District of Massachusetts
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Massachusetts State Representative Charged with Pandemic Loan Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The Massachusetts State Representative for the 16th Essex District, representing Lawrence and Methuen, was arrested today and charged with fraudulently obtaining over $700,000 in COVID unemployment insurance benefits and small-business loans, and using the proceeds to buy real estate and loan money to clients of his mortgage business, before he was elected to public office.
Francisco Paulino, 46, of Methuen, Mass., is charged in an 11-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Boston. Paulino is charged with eight counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. Paulino will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at 2 p.m. today.
According to the indictment, Paulino fraudulently obtained Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits in 2020-2021 in the name of an unknowing 77-year-old relative. The PUA program, which was created during the COVID pandemic, provided unemployment benefits for people who were ineligible for regular unemployment benefits, including independent contractors.
In April 2020, Paulino allegedly submitted an online PUA application to the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) for his relative, in which Paulino falsely claimed that the relative had worked for Paulino’s business, Madison Tax, LLC, in 2019. Paulino allegedly submitted fabricated documents in support of the PUA application and submitted false weekly certifications to the DUA. It is further alleged that Paulino directed the DUA to electronically deposit the PUA benefits into a bank account held solely in Paulino’s name. As a result, between April 2020 and September 2021, the DUA paid over $44,000 in PUA benefits. Paulino allegedly used the money to pay for real estate expenses, loan payments and transfers into his political campaign account.
According to the indictment, Paulino also committed fraud in connection with three Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs). During COVID, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offered taxpayer-funded EIDLs to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the pandemic. The interest rate on EIDLs was 3.75% and the loan use was limited. A business could only use EIDL proceeds as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by COVID.
According to the charging documents, Paulino incorporated a business called Jackson Enterprise, Inc. as a “fast food restaurant cafe” on Nov. 25, 2019. Jackson Enterprise allegedly had no revenue prior to August 2020. Although Madison Tax filed tax returns with the IRS stating that Jackson Enterprise’s revenues were $0 in 2019 and $116,925 in 2020, Paulino allegedly submitted an EIDL application to the SBA in June 2020 falsely representing that Jackson Enterprise’s revenues for the 12 months ending Jan. 31, 2020 were $426,755. The SBA granted the application and deposited $136,600 in EIDL proceeds into Jackson Enterprise’s bank account in July 2020. Paulino allegedly used $18,000 of the funds toward the purchase of real estate in Lawrence.
Paulino also allegedly obtained a $109,200 EIDL for Madison Tax in May 2020, and later asked the SBA for an increase in the loan amount. In June 2021, the SBA increased the Madison Tax EIDL by $292,600, bringing the total loan amount to $401,800. In October 2021, after the SBA deposited the $292,600 into Madison Tax’s bank account, Paulino allegedly transferred $100,000 of the EIDL funds into the bank account of Madison Mortgage, Inc.– another of his businesses, and used the money to help fund a $600,000 mortgage to two individuals for their purchase of a house in Methuen. Then, in December 2021, Paulino allegedly transferred $120,000 of the EIDL funds from his Madison Tax account to his Madison Mortgage account and used the money to help fund a $460,000 mortgage from Madison Mortgage to an LLC for the purchase of a house in Lawrence. It is further alleged that Paulino not only used $220,000 of Madison Tax EIDL funds for an impermissible purpose, but also that he profited by charging 5.5% and 7.94% interest on the loans he made with the EIDL funds and by charging $25,000 in “loan origination fees” to the home purchasers.
The indictment further alleges that Paulino obtained a fraudulent EIDL modification for one of his Madison Tax clients. In June 2020, Paulino allegedly recommended that a client apply for an EIDL and told the client that he would handle the paperwork and the client would not need to do anything. It is alleged that the client agreed and Paulino obtained a $104,300 EIDL for the client’s business. Paulino allegedly asked the SBA for an increase to the client’s EIDL without the client’s knowledge and in September 2021, the SBA approved an increase of $243,200. Paulino allegedly told the client that he had obtained more government loan money for the client’s business, that the client should leave the money in the client’s business account and that he was going to propose a business deal for the client. It is further alleged that Paulino later told the client to lend him $200,000 and together they transferred $200,000 from the client’s account to Paulino’s Madison Tax account. Paulino then allegedly used the $200,000 to help fund a $680,000 mortgage to another Madison Mortgage client for the purchase of real property in Lawrence, charging an interest rate of 6.25% and a “loan origination fee” of $17,000.
The charges of wire fraud each provide 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 charges of money laundering each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Tom Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Anthony D’Esposito, Inspector General, Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Jeffrey S. Shapiro, Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kistina E. Barclay and Christine Wichers of the Public Corruption Unit are prosecuting the case.
On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within federal benefit programs.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Massachusetts Mayor Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Pandemic Loan Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The Mayor of Lawrence, Mass., has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston. The 11-count indictment, unsealed today, charges the Mayor with allegedly obtaining over $1.5 million in COVID small-business loans. It is alleged that the money was used to fund his campaign account, pay personal taxes and pay more than $880,000 in high-interest, hard-money mortgages on properties he owned in Lawrence.
Brian A. DePena, 61, was indicted on four counts of wire fraud and seven counts of money laundering. DePena was previously charged by criminal complaint and arrested on Aug. 14, 2026. DePena will appear in federal court for an arraignment at a later date.
DePena was elected as Mayor of Lawrence in November 2021 and was reelected in November 2025. He previously served on the Lawrence City Council from 2016 until 2021.
According to the charging documents, in 2020 and 2021, DePena applied for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”) for Tenares Tire Services Inc., a tire sales and automotive services business he owned in Lawrence. The interest rate on EIDLs was 3.75% and the loan use was limited. A business could only use EIDL proceeds as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. DePena allegedly caused Tenares Tire to apply for and obtain an EIDL in the amount of $150,000 in June 2020 and then used the majority of those funds as working capital for the business. According to the charging documents, DePena needed cash by early 2021. His mayoral campaign was struggling to pay bills; he owed the IRS for back taxes; and he owed almost $900,000 to two private, hard money lenders who were charging DePena 12% and 8% interest – significantly more than the EIDL rate of 3.75% – on loans that encumbered various properties DePena owned in Lawrence.
In April 2021, DePena allegedly caused a request for an increase of the Tenares Tire EIDL and on July 14, 2021, the SBA approved an increase of the loan by $350,000, bringing the total Tenares Tire EIDL to $500,000. While waiting for the EIDL funds to be released, DePena allegedly texted (originally in Spanish, here translated to English) his accountant and financial advisor, who had been assisting with the Tenares Tire EIDL application and modification:
July 22, 2021: Brother, call me, I’m in trouble. I don’t want to pressure you, but I don’t have time to wait for this loan. I’m in your hands. 🙏
July 25, 2021: Brother, I need your help with this loan. I’ve been trying to reach you all week because I haven’t been able to get it resolved. I know I’m bothering you a lot, but I have no other option. Only you can give me what I need. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
July 28, 2021: Brother call me 🙏🙏🙏
The $350,000 in EIDL funds were electronically deposited into the Tenares Tire bank account on Aug. 16, 2021. The pre-deposit balance in the account was $20.23. Shortly thereafter, DePena allegedly paid $85,000 of the EIDL funds to the IRS to pay off personal tax debts, and transferred $120,000 to a personal account and used that money to write checks totaling $90,000 to The Committee to Elect Brian DePena. It is alleged that these checks were deposited in the DePena mayoral campaign account, and characterized as loans to the campaign, in September and October 2021.
In October 2021, DePena allegedly caused a request for a second EIDL modification and on Oct. 27, 2021, the SBA approved the modification which increased the loan by $1,154,400 bringing the total Tenares Tire EIDL to $1,654,400.
On Nov. 30, 2021, $1,154,188 in EIDL funds were electronically deposited in the Tenares Tire account and on the same day, DePena allegedly transferred the entire amount to one of his personal accounts which had a balance of $1,401. It is alleged that DePena used $42,112.96 of the EIDL funds for his mayoral campaign, writing checks to the campaign for $10,000 and $32,112.96. The first check was deposited into his campaign account on Dec. 2, 2021, when the account had allegedly been overdrawn for approximately 20 days.
DePena allegedly used $883,293 of the EIDL funds to pay off his debts to the hard money lenders. On Dec. 9, 2021, DePena bought a $538,109.03 treasurer’s check and used it to pay off one of the loans, and on Dec. 18, 2021, he bought a $345,184.13 treasurer’s check and used it to pay off the other loan. According to the charging documents, as of Aug. 5, 2026, DePena had made only 16 payments on the Tenares Tire EIDL. The outstanding principal balance was approximately $1,654,420.
The charges of wire fraud each provide 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 charges of money laundering each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Tom Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Anthony D’Esposito, Inspector General, Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Jeffrey S. Shapiro, Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kistina E. Barclay and Christine Wichers of the Public Corruption Unit are prosecuting the case.
On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Member of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios Sentenced to over 11 Years for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios was sentenced on Aug. 19, 2026, after pleading guilty in April 2026 to racketeering charges, including three attempted murders and an accessory after the fact to two murders.
Luis Enrique Santana, a/k/a “Chiquito,” 32, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 136 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised released. After serving the prison sentence, Luis Enrique Santana will be deported to the Dominican Republic. In April 2026, Luis Enrique Santana pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, commonly known as RICO Conspiracy.
The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Trinitarios adhere to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to organize and execute violence and undertake extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members.
In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. The charges were the result of a multijurisdictional investigation, which began in the aftermath of four murders as well as a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members. On June 9, 2026, additional federal racketeering and drug charges were unsealed charging 26 additional leaders, members and associates of the Lawrence, Haverhill and Boston Chapters of the gang. According to court documents, the Trinitarios have allegedly participated in five additional murders in Essex County since 2017, bringing the total of federally charged murders to 11. In March 2025, a Lynn member of the Trinitarios was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In June 2025, two members of the Trinitarios were charged with kidnapping a drug supplier. In July 2025, the leader of the Lynn Chapter was sentenced to 14 years in prison. In December 2025 Michael Miliano and James Jimenez pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy; in May 2026, Westyn Lantigua pleaded guilty; in June 2026, Luis Jeffrey Santana pleaded guilty; and in August 2026, Kelvin Liranzo Roman and Israel Garcia Vasquez also pleaded guilty. All are awaiting sentencing.
Luis Enrique Santana was a member of the gang and rapper who published music videos glorifying the Trinitarios in Massachusetts, which featured gang members and himself possessing firearms, and contained threats to rival gangs. Luis Enrique Santana participated in a March 2019 shooting in Lynn, where the Trinitarios intended to kill three rival gang members. During this incident, Luis Enrique Santana posed as a female online and lured rival gang members to a nightclub. Another Trinitarios gang member, Lynn Chapter leader Aaron Diaz Liranzo, proceeded to the location and fired at the three rival gang members in the vehicle, wounding two of them who would survive their injuries. In July 2025, Aaron Diaz Liranzo was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.
Luis Enrique Santana also participated as an accessory after the fact to the Sept. 2, 2023 murders of Jandriel Heredia and Abraham Diaz. During this incident, three members of the Trinitarios drove by a party in Lynn and discharged numerous rounds at people gathered outside celebrating a recent graduate who was heading off to college. Seven people were shot during this incident, including Abraham Diaz and Jandriel Heredia who later died from gunshot wounds. After the shooting, Luis Enrique Santana assisted the Trinitarios in moving the vehicle used in the shooting from Lynn to Lawrence in order to conceal it from law enforcement and destroy evidence that it contained.
The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Massachusetts Woman Sentenced for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Charlton, Mass. woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for fraudulently obtaining Social Security benefits and pension payments.
Gina M. Cummings, 61, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to one day of prison deemed served, three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $110,428 in restitution. In May 2026, Cummings pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. In December 2025, Cummings was arrested and charged.
From January 2020 through July 2025, Cummings fraudulently obtained approximately $110,428 in Social Security benefits, private pension payments and COVID Economic Impact Payments. Cummings had access to the checkbook of a Social Security beneficiary and pensioner who died in August 2019. She failed to report the beneficiary’s death to the Social Security Administration, the pension plan and the bank where the funds were deposited. Instead, Cummings accessed the improperly paid funds by forging the deceased beneficiary’s name on 84 checks and regularly depleted the account funds through recurring bill payments.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley 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 James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. The Team is led by two senior federal prosecutors serving as Fraud Coordinators, whose mission it is to aggressively investigate and prosecute misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits in Massachusetts.
Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Former Owner of Telemedicine Companies Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for $110 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former owner of Expansion Media (Expansion) and Hybrid Management Group (Hybrid) was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a $110 million telemedicine fraud scheme involving medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME), including orthotics such as back and knee braces.
Steven Richardson, 42, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to two years in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. In April 2024, Richardson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Richardson was charged in February 2024.
Between March 2016 and January 2023, Richardson, through his companies Expansion and Hybrid, entered into business relationships with telemarketing companies that generated leads by targeting Medicare beneficiaries. The telemarketers then paid Expansion and Hybrid on a per-order basis to generate orders for DME for these beneficiaries. To arrange for these orders to be signed, Richardson worked with medical staffing companies—including one in Massachusetts—to find doctors and nurses who were willing to review and sign prepopulated orders, typically without any contact with the beneficiaries. The records falsely portrayed the medical providers as having performed a legitimate examination of the beneficiary. Richardson then provided the signed orders to the telemarketing companies, which sold the orders to DME suppliers. Richardson knew that these DME suppliers would use the signed orders to submit claims to Medicare for DME that was medically unnecessary, based on false documentation and tainted by kickbacks.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Kelly M. Lawson, Acting Regional Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; and Jessica Herrington, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigation Service, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra Brazier and Lindsey Ross of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Massachusetts National Guardsman Sentenced to over Six Years in Prison for Possession and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Master Sergeant of the 102 Security Forces of the Massachusetts National Guard stationed in Sandwich, Mass., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Nicholas Wells, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 78 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In September 2025, Wells pleaded guilty to possession and distribution of child pornography. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024.
Wells engaged in chats on a messaging application, in which he discussed his interest in minors and distributed videos depicting child pornography. Over 300 images and 100 videos depicting child pornography were located on his phone. It was also determined that Wells distributed over 70 videos depicting child pornography, some of which involved infants.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Barnstable and Sandwich Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Immigration Services Officer Charged with Defrauding UnionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Immigration Services Officer was charged and has agreed to plead guilty to stealing more than $60,000 from a labor union over the course of five years.
Carol A. Aguja, 55, of Reading, Mass., was charged with wire fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to court documents, Aguja was an Immigration Services Officer employed by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Between approximately 2015 and August 2024, Aguja also served as Treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 38 (AFGE Local 38), a labor organization that represented USCIS employees who lived in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
The charging document alleges that, between 2019 and 2024, Aguja defrauded AFGE Local 38 by siphoning funds from the union bank account to pay for her own personal and non-union related expenses. As part of her fraud scheme, Aguja is also alleged to have paid union expenses out of her personal accounts and commingled union and personal funds to conceal her embezzlement. Specifically, Aguja is alleged to have used the AFGE Local 38 credit card to pay approximately $12,508 for personal expenses such as restaurant meals, bills, clothing and dance lessons. She is further alleged to have made 128 cash withdrawals totaling over $23,700 from the AFGE Local 38 account, and to have transferred over $25,000 from the AFGE Local 38 account to her personal accounts. Aguja is alleged to have falsified annual forms regarding the union finances that AFGE Local 38 was required to submit to the United States Department of Labor-Management Standards, in order to conceal her fraud.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, restitution, and forfeiture. 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; Jonathan Russo, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards; and Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Sex Offender from Dracut Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A registered sex offender from Dracut pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
Tyler Bullock, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Dec. 2, 2026. Bullock was arrested and charged in November 2025.
Bullock was identified as an individual who had, on several occasions, sent money to an India-based network in exchange for CSAM. During a search of Bullock’s residence, Bullock admitted to soliciting and paying for CSAM. A forensic review of Bullock’s devices revealed videos and photographs depicting both real and AI-generated CSAM.
During the search of the residence, a Ruger P85 9mm pistol loaded with a magazine that contained several rounds of ammunition as well as a knife bearing the Schutztaffel lightning bolts and a swastika were located in a small safe under a rug in a bedroom. According to court documents, the pistol was reported stolen in transit from New Hampshire to Arizona. A copy of Mein Kampf and an additional 42 rounds of ammunition were also located in the same bedroom.
Additionally, according to the charging documents, a partially assembled rifle was located in an upstairs bedroom along with numerous WWII-era German military medals, patches and memorabilia containing Nazi symbolism.
Bullock is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition as a result of a 2016 conviction for the Purchase or Possession of Child Pornography in Lowell District Court.
The charge of possession child pornography after a prior offense provides for a sentence of no less than 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three 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.
The case was 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.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and William Ferrari, Deputy Assistant Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Office of Investigations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra W. Amrhein and Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
Massachusetts Man Charged with Distributing Synthetic Opioids Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rockland, Mass. man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly operating an online drug trafficking business that distributed potent synthetic opioids to customers across the country through the U.S. mail, including a shipment that allegedly resulted in the overdose death of a woman in Las Vegas in April 2025.
Jaden Zion Andre, 23, was indicted on one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance analogue resulting in death; three counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance analogue; and four counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The defendant will appear in federal court in Boston on Aug. 25, 2026. He is currently in state custody on unrelated charges.
According to the charging documents, Andre advertised and sold highly potent synthetic opioids and controlled substance analogues through online accounts and forums – including a Telegram channel called “MontanaSnacksLLC,” a Proton Mail account called “SnackSeason” as well as on Reddit pages. Customers allegedly communicated directly with Andre through those accounts to request samples, place orders and arrange payment and shipping. It is alleged that Andre then disguised the drugs inside ordinary snack packaging – including bags of cheese balls, chips, popcorn, rice crisps and Pirate’s Booty – and mailed the packages from post offices throughout Massachusetts to customers nationwide.
In April 2025, a package allegedly shipped through MontanaSnacksLLC was delivered to a woman in Las Vegas who had requested a narcotics sample; she was found dead later that day, and a substance recovered from her bedroom subsequently tested positive for N-pyrrolidino ethylene isotonitazene, an analogue of a Schedule I controlled substance.
According to the charging documents, Andre’s trafficking operation continued through May 2026, with investigators connecting additional packages from MontanaSnacksLLC or SnackSeason to overdose death investigations in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. Those deaths remain under investigation.
Numerous other alleged drug shipments were intercepted or purchased during the investigation, including four packages mailed on May 26, 2026, each containing a controlled substance concealed inside sealed bags of Pirate’s Booty. A subsequent search allegedly recovered electronic records linking Andre to the operation, including USPS shipping labels, customer and tracking information, cryptocurrency-related records and photographs of suspected synthetic opioids bearing the “SnackSeason” name.
The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance analogue resulting in death provides for a sentence of no less than 20 years and up to life in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and a controlled substance analogue each 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 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; Jeffrey Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department; United States Postal Inspection Service, Las Vegas and Pittsburgh Field Offices; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Las Vegas Division; Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (Florida); Pennsylvania State Police; Butler City Police Department (Pennsylvania); Richmond Hill Police Department (Georgia); and the Massachusetts State Police. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Boston Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations , and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national, unlawfully residing in Lawrence Mass., pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to drug charges after serving a federal prison sentence and being deported in 2023.
Angel Martinez, a/k/a Aneudy Rios, 56, pleaded guilty to distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing on Nov. 19, 2026. In October 2024, Martinez was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Martinez is currently on supervised release for 2019 federal drug distribution charges that resulted in 60 months in prison. After serving his sentence, Martinez was deported from the United States. In September 2024, Martinez unlawfully returned to the United States and sold fentanyl to a cooperating witness in Haverhill, Mass. which was captured on video.
The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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 other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Field Office made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by North Andover Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
Chinese National Charged with Voter Fraud in MassachusettsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chinese national residing in Andover, Mass. was arrested today for submitting a fraudulent voter registration and ballot in the 2024 presidential election in the name of another Chinese national. The defendant also allegedly submitted two fraudulent immigration forms on behalf of the victim, a Chinese national, and his wife, resulting in the confiscation of their Green Cards and causing them to enter into removal proceedings.
Yupeng Sun, 33, was charged with one count of fraudulent voter registration and one count of fraudulent voting. Sun will appear in federal court in Boston for an initial appearance today at 2:00 p.m.
According to court filings, on Oct. 10, 2024, Sun allegedly submitted an online voter registration through the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website impersonating another Chinese national residing in Massachusetts with legal permanent resident (“LPR”) status. On Oct. 31, 2024, Sun allegedly continued to impersonate the other Chinese national and submitted an early voting ballot at Malden City Hall for the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
After registering to vote and voting, Sun allegedly submitted several anonymous tips in April and May 2026 to Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) stating that the victim “illegally voted in the 2024 U.S. presidential election” and noting that “[h]e is not a U.S. citizen but a permanent resident.”
It is further alleged that Sun impersonated the same Chinese national and his Chinese national wife in fraudulent forms submitted to USCIS in April 2024 requesting to abandon their LPR status. When the couple returned from an international trip in June 2024, they were subjected to secondary inspection at Logan Airport in Boston, had their Green Cards confiscated, and were placed into removal proceedings allegedly as a result of Sun’s submission of fraudulent forms.
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.
United States Attorney Leah Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Lexington Police Department and the Andover Police Department. 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.
sun_-_complaint.pdf
Two Massachusetts Men Indicted for Armed Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Massachusetts men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with two armed bank robberies that occurred on April 28, 2026.
Steven Harris, 34, and Angel Gonzalez, 26, have been indicted with two counts of armed bank robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery. The defendants were previously charged by criminal complaint in May 2026. Harris remains in federal custody and Gonzalez is in state custody in connection with unrelated proceedings
According to the charging documents, Harris and Gonzalez participated in the armed robberies of a Santander Bank branch in Roxbury, Mass. and a TD Bank branch in Roslindale, Mass., on April 28, 2026. It is alleged that Gonzalez brandished a firearm during both robberies. During the first robbery, at the Santander Bank, Gonzalez allegedly dragged a bank employee from her office to the teller window, threatening to shoot her and held her at gunpoint:
At the TD Bank location, Gonzalez allegedly entered the bank wielding the same firearm, with his index finger on the trigger of the firearm. Once inside, Gonzalez’s partner, Harris, allegedly moved multiple employees from their offices to the main area of the bank. It is further alleged that Gonzalez, while brandishing the firearm, threatened to shoot the bank employees if they did not comply with his and Harris’s directives. Gonzalez then allegedly took approximately $3,000 from a teller drawer, and the suspects left in a getaway vehicle.
The charge of armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aidan Lang of the Major Crimes Unit is 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.
South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A South Carolina man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court Boston to a sex trafficking conspiracy that victimized two minors and one adult. The adult victim was trafficked throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island and South Carolina. The defendant kept all the profits for his own financial gain.
Alexander Smalls, 27, of Beaufort County, S.C. pleaded guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; sex trafficking of a minor; and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Dec. 9, 2026. In June 2024, Smalls was indicted along with five co-conspirators. Smalls had been in custody on state charges in South Carolina since March 2023. After being taken into custody and while incarcerated on state charges, Smalls continued to participate in the trafficking of one of the victims in this case.
“Alexander Smalls took extraordinary steps to target and exploit a vulnerable victim and continued to do so from jail, after he was taken into state custody on a separate offense. His ruthless predilection to exploit others for his own financial gain is simply heartless and reprehensible,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “My office stands strong in its determination to protect our community from sex traffickers.”
“This defendant used deplorable means to compel the victim to perform commercial sex acts for the financial benefit of himself and his codefendants,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His conduct was cruel and predatory in multiple ways, which included physical beatings and threatening to separate her from her child. This partnership between the Criminal Division and the District of Massachusetts will ensure that those who victimize people through human trafficking in Massachusetts will be investigated and prosecuted.”
“Smalls and his associates brutally trafficked women, using every cruel and inhumane tool they could to coerce them into commercial sex for their financial benefit. This case shows the insidious tactics traffickers use, slowly gaining the trust of their victims before brutally betraying them,” said Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “With cases like this, we choose to focus not solely on the cruelty of the perpetrators, but also on the resilience of the survivors. We hope this plea brings a measure of justice and sense of closure to those Smalls victimized as they continue to heal.”
Between January and August 2023, Smalls conspired with Christy Parker and others in a scheme to coerce one adult victim to engage in commercial sex in Massachusetts and surrounding states for their exclusive financial gain.
In early 2023, Parker reached out to the victim, her childhood friend, and told her that she (Parker) needed a place to live. After moving in with the victim, Parker and her boyfriend, Smalls, coerced the victim to quit her job and begin engaging in commercial sex for their financial benefit. Smalls and Parker forced the victim to sign a “profit sharing contact,” which required the victim to “remain loyal and humble and stay focused.” Parker inflicted physical violence on the victim while Smalls threatened to shoot her or have family members, other co-defendants charged in the indictment, come and harm her. Smalls also threatened to have authorities take the victim’s minor child away.
Even after Smalls was taken into custody on unrelated charges in March 2023, he continued to traffic the victim from jail. Smalls encouraged Parker to sell the victim, telling her that he needed them to make at least one thousand dollars a night. Smalls told Parker to post the victim every two hours. Smalls would also speak directly to the victim, telling her that would send someone to “beat” her, put her “through the floor” “slap her” and have her child taken from her if she did not participate in the conspiracy. Smalls’ commissary records show that he received proceeds from the commercial sex enterprise while in prison.
If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact [email protected].
The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to life in prison, no less than five years of supervised release and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of sex trafficking of a minor provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, no less than five years of supervised release and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $ 250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, no less than five years of supervised release and up to 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.
U.S. Attorney Foley, AAG Duva and HSI Acting SAC Grimming made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Somerset Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley-Cunniffe, Chief of the Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit, and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Owner of Two Restaurants to Plead Guilty to Employment Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner and operator of two Massachusetts restaurants has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to paying employees in cash over the course of seven years without withholding and paying federal employment taxes.
Marios Michalakis, 44, of Westwood, Mass., was charged with six counts of failing to collect, report and pay over employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). A plea hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 8, 2026.
According to court documents, from at least January 2016 through December 2022, Michalakis ran two restaurants, Amelia’s, located in Stoughton, Mass. and Sofia Italian Steakhouse, located in West Roxbury, Mass. Michalakis is charged with paying employees in cash “under-the-table,” that is, failing to withhold income taxes and Social Security and Medicare taxes from employee wages and failing to pay more than $580,000 in employee and employer taxes owed to the IRS and the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.
The charge of failing to collect and pay over taxes provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Victor A. Wild of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Frauds Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Lowell Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to of possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Anthony Saint Jean, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Nov. 19, 2026. Saint Jean was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025.
Between March 17, 2024, and Aug. 20, 2024, Saint Jean knowingly distributed online videos depicting CSAM. In addition, Saint Jean possessed CSAM, some of which depicted the abuse of minor victims younger than 12 years old.
The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a of up to 20 years in prison, at least 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.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact [email protected].
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lowell Police Department; the Texas Department of Public Safety; and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member 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.
Former U.S. Marine from Massachusetts Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former U.S. Marine from Everett, Mass. has been arrested and charged for allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Carlos Fernando Alvarenga Portillo, 29, was charged by criminal complaint with possession of child pornography. Portillo was arrested on Aug. 5, 2026 and was later released on conditions following a detention hearing.
According to the charging documents, Portillo was identified as an individual who had – as early as January 2022 – knowingly possessed files online that depicted CSAM. A forensic examination of a Samsung Galaxy device seized from Portillo’s residence on July 15, 2026 allegedly revealed over 200 media files that depicted CSAM, including the abuse of victims between approximately four and 11 years old.
The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Everett Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aidan Lang of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Boston Woman Sentenced for Role in Bank Fraud RingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Massachusetts woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for her role in a scheme to defraud a bank in Massachusetts.
Trinity Antonetty, 25, of Boston, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Julia E. Kobick to time served (approximately one day in prison) and two years of supervised release, with the first 60 days to be served in home detention. Antonetty was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $56,000. In March 2026, Antonetty pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud.
Between July and October 2024, Antonetty opened a business bank account and allowed Phalentz Vernot to deposit fraudulently obtained cashier’s checks into the account. Antonetty used funds from one of the checks Vernot deposited into her account to purchase a cashier’s check payable to a shell company Vernot controlled. When the bank froze another of the checks Vernot deposited into Antonetty’s account for suspected fraud, Antonetty called the bank and falsely claimed that she operated a high-end car dealer and that the funds were related to a luxury car.
In July 2025, Vernot and five other men were charged as part of a related investigation into a multi-million-dollar scheme to defraud banks in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Vernot pleaded guilty in December 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 21, 2026. Two of Vernot’s co-defendants, Victor Kolawole and Keith Wainaina, have also pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 13, 2026 and Nov. 10, 2026, respectively. Two additional individuals, William Shaw and Rosemary Parks, were charged for their alleged roles in the scheme in January 2026. Parks pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 11, 2026.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Haven Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Connecticut State Police, the Glocester (RI) Police Department, the Sutton Police Department, the Concord (MA) Police Department, the Dracut Police Department, the Westwood Police Department and the Abington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking in MassachusettsRead the Press Release
A South Carolina man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking between January and August 2023.
According to court documents, Alexander Smalls, 27, of Beaufort, South Carolina, conspired with co-defendant Christy Parker, 28, and others to use physical beatings, threats, intimidation, sleep deprivation, starvation, and other means to coerce at least one adult victim to engage in repeated commercial sex acts in and around Fall River, Massachusetts between January and August 2023. Starting in January 2023, Smalls and Parker forced and coerced the adult victim to engage in repeated commercial sex acts by physically beating, threatening, and verbally abusing her. They also imposed manufactured debts on the victim, gave and withheld alcohol causing the victim to experience seizures, and threatened to have the authorities take the victim’s minor child away from her. When Smalls was incarcerated on unrelated charges in March 2023, he continued coordinating with Parker and participating in the sex trafficking conspiracy from jail until Parker’s arrest in August 2023.
“This defendant used deplorable means to compel the victim to perform commercial sex acts for the financial benefit of himself and his codefendants,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His conduct was cruel and predatory in multiple ways, which included physical beatings and threatening to separate her from her child. This partnership between the Criminal Division and the District of Massachusetts will ensure that those who victimize people through human trafficking in Massachusetts will be investigated and prosecuted.”
“Alexander Smalls took extraordinary steps to target and exploit a vulnerable victim and continued to do so from jail, after he was taken into state custody on a separate offense. His ruthless predilection to exploit others for his own financial gain is simply heartless and reprehensible,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “My office stands strong in its determination to protect our community from sex traffickers.”
“Smalls and his associates brutally trafficked women, using every cruel and inhumane tool they could to coerce them into commercial sex for their financial benefit,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Grimming of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England. “This case shows the insidious tactics traffickers use, slowly gaining the trust of their victims before brutally betraying them. With cases like this, we choose to focus not solely on the cruelty of the perpetrators, but also on the resilience of the survivors. We hope today’s plea brings a measure of justice and sense of closure to those Smalls victimized as they continue to heal.”
Five of Smalls’s co-defendants were previously convicted, and four have been sentenced. Tyreik Reid, 22, and Cory Primo, 44, were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sentenced to 70 months in prison, followed by 60 months of supervised release. Avvani Jeffers, 24, was convicted of two counts of forced labor and sentenced to 18 months in prison, followed by 24 months of supervised release. Tre’sean Reid, 23, was convicted of one count of forced labor and sentenced to time served, followed by 24 months of supervised release. Christy Parker pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and one count of sex trafficking of a minor. Parker is awaiting sentencing.
Smalls pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 9. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The HSI Boston Field Office and the Fall River Police Department are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley-Cunniffe for the District of Massachusetts are prosecuting the case.
Massachusetts Mayor Charged with Pandemic Loan Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The Mayor of Lawrence, Mass. was arrested and charged today with fraudulently obtaining over $1.5 million in COVID small-business loans and using the proceeds to fund his campaign account, pay personal taxes, and pay off over $880,000 in high-interest, hard-money mortgages that encumbered various properties he owned in Lawrence.
Brian Depena, 61, is charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Depena will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston later today. Depena was elected as Mayor of Lawrence in November 2021 and was reelected in November 2025. He previously served on the Lawrence City Council from 2016 until 2021.
“Mayor DePena was elected to be a leader for the City of Lawrence. He was looked up to and trusted by his constituents, but he betrayed that trust through his alleged corruption and lies,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Today’s arrest is just another example of our determination to root out fraud by anyone, even public officials and holding elected officials accountable.”
“Today’s arrest highlights IRS CI’s continued commitment to safeguarding emergency relief programs and holding accountable those who abuse them,” said Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “CARES Act funds were created to help small businesses survive an unprecedented national crisis — not to bankroll personal debts, political ambitions, or real estate ventures. IRS Criminal Investigation remains committed to protecting taxpayer dollars, pursuing those who exploit federal relief funds, and ensuring that financial integrity is upheld at every step.”
“Today, the FBI arrested Mayor Brian Depena for allegedly cashing in on a public health crisis and blatantly defrauding a government program meant to keep businesses afloat during the pandemic. It’s alleged the Mayor fraudulently obtained over $1.5 million in small business loans which he then used as his own slush fund to pay his personal taxes, fund his mayoral campaign, and pay off $883,000 in high-interest mortgages on several properties he owned. This was emergency financial assistance meant to be a safety net for struggling businesses, not Mr. Depena’s own personal ATM,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “When elected officials misuse federal funds for personal gain, they’re breaking the trust of their constituents – and breaking the law. Together, with our partners, the FBI will continue to doggedly pursue anyone who defrauds the federal government. You’ll be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and that ‘easy money’ won’t seem so easy after all.”
According to the charging documents, in 2020 and 2021, Depena applied for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”) for Tenares Tire Services Inc., a tire sales and automotive services business he owned in Lawrence. During COVID, the U.S. Small Business Administration offered taxpayer-funded EIDLs to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the pandemic. The interest rate on EIDLs was 3.75%, and the loan use was limited. A business could only use EIDL proceeds as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Working capital did not include funding a political campaign, paying personal taxes, or paying off mortgages.
Depena allegedly caused Tenares Tire to apply for and obtain an EIDL in the amount of $150,000 in June 2020 and then used the majority of those funds as working capital for the business. However, according to the charging documents, Depena needed cash by early 2021. It is alleged that his mayoral campaign was struggling to pay bills, he owed the IRS for back taxes and he owed almost $900,000 to two private, hard money lenders who were charging Depena 12% and 8% interest – significantly more than the EIDL rate of 3.75% – on loans that encumbered various properties Depena owned in Lawrence.
In April 2021, Depena allegedly caused a request for an increase of the Tenares Tire EIDL. On July 14, 2021, the SBA approved an increase of the loan by $350,000, bringing the total Tenares Tire EIDL to $500,000. However, the SBA did not release the funds for another month. While waiting, Depena allegedly sent the following texts (originally in Spanish, here translated to English) to his accountant and financial advisor, who had been assisting Depena with the EIDL application and modification:
According to the charging documents, the $350,000 in EIDL funds were electronically deposited into the Tenares Tire bank account on Aug. 16, 2021. The pre-deposit balance in the account was only $20.23. Shortly thereafter, Depena allegedly paid $85,000 of the EIDL funds to the IRS to pay off personal tax debts. He also allegedly transferred $120,000 of the EIDL funds to a personal account and used that money to write checks totaling $90,000 to “The Committee to Elect Brian Depena.” It is alleged that these checks were deposited in the Depena mayoral campaign account, and characterized as loans to the campaign, in September and October 2021.
While the hard money, high-interest loans were still outstanding, and while his campaign continued to struggle financially, Depena allegedly caused a request for a second EIDL modification in October 2021. On Oct. 27, 2021, the SBA approved a modification that would increase the loan by $1,154,400, bringing the total Tenares Tire EIDL to $1,654,400.
On Nov. 30, 2021, $1,154,188 in EIDL funds were electronically deposited in the Tenares Tire account and Depena allegedly transferred the entire amount to one of his personal accounts – which had a balance of only $1,401 – the same day. It is alleged that Depena allegedly used $42,112.96 of the EIDL funds for his mayoral campaign, writing checks to the campaign for $10,000 and $32,112.96. The first check was deposited in the campaign account on Dec. 2, 2021, when the account allegedly had been overdrawn for approximately 20 days.
Finally, it is alleged that Depena used $883,293 of the EIDL funds to pay off his debts to the hard money lenders. On Dec. 9, 2021, Depena bought a $538,109.03 treasurer’s check and used it to pay off one of the loans. On Dec. 18, 2021, he bought a $345,184.13 treasurer’s check and used it to pay off the other loan.
According to the charging documents, as of Aug. 5, 2026, Depena had made only 16 payments on the Tenares Tire EIDL. The outstanding principal balance was approximately $1,654,420.
The charges of wire fraud each provide 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 charges of money laundering each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Tom Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Jeffrey S. Shapiro, Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay and Christine Wichers of the Public Corruption Unit are prosecuting the case.
On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. The Team is led by two senior federal prosecutors serving as Fraud Coordinators, whose mission it is to aggressively investigate and prosecute misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits in Massachusetts.
Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
depena_complaint.pdf
Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A registered sex offender from Holyoke pleaded guilty on Aug. 12, 2026, in federal court in Springfield, Mass. to possessing child pornography.
Justin Ouimette, 35, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Mark Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Nov. 17, 2026. Ouimette was charged by complaint in May 2025 and has remained in custody since that time.
Ouimette was identified as the owner of a Dropbox account uploading child sexual abuse material (CSAM). During the search of Ouimette’s residence, an electronic device was found to contain hundreds of files of CSAM depicting children as young as toddlers. Subsequent searches of Ouimette’s cloud storage accounts, revealed hundreds of additional files depicting CSAM.
Ouimette was previously convicted in Massachusetts Superior Court of possession of child pornography in October 2022 and was on state probation when he committed this new offense.
Due to Ouimette’s prior conviction, the charge of possession of child pornography provides for 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 Ted E. Docks, 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 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.
Ohio Man Charged with Advertising Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Columbus, Ohio man has been arrested and charged for allegedly advertising hundreds of files depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the dark web.
Adam Burley, 42, was charged with one count of advertising child pornography in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts. The defendant will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on a later date.
According to the charging documents, since 2025, Burley has posted hundreds of messages sharing files depicting CSAM on the dark web. These files allegedly included CSAM depicting the sexual abuse of young children and toddlers. An initial onsite forensic preview of Burley’s devices allegedly revealed thousands of images and videos files of child pornography. The majority of this content viewed during the forensic preview allegedly depicted children ranging in age from newborn infants to toddlers and included both lascivious posing as well as anal and vaginal rape content. It’s is also alleged that there were also images and videos featuring decapitated children ranging from infants to toddlers
The charge of advertising child pornography provides for no less than 15 years and up to 30 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; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Columbus, Ohio and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, of the Major Crimes Unit and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
New Hampshire Man Arrested for Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Hampshire man has been arrested and charged in connection with the coercion and enticement of a minor.
Daniel Murphy, 50, of Merrimack, N.H., who was charged with coercion and enticement of a minor, made his initial appearance in federal court in Boston today and was held pending a detention hearing scheduled for Aug. 17, 2026.
According to the charging documents, in August 2025, Murphy allegedly engaged in a sexualized dialogue on Facebook Messenger with a minor victim living in Massachusetts. It is alleged that he coerced the victim to send pornographic videos and photographs and, in turn, sent obscene material depicting himself to the victim. Over the course of several days, it is alleged that Murphy also repeatedly traveled to meet the minor victim in person. When Murphy’s electronic devices were seized by law enforcement, they were allegedly found to contain pornographic images and video of the minor victim as well as additional videos and images of other minors constituting child sexual abuse material.
The charge of coercion and enticement of a minor provides for a sentence of no less than 10 years in prison and a maximum of life; a minimum of five years of supervised release; and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Chief Mark Zimmerman of the North Reading Police Department; and Chief Brian K. Levesque of the Merrimack Police Department (N.H.) made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Nashua Police Department (N.H.). Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Massachusetts Man Charged with Cyberstalking and Threats OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Massachusetts man has been charged with allegedly engaging in an extensive cyberstalking and threatening campaign against three individuals, including sending hundreds of harassing emails and repeatedly threatening to shoot and kill the victims and their family members.
Patrick McDonald, 33, of Cambridge, Mass. was charged by criminal complaint with three counts of cyberstalking and three counts of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. The defendant is currently in state custody and made an initial appearance in federal court in Boston earlier today.
According to the charging documents, McDonald allegedly engaged in an extensive cyberstalking and threatening campaign targeting three individuals following the breakdown of business and investment dealings involving his company, Waev. After the victims allegedly withdrew funding from McDonald and evicted him from a Winchester residence that had been purchased for him to use as a venture studio, McDonald allegedly began inundating the victims with harassing and taunting emails. The campaign allegedly escalated to repeated threats of violence against the victims and their family members, including threats to shoot and kill them unless McDonald was given back the Winchester residence.
McDonald allegedly continued sending threatening communications despite harassment prevention orders prohibiting him from contacting certain victims. Among other things, McDonald allegedly threatened to shoot victims “in the face,” threatened to kill a victim’s son, sent an email containing a victim’s home address and a threat to tear the victim’s body apart “limb by limb,” and sent images depicting firearms and shootings. Records obtained during the investigation allegedly showed that one email account used in the campaign sent approximately 193 emails to one victim over a seven-day period and approximately 259 emails to the victim’s attorney over an 11-day period.
The charge of cyberstalking provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, including a one-year mandatory period of imprisonment for anyone who commits the crime in violation of a restraining order, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, including a one-year mandatory period of imprisonment for anyone who commits the crime in violation of a restraining order, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; and the Boston, Dedham, Malden, Wayland, Somerville, Cambridge and Hingham Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.Illegal Alien Indicted for Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Ecuadorian national unlawfully residing in Milford, Mass., has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. The defendant was previously deported from the United States and arrested four times for driving under the influence in Massachusetts.
Luis Rolando Clavijo Tacuri, 32, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. The defendant was arrested on a criminal complaint in July 2026 and remains in federal custody.
According to court filings, Tacuri was first encountered by immigration officials in October 2015, while he was incarcerated on charges of operating under the influence in Holliston, Mass. At the time, it was allegedly Tacuri’s third operating under the influence offense. Tacuri was allegedly subsequently placed into removal proceedings and deported to Ecuador in December 2016.
Sometime after his removal, it is alleged that Tacuri illegally reentered the United States. On May 27, 2024, Tacuri was arrested in Milford, Mass., for allegedly again operating under the influence.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
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.
Convicted Felon from Lakeville Arrested for Trafficking Methamphetamine and CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lakeville man was charged in federal court in Boston with drug trafficking, following the search of a commercial office building in Lakeville last week.
Christopher DiRusso, 55, was charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
According to the charging documents, on Aug. 5, 2026, during a search of a commercial building in Lakeville where DiRusso appeared to be living inside an office suite, cocaine and drug packaging materials were found in plain view. It is alleged that thousands of counterfeit methamphetamine pills, designed to resemble the prescription drug Adderall, and over 2,000 grams of cocaine, some of which was packaged in a kilogram brick were also found in a closet.
According to the charging documents, DiRusso was previously convicted in state court of cocaine trafficking and firearm offenses in 2007 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In 2001, DiRusso was convicted in state court for indecent assault and battery on a child and was sentenced to a total of three years in prison. During last week’s search, investigators allegedly found a copy of DiRusso’s Massachusetts sex offender registration from July 2026, when DiRusso registered as homeless and listed the commercial building as his secondary and work address.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine provides for a sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years 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 Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Pembroke, Lakeville and Brockton Police Departments, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department and Massachusetts Department of Correction. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Cutshall of the Organized Crime & Gang 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.
Brockton Man Sentenced to Nine Months in Prison for Role in Stolen Treasury Check FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced on Aug. 6, 2026, in federal court in Boston for depositing stolen and altered U.S. Treasury checks into shell company bank accounts that he controlled and then withdrawing the stolen money to conceal its origin.
Gino Rosario Tyler Alexander Allegra, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper to time served of approximately nine months, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered Allegra to restitution in the amount of $545,090. In May 2026, Allegra pleaded guilty to four counts of theft of government funds, four counts of bank fraud and three counts of money laundering. Allegra was charged in a superseding indictment in September 2025 and detained pending trial.
Allegra obtained U.S. Treasury checks that had been issued as tax refunds to individuals and businesses throughout the United States but were later stolen. Allegra deposited these checks into bank accounts that he opened in the name of World Advance, Inc. (WAI), a Massachusetts shell company with no bona fide operations. The stolen checks were altered to name WAI as a payee instead of the actual taxpayers eligible for the refunds. Allegra also purchased bank checks payable to other shell businesses to conceal the origin of the stolen proceeds and deposited and laundered bank checks that others purchased using other stolen Treasury checks. In total, Allegra stole or laundered more than $1.2 million in government funds.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Michael Carpenter, Special Agent in charge of the U.S. Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Northeast Field Division; and Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Kosto, Chief of the Securities, Financial and Cyber Frauds Unit prosecuted the case.
Brazilian National Indicted for Armed Robbery of a Cash CourierRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian national, unlawfully residing in the United States on an expired visa, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the armed robbery of a cash courier in Framingham, Mass., in November 2025, which resulted in the theft of approximately $200,000.
Helbert Oliveira, 47, was indicted one count of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, as well as brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. Oliveira was previously charged by criminal complaint in May 2026 and arrested in Pompano Beach, Fla., on July 21, 2026. At the time of his arrest, Oliveira was found in possession of a Glock-43 pistol, a suppressor, gloves, masks and ammunition.
According to court records, Oliveira is alleged to have conspired with another individual, Curt Porcher, to rob a cash courier delivering money to a Framingham business. Porcher allegedly served as the getaway driver in a rented vehicle, while Oliveira allegedly pointed a firearm at the victim, taking approximately $200,000. Surveillance footage from the robbery is included below:
Prior to Oliveira’s arrest, his alleged co conspirator, Porcher, was charged by criminal complaint in the District of Massachusetts with Hobbs Act armed robbery and conspiracy. He was subsequently indicted in April 2026.
The charge of Hobbs Act armed robbery, or conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act armed robbery, 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 charge of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to any other prison term. Each count also carries a potential $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Division and the Marlborough Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aidan Lang of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting Oliveira. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Richardson, also of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting Oliveira’s alleged co-conspirator, Porcher.
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.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Operating Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Pill FactoryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence, Mass., man was sentenced yesterday for operating a clandestine drug laboratory that manufactured thousands of fentanyl and methamphetamine pills and for possessing firearms that furthered his drug trafficking operation. The defendant fled the United States shortly before his trial.
Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, 38, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 21 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. In May 2026, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and 400 grams or more of fentanyl; one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Rodriguez was arrested and charged in October 2024 along with co-defendants Ronald Odelyn Tejeda and Erick Pimentel-Cabrera. Tejeda fled the United States after pleading not guilty and is a fugitive from justice. Pimentel-Cabrera pleaded guilty and was sentenced in March 2026.
“Carlos Rodriguez ran a full-scale drug factory out of a residential basement, manufacturing thousands of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine and arming himself with dangerous firearms to protect his operation,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “He brazenly documented his crimes – posing with guns, stacks of cash and even filming himself alongside an operating pill press – and then fled the country rather than face justice. The defendant earned every day of this 21-year sentence. It reflects the extraordinary harm caused by flooding our communities with deadly drugs and the serious consequences for those who profit from doing so.”
“Counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, along with crystal methamphetamine, are deadly drugs that have no place in our communities,” said Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “This defendant chose to profit from trafficking these dangerous substances while possessing firearms to further his criminal activity. His attempt to flee to the Dominican Republic on the eve of trial demonstrates that he knew he had to answer for his actions. He ultimately pleaded guilty, and this sentence holds him accountable. The DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who traffic these deadly drugs and put our communities at risk.”
For more than a year, Rodriguez operated a clandestine drug laboratory in the basement of a Lawrence residence that he leased from his father. There, he used pill presses to manufacture thousands of fentanyl and methamphetamine pills for distribution.
During an October 2024 search of Rodriguez’s residence, two electric pill presses, a kilogram press, and about 14 kilograms – or 30 pounds – of pills and powders containing controlled substances were seized. These included thousands of blue fentanyl pills made to resemble oxycodone and thousands more orange methamphetamine pills made to resemble Adderall. It also included more than four kilograms of pure crystal methamphetamine, additional kilograms of powder mixtures containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, and smaller amounts of heroin and cocaine. In addition, about 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl pills were seized from co-conspirator Tejeda during a series of controlled purchases leading up to the October 2024 search.
Three firearms – including two that had been reported stolen – as well as nearly $100,000 in cash were also recovered from Rodriguez’s residence. One of the firearms, a Glock pistol, held an extended magazine loaded with 26 rounds, some of which had hollow tips.
Rodriguez, who used the street name “Dex,” documented his drug operation on his smartphone. In one selfie-style video, Rodriguez wore a gas mask and displayed an AR-15-style rifle for the camera as a press stamped pills behind him. Another photograph showed Rodriguez posing inside the laboratory with two other firearms, including an Uzi with an obliterated serial number. His phone also contained other images and videos of pills, firearms and large stacks of cash.
Shortly before his April 2026 trial, Rodriguez fled the United States for the Dominican Republic. Rodriguez is a U.S. citizen. He was stopped by Dominican authorities as he tried to enter the country after having arrived on a flight from Mexico with a fraudulent Mexican passport and a fraudulent Mexican voter registration card. Authorities returned Rodriguez to Massachusetts two days later, and he pleaded guilty in May 2026.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and DEA SAC Forget made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew A. Caffrey, III, Amanda Beck, and Annapurna Balakrishna prosecuted the case.
Lowell Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a money laundering conspiracy.
Hector Nunez, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 45 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In May 2026, Nunez pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and three counts of money laundering, aiding and abetting.
Over a two-year period, Nunez laundered or helped launder approximately $688,650 of narcotics proceeds. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement learned that Nunez understood that these funds were the proceeds of cocaine trafficking.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad A. Rocheville of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Belmont Businessman Charged with Aiding the Filing of False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The operator of a restaurant and apartment building was charged today for allegedly aiding the filing of false tax returns.
Demetrios Pseudoikonomou, 55, of Belmont, has been charged with eight counts of aiding the filing of false tax returns. Pseudoikonomou was arrested today and released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Worcester.
According to the charging documents, Pseudoikonomou operated a restaurant and apartment building in Boston. It is alleged that between approximately 2018 through 2023, Pseudoikonomou deliberately failed to report more than $1.6 million in gross receipts and rental income for these businesses to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). As a result, Pseudoikonomou allegedly avoided paying more than $520,000 in federal income taxes.
It is further alleged that Pseudoikonomou told an undercover agent, who was posing as a prospective buyer for the businesses, that he regularly underreported his gross receipts and rental income to the IRS. When meeting with the undercover agent, Pseudoikonomou allegedly said that his accountant “reports what I tell him…. You’re gonna see on my returns that not everything’s there.” During a subsequent meeting, Pseudoikonomou allegedly said, “You’re not a wearing a wire, right? You’re not a cop, right?”
The charge of aiding the filing of false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman 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.
Athol Man Arrested for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Athol, Mass. man has been arrested and charged for allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) following a federal search warrant executed at his home today.
Kristopher Ambrozewicz, 35, is charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Ambrozewicz was arrested this morning and remains detained pending a hearing scheduled for Aug. 14, 2026 at 2 p.m. in federal court in Worcester.
According to charging documents, during a search of Ambrozewicz’s residence this morning, an on-site review of his cellular phone allegedly revealed several videos depicting CSAM. Ambrozewicz allegedly told law enforcement that he has served as a youth soccer referee and as a referee assigner for the North Quabbin United Soccer Club and that he works part time at CHD Outpatient Behavioral Health Services in Orange, Mass., where he sees both youth and adult patients. Numerous electronic devices including laptops, hard drives and various other electronic storage media were seized for further forensic review.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or email [email protected].
The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, no less than five years and up to 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 and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance provided by the Athol Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Virginia Man to Plead Guilty to $7.1 Million Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A dual national of the United States and the Philippines was charged and has agreed to plead guilty to stealing more than $7.1 million from his employer over the course of a decade.
Ricardo Fontanilla, 66, of Fairfax, Va., was charged with wire fraud and has agreed to plead guilty. Fontanilla was arrested at his home in May 2026 and was later ordered detained pending trial.
According to court documents, between 2013 and December 2025, Fontanilla worked at the Victim Company, a global financial services company which had its U.S. headquarters in Massachusetts, as a Security Administration Services employee. Fontanilla’s role allegedly gave him access to the Victim Company’s financial systems, which tracked borrowers’ mortgage payments in connection with residential mortgage-backed securities – a kind of financial instrument that allows investors to purchase ownership in a pool of residential mortgage loans. Beginning in 2013, Fontanilla allegedly altered the Victim Company’s records to make it appear that the Victim Company was receiving excess payments from mortgage servicing companies that were collecting borrower payments. As alleged, Fontanilla fraudulently transferred these supposedly “excess” payments back to one mortgage servicer (Company A), and then falsely informed Company A representatives that the Victim Company had mistakenly refunded these amounts. In directing Company A to return the mistaken refunds to the Victim Company, Fontanilla allegedly directed Company A to wire the funds to a personal bank account he controlled at Wells Fargo.
Records obtained during the investigation show Fontanilla allegedly received more than $7.1 million in wires from Company A between 2013 and 2025, and that Fontanilla allegedly made payments from his accounts of more than $4.78 million in personal credit card payments to Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and American Express; $873,000 in mortgage and loan payments; more than $200,000 in cash and cash-equivalent withdrawals in the United States and abroad; at least $300,000 in deposits to brokerage accounts at JPMorgan Chase; and approximately $125,000 in payments to Toyota – amounts far exceeding the approximately $83,000 annual salary Fontanilla received from the Victim Company. According to court documents, Fontanilla’s spending included substantial purchases of luxury brands and premium air travel through the United States, the Caribbean and Asia.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, restitution, and forfeiture. 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; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Brian Tucker, Special Agent in Charge, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Inspector General made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Frauds Unit, is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Trinitarios Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Participating in 2023 Double MurderRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges, including his participation as an accessory after the fact to two murders and one shooting.
Israel Garcia Vasquez, a/k/a “Menol,” 25, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy and drug conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Nov. 19, 2026.
The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Trinitarios adhere to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to coordinate and execute violence, and undertake extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members.
During today’s court proceedings, Israel Garcia Vasquez admitted to his membership in the gang as well as to his participation in a shooting on Aug. 27, 2023, in Lynn, and as an accessory after the fact to the Sept. 2, 2023, murder of Jandriel Heredia and Abraham Diaz, in Lynn. Both incidents were retaliatory shootings in order to avenge the recent killing of a Trinitarios member by a rival gang.
During the Sept. 2, 2023 incident, three members of the Trinitarios drove by Essex Street in Lynn and discharged numerous rounds at people gathered outside. The gathering was a party celebrating a young man who was heading off to college. Seven people were shot during this incident, including Abraham Diaz and Jandriel Heredia who later died from the gunshot wounds they sustained. Garcia Vasquez admitted that after the shooting, the driver and two shooters were brought to his residence in the Lawrence area, where they were harbored.
In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. The charges were the result of a multijurisdictional investigation, which began in the aftermath of four murders as well as a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members. In March 2025, a Lynn member of the Trinitarios was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In June 2025, two members of the Trinitarios were charged with kidnapping a drug supplier. In July 2025, the leader of the Lynn Chapter was sentenced to 14 years in prison. In December 2025, two members of the Lynn Chapter, Michael Miliano and James Jimenez pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. In April 2026, Luis Enrique Santana pleaded guilty. In May 2026, Westyn Lantigua pleaded guilty. In June 2026, Luis Jeffrey Santana pleaded guilty. In August 2026, Kelvin Liranzo Roman pleaded guilty.
On June 9, 2026, additional federal racketeering and drug charges were unsealed charging 26 additional leaders, members and associates of the Lawrence, Haverhill and Boston Chapters of the gang. According to court documents, the Trinitarios have allegedly participated in five additional murders in Essex County since 2017, bringing the total of federally charged murders to 11. Israel Garcia Vasquez is the 13th defendant to plead guilty in the case.
The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation following any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester, N.H. Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
New York Man Charged with Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Queens, N.Y., man has been charged for allegedly travelling across state lines to engage in illicit sexually conduct with a 13-year-old minor in Massachusetts.
Andre Jamal Bennett, 33, was charged with interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Bennett was arrested yesterday in the Eastern District of New York and remains detained pending a future hearing.
According to the charging documents, Bennett is employed by Delta Air Lines as a ground controller at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. In September 2025, Bennett allegedly created multiple social media accounts – including two Instagram accounts and a Snapchat account – using the fictitious name “Chris.” Using the accounts, it is alleged that Bennett falsely presented himself to be a 16-year-old boy allegedly to contact the minor victim.
In November 2025, Bennett allegedly took a flight from New York City to Boston. Upon landing in Boston, Bennett allegedly contacted the minor victim, informed her that he was in the area and coerced her into meeting him in person. When Bennett met the minor victim, who still believed he was “Chris,” the 16-year-old boy he had purported to be online, Bennett allegedly wore a hooded sweatshirt that concealed his face.
According to the charging documents, Bennet then brought the minor victim to a hotel and raped her. Bennett also allegedly recorded the sexual assault on his phone. Following the encounter, Bennett allegedly continued to contact the minor victim through social media over the course of several months and sought to entice her to meet with him again, including by offering to pay her. The minor victim refused.
The charge of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Michael Cox, Commissioner of the Boston Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s New York Field Office and United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, of the Major Crimes Unit and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Prison for Investment FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Haverhill man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining $350,000 in investor funds.
Luciano Schipelliti, 29, was sentenced byU.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release with six months of home confinement. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $350,000. In April 2026, Schipelliti pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He was charged in March 2026.
In the fall of 2018, Schipelliti established the Superstars Fund and raised roughly $275,000 to invest in cryptocurrency. By 2019, through a series of bad investments, Schipelliti lost all the money in the Superstars Fund. He did not, however, tell any of the investors that he had lost the money. Instead, beginning in approximately November 2020, Schipelliti began sending monthly newsletters to investors that falsely reported that the Superstars Fund continued to grow in value.
Based on the misrepresented performance of the Superstars Fund in approximately February 2021, Schipelliti launched a new fund, the TTM Fund, through which he raised approximately $350,000 to invest in cryptocurrency. Schipelliti lost all the money in the TTM fund by September 2021. According to the charging documents, Schipelliti lost most of the money in the TTM Fund investing in cryptocurrency and also used some of the money in a manner inconsistent with the terms of the TTM Fund’s operating agreement.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Department of Labor Employee Sentenced for Fraudulently Obtaining over $40,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former employee of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining over $40,000 in pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA) benefits.
Mo Yuong Kang, 51, formerly of Woburn and Dracut, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy to one year of probation. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $45,868 and forfeiture in the amount of $45,868. In May 2026, Kang pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud after being indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2025.
Kang worked as an Industrial Hygienist with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, an agency of the DOL, from June 2016 until July 2023. In 2020 and 2021, Kang was a full-time employee of the DOL and earned over $85,000 annually.
In April 2020, Kang submitted a false PUA application to the Division of Unemployment Assistance (DUA). In the application, Kang claimed under the penalty of perjury that he was “self-employed, an independent contractor, or a gig worker and COVID-19 had severely limited [his] ability to perform [his] normal work,” and that he had not earned more than $89 a week since March 8, 2020. The DUA approved Kang’s claim, and through September 2021 Kang subsequently submitted weekly certifications to the DUA claiming that he did not work and did not receive any income during those weekly periods. Based upon his application and weekly certifications, Kang received $45,868 in PUA benefits to which he was not entitled.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Christopher Silvestro, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. The Team is led by two senior federal prosecutors serving as Fraud Coordinators, whose mission it is to aggressively investigate and prosecute misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits in Massachusetts.
Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted in March 2020 and designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act created a new temporary federal unemployment insurance program called pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA), which provided unemployment benefits for individuals who were not eligible for standard unemployment benefits. To receive PUA benefits, Massachusetts claimants were required to certify in an initial registration and in weekly certifications whether or not they worked or received any income during the relevant time period. The PUA program was administered in Massachusetts by the Division of Unemployment Assistance (DUA).
Dominican National Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Trafficking Tens of Thousands of Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Dorchester, Mass. was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a large-scale fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
Anderson Ernesto Andujar Echavarria, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to five years in prison, to be followed by six years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In December 2025, Andujar pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; three counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl; one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and methamphetamine; and one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Andujar was arrested and charged in September 2024 along with three co-conspirators Waner Bernabel Presinal, Carlos Fabal and Freddy Artemio Guerrero Soto.
In November 2023, law enforcement identified Andujar as a large-scale drug trafficker distributing various narcotics. Over the course of the investigation, Andujar distributed tens of thousands of press fentanyl tablets as well as powdered fentanyl, cocaine and crystal methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement.
Bernabel was identified as a co-conspirator who worked with Andujar to distribute fentanyl pills and Fabal was identified as a fentanyl pill supplier to Andujar. Fabal was previously convicted in 2007 in federal court in Boston of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, for which he was sentenced to 67 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
At the time of the arrests, 30,000 blue pressed fentanyl pills were seized along with and 500 grams of powder fentanyl from Andujar and Guerrero Soto.
Fabal pleaded guilty in October 2025 and is awaiting sentencing. Bernabel was sentenced in June 2026 to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. Guerrero Soto pleaded guilty in February 2025 and, in May 2025, was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of the Criminal Division is prosecuted the case.
Veloxis Pharmaceuticals Agrees to Pay over $46M to Resolve Criminal and Civil Liability for Kickback SchemesRead the Press Release
Veloxis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Veloxis), a drug manufacturer based in Cary, North Carolina, has agreed to pay over $46 million to resolve criminal and civil allegations that it paid kickbacks to induce prescriptions and purchases of Envarsus XR (Envarsus), a kidney transplant immunosuppression drug.
As part of the government’s resolution with Veloxis, the company entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) in connection with a criminal information filed today in the District of Massachusetts charging Veloxis with conspiracy to commit violations of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute by paying for, among other things, lavish meals, alcohol, and luxury resort stays, to induce healthcare providers to recommend or prescribe Envarsus. As part of the DPA, Veloxis has agreed to pay a criminal penalty of more than $10 million.
“Today’s resolution should serve as a warning to any healthcare company that tries to improperly influence the decisions of healthcare providers,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Kickbacks can erode medical decision-making, result in unnecessary prescriptions of branded drugs, and waste federal healthcare funds.”
“Attempting to improperly influence medical decision-making for financial gain is dangerous, yet it is exactly what Veloxis was doing. Instead of prioritizing patient safety, they were prioritizing profits,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “Treatment decisions need to be based on what’s best for the patient, not what’s best for the drug manufacturer’s bottom line, or what lavish meal or resort stay they can offer. We remain committed to protecting the integrity of taxpayer-funded health care programs. Drug manufacturers should know that the federal government will use all available enforcement mechanisms to stop the payment of illegal health care kickbacks.”
“Today’s settlement resolves allegations that Veloxis operated with a principal focus on sales, providing kickbacks in the form of luxury resort stays, lavish meals, and payments to induce health care professionals to recommend and prescribe its kidney transplant immunosuppression drug,” said Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks of the FBI Boston Field Office. “It’s harmful when pharmaceutical companies prioritize profits over patients. Just know that the FBI and our partners are committed to fighting health care offenses, one case at a time, and seeing perpetrators held accountable.”
“Kickbacks that distort medical decision making put patients at risk and undermine trust in our health care system,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Veloxis used lavish perks and concealed payments to push its drug, and today’s resolution makes clear that this conduct will not be tolerated. HHS OIG will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect patients, uphold the integrity of federal health care programs, and hold companies accountable when they violate the law.”
Today’s resolution also includes a civil settlement of allegations that Veloxis caused the submission of false claims to federal healthcare programs by paying kickbacks to hospital personnel and specialty pharmacies, in violation of the False Claims Act. Veloxis has agreed to pay $34.45 million to the United States and certain states to resolve those civil allegations. In addition, Veloxis agreed to pay a $1.55 million civil penalty to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to resolve allegations that Veloxis knowingly failed to report to CMS certain payments to physicians under the Open Payments Program (also known as the “Sunshine Act”). This is the largest Sunshine Act recovery since the law was passed in 2010.
As part of the criminal resolution and the Corporate Integrity Agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Veloxis has agreed to implement a significant corporate compliance program, including adoption of an enhanced system of policies, procedures, and internal controls designed to deter and detect violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, and implementation of enhanced oversight, reporting, and enforcement mechanisms.
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and other federally funded healthcare programs. It seeks to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives and are instead based on the best interests of their patients. Similarly, Congress created the Open Payments Program to provide greater transparency and protection to consumers by requiring drug manufacturers and others to publicly disclose certain payments and other transfers of value to physicians, with the goal of discouraging the development of inappropriate relationships and potentially unnecessary healthcare costs that can arise from such conflicts.
Veloxis’ Criminal Liability for Conspiring to Pay Kickbacks
According to admissions and court documents filed in the District of Massachusetts, from October 2016 and continuing through in or around June 2023, Veloxis and its employees engaged in a scheme to pay kickbacks to transplant health care providers (HCPs) to induce them to prescribe, order, or recommend or arrange for prescribing or ordering Envarsus for kidney transplant recipients. During the relevant time, Veloxis manufactured and sold a single drug, Envarsus, for use as an immunosuppressant in adult kidney transplant recipients. Envarsus, a drug taken once a day for the life of the kidney transplant recipient, competed against the generic form of the same drug, which was taken only once a day. To gain market share for Envarsus against a cheaper generic drug, Veloxis engaged in an aggressive marketing strategy pursuant to which it promoted Envarsus to HCPs at and tied to transplant centers and hospitals who could influence the placement of Envarsus on the formulary and/or protocol of their respective facilities.
These marketing efforts included various tactics that violated the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, including but not limited to: taking HCPs and at times, their spouses or guests, to lavish dinners and on expensive trips and retreats under the guise of “advisory boards,” providing gifts and expensive alcohol to HCPs, and making purported consulting payments to HCPs for work that was not actually performed. In many of these instances, Veloxis employees submitted falsified company expense reports to conceal their illegal marketing efforts, including by falsely adding names to the list of attendees at dinners and events (to decrease the apparent cost per attendee of the meals) and omitting the names of physicians who attended the meals (to avoid Sunshine Act reporting requirements). This false reporting resulted in Veloxis’ failure to properly report the sums it paid to physicians, which further obscured its illegal activities.
Veloxis admitted that it intended the improper remuneration it provided to HCPs to result in increased Envarsus prescriptions, as demonstrated, in part, by communications between Veloxis employees and certain HCPs. For example, in connection with a surgeon’s request to attend a speaker program, a Veloxis employee told the surgeon that the Veloxis employee “need[ed] scripts. Lots of them.” Several months earlier, the Veloxis employee had told the surgeon that he was “over Sales” and needed the surgeon “more than ever,” and instructed the surgeon that it was “[t]ime to open your Rolodex and make things happen.” The statement of facts filed with the DPA today details additional examples of Veloxis’ kickbacks and related efforts to disguise and conceal its unlawful conduct.
Veloxis’ Civil Liability for False Claims to Federal Healthcare Programs
The resolution announced today also resolves allegations that Veloxis violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing the submission of claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE for Envarsus prescriptions written by HCPs or filled by pharmacies to which Veloxis had knowingly and willfully paid kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. In connection with the civil settlement agreement, Veloxis admitted that from 2016 to 2023, it paid kickbacks to HCPs in the form of lavish meals, alcoholic beverages, expensive trips, resort stays, gifts, and purported consulting fees to induce prescriptions of Envarsus. Veloxis admitted that it concealed those kickbacks by falsifying company expense reports and business records as to the recipients, amounts, and purpose of the payments; and creating consulting agreements for purported consulting work that was not actually performed.
With respect to Veloxis’ obligation to report physician payments under CMS’s Open Payments Program, Veloxis admitted that because its reports to CMS were based on falsified expense reports, Veloxis underreported, or failed to report, the true amounts of its payments or transfers of value to those physicians.
In addition, Veloxis admitted that from 2017 to 2023, it paid kickbacks to specialty pharmacies in the form of per-patient and per-month payments to induce those pharmacies to begin or continue purchasing Envarsus instead of competitor drugs, including a cheaper generic drug. Veloxis admitted that it disguised the unlawful purpose of the kickback payments to the pharmacies by falsely describing the payments in written contracts as being for “enhanced services” such as data collection or adherence services. In fact, Veloxis admitted that it paid the pharmacies regardless of whether they provided any data, provided the specified data fields, or provided the data in the specified format, and without confirming whether any adherence services were provided.
Under the civil settlement agreement, Veloxis will pay $21,211,251 to the United States to resolve the False Claims Act allegations and an additional $13,238,749 to certain States for claims settled by certain State Medicaid programs. Veloxis also agreed to pay a civil penalty of $1.55 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly failed to report the amounts of its payments to physicians under the CMS’s Open Payments Program. In connection with the civil settlement, Veloxis entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the HHS-OIG. The CIA requires, among other compliance provisions, that Veloxis implement a compliance program to identify and address the Anti-Kickback Statute risks associated with other financial arrangements and retain an independent compliance expert to perform a review of the effectiveness of the compliance program.
Veloxis received credit under the Department of Justice’s guidelines for accounting for disclosure, cooperation, and remediation in False Claims Act cases. Among other things, Veloxis admitted liability and accepted responsibility for the misconduct, proactively disclosed inculpatory evidence not known to the government, and facilitated interviews with current and former employees and the collection of evidence from third parties. Veloxis also received credit for taking timely and remedial measures, including terminating employees responsible for the misconduct, updating and revising policies and procedures related to the Anti-Kickback Statute, adopting enhanced training, reporting, compliance, disciplinary, and internal investigations programs, and terminating agreements and relationships with third parties involved in the offense conduct.
The claims resolved in today’s settlement include certain claims that were brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Toulsor1, Inc. v. Veloxis Pharmaceuticals A/S, et al., No. 1:20-cv-11575 (D. Mass.).
The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The criminal case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie A. Wright and Christopher R. Looney for the District of Massachusetts. The civil investigation and resolution were handled by Assistant Director Christopher Terranova of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven T. Sharobem and Lindsey E. Weinstein for the District of Massachusetts. The FBI, HHS-OIG, DCIS, Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Veloxis Pharmaceuticals Agrees to Pay $46 Million to Resolve Criminal and Civil Liability for Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Veloxis), a drug manufacturer based in Cary, N.C., has agreed to pay over $46 million to resolve criminal and civil allegations that it paid kickbacks to induce prescriptions and purchases of Envarsus XR (Envarsus), the company’s kidney transplant immunosuppression drug.
As part of the government’s resolution with Veloxis, the company entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) in connection with a criminal information filed today in the District of Massachusetts charging Veloxis with conspiracy to commit violations of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute by paying for, among other things, lavish meals, alcohol and luxury resort stays, to induce health care professionals to recommend or prescribe Envarsus. As part of the DPA, Veloxis has agreed to pay a criminal penalty of $10.04 million. Today’s resolution also includes a civil settlement to resolve allegations that Veloxis caused the submission of false claims to federal health care programs by paying kickbacks to hospital personnel and specialty pharmacies, in violation of the False Claims Act. Veloxis has agreed to pay $34.45 million to the United States and certain States as part of the civil settlement. In addition, Veloxis has agreed to pay a $1.55 million civil penalty to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to resolve allegations that Veloxis knowingly failed to report to CMS certain payments to physicians under the Open Payments Program (a/k/a the “Sunshine Act”). This is the largest Sunshine Act recovery since the law was passed in 2010.
“Attempting to improperly influence medical decision-making for financial gain is dangerous, yet it is exactly what Veloxis was doing. Instead of prioritizing patient safety, they were prioritizing profits,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Treatment decisions need to be based on what’s best for the patient, not what’s best for the drug manufacturer’s bottom line, or what lavish meal or resort stay they can offer. We remain committed to protecting the integrity of taxpayer-funded health care programs. Drug manufacturers should know that the federal government will use all available enforcement mechanisms to stop the payment of illegal health care kickbacks.”
“Today’s resolution should serve as a warning to any healthcare company that tries to improperly influence the decisions of healthcare providers,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Kickbacks can erode medical decision making, result in unnecessary prescriptions of branded drugs, and waste federal healthcare funds.”
“Today’s settlement resolves allegations that Veloxis operated with a principal focus on sales, providing kickbacks in the form of luxury resort stays, lavish meals, and payments to induce health care professionals to recommend and prescribe its kidney transplant immunosuppression drug,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “It’s harmful when pharmaceutical companies prioritize profits over patients. Just know that the FBI and our partners are committed to fighting health care offenses, one case at a time, and seeing perpetrators held accountable.”
“Kickbacks that distort medical decision making put patients at risk and undermine trust in our health care system,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG). “Veloxis used lavish perks and concealed payments to push its drug, and today’s resolution makes clear that this conduct will not be tolerated. HHS OIG will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect patients, uphold the integrity of federal health care programs, and hold companies accountable when they violate the law.”
Veloxis’s Criminal Liability for Conspiring to Pay Kickbacks
According to court documents filed in the District of Massachusetts, from approximately October 2016 to June 2023, Veloxis and its employees engaged in a scheme to pay kickbacks to transplant health care professionals (HCPs) to induce them to prescribe, order, or recommend prescribing or ordering Envarsus for kidney transplant recipients. These kickbacks took several forms. Veloxis provided improper remuneration to transplant HCPs in the form of lavish meals, expensive resort stays and personal gifts and also made large payments to HCPs under the guise of consulting agreements, often for purported consulting work that was not actually performed. In many of these instances, Veloxis employees submitted falsified company expense reports to conceal their illegal conduct (and to avoid Sunshine Act reporting requirements). Veloxis admitted that it intended the improper remuneration it provided to HCPs to induce prescriptions/orders of Envarsus and thereby increase the company’s net profits.
Veloxis’s Civil Liability for False Claims to Federal Health Care Programs
In addition, the resolution announced today resolves allegations that Veloxis violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing the submission of claims to Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE for Envarsus prescriptions written by HCPs or filled by pharmacies to which Veloxis had knowingly and willfully paid kickbacks. In connection with the civil settlement agreement, Veloxis admitted that, in addition to providing improper remuneration to HCPs and concealing the kickbacks by falsifying company expense reports, Veloxis failed to properly report the remuneration under CMS’s Open Payments Program. Veloxis admitted that because its reports to CMS were based on falsified company expense reports, Veloxis underreported, or failed to report, the true amounts of its payments or transfers of value to physicians.
Veloxis also admitted that from 2017 to 2023, it paid kickbacks to specialty pharmacies in the form of per-patient and per-month payments to induce the pharmacies to begin or continue purchasing Envarsus instead of competitor drugs, including a cheaper generic drug. Veloxis admitted that it disguised the unlawful purpose of these payments by falsely describing them in written contracts as being for “enhanced services” such as data collection or adherence services. In fact, Veloxis admitted that it paid the pharmacies regardless of whether they provided any data and without confirming whether any adherence services were actually provided.
Under the civil settlement agreement, Veloxis will pay $21,211,251 to the United States to resolve the False Claims Act allegations and an additional $13,238,749 to certain States for claims settled by those States’ Medicaid programs. Veloxis also agreed to pay a civil penalty of $1,550,000 to resolve allegations that it knowingly failed to report the amounts of its payments to physicians under CMS’s Open Payments Program. In connection with the civil settlement, Veloxis entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with HHS-OIG. The CIA requires, among other things, that Veloxis implement a compliance program to identify and address Anti-Kickback Statute-related risks and retain an independent compliance expert to review the effectiveness of its compliance program.
Veloxis cooperated with the government’s investigation.
The claims resolved in today’s settlement include certain claims that were brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the Act, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Toulsor1, Inc. v. Veloxis Pharmaceuticals A/S, et al., No. 1:20-cv-11575 (D. Mass.).
U.S. Attorney Foley; AAG Shumate; FBI SAC Docks; HHS-OIG Acting Deputy IG Bennett; Christopher Silvestro, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri, Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General; Derek M. Holt, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General; and Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven T. Sharobem and Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Looney and Leslie A. Wright of the Criminal Division, along with Assistant Director Christopher Terranova in the Department of Justice’s Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.
CFO of Boston-Area Spinal Device Company Sentenced to Four Months in Prison for Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The Chief Financial Officer of SpineFrontier, Inc., a spinal implant company, formerly based in Malden, Mass., has been sentenced for a kickback scheme to bribe surgeons to use company products in exchange for sham consulting fees.
Aditya Humad, 41, of Cambridge, Mass., was sentenced on Aug. 6, 2026 by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to four months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $9,500 fine. In May 2026, Humad pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute. Humad was charged in September 2021 along with Dr. Kingsley R. Chin, SpineFrontier’s Founder, President and CEO.
Humad conspired to pay and direct the payment of over $540,000 in bribes to surgeons in the form of sham consulting fees for work they did not perform. Humad conspired to bribe surgeons to use SpineFrontier’s products, and in turn, SpineFrontier received millions of dollars in revenue from surgeries the surgeons performed.
“This sentence is the culmination of years of dogged pursuit of SpineFrontier, its executives, Aditya Humad and Kingsley Chin, and multiple bribe-taking doctors. Aditya Humad now stands convicted and sentenced for conspiracy to pay bribes to physicians to induce them to use products in complicated spine surgeries,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “In criminal and civil proceedings, we have recovered more than $4 million from these executives, their companies and the physicians who took their bribes. Let these resolutions serve as notice that no matter how long it takes, and how sophisticated the scheme, we will crack down on health care fraud offenses.”
“This corporate scheme sought to corruptly influence surgeons by paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to induce the use of SpineFrontier’s medical devices in surgeries,” said Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG). “Humad’s actions undermined critical safeguards designed to protect patients and the integrity of taxpayer funded health care programs. HHS OIG, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to hold accountable individuals and executives who engage in such illegal schemes.”
“As the Chief Financial Officer of SpineFrontier, Inc., Aditya Humad conspired to bribe surgeons to use his company’s products – and paid them more than a half million dollars in sham consulting fees for work they did not perform – in an effort to boost the company’s bottom line,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Kickback schemes like this not only violate federal law, but they erode the public’s trust in our health care system. That’s why the FBI, and our partners, will continue to ensure individuals who put their company’s profits ahead of patient care are brought to justice.”
“This sentencing sends a clear message that the VA Office of Inspector General will work diligently to ensure that individuals who conspire to pay kickbacks to influence medical decisions are held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri of the VA OIG’s Northeast Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement partners for their collaboration and exceptional work in pursuing justice in this case.”
Humad conspired with SpineFrontier to enter into contracts with surgeons, agreeing to pay the surgeons between $250 and $1,000 per hour for purported consulting for SpineFrontier. In reality, however, Humad directed SpineFrontier to pay the surgeons for using SpineFrontier’s products. Although the surgeon-consulting program was purportedly directed at gathering technical feedback about SpineFrontier’s products, Humad used the bribes they paid pursuant to that program to induce surgeons to use SpineFrontier’s products in surgeries that were paid for by federal health care programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and the Veterans Health Administration. Additionally, the surgeons frequently spent only a small fraction of their reported time, if any, performing actual consulting.
Humad previously agreed to pay a fine pursuant to a civil settlement agreement, including a fixed amount totaling more than $150,000 (including interest) and potential additional contingency payments based upon his annual income.
In May 2025, Chin pleaded guilty to making false statements to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. He was subsequently sentenced in August 2025 by Judge Talwani to one year of supervised release with the first six months to be served in home confinement. Chin was also ordered to pay a fine of $9,500 in addition to $40,000 he personally agreed to pay as part of a related civil settlement and $855,000 that his wholly-owned company agreed to pay as part of the same settlement.
In related criminal prosecutions, in August 2020, surgeon Jason Montone, D.O, 50, of Lawson, Miss., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and obstruction. Medical device distributor John Balzer, 48, of Lenexa, Kan., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and one count of witness tampering. Montone and Balzer are scheduled to be sentenced in September 2026.
In related civil enforcement, in March 2020, five doctors agreed to pay civil settlements to resolve allegations of accepting sham consulting fees in violation of the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute: Dr. F. Paul DeGenova agreed to pay $486,985; Dr. Michael Murray agreed to pay $330,668; Dr. Joseph Shehadi agreed to pay $323,419; Dr. Agha Khan agreed to pay $310,843; and Dr. John Atwater agreed to pay $105,149. In April 2020, Dr. John Carlson agreed to pay $1.75 million dollars to resolve the same allegations.
U.S. Attorney Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General; Ted E. Docks, 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 Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abraham R. George, Christopher R. Looney and Mackenzie A. Queenin prosecuted the case.
Trinitarios Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Participating in 2023 Double MurderRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to racketeering charges, including his participation in two murders.
Kelvin Liranzo Roman, a/k/a “Whoopty,” 27, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Nov. 17, 2026. Liranzo Roman was arrested and charged in February 2025.
The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Trinitarios adhere to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to coordinate and execute violence, and undertake extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members.
During today’s court proceedings, Kelvin Liranzo Roman admitted to his membership in the gang and his participation as an accessory before the fact to the Sept. 2, 2023 murders of Jandriel Heredia and Abraham Diaz. During this incident, three members of the Trinitarios drove by Essex Street in Lynn and discharged numerous rounds at the people gathered outside. The gathering was a party celebrating a recent high-school graduation and a young man heading off to college. Seven people were shot during this incident, including Abraham Diaz and Jandriel Heredia who later died from the gunshot wounds they sustained.
Liranzo Roman admitted that before the shooting, he brought the vehicle used in the shooting to Lynn, knowing it would be used by the Trinitarios later that night to target rival gang members that the Trinitarios believed were at the party. The vehicle used in the shooting was owned by the deceased Trinitarios member and was used to send a message to rival gang members. After the shooting, the driver and two shooters were brought to Lawrence, and then later were brought to Liranzo Roman’s residence.
In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. The charges were the result of a multijurisdictional investigation which began in the aftermath of four murders as well as a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members. In March 2025, a Lynn member of the Trinitarios was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In June 2025, two members of the Trinitarios were charged with kidnapping a drug supplier. In July 2025, the leader of the Lynn Chapter was sentenced to 14 years in prison. In December 2025, two members of the Lynn Chapter, Michael Miliano and James Jimenez pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. In April 2026, Luis Enrique Santana pleaded guilty. In May 2026, Westyn Lantigua pleaded guilty. In June 2026, Luis Jeffrey Santana pleaded guilty.
On June 9, 2026, additional federal racketeering and drug charges were unsealed charging 26 additional leaders, members and associates of the Lawrence, Haverhill and Boston Chapters of the gang. According to court documents, the Trinitarios have allegedly participated in five additional murders in Essex County since 2017, bringing the total of federally charged murders to 11. Kelvin Liranzo Roman is the 12th defendant to plead guilty in the case
The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester, N.H. Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Founder of Cryptocurrency Financial Services Firm “MyTrade” Sentenced for Market Manipulation and Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The founder and primary operator of “MyTrade,” a financial services firm known in the cryptocurrency industry as a “market maker,” was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a wide-ranging conspiracy to manipulate cryptocurrency markets on behalf of client cryptocurrency companies.
Liu Zhou, 41, a Canadian citizen and Chinese national, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to pay a fine of $10,000. In October 2024, Zhou was charged along with 17 co-conspirators and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud.
MyTrade provided financial services to cryptocurrency clients through its “MyTrade MM” website and online application. Those services included the wash trading of client cryptocurrencies across multiple cryptocurrency exchanges. Wash trading occurs when a single trader, or a number of traders working in coordination, buy and sell the same asset repeatedly in order to mislead the market by artificially inflating the trading volume or price of the asset via trades that have no lawful commercial purpose. Wash trading is a form of fraud intended to stimulate interest in an asset. MyTrade MM’s clients had access to a dashboard available through MyTrade MM’s website that allowed clients to specify the desired amount of daily wash trades, a service described as “Volume Support,” on identified cryptocurrency exchanges. MyTrade MM used computer programs known as “bots” to generate the fraudulent wash trades for clients.
MyTrade MM’s unlawful wash trading service was identified through an undercover law enforcement operation which included the creation of NexFundAI, a purported cryptocurrency company that had a website ((https://nexfundai.com) and an Ethereum-based token that traded on the Uniswap cryptocurrency exchange before being disabled by law enforcement.
In discussions with purported NexFundAI promoters, Zhou described how MyTrade MM “does self-trades - a buy and a sell in the same second,” and that its volume bot can be used to execute “pump and dumps.” Zhou also described the “objective” as finding “other buyers from the community, people you don’t know about or don’t care about” because “we have to make [the other buyers] lose money in order to make profit.” As of Oct. 1, 2024, MyTrade MM was providing the “volume support” function, which consisted of wash trades made by trading bots, to dozens of clients.
As part of Zhou’s plea in October 2024, MyTrade MM was required to cease providing “Volume Support” services and to permanently deactivate its wash trading bots, which had been responsible for millions of dollars’ worth of daily wash trades for approximately 60 different cryptocurrencies. MyTrade MM was also required to add the following disclaimer to its website: “Volume support is a form of wash trading and illegal under the laws of the United States.”
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Hundreds of Ghost GunsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Somerville, Mass. man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. The defendant possessed more than 100 privately made firearms (PMFs), more commonly known as, “ghost guns,” at his residence – including machine guns and firearm silencers, as well as a 3D printer and ammunition in varying calibers.
Robert Butland, 39, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton who scheduled sentencing for Nov. 10, 2026. Butland was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in August 2025 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025. The defendant remains in federal custody.
During an August 2025 search of Butland’s residence, a locked closet inside his bedroom was found to contain numerous PMFs as well as numerous solvent traps commonly used as illegal firearm suppressors. Additional ghost guns were found in nightstands, backpacks and coffee table drawers throughout the bedroom. Multiple 3D printers, firearm parts and accessories purchased from companies across the country, filament, a workbench and tools consistent with the assembly and manufacture of firearms were also recovered from the residence. Ammunition in multiple calibers – including 9mm Luger, 5.56 Hornady Frontier and 7.62x39mm rounds – were also seized.
Butland is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior state convictions in Lawrence District Court for assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest and wanton destruction of property. According to court document’s Butland also has state convictions for negligent operation of a motor vehicle, possession of a Class B controlled substance and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
The charge of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a felon provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division; and Jason Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Somerville Police Department; the Boston Police Department; and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Boston pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Angel Daniel Cruz-Sanchez, 51, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Nov. 12, 2026. Cruz-Sanchez was charged in April 2026.
Cruz-Sanchez is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who was deported in 2019 and 2023. In 2003, 2008 and 2018, Cruz-Sanchez was convicted in separate drug trafficking cases.
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 David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Dominican National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Lawrence, Mass. has been indicted for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Eddy Antonio Perdomo, 32, is charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Perdomo will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Aug. 10, 2026.
Perdomo previously pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien in July 2025. He was subsequently sentenced to time served (approximately four months in prison) on Sept. 5, 2025 and removed from the United States on Sept. 15, 2025. It is alleged that sometime after his September 2025 removal, Perdomo illegally reentered the United States without permission.
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 David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Conroy 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.
U.S. Attorney's Office Joins Communities Across Massachusetts for National Night OutRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts participated in National Night Out events in communities across the Commonwealth. The annual campaign brings together law enforcement, community organizations and residents to strengthen relationships and promote safer neighborhoods.
National Night Out is held each year on the first Tuesday in August and is celebrated in thousands of communities across the country through neighborhood gatherings, block parties, cookouts, youth activities, safety demonstrations and other events.
“The work of keeping our communities safe extends far beyond the courtroom. It depends on strong partnerships between law enforcement and the people we serve,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “National Night Out is a meaningful opportunity to connect with residents, listen to their concerns and reinforce our shared commitment to safer, stronger communities throughout Massachusetts.”
National Night Out is coordinated locally by law enforcement agencies and community volunteers and encourages meaningful engagement between residents and the public safety professionals who serve them. In the District of Massachusetts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office participated in National Night Out events in cities and towns across the state.
Established in 1984 with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance within the U.S. Department of Justice, National Night Out is administered by the National Association of Town Watch.
For more information about National Night Out, visit www.natw.org.
Registered Sex Offender from Rhode Island Arrested for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rhode Island man has been arrested and charged in connection with possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Frank DeCaro, 47, of Westerly, R.I., was charged with one count of possession of child pornography. DeCaro was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston at 1 p.m. today.
According to the charging documents, DeCaro is a registered sex offender following a 2014 conviction for possession of CSAM in Rhode Island state court, for which he received a probationary sentence. In November 2025, DeCaro was stopped at Boston Logan Airport attempting to enter the country from an international trip to Italy. During a subsequent search, multiple images and videos depicting CSAM were allegedly discovered on DeCaro’s phone.
The charge of possession of child pornography after a previous similar offense provides for a sentence of no less 10 years and up to 20 years 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; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Jennifer B. De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Rhode Island State Police and the Westerly (R.I.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Puerto Rican Man Sentenced for Damaging AircraftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Puerto Rican man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for an incident in which he opened an emergency exit door while aboard a JetBlue flight preparing for takeoff from Boston to Puerto Rico.
Angel Luis Morales Torres, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Senior Judge F. Dennis Saylor to one year of probation. Morales Torres was also ordered to pay approximately $60,000 in restitution. In May 2026, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of damaging or disabling an aircraft. Morales was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2025.
On Jan. 7, 2025, Morales was a passenger aboard a JetBlue flight scheduled to fly from Boston to Puerto Rico. While the aircraft was on the taxiway preparing for takeoff, Morales stood up from his seat, ran down the aisle and entered an empty emergency exit row, where he began attempting to open the emergency exit door. A flight attendant attempted to restrain Morales and he was eventually tackled by another passenger. Prior to being restrained, Morales managed to open the emergency door, causing the emergency inflatable slide to deploy, and rendering the aircraft inoperable.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Owner of Brockton Store “Banks & Brancos” Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a Brockton clothing store, “Banks & Brancos,” pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to drug trafficking and firearm charges.
Felipe Jonet-Branco, 31, of Brockton, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and 10 counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy scheduled Jonet-Branco’s sentencing for Nov. 2, 2026. Seven members and associates of the Brockton-based Harvard Street Gang were charged in February 2026, following the execution of search warrants at numerous residences and stash locations associated with the group, including Banks & Brancos.
On Feb. 4, 2026, a search was executed at Banks & Brancos in Brockton where 10 firearms, over 35 pounds of marijuana with packaging, over 200 grams of psilocin mushrooms and over $40,000 in cash was seized during the search. Eight of those firearms, along with large-capacity magazines and several empty bottles of promethazine with codeine, were found inside a hidden drawer underneath the store’s front counter. The guns included a large-caliber rifle and a Glock handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device. An additional gun was hidden inside the store’s vending machine, and another was in plain view in a storage room. Jonet-Branco is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior conviction for felony battery in Miami-Dade County, Fla.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, supervised release for at least three years and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of firearms provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, supervised release for up to three years and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations, Boston Division; the Abington, Acushnet, Ashland, Boston, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brockton, Chelsea, East Bridgewater, Medford, Quincy, Randolph, Raynham, Stoughton, Taunton and West Bridgewater Police Departments; the Plymouth and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Departments; Massachusetts Department of Correction; and the Plymouth, Norfolk and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Cutshall and Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney’s Office Files Civil Forfeiture Action to Recover Approximately $1.4 Million in Proceeds of Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture action to recover $1,413,037 in alleged proceeds of an insider trading scheme seized from a U.S.-based brokerage account held in the name of Zhi Ge, of Singapore.
As described in the civil complaint, Ge is alleged to have engaged in and conspired with others to commit securities fraud and was charged in a superseding indictment returned in November 2025, by a federal grand jury in Boston. The indictment alleges that, from at least in or about November 2016 and continuing to in or about February 2024, Ge conspired with his co-defendants and others known and unknown, to obtain material non-public information (MNPI) about the financial performance and merger-and-acquisition activity of various publicly traded companies, executing securities trades while in possession of that MNPI, and providing that MNPI, in exchange for a percentage of trading profits, to others known and unknown, who traded while in possession of the MNPI.
The civil complaint alleges that the seized funds are proceeds traceable to the purchase and sale of call option contracts made by Ge while in possession of MNPI.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Lyons of the Asset Recovery Unit is prosecuting the civil forfeiture action and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy E. Moran is prosecuting the criminal action.
The details contained in the civil forfeiture complaint and criminal charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent of the criminal charges unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
verified_complaint.pdf