Northern District of Georgia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Decatur Man Faces Federal Charges Following Fatal Attack on Atlanta's MARTA Rail SystemRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – John Elijah Matthews faces a federal charge of committing an act of violence causing death on a mass transportation system, after he allegedly murdered a 66-year-old woman aboard a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) train last weekend.
“Margaret Swan was a beloved great-grandmother who was brutally killed in an unprovoked act of senseless violence. Her loss deeply affects her family, friends, and our entire community,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Atlantans and the many people who will soon visit for the FIFA World Cup deserve to travel free from fear of a violent attack. We will not tolerate murder and mayhem on MARTA, and anyone who uses a dangerous weapon to seriously injure or kill on public transportation may face swift and unrelenting federal prosecution.”
“Margaret Swan was an innocent woman simply trying to get to her destination. My hope is these charges will bring justice for her and her family.” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This crime also impacts everyone who relies on mass transportation to move about their daily lives. Using Atlanta’s train system should be safe and free of violence.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On May 30, 2026, Margaret Swan, a 66-year-old resident of Atlanta, was a passenger on a MARTA train traveling northbound from the Lakewood station to the Oakland City station. Video surveillance inside the MARTA train allegedly showed Matthews standing next to Swan, who was sitting near the train’s door and looking at her phone. At approximately 11:25 a.m., surveillance footage allegedly shows Matthews reach into his pocket, pull out a folding knife, and stab Swan approximately 20 times in the chest and neck area as she attempted to defend herself. Other passengers on the train fled for safety and called for help, and at least one passenger confirmed that Swan had no interaction with Matthews before the fatal attack.
After the MARTA train stopped at the Oakland City station, MARTA police officers immediately arrested Matthews, who was allegedly in possession of a bloody folding knife consistent with the knife seen in the surveillance footage and had blood on his clothes. First responders attempted to render emergency medical aid to Swan, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
John Elijah Matthews, 25, of Decatur, Georgia, was named in a federal criminal complaint filed today charging him with committing an act of violence using a dangerous weapon with the intent to cause death on a mass transportation system. If convicted, Matthews faces the possibility of life imprisonment or the death penalty. The Attorney General of the United States will determine whether the government will seek the death penalty. Matthews is currently in local custody but will appear in federal court at a later date.
Members of the public are reminded that the complaint only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Police Department.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Senior Vice President of Atlanta Housing Authority Sentenced to Prison for Housing Assistance Fraud and Pandemic Relief FraudRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Tracy Jones, a former Senior Vice President at the Atlanta Housing Authority, has been sentenced to prison and ordered to pay restitution for a scheme to fraudulently collect Section 8 housing assistance payments for her own rental property and family members, making fraudulent applications to collect pandemic relief funds, and committing mortgage fraud when refinancing her rental property.
“Jones violated the trust of the community, the taxpayers, and the needy families she was supposed to assist, using her senior position at one of the largest housing authorities to steal limited public funds,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Her theft of that money meant other members of the community went without much-needed relief. Our office will continue to vigorously act to hold people like Jones, who violate the public trust and pilfer from the treasury, accountable.”
“Tracy Jones abused a position of trust by diverting funds from multiple federal programs, undermining assistance intended for vulnerable communities and struggling businesses during the pandemic,” said Special Agent in Charge Jerome Winkle with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who exploit HUD-funded programs for personal gain.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: From April 2017 to the time of her guilty plea in this case, Jones served as Senior Vice President over the Housing Choice Voucher Program at the Atlanta Housing Authority, overseeing one of the largest Section 8 programs in the country. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds Section 8 programs, including rental assistance payments to landlords on behalf of low-income families and individuals. Section 8 funds are limited, and there is often a long waiting list of low-income families seeking acceptance into the program. Housing authority staff are generally prohibited from receiving Section 8 payments for their own properties, and Section 8 landlords are typically prohibited from leasing to their own family members.
Instead of upholding the integrity of the housing assistance program, Jones defrauded the program by using a series of falsified forms to have her family members admitted to the Section 8 program and then to receive Section 8 payments for them to live in her own rental house. To conceal her identity, Jones used a fake name and a shell business entity to execute housing authority documents. As a result, she improperly obtained more than $36,000 of Section 8 funds. Jones then obstructed subsequent investigations by submitting a false affidavit and convincing friends to lie and present false documents on her behalf.
At the same time, Jones used her shell business and another business to collect more than $27,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s COVID-19 pandemic relief programs, falsely claiming that the businesses were functioning, had multiple employees, and received over $56,000 of gross revenues in 2019. When the SBA denied one of Jones’s applications, she appealed the denial, falsely stating:
- “I am truly a[n] honest business owner[.]”
- “I hear the stories how people abused the PPP loans to establish a lavish lif[e] style. That is not me. My business is small and is growing, but I [am] one of the legitimate and honest business that can use all the help I can.”
- “I also serve a community of low income families in my business, renting one of my three homes to a low income family as well as serve other owners of low income rental properties.”
Jones also committed mortgage fraud when she refinanced her Section 8 rental property, falsely claiming on her application for a $219,780 loan that the property was her primary residence, that the residence was not a rental property, and that she did not own any other property.
On May 20, 2026, Tracy Denise Jones, 61, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 9 months in prison to be followed by 9 months of home detention and 15 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $65,598.80 and a fine of $63,546. She pled guilty on February 2, 2026, to conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, wire fraud, and credit application fraud.
This case was investigated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General 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. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former CDC Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Stealing More than $190,000 of Agency FundsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Gwendolyn Brandon, a former supervisor at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has pleaded guilty to theft of government funds in connection with fake invoices she submitted to the CDC.
“This defendant embezzled taxpayer money and brazenly exploited her position of public trust by fabricating invoices,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “When she is sentenced later this year, she will pay the price for her greed and deception.”
“This federal employee-turn-fraudster exploited her government position to steal taxpayer money to enrich herself,” said Special Agent in Charge Marcus L. Sykes of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “HHS-OIG is committed to protecting the integrity of the federal workforce and to help ensure that HHS funding is spent appropriately to serve the American public.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: From approximately August 2023 to February 2025, while employed as a CDC administrative professional, Brandon created fraudulent invoices that appeared to be from vendors requesting payment for goods or services provided to the CDC. The invoices triggered payments to an account she controlled. She used her role as a supervisor and her knowledge of CDC’s invoice and credit card processing system to perpetuate the fraud by causing employees under her supervision, who were unaware of the fraud, to make the payments. Through her scheme, she caused the CDC to pay at least 46 fraudulent invoices in amounts ranging from $2,230 to $9,970, resulting in the theft of $190,461.50 in government funds.
Gwendolyn Brandon, 43, of Cumming, Georgia, pleaded guilty to theft of government funds yesterday. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 3, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders. As part of her plea agreement, Brandon agreed to resign from the CDC and never apply for employment with the federal government again, nor will she seek to do business with the federal government as a contractor or vendor.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica C. Morris is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Illegal alien wanted for murder in Saint Lucia sentenced on federal firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Orville Andrew Pernell, an illegal alien from Jamaica charged with murder in Saint Lucia, has been sentenced to federal prison for possession of a firearm by an alien illegally or unlawfully present in the United States.
“After he was charged with murder, Pernell escaped custody twice in the Caribbean, entered the United States under a different identity, and then repeatedly endangered our community through his possession of stolen and high-powered firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “All of our communities are safer with Pernell behind bars and subject to extradition to Saint Lucia to face murder charges.”
“Individuals who attempt to hide behind false identities, cross international borders unlawfully, and traffic stolen firearms should understand that ATF and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue those who threaten public safety,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd, ATF Atlanta. “This case highlights ATF’s critical role in tracing illegal firearms, disrupting trafficking networks, and ensuring dangerous offenders are removed from our communities.”
“No one who flees justice abroad and threatens public safety in the United States will escape accountability,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Through the coordinated efforts of HSI and our partners, Pernell has been apprehended, convicted, and when his sentence concludes will be returned to face murder charges in Saint Lucia.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Pernell was charged with murder in Saint Lucia on October 8, 2020. While awaiting trial, he escaped custody in Saint Lucia and was arrested in Jamaica on July 21, 2021. He then escaped Jamaican custody while awaiting his extradition to Saint Lucia.
Nearly 18 months later, American immigration authorities encountered Pernell attempting to illegally enter the United States at an unmanned area near the San Ysidro point of entry at the California border with Mexico. Pernell identified himself as “Oneil Christopher Reid,” and was allowed to enter the United States pending further immigration proceedings.
On July 21, 2023, sheriff’s deputies in Clayton County, Georgia stopped Pernell for driving 115 miles per hour on a motorcycle. Deputies searched Pernell and found a stolen firearm in his jacket pocket. Although deputies arrested him for speeding, fleeing, driving without a license, and receiving stolen property, Pernell posted bail and was released from custody within less than two months.
In 2025, federal law enforcement determined Pernell was in the United States using the Reid alias. He was arrested on April 4, 2025, while agents simultaneously executed a search warrant at his home in Hinesville, Georgia. At the home, agents found another stolen handgun and an assault rifle with a loaded high-capacity magazine.
On February 11, 2026, Pernell pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. While in federal custody, Pernell repeatedly damaged the cell walls at his pretrial detention facility in apparent escape attempts.
Orville Andrew Pernell, a/k/a Oneil Christopher Reid, 33, of Saint Mary, Jamaica, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Tiffany R. Johnson to 33 months of imprisonment. After he serves his sentence in the United States, he will be subject to removal and extradition proceedings.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wylly 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.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Owner of group homes for at-risk youth and her drug-dealing boyfriend charged with money launderingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Kristin Draper has been arraigned on federal charges of money laundering conspiracy for allegedly conspiring with her boyfriend, Antwaun Brown, to funnel proceeds of Brown’s fentanyl dealing through a Dayton, Ohio group home for at-risk youth. Brown, a felon with state and federal convictions for trafficking crack cocaine and heroin, is facing federal drug charges related to the seizure of a massive amount of fentanyl in Sandy Springs, Georgia last year.
“Draper was entrusted with protecting at-risk children, but instead allegedly used her position to launder money from fentanyl sales – a lethal drug that is killing our young people,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office will continue to work tirelessly to aggressively prosecute the drug dealers who poison our communities, as well as the money launderers who facilitate crime by concealing the proceeds of illicit activity.”
“Money laundering enables criminal organizations to profit and operate in the shadows,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Through coordinated investigative efforts and strong partnerships, law enforcement remains committed to following the money, uncovering criminal networks, and ensuring those responsible are brought to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Draper owns Reflections Group Home, LLC, which operates three group homes in Dayton, Ohio, with space for 15 children. In 2024, Draper reported personally earning nearly $1 million in wages and distributions from Reflections Group Home’s 15 beds. A financial investigation allegedly showed that Brown and Draper conspired to commingle the profits of Brown’s Atlanta-area drug dealing with legitimate income from Reflections Group Home to obscure the source of the drug proceeds.
The investigation revealed that Draper used the commingled funds to purchase a $3 million dollar home in Forsyth County, Georgia, and a Lamborghini SUV worth over $200,000. On March 21, 2025, Brown was arrested driving that Lamborghini SUV with nearly ten pounds of fentanyl inside. The vehicle was registered to Reflections Group Home.
Kristin Draper, 37, of Alpharetta, Georgia, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Catherine M. Salinas on charges of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
Antwaun Brown, 40, of Alpharetta, Georgia, was previously indicted on April 22, 2025, on charges of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. He will be arraigned on a superseding indictment, charging both drug and money laundering violations, at a later date. Brown has been in custody since his arrest.
A grand jury returned the superseding indictment against Brown and Draper on May 12, 2026.
Members of the public are reminded that the superseding indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with valuable assistance from the Sandy Springs Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. LaGrone is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Fulton County Sheriff’s Office sergeant charged with excessive use of forceRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Louis Brown, III, a former sergeant with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, has been arraigned on federal charges of using excessive force against a pretrial detainee at the Fulton County Courthouse.
“Brown allegedly betrayed his badge by punching a handcuffed detainee without justification and by directing his subordinates to turn off their body-worn cameras to try to get away with his crime,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “To maintain the public’s faith in our justice system, sworn officers who abuse their positions of trust must be held accountable.”
“The overwhelming majority of law enforcement officers serve their communities with integrity and professionalism every day,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “But when an officer allegedly violates the constitutional rights of a person in their custody, it undermines public trust and the oath they swore to uphold. The FBI remains committed to working to ensure anyone who abuses a position of authority is held accountable under the law.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, information provided in court, and other publicly available information: The use-of-force policy implemented by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) directs officers to use force that is objectively reasonable. To determine whether force is objectively reasonable, officers are required to consider the immediate threat posed by the subject and whether the subject is actively resisting. Consistent with the U.S. Constitution, the FCSO’s policy forbids force when an individual is compliant and not resisting arrest.
On June 4, 2025, while employed at the Fulton County Courthouse as a sergeant with the FCSO, Brown allegedly punched and slapped a handcuffed detainee, repeatedly, without legal justification. Immediately before the alleged attack, Brown commanded other deputies to deactivate their body-worn cameras. One deputy’s camera nevertheless captured the attack, and the video captured by that camera allegedly shows the detainee was compliant and non-threatening as Brown allegedly assaulted him.
On May 15, 2026, Louis Brown, III, 41, of Smyrna, Georgia, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Catherine M. Salinas. Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 12, 2026, of depriving a person of civil rights under color of law.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brent Alan Gray and Dwayne A. Brown Jr. are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Illegal aliens and convicted felons sentenced for transnational drug trafficking and money launderingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Two illegal aliens and two convicted felons have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a large international drug trafficking and money laundering organization stretching from Mexico to Atlanta.
“These defendants forfeited their freedom by choosing to poison our community and enrich narco-terrorists abroad,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office, our Homeland Security Task Force, and our state and local partners are deeply committed to stemming the tide of drugs flowing into north Georgia and punishing the criminals who enable and abet foreign cartels.”
“Fentanyl continues to devastate communities across our country,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Through strong partnerships and coordinated enforcement efforts, we were able to stop a dangerous operation and disrupt the flow of illegal profits. This case underscores our shared mission to save lives and keep our communities safe.”
“Sandra Hernandez Chilel’s sentencing demonstrates that individuals involved in trafficking dangerous drugs such as fentanyl and laundering crime proceeds, which contribute to violence and instability within our communities, will be held responsible,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS-CI special agents, together with our federal partners, conducted thorough investigations to dismantle this network and intercept narcotics and illicit funds, thereby ensuring perpetrators are brought to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2024, federal law enforcement uncovered a scheme in which David Miranda Vinalay and multi-convicted drug dealers, such as Jerome Lewis and Irving Joel Hernandez, funneled bulk cash drug proceeds to a middleman in Norcross, Georgia. At the direction of Mexico-based drug traffickers, the middleman delivered the money to Sandra Beatriz Hernandez Chilel, who laundered the funds to Mexico through her Norcross, Georgia money service business, “Pulga La Esperanza.” Hernandez Chilel attempted to conceal the laundered funds by wiring the money to different individuals in Mexico in small transactions. Between September and November 2024, the organization laundered over $1 million in drug proceeds to Mexico.
Earlier today, U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross sentenced Sandra Beatriz Hernandez Chilel, 50, an illegal alien from San Marcos, Guatemala, to five years and five months in prison and she will be deported to Guatemala upon completion of her sentence. On December 17, 2025, Hernandez Chilel pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Three additional defendants were sentenced in this case:
- Jerome Lewis, 48, of Lilburn, Georgia, was sentenced to fifteen years in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to money laundering conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Lewis was separately convicted in federal court in 2015 of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
- David Miranda Vinalay, 40, an illegal alien from Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced to seven years and eleven months months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to money laundering conspiracy.
- Irving Joel Hernandez, 35, of Lilburn, Georgia, was sentenced to seven years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to money laundering conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Hernandez was convicted in state court in 2015 of trafficking methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Valuable assistance was also provided by Georgia State Patrol, DeKalb County Police Department, Gwinnett County Police Department, and Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert, Dwayne A. Brown, Jr., and Nicholas Evert prosecuted the case.
These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Illegal alien and husband convicted of firearms offenses and lying to Immigration JudgeRead the Press Release
NEWNAN, Ga. – An illegal alien who unlawfully possessed a firearm at a Fayette County gun range and her husband, who lied to an immigration judge in an effort to secure his wife’s release from custody and who paid another woman to fraudulently purchase firearms that others attempted to smuggle into Mexico, have pleaded guilty to multiple felony offenses and now face years in prison.
“Illegal aliens are strictly prohibited from possessing weapons in our country, and federal law prudently prohibits lawful residents from telling lies to facilitate illicit gun trafficking,” said U.S Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Through their deceitful conduct, this husband-and-wife duo demonstrated contempt for the law, but they could not escape its reach. My office’s partnership with Atlanta’s highly productive Homeland Security Task Force will ensure that these criminals and those who assisted them are held accountable.”
“Among ATF’s top priorities is ensuring that firearms traffickers are aggressively investigated and swiftly brought to justice,” said ATF Atlanta Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd. “This investigation is an excellent example of what can be accomplished through strong collaboration among multiple partner agencies, resulting in outstanding outcomes.”
“The Bureau of Industry and Security is committed to preventing unlawful exports,” stated Bureau of Industry and Security Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Shein. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to disrupt, dismantle and deter the illicit procurement networks that seek to violate U.S. export laws and inflict harm.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On August 8, 2025, Steven Estrada Feregrino gave a woman $4,600 to purchase firearms on his behalf from a gun store in Fayetteville, Georgia. The woman bought seven firearms with Estrada’s money and falsely represented that she was the actual buyer of the firearms. Afterwards, the woman gave the firearms to Estrada and Miguel Angela Varela-Posas, a previously deported illegal alien. Within less than a week, the firearms that Estrada and Varela-Posas received were recovered at the Del Rio, Texas port of entry inside a van bound for Mexico.
Two months later, Estrada and his wife, Brenda Rojano-Gonzalez, 26, an illegal alien from Temimilco, Mexico, went to a gun range where CCTV cameras recorded Rojano-Gonzalez handling and discharging a firearm. Subsequently, immigration authorities arrested Rojano-Gonzalez. At a November 5, 2025 hearing in immigration court, Estrada falsely testified under oath that Rojano-Gonzalez never shot a firearm at a gun range. Although the immigration court released her on a bond, Rojano-Gonzalez was charged in federal court with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Rojano-Gonzalez pled guilty to that charge on March 11, 2026. Sentencing is scheduled for June 11, 2026, before Chief U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May.
On May 11, 2026, Steven Estrada Feregrino, 29, of Fayetteville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to perjury and false statements to a federal firearms licensee. Sentencing is scheduled for August 14, 2026, before Chief Judge May.
In indictments returned on February 3, 2026, and May 5, 2026, Varela-Posas, 30, of Puebla, Mexico, was charged with illegal reentry to the United States, false statements to a federal firearms licensee, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and possession of counterfeit documents.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictments only contain charges. Varela-Posas is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
These cases are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
German citizen charged with laundering funds linked to prominent darknet marketplace “Dream Market”Read the Press Release
ATLANTA - Owe Martin Andresen, the suspected main administrator of Dream Market, one of the largest illicit darknet marketplaces before its 2019 shutdown, has been indicted for an alleged scheme to launder funds from Dream Market’s administrator accounts. Andresen was arrested last week in Germany on parallel charges brought by the German government.
“Andresen allegedly channeled commissions earned from selling illegal drugs, stolen personally identifiable information, counterfeit identification documents, and other items through cryptocurrency wallets and even converted his ill-gotten gains into gold bars,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thanks to the close coordination between federal and German law enforcement, Andresen and his co-conspirators will no longer profit from the online sales of narcotics and fraud services, and Andresen will be prosecuted in both Germany and the United States as a result of his actions.”
“This action highlights the unwavering commitment of IRS Criminal Investigation and our global law enforcement partners to dismantle the financial engines that sustain transnational criminal enterprises,” said Kareem Carter, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (CI), Washington D.C. Field Office. “The reintegration of long dormant proceeds demonstrates a hard truth: illicit actors may hide in the shadows, but their financial footprints remain. IRS CI is dedicated to following the money, and our Cyber Crimes Unit special agents are dedicated to exposing those who attempt to exploit technology to evade accountability.”
“Technology has provided drug traffickers with more and more options to peddle their poisons into our communities,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Miles Aley. “It’s up to us to slam the door on those options and bring these cyber criminals to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Dream Market launched in 2013 and became one of the largest criminal marketplaces on the darknet, with close to 100,000 listings at a given time. Between 2013 and 2019, Dream Market facilitated the sale of more than 90 kilograms of heroin, 450 kilograms of cocaine, 25 kilograms of crack cocaine, 45 kilograms of methamphetamine, 13 kilograms of oxycodone, and 36 kilograms of fentanyl. Buyers and sellers accessed Dream Market and interacted with each other through the use of Tor (an internet traffic anonymizing service), and they relied on cryptocurrency to mask the origin and destination of their payments—a model that allowed the marketplace to grow at a staggering pace.
Coordinated law enforcement efforts led to the dismantling of the Dream Market infrastructure by identifying, arresting, and prosecuting the high-level vendors, moderators, and administrators who sustained the transnational criminal enterprise. High-ranking administrators who used the monikers “Oxymonster” and “KITT3N” were previously convicted in prosecutions led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Southern District of Florida and the U.S. Department of Justice Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. A mid-level administrator responsible for customer service issues on the website and who used the moniker “GOWRON” was convicted in a prosecution by the United Kingdom Crown Prosecution Service. However, the main administrator of the Dream Market, who used the moniker “Speedstepper,” was not identified.
In 2019, facing increasing law enforcement pressure, Dream Market’s administrators announced that they were voluntarily shutting down the marketplace. After Dream Market’s closure, the marketplace’s cryptocurrency infrastructure remained largely untouched, including Dream Market wallets that held millions of dollars in commission payments to the administrators (the “Dream Wallets”).
Three years later, in November and December 2022, Andresen allegedly accessed the Dream Wallets and transferred funds into new, consolidated cryptocurrency wallets (the “Consolidated Wallets”)—activity that could only have been initiated by someone with access to Dream Market’s original private keys, believed to be “Speedstepper.”
Months later, in August 2023, Andresen allegedly used a cryptocurrency service provider based in Atlanta, Georgia to purchase gold bars from international companies using funds in the Consolidated Wallets and directed those companies to ship the gold bars to his home address in Germany. German law enforcement identified additional money laundering transactions committed by Andresen in Germany. In total, Andresen is alleged to have laundered over $2 million between August 2023 and April 2025.
On May 7, 2026, in a coordinated effort by both German and U.S. law enforcement, Andresen was arrested on German charges, and his residence and two other locations were searched. During the searches, law enforcement located approximately $1.7 million of gold bars allegedly purchased with Dream Market funds, as well as over $23,000 in cash. Law enforcement also located information identifying several bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets containing approximately $1.2 million of funds believed to be proceeds of the Dream Market.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment on January 13, 2026, charging Owe Martin Andresen, 49, of Germany, with six counts of international concealment money laundering and six counts of concealment money laundering. Each federal charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Germany also has charged Andresen with several counts of concealment money laundering. Each German charge is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation – Cyber Crimes Unit and DEA Miami Counternarcotic Cyber Investigations Task Force, with substantial assistance from foreign law enforcement partners, including the Bundeskriminalamt Cybercrime Unit and Zentrale Kriminalinspektion Oldenburg.
A multi-agency task force, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, initially investigated Dream Market’s criminal activities between 2016 and 2022.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bethany L. Rupert is prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance during the investigation. The original Dream Market investigation was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Monique Botero of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Autism researcher extradited from Germany to face federal charges of stealing CDC grant moneyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Poul Thorsen, a Danish researcher who was one of the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s top ten most wanted fugitives, was arraigned today on federal wire fraud and money laundering charges after his extradition from Germany.
“Poul Thorsen allegedly stole more than $1 million in federal grant money by submitting fabricated invoices and diverting funds to his personal bank accounts,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “International fugitives who think they can avoid responsibility for serious federal crimes by living overseas are wrong. Due to the unwavering persistence of my office and our law enforcement partners, Thorsen has been extradited to the United States and will face justice in federal court.”
“Thorsen is alleged to have diverted more than a million dollars designated for critical public health and autism research. These funds were entrusted to advance scientific understanding and support children and families; instead, these tax dollars were exploited for personal gain, a serious breach of law and profound betrayal of public trust,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Thorsen’s extradition reinforces a core principle: individuals who are accused in an indictment of defrauding the American people and misusing federally funded research will be pursued wherever they flee. HHS-OIG, alongside our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the integrity of federal programs and ensuring that those who steal from the public are held accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: From 2000 to 2009, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, awarded over $11 million to two governmental agencies in Denmark to study the relationship between autism and exposure to vaccines, between cerebral palsy and infection during pregnancy, and between childhood development and fetal alcohol exposure. In 2002, Thorsen, who had worked as a visiting scientist at the CDC when it was soliciting the grant applications, became responsible for administering the research money awarded by the CDC.
Thorsen allegedly stole more than $1 million of the CDC grant money by submitting fraudulent documents to the Danish government, Aarhus University, and a Danish hospital where scientists performed research under the grant. From February 2004 through June 2008, Thorsen allegedly submitted over a dozen fraudulent invoices, containing the forged signature of a CDC laboratory section chief, that falsely claimed a CDC laboratory had performed work and was owed grant money. Based on these invoices, Aarhus University transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to CDC Federal Credit Union accounts the university believed belonged to the CDC. In truth, the credit union accounts were personal accounts held by Thorsen. After the money was transferred, Thorsen allegedly withdrew the fraudulent proceeds for his own use, obtaining cashier’s checks and buying a home in Atlanta, a Harley Davidson motorcycle, and Audi and Honda vehicles.
A federal magistrate judge issued an arrest warrant after a grand jury in Atlanta indicted Thorsen on April 13, 2011, but Thorsen evaded apprehension for nearly 14 years by remaining in Denmark. On June 4, 2025, Thorsen, 65, was arrested in Passau, Germany, pursuant to an INTERPOL Red Notice based on the April 2011 arrest warrant.
Earlier this year, Germany agreed to extradite Thorsen to face trial on two counts of wire fraud and nine counts of money laundering. On May 7, 2026, Thorsen was flown to the United States in federal custody. He was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Elizabeth McBath and will be held without bail pending further proceedings.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs secured the arrest and extradition of Thorsen from Germany.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen H. McClain is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Fraud Promoter Pleads Guilty to Federal Bank Fraud Charges Involving Manipulation of Stolen ChecksRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Shamarri Tache Brooks has pleaded guilty to federal bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges in connection with a scheme arising from the widespread theft of checks from the mail.
“Brooks used his music and social media accounts to promote fraud as a lifestyle rather than a scourge,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Those who treat fraud like a game gamble with their freedom because my office will vigorously prosecute the perpetrators of financial crimes that undermine our postal and financial systems, erode trust, and disrupt the lives of everyday people.”
“For those who think they can take the easy road to financial gains by stealing money people have worked hard for, the FBI will hold you accountable for the pain and losses you cause,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham.
“The FDIC Office of Inspector General is pleased to join our law enforcement partners in this impactful prosecution,” said Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles, of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Atlanta Region. “This investigation reflects the FDIC OIG’s unwavering commitment to investigate all allegations of fraud that threaten to undermine the integrity of our Nation’s financial system.”
“The brazenness of the defendant is almost unfathomable,” said Robert Donovan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office. “He openly recruited participants in his criminal enterprise on social media while teaching others how to victimize members of the public by selling financial fraud tutorials. We are grateful to our federal partners for their teamwork in the investigation and the successful prosecution of this defendant.”
“Today’s guilty plea serves as a clear reminder that individuals who believe they can conceal their fraud schemes behind encrypted messaging services are mistaken,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “Our special agents, in collaboration with our federal and local law enforcement partners, remain unwavering in their commitment to protect the sanctity of the U.S. Mail and maintain the public’s trust.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, and other information presented in court: From at least January 2022 through November 2025, Brooks committed bank fraud by negotiating checks stolen from the mail. As part of the scheme, Brooks used social media to recruit individuals with existing bank accounts to use as depository accounts for stolen checks. Brooks altered the stolen checks to list the cooperating accountholders as the intended recipients or payees of the checks. Brooks deposited altered checks at ATMs throughout the Atlanta area, often wearing balaclava-style masks with a logo stating “No Free Sauce.”
Brooks also promoted and sold tutorials for committing various forms of financial fraud, including check fraud. He sold a collection of these tutorials under the name “Sauce Book” or “SB.” Brooks also sold images of stolen checks, referred to as “slips,” as a part of his fraud business.
When law enforcement arrested Brooks earlier this year, they recovered over 600 stolen checks from his residence.
Shamarri Tache Brooks, a/k/a Juney Knotzz, 33, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders. The sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. The Dunwoody Police Department and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration also provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
To protect yourself from becoming the victim of mail theft and check fraud, the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service recommend the following steps:
- Pick up your mail promptly after delivery. Do not leave mail in your mailbox overnight or for long periods of time.
- If you are heading out of town, submit a USPS Hold Mail™ request asking your local Post Office to hold your mail until you return.
- Sign up for Informed Delivery® at USPS.com to receive daily email notifications of incoming mail and packages.
- Contact the sender if you do not receive a check, credit card or other valuable mail you are expecting.
- Consider buying and using security envelopes to conceal the contents of your mail.
- Use the letter slots inside your local Post Office to send mail. If using a blue USPS collection box, be sure to drop your mail as close to the posted pickup time as possible and before the last collection of the day
- When using checks, educate yourself about the steps you can take to prevent fraudsters from exploiting stolen checks, such as setting up positive pay with your financial institution.
If you think you were targeted by fraudsters, file a report with your bank and request copies of all fraudulent checks. Report the incident to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), www.ic3.gov. If you believe you are the victim of mail theft-related check fraud, report to your local police and the United States Postal Inspection Service at uspis.gov/report or 1-877-876-2455.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica C. Morris is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Eight-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Usoro E. McWhorter, who has eight prior felony convictions, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. His accomplice, Omari Nicks, was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison last year on the same charges.
“This serial convicted felon sold deadly quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs from an Atlanta apartment and dumped heroin out of a window in a failed attempt to evade seizure by law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “McWhorter’s and Nicks’s lengthy sentences are the result of close collaboration between federal and local law enforcement officers committed to aggressive prosecutions of drug traffickers in north Georgia.”
“An individual with eight prior convictions who continues to traffic drugs demonstrates a clear disregard for the law and for human life,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Through strong collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we were able to bring this case forward and ensure accountability. Together, we remain committed to removing repeat offenders who threaten the safety and well-being of our communities.”
“The recent federal conviction and 10-year sentence of a fentanyl distributor underscore the devastating impact this drug continues to have on our communities. Fentanyl trafficking fuels addiction, overdoses, and loss of life at an alarming rate,” said Major Mark Mayton of the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force. “This sentence reflects the seriousness of the offense and the commitment of law enforcement and the judicial system to hold those responsible accountable. We remain dedicated to working with our partners to combat the spread of fentanyl and protect the safety and well-being of our citizens.”
“The Cartersville Police Department has always taken an aggressive approach to drug enforcement, and this case was no different. It really is a shining example of what happens when local and federal law enforcement work together to achieve a common goal. This collaborative effort created a true local impact by dismantling an illicit pipeline of drugs and firearms into not only our community, but all of the communities that these defendants sought to exploit,” said Chief Kevin Cloninger of the Cartersville Police Department.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In January 2025, Omari Nicks was selling methamphetamine and fentanyl from his Atlanta apartment. Some of Nicks’s customers traveled into the city from as far as Bartow County, Georgia. On February 6, 2025, DEA agents searched Nicks’s apartment after seeing Nicks sell drugs while Usoro McWhorter acted as a lookout. When agents entered the apartment, Nicks attempted to flee by climbing out a third-story window, but he fell off the side of the building and was quickly apprehended. Agents arrested McWhorter while he was dumping heroin out of another apartment window.
Inside the apartment, agents found approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine, one kilogram of cocaine, 50 grams of fentanyl, a hydraulic press to form powdered drugs into bricks, approximately $5,400 in cash, and an AR-15 style rifle loaded with a 30-round magazine. Law enforcement also recovered approximately 100 grams of the heroin McWhorter dumped out of the apartment window.
Before this incident, McWhorter had been convicted of eight felony offenses. Most of those convictions involved drug sales.
On May 6, 2026, Usoro E. McWhorter, 48, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. McWhorter was convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, after he pleaded guilty.
On August 27, 2025, Omari A. Nicks, 47, of Smyrna, Georgia, was sentenced to 12 years and 6 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Nicks was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force, and the Cartersville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin A. Leipold, III and Thomas M. Forsyth, III prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Members of the "Paper Gang Family" and Accomplices Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Antonio Pierre Ashmeade, the last of 13 defendants prosecuted for their roles in a drug trafficking operation dismantled by Atlanta’s multi-agency Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”), has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison.
“This HSTF investigation and federal prosecution disrupted an extensive drug distribution ring run by metro-Atlanta gang members,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The defendants’ lengthy sentences, which must be served without the possibility of parole, demonstrate that the potential financial gains from trafficking dangerous street drugs are not worth the consequences.”
“This case is a testament to the strength of our partnerships,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Federal, state, and local law enforcement worked side by side to dismantle this organization piece by piece. Today’s sentencing underscores what we can accomplish when we stand united against drug trafficking.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2019, a DEA investigation revealed that individuals associated with the Paper Gang Family (“PGF”), an ostensible rap music label, were distributing large quantities of narcotics in the Atlanta area.
During the investigation, agents observed PGF members openly conduct drug deals on the same streets where school buses dropped off children. In April 2023, agents observed Ashmeade provide a plastic shopping bag with suspected narcotics to a drug customer in a southeast Atlanta parking lot. When a Georgia State Patrol trooper attempted to stop his vehicle, the drug customer fled and tossed a plastic bag with methamphetamine onto a sidewalk on Memorial Drive. On that occasion, law enforcement recovered half a kilogram of methamphetamine. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills, 25 kilograms of methamphetamine, 20 kilograms of cocaine, and 30 firearms connected with the PGF organization.
Earlier today, Ashmeade, 42 of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Ashmeade was convicted of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine following a jury trial on December 17, 2025.
The following defendants were previously sentenced in this case:
- Demarco Harper, 48, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on June 3, 2025, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Cyguifredo Hernandez, 34, of Jonesboro, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on December 18, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Rodrigus Dartez Williams, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine following a trial by jury on December 17, 2025.
- Christian Tevaris Wash, 45, of Stockbridge, Georgia, was sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on March 27, 2024, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Arthur Lee Hempen, 37, of Marietta, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on May 22, 2024, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and wire fraud.
- Alexavier Negron, 40, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on September 5, 2025, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Mario Bernard Peek, 39, of Ellenwood, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on August 26, 2025, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Terez Montavious Pippins, 39, of Forest Park, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on June 11, 2024, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Dresten Toron Daniels, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on August 25, 2025, to possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Kory Keon Solomon, 40, of Macon, Georgia, was sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, after he was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute cocaine following a trial by jury on January 8, 2026.
- Philip Michael Ricks, 40, of Leighton, Alabama, was sentenced to three years and six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on March 26, 2024, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Daronta Arne Lee, 43, of Snow Hill, North Carolina, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on May 6, 2024, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Georgia State Patrol, the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Henry County Police Department, Atlanta Police Department, Crisp County Sheriff’s Office, Fulton County Sheriff’s Department, DeKalb County Police Department, and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Johnny Baer, C. Brock Brockington, Teresa M. Stolze, and Elizabeth M. Hathaway prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sekret Sneed substantially assisted with the judicial forfeiture of the seized firearms, drug proceeds, and vehicles.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Federal Homicide Charges Brought Against Man Who Allegedly Murdered Postal WorkerRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Nahjel Malik Williams has been charged with first-degree murder of Dequavious Graves, a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier, as well as the use of a firearm during that crime of violence.
“The murder of Dequavious Graves, a letter carrier dedicated to his public duty, friends, and family, was a senseless crime and a horrible tragedy,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Letter carriers play an important role in our community, and anyone who harms them as they perform their work will be brought to justice in federal court.”
“A core mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is the protection of our employees, and if anyone causes them harm, they will be pursued and brought to justice for their crimes. The arrest of this defendant is a testament to the dedication of work conducted by Postal Inspectors along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “With these charges we hope to bring forth a sense of justice for Mr. Graves and his family as they continue to move forward in the wake of this senseless tragedy.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Dequavious Graves was a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier beloved by his colleagues and members of the community, as well as his family and friends. On February 12, 2026, as Graves delivered mail on his route in Decatur, Georgia, Nahjel Mailk Williams allegedly shot Graves and killed him in a premeditated act. At the time, Williams was wanted on a warrant for a prior, unrelated murder he allegedly committed in Atlanta in August 2024.
On May 5, 2026, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Nahjel Malik Williams, 24, of Decatur, Georgia, with first-degree murder of a federal employee and discharging a firearm in relation to that offense. Both charges subject Williams to the possibility of life imprisonment or the death penalty. The Attorney General of the United States will determine whether the government will seek the death penalty. Williams is currently in local custody but will be arraigned in federal court at a later date.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with valuable assistance provided by the Atlanta Police Department, DeKalb County Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Teresa M. Stolze and Matthew R. LaGrone are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
GoodFellas Gang Member Sentenced to Prison for Drive-By ShootingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Tahj Rankine, a member of the GoodFellas criminal street gang, was sentenced to ten years in prison for his participation in a February 2021 drive-by shooting that injured an innocent bystander.
“Tahj Rankine drove a vehicle while fellow gang members shot out of it, maiming an innocent bystander,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our Homeland Security Task Force will continue to target gangsters who disregard public safety and drive violence in our community.”
“Gang shootings in public places are all too common,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendant and his gang terrorized customers at a gas station, unleashing more than 30 rounds, endangering innocent victims and even hitting a car containing children. Violent gang activity that imperils innocent lives has no place in our communities. It must be rooted out entirely.”
“Drive-by shootings endanger entire communities, not just intended targets,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Rankine’s actions—driving armed gang members into a public space and enabling gunfire—show a blatant disregard for human life that left an innocent bystander injured. The FBI, alongside our partners on the Homeland Security Task Force, will continue to prioritize dismantling violent gangs like GoodFellas and holding those who fuel this kind of reckless violence accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: The GoodFellas is an Atlanta-based gang that primarily recruits members in Atlanta neighborhoods as well as jails and prisons within Georgia. The gang generates money through, among other criminal activities, drug trafficking, robbery, carjacking, fraud, and firearms trafficking. The gang protects its operation, turf, and reputation through violence and threats of violence.
On February 2, 2021, Rankine drove himself and other armed GoodFellas gang members to a gas station in southwest Atlanta. A second vehicle filled with armed GoodFellas members accompanied Rankine’s vehicle. After Rankine drove through the gas station parking lot, occupants of the two vehicles discharged dozens of rounds towards the gas station’s storefront in an attempt to target members of another gang. An innocent bystander was hit by gunfire and suffered an injury to his foot.
On April 29, 2026, Tahj Rankine, a/k/a Biggz, 27, of Tucker, Georgia, was sentenced to ten years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Rankine was convicted of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence on January 12, 2026, after he pled guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with valuable assistance provided by the Georgia Department of Corrections; Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office; and the Atlanta Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Renaud and Trial Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Atlanta comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga
GoodFellas Gang Member Sentenced to 10 Years for a Drive-by ShootingRead the Press Release
Tahj Rankine, also known as Biggz, 27, of Tucker, Georgia, a member of the GoodFellas criminal street gang, was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release for his participation in a drive-by shooting at a crowded gas station that injured an innocent bystander and others. Rankine pleaded guilty in January 2026 to discharging a firearm during a crime of violence — specifically, attempted murder committed in the aid of the GoodFellas’ racketeering enterprise.
“Gang shootings in public places are all too common,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendant and his gang terrorized customers at a gas station, unleashing more than 30 rounds, endangering innocent victims, and even hitting a car containing children. Violent gang activity that imperils innocent lives has no place in our communities. It must be rooted out entirely.”
“Tahj Rankine drove a vehicle while fellow gang members shot out of it, maiming an innocent bystander,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia. “Our Homeland Security Task Force will continue to target gangsters who disregard public safety and drive violence in our community.”
“Drive-by shootings endanger entire communities, not just intended targets,” said Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham of the FBI Atlanta Field Office. “Rankine’s actions — driving armed gang members into a public space and enabling gunfire — show a blatant disregard for human life that left an innocent bystander injured. The FBI, alongside our partners on the Homeland Security Task Force, will continue to prioritize dismantling violent gangs like GoodFellas and holding those who fuel this kind of reckless violence accountable.”
According to court documents, GoodFellas is an Atlanta-based gang that primarily recruits members in Atlanta neighborhoods and in jails and prisons within Georgia. The GoodFellas gang generates money for the gang through, among other criminal activities, drug trafficking, robbery, carjacking, fraud, and firearms trafficking. The gang uses violence and threats of violence, including murder, attempted murder, and obstruction of justice to protect its territory and reputation.
In February 2021, on the day of the shooting, Rankine drove fellow gang members to an open Quickmart gas station, where they believed members of a rival gang were present. A second car, also filled with armed GoodFellas members, accompanied Rankine’s vehicle.
Rankine drove through the Quickmart parking lot, turned around, and then drove through the parking lot again. As Rankine drove through the second time, gang members in Rankine’s vehicle and the other vehicle shot from the vehicles toward the gas station’s storefront. Several people were injured, including an innocent bystander whose children were traumatized when bullets hit the car they were sitting in. A Quickmart employee estimated that the shooters fired 30 to 40 times.
The FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Renaud for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.
These arrests are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
Former U.S. Postal Carriers, Bank Manager, and Convicted Felon Indicted on Federal Charges for Nearly $5 Million Bank Fraud and Mail Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Two former U.S. Postal Service mail carriers, a former Alpharetta assistant bank manager, and a convicted felon face federal charges after participating in a scheme to steal valuable items from the mail, including a $4.9 million U.S. Treasury check.
“Francina Sutton worked with two corrupt U.S. Postal Service mail carriers to steal dozens of checks, credit cards, and gift cards from the mail and separately conspired with an assistant bank manager to launder a stolen $4.9 million U.S. Treasury check,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office places a special emphasis on prosecuting employees who abuse their positions inside trusted institutions to steal from and defraud the public.”
“Today’s arrests send a strong message to anyone who thinks mail theft and check fraud will go unpunished,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “Protecting the integrity of the U.S. Postal Service is our mission, and our special agents, along with our federal and local law enforcement partners, will aggressively investigate these federal crimes to protect the sanctity of the U.S. Mail and maintain the public’s trust.”
“It is the mission of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) to protect the integrity of the IRS and promote the fair administration of our federal tax system,” said TIGTA Special Agent in Charge Joel Weaver. “TIGTA continues to work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners to hold individuals responsible for their attempts to interfere with our nation’s tax system for personal gain.”
“Stealing mail, misusing personal information, and trying to wash a $4.9 million Treasury check are serious attacks on our financial system,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS-CI Atlanta Field Office. “IRS‑CI will continue to follow the money, expose these schemes, and shut down anyone who seeks to profit from fraud against the American public.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service relentlessly pursues criminals who exploit the U.S. Mail for unlawful purposes,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Atlanta Division. “The indictments of these co-conspirators who allegedly stole Treasury Checks and other financial instruments and defrauded the American taxpayer serve as a resounding message to anyone who wants to steal U.S. Mail. We will unwaveringly work with our partners in law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold criminals accountable for their actions.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Beginning in or about March 2020 and continuing through September 2025, Shanda Goode and Carnisha Hamilton, who were then employed as U.S. Postal Service City Carriers assigned to the Ralph McGill Post Office in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Marietta Main Post Office in Marietta, Georgia, respectively, allegedly stole mail containing checks, credit cards, gift cards, and other items of value in order to sell them to Francina Juantez Sutton and other individuals. On at least one occasion in December 2023, Hamilton stole three dozen pieces of mail containing checks and credit cards on a single delivery run. After obtaining the stolen mail, Sutton used the credit cards and cashed the checks for her own personal use.
Sutton also allegedly conspired with Tonya Bailey, who was an Assistant Financial Center Manager at a bank in Alpharetta, Georgia, to open bank accounts in the names of unsuspecting persons in order to deposit a $4.9 million U.S. Treasury check that had been stolen from the mail. In February 2023, Sutton entered Bailey’s bank branch wearing a dark-colored mask and opened a bank account, with Bailey’s assistance, in the name of an entity that resembled the name of the payee listed on the stolen check. Sutton and Bailey then deposited the stolen check into the new bank account. Two weeks later, Sutton returned to Bailey’s bank branch wearing a surgical mask; drew two cashier’s checks for $150,000 each from the account; and opened two new bank accounts, with Bailey’s assistance, using stolen personally identifiable information. Sutton and Bailey then deposited $300,000 into the new accounts. The U.S. Secret Service seized over $4.7 million from the fraudulently opened bank accounts, and the United States will seek to forfeit the seized funds in the criminal case.
Francina Juantez Sutton, 46, of Smyrna, Ga., Shanda Goode, 57, of Douglasville, Ga., Carnisha Hamilton, 42, of Marietta, Ga., and Tonya Bailey, 58, of Ellenwood, Ga., will be arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Sommerfeld after a federal grand jury returned an indictment on March 24, 2026. Goode, Hamilton, and Sutton face federal charges for conspiracy and theft of mail by a postal employee. Sutton and Bailey were charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, money laundering conspiracy, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft. Sutton also was charged with possession of stolen mail, access device fraud, and felon in possession of a firearm. Sutton has multiple prior felony convictions for theft, forgery, and identity fraud.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Service-Office of Inspector General, U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. The U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service also provided valuable assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Sekret T. Sneed is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Illegal Alien Who Led Massive International Drug and Firearms Trafficking Ring from Behind Bars Sentenced to Federal Prison with 14 OthersRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Servando Corona Penaloza, who is a Mexican illegal alien and Georgia state prison inmate, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for orchestrating the sale of more than 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamine and fentanyl and the purchase of over 200 military-style firearms that were transported to Mexico for use by Mexican cartels. Fourteen other members of Corona Penaloza’s organization have been convicted and sentenced, with two defendants awaiting sentencing in the coming months.
“These defendants flooded our community with deadly drugs and used the proceeds of their drug deals to arm narco-terrorist Mexican cartels with high-powered weapons of war,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “As a result of the exceptional and dedicated work by our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners under the auspices of Atlanta’s Homeland Security Task Force, there are no more drugs coming in—or firearms going out—at Corona Penaloza’s direction.”
“This investigation reflects strong coordination among agencies at every level. Through that collaboration, we disrupted a dangerous operation and enhanced the safety of our communities,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd.
“This operation not only prevented a massive quantity of methamphetamine from reaching our streets but also took firearms out of the hands of individuals who pose a serious threat to public safety,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Every kilogram seized, and every weapon recovered, is a step toward safer communities.”
“This case demonstrates Homeland Security Investigations’ determination to root out violent gangs and criminal cartels from our communities,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “By working side-by-side with our federal, state, and local partners, we have stopped the flow of deadly drugs and weapons and delivered a clear message: We will relentlessly pursue those who threaten the safety of American families.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In March 2024, federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) identified numerous cash purchases of M249S firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers in the Atlanta area. M249S firearms are belt-fed, single shot, civilian versions of the U.S. Army’s Squad Automatic Weapon, with a retail cost of $10,000 to $12,000 per unit. Throughout its investigation, the ATF determined that numerous individuals were purchasing, or coordinating the purchase of, M249S firearms and other military-style weapons in the Atlanta area on behalf of Corona Penaloza, who organized the smuggling of those firearms to Mexico for use by Mexican narcoterrorists.
In March 2024, while ATF investigated Corona Penaloza for firearms trafficking, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) began investigating him for large-scale drug trafficking. During its investigation, the DEA learned that Corona Penaloza had brokered several large-scale cocaine and methamphetamine transactions and coordinated the importation and distribution of hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl and thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine on behalf of a large Mexican drug cartel. For instance, on October 23, 2024, the DEA identified and seized a shipment of over 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamine delivered to an auto mechanic shop in DeKalb County, Georgia.
The investigation revealed that Corona Penaloza coordinated the drug and firearm sales by using a contraband cell phone while serving a 30-year state prison sentence. To source firearms, he worked with certain individuals who acted as firearms purchase coordinators. Those coordinators then instructed numerous other individuals to buy the firearms at various FFLs in the Atlanta area and deliver them to the coordinators. Some of the purchasers facilitated smuggling the firearms to Mexico by wrapping them in plastic bags and hiding them in trap compartments in vehicles, including in the gas tanks of a recreational vehicle.
During the investigation, the ATF determined that Corona Penaloza and his conspirators organized the purchase and trafficking of at least 223 firearms to Mexico. The value of these firearms was over $700,000, and the vast majority of the firearms were purchased with cash obtained through the sale of narcotics. In the United States, agents seized 105 firearms purchased by members of the conspiracy. Mexican authorities recovered an additional 20 firearms in Mexico that were connected to this investigation. An M2 belt-fed .50 caliber rifle, a M240 7.62mm belt-fed rifle, eleven M249S belt-fed rifles, and a Barrett .50 caliber rifle were among the firearms recovered in the United States. An additional Barrett .50 caliber rifle and seven more M249S belt-fed rifles were recovered by Mexican authorities.
Two illegal aliens, Teresa Gonzalez Hoopo and Berenice Macias Montes, laundered Corona Penaloza’s drug proceeds for him, exchanging money through CashApp and other applications, so they could provide funds to the firearms purchase coordinators and straw purchasers.
Today, U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen sentenced Servando Corona Penaloza, a/k/a Armani, 38, of Mexico, to 25 years in prison—at least 15 years of which will be served consecutively to his state sentence—to be followed by ten years of supervised release. On November 13, 2025, Corona Penaloza pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, and conspiracy to engage in concealment money laundering.
In addition to Corona Penaloza, the following defendants were previously sentenced in this case:
- Ulises Hernandez-Pineda, 38, of Suffolk, Virginia, was sentenced to 10 years, and one month in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms, and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
- Jared Thompson, 41, of Snellville, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Carlos Sambrano, 29, of Rex, Georgia, was sentenced to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Kevin Delrio-Oliva, 23, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was sentenced to seven years, and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms and money laundering.
- Marlon Geovanie Chen, 33, of Belize, was sentenced to five years, and three months in prison, to be followed by deportation proceedings, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Jairo Najera, 26, of Conyers, Georgia, was sentenced to four years, and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms.
- Teresa Gonzalez-Hoopo, 57, of Mexico, was sentenced to three years, and ten months in prison, to be followed by deportation proceedings, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to engage in concealment money laundering and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
- Berenice Macias Montes, 32, of Mexico, was sentenced to three years, and ten months in prison, to be followed by deportation proceedings, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to engage in concealment money laundering and making false statements to a licensed firearms dealer.
- Torres Simmons, 28, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to three years, and ten months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to making false statements to a licensed firearms dealer.
- Timothy Dennis, 30, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to three years, and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to making false statements to a licensed firearms dealer.
- Cameron Vick, 23, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was sentenced to three years, and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to making false statements to a licensed firearms dealer.
- Adalberto Alexander Avila Antuuez, 23, of Honduras, was sentenced to two years in prison, to be followed by deportation proceedings, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
- Jason Castillo, 22, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to making false statements to a licensed firearms dealer.
- Jessica Smith, 41, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to making false statements to a licensed firearms dealer.
Additionally, two defendants are awaiting sentencing:
- Victor Mendoza-Ortiz, 25, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to making false statements to a licensed firearms dealer, and will be sentenced on May 19, 2026.
- Salvio Garcia, 25, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms, and money laundering, and will be sentenced on June 11, 2026.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations. Valuable assistance was provided by the Georgia Department of Corrections, DeKalb County Police Department, Gwinnett County Police Department, Atlanta Police Department, South Fulton Police Department, Lilburn Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Henry County Police Department, Lake Charles (LA) Police Department, and the Refugio County (TX) Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin A. Leipold III, Dwayne A. Brown Jr., and Bethany L. Rupert prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Evert substantially assisted with the judicial forfeiture of the seized firearms and drug proceeds.
These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Atlanta Hawks' Former Senior Vice President of Finance Sentenced to Federal Prison for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – A former Atlanta Hawks accounting executive, Lester T. Jones, Jr., has been sentenced to three years and five months in prison for embezzling approximately $3.7 million from the NBA team through fraudulent expense reimbursement requests and misuse of corporate credit cards.
“Jones turned his dream job as a high-ranking executive for the Atlanta Hawks into an opportunity to steal the team’s funds, purchasing luxury apparel, jewelry, watches, and trips for himself,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “But, for Jones and others who abuse their employers’ trust to embezzle substantial funds, the gravy train’s final destination is federal prison.”
“This case underscores the significant damage that can be caused by insider threats within an organization,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Jones abused his authority and access to embezzle millions, but schemes like this are not immune from detection. The FBI remains committed to investigating and disrupting financial crimes at every level.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Jones joined the Accounting and Finance Department of ATL Hawks, LLC (“the Hawks”) in 2016. Following his promotion to Senior Vice President of Finance in August 2021, Jones became the most senior accounting executive for the Hawks after the Chief Financial Officer.
Beginning in early 2021, Jones became the sole administrator of the Hawks’ corporate credit card account with American Express. In this role, Jones supervised the Hawks’ corporate American Express credit card program; served as American Express’s sole contact with the Hawks in the event of payment issues, delays, and card suspensions; and determined when and to which employees corporate credit cards should be issued. Jones was the only Hawks employee with full visibility into the number of corporate credit cards, the identities of the cardholders, account balances, and other program details. Jones also began serving as administrator of the Hawks’ electronic reimbursement platform, supervising employees who handled expense reimbursements.
From a date unknown and continuing through in or about June 2025, Jones used his position to defraud the Hawks out of approximately $3.7 million dollars. Jones accomplished his scheme in two ways: (1) by submitting or directing the submission of dozens of fraudulent expense reimbursement requests to cause the Hawks to reimburse him for fictitious business expenses; and (2) by charging personal expenses to corporate credit cards and covering it up through false representations to other Hawks employees, including to his subordinates in the Accounting and Finance Department. Those personal expenses included approximately $80,000 in overseas travel to the Bahamas and Thailand, $99,800 in apparel at Saks Fifth Avenue, a $115,795.01 diamond ring, $21,888.90 in Omega watches, and over $160,000 in tickets to concerts and other events.
Lester Jones, Jr., 46, of Atlanta, Georgia, has been sentenced to three years, five months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,898,486.99. Jones pleaded guilty to wire fraud on December 16, 2025.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bernita Malloy prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Georgia men plead guilty to nearly $20 million fraud and identity theft scheme that targeted professional athletesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Luther Davis and CJ Evins pleaded guilty today to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges after they tricked lenders into providing nearly $20 million in loans by pretending to represent professional athletes. As part of their scheme, the pair posed as managers of the athletes and wore disguises to impersonate the athletes.
“Using fake documents, bogus corporations, wigs, and makeup, Davis and Evins convinced lenders they were NFL players, obtained millions of dollars in fraudulent loans, and used the proceeds of their crimes to purchase real estate and luxury items,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “This scheme highlights that anyone can be a target of identity theft, and my office will vigorously investigate and prosecute swindlers who steal identities to defraud others.”
“Davis and Evins built an elaborate scheme on deception—impersonating professional athletes, fabricating credentials, and even disguising themselves to close the deal,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This case underscores the FBI’s commitment to protecting victims from complex financial fraud and identity theft. Those who exploit others’ reputations for personal gain will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between at least May 26, 2023, and October 25, 2024, Davis and Evins secured millions of dollars in loans, purportedly on behalf of professional athletes who they falsely claimed to represent. To create the appearance that they represented the athletes, Davis and Evins registered companies with names closely related to the impersonated athletes’ names or initials, opened bank accounts for these fictitious companies, provided fabricated personal financial statements, created fraudulent email accounts, and obtained fake driver’s licenses and identification cards in the athletes’ names.
The defendants obtained multiple loans on behalf of unsuspecting professional athletes, using loan proceeds to pay off previous loan balances and to fund their own lifestyles, including purchasing and/or refinancing real estate, jewelry, and watches. As the defendants sought higher value loans, lenders required that the borrowers—who the lenders believed to be professional football players—appear on camera at loan closings. During these loan closings, the defendants posed as the borrowers by impersonating several professional athletes, including wearing wigs and makeup and signing loan paperwork in the athletes’ names. The victim lenders then deposited loan proceeds into bank accounts controlled by the defendants.
The scheme was uncovered when a union that represents professional athletes learned that the player contracts that the defendants used as collateral for the loans were fraudulent. During the scheme, the defendants obtained a dozen fraudulent loans (with one loan refinanced) worth a total of $19,845,000.
Today, Luther Davis, 37, of Roswell, Georgia, and CJ Evins, 29, of Johns Creek, Georgia, pled guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. Both defendants were charged by criminal information on March 19, 2026, and March 20, 2026. Sentencing for CJ Evins is scheduled for August 4, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg. Sentencing for Luther Davis is scheduled for October 8, 2026, also before Judge Grimberg.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brock Brockington is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Felon sentenced to more than a decade in prison following Buckhead shootout and robbery of mail carrierRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Maximo Fitzhugh has been sentenced to 10 and a half years in federal prison for a pair of violent crimes, one of which resulted in a gun battle in the Buckhead district of Atlanta.
“After threatening to shoot up a women’s clinic, Fitzhugh held a postal worker at gunpoint and endangered the lives of other citizens when he brazenly robbed a mail carrier and instigated a lunch-hour shootout in one of Atlanta’s most active business districts,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thanks to cooperation between our office, federal agents, and our state and local partners, a dangerous, violent criminal is off the street and behind bars, where he belongs.”
“Threatening mass violence and then carrying out an armed robbery that escalated into a public shootout is the kind of dangerous conduct that puts entire communities at risk,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of these crimes and the FBI’s commitment to working with our partners to hold violent offenders accountable.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to keeping the U.S. mail, its employees, and customers safe,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Atlanta Division. “This sentencing is the culmination of exceptional teamwork between our local and federal law enforcement partners along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The swift response by responding officers and their ongoing support were instrumental in making this a successful investigation. Ensuring the safety of our employees is a top priority, Postal Inspectors will continue to thoroughly investigate any robberies of our employees.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: on April 9, 2024, Fitzhugh called an Atlanta women’s clinic and told the employees to evacuate because he was planning to “shoot the whole place up.” The clinic locked its doors until FBI agents and Atlanta Police Department officers responded and secured the area.
Approximately four months later, just after noon on August 1, 2024, Fitzhugh robbed a mail carrier who was delivering mail near the high-end Buckhead Village shopping center. During the robbery, which was captured on surveillance video, Fitzhugh pointed a handgun at the carrier and threatened to kill her.
A passerby who witnessed the robbery unfolding drew his own handgun, yelled at Fitzhugh to stop, and fired at him. As a result, Fitzhugh hid behind a parked car, fired his handgun in the air, and fled the area. Fortunately, no one was injured.
Multiple law enforcement agencies worked together to identify Fitzhugh as the robber, and the FBI took him into custody on August 19, 2024.
On April 24, 2026, Maximo Fitzhugh, 25, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. to serve 10 years, six months in prison to be followed by five years on supervised release. On October 25, 2025, Fitzhugh pled guilty to one count of communicating interstate threats and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bret R. Hobson and Brent Alan Gray and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise K. Peters prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Previously deported Mexican illegal alien faces possible life sentence following Rabun County arrest with gun and drugsRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Jorge Martinez-Arellano, a/k/a Jorge DeLeon Garcia, an illegal alien from Mexico with a lengthy criminal history, faces federal charges after Rabun County deputies found a firearm and approximately 300 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
“Despite having been deported numerous times, Martinez-Arellano allegedly returned to our country illegally and resumed trafficking drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “His alleged conduct posed grave danger to the public and demonstrated utter contempt for our laws. Thankfully, strong partnerships between federal and local law enforcement led to the apprehension of a career criminal and confiscation of his poison.”
“Removing dangerous criminals from our communities is at the heart of Homeland Security Investigations’ mission. The arrest of Martinez-Arellano, an illegal alien with a history of violent crime and drug trafficking, demonstrates our commitment to protecting our community from the threat of drugs and gun violence,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Working alongside our local and federal partners, HSI will continue to pursue those who endanger our communities and ensure they are held accountable under the law.”
“This traffic stop identified a repeat offender and an illegal alien in possession of drugs and a firearm, posing a clear danger to our community,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd. “ATF and our law enforcement partners will remain focused on stopping those who endanger our communities and keeping them safe.”
“I’m proud of the way our deputies handled this stop and stayed alert. What started as a traffic stop turned into taking drugs, a gun, and a repeat offender off our streets. I also want to thank our federal partners for their support and teamwork on this case. This is the kind of work we’re doing every day to keep Rabun County safe,” said Rabun County Sheriff Mark Gerrells.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, and other information presented in court: On November 30, 2025, the Rabun County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office stopped a truck for speeding. Deputies quickly discovered that the driver, Jorge Martinez-Arellano, was an illegal alien from Mexico. A search of the truck revealed a semiautomatic pistol and approximately 300 grams of methamphetamine.
Martinez-Arellano has a criminal history that includes convictions for drug trafficking, assault with a deadly weapon, and reentering the United States unlawfully. His alleged possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking expose him a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and the possibility of life imprisonment. Martinez-Arellano is also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and, for at least the fourth time, illegal reentry.
Jorge Martinez-Arellano, a/k/a Jorge DeLeon Garcia, 53, of Jalisco, Mexico, was indicted on March 24, 2026. He appeared in federal court on April 22, 2026, and was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service without bail.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Keen is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Leader of multi-million dollar international money laundering and drug trafficking ring sentenced to 20 years in prisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Monica Dominguez Torres has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for leading a transnational criminal organization that operated methamphetamine conversion laboratories in the Atlanta area and laundered millions of dollars of drug proceeds to Mexico.
“Dominguez Torres once operated a prolific criminal operation and lived a lavish lifestyle paid for by drug trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Now, thanks to the diligent work of our Homeland Security Task Force, Dominguez Torres’s operation has been demolished, and she will spend the next two decades in prison paying for her crimes.”
“This case highlights the evolving nature of drug trafficking organizations which is combining large-scale methamphetamine conversion with complex asset accumulation,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Our agents followed the drugs and the money, leading to the seizure of millions in assets tied directly to criminal activity.”
“We followed the money, and it led us straight to the heart of this criminal operation. HSI doesn’t just chase shadows—we dismantle cartels and protect the homeland, one takedown at a time,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Our success is built on strong partnerships and combining our unique capabilities with those of our federal, state, and local allies. Together, we deliver results that keep our communities safe.”
“Methamphetamine conversion laboratories present an immediate and significant threat to communities across the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman of IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “These clandestine operations endanger the public through toxic chemicals, fire hazards, and their ties to transnational criminal networks. The sentencing of Monica Dominguez Torres underscores that individuals who engage in this level of criminal activity will be held fully accountable. IRS Criminal Investigation, in coordination with our federal, state, and local partners, remains committed to conducting rigorous, collaborative investigations to dismantle these organizations.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Monica Dominguez Torres’s organization operated methamphetamine conversion laboratories where liquid methamphetamine, obtained from sources in Mexico, was converted into hundreds of kilograms of crystal methamphetamine to be sold in the Atlanta area and elsewhere. Dominguez Torres and her associates used residences in the Atlanta area to collect and count millions of dollars in cash from these drug sales. The proceeds were laundered and sent to coconspirators in Mexico.
As part of the criminal operation, Dominguez Torres and her associates purchased millions of dollars’ worth of real estate, vehicles, and luxury goods – all designed to conceal the illicit source of their wealth. The investigation revealed that Dominguez Torres purchased five separate residences, including a seven-bedroom waterfront home in Jonesboro, Georgia. Three of these residences were purchased with bulk cash brought directly to the transaction. Dominguez Torres and others also purchased nine luxury vehicles worth approximately $780,000. Dominguez Torres also spent lavishly on high-end goods, including nearly $400,000 at Louis Vuitton and more than $425,000 at Burberry over roughly four and a half years.
During the investigation, agents seized nearly $3.6 million in cash from Dominguez Torres’s residences, stash locations, and associates. When agents arrested Dominguez Torres at her Conyers, Georgia home in February 2024, they seized more than $1.7 million in cash, five firearms, and three vehicles.
On April 22, 2026, Monica Dominguez Torres, 37, of Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May to 20 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. As part of her sentence, Dominguez Torres was ordered to forfeit $1,750.961.00, four houses, a Cadillac Escalade, and a firearm. Nine other members of Dominguez Torres’s criminal organization including several members of her immediate family were charged as a result of the multi-year investigation. Federal agents with the DEA, HSI, and IRS partnered to conduct a thorough investigation of Dominguez Torres’s operation that resulted in these federal charges and seizures.
In addition to Dominguez Torres’s sentence, the following co-defendants have been sentenced for their roles in the money laundering conspiracy:
- Juan Contreras Pavon, 32, of Jonesboro, Georgia, a bulk-cash money launderer, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
- Dominguez Torres’s husband, Bladimir Hernandez, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia, a money launderer, was sentenced to four years in prison, followed by a year of supervised release.
- Dominguez Torres’s son, Luis Contreras Dominguez, 23, of Riverdale, Georgia, a money launderer, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison, followed by a year of supervised release.
- Dominguez Torres’s nephew, Louis Joshua Dominguez, 24, of Stockbridge, Georgia, a money launderer, was sentenced to three months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
Five other defendants are awaiting trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, with valuable assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, Georgia State Patrol, the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, and the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. DeGenova and Nicholas L. Evert are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
First Liberty president charged with multi-million-dollar Ponzi schemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Edwin Brant Frost IV, former president of the now-defunct, Newnan, Georgia-based First Liberty Building & Loan LLC (“First Liberty”), was arraigned today on a federal charge of wire fraud for orchestrating a massive, multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme.
“Frost abused the trust of his clients, family, and friends by allegedly soliciting investors with promises of sizable returns, while knowing the money raised would instead be used for his personal expenses and to pay early investors to maintain the illusion of profits,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “With assistance from our law enforcement partners, we will pursue, prosecute, and punish greedy schemers who defraud victims out of their hard-earned savings and retirement accounts.”
“Frost allegedly operated a classic Ponzi scheme—using new investor funds to pay earlier investors while concealing significant financial losses,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Schemes like this exploit trust and can devastate victims’ savings and retirement security. The FBI remains committed to holding accountable those who engage in financial fraud and to protecting the investing public.”
“The defendant in this case was charged today for allegedly orchestrating a multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme that defrauded hundreds of investors,” said Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Atlanta Region. “The FDIC OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of fraud and other financial crimes, as we seek to protect consumers and preserve the integrity of our Nation’s banking sector.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: From at least 2021 until in or about July 2025, Frost solicited individuals to invest in what was marketed as short-term small business loans (“Bridge Loans”) that would be provided to businesses in need of immediate funding. Frost told investors that their money would be used solely to fund these Bridge Loans. He also promised investors that they would receive rates of return between 8 and 18 percent and that their monthly interest payments would be funded by the repayment of the Bridge Loans. Frost represented that First Liberty would, in turn, be compensated either from loan fees borrowers would pay to obtain the Bridge Loans or through the difference between the interest borrowers paid to First Liberty and the interest First Liberty paid to the investors.
Contrary to these representations, the money First Liberty received from investors was not used solely to fund Bridge Loans. Instead, Frost used new investors’ money to pay returns to previous investors and to fund more than $5 million of personal and sometimes extravagant expenditures, including:
- Over $230,000 to rent a vacation home in Maine
- Over $140,000 to purchase jewelry
- $20,800 for a Patek Philippe watch
- Over $2 million on credit card bills and
- Over $570,000 on political contributions
Frost failed to disclose to investors that several loan borrowers had defaulted on the repayment of their loans, and that, despite having defaulted, Frost had continued to provide Bridge Loan financing to at least one of the defaulted companies. During the scheme, Frost raised at least $140 million from at least 300 investors.
Edwin Brant Frost IV, 68, of Newnan, Georgia, was arraigned today before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Justin S. Anand. He was released on bail pending further proceedings.
Members of the public are reminded that the information only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges until he is proven guilty or admits guilt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General with substantial assistance from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Office of the Georgia Secretary of State.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Adams is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga
Convicted murderer already serving life in prison sentenced to additional 35 years for running drug distribution and money laundering operation from state custodyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Jarvis Matthews has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for his role in leading a multi-million-dollar drug trafficking and money laundering operation from the confines of Calhoun State Prison. After a trial in October 2025, a federal jury found Matthews guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl, five counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and money laundering conspiracy. When he committed his federal crimes, Matthews was already serving sentences of life with possible parole for murder and felony murder convictions, following fatal shootings in 2001 and 2002 in Atlanta. The murders occurred during robberies at apartments where Matthews had lured victims expecting to buy tire rims and marijuana.
“This convicted murderer brazenly used contraband cell phones behind prison bars to distribute millions of dollars of illegal drugs in our community and launder drug money for criminal cartels,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The dogged work by our Homeland Security Task Force team of federal investigators, state officers, and local partners dismantled Matthews’s network and helped ensure the safety of our community.”
“Georgia and the rest of the country is safer now that Jarvis Matthews will be locked away in federal prison, unable to run his vast drug and money laundering operation,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham. “FBI Atlanta will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure that career criminals like Matthews and those who conspire with them are brought to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Jarvis Matthews, while imprisoned at Georgia Department of Corrections facilities, used contraband cellphones to coordinate the distribution of illegal drugs at houses in the Cleveland Avenue neighborhood of Atlanta. Matthews directed his fiancée, girlfriends, nephew, and two adult sons to distribute drugs and collect and launder money on his behalf.
In early 2022, FBI agents identified a social media account that Matthews used to facilitate dozens of drug deals. In April of 2022, FBI agents made a controlled purchase of two kilograms of methamphetamine from Matthews through his son Charvis Harris, who previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced in this case. Ultimately, the FBI obtained a wiretap on Matthews’s phone and conducted surveillance at one of Matthews’s drug trap houses, which was operated by codefendant Alvin Edwards. With these tools, the FBI was able to apprehend Matthews’s drug customers after they met with Matthews’s sons, Harris and Javaris Mathews, to obtain drugs. Matthews conspired with others, such as codefendant Shabreya Brown, to transport drugs, and codefendant Miriam Modesti, to launder money.
The evidence presented at trial showed that Matthews distributed hundreds of kilograms of illegal drugs in the Atlanta area and laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds, including for drug suppliers in Colombia and California.
On April 21, 2026, U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Geraghty sentenced Jarvis Matthews, 47, of Atlanta, Georgia, to 35 years in federal prison for his role in leading a multi-million-dollar drug trafficking and money laundering operation from the confines of Calhoun State Prison. Judge Geraghty ordered that the federal sentence run consecutively to Matthews’s state sentences of life imprisonment.
The following defendants were previously sentenced in this case:
- Charvis Harris, 22, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
- Javaris Dasan Mathews, 24, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to six years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Alvin Edwards, 53, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Miriam Modesti, 53, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to three years and four months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
- Shabreya Brown, 33, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office, the Fayetteville Police Department, the Georgia Department of Corrections, the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Johnny Baer and John DeGenova prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is also part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
“F.R.A.U.D. is dope” podcaster sentenced to federal prison againRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Multi-convicted fraudster Jonathan Dupiton has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for using stolen identities to obtain millions of dollars in unemployment insurance benefits.
“During the pandemic, while citizens were struggling with job loss and trying to make ends meet, Dupiton stole unemployment benefits by submitting false applications using hundreds of stolen identities,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “His sentence underscores that anyone who seeks to exploit taxpayer-funded programs will be aggressively prosecuted and face substantial prison time.”
“Jonathan Dupiton orchestrated a brazen scheme to steal millions in unemployment benefits using the stolen identities of innocent victims, all while already serving a sentence for fraud,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “At a time when Americans were facing unprecedented financial hardship, he chose to exploit a critical safety net for personal gain. The FBI remains committed to identifying and holding accountable those who abuse public assistance programs and undermine trust in systems designed to help those in need.”
“Jonathan Dupiton stole identities and filed hundreds of fraudulent claims to steal nearly $3 million in unemployment benefits meant for struggling Americans, said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. His sentencing sends a strong message: if you exploit federal programs and steal from taxpayers, my office will relentlessly pursue you. We work hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners and have zero tolerance for fraud. We will find you, and we will hold you accountable.”
“Dupiton’s fraud stole critical unemployment benefits from Americans who needed them most,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Maisha Horton, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS CI special agents remain vigilant in protecting taxpayer dollars and will continue to hold accountable those who exploit public programs for personal gain.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2020, while completing a federal sentence at a halfway house for a previous fraud conviction that targeted the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Jonathan Dupiton, a podcaster, organized a multi-million dollar fraud scheme that targeted California’s Unemployment Insurance (“UI”) benefits program. The scheme began at least by July 2020 and continued into early 2021.
The UI program was a joint state and federal program that provided temporary financial assistance to lawful workers who were unemployed through no fault of their own. Beginning in or about March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several federal programs expanded UI eligibility and increased UI benefits, including the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, and the Lost Wages Assistance Program. In California, the Employment Development Department (“CA-EDD”), based in Sacramento, California, administered the UI program.
Dupiton, whose motto was “F.R.A.U.D. is Dope” (acronym for “Finally Rich After Unstoppable Determination”), obtained stolen identities of hundreds of unwitting individuals. He and his conspirators used this information to electronically submit false and fraudulent UI applications to the CA-EDD via the internet, using a virtual private network (“VPN”). The VPN helped encrypt data and masked the actual originating Internet Protocol address, thereby concealing the computer used to submit the fraudulent UI applications and delaying detection by law enforcement.
After UI claims were approved, Dupiton and his conspirators updated the claimants’ information to add mailing addresses in the Northern District of Georgia, including Dupiton’s own address, for the delivery of debit cards containing the UI benefits. After the debit cards were received, Dupiton and others went to ATMs, mostly located in the metro-Atlanta area, and withdrew the fraudulently obtained funds. In total, the CA-EDD was duped into electronically transferring approximately $3,800,000 in UI benefits. Dupiton and his conspirators subsequently withdrew or otherwise spent more than $2 million of the fraudulently obtained funds.
On April 14, 2026, U.S. District Judge Victoria M. Calvert sentenced Jonathan Dupiton, 36, of Atlanta, Georgia, to seven years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Dupiton will be ordered to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a future hearing. Dupiton pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft on January 13, 2026.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracia M. King prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Mexican illegal alien faces federal charges for trafficking methamphetamineRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Edgar Zamarron-Cobos, an illegal alien from Mexico, faces federal charges after law enforcement seized over 130 pounds of methamphetamine from his vehicle. Zamarron-Cobos was arrested after he fled from troopers and crashed into innocent motorists at a DeKalb County intersection.
“This defendant, who is illegally in our country, allegedly sought to traffic over 130 pounds of deadly methamphetamine and purportedly injured innocent bystanders as he tried to flee from law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office and our law enforcement partners will continue to work tirelessly to hold drug traffickers accountable in federal court – where there is no opportunity for parole – in order to keep our communities safe.”
“Fleeing from law enforcement with a large quantity of methamphetamine is a blatant disregard for public safety,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “The actions in this case endangered motorists and bystanders alike. We remain committed to holding individuals accountable and protecting the communities we serve.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On April 15, 2026, as part of an ongoing investigation, DEA agents observed an individual allegedly place three large black trash bags into the rear cargo area of a Jeep at a fast-food restaurant in Decatur, Georgia. Zamarron-Cobos exited the restaurant and drove away in the Jeep. Shortly thereafter, the Georgia State Patrol attempted to stop the Jeep.
However, Zamarron-Cobos fled from law enforcement, drove in opposing lanes of traffic, and ultimately wrecked the Jeep at the intersection of Covington Highway and I-285, after striking several occupied vehicles and causing injuries to the occupants. During a search of the Jeep, law enforcement located approximately 130 pounds of methamphetamine in the three large black trash bags. The investigation further revealed that Zamarron-Cobos is a citizen of Mexico who is illegally present in the United States.
On April 17, 2026, Edgar Zamarron-Cobos, 30, from Mexico, was named in a criminal complaint charging him with possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Zamarron-Cobos is currently in the custody of the DeKalb County Jail but is expected to appear in federal court before the end of this week.
Members of the public are reminded that the complaint only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with valuable assistance provided by the Georgia State Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonell L. Lucca is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Violent drug dealer sentenced to 15 years in prison after MARTA shootingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Robert Lyles, a violent repeat offender with a lengthy criminal history, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after he fired a gun at a fellow passenger on the platform of a downtown Atlanta MARTA station. As a multi-convicted felon, Lyles was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
“Completely indifferent to the safety of innocent people, Lyles shot at a complete stranger inside Atlanta’s busiest MARTA station,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Lyles was initially charged locally, but he was released on bail and later re-arrested for another gun-possession offense and family violence battery. Thankfully, federal agents who learned of Lyles’s case presented it for federal prosecution, ensuring appropriate punishment for a violent and dangerous predator.”
“The cooperation between agencies such as ATF, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and local law enforcement is critical to addressing the ongoing threat of gun violence. Through strong partnerships and coordinated efforts, we can take proactive measures to protect our communities and prevent future tragedies,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On August 4, 2022, Lyles got into an argument with a stranger at the Five Points MARTA station in downtown Atlanta. After a couple of minutes, Lyles drew a stolen pistol from his waistband, fired a shot in the direction of the other man, and fled the scene. Approximately five days later, when officers found Lyles standing by the entrance to the same MARTA station, Lyles was carrying the stolen firearm he had used in the shooting.
In March 2024, more than a year and a half later, a Fulton County grand jury indicted Lyles for crimes related to the shooting. However, by that point, Lyles had been released from local custody. Federal agents then sought intervention by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which initiated a federal prosecution in December 2024. In March 2025, Lyles appeared in federal court and was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service without bail.
Lyles has a long and violent criminal history. In 2002, 2006, and 2014, Lyles was convicted of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. In 2006, he was convicted of simple battery after cutting another person with a knife. In 2013, he was convicted of family violence battery and child cruelty. In 2014, he was convicted of felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer after kicking an officer in the groin and striking him in the chest while attempting to swallow cocaine he had just been arrested for possessing. In 2015, he was convicted of family violence aggravated assault after pointing a handgun at the mother of his child. Most of Lyles’s state-court sentences were probated, suspended, or commuted.
Robert Lyles, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced today to fifteen years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on January 13, 2026, to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the MARTA Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Evert and Jonell L. Lucca 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.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Three-time convicted felon sentenced to federal prison for selling deadly “tranq dope” that killed one and seriously injured anotherRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Masi Lenard Fears has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl, which resulted in the death of one customer and serious injury to another, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
“This case is a powerful reminder that fentanyl can be mixed into any substance and even a small amount can kill you,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Fears’ hand-to-hand drug transaction took a life, and the hefty sentence in this case should serve as a warning that even street-level deals can have deadly consequences that result in prison time.”
“Selling lethal drugs disguised as something less dangerous is not just criminal, it’s deadly,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “This repeat offender knowingly distributed a toxic combination of fentanyl and xylazine, resulting in one death and another life forever changed. This sentence reflects the devastating impact of that deception and our unwavering commitment to justice.”
“We commend our federal partners for taking decisive action in prosecuting Fears and removing him from our community. This case sends a strong message to criminals who engage in drug trafficking and illegally possess firearms: we will not stand by while you commit crimes in our city. With unwavering support from the federal government, we are fully committed to eradicating this criminal behavior,” said Chief R. Scott Freeman, Conyers Police Department.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In March 2021, Masi Fears sold two men a powdery substance for $20 at a gas station in Conyers, Georgia. The men believed they were buying cocaine or heroin, but the powder was actually a deadly combination of fentanyl and xylazine (commonly referred to as “tranq”). The men used some of Fears’ fentanyl/xylazine powder, which quickly killed one of them and caused serious injury to the other.
The Conyers Police Department (CPD) investigated the incident and identified Fears as the dealer of the narcotics. Several months later, CPD officers located and arrested Fears, a three-time convicted felon, who was in possession of a loaded handgun and a small amount of drugs.
Masi Lenard Fears, 39, of Conyers, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee to 14 years, one month, and 15 days in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Restitution in this case will be determined on a later date. Fears pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person on January 6, 2026.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Conyers Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Forsyth, III prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Federal jury convicts man of kidnapping after he abducted and sexually assaulted Gwinnett County womanRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – On April 16, 2026, following a four-day trial, a federal jury convicted Alfredo Capote of kidnapping. Capote tied up the victim’s teenaged son, sexually assaulted the victim, abducted her, and drove her to several Georgia cities over the course of two days. At the time of the kidnapping, Capote was under indictment for fraud and money laundering.
“While on pretrial release facing serious federal charges, Capote kidnapped and sexually assaulted his then-girlfriend repeatedly before she escaped and ran to safety,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The victim’s family deserved justice for her terrifying ordeal, especially after the victim was gunned down mere weeks after her rescue. I am grateful for the strong federal and local law enforcement partnerships throughout Georgia that led to Capote’s capture, charging, and conviction.”
“This was a deliberate and brutal crime carried out against a victim who trusted the defendant,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI and our partners worked tirelessly to get justice for the victim’s family, and today’s verdict sends a clear message that we will not stop until violent offenders are held accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: on April 7, 2016, Alfredo Capote and an unknown, masked man went to the house of the victim, who Capote was dating at the time. Capote staged a ruse in which he led the victim and her then-17-year-old son to believe that the masked man was robbing Capote and looking for Capote’s money at the victim’s house. After the armed, masked man tied up the victim in her bedroom, the masked man and Capote tied up her son in his bedroom. Capote, who was also armed, returned to the victim’s bedroom and sexually assaulted her.
Capote then took the victim from her home in Duluth, Georgia to a friend’s house in Austell, Georgia, where he sought assistance getting a new phone and a place to stay for the night. Unaware that a kidnapping was ongoing, the friend booked a hotel room for Capote, where Capote again sexually assaulted the victim.
The following day, Capote took the victim to Perry, Georgia to another friend’s house. While Capote was driving with the victim in Perry, the victim escaped by jumping out of the car and running to a nearby gas station.
At the time of the kidnapping, Capote was on bond facing more than a dozen counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering in the Northern District of Georgia. During the kidnapping, Capote cut off a court-ordered ankle monitor to facilitate his evasion of law enforcement. Capote remained a fugitive for over a year and was arrested in Louisiana on April 18, 2017.
Sentencing for Alfredo Capote, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, is scheduled for July 22, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Perry Police Department, Gwinnett County Police Department, Cobb County Police Department, Atlanta Police Department, and Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren E. Renaud and Skye Davis are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chloe Smith and Robert Shapiro.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former soldier convicted of physically and sexually assaulting minors while serving abroadRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Following a four-day trial, a federal jury in the Northern District of Georgia convicted an Atlanta man of sexually and physically abusing two minors while he was stationed overseas with the U.S. Army.
“When he should have been honorably defending our country with the utmost integrity, Schlueter instead spent years terrorizing his young victims through physical and sexual abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thankfully, federal law allowed my office and our partners in Washington to seek justice for the children Schlueter battered and molested abroad. Excellent work by the prosecutors and investigators assigned to this case will ensure that Schlueter is suitably punished for his wickedness.”
“The defendant exploited a position of trust to carry out horrific abuse against vulnerable children,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is committed to protecting children wherever these crimes occur and to ensuring those who commit such acts are held fully accountable. We are grateful to the victims for their courage in coming forward and to our partners who helped bring this case to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Adam Schlueter was stationed in Grafenwöhr, Germany from 2009 until 2013, while enlisted in the U.S. Army. In Germany, he physically, emotionally, and sexually abused two minor victims. At trial, both minors described being choked and beaten by Schlueter. One minor also testified that Schleuter pushed him through a second-story window and dangled him above the ground when he was eight years old.
Schlueter sexually assaulted both minors when they were under the age of 10. To prevent his victims and others from reporting the abuse to authorities, Schleuter threatened to harm and even kill witnesses.
On April 17, 2026, a jury convicted Adam Schlueter, 39, of Atlanta, of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 12 and two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Sentencing has been set for July 9, 2026. Schleuter faces a mandatory minimum of 30 years of imprisonment for each of the aggravated sexual abuse convictions and may be sentenced to life imprisonment.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leanne Marek for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise Peters assisted with the prosecution of this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former U.S. Army Member Convicted of Physically and Sexually Assaulting Two Minors While Serving AbroadRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Northern District of Georgia convicted a Georgia man Friday of sexually and physically abusing two minors.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Adam Schlueter, 37, of Atlanta, was stationed in Grafenwöhr, Germany while a member of the Army from 2009 until 2013. While there, he physically, emotionally, and sexually abused two minor victims. During trial testimony, both minors described being choked and beaten by Schlueter, among others form of egregious physical abuse. One minor described, at age eight, being pushed through a second-story window and dangled above the ground. Schlueter sexually assaulted both minors when they were under the age of 10. Schlueter also employed threats to prevent his victims and other witnesses from disclosing the abuse to authorities, going so far as to threaten to kill one witness.
The jury convicted Schlueter of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 12 and two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia; and Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Atlanta Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leanne Marek for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Suspected murderer and homeless man charged with federal firearms offensesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Olaolukitan Adon Abel, a convicted felon, and Damon Marquis Yarns, an Atlanta-area homeless man, face federal firearms charges based on their possession and purchase, respectively, of a handgun allegedly found at the scene of the murder of a U.S. Department of Homeland Security employee in DeKalb County, Georgia this week.
“The defendants allegedly violated federal law to put a firearm in the hands of a convicted felon with tragic consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “I have expressed to DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston that I have full confidence in her office’s ongoing investigation and anticipated prosecution of Monday’s heinous attacks in Brookhaven and Decatur. My office and federal law enforcement agencies will continue to provide any requested support.”
“Through strong partnerships and proactive efforts, we are making measurable progress in reducing crime. These charges reinforce our commitment to holding offenders accountable and protecting our communities,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the criminal complaints, and other information presented in court: in the early morning of April 13, 2026, DeKalb County Police Department officers responded to an alleged homicide in a residential neighborhood in Decatur, Georgia. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security later identified the victim as one of its employees, Lauren Bullis. DeKalb County police officers allegedly found a loaded 9mm pistol and five 9mm cartridge casings on the ground near the murder victim.
Based on a National Tracing Center analysis of the firearm, Damon Marquis Yarns allegedly purchased the 9mm pistol at a federally licensed firearms dealer in midtown Atlanta on February 20, 2026. Yesterday, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives interviewed Yarns. Yarns explained that he has been residing in homeless shelters since relocating to Atlanta last year. He allegedly admitted that he purchased a firearm for a Nigerian or British man he knew only as “Abdul or Obie,” who he identified in a photo array as Abel. Yarns stated that Abel paid for him to travel by rideshare to purchase the firearm for Abel and admitted that, when he purchased the firearm, he lied by indicating on an ATF form that he was the actual buyer of the firearm. After the purchase, Yarns allegedly gave the firearm to Abel and never possessed the firearm again.
On April 13, 2026, Georgia State Patrol Troopers stopped Abel’s car in Troup County, Georgia. Troopers searching the car found a box of 9mm ammunition and shell casings matching the same brand of ammunition found at the murder scene in Decatur, Georgia. Law enforcement arrested and transferred Abel to DeKalb County, where he is facing numerous felony charges, including for malice murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Abel was previously convicted of a felony for Assault of a Police Officer with a Deadly Weapon on January 2, 2025, in the Superior Court of San Diego County, California, and he was sentenced to probation in June 2025 for four counts of misdemeanor sexual battery in the Recorders Court of Chatham County, Georgia.
Damon Marquis Yarns, 35, appeared in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher C. Bly and was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending further proceedings. Olaolukitan Adon Abel, 26, remains incarcerated at the DeKalb County Jail.
Members of the public are reminded that the complaints only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the DeKalb County Police Department, Brookhaven Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg is prosecuting 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.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Cherokee County deputy sheriff sentenced for sexual exploitation of minorsRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. – Former Cherokee County Deputy Sheriff Stephen Michael Bunte has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for enticement of a minor and receipt of child sexual abuse material.
“Law enforcement officers take an oath to serve and protect, and Bunte ignored that oath by sexually exploiting children and preying on vulnerable victims overseas,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Predatory conduct will not be tolerated, and those who commit these crimes will be prosecuted and excised from the community.”
“Law enforcement officers are sworn to protect the most vulnerable among us, and the public trusts them to uphold that responsibility,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Stephen Bunte failed to honor his oath and betrayed that trust by exploiting children instead of protecting them. His actions are reprehensible, and HSI is committed to ensuring that anyone who violates their oath and preys on the innocent is held fully accountable—regardless of their position or title.”
“Working alongside Homeland Security Investigations to keep children in our community and communities around the world safe is always a priority,” said Calhoun Police Department Assistant Chief, Lt. Col. Ken Carson. “It gives detectives with the Calhoun Police Department great satisfaction to assist with this case and have a successful outcome for the child victims involved.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In August 2023, HSI agents conducting an expansive investigation into international child sex trafficking networks in the Philippines identified a child trafficker who offered access to sexually explicit webcam livestreams involving multiple children under the age of 12. The investigation revealed that the target offered customers hands-on access to the children, including the trafficker’s own children.
In March 2024, agents discovered communication between the trafficker and Stephen Michael Bunte. At the time, Bunte lived in Calhoun, Georgia, and was employed as a deputy sheriff for the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Between May 2023 and March 2024, Bunte and the target exchanged over 14,000 messages and 15 phone calls. During these conversations, Bunte received at least 35 images of child sexual abuse material involving three minor victims aged 6, 10, and 14.
On April 16, 2026, Stephen Michael Bunte, 42, of Calhoun, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II, to 15 years in federal prison followed by 15 years on supervised release. Bunte was also ordered to register as a sex offender. On November 4, 2025, Bunte pleaded guilty to one count of enticement of a minor and one count of receipt of child sexual abuse material.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Calhoun Police Department.
Assistant U.S Attorneys Calvin A. Leipold, III and Leanne Marek prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Nigerian and Georgia Men Charged in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud Scheme that Sought over $100M from the IRSRead the Press Release
Indictments were unsealed today in the Northern District of Georgia and the Western District of Texas charging a Georgia man and a resident of the United Kingdom and Nigeria with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, money laundering, aggravated identity theft and other crimes arising out of a scheme to defraud the IRS using stolen identities.
According to the indictment, Akinade Adedeji Raheem, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Abayomi Quadri Eletu, 42, of the United Kingdom and Nigeria, conspired together and with others to claim fraudulent tax refunds using the stolen identities of accountants and taxpayers. Over the course of their scheme, the co-conspirators allegedly filed more than 300 false tax returns claiming over $100 million in refunds from the IRS.
Between 2018 and 2023, Eletu, Raheem and others allegedly obtained identifying information for tax professionals and taxpayers, including their names, addresses, and Social Security numbers, by creating online accounts with the IRS and requesting private taxpayer information. As part of the scheme, they changed the addresses of taxpayers to an address controlled by the co-conspirators, so the IRS would correspond with the co-conspirators instead of the taxpayers. They also submitted “change of address” requests to the U.S. Postal Service to cause the mail of some taxpayers to be forwarded to a co-conspirator’s address. Using the personal identifying information of others, Eletu, Raheem and their co-conspirators electronically filed tax returns claiming fraudulent refunds, then allegedly directed the IRS to split the refunds among several prepaid debit cards. Before issuing some of these tax refunds, the IRS sent verification letters to the addresses controlled by the co-conspirators, who, pretending to be the taxpayers, fraudulently verified the taxpayers’ identities and instructed the IRS to release the refunds.
Eletu allegedly directed Raheem and others to obtain prepaid debit cards to receive the anticipated fraudulent tax refunds. Once the refunds were deposited onto the prepaid debit cards, they laundered some of the funds by purchasing, among other things, money orders from U.S. Postal Offices and local stores in amounts low enough to avoid reporting thresholds. They also used the money orders to purchase used cars from auction sites, some of which they shipped to Nigeria, as well as designer clothing and other items.
Eletu was arrested in the UK at the request of the United States.
Both defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Eletu was also charged with five counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, seven counts of access device fraud and 21 counts of aggravated identity theft. Raheem is also charged with 14 counts of access device fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft. The defendants face maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 20 years for money laundering and 10 years for access device fraud, as well as a mandatory sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this matter. The United States also thanks the United Kingdom for its valuable assistance in the investigation.
Senior Litigation Counsel Michael C. Boteler and Trial Attorney Michael Jones of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Pearce for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the cases. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas has provided substantial assistance to the investigation.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Nigerian and Georgia Men Charged in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud Scheme that Sought over $100 Million from the IRSRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Indictments have been unsealed in the Northern District of Georgia and the Western District of Texas charging a Georgia man, Akinade Adedeji Raheem, and a resident of the United Kingdom and Nigeria, Abayomi Quadri Eletu, with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, money laundering, aggravated identity theft and other crimes arising out of a scheme to defraud the IRS using stolen identities.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Akinade Adedeji Raheem and Abayomi Quadri Eletu conspired together and with others to claim fraudulent tax refunds using the stolen identities of accountants and taxpayers. Over the course of their scheme, the co-conspirators allegedly filed more than 300 false tax returns claiming over $100 million in refunds from the IRS.
Between 2018 and 2023, Eletu, Raheem and others allegedly obtained identifying information for tax professionals and taxpayers, including their names, addresses, and Social Security numbers, by creating online accounts with the IRS and requesting private taxpayer information. As part of the scheme, they changed the addresses of taxpayers to an address controlled by the co-conspirators, so the IRS would correspond with the co-conspirators instead of the taxpayers. They also submitted “change of address” requests to the U.S. Postal Service to cause the mail of some taxpayers to be forwarded to a co-conspirator’s address. Using the personal identifying information of others, Eletu, Raheem and their co-conspirators electronically filed tax returns claiming fraudulent refunds, then allegedly directed the IRS to split the refunds among several prepaid debit cards. Before issuing some of these tax refunds, the IRS sent verification letters to the addresses controlled by the co-conspirators, who, pretending to be the taxpayers, fraudulently verified the taxpayers’ identities and instructed the IRS to release the refunds.
Eletu allegedly directed Raheem and others to obtain prepaid debit cards to receive the anticipated fraudulent tax refunds. Once the refunds were deposited onto the prepaid debit cards, they laundered some of the funds by purchasing, among other things, money orders from U.S. Postal Offices and local stores in amounts low enough to avoid reporting thresholds. They also used the money orders to purchase used cars from auction sites, some of which they shipped to Nigeria, as well as designer clothing and other items.
Eletu was arrested in the UK at the request of the United States.
Akinade Adedeji Raheem, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Abayomi Quadri Eletu, 42, of the United Kingdom and Nigeria, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Eletu was also charged with five counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, seven counts of access device fraud and 21 counts of aggravated identity theft. Raheem is also charged with 14 counts of access device fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft. The defendants face maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 20 years for money laundering and 10 years for access device fraud, as well as a mandatory sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg of the Northern District of Georgia and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this matter. The United States also thanks the United Kingdom for its valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Pearce of the Northern District of Georgia and Senior Litigation Counsel Michael C. Boteler and Trial Attorney Michael Jones of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the cases. The U.S. Attorney’s Office from the Western District of Texas has provided substantial assistance to the investigation.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
High Museum of Art’s former chief operating officer charged with embezzlementRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Brady Lum, the former chief operating officer of the High Museum of Art, was arraigned today on a federal charge of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. Lum allegedly used his position at the High Museum to steal more than $600,000 from the museum by doctoring invoices and approving transactions for personal purchases.
“While entrusted to run the High Museum, Lum allegedly used the museum’s money as his personal slush fund and thereby betrayed one of Atlanta’s civic crown jewels,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our office will move with swift precision to prosecute individuals who abuse positions of power and trust to enrich themselves at the expense of non-profit institutions.”
“We expect officials of one of our communities’ historic institutions to serve as stewards — not to loot it,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham. “The FBI remains unwavering in its pursuit to hold accountable those who exploit their positions for selfish purposes.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: The High Museum of Art is an iconic cornerstone of Atlanta’s cultural identity, featuring a collection of more than 20,000 works of art, a dynamic schedule of special exhibitions, and engaging community-focused programs.
Lum served as the High Museum’s chief operating officer from January 2, 2019, until his resignation on December 9, 2025. As COO, he was responsible for planning, implementing, managing, and controlling the High Museum’s operational and financial activities.
During his tenure as COO, Lum repeatedly purchased non-business items and services for himself, including luxury guitars and other music equipment, personal music lessons, and woodworking equipment, through direct supplier invoicing and through the High Museum’s corporate credit card reimbursement process. Lum concealed the nature of his transactions in several ways, including by submitting altered invoices, using his position to exercise delegated expense approval authority, and using accounting adjustments to spread his expenses across different cost centers so that they would not be readily identified.
For example, in one instance, on or about November 29, 2024, Lum submitted an altered invoice for reimbursement through the High Museum’s online expense processing platform. While the submitted invoice showed a $9,147.87 purchase of equipment that appeared to be for the museum’s benefit, the original version of the invoice was for a guitar and accessories. Over the course of his scheme, Lum stole more than $600,000 from the High Museum.
Brady Lum, 59, of Atlanta, Georgia, was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher C. Bly. Members of the public are reminded that the information only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges until he is proven guilty or admits guilt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas N. Joy is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Illegal alien and his associate charged with trafficking 85 kilograms of methamphetamineRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Alberto Ortiz-Osornio, an illegal alien from Mexico, and Marco Antonio Solano-Posadas face federal drug trafficking charges after law enforcement seized approximately 85 kilograms of methamphetamine in Norcross, Georgia.
“The defendants allegedly sought to traffic nearly 200 pounds of deadly methamphetamine before a coordinated law enforcement effort caught them in the act,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office and our law enforcement partners will use every tool at our disposal to prevent foreign drug cartels from poisoning Georgians and to hold drug dealers accountable for their crimes.”
“These arrests represent a significant step in dismantling a drug trafficking operation responsible for distributing dangerous amounts of methamphetamine into our communities,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “We will continue to pursue individuals involved in the distribution of methamphetamine with relentless focus. Those who engage in this criminal activity should understand that law enforcement is committed to bringing them to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: on April 3, 2026, as part of an ongoing investigation, DEA agents allegedly saw Ortiz place two large 12-gallon bins in his car parked outside his residence in Norcross, drive a short distance to meet with Solano, and place those bins in Solano’s car. Shortly thereafter, sheriff’s deputies from the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office stopped Solano’s car and located approximately 30 kilograms of methamphetamine inside the 12-gallon bins. Agents then searched Ortiz’s residence, where they allegedly found four more 12-gallon bins containing an additional 55 kilograms of methamphetamine. The investigation further revealed that Ortiz is a citizen of Mexico who is illegally present in the United States.
On April 3, 2026, Ortiz and Solano were named in a criminal complaint charging them with a drug-trafficking conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Earlier today, a federal magistrate judge ordered Ortiz to be held in federal custody without bail pending further proceedings. Solano is currently in the custody of the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office but is expected to appear in federal court within the next week.
Members of the public are reminded that the complaint only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with valuable assistance provided by the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney James Hwang is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Federal Correctional Officer Convicted of Bribery, Smuggling, and Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Following a six-day trial, a federal jury convicted Patrick Shackelford, a former federal correctional officer, for accepting bribes and conspiring with inmates to smuggle narcotics and other contraband into the U.S. Penitentiary Atlanta (“USP-Atlanta”) using an elaborate scheme through which visitors introduced contraband into the prison through a secret hole in the visitation area. Shackelford was immediately taken into federal custody upon entry of the jury’s verdict on April 2.
“Instead of fulfilling his duty to safeguard a federal prison, Shackelford took bribes from inmates to facilitate their smuggling of large quantities of methamphetamine and other contraband for distribution to other inmates,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Shackelford betrayed his oath, chose to be a corrupt tool of the inmates in his charge, and potentially endangered the safety and security of his fellow officers and prisoners through his brazen conduct.”
“Correctional facilities depend on the integrity of those entrusted to safeguard them,” said Peter Ellis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Georgia. “By abusing his position to smuggle drugs and other contraband into USP-Atlanta, Shackelford undermined the safety and security of the institution, his fellow officers, and the inmates in their custody. The FBI remains committed to rooting out corruption at every level and holding accountable those who violate the public’s trust.”
“The Correctional Officer’s acts compromised the safety and security of the federal prison. The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General is committed to rooting out corruption and bringing perpetrators to justice,” stated Eric Fehlman, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Southeast Region.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: From approximately June 2018 through February 2019, Shackelford conspired with federal inmates Patrick Kirkman, Mitchell Arms, James Hughes, and others to smuggle prohibited items and narcotics, including methamphetamine and marijuana, into USP-Atlanta, a then medium-security federal prison.
Shackelford was a federal correctional officer and plumbing supervisor at USP-Atlanta who managed a crew of inmate plumbers, including Hughes. As part of the scheme, Shackelford informed Hughes about a hidden room and “voided area” that adjoined the prison visitation area. With Shackelford’s assistance, Hughes and another inmate, under the guise of making plumbing repairs, used a sledgehammer and power drill to create large passageways into the hidden room and voided area. From that space, they created a small hole under a sink in the restroom of the visitation area. They then concealed the passageway with a metal plate. During weekend visitation, some of the inmates’ associates brought tightly wrapped packages containing contraband to the prison and pushed them through the hole under the restroom sink into the “voided area.” On a nearly weekly basis between June 2018 and February 2019, Hughes and another inmate retrieved the contraband from the voided area, using their plumbing cart and tools as cover to move the contraband across USP-Atlanta.
Shackelford further helped the inmates by allowing them to hide the contraband in the “plumbing shop,” including in the ceiling of an empty staff office that was next to Shackelford’s. For safety and security reasons, inmates were not supposed to have access to such offices. However, Shackelford unlocked the adjacent office for Hughes so often that it came to be known as “Jamie’s office.” Shackelford also helped escort his inmate co-conspirators through checkpoints to deliver contraband packages to the cellblocks.
In exchange for permitting inmates to smuggle and distribute contraband, Shackelford received $5,000 and pain pills from Hughes, and Hughes and the inmate plumbing crew completed Shackelford’s plumbing assignments for him.
Kirkman and Arms, both of whom were serving sentences for federal drug trafficking crimes, were among the inmates at USP-Atlanta who received the contraband, including narcotics, through the scheme. While the operation was ongoing, Kirkman paid Hughes nearly $20,000 via Cash App to smuggle in the contraband and provided the cash for Shackelford’s $5,000 bribe. Hughes learned from Kirkman, Arms, and others when the packages had been smuggled through the visitor’s bathroom.
In February 2019, prison officials discovered a batch of contraband hidden in the ceiling of the plumbing office. Specifically, officials found roughly two dozen packages containing over a pound of 100% pure methamphetamine, over a kilogram of marijuana, synthetic marijuana or “spice,” tobacco, and several cell phones. This was one of the largest contraband recoveries in the history of USP-Atlanta.
Shackelford’s inmate co-conspirators pleaded guilty in connection with this prison bribery and contraband smuggling scheme:
- Patrick Kirkman, 39, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, pled guilty to federal bribery on February 11, 2026.
- Mitchell Arms, 45, of Columbia, Tennessee, pled guilty to possessing, obtaining, or attempting to obtain a prohibited object in federal prison, namely, methamphetamine, on June 18, 2024.
- James Hughes, 48, of Etowah, Tennessee, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to provide and possess prohibited objects in a federal prison, including methamphetamine, marijuana, and cellular phones, on October 7, 2023.
Sentencing for Patrick Shackelford, 51, of Senoia, Georgia, is scheduled for July 20, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II. Shackelford faces a mandatory minimum of ten years of imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex R. Sistla and Garrett L. Bradford are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Advanced Urology and Jitesh Patel will pay $14 million to settle False Claims Act case involving allegations of fraudulent billing and unnecessary medical proceduresRead the Press Release
ATLANTA –Jitesh Patel, M.D., Advanced Urology, Inc., and affiliated companies (collectively “Advanced Urology”) will pay $14 million to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act and the Georgia False Medicaid Claims Act by billing federal healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, for a series of urological and diagnostic procedures that were not performed or were medically unnecessary.
“Physicians commit fraud when they seek payment for medically unnecessary procedures or bill for services they never performed,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our office will not tolerate abuse of patients or misuse of government funds, and we will enforce the False Claims Act to hold wrongdoers accountable.”
“This action underscores our commitment to safeguarding federal health care programs from fraud and abuse,” said Special Agent in Charge Kelly Blackmon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Allegations of upcoding and medically unnecessary procedures undermine the integrity of Medicare and other government programs. We will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that providers who submit false claims are held accountable.”
“The settlement underscores the FBI’s commitment to investigating complex healthcare fraud schemes that prioritize profit over patient care,” said Peter Ellis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Georgia. “Submitting false claims to federal healthcare programs is a serious violation of the law, and we will continue to ensure those responsible are held accountable.”
“This settlement demonstrates the VA OIG’s tireless commitment to protecting veterans’ healthcare programs from fraudulent billing,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the VA Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the US Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this investigation.”
“Fraud against the Medicaid program is stealing from Georgia taxpayers – plain and simple,” said Jim Mooney, Deputy Attorney General of Georgia’s Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division. “Performing unnecessary procedures takes limited resources away from those who truly need them. This office will ensure that Medicaid providers treat their patients and Georgia taxpayers with respect and not as a scheme to get rich.”
"This settlement should serve as a strong deterrent to healthcare practitioners who abandon their Hippocratic Oath while seeking to exploit and defraud TRICARE, which provides critical healthcare services to those who defend our nation, retirees, and their families,” said Jason Sargenski, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “DCIS, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of healthcare providers who defraud the U.S. Government, and will seek justice on behalf of our men and women in uniform.”
The government’s investigation began after a former Advanced Urology employee filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that Advanced Urology performed unnecessary procedures. A former Advanced Urology physician filed a second whistleblower complaint alleging that the practice billed government healthcare programs for procedures and tests that were not performed or were medically unnecessary.
The whistleblowers alleged, among other things, that Advanced Urology’s organization was designed to maximize revenue for Dr. Patel and others by performing medically unnecessary procedures and tests, by engaging in the following practices, among others:
- Implanting permanent Sacral Nerve Stimulator devices in patients without first determining whether the patients would benefit from the device.
- Performing numerous unnecessary Cystoscopy and Retrograde Pyelogram procedures, which involved placing a patient under anesthesia and inserting a small scope through the patient’s urethra and into the bladder.
- Performing an Electromyography test on almost every new patient at Advanced Urology even though it is rarely used in urology practices. This test involved transmitting electrical signals through an electrode attached to the patient’s genitalia.
- Ordering thousands of unnecessary ultrasound tests, including duplex ultrasounds and retroperitoneal ultrasounds.
The whistleblowers also alleged that Advanced Urology billed for a procedure known as Direct Visual Internal Urethrotomy (“DVIU”) that it never performed. The DVIU procedure involves using a scope to dilate a patient’s urethra and a knife to cut tissue inside the urethra. Allegedly, Advanced Urology performed a less complicated dilation of the urethra but billed government healthcare programs for DVIU to obtain more payment than it was owed.
The whistleblowers alleged that Advanced Urology and Dr. Patel’s conduct resulted in the submission of false claims to federal healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, in violation of the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729, et seq., and the Georgia False Medicaid Claims Act, O.C.G.A. §§ 49-4-168.1, et seq.
This civil settlement resolves two lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act: United States and State of Georgia ex rel. Lorraine Perumal-Szramel v. Advanced Urology, Inc. et al., No. 1:18-cv-4482-SCJ, and United States and State of Georgia ex rel. Himanshu Aggarwal, M.D. v. Jitesh V. Patel et al., No. 1:19-cv-2844-WMR.
Under the False Claims Act, private citizens may bring suit for false claims on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery obtained by the government. The Relators will collectively receive $2,940,000 from the settlement.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; the Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division of the Georgia Attorney General’s Office; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General; and the Defense Health Agency.
The investigation and resolution of this matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam D. Nugent and Andres Sandoval and Georgia Assistant Attorney General James Champlin.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
DeKalb County felon indicted for possessing firearm in connection with shootingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Shikino Quantavius Reid has been arraigned on federal charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after Reid allegedly discharged a firearm in a Decatur neighborhood last summer. Reid was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 24, 2026.
“Shikino Reid’s dangerous and violent alleged actions put himself and others at serious risk of injury or death,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We will continue our efforts to prevent and punish gun crime in our community by prosecuting unlawfully armed felons.”
“Repeat offenders pose a serious threat to public safety,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd. “ATF is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners to protect our communities.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On July 23, 2025, Shikino Quantavius Reid allegedly attempted to start an altercation at his neighbor’s residence in Decatur, Georgia by discharging two firearms into the air. After Reid returned to his vehicle, the neighbor’s associates drew their own firearms and fired at Reid, striking him in the arm as well as a house across the street.
Reid is a multi-convicted violent repeat offender, having been convicted of Attempted Burglary, Aggravated Assault, and Aggravated Battery, as well as being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Shikino Quantavius Reid, 31, of Decatur, Georgia, was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge John K. Larkins III. Reid will remain in federal custody through the conclusion of his case.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Bircoll is prosecuting 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.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Justice Department and U.S. Attorney's Offices Reach $3 Million Settlement with Georgia Professional Licensing Boards for Alleged Violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief ActRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - The Justice Department announced today that it has entered into an agreement with 42 Georgia state licensing boards (“Georgia Boards”) to resolve allegations that the Georgia Boards failed to recognize the out-of-state professional licenses of servicemembers and their spouses, in violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (“SCRA”).
This settlement is the first of its kind and will provide up to $3 million in compensation to servicemembers and military spouses whose applications for licensure were improperly denied or delayed. The settlement also requires the Georgia Boards to adopt new policies that comply with the SCRA and provide a streamlined application process for servicemembers and military spouses who are already licensed in another state.
“The agreement we are announcing today allows servicemembers and their spouses to focus on what is most important when military service sends them to Georgia,” said Theodore S. Hertzberg, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. “Federal law requires every state to recognize hard-earned professional licenses when our warfighters must uproot their families in service to our country. This settlement ensures that servicemembers and military spouses can work in their chosen and trained professions free from bureaucratic hurdles, unnecessary costs, and burdensome waits. I am proud that my office, alongside the Justice Department and the two other U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in Georgia, worked together with our state partners in the Secretary of State’s office, the Attorney General’s office, and the Governor’s office to make it easier for our brave fighting men and women to call Georgia home.”
“Members of the military and their families already make great sacrifices to defend our nation – they should not have to sacrifice their professional careers or financial well-being because the military requires them to move,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This groundbreaking settlement ensures that servicemembers and their spouses stationed in Georgia can have their out-of-state licenses recognized without facing unnecessary hurdles. Licensing authorities in other states should take note of this settlement and ensure they comply with the SCRA.”
“As a U.S. Army veteran and reservist, it is a particular honor to announce that our servicemembers are guaranteed the full protections of the SCRA,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes of the Middle District of Georgia. “I am grateful for our strong partnership with state officials in reaching this resolution, which ensures that servicemembers and their spouses with professional licenses can relocate to Georgia and continue their careers and lives here more smoothly.”
“This settlement will provide monetary relief to military spouses whose professional employment opportunities have been limited because of the state of Georgia’s unnecessary delays and red tape,” said U.S. Attorney Margaret “Meg” Heap of the Southern District of Georgia. “More importantly, this settlement clears a path now and in the future for military spouses to pursue continued employment when they move with their servicemember to our community. We are grateful for the work of our staff in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, and to the staffers in the Northern and Middle Districts and the Civil Rights Division for their tireless, detailed work on reaching this settlement. All of our communities are stronger today because of their efforts.”
An investigation led the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Middle District of Georgia and the Southern District of Georgia, and the DOJ Civil Rights Division uncovered multiple complaints from servicemembers and military spouses regarding the Georgia Boards’ previous refusal to recognize out-of-state professional licenses. As a result, servicemembers’ spouses were unable to work in their professional fields or earn money for their families after relocating to Georgia on military orders. One military spouse, for example, had to drive to a neighboring state to work because the Georgia Board did not recognize her professional license as required by federal law.
Since January 2023, the SCRA has required state licensing authorities to recognize the out-of-state professional licenses of servicemembers and military spouses who relocate to a new state due to military orders. The law is intended to remove barriers to employment and improve the financial readiness of military families. Many military spouses work in fields that require licenses and must move across state lines every two to three years due to their spouses’ military orders. The SCRA provides that if a servicemember or military spouse holds a covered license, the new state must recognize the license as valid and may not impose requirements beyond those set forth in the statute.
The United States estimates that up to 5,000 servicemembers and military spouses may be entitled to compensation under this settlement. The professions covered by this settlement include teachers, nurses, electricians, plumbers, cosmetologists, barbers, opticians, massage therapists, physical, occupational, and speech therapists, pharmacists, social workers, and many more.
The investigation and resolution of this matter were led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marissa Fallica and Aileen Bell Hughes of the Northern District of Georgia in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Middle and Southern Districts of Georgia and attorneys from the DOJ Civil Rights Division.
Any servicemember or military spouse who applied for a professional license from one of the Georgia Boards after January 2023 and who may have been wrongfully denied rights guaranteed by the SCRA should contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia at [email protected] or (404) 581-4626.
The Department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the Department has obtained over $487 million in monetary relief for over 149,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Armed Cobb County drug dealer who ran from police sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Traon Turk, an armed felon and drug dealer who led police on a car chase in Marietta, Georgia, has been sentenced to over seven years in federal prison following his convictions for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
“Just weeks after his release from state prison, Turk picked up where he left off, trafficking deadly drugs while armed with a loaded pistol and attempting to outrun the police,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thankfully, solid collaboration between law enforcement agencies produced a federal prosecution, removing this repeat offender from our community for several years.”
“Our partnership with the Cobb County Police Department has been critical in moving this case forward and ensuring accountability. Today’s sentencing makes it clear that armed drug dealers will be held responsible, and we will continue to pursue anyone who threatens the safety of our communities,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On April 4, 2020, the Cobb County Police Department observed an SUV that reportedly had been involved in a drive-by shooting days earlier. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver, Turk, fled at a high rate of speed, bailed out of the moving car, and left his five passengers behind. While running from the police, Turk dropped a loaded .40 caliber pistol that officers quickly recovered.
About an hour later, the police found Turk hiding in an abandoned vehicle and arrested him. Officers then found a bag of 24 pills containing methamphetamine in his pants pocket. He was also carrying a phone that was replete with evidence of drug dealing activity. In the SUV Turk had been driving, law enforcement located a larger bag of ecstasy pills containing methamphetamine, numerous pieces of pills matching the pills recovered from Turk’s pocket, counterfeit Percocet pills containing methamphetamine, counterfeit Xanax pills, and individually packaged bags of marijuana.
Turk had been previously convicted of numerous felonies in Cobb County, including violation of the street gang terrorism and prevention act, possession of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, obstruction of law enforcement officers, and theft by receiving stolen property.
Traon Turk, 31, of Austell, Georgia, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. to serve seven years, eight months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. A federal jury convicted Turk on November 17, 2025, of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Turk had previously pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025, to possessing a firearm unlawfully.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Cobb County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Hwang, Michael Herskowitz, Laurel Milam, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise Peters 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.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Four Illegal Aliens Face Federal Charges After Drug BustsRead the Press Release
Atlanta – Pablo Soria-Porras, Sergio Solano-Sanchez, Eduardo Benitez-Jacinto, and Jesus Diaz Iniguez, who are all illegal aliens from Mexico, face federal charges after law enforcement seized approximately 44 pounds of methamphetamine and two firearms in drug trafficking operations in and around Douglasville and South Fayetteville, Georgia this week.
“The swift prosecutions of these illegal aliens send the strong message that we will work together with law enforcement partners to take deadly drugs off the street and prosecute drug traffickers who are illegally present in our country to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg.
“These arrests are the result of coordinated and collaborative law enforcement efforts aimed at disrupting the flow of methamphetamine and illegal firearms,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “We remain committed to protecting our communities and ensuring those responsible are held accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On February 25, 2026, Porras and Jacinto allegedly sold over two pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover DEA agent in a Lithia Springs, Georgia parking lot. Agents then identified a residence in Douglasville, Georgia where Porras, Jacinto, and Sanchez allegedly received methamphetamine from Mexico and processed the narcotics for distribution in the Atlanta area. During a search of the residence on March 24, 2026, agents arrested Jacinto and Sanchez and seized approximately 33 pounds of methamphetamine and a large sum of U.S. currency.
One day before the seizure in Douglasville, agents observed Iniguez drive off after allegedly attempting to conduct a suspected drug transaction with an individual in South Fayetteville, Georgia. Shortly thereafter, a Georgia State Patrol trooper stopped Iniguez’s vehicle and found approximately 11 pounds of methamphetamine inside. After taking Iniguez into custody, DEA agents searched a residence in McDonough, Georgia and seized two firearms that Iniguez allegedly possessed there.
Sergio Solano-Sanchez, 26, of Mexico, and Eduardo Benitez-Jacinto, 25, of Mexico, appeared in federal court on March 25, 2026, on a criminal complaint charging them with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Jesus Diaz Iniguez, 29, of Mexico, appeared in federal court yesterday on a criminal complaint charging him with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. The three men remain in federal custody pending further proceedings. Pablo Soria-Porras, 23, of Mexico, is currently a fugitive. If you have any information on the whereabouts of Porras, please contact your local law enforcement agency.
Members of the public are reminded that the criminal complaints only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The cases are being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol.
Assistant United States Attorneys Johnny Baer and Daniel Grill are prosecuting the cases.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These prosecutions are also part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Armed Felon Who Pointed Gun at Police Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Lee Milton Reeves, a multi-convicted felon who threatened employees and police officers at gunpoint in the bathroom of a Riverdale, Georgia restaurant, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison.
“This case shows precisely why convicted felons are prohibited from possessing guns,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Had Reeves pulled the trigger, this case could have ended in tragedy. My office will never stop working towards making Georgia safe by removing armed felons from the community.”
“The sentence imposed today sends a clear message to convicted felons prohibited from possessing firearms: ATF’s top priority remains keeping our communities safe,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd. “ATF will continue working with our law enforcement partners to target individuals who unlawfully possess firearms.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On March 17, 2024, officers from the Riverdale Police Department responded to an emergency call about a man with a gun at a fast-food restaurant. Once there, officers found Reeves holed up in a bathroom, where Reeves pointed at gun at them. Subsequent investigation revealed that, the day before, Reeves had fired that same gun inside a trailer where a mother and daughter lived.
On March 26, 2026, Lee Milton Reeves, 40, of Mechanicsville, Georgia, was sentenced to seven years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Reeves pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person on December 17, 2025.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Riverdale Police Department and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney James Hwang 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.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Chinese national and two U.S. citizens charged with conspiring to smuggle artificial intelligence technology to ChinaRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Stanley Yi Zheng, Matthew Kelly, and Tommy Shad English have been charged with conspiring to commit smuggling and export control violations. The three defendants are alleged to have sought millions of dollars’ worth of export-controlled computer chips from a California-based computer hardware company for illegal shipment to China through Thailand.
“Keeping sensitive tech from falling into the wrong hands is a matter of utmost importance to our national security and U.S. competitiveness,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office is proud to ensure that any bad actor who seeks to profit from endangering our security will face justice in an American courtroom.”
“Protecting sensitive defense technology from diversion to foreign adversaries is a top priority,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Jason J. Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “Advanced computing technologies, like Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), play a critical role in military artificial intelligence and national defense capabilities. When individuals attempt to illegally acquire or export this technology for profit, they are putting national security and our warfighters at risk. DCIS will continue working with our U.S. and international partners to identify these networks, disrupt their operations, and hold those responsible accountable.”
“The smuggling of advanced technology like these computer chips represents a direct threat to U.S. national security,” said Peter Ellis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Georgia. “The individuals charged in this case attempted to bypass U.S. export laws to send sensitive technology to adversaries. The FBI will continue working with our partners to prevent the illegal diversion of critical technologies and hold those responsible accountable.”
“Safeguarding America’s advanced technology is critical to our national security and public safety,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “This case highlights the importance of strong partnerships between federal law enforcement, industry, and our international counterparts. By working together, we were able to disrupt a sophisticated scheme to illegally export sensitive U.S. artificial intelligence technology. HSI remains committed to protecting the integrity of our supply chains and ensuring that critical innovations do not fall into the hands of those who would threaten our security.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the criminal complaints, and other information presented in court: In or about May 2023, Zheng, Kelly, and English began conspiring together to obtain computer servers with export-controlled computer chips from a California-based computer hardware company (“Company-1”) and ship them to Thailand with an ultimate destination of China, in violation of U.S. law. In doing so, the three defendants used the names of Thailand-based companies as the purported purchasers of the computer servers when in fact the co-conspirators intended for the U.S.-origin AI chips to be diverted to China.
In October 2023, English, purporting to act on behalf of a Thailand-based company, ordered 750 computer servers for approximately $170 million from Company-1. Of the 750 computer servers, 600 contained a computer chip that was controlled on the U.S. Commerce Control List and required a license for export to China. In placing that order, English signed an “Advanced Computing Certification,” certifying that the computer servers were not destined for China or any other country subject to heightened export requirements.
In January 2024, English transferred over $20 million to Company-1 as partial payment for the October 2023 order. In January 2024, when discussing via email an upcoming compliance review for the October 2023 order, English asked Company-1 to add Zheng and Kelly to the email thread, which prompted a response from Company-1 noting, among other things, that Zheng’s company was based in China and that it was “odd” that no one from the Thailand-based company was in the list of carbon copy recipients. Company-1 also commented that “China is an embargoed country restricted by the US government. US companies are restricted from selling to businesses or end users headquartered in China.”
In early February 2024, additional review of the October 2023 order was conducted by the California-based manufacturer of the computer chips that would be inside 600 of the servers English had ordered (“Company-2”). Company-2’s efforts to verify the end user of the computer chips in Thailand were unsuccessful. Ultimately, the October 2023 purchase was not completed.
While the October 2023 deal lost momentum, in April 2024, English, purporting to act on behalf of a second Thailand-based company, sought to order from Company-1 another 500 computer servers that contained an export-controlled computer chip. In doing so, English signed an End User Certification stating that the Thailand-based company was the end user for the purchase. This deal, like the October 2023 deal, ultimately was unsuccessful.
Text messages obtained through the investigation illustrated aspects of the conspiracy and revealed that Zheng, English, and Kelly discussed, among other things, “fake” corporate niceties to help complete the computer chip purchases, the value of the computer chips in China, and recruitment of others to participate in the scheme.
For example, in June 2023, in a group chat with Zheng and English titled “GPU Partnership,” Kelly stated: “They just need more details about your company, customers, revenue, etc.” and “I know you mention you [English] are better than CDW but they have a nice website, company decks, quarterly earning reports, etc that are all public information.” English replied: “I’m not breaking my back. I fake these weeks ago.”
Later, in July 2023, in the same group chat, Zheng sent a message discussing the market value of Company-2’s computer chips in China, showing that Zheng, English, and Kelly were all aware that the ultimate destination for the computer chips would be China.
Subsequently, in March 2024, Kelly messaged Zheng a draft solicitation message for Kelly to send to others. The message stated, among other things: “[I am] [c]urrently working on distributing GPU systems with [Company-2] chips for supercomputing[.] . . . We . . . have a few customers in China but it’s a banned country for distribution. It’s a lucrative business right now – millions of dollars in profits per order – so we are looking for partners. One you can find customers that need GPUs for their supercomputer solutions or two they act as a pass through partner for customers in China. Let me know if you are interested in discussing?”
Approximately 28 minutes after sending the draft solicitation message to Zheng, Kelly received feedback from Zheng. Zheng stated, among other things: “DO NOT MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT CHINA.” Zheng explained that the portions of Kelly’s message that referenced China needed to be removed because: “We will draw attention[] from US government for embargo[] violation.” In response, Kelly noted that similar information had been told to other individuals. Zheng replied: “We just talk about it, no one can hold it as evidence[] against us.”
Stanley Yi Zheng, 56, of Hong Kong, China, was arrested on March 22, 2026, and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa J. Cisneros, of the Northern District of California, on March 23, 2026, for his initial appearance. The Government has moved for Zheng to be remanded to federal custody and held without bail pending trial.
Matthew Kelly, 49, of Hopewell Junction, New York, and Tommy Shad English, 53, of Atlanta, Georgia, surrendered to federal authorities on March 25, 2026. Their initial appearances will be held in the District of New Jersey and Northern District of Georgia later today.
The criminal complaints were issued in the Northern District of Georgia on March 20, 2026. The charges contained in the complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry & Security, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Brett Ruff of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Chinese National and Two U.S. Citizens Charged with Conspiring to Smuggle Artificial Intelligence Technology to ChinaRead the Press Release
Stanley Yi Zheng, Matthew Kelly, and Tommy Shad English have been charged with conspiring to commit smuggling and export control violations. The three defendants are alleged to have sought millions of dollars’ worth of export-controlled computer chips from a California-based computer hardware company for illegal shipment to China through Thailand.
“The cutting-edge AI chips the defendants allegedly schemed to export to China represent the best of American ingenuity and years of strategic investment in maintaining our technological leadership,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “NSD is committed to protecting U.S. innovation and ensuring that those who violate U.S. export controls face serious consequences.”
“Zheng, Kelly, and English allegedly conspired to sell millions of dollars’ worth of American-made AI computer chips to buyers in China, in clear violation of U.S. export controls,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “As our foreign adversaries escalate their efforts to dominate the field of artificial intelligence, we are seeing them employ increasingly brazen schemes to illegally acquire valuable U.S. technology. Enforcing export controls is critical to our work safeguarding America’s economic and national security, and the FBI will continue working with our partners to protect our nation’s innovation and hold accountable those seeking to profit by supplying hostile nation states.”
“Keeping sensitive tech from falling into the wrong hands is a matter of utmost importance to our national security and U.S. competitiveness,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg of the Northern District of Georgia. “My office is proud to ensure that any bad actor who seeks to profit from endangering our security will face justice in an American courtroom.”
“Protecting sensitive defense technology from diversion to foreign adversaries is a top priority,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Jason J. Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “Advanced computing technologies, like Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), play a critical role in military artificial intelligence and national defense capabilities. When individuals attempt to illegally acquire or export this technology for profit, they are putting national security and our warfighters at risk. DCIS will continue working with our U.S. and international partners to identify these networks, disrupt their operations, and hold those responsible accountable.”
“Safeguarding America’s advanced technology is critical to our national security and public safety,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “This case highlights the importance of strong partnerships between federal law enforcement, industry, and our international counterparts. By working together, we were able to disrupt a sophisticated scheme to illegally export sensitive U.S. artificial intelligence technology. HSI remains committed to protecting the integrity of our supply chains and ensuring that critical innovations do not fall into the hands of those who would threaten our security.”
According to the criminal complaints and other information presented in court: In or about May 2023, Zheng, Kelly, and English began conspiring together to obtain computer servers with export-controlled computer chips from a California-based computer hardware company (Company-1) and ship them to Thailand with an ultimate destination of China, in violation of U.S. law. In doing so, the three defendants used the names of Thailand-based companies as the purported purchasers of the computer servers when in fact the co-conspirators intended for the U.S.-origin AI chips to be diverted to China.
In Oct. 2023, English, purporting to act on behalf of a Thailand-based company, ordered 750 computer servers for approximately $170 million from Company-1. Of the 750 computer servers, 600 contained a computer chip that was controlled on the U.S. Commerce Control List and required a license for export to China. In placing that order, English signed an “Advanced Computing Certification,” certifying that the computer servers were not destined for China or any other country subject to heightened export requirements.
In Jan. 2024, English transferred over $20 million to Company-1 as partial payment for the Oct. 2023 order. In Jan. 2024, when discussing via email an upcoming compliance review for the Oct. 2023 order, English asked Company-1 to add Zheng and Kelly to the email thread, which prompted a response from Company-1 noting, among other things, that Zheng’s company was based in China and that it was “odd” that no one from the Thailand-based company was in the list of carbon copy recipients. Company-1 also commented that “China is an embargoed country restricted by the US government. US companies are restricted from selling to businesses or end users headquartered in China.”
In early Feb. 2024, additional review of the Oct. 2023 order was conducted by the California-based manufacturer of the computer chips that would be inside 600 of the servers English had ordered (Company-2). Company-2’s efforts to verify the end user of the computer chips in Thailand were unsuccessful. Ultimately, the Oct. 2023 purchase was not completed.
While the Oct. 2023 deal lost momentum, in April 2024, English, purporting to act on behalf of a second Thailand-based company, sought to order from Company-1 another 500 computer servers that contained an export-controlled computer chip. In doing so, English signed an End User Certification stating that the Thailand-based company was the end user for the purchase. This deal, like the Oct. 2023 deal, ultimately was unsuccessful.
Text messages obtained through the investigation illustrated aspects of the conspiracy and revealed that Zheng, English, and Kelly discussed, among other things, “fake” corporate niceties to help complete the computer chip purchases, the value of the computer chips in China, and recruitment of others to participate in the scheme.
For example, in June 2023, in a group chat with Zheng and English titled “GPU Partnership,” Kelly stated: “They just need more details about your company, customers, revenue, etc.” and “I know you mention you [English] are better than CDW but they have a nice website, company decks, quarterly earning reports, etc that are all public information.” English replied: “I’m not breaking my back. I fake these weeks ago.”
Later, in July 2023, in the same group chat, Zheng sent a message discussing the market value of Company-2’s computer chips in China, showing that Zheng, English, and Kelly were all aware that the ultimate destination for the computer chips would be China.
Subsequently, in March 2024, Kelly messaged Zheng a draft solicitation message for Kelly to send to others. The message stated, among other things: “[I am] [c]urrently working on distributing GPU systems with [Company-2] chips for supercomputing[.] . . . We . . . have a few customers in China but it’s a banned country for distribution. It’s a lucrative business right now – millions of dollars in profits per order – so we are looking for partners. One you can find customers that need GPUs for their supercomputer solutions or two they act as a pass through partner for customers in China. Let me know if you are interested in discussing?”
Approximately 28 minutes after sending the draft solicitation message to Zheng, Kelly received feedback from Zheng. Zheng stated, among other things: “DO NOT MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT CHINA.” Zheng explained that the portions of Kelly’s message that referenced China needed to be removed because: “We will draw attention[] from US government for embargo[] violation.” In response, Kelly noted that similar information had been told to other individuals. Zheng replied: “We just talk about it, no one can hold it as evidence[] against us.”
Stanley Yi Zheng, 56, of Hong Kong, China, was arrested on March 22, 2026, and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa J. Cisneros, of the Northern District of California, on March 23, 2026, for his initial appearance. The Government has moved for Zheng to be remanded to federal custody and held without bail pending trial.
Matthew Kelly, 49, of Hopewell Junction, New York, and Tommy Shad English, 53, of Atlanta, Georgia, surrendered to federal authorities on March 25, 2026. Their initial appearances will be held in the District of New Jersey and Northern District of Georgia today.
The criminal complaints were issued in the Northern District of Georgia on March 20, 2026. The charges contained in the complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry & Security, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Brett Ruff of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Jury convicts owner of Amazon delivery business for fraud schemes and forging federal judge’s signatureRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – A federal jury has convicted Brittany Hudson of all 30 counts in an indictment that charged her with stealing nearly $10 million from Amazon based on fraud, laundering the fraudulent proceeds from that scheme, lying to a franchising company while on pretrial release, and forging the signature of former Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. on fake court documents.
“Hudson and her literal partner in crime brazenly stole nearly $10 million from Amazon through a fraud scheme involving fake vendors and invoices,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “A federal jury put an end to Hudson’s insatiable greed by returning a guilty verdict on 30 counts of conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and forgery.”
“The level of greed on the part of the perpetrators in this case was staggering,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Donovan of the U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office. “Leveraging personal relationships, she stole millions from Amazon and was so confident she wouldn’t be caught, she even forged the signature of a federal judge with the intent of defrauding a second company. Thanks to the diligent work of our agents and the prosecution team at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, her days of defrauding others have come to an end.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Brittany Hudson owned a business, Legend Express LLC, which contracted with Amazon to deliver packages. Hudson was in a romantic relationship with Kayricka Wortham a/k/a Kayricka Dupree a/k/a Kayricka Young, who worked as an operations manager at an Amazon warehouse in Smyrna, Georgia. In her position, Wortham supervised others and had the authority to approve new Amazon vendors and the payment of vendor invoices.
From about January 2022 to June 2022, Hudson and Wortham defrauded Amazon out of nearly $10 million based on a scheme involving bogus vendors and invoices. Wortham provided fake vendor information to unknowing subordinates and asked them to input the information into Amazon’s vendor system. Once the information was entered, Wortham and another co-conspirator at Amazon approved the fake vendors, enabling the vendors to submit invoices.
Hudson and Wortham then submitted fictitious invoices, falsely representing that the phony vendors had provided goods and services to Amazon. Wortham approved the invoices, causing Amazon to transfer approximately $9.4 million to bank accounts controlled by Hudson, Wortham, and co-conspirators. Hudson and Wortham purchased expensive real estate and luxury cars with Amazon’s money, including a nearly $1 million home in Smyrna, Georgia, a 2019 Lamborghini Urus, a 2021 Dodge Durango, a 2022 Tesla Model X, a 2018 Porsche Panamera, and a Kawasaki ZX636 motorcycle.
In September 2022, Hudson and Wortham were charged in federal court with defrauding Amazon. In January 2023, while on bond, they lied to a potential business partner, claiming that their Amazon-related criminal charges had been dismissed. To support that lie, the two emailed fake court documents that purported to dismiss the charges and contained the forged signatures of Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr., who has since retired, and Cobb County Magistrate Judge Norman L. Barnett, who was then one of the prosecutors on the case. Hudson also emailed doctored bank statements and personal financial statements that fraudulently inflated the balances in her and Wortham’s accounts.
On March 13, 2026, a jury convicted Hudson of 30 counts, including two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 17 counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, nine counts of money laundering, and one count of forgery of the signature of a federal judge. The jury also found that money seized from Hudson’s bank account and Hudson’s residence in Smyrna, Georgia, were forfeitable as fraudulent proceeds of the Amazon scheme.
On June 27, 2023, Kayricka Wortham, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 16 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $9,469,731.45 in restitution to Amazon. More than $3 million in fraudulent proceeds seized from multiple bank accounts, the Smyrna home, and the vehicles purchased with fraudulent proceeds were forfeited. Wortham was convicted of the Amazon fraud charge on November 30, 2022, after she pleaded guilty. On October 6, 2025, she pleaded guilty to forgery of the signature of a federal judge. She is scheduled to be sentenced on the forgery charge on March 25, 2026, at 10 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown.
Sentencing for Brittany Hudson, 40, of Atlanta, Georgia, is scheduled for June 16, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., before Judge Brown.
This case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen H. McClain and Angela Adams are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Investment advisor pleads guilty to defrauding elderly client out of nearly $10 millionRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Eijroghene Okuma, a former investment advisor, pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud after defrauding an elderly client out of nearly $10 million over a three-year period.
“This was the ultimate act of financial betrayal,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Instead of abiding by his fiduciary obligations, Okuma exploited an elderly man’s trust and stole millions. We will aggressively prosecute investment professionals who scheme to steal clients’ funds, rather than protect their financial interests.”
“Eijroghene Okuma abused a position of trust to carry out a calculated scheme that stole millions from an elderly victim,” said Peter Ellis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Georgia. “The FBI is committed to protecting older Americans from financial exploitation and will continue working with our partners to ensure criminals who target seniors are held accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between 2010 and May 2023, Okuma was a financial and investment advisor with Edward Jones. In that capacity, Okuma had complete access to the Edward Jones brokerage accounts of an elderly client (“Victim-1”), who was born in 1944.
Okuma’s fraudulent scheme began in February 2022 after his appointment to administer the estate of Victim-1’s sister. Beginning in March 2022, Okuma began embezzling from Victim-1 by falsely representing that the sister’s estate needed funds. Victim-1 permitted Okuma to transfer $500,000 from one of Victim-1’s brokerage accounts to a bank account purportedly held for the estate, but Okuma ultimately transferred the money to a bank account in the name of his wife’s company without Victim-1’s knowledge. Similarly, in June 2022, Okuma stole approximately $400,000 by transferring funds he deceived Victim-1 into paying.
After embezzling nearly $1 million from Victim-1, Okuma set up fraudulent accounts to steal millions more. In early February 2023, Okuma opened an unauthorized Vanguard brokerage account in the name of a revocable trust, which Okuma was involved in creating in Victim-1’s name, as well as using Victim-1’s personal identifying information and a fraudulent email account that Okuma created. Victim-1 had no knowledge of the Vanguard account until Okuma’s scheme was uncovered more than two years later. On the same day that Okuma opened the fraudulent Vanguard account, he added himself as a custodian to a bank account in Victim-1’s name, which gave him full authority to withdraw funds without Victim-1’s approval.
Approximately two weeks later, Okuma began transferring funds from Victim-1’s brokerage accounts to the fraudulent Vanguard account. By the end of February 2023, Okuma had transferred approximately $9 million of Victim-1’s funds to the Vanguard account without Victim-1’s knowledge. Between August 2023 and March 2025, Okuma embezzled approximately $9 million of Victim-1’s funds from the Vanguard account by writing checks to bank accounts controlled by him or his wife and electronic transfers.
Okuma used the stolen money to build a $5.2 million residence in Vinings, Georgia, join a beach club and purchase a fractional share of a beach house for approximately $1.4 million, and donate approximately $340,000 to his church.
Sentencing for Eijroghene Okuma, 43, of Lithia Springs, Georgia, is scheduled for June 23, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Geraghty.
On January 30, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a settled action against Okuma relating to the above scheme in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. On February 18, 2026, a final judgment was entered against Okuma under which he agreed to pay more than $13 million, including more than $1 million in prejudgment interest and a $3 million civil penalty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with valuable assistance from the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex R. Sistla is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to help older Americans and to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation and fraud, please visit https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice. The Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Georgia felon indicted for targeting professional athletes in fraud and sex trafficking schemesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Kwamaine Jerell Ford has been charged with targeting professional athletes through a phishing scam and thereafter engaging in a fraud and sex trafficking scheme. In 2019, in the Northern District of Georgia, Ford was convicted of computer fraud and aggravated identity theft for perpetrating similar phishing attacks and spending nearly $325,000 by using his victims’ stolen financial information.
“While serving time for stealing credit card numbers from athletes and celebrities to fund his lifestyle, Ford allegedly engaged in the same conduct again,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Disturbingly, the indictment alleges that Ford went even further and used a fraudulent online persona to traffic a young woman and coerce her to produce hidden camera videos of commercial sex acts with unknowing individuals.”
“Kwamaine Ford clearly did not learn from his prior conviction for a similar scheme. This time, he allegedly escalated his criminal activity—stealing identities and money while also moving into coercion and sex trafficking,” said FBI Georgia Acting Special Agent in Charge Peter Ellis. “The FBI’s dedicated agents remain committed to staying ahead of schemes like this and protecting the public from individuals who exploit and harm others for personal gain.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: beginning in at least November 2020, while in the Federal Bureau of Prisons custody, Ford allegedly obtained login credentials for Apple accounts belonging to NBA and NFL players through a two-pronged approach. First, Ford allegedly posed online as a well-known adult film star and offered to send sexually explicit videos to the athletes. At the same time, Ford spoofed legitimate Apple customer service accounts, posed as an Apple customer support representative, and requested, via text messages, that the victims send their username, password, and/or Multi-Factor Authentication codes in order to access the videos that his fraudulent adult film star persona was purportedly trying to send the victims. Through this phishing scheme, dozens of victims were allegedly tricked into providing their login credentials to Ford. After gaining control of the victims’ Apple accounts, Ford allegedly obtained credit and debit card information belonging to victims and used that information to pay for thousands of dollars in personal spending.
Additionally, in May 2021, Ford allegedly posed as the adult film star and recruited, tricked, and coerced a female victim into engaging in commercial sex acts with the professional athletes based on false promises that the film star would advance the victim’s modeling career. Ford advertised the victim to the athletes, coordinated the victim’s travel to the athletes, and negotiated payments from the athletes for the purpose of purchasing sex with the victim. Ford used additional fraudulent personas to threaten the victim and maintain her continued involvement in commercial sex acts with the athletes. Using false personas, Ford obtained a financial cut from the commercial sex acts, many of which Ford allegedly coerced his victim into filming without the athletes’ knowledge or consent.
On March 13, 2026, Kwamaine Jerell Ford, 34, of Buford, Georgia appeared in federal court and pled not guilty to nine counts of wire fraud, seven counts of computer fraud, one count of access device fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of sex trafficking. A U.S. magistrate judge ordered that Ford be held without bail pending trial.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bernita B. Malloy and Phyllis Clerk are prosecuting the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Cooper investigated the case prior to the indictment.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.