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3 June 2025
Houston doctor pays six figures to settle False Claims Act liability involving neurostimulator devicesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 68-year-old Houston man has agreed to pay $390,082 to resolve allegations he submitted false claims to Medicare for the surgical implantation of neurostimulator electrodes, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Dr. Benjamin Tiongson is a pain management doctor who practices in Houston, Sugar Land and Katy. Pain Reduction Center P.A. is an entity Tiongson used to conduct his medical practice.
From Dec. 7, 2021, to Dec. 14, 2022, Tiongson billed Medicare for the surgical implantation of neurostimulator electrodes. These are invasive procedures usually requiring use of an operating room. As a result, Medicare pays thousands of dollars per procedure.
However, neither Tiongson nor his staff performed these surgical procedures, according to the allegations.
Instead, patients allegedly received devices used for electro-acupuncture, which only involved inserting monofilament wire a few millimeters into patients’ ears and taping the neurostimulator behind the ear with an adhesive. All device placements took place in Tiongson’s clinic, not a hospital or surgical center, and no incision was made on a patient, according to the allegations.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation with Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura E. Collins handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Hawaii Man Sentenced to 41 Years in Federal Prison for Traveling to Oregon to Sexually Abuse Two ChildrenRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Captain Cook, Hawaii man pleaded guilty and was sentenced to federal prison today for sexually abusing two Oregon children and sharing videos of the abuse online.
Benjamin Victor Houghton, 29, was sentenced to 495 months in federal prison and a lifetime term of supervised release. The sum of restitution he must pay to the victims will be determined at a later date.
“Preying on children is unforgivable. Today’s lengthy sentence illustrates the heinous nature of Houghton’s conduct and sends a strong message to child predators that they will be held accountable,” said Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Chief of the Eugene and Medford Branches of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the FBI and HSI for working with us to bring this defendant to justice.”
“Investigations into the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material remains a very high priority for the FBI,” said FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson. “Houghton's sentence for these heinous crimes will keep him from perpetrating more harm to children in our communities. We remain committed to pursuing these criminals, no matter where they may be.”
“This 41-year sentence underscores our untiring commitment in protecting children and ensuring justice for victims of these horrific crimes,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy. “This outcome was made possible through the dedicated efforts of our agents and close collaboration with our federal partners. Together, we will continue to pursue and hold accountable those who exploit and harm the most vulnerable among us.”
According to court documents, in late 2022, FBI agents received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding a video depicting child sexual abuse. While the FBI worked to identify the children and abuser, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent discovered another video which showed an adult male, later identified as Houghton, sexually abusing one of the children. Investigators learned Houghton recorded the video in August 2021, when Houghton first traveled to Oregon to sexually abuse the children, and shared the video online in December 2021.
During the investigation, agents learned that Houghton conducted weekly piano lessons with the children virtually from his residence in Hawaii. On several occasions, Houghton used the virtual piano lessons to persuade the children to perform sexual acts, which he recorded. Additionally, between 2021 and 2022, Houghton traveled from Hawaii to Oregon twice to sexually abuse the children and record the abuse.
On February 24, 2023, FBI agents arrested Houghton and executed a search warrant on his residence. Investigators seized Houghton’s electronic devices and located approximately 1,285 images and 135 videos of child sexual abuse material, including a video recorded in November 2022, which showed Houghton sexually abusing one of the children.
On March 7, 2023, a federal grand jury in Eugene, Oregon, returned a five-count indictment charging Houghton with using a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct and aggravated sexual abuse.
Houghton pleaded guilty today to one-count of using a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct and one-count of aggravated sexual abuse.
This case was investigated by the FBI Portland and Honolulu Field Offices and HSI. It was prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon, in coordination with the Lane County District Attorney’s Office.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
The FBI Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) conducts sexual exploitation investigations, many of them undercover, in coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. CETF is committed to locating and arresting those who prey on children as well as recovering and assisting victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Guatemalan Man with Four OUI Offenses Sentenced to over Two Years in Prison for Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for unlawful reentry.
Edilzar Morales-Barillas, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 29 months in prison. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In January 2025, Morales-Barillas pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry. Morales-Barillas was charged on July 31, 2024.
Morales-Barillas is a citizen of Guatemala who was deported from the United States on May 14, 2021. Sometime after his May 2021 removal, Morales-Barillas unlawfully reentered the United States. Immigration authorities became aware of Morales-Barillas’ unlawful presence in the United States on May 27, 2023, following his arrest for a fourth offense of operating under the influence of alcohol.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Gary Man Sentenced to 68 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Antawan Smith, 35 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Smith was sentenced to 68 months in prison followed by 12 months of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on February 26, 2024, law enforcement responded to a complaint of an armed man near a house. Upon their arrival, officers encountered Smith and recovered a loaded semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine from him. He attempted to flee but was apprehended. Smith’s criminal history revealed that he has 5 prior felony convictions, and as such, is prohibited from possessing the firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force and the Gary Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Toth.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Fort Worth Man Sentenced to 50 Years for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A 36-year-old Fort Worth man who produced child pornography was sentenced on May 30, 2025, to 50 years in federal prison, announced Nancy Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
Jamie Hackney pled guilty to a two-count indictment charging him with the production and transportation of child pornography in February 2025. He was sentenced on Friday to 600 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Reed O’Connor.
According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children issued a Cybertip to the Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD) regarding images that were uploaded to Hackney’s Google account. Through their investigation, FWPD uncovered forensic evidence of Hackney using a minor to create and subsequently transport child pornography.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Allyson Monte.
Former Police Officers Plead Guilty to Federal Charges in Connection with Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Two Prince George’s County men have pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with an auto-insurance fraud scheme. Michael Anthony Owen, Jr., 36, of Accokeek, Maryland pled guilty to falsification of records, and Jaron Earl Taylor, 31, of Ft. Washington, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty pleas with Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Malik Aziz, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).
According to the guilty pleas, between August 2018 and February 2020, Owen and Taylor, who were PGPD and Anne Arundel County Policy Department officers, respectively, at the time, conspired with fellow police officers to engage in mail and wire fraud. Owen and Taylor, along with officers Candace Tyler, Conrad D’Haiti, and Davion Percy, and others, devised a scheme for insurance companies to pay out the remaining financing costs of unwanted vehicles.
Members of the conspiracy reported fictitious losses to insurers to obtain money or avoid paying off vehicles that were now worth less than the amount owed on them. The co-conspirators used their statuses as police officers to assist each other’s claims by writing false police reports. Then co-conspirators submitted fictitious police reports to insurers to validate the claim. The false police reports were intended to impede, obstruct, or influence subsequent investigations of the false insurance claims.
In August 2018, Owen and Taylor staged the theft of Taylor’s Chevrolet Tahoe. After Taylor filed a fraudulent police report, Owen and Taylor stripped the vehicle and drove it deep into the woods of a Maryland State Highway property near Largo, Maryland. Taylor then made a false claim to the United Services Automobile Association (USAA) for the loss, for which USAA paid out a total of $38,670.
Then in January 2020, Owen assisted D’Haiti in avoiding payment on the loan balance of a Jaguar XKR. In cooperation with D’Haiti and Percy, Owen devised a scheme to fake the vehicle’s theft. On January 4, D’Haiti parked his Jaguar behind Marlow Heights Shopping Center where Percy worked as police chief.
D’Haiti then paid Percy $350 to arrange for another co-conspirator to tow the vehicle and extensively vandalize it for the purpose of creating a total insurance loss. Tyler subsequently filed the fictitious police report which D’Haiti used to substantiate his claim against Liberty Mutual Insurance. In February 2020, Liberty Mutual paid the Jaguar’s lienholder, Navy Federal Credit Union, $17,585, on the false claim.
Additionally, in January 2020, Owen and Taylor assisted with disposing of an Infiniti sedan to help a co-conspirator avoid making further payments on the vehicle while on extended overseas duty. The co-conspirator gave Taylor $1,000 via CashApp to stage the theft. Taylor then forwarded the money to Owen who filed a false police report with PGPD, stating the vehicle was stolen.
In reality, Owen, Taylor, and others moved the car to the top floor of a Camp Springs, Maryland apartment-complex parking garage. The co-conspirators attempted to conceal the car’s identity by removing the vehicle’s license plates and replacing them with different ones registered to another vehicle. Then the owner and co-conspirator filed a claim with GEICO that was eventually denied on grounds of fraud.
Owen faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Taylor faces a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison if the court fully accepts the plea deal. Both sentencings are scheduled for Tuesday, September 23. Taylor’s sentencing is at 10:30 a.m., and Owen’s sentencing is at 2:30 p.m.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and PGPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Baldwin and LaShanta Harris who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Former Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Tom Girardi Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Prison for Swindling Tens of Millions of Dollars from Injured ClientsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Disbarred plaintiffs’ personal injury attorney Thomas Vincent Girardi was sentenced today to 87 months in federal prison for leading a years-long scheme in which he embezzled tens of millions of dollars of settlement money that belonged to his clients, some of whom awaited payment for treatment of severe physical injuries.
Girardi, 86, formerly of Pasadena and who now resides in Seal Beach, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton also ordered Girardi to pay a $35,000 fine and $2,310,247 in restitution. Judge Staton ordered Girardi to surrender to federal authorities no later than July 17.
Girardi was found guilty by a jury in August 2024 of four counts of wire fraud.
“This self-proclaimed ‘champion of justice’ was nothing more than a thief and a liar who conned his vulnerable clients out of the millions of dollars,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “My office will vigorously prosecute corrupt lawyers and those who assist them in criminal activities.”
“This sentencing brings a level of recompense for countless victims of Mr. Girardi’s long-running scheme to enrich himself on the backs of clients who trusted him in some of their worst days,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Mr. Girardi thought he could outsmart his victims and investigators, but this sentencing demonstrates criminals cannot evade the unrivaled acumen of IRS-CI special agents in following the money, as well as the effectiveness of our partnerships with fellow law enforcement organizations like the FBI.”
“Mr. Girardi, once a self-proclaimed ‘legal legend’ who purported to fight corporate greed, will now find himself on the opposite end of justice as he serves out his lengthy prison sentence,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “Years of hard work went into this case by agents and prosecutors motivated to pursue justice for the victims who were betrayed by Girardi after putting their trust in his corrupt law firm in their time of need and while enduring personal hardship.”
A once-powerful figure in California’s legal community, Girardi ran the now-defunct downtown Los Angeles law firm Girardi Keese. For years, Girardi misappropriated and embezzled millions of dollars from client trust accounts at his law firm. The scheme involved defendant Girardi stealing millions of dollars in client settlement funds and failing to pay Girardi Keese clients – some of whom had suffered serious injuries in accidents – the money they were owed.
In carrying out his criminal conduct, from October 2010 to late 2020, Girardi operated Girardi Keese like a Ponzi-scheme by providing a litany of lies for failure to pay clients and directing law firm employees, including co-defendant and former Girardi Keese CFO Christopher Kazuo Kamon, to make incremental payments of newly obtained settlement funds to previously defrauded clients or using the new funds to pay other unrelated expenditures.
Girardi sent lulling communications to the defrauded clients that, among other things, falsely denied that the settlement proceeds had been paid and falsely claimed that Girardi Keese could not pay the settlement proceeds to clients until certain purported requirements had been met. These bogus requirements included addressing supposed tax obligations, settling bankruptcy claims, obtaining supposedly necessary authorizations from judges, and satisfying other debts.
Girardi also diverted tens of millions of dollars from his law firm’s operating account to pay illegitimate expenses, including more than $25 million to pay the expenses of EJ Global, a company formed by his wife related to her entertainment career, as well as spent millions of dollars of Girardi Keese funds on private jet travel, jewelry, luxury cars, and exclusive golf and social clubs.
At the end of 2020, as Girardi and his law firm faced mounting legal problems related to his years-long theft of client funds, Girardi Keese was forced into involuntary bankruptcy. The State Bar of California disbarred Girardi in July 2022.
Relatedly, co-defendant Kamon, 51, formerly of Encino and Palos Verdes and who was residing in The Bahamas at the time of his November 2022 arrest on a federal criminal complaint, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to two counts of wire fraud. Kamon, the long-time head of the accounting department at Girardi Keese, aided and abetted Girardi’s fraud scheme and embezzled millions of dollars from Girardi Keese itself for his own benefit.
On April 11, Kamon was sentenced to 121 months in custody and ordered to pay $8,903,324 in restitution. Kamon has been in federal custody since November 2022.
Kamon has agreed to plead guilty to federal fraud charges in Chicago where he is charged along with former Girardi Keese lawyer David R. Lira, Girardi’s son-in-law. Trial in that case is scheduled to start on July 14. Girardi was dismissed from the Chicago case because of his conviction and sentencing in this case.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI investigated this matter. The Office of the United States Trustee provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Scott Paetty of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Former New Jersey Resident Sentenced to 72 Months for $4.7 Million ‘Up Front’ Fee SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Florida man who previously resided in New Jersey was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment for defrauding approximately 33 victims out of more than $4.7 million through an “upfront-fee” scheme that spanned nearly a decade, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
John Sabo, 71, formerly of Spring Lake, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From in or around November 2014 through at least in or around August 2023, Sabo fraudulently induced his multiple victims to collectively pay millions of dollars in “up-front” or advance fees to his company, Bankers Capital LLC, in exchange for the promise to provide various forms of collateral and/or secure millions of dollars in financing for each of the victims’ business projects. However, neither Sabo nor Bankers Capital possessed or had access to the financing and collateral that Sabo promised.
Instead of using the victims’ money as promised, Sabo diverted millions of dollars out of Bankers Capital, primarily for personal expenses, which included payments to Sabo’s creditors, and to pay back other victims of the scheme. Even after he was charged by complaint in November 2022 with engaging in the wire fraud scheme, Sabo continued to provide false assurances to victims that they would receive the promised collateral or financing. In total, Sabo’s scheme resulted in $4,788,325 in losses to victims.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp ordered Sabo to pay forfeiture and restitution to the victims of his scheme, each in the total amount of $4,788,325, and sentenced Sabo to 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Kozar and Carolyn Silane of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Michael Robertson, Esq.
sabo.information.pdfFormer Executive at Masonry Contractor Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Prison for Conspiring to Bribe Amtrak Employee in Exchange for over $50 Million in Extra Work on 30th Street Station ProjectRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Donald Seefeldt, 65, of Wilmette, Illinois, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Wendy Beetlestone to 57 months' imprisonment, one year of probation, 59 hours of community service, and a $50,000 fine for conspiracy to commit federal program bribery.
Seefeldt was charged by information with that offense in November 2024 and pleaded guilty in February.
As presented in the information, on or about December 10, 2015, a masonry restoration contractor (the “Contractor”) was awarded a $58,473,000 contract by Amtrak to be the main contractor on a façade repair and restoration project at Amtrak’s 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.
Federal funding supplied approximately 90 percent of the money Amtrak used to pay the Contractor for the repair and restoration of the 30th Street Station façade.
Defendant Seefeldt was the Senior Executive Vice President of the Contractor with responsibility to provide executive oversight of the Contractor’s performance on the 30th Street Station façade project.
Lee Maniatis and Khaled Dallo, both charged elsewhere, were Vice Presidents of the Contractor, with responsibility to supervise the Contractor’s performance on the 30th Street Station façade project. Mark Snedden, also charged elsewhere, was the sole owner and president of the Contractor.
Amtrak Employee #1 was employed by Amtrak as the Project Manager on the repair and restoration project. In that capacity, Amtrak Employee #1 was responsible for communicating with the Contractor about the work being done on 30th Street Station. Amtrak Employee #1 was also responsible for reviewing the invoices, change orders, and requests for payment that the Contractor submitted to Amtrak. Amtrak Employee #1 had the power to approve or reject these invoices, change orders, and requests for payment. Although Amtrak Employee #1 did not have the singular authority to approve Amtrak payments to the Contractor, his approval was a critical step in that process.
The contract between Amtrak and the Contractor prohibited the defendant and other Contractor officials from “offer[ing] to any Amtrak employee, agent, or representative any cash, gift, entertainment, commission, or kickback for the purpose of securing favorable treatment with regard to award or performance of any contract or agreement.”
As detailed in the information and admitted to by the defendant, from in or about May 2016 through in or about November 2019, in Philadelphia, in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and elsewhere, Seefeldt conspired, combined, and agreed with others, including Amtrak Employee #1, Maniatis, Dallo, and Snedden to commit an offense against the United States; that is, to knowingly and corruptly give, offer, and agree to give, a thing of value to Amtrak Employee #1, intending to influence and reward Amtrak Employee #1 in connection with any business, transaction and series of transactions involving a thing of value of $5,000 or more.
Specifically, Seefeldt and the others, with the knowledge and agreement of Snedden, provided Amtrak Employee #1 with gifts and other things of value totaling approximately $323,686, including, among other things, paid vacations (including an approximately $19,000 trip to Ecuador and a $9,500 trip to India), jewelry (including an approximately $5,600 watch and later an approximately $11,000 watch), cash, dinners, a dog, entertainment, and transportation, to ensure that Amtrak Employee #1 used his power and influence to benefit the Contractor during the performance of the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project.
In return for these gifts and other things of value, Amtrak Employee #1 allegedly used his position at Amtrak to access internal agency information available only to Amtrak employees about the 30th Street Station Project and shared this internal information with the defendant and other officials with the Contractor.
The information further alleges that Amtrak Employee #1 used his position at Amtrak to approve additional, more expensive changes to the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project, thereby increasing the amount and value of the work to be performed by the Contractor. These additional expenses were reflected in a series of change orders or contract modifications. In total, Amtrak Employee #1 approved over $52 million of additional payments from Amtrak to the Contractor. Amtrak Employee #1 and officials with the Contractor, including defendant Seefeldt, falsely inflated the true costs of some of the work to be performed by the Contractor under these change orders, causing Amtrak to be substantially overbilled by over $2 million for the completion of the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project.
“Seefeldt conspired to bribe an Amtrak employee, to benefit himself and his colleagues,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “In padding their pockets at the government’s expense, they were, in fact, victimizing U.S. taxpayers. Every dollar lost to federal program fraud means one less for a vital program or public priority.”
“Stealing and misappropriating federal funds is not just a criminal act; it is a betrayal of the trust placed in us by the communities we serve, and it damages the integrity of the systems they depend on,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Bribery directly undermines our rule of law. In partnership with our colleagues, the FBI is unwavering in its commitment to eradicating public corruption and ensuring that those who abuse their positions for personal gain are held accountable.”
“Our work on this case sends a strong message to all contractors about their obligation to operate legally and ethically,” said Michael J. Waters, Special Agent in Charge for the Amtrak Office of Inspector General Eastern Area Field Office. “We remain committed to investigating acts of bribery or other illegal or unethical conduct to ensure Amtrak’s funds are protected. We’re proud of our joint efforts with the FBI and DOT OIG who supported this investigation and appreciative of the support from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: if you defraud our nation’s infrastructure system, you will be caught and held accountable,” said Brian C. Gallagher, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeastern Region. “We’re committed to working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to protect taxpayer dollars and uphold the integrity of federally funded programs.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell.
Florida Man Sentenced to 22 Months’ Imprisonment for Conspiracy to Pay and Receive Healthcare KickbacksRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 29, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joseph P. Stadtmueller sentenced Michael G.V. Comino to 22 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Comino was also ordered to pay over $2 million in restitution to Medicare.
According to court records, Comino and his co-defendant owned Kestrel Medical LLC, a company that supplied durable medical equipment, such as orthotic devices, including braces for ankles, knees, backs, and shoulders. Beginning in August 2019, Comino began providing “leads” or signed doctors’ orders to Kestrel in exchange for kickback payments to two companies he owned. Comino became a fifty percent owner of Kestrel in approximately February 2020, after which he continued to offer and pay kickbacks for signed doctors’ orders. Comino and his co-defendant concealed the nature of the kickback payments by paying invoices for marketing hours. As a result of the conspiracy, Medicare paid over $2 million to Kestrel. Comino personally received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Kestrel in 2019 and 2020.
“The United States Attorney Office prioritizes efforts to stop healthcare fraud and will continue to hold accountable individuals who intentionally misuse Medicare and Medicaid dollars,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. “The restitution order and prison sentence in this case underscore that providers of medical equipment and supplies cannot engage in unlawful schemes that put their interests ahead of those of the American taxpayer.”
“Individuals like Mr. Comino must face the consequences of their actions that defrauded the American people and wasted taxpayer money. This case sends a clear message that healthcare kickback schemes won’t be tolerated,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. “The FBI will continue to work vigorously with our partners to combat and prevent healthcare fraud.”
“The conduct in this investigation highlights a scheme whereby the defendant prioritized profits over patient care, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working together with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to protect the integrity of federal health care programs.”
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney John Scully prosecuted.
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For further information contact:
Public Information Officer
Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov
(414) 297-1700
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Final Defendant in Waco RICO Case Sentenced to Two Life Sentences in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Temple man was sentenced in a federal court in Waco to two consecutive life sentences with two 20-year concurrent sentences in prison for crimes committed in violation of the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act and the Hobbs Act.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Demonta Daniels aka Tado aka Tato, 26, conspired with Atorius Marquis Williams aka Lil Man, 28, and Trashawn Lamar Alexander aka Mad Max, 30, to commit four murders, multiple violent assaults, extortion, drug trafficking and armed robberies in furtherance of the criminal enterprise. Specifically, the indictment alleges four overt acts to include murder—one committed by Williams on Sept. 30, 2017, in Belton; the second, committed by Williams and Alexander on Dec. 10, 2017, in Temple; the third, committed by Williams and Daniels on Jan. 16, 2018, in Temple; and the fourth, committed by Williams, Daniels and Alexander on Jan. 31, 2018, in Temple.
Additionally, the defendants conspired to affect commerce by robbery, committing acts of physical violence and threatening to commit acts of physical violence to steal controlled substances and proceeds from persons engaged in illegal drug distribution. Daniels, Williams and Alexander were also convicted of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, namely robbery.
A federal jury found all three men guilty in a February 2024 trial. In September, Williams and Alexander were sentenced to life in federal prison for three counts and a concurrent 20 years in prison for three additional counts.
“The multiple life sentences Daniels will serve, locked away in federal prison, reflects the egregiousness of this defendant’s conduct and how important it is to keep violent criminals like Daniels and his co-conspirators off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “I extend my deepest respect and gratitude to the AUSAs who prosecuted this case and our law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal levels, who committed countless hours and incredible skill to this investigation, leading to a successful trial verdict and multiple justified sentences.”
Daniels is the tenth and final defendant in this case to be sentenced. Additionally, Dominic Johnson was sentenced in January 2023 to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine; Desmond Wilkerson was sentenced in September 2023 to 71 months in prison for racketeering conspiracy; James Roy Whitfield Jr was sentenced on Feb. 13 to 102 months in prison for one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of aiding and abetting; Jason Mayse was sentenced on Feb. 13 to 40 months for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana; Jyaraciel Whitfield was sentenced in September 2023 to 144 months in prison for one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of aiding and abetting; Christopher Meyers was sentenced in August 2022 to 144 months in prison for racketeering conspiracy; and Reginald Williams was sentenced in September 2023 to 96 months in prison for one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of aiding and abetting.
The FBI, Temple Police Department, Belton Police Department, Bell County Organized Crime Unit, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Cameron Police Department, and Hearne Police Department investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Killeen Police Department and Bell County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Blanton prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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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Felon Caught Twice with Guns and Drugs Sentenced to 14 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Tuesday sentenced a convicted felon who was caught twice with guns and drugs to 14 years in prison.
Evidence and testimony during the February trial of Antonio Dixson, 37, of St. Louis, showed that Dixson was caught with two guns and drugs on Dec. 1, 2020, in Wentzville, Missouri. Dixson was in the rear seat of a Honda SUV that had fled from St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers two weeks earlier. When Dixson stepped out of the vehicle, a Glock pistol fell from his waist to the ground. A Taurus Judge revolver, loaded with two.45 caliber rounds and three .410 shotgun shells, was visibly protruding from his pocket. Police then found ammunition and drugs in his pockets. He had 31 tablets of clonazepam laced with PCP, 100 capsules containing a mixture of para-fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, and morphine, eight tablets containing fentanyl, 0.5 grams of cocaine and 5.5 grams of crystal methamphetamine, a sentencing memorandum says. He also had six cellular phones and over $700 cash. Due to COVID-era restrictions, Dixson was booked and released from custody, the memo says.
Dixson was undeterred by the arrest, and was arrested again on Feb. 25, 2021, by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers who spotted a Mercury Villager driving the wrong way on a one-way street. Officers found a .45 caliber Colt model 1911, a 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol, and drugs in Dixson’s pants pockets. Those drugs included tablets containing meth, 6.76 grams of crystal meth and 0.63 grams of cocaine base.
Both the drugs and weapons Dixson possessed presented a great danger to the public, the memo says. Dixson has also repeatedly been convicted of various crimes and “remains unrepentant even now,” the memo says, adding that in the last 19 years, Dixson has spent more than 16 years either behind bars or under court supervision.
In February, jurors found Dixson guilty of two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a defaced firearm.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Wentzville Police Department and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Dunkel and Hal Goldsmith prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Federal Jury Convicts Michigan Man on Charges of Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS and Possessing a Destructive DeviceRead the Press Release
DETROIT — A Michigan man was convicted today by a jury on two charges of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, commonly known as ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and for being a felon in possession of a destructive device, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Aws Mohammed Naser, 37, formerly of Westland, Michigan, was convicted following a five-week trial. The jury unanimously found that Naser attempted to provide material support to ISIS, in the form of personnel (including himself) and services, knowing that ISIS was a designated terrorist organization, and that ISIS engages in terrorism. In addition, Naser was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a destructive device. The jury deliberated approximately six hours before returning their verdict.
U.S. Attorney Gorgon stated, “Defendant Aws Mohammed Naser is a bombmaker and self-avowed ‘son of the Islamic State’—a vicious foreign terrorist organization hell-bent on murdering Americans and destroying our way of life. Naser tried to travel and fight for ISIS overseas but was turned away. So, Naser turned his fight inward on America, gathered drones, and built a bomb in his basement. But our office is dedicated to finding and applying the full force of the law against any terrorist, like Naser, plotting to harm Americans.”
“The conviction of Aws Mohammed Naser highlights the FBI’s strong commitment to protecting the United States from those who wish to harm our citizens,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Anyone who associates with a terrorist organization or supports violent extremism will be identified, disrupted, and prosecuted. I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to the FBI Detroit Joint Terrorism Task Force, its partner agencies, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan for their diligent investigative efforts and successful prosecution. We will continue to safeguard our community and protect our nation from those who pose a threat.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Naser became radicalized and frequently posted extreme Salafi-Jihadist ideological content on his YouTube channel. Naser developed a close relationship with Russell Dennison, an aspiring Salafi-Jihadist preacher, and the two jointly traveled to Iraq in early 2012.
In August 2012, Naser returned to Michigan while Dennison traveled to Syria and joined the foreign terrorist organization Al Nusrah Front, an Islamic State of Iraq-affiliate group that was a precursor to ISIS. Once back in the United States, Naser began preparations to join Dennison, and the two continued to communicate and discussed the terror group’s urgent need for money to acquire firearms. Dennison is believed to have been killed in 2019 while with ISIS in Syria. Naser attempted to leave the United States for Syria on two occasions. First, in November 2012, but he was not permitted to board the plan at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Undeterred, Naser purchased another one-way plane ticket departing from Chicago O’Hare Airport bound for Beirut, Lebanon, in January 2013. Hours before his scheduled flight to Lebanon, Naser robbed a gas station. After the robbery, Naser took a bus to Chicago and attempted to board his flight to Lebanon with $2,000 in his possession but was again denied boarding and returned to Michigan. Naser was subsequently charged and convicted of armed robbery and served a three-year prison sentence.
After being released from prison and unable to travel to join ISIS, Naser focused his attention on how to support ISIS in the United States. Naser surreptitiously created social media accounts and joined invitation-only ISIS supporters’ chatrooms, groups, and private rooms where he obtained and viewed official ISIS media reports, publications, and other jihadi propaganda. He solicited and obtained information on explosives and experimented with manufacturing explosives and operating drones. In October 2017, FBI searched Naser’s home and vehicle and recovered a readily assembleable destructive device.
Naser faces up to 20 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization and up to 15 years in prison for possessing a destructive device. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., Assistant U.S Attorney Hank Moon for the Eastern District of Michigan, and Trial Attorney Dmitriy Slavin of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Fayette County Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Robert Lee Moran, 47, of Mount Hope, was sentenced today to nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 29, 2024, Moran distributed approximately 0.857 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant for $100 in Beckley. As part of his guilty plea, Moran admitted to the transaction and to arranging it beforehand.
On April 30, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Moran’s residence and seized two bags of suspected fentanyl, multiple firearms and drug trafficking paraphernalia.
Moran has a long criminal history that includes prior convictions for domestic battery, destruction of property, possession of a hoax bomb and harboring a fugitive.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian D. Parsons and Alexander A. Redmon 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. 5:24-cr-141.
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Elkton Man Pleads Guilty to Production and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Mark Rice, 38, of Elkton, Maryland, pled guilty to federal charges of production and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore, and Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP).
In April 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from Reddit regarding the transmission of child sexual abuse material. Authorities traced the tip to an IP address associated with Rice’s Elkton residence.
During an MSP interview, Rice denied the accusation but was observed deleting photos from his phone. When Rice showed officers his phone, investigators spotted child sexual abuse material in a thumbnail image. Through a deeper search, authorities uncovered additional material in his recently deleted folder.
Then HSI discovered more than 600 child sexual abuse material images across Rice’s devices, including two showing Rice’s sexual abuse of a minor as young as 3 years old. Investigators also found that Rice used a public Reddit community to connect with people that he traded child sexual abuse material with using encrypted messaging platforms.
Pursuant to his plea agreement, the parties agree that if the court accepts the plea agreement, Rice will be sentenced to no less than 27 years but no more than 32 years in federal prison, followed by a period of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for June 23, at 2:30 p.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc. Click the “Resources” tab on the left side of the page to learn about Internet safety education.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI and MSP for their investigative efforts and NCMEC for its valuable assistance in the case. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Gordin who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Dominican National Sentenced to Federal Prison, to be Deported for Trafficking Fentanyl, Stealing Hundreds of Individuals’ Personal Information, and Defrauding the GovernmentRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national illegally present in the United States who trafficked fentanyl, was found to be in possession of stolen personal identifying information of nearly a thousand individuals, and filed hundreds of fraudulent tax returns to obtain tens of thousands of dollars in COVID related tax credit payments has been sentenced to four years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Juan Carlos Nunez Rodriguez, 51, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, theft of government property, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 48 months in federal prison to be followed by one year of supervised release and to pay restitution to the IRS totaling $66,112.
An immigration detainer has been lodged by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to information presented to the court, in September 2023, following a two-month investigation into his drug trafficking activities, members of the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force sought and executed a court-authorized search warrant at Nunez Rodriguez’s Providence apartment, where they seized 613 grams of fentanyl. According to a DEA analysis set forth in court documents, the 613 grams of fentanyl seized represents approximately 306,500 lethal doses.
In addition to seizing fentanyl from Nunez Rodriguez’s residence, agents also seized United States Treasury checks addressed to different individuals, more than three dozen fraudulent federal tax returns in envelopes addressed to the IRS, and stolen personal identifying information belonging to 976 individuals.
A follow-up investigation by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation found that Nunez Rodriguez fraudulently filed at least 15 tax returns for which he received and deposited refund checks, and that he was in possession of 43 refund checks ranging in amounts from $1,400 to $1,800.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force and IRS Criminal Investigation.
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Defendants with former cocaine convictions plead guilty to illegally reentering United StatesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two Mexican nationals pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to illegally reentering the United States.
Juan Carlos Garcia-Vazquez, 45, was convicted in Franklin County in 2024 for cocaine trafficking. The defendant was previously removed from the United States in 2004 and 2013.
Previous convictions for Lino Mendiola-Vanegas, 45, include cocaine trafficking and forgery in Franklin County. He admitted to illegally reentering the United States after being ordered removed in 2010.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Robert Lynch, Field Office Director, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit Field Office announced the guilty pleas entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth F. Affeldt is representing the United States in both cases.
Illegally reentering the United States is a federal crime punishable by up to two years in prison. If the offender has a prior felony conviction (or multiple prior misdemeanor convictions of certain types), the penalty is increased to 10 years in prison, and if the offender has been previously convicted of an aggravated felony, the defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. Transporting illegal aliens is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Possessing a firearm as an illegal alien is a federal crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences and sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Southern District of Ohio Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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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Dark Web Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Holly Adams, 35, of Palm Desert, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to 12 years in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl and to launder the resulting proceeds, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, Adams and her co-conspirator Devlin Hosner generated hundreds of thousands of dollars selling counterfeit oxycodone pills pressed with fentanyl on the dark web. Adams and Hosner laundered the proceeds using cryptocurrency mixers, wallets, and other online tools. In September 2021, state law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at an address where Adams and Hosner were residing. After officers announced their presence, Hosner attempted to impede their entry while Adams destroyed pills by pouring them into a chemical solution. Adams and Hosner were arrested and subsequently released by state authorities and resumed selling fentanyl on the dark web a few months later while they were unknowingly under investigation by federal law enforcement agents.
In March 2022, federal law enforcement executed a search warrant at a hotel room in Riverside County where Adams and Hosner were temporarily residing. Officers seized nearly a kilogram of fentanyl-pressed oxycodone pills and 60 grams of methamphetamine from this hotel room.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) Task Force, which includes agents from the IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The NCIDE Task Force is a federal task force focused on targeting all forms of illicit dark web and cryptocurrency activity in the Eastern District of California and beyond. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki prosecuted the case.
Hosner faces the same charges as Adams and remains detained pending trial. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 19, 2025, before Judge Mendez.
Dallas, Texas Man Sentenced to 26 Months for Making Threats of Violence Against Employees of Sikh Nonprofit OrganizationRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Dallas County, Texas man was sentenced to 26 months in prison for a federal hate crime and for making violent interstate threats against various individuals based on their religion, including the employees of a Sikh nonprofit organization located in New Jersey, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey announced today.
Bhushan Athale, 49, of Dallas, Texas, had previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel in Camden federal court to interfering with federally protected activities through the threatened use of a dangerous weapon and one count of transmitting an interstate threat to injure another person.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Sept. 17, 2022, Athale called the main number of an organization that advocates for the civil rights of Sikh individuals within the United States, leaving numerous messages over several hours threatening to injure or kill these individuals with a razor and other very specific acts of violence.
On March 21, 2024, Athale again called the same Sikh organization and left two more voicemails. In these voicemails, Athale again used violent, sexual imagery to express his hatred toward Sikhs as well as Muslims.
“The Department of Justice has no tolerance for hate-fueled threats of violence in our country, and we appreciate the strong efforts of U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and her team in working with us to bring this perpetrator to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kiel sentenced Athale to three years of supervised release and warned Athale not to contact any of the victims of his offenses.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey credited the special agents of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, with the investigation
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Jason M. Richardson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden, New Jersey, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
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Defense Counsel: AFPD Maggie Moy
DACA recipient and another sentenced for scheme involving firearms destined for MexicoRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Two men residing in Edinburg have been sentenced for their roles in the straw purchasing of firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Mario Elier Leal, 22, and Rodolfo Benitez-Garza, 24, pleaded guilty in 2024.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Leal to serve a total of 97 months in federal prison, while Benitez-Garza received 18 months. Benitez-Garza must serve three years of supervised release following the completion of his sentence. Lacking status in the United States, Leal is expected to face removal proceedings after serving his prison term.
At the hearings, the court heard additional evidence that described how Benitez-Garza and Jesus Cristo Lopez purchased the firearms on behalf of Leal. Leal would provide the money and advise which firearms he wanted. The court noted Leal was aware the firearms were to be transported into Mexico, that he played a significant role in recruiting others to purchase firearms on his behalf and could be described as a coordinator.
On July 12, 2024, authorities discovered a suspected straw purchasing attempt involving Benitez-Garza and Lopez who attempted to obtain three AK-47 variant rifles. Leal was circling the parking lot at that time and had previously visited the same location with Lopez.
The investigation revealed Leal provided the money for the purchases and offered Benitez-Garza and Lopez approximately $300 for their assistance. Both falsely claimed the rifles were for personal use when they were actually intended for Leal.
Evidence revealed Leal had recruited Lopez and directed him to find another individual. Surveillance captured Leal at multiple stores with others suspected of purchasing firearms on his behalf.
Authorities have identified 13 other firearms suspected of being purchased for Leal. As a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipient, Leal is prohibited from owning a firearm per federal law.
Benitez-Garza was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future while Leal will remain in custody.
Lopez, 21, is set for sentencing in August.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of Mission Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Machinegun and a FirearmRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing two firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
Kelvontae Rashad Wallace, 26, of Pell City, Alabama, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a machinegun.
According to the plea agreement, between December 2023 and January 2024, Wallace illegally possessed a firearm and a machinegun on two separate occasions:
On December 15, 2023, Talladega police officers responded to a call of a person shot at the Orange #1 gas station. Officers responded to the scene and found a victim lying on the ground that had been shot in the stomach, back, and both legs. Officers collected five .45 caliber spent shell casings from the scene and there were at least three bullet holes in the glass on the store windows and door. Surveillance video from the store showed Wallace drive up to the store, exit his vehicle, and shoot the victim with a Glock pistol that had been converted to a machinegun using machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch.”
On January 2, 2024, the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Fugitive Task Force and the Pell City Police Department went to Wallace’s apartment to arrest him for warrants for Assault, Fist Degree and Shooting into an Occupied Building arising from the December incident in Talladega. When the officers arrived, Wallace attempted to flee out the back door of the apartment, but the officers were able to apprehend and arrest him. Officers recovered a Century Arms Micro VSKA 7.62x39mm pistol with a round chambered and a loaded magazine from Wallace’s apartment.
ATF investigated the case along with the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Fugitive Task Force, Pell City Police Department, Talladega Police Department, and Anniston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy M. Peoples prosecuted the case.
Chinese Nationals Charged with Conspiracy and Smuggling a Dangerous Biological Pathogen into the U.S. for their Work at a University of Michigan LaboratoryRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division and Marty C. Raybon, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The FBI arrested Jian in connection with allegations related to Jian’s and Liu’s smuggling into America a fungus called Fusarium graminearum, which scientific literature classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon. This noxious fungus causes “head blight,” a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, and is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year. Fusarium graminearum’s toxins cause vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and livestock.
According to the complaint, Jian received Chinese government funding for her work on this pathogen in China. The complaint also alleges that Jian’s electronics contain information describing her membership in and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party. It is further alleged that Jian’s boyfriend, Liu, works at a Chinese university where he conducts research on the same pathogen and that he first lied but then admitted to smuggling Fusarium graminearum into America—through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport—so that he could conduct research on it at the laboratory at the University of Michigan where his girlfriend, Jian, worked.
United States Attorney Gorgon stated: “The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals—including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party—are of the gravest national security concerns. These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a ‘potential agroterrorism weapon’ into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme.”
“The federal charges announced today against Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu, both residents of the People’s Republic of China, signify a crucial advancement in our efforts to safeguard our communities and uphold national security,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “These individuals exploited their access to laboratory facilities at a local university to engage in the smuggling of biological pathogens, an act that posed an imminent threat to public safety. Thanks to the exceptional investigative efforts of the FBI Detroit Counterintelligence Task Force, in close cooperation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations these dangerous activities have been effectively halted. The FBI remains resolutely committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners to protect the residents of Michigan and defend the United States against such grave threats.”
U.S. Custom and Border Protection, Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon stated, “Today’s criminal charges levied upon Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu are indicative of CBP’s critical role in protecting the American people from biological threats that could devastate our agricultural economy and cause harm to humans; especially when it involves a researcher from a major university attempting to clandestinely bring potentially harmful biological materials into the United States. This was a complex investigation involving CBP offices from across the country, alongside our federal partners. I’m grateful for their tireless efforts, ensuring our borders remain secure from all types of threats while safeguarding America’s national security interests.”
Jian will be appearing this afternoon in federal court in Detroit for her initial appearance on the complaint.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed, a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment.
The FBI and CBP are investigating this case.
Chinese National at the University of Michigan Charged with Illegally Voting in the 2024 ElectionRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A criminal complaint was filed charging Haoxiang Gao, a citizen and national of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), with false claims to register or vote and voting by aliens, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Field Division.
According to the complaint, Gao was a college student attending the University of Michigan who illegally registered to vote in the days before the 2024 presidential election, apparently using his University of Michigan student ID, and then cast a ballot in the election at a polling location located at the University of Michigan Museum of Art, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The complaint further alleges that Gao made false statements regarding his citizenship on his voter registration application and his early voting application. After being charged with state offenses, the state court granted Gao a $5,000 personal bond with conditions, including that he does not leave the State of Michigan and that he surrenders his passport for the pendency of the case. Gao did surrender his passport but on January 19, 2025—the day before the new administration took office in Washington—Gao jumped bond and fled the country on a flight bound for Shanghai, China. Customs and Border Protection records show that Gao passed through Detroit Metropolitan Airport security using a PRC passport in his name but bearing a number different from the number on the passport that he surrendered to University of Michigan police.
Relatedly, on Friday, May 30, 2025, a complaint was unsealed charging Gao with the federal offense of flight to avoid prosecution based on the allegations that he jumped bond and fled the country to avoid his state offenses.
United States Attorney Gorgon stated, “Illegal voting is a serious crime that cast doubt on our elections and serves to disenfranchise United States citizens by diluting their power at the ballot box. But illegal voting by a foreign national who is from a country controlled by a communist party dictatorship – with no modern history or tradition of democratic government – is beyond the pale. I hope that today’s charges send a message to foreign nationals – including those who are students at our universities – that we will not tolerate illegal voting.”
“The federal charges filed against Haoxiang Gao, a Chinese national, serve as a clear and unequivocal reminder that the FBI will investigate anyone who attempts to unlawfully interfere with the electoral process in the United States,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The FBI treats all allegations of voter fraud with the utmost seriousness, and we are committed to holding accountable those who violate our election laws. This case reflects the strength of our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, whose prosecutorial leadership has been critical. I also want to commend the dedicated efforts of the FBI’s Ann Arbor Resident Agency, in close collaboration with the University of Michigan Division of Public Safety & Security, for their outstanding investigative work.”
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed, a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment.
The FBI is investigating this case.
Charleston Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Weapon ViolationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Claude Michael Barrs, 45, of Charleston, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence presented in court showed that on September 29, 2023, Berkeley County sheriff’s deputies stopped Barrs after observing him driving erratically. During the stop, Barrs appeared extremely nervous and admitted that his license was suspended. When asked to exit the vehicle, he attempted to discreetly discard a bag on the ground. Deputies recovered the bag and found 6 grams of methamphetamine inside.
A search of the vehicle uncovered an additional 0.85 grams of methamphetamine under the driver’s seat and a 9mm pistol in the trunk. Barrs admitted the drugs and firearm belonged to him. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. He was also eligible for a sentencing enhancement based on prior convictions for violent felonies or serious drug offenses.
At the time of this arrest, Barrs was out on bond for state charges of armed robbery, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and possession of a weapon by a violent offender.
United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Barrs to 180 imprisonment as part of a negotiated agreement between the parties to be followed by five years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive and Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case.
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Cedar Rapids Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who distributed thousands of fentanyl pills was sentenced on June 2, 2025, to more than six years in federal prison.
Artadius Damon Robinson, age 24, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 31, 2024 guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.
Information disclosed at the sentencing hearing showed that, between April 2022 and August 2023, Robinson distributed thousands of fentanyl pills in the Cedar Rapids area. At one point, Robinson bragged that he made $1,000 a day selling fentanyl. During the period he was distributing fentanyl, Robinson possessed a firearm with an extended drum magazine attached. Robinson had been ineligible to possess firearms since 2020 due to two firearm‑related felony convictions.
Robinson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Robinson was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a three‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Robinson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Johnson County Drug Task Force, consisting of the Johnson County Sherriff’s Office, the Iowa City Police Department, the Coralville Police Department, the North Liberty Police Department, the University of Iowa Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24‑CR‑00057. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
California Man Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Selling Illegal Depressant over the InternetRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A California man has been sentenced on May 30, 2025 in federal court in Boston for conspiracy to sell the illegal depressant, Etizolam, over the internet. One customer died as a result of ingesting Etizolam purchased from defendant’s website.
Paul Z. Lamberty, 52, of Folsom, Calif., was sentenced on May 30, 2025 by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In August 2024, Lamberty pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of the introduction of misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead.
Lamberty operated websites Encern.com and Ohmod.com and used those sites to sell the drug etizolam to customers throughout the United States, including Massachusetts. Payments for etizolam through those websites could only be made through cryptocurrency and it was shipped to customers through U.S. Priority Mail. Encern.com has no corporate records in the State of California and the website did not provide a physical address for the business. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had not approved etizolam for use as a drug, and thus it could not be sold or prescribed in the United States. Despite this, Lamberty purchased drugs from suppliers in China, imported them into the United States and then sold the drugs with false labelling stating that the products were sold “For Research Purposes Only” and “Not for Human Consumption.” Based on an analysis of bank and cryptocurrency records, Lamberty and his co-conspirator conducted gross sales of over $550,000 of etizolam through the internet during the course of the conspiracy. According to court documents, in 2020, a Massachusetts customer of Lamberty’s website purchased and ingested etizolam and died as a result.
According to the charging document, etizolam is a drug known as a thienodiazepine, a class of drugs chemically related to benzodiazepines, which produce central nervous system depression. Physicians may prescribe FDA-approved benzodiazepines to treat insomnia and anxiety, but benzodiazepines and thienodiazepines also carry risks of dependency, toxicity and even fatal overdose, particularly when combined with other central nervous system depressants. According to court documents, in July 2023, the DEA temporarily scheduled etizolam as a Schedule I controlled substance.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Fernando P. McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Lauren A. Graber of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
California Inmate Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Scheme to Deliver Drugs into State Prison by DroneRead the Press Release
Michael Ray Acosta, 48, an inmate at Pleasant Valley State Prison, was sentenced Monday to five years in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana inside of the prison, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, from May 23 to Aug. 27, 2021, Acosta used a contraband cellphone to coordinate multiple drone deliveries of contraband into Pleasant Valley State Prison. Acosta’s co-conspirators Joshua Gonzalez, Jose Oropeza, Rosendo Ramirez, and David Ramirez Jr. flew drones over the prisons and dropped packages into the prisons. Acosta and his associates would then recover the contraband for further distribution throughout the prison population. The packages that Acosta helped to smuggle into the prisons included methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, cellphones, cellphone accessories, and various other items. Acosta was one of five people charged federally as a result of Operation Night Drop, a multi-agency investigation that sought to prevent a rising number of drone incursions over prison facilities.
Jose Oropeza is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2025, and David Ramirez is scheduled to plead guilty on the same day. Joshua Gonzalez and Rosendo Ramirez are next scheduled to appear in court on June 11, 2025.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Federal Aviation Administration, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca is prosecuting the case.
The case 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 Justice.gov/OCDETF.
CEO of Health Care Software Company Convicted of $1B Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Note: this release has been updated to include a quote from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
A federal jury convicted the CEO of Power Mobility Doctor Rx, LLC (DMERx) for his role in operating a platform that generated false doctors’ orders to defraud Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs of more than $1 billion.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Gary Cox, 79, of Maricopa County, Arizona, and his co-conspirators targeted hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries who provided their personally identifiable information and agreed to accept medically unnecessary orthotic braces, pain creams, and other items through misleading mailers, television advertisements, and calls from offshore call centers. Cox and his co-conspirators owned, controlled, and operated DMERx, an internet-based platform that generated false and fraudulent doctors’ orders for these items. As part of the scheme, Cox connected pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, and marketers with telemedicine companies that would accept illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for signed doctors’ orders transmitted using the DMERx platform. Cox and his co-conspirators received payments for coordinating these illegal kickback transactions and referring the completed doctors’ orders to the DME suppliers, pharmacies, and telemarketers that paid kickbacks and bribes for the orders.
The fraudulent doctors’ orders generated by DMERx falsely represented that a doctor had examined and treated the Medicare beneficiaries when in fact purported telemedicine companies paid doctors to sign the orders without regard to medical necessity, based only on a brief telephone call with the beneficiary or no interaction with the beneficiary at all. The DME suppliers and pharmacies that paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for these doctors’ orders billed Medicare and other insurers more than $1 billion. Medicare and the insurers paid more than $360 million based on these claims. According to evidence presented at trial, Cox and his co-conspirators concealed the scheme through sham contracts and by eliminating from doctors’ orders what one co-conspirator described as “dangerous words” that might cause Medicare to audit the scheme’s DME suppliers.
“The defendant orchestrated a scheme to defraud government health care benefit programs on a massive scale, creating fraudulent doctors’ orders used to bill insurers over $1 billion,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Americans are all too familiar with junk mail and spam calls that target seniors to steal their personal information and promote waste, fraud, and abuse in our economy. The Criminal Division will continue to aggressively prosecute health care fraud schemes to hold criminals accountable, protect the vulnerable, and recover financial losses.”
“Medicare fraud undermines the integrity of our nation's most critical healthcare programs, which are relied upon by millions of patients, doctors and honest healthcare professionals.” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O'Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Fraud of this kind wastes taxpayer dollars and increases the cost of healthcare for all Americans. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will relentlessly pursue those who steal from taxpayers and exploit our healthcare system for their own personal gain.”
“Fraud schemes perpetrated against veterans are abhorrent and will be thoroughly investigated,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to combat these schemes to ensure the integrity of VA’s healthcare programs for veterans and their families.”
“The defendant deliberately exploited the federal health care system by prioritizing personal enrichment over the medical needs of vulnerable patients,” stated Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “By fraudulently billing the government for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, the defendant not only violated the law but also assaulted the public’s trust placed in health care providers. There is zero tolerance for those who abuse federal health care programs, and HHS-OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to ensure that individuals who engage in such egregious fraud are held fully accountable.”
“Medicare fraud and other health care related frauds are, unfortunately, nothing new,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Mark McCormick of the FBI Miami Field Office. “As such, the FBI and our partners devote considerable resources to investigate, arrest, and prosecute those committing this fraud. The victims are U.S. taxpayers - you and me. Our message to those who commit health care fraud and steal from U.S. taxpayers is clear: you will be caught, and you will face justice.”
Cox was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, three counts of health care fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, and conspiracy to defraud the United States and make false statements in connection with health care matters. Cox faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud conviction, 10 years for each health care fraud conviction, five years for the conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks conviction, and five years for the conspiracy to defraud the United States and make false statements in connection with health care matters conviction. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HHS-OIG, FBI, VA-OIG, and DCIS investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Darren C. Halverson and Jennifer E. Burns of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Andrea Savdie and Shane Butland assisted in the prosecution. Trial Attorney Evan N. Schlom with the Fraud Section’s Special Matters Unit provided valuable assistance.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Boise Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Mountain Home Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Leon Jason Fortner, 57, of Boise, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison for bank robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced.
According to court records, on August 20, 2024, Fortner entered the Chase Bank in Mountain Home carrying a backpack. He approached the teller station and told the teller that the backpack contained an explosive device. He then told both tellers to give him all their cash or he would detonate the device. The tellers complied by providing cash from the tills and Fortner then fled the bank and got into a nearby vehicle.
Law enforcement officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but Fortner led them on a high-speed chase through Mountain Home and onto I-84. After a lengthy pursuit at high speeds, officers disabled Fortner’s vehicle and took him into custody. They discovered cash from the robbery in his pockets, and Fortner admitted that he robbed the bank. Officers later discovered that the backpack contained clothing and a water bottle, but no explosives.
“Mr. Fortner threatened the lives of bank employees and endangered the lives of law enforcement officers and motorists during his dangerous attempt to avoid capture.” Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott said. “Nine years in federal prison is an appropriate punishment for this crime. I am thankful for the efforts of the Mountain Home Police Department and the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, which ensured that no one was injured by Mr. Fortner.”
U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Fortner to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Fortner pleaded guilty on February 24, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the Mountain Home Police Department, who investigated the case, as well as the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, the Office of Special Investigations and the Explosive Ordinance Disposal team from Mountain Home Air Force Base, and the Elmore County Prosecuting Attorney, all of whom provided valuable assistance during the investigation and prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Baltimore Man Sentenced to More Than 22 Years in Federal Prison for Aiding and Abetting a MurderRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Ziyon Thompson, 21, of Baltimore, Maryland was sentenced to 22 years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the murder of Miguel Soto-Diaz, on May 8, 2022. Thompson was charged with using a firearm resulting in death during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to the guilty plea, on May 7, Miguel Soto-Diaz traveled from California to Baltimore, Maryland, to meet with Thompson to discuss their marijuana growing/selling venture. On May 8, Thompson picked up Soto-Diaz from a Downtown Baltimore hotel and drove him to 325 Furrow Street. Then Thompson placed a FaceTime call to Soto-Diaz’s son in California and showed him that his father was duct taped, gagged, and tied to a chair.
Thompson then demanded 200 pounds of marijuana and $50,000 for Soto-Diaz’s safe return. Thompson texted “Pap said send the bags and money so he can be ok and he said don’t call the police or he want [sic] be coming home.” Then at approximately 7:03 p.m., the Baltimore Fire Department responded to a house fire at 325 Furrow Street where officers found Soto-Diaz dead inside the house with multiple gunshot wounds.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD Homicide Unit for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia McLane and Alex Kalim who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Ambridge Resident Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material While on Supervised Release for Earlier Conviction for Same OffenseRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Ambridge, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 132 months and one day of imprisonment, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, on his conviction of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor and violation of the terms of his supervised release, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Bradley J. Schrott, 43, on June 2, 2025, sentencing Schrott to 120 months in prison on the possession of material count, and to an additional 12 months and one day of imprisonment to be served consecutively for violating the terms of his supervised release from an earlier federal conviction for the same offense.
According to information presented to the Court, on February 17, 2023, Schrott possessed a video depicting the sexual exploitation of a prepubescent minor. At the time of the offense, Schrott was serving a term of supervised release imposed following an earlier federal conviction for possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, for which he had been sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Fischer highlighted that Congress treats repeat sex offenders very seriously and encouraged Schrott to take full advantage of mental health, sex offender, and drug treatment programs while serving his significant sentence of imprisonment.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Department of Homeland Security for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Schrott.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
2 June 2025
Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A New Jersey woman pleaded guilty to bank robbery, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Ciara Brascom, 38, of Newark, pleaded guilty to an information charging her with one count of bank robbery before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On July 28, 2024, Brascom entered a bank in Princeton and demanded cash from a bank teller, while holding what appeared to be a black handgun. During the robbery, Brascom threatened that she would use the gun if the bank’s alarm was activated. Brascom fled from the bank after taking approximately $60,500.
The charge in the information to which Brascom pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for October 6, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the Princeton Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Christopher Tash, and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey, for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard G. Shephard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
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Defense counsel: Andrea G. Aldana, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Trenton
brascom.information.pdfViolent sexual offender sentenced to 15 years in prison for online exploitation of minorsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 72–year-old Skagit County man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 15 years in prison for receipt and possession of images of child sexual abuse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Alan Lewis Meirhofer is a repeat violent sex offender, who was civilly committed to the McNeil Island sexual predator detention facility for seventeen years. He has been in custody since his arrest in 2021 when he was found to possess images of child sexual abuse. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said, “This case involves very serious, terrible, and heartbreaking crimes.”
“Following his release from civil commitment, Mr. Meirhofer adapted his predatory behavior to modern technology,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “He exploited children via the internet. In just over two years there were 14 cyber tips to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) because of his sexual exploitation of minors via Google and Instagram.”
According to records filed in the case, Meirhofer befriended teen boys in the Skagit County area by inviting them to hang out at his residence, where he provided them “gifts’ such as food, clothing, alcohol, cash, and marijuana. When one of the boys borrowed Meirhofer’s phone, he noticed that Meirhofer had sent members of a group chat, images of his friends. The teen also saw images of child sexual abuse on the phone. The teen’s mother alerted police and Meirhofer was arrested in March 2021 and his electronic devices were seized.
An examination of the devices revealed that Meirhofer received and shared child sexual abuse material while he served as the administrator of a Telegram group singularly devoted to sharing child pornography and coordinating pedophilic relationships between adults and minors. Investigators also located deeply disturbing communications with minors Meirhofer was grooming and paying for sexually explicit photos… (The agent) located attempts by Meirhofer to “set up” the minors with Meirhofer’s registered sex offender friends.
In 1988 Meirhofer was convicted of burglary, kidnapping, and rape. In all, Meirhofer broke into at least four different homes, cutting the phone lines and raping 13-year-old children at knife point. One victim was stalked and then kidnapped from his Bellingham home. In 1990, Meirhofer was convicted of Burglary in the First Degree While Armed with a Deadly Weapon and Assault in the Second Degree. In 2000, Meirhofer was civilly committed to the sexually violent predator Civil Commitment Center on McNeil Island. He was released in 2017 as a registered sex offender level 3, the level with the highest risk of reoffending.
In asking for a 15-year prison sentence Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson wrote to the court, “Meirhofer comes before this Court for sentencing like no other defendant. His prior convictions and relevant conduct demonstrate he is the very worst thing that can happen to a child. Alan Meirhofer represents every parent’s worst nightmare and every child’s boogeyman. Decades of incarceration did not deter him from sexually exploiting children at the first opportunity provided. Meirhofer never engaged in sexual deviancy treatment while on McNeil Island because he never intended to stop feeding his deviancy. Meirhofer learned to utilize technology in order to ferret out new paths to abuse children despite his age, appearance, and poor physical condition.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, the Bellingham Police Department, and the Skagit County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
Vanderwagen Man Charged with Assault for 2022 IncidentRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Santa Fe man has been charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury following an incident in 2022.
According to court documents, on November 24, 2022, Anthony Nieto, 38, an enrolled member of Nambé Pueblo, assaulted the victim and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury.
Nieto is charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in custody pending his detention hearing, scheduled for June 3, 2025. If convicted of the current charges, Nieto faces up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The Pojoaque Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Mark Probasco is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment (Nieto)_0.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. Citizen Who Trained and Fought for ISIS Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- Lirim Sylejmani, 49, a Kosovo-born naturalized U.S. citizen, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 10 years in prison in connection with undergoing military training with the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and then engaging in at least one battle with U.S.-led coalition forces.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Head of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division Sue Bai, and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Courtland Rae of the Washington Field Office’s Counterterrorism Division.
Sylejmani, aka Abu Sulayman al-Kosovi, pleaded guilty on December 12, 2024, to receiving military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization. In addition to the prison term, Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered Sylejmani to serve a lifetime of supervised release.
“This defendant will spend a decade in prison thinking about the betrayal to this country,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Anyone thinking that ISIS is the answer to their questions, best think again. We will go to any lengths to root out subversive individuals who want to overthrow the government and harm its citizens.”
"Sylejmani turned his back on the U.S. when he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State," said the FBI's Rae. "He trained with other ISIS recruits and even fought in a battle on the group's behalf. Together with our Defense Department and international partners, the FBI will continue to pursue those who choose foreign terrorist organizations over the land of the free."
According to court documents, from November 2015 through February 2019, Sylejmani received military training from ISIS in Syria. Sylejmani was captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in 2019 and spoke to a number of media outlets about his time with ISIS.
In November 2015, Sylejmani, a naturalized U.S. citizen living in Kosovo, traveled to Syria with his family to join ISIS. After entering Syria, Sylejmani completed his ISIS intake process. He adopted the name Abu Sulayman al-Kosovi and trained to be a soldier with other ISIS recruits. Sylejmani’ s military training included instruction on how to assemble and fire an AK-47 rifle, as well as how to use a PK Machine gun, M-16 rifle and grenades.
Upon completion of the 21-day military training, ISIS assigned Sylejmani to a battalion in Mosul, Iraq, and issued him an AK-47, four AK-47 magazines, a belt to hold the magazines and two grenades. Sylejmani pledged “bayat” (allegiance) to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, and to the ISIS organization, in front of an Iraqi ISIS member. In May 2016, the defendant reported for ribat (guard) duty on the front line of the Manbij offensive. The defendant brought his gun belt, AK-47 and magazines to his ribat assignment. During a battle with Coalition Forces he was hit with shrapnel in his legs. After receiving these injuries, he eventually was reassigned to a new battalion in the fall of 2017. Sylejmani also received payments from ISIS for his services. Between November 2017 and February 2019, Sylejmani moved his family southeast to Baghouz, Syria, as the territorial Caliphate of ISIS collapsed.
On February 27, 2019, Sylejmani and his family were captured by Coalition Forces. Sylejmani was jailed by the SDF in Syria at the Dashisha prison. He was transferred to United States law enforcement personnel on September 15, 2020, to face criminal charges in the District of Columbia.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
This case was prosecuted by former Assistant U.S Attorney Brenda J. Johnson, Assistant United States Attorneys Steven Wasserman and Kimberly Paschall of the National Security Section, and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
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Two interrelated drug rings taken down in series of arrests following wiretap investigationRead the Press Release
Seattle – Fourteen people were indicted in late May and eleven were taken into custody in coordinated arrests last week as part of an ongoing investigation of drug traffickers with ties to drug trafficking in Seattle’s International District and homeless encampments, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. The defendants are charged in two separate indictments with trafficking cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine from California into the Western District of Washington. In addition to searches of Washington locations, search warrants were executed in Oregon and Southern California. The defendants have detention hearings over the next few days.
“The indictment of five defendants in January 2025 was just the first step,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. “Now we are prosecuting fourteen additional defendants. Law enforcement partners continued to pursue drug traffickers even after the initial arrests in January to address the importation of substances like fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into western Washington generally and the International District in particular.”
“For years, this criminal organization preyed on the homeless and drug addicted. They terrorized people living and working in the Chinatown-International District and South Seattle,” said Seattle Police Chief Shon F. Barnes. “I am proud of the work our detectives and federal partners have done to put these criminals behind bars where they belong.”
The seven defendants named in the first indictment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin are:
Octavio Salazar Palma, 33, of Federal Way, Washington, a U.S. citizen
Luis Soto Lara, 47, of Vancouver, Washington
Juan Ramirez Recinos, 41, of Burien, Washington, sought by law enforcement
German Juarez-Otanez, 34, Bothell, Washington, sought by law enforcement
Alexander Emilio Cozza, 42, of Seattle
Marco Antonio Bobadilla, 33, Pacific, Washington
Isai Gamboa Pacheco, 55, of Everett, Washington
The seven defendants in the second indictment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine are:
Daniel Ibarra Loera, 31, of Kent, Washington
Jose Garcia Corona, 61, of Seattle
Leonardo Rojas Cruz, 53 of Federal Way, Washington
Oscar Omar Serrano Serrano, 31, of Algona, Washington
Juan Lopez Roblero, 43, of Tukwila, Washington
Giovanni Antonio Garduno Garcia, 46, of Issaquah, Washington
Sang Su, 44, Seattle, a U.S. citizen, sought by law enforcement
In this investigation in March 2025 alone, law enforcement seized 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 111 kilos of cocaine, 19 kilos of fentanyl powder, 250,000 fentanyl pills, and four kilos of heroin. The street value of the narcotics is nearly $3 million.
“Thanks to the sustained investigative efforts of the FBI and our partners, we are continuing the work we began in November 2023 by first intercepting the flow of dose quantities of dangerous drugs into the International District and homeless encampments in Seattle,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Since January 2025, when we arrested five Washington-based members of this organization, we followed the investigation outside of Washington state as the traffickers made frequent trips into Oregon and California. We are now reaching sources of supply, further stopping these poisons—and the violence that accompanies them—from reaching our communities.”
On May 29, 2025, law enforcement executed 16 search warrants in Federal Way, Vancouver, Everett, Pacific, Tukwila, Kent, Issaquah, Seattle, Woodlake California and Beaverton, Oregon. Investigators seized more than seven kilograms of cocaine, 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 57,000 fentanyl pills, and 17 firearms. They also seized more than $353,000 in cash
Due to the quantities involved some of the defendants face mandatory minimum ten-year prison terms. Federal law enforcement is still determining the citizenship status of many of the defendants in this case.
“This trafficking group was a major supplier of deadly drugs to the International District and other communities throughout the Seattle area,” said David F. Reames. “The fentanyl powder and pills our team seized in this case could have yielded enough lethal doses to kill everyone in Seattle twice. I am proud of our team and would like to thank the Seattle Police, the FBI, the IRS and the Washington National Guard Counterdrug program for their amazing partnership.”
“Illegal drug trafficking devastates lives and affects us all. It is a huge issue that requires a forceful response,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “This investigation draws from the resilience of our communities, which drives the combined efforts of our law enforcement partners and of our agency. Together, we will push back and continue to make a positive, felt impact for all our friends and neighbors.”
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This investigation 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 investigation was led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with significant assistance from the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program (HIDTA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Washington National Guard Counterdrug Program. Investigators also worked with the Oregon State Police and Clark County, Washington Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.
Two Men Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Two men were sentenced in federal court for transporting 8 kilograms of methamphetamine from Dallas, Tx., to the Joplin, Mo., area.
Juan Alvarado-Alvarado, 45, a Mexican national, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 192 months in federal prison without parole, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Alvarado-Alvarado pleaded guilty on Sept. 23, 2024. Alvarado-Alvarado has two prior felony convictions for illegal reentry into the United States after removal.
Jesus Sanchez, 34, Joplin, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 132 months in federal prison without parole, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Sanchez pleaded guilty on Nov. 21, 2024.
Alvarado-Alvarado and Sanchez were charged in an indictment returned on June 6, 2022, for possessing, with intent to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
On May 25, 2022, during a traffic stop, deputies with the Newton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office seized approximately 8 kilograms of methamphetamine from Alvarado-Alvarado and Sanchez. Later that day, during a post-Miranda interview, Sanchez admitted that he and Alvarado-Alvarado had traveled to Dallas, Tx., to purchase the methamphetamine.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine I. Schlegl. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Ozark Drug Enforcement Team, and the Newton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Two Florida Men Plead Guilty to Crimes Related to a Scheme to Prepare False Tax Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
Two Florida men pleaded guilty last week just before jury selection began for their June 2 trial. The two pled before Magistrate Judge David Baker to tax crimes related to a scheme to prepare false tax returns for clients. Specifically, Franklin Carter Jr., of Sanford, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and not filing tax returns, and Jonathan Carrillo, of St. Cloud pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. The plea must be accepted by a U.S. district court judge.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2016 to 2020 Carter and Carrillo owned and operated Neighborhood Advance Tax (NAT), a return preparation business with a dozen offices throughout Florida. Carter, Carrillo and their co-conspirators fraudulently inflated client tax refunds by fabricating deductions on their returns. They also held periodic training sessions at which they taught other NAT employees how to prepare fraudulent tax returns.
In 2021, Carter, Carrillo and the co-conspirators started another tax return preparation business. The new business, Taxmates, operated out of the same offices that NAT had previously used. As with NAT, Carter, Carrillo and the others used Taxmates to prepare false tax returns for clients. Many of those returns included false deductions. As before, Carter, Carrillo and their co-conspirators also taught franchise owners and employees how to prepare false returns for clients.
In addition, Carter did not file personal tax returns for 2019 through 2021, despite being legally required to do so.
In total, both men caused a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $12 million.
Several of their co-conspirators have pleaded guilty. Diandre Mentor, Abryle de la Cruz and Emmanuel Almonor pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States as part of the same scheme. Adon Hemley pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and helping others file false returns. Isaiah Hayes pleaded guilty to helping others file false returns.
Carter and Carrillo will be sentenced at a later date. Both face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge. Carter faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison for each failure to file a tax return charge and Carillo faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison for each charge of assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. Both men also face a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Interim U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Michael L. Jones of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Testerman for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Two Florida Men Plead Guilty to Crimes Related to a Scheme to Prepare False Tax Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL — Two Florida men pleaded guilty last week just before jury selection began for their June 2 trial. The two pled before Magistrate Judge David Baker to tax crimes related to a scheme to prepare false tax returns for clients. Specifically, Franklin Carter Jr., of Sanford, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and not filing tax returns, and Jonathan Carrillo, of St. Cloud pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. The plea must be accepted by a U.S. district court judge.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2016 to 2020 Carter and Carrillo owned and operated Neighborhood Advance Tax (NAT), a return preparation business with a dozen offices throughout Florida. Carter, Carrillo and their co-conspirators fraudulently inflated client tax refunds by fabricating deductions on their returns. They also held periodic training sessions at which they taught other NAT employees how to prepare fraudulent tax returns.
In 2021, Carter, Carrillo and the co-conspirators started another tax return preparation business. The new business, Taxmates, operated out of the same offices that NAT had previously used. As with NAT, Carter, Carrillo and the others used Taxmates to prepare false tax returns for clients. Many of those returns included false deductions. As before, Carter, Carrillo and their co-conspirators also taught franchise owners and employees how to prepare false returns for clients.
In addition, Carter did not file personal tax returns for 2019 through 2021, despite being legally required to do so.
In total, both men caused a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $12 million.
Several of their co-conspirators have pleaded guilty. Diandre Mentor, Abryle de la Cruz and Emmanuel Almonor pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States as part of the same scheme. Adon Hemley pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and helping others file false returns. Isaiah Hayes pleaded guilty to helping others file false returns.
Carter and Carrillo will be sentenced at a later date. Both face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge. Carter faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison for each failure to file a tax return charge and Carillo faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison for each charge of assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. Both men also face a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Interim U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Michael L. Jones of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Testerman for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Two Cousins Sentenced to Prison for the 2021 Mayfair Mansions MurderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deangelo Glover, 33, and Ronnie Wallace, 52, both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced for the January 2021 shooting and murder of Tyrone Wright, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Jason Park sentenced Glover to 21 years in prison and Wallace to 45 years in prison, with five years of supervised release. The sentencings occurred on May 2, 2025.
A jury found both men guilty on February 10, 2025. Wallace was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for Wright’s murder, plus one count of assault with intent to kill while armed for shooting a second victim, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. Glover was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license.
According to the government’s evidence, on January 19, 2021, in a parking lot in front of 3804 Hayes Street NE within the Mayfair Mansions Apartment complex Wallace shot the decedent, Tyrone Wright on belief that Mr. Wright was one of the persons responsible for the murder of his brother, Marcus. In the process, a bystander was shot a single time in the leg. Within moments of Wallace’s initial shots, his cousin and co-defendant Deangelo Glover ran out of an adjacent building and shot Mr. Wright repeatedly, killing him.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Covert and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Coronado, who prosecuted the case.
Troy Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing and Intending to Distribute Three Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Daval Byrams, age 22, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to possessing three kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute them. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Byrams admitted that on March 11, 2025, he traveled from the Capital Region to New York City to pick up cocaine, and that when he returned home that evening, he was carrying a bag containing three one-kilogram bricks of cocaine. Law enforcement arrested Byrams as he departed from a bus in Schenectady, New York.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “When a defendant traffics this volume of cocaine to the Northern District of New York, he should expect that my office and our law enforcement partners will find him, seize his drugs, and send him to prison. It’s that simple.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Narcotics trafficking continues to have a devastating impact on our local communities. The FBI will continue to work in concert with our partners on the Safe Streets Task Force to identify, investigate, and apprehend traffickers whose actions wreak havoc on our communities through the sale of illegal drugs.”
At sentencing, Byrams faces at least 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, and a term of supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute(s) the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The FBI and its Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force – which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies – investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting.
Topeka farmer indicted for defrauding federal governmentRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with defrauding the federal government, by selling crops that he used as collateral for a federal government loan.
According to court documents, Steven W. Porubsky, 48, of Topeka is charged with one count of conversion of mortgaged collateral.
Porubsky is accused of intentionally defrauding the Farm Service Agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), by converting to his own use agricultural products that were mortgaged to the USDA.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Debenham is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Jesse J. Rivera, 43, of Topeka was indicted on one count of theft of government property. The Railroad Retirement Board is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Debenham 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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Three Orange County Men Plead Guilty to Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Bradley D. Burch (34, Apopka), Ronald E. Hubbard Jr. (37, Apopka), and Douglas E. Arnett Jr. (33, Orlando) have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, a fentanyl analog, and methamphetamine. Burch also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Hubbard and Arnett each face a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison, and Burch faces a minimum penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to plea agreements and court documents, throughout 2023, undercover agents conducted multiple controlled purchases of powder fentanyl, counterfeit fentanyl pills, and methamphetamine from Burch. For at least some of those deals, Hubbard, Arnett, or both supplied the drugs to Burch to sell to the undercover agents. Over the course of the conspiracy, they distributed nearly 2 kilograms of methamphetamine and over 350 grams of fentanyl or fentanyl analog mixtures. Additionally, during some of these transactions, Burch had a firearm nearby or in his waistband.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Apopka Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Texas Man and his Romantic Partner Plead Guilty to their Roles in Harming Elderly Victims Through a Romance Fraud ScamRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Texas man admitted his role in a romance fraud scam in which he received money from elderly victims, including from New Jersey, and then transferred the money abroad, primarily to Ghana. His romantic partner admitted that she had served as an unlicensed money transmitter in accepting and transmitting some of the funds for profit, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Felix Clark, a/k/a “Joseph Moore,” a/k/a “Stanley Smith,” 36, of Keller, Texas, pleaded guilty on May 6, 2025, before the Hon. Renée Marie Bumb, Chief, U.S. District Judge, Camden, to a two-count information, charging conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with the romance fraud scam. Clark’s sentencing is scheduled for September 10, 2025.
Clark’s romantic partner, Esther Amppiaw, 33, of Keller, Texas, pleaded guilty on May 23, 2025, before the Hon. Renée Marie Bumb, Chief, U.S. District Judge, Camden, to a one-count information charging her with operating an unlicensed money transmitter business. Amppiaw’s sentencing is scheduled for September 23, 2025.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From June 2022 through September 2022, while a resident of Delray Beach, Florida, Clark conspired and agreed to receive the proceeds of fraud perpetrated by a co-conspirator in Ghana and then to transfer those proceeds overseas. Over the course of the conspiracy, one or more of Clark’s co-conspirators went onto online dating sites and, using fake names, pretended to be romantically interested in mostly elderly victims, including stating that they wanted to marry the victims. Many of the victims, including Victim-1 (an elderly New Jersey-based victim) had recently lost their spouses.
The co-conspirators used electronic means to tell the victims a variety of lies to induce the victims to send money—for instance, claiming that there was a large amount of gold in Ghana, but in order to gain access, the victim needed to pay taxes, fees, or other sums. The co-conspirators directed the victims to send funds to Clark and others acting at his direction, including Amppiaw. Clark used fake names, including “Joseph Moore” and “Stanley Smith”—as well as financial accounts in those fake names—to commit and transfer the proceeds of fraud.
During his guilty plea hearing, Clark admitted that he was responsible for $501,071 in victim losses. He also admitted that he had attempted to obstruct justice by causing a falsified death certificate and funeral notice purporting to show the death and funeral of a family member to be submitted to the United States, for the purpose of obtaining his passport, which had been lawfully seized and to which he was not legally entitled.
Amppiaw admitted that she operated an unlicensed money transmitting business from January 2022 through June 2023, while a resident of Delray Beach, Florida. Amppiaw also admitted that she knowingly received checks, money orders, and electronic payments totaling $317,290 from individuals she did not know, and that she knowingly transmitted most of the funds to other individuals, including at least one recipient in New Jersey and also to recipients overseas, including Ghana. Amppiaw admitted that she now knows that the funds she transferred included the proceeds of unlawful activity—that is, fraud.
The counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud to which Clark pled guilty are each punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison. The sentences on each count may run consecutively. The count of operating an unlicensed money transmitter business to which Amppiaw pled guilty is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison. Each offense also carries a potential fine of the greater of $250,000,or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, and the defendants may be sentenced to a term of supervised release after any term of imprisonment imposed.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited agents of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa T. Wiygul of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
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Defense Counsel:
Felix Clark: Jeremy McLymont, Esq., Miami, Florida
Esther Amppiaw: James Maguire, Esq., AFPD, Camden, New Jersey
clark.information.pdf amppiaw.information.pdfSouth Florida Jury Convicts Murder-For-Hire Conspirators, Face Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal jury convicted three South Florida men for their involvement in a murder-for-hire plot carried out in August 2019.
On May 21, Rolando Ramirez, 52, of Doral, and Rasheed “Fresh” Ali, 39, of Miami, were found guilty of solicitation of a crime of violence (interstate stalking), interstate stalking, conspiracy to use and carry a firearm, discharging a firearm in furtherance of interstate stalking, conspiracy to commit murder for hire, and murder for hire. Tamrat “Shifta” Mason, 41, of Miami, together with Ramirez and Ali, was also found guilty of tampering with the investigation that resulted in their arrest in August 2024.
According to court records and evidence introduced during trial, Ramirez and the victim, a local businessman, had a contentious federal lawsuit involving various issues related to their business arrangement, including a non-competition clause. The victim won the right to continue to compete. During settlement negotiations, Ramirez told the victim, “In due time, I will kill you.”
Ali and Mason had a marijuana distributor in New York, Jaime Serrano. Serrano had an outstanding debt to Ali and Mason, which Ali told Serrano he could clear by executing a hit for his friend. Serrano testified that Ali told him the target was a former business partner, who “snitched” on his friend in court. Ali added that Ramirez considered himself “Cuban Mafia.” On August 28, 2019, Serrano, together with Julian Jimenez, carried out the near-fatal shooting of the victim.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Ramirez, Ali, and Mason tampered with the investigation to cover up their involvement or knowledge of the crime.
As part of a separate case, Jimenez pled guilty to interstate stalking, conspiracy to use a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime. A federal jury found Serrano guilty of the same charges. Jimenez and Serrano were sentenced to 35 and 50 years in prison, respectively.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 5, before U.S. District Court Judge Roy K. Altman. Ramirez and Ali face a sentence of up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami made the announcement.
FBI Miami investigated this case, with assistance from the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abbie D. Waxman and Michael Gilfarb of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
The charges contained in an information are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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-20341.
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South Carolina Duo Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Cyberstalking for Scheme That Resulted in A Victim's DeathRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. –Trysten Anthony Cullon, 26, of South Carolina, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriguez and pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking for a scheme targeting a vulnerable victim and his immediate family members using extortive and threatening text messages, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Previously, on April 10, 2025, Jade Ashlynn Stone, 25, of South Carolina, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking.
James C. Barnacle, Jr., Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to the indictment, filed plea documents, and the court hearings, from September 5 to September 8, 2024, the defendants conspired to engage in a cyberstalking conspiracy that targeted a victim identified in court documents as C.T. C.T. had an intellectual disability and was classified as Educable Mentally Disabled. Because of his disability, C.T. was extensively supported by his immediate family and did not live on his own. C.T. was also employed at a fast-food restaurant chain in Charlotte.
As Cullon and Stone admitted in court, they used a stolen phone to send C.T.’s family members multiple harassing and intimidating text messages demanding money and threatened to provide derogatory and embarrassing information to C.T.’s employer unless they were paid, including salacious claims that C.T. was a pervert, that he harassed girls, and that he paid girls for sexual pictures. As a result of the substantial emotional distress caused by the extortive and threatening text messages sent by the defendants, C.T. died by suicide.
Cullon and Stone pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Cullon and Stone are both in custody. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI for the investigation of this case and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for its substantial assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Several Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today that eight defendants have been sentenced by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky to federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Each of the defendants previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
On August 1, 2023, Jaylen Ester, aka Sumo; Adrian Perry; Miguel Thompson; James Chenault, aka LJ; Saundra Lunsford; Carma Brown; April Reyes; and Briana McElroy were indicted by a federal grand jury in a 13-count indictment. All defendants were indicted on Count 1, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The defendants each pled guilty to Count 1 of the Indictment and Judge Rudofsky sentenced each of them to federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
Defendant
Age
City/State
Sentencing Date
Sentence
Adrian Perry39
England, Arkansas
6-2-2025
180 months,
5 years’ supervised release
Briana McElroy34
Dardanelle, Arkansas
4-15-2025
60 months,
4 years’ supervised release
Miguel Thompson42
Russellville, Arkansas
4-15-2025
197 months,
5 years’ supervised release
Jaylen Ester aka Sumo31
North Little Rock, Arkansas
1-16-2025
192 months,
5 years’ supervised release
April Reyes41
Russellville, Arkansas
12-16-2024
60 months,
4 years’ supervised release
Saundra Lunsford30
Russellville, Arkansas
12-10-2024
60 months,
4 years’ supervised release
James Chenault aka LJ42
Russellville, Arkansas
11-4-2024
210 months,
5 years’ supervised release
Carma Brown38
Russellville, Arkansas
10-22-2024
41 months,
4 years’ supervised release
Multiple defendants had significant criminal histories, and defendants Perry, Thompson, Chenault are classified as career offenders. Perry’s criminal history includes convictions for possession of cocaine with purpose to deliver and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. The criminal history for Ester includes convictions for residential burglary and robbery. During Ester’s sentencing, the United States presented evidence to the court of his arrest for terroristic act, felon in possession of a firearm, and aggravated assault in an incident where Ester shot at an occupied residence with children present.
Thompson’s criminal history includes four convictions for delivery of marijuana, three convictions for possession with intent to deliver marijuana, intimidating a witness, delivery of methamphetamine, three convictions for possession with intent to deliver oxycodone, and terroristic act. Chenault’s criminal history includes three convictions for delivery of marijuana, battery and domestic battery, escape, possession of methamphetamine and cocaine with intent to deliver, and four convictions for delivery of cocaine or methamphetamine, aggravated assault, and possession of firearms by certain persons.
“Because fentanyl is so deadly and because it is being sent to our country by foreign adversaries ostensibly to result in the deaths of many Americans, our office will continue to regard the distribution of fentanyl as a violent crime which commands our office’s full attention,” said Ross. “Protecting our citizens from violent crime is the basic responsibility of law enforcement and so prosecuting those involved with distributing deadly drugs is part of the core mission at the Department of Justice. If you are involved in distributing the poisons of fentanyl and methamphetamine, we will not concern ourselves with trying to empathize with you as to why you made such despicable decisions; rather, we will commit to fully prosecuting you and seeking to keep you away from our communities through incarceration.”
Through an investigation, law enforcement officers learned that from 2020 through approximately December 2022, the defendants were distributing fentanyl for redistribution in the River Valley and central Arkansas areas.
In November 2021, information was received that Ester travelled to and from Little Rock and Russellville trafficking fentanyl from his girlfriend’s apartment. During surveillance of the girlfriend’s apartment, law enforcement officers observed the girlfriend leave in their vehicle. At this time law enforcement officers knocked on the door and Ester opened it and then attempted to shut the door, but law enforcement officers prevented the door from closing. Law enforcement officers observed children and Ester, a parolee who has a search waiver on file and felony warrants, inside the apartment. During a search of the apartment, law enforcement officers located fentanyl, marijuana, and close to $3,000 in cash. Law enforcement also recovered a bag of fentanyl tablets Ester’s girlfriend discarded, which Ester admitted was intended for distribution. Ester admitted obtaining thousands of fentanyl tablets and hundreds of pounds of marijuana for distribution.
On December 22, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop in which Perry, who had warrants, was a passenger. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement officers located a can of Coke in the center console that contained 13 fentanyl pills. During a search of Perry’s person, law enforcement officers located $3,262.00.
In May 2022, law enforcement recovered fentanyl tablets and marijuana during an incident involving Chenault, and during the execution of a search warrant at Chenault and Lunsford’s residence located 142 whole fentanyl pills and ten partial fentanyl pills, over 300 grams of marijuana, and over 5 grams of methamphetamine. In July 2022, law enforcement recovered over 1,000 fentanyl tablets and cocaine from Thompson and McElroy after a traffic stop and search of Thompson’s residence. In August 2022, law enforcement recovered fentanyl tablets, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia from Reyes’s residence. In November 2022, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from Brown. On November 22, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a home visit at Thompson’s residence and recovered methamphetamine, marijuana, and fentanyl.
“Sending career criminals like this to prison is another example of our commitment to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities from those who spread fentanyl poison in our neighborhoods,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “Bringing our expertise and resources to target individuals and organizations that plague our communities with drug trafficking is a top priority for ATF. The sentence imposed today sends a message to the community that drug traffickers will be held accountable.”
“The Russellville Police Department is proud to have played a role in the successful prosecution of those responsible for distributing these deadly drugs in our community,” said David Ewing, Chief of Police, Russellville Police Department. “This outcome reflects our ongoing commitment to working alongside our federal partners to combat the fentanyl crisis and protect the safety and well-being of our citizens.”
“I’m so proud of the dedicated people I have working with me in the Fifth Judicial Drug Task Force. Their cooperation with other local law enforcement in Pope County is so important in aggressively addressing criminal activity in our county - primarily drug sales and trafficking,” said Jeff Phillips, Fifth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney. “I also want to thank the federal authorities in partnering with us to make a difference in our community.”
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fifth Judicial Drug Task Force, and the Russellville Police Department.
# # #
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Second Defendant Pleads Guilty for Fraudulently Obtaining Millions in Public Benefits and Laundering Proceeds to ChinaRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Carlos A. Grijalva, age 59, of Simi Valley, California, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments in the amount of approximately $46.4 million.
Grijalva is the second defendant to plead guilty in connection with this case, following the guilty plea of Bruce Jin in January 2025. In April 2025, Grijalva, along with a third defendant, Brian R. Cleland, was charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and other offenses, after charges were originally filed against all three defendants in August 2023.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Grijalva admitted that, from 2021 to early 2022, he, Cleland, and Jin, along with other unnamed coconspirators, agreed to launder state unemployment compensation funds that they knew had been obtained through fraud. Grijalva also admitted that he and the others entered into a series of agreements that made it appear as if they were operating legitimate businesses selling masks and other COVID19 personal protective equipment while knowing that the funds obtained and laundered through their companies were derived from fraudulently obtained state unemployment compensation (“UC”) benefits.
Grijalva also admitted to knowing that bank accounts of identity theft victims were unlawfully accessed across the United States and that fraudulent UC claims were generated and paid to these accounts. Grijalva understood that this fraudulent activity was being conducted by fraudsters located in China. Through this pattern of financial activity, tens of millions of dollars of fraudulent UC payments were issued to accounts by the Pennsylvania Treasury Department and other state treasuries around the United States.
Grijalva also admitted that he and Cleland then provided the bank account information of these identity theft victims to payment processing companies to generate ACH payments to accounts controlled by him and Cleland. The bank account information being provided to him and Cleland, including account numbers and routing numbers, was likewise from an individual in China, known in the superseding indictment as “COCONSPIRATOR 2.” As a result of this fraudulent activity, Grijalva and Cleland obtained over $46 million in fraudulently obtained funds. Grijalva admitted that he and Cleland discussed, on a number of occasions, that the supposed sale of COVID-19-related PPE would be their cover story for this financial activity.
After that, Cleland and Grijalva, using a number of different bank accounts, transferred over $30 million to companies controlled by Bruce Jin, as well as transferring additional funds to an individual known as “COCONSPIRATOR 1” in the superseding indictment. Grijalva admitted that he and Cleland made transfers to Jin knowing that Jin would, in turn, transfer at least a portion of these funds to parties located in China.
Grijalva also admitted that he and Cleland each made an estimated $2.2 million dollars in personal profit from the scheme.
Grijalva agreed to certain property forfeitures as part of his plea agreement, including approximately $46.4 million in US currency, as well as the contents of several bank accounts and real properties located in Hawaii and California that were purchased using funds traceable to the charged offenses. One of these properties, located in California, was purchased in the name of one of Grijalva’s family members.
Jin has been detained since his arrest in August 2023 and is awaiting sentencing. Cleland has pleaded not guilty to the charged offenses and is awaiting trial.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ravi Romel Sharma and K. Wesley Mishoe and Trial Attorney Patrick B. Gushue of the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section, Bank Integrity Unit, are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney General previously established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to launder monetary instruments is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Romanian Citizen Pleads Guilty to ‘Swatting’ Numerous Members of Congress, Churches, and a Former U.S. PresidentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Thomasz Szabo, 26, of Romania, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to being the leader of a years-long conspiracy that targeted victims across the United States with “swatting” and bomb threats. Szabo and his co-conspirators falsely reported ongoing violent emergencies at government buildings, houses of worship, and private residences, including the homes of senior government officials.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool of the Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge William Mancino of the U.S. Secret Service’s Criminal Investigative Division, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr., of the Minneapolis Field Office, and the U.S. Capitol Police.
Szabo, aka “Plank,” “Jonah,” and “Cypher,” pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson to one count of conspiracy and one count of threats and false information regarding explosives. Sentencing is scheduled for October 23.
“This defendant’s targeted and ruthless behavior put countless people in danger, including law enforcement, public officials, and ordinary citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Swatting attacks, that is, falsely reporting an ongoing threat of violence at a victims’ home address for the purpose of provoking a police response there, drain precious resources and can result in major injury or even death. Anyone who hijacks police resources for senseless crimes like these will have to answer for their actions.”
“This defendant led a dangerous swatting criminal conspiracy, deliberately threatening dozens of government officials with violent hoaxes and targeting our nation’s security infrastructure from behind a screen overseas,” said Attorney General Bondi. “This case reflects our continued focus on protecting the American people and working with international partners to stop these threats at their source.”
“This plea agreement is a testament to the extraordinary investigative work, tenacity, and global reach of the U.S. Secret Service and our partners,” said Special Agent in Charge McCool. “This perpetrator hid behind a computer screen on the other side of the world believing he could commit these crimes with impunity. It was a gross miscalculation to underestimate our determination in pursuing and bringing to justice those who would commit these crimes, wherever they may be.”
“This individual’s actions put innocent people, including government officials, at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Mancino of the U.S. Secret Service’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The U.S. Secret Service and our domestic and international partners worked tirelessly to ensure that this individual was identified and brought to justice.”
“Swatting is not just a prank, it is a serious violation of the law,” said Assistant Director in Charge Jensen of the Washington Field Office. “Today's guilty plea makes clear those engaged in these actions will face justice.”
"Swatting is a serious crime that wastes public resources, threatens individuals and communities, and jeopardizes law enforcement personnel," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. "This guilty plea is the result of significant efforts by the FBI and our law enforcement partners at home and abroad. Together, we will continue to ensure that there is no anonymity for offenders who use law enforcement to target public figures, institutions, and individuals."
According to court documents, Szabo was the founder and leader of an online community that, starting in late 2020, engaged in a pattern of bomb threats and “swatting” — that is, falsely reporting an ongoing threat of violence at a victims’ home address for the purpose of provoking a police response there.
As leader of the group, Szabo made false reports to U.S. law enforcement including a threat in December 2020 to commit a mass-shooting at New York City synagogues, and a threat in January 2021 to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and kill the President-elect. Szabo publicized his “swatting” activity to his followers and encouraged them to engage in similar behavior.
Beginning on Dec. 24, 2023, and continuing through early January of 2024, subordinate members of Szabo’s group perpetrated a spree of swatting and bomb threats that included, as its victims, at least 25 Members of Congress or family members of Members of Congress; at least six then-current or former senior U.S. Executive Branch officials, including multiple cabinet-level officials; at least 13 then-current or former senior federal law enforcement officials, including the heads of multiple federal law enforcement agencies; multiple members of the federal judiciary; at least 27 then-current or former state government officials or family members of such officials; at least four religious institutions; and multiple members of the media. During that time period, one of those subordinates bragged to Szabo: “I did 25+ swattings today,” and “creating massive havoc in [A]merica. $500,000+ in taxpayers wasted in just two days.”
Szabo was extradited from Romania in November 2024.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office and Criminal Investigative Division, the FBI’s Washington and Minneapolis Field Offices, and the U.S. Capitol Police. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Szabo’s arrest and extradition and assisted with securing evidence from abroad, including through mutual legal assistance requests.
Assistance was provided by National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and the U.S. Secret Service’s Bucharest Resident Office, Miami Field Office, Syracuse Resident Office, Springfield Resident Office, the FBI’s Legat Office in Bucharest and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, the District of South Dakota, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Southern District of Illinois, and the Northern District of New York, as well as the Romanian authorities whose assistance was critical to the successful investigation of the case and extradition of Szabo.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Romanian Citizen Pleads Guilty to ‘Swatting’ Numerous Members of Congress, Churches, and Former U.S. PresidentRead the Press Release
Thomasz Szabo, also known as Plank, Jonah, and Cypher, 26, of Romania, pleaded guilty today to being the leader of a years-long conspiracy that targeted victims across the United States with “swatting” and bomb threats. Szabo and his co-conspirators falsely reported ongoing violent emergencies at government buildings, houses of worship, and private residences, including the homes of senior government officials.
“This defendant led a dangerous swatting criminal conspiracy, deliberately threatening dozens of government officials with violent hoaxes and targeting our nation’s security infrastructure from behind a screen overseas,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This case reflects our continued focus on protecting the American people and working with international partners to stop these threats at their source.”
“Today, Szabo pleaded guilty to a years-long conspiracy that targeted victims with swatting and bomb threats, including to government buildings, houses of worship and homes of government officials,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Swatting endangers lives and will not be tolerated by the FBI. We are fully committed to working with our partners to bring to justice those criminals hiding behind keyboards and threatening violence.”
“This defendant’s targeted and ruthless behavior put countless people in danger, including law enforcement, public officials, and ordinary citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Swatting attacks, that is, falsely reporting an ongoing threat of violence at a victims’ home address for the purpose of provoking a police response there, drain precious resources and can result in major injury or even death. Anyone who hijacks police resources for senseless crimes like these will have to answer for their actions.”
According to court documents, Szabo was the founder and leader of an online community that, starting in late 2020, engaged in a pattern of bomb threats and “swatting” — that is, falsely reporting an ongoing threat of violence at a victims’ home address for the purpose of provoking a police response there.
As leader of the group, Szabo made false reports to U.S. law enforcement including a threat in December 2020 to commit a mass-shooting at New York City synagogues, and a threat in January 2021 to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and kill the President-elect. Szabo publicized his “swatting” activity to his followers and encouraged them to engage in similar behavior.
Beginning on Dec. 24, 2023, and continuing through early January 2024, subordinate members of Szabo’s group perpetrated a spree of swatting and bomb threats that included, as its victims, at least 25 Members of Congress or family members of Members of Congress; at least six then-current or former senior U.S. Executive Branch officials, including multiple cabinet-level officials; at least 13 then-current or former senior federal law enforcement officials, including the heads of multiple federal law enforcement agencies; multiple members of the federal judiciary; at least 27 then-current or former state government officials or family members of such officials; at least four religious institutions; and multiple members of the media.
During that time period, one of those subordinates bragged to Szabo: “I did 25+ swattings today,” and “creating massive havoc in [A]merica. $500,000+ in taxpayers wasted in just two days.”
Szabo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and one count of threats involving explosives, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 23. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Szabo was extradited from Romania in November 2024.
The U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office and Criminal Investigative Division, the FBI’s Washington and Minneapolis Field Offices, and the U.S. Capitol Police are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Szabo’s arrest and extradition and assisted with securing evidence from abroad, including through mutual legal assistance requests. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Secret Service’s Bucharest Resident Office, Miami Field Office, Syracuse Resident Office, Springfield Resident Office; the FBI’s Legat Office in Bucharest; and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, the District of South Dakota, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Southern District of Illinois, and the Northern District of New York. The Romanian authorities’ assistance was critical to the successful investigation of the case and extradition of Szabo.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia is prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.