ballistics testing was conducted, which confirmed the three 9mm casings recovered at the shooting scene were fired from the pistol recovered from Colhoff. Colhoff knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms based on a prior federal felony offense, which also involved a firearm. Colhoff was sentenced to nine years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the ATF, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson prosecuted the case.
- United States v. Jerel Running Bear—On the evening of November 8, 2023, Running Bear and two other individuals, including a 21-year-old female victim, went to Wounded Knee to obtain fentanyl pills from a drug source. When the source did not show up, Running Bear, who was under the influence of controlled substances, grabbed a rifle from the trunk of the vehicle and shot the female who was seated in the backseat. The other female took off running and alerted law enforcement. Running Bear then picked up Fast Horse, his girlfriend at the time. Running Bear removed the victim from the vehicle and left her on the side of the road, while Fast Horse watched. The next day, the two fled to Nebraska after being spotted by law enforcement. Fast Horse threw out items from the vehicle, including controlled substances. The two were eventually apprehended. After Running Bear was placed into custody, Fast Horse did not tell law enforcement about watching Running Bear dispose of the victim’s body on the side of the road. Running Bear was convicted of Second Degree Murder and Discharge of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence. He was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
- United States v. Justin James Schneider—On June 20, 2023, the Corson County Sheriff’s Office received credible information that Schneider had discharged a revolver earlier that day and was armed and dangerous. The Corson County Sheriff requested and received assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services to detain and arrest Schneider. A BIA officer found Schneider in Bullhead, South Dakota, in the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. When the officer attempted to arrest him, Schneider fled in his pickup to a nearby pasture and engaged in an armed stand-off with Corson County deputies and BIA police officers. Schneider eventually got back into his pickup and fled to the Bullhead Community Center, striking a police squad car en route. Schneider then exited his pickup, brandishing a revolver, gesturing wildly towards nearby civilians and disregarding repeated police commands to drop his gun. As Schneider moved quickly towards unarmed children, a police officer shot him to protect the public. Schneider was taken into custody without further incident. Schneider was convicted of Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm and Simple Assault on a Federal Officer. He was sentenced to over 13 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by the FBI, the Corson County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
- United States v. Antoine Ray Thomas, et al.—Thomas was part of a large methamphetamine and fentanyl distribution organization operating in South Dakota, which was obtaining drugs from Mexico. The conspiracy involved fifty pounds of methamphetamine, hundreds of pills containing fentanyl, and several firearms and ammunition. Thomas was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute over 500 grams of Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. He was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Ebert-Webb and Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
The District of South Dakota’s prosecution of illegal firearms is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal 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 of Justice 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.
- United States v. Bryan Louis Archambeau—In the evening of November 2, 2023, Archambeau went to the 49’er Marathon C-Store in Sioux Falls wearing a medical mask. He entered the store and took two cases of Twisted Tea and exited the store without paying for the items. When confronted about the theft, Archambeau lifted his shirt, brandished a pistol, and then left the scene. Then, in the evening of November 3, 2023, Archambeau went to the Freedom Valu Center in Sioux Falls. He placed two-12 packs of Twisted Tea on the counter and pulled out a pistol from his waistband. He pointed it at the clerk, racked the slide of the pistol, and demanded money. Archambeau then left the scene. Archambeau was later convicted of Interference with Commerce by Means of Robbery and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. He was sentenced to nearly 11 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the ATF and the Sioux Falls Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert-Webb.
District of Arizona Charges 7 Defendants as Part of National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine announced criminal charges against seven defendants in connection with alleged schemes to receive health care kickbacks and to defraud Medicare and Medicaid (specifically AHCCCS, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System). The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from alleged schemes to obtain over $1.1 billion by the collective submission of approximately $1.65 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicaid and Medicare and the receipt of health care kickbacks and bribes.
“Health care fraud doesn’t just steal money from taxpayers, it also degrades trust in the system Americans rely on to care for themselves and their loved ones” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “I am proud that the District of Arizona, in coordination with the entire Department of Justice, is working hard to hold criminals accountable for putting ill-gotten gains above their community’s well-being.”
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
The charges announced today by United States Attorney Courchaine are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in intended loss and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. The United States has seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets in connection with the takedown.
The following individuals were charged in the District of Arizona:
Farrukh Jarar Ali, 41, of Pakistan, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with an alleged $650 million scheme involving at least 41 substance abuse treatment clinics in Arizona. As alleged in the indictment, Ali owned ProMD Solutions (“ProMD”), a Pakistan-based company that provided credentialing, enrollment, medical coding, and billing services for outpatient treatment centers that were purportedly in the business of providing addiction treatment services for persons suffering from alcohol and drug addiction. Ali and ProMD credentialed and enrolled multiple substance abuse treatment clinics as providers with Arizona’s Medicaid agency, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (“AHCCCS”), but these clinics did not provide legitimate care to patients, many of whom were recruited from the homeless population or Native American reservations. Ali submitted approximately $650 million in false and fraudulent claims to AHCCCS for addiction treatment services that were not provided, were not provided as billed, were so substandard that they failed to serve a treatment purpose, were not used as part of or integrated into any treatment plan, and were medically unnecessary. AHCCCS paid approximately $564 million for these false and fraudulent claims. Ali also created false therapy notes for treatment that was never provided, and the clinics working with Ali provided these falsified records to AHCCCS in response to audits. Ali personally received approximately $24.5 million of AHCCCS funds as a result of the scheme, and he used $2.9 million of the funds to purchase a home located on a golf estate in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney S. Babu Kaza of the Midwest Strike Force, Assistant Chief James Hayes of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona.
Cle’Esther Davenport, 51, of Peoria, Arizona, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States and receive and pay kickbacks, and receiving kickbacks, in connection with a substance abuse treatment scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Davenport owned a company, Davenport House LLC, that purportedly provided housing to individuals enrolled in health plans funded by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (“AHCCCS”), Arizona’s Medicaid program. Davenport received approximately $739,000 in illegal kickbacks to refer individuals to Tusa Integrated Clinic, LLC (“Tusa”), an outpatient treatment center that purported to provide substance abuse and behavioral health treatment to AHCCCS-insured patients, resulting in improper payments of approximately $1.58 million from AHCCCS to Tusa. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief James Hayes and Trial Attorneys Sarah Edwards and Lauren Randell of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona.
Ira Denny, 56, of Surprise, Arizona, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicare by billing for medically unnecessary amniotic allografts that were procured through kickbacks and bribes. As alleged in the information, medically untrained sales representatives identified and referred elderly Medicare beneficiaries to Denny, a nurse practitioner, who applied amniotic allografts to the beneficiaries without exercising independent medical judgment and in the amount and frequency determined by the sales representatives. Medicare was billed approximately $209,359,607 for allografts ordered and applied by Denny, which were medically unreasonable and unnecessary, ineligible for reimbursement, and procured through kickbacks and bribes. Medicare paid approximately $138,590,922 based on these false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys William Hochul III and Shane Butland of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona.
Tyler Kontos, 29, of Mesa, Arizona, Joel “Max” Kupetz, 36, of Scottsdale, Arizona, and JorgeKinds, 49, of Phoenix, Arizona, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with a $1 billion amniotic wound allograft fraud scheme. Kontos and Kupetz were also charged with transactional money laundering, and Kupetz was charged with receiving health care kickbacks. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants targeted elderly Medicare patients, many of whom were terminally ill in hospice care, through Arizona-based companies Apex Mobile Medical LLC, Apex Medical LLC, Viking Medical Consultants LLC, and APX Mobile Medical LLC to cause unnecessary and expensive allografts to be applied to these vulnerable patients’ wounds indiscriminately, without coordination with the patients’ treating physicians, to superficial wounds that did not need this treatment, and in sizes excessively larger than the wound. Kontos and Kupetz—neither of whom had any medical training—located elderly Medicare patients with wounds of any size or severity, ordered and recommended the ordering of allografts to be placed on the patients’ wounds, and referred the patients to Kinds and other nurse practitioners to apply the allografts. Kinds, a licensed nurse practitioner, applied whatever quantities and sizes of allografts medically untrained sales representatives ordered for the patients, without conducting an independent medical assessment, resulting in the application of numerous and inappropriately large allografts to single small wounds and wounds that required only traditional conservative treatment to heal. In just fourteen months, the defendants and their co-conspirators caused the submission of over $1 billion in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, CHAMPVA, TRICARE, and commercial insurers, of which over $600 million was paid. Kontos and Kupetz received illegal kickbacks for ordering and arranging for and recommending the purchasing and ordering of allografts, while Kinds received up to $1,000 for each allograft application. Assets were seized upon the defendants’ indictment, including cryptocurrency and bank accounts totaling more than $7.2 million. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys William Hochul III and Shane Butland of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona. Trial Attorney Yuliana Reyes of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Bozdech of the District of Arizona are handling asset forfeiture.
Gina Palacios, 40, of Phoenix, Arizona, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicare by billing for medically unnecessary amniotic allografts that were procured through kickbacks and bribes. As alleged in the information, medically untrained sales representatives identified and referred elderly Medicare beneficiaries to Palacios, a nurse practitioner, who applied amniotic allografts to the beneficiaries without exercising independent medical judgment and in the amount and frequency determined by the sales representatives. Medicare was billed approximately $59,470,478 for allografts ordered and applied by Palacios, which were medically unreasonable and unnecessary, ineligible for reimbursement, and procured through kickbacks and bribes. Medicare paid approximately $28,442,271 based on these false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys William Hochul III and Shane Butland of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona.
"The FBI takes the responsibility to investigate and pursue those who commit fraud for personal gain extremely seriously,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke. “Fraud and dishonesty undermine the integrity of our health care system and cost taxpayers’ money; but beyond that and most importantly, when funds are diverted from where they are truly needed, the people who are most vulnerable are hurt the most.”
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle, District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle, District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Website.
The District of Arizona, in particular, worked with the Department’s Criminal Division and the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Department of Defense - Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, and the Texas Department of Health, Office of Inspector General.
A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBERS: CR-25-00822-PHX-DWL, CR-25-0083-PHX-MTL, CR-25-00915-PHX-SMB, CR-25-00944-PHX-SPL, CR-25-00947-PHX-DWL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-106_Health Care Fraud Takedown# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Rafael Cee-Erwin Solomon, also known as “Rip,” 43, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to three counts of distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Solomon sold a quantity of fentanyl in Dunbar on March 10, 2025, and quantities of fentanyl in St. Albans on March 24, 2025, and March 27, 2025.
Solomon has a criminal history that includes a prior conviction for conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on December 10, 2012. He also has prior convictions for assault and battery-domestic violence, malicious destruction of property, arson, and felonious assault.
Today’s guilty pleas result from an investigation that also led to the indictment of 13 other individuals on charges alleging they participated in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Solomon is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, at least six years of supervised release, and a $2 million fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-77.
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Department of Justice Announces the Opening of Nominations to Honor the Honorable: The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in PolicingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced today that the Department of Justice is now accepting nominations to Honor the Honorable: The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing. This award represents the Department of Justice’s reaffirmed commitment to uplifting the valor and exceptional contributions to policing of our great nation’s law enforcement personnel. It is the mission of the Department of Justice to recognize individuals in law enforcement who exhibit remarkable courage, innovation, and outstanding performance in making America safe again.
The Attorney General’s Honor the Honorable Award recognizes individual or teams of rank-and-file officers from state, local, Tribal or territorial law enforcement agencies for exceptional efforts in policing. The awarded officers, deputies and troopers will have demonstrated exceptional service in one of three areas: criminal investigations, field operations or exemplary community involvement. Within each category, an award will be given to law enforcement agencies serving small, medium and large jurisdictions. Those agency sizes are defined as:
- Small: agencies serving populations of fewer than 50,000;
- Medium: agencies serving populations of 50,000 to 250,000;
- Large: agencies serving populations of more than 250,000.
By acknowledging and rewarding these efforts, the Department strives to advance and reaffirm its dedication to policing and to promote proactive law enforcement methods that support public safety within our nation’s communities. Through this Award, the Attorney General recognizes that the nation’s law enforcement agencies, officers, deputies and troopers continue to work tirelessly to make American communities safe places to live and work again.
The deadline for nominations is July 14, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. More information and the application for nominees can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/ag/policing-award
Convicted Felon Indicted, Arraigned on Federal Firearms and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A convicted felon was arraigned in federal court in Providence today on firearm and drug charges contained in a 15-count federal superseding indictment returned by a grand jury on June 18, 2025, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
The indictment charges Luis Martinez, 46, of Providence, with three counts of sale or transfer of a firearm to a prohibited person, two counts of distribution of cocaine, three counts of distribution of cocaine base, four counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Charging documents allege the following:
- on various dates between September 17, 2024, and March 5, 2025, Martinez sold a total of approximately 73.6 grams of crack cocaine and approximately 54.9 grams of cocaine.
- On March 26, 2025, he possessed 28 grams or more of cocaine base with the intent to distribute it and also possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute it;
- Between September 17, 2024, and March 26, 2025, Martinez was a felon in possession of four firearms, three of which he sold or transferred to another person; and
- On March 26, 2025 while he possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute it, he also possessed a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.
Court records reflect that Martinez was previously convicted in Rhode Island state courts on felony firearm and drug trafficking charges and was serving a term of state probation at the time of his initial arrest in this matter on May 7, 2025. Martinez is currently detained in federal custody.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron
The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Providence Police Department Narcotics Unit.
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Colorado Man Conspiring to Distribute Meth and Fentanyl in Iowa Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and illegally possessed a firearm pled guilty June 27, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
Ryan Miller, 40, originally from Colorado, but most recently residing in Pilot Mound, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Miller was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in 2017, this conviction prohibits him from possessing a firearm.
At the plea hearing, Miller admitted that from January 2024 through April 27, 2024, he and others conspired to distribute at least a half pound of methamphetamine and more than 1700 pills of fentanyl. On April 21, 2024, Miller, along with two others were headed to Colorado to pick up more methamphetamine and to sell fentanyl pills. They attempted to elude law enforcement in a high-speed vehicle chase during which Miller threw two pop cans containing fentanyl pills from the vehicle. Miller’s two co-defendants made “false” 911 calls to law enforcement in an attempt to distract law enforcement and avoid capture. Later the same date, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Miller’s residence and seized a small amount of methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana, and a loaded .22 caliber Beretta handgun.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Miller remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Miller faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $8,250,000 fine, and at least eight years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Ida and Sac County Sheriff’s Offices, the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Iowa DCI Laboratory
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4042. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Coal County Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kevin Carter Kieckhefer, age 35, of Tupelo, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Indictment charged Kieckhefer with knowingly possessing 25 rounds of .223 ammunition on July 19, 2023, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Coal County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kieckhefer will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dak T. Cohen and Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Checotah Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Andrew Frank Lerblance, a/k/a Andrew Frank Lerblance Jr., age 66, of Checotah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to a one-count Information of Distribution of Methamphetamine. The charge carries a term of 5 to 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000.00 fine.
The Information alleged that on October 3, 2023, Lerblance knowingly and intentionally distributed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Lerblance will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.
Canton Man Charged in National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Today, as part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, a Canton, Mass. man has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with an alleged fraud scheme to defraud Medicare of over $4 million by submitting claims for durable medical equipment (DME) that was medically unnecessary, not wanted by the Medicare beneficiaries, and tainted by kickbacks.
Krishna Gidwani, 55, of Canton, Mass., was charged by an Information with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The Court has scheduled a plea hearing for July 30, 2025.
According to the charging documents, Gidwani allegedly worked with Raju Sharma, and other co-conspirators to own and operate a DME company that paid telemarketing companies for DME orders for orthotics such as ankle, wrist, knee and back braces. Often, the Medicare beneficiaries did not need or want the braces the defendants shipped them and, as further alleged in the information, the doctors whose signatures appeared on these DME orders often did not treat these beneficiaries and did not prescribe the DME. In May 2025, Sharma, agreed to plead guilty to health care fraud conspiracy for his alleged role in the scheme. His plea hearing is scheduled for July 8, 2025.
The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, supervised release for up to three years and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. 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.
“Mr. Gidwani is accused of manipulating Medicare to enrich himself – misusing the names of unwitting doctors to push unwanted and unnecessary medical equipment onto elderly patients. Health care fraud is not a victimless crime. It drives up costs, exploits vulnerable patients and undermines public trust in our medical system,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Today’s charges are part of a historic, nationwide effort to hold accountable those who abuse federal health care programs for personal gain. Our office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to root out fraud and ensure that Medicare dollars support genuine patient care, not criminal profit.”
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
“The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said HHS-OIG Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”
“Health care fraud affects everyone. Not only does it put a strain on our country’s vital health care system, but it costs taxpayers billions of dollars every year,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “FBI Boston will continue to work with our law enforcement and private sector partners to identify and investigate individuals like Krishna Gidwani who are accused of submitting claims that are medically unnecessary and tainted by kickbacks.”
U.S. Attorney Foley; AG Bondi; HHS-OIG Acting IG Hodgkins; and FBI SAC Docks made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren A. Graber and Sarah B. Hoefle of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Today’s announcement is part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in intended loss and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. The United States has seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles and other assets in connection with the takedown.
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle, District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle, District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Canadian National Sentenced for Possession of Sex Abuse Videos of Toddler and Prepubescent BoysRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Matthew Norman Ballek, 32, of Saskatchewan, Canada, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 46 months in federal prison in connection with distributing child pornography to an undercover law enforcement agent in January 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Ballek pleaded guilty Oct. 4, 2024, in the District of Columbia to a criminal information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography. The Honorable Reggie B. Walton ordered Ballek to serve six years of supervised release on completion of his prison term, and to register as a sex offender for a period of 15 years. He also may be subject to deportation proceedings and other adverse immigration consequences.
According to court documents, in January 2024, a member of the FBI–MPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force was monitoring an online dating application in an undercover capacity. The application is sometimes used by individuals who have a sexual interest in children. Ballek contacted the undercover agent and, believing he was communicating with a pedophile, expressed an interest in child pornography. Ballek sent the undercover agent three video files via an encrypted messaging application. Those video files depicted adult men raping a toddler and prepubescent boys. Ballek was arrested in the District of Columbia on February 7, 2024. The FBI seized and forensically examined Ballek’s phone, which contained 10 unique videos and at least 21 unique still images of child pornography.
Ballek was arrested February 7, 2024.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Shinskie.
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Cross City Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Khiri Jackson, 31, of Cross City, Florida, pled guilty in federal court to possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Methamphetamine addiction destroys lives and harms communities throughout North Florida, but this trafficker’s days of flooding our streets with this poison are over. My office is committed to fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by aggressively pursuing and prosecuting drug traffickers, and I deeply appreciate the outstanding work of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to keep these offenders and these deadly drugs off our streets.”
Court documents reflect that the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the drug-trafficking activities of Jackson since late 2024. On April 15, 2025, through coordinated law enforcement surveillance, Jackson was apprehended near Old Town, Florida as he returned from the Ocala, Florida area. Law enforcement found approximately a pound of drugs in a vacuum sealed bag on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
Jackson faces at least 10-years in prison up to a maximum of life imprisonment.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Levy County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hapner and James A. McCain.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 30, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor
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.
Bensalem Woman Charged in Home Care Fraud Kickback Scheme That Caused Loss to Medicaid of Nearly $1.1 MillionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced criminal charges today against a Bucks County woman in connection with the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
Hemal Patel, 59, of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, has been charged by information with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, in connection with a home care fraud scheme, where Patel is alleged to have received kickbacks to refer home care patients to home care agencies. Patel and others devised a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicaid for home care services that were never provided, resulting in a loss to Medicaid of approximately $1,069,384.38.
As alleged in the information, Patel forged doctor signatures on forms required to certify individuals as eligible for home care services, and unlawfully used individuals’ personally identifiable information without their knowledge to enroll them for home care services they were not entitled to while those individuals were living out of the country.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alisa Shver.
The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Metcalf are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in intended loss and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. The United States has seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets, in connection with the takedown.
“Health care fraud hurts us all, heightening the cost of services and threatening their availability to people in need,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “My office will continue to target fraud, waste, and abuse within our federal health care programs and ensure that individuals stealing taxpayers’ money answer for their crimes.”
Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for EscapeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kishaun Andre Jones, 25, of Beckley, was sentenced today to four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for escape after walking away from a federal reentry facility.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 2, 2024, Jones left Dismas Charities Inc., a Bureau of Prisons residential reentry facility in St. Albans, without permission. Jones was confined at Dismas Charities as a result of his conviction for distribution of methamphetamine in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on February 23, 2023. Law enforcement recaptured Jones in Greenbrier County on January 14, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service and the Greenbrier County Sheriff's Office.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney D. Keith Randolph prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-21.
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Armed Mexican national federally indicted in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A Mexican national, illegally living in Rains County, has been charged with federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Rigoberto Herrera-Rodriguez, 59, was named in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury last week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegally reentering the United States after previously being deported and being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
The indictment alleges that on June 4, 2025, Herrera-Rodriguez was found illegally in the United States and in possession of a firearm. Herrera-Rodriguez had been previously deported to Mexico from the United States in December 2024.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
If convicted, Herrera-Rodriguez faces up to 15 years in federal prison and deportation.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Farahnak.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Aggravated Felon Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Adrian Barron-Valdez, 47, originally of Mexico, was sentenced on June 27, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for reentry of a removed alien after an aggravated felony conviction. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Barron-Valdez to 21 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Barron-Valdez release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
Barron-Valdez came to the attention of Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) in the District of Nebraska on December 7, 2024, following his arrest on state charges in Omaha. Barron-Valdez posted bond and was released to ICE on December 26, 2024, pursuant to its detainer. Barron-Valdez was arrested by ICE and was transported to the immigration office in Omaha for processing. Fingerprint results confirmed Barron-Valdez’s identity, alienage, immigration, and criminal history. Barron-Valdez is a citizen and national of Mexico with no claim to United States Citizenship or Lawful Permanent Resident status. He did not have documents to enter, pass through, or remain in the United States. It was confirmed Barron-Valdez had previously been issued a removal order on December 18, 2004, and he was physically removed from the United States to Mexico six times, first on January 12, 2005, and most recently on November 3, 2021. Barron-Valdez was convicted on June 10, 2013, in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
There is no record that Barron-Valdez obtained consent from either the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission into the United States.
This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Possession of Child Pornography
Sean Joseph Brennan, 58, of Hudson, Wyoming, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison with 10 years of supervised release to follow for possession of child pornography, subsequent offense. The court ordered restitution of $33,000 to be paid to the victims identified in the child pornography Brennan possessed. According to court documents, on Sept. 10, 2024, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force was contacted by the Lander Police Department (LPD) who requested assistance with an investigation. LPD received information that Brennan had been engaged in online chats with an individual Brennan believed to be 13 years old. As part of their investigation, detectives were granted search warrants for his property and seized electronic devices containing thousands of images and videos of child sexual assault material, or CSAM. DCI – ICAC and LPD investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the case. The defendant was indicted on Nov. 20, 2024, and pleaded guilty on April 3. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on June 25 in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00166
Drug Trafficking
Tyler Kihlstrom, 35, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison with five years of supervised release to follow for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents, from March 2024 through May 29, 2024, Kihlstrom, along with others in Wyoming and Colorado, conspired to obtain methamphetamine in Colorado and distribute it in Wyoming. In May, after agents conducted several controlled purchases from Kihlstrom, he was pulled over and arrested near Douglas. He was found in possession of 549 grams of methamphetamine and over $8,000 in U.S. currency. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Kihlstrom was indicted on July 18, 2024, and pleaded guilty on Dec. 2, 2024. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on June 26 in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-00103.
Illegal Reentry
Jorge Perez-Romero, 51, of Mexico, was sentenced to time served and will be deported for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, on April 6, 2025, Perez-Romero was arrested by the Wyoming Highway Patrol for traffic-related offenses. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was contacted, and they determined that Perez-Romero had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in June 2005. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence in Cheyenne on June 24. Case No. 25-CR-00077
About the United States Attorney’s OfficeThe United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include: Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Operation Take Back America
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. It also streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Victim Witness Program
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime
16 “Anti-Tren” members and associates charged with cocaine and firearms traffickingRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Several foreign nationals illegally residing in the Houston area are now in custody for drug trafficking and weapons charges following a law enforcement operation targeting Venezuelan nationals and alleged members or associates of the Anti-Tren transnational criminal organization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Most are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray at 2 p.m.
The charges allege Anti-Tren is a criminal organization almost exclusively comprised of former members and associates of Tren de Aragua (TdA). Similar to TdA, purposes of Anti-Tren allegedly include preserving and protecting the power and territory of the organization and its members and associates through attempted murder, other acts of violence and threats of such. This includes targeting members and associates of TdA and enriching the members and associates of Anti-Tren through, among other things, the trafficking of firearms and controlled substances, according to the charges.
Two criminal complaints charge 14 Anti-Tren members and associates with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. These include Luis Miguel Claros Sarmiento, 26, Dany E. Rojas, 28, Ismael Leon Belbin, 24, Andy Luis Alvarez Herrera, 28, Cesar Oskeiber Cabezas Pacheco, 26, and Cesar Mauricio Velasquez, 27; Venezuelan nationals Raul Armando Ramirez Correa, 24, Darwin Martinez, 37, Peter Davila, 34, Otis Jose Rodriguez Garcia, 31, Pedro Hernandez Delgado, 19, Jesus F. Fernandez Troconiz, 26, Embeer J. Gutierrez Ternawskyj, 24, as well as Raul Antonio Claros Sarmiento, 30, Honduras.
According to the allegations, two groups of individuals agreed to transport kilogram quantities of cocaine in exchange for $15,000 for each load with each group accepting half as payment in advance.
“The Southern District’s twin priorities are securing our border and the eradication of violent crime. This case implicates both,” said Ganjei. “Operation Take Back America means going on the offensive against transnational criminal organizations to ensure that they cannot take root in our community and endanger public safety. SDTX is going to be unapologetic in carrying out that mission.”
“These arrests are the largest takedown of suspected Anti-Tren members and associates by the FBI, so far, and they happened right here in Houston,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston Field Office. “These individuals are accused of engaging in a turf war with TdA members and carrying out numerous violent crimes throughout our city, including a mass shooting at a local sports bar that left six people wounded. Fortunately, for the good and safety of our community, these individuals are now in federal custody facing U.S. justice.”
If convicted, they face up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine.
Correa, Ternawskyj, Garcia, Delgado and Pedro Jose Ramirez Delgado, 26, are also charged separately with various weapons offenses based on their alleged possession and sale of firearms. If convicted of those charges, they could receive up to 15 years in prison.
Jose Miguel Briceno, 25, a Venzuelan national who resided in Houston illegally, is charged separately with unlawful possession of ammunition by an alien. The criminal complaint alleges he was involved in a mass shooting at the Latinas Sports Bar club in Houston in March where six people were wounded, four of whom were in critical condition. According to the complaint, Briceno used a firearm to shoot inside the doorway of the bar and then discarded the firearm which law enforcement never located. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years imprisonment and a maximum $250,000 possible fine.
The FBI Houston field office conducted this investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Marshals Service and Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Texas Department of Public Safety, Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz are prosecuting the case along with Jason Harley from the Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV).
JTFV, which was created to combat MS-13 and now expanded to TdA under Attorney General Bondi, has been comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern District of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Ohio; Eastern District of Virginia; Southern District of California; District of Columbia and Districts of New Jersey, Utah, Massachusetts, Nevada and Alaska as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security and Criminal Divisions. Additionally, the FBI; DEA; ICE-Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; and Federal Bureau of Prisons have been essential law enforcement partners and spearheaded JTFV’s investigations.
This case is also a 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.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
11 Defendants Indicted in Multi-Billion Health Care Fraud Scheme, the Largest Case by Loss Amount Ever Charged by the Department of JusticeRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Fifteen individuals, including two pharmacists, have been charged for their participation in schemes in which the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and other health care benefit programs, were fraudulently billed more than $10.6 billion. In one case, dubbed “Operation Gold Rush” by law enforcement, 11 defendants, members of a transnational criminal organization (the Organization) based in Russia and elsewhere, allegedly orchestrated a multi-billion-dollar health care fraud and money laundering scheme to steal from the Medicare program and private health insurance companies. The charges filed in the Eastern District of New York are part of the 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, a coordinated law enforcement action across the United States led by the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section Health Care Fraud Unit.
United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi; Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Christian J. Schrank, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) announced the charges.
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” stated Attorney General Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
“As alleged, the defendants perpetrated health care frauds of staggering proportions, victimizing taxpayers and government programs that serve the most vulnerable members of our society,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “My Office is working closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate and track down, here and abroad, those criminals who treat government funded programs and insurance providers like ATMs, and to hold them accountable for every dollar they brazenly stole. As for the defendants charged with submitting billions of dollars in phony Medicare claims, that is a health care fraud record they will regret setting.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York and Connecticut Field Offices; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York; the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces; the New York City Department of Investigation; the New York City Police Department; and the Nassau County Police Department for their invaluable assistance.
“The Criminal Division is intensely committed to rooting out health care fraud schemes and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate them because these schemes: (1) often result in physical patient harm through medically unnecessary treatments or failure to provide the correct treatments; (2) contribute to our nationwide opioid epidemic and exacerbate controlled substance addiction; and (3) do all of that while stealing money hardworking Americans contribute to pay for the care of their elders and other vulnerable citizens,” stated Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices stand united with our law enforcement partners in this fight, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the American people.”
“This case underscores the relentless commitment of HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners to protecting the integrity of federal health care programs,” stated HHS-OIG Deputy Inspector General Schrank. “Despite the scope and sophistication of this transnational criminal enterprise, our collaborative efforts helped prevent billions in fraudulent claims from being paid by Medicare. We will continue to work tirelessly across borders and agencies to identify, disrupt, and dismantle those who seek to exploit our health care system and steal from American taxpayers.”
The schemes charged in the Eastern District of New York, detailed in four indictments and one information, are as follows:
Operation Gold Rush: In the largest health care fraud case by loss amount ever charged by the Department of Justice, Imam Nakhmatullaev, Svjatoslav Jakovlev, Eric Juergens, Jaan Juergens, Ilja Karunas, Juri Karunas, Jason Onoufrienko, Renek Tiku, Vladislav Turaskin, Kevin Valdhans, and Vjatseslav Zogolev were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Nakhmatullaev, Jakovlev, Eric Juergens, Jaan Juergens, Onoufrienko, Tiku, Turaskin, Valdhans, and Zogolev were also charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and wire fraud, and Jakovlev, Valdhans, Jaan Juergens, and Onoufrienko were each charged with one count of health care fraud. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants were members of a transnational criminal organization based in Russia and elsewhere, that orchestrated a multi-billion-dollar health care fraud and money laundering scheme to target, exploit, and steal from Medicare. The Organization purchased dozens of durable medical equipment companies (Scheme DME Companies) that already had the ability to submit claims to Medicare and Medicare Supplemental Insurers. The Organization executed these purchases by paying foreign nationals and others to serve as nominee owners of the Scheme DME Companies. The Organization then created fictitious corporate records that falsely indicated that the nominee owners controlled the Scheme DME Companies when, in fact, they were controlled by the Organization’s foreign-based leadership. After the Organization gained control over the Scheme DME Companies, it rapidly submitted billions of dollars in false and fraudulent health care claims to Medicare. The Organization did so by stealing the identities and personal identifying information of more than one million Americans in all 50 states, including elderly and disabled Americans.
The Organization submitted over $10.6 billion in fraudulent Medicare claims for DME. HHS-OIG and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services successfully prevented the Organization from receiving the vast majority of the money that it conspired to steal from Medicare. The fraudulent scheme nonetheless resulted in payments to Scheme DME Companies from Medicare Supplemental Insurers estimated to be nearly $900 million and Medicare payments to the Scheme DME Companies of approximately $41 million.
As further alleged, the Organization exploited the U.S. financial system. The Organization leveraged U.S. financial institutions to deposit checks and transfer funds out of accounts. The health care fraud proceeds were particularly susceptible to laundering because they originated from legitimate sources—Medicare and Medicare Supplemental Insurers—giving the funds the initial appearance of legitimacy. The Organization deployed a range of tactics to circumvent the anti-money laundering controls at multiple financial institutions. To open financial accounts, the Organization armed its nominee owners, many of whom were not lawfully present in the United States, with false documentation reflecting that the nominee owners maintained beneficial ownership and control of the Scheme DME Companies for which they were attempting to open accounts and thereby disguised the true beneficial ownership and control of the entities and the accounts. Moreover, the use of the Scheme DME Companies’ names to open financial accounts allowed the Organization to benefit from the illusion of legitimate commercial activity within the health care market. Upon opening the financial accounts, the Organization funneled fraud proceeds from Medicare and Medicare Supplemental Insurers into the accounts as seemingly “clean” money. From there, the Organization siphoned off the funds to shell companies and various banks overseas, including banks in China, Singapore, Pakistan, Israel, and Turkey. To further conceal the money trail, the Organization leveraged cryptocurrency to launder the stolen funds.
The Organization constantly evolved, recruiting new nominee owners, stealing new identities, and acquiring new Scheme DME Companies to replace those shut down by law enforcement. This evolution was made possible through the Organization’s extensive use of virtual private servers (VPSs) to execute nearly all digital aspects of the scheme. The VPSs allowed the Organization to use a cyberinfrastructure that helped conceal conspirators’ true physical locations, mask Organization IP addresses, and scale fraudulent operations internationally.
Four defendants, Ilja Karunas, Juri Karunas, Erik Juergens, and Renek Tiku were arrested June 25, 2025 in Estonia on these charges, and the United States is seeking their extradition. The remaining seven defendants are at large.
To date, the government has seized approximately $27.7 million in fraud proceeds as part of Operation Gold Rush, subject to criminal forfeiture and civil forfeiture in a case filed in the District of Connecticut. The criminal case is being prosecuted by Strike Force Assistant Chiefs Kevin Lowell and Shankar Ramamurthy, and Strike Force Trial Attorneys Leonid Sandlar, Sara Porter, Andres Almendarez, Monica Cooper, Thomas Campbell, Danielle Sakowski, and Matthew Belz. Trial Attorneys Emily Cohen and Chelsea Rooney of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Nelson of the District of Connecticut are handling civil forfeiture matters.
The United States thanks the Economic Crime Bureau of the National Criminal Police of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board and the Office of the Prosecutor General for support with the investigation.
United States v. Mak: Hong Yuen Mak, also known as “Joe Mak,” waived indictment and pleaded guilty to an information charging him with conspiracy to offer and pay kickbacks in an alleged scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare over $1 million for over the counter (OTC) products. As alleged, Mak, a pharmacy owner, and his co-conspirators paid pharmacy customers with gift cards in exchange for charging the customers’ OTC cards for non-existent transactions. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Vagelatos is in charge of the prosecution.
United States v. Manaev: Boris Manaev is charged with health care fraud and unlawful monetary transactions in connection with an $8.2 million scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Manaev, the owner of BB Medical Equipment Inc., billed Medicare $8.2 million for medically unnecessary DME that was shipped nationwide. Hespent some of the proceeds of the fraud on improvements to his home. Trial Attorney Patrick J. Campbell of the Northeast Strike Force is in charge of the prosecution.
United States v. Huq: Mujjahid Huq is charged by indictment with three counts of health care fraud, two counts of unlawful monetary transactions, and conspiracy to make false statements in health care matters in connection with a $2.1 million pharmacy fraud scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Huq, a licensed pharmacist, owned several pharmacies in Brooklyn, Queens, and Buffalo, New York. Through these pharmacies, Huq billed Medicare and Medicaid $2.1 million for drugs that were not dispensed. Huq also allegedly agreed with others to make false statements about his ownership of the pharmacies, and used the fraud proceeds for his personal benefit. Trial Attorneys Patrick J. Campbell and Arun Bodapati of the Northeast Strike Force are in charge of the prosecution.
United States v. Brown-Arkah: Joseph Tony Brown-Arkah is charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, and narcotics distribution in connection with an alleged $85 million health care fraud and narcotics distribution scheme. As alleged in the superseding indictment, Brown-Arkah, the owner of a Suboxone clinic doing business as American Medical Centers (AMC), together with others, engaged in a scheme to bill Medicare and Medicaid fraudulently for services not provided or not provided as billed, and to prescribe narcotics pursuant to prescriptions that were not issued for a legitimate medical purpose by a provider acting in the usual course of professional practice. In particular, AMC patients received prescriptions for Suboxone (a Schedule III narcotic) after meeting with non-licensed medical providers, an excluded provider, or in some instances, no health care provider whatsoever. The prescriptions were written by a medical provider living in Florida, who did not see or speak with the patients; instead, the provider typically issued the prescriptions based on information provided by Brown-Arkah or another co-conspirator. AMC patients were also required to submit to urine drug screening, blood tests, and sometimes other diagnostic testing in order to receive their Suboxone prescriptions; the laboratory and diagnostic tests, which were typically ordered by Brown-Arkah or by a co-conspirator who had been excluded from Medicare and Medicaid, were likewise billed to Medicare and Medicaid. Trial Attorneys Miriam Glaser Dauermann of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Maggie Mortimer of the Northeast Strike Force are in charge of the prosecution.The charges in the indictments and the information are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Defendants:
IMAM NAKHMATULLAEV
Age: 24
RussiaSVJATOSLAV JAKOVLEV
Age: 29
Estonia; New York, New YorkERIC JUERGENS
Age: 29
Estonia; Brooklyn, New YorkJAAN JUERGENS
Age: 32
Estonia; Brooklyn, New YorkILJA KARUNAS
Age: 26
EstoniaJURI KARUNAS
Age: 27
Estonia; Brooklyn, New YorkJASON ONOUFRIENKO
Age: 24
Plantation, FloridaRENEK TIKU
Age: 34
Estonia; Brooklyn, New YorkVLADISLAV TURASKIN
Age: 29
Estonia; Brooklyn, New YorkKEVIN VALDHANS
Age: 27
Czech RepublicVJATSESLAV ZOGOLEV
Age: 33
EstoniaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-203 (RPK)
HONG YUEN MAK (also known as “Joe Mak”)
Age: 40
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-158 (DG)
JOSEPH TONY BROWN-ARKAH
Age: 78
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No: 24-CR-263 (FB)
BORIS MANAEV
Age: 45
Lynbrook, Long IslandE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-202 (RER)
MUJJAHID HUQ
Age: 45
Halesite, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-213 (FB)
28 June 2025
Justice Department Requires Divestitures and Licensing Commitments in HPE’s Acquisition of Juniper NetworksRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Achieving a result otherwise unavailable through litigation, earlier today the Justice Department advised the court it had reached a settlement with HPE and Juniper that allows their merger to continue. This novel approach by the Justice Department reflects a commitment to solving unique challenges in mergers. Under the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi the laws of this country will be zealously enforced.
“Thank you to the hardworking men and women of the Antitrust Division for their work on this case.” — Gail Slater, Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Divison
“This marks another key legal victory from the Department of Justice’s Antitrust division. Our attorneys will continue fighting and winning to defend the American people and consumers.” — Department of Justice Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle
The settlement requires HPE to divest its Instant On business and mandates that the merged firm license critical Juniper software to independent competitors. HPE must divest its global “Instant On” campus and branch WLAN business, including all assets, intellectual property, R&D personnel, and customer relationships, to a DOJ-approved buyer within 180 days. The agreement also ensures that key software assets will be available to rivals looking to compete with the merged company. The parties must hold an auction to license Juniper’s AI Ops for Mist source code—an important component in modern WLAN systems. The license will be perpetual, non-exclusive, and include optional transitional support and personnel transfers to facilitate competition.
27 June 2025
Western District of Texas U.S Attorney’s Office Files 253 New Immigration Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 253 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from June 20 through 26.
Among the new cases, U.S. citizen Justin Joel Knight was arrested near Carrizo Springs on June 19 for conspiring to transport an illegal alien further into the United States. A criminal complaint alleges Knight underwent an immigration inspection at the Highway 277 Border Patrol checkpoint, during which an illegal alien was found inside the toolbox located in the bed of Knight’s pickup truck. The illegal alien who Knight was allegedly transporting was Honduran national Jose Alfredo Pena-Miranda. Pena-Miranda is charged with illegal re-entry and was previously deported twice, most recently to Honduras in May 2019 through Valley International Airport. In 2014, he was convicted of aggravated robbery and sentenced to five years confinement.
Mexican national David Lopez-Bartolo was arrested by U. S. Border Patrol agents near Maverick for being an alien illegally present in the U.S. Immigration records indicate Lopez-Bartolo was previously deported to Mexico on Feb. 4 through Laredo and has multiple prior convictions including criminal mischief, deadly conduct, driving under the influence, evading arrest, and family violence assault causing bodily injury.
Honduran national Rigoberto Alvarado Escobar was also arrested for illegal re-entry charges near Maverick. He has been deported four times, the last one being to Honduras on July 29, 2024, through Alexandria, Louisiana. Alvarado Escobar’s criminal history includes several convictions in Kentucky for disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, resisting arrest, assault and illegal re-entry.
Mexican nationals Angel Arturo Barbosa-Morales and Miguel Angel Herrera Miranda were arrested in El Paso and charged with illegal re-entry. Barbosa-Morales has two prior removals, the last one being to Mexico on Aug. 11, 2022, and has prior convictions for aggravated assault and assaulting/resisting/obstructing. Herrera Miranda was previously removed from the U.S. to Mexico in July 2003. He was previously convicted for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
Guatemalan national Juan Bautista Carrillo-Gomez was arrested for illegal re-entry in El Paso after being removed to Guatemala on May 20 through Harlingen. Carrillo-Gomez has an extensive criminal record that includes prior convictions for willful obstruction and battery.
In San Antonio, a Honduran national was federally charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. A criminal complaint alleges Wilmer Vladimir Ruiz Ortega shot and paralyzed a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was working as a security guard at a bar. According to the complaint, the veteran security guard conducted a routine pat-down on Ruiz Ortega at the bar’s entrance when he located a pistol in the defendant’s pocket. A scuffle ensued and Ruiz Ortega allegedly shot the security guard three times, with one of the rounds hitting his neck and causing serious bodily injury. The complaint further alleges that Ruiz Ortega attempted to flee in a vehicle but was detained.
In Austin, an Iranian national was arrested and charged with one count of failure to deport. Jamil Bahlouli had been ordered to report to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in 2024 following an illegal re-entry conviction. Bahlouli did not follow the order and appear but was found in Austin on June 25.
Honduran national Abner Javier Torres-Maldonado was encountered in the Travis County Jail on Tuesday following an arrest by the Texas Department of Public Safety. In 2018, Torres-Maldonado was convicted for alien smuggling.
Jose Luis Hernandez-Salinas, a Mexican national, was also encountered at the Travis County Jail with two prior removals. Additionally, Hernandez-Salinas has been previously convicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm, illegal re-entry, and possession of a controlled substance.
Mexican national Hermenegildo Prado-Perez was arrested in Waco by a U.S. Marshal and a Homeland Security Investigations special agent during a targeted enforcement action. He was charged with illegal re-entry after being previously removed from the U.S. in April 2024 through Laredo. Prado-Perez has a prior conviction for soliciting prostitution of a minor.
Also in Waco, Guatemalan national Pablo David Cajti-Tzoy was arrested in Temple on June 21 after being encountered by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Waco Fugitive Operations Team. Cajti-Tzoy was not in possession of his I-94 when he was encountered by ICE officers. He also failed to notify the Attorney General in writing of his new address and address change within 10 days. Cajti-Tzoy pleaded guilty in federal court on June 24 and was sentenced to time-served.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are 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).
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Waterville Man Pleads Guilty to Making Interstate ThreatsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Waterville man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to making threatening interstate communications.
According to court records, on February 8, 2024, Benjamin Brown, 47, posted comments on YouTube threatening to hunt down and kill illegal immigrants. In his comments, Brown said that no one could stop him from killing illegal immigrants, not even law enforcement. Federal agents had previously met with Brown on two separate occasions to discuss other comments he had posted online and warned him about the federal crime of interstate threats.
“You can’t threaten to kill people, like Benjamin Brown did, and not face repercussions,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “The FBI and our partners have to take you at your word and intervene, because protecting human life is our absolute priority.”
“Despite being repeatedly warned about his online comments, Benjamin Brown not only made threats to kill others, but basically dared law enforcement to stop him,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Craig M. Wolff. “Online threats are no less serious than those made in other ways, and those who make them will be investigated and prosecuted.”
Brown faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case with assistance from the Waterville Police Department.
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Waterbury Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERT AMATRUDA, also known as “Bubba” and “Spanky,” 41, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a DEA New Haven Task Force and Waterbury Police Department-led investigation into drug trafficking in and around the city of Waterbury. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, and motor vehicle stops that resulted in the seizure of drugs and cash proceeds, revealed that Jose Duprey, also known as “Red” and “Colorado,” trafficked kilogram-quantities of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl. Duprey used his place of employment to supply narcotics to other drug distributors, and he used his girlfriend’s business, located on Straits Turnpike in Middlebury, to store narcotics and other items.
During the wiretap, Amatruda was intercepted numerous times speaking with Duprey to arrange narcotics transactions. Amatruda purchased cocaine from Duprey to distribute to others, and sometimes provided Duprey with cocaine.
Amatruda, Duprey and 12 other individuals identified during this investigation were arrested on May 25, 2022. On that date, a search of Duprey’s Waterbury residence and his Middlebury stash location revealed approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of heroin, two kilograms of fentanyl, and more than $107,000 in cash.
On July 31, 2023, Amatruda pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Duprey, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty to related charges and, on March 26, 2024, was sentenced to 141 months of imprisonment for this offense and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal narcotics trafficking conviction.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of DEA offices in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Connecticut State Police; Connecticut Department of Correction; Connecticut State Parole; and the Naugatuck, Ansonia, West Haven, Meriden and East Haven Police Departments.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Nathaniel J. Gentile through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 90 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 90 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On June 20, Jose Natalio Flores Avila, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, when the motorist attempted to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, Customs and Border Protection Officers found 95 packages containing 103 pounds of methamphetamine, and one package containing 2.5 pounds of heroin, concealed in the firewall, driver’s side quarter panel, passenger side rear quarter panel, front bumper, driver’s side fender, passenger side fender and dashboard.
- On June 22, Jason Miguel Byrd-Gallegos and Jose Ricardo Ayala were arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain on a boat that was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard off Point Loma. Fidel Ayala-Romero, Jesus Briseno-Martinez, Jose Antonio Navarro-Alvarez and Jose Miguel Verduzco, who were among the passengers, were charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, the boat had 10 undocumented immigrants aboard, including the six defendants. All but one were determined to be citizens of Mexico; Byrd-Gallegos is a U.S. citizen.
- On June 23, Fernando Carillo Ramos was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the U.S. According to a complaint, Border Patrol agents found the defendant hiding in large bushes less than a mile north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The defendant had been previously deported to Mexico in December 2024.
Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here’s one of those cases:
- On June 27, Omar Esteban Garcia-Rodriguez, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of Assault with a Deadly Weapon/Great Bodily Injury in 2020, was sentenced in federal court to 18 months in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.
Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Man with Assaulting Federal Employee Outside Federal Courthouse in Downtown ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged a man with assaulting a federal employee outside of the federal courthouse in downtown Chicago.
The assault occurred on Tuesday afternoon as the victim was standing on the sidewalk outside of the Dirksen Federal Building in the Loop neighborhood of Chicago. JOSHUA ROWELL, 36, of Chicago, approached the victim from behind and punched her on the side of her face, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The force of Rowell’s punch sent the victim stumbling into the street onto Jackson Boulevard, the complaint states.
The victim is an employee of the federal judiciary and was working in her official capacity as a federal employee when the assault occurred, the complaint states. She suffered a concussion and received treatment at a Chicago hospital.
Chicago Police arrested Rowell about an hour after the alleged assault. He remains detained in law enforcement custody. The complaint charges Rowell with one count of forcible assault of a federal employee, which is punishable by a maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison. His initial appearance in federal court has not yet been scheduled.
The complaint was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Maione.
“Under my leadership, there will be zero tolerance for attacks against federal employees or attacks at the federal courthouse or any other federal government building or land in the Northern District of Illinois,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Our federal employees and the people of the Northern District of Illinois deserve to be able to go to and from work and enjoy all that downtown and Chicagoland have to offer without looking over their shoulders out of fear of being attacked. When assailants cross the line, they will be swiftly prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
The public is reminded that U.S. Attorney Boutros earlier this month created new Project Safe Neighborhoods enforcement zones in the economic centers of Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, which was a first for the nation.
A complaint 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.
rowell_complaint.pdfU.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the one-week period ending June 27, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 67 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 7 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 43 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 38 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for alien smuggling, DUI, and drug possession.
In one significant case, U.S. Border Patrol agents stopped a flat-bed tractor trailer driven by Jarol Wilberto Arroyo-Cerin. During the traffic stop, agents discovered an illegal alien in the cab of the truck, and 12 additional aliens concealed in the storage bin and frame of the flatbed trailer. One of the aliens was an unaccompanied juvenile. Arroyo-Cerin, a U.S. citizen, admitted to picking up the illegal aliens in El Paso, Texas and told agents he was transporting them to Albuquerque.
These cases are 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.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Announces Intent to Seek Death Penalty Against Labar TsethlikaiRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico filed a Notice of Intent to seek the death penalty against Labar Tsethlikai.
Tsethlikai, 52, an enrolled Member of Zuni Pueblo, is charged in a 17-count Second Superseding Indictment as follows:
- Count 1 (October 22, 2022): Kidnapping Resulting in Death of John Doe 1
- Count 2 (January 18, 2024): First Degree Murder of John Doe 2
- Count 3 (January 18, 2024): First Degree Felony Murder of John Doe 2
- Count 4 (January 18, 2024): Kidnapping Resulting in Death of John Doe 2
- Count 5 (May 19, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 3
- Count 6 (June 15, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 4
- Count 7 (June 15, 2023): Assault with Intent to Commit Murder of John Doe 4
- Count 8 (June 15, 2023): Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury of John Doe 4
- Count 9 (July 13, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 5
- Count 10 (July 13, 2023): Aggravated Sexual Abuse of John Doe 5
- Count 11 (August 24, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 6
- Count 12 (August 24, 2023): Assault with a Dangerous Weapon of John Doe 6
- Count 13 (September 7, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 7
- Count 14 (September 15, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 8
- Count 15 (February 16, 2024): Kidnapping of John Doe 9
- Count 16 (April 5, 2024): Kidnapping of John Doe 10
- Count 17 (April 11, 2024): Kidnapping of John Doe 11
The maximum penalty for the kidnapping resulting in death charges is death, and Attorney General Bondi has authorized and directed the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico to pursue capital punishment in this case. Consistent with that authorization, the U.S. Attorney filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty against Tsethlikai.
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 Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office is investigating this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department’s Homicide Unit, Sex Crimes Unit, and Air Support Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. McGinley and Jack E. Burkhead are prosecuting the case.
The FBI continues to investigate Tsethlikai’s involvement in crimes against other victims. If you have reason to believe you or someone you know may be a victim, or have information about Tsethlikai, please call the FBI at (505) 889-1300 or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov.
View the NOI to Seek Death Penalty (Tsethlikai).pdf View the Second Superseding Indictment (Tsethlikai).pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea Announces His RetirementRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – After 34 years of service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin, U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea announced that he is retiring from the Department of Justice. Mr. O’Shea began his career with the U.S. Attorney’s Office as an intern in January 1991. He was hired as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the criminal division in August 1991 and served in that role until 2002, when he was appointed Senior Litigation Counsel. Mr. O’Shea was appointed as First Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2018 and served in that role until March 2021. He also served as Acting Civil Chief from September 2020 to January 2021. He was appointed as Acting U.S. Attorney in March 2021 and then formally transitioned to U.S. Attorney in April 2022.
During his career as a federal prosecutor, Mr. O’Shea prosecuted a broad array of federal crimes including money laundering; tax crimes; bank, mail, wire, and credit card fraud; illegal weapons; narcotics; bank robbery; murder, attempted murder, and other violent offenses. He also had a particular emphasis in computer and intellectual property crimes, specifically trade secret theft, system intrusions, and illegal counterfeit and distribution of copyrighted material. He was the lead prosecutor in United States v. Sinovel, the first and only federal jury trial and conviction of Chinese company for trade secret theft. The prosecution team recovered more than $58 million in restitution for the victims. Mr. O’Shea was also an experienced appellate advocate, arguing more than 60 cases before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
As U.S. Attorney, he was considered the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Western District of Wisconsin, responsible for overseeing all federal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States within the district. As U.S. Attorney, Mr. O’Shea worked with Federal, State, and local law enforcement and intelligence professionals on issues related to gun violence. He also developed and participated in “Protecting Places of Worship” events held throughout the Western District of Wisconsin for law enforcement, public safety professionals, and religious communities.
“It’s been a privilege to serve the citizens of the Western District of Wisconsin and to work with such a dedicated and talented group of attorneys and legal professionals,” said Mr. O’Shea. “I greatly enjoyed my years with the Department of Justice, and for the last four years, it’s been an honor to serve Western Wisconsin as U.S. Attorney.”
Following U.S. Attorney O’Shea’s retirement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick Elgersma will serve as the Acting U.S. Attorney until a U.S. Attorney is formally nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Mr. Elgersma has been an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the district since 2017. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Elgersma was a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Two Indicted for Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo. man and woman who sold drugs to an undercover agent have been indicted by a federal grand jury. The man was also indicted on firearm charges.
Marcellus W. Anderson, 31, and Tyra K. M. McGee, 37, were charged today in a 14-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Anderson and McGee on June 12, 2025.
The federal indictment charges Anderson and McGee with participating in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and a fentanyl analogue between December 1, 2023, and June 11, 2025. They are also charged together in one count of distributing fentanyl and one count of distributing a fentanyl analogue.
Additionally, Anderson is charged with three counts of distribution of cocaine, one count of distribution of methamphetamine, five counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original complaint, Anderson sold cocaine to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on three occasions, methamphetamine on one occasion, fentanyl on six occasions, and a fentanyl analogue on one occasion. McGee participated in one of the fentanyl transactions and the fentanyl analogue transaction. Additionally, Anderson had a Glock, Model 27, .40 caliber pistol in his lap during one of the transactions, which he commented was for protection. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Anderson has a prior felony conviction for receiving stolen firearms.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department; and the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline)
Two Illegal Aliens Charged with Assaulting and Resisting Federal Law Enforcement OfficersRead the Press Release
ATLANTA & GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Ricardo Trejo-Martinez and Hector Beltran-Ledesma, both illegal aliens from Mexico, were charged this week with assaulting or resisting federal deportation officers. The charges arise from two separate incidents. Additionally, Beltran-Ledesma was charged with illegally re-entering the United States after prior deportation.
“Interference with law enforcement and attacks on officers are unjustifiable,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Abiding by a policy of zero tolerance, our Office will vigorously and expeditiously hold accountable anyone who endangers or violently obstructs federal law enforcement officers.”
“Violence and physical resistance against our men and women of law enforcement who place themselves at risk to enhance public safety will never be tolerated,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Our agents are committed to holding those who choose violence accountable, and thanks to their diligent efforts, Ricardo Trejo-Martinez and Hector Beltran-Ledesma, both illegal aliens, are now facing serious charges for their actions.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court:
- On May 20, 2025, a deportation officer conducted a vehicle stop on a four-lane highway in Commerce, Georgia to execute an administrative arrest warrant for an illegal alien. The driver, subsequently identified as Ricardo Trejo-Martinez, was the sole occupant of the vehicle. Trejo-Martinez allegedly refused to comply with the officer’s requests to provide identification and, once outside the vehicle, shoved the deportation officer into the highway as vehicles passed.
- On June 21, 2025, two deportation officers were tasked with locating and arresting Hector Beltran-Ledesma, a previously removed alien. Beltran-Ledesma was located upon leaving his home in Roswell, Georgia. He allegedly attempted to flee upon seeing the officers and, after receiving commands to stop, forcibly resisted arrest.
Members of the public are reminded that the complaints only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Both cases are being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Two Buffalo men charged with fentanyl possessionRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Antonio Martinez, 43, and Dominic Daniels, 38, both of Buffalo, NY, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. In addition, Daniels is charged with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Martinez and Daniels were identified as individuals believed to be engaged in narcotics trafficking during an investigation by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office. On June 25, 2025, a search warrant was executed for vehicles and residences on Townsend Street and Easton Avenue in Buffalo, associated with and utilized by the defendants for drug trafficking activities. During the searches, investigators seized approximately 2,123 grams of suspected fentanyl, approximately 144 grams of suspected fentanyl pills, approximately 38 grams of crack cocaine, $16,000 in cash, two loaded firearms, drug paraphernalia, and six cellular telephones.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alphonso Wright, the U.S. Probation Department, under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Timothy Englert, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.
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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Twenty-Three Members of an Interstate Car Theft Ring Charged in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that a second superseding indictment had been unsealed, charging the following 23 individuals for their roles in an interstate car theft ring:
NameAge
LocationDiaunte D. Shields30
WisconsinGeoffrey Harvey35
GeorgiaWillie Bullard41
GeorgiaLashawn Davis, Jr.25
WisconsinBrandon Mullins40
GeorgiaNakiya Wright31
WisconsinCasha Griffin31
IllinoisBrianna Shields34
WisconsinGerrica Baker27
WisconsinDeon Brooks24
MichiganTashawn Brown-Smith28
WisconsinDequas Crawford-Higgs30
IllinoisJa Lean Little23
IllinoisVashawn Milton33
GeorgiaDeamonte Lee27
IllinoisGlenn Larsen53
IllinoisKenneth Kilson42
DelawareChaz Holifield34
WisconsinMeliek McClarn32
WisconsinTashay Northern27
North DakotaEsteban Cardenas37
WisconsinAccording to court records, between approximately January 2019 and February 2024, members of the alleged theft ring stole and directed others to steal motor vehicles, transported and arranged for the transportation of stolen vehicles across the nation, created front companies, altered vehicle identification numbers, made fake motor vehicle titles, registered stolen vehicles using those fake motor vehicle titles, and sold those vehicles to others for money and drugs. This investigation tied more than 175 stolen cars, many of which were new and “high end” to the ring. Some of the vehicles were stolen from airports, including Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport, car dealerships, and car manufacturer’s assembly plants.
“The charges unsealed against these defendants are the direct result of effective collaboration and countless hours of thorough investigative work by dedicated law enforcement professionals,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. “I commend all involved in pursuing justice for the impacted victims and for seeking to hold the charged individuals accountable for their actions.”
All twenty-three defendants are charged with conspiring to violate various laws of the United States, including conspiring to receive, transport, and sell stolen vehicles; remove, obliterate, or tamper with motor vehicle identification numbers; and produce and transfer false and fraudulent titles for stolen vehicles. If convicted of the conspiracy charge, each defendant would face up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Twenty-one of the twenty-three defendants are also charged with interstate transportation of stolen vehicles or the receipt, possession, concealment, or sale of stolen motor vehicles that traveled in interstate commerce. If convicted of one of these charges, each defendant would face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Diaunte Shields, Brandon Mullins, and Nakiya Wright are also charged with the use of interstate commerce to transmit and transfer fictitious obligations or the presentation or offer of fictitious obligations. If convicted of one of these charges, each defendant would face up to 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Diaunte Shields and Lashawn Davis, Jr. are also charged with drug trafficking crimes. If convicted of one of these charges, they would face mandatory minimum terms of 10 years and up to life in prison. Nakiya Wright is also charged with aggravated identity theft and, if convicted, would face a mandatory term of 2 years in prison. Defendants Diaunte Shields, Casha Griffin, and Nakiya Wright also are charged with conspiring to violate federal money laundering laws, and if convicted of that offense, each of them would face a maximum term of 20 years in prison and up to a $500,000 fine, or twice the value of the property involved.
“Following a multi-year investigation, the FBI successfully dismantled a national auto theft ring that has been ongoing since 2019,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. “These individuals are part of a criminal organization responsible for hundreds of high-end motor vehicle thefts resulting in millions of dollars in losses. Their criminal activity involves a complex operation of stealing vehicles and transporting them across the country. In Wisconsin, this organization is responsible for drug trafficking multiple kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The FBI and its law enforcement partners will continue working together to stop these crimes and protect the American people.”
“This was a calculated, multi-state operation that went far beyond stealing cars—it was identity theft, forgery, and financial fraud on a significant scale,” said Jason Bushey, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “These defendants didn’t just take vehicles—they exploited people’s identities, manipulated documents, and laundered illegal profits through sophisticated schemes designed to conceal their crimes. IRS-CI special agents followed the money, mapped out the financial structure of this organization, and worked side by side with our partners to bring those responsible to justice. Let me be clear: if you build your enterprise on fraud and deception, we will find you, we will expose you, and we will hold you accountable.”
“The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office was proud to be a partner in this endeavor from its inception, with deputy sheriffs and detectives from this agency playing a key role in identifying and capturing members of this crime ring,” said Sheriff Denita R. Ball. “As stated by others, this was not just a ring of car thieves. This group took advantage of innocent people and turned lives upside down. Their actions were calculated and callous. And now they will face the justice they deserve.”
This case is the result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the Milwaukee County Sherriff’s Office, and the Wheaton Police Department (IL). The Sun Prairie Police Department (WI), Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department (WI), and numerous local and state law enforcement agencies throughout the country provided additional assistance.
Operation Strike Out was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kate Biebel and Philip T. Kovoor are prosecuting this case.
The public is cautioned that an indictment is merely a charge, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Steve Caballero, Public Affairs Officer @ 414-297-1700
Torrington Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of 3 MinorsRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, U.S. Attorney of the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER JESUS CONSTANZO, 23, of Torrington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 300 months of imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for his sexual exploitation of three different minors, including the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl, the enticement and sexual assault of another 16-year old girl, and the production of child pornography involving a 17-year-old girl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 2, 2021, at approximately 7:27 a.m., Constanzo and a 16-year-old female arrived by car at the U.S. Port of Entry at Highgate Springs, Vermont. Just prior to their arrival, officials at the St-Armand/Philipsburg Border Crossing in Canada had refused Constanzo and the minor victim entry into Canada. After U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) officers separated Constanzo from the minor victim, the victim reported that she met Constanzo the night before at Stillwater Pond State Park in Torrington. Constanzo then sexually assaulted the minor victim, forced her into the trunk of her car, restrained her with a shoelace, and began driving. At some point during the night, Constanzo removed the minor victim from the trunk and sexually assaulted her again. As they neared the Canadian border, Constanzo had the minor victim sit in the front passenger seat of the car. Constanzo instructed her to “act normal” and “go along with the story.” Constanzo then told Canadian Border Services Agency officials that the minor victim was his sister and they intended to go into Canada for four days to visit friends. However, due to their lack of COVID tests, Constanzo and the minor victim were denied entry into Canada. Constanzo was arrested by CBP on December 2, 2021.
In July 2021, Constanzo used SnapChat to coerce a 16-year-old female to go to an abandoned warehouse in Torrington to record herself having sex with Constanzo, and, posing as two fictitious individuals on SnapChat, he threatened to kill the minor victim and kill her boyfriend if she did not comply. At the warehouse, Constanzo sexually assaulted the minor victim at knifepoint.
Also in July 2021, Constanzo used his iPhone to record sexually explicit Facetime videos of a 17-year-old female.
Constanzo has been detained since his arrest. On February 22, 2025, he pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and, as part of his plea agreement, admitted his conduct against all three victims.
State charges against Constanzo are pending.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Vermont State Police, the Chittenden County (Vt.) Sheriff’s Office, and the Torrington Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford and Neeraj N. Patel.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont and the State’s Attorney for the Litchfield Judicial District for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Three Foreign Nationals Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that three men convicted of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this week.
Hernan Molina-Perez, 33, a Honduran national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney yesterday to time served, approximately three months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.
Molina-Perez had been deported from the United States in October of 2007, following his arrest by the U.S. Border Patrol and the issuance of a removal order by an immigration judge.
In December of last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that Molina-Perez was again in the country illegally, and had previously been arrested by the Philadelphia Police Department. ICE officers took Molina-Perez into custody in April. He was charged by information with illegal reentry in May and pleaded guilty this week, at which time he waived prosecution by indictment.
Oscar Navas-Rixtun, 37, a Guatemalan national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone on Wednesday to four months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon the completion of his sentence, he again will be removed from the country
Navas-Rixtun had previously been deported in February 2020, after he was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol and arrested for being in the country illegally.
In March of this year, ICE became aware that Navas-Rixtun was being held in the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia on arson and related charges. ICE officers took the defendant into custody the same month. In April, he was charged by indictment with illegal reentry and pleaded guilty in May.
Pedro Jimenez-Georges, aka Edwin Quezada Jimenez and Jose Quezada, 40, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez on Monday to time served, approximately three months, for illegally reentering the United States. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.
Jimenez-Georges had previously been deported in October 2018, pursuant to a removal order issued after he failed to appear at a June 2008 immigration hearing in Texas.
In March of this year, ICE received information that Jimenez-Georges may be living in Philadelphia. After conducting surveillance to verify the defendant’s identity and location, ICE arrested the defendant. In May, he was charged by information with illegal reentry and pleaded guilty this week, waiving prosecution by indictment.
These cases are 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 Neighborhoods (PSN).
The cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Judy Smith, Robert Eckert, and Lindsey Mills.
Three District Men Sentenced for Drug Trafficking in Trinidad Neighborhood of Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Davon Cunningham, 35, Roosevelt Richardson, 49, and Arnez Mack, 22, -- all of the District of Columbia -- were sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 126 months, 66 months, and a year-and-a-day in prison, respectively, for their roles in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy that operated an open-air drug market in the Trinidad neighborhood in Northeast. The sentencings were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
In addition to the prison terms, Chief Judge James E. Boasberg ordered the men to serve periods of supervised release.
Judge Boasberg sentenced Cunningham to 126 months, Richardson to 66 months, and Mack to one year and a day just now.
According to court documents, during the course of the conspiracy, the organization sold approximately 468 kilograms of fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and cocaine base on and around the 1100 block of Raum Street, NE.
Law enforcement captured images of Cunningham, Richardson, Mack, and several others conducting hand-to-hand narcotics transactions on an almost daily basis. From June 2023 through March 2024, law enforcement made
From June 2023 through March 2024, the CIs and UCs made dozens of controlled purchases of narcotics from members of the group.
Cunningham, aka “Tank” or “Kevin,” sold 520 grams of fentanyl, 56 grams of cocaine, and 66 grams of cocaine base to law enforcement and also sold a firearm to an undercover officer. His illegal conduct spanned several months from October 2023 through February 2024.
Richardson directly sold law enforcement agents fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and cocaine base on ten occasions between October 2023 through February 2024. During a search of the group’s stash house on the 1100 block of 11th Street, NE, police recovered several firearms. DNA testing linked Richardson to two of them, a revolver and a black 9mm, Intratec pistol.
Mack admitted that he was a member of the group and that he agreed to distribute narcotics with them. On Dec. 20, 2023, an MPD officer approached Mack in the 1100 block of Raum Street, NE, and asked him if he had any weapons. Mack responded by lifting his jacket to expose his waist band and a .45 caliber Glock handgun protruding from the jacket. Following a search, officers also recovered eight grams of cocaine base from Mack.
This operation 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.
The Trinidad trafficking investigation was a multi-agency effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, the Narcotics Enforcement Unit of the Violent Crime Suppression Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Daniel Seidel of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Criminal Division Trial Attorneys Christina Taylor and Gaelin Bernstein.
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TdA leader charged with terrorism and nationwide stolen vehicle scheme among those announced as part of Operation Take Back America effortsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A total of 202 cases have been filed from June 20-26 in border-security and other related matters in the Southern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The filed cases include seven involving human smuggling. A total of 125 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while another 65 face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes, sexual assault and more. Other relevant cases charged this week relate to immigration crimes, firearms and illegal exportation of stolen vehicles.
Among those newly charged are two Cuban nationals allegedly involved in a nationwide multimillion-dollar auto theft ring. Sadiel Noa-Aguila and Miguel Baez-Echevarria are allegedly part of a large ring linked to numerous vehicle thefts, primarily from major metropolitan airports and surrounding areas including Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Texas cities including Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. Several vehicles were allegedly exported to Mexico through ports of entry in Hidalgo County and El Paso. The charges allege the organization stole vehicles worth millions of dollars in total.
Others facing charges include several Mexican nationals who allegedly illegally reentered the country this week, including Juan Lopez who had just been removed June 2. He has a previous conviction of evading arrest and had been sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to the criminal complaint. Charges also allege Hugo Perez-Garza and Ventura De Jesus Sandoval-Torres have previous convictions for trafficking marijuana and alien smuggling, respectively, and had been previously removed, but authorities found them in the Pharr area. Discovered near Hidalgo was Jesus Jaime Saavedra-Orozco, a convicted felon for aggravated sexual assault of a child and sentenced t0 18 years before his removal, according to the allegations. They all face up to 20 years in prison.
Also announced this week was a known Tren de Aragua (TdA) leader added to the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List. Giovanni Vincente Mosquera Serrano aka El Viejo is charged along with Jose Enrique Martinez Flores aka Chuqui with conspiring to provide and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization - TdA - as well as conspiracy and distribution of cocaine in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States. Both are Venezuelan nationals and high ranking TdA members, according to the allegations. If convicted, both face up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million fine. There is a $3 million reward for information leading to Serrano’s arrest and/or conviction.
“Transnational criminal gangs and cartels have preyed upon Americans for far too long,” said Ganjei. “That ends now. The Southern District of Texas is committed to smashing these criminal terror groups and will use every available legal tool to do so. It doesn’t matter if you are hiding a continent away; if you hurt U.S. citizens, we will find you and bring you to justice. This is what Operation Take Back America looks like.”
In Laredo, a Mexican citizen with a B1/B2 visa was sentenced for transportation of child pornography. Martin Alonso Diaz-Lopez received 180 months. At the hearing, the court held him accountable for 66,489 images and noted that not only was he receiving, but also sharing the photos online and bringing them into the United States. Many of the images and videos he possessed were of very young children and toddlers being raped. Authorities had linked his email from a visa application to that of a known user sharing material online and ultimately apprehended him upon his arrival at the Lincoln-Juarez Port of Entry in Laredo applying for admission into the United States.
Mexican national Jesus Hernandez-Herrera received a 66 month-term of imprisonment for unlawfully reentering the country and human smuggling after crashing during a high-speed chase. He had been transporting illegal aliens in a Ford Expedition before fleeing authorities and weaving in and out of heavy traffic with speeds reaching 95 miles per hour. At his sentencing, the court heard additional evidence that described his criminal history, including another evading arrest in which he drove his car towards a federal agent and almost collided with a pedestrian. He also has five previous removals from the United States.
Another illegal alien learned his sentence for trafficking over $1 million in cocaine. Miguel Angel Reyes-Sanchez received 57 months in federal prison. During the investigation and operations, authorities seized over 50 kilograms of cocaine. At the sentencing, the court heard additional evidence that described Reyes-Sanchez’s role in the drug trafficking organization and that he was involved in multiple transactions.
In Houston, a Honduran national received his sentence for illegally reentering the United States. Denis Hernandez-Cruz was ordered to serve 60 months in federal prison. In handing down the sentence, the court noted he needed a substantial sentence to deter him from illegally reentering again. Hernandez-Cruz has felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as two convictions for burglary of a habitation. He has three prior removals from the United States, most recently in April 2020.
Angel Zavaleta-Rodriguez, an illegal alien from El Trapiche, Guerrero, Mexico, pleaded guilty in Brownsville federal court to illegal reentry into the United States. He had been removed from the United States in August 2000 and had previously returned illegally. Authorities removed him again Nov. 13, 2023, but encountered him March 25 in Harlingen. Zavaleta-Rodriguez had been residing in Sebastian illegally. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are 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.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Syracuse Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Drug Conspiracy, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Juan Correa, Jr., age 31, of Syracuse, was sentenced Wednesday to 7 years in federal prison for money laundering and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Correa, Jr. admitted that, from May 2024 through July 2024, he conspired with others to distribute cocaine in Onondaga County. He also admitted that as part of the conspiracy he collected proceeds from the cocaine sales and mailed them to his source of supply in Puerto Rico so that they could purchase additional cocaine.
Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also ordered Correa, Jr. to serve a 5-year term of supervised release following his release from prison. The remaining co-defendants in this case, Juan Correa, Sr., Ashley Correa and Alex Calcano-Carrasquillo, have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “This prosecution of a cocaine trafficking and money laundering organization was made possible by the close collaboration of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies up and down the East Coast. In this case we tracked down individuals in Florida and Puerto Rico who played key roles in this conspiracy and brought them to justice.”
“The sentencing of Juan Correa Jr., who knowingly distributed cocaine throughout Onondaga County and funneled the proceeds in an effort to flood our streets with even more poison, is a result of the collaborative efforts DEA New York and our law enforcement partners have when targeting those individuals pushing this poison into our communities” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Tarentino. “Anytime illicit narcotics are removed from our streets, lives are saved. The DEA remains committed to doing everything in our power to protect our neighborhoods and keep them safe.”
Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation New York, stated: “Mr. Correa brought a highly addictive drug to be moved through towns from here to Puerto Rico, with little regard to the effects of his criminal behavior. IRS-CI New York remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners in taking down any criminal seeking to poison the communities in which we live.”
Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, stated: “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to protecting the mail from criminal misuse. The successful prosecution of this case should serve as a deterrent to anyone seeking to exploit the mail. We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to stop the distribution of harmful narcotics.”
Joseph L. Cecile, Chief of the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) stated: “This conviction is another prime example of the outstanding collaboration we have between local, state and federal partners. We couldn't be prouder of the difficult and uncompromising work our narcotics detectives and law enforcement partners put in every day to rid Syracuse of those who decide to peddle their poisons on our streets.”
This case was investigated by the DEA, U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Postal Inspection Service, and Syracuse Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Brown prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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.
South Florida Man Who Visited Colombia as a Child Sex Tourist Sentenced to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Miami man was sentenced to life in federal prison after pleading guilty to traveling to Colombia for the purpose of having sex with minors.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers stopped Stefan Andres Correa, 42, on the jet bridge at Miami International Airport as he attempted to board a flight to Bogota, Colombia. During an outbound border search, officers discovered nine cellular phones in Correa’s possession. A search of the cellular phones uncovered over 100 videos of Correa having sex with over 50 minors. The minors were between 11 and 17 years of age. A search of one of the cell phones also revealed a text message exchange with a sex trafficker in Colombia, who Correa agreed to pay $300,000 Colombian pesos (the equivalent of $75 U.S. dollars) to arrange for commercial sex with children that were 10 to 12 years old.
“The United States of America will always seek to protect children near and far,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “This prosecution and this sentence should serve as a warning to any predator who is trying to travel through our District to prey on children. We will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. A life sentence for this conduct is entirely appropriate. Predators such as Correa are a scourge upon humanity, and must be dealt with accordingly.”
“To the brave survivors, your courage was the driving force in this case, and I hope that the life sentence of this predator brings you some measure of justice and relief,” said Jose R. Figueroa, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Miami. “This investigation underscores the global and horrific nature of child sex trafficking and the importance of international cooperation to end it. I thank our federal and Colombian counterparts for their steadfast dedication and reiterate HSI’s continued commitment to holding those who prey on minors fully accountable.”
HSI Miami investigated the case with assistance from HSI offices in Cleveland, Ohio and Bogota, Colombia, as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogota, Colombia also provided critical assistance.
Major Crimes Deputy Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Astigarraga prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.
To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration, or an investigative agency. Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential, and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.
To report online child sexual exploitation visit https://report.cybertip.org/ or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in partnership with HSI and other law enforcement agencies.
To learn more about the National Resource Hotline, visit http://www.humantraffickinghotline.org. To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking, visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20186.
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Social Security Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing BenefitsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Christina Daniels, a former employee of the Social Security Administration, pled guilty yesterday in federal court to theft of government property and aggravated identity theft.
“As an employee of the Social Security Administration, Daniels was entrusted with access to millions of beneficiaries’ personally identifiable information. She abused that trust by accessing sensitive information and using it to steal from the very people she was hired to serve,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our office is dedicated to rooting out this type of fraud and prosecuting such offenses to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Social Security Administration (SSA) employees are entrusted in serving the people - not abusing their important position by stealing money from the people that they are meant to serve to line their own pockets,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit performing the duties of the Inspector General. “This fraudulent direct deposit diversion is intolerable behavior; we will hold each SSA employee accountable who chooses to violate our nation’s trust for their personal gain.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between January 2023 to May 2024, Christina Daniels used her position at the Social Security Administration office in Norcross, Georgia, to change the direct deposit information for approximately 28 beneficiaries. As a customer service representative, Daniels was able to make changes to beneficiaries’ direct deposit information. Daniels abused this authority to steal more than $110,000.
She accomplished her theft by first opening Green Dot and Cash App accounts using personally identifiable information belonging to unwitting Social Security beneficiaries. After she created the new accounts, she changed the direct deposit information of the unsuspecting beneficiaries to one of the newly opened Green Dot or Cash App accounts that she controlled.
An internal investigation was launched after several retirement beneficiaries reported that they had not received their monthly benefit payments. Subsequent internal and law enforcement investigations revealed that Daniels had changed the direct deposit information for approximately 28 beneficiaries and that she redirected the benefits to accounts that she opened using the stolen PII of other beneficiaries – some of whom were her family members.
Daniels, 47, of Winder, Georgia, pled guilty to one count of theft of government money, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years of imprisonment. In determining the actual sentence, the court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
Sentencing is scheduled for a future date before United States District Judge J.P. Boulee.
This case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General. Special Assistant United States Attorney Diane C. Schulman is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Smuggling Leader and Top Coordinator Will Spend Remainder of Their Lives in Prison Following Their Sentencing on Third Anniversary of Deadly Tractor-Trailer Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Two convicted human smugglers were sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio today for their prominent roles in the 2022 mass casualty human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of 47 adults and six children.
U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia for the Western District of Texas sentenced Felipe Orduna-Torres to life in prison and a $250,000 fine, and Armando Gonzales-Ortega to 1,050 months in prison and a $250,000 fine. Both defendants were found guilty by a federal jury in March for three counts related to the transportation of aliens within the United States resulting in death, causing serious bodily injury, and placing lives in jeopardy. Following the jury’s verdict at the trial, Judge Garcia set the sentencing date, noting that it would be three years to the day from when the 53 migrants perished as a result of the defendants’ smuggling scheme.
“These criminals will spend the rest of their lives in prison because of their cruel choice to profit off of human suffering,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s sentences are a powerful message to human smugglers everywhere: we will not rest until you are behind bars.”
“Three years to the day after these two smugglers and their co-conspirators left dozens of men, women, and children locked in a sweltering tractor-trailer to die in the Texas summer heat, they learned that they will spend the rest of their lives locked away in a federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “We recognize the justice handed down by Judge Garcia and thank our law enforcement partners for their great work that led to today’s outcome. At the same time, we reinforce the message that these criminal organizations will not place the lives of the desperate and vulnerable above their own financial enrichment. My office remains focused on prosecuting smugglers and their networks, and ultimately eradicating transnational criminal organizations.”
“Today’s sentences are the result of a far-reaching investigation and a tireless commitment by HSI and our law enforcement partners to dismantle the deadliest human smuggling operation in U.S. history,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “This case serves as a stark reminder: human smuggling is not a service — it is a deadly criminal enterprise. HSI will pursue smugglers relentlessly, wherever they operate. No one, who participates in the smuggling of human beings, will escape the reach of justice.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Orduna-Torres, also known as Cholo, Chuequito/Chuekito, and Negro, 30, was a leader and organizer, and Gonzales- Ortega, also known as El Don and Don Gon, 55, was a coordinator in the human smuggling organization (HSO) which illegally brought adults and children from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico into the United States between December 2021 and June 2022.
Court documents and evidence presented at the trial revealed that Orduna-Torres and Gonzales-Ortega worked in concert to transport and facilitate the transportation of the migrants, sharing routes, guides, stash houses, trucks, trailers, and transporters in order to consolidate costs, minimize risks, and maximize profit. The HSO maintained a variety of tractors and trailers for their smuggling operations, some of which were stored at a private parking lot in San Antonio.
In the days leading up to June 27, 2022, Orduna-Torres and others exchanged the names of illegal aliens who would be smuggled in an upcoming tractor-trailer load. Gonzales-Ortega traveled to Laredo to meet the tractor-trailer, where at least 64 undocumented individuals, including eight children and one pregnant woman, were loaded for smuggling.
Some of the defendants, including Orduna-Torres, were aware that the trailer’s reefer unit was malfunctioning and was not blowing any cool air to the migrants inside. When members of the organization met the tractor-trailer at the end of its approximately three-hour journey to San Antonio, they opened the doors to find 48 of the migrants were either already dead or had died on site, including the pregnant woman. Sixteen of the undocumented individuals were transported to hospitals —five of whom died.
In addition to their sentences described above, the court also ordered Orduna-Torres to pay a $96,000 money judgment and ordered the forfeiture of the following assets: one 2008 Volvo semi-tractor; one 1995 Phoenix trailer; one 2015 Cadillac Escalade; one 2017 Ford F-350 Super Duty Truck; and $59,445.50.
Five other defendants in this case have pleaded guilty for their involvement in the smuggling event. Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, also known as Rrili and Rilay, 32, is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 6; Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, 39, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13; Christian Martinez, 31, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 20; and Homero Zamorano Jr., 48, is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 4. Juan Francisco D’Luna Bilbao, 51, is indicted separately and is also scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 4.
In a related case, Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 48, allegedly worked with the HSO to smuggle aliens into the United States on the same fatal journey orchestrated by Orduna-Torres and his co-conspirators. He made his initial appearance in San Antonio on March 17, seven months after he was arrested in Guatemala, and is currently scheduled for a jury trial Sept. 29.
HSI investigated the case with the assistance of the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and has received tremendous support from Customs and Border Protection; Border Patrol; ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; the San Antonio Police Department; the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office; the San Antonio Fire Department; the Marshall Police Department; and the Palestine Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears and Ray Gattinella for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
These convictions are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 385 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 345 U.S. convictions; more than 300 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Smuggling Leader and Top Coordinator Will Spend Remainder of Their Lives in Prison Following Their Sentencing on Third Anniversary of Deadly Tractor-Trailer Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Two convicted human smugglers were sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio today for their prominent roles in the 2022 mass casualty human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of 47 adults and six children.
U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia for the Western District of Texas sentenced Orduna-Torres to life in prison and a $250,000 fine, and Gonzales-Ortega to 83 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Both defendants were found guilty by a federal jury in March for three counts related to the transportation of aliens within the United States resulting in death, causing serious bodily injury, and placing lives in jeopardy. Following the jury’s verdict at the trial, Judge Garcia set the sentencing date, noting that it would be three years to the day from when the 53 migrants perished as a result of the defendants’ smuggling scheme.
“These criminals will spend the rest of their lives in prison because of their cruel choice to profit off of human suffering,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s sentences are a powerful message to human smugglers everywhere: we will not rest until you are behind bars.”
“Three years to the day after these two smugglers and their co-conspirators left dozens of men, women, and children locked in a sweltering tractor-trailer to die in the Texas summer heat, they learned that they will spend the rest of their lives locked away in a federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “We recognize the justice handed down by Judge Garcia and thank our law enforcement partners for their great work that led to today’s outcome. At the same time, we reinforce the message that these criminal organizations will not place the lives of the desperate and vulnerable above their own financial enrichment. My office remains focused on prosecuting smugglers and their networks, and ultimately eradicating transnational criminal organizations.”
“Today’s sentences are the result of a far-reaching investigation and a tireless commitment by HSI and our law enforcement partners to dismantle the deadliest human smuggling operation in U.S. history,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “This case serves as a stark reminder: human smuggling is not a service — it is a deadly criminal enterprise. HSI will pursue smugglers relentlessly, wherever they operate. No one, who participates in the smuggling of human beings, will escape the reach of justice.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Felipe Orduna-Torres, also known as Cholo, Chuequito/Chuekito, and Negro, 30, was a leader and organizer, and Armando Gonzales-Ortega, also known as El Don and Don Gon, 55, was a coordinator in the human smuggling organization (HSO) which illegally brought adults and children from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico into the United States between December 2021 and June 2022.
Court documents and evidence presented at the trial revealed that Orduna-Torres and Gonzales-Ortega worked in concert to transport and facilitate the transportation of the migrants, sharing routes, guides, stash houses, trucks, trailers, and transporters in order to consolidate costs, minimize risks, and maximize profit. The HSO maintained a variety of tractors and trailers for their smuggling operations, some of which were stored at a private parking lot in San Antonio.
In the days leading up to June 27, 2022, Orduna-Torres and others exchanged the names of illegal aliens who would be smuggled in an upcoming tractor-trailer load. Gonzales-Ortega traveled to Laredo to meet the tractor-trailer, where at least 64 undocumented individuals, including eight children and one pregnant woman, were loaded for smuggling.
Some of the defendants, including Orduna-Torres, were aware that the trailer’s reefer unit was malfunctioning and was not blowing any cool air to the migrants inside. When members of the organization met the tractor-trailer at the end of its approximately three-hour journey to San Antonio, they opened the doors to find 48 of the migrants were either already dead or had died on site, including the pregnant woman. Sixteen of the undocumented individuals were transported to hospitals — five of whom died.
In addition to their sentences described above, the court also ordered Orduna-Torres to pay a $96,000 money judgment and ordered the forfeiture of the following assets: one 2008 Volvo semi-tractor; one 1995 Phoenix trailer; one 2015 Cadillac Escalade; one 2017 Ford F-350 Super Duty Truck; and $59,445.50.
Five other defendants in this case have pleaded guilty for their involvement in the smuggling event. Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, also known as Rrili and Rilay, 32, is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 6; Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, 39, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13; Christian Martinez, 31, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 20; and Homero Zamorano Jr., 48, is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 4. Juan Francisco D’Luna Bilbao, 51, is indicted separately and is also scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 4.
In a related case, Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 48, allegedly worked with the HSO to smuggle aliens into the United States on the same fatal journey orchestrated by Orduna-Torres and his co-conspirators. He made his initial appearance in San Antonio on March 17, seven months after he was arrested in Guatemala, and is currently scheduled for a jury trial Sept. 29.
HSI investigated the case with the assistance of the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and has received tremendous support from Customs and Border Protection; Border Patrol; ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; the San Antonio Police Department; the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office; the San Antonio Fire Department; the Marshall Police Department; and the Palestine Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears and Ray Gattinella for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
These convictions are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 385 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 345 U.S. convictions; more than 300 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Six Foreign Nationals Sentenced for Unlawfully Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – The U.S. District Judge Eric F. Melgren separately sentenced six foreign nationals for unlawfully reentering the United States after previously being removed.
Raul Luna-Gonzalez, 30, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty in March to Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Luna-Gonzalez was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Court records show that Luna-Gonzalez was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Transporting an Open Container. While being booked into jail, Luna-Gonzalez’s fingerprint record showed that he was an alien unlawfully residing in the United States and had been previously deported in April 2019. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Harris prosecuted the case.
Yair de Jesus Trejo-Mendoza, 37, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty in March to Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Trejo-Mendoza was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Court records show that Trejo-Mendoza was arrested for his second offense of Driving Under the Influence, Eluding, and Obstruction, among other charges. While being booked into jail, Trejo-Mendoza’s fingerprint record showed that he was an alien unlawfully residing in the United States and had been previously deported in 2008, 2015, and 2023. Court records further show that Trejo-Mendoza has three convictions related to drinking and driving, plus resisting arrest, and assault and battery upon an officer. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Greenough and Michele Hulgaard prosecuted the case.
Benigno Villezcas Alcantar, 42, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty in February to Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Villezcas Alcantar was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release. Court records show that Villezcas Alcantar was arrested for Conjoint Robbery. While being booked into jail, Villezcas Alcantar’s fingerprint record showed that he was an alien unlawfully residing in the United States and had been previously deported in August 2015. Villezcas Alcantar told law enforcement that he reentered the United States in 2023. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris prosecuted the case.
Julio Martinez-Perez, 36, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty in March to Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Martinez-Perez was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Court records show that Martinez-Perez was previously deported in 2016 after receiving a 24-month sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin. In 2022, he was arrested again in Tulsa County and pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated trafficking of fentanyl and heroin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster prosecuted the case.
Santiago Lopez Gonzalez, 43, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty in March to Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Lopez Gonzalez was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Court records show that Lopez Gonzalez was arrested for an outstanding warrant for various crimes, including possession of a controlled drug. While being booked into jail, Lopez Gonzalez's fingerprint record showed that he was an alien unlawfully residing in the United States and had been deported three times. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy Mackenzie prosecuted the case.
Alexander Enemias Ortiz-Gonzalez, 23, a Guatemalan national, pleaded guilty in March to Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Ortiz-Gonzalez was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release. Court records show that Ortiz-Gonzalez was arrested for driving under the influence. While being booked into jail, Ortiz-Gonzalez's fingerprint record showed that he had an active warrant in Minnesota for fleeing from a police officer and that he had been previously deported in 2023. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster prosecuted the case.
Record checks show that the defendants did not seek permission to re-enter the United States and that they never received consent from the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States. The defendants are expected to face removal proceedings following their sentence.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated the cases.
Serial Fraudster Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Swindling Investors out of $17 Million in Stock Manipulation and Money Laundering SchemesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Richard Dale Sterritt, Jr., also known as “Richard Richman,” was sentenced to 18 years in prison by United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto for conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, multiple counts of securities fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges relate to a scheme to defraud investors in Zona Energy, an oil and gas exploration company in Texas, and a scheme to manipulate stock in OrgHarvest, Inc., a publicly traded company that Sterritt controlled. In total, Sterritt raised approximately $17 million from investors and misappropriated most of the money. As part of the sentence, Sterritt was ordered to forfeit approximately $17 million in fraudulently obtained gains and pay approximately $16.3 million in restitution to his victims. Sterritt pleaded guilty to the charges in November 2023. Sterritt had previously been convicted on federal securities fraud charges and imprisoned for five years for his role in a nearly identical fraud scheme.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“For years, Richard Sterritt preyed on unsuspecting investors and betrayed their trust by spending their money on expensive cars, luxury goods, and high-end travel,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s sentence punishes Sterritt for his crimes and protects the public from this serial fraudster. My Office is committed to protecting the investing public and the integrity of the markets from white-collar criminals like the defendant.”
Mr. Nocella thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for their invaluable assistance in the investigation.
“Despite his prior conviction for a similar conspiracy, Richard Sterritt once again facilitated the theft of more than $17 million from trusted investors and shareholders through misrepresentations while separately attempting to manipulate the stock of another company,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “Sterritt's multiple attempts to defraud investors reflects his relentless pursuit to use others' money to fund his personal lifestyle and businesses. May today's sentencing emphasize the FBI's continued commitment to investigate any individual who manipulates our economic market to line their own pockets.”
The Zona Energy Scheme
Between March 2018 and January 2021, Sterritt and his co-defendants James Christopher Pittman, Mark Ross, and Robert Magness defrauded investors in an early-stage oil-and-gas company called Zona Energy. Sterritt used a series of sham entities and nominees to conceal his control of Zona Energy. Sterritt also concealed his criminal history from investors and potential investors by adopting the alias “Richard Richman.” The co-conspirators made a series of misrepresentations about Zona Energy’s business, management, and use of proceeds from the offering, ultimately raising approximately $17 million from investors. Sterritt and his co-conspirators misappropriated more than $10 million of the proceeds to purchase luxury items, pay personal expenses, or funnel funds into other businesses Sterritt controlled, including a cannabis company.
The ORGH Market Manipulation
To cover up the Zona Energy scheme, Sterritt, Ross, and Magness conspired with an undercover FBI agent (the “Undercover Agent”) posing as a corrupt stockbroker to manipulate the price and trading volume of publicly traded shares of stock in OrgHarvest, Inc., which traded under the stock ticker “ORGH.” Sterritt, who secretly controlled the majority of ORGH shares through trusts in the names of his associates, family members, and co-conspirators, agreed with the Undercover Agent to place matched trades at specific prices, volumes, and times to inflate the price of ORGH stock. Between approximately May 19, 2020 and May 28, 2020, the co-conspirators placed test matched trades at the pre-determined prices and volumes agreed to with the Undercover Agent. The ORGH Market Manipulation scheme was halted by regulators on June 1, 2020 before the co-conspirators could trade larger blocks of shares.
In addition, Sterritt and his co-defendants, including Michael Greer and Sterritt’s ex-wife Robyn Straza, laundered the proceeds of the schemes by facilitating financial transactions to conceal and promote the fraudulent schemes, including by transferring investor funds through a series of bank accounts controlled by the defendants. Furthermore, Sterritt obstructed the administration of justice when he directed co-conspirators to create fake and backdated documents and sent them to the SEC in response to subpoena requests.
All six defendants in the case have pleaded guilty. Straza was sentenced to 10 months in prison; Ross was sentenced to three months in prison; Greer, Magness, and James Christopher Pittman are awaiting sentencing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah M. Evans, Nick M. Axelrod, and Jessica K. Weigel are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
RICHARD DALE STERRITT, JR. (also known as “Richard Richman”)
Age: 67
Residence: Garland, TexasCo-Defendants Who Previously Pleaded Guilty:
MICHAEL GREER
Age: 48
Dallas, TexasROBERT MAGNESS
Age: 54
New York, New YorkJAMES CHRISTOPHER PITTMAN
Age: 52
Dallas, TexasMARK ROSS
Age: 56
Parkland, FloridaROBYN STRAZA
Age: 61
Dallas, TexasE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-193 (KAM)
San Antonio Felon Indicted for Firearm Possession and TraffickingRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A federal grand jury in San Antonio returned an indictment charging a San Antonio man with three counts of firearm-related offenses.
According to court documents, Alex Lee Vega, 27, allegedly conspired with another co-conspirator to transport a machinegun conversion device to another person on or about April 10. Additionally, Vega, who is a convicted felon, allegedly possessed two separate Glock pistols on or about April 11 and April 14.
Vega is charged with one count of aiding and abetting trafficking in firearms and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm. He made his initial court appearance Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth S. Chestney of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. If convicted, Vega faces up to 15 years in prison for each charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sade Bogart is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Rochester woman sentenced for her involvement in a swatting incidentRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Dawnn Marie Walters, 53, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to computers, was sentenced to serve one year probation, to include six months home detention, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that in August 2023, law enforcement commenced a local swatting call investigation in the Rochester area. Swatting involves and individual making a false report of a serious crime, such as a hostage situation or active shooter, in order to send a SWAT team or law enforcement response to a targeted location. The swatting call in this case involved individuals pretending to be another individual identified as C.F., stating that they had shot someone and provided C.F. parents’ address as the location they had shot someone.
During the investigation, law enforcement discovered several conversations that Walters took part in online, discussing targeting C.F. and her devices. In one of those conversations, Walters agreed to assist a co-conspirator in accessing C.F.’s device. With Walters assistance, the co-conspirator gained access to C.F.’s online accounts, including C.F.’s personal email account. After accessing the email account, an email was sent from C.F.’s personal email account to multiple Monroe County Legislators and New York State Assembly members. The email included C.F.’s name, telephone number, and photographs of deceased children. Other emails sent from C.F.’s email to New York State Assembly members included threats to “shoot up some schools in New York,” which were meant to cause law enforcement to investigate C.F. as the emails were sent from C.F.'s personal email address.
The sentencing is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm and the Orleans County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Christopher Bourque.
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