District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A Filipino national has been arrested and charged in Boston, Mass. with transportation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Bobby Prieto, 35, was arrested yesterday and charged by criminal complaint with one count of transportation of child pornography. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, Pietro was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for Oct. 1, 2026.

According to the charging documents, prior to Prieto’s arrest, he had been serving as a crew member on the Norwegian Jewel, a cruise ship owned by the Norwegian Cruise Line. The vessel docked at Boston’s Flynn Cruiseport on Sept. 24, 2026, and Prieto was flagged for secondary screening by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. During a preliminary review of two mobile phones belonging to Prieto, multiple media files were identified, allegedly depicting CSAM, including at least one media file depicting Prieto sexually assaulting a prepubescent girl.  

The charge of transportation of child pornography provides for a sentence of no less than five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection, Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aidan Lang of the Major Crimes Unit is 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
 

BOSTON – An Arlington, Mass. man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with a year-long drug conspiracy. 

Jonathan Perry, a/k/a “Peazy,” 26, of Arlington, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 97 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Perry was charged in May 2025 and pleaded guilty in March 2026.

Perry is a relative and alleged co-conspirator of Keith Harlow in the distribution of controlled substances. A review of Perry’s cellphone seized during his arrest on state charges on May 29, 2025 revealed that Perry and, allegedly, Harlow worked together to distribute controlled substances and sell firearms throughout Massachusetts. It is further alleged that, in text message communications with Harlow, they discussed robberies and using firearms to shoot at various individuals. At the time of the alleged offenses, Perry and Harlow were prohibited from possessing firearms due to numerous prior felony convictions, including Perry’s youthful offender conviction of manslaughter. At the time of the alleged conduct, Harlow was on state parole following multiple concurrent state prison sentences and Perry was on probation for a domestic violence offense.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; David E. Sullivan, Northwestern District Attorney; and Athol Police Chief Craig Lundgren made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; the United States Marshals Service; Franklin County House of Correction; and Massachusetts Department of Correction. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – An Amherst, Mass., man pleaded guilty on Sept. 21, 2026 in federal court in Springfield to making violent threats via social media targeting a variety of law enforcement officers and sensitive locations such as a grocery store and a federal building in Boston.

Luke Brissie, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transmission of threatening communications. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Jan. 5, 2027. Brissie was arrested and charged in June 2025 and remains in federal custody.

On April 5, 2025, Brissie sent numerous threatening communications through Instagram to a Metropolitan Nashville Police Department officer in Tennessee. In the messages, Brissie threatened to bomb the officer’s patrol vehicle or home, shoot the officer, kill another Nashville police officer, commit a mass stabbing at a grocery store near his home in Massachusetts and bomb an FBI building. Specifically, Brissie sent threatening messages that said: “I will put a bomb in your police car or better yet your house,” “I’m going to commit mass stabbing at a grocery store called big [] y…” and “…then I’ll bomb an fbi building.”

Brissie was arrested at his residence in Amherst, Mass., after the threats were reported. Law enforcement learned that Brissie had intended to lure the Nashville police officer to Massachusetts so he could carry out the threatened violence. Law enforcement also became aware of Brissie’s intentions to bomb the FBI Boston Field Office and conduct a mass stabbing at a nearby grocery store.

The charge of interstate transmission of threatening communications provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Amherst Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Caroline Merck of the Springfield Office is prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – A Middleboro, Mass., man has been arrested for allegedly attempting to sex traffic of a child.

Kenneth Berry, 45, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on one count of attempted sex trafficking of a child. Berry was arrested yesterday and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was released on conditions.

According to the indictment, on or about June 12, 2026, Berry knowingly attempted to sex traffic a minor in Massachusetts.

The charge of attempted sex trafficking of a child provides for a sentence of no less than 10 years and up to life in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, the Boston Police Department and the Brockton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad A. Rocheville of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – Four individuals have been indicted as part of ongoing investigations into the theft and fraudulent deposit of more than $12.2 million in stolen U.S. Treasury checks and more than $1 million in other frauds targeting federally insured banks and credit unions and their customers.  

The following defendants have been indicted by a federal grand jury on one count each of bank fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.

1.    David Obeng, 24, of Dedham;  2.    Lynley Joseph, 26, of Brockton; 3.    Lindsley Georges, 33, of Everett; and
4.    Shaunsayh Addo, 33, of Leominster.  

A second indictment also charged Obeng with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, five counts of bank fraud, two counts of money laundering and one count of aggravated identity theft.  

All four defendants were arrested this morning. Following initial appearances in federal court in Boston, Joseph and Addo were released on conditions and Obeng and Georges remain detained pending hearings to be scheduled at a later date.

According to court records, Georges was previously convicted of money laundering in the District of Massachusetts in January 2022. Georges was serving a term of federal supervised release at the time of his alleged participation in the conspiracies charged in the indictment.

“United States Treasury checks belong to the American people. Defendants who steal and deposit them, like the defendants charged today, steal from all of us,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Fraudsters who saddle banks, credit unions, and their customers with million-dollar losses harm consumers too. My office and our law enforcement partners remain committed to pursuing justice for victims of financial scams, and we will hold accountable those who attempt to prey on the public’s money and American financial institutions.”

“Today’s indictment of these four individuals is a major step in bringing justice for all those impacted by this self-serving crime,” said Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “For too long, organized criminal elements have preyed on the American public. These individuals thought that they were untouchable, operating with impunity, as they stole treasury checks intended for hard working taxpayers. IRS-CI is committed to finding defendants involved in fraud and bringing them to justice.”

“Today, we arrested four men for their alleged roles in a years-long, sprawling fraud ring that not only defrauded multiple banks and credit unions out of millions of dollars, but dragged dozens of innocent victims into their scheme. These men apparently thought they found an easy way to score some fast cash, but they couldn’t have been more wrong. Fraud is never the answer if you feel your paycheck isn’t up to par,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Division. “The FBI will investigate anyone engaged in this sort of alleged criminal behavior. To those thinking about following in their footsteps: get ready to learn the same lesson, courtesy of the FBI and our law enforcement partners.”

“The arrests made today highlight the broad reach of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service when it comes to dismantling complex financial crimes. This investigation showcases the results that postal inspectors strive to achieve in collaboration with our law enforcement partners. We remain steadfast in our mission of protecting the integrity of the U.S. Mail and all customers who use it,” said Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.

According to the first indictment, the defendants allegedly coordinated the theft and deposit of United States Treasury checks, totaling at least $12.2 million between 2023 and 2026. As alleged, each of the U.S. Treasury checks was issued to a true payee but had been altered to be payable to shell companies the defendants controlled. Each defendant allegedly directed the deposit of fraudulent checks at banks or credit unions in and around Metro Boston in exchange for a cut of the proceeds of those deposits. Following the initial fraudulent deposits, the defendants allegedly conducted and caused others to conduct financial transactions to conceal the origin of the stolen funds, including, among other things, the purchase and deposit of cashier’s checks, the purchase of $310,000 in luxury watches and a $425,000 real estate loan secured by property in Nantucket, Mass.  

Eight other individuals in June 2025 and one other individual in June 2026 were charged with the theft of government funds or bank fraud in connection with the deposit of the same stolen Treasury checks.

According to the second indictment, Obeng and others allegedly obtained unauthorized electronic access to victims’ bank and retirement accounts, including through sending texts that were made to appear to be from the victims’ banks seeking to confirm a recent purchase and by posing as bank representatives in calls with victims. In the calls, conspirators allegedly posed as fraud investigators and persuaded victims to provide codes needed to authorize withdrawals from their accounts under the guise of verifying their identities. Obeng and others allegedly used this access to transfer funds from victim accounts to accounts Obeng and his coconspirators controlled. The indictment also alleges that Obeng and others recruited individuals to go into bank branches and pose as customers, open accounts, transfer or deposit fraud proceeds into these accounts and then withdraw the funds in cash.    

The charges of bank fraud and bank fraud conspiracy provide for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of money laundering and money laundering conspiracy provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for sentence of no less than two-years in prison to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Attorney Foley; IRS SAC Demeo; FBI SAC Docks; and Acting USPIS IIC Page made the announcement today.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen Kearney and Seth B. Kosto of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the cases.

On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts.

Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).

On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.  
 

BOSTON – A Florida-based doctor was sentenced on Sept. 22, 2026 in federal court in Boston for making false statements in connection with a multi-million-dollar health care fraud scheme involving medically unnecessary genetic testing and durable medical equipment (DME).

Simon Grinshteyn, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to four years of probation with six months in home confinement and 400 hours of community service. The defendant was also ordered to pay $3,160,809.43 in restitution. The government recommended a sentence of 18 months in prison followed by 18 months of supervised release. In March 2026, Grinshteyn pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements relating to health care matters. Grinshteyn was charged in January 2026.

Between February 2020 and June 2020, Grinshteyn worked with a purported telemedicine company to sign medical documentation, including doctors’ orders, for medically unnecessary genetic testing and DME. The medical records and doctors’ orders Grinshteyn received and signed were pre-populated and made it appear that Grinshteyn was providing legitimate consultations to Medicare beneficiaries and had conducted examinations of the beneficiaries and/or would provide further medical care to them. Grinshteyn generally did not contact the beneficiaries himself and had no provider-patient relationship with the beneficiaries. DME suppliers and laboratories ultimately submitted claims to Medicare for these signed orders. As a result of Grinshteyn’s participation in this scheme, Medicare paid more than $3.1 million in claims for DME and genetic testing that were based on false documentation.  

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Robert Coviello, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; Kelly Lawson, Regional Director, Boston Regional Office, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor; and Christopher Silvestro, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra Brazier and Lindsey Ross of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit prosecuted the case.
 

BOSTON – A Brookline, Mass. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor.

William Kahn, 28, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to six years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. As a result of the conviction, Kahn will be required to register as a sex offender. In May 2026, Kahn pleaded guilty to attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Kahn was charged in December 2025. 

Between June 2025 and August 2025, Kahn engaged in online conversations with an undercover agent purporting to be a 14-year-old girl. Kahn engaged in sexually explicit chat discussions with the purported minor and sent a photograph of adult genitalia.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Brookline, Boston and Arlington Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

BOSTON – The President of a freight forwarding company has been convicted by a federal jury in Boston of unlawfully exporting an Orbitrap Exploris GC 240 Mass Spectrometer from the United States into Russia without a license.

Kirill Gordei, 37, was convicted yesterday following a four day trial, of one count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States; one count of smuggling goods from the United States; and one count of export of a spectrometer which is a commerce control item. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Jan. 12, 2027. Gordei was arrested and charged in June 2024.

Gordei, a citizen of Belarus and the United States who resides in Hallandale, Fla., is the President of Apelsin Logistics, a freight forwarding company, located in Hallandale Beach, Fla. Apelsin also has an address in Russia and two websites both of which are registered and hosted in Russia.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, a series of stringent export controls were implemented that restrict Russia’s access to the technologies and other items that it needs to sustain its attack on Ukraine. As of April 8, 2022, license requirements for exports, reexports and transfers to or within Russia were expanded to cover the most sensitive items subject to controls on the Commerce Control List.

In August 2023, Gordei facilitated the export of an Orbitrap Exploris GC 240 Mass Spectrometer – an item that delivers high data quality and versatility to accelerate scientific discovery for academic, industry research, government and omics laboratories – from the United States to Russia via Turkey, in violation of the licensing requirements. In order to facilitate the transaction, Gordei provided falsified documentation to an American freight forwarding company indicating that the mass spectrometer was destined to Uzbekistan, rather than to Russia. Gordei simultaneously arranged for the mass spectrometer to be shipped directly to Moscow after it arrived in Turkey.

“Mr. Gordei went to great lengths to evade U.S. export controls, falsifying the destination of controlled technology and routing it through Turkey before sending it to Russia,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Export controls are a vital tool for protecting national and international security. We will continue to hold those who deliberately circumvent export controls accountable.”

“The Bureau of Industry and Security will relentlessly pursue those who violate U.S. export control laws,” stated David Peters, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement, U.S. Department of Commerce. “This conviction demonstrates our commitment to dismantling these dangerous criminal networks.”

The charge of violating the Export Control Reform Act provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The charge of smuggling goods from the United States provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States provides for a sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Attorney Foley, Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the National Security Division and Assistant Secretary Peters made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshals Service; and the Transportation Security Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timonthy Kistner and Christopher Looney of the National Security Unit are prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Christopher Magnani of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence & Export Control Section.
 

BOSTON – A Brockton man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to drug distribution and conspiracy charges. 

Antonio Dossantos-Tirado, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base and one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Dec. 21, 2026. Dossantos-Tirado was arrested and charged in October 2025. 

On May 29, 2025, Dossantos-Tirado sold 55 grams of crack-cocaine in the Sunset Hill housing development in Fall River, Mass. On June 10, 2025 Dossantos-Tirado organized the sale of cocaine, fentanyl and a firearm between a relative and a cooperating witness.

The charge of distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base carries a sentence of no less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, no less than four years and up to a lifetime of supervision and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Fall River Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is 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 (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

BOSTON – A Lynn man has been arrested and charged for allegedly transporting a minor to engage in prostitution. 

Emmanuel Devallon, 32, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of transporting a minor to engage in prostitution. The defendant was arrested on Sept. 17, 2026 and appeared in federal court in Worcester on Sept. 18, 2026. He remains detained in federal custody.

According to the indictment, in June 2026, Devallon knowingly transported a minor in interstate commerce with the intent that she engage in prostitution or any criminal sexual activity.

The charge of transporting a minor to engage in prostitution provides for a minimum mandatory sentence of ten years and up to life in prison, five years and up to life on supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Peabody Police Department, Lynn Police Department and Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig E. Estes, of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit is prosecuting the case. 

If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact [email protected].

This case was brought in collaboration with Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law. 

BOSTON – A Pittsfield pharmacist pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to diverting Adderall and Dextroamp-amphetamin (generic Adderall) from a national pharmacy chain.

Joshua Bradley, 30, of Pittsfield, pleaded guilty to five counts of acquiring a controlled substance by fraud, deception and subterfuge. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Dec. 15, 2026. Bradley was charged in July 2026.

While working as a licensed pharmacist at a national pharmacy chain, Bradley diverted various quantities of Dextroamp-amphetamin for his own use on four occasions in August, September and November 2024. Additionally, on Nov. 10, 2024, Bradley also diverted Adderall. These controlled substances originally were intended for customers.

The charge of acquiring a controlled substance by fraud, deception, and subterfuge provides for a sentence of up to four years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department and the Barnstable, Harwich, Bourne, Brewster, Sandwich, Falmouth, Mashpee, Yarmouth and Dennis Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Cleary of the Health Care Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A previously convicted felon from Lowell was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for distributing cocaine base (crack cocaine) and illegally possessing two firearms. 

Marc Sanchez, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to 81 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. In June 2026, Sanchez pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Sanchez was arrested and charged in October 2025 and has remained in federal custody since.

Sanchez was identified as a drug distributor selling crack cocaine out of his apartment in Lowell. Specifically, on Sept. 17, 2025, a cooperating witness arranged to meet Sanchez at his apartment to purchase an ounce and a half of crack cocaine. At the time of the meeting, Sanchez was observed meeting with an unknown drug supplier in a car outside his apartment building to acquire powder cocaine. Sanchez then returned to his apartment with the cooperating witness, where Sanchez “cooked” the powder cocaine into crack cocaine, separated and weighed the substance, and then sold it to the cooperating witness. In addition, Sanchez used phone numbers and cars registered in other people’s names to deal crack cocaine.

On Sept. 25, 2025, Sanchez again produced and distributed an ounce-and-a-half of crack cocaine to the cooperating witness at this apartment. During a search of Sanchez’s apartment approximately one week later, on Oct. 1, 2025, more cocaine, drug-coated cookware and drug packaging materials were recovered as well as over $3,000 cash and two loaded 9mm handguns from inside a safe. 

According to court documents, there were at least four outstanding arrest warrants for Sanchez in connection with open criminal cases in Derry District Court in New Hampshire and in Boston, Lawrence and Lowell District Courts in Massachusetts. Sanchez has multiple felony convictions and he served over two years in a Massachusetts state prison in 2018 and 2019. 

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Greg C. Hudon, Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Billerica, Haverhill, Methuen, North Andover, Salem (Mass.) and Manchester (N.H.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for his involvement in a drug manufacturing ring. Over two kilograms of suspected controlled substances and a pill press were recovered during related search warrants.

Aris Arvelo Gonzalez, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute and manufacture controlled substances. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Jan. 13, 2027. Gonzalez was arrested and charged in November 2026.  

According to the charging documents, Gonzalez and La Culebra controlled a large drug manufacturing location inside an apartment in Methuen. During a search of the Methuen apartment in August 2025, over 18 kilograms of controlled substances and a pill press were recovered.

While on pretrial release following a January 2025 arrest for drug offenses in Salem District Court in New Hampshire, Gonzalez sold over 1,500 grams of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl to a confidential informant and an undercover agent on four occasions between July 2025 and November 2025.

At the time of Gonzalez’s arrest, he was found in possession of thousands of counterfeit pills bundled into smaller bags as well as a large quantity of cash:

Following his arrest, search warrants were executed at three locations in Lawrence that were tied to Gonzalez and the La Culebra drug trafficking organization. During those searches, various items and materials used in the manufacturing of counterfeit Percocet containing fentanyl were recovered – including a pill press and a 25-kilogram bag of pill binding agent.

The charge of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute or manufacture provides for sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of manufacturing and possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute or manufacture provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
 

BOSTON – A Brockton man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to being a felon in possession. The defendant participated in a violent shootout that left a female victim with a gunshot wound to her chest. 

Romeo Miller, 28, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition before U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns who scheduled sentencing for Dec. 17, 2026. Miller was arrested and charged in April 2025, along with his alleged co-conspirators 

According to court filings, on June 2, 2024, at approximately 1:45 a.m., law enforcement responded to a “shots fired” call to a home in Brockton. Upon arrival, officers observed a large crowd outside the home and a 31-year-old female victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital and survived. 

It is alleged that numerous bullet casings were found scattered throughout the front yard and driveway of the Brockton residence. According to court documents, video footage obtained from the home’s surveillance system determined that a house party at the residence led to a physical altercation in the driveway and, allegedly, an exchange of gunfire between the victim and Natalio Miranda, Miller and Jonathan Alves.

Specifically, surveillance video captured Miranda as he allegedly discharged several bursts of ammunition from an automatic weapon in the front yard of the residence before leaving the scene. Miller, and allegedly Alves, are also seen firing towards the victim from the driveway. In addition, Miller is later seen crossing the street to hide behind a parked car, where he shot the victim in the chest. Surveillance video captured Miller returning to the driveway, where he passed his firearm off to Monteiro, before the two drove away in separate parked cars. 

At the time of the shooting, Miller was on state probation for unlawfully possessing a firearm, after having served a prison sentence for  assault and battery on a police officer.

The charge of being a felon in possession of ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Division; and Brockton Police Chief Brenda I. Perez made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the U.S. Marshals Service in the District of Massachusetts, Massachusetts State Police and the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Pohl of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A member of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for racketeering charges, including his participation in the attempted murder of two victims.

Westyn Lantigua, a/k/a “Wes,” a/k/a “Muddy,” 25, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 135 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In May 2026, Lantigua pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. Lantigua was arrested and charged in February 2025.

The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Trinitarios adhere to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to organize and execute violence, and undertake extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members. 

Photographs and videos showed Lantigua wearing Trinitarios beaded necklaces, making Trinitarios gang signs with his hands and associating with other members and leaders. Lantigua admitted to his membership in the gang and to his participation in a June 2022 shooting outside of a fast-food restaurant in Lynn. Lantigua drove past the drive-thru lane of the restaurant, where a vehicle believed to be used by rival gang members was in line. The vehicle was in fact occupied by two innocent female victims. Surveillance video showed Lantigua’s white Mercedes parked across the street from the exit of the parking lot waiting for the victims’ vehicle to leave. 

As the victims’ vehicle left the fast-food restaurant parking lot, surveillance video showed Lantigua exit his vehicle and discharge numerous rounds from a fully automatic firearm at the victims’ vehicle. Both female occupants were hit by gunfire and survived, and their vehicle had 10 bullet holes. Fifteen 9mm casings were recovered at the scene. A review of Lantigua’s cellular phones showed photographs and videos of him possessing a fully automatic handgun around the time of the shooting and showed Lantigua in possession of distribution quantities of drugs.

Lantigua also participated in the Trinitarios conspiracy to conduct burglaries of convenience stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Through these burglaries, the Trinitarios stole lottery tickets that they would cash in shortly after they were stolen. Lantigua participated in multiple such break-ins and was captured on video redeeming stolen tickets with other members of the Trinitarios. 

In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. The charges were the result of a multijurisdictional investigation, which began in the aftermath of four murders as well as a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members. On June 9, 2026, additional federal racketeering and drug charges were unsealed charging 26 additional leaders, members and associates of the Lawrence, Haverhill and Boston Chapters of the gang. According to court documents, members of the Trinitarios have allegedly participated in at least 15 murders in Essex County since 2017. Since 2025, a total of 56 leaders, members and associates have been charged in federal court.

The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case 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 Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

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#

FIRST NAME

LAST NAME

DOCKET NO.

CASE STATUS

1

Ricardo

Bratini-Perez

24-CR-10310

Pleaded Guilty,

Sentenced to 120 Months

2

Rosnel

Polanco

24-CR-10263

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

3

Eric

Rosario

24-CR-10263

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

4

Robert

Santana

24-CR-10263

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

5

Yeferson

Vallecillo Cambar

24-CR-10335

Pending

6

Elvis

Trujillo

24-CR-10336

Pending

7

Abel

Severino-Reyes

24-CR-10373

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

8

Warly

Ruiz

24-CR-10380

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

9

David

Garcia

25-CR-10006

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

10

Tomy

Sanchez

25-CR-10007

Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing

11

Carlos

Ramirez

25-CR-10008

Pleaded Guilty

12

Justin

Alba

25-CR-10058

Pending

13

Darwin

Batista

25-CR-10058

Pending

14

Janoy

Batista

25-CR-10058

Pending

15

Aaron

Diaz Liranzo

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty,

Sentenced to 168 Months

16

Israel

Garcia-Vasquez

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing

17

James

Jimenez

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing

18

Ery

Jordani Rosario

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing

19

Westyn

Lantigua

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing

20

Kelvin

Liranzo Roman

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing

21

Michael

Miliano

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

22

Enmanuel

Paula-Cabral

25-CR-10058

Pending

23

Luis Jeffrey

Santana

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty,

Sentenced to 120 Months

24

Luis Enrique

Santana

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty,

Sentenced to 136 Months

25

Angel

Santos

25-CR-10058

Pending

26

Wilving

Lopez

25-CR-10062

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

27

Leonardo

Espinoza

25-CR-10236

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

28

Isiah

Medina

25-CR-10302

Pending

29

Rodderrith

Peralta

25-CR-10302

Pending

30

Derek

Mercado

25-CR-10411

Pleaded Guilty,

Sentenced to 37 Months

31

Yordali

Yorro

25-CR-10058

Pending

32

James

Cabrera

25-CR-10058

Pending

33

Luis

Crispin

25-CR-10058

Pending

34

Angel

Castillo-Garcia

25-CR-10058

Fugitive

35

Osviallis

Serrano

25-CR-10058

Fugitive

36

Jervis

Almanzar

25-CR-10058

Pending

37

Enrique

Duran

25-CR-10058

Pending

38

Abigail

Arias

25-CR-10058

Pending

39

Justane

Garcia

25-CR-10058

Pending

40

Riky

Montilla

25-CR-10058

Pending

41

Jeremy

Felix

25-CR-10058

Pending

42

Jose

Martinez

25-CR-10058

Pending

43

Jayden

Muniz

25-CR-10058

Pending

44

Geovane

Fernandes

25-CR-10058

Pending

45

Jahir

Davila

25-CR-10058

Pending

46

Yanuel

Mejia

25-CR-10058

Pending

47

Luis

Fernandez Lopez

25-CR-10058

Pending

48

Victor

Diaz

25-CR-10058

Pending

49

Xavier

Puello

25-CR-10058

Pending

50

Joelfry

Cabrera

25-CR-10058

Pending

51

Richard

Pena

25-CR-10058

Pending

52

Hector

Mota

25-CR-10058

Pending

53

Jean

Delgado

25-CR-10058

Pending

54

Luis

Cabral

25-CR-10058

Pending

55

Yoldari

Tejeda Coronado

25-CR-10058

Pending

56

Martin

Taveras

25-CR-10058

Pending

BOSTON – Trax Retail, Inc. (Trax) has agreed to pay approximately $3 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that the company falsely certified to the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) its eligibility for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.

As detailed in the settlement agreement, Trax admits that, in February 2021, it obtained a second draw PPP loan and certified that it was eligible to receive the loan under the PPP rules. When it applied for the loan and when it applied for forgiveness, Trax, together with its foreign parent company and affiliates, had over 300 employees. Businesses with more than 300 employees were not eligible for second draw loans. 

Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and the Economic Security Act (CARES Act) on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses through the PPP, which the SBA administered. On May 5, 2020, the SBA issued guidance that explained that, for purposes of meeting size eligibility requirements (i.e. whether the applicant is a “small business concern” or otherwise falls below the cap on employee headcount), an applicant must count all its employees and the employees of its U.S. and foreign affiliates, absent a waiver of, or an exception to, the affiliation rules.

The claims resolved in today’s settlement include claims that were brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. As part of today’s resolution, the whistleblower will receive approximately $300,000.

The settlement credits Trax for cooperation under the Department of Justice’s Guidelines for Taking Voluntary Disclosure, Cooperation and Remediation into Account in False Claims Act Matters. 

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and the Small Businesses Administration made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Brazier of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the case.

BOSTON – A Massachusetts man was sentenced on Sept. 10, 2026 for conspiring to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute.

Deane Gilmore, 36, of Walpole, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy to 13 months in prison, to be followed by 18 months of supervised release with the first year to be served on home confinement. Gilmore was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $2.3 million. In January 2026, Gilmore pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks after Gilmore was charged in December 2025.

From approximately March 2020 through April 2022, Gilmore owned and managed two durable medical equipment (DME) companies, Jupiter Medical Associates Inc. and Granite Medical Associates Inc. Gilmore. Through these companies, Gilmore illegally paid telemarketers who obtained medical information from Medicare beneficiaries to prepare orders for DME, such as back, knee, wrist, or ankle braces. The orders provided by the telemarketers made it appear that medical practitioners were legitimately prescribing DME to these beneficiaries, when, in fact, the orders were frequently medically unnecessary and based on false documentation. By paying these telemarketers on a per-order basis, Gilmore violated the Anti-Kickback Statute.  

Over the course of his scheme, Gilmore submitted or caused to be submitted a total of approximately $6.5 million in kickback-tainted claims to Medicare. Medicare ultimately paid out approximately $2.3 million for these kickback-tainted claims.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General; Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Looney of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 

On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. 

Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).

On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced recent charges, convictions and sentencings in five cases involving fraud against COVID-19 pandemic relief programs as part of a nationwide enforcement surge led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the SBA Office of Inspector General.

From June 12 through Sept. 1, 2026, federal prosecutors across the country facilitated fraud enforcement actions involving more than 160 criminal defendants, including approximately 80 newly charged defendants and approximately $245 million in intended losses to American taxpayers.

The District of Massachusetts participated in the coordinated effort through prosecutions involving alleged identity theft to obtain pandemic benefits, fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications, and the diversion of taxpayer-funded relief money for personal expenses.

“Pandemic relief programs were created to keep businesses afloat and help Americans weather an unprecedented crisis – not to finance homes, luxury vehicles or other personal expenses,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Years after these programs ended, we are still identifying and prosecuting those who allegedly exploited them. The message should be clear: the passage of time will not shield fraudsters from accountability, and we will continue to protect taxpayer dollars and pursue those who stole from programs designed to help people in genuine need.”

Among the District of Massachusetts’ recent pandemic-relief fraud enforcement actions:

David Breen, 54, of Mount Pleasant, S.C., was sentenced in July 2026 to three years probation, with one year to be served on home detention and restitution in the amount of $1,148,368 after previously pleading guilty in March 2026 to theft of government property for misappropriating more than $1.2 million in EIDL funds for personal use. Breen obtained approximately $1.5 million in EIDL funds on behalf of “Fun Zone,” an entity through which he operated “Pinz,” a bowling alley and entertainment venue in Milford, Mass. Although Breen agreed to use the loan proceeds as working capital for the business, he instead used more than $1.1 million to build a home for himself in South Carolina and to make a down payment on a $111,000 truck.

Tanya Pierre, 29, of Miami, Fla. pleaded guilty in August 2026 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a multi-state PPP fraud scheme, as well as a separate conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud involving fraudulent mortgage and luxury apartment applications. In the PPP scheme, Pierre conspired with others to submit fraudulent loan applications on behalf of borrowers and created fake tax forms to support applications falsely claiming that borrowers operated qualifying businesses. According to court records, Pierre is responsible for approximately $4.8 million in losses resulting from the PPP scheme. Pierre is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 19, 2026.

Wilfredo Payano Batista, 39, a Dominican national residing in Worcester, was arrested and charged in July 2026 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2026 in connection with an alleged scheme to use the identity of a U.S. citizen to obtain government benefits, including PPP and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) funds. Batista allegedly obtained a $20,832 PPP loan and more than $48,000 in PUA benefits using the victim’s identity. According to the charging documents, Batista collected approximately $17,682 of the PUA benefits for 21 weeks during which he was incarcerated in Massachusetts for drug-dealing convictions. He allegedly later told the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance, while posing as the victim, that he had already spent the money and could not repay it.

Patrick Nerese, 48, of Randolph, Mass. was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2026 on bank fraud, money laundering and wire fraud charges in connection with alleged bank fraud and pandemic-relief fraud schemes. Prosecutors allege that Nerese submitted fraudulent EIDL and PPP applications between 2020 and 2022 by falsely representing his business’s gross income and, in connection with a PPP application, submitting a fake tax form to substantiate the claimed revenue. While the alleged fraudulent EIDL application was denied, the alleged PPP fraud resulted in approximately $20,833 in actual losses. Nerese is also alleged to have deposited or attempted to deposit approximately 17 stolen and altered checks totaling more than $3.2 million at Massachusetts banks.

Earlier this month, Wens Mathurin, 29, of Brockton, Mass. was sentenced to one day in prison (deemed served), three years of supervised release and $312,000 in restitution after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to engage in unlawful monetary transactions. Mathurin participated in a broader multi-state PPP fraud scheme in which fraudulent loan applications were submitted using fabricated employee and payroll information and false supporting documents. A fraudulent application submitted on behalf of Mathurin’s purported warehouse and cargo delivery business resulted in a $313,852 PPP loan. Mathurin subsequently made kickback payments in connection with the fraud.

On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).

On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

The Massachusetts cases described above were investigated by various federal and state law enforcement partners, including the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General; Homeland Security Investigations; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Secret Service; the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; and the Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The charged defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law. 

BOSTON – A Nigerian national residing in Lynn, Mass. has been arrested and charged with illegally voting in the 2022 midterm elections. Defendant also allegedly voted in the 2024 Presidential primary election.

Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56, is charged with unlawfully voting as an alien. The defendant was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston later today. 

According to the charging documents, Okafor is a citizen of Nigeria who was born in Aba, Nigeria. Okafor obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022 but is not a U.S. citizen and has not applied for U.S. citizenship.

In July 2022, Okafor allegedly submitted a voter registration card, signing her name under a certification which provided “I AM A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES … Signed under penalty of perjury.” The City of Lynn subsequently registered her to vote, and Okafor allegedly voted in the midterm elections that fall. 

It is further alleged that Okafor submitted a second voter registration form in October of 2023, checking the “U.S. Citizen” box and signing under the U.S. citizen certification. Okafor allegedly voted in the 2024 presidential primary election. 

The charge of unlawful voting as an alien provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. The defendant may be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).

On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within federal benefit programs.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law. 

BOSTON – A Dominican national who unlawfully resided in Dorchester, Mass. was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after having been deported on three separate occasions. The defendant has previously been convicted of drug trafficking, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud dating as far back as 1997. 

Wilson Radhames Peguero Brea, a/k/a Jose Perez Antonio, 57, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to time served (eight months in prison), to be followed by two years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of 21 months in prison. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In July 2026, Peguero Brea pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien with a prior felony conviction. The defendant was previously charged by criminal complaint in February 2026 and indicted in April 2026. He is currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.

Peguero Brea illegally entered the United States at least four times, and used numerous aliases, including aliases belonging to U.S. citizen victims. In 1997, under an alias associated with a U.S. citizen victim, Peguero Brea was convicted of drug trafficking. He was removed from the United States in 2005 and thereafter illegally reentered the country. In 2016, Peguero Brea was arrested and charged by the state with possession of a fraudulently obtained driver’s license. That criminal case remains in default status. He was removed from the U.S. a second time in 2016. 

After Peguero Brea illegally entered the U.S. a third time, he was charged in Dorchester District Court with trafficking cocaine and fentanyl in a criminal case that remains in warrant status. According to court documents, Peguero Brea’s Massachusetts criminal history is associated with his alias Jose Perez Antonio. 

In 2021, Peguero Brea was arrested and charged with his true name in federal court for aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. He was convicted of both charges on Jan. 11, 2023, and sentenced to more than two years in federal prison. In 2023, Peguero Brea was removed from the United States a third time. Peguero Brea then illegally reentered the United States a fourth time and was encountered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on Feb. 5, 2026, while using a false identity document. 

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced on Sept. 10, 2026 in federal court in Boston to the maximum statutory penalty for sexually exploiting a child whom he repeatedly abused over a period of approximately three years.

Raymond F. Clinton, Jr., 74, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to 30 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in an amount that will be determined at a hearing on Sept. 29, 2026. In May 2026, Clinton pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children.

“This defendant spent years sexually abusing and exploiting a child and went so far as to record that abuse for his own gratification,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Despite the defendant’s years of grooming and threats, the victim came forward, bravely reporting the abuse and cooperating fully with authorities. No sentence can undo the harm Raymond Clinton, Jr. caused, but this sentence ensures that he will spend decades in prison and will never again harm another child. This sentence also sends an unmistakable message: those who prey on children will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

“What Raymond Clinton did was absolutely horrific and this sentence ensures he’ll spend the rest of his life behind bars,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “That said, no sentence can erase the lasting harm this predator inflicted on this 14-year-old girl who will now have to live the rest of her life with the trauma of having been repeatedly sexually assaulted. Her courage to come forward in the name of accountability helped us ensure that other children won’t fall victim to this defendant. The FBI will continue to investigate and bring to justice anyone victimizing innocent kids in this way.”

Clinton began sexually abusing the victim when she was 11 years old and repeatedly assaulted her until she was 14. The abuse occurred in several locations in and outside Massachusetts. Clinton also threatened to harm the victim if she disclosed the abuse.

Clinton also took sexually explicit photographs of the victim and directed her to pose for photographs. In one message recovered during the investigation, Clinton solicited sexually explicit photographs from the victim. When she refused, Clinton continued to press her to send photographs without her face visible.

In May 2025, Clinton recorded his sexual exploitation of the victim. . The victim did not appear to know that she was being recorded.

Clinton was arrested in Brockton on June 1, 2025. During an interview with investigators, Clinton denied sexually assaulting the victim and denied taking nude photographs of her. When confronted with a sexually explicit message he had sent the victim, Clinton acknowledged sending it but claimed it was a joke. During a search of Clinton’s cellphone, a password-protected folder was located and found to contain sexually explicit photographs of the victim, including nude images; photographs and videos of Clinton; and the videos documenting Clinton’s sexual abuse of the victim.

U.S. Attorney Foley, FBI SAC Docks and Brockton Police Chief Brenda I. Perez made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Mansfield Police Department and Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David G. Tobin and Jessica L. Soto of the Criminal Division.

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for being a felon in possession of a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol as well as cocaine base, methamphetamine and oxycodone. 

Brevin Dossantos-Wellington, 29, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to nine years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. In March 2025, Dossantos-Wellington pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, methamphetamine and oxycodone. In August 2024, Dossantos-Wellington was indicted by a federal grand jury.

On May 5, 2024, law enforcement conducted a motor vehicle stop of Dossantos-Wellington, during which time Dossantos-Wellington tried to flee. Subsequently, a loaded Springfield Armory XD-9 9mm pistol, along with 8 baggies of cocaine base, methamphetamine and oxycodone were found in his pants. Dossantos-Wellington recently completed a sentence for a prior federal drug trafficking conviction and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms. 

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

BOSTON –A Southbridge man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for conspiring to distribute cocaine in Central Massachusetts.

Luis Sastre Pagan, 37, of Puerto Rico and formally of Southbridge, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to eight years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In June 2026, Sastre Pagan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Pagan was charged in November 2024, along with co-conspirators Eric Rivera and Miguel Lopez.

From in or about April 2023 through April 2024, Sastre Pagan participated in a conspiracy that shipped kilograms of cocaine into Central Massachusetts from Puerto Rico. Evidence showed that the defendant was in communication with co-conspirators before and after the deliveries and that Sastre Pagan was directing the activity of his co-defendants and other co-conspirators as to the activity of the drug trafficking organization in and around Southbridge and Worcester. Over the course of the investigation, four packages were seized, each of which were found to contain cocaine. In total, between 15-50 kilograms of cocaine is attributable to Sastre Pagan as part of his participation in the conspiracy.  

In August 2025, Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. In November 2025 he was sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In April 2026, Lopez was sentenced to six years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the DEA Puerto Rico and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Brown of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.

This case 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 Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. 
 

BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Roxbury, Mass., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for trafficking and conspiring to traffic large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine.

Bryan Moises Frias Sanchez, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to 136 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In January 2026, Frias Sanchez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, aiding and abetting; distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and cocaine, aiding and abetting; and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, aiding and abetting. He was indicted in April 2025, along with Jean Carlos Frias Polanco and Rafael Vargas Cabrera. 

Frias Sanchez was the leader of a drug trafficking conspiracy operating out of Roxbury, Mass. Between July 2024 and January 2025, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine from Frias Sanchez and his drug trafficking organization. For each of the controlled purchases, Frias Sanchez arranged the transaction, but for some of the deals he sent one of his associates to deliver the drugs, including co-defendants Frias Polanco and allegedly Vargas Cabrera. During a number of those transactions, Frias Sanchez offered to sell firearms in addition to the controlled substances. In total, Frias Sanchez is responsible for distributing approximately 2.6 kilograms of pure methamphetamine, 70 grams of fentanyl and over 800 grams of cocaine.   

Frias Polanco pleaded guilty and was sentenced on May 8, 2026 to 19 months in prison. Co-defendant Vargas Cabrera is scheduled to plead guilty on Sept. 28, 2026.

This case 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 Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Homeland Security and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea E. Porter and Brad Rocheville of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. 

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Holliston, Mass. man was charged yesterday in federal court in Boston with sexually exploiting a minor. 

Wilson Fabian Mizhirumbay Granda, 23, was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of children. Granda is currently in Rhode Island state custody on an unrelated criminal case and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

Between August and September 2023, Granda is alleged to have coerced a minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct. 

Granda has prior state convictions in Hampshire Country Superior Court for rape of a child and enticing a child under 16, for which he was sentenced in May 2024 to four years  and one day in state prison to be followed by five years of probation. Currently, Granda also has pending charges in Norfolk County for rape of child with force, rape of child and enticing a child under 16 related to another minor. 

The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. 

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Holliston, Scituate (R.I.), Amherst, Westminster, Medway, Worcester, Millis and UMass Lowell Police Departments; and the Middlesex County, Hampshire County, Northwestern County, Norfolk County and Worcester County District Attorney’s Offices. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David G. Tobin and Jessica L. Soto of the Criminal Division. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law. 

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced on Sept. 8, 2026 in federal court in Boston for felony narcotics charges.

Michael Lagasse, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to time-served (approximately 10 months) followed by three years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of 40 months in prison. In July 2024, Lagasse pleaded guilty to six counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
    
On six occasions, between January and July 2021, Lagasse sold counterfeit Adderall pills to an undercover law enforcement officer. The pills were illegally manufactured and laced with methamphetamine. Combined, Lagasse sold approximately 2400 pills with a net weight of roughly 800 grams.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Tolkoff of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
 

BOSTON – A Las Vegas man, formerly of Northborough, Mass., pleaded guilty on Sept. 10, 2026 in federal court in Worcester for conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute large quantities of anabolic steroids and methamphetamine. The defendant also pleaded guilty to firearms charges. 

Mark Taslakian, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute schedule III anabolic steroids, one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and anabolic steroids, and one count of being a felon in possession of seven firearms. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Jan. 11, 2027. 

According to court documents, Taslakian and others formulated a plan to order multi-kilogram quantities of raw steroid powders from China which they then synthesized into injectable and oral products. Taslakian came up with the idea of marketing/distributing their own brand name of anabolic steroids under the pseudonym “Nex-Gen Pharma.” During a search of Taslakian’s former residence in Northborough, over $500K in cash, a gold bar, jewelry, significant quantities of anabolic steroids and methamphetamine, packaging materials, ledgers and seven firearms in a basement safe were seized.  

The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute schedule III anabolic steroids provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, at least two years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and anabolic steroids provides for a sentence of no less than five years up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5million. The charge of felon in possession of a firearm provides a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial E. Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – An Ecuadorian national unlawfully residing in Milford, Mass. pleaded guilty on Sept. 8, 2026 in federal court in Worcester to illegally reentering the United States after deportation. The defendant was previously deported from the United States and arrested four times for driving under the influence in Massachusetts.

Luis Rolando Clavijo Tacuri, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Oct. 20, 2026. Tacuri was charged in August 2026.

Tacuri was first encountered by immigration officials in October 2015, while he was incarcerated on charges of operating under the influence in Holliston, Mass. At the time, it was Tacuri’s third operating under the influence offense. Tacuri was subsequently placed into removal proceedings and deported to Ecuador in December 2016.   

Sometime after his removal, Tacuri illegally reentered the United States. On May 27, 2024, Tacuri was arrested in Milford, Mass., for allegedly operating under the influence. 

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A state leader of Trinitarios pleaded guilty yesterday to racketeering charges, including his participation in two murders and two other attempted murders.

Ery Jordani Rosario, a/k/a “Racacha,” 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Dec. 10, 2026. Rosario was charged in February 2025.

The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Trinitarios adhere to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to coordinate and execute violence, and undertake extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members. In Massachusetts, the Trinitarios are alleged to have a state leadership, and multiple local Chapters in the cities of Lynn, Lawrence, Haverhill and Boston.

Rosario was one of the leaders who convened a gang meeting on Dec. 1, 2024. During the recorded meeting, Rosario and other chapter leaders of the Trinitarios discussed the reorganization and restructuring of the Trinitarios chapters, including the need for members to pay dues and contribute to the gang’s operations. The leaders discussed the need to have money on hand to help members who commit shootings and to fund a war against rival gang members. They also discussed the potential violence that will be visited upon members who betrayed the gang.

Rosario also admitted to his participation in an August 2021 shooting outside of a department store in Salem, Mass. During this incident, Luis Jeffrey Santana and other Trinitarios members confronted two victims they believed to be rival gang members and engaged in a verbal altercation with them in the store. The Trinitarios and victims separated, exited the store and proceeded in different directions. The Trinitarios members, however, called for reinforcements who arrived shortly thereafter. The victims proceeded to their vehicle and as they turned out of the parking lot, a black sedan driven by Ery Jordani Rosario containing multiple Trinitarios pulled up and a shooter began firing multiple rounds at the victims. At the same time, a second vehicle pulled out and blocked traffic while the shooting took place.

During today’s court proceedings, Rosario admitted to his membership and leadership in the gang. Photographs and videos recovered in the investigation showed Rosario wearing Trinitarios beaded necklaces, making Trinitarios gang signs with his hands and associating with other members and leaders.

In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. The charges were the result of a multijurisdictional investigation, which began in the aftermath of four murders as well as a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members. On June 9, 2026, additional federal racketeering and drug charges were unsealed charging 26 additional leaders, members and associates of the Lawrence, Haverhill and Boston Chapters of the gang. According to court documents, members of the Trinitarios have allegedly participated in at least fifteen murders in Essex County since 2017. Since 2025, a total of 56 leaders, members and associates have been charged in federal court.

The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, a controlled substance (also known as drug conspiracy) provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million dollars. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester, N.H. Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case 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 Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
 

#

FIRST NAME

LAST NAME

DOCKET NO.

CASE STATUS

1

Ricardo

Bratini-Perez

24-CR-10310

Pleaded Guilty,

Sentenced to 120 Months

2

Rosnel

Polanco

24-CR-10263

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

3

Eric

Rosario

24-CR-10263

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

4

Robert

Santana

24-CR-10263

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

5

Yeferson

Vallecillo Cambar

24-CR-10335

Pending

6

Elvis

Trujillo

24-CR-10336

Pending

7

Abel

Severino-Reyes

24-CR-10373

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

8

Warly

Ruiz

24-CR-10380

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

9

David

Garcia

25-CR-10006

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

10

Tomy

Sanchez

25-CR-10007

Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing

11

Carlos

Ramirez

25-CR-10008

Pleaded Guilty

12

Justin

Alba

25-CR-10058

Pending

13

Darwin

Batista

25-CR-10058

Pending

14

Janoy

Batista

25-CR-10058

Pending

15

Aaron

Diaz Liranzo

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty,

Sentenced to 168 Months

16

Israel

Garcia-Vasquez

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing

17

James

Jimenez

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing

18

Ery

Jordani Rosario

25-CR-10058

Pending

19

Westyn

Lantigua

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing

20

Kelvin

Liranzo Roman

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing

21

Michael

Miliano

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

22

Enmanuel

Paula-Cabral

25-CR-10058

Pending

23

Luis Jeffrey

Santana

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty,

Sentenced to 120 Months

24

Luis Enrique

Santana

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty,

Sentenced to 136 Months

25

Angel

Santos

25-CR-10058

Pending

26

Wilving

Lopez

25-CR-10062

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

27

Leonardo

Espinoza

25-CR-10236

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

28

Isiah

Medina

25-CR-10302

Pending

29

Rodderrith

Peralta

25-CR-10302

Pending

30

Derek

Mercado

25-CR-10411

Pleaded Guilty,

Sentenced to 37 Months

31

Yordali

Yorro

25-CR-10058

Pending

32

James

Cabrera

25-CR-10058

Pending

33

Luis

Crispin

25-CR-10058

Pending

34

Angel

Castillo-Garcia

25-CR-10058

Fugitive

35

Osviallis

Serrano

25-CR-10058

Fugitive

36

Jervis

Almanzar

25-CR-10058

Pending

37

Enrique

Duran

25-CR-10058

Pending

38

Abigail

Arias

25-CR-10058

Pending

39

Justane

Garcia

25-CR-10058

Pending

40

Riky

Montilla

25-CR-10058

Pending

41

Jeremy

Felix

25-CR-10058

Pending

42

Jose

Martinez

25-CR-10058

Pending

43

Jayden

Muniz

25-CR-10058

Pending

44

Geovane

Fernandes

25-CR-10058

Pending

45

Jahir

Davila

25-CR-10058

Pending

46

Yanuel

Mejia

25-CR-10058

Pending

47

Luis

Fernandez Lopez

25-CR-10058

Pending

48

Victor

Diaz

25-CR-10058

Pending

49

Xavier

Puello

25-CR-10058

Pending

50

Joelfry

Cabrera

25-CR-10058

Pending

51

Richard

Pena

25-CR-10058

Pending

52

Hector

Mota

25-CR-10058

Pending

53

Jean

Delgado

25-CR-10058

Pending

54

Luis

Cabral

25-CR-10058

Pending

55

Yoldari

Tejeda Coronado

25-CR-10058

Pending

56

Martin

Taveras

25-CR-10058

Pending

BOSTON – St. Michael’s Eye & Laser Institute, a Florida ophthalmology practice, and Dr. John Michaelos, an ophthalmologist and owner of St. Michael’s Eye & Laser Institute, have agreed to pay $350,000 to resolve allegations that they caused the submission of false claims to Medicare in violation of the False Claims Act.

The United States alleges that from September 2015 through December 2020, St. Michael’s Eye & Laser Institute (St. Michael’s) and Dr. Michaelos caused the submission of false claims for transcranial doppler (TCD) tests to Medicare and the Veterans Health Administration. A TCD test is a non-invasive diagnostic test that can be used to estimate the blood flow through certain blood vessels in the brain by bouncing high-frequency sound waves off blood cells. As part of the settlement agreement, St. Michael’s and Dr. Michaelos admitted to and accepted responsibility for facts underlying the settlement agreement. St. Michael’s had contractual agreements with an independent medical diagnostics company, Eyecuity, PLLC (Eyecuity). During the relevant time, Eyecuity paid St. Michael’s for referrals that St. Michael’s made for TCD tests, even though the parties’ contracts called for payment based on the cost of office space, staff, and utilities, and not per-patient or per-test that St. Michael’s referred to Eyecuity. When documenting the purported medical necessity of these tests, Eyecuity submitted claims to Medicare that indicated that patients had Vertebro-Basilar Syndrome or Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency (VBI), a very rare condition. But St. Michael’s physicians did not have reason to believe that patients had a diagnosis of VBI.

The United States contends that the claims for the TCD tests that St. Michael’s and Dr. Michaelos caused Eyecuity to submit to Medicare for payment were false because St. Michael’s received payments from Eyecuity that violated the Anti-Kickback Statute.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles B. Weinograd of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the case.

BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Jorge Junior Alvarez Rodriguez, 23, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 41 months in prison. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In April 2026, Alvarez pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. Alvarez was charged in May 2025.

On May 3, 2025, upon arrival at Boston’s Logan Airport from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Alvarez was flagged for secondary screening. During a review of Alvarez’s cell phone, files depicting CSAM were found. Multiple files depicting children as young as four to seven years old were discovered.  

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection, Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and Julissa Walsh of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

BOSTON – An alleged member of the Lawrence Chapter of the Trinitarios has been arrested and charged in connection with a years-long conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Jhesy Rodriguez, a/k/a “J Sav,” 31, of Lawrence, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The defendant was arrested today and will appear in federal court in Boston later today.

According to charging documents, Rodriguez was encountered during the execution of a search warrant in Lawrence, Mass., in September 2025. That search resulted in the seizure of three firearms, approximately 10 grams of counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl and multiple cellular phones. The search of cellular phones revealed that Rodriguez had allegedly been distributing drugs for multiple years, all while subject to pretrial release conditions and a GPS bracelet ordered by the state court in a pending firearm case.

Text messages recovered from Rodriguez’s phone allegedly revealed that he arranged for drug transactions to take place at his child’s birthday party that was being held at a Chuck E. Cheese, and after a drug test. The charging documents also describe multiple cooperating witnesses in the Trinitarios investigation who identified Rodriguez’s alleged participation in two Trinitarios shootings, one in Lynn and one in Lawrence, as part of the Trinitarios.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, a controlled substance, provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lawrence Police Chief Maurice Aguiler made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by US Marshal Service for the District of Massachusetts, Lowell Police and Middlesex Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case 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 Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
 

BOSTON – A member of the Manchester Chapter of the Trinitarios has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for racketeering charges, including his participation in the attempted murder of rival gang members.

Luis Jeffrey Santana, a/k/a “Sopita,” 28, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. After serving the prison sentence, Luis Enrique Santana will be deported to the Dominican Republic. In June 2026, Santana pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. Luis Jeffrey Santana was arrested and charged in February 2025.

The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Trinitarios adhere to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to coordinate and execute violence, and undertake extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members.

Luis Jeffrey Santana admitted to his participation in an August 2021 shooting outside of a department store in Salem, Mass. During this incident, Luis Jeffrey Santana and other Trinitarios members confronted two victims they believed to be rival gang members and engaged in a verbal altercation with them in the store. The Trinitarios and victims separated, exited the store and proceeded in different directions. The Trinitarios members, however, called for reinforcements who arrived shortly thereafter. The victims proceeded to their vehicle and as they turned out of the parking lot, a black sedan containing multiple Trinitarios pulled up and a shooter began firing multiple rounds at the victims. At the same time, a second vehicle pulled out and blocked traffic while the shooting took place.

Luis Jeffrey Santana was also one of the leaders who convened a gang meeting in Dec. 1, 2024. During the recorded meeting, the Trinitarios discussed the reorganization and restructuring of the Trinitarios chapters, including the need for members to pay dues and contribute to the gang’s operations. The leaders discussed the need to have money on hand to help members who commit shootings and to fund a war against rival gang members. They also discussed the potential violence that would be visited upon members who betray the gang.

During the plea hearing in June 2026, Luis Jeffrey Santana admitted to his membership in the gang. Photographs and videos recovered in the investigation showed Luis Jeffrey Santana wearing Trinitarios beaded necklaces, making Trinitarios gang signs with his hands and associating with other members and leaders.

In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. The charges were the result of a multijurisdictional investigation, which began in the aftermath of four murders as well as a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members. On June 9, 2026, additional federal racketeering and drug charges were unsealed charging 26 additional leaders, members and associates of the Lawrence, Haverhill and Boston Chapters of the gang. According to court documents, the Trinitarios have allegedly participated in five additional murders in Essex County since 2017, bringing the total of federally charged murders to 11, and the total number of federally charged defendants to 56.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; Lawrence Police Chief Maurice Aguiler; Methuen Police Acting Chief Jamie Moore, and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester, N.H. Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case 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 Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

#

FIRST NAME

LAST NAME

DOCKET NO.

CASE STATUS

1

Ricardo

Bratini-Perez

24-CR-10310

Pleaded Guilty,

Sentenced to 120 Months

2

Rosnel

Polanco

24-CR-10263

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

3

Eric

Rosario

24-CR-10263

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

4

Robert

Santana

24-CR-10263

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

5

Yeferson

Vallecillo Cambar

24-CR-10335

Pending

6

Elvis

Trujillo

24-CR-10336

Pending

7

Abel

Severino-Reyes

24-CR-10373

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

8

Warly

Ruiz

24-CR-10380

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

9

David

Garcia

25-CR-10006

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

10

Tomy

Sanchez

25-CR-10007

Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing

11

Carlos

Ramirez

25-CR-10008

Pleaded Guilty

12

Justin

Alba

25-CR-10058

Pending

13

Darwin

Batista

25-CR-10058

Pending

14

Janoy

Batista

25-CR-10058

Pending

15

Aaron

Diaz Liranzo

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty,

Sentenced to 168 Months

16

Israel

Garcia-Vasquez

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing

17

James

Jimenez

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing

18

Ery

Jordani Rosario

25-CR-10058

Pending

19

Westyn

Lantigua

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing

20

Kelvin

Liranzo Roman

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty, Awaiting Sentencing

21

Michael

Miliano

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

22

Enmanuel

Paula-Cabral

25-CR-10058

Pending

23

Luis Jeffrey

Santana

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty,

Sentenced to 120 Months

24

Luis Enrique

Santana

25-CR-10058

Pleaded Guilty,

Sentenced to 136 Months

25

Angel

Santos

25-CR-10058

Pending

26

Wilving

Lopez

25-CR-10062

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

27

Leonardo

Espinoza

25-CR-10236

Pleaded Guilty,

Awaiting Sentencing

28

Isiah

Medina

25-CR-10302

Pending

29

Rodderrith

Peralta

25-CR-10302

Pending

30

Derek

Mercado

25-CR-10411

Pleaded Guilty,

Sentenced to 37 Months

31

Yordali

Yorro

25-CR-10058

Pending

32

James

Cabrera

25-CR-10058

Pending

33

Luis

Crispin

25-CR-10058

Pending

34

Angel

Castillo-Garcia

25-CR-10058

Fugitive

35

Osviallis

Serrano

25-CR-10058

Fugitive

36

Jervis

Almanzar

25-CR-10058

Pending

37

Enrique

Duran

25-CR-10058

Pending

38

Abigail

Arias

25-CR-10058

Pending

39

Justane

Garcia

25-CR-10058

Pending

40

Riky

Montilla

25-CR-10058

Pending

41

Jeremy

Felix

25-CR-10058

Pending

42

Jose

Martinez

25-CR-10058

Pending

43

Jayden

Muniz

25-CR-10058

Pending

44

Geovane

Fernandes

25-CR-10058

Pending

45

Jahir

Davila

25-CR-10058

Pending

46

Yanuel

Mejia

25-CR-10058

Pending

47

Luis

Fernandez Lopez

25-CR-10058

Pending

48

Victor

Diaz

25-CR-10058

Pending

49

Xavier

Puello

25-CR-10058

Pending

50

Joelfry

Cabrera

25-CR-10058

Pending

51

Richard

Pena

25-CR-10058

Pending

52

Hector

Mota

25-CR-10058

Pending

53

Jean

Delgado

25-CR-10058

Pending

54

Luis

Cabral

25-CR-10058

Pending

55

Yoldari

Tejeda Coronado

25-CR-10058

Pending

56

Martin

Taveras

25-CR-10058

Pending

BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully residing in Peabody, Mass., who served as a “general” in Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), a violent transnational criminal organization based in Brazil, has pleaded guilty to multiple drug trafficking and firearm charges. PCC is one of the largest cocaine distributors in the world and is responsible for acts of violence and firearms trafficking.

Adinazio Vinicius Soares Dias-Barbosa, a/k/a “Panda,” 30, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, being an alien in possession of firearms and ammunition and engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. U.S. Senior District Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Dec. 3, 2026. The defendant was previously charged by criminal complaint on July 30, 2025.

Dias-Barbosa supplied fentanyl and cocaine to a drug trafficking network operating on the North Shore of Massachusetts. During the investigation, a search of Dias-Barbosa’s cell phone revealed numerous messages and photographs detailing his drug trafficking activities.

On July 1, 2025, as part of the investigation, Dias-Barbosa was stopped on Interstate 95 in South Carolina. Dias-Barbosa consented to a search of his vehicle but fled on foot across the interstate just before the search began. He was apprehended in the grassy median. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, nine rifles and ammunition were seized from the floor of the rear passenger compartment. Dias-Barbosa admitted that he had purchased the firearms in South Carolina and was transporting them to a broker in Miami, who would arrange for the rifles to be transported to Brazil through Paraguay.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by an alien and engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license each provide for a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Nathan Hebert, Special Agent in Charge of the Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Division; and Jack D. Buckley, Chief of Medford Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Everett, Framingham, Myrtle Beach (S.C.) and Yemassee (S.C.) Police Departments; Massachusetts Department of Correction; Massachusetts Army National Guard – Counterdrug Office; and the New England High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Boston Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

 

BOSTON – A Guatemalan national who was unlawfully residing in Hudson, Mass. was sentenced in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.

Edwin Hernandez-Orellana, 33, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to time served, approximately 16 months. The defendant is now subject to deportation proceedings. Previously, Hernandez-Orellana pled guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. According to court records, Hernandez-Orellana had been in custody since his arrest on May 14, 2025. Hernandez-Orellana was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2025.

According to the charging documents, Hernandez-Orellana was found in the United States on May 14, 2025, after previously having been removed from the United States on or about May 21, 2014.  

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julissa Walsh and Mark Grady of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
 

BOSTON – A Fall River man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a drug trafficking offense arising from his shipment of cocaine through the U.S. mail from California to Massachusetts.

Justin Dupras, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to time served (two days). In May 2025, Dupras pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute. Dupras was charged by criminal complaint in January 2025.

Dupras mailed a package containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine from a post office in Los Angeles, Calif. to Fall River, Mass. on Dec. 17, 2024. Dupras then returned to Massachusetts and, on Dec. 19, 2024, drove to the Fall River Post Office. Another individual signed for the package containing cocaine and handed it to Dupras.

In addition, Dupras mailed packages containing cocaine from California to Massachusetts on multiple prior occasions. For example, on Sept. 17, 2024, Dupras mailed a box containing more than two kilograms of cocaine from Chino Hills, Calif. to Fall River, Mass. On Oct. 29, 2024, Dupras mailed a box containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine from Los Angeles, Calif. to Fall River, Mass. Flight records show Dupras returning to Massachusetts on the same day that he mailed the two packages.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Fall River Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely prosecuted the case.
 

Dompé U.S. Inc. (Dompé), based in California, has agreed to pay $32 million to resolve allegations that, between 2018 and 2021, it paid Medicare beneficiary co-pays through two patient assistance foundations to induce the purchase of its drug, Oxervate, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act.

“This settlement demonstrates the United States’ commitment to enforcing the Anti-Kickback Statute and ensuring that pharmaceutical manufacturers do not use unlawful inducements,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department encourages companies that uncover improper kickbacks to self-disclose such conduct.”

“Kickbacks to beneficiaries undermine the purpose of the Medicare co-pay system and drive up the cost of drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “My Office has recovered over $1.4 billion for taxpayers through settlements and enforcement actions concerning drug company kickbacks to purported charities, and we will continue to pursue these matters to ensure that all drug companies play by the rules and to protect federal taxpayer funded healthcare programs.”

“Pharmaceutical manufacturers that attempt to disguise kickbacks as charitable patient assistance are engaging in blatant misconduct which corrupts medical decision‑making and drains federal health care programs,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Dompé’s actions undermined critical safeguards Congress put in place to protect Medicare, driving up costs for taxpayers while exploiting patients. HHS-OIG does not tolerate such conduct and will continue to work tirelessly for justice and accountability.”

When a Medicare beneficiary obtains a prescription drug covered by Medicare, the beneficiary may be required to make a partial payment, which may take the form of a co-payment, co-insurance, or deductible (collectively “co-pays”). Congress included co-pay requirements in these programs, in part, to encourage market forces to serve as a check on health care costs, including the prices that pharmaceutical manufacturers can demand for their drugs. 

Under the Anti-Kickback Statute, a pharmaceutical manufacturer is prohibited from offering or paying, directly or indirectly, any remuneration – which includes money or any other thing of value – to induce Medicare patients to purchase the company’s drugs. This prohibition extends to the payment of patients’ co-pay obligations.

As part of the settlement, Dompé admitted that, around the time of Oxervate’s 2018 launch in the United States, Dompé U.S. employees expressed reservations about launching the drug before making a payment to a patient assistance foundation that paid the co-pays for Oxervate. After conversations with Dompé employees, two foundations opened funds that, among other things, paid co-pays for Oxervate, and Dompé made contributions to those foundations. Dompé also solicited patient assistance foundation data directly from the foundations, and from the specialty pharmacy that provided hub services to Dompé U.S. patients. This data was provided, directly or indirectly, to certain individuals involved in the patient assistance foundation budgeting process.

Dompé is the U.S. subsidiary of Dompé farmaceutici S.p.A., a pharmaceutical company incorporated in Italy. Dompé farmaceutici self-disclosed this conduct to the United States. Following the disclosure, both Dompé farmaceutici and Dompé U.S. cooperated with the government in this matter and received credit under the Department’s guidelines for taking self-disclosure, cooperation, and remediation into account in False Claims Act cases.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.

The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Sarah Arni of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Ross and Brian LaMacchia for the District of Massachusetts.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

BOSTON – Dompé U.S., Inc. (Dompé), based in California, has agreed to pay $32 million to resolve allegations that, between 2018 and 2021, it paid Medicare beneficiary co-payments through two patient assistance foundations to induce the purchase of its drug, Oxervate, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act.

When a Medicare beneficiary obtains a prescription drug covered by Medicare Part B or Part D, the beneficiary is often required to make a partial payment, which may take the form of a co-payment, co-insurance, or deductible (collectively “co-pays”). These co-pay obligations may be substantial for expensive medications. Congress included co-pay requirements in these programs, in part, to encourage market forces to serve as a check on health care costs, including the prices that pharmaceutical manufacturers can demand for their drugs. The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits pharmaceutical companies from offering or paying, directly or indirectly, any remuneration – which includes money or any other thing of value – to induce Medicare patients to purchase the companies’ drugs.

Dompé admitted that, around the time of Oxervate’s 2018 launch in the United States, Dompé U.S. employees expressed reservations about launching the drug before making a payment to a patient assistance foundation that paid the co-pays for Oxervate. After conversations with Dompé employees, two foundations opened funds that, among other things, paid co-pays for Oxervate, and Dompé made contributions to those foundations. Between 2019 and 2021, despite having an annual budgeting process for contributions, Dompé sometimes approved mid-year increases to those foundations or held certain amounts in “reserve” so that it could determine mid-year which of the foundations were running low on funding and allocate the “reserve” accordingly. Dompé also solicited patient assistance foundation data directly from the foundations, and from the specialty pharmacy that provided hub services to Dompé U.S. patients. Certain Dompé employees involved in the patient assistance foundation budgeting process received this data through either direct or indirect means.

“Kickbacks to beneficiaries undermine the purpose of the Medicare co-pay system and drive up the cost of drugs,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “My Office has recovered over $1.4 billion for taxpayers through settlements and enforcement actions concerning drug company kickbacks to purported charities, and we will continue to pursue these matters to ensure that all drug companies play by the rules and to protect federal taxpayer funded healthcare programs.”

“This settlement demonstrates the United States’ commitment to enforcing the Anti-Kickback Statute and ensuring that pharmaceutical manufacturers do not use unlawful inducements,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department encourages companies that uncover improper kickbacks to self-disclose such conduct.”

“Pharmaceutical manufacturers that attempt to disguise kickbacks as charitable patient assistance are engaging in blatant misconduct which corrupts medical decision‑making and drains federal health care programs,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Dompé’s actions undermined critical safeguards Congress put in place to protect Medicare, driving up costs for taxpayers while exploiting patients. HHS-OIG does not tolerate such conduct and will continue to work tirelessly for justice and accountability.”

Dompé is the U.S. subsidiary of Dompé farmaceutici S.p.A., a pharmaceutical company incorporated in Italy. Dompé farmaceutici voluntarily self-disclosed this conduct to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts, which Dompé U.S. discovered following an internal compliance review. Following the voluntary disclosure, both Dompé farmaceutici and Dompé U.S. fully cooperated with the government in this matter. By 2022, Dompé implemented changes to its patient assistance foundation contribution practices.

U.S. Attorney Foley, AAG Shumate and HHS-OIG SAC Coviello made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Ross and Brian LaMacchia, Chief of the Affirmative Litigation Unit, handled the matter along with Senior Trial Counsel Sarah Arni of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.  
 

BOSTON – The owner and operator of two Massachusetts restaurants pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to paying employees in cash over the course of six years without withholding and paying federal employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Marios Michalakis, 44, of Westwood, Mass., pleaded guilty to six counts of failing to collect, report and pay over federal employment taxes. Senior U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Dec. 8, 2026.

From at least January 2016 through December 2022, Michalakis ran two restaurants – Amelia’s, located in Stoughton, Mass., and Sofia Italian Steakhouse, located in West Roxbury, Mass. At each restaurant, Michalakis paid employees in cash “under-the-table,” that is, failed to withhold income taxes, Social Security taxes and Medicare taxes from employee wages. In total, Michalakis failed to pay more than $580,000 in employee and employer taxes owed to the IRS and the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.

  Michalakis faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, together with restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Salem, N.H., was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for passport and SNAP fraud. 

Juan Felipe Chalas, 58, was sentenced by Judge Leo T. Sorokin to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Chalas was also ordered to pay restitution of $304,932. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. Chalas was arrested in March 2026 and in May 2026, pleaded guilty to passport fraud and illegal acquisition of SNAP benefits.

For over two decades, Chalas used the name, birthdate and Social Security number of a United States citizen to apply for and receive Massachusetts driver’s licenses, U.S. passports, and over $25,000 in Social Security disability benefits, more than $12,000 in SNAP benefits and over $266,000 in MassHealth benefits. SNAP is a federal program administered by the states that provides funds for low-income individuals and families to purchase food. MassHealth is a federal and state program that provides medical benefits to low-income individuals.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley: Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region; Nathan Hebert, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621). 

On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Dorchester, Mass. pleaded guilty on Sept. 2, 2026 in federal court in Boston to healthcare benefit fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Manuel Antonio Baez, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of falsely representing a Social Security number, one count of making false statements relating to health care matters and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Dec. 2, 2026. In May 2026, Baez was arrested and charged and has been held in custody since his arrest.

Baez used the stolen identity of a U.S. citizen, including the citizen’s Social Security number, to obtain government benefits. Specifically, Baez represented that he was a U.S. citizen when applying for healthcare benefits in Massachusetts and submitted a sworn affidavit falsely alleging the same. Baez ultimately obtained over $80,000 in MassHealth benefits using the stolen identity. Baez also committed drug offenses in the name of the U.S. citizen, including a 2018 conviction for trafficking heroin and a 2007 conviction for possession with intent to distribute a Class B substance.

The charge for falsely representing a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of making false statements relating to a health care program provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-year sentence to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.  

On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).

On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin T. Missett of the Health Care Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
 

BOSTON – A former physician employed at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Bedford, Mass., pleaded guilty on Aug. 27, 2026 in federal court in Boston to receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Sven Knudsen Ljaamo, 71, pleaded guilty on Aug. 27, 2026 to on one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Nov. 18, 2026. The defendant was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on April 23, 2025 and later indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2025.

According to the charging documents, law enforcement learned that over 100 files of suspected CSAM files had been uploaded to Ljaamo’s Google account. Several CSAM files, along with tens of thousands of pornography files, were found during a review of Ljaamo’s devices, including on a cell phone Ljaamo kept in his office at the VA Medical Center.

The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Billerica, Lowell and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez of the Criminal Division is 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
 

BOSTON – A Massachusetts woman has been sentenced in federal court in Boston to nearly four years in prison for performing thousands of cosmetic injection procedures using counterfeit Botox and dermal fillers imported from China and Brazil. The defendant, who was not licensed to perform injections and falsely represented herself as a nurse, received more than $1 million in payments from more than 900 clients for these procedures. Defendant owned and operated Skin Beaute Med Spa, with locations in Randolph and South Easton, Mass.

Rebecca Fadanelli, 40, of Stoughton, Mass. was sentenced on Sept. 2, 2026 by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to 46 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Fadanelli was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture each in the amount of $1,001,562. In April 2026, Fadanelli pleaded guilty to four counts of importing merchandise contrary to law, two counts of selling or dispensing a counterfeit drug and two counts of selling or dispensing a counterfeit device. She was arrested and charged in November 2024.

“This was not a mistake or a one-time lapse in judgment. Rebecca Fadanelli built a business on deception and repeatedly put profit ahead of the health and safety of the people who trusted her,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “She lied about being a nurse, injected counterfeit products into hundreds of clients even after federal authorities seized her shipments, searched her businesses and ultimately arrested her. Her victims were left with infections, facial paralysis, vision problems, scars and the lasting fear of not knowing what was injected into their bodies. As cosmetic injections and med spas continue to grow in popularity, this case underscores a serious and growing public health threat: counterfeit products and unlicensed providers can cause devastating harm. Those who knowingly put consumers at risk for profit will be held accountable.”

“FDA requirements are designed to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of drugs and devices distributed to American consumers. Administering counterfeit products for profit puts consumers at serious risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Fernando McMillan, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that the FDA will continue to hold accountable those who endanger public health.”

Beginning in at least March 2021, Fadanelli owned and operated Skin Beaute Med Spa, with locations in Randolph and South Easton, Mass. Although Fadanelli was an aesthetician who was never licensed to perform injections or otherwise dispense or administer prescription drugs or devices, she offered botulinum toxin and dermal filler injections to clients and falsely represented to clients and employees that she was a licensed nurse. Fadanelli also misrepresented the identity and safety of the substances she was injecting, telling clients that she was using authentic Botox and FDA-approved dermal fillers such as Sculptra, Restylane and Juvéderm. In reality she was using counterfeit versions of these products, many of which she imported from China and Brazil. There is no record that Fadanelli ever purchased authentic prescription drugs or devices directly from the manufacturers of those FDA-approved products.

Business records show that between approximately March 2021 and June 2024 alone, Fadanelli performed more than 2,700 botulinum toxin and dermal filler injection procedures using counterfeit prescription drugs and devices. More than 900 clients paid a combined total of more than $1 million for the procedures.

Fadanelli continued operating her med spa illegally despite repeated warnings and law enforcement intervention. After federal authorities began seizing international shipments of counterfeit prescription drugs and devices addressed to Fadanelli’s home and business – and notified her that the products were misbranded and unapproved – Fadanelli took steps to conceal her continuing activity. Among other things, she directed suppliers to use different delivery addresses and other individuals’ names as recipients in an effort to avoid additional seizures.

On June 28, 2024, during searches at both Skin Beaute locations, products labeled as Botox, Sculptra, Restylane and Juvéderm that the product manufacturers subsequently identified as counterfeit, were recovered. Bacteriostatic water, used to dilute Botox that laboratory testing found contained methylobacterium, a bacteria that can cause infection, was also found.

Fadanelli continued offering and performing injection procedures until her arrest on Nov. 1, 2024. However, in May 2025 while on pretrial release following her arrest, Fadanelli performed an injection procedure at her home using an unknown substance that the client reportedly believed to be Sculptra. Her pretrial release was later revoked, and she has remained in custody since November 2025.

Numerous clients suffered adverse health effects as a result of injections performed by Fadanelli, including severe swelling, infections, drooping or paralysis of the face and eyes, double vision, impaired eyesight and hard lumps or nodules. Multiple clients were hospitalized, and many required follow-up treatment from licensed medical professionals.

For example, one client spent weeks hospitalized after developing severe facial swelling, headaches, weakness and fever-like symptoms following botulinum toxin injections. Another victim was hospitalized for four days after experiencing facial drooping and paralysis, double vision and headaches; another client suffered impaired vision for approximately three months; and a separate client ultimately underwent corrective surgery to remove a hard lump beneath her skin and was left with scarring.

When clients reported adverse reactions, Fadanelli often dismissed their concerns or provided misleading assurances, in some cases falsely claiming that she had used authentic FDA-approved products for the clients’ injection procedures. Fadanelli told some of these clients to return to Skin Beaute for additional treatments.

U.S. Attorney Foley, FDA-CI SAC McMillan; and Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. The Medicaid Fraud Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and the Stoughton and Randolph Police Departments also provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie Wright and Sarah Hoefle of the Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

A federal grand jury in the District of Massachusetts returned an indictment yesterday charging Erekle Gugava, 33, an illegal alien from Georgia, with conspiracy for laundering proceeds in connection with a $1.3 billion health care fraud scheme.

According to court documents, Gugava was a money launderer for the transnational criminal organization (the Organization) responsible for the largest health care fraud case ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice, as uncovered by Operation Gold Rush. The Organization, based in Russia and elsewhere, orchestrated a multi-billion-dollar health care fraud and money laundering scheme to target, exploit, and steal from Medicare and other health insurers

“Fraud networks cannot function without people willing to launder and transmit their proceeds — and deterring those facilitators is essential to safeguarding taxpayer resources,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “As alleged in this indictment, Gugava allegedly helped facilitate a massive fraud on the American people by moving stolen proceeds through domestic and international financial channels. This indictment reflects our resolve to hold all participants in fraud networks accountable for their conduct.”

As alleged in charging documents, Gugava purportedly owned ND Medical Solutions LLC (ND Medical), a durable medical equipment (DME) company located in Pennsylvania, between February and July 2025. During the limited five-month span of Gugava’s purported ownership, ND Medical submitted at least $1.3 billion in fraudulent DME claims to Medicare, private health insurance companies that contracted to provide Medicare supplemental insurance policies, private employer-sponsored plans, and other insurers. These insurers paid ND Medical approximately $6.5 million.

As part of the scheme, Gugava facilitated the deposit and transfer of fraud proceeds. Among other things, he opened several bank accounts in the name of ND Medical — for which he was the sole signatory — and deposited checks from Medicare supplemental insurers and other health insurers into the ND Medical bank accounts. The funds were then ultimately transferred to various overseas bank accounts for the benefit of the Organization.

As alleged in charging documents, the fraudulent claims relied, in part, on the stolen identities of citizens from Massachusetts, across New England, and throughout the United States to justify the fraudulent billings. Many of these individuals, including elderly and disabled Americans, reported their concerns to Medicare and its contractors after receiving explanation of benefit forms that reflected them purportedly receiving DME that they did not in fact receive, that was purportedly prescribed by doctors whom they had never visited, and purportedly delivered from ND Medical — a DME company with which they were unfamiliar.

As further alleged, the Organization exploited the United States’ financial system by depositing insurance reimbursement checks from the fraud. The health care fraud proceeds were particularly susceptible to laundering because they originated from legitimate sources — Medicare and established private insurance carriers — giving the funds the initial appearance of legitimacy.

Gugava is charged with one count of money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello; FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs; U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Boston Division Acting Inspector in Charge Justin Page; IRS Criminal Investigations Special Agent in Charge Thomas E. Demeo; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeff Grimming of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England; and U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (DOL-EBSA) Regional Director Kelly M. Lawson made the announcement.

HHS-OIG, FBI, USPIS, IRS, HSI, and DOL-EBSA are investigating the case.

Deputy Chief Kevin Lowell, Assistant Deputy Chief Jim Hayes, and Trial Attorneys Tiffany Wynn and Sarah Rocha of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Health Care Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Cleary for the District of Massachusetts are prosecuting the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Georgian national has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly conspiring to launder the proceeds of a $1.3 billion health care fraud scheme while he was illegally in the United States.

Erekle Gugava, 33, a Georgian national, was indicted on one count of money laundering conspiracy. Gugava fled the United States in July 2025, after the alleged conduct.

According to court documents, Gugava was a money launderer for the foreign-based organization that spearheaded the largest health care fraud case ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice, dubbed Operation Gold Rush. The organization, based in Russia and elsewhere, orchestrated a multi-billion-dollar health care fraud and money laundering scheme to target, exploit and steal from Medicare and other health insurers.

As alleged in the charging documents, Gugava purportedly owned ND Medical Solutions, LLC (ND Medical), a durable medical equipment company located in Pennsylvania, between February 2025 and July 2025. During the limited five-month span of Gugava’s purported ownership, ND Medical submitted at least $1.3 billion in fraudulent DME claims to Medicare, private health insurance companies that contracted to provide Medicare supplemental insurance policies, private employer-sponsored plans and union health plans. These insurers paid ND Medical approximately $6.5 million.

As part of the scheme, Gugava allegedly facilitated the deposit and transfer of fraud proceeds. Among other things, he allegedly opened several bank accounts in the name of ND Medical – for which he was the sole signatory – and deposited checks from Medicare Supplemental Insurers and other health insurers into the ND Medical bank accounts. The funds were then ultimately transferred to various overseas bank accounts for the benefit of the organization.

As alleged in charging documents, the fraudulent claims relied, in part, on the stolen identities of citizens from Massachusetts, across New England, and throughout the United States to justify the fraudulent billings. Many of these individuals, including elderly and disabled Americans, reported their concerns to Medicare and its contractors after receiving explanation of benefit forms that reflected them purportedly receiving DME that they did not in fact receive, that was purportedly prescribed by doctors whom they had never visited and purportedly delivered from ND Medical—a DME company with which they were unfamiliar.

As further alleged, the organization exploited the United States’ financial system by depositing insurance reimbursement checks from the fraud. The health care fraud proceeds were particularly susceptible to laundering because they originated from legitimate sources. Medicare and established private insurance carriers, giving the funds the initial appearance of legitimacy.

The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the amount of laundered funds, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Philadelphia Division; Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Kelly M. Lawson, Acting Regional Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Cleary of the Health Care Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case alongside Deputy Chief Kevin Lowell, Assistant Deputy Chief Jim Hayes, and Trial Attorneys Tiffany Wynn and Sarah Rocha of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Health Care Fraud Section.

On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).

On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.  

BOSTON – A Webster, Mass. man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to illegally dealing firearms, including 3D-printed firearms and components, and possessing a machinegun.

Anthony Pietrowski, a/k/a “AJ,” 24, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful dealing in firearms without a license and one count of unlawful possession of a machinegun. United States District Judge Margaret Guzman scheduled sentencing for Dec. 7, 2026. Pietrowski was arrested and charged in January 2026 and subsequently released on conditions following a detention hearing. 

Between August and October 2025, Pietrowski repeatedly sold privately made firearms and firearm components during four transactions in Webster. Among the items Pietrowski sold were a 3D-printed Glock-style pistol, multiple 3D-printed pistol frames and a machinegun conversion device designed for use with a Glock-style pistol. Pietrowski had never applied for or received a federal license to manufacture or deal firearms.

During the first transaction, Pietrowski described the firearm he sold as a custom build with a 3D-printed frame and discussed how he obtained components and assembled privately made firearms. Pietrowski also offered to supply additional frames and discussed future firearm sales. Over the following months, Pietrowski sold additional 3D-printed frames and another privately made pistol. In August 2025, Pietrowski sold a privately made pistol together with a machinegun conversion device, which constitutes a machinegun under federal law. Pietrowski later sold six additional 3D-printed pistol frames in October 2025.

The charge of unlawful dealing in firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of unlawful possession of a machinegun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by United States Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; and the Webster, Worcester and Warwick (RI) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary B. Stendig of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

This case 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 Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

BOSTON – A Massachusetts woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield, Mass., to her execution of an approximately $10 million Ponzi scheme involving over 200 victims.

Barbara A. Hirshfield, 83, of Lexington, Mass. pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Jan. 7, 2026. Hirshfield was charged in July 2026.

Hirshfield owned and operated Ideal Financial Services, Inc. (Ideal) in West Springfield, Mass., as well as Ideal Financial Holdings (Ideal Holdings). Ideal purported to operate a motor vehicle and small loan business and raised money from investors by selling promissory notes that guaranteed investors high rates of returns. Investors were led to believe that their money would be used to fund Ideal’s lending business and that the returns on their investments would be generated from borrowers’ loan payments. 

In 2012, the Massachusetts Division of Banks (MDB) became concerned about Ideal’s finances and required Ideal to cease soliciting and accepting outside investment funds to finance its business. Hirshfield did not disclose to investors that the MDB had required Ideal to cease fundraising. Instead, Hirshfield continued to raise outside funds through the sale of promissory notes.

In 2014, after MDB remained concerned about Ideal’s finances, the MDB revoked Ideal’s licenses to issue motor vehicle and small loans – effectively preventing the company from continuing the lending business, its primary source of revenue. Hirshfield did not disclose to investors that the MDB had revoked Ideal’s licenses, nor did she disclose that Ideal was no longer generating revenue by issuing loans. Instead, Hirshfield continued to solicit investments through the sale of promissory notes.

By at least 2019, Ideal was generating little to no revenue from lending and instead relied almost entirely on money raised from new investments. Rather than disclosing the company’s financial condition, Hirshfield continued marketing promissory notes. Hirshfield used money obtained from new investments to make interest and principal payments owed to earlier investors, operating Ideal as a Ponzi scheme. Hirshfield continued operating the Ponzi scheme until approximately June 2025, when she was no longer able to make interest payments or repay the principal owed on outstanding promissory notes.

In late 2024, Ideal failed to make promised interest payments to investors. Rather than disclose the company’s true financial condition, Hirshfield blamed payment delays on banking issues, fraud, data breaches and stolen or lost checks, while continuing to solicit additional investments through emails offering increasingly high rates of return.

The scheme resulted in losses of approximately $10,930,940 to approximately 204 victims. More than 25 victims suffered substantial financial hardship as a result of the fraud.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Securities Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.             

BOSTON – A Marlborough man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Worcester for allegedly attempting to pay $150 to have sex with a purported 15-year-old minor.

James Gill, 39, of Marlborough, was indicted on one count of Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Minor. Gill was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint in July 2026. An arraignment date has not yet been scheduled by the Court. 

According to the charging documents, Gill allegedly responded to an advertisement posted by undercover law enforcement on a website commonly used to advertise commercial sex. During subsequent text messages and a phone call with an undercover agent posing as the sister of a purported 15-year-old girl, the agent stated that the minor was available to engage in commercial sex acts. Gill allegedly agreed to pay $150 to have sex with the minor and stated that he intended to video record the sexual encounter. It is further alleged that Gill requested photographs of the purported minor and sent a nude photograph of himself to be shown to her. Gill was arrested upon his arrival at a prearranged hotel to meet the purported minor.

The charge of attempted sex trafficking of a child provides for a sentence of no less than 10 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact [email protected].

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Worcester Police Chief Paul B. Saucier made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Boston was sentenced yesterday for stealing SNAP benefits and unlawfully using a U.S. citizen’s Social Security number. 

Victor Suazo Reynoso, 69, was sentenced by Chief Judge Denise J. Casper to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Reynoso was also ordered to pay $18,434 in restitution to the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance and $54,931 to MassHealth. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In May 2026, the defendant pleaded guilty to illegal acquisition of supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits and false representation of a Social Security number. Reynoso was charged and arrested in March 2026.

Reynoso used the name, birthdate and Social Security number of a United States citizen to apply for and receive a Massachusetts driver’s license and more than $18,000 in SNAP benefits and $54,000 in MassHealth benefits. SNAP is a federal program administered by the states that provides funds for low-income individuals and families to purchase food. MassHealth is a federal and state program that provides medical benefits to low-income individuals.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621). 

On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

BOSTON – An illegal alien from the Dominican Republic, who is an associate of the D Street Projects gang in the South Boston area, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to selling a firearm and fentanyl to an undercover law enforcement agent. 

Junior Martinez-Perello, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Jan. 6, 2027. In July 2025, Martinez-Perello was arrested and charged. 

In May 2025, Martinez-Perello communicated with undercover law enforcement about selling 100 grams of fentanyl and a firearm. On May 30, 2025, Martinez-Perello agreed to meet in Boston for a drug and gun deal. Martinez-Perello informed the undercover agent that he would always have firearms available and not to be concerned about purchasing firearms from him, and that he would be able to obtain and distribute half-kilogram quantities of fentanyl in the near future.

During the controlled purchase, Martinez-Perello explained how the safety feature worked on the firearm. At one point during the sale, Martinez-Perello pointed the loaded firearm towards the ground, manipulated the firearm in a fashion that was consistent with rendering the firearm safe and attempting to remove the live ammunition from the firearm. During this process, Martinez-Perello disengaged the safety mechanism on the firearm and fired one round into the floor.

The charge of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.