District of Massachusetts
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Owner of Durable Medical Equipment Companies Agrees to Plead Guilty in Nearly $30 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of Pharmagears, LLC (Pharmagears) and RR Medco, LLC (RR Medco) has agreed to plead to guilty in connection with a nearly $30 million health care fraud conspiracy involving medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME), including orthotics such as back and knee braces.
Raju Sharma, 61, of Sharon, Mass., has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. Per the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence of 10 years in prison and more than $15.8 million in restitution.
Sharma was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in February 2025 and subsequently released on conditions pending trial. He was later ordered detained in April 2025 after the Court found that he violated the conditions of his release by contacting a potential witness.
According to the charging documents, between February 2021 and February 2025, Sharma – on behalf of Pharmagears and RR Medco – entered into contracts with telemarketing companies that generated DME orders by targeting Medicare beneficiaries. It is alleged that Sharma then billed Medicare for this medically unnecessary DME, which the Medicare beneficiaries often did not want or could not use; and/or a medical practitioner ordered without having met or examined the beneficiary; or were ordered by the fraudulent use of practitioners’ national provider identifiers without their knowledge or assent. It is further alleged that these DME orders were obtained in violation of the anti-kickback statute, because although Sharma agreed in the contracts to pay the marketing companies a flat fee for their services, Sharma in fact paid the marketing companies on a per-lead, or per-order, basis.
According to the charging documents, Sharma worked with multiple other co-conspirators, including family and acquaintances, to open and operate additional DME companies in the same fraudulent manner. In total, the companies owned, operated, or connected with Sharma billed Medicare approximately $29.6 million for these fraudulent DME orders and were paid approximately $15.8 million.
Sharma made substantial profits from this alleged fraud, which he used to purchase luxury goods, including two Ferraris, a Mercedes-Benz Model S and at least three Rolex watches. Pursuant to the plea agreement, the defendant has agreed to forfeit these luxury goods, as well as over $250,000 in cash investigators seized from his bank accounts.
The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, supervised release for up to three years and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General; and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service and the Sharon Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Graber and Sarah Hoefle of the Criminal Division are 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.Lawrence Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for COVID Relief Fraud and Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining and misusing COVID-19 relief funds and stealing Social Security benefits totaling over $200,000.
Randolph Dominguez, 58, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 15 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Dominguez was also ordered to pay $274,119 in restitution. In January 2025, Dominguez pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of theft of government money.
In June 2020, Dominguez submitted a loan application on behalf of an interpreter business he owned and operated, Dominguez SP Interpreters, to the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which provided loans to small businesses that suffered substantial economic injury due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dominguez fraudulently obtained approximately $90,000 in EIDL funds from the SBA from June 2020 through July 2021 when he claimed falsely on EIDL applications that his gross business revenue was $600,000 the previous year, when it was only $16,989. Further, Dominguez improperly spent all of the EIDL funds received on non-business expenses, including $16,192.22 to purchase an SUV, and several purchases at smoke shops, liquor stores, gun ranges and an adult bookstore and website. In addition, in May 2021, Dominguez applied for an additional $200,600 EIDL loan modification increase based on the false business revenue amount, which was rejected when SBA detected his fraud.
Similarly, in June 2021, Dominguez obtained a $3,500 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, which was another temporary loan program intended to provide relief for small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic so that they could retain employees and cover overhead. Dominguez also spent the PPP loan for an improper business purpose – an all-inclusive vacation in Cancun, Mexico.
Separately, from April 2001 through April 2023, Dominguez stole approximately $163,642 in Social Security benefits. Dominguez’s father was receiving Social Security benefits at the time of his death in March 2001. His death was never reported to the Social Security Administration. Instead, the deceased’s address was changed in 2006 to Dominguez’s residence and the agency continued to pay monthly benefits on his behalf. Dominguez used his deceased father’s debit card to withdraw the improperly paid benefits at ATMs and to make purchases more than 22 years after his death.
Finally, Dominguez claimed his deceased father as a dependent on his 2019 federal and state income tax returns to fraudulently obtain tax credits. As a special condition of the term of supervised release, Dominguez was ordered to work with the Internal Revenue Service to correct all inaccurate tax returns.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in New Bedford pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Jose De Leon Ventura, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien before U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, who scheduled sentencing for July 14, 2025. De Leon Ventura was arrested on April 23, 2025 and has remained in custody since.
De Leon Ventura was previously removed from the United States in December 2019, after being arrested by U.S. Border Patrol in Yuma, Ariz. Sometime after his removal, De Leon Ventura unlawfully reentered the United States. Federal authorities became aware of De Leon Ventura’s presence in the United States following his arrest in August 2023 by state authorities for operating under the influence of liquor and operating after a suspended license.
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 proceedings upon completion of any sentenced 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 Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Lyons is prosecuting the case.
Brockton Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Fentanyl; Multiple Machineguns and Kilograms of Fentanyl Recovered During SearchesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man pleaded guilty yesterday to selling fentanyl to a cooperating witness during multiple controlled purchases. At the time of the controlled purchases, the defendant was on probation for a 2019 fentanyl conviction and on pretrial release for a separate March 2024 drug arrest.
Joshua Tavares, 29, pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and fentanyl analogue. U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy scheduled sentencing for Sept. 9, 2025. In December 2024, Tavares was indicted by a federal grand jury.
During today’s hearing, Tavares admitted to conducting six sales of fentanyl and fentanyl analogue to a cooperating witness from September to November of 2024. Over the course of the six transactions, Tavares sold approximately 549 grams of fentanyl analogue to a cooperating witness. All of the transactions were captured on video recording.
After the controlled purchases, an arrest warrant and search warrants were executed on Dec. 3, 2024 at multiple residences and stash houses in Brockton. During the searches, approximately four kilograms of suspected fentanyl, cocaine, packaging materials for distribution of controlled substances and over $89,000 in cash were recovered. A .40 caliber Glock firearm and a 9mm Glock firearm with a machinegun conversion device were also located in the residence where Tavares was located.
A 9mm Glock firearm with a machinegun conversion device and a tactical laser sight was recovered from a stash location along with numerous rounds of ammunition and multiple loaded magazines, including a 50 round “drum” style magazine. Machinegun conversion devices, commonly referred to as “switches,” are designed to convert firearms into fully automatic weapons.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams and more of fentanyl analogue provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 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 Kimberly Milka, Acting 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 and the Brockton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
Boston Woman Charged with Sex Trafficking a MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A 29-year-old Boston woman has been charged with allegedly trafficking a 15-year-old minor who had previously been reported missing.
Shakera Pina, a/k/a “Stacks,” 29, is charged in a criminal complaint with one count of sex trafficking of a minor. She is currently in state custody on related charges and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to court filings, on April 7, 2025, law enforcement encountered online postings advertising commercial sex with a 15-year-old minor female who had previously been reported as missing. On April 9, 2025, as part of a sting operation, law enforcement responded to the online advertisement in an undercover capacity posing as a purported sex buyer in an attempt to recover the minor. In subsequent correspondence, the responding individual who posted the advertisements agreed to meet the purported sex buyer at a hotel later that night for a commercial sex date with the minor victim.
There, law enforcement recovered a different 15-year-old victim. It is alleged that text messages on that minor victim’s phone showed Pina instructing the minor victim on how to interact with sex buyers and what to do with the proceeds from the commercial sex. Pina was allegedly located in the parking lot where the sting operation was occurring, waiting inside her vehicle.
It is alleged that when officers approached Pina with flashing emergency lights, Pina immediately put her car into drive and attempted to flee. Officers then approached the car on foot, identified themselves as law enforcement officers and demanded Pina open the door. It is alleged that Pina refused, and was observed manipulating her cell phone, allegedly in an apparent attempt to delete evidence. Officers then broke the driver’s side window of Pina’s vehicle and, as she was being placed on the ground, Pina allegedly threw the two cell phones that were in her possession. At the time of the alleged offense, Pina was on probation for stabbing a female victim multiple times in the abdomen and right thigh in December 2022.
Government filings allege that the minor victim originally depicted in the advertisement was subsequently recovered and disclosed that that Pina also trafficked her during the same time period, requiring her to engage in commercial sex and provide Pina with the proceeds.
If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking or child exploitation, please contact [email protected].
The charge of sex trafficking of a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least 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; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit, is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.Two Money Couriers for Colombian-Based Drug Money Laundering Organization SentencedRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Jamaican nationals were sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for their involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering organization that laundered more than $6 million in drug trafficking proceeds from Colombian cartels through the United States, Caribbean and European banking systems.
St. Devon Anthony Cover, 61, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 42 months in prison. In January 2025 Cover was convicted of one count of money laundering conspiracy and seven counts of laundering of monetary instruments. Dennis Raymond Rowe, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 52 months in prison. In January 2025 Rowe was convicted of one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of money laundering and two counts of laundering of monetary instruments. Both defendants are subject to deportation upon completion of their imposed sentences.
The defendants were among 20 individuals from Colombia, Jamaica and Florida who were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022 in connection with the money laundering conspiracy.
Over the course of the investigation, $1 million was seized from corporate bank accounts and other investigative activity. Nearly 3,000 kilograms of cocaine – with a street value of over $90 million – was traced back to the money laundering organization. This includes approximately 1,193 kilograms of cocaine seized at sea 60 miles south of Jamaica in July 2019, as well as 1,555 kilograms of cocaine seized in nine scrap metal shipping containers at the Port of Buenaventura, Colombia in March 2019.
In or about October 2016, law enforcement began an investigation into a sophisticated money laundering organization located primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia. During an extensive five-year investigation, the organization laundered over $6 million in drug proceeds through intermediary banks in the United States, including banks in Massachusetts, as well as additional proceeds through banks in the Caribbean and Europe by use of the Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE). By using the BMPE, the defendants and their co-conspirators sought to conceal drug trafficking activity and proceeds from law enforcement as well as evade currency exchange requirements in the United States and Colombia through the illegal currency exchange process. As part of the conspiracy, members of the organization held roles and responsibilities relative to the needs and opportunities of the scheme, such as drug suppliers, peso brokers, money couriers and business owners/dollar purchasers.
Through the BMPE, Colombian drug trafficking organizations with drug proceeds generated in the United States use third parties – generally referred to as “peso brokers” that are also based in Colombia – who agree to exchange Colombian pesos they control for the drug supplier’s dollar proceeds. Peso brokers then use money couriers in the United States and elsewhere to physically secure the drug proceeds, often in suitcases or bags on the street, and transfer the proceeds into the United States banking system. To avoid detection, peso brokers deposit the drug proceeds into bank accounts in company or individual names intended to appear as legitimate business activity, or through multiple small deposits into different bank accounts which are then consolidated into larger accounts. As a result, Colombian peso brokers control a pool of drug-derived proceeds in United States bank accounts. These dollar proceeds are then purchased by individuals or companies in Colombia seeking to exchange pesos for United States dollars at a favorable exchange rate and in a manner that avoids currency exchange and income reporting requirements. The dollar drug proceeds are transferred at the direction of the purchaser, and often end up in bank accounts of individuals or companies who appear to have no direct involvement in drug trafficking crimes.
During the course of the conspiracy, Cover laundered approximately $268,000 and Rowe laundered over $600,000 by delivering bulk cash drug proceeds to undercover law enforcement.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Aura Liliana Trujillo Rojas, Delegate for Criminal Finance for the Colombian Attorney General’s Office; Ricardo Sánchez Silvestre, Brigadier General of the Colombian National Police Anti-Narcotics Directorate; Jervis Moore, Chief of the Narcotics Division for the Jamaica Constabulary Force; and Colonel Geoffrey Noble of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of Cover, Rowe, and other co-defendants from Colombia and Jamaica. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Salvadoran National Currently Serving State Prison Sentence for Child Rape Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran national living in Methuen, Mass. was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Agustin Landaverde-Romero, 57, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 21 months in prison to be served concurrently with Landaverde-Romero’s unrelated state prison sentence. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In February 2025, Landaverde-Romero pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Landaverde-Romero was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024.
On July 6, 1999, Landaverde-Romero entered the United States without inspection near Brownsville, Texas. He was identified by authorities in July 1999 and ordered to be removed to El Salvador on Sept. 23, 1999. On Oct. 7, 1999, he was removed from the United States.
Sometime thereafter, Landaverde-Romero illegally reentered the United States. In July 2020, he was arrested and charged with rape of child and rape of child by force in Essex County Superior Court. He was subsequently convicted of the charges and, in May 2023, was sentenced to 20-25 years in state prison. On June 23, 2023, while serving his sentence, Landaverde-Romero was encountered by immigration authorities during a screening of inmates and determined to have unlawfully reentered the United States.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Methuen Police Chief Scott J. McNamara made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Pittsfield Man Pleads Guilty in the Middle of Trial to Sexual Exploitation of Children and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Pittsfield man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield to child exploitation offenses while in the middle of testimony from the Government’s final witness.
Justin Benoit, 39, pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Aug. 20, 2025. The defendant was arrested on Feb. 15, 2022 and has been in custody since that time. According to court records, Benoit has several related state charges pending in Central Berkshire District Court.
On at least five occasions between February 2021 and February 2022, Benoit sexually exploited minor victims known to him to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM). During searches of the Benoit’s residence, more than 250 CSAM files were found stored on Benoit’s tablet – including approximately 100 files showing Benoit raping minor victims.
The charge of sexual exploitation of a child provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, 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, a lifetime 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; Colonel Geoffrey Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Pittsfield Police Department and the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit are 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
MS-13 Leader Currently Serving Federal Prison Sentence for RICO Conspiracy Pleads Guilty to Role in 2010 MurderRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A local leader of the transnational criminal organization known as La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, pleaded guilty today to committing a previously unsolved murder of a man in Chelsea, Mass. in 2010.
Jose Vasquez, a/k/a “Cholo,” a/k/a “Little Crazy,” 31, pleaded guilty to one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for June 30, 2025. Vazquez was indicted by a federal grand jury along with two other MS-13 members in September 2024. The charge of violent crime in aid of racketeering 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. Vasquez is currently serving a 212-month prison sentence for a May 2018 federal conviction of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO or racketeering conspiracy.
MS-13 is a transnational criminal organization with tens of thousands of members located in the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and elsewhere. MS-13 branches, or “cliques,” operate throughout the United States, including in Massachusetts. In furtherance of its mission, MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, specifically against rival gang members; kill informants; and support and defend fellow MS-13 members in attacks. MS-13 members maintain and enhance their status in the gang and the overall reputation of the gang by participating in such violent acts. Vasquez was a member and local leader of the Trece Locos Salvatrucha, or TLS, clique of MS-13 operating in Somerville, Mass. In addition to being a leader of an MS-13 clique, Vasquez personally participated in racketeering activity and acts of violence on behalf of MS-13.
At approximately 7:10 p.m. on Dec. 18, 2010, law enforcement responded to a 911 call under the Fifth Street on-ramp to Route 1 in Chelsea. There, a 28-year-old male was found with approximately 10 stab wounds to his head, back and chest. The victim was transported to the hospital where he ultimately succumbed to his wounds. A recent reexamination of evidence collected during the initial investigation identified members of MS-13, including Vasquez, as having committed the murder.
In the week leading up to the incident, Vasquez and other MS-13 members conspired to murder the victim because they believed the victim belonged to a rival gang. Evidence revealed that on the day of the murder, Vasquez and other MS-13 members picked the victim up in front of a McDonald’s in Allston. The group then drove to Chelsea where Vasquez and other MS-13 members led the victim to a secluded area under the highway where an MS-13 member hit the victim in the head with a rock and another MS-13 member stabbed the victim with a machete. During the attack, Vasquez stabbed the victim with a knife. Vasquez’s palm print was identified on the handle of a kitchen knife recovered from the scene. The victim’s blood was also found on the knife.
An undercover recording obtained of an MS-13 meeting that took place on Jan. 27, 2011 – approximately six weeks after the murder – captured one MS-13 member acknowledging his participation in the murder and other gang members disciplining him for leaving Massachusetts after the murder without the gang’s permission. Vasquez was identified as being present for the meeting.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Geoffrey D. Noble, Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Chief Shumeane Benford of the Somerville Police Department, and Chief Keith Houghton of the Chelsea Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division; United States Customs and Border Protection; and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Pohl, Brian A. Fogerty and Meghan C. Cleary of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the superseding indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Indian National Pleads Guilty to Visa Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Indian national, residing in New York, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to serving as a getaway driver in staged armed robberies in furtherance of a visa fraud conspiracy. Defendant is the second individual to plead guilty in this case.
Balwinder Singh, 41, pleaded guilty to on one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Sept. 11, 2025. In December 2023, Singh was charged along with a co-conspirator, Rambhai Patel.
Beginning in March 2023 Patel, and an alleged co-conspirator, set up and carried out staged armed robberies of at least nine convenience/liquor stores and fast-food restaurants across the United States – including at least five in Massachusetts. The purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the store clerks to claim that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for U nonimmigrant status (U Visa). A U Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.
During the staged robberies the “robber” would threaten store clerks and/or owners with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, while the interaction was captured on store surveillance video. Singh served as the robber’s getaway driver in several of these robberies. The clerks and/or owners would wait five or more minutes until the “robber” had escaped before calling police to report the “crime.” The “victims” paid Patel to participate in the scheme. One purported victim paid $20,000 to participate as a victim in one of the staged armed robberies. In turn, Patel paid the store owners for the use of their stores for the staged robbery and paid the “robber” and Singh for their assistance.
At least two purported victim co-conspirators submitted U Visa applications based on being victims of the staged armed robberies.
Patel pleaded guilty on May 20, 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 20, 2025.
The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years 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.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of New York and the Western District of Washington; FBI’s New York and Seattle Field Offices; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Massachusetts State Police; Worcester County District Attorney’s Office; and the Hingham, Marshfield, Randolph, Weymouth, Worcester, Upper Darby, (Pa.), West Pittston (Pa.), Louisville, (Ky.) and Bean Station (Tenn.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Jessica L. Soto of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Honduran National Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Honduran national, illegally residing in Brockton, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Oscar Lopez, 41, a/k/a “Luis Maldonado,” pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Lopez was arrested on April 16, 2025 and has remained in custody since. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for July 1, 2025.
According to the charging documents, Lopez is a citizen of Honduras who entered the United States illegally in 2003. Lopez did not appear for an Immigration Court date in 2003 and was ordered removed. Immigration officials were not able to remove Lopez until January 2013. Lopez returned to the United States just a few months later without permission and he was removed again in May 2013. At some point thereafter, Lopez returned again and Immigration and Customs Enforcement became aware of Lopez’s unlawful presence in the United States following arrests by state authorities in March and April 2024.
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. 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 Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Danvers Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Money Laundering and Operating Unlicensed Money Transmitting BusinessRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Danvers man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for money laundering and operating an unlicensed, “no questions asked,” money transmitting business that converted more than $1 million in cash to the digital currency Bitcoin, including on behalf of scammers and a drug dealer.
Trung Nguyen, a/k/a “DCS420”, 48, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to six years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Court also ordered Nguyen to forfeit $1,513,000.04. In November 2024, Nguyen was convicted of one count of conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business and one count of concealment money laundering. Nguyen was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 30, 2023.
Between September 2017 and October 2020, Nguyen owned and operated National Vending, LLC. Through National Vending, Nguyen accepted cash from customers and, in exchange for a fee, sent them Bitcoin in return. Exchangers of virtual currency, including Bitcoin exchangers, are money transmitters under federal law and are subject to federal anti-money laundering (AML) regulations. The regulations require them to register as money service businesses with the Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and to maintain effective AML programs, including by filing Suspicious Activity Reports with FinCEN, and by filing Currency Transaction Reports for Bitcoin-for-cash exchanges of more than $10,000.
Nguyen purposely failed to register National Vending with FinCEN, despite being required to do so. Over the course of 10 transactions in 2018, Nguyen accepted a total of $250,000 in cash from an individual who identified himself to Nguyen as a methamphetamine dealer. In 2019 and 2020, Nguyen also accepted approximately $325,000 from a romance scam victim from Kansas City, Mo.; $60,000 from a romance scam victim from Glastonbury, Ct. and $60,000 from a romance scam victim from central Massachusetts—each of whom had been tricked into converting cash into Bitcoin and sending it to con artists overseas. Nguyen failed to file Suspicious Activity Reports or Currency Transaction Reports on any of these transactions, including cash transactions of more than $10,000.
Nguyen concealed his money transmitting business by, among other ways, holding National Vending out to banks, cryptocurrency exchanges and state authorities as a vending machine business. He used encrypted messaging apps to communicate with customers, using technologies that made it more difficult to trace Bitcoin transactions and breaking cash deposits of more than $10,000 into smaller cash deposits over consecutive days or at different branches of the same bank. Nguyen also enrolled in a paid course on concealing his business that recommended Nguyen purport to operate “a business for which cash deposits from around the country make sense” and that he “develop [his] cover story,” “create a list or your suppliers Fictitious of course” and “Don’t say the word ‘Bitcoin.”
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth B. Kosto and Benjamin A. Saltzman of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Colombian National Charged with Voter Fraud; Federal Benefit Fraud; And Identity Theft OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian woman, unlawfully residing in Boston, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for identity theft offenses, including receiving rental assistance, Social Security and SNAP benefits, as well as voter fraud under the stolen identity. The defendant also allegedly applied for a United States passport and obtained a Massachusetts Real ID and eight other state IDs.
Lina Maria Orovio-Hernandez, 59, was charged in a superseding indictment with one count of false representation of a Social Security number; one count of making a false statement in an application for a United States passport; one count of aggravated identity theft; three counts of receiving stolen government money or property; one count of fraudulent voter registration; and one count of fraudulent voting. Orovio-Hernandez was previously charged in an indictment in February 2025 and has remained in federal custody since that time.
According to court filings, Orovio-Hernandez, a Colombian national without lawful status in the United States, has lived under a stolen identity for more than 20 years. Using this stolen identity, Orovio-Hernandez allegedly obtained nine state IDs, including a Massachusetts Real ID and applied for a U.S. passport.
Orovio-Hernandez allegedly used the stolen identity to submit a fraudulent voter registration in January 2023 and cast a fraudulent ballot in the November 2024 presidential election. It is further alleged that Orovio-Hernandez improperly received approximately $400,000 in federal benefits: $259,589 in Section 8 rental assistance benefits from October 2011 through January 2025; $101,257 in Social Security disability benefits from July 2014 through January 2025; and $43,348 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from April 2005 through January 2025.
“For more than 20 years, this defendant is alleged to have built an entire life on the foundation of a stolen identity – including illegally voting in our presidential election and collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in government benefits intended for Americans in need. The right to vote is one of the many privileges of being a U.S. citizen. Government funded programs for those in need are intended to be safety nets for those living in our country lawfully – not support an illegal alien without a right to be here. Ms. Orovio-Hernandez was entitled to none of these privileges as a Colombian citizen who was unlawfully in this country. The alleged crimes are an affront to every individual who plays by the rules and undermines many of the programs meant to support the most vulnerable members of our society,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to root out individuals who abuse the system and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service is committed to protecting the integrity of the U.S. passport,” said Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Boston Field Office. “Our special agents work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement partners to detect and stop fraud when criminals attempt to unlawfully obtain and use passports. DSS continues to play a critical role in the United States’ efforts to combat illegal immigration and bring to justice those who seek to exploit the U.S. travel system.”
“Stealing someone’s identity to unlawfully obtain Social Security benefits is not just theft—it’s a long-term abuse of a system meant to support those truly in need,” said Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration (SSA), Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Boston-New York Field Division. “SSA OIG is committed to ensuring ineligible aliens are not receiving funds from SSA programs. For over 20 years, the defendant is alleged to have lived under a stolen identity, fraudulently collecting federal benefits, committing voter fraud, and undermining the integrity of public trust. This indictment reflects our continued commitment to uncovering long-term fraud and holding individuals accountable for exploiting the Social Security system.”
“Orovio-Hernandez allegedly spent two decades living under a stolen identity while simultaneously orchestrating a sophisticated multi-agency fraud scheme, misappropriating over $400,000 in federal benefits—funded by taxpayers—including Section 8 rental assistance funds,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “These critical housing funds support the most vulnerable populations, including families with very low income, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. HUD OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who engage in activities that threaten the integrity of HUD programs.”
The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years of in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of making a false statement in an application for a United States passport provides for a sentence of up to 10 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 charges of receiving stolen government or property provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charges of fraudulent registration and fraudulent voting each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years 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.
U.S. Attorney Foley; DSS SAC O’Brien; SSA OIG SAC Connelly; HUD OIG SAC Rice; and Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Northeast Region made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Taunton Man Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for $1 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Taunton man, formerly of Brockton, was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for orchestrating a scheme to defraud various health insurance companies of over $1 million in false reimbursement claims for bogus medical expenses purportedly incurred during international travel.
Henry Ezeonyido, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 27 months in prison, to be followed by three of supervised release. Ezeonyido was also ordered to pay $655,313 in restitution and to forfeit $396,998 in criminal proceeds. In February 2025, Ezeonyido pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and six counts of health care fraud.
Ezeonyido was arrested and charged in July 2024 along with co-conspirators Brendon Ashe, Aqiyla Atherton, Darline Cobbler and Ariel Lambert. Ezeonyido was later indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. All four of Ezeonyido’s co-defendants pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and were subsequently sentenced to probation.
From approximately October 2019 to February 2022, Ezeonyido submitted fraudulent health insurance claims – on his own behalf and on behalf of at least seven other individuals, including Ashe, Atherton, Cobbler and Lambert – to five different health insurance companies for expensive medical treatment that they purportedly received and paid for out-of-pocket while traveling overseas. Many of the claims included fake traumatic injuries such as stabbings, gunshot wounds and hit and run car accidents that the defendants and others purportedly suffered requiring their hospitalization abroad. In nearly all instances, the individuals were actually in the United States at the time of the purported international medical events. Some of the individuals on whose behalf Ezeonyido submitted claims were knowing and willful participants in the scheme, while others either had no knowledge of the claims submitted on their behalf or were manipulated into providing their health insurance information, which Ezeonyido then used to submit fraudulent claims, later demanding a cut of the proceeds.
Ezeonyido submitted fabricated documents to the victim health insurance companies in support of the fraudulent claims, including fabricated medical records purporting to show the medical care received, fabricated bank records purporting to show payment to the international treatment facilities and, where the claim related to a fake traumatic injury, fabricated police reports describing the circumstances of the alleged event. In many instances, the details of the claims – including the purported dates of service, country where the alleged medical event occurred, and nature and circumstances of the alleged injuries – and the fabricated records submitted in support of the claims were nearly identical to one another.
As a result of these fraudulent claims, the victim health insurance companies were billed over $1 million for services that were never provided, resulting in payments totaling approximately $655,313. Upon receiving these payments from their health insurance companies, Ashe, Cobbler, Lambert and others, paid a portion of the proceeds to Ezeonyido and other co-conspirators, including Atherton, who acted as an intermediary, bringing others into the scheme in exchange for a cut of their paid claims. In total, Ezeonyido retained approximately $396,998 in fraud proceeds.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; and Anthony DiPaolo, Insurance Fraud Bureau Executive Director made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie A. Wright of the Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Massachusetts Couple to Plead Guilty to Multi-Million Dollar Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A couple from Randolph, Mass., has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded dozens of individual investors out of millions of dollars.
Milendophe Duperier, 33, and Vanessa Joseph, 26, have agreed to plead guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Plea hearings for the defendants have not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging documents, Duperier acted as an investment advisor, soliciting investments from individuals and advising them that their funds would be invested in the securities markets. Joseph was allegedly Duperier’s girlfriend and business partner.
It is alleged that, between early 2018 and December 2022, Duperier and Joseph defrauded dozens of individual investors by falsely representing that Duperier would use the entirety of their investments to purchase securities. However, instead of investing the funds in the securities markets as promised, Duperier and Joseph allegedly used the funds to pay prior investors and for personal purchases and expenses – including payments for luxury vehicles and mortgage and credit card debt.
In total, the charging documents allege that Duperier and Joseph defrauded individual investors, some of whom had invested their life savings, of more than $3.2 million. As part of the alleged scheme, Duperier and Joseph allegedly applied for and received small business loans for various entities and used the loan proceeds to pay purported investment returns to victim investors. It is further alleged that Duperier made false statements and excuses to investors as to why he had not made promised interest payments and/or could not return the investors’ principal.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, 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.
If you have questions, concerns or information about this case, please reach out to [email protected].
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie A. Queenin and Leslie A. Wright of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery of Jewelry StoreRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to the December 2023 armed robbery of a jewelry store in Lawrence, where he stole over $500,000 worth of jewelry and precious metals.
Rosnel Polanco, 26, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (commonly referred to as Hobbs Act robbery). U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Aug. 12, 2025. In August 2024, Polanco was charged along with two co-conspirators.
On Dec. 15, 2023, Polanco, and allegedly his co-conspirators, entered a Lawrence jewelry store armed with firearms. Numerous employees of the store were present at the time, and it is alleged that the defendants robbed them of their jewelry and cell phones. Polanco and his alleged co-conspirators then allegedly pointed firearms at the victims’ heads and pressed the firearms to their backs as they brought the employees to the basement where the store’s office and safes were located.
Once downstairs, Polanco and his alleged co-conspirators forced the owner of the store to open the safes containing the jewelry and other precious metals. In total, approximately $500,000 in jewelry and precious metals are alleged to have been taken. The second safe could not be successfully opened. Polanco and his alleged co-conspirators then fled the scene in a rented Nissan Altima that was later found burned and torched in a field in Maine the following day.
The charge of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to 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; Essex District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Lawrence Acting Chief of Police Millix Bonilla made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Cumberland County (Maine) Sheriff’s Department and the Norway (Maine) and Oxford (Maine) Police Departments. 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 defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former IRS Employee Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud and Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employee pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to filing false tax returns in order to fraudulently obtain tax refunds and stealing Social Security benefits.
Kathleen Mannion, 58, of Lawrence, pleaded guilty to four counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of a false tax return and one count of theft of government money. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Sept. 3, 2025. Mannion was charged in March 2025.
From 1998 to 2009, Mannion worked as an IRS contact representative in Andover, Mass. Between approximately July 2020 through April 2023, Mannion prepared and filed income tax returns for other individuals with the IRS. Even though Mannion prepared these returns on behalf of other individuals, she did not list herself as the tax return preparer. Instead, Mannion prepared the returns to appear as if the taxpayers prepared the returns on their own. Further, Mannion listed ineligible dependents on the tax returns, resulting in higher refund amounts for which the taxpayers did not qualify—all without the knowledge of the taxpayers. Mannion also filed forms with the IRS directing that a portion of the fraudulently obtained tax refunds be deposited in her personal bank accounts, which she then used for her personal benefit.
Separately, between April and October 2020, Mannion applied for Social Security retirement, spouse and widow benefits with the Social Security Administration (SSA) via telephone for other individuals. Unbeknownst to these beneficiaries, Mannion directed SSA to deposit the Social Security benefits in her personal bank accounts, which she also used for her personal benefit.
The charge of aiding and assisting the preparation and filing of a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of theft of government money 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 other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
Worcester College Student to Plead Guilty to Cyber ExtortionsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A student at Assumption University in Worcester, Mass., has been charged, and has agreed to plead guilty, in connection with hacking into the computer networks of two U.S.-based companies and extorting the companies for ransoms.
Matthew D. Lane, 19, of Sterling, Mass., has agreed to plead guilty to one count each of cyber extortion conspiracy; cyber extortion; unauthorized access to protected computers; and aggravated identity theft. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
“Cyber extortion is a serious attack on our economy and on all of us. As alleged, this defendant stole private information about millions of children and teachers, imposed substantial financial costs on his victims, and instilled fear in parents that their kids’ information had been leaked into the hands of criminals – all to put a notch in his hacking belt. The alleged ransoms that this defendant and others like him demand hurt victim companies and their innocent customers whose data the companies are entrusted to hold,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley.
“Matthew Lane apparently thought he found a way to get rich quick, but this 19-year-old now stands accused of hiding behind his keyboard to gain unauthorized access to an education software provider to obtain sensitive data which was used in an attempt to extort millions of dollars. He also allegedly conspired to extort more money from a telecommunications provider over its confidential data,” said Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “This alleged scheme has resulted in serious consequences and highlights the FBI’s ongoing commitment to bringing cyber criminals to justice, no matter what their motivation is for willfully breaking the law.”
According to court filings, between April 2024 and May 2024, Lane agreed with others to extort a $200,000 ransom payment from a telecommunications company by threatening to publicly disseminate customer data that had previously been stolen from the company’s computer network. When the victim company questioned whether a ransom payment would in fact end the threat of its customer data being leaked, Lane allegedly responded, “We are the only ones with a copy of this data now. Stop this nonsense [or] your executives and employees will see the same fate . . . . Make the correct decision and pay the ransom. If you keep stalling, it will be leaked.”
It is further alleged that Lane used stolen login credentials to access the computer network of a second victim company – a software and cloud storage company that served school systems in the United States, Canada and elsewhere. Lane allegedly caused personally identifying information (PII) of students and teachers stored on that company’s networks to be transferred to a computer server that Lane leased in Ukraine.
Later, the second victim company and others received threats that the PII of more than 60 million students and 10 million teachers – including names, email addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, medical information, residential addresses, parent and guardian information and passwords, among other data – would be “leak[ed] . . . worldwide” if the company did not pay a ransom of approximately $2.85 million in Bitcoin.
Members of the public who have questions or concerns as to whether a particular student and/or teacher’s information was compromised should contact their local school district.
The charges of cyber extortion conspiracy, cyber extortion and unauthorized access to protected computers each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, consecutive to any sentence imposed on the computer fraud charges. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Foley and FBI Acting SAC Milka made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Assumption University Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Salvadoran National Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran national pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Juan Alberto Orellana Pena, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Sept. 4, 2025. Orellana Pena was arrested on a criminal complaint and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2024. Orellana Pena has remained in custody since.
Orellana Pena unlawfully entered the United States on an unknown date. In 1998, he was convicted of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 years of age or older, in
Worcester District Court. He was later removed from the United States in May 2008.Sometime after his May 2008 removal, Orellana Pena unlawfully reentered the United States. In August 2012, in Uxbridge, Orellana Pena was stopped for speeding resulting in Orellana Pena being indicted for illegal reentry of a deported alien in October 2012. Orellana Pena was sentenced to a term of one year and a day in federal prison. In November 2013, upon completion of this sentence, Orellana Pena was removed from the United States.
On an unknown date after his November 2013 removal, Orellana Pena reentered the United States. Federal authorities became aware of Orellana Pena’s return to the United States after he was arrested in Worcester for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery on a family household member and assault and battery on or about June 16, 2024.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of an imposed sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial E. Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Lexington Attorney Agrees to Plead Guilty to Embezzling More Than $3 Million from Companies and RelativesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lexington, Mass. attorney has been charged and agreed to plead guilty in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Massachusetts victims, including two of his own relatives.
David Smerling, 75, has agreed to plead guilty to a Superseding Information charging him with four counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering and one count of aggravated identity theft. Smerling was previously indicted in January 2025 on charges of embezzling from a business partner.
“The alleged multi-million-dollar embezzlement that Mr. Smerling was originally charged with was, unfortunately, just the tip of the iceberg. Today’s charges allege that Mr. Smerling also preyed on a family member with special needs and another with dementia, allegedly stealing money these victims needed for their own care,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley.
“For anyone with elderly and vulnerable loved ones, these are frightening allegations,” said Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “David Smerling allegedly betrayed the trust of his victims and took full advantage – embezzling from them to line his own pockets while trying to cover up his crimes. The FBI will never stop working to protect the public from criminals like this, and we’re gratified to see him brought to justice.”
According to court filings, between January 2016 and May 2020, Smerling embezzled more than $2.5 million from three Massachusetts companies for whom he worked as a bookkeeper. Specifically, it is alleged that Smerling transferred funds from the victim companies into a separate bank account that he controlled, before moving the money to bank accounts in his own name or directly from the companies’ accounts to bank accounts in his own name. Smerling allegedly concealed his scheme by changing the mailing address on victims’ bank statements to his home address and refusing to share the online banking password for the victims’ accounts.
Court filings further allege that, between May 2020 and August 2021, Smerling embezzled more than $470,000 from a trust established for the benefit of a relative with special needs for which Smerling served as the trustee. Smerling allegedly transferred trust funds to bank accounts he controlled before sending the funds to bank accounts in his wife’s name or using the funds to pay for personal expenses. It is alleged that Smerling concealed his scheme by making lulling payments to the beneficiary so he would not discover the trust had been depleted.
Court filings also allege that, between May 2023 and April 2025, Smerling embezzled more than $150,000 from a relative with dementia for whom Smerling served as the financial power of attorney. Specifically, Smerling allegedly transferred funds from the victim’s accounts to accounts he controlled, used a credit card in the victim’s name for personal purchases and took out a loan in the victim’s name. To conceal this scheme, Smerling allegedly misrepresented the purpose of the transfers to the financial institutions in which the victim’s accounts were held.
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 up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of money laundering 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 value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the wire fraud and money laundering charges. 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 Leah B. Foley and FBI Acting SAC Milka made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Indian National Pleads Guilty to Visa Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Indian national, residing in New York, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to staging armed robberies in furtherance of a visa fraud conspiracy.
Rambhai Patel, 37, pleaded guilty to on one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Aug. 20, 2025. In December 2023, Patel was charged along with a co-conspirator.
Beginning in March 2023, Patel and his alleged co-conspirator set up and carried out staged armed robberies of at least nine convenience/liquor stores and fast-food restaurants across the United States – including at least five in Massachusetts. The purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the store clerks to claim that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for U nonimmigrant status (U Visa). A U Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.
During the staged robberies, the “robber” would threaten store clerks and/or owners with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, while the interaction was captured on store surveillance video. The clerks and/or owners would then wait five or more minutes until the “robber” had escaped before calling police to report the “crime.” The “victims” paid Patel to participate in the scheme. One purported victim paid $20,000 to participate as a victim in one of the staged armed robberies. In turn, Patel paid the store owners for the use of their stores for the staged robbery.
At least two purported victim co-conspirators submitted U Visa applications based on being victims of the staged armed robberies.
Singh is scheduled to plead guilty on May 22, 2025.
The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years 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.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of New York and the Western District of Washington; FBI’s New York and Seattle Field Offices; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Massachusetts State Police; Worcester County District Attorney’s Office; and the Hingham, Marshfield, Randolph, Weymouth, Worcester, Upper Darby, (Pa.), West Pittston (Pa.), Louisville, (Ky.) and Bean Station (Tenn.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Jessica L. Soto 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.
Guatemalan National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in New Bedford has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Manuel Ruiz Luis, 52, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Ruiz Luis was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 31, 2025. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, Ruiz Luis has been detained.
According to the indictment, Ruiz Luis was first deported from the United States to Guatemala in April 1996 and allegedly reentered the United States illegally sometime thereafter. Ruiz Luis was removed from the United States a second time on March 28, 2012. It is alleged that sometime after his March 2012 removal, Ruiz Luis illegally reentered the United States without permission.
According to court documents, prior to his 2012 removal, Ruiz Luis had multiple criminal convictions including one charge of operating under the influence and four separate charges of operating a motor vehicle without a license.
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 and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Georgia Woman Who Trafficked over 10 Pounds of Methamphetamine Hidden Inside Bag of Dog Food Sentenced to Decade in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Georgia woman was sentenced on May 14, 2025 in federal court in Boston for her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that trafficked narcotics from Mexico into the United States.
Brooke Logan Paniagua, 28, of Dalton, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns to 10 years in prison, to be followed by 48 months of supervised release. In January 2025, Paniagua pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
On Sept. 25, 2022, the DTO informed a confidential source that a female courier would be transporting 12 pounds of methamphetamine from Georgia to Massachusetts. On Sept. 27, 2022, Paniagua called the confidential source to coordinate the time and location to meet to complete the sale of the methamphetamine. Paniagua informed the confidential source that the methamphetamine was hidden inside a 50-pound bag of dog food.
On Sept. 27, 2022, Paniagua arrived at the agreed-upon location and notified the confidential source that she had arrived at the location. During a search of her person, a .22 caliber Ruger handgun loaded with eight rounds of ammunition was located in Paniagua’s back pocket. A search of Paniagua’s vehicle resulted in the recovery of a large, partially opened bag of dog food that contained five plastic containers filled with 12.3 pounds of 97% pure methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Stephen Belleau, Acting 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, and the Natick, Newton and Waltham Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Director of Mobile Medical Diagnostics Company Agrees to Plead Guilty to Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York-based director of operations and sales for the Northeast region of a mobile medical diagnostics company has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to provide kickbacks to doctors in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans.
James Rausch, 57, of Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., has been charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging documents, from approximately March 2015 through September 2020, Rausch conspired with others, including two managers for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, to enter into kickback agreements with various doctors. TCD scans are brain scans that measure blood flow in parts of the brain. It is alleged that Rausch and his co-conspirators agreed to offer and pay doctors kickbacks, some in cash and others by check, based on the number of TCD ultrasounds the doctors ordered. Rausch and his co-conspirators allegedly created purported rental and administrative service agreements that, on paper, made it appear as if the doctors’ practices were compensated for the TCD company’s use of space as well as for administrative costs associated with processing each order – based on fair market value, not based on the volume or value of referrals. It is alleged that these agreements were shams that hid the true nature of the payment arrangement for each test.
It is alleged that the scheme as a whole resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $70.6 million to Medicare. Medicare paid approximately $27.2 million to the TCD company for the fraudulent claims.
The charge of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute 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; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Kelly M. Lawson, Acting Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, 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. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard Locker and Mackenzie Queenin of the Health Care Fraud Unit are 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.
CEO of Spine Device Company Pleads Guilty to False Statements in Connection with Mandatory Reporting to CMSRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The CEO of SpineFrontier, Inc. has pleaded guilty to making false statements to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Dr. Kingsley R. Chin, the Founder, President and CEO of SpineFrontier, Inc., a Massachusetts-based medical device company, pleaded guilty on May 15, 2025, to one count of false statements to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Open Payments Program. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Aug. 6, 2025.
Pursuant to the Physician Payment Sunshine Act, device manufacturers, like SpineFrontier, are required to report any payments or transfers of value to physicians, including spine surgeons. CMS maintains a database, via the Open Payments website, which makes all such payments or transfers of value publicly accessible.
According to the charging documents, SpineFrontier offered surgeons the opportunity to engage in purported consulting on product development. Specifically, Chin directed his employees to report the payment of fees paid to a surgeon as consulting fees that were not compensation for actual consulting work. Chin caused his employees to report a payment of $4,750 on Jan. 19, 2016, to the surgeon as a “consulting” payment, even though Chin knew that the surgeon had not performed actual consulting work for the payment. He also knew that he and SpineFrontier were required to accurately report any payments or transfers of value to the surgeon.
The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years, up to 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; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri, Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abraham R. George, Christopher R. Looney and Mackenzie A. Queenin are prosecuting the case.
Brothers Arrested for Drug Conspiracy and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two brothers from Lynn were arrested on May 15, 2025 in connection with an investigation into drug conspiracy and firearm offenses.
Meliek Bennett, 29, and his brother Maurice Bennett, 38, both of Lynn, were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Meliek Bennett was also charged with possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to the charging documents, Maurice Bennett was identified as an alleged member of the Bloods street gang in Lynn with prior convictions for carrying firearms and violent crimes. During the investigation, numerous text messages between Maurice and his brother Meliek were intercepted, wherein they allegedly coordinated the distribution of drugs including cocaine, prescription medication, counterfeit pills and marijuana. The brothers allegedly discussed sharing drug customers, sharing drug supplies, paying Meliek’s drug debts and making a trip to New Hampshire to sell controlled substances together.
In September 2024, a recorded conversation was obtained where Meliek allegedly described intending to use a silenced pistol to shoot up the residence of a drug supplier and potentially murder the drug supplier to whom he owed a drug debt - after the supplier had beaten up Meliek. Shortly thereafter, a search warrant was executed at Meliek Bennett’s residence in Lynn, where fentanyl tablets, oxycodone, gabapentin and marijuana, as well as a .22 caliber pistol with a threaded barrel and ammunition were discovered.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of at least five years in prison, consecutive to the sentence for the drug crime. 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 Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lynn Police and Massachusetts Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and David Cutshall of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Gang Members from Lowell Sentenced for Trafficking Methamphetamine PillsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two members of the Asian Boyz gang have been sentenced in federal court in Boston for trafficking homemade imitations of the pharmaceutical drug, Adderall, containing methamphetamine.
Erickson Dao, a/k/a “Silent,” 32, of Lowell, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 85 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. . In January 2025, Dao pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine. Bill Phim, a/k/a “Bonez,” 37, also of Lowell, was sentenced by Judge Gorton to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In February 2025, Phim pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine and two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine.
A long-term investigation proved that Asian Boyz gang members and associates allegedly had access to a plentiful supply of counterfeit methamphetamine pills marketed as “Adderall.” These pills were similar in shape, size and appearance to genuine Adderall. On 12 different dates in 2022, Phim sold these counterfeit “Adderall” pills to an undercover agent. In total, Phim sold the undercover agent over 10,000 pills for more than $36,000.
Dao was identified as one of Phim’s suppliers of the methamphetamine pills. Between February 2022 and April 2022, Dao delivered the counterfeit pills to Phim on at least five occasions. Phim then sold the pills to an undercover federal agent for more than $11,000. Chemical testing confirmed that the pills were a dangerous compound of methamphetamine and caffeine. When investigators searched Dao’s residence, they discovered thousands more counterfeit “Adderall” pills and large quantities of cocaine.
In other drug transactions with the undercover officer, Phim admitted that he coordinated the supply of methamphetamine pills with other Asian Boyz gang members and associates, including Brian Gingras, a/k/a “Cheech.” Between May 2022 and September 2022, Gingras met Phim prior to the planned deals to personally deliver the pills. Gringas pleaded guilty in January 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Superintendent Gregory C. Hudon of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Billerica, Haverhill, North Andover and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant in the case is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON –A leader of a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy operating in and around the South Shore area of Massachusetts was sentenced in federal court in Boston for multiple federal drug offenses.
Giovanni Pina, 27, of Brockton, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 138 months in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. In January 2025, Pina pleaded guilty to one count of possessing with intent to distribute and distributing 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; one count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine on a premises where a minor was present and/or resided; and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Beginning in at least January 2021 through at least November 2021, Pina served as one of the leaders of a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and cocaine in and around the South Shore area – including in the Brockton, Quincy and Weymouth communities. Part of that conspiracy involved a Weymouth “stash house.” During a search of the stash house in January 2021, two kilo presses; extensive drug paraphernalia, including blenders, digital scales and packaging equipment; more than 10 kilograms of fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and cocaine; three firearms; ammunition; two high-capacity magazines; and a speed loader were recovered. According to court documents and information presented in court, Pina assisted in operating other stash locations after law enforcement dismantled the Weymouth location.
Additionally, Pina participated in a number of recorded drug deals with a cooperating witness in January and February 2023, two of which occurred in the presence of a minor. One recorded drug deal occurred on or about Jan. 12, 2023, at a residence in Brockton. During the deal and in the presence of a minor, Pina provided the witness with a box containing orange pills in exchange for cash. Subsequent lab testing confirmed that the pills consisted of over 2,000 grams of a mixture and substance of methamphetamine. On or about Jan. 25, 2023, Pina participated in another recorded drug deal with the cooperating witness in a vehicle in Taunton. During the deal, Pina provided the witness with a box that contained a large amount of orange pills in exchange for cash. Subsequent lab testing confirmed that the pills consisted of over 2,500 grams of a mixture and substance of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Quincy Police Chief Mark Kennedy made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department; and the Cohasset, Quincy, Weymouth, Braintree, Randolph, Brockton, East Bridgewater and Bridgewater Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Four Dominican Nationals Indicted for Drug Conspiracy Involving Fentanyl and Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A federal grand jury in Boston has indicted four Dominican nationals residing in Lawrence, Mass., on drug charges.
Juana Luduvina Aguasvivas, 66, Richard Arias-Aguasvivas, 38, Ariel Ruiz, 31, and Yonelin Baez Soto, 30, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Arias-Aguasvivas, Ruiz and Baez were also charged with distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and/or crack cocaine. All four defendants are scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston on May 29, 2025.
According to the charging documents, in April 2021, an investigation began into a drug trafficking organization operating in Lawrence that was supplying fentanyl, cocaine base and cutting agents to customers. Between April 2021 and February 2025, investigators conducted controlled purchases, during which Aguasvivas, Arias-Aguasvivas, Ruiz and Baez collectively sold more than 800 grams of fentanyl, more than 80 grams of crack cocaine and copious amounts of cutting agents.
In May 2025, Baez pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry and is scheduled to be sentenced on those charges on Aug. 6, 2025.
Arias-Aguasvivas, Ruiz and Baez each face at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a $10 million fine. Aguasvivas faces at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a $5 million fine. The defendants are subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon on 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 Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in charge for the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, Essex County District Attorney’s Office, North Andover Police Department, Billerica Police Department, Lowell Police Department, Haverhill Police Department, Methuen Police Department, Internal Revenue Service and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annapurna Balakrishna of the Criminal Division is prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Florida Pharmacy Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud and Agrees to Pay More Than $1 Million SettlementRead the Press Release
BOSTON – On May 13, 2025, a Florida-based pharmacy, OHM Pharmacy Services, aka “Benzer,” aka “Auburndale,” pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay restitution of $82,000. As part of the global resolution, Benzer also agreed to pay $1,018,000 to resolve False Claims Act violations.
According to OHM’s admissions in the global resolution of criminal charges and civil claims, the pharmacy dispensed Evzio, one of several naloxone products on the market indicated for use on an emergent basis in the case of opioid overdose. Due to Evzio’s high price, insurers (including Medicare Part D plans) frequently required that health care providers submit prior authorization requests before they approved coverage. OHM completed prior authorization forms in place of prescribing physicians, and in some instances OHM personnel signed the prior authorization forms without the physician’s authorization and submitted information to insurers that made it appear as though a physician, and not OHM, was submitting the information. Moreover, OHM also submitted prior authorization requests to insurers, including Medicare Part D plans, that contained false information. For example, OHM staff filled out and submitted dozens of Evzio prior authorization request forms that falsely asserted that patients had previously tried and failed to successfully use Narcan or naloxone.
In connection with the resolution, Benzer entered into an integrity agreement (IA) with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). The IA requires, among other things, that Benzer implement measures to ensure that its submission of claims for pharmaceutical products complies with applicable law relating to prior authorizations.
The civil settlement concludes the government’s resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by a former employee of kaleo Inc., Evzio’s manufacturer. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Socol v. Benzer Pharmacy Holding, LLC, et al., No. 18-cv-10050-RGS (D. Mass.). As part of the civil resolution, the whistleblower will receive $285,040 of the civil settlement amount.
In 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced settlements with kaléo Inc. for $12.7 million and with other pharmacies for $1 million relating to their submission of false claims for Evzio. In 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced a $1.31 million deferred prosecution agreement and civil settlement with another pharmacy.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kim Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General; the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General; and the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General made the announcement.
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham R. George, Chief of the Civil Division, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin, Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren A. Graber, Deputy Chief of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit.
Dominican National Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national, residing in Lawrence, was sentenced on May 13, 2025 in federal court in Boston for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
Juan Anibal Patrone Gonzalez, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The defendant is also subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In February 2025, Patrone Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute four hundred grams or more of fentanyl.
Co-defendant San Geronimo Santana Amador, a Dominican national who does not have legal status in the United States, was released on conditions following his arrest. He subsequently failed to appear and remains a wanted fugitive.
In 2018, Patrone Gonzalez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl in the District of Massachusetts. In May 2019, Patrone Gonzalez was sentenced to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Patrone Gonzalez was in federal prison in Miami, Fla., serving his federal sentence at the time that he committed this offense.
On or about Dec. 21, 2022, a cooperating witness (CW) communicated with Patrone Gonzalez’s alleged co-conspirator Santana Amador to discuss supplying the CW with narcotics. During conversations between Santana Amador and the CW, Santana Amador allegedly stated that his source of supply was “detained” and provided a phone number for his supplier. Santana Amador’s supplier was later identified as Patrone Gonzalez who, using a contraband telephone while incarcerated, coordinated the sale of one kilogram of fentanyl to the CW. Recorded calls captured Patrone Gonzalez discussing the price of the fentanyl, among other things, with the CW. On Dec. 29, 2022, Santana Amador met with the CW and provided them with the kilogram of fentanyl on partial credit. Following this purchase, additional payments were made to Santana Amador on various dates for the kilogram of fentanyl, including dates in January and February 2023. In 2023, the contraband phone that Patrone Gonzalez used to communicate with the CW was found in his jail cell.United States Attorney Leah Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey Noble of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office; and the Waltham, Watertown, Reading, Peabody, Hudson and Concord Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Mackenzie Duane and Samuel Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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.
Dominican National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national has been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Keilyn Adolfo Rivera, 45, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
According to the charging documents, on or about Feb. 2, 2025, Rivera was found in the United States after having been deported from the United States to the Dominican Republic on or about March 6, 2015.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien 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 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 and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Suffolk County Jail Officer Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to a scheme whereby he falsely claimed to sell repossessed vehicles as a law enforcement officer. Defendant claimed to be a Boston Police Detective, Massachusetts State Police Trooper and County Sheriff.
Recardo S. Beale, 34, of Quincy, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Aug. 26, 2025. Beale was charged in March 2025.
According to charging documents, Beale was an Officer for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department from approximately April 2021 to November 2021. Between approximately October 2023 and February 2024, Beale claimed to three individuals that as a law enforcement officer, he had access to repossessed vehicles that he could sell at a low price.
At various times, Beale identified himself to these individuals as a Sheriff, a Boston Police Detective and/or a Massachusetts State Police Trooper. Beale did not, in fact, hold any of these positions when he made such representations. In reliance on Beale’s false representations, the individuals gave tens of thousands of dollars to Beale for the purported repossessed vehicles. Among the vehicles that Beale falsely promised to sell were a BMW, an Audi and a Mercedes. Beale never delivered any such vehicles as Beale did not have any such repossessed vehicles available for sale. On separate occasions, Beale met with two separate individuals at the Suffolk County House of Correction purportedly to show them repossessed vehicles. During one such meeting on Nov. 17, 2023, Beale met with an individual inside the House of Correction. Surveillance video showed Beale wearing a Suffolk County Correction Officer Academy hoodie, blue tactical pants like those worn by jail guards and black boots also similar to those worn by jail guards. Beale did not show any vehicles to the individual on Nov. 17, 2023, claiming that his superior, was also involved in the sale, and not available.
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 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; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Office; and Kim Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Merck of the Springfield Branch Office and John Mulcahy of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.
Former Electrical Company General Manager Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Keolis Commuter ServicesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former general manager of a Massachusetts-based electrical company was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a false invoicing scheme that defrauded Keolis Commuter Services (Keolis) of over $4 million.
John Rafferty, 72, of Hale’s Location, N.H., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Rafferty was also ordered to pay $4,016,087 in restitution and a $893,227.93 forfeiture money judgment. In June 2023, Rafferty pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Rafferty was charged in April 2023 and his alleged co-conspirator, John P. Pigsley, was charged in a separate case.
Keolis has operated the MBTA commuter rail system since 2014 under an annual contract of $291–$349 million. Rafferty was the general manager of LJ Electric, Inc., an electrical supply vendor to which Keolis paid over $17 million between 2014 through 2021.
Between July 2014 and November 2021, Rafferty and Pigsley defrauded Keolis of over $4 million through a false LJ Electric invoicing scheme. Specifically, Rafferty spent more than $3 million on items for Pigsley and others – including: at least nine trucks; construction equipment including at least seven Bobcat machines; at least $1 million in home building supplies and services; and a $54,000 camper. Rafferty then recovered the cost of these items by submitting false and fraudulent LJ Electric invoices to Keolis, which also included a percentage profit that Rafferty kept for himself.
In April 2025, Pigsley was sentenced to 70 months in prison, three years of supervised release, $8,580,311 in restitution to Keolis and $2,689,206 to the Internal Revenue Service, forfeiture of three real properties and a $7,687,083.70 money judgment.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Brian C. Gallagher, Special Agent in Charge, Northeastern Region, U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit and Raquelle Kaye of the Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the cases.
Everett Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking Four VictimsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Everett man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to four counts of an indictment charging him with sex trafficking four separate female victims.
Trevor Jones, 47, pleaded guilty to four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Aug. 12, 2025. In May 2023, Jones was indicted by a federal grand jury. Jones was arrested on related state charges on March 23, 2023 and has remained in state custody since.
According to the charging documents, from at least 2016 until 2023, Jones ran a sex trafficking operation targeting victims who were suffering from substance use disorder. As part of his sex trafficking operation, Jones provided his victims with controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl and cocaine to intensify their drug dependence and gain their compliance, while prohibiting the victims from obtaining controlled substances from other sources. Jones demanded “loyalty” and “dedication” from his victims. He allegedly enforced his requirements by punishing victims with acts of violence, threats of violence and withholding controlled substance from drug-dependent victims. As outlined in court, Jones beat one victim with a belt causing bruising throughout her body. When confronted with the injuries he caused, Jones told the victim that she deserved the abuse. Jones was verbally abusive toward another victim, locking her out of the house, demanding to know where her “loyalty” was and berating her for not “contributing everything” she was making. Another victim experienced degradation from Jones, with him telling her that she needed to “make daddy proud” and scolding her for being “disobedient.”
The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, at least 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; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Revere, Arlington and Boston Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit and Assistant United States Attorney Torey B. Cummings of the Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Unit are prosecuting the case along with Essex County Assistant District Attorneys Jessica Strasnick and Marina Moriarty, who were sworn in as Special Assistant United States Attorneys.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national residing in the Bronx, N.Y. has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston in connection with his role in a fentanyl distribution hub in the Bronx that sent fentanyl laced with xylazine, a horse tranquilizer, to Massachusetts.
Jairo Collazo, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Sept. 17, 2025. Collazo was charged by criminal complaint in April 2024 and later indicted.
According to court records, Collazo operated a fentanyl distribution hub out of a basement in the Bronx, from which he distributed fentanyl to destinations including Boston, Mass.; Fitchburg, Mass.; Springfield, Mass.; Syracuse, N.Y; and the State of Vermont. Collazo and his coconspirators whom he called “employees” used the basement in the Bronx to package fentanyl into glassine wax paper bags for distribution. Collazo traveled to Massachusetts on two occasions, in December 2023 and January 2024, to distribute fentanyl to a witness working with law enforcement. On April 12, 2024, during a search of the Bronx basement, fentanyl packaged for distribution, materials used for cutting fentanyl with other substances and bottles of xylazine were recovered. Collazo used xylazine to cut the fentanyl and offered to sell it to the cooperating witness. More than 2 kilograms of fentanyl was seized from Collazo.
According to court records, in 2021, Collazo pleaded guilty in New York Supreme Criminal Court to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree (heroin) and was sentenced to two years incarceration.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Collazo lacks lawful status in the United States is subject to deportation after 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 Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Fitchburg Police Department and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman is prosecuting the case.
Amherst Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Amherst man was sentenced in federal court in Springfield, Mass. for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Bradley Driscoll, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Driscoll was also ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution to the victims. In February 2025, Driscoll pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. In October 2023, Driscoll was indicted by a federal grand jury.
On or about Aug. 29, 2022, Driscoll knowingly distributed and possessed CSAM. Specifically, Driscoll engaged in a Kik chat conversation with an undercover agent, where he expressed an interest in obtaining CSAM materials. Driscoll also distributed a link to the undercover agent which contained approximately 345 CSAM files depicting minor children, some as young as one year old, being sexually penetrated by adult males.
In September 2023, Driscoll confirmed that he was the owner of the Kik username and that he located the link containing CSAM files through other Kik messenger chat groups. He acknowledged asking the undercover agent to send him CSAM and acknowledged that the link he shared contained sexual materials involving young children.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Chief Gabriel Ting of the Amherst Police Department made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit 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.
Worcester Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a cocaine distribution conspiracy.
Hector Torres, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Aug. 26, 2025. Torres was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023.
In or about June 2022, a package sent from Puerto Rico to Worcester found to contain approximately 6.5 kilograms of cocaine was intercepted. On June 21, 2022, law enforcement executed a controlled delivery of the package. While accepting the delivered package, Torres apologized for not being there earlier, took the package, and set it on the ground in order to sign for delivery. When law enforcement attempted to arrest Torres, he fled on foot and was subsequently apprehended.
The charges of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and conspiracy to do the same each provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 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; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Worcester Police Chief Paul B. Saucier made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Statement by U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley Regarding Attempts to Obstruct ICE OperationsRead the Press Release
“The interference with ICE operations around Massachusetts has been disturbing, to say the least. This conduct poses significant public and officer safety risks. It is conduct that should be vilified rather than glorified. I will not stand idly by if any public official, public safety officer, organization or private citizen acts in a manner that criminally obstructs or impedes ICE operations. The United States Attorney’s Office, along with our federal partners, will investigate any violations of federal law and pursue charges that are warranted by such activity.”
Russian National Charged with Smuggling Biological Material into BostonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Russian national has been arrested and charged for allegedly attempting to smuggle clawed frog embryos and embryonic samples into the United States.
Kseniia Petrova, 31, a Russian citizen, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of smuggling goods into the United States. Petrova was taken into immigration custody on Feb. 16, 2025. She was arrested earlier today on the criminal charge.
According to the charging documents, on Feb. 16, 2025, Petrova arrived at Logan International Airport in Boston via an inbound flight from Paris. Upon her arrival, Petrova was stopped by Customs & Border Protection agents after a law enforcement canine allegedly alerted its handler to the defendant’s checked duffel bag on the baggage carousel. Per protocol, law enforcement removed the bag from the carousel and brought it to an agricultural secondary inspection area for further screening. There, an officer inspected the contents of the bag and allegedly discovered the biological items: a foam box containing clawed frog embryos in microcentrifuges, as well as embryonic samples in paraffin well stages and on mounted dyed slides. All biological products require a permit for entry and require the individual to make a declaration to Customs & Border Protection at the port of first arrival.
It is alleged that, when approached by law enforcement, Petrova initially denied carrying any biological material in her checked baggage. However, when asked again, Petrova allegedly admitted that she was carrying biological material.
During an interview under oath, Petrova allegedly claimed to be unsure that she was required to declare biological material when entering the United States.
According to the charging documents, however, Petrova’s phone revealed text messages from an individual identified as one of Petrova’s colleagues informing Petrova that she was required to declare the biological material:
- “if you bring samples or antibody back, make sure you get the permission etc. Like that link I sent to leon-/group chat about frog embryos because TSA went through my bags at customs in Boston;” and
- “What is your plan to pass the American Customs with samples? This is the most delicate place of the trajectory.”
It is alleged that in another text message conversation with an individual identified as her principal investigator, Petrova was asked how she planned to get through customs with the biological samples, to which she replied: “No plan yet. I won’t be able to swallow them.”
Petrova was thereafter advised that she was ineligible for entry to the United States. It is alleged that, when asked if she wished to willingly withdraw her application for admission, Petrova responded in the affirmative before being taken into custody by immigration officials.
According to the charging documents, the defendant was recently employed by the Institute of Genetic Biology in Moscow from 2023 to 2024 and previously served as a bioinformatician of genetic disorders at the Moscow Center for Genetics from 2016 to 2023.
The charge of smuggling goods into the United States provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of up to 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; Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office; and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service in Louisiana. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadine Pellegrini, Chief of the National Security Unit, is prosecuting the case.The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maryland Man Previously Arrested for Coercing 18-Year-Old to Travel Interstate for Commercial Sex Charged in Superseding Indictment with Massachusetts Man for Conspiring to Sex Traffic MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A superseding indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Boston charging two men with conspiring to engage in the sex trafficking of a minor victim.
On April 16, 2025, David Kaufman, 44, was arrested on an indictment charging him with one count of knowingly persuading, inducing, enticing and coercing an individual to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution and aiding and abetting.
The superseding indictment adds Darren Zaldivar, 19, of Ludlow, Mass., charging him with transporting an individual with intent the individual engage in prostitution. Both defendants are also charged with conspiring to engage in sex trafficking of a minor. The superseding indictment also adds the charge of sex trafficking of a minor against Kaufman.
Zaldivar will appear in federal court in Boston later today. Kaufman remains detained in federal custody.
According to the detention brief previously filed, Kaufman had allegedly been victimizing minor males and young adults ranging in ages from 14–20 by paying the minors for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and coercing and enticing some of them to travel to his penthouse condominium at the Four Seasons in Baltimore, and elsewhere, to engage in sex acts with him, which he video recorded. Zaldivar is alleged to have conspired with Kaufman in the sex trafficking of a minor victim in 2024. Zaldivar is also alleged to have transported the minor victim with the intent that the victim engage in commercial sex.
According to court filings, Kaufman coerced an 18-year-old victim to travel from Massachusetts on two occasions to visit his penthouse condominium at the Four Seasons in Baltimore, paying for the plane tickets. While there, Kaufman allegedly provided the victim with alcohol and drugs, including cocaine, until the victim was intoxicated. It is alleged that Kaufman would then persuade the victim to engage in sex acts, which Kaufman videotaped so that he could watch them later in order to get pleasure for himself. In exchange for the sex acts, it is alleged that Kaufman paid the victim with cash, electronic money transfers and gifts. For example, after he engaged in sex acts in February 2024, Kaufman allegedly bought the victim a Louis Vuitton bag.
If you have information or questions about this investigation, or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking or child exploitation, please contact [email protected].
The charge of coercing a person to travel for purposes of prostitution provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of sex trafficking a minor provides for a sentence of up to life, up to life and no less than five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.The charge of transporting an individual with intent the individual engage in prostitution provides for up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.The charge of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor provides for a sentence of up to life, up to 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 Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Maryland; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and the Baltimore Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torey B. Cummings and Craig E. Estes of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
18th Street Gang Associate Pleads Guilty to Dealing FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An associate of the 18th Street Gang pleaded guilty yesterday to drug charges in federal court in Boston.
Elvin Martinez-Flores, 23, of Everett, pleaded guilty to distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams and more of fentanyl. United States District Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Aug. 5, 2025. Martinez-Flores was charged by criminal complaint in January 2025.
On Sept. 20, 2024, Martinez sold approximately 400 pressed fentanyl pills to a cooperating witness. Later, on Oct. 28, 2024, Martinez sold another 500 pressed fentanyl pills to the cooperating witness.
The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 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 $1,000,000. 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; Kim Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations; Suffolk County and Middlesex County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Falmouth, Lynn, Medford, Nantucket and Revere Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Moran and Fred Wyshak of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Mexican National Arrested for Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mexican national has been arrested for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Bernardo Lorenzo-Guatemala, 38, was arrested on May 9, 2025 and charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston he was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for May 15, 2025.
According to the charging documents, Lorenzo-Guatemala was deported from the United States on June 4, 2019. It is alleged that sometime after his removal, Lorenzo-Guatemala unlawfully reentered the United States. Immigration and Customs Enforcement became aware of Lorenzo-Guatemala’s unlawful presence in the United States following his arrest on July 2, 2024 for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.
Lorenzo-Guatemala has multiple prior felony convictions including a February 2016 conviction for Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Liquor; a July 2015 conviction for Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle; and a June 2014 conviction for Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Liquor.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien 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 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 and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Who Attempted to Stab Flight Attendant and Open Airplane Door Mid-Flight Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Leominster, Mass. man pleaded guilty today in connection with an incident in which he attempted to open an emergency exit door while aboard a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston and then attempted to stab a flight attendant in the neck with a broken metal spoon.
Francisco Severo Torres, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for July 17, 2025. Torres was charged by criminal complaint in March 2023 following his arrest at Boston Logan International Airport. He was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2023.
On March 5, 2023, Torres was a passenger aboard a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston. Approximately 45 minutes prior to landing, the flight crew received an alarm in the cockpit that a starboard side door located between the first class and coach sections of the aircraft was disarmed. Upon inspection, a flight attendant found that the door’s locking handle had been moved out of the fully locked position – approximately a quarter of the way towards the towards the unlocked position – and that the emergency slide arming lever had been moved to the “disarmed” position. The flight attendant reported this to the captain and flight crew after securing the door and emergency slide.
In subsequent discussions, a fellow flight attendant reported that he had observed Torres near the door and believed Torres had tampered with the door. A flight attendant then confronted Torres about tampering with the door, to which he responded by asking if there were cameras showing that he had done so. The flight attendant then notified the captain that they believed Torres posed a threat to the aircraft and that the captain needed to land the aircraft as soon as possible.
Shortly thereafter, Torres got out of his seat and approached the starboard side door where two flight attendants were standing in the aisle. One of the flight attendants saw Torres mouthing something that he could not hear. Video taken by a passenger depicts Torres yelling at points that he would “kill every man on this plane” and “I’m taking over this plane.” Torres then thrust towards one of the flight attendants in a stabbing motion with a broken metal spoon, hitting the flight attendant on the neck area three times. Passengers then tackled Torres and he was restrained with the assistance of flight crew. Torres was immediately taken into custody upon the flight’s arrival to Boston.
During subsequent interviews, passengers who were aboard the flight reported that Torres asked a fellow passenger where on the safety card it showed where the door handle was located during the flight attendants’ safety briefing prior to takeoff and that Torres was seen pacing in a galley before attacking the flight attendant.
The charge of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, up to 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; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Government Contractor NORESCO Agrees to Resolve Allegations of Overcharging Federal AgenciesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – NORESCO, LLC, a government contractor headquartered in Westborough, Mass., has agreed to a $9,585,141 settlement to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by overcharging numerous federal agencies for energy improvements in connection with 29 federally-funded energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs).
ESPCs allow federal agencies to procure energy savings and facility improvements with no up-front costs. Under the contracts, NORESCO obtained loans from banks and other financial entities to pay for the cost of installing a variety of energy savings upgrades in federal buildings worldwide. Following completion of the projects, the agencies then paid NORESCO in installments for cost of the projects, including any financing charges, using the energy savings that the projects created.
Today’s settlement resolves allegations that NORESCO overcharged the government in two ways. First, NORESCO inflated the price of one project for the United States Navy by including improper contingency costs. Specifically, after Navy contracting personnel partially rejected NORESCO’s request to include certain contingency costs in the price of the project, NORESCO instructed two of its subcontractors to add a total of $3.46 million to their sub-contractor bids to address potential unknown contingencies and did not disclose the inclusion of those additional contingency costs to the Navy. Shortly after becoming aware of the government’s investigation of this conduct, NORESCO refunded the contingency costs to the Navy project.
Second, NORESCO overcharged several federal agencies, including the Navy, for financing costs on a total of 29 energy savings projects. During the course of the government’s investigation of the Navy conduct, NORESCO self-disclosed that it had calculated the financing costs incorrectly over the life of several contracts. As a result, NORESCO inappropriately profited, or stood to profit, from the portion of project payments based on the incorrect financing costs. At the time of the self-disclosure, NORESCO calculated that it had improperly received an aggregate of $1,466,180 in excess payments and that, uncorrected, the projected excess financing costs would ultimately result in an aggregate overpayment of $5,645,655 on the 29 projects. NORESCO worked with the affected agencies to repay or credit the entire $5,645,655 across those 29 projects.
NORESCO cooperated with the government in this matter and voluntarily self-disclosed one issue. NORESCO has been credited for their cooperation under the Department of Justice’s guidelines for taking disclosure, cooperation and remediation into account in FCA cases. As part of the settlement, NORESCO acknowledged and accepted responsibility for the facts which form the basis of this settlement.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Greg Gross, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Economic Crimes Field Office; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the Inspector General; Joseph Dattoria, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Investigations Division; U.S. Air Force, Office of Special Investigations; and Patrick J. Hegarty, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today.
The matter was handled by Brian LaMacchia, Chief of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit and the Justice Department’s Senior Trial Counsel Kelley Hauser.
Carver Man Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Oxycodone ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Carver man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his involvement in an oxycodone conspiracy.
Michael Atwood, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 35 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In November 2024, Atwood pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills. Campbell was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023 along with five co-conspirators.
Between approximately November 2023 and June 2023, Atwood obtained oxycodone pills from co-defendant John Campbell that he redistributed to others. The amount of oxycodone pills that the defendant obtained from Campbell ranged from hundreds to more than a thousand at a time. On July 12, 2023, during a search of Atwood’s residence approximately $63,000 in cash was seized.
In January 2025, Campbell was sentenced to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division, made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office; and the Barnstable, Dennis, Bourne, Mashpee, Yarmouth, Sandwich and Falmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy, and Samuel R. Feldman of the Criminal Division and Alexandra Amrhein of the Asset Forfeiture Unit prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Brazilian National Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Reentry and to Selling Green Cards and Counterfeit Social Security CardsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian national residing in Woburn, Mass. pleaded guilty on May 8, 2025 in federal court in Boston to unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation as well as to selling fraudulent Social Security cards and Legal Permanent Resident cards, often referred to as “Green Cards.”
Liene Tavares DeBarros, Jr., 40, pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful transfer of a document or authentication feature and one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2025. Tavares DeBarros was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in March 2025.
Tavares DeBarros was previously deported from the United States in July 2010. Sometime after his removal, Tavares DeBarros unlawfully reentered the United States.In mid-2024, law enforcement was notified that Tavares DeBarros was selling counterfeit identity documents. As part of the investigation, law enforcement contacted the defendant in an undercover capacity requesting his services. Subsequently, in October 2024, Tavares DeBarros sold a counterfeit Social Security Number Card and a Green Card to an undercover officer in exchange for $250. Later, in December 2024, Tavares DeBarros sold two more counterfeit Social Security cards and two Green Cards to another undercover officer in exchange for $500.
The charge of unlawful transfer of document or authentication feature and unlawful production of document or authentication feature provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of unlawful reentry provides for a sentence of up to two years, 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; Michael J. Krol 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; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Labor Racketeering and Fraud, Northeast Region; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes.
Sex Offender from Attleboro Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Attleboro man, who is a Level 1 sex offender, pleaded guilty on May 9, 2025, in federal court in Boston to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Eric Brault, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography, U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Aug. 7, 2025. Brault was charged by criminal complaint in December 2024.
During a years-long investigation into an encrypted online chat platform used for the trafficking of CSAM, Brault was identified as a registered user and participant in at least three groups where CSAM was disseminated. During a search of Brault’s residence, a Samsung Galaxy phone was found hidden inside a plastic chest in his bedroom. The device’s phone number matched that of the account registered with the platform. A subsequent review of the phone confirmed that Brault was a member of over 50 chat groups related to CSAM and revealed an album that contained over 200 video files depicting CSAM. Some of the video files depicted the abuse of victims as young as three to four years old.
In 2012, Brault was convicted in Attleboro District Court of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years old and was subsequently sentenced to 18 months of probation.
Brault faces a sentence of at least 10 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 Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Attleboro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto 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.
Rhode Island Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a “virtual CFO” business from Rhode Island pleaded guilty on May 8, 2025 in federal court in Boston to laundering tens of millions of dollars in proceeds from internet fraud schemes by creating shell companies and opening fraudulent business bank accounts.
Craig Clayton, 75, of Cranston, R.I., pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of obstruction of justice. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Aug. 13, 2025. In February 2023, Clayton was arrested and charged by criminal complaint.
From 2019 to 2021, Clayton and others used his accounting and “virtual CFO” business, Rochart Consulting, as a front to launder the proceeds of internet fraud schemes. As part of the conspiracy, Clayton founded shell companies to open business bank accounts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, through which he laundered the proceeds of internet fraud schemes on behalf of his foreign-based clients. In total, Clayton laundered more than $35 million.In communications with one of his Rochart co-conspirators, Clayton stated that because they were “money mules complicit in [Rochart’s clients’] offenses” that “opens [them] up to charges.” Additionally, in encrypted communications with one of his client co-conspirators, Clayton expressed concern that his phone was “tapped” by law enforcement and sought to obtain “dirt” on a victim who had reported the fraud scheme in order to “distract the police.” In another exchange with a co-conspirator, Clayton proposed moving their electronic communications to Signal, noting that WhatsApp “can be tapped.”
When banks and law enforcement began to investigate Rochart, Clayton falsely told investigators and bank personnel that his shell companies were legitimate businesses, among other things. Further, during a recorded conversation with an undercover law enforcement agent posing as a potential client, Clayton noted that Rochart does not “deal with anyone who has law enforcement connections.” After he became aware that a federal grand jury was investigating him, Clayton attempted to obstruct the ongoing investigation by making several false statements to federal agents during an interview.
The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the proceeds, whichever is greater. The charge of obstruction of justice 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; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Ian J. Stearns and Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Alexandra Amrhein of the Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the case.
Lowell Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Trafficking More Than 11,000 Meth Pills Disguised as AdderallRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man has been sentenced for his role in a North Shore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed tens of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing deadly narcotics.
Anthony Bryson, 35, was sentenced on May 5, 2025 by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to nine years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. In July 2024, Bryson pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Bryson was among 27 individuals charged beginning in October 2022 in connection with a wide-ranging conspiracy to traffic counterfeit prescription pills. The DTO, led by brothers Christopher Nagle and Lawrence Michael Nagle, distributed significant quantities of counterfeit oxycodone and Adderall pills that contained fentanyl and methamphetamine, respectively, among other things, to various individuals in the Lynn area.
From approximately January 2022 through the date of his arrest in October 2022, Bryson was involved extensively in the distribution of primarily methamphetamine, but also fentanyl, to both drug redistributors and drug users. Intercepted calls revealed that Bryson was responsible for distributing approximately 11,346 methamphetamine pills, 280 fentanyl pills and 100 oxycodone pills over two 30-day periods. Intercepted calls also revealed that Bryson understood the dangerousness of his conduct – warning one of his co-defendants about the dangers of methamphetamine and advising him to store or sell or sell the counterfeit pills, but not use them.
More than 74,000 counterfeit prescription pills containing deadly narcotics were seized over the course of the investigation.
In August 2024, Christopher Nagle was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison after pleading guilty. Lawrence Michael Nagle pleaded guilty in April 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 5, 2025.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Beverly, Everett, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys K. Nathaniel Yeager, Samuel R. Feldman, Ann Taylor and John O. Wray of the Criminal Division and Alexandra Amrhein of the Asset Forfeiture Unit prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.