District of New Jersey

NEWARK, N.J. – A former Passaic County Correctional Officer was sentenced yesterday for his role in assaulting a pretrial detainee and conspiring to obstruct justice, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Jose Gonzalez, 47, previously pled guilty on May 28, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court to a two-count indictment charging him with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. Judge Farbiarz imposed the sentence yesterday in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On January 22, 2021, a pretrial detainee at the Passaic County Jail (PCJ) squirted a mixture containing urine onto a correctional officer.  The following day, on January 23, 2021, Gonzalez admitted that he, along with former Sergeant Donald Vinales, and former Correctional Officer Lorenzo Bowden, who were also charged in this case, transported the detainee through an area of the PCJ that does not have a video surveillance camera, which Correctional Officers and inmates at the PCJ have referred to as a “blind spot.” While in that “blind spot,” Gonzalez admitted that he and Vinales assaulted the detainee, while he was handcuffed, when they knocked him to the ground and struck him multiple times.  One day after the assault, the detainee was taken to a local hospital, which documented injuries from the assault.

The defendants were required to submit documentation regarding their use of force.  None of them submitted any such reports.

In March 2022, Gonzalez admitted that he made false statements to federal law enforcement officers during an interview in connection with this investigation.  Additionally, in April 2022, after receiving federal grand jury subpoenas in connection with this investigation, Gonzalez, Vinales, Bowden, among others, met to discuss the federal investigation. During that meeting, the group agreed not to cooperate with the federal investigation and also agreed to say that nothing had happened to the detainee, referring to the assault. Thereafter, during an interview with federal investigators in October 2022, Bowden falsely stated that the detainee had not been assaulted and that there had not been any meeting or communication among those who participated in or witnessed the assault.

Bowden pled guilty on April 18, 2024 before Judge Farbiarz to an information charging him with conspiracy to obstruct justice and is awaiting sentencing.

Vinales pled guilty on May 21, 2025 before Judge Farbiarz to a two-count indictment charging him with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. He is also awaiting sentencing.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Farbiarz sentenced Gonzalez to two years of supervised release.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; and the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office Division of Internal Affairs, under the direction of Sheriff Thomas Adamo.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Deputy Chief of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark, and R. Joseph Gribko, Senior Trial Counsel in Trenton. 

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Defense Counsel: Valerie Palma DeLuisi, Esq., Clifton, New Jersey 

NEWARK, N.J. – A British citizen was sentenced to 140 months’ imprisonment for possessing multiple images of child sexual abuse and traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Stephen Hudson, 54, of Ealing, England, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court on February 10, 2026, to an information charging him with possession of child pornography and travelling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From April 14, 2022 to May 6, 2022, Hudson communicated with undercover agents using an encrypted email account, in an attempt to make arrangements to sexually abuse two minor female children. Hudson agreed to travel from Massachusetts to New Jersey and pay approximately $1,200 in cash in exchange for, among other things: engaging in sexual acts with minor girls; illicit drugs that he planned to administer with alcohol to the minor girls. On May 6, 2022, Hudson traveled to an agreed-upon location in New Jersey to have sex with the two minors and provided approximately $1,200 in cash to the undercover law enforcement agents as previously agreed. After providing the cash to law enforcement, Hudson was arrested.

A search of Hudson’s laptop revealed 1,751 images of child sexual abuse, including material portraying prepubescent minors and the sexual abuse and exploitation of infants and toddlers.

In addition to a prison term, Judge Farbiarz sentenced Hudson to 5 years of supervised release.

Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, with the investigation.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Nadel of the Narcotics/International Trafficking Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Rahul Sharma Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark 

NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County man was convicted of firearms and narcotics offenses following a three-day trial, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

David Reams, 37, of Paterson, was convicted by a federal jury on January 27, 2026, of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime following a trial before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court. The sentencing date is scheduled for June 30.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On May 6, 2024, Paterson Police Department observed Reams conducting movements consistent with possession of a firearm. When Paterson detectives attempted to stop Reams, he attempted to flee. Paterson detectives ultimately recovered a 9-millimeter pistol, loaded with an extended magazine, as well as over 450 individual doses of fentanyl and crack cocaine from Reams’s person.

The felon in possession charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The possession with intent to distribute controlled substances charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years of imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine.  The possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of imprisonment, which must be imposed consecutively to any other sentence imposed, up to life imprisonment, and a maximum fine of $250,000.

Reams was previously convicted in 2017 of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Judge Chesler sentenced him to serve 103 months’ imprisonment for that offense.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited with the investigation special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas Kalogiros, as well as the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Officer in Charge Patrick Murray, with the investigation leading to this conviction.

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

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Kober, of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit, and Daniel H. Rosenblum, of the Narcotics and International Trafficking Unit. 

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Defense counsel: John McMahon 

A Brooklyn, New York man was sentenced on February 18, 2026 to 30 months in prison for his role in a scheme to steal and alter checks from the mail and fraudulently obtain funds from banks by depositing the stolen and altered checks into bank accounts fraudulently accessed by others, senior counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Noah Aranzamendi, 27, of Brooklyn, New York, previously pled guilty in July 2025 before U.S. District Judge Edward Kiel in Camden federal court to a two-count indictment with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and the receipt and possession of stolen mail.

According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in Court:

From February 2020 to February 2022, Aranzamendi conspired with others to steal checks from the mail in Bergen County and elsewhere, which he then sold to third parties or deposited, sometimes in altered or duplicate form, into the bank accounts of complicit accountholders who had provided access to their bank accounts for the scheme. Aranzamendi obtained stolen official USPS arrow keys, which Aranzamendi used to access mail and steal checks directly from USPS boxes. Aranzamendi and his conspirators then targeted the accounts associated with the checks he stole and created false identifications in the names of the accountholders, which he and his conspirators used to make fraudulent withdrawals from those accounts. The scheme resulted in losses to victims of at least $240,213.

This conviction is Aranzamendi’s fifth conviction arising out of similar schemes.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; and special agents with the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office. He also thanked the Teaneck Police Department under Chief Andrew R. McGurr.

The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel for Aranzamendi: Ikram Ally, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – SEA BOX, Inc., a corporation specializing in the design, modification, and manufacturing of shipping containers headquartered in Cinnaminson, New Jersey, has entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that it violated the Cargo Preference Act and its contracts with the Department of War by using foreign-flagged vessels to transport shipping containers manufactured for the Department of the Army, Department of the Air Force, and Defense Logistics Agency, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

According to the contentions of the United States contained in the settlement agreement, since approximately 1904, any supplies bought for any Department of War agency may only be transported by sea in a vessel of the United States.  This requirement is found both in the Cargo Preference Act and in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations, and it is incorporated into defense contracts. The requirements protect American shipping and ensure that the United States has a merchant marine capable of commercial and military use.

Between late 2017 and late 2021, SEA BOX was awarded approximately 35 contracts to provide shipping containers consistent with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards for the Department of the Army and Department of the Air Force, primarily through the Defense Logistics Agency. Notwithstanding the legal prohibitions on doing so, SEA BOX arranged to have these containers delivered on less expensive, foreign-flagged vessels.  In so doing, SEA BOX not only deprived U.S.-flagged shipping of revenue, but it also reduced the cost of its own bids, undercutting competition that followed the statutory and contractual requirements.  When confronted by military authorities about the issue, SEA BOX presented inaccurate, misleading information about its actions.  SEA BOX has agreed to settle claims under the civil False Claims Act for a payment of $2.6 million, plus interest, over a three-year schedule.

“Protecting American business is a critical part of the mission of the Department of Justice and of the United States military. We support American shipping through contracting and enforcement, and this Office will prosecute any entity that takes from American business in order to win contracts with the United States government.”

- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello

“Ensuring companies follow statutory and contractual requirements is an important part of protecting the Department of Defense procurement process,” said Christopher M. Silvestro, Special Agent in Charge, DCIS Northeast Field Office, the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General.  “DCIS will continue to work with the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners to pursue those companies that try to corrupt and compromise the integrity of the system.”

“This settlement sends a clear message: AFOSI will not tolerate those who prioritize profit over the integrity of the federal procurement process,” said Special Agent in Charge William W. Richards of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI). “We, alongside our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, will work tirelessly to combat fraud threatening the Department of the Air Force.”

Senior Counsel Lamparello credits special agents of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of the Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the Department of the Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations, and members of the Defense Contract Audit Agency, Defense Logistics Agency, and U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul W. Kaufman of the Healthcare Fraud and Opioid Enforcement Unit. 

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

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Counsel for SEA BOX: John Brownlee and John McAdams, Holland & Knight, Washington, D.C.

NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey-based couple originally from Colombia admitted yesterday to illegally operating unlicensed money transmitting businesses, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Nicholas Ortega Munoz, 23, a Colombian national formerly of Hackensack, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court yesterday to an Information charging him with conspiring to, and operating, an unlicensed money transmitting business. Isabella Valderrama Ospina, 23, a resident of Hackensack, New Jersey, also pleaded guilty before Judge Wigenton to a separate Information charging her with operating and aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Ortega Munoz, Valderrama Ospina, and others used a novel scheme to secretly move money from the United States to Colombia using two fake companies: BLK Graphics Group and Technology SD.  The sham companies were built to serve as cash pipelines to move tens of millions of dollars to Latin America and avoid law enforcement detection.  At no point were BLK or Technology SD ever appropriately registered as a money transmitting business, as FinCEN required them to be.

To carry out the scheme, BLK and Technology SD used a rotating stable of bank accounts at multiple financial institutions to funnel money deposited from pornographic websites and other entities to Latin America. For example, one website allowed online consumers to send “tokens” to pay adult performers for online performances. As part of the scheme, those “tokens” were then withdrawn from the websites and deposited into BLK and Technology SD bank accounts. Ortega Munoz, Valderrama Ospina, and others, then quickly directed the transfer of those funds to shell companies in Colombia. Between April 2021 and June 2025, BLK and Technology SD moved over $62 million in proceeds to accounts in Colombia.

The charges of conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and operating and aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business each carry a statutory maximum prison sentence of five years and a statutory maximum fine of the greatest of $250,000, twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain that any persons derived from the offense, or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary loss sustained by any victims of the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing for Mr. Ortega Munoz is scheduled for June 23, 2026.  Sentencing for Ms. Valderrama Ospina is scheduled for June 25, 2026.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy and investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud & Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Ileana Montes, Esq. (Nicholas Ortega Munoz); Tyler Newman, Esq. (Isabella Valderrama Ospina).

NEWARK, NJ - An Essex County, New Jersey man was sentenced yesterday to over 11 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release for multiple firearms offenses, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Kaiyir Green, 23, of Newark, New Jersey, previously pled guilty in July 2025 before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner in Trenton federal court to a four-count indictment charging him with two counts of possession of a firearm and/or ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of illegal possession of a machine gun, and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm.

According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in Court:

On March 1, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to a report of a stolen vehicle and saw Green trying to get into the stolen vehicle.  When law enforcement approached, Green ran away.  Law enforcement ran after Green, eventually apprehending him and recovering from him a ghost gun loaded with five rounds of ammunition.  After Green was arrested, Green obstructed justice by making several phone calls from a recorded line at the detention center in which he directed another person to go to his home and remove “everything” including a “black bag.” Law enforcement later saw someone remove a black bag from Green’s home.  Law enforcement searched the bag and found a firearm that had been modified with a switch rendering the firearm into a fully automatic machine gun, loaded with one round of 9mm ammunition in a large capacity magazine. Law enforcement also found a 50-round capacity drum magazine.  Further investigation revealed that Green was involved in trafficking dozens of firearms, including AR-style pistols, machine guns and multiple firearms with extended or drum magazines, from out of state into New Jersey where he then sold them to third parties.

Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello credited law enforcement members with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas Kalogiros; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Lieutenant Colonel David Sierotowicz, and Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Chief Giacomo Sacca, with the investigation leading to the charges.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel for Green: Claressa Lowe, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County accountant and tax preparer on February 17,2026 admitted to running a Ponzi and bank fraud scheme that bilked victims out of more than $10 million dollars and a related bank fraud scheme, among other crimes, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Evangelos Drosos, 51, of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with three counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of failure to file an individual income tax return.

“For years, Evangelos Drosos abused the confidence his clients placed in him, operating a Ponzi scheme that funneled millions of their hard-earned dollars into his own lifestyle instead of legitimate investments. When investor funds ran dry, he escalated his conduct with additional fraud to keep the scheme going.  This guilty plea holds him accountable and sends a clear message: those who run Ponzi schemes and exploit the faith of investors for personal gain will be identified, prosecuted, and brought to justice.”   

- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello

“Mr. Drosos created a complex fraud scheme that turned trusting investors into devasted victims,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office.  “IRS-CI will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who betray the public’s trust and hold them accountable.”

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From 2013 through June 2025, Drosos used various businesses that he controlled to run a Ponzi scheme to falsely represent to his clients and other victim investors that he would manage their money through various investment strategies.  In reality, Drosos did not invest his clients’ money and, instead, co-mingled those funds with his other accounts, and used the funds either to repay other investors  or pay his personal expenses, including vacations, a luxury vehicle, and real estate. In order to hide the scheme , Drosos provided his victim investors with false account statements.  Drosos caused his victims to send him more than approximately $10 million, resulting in aggregate losses of more than approximately $3 million to victims.

In June 2024, the Ponzi scheme fell apart, and Drosos no longer had sufficient investor deposits to repay other investors.  To cover his tracks,  Drosos engaged in a check-kiting scheme in which he cut checks that exceeded the funds in his bank accounts, then deposited and quickly withdrew funds from other bank accounts before the bogus checks bounced.   Using this scheme, Drosos fraudulently obtained nearly $500,000 from the victim banks.

Drosos also admitted that he failed to file an individual income tax return for tax year 2023.

The counts of wire fraud each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest. The count of bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest.  The count of failure to file a tax return carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Sentencing is scheduled for June 23, 2026.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark; Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Mid Atlantic Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Carpenter; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to this guilty plea. He also thanked the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Mark Musella; and the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Daniel M. Perez, for their assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert L. Toll and George L. Brandley (Unit Chief) of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud & Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel:  Maximillian Novel, Esq.

NEWARK, NJ – Edward Low, a/k/a “a Mang Wah Low,” a/k/a “Eddie Low”, a former New York-based employee of TD Bank, N.A. and another financial institution, pleaded guilty today to accepting bribes to provide confidential customer information of TD Bank customers and to falsifying bank records to open a bank account at another financial institution, which helped co-conspirators commit more than $500,000 of fraud.

Low, 31, pleaded guilty today before the Honorable Esther Salas in Newark to a two-count Information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and making false bank entries or reports. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14, 2026.

“This defendant chose to sell his access to the banking system from the inside.  By accepting bribes at two separate financial institutions, he betrayed the trust placed in him and enabled outside fraudsters to exploit customer accounts and falsify bank records for personal gain. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to root out corruption within our financial institutions and hold accountable those—whether insiders or outsiders—who undermine the integrity of our banking system.”

- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello

According to court filings and statements made in court, from January 2021 through May 2021, Low, of Flushing, New York accepted bribes and leveraged his position to obtain confidential TD Bank customer information.  He then passed the information to outside co-conspirators, who used it to take over accounts and steal money from customers. Low also processed some of the illicit transactions for co-conspirators. In total, Low received at least $26,700 in bribes and facilitated $484,572.16 of fraud.

Then, from May 2022 through August 2022, Low was an employee at another financial institution. In exchange for a bribe, Low falsified bank records to help a co-conspirator open an account in the name of a shell company. Co-conspirators then used that account to commit at least $47,195 of fraud.

The charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense or lost by a victim of the offense, whichever is greater. The charge of making false bank entries carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense or lost by a victim of the offense, whichever is greater.

IRS-CI and FDIC-OIG investigated the case. The department also thanks the Morristown Police Department for their assistance with the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case.

The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

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Defense counsel: Michael P. Koribanics, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – The founder and executive chairman of a now-defunct beverage company was sentenced yesterday for lying to solicit investments, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Todd O’Gara, 46, of Austin, Texas and Reno, Nevada previously pled guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court. Judge Chesler sentenced O’Gara to serve 51 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

O’Gara, who founded and managed a beverage company, Wanu Water, Inc., raised over $6.6 million dollars from individual victim investors. O’Gara repeatedly lied to solicit those investments and to encourage investors to maintain their investments. Among other things, O’Gara lied about the size of purchase orders from retailers and about major investments from private equity firms. As part of this fraudulent scheme, O’Gara sent investors fake documents including doctored emails and forged term sheets.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Roddy, Newark Field Division, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Webman, Deputy Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: John Yauch and Shaiba Rather, Newark, New Jersey

NEWARK, N.J. – A former teacher admitted to possessing child pornography, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced today.

Matthew Ozol, 40, of Jersey City, New Jersey pleaded guilty before Judge Evelyn Padin to an Information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In August 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ozol’s home.  Ozol’s text messages showed that since 2022, Ozol had sent and received messages on encrypted applications expressing a desire to sexually abuse children, including in a chat group titled “Baby Rapist.”  Law enforcement found more than 100 images and 75 videos on Ozol’s electronic devices depicting child pornography, including many involving sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.

The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been scheduled for August 2026.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

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

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division.

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Defense Counsel:

Eric R. Breslin, Esq., Florham Park, New Jersey

Sarah Fehn Stewart, Esq., Florham Park, New Jersey

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, N.J., man with a felony criminal record has been convicted by a federal jury for carrying two loaded semi-automatic pistols, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Ken Anderson, 33, of Newark, was convicted of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition following a trial that began on February 3 before United States District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court.  Sentencing is scheduled for June 23, 2026.

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:

Detectives with the Essex County Sheriff’s Office responded to a tip from a confidential informant in the early evening of July 22, 2025, about a man with a firearm in the area of the Wynona Lipman Gardens housing development located in Newark’s Central Ward.  Detectives located Anderson sitting in a vehicle, double-parked within the housing development.  When the detectives approached with their sirens and lights, Anderson fled.  He drove recklessly through the housing development, reached a dead-end street, and rolled out of his moving vehicle.  Before the vehicle crashed into a handicapped sign, he grabbed a backpack, and ran away through the housing development.  He jumped over fences, then ran across Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and onto Interstate 280, where officers arrested him.  Detectives found two loaded firearms from the backpack and a bullet from one of Anderson’s pant pockets.

The charge of being a felon in possession carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello credited the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Roddy, and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Amir D. Jones, with the investigation.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit, and Assistant United States Attorney Sean Nadel of the International Narcotics and Trafficking Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Tyler Newman, Esq. and Mallory Olwig, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, man was sentenced today to 180 months’ imprisonment for having a minor victim create and send him sexually explicit images and videos, and sending the victim obscene images of himself, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Francisco Andres-Medina, 35, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to two counts of an indictment charging him with receipt of child pornography and transfer of obscene material to a minor.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In March and April 2020, Medina communicated over the internet with a 15-year-old victim located in Camden County, New Jersey. After learning the victim was 15, Medina sent her obscene photographs. Medina also had the victim produce videos and images of her engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Medina then caused the victim to send him the sexually explicit images and videos. Medina also directed the victim to send him a video of the victim having sex with another individual.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, and the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crimes and Special Victims Units, under the direction of Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay, with the investigation leading to today’s sentence.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Bender and Josephine Park of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.

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Defense counsel: Ikram Ally, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender

TRENTON, N.J. – An Airman with the United States Air Force pled guilty to receiving child pornography on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced today.

Christian Keilberg, 34, of Ocean County, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Georgette Castner today, in Trenton federal court, to an information charging him with receipt of child pornography. Sentencing is scheduled for June 18, 2026.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From November 2020 through November 2022, while Keilberg was an enlisted active-duty Airman with the United States Department of the Air Force living and working on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Keilberg used online chat applications and social media to communicate with minor victims located within and outside of New Jersey. Keilberg exchanged sexually explicit messages with the minor victims and asked them to send him images and videos of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which they did. A search of Keilberg’s electronic devices found in his on-base housing revealed additional videos and images of child pornography. Keilberg received more than 600 images of child pornography, including depictions of minors between twelve and fifteen years old.

The charge of receipt of child pornography is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the United States Department of the Air Force, Office of Special Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Rebecca B. Bates, with the investigation. He also credited the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance.

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

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

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Defense counsel: Andrea Aldana, Esq., Trenton, New Jersey

TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County man was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment for traveling to Norway to engage in sexual conduct with a 14-year-old victim, Senior Counsel Philip W. Lamparello announced today.

Jacob Bauer, 29, of Toms River, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court on September 9, 2025, to a one-count Information charging him with engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place. U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From December 1, 2023 through December 10, 2023, Bauer, then 27 years old, traveled from the United States to Norway to engage in sexual activity with a 14-year-old female in a hotel. After returning to the United States, Bauer communicated with the victim and bragged to others about his sexual activities, all while acknowledging the victim’s age and status as a minor. After learning of Bauer’s sexual activity, members of an online community that Bauer was active in “doxxed” him by publishing his information online.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Kirsch sentenced Bauer to 10 years of supervised release following Bauer’s term of imprisonment and ordered forfeiture of Bauer’s property used to commit the offense. Bauer is also subject to registration under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited the special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the sentence. He also thanked the New Brunswick Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Vincent Sabo, the Manchester Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Antonio Ellis, the FBI Legal Attaché Office, U.S. Embassy, Copenhagen, Denmark, the FBI Legal Attaché Office, U.S. Embassy, Warsaw, Poland, the Jackson County, Georgia Sheriff's Office, INTERPOL, the Norwegian Politiet, Troms District, the Norwegian Politiet, NC3 KRIPOS, and the Poland Policja CBZC, Central Cybercrime Bureau for their assistance.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.

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Defense counsel: Andrea G. Aldana, Esq., Federal Public Defenders.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Chicago man was sentenced to 151 months in prison and five years of supervised release for engaging in a wire and commodities fraud scheme that caused losses of more than $4 million to over a dozen victims, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Philip Galles, 59, of Chicago, Illinois, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with wire and commodities fraud. Judge Salas imposed the sentence on February 5, 2026. At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, Judge Salas remanded Galles to the custody of the U.S. Marshal to begin serving his sentence. Galles was also ordered to pay more than $4 million in restitution to victims of the scheme.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Galles, a former commodities trader, defrauded his victims by falsely claiming that he would invest their money in commodity futures through his purported investment company, Tyche Asset Management, based in Chicago, Illinois. As part of the scheme, Galles and those working for him falsely told prospective investors that Tyche had a history of success using proprietary trading strategies, with extraordinary annual rates of return exceeding 100%.

But in reality, Galles made virtually no legitimate investments in commodity futures or otherwise. Galles instead ran Tyche like a Ponzi scheme and used investor money to pay back other investors and to pay his own personal expenses—including high-end clothing, rent on a luxury apartment, and luxury automobiles.

During the investigation, Galles met with an undercover agent in New Jersey purporting to be an investment manager looking to make a large investment. Galles repeatedly lied during those meetings about Tyche and his personal history. Galles falsely claimed that Tyche had annual returns of 336%, raised over $2 billion within 60 days of starting the fund, and had prominent investors, including a Kuwaiti sovereign fund and a well-known owner of a professional sports team. Galles also falsely claimed that he graduated from a prominent university in the Midwest. 

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the United States Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Maltese in Newark, and the inspectors of the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, with the investigation. He also thanked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the National Futures Association for their role in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Silane, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit, and Andrew Kogan of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Michael Koribanics, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey woman was charged by indictment with five counts of wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining tens of thousands of dollars in unemployment funds while working for the United States Postal Service, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Samantha Jenkins, 45, of North Plainfield, New Jersey, had her arraignment yesterday in Trenton before United States Magistrate Judge Justin T. Quinn.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, for more than a year Jenkins filed weekly certifications with the New Jersey Department of Labor in which she claimed she was not working, and was therefore eligible to receive unemployment benefits.  But in reality, Jenkins worked for the USPS as a window/mail clerk.  As a result, Jenkins received tens of thousands of dollars in employment benefits she was not entitled to.

During the relevant period, Jenkins’s salary from the USPS and her unemployment benefits were deposited into one of her bank accounts.  For 13 months, Jenkins used that bank account to receive both her salary from the USPS and unemployment benefits from the NJDOL.  Oftentimes, deposits from both entities were made just days apart from one another.

Each charge of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.  Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; special agents with the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modofferi; and special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel:  Saverio Viggiano, Esq., Newark, New Jersey

NEWARK, N.J. B A Vernon, New Jersey company will pay $2.4 million to resolve allegations that it overbilled the United States Postal Service on facilities management contracts, Senior Counsel Phillip Lamparello announced today.

The settlement resolves allegations that from August 1, 2020 through August 12, 2025, Phillips-Glenwood Construction, Inc. made false claims in conjunction with its contract for construction and facilities maintenance of USPS facilities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.  More specifically, Phillips-Glenwood allegedly submitted to the USPS false and altered documentation inflating its labor hours and materials purchases in its requests for payment for work performed.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Colleen Ehlich, for the investigation of the allegations against Phillips-Glenwood.   

The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark C. Orlowski of the U.S. Attorney’s Health Care Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.

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Defense Counsel for Phillips-Glenwood is Dennis J. Francis, Esq., Little Ferry, New Jersey.   

NEWARK – A former Florida-based employee of TD Bank, N.A., Leonardo Ayala (“Ayala”), pleaded guilty today to accepting bribes in return for facilitating a money laundering network’s movement of over $5.5 million to Colombia through TD Bank accounts.

Ayala, 25, pleaded guilty today before the Honorable Esther Salas in Newark to a two-count Information charging him with conspiring to launder monetary instruments and for receipt of bribes by a bank employee. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11.

According to court filings and statements made in court, from June 2023 to November 2023, Ayala, 25, of Homestead, Florida, then a TD Bank employee in Doral, Florida, accepted bribes and leveraged his position to facilitate a money laundering network’s expatriation of over $5.5 million from the United States to Colombia. Ayala, who bragged about being “tapped in with them Venezuelans,” opened fraudulent bank accounts, issued debit cards, unblocked debit cards that TD Bank had restricted due to questionable activity, and provided other banking services to his co-conspirators. In particular, Ayala issued over 150 debit cards to six business accounts that had been opened by a different TD Bank employee in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Those debit cards were then used to make over 10,000 ATM withdrawals throughout Colombia, totaling approximately $4,723,114.64. Ayala’s co-conspirators paid him over $6,000 in exchange for these services, typically either in cash or through a peer-to-peer digital payment network.

The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense, whichever is greater. The charge of receipt of bribes by a bank employee carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or three times the amount involved in the offense, whichever is greater.

The DEA, IRS-CI, and FDIC-OIG investigated the case. The department also thanks the Morristown Police Department for their assistance with the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case.

The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

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Defense counsel: Peter Katz, Esq.

A Florida man pleaded guilty Wednesday to accepting bribes and facilitating the laundering of more than $5.5 million to Colombia while employed by TD Bank, N.A.

According to court filings, Leonardo Ayala, 25, of Homestead, Florida, accepted bribes and exploited his position as a bank employee to help launder drug money to Colombia. From June to Nov. 2023, Ayala opened fraudulent accounts, issued over 150 debit cards to shell companies, and unblocked debit cards that TD Bank had restricted due to questionable activity. The bank accounts and debit cards were then used to make more than 12,000 ATM withdrawals in Colombia, funneling approximately $5.5 million out of the United States. In exchange, Ayala received more than $6,000 in bribes paid in cash and through a peer-to-peer digital payment network. 

Ayala pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging him with conspiring to launder monetary instruments and receipt of bribes by a bank employee. The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The charge of receipt of bribes by a bank employee carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Ayala’s sentencing has been set for June 11. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey made the announcement.

The DEA, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and FDIC-OIG are investigating the case. The department also thanks the Morristown Police Department for their assistance with the investigation.

Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering and Recovery Unit for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.

The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County man was sentenced to 78 months in prison for receiving and possessing child pornography, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Jack Wilder, 27, of Somerville, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jamel K. Semper in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.  Judge Semper imposed the sentence on January 27, 2026.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In July 2024, when Wilder was a teacher at a school in Plainfield, New Jersey, law enforcement searched Wilder’s cell phone and found child pornography.  Then, in May 2025, when law enforcement arrested Wilder, they found additional child pornography that Wilder received on a second cell phone.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited the work of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, with the investigation leading up to this sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the Criminal Division in Newark.

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 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

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Defense counsel:         Michael Baldassare, Esq.

                                          Jeff Hawriluk, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – Yesterday, a Pennsylvania man admitted possessing images of child sexual abuse, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Edwin Isaacson IV, 53, of Matamoras, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty yesterday before Chief Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an Information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, on April 23, 2025, Isaacson was found at Newark Liberty International Airport after arriving on an inbound international flight in possession of at least 28 videos of prepubescent minors engaged in sexual conduct.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.  Sentencing is scheduled for June 9, 2026.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

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Defense counsel:  David Jay Glassman, Esq., Marlton, New Jersey

NEWARK, N.J. – A Florida man was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment for his role as one of the leaders and organizers of large scheme to defraud a national cellular provider that spanned multiple states, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Defendant Arrantes Garrincha Green, a/k/a “Don Gucci,” a/k/a “Gucci,” 47, of Margate, Florida had previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with his role in the scheme. U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton imposed the sentence on January 28, 2026, in Newark federal court. Seven other defendants have previously been sentenced in connection with the same scheme. Six more have also pleaded guilty in the case and are awaiting sentencing.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From June 2015 through June 2017, the defendants and others, led by Green, conspired to steal electronic equipment, including new smartphones, from a national cellular service provider. Members of the conspiracy used stolen personal identifiers, including stolen Social Security numbers, as well as stolen debit and credit card information to place orders with the victim company. Green alone was responsible for placing fraudulent orders for over $200,000 in stolen equipment. Green and others then transmitted anticipated delivery dates and locations of the fraudulently-ordered products to other conspirators who were employed as drivers with a major parcel delivery company. These drivers were paid to divert the products mid-delivery to other members of the conspiracy. Proceeds generated through the scheme were shared by wire transfer or depositing the funds in designated bank accounts. The scheme compromised the identities of hundreds of residents in multiple municipalities across multiple states, including Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, and caused losses in excess of $1.5 million to the victim company.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Green to three years of supervised release.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Upper Saddle River Police Department, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, the NYPD, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, the West Hartford Police Department and the Connecticut State’s Attorney’s Office, Hartford Judicial District, for their assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sammi Malek, Peter Laserna, and Michael Hardin of the Criminal Division in Newark.

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Defense counsel: John McMahon, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man pled guilty today to a three-count Information for his online enticement and exploitation of minors, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Abdur-Razzaaq Henderson, 29, of East Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Katharine S. Hayden, in Newark federal court, to an Information charging him with two counts of producing child pornography and one count of possessing prepubescent child pornography.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In April 2023 and July 2023, respectively, Henderson texted with two different minor victims located outside of New Jersey.  On both occasions, at Henderson’s request, the minor victims created and texted him videos of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Additionally, Henderson engaged the second minor victim in a conversation about sexually assaulting a younger sibling.

On March 5, 2024, law enforcement found Henderson with a cell phone that contained multiple videos depicting child pornography in the “Hidden” folder among his photos.

In his plea agreement, Henderson also accepted responsibility for enticing seven additional minor victims to produce sexually explicit material.

The production of child pornography charges are each punishable by a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The prepubescent child pornography possession charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli Jacobs of the Criminal Division in Newark.

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 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

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Defense counsel: John Yauch, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Jersey City man admitted to engaging in a conspiracy to burglarize logistics warehouses and transport the stolen goods, Senior Counsel Philip W. Lamparello announced.

Derek Spivey, 37, of Jersey City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to transport stolen goods.  Spivey also pleaded guilty to violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Spivey conspired with Jamil Bethea, Jamal Reid, Rasheed Sharpe, and others to burglarize trailers at logistics warehouses in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, transport the goods stolen from those warehouses, and sell the stolen goods to others.  As part of the conspiracy, burglars stole $50,000 of Department of Defense laptops from a Pennsylvania warehouse in January 2025; $200,000 of high-end perfume from a Pennsylvania warehouse in March 2025; and $20,000 of liquor from a New Jersey warehouse in March 2025.  Spivey and his co-conspirators then transported stolen goods into and through New Jersey for the purpose of selling them.

The count of conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest.  Sentencing is scheduled for June 1, 2026.

Bethea, Reid, and Sharpe previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy and are scheduled to be sentenced later this year.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to this plea.  He also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Philadelphia Field Division with its assistance in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.

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Defense counsel: Thomas Young, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender 

NEWARK/TRENTON/CAMDEN, N.J. – A federal jury found the former Mayor of Willingboro Township and another individual guilty yesterday of mortgage fraud in connection with a fraudulent short sale of real estate, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Nathaniel Anderson, 59, a town councilman and the former Mayor of Willingboro in Burlington County, New Jersey, and his business associate Chrisone D. Anderson, 58, of Sicklerville, New Jersey, were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, one count of bank fraud, and two counts of making a false statement on a mortgage application.

The jury deliberated for approximately two-and-one-half hours before returning verdicts following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court.  A federal grand jury indicted both defendants on August 22, 2024.

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:

From March 2015 through June 2017, Nathaniel Anderson and Chrisone D. Anderson conspired to orchestrate a fraudulent short sale of a property in Willingboro from Nathaniel Anderson to Chrisone D. Anderson.

As part of the conspiracy to defraud a government-sponsored enterprise to discharge a mortgage obligation on Nathaniel Anderson’s property in Willingboro and to induce a mortgage lending business to issue a new mortgage on the property, Chrisone D. Anderson executed mortgage documents containing materially false representations. These misrepresentations included that the short sale was an arm’s length transaction, that Chrisone D. Anderson did not have a prior business relationship with Nathaniel Anderson, that Nathaniel Anderson would not continue to occupy the property as his residence following the short sale, and that Chrisone D. Anderson would occupy the property as her primary residence.

As a result of the fraudulent short sale, the government-sponsored enterprise discharged Nathaniel Anderson’s mortgage obligation, causing a total loss of over $200,000, and the victim lender issued a new mortgage on the property.

The charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, bank fraud, and making false statements on a loan application are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for June 1, 2026 before Judge Kirsch.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; and special agents of the Northeast Region of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McFarlane of the Special Prosecutions Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Trombly, Chief of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Troy Archie, Esq. (Chrisone D. Anderson)

                            Andrea Aldana and Adalgiza Nunez (Nathaniel Anderson)

NEWARK, N.J. – A couple who purportedly owned two New Jersey businesses were indicted on charges that they fraudulently obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Sabrina Mitlo, 41, and Joseph Mitlo, 40, both formerly of Piscataway, New Jersey, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.  They made their initial appearances on January 20, before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court and were released on $100,000 unsecured bond.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From May 2020 through July 2020, Sabrina and Joseph Mitlo engaged in a scheme to illegally obtain over $715,000 in PPP loans on behalf of businesses located in New Jersey that they purportedly owned but which had no employees or payroll.  To do so, the Mitlos submitted fraudulent loan applications falsely representing that their businesses had employees and payroll obligations, which included falsified tax documents purporting to show that the businesses had paid wages in prior years.  Once the PPP loans were issued into the business bank accounts, in order to obtain the loan proceeds while keeping the scheme a secret, the Mitlos arranged for a payroll service to issue payroll checks to purported employees of the businesses that did not, in fact, work for the businesses.  Once the Mitlos obtained those payroll checks, Sabrina Mitlo personally cashed them at a check cashing facility and kept the proceeds.

The count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited with the investigation special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; and special agents and attorneys of the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Eastern Regional Office in New York.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud & Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.

The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County woman admitted to embezzling more than $544,000 from a residential facility located in Maywood, New Jersey where she was employed, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Elaine Benanti, 69, of Garfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo, on January 20, 2026, to embezzling, stealing, and obtaining by fraud more than $544,000 of funds belonging to and under the care, custody and control of the Maywood Senior Citizens Housing Corporation (MSCHC) which operated Lydecker Manor, in Maywood, New Jersey, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A).

According to the documents filed in this case and statements by the defendant in open court: 

From in or about January 2017 through in or about December 2021, Benanti served as the Managing Director of Lydecker Manor, a residential facility with approximately 136 units that provided housing for individuals over 62 or with disabilities.  Benanti’s responsibilities included supervising Lydecker employees, providing information to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which provided significant funding for Lydecker Manor, and paying Lydecker Manor’s bills.  Benanti also issued salary and bonus checks to herself and at least four other Lydecker employees in amounts set by Lydecker Manor’s Board of Trustees. 

Benanti admitted that she issued salary checks that significantly exceeded the amounts the Board approved on an annual basis, including checks to herself and four other employees.  For example, Benanti admitted that, in 2021, she issued salary payments to herself exceeding her approved annual salary of $132,613.00 by more than $40,000.00, and that she inflated her approved bonus for the prior year by more than $2,500.00. She also admitted that she issued salary, bonus, and retirement account checks that exceeded the Board’s approved amounts for four other employees from 2017 through 2021.  She further admitted to issuing a supplemental insurance payment to a relative who was not employed by Lydecker Manor.

In total, Benanti admitted to embezzling approximately $544,289.95 from Lydecker Manor via these various means.  As part of her plea agreement with the Government, Benanti agreed to forfeit this amount.   

The embezzlement charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.  Sentencing is scheduled for June 23, 2026.

Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello credited special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of special agent in charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark as well as special agents with the Office of Inspector General with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Northeast Region, under the direction of special agent in charge Shawn Rice.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McCarren of the Office’s Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Anthony J. Iacullo, Esq., Roseland

NEWARK, N.J. – A Hunterdon County, New Jersey man made his initial appearance on January 23, 2026 following his arrest on charges of wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a scheme involving liquor licenses, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Sameh Aboelata, 50, of Raritan Township, New Jersey, was charged in a four-count criminal complaint with one count of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering.  Aboelata had his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in Court:

As alleged, between 2016 and 2023, Aboelata obtained more than $17 million from a victim investor by claiming he would use the victim’s money to acquire and maintain liquor licenses.  In reality, Aboelata used the money to line his own pockets, including for casino-related transactions, transfers or checks to family members or associates, rental payments for Aboelata’s restaurant, and transfers to other related bank accounts.  Financial records show that only several thousand dollars of the $17 million was actually used to acquire and maintain liquor licenses.    

The charge of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain that anyone derived from the offense or of any pecuniary loss sustained by any victims of the offense, whichever is greatest. Each charge of money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the amount of criminally derived property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater.

Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello credited agents of the IRS Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, with the investigation leading to the charges.  He also thanks the USPIS Newark Division, Homeland Security Investigations Newark, and Raritan Township Police Department for their assistance with the investigation.

The Government is represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachelle M. Navarro and Mark Pesce of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel: Rahul Sharma, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark

NEWARK – A former New Jersey-based employee of TD Bank, N.A., Oscar Marcel Nunez-Flores (“Nunez”), pleaded guilty today to accepting bribes in return for facilitating a money laundering network’s movement of over $26 million to Colombia through TD Bank accounts.

Nunez, 34, of North Plainfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before the Honorable Esther Salas to a two-count Information charging him with conspiring to launder monetary instruments and for receipt of bribes by a bank employee. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27.

“This case shows how complex money laundering schemes often depend on insiders who are willing to bend—or break—basic safeguards. Our office will continue to identify, investigate, and prosecute those who turn financial institutions into vehicles for large-scale criminal activity.”

- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello

“Mr. Nunez afforded his co-conspirators unfettered access to TD Bank, while lining his own pockets in the process, and has been held to account, as will be others who abuse the financial system,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva. “The Criminal Division is committed to protecting the security of our financial system and the Bank Integrity Unit is at the vanguard of that critical mission.”

According to court filings and statements in court, beginning in March 2021 and continuing until his arrest in October 2023, Nunez, then a TD Bank employee in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, accepted bribes and leveraged his position to facilitate a money laundering network’s expatriation of over $26 million from the United States to Colombia. Through the course of his scheme, Nunez opened dozens of accounts in the names shell companies with nominee owners. Nunez knew that the purported owners were not actually controlling the accounts and, in fact, often opened the accounts without any customer present whatsoever. The accounts Nunez opened in furtherance of the scheme were collectively issued over 600 debit cards, primarily by Nunez himself. These debit cards were then used to make over 120,000 withdrawals at ATMs throughout Colombia.

Nunez also participated in the conspiracy in other ways. For example, after issuing debit cards to a fraudulent account, he shipped them directly to a co-conspirator in Colombia. Additionally, Nunez registered shell companies in New Jersey and then opened accounts in their names at TD Bank in furtherance of the money laundering scheme. Nunez opened these accounts in exchange for a fee ranging from approximately $500 to $2,500, which was typically paid either in cash or through a peer-to-peer digital payment network.

The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense, whichever is greater. The charge of receipt of bribes by a bank employee carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or three times the amount involved in the offense, whichever is greater.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) investigated the case. The Department also thanks the Morristown Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington for their assistance with the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case.

The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

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Defense counsel: Peter Katz, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Paterson, New Jersey, doctor was sentenced to a term of 87 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute opioids without a legitimate medical reason, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

“Physicians are entrusted with extraordinary power over the lives and health of their patients. When a physician abandons that duty and instead fuels opioid addiction for profit, the damage ripples far beyond a single exam room and into entire communities. This sentence reflects the seriousness of that breach of trust and sends a clear message: medical licenses are not shields for criminal conduct, and doctors who help drive the opioid epidemic will be held accountable.”

- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello

Lisa Ferraro, 67, of Hillsdale, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to one count of knowingly and intentionally conspiring and agreeing with others, to distribute oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From January 2019 to September 23, 2023, Ferraro, who practiced internal medicine in Paterson until her arrest in October 2023, participated in a conspiracy to prescribe oxycodone, an opioid pain medication, to individuals who posed as patients, but whom Ferraro never physically examined or questioned about symptoms to determine whether there was a legitimate medical need for prescribing oxycodone. Over the course of the conspiracy, Ferraro wrote prescriptions for tens of thousands of 30mg oxycodone pills.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents and members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Webman, Deputy Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Linda George, Hackensack, NJ

NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County man was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment for his role as a member of a drug trafficking organization responsible for the importation and distribution of hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl analogues, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Defendant William Panzera, 53, of North Haledon, New Jersey was previously convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy and international promotional money laundering conspiracy by a jury in Newark, New Jersey. U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. Eight other defendants have previously pleaded guilty in the case and are awaiting sentencing.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From approximately January 2014 through September 2020, William Panzera and other members of the drug trafficking organization agreed to import and distribute various controlled substances and controlled substance analogues, including fentanyl analogues, MDMA, methylone, and ketamine. Members of the conspiracy placed orders with a source in China and agreed to distribute, and did distribute, the controlled substances and analogues in New Jersey, both in bulk and in the form of counterfeit pharmaceutical pills that actually contained fentanyl analogues. In total, they imported over a metric ton of fentanyl related substances and other drugs into the United States. They also sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to China using wire transfers and Bitcoin to pay for the drugs.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Panzera to 5 years of supervised release.

Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello of the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement. Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) – Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection in New Jersey, New York, and Kentucky, HSI in Philadelphia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Newark Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Newark Police Department, and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Hasapidis-Sferra of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Stephen Sola, Chief of the Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. Financial Investigator Kathryn Montemorra of the MLARS Special Financial Investigations Unit supported the investigation. The case is being prosecuted jointly by the United States Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey and the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) of the United States Department of Justice.

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Defense counsel: Jeffrey G. Garrigan, Esq.

TRENTON, N.J. – Today, a Middlesex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 15 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for receiving and possessing images and videos depicting child pornography, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Jeremy Greenwald, 47, of South Amboy, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court to a two-count information charging him with receipt and possession of child pornography.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From May 2022 through February 2023, Greenwald used an online chat application to communicate with a minor victim located outside of New Jersey. Greenwald persuaded the minor victim to create and send Greenwald images and videos of her engaging in sexually explicit conduct. On multiple occasions, Greenwald directed the minor victim to perform certain sexual acts using items Greenwald had purchased and sent the minor victim to use during the videos, including sex toys and costumes, and Greenwald paid the minor victim a nominal amount for these images and videos. A search of Greenwald’s electronic devices revealed additional videos and images of child pornography, including depictions of prepubescent children engaged in sexual acts.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, specifically those working on the FBI Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation.

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

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

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Defense counsel: Michael Chazen, Esq., Freehold, New Jersey

United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Dylan Michael Joseph Hoffman, 34, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced on January 7, 2026, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for escape from custody. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Hoffman to 18 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Hoffman’s release from prison, he will begin a three-year term of supervised release.

In August 2021, Hoffman was sentenced to serve 63 months’ imprisonment in the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa following his conviction for prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. In February 2025, while serving that custodial sentence, BOP transferred Hoffman to Dismas Charities Residential Reentry Center (Dismas) in Omaha, Nebraska. Dismas assigned Hoffman to home confinement at an area residence, but, after Hoffman was ordered to return to Dismas on May 4, 2025, he failed to do so. Hoffman was given multiple opportunities to return to Dismas as directed, but he failed to return and ultimately disabled his BOP electronic location monitoring system. Several days later, the United States Marshals Service was able to locate Hoffman in Council Bluffs and return him to custody.

This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.

NEWARK, N.J. – Four Amtrak employees admitted participating in a health care fraud scheme to defraud Amtrak, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Yesterday, Timothy Bogen, 60, of Hamden, Connecticut, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an Indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.  Between June 2025 and October 2025, Quinton Johnson, 54, of Irvington, New Jersey; Gregory Richardson, 36, of Roosevelt, New York; and Dion Jacob, 51, of Brooklyn, New York also pleaded guilty before Judge Arleo in Newark federal court to the same Indictment.

The Indictment also charged six other co-conspirators who previously pleaded guilty to the Indictment between January 2025 and May 2025: Kevin Frink, 54, of Willingboro, New Jersey; Michael Toal, 35, of Hazlet, New Jersey; David McBrien, 37, of Levittown, Pennsylvania; Damany Walker, 42, of Irvington, New Jersey; David Lonergan, 65, of Rockaway Park, New York; and Rodolfo Rivera, 42, of Clayton, Delaware.  McBrien, Walker, Frink, and Richardson have each been sentenced to two years’ federal probation, all others are pending sentencing.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From January 2019 through June 2022, Bogen, Johnson, Richardson, Jacob, and their co-conspirators—who were also Amtrak employees—engaged in a scheme to obtain cash kickbacks from health care providers in return for their agreement to allow their health insurance plan to be billed for services that were never provided and were not medically necessary. In total, as a result of the conspiracy, the Amtrak health care plan paid over $11 million in fraudulent claims associated with providers connected to the scheme.

Each defendant received thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks from health care providers in return for their participation in the scheme, including from Punson Figueroa, an acupuncturist, and Michael DeNicola, a podiatrist. Figueroa previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and was sentenced on September 24, 2024 to 34 months in prison. DeNicola previously pleaded guilty on June 29, 2022 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, among other offenses. His sentencing remains pending.

The health care fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Bogen’s sentencing is scheduled for June 25, 2026, Jacob’s sentencing is scheduled for February 18, 2026, and Johnson’s sentencing is scheduled for March 24, 2026.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Waters, the Amtrak Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Sam Dotson, and special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III in New York, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano, Chief of the General Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker, of the Health Care Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit.  

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Defense counsel:  Michael Rubas, Esq. (for Timothy Bogen)

                              John McMahon, Esq. (for Quinton Johnson)

                              Julian Wilsey, Esq. (for Dion Jacob)

                              Christopher Adams, Esq. (for Gregory Richardson)

A former New Jersey-based employee of TD Bank, N.A., Oscar Marcel Nunez-Flores (Nunez), pleaded guilty today to accepting bribes in return for facilitating a money laundering network’s movement of over $26 million to Colombia through TD Bank accounts.

“The defendant afforded his co-conspirators unfettered access to TD Bank, while lining his own pockets in the process,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Our financial professionals are vital gatekeepers against money laundering and other crimes in the financial services industry. The Criminal Division will hold banking professionals who abuse their positions to account to ensure the protection of our financial system.”

“This case shows how complex money laundering schemes often depend on insiders who are willing to bend — or break — basic safeguards,” said Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello.  “Our office will continue to identify, investigate, and prosecute those who turn financial institutions into vehicles for large-scale criminal activity.”

“Transnational criminal organizations exploit borders, geography, and communities but they cannot exploit our resolve,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Miranda of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Caribbean Field Division. “In the DEA Caribbean Field Division, we intercept threats before they reach American streets. This is not regional work. This is national security. Our agents, analysts, and partners stand on that front line every day with discipline, courage, and purpose.”

“By exploiting his position at TD Bank for his own gain, Mr. Nunez enabled the movement of millions of illicit dollars overseas,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Newark Field Office. “This case underscores the critical role IRS-CI and our law enforcement partners play in dismantling complex financial schemes that threaten the integrity of our banking system.” 

“The defendant in this case abused his position as an employee at TD Bank by accepting bribes in return for enabling a money laundering network’s movement of millions of dollars from the United States to Columbia,” said Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), New York Region. “The FDIC OIG, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate and hold accountable bank insiders who violate their positions of trust and commit financial crimes that threaten the safety and soundness of our Nation’s banks.”

According to court filings, beginning in March 2021 and until his arrest in October 2023, Nunez, 34, of Plainfield, New Jersey, then a TD Bank employee in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, accepted bribes and leveraged his position to facilitate a money laundering network’s expatriation of over $26 million from the United States to Colombia. Nunez opened dozens of accounts in the names of shell companies and often opened the accounts without any purported customer present. The accounts Nunez opened for laundering received over 600 debit cards, which Nunez largely issued himself. These debit cards were used to make over 120,000 withdrawals at ATMs throughout Colombia. Nunez also shipped debit cards directly to a co-conspirator in Colombia. He also registered shell companies in New Jersey and then opened accounts in their names at TD Bank in exchange for a fee ranging from approximately $500 to $2,500, which was typically paid either in cash or through a peer-to-peer digital payment network.

Nunez pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging him with conspiring to launder monetary instruments and for receipt of bribes by a bank employee. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27.

The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense, whichever is greater. The charge of receipt of bribes by a bank employee carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or three times the amount involved in the offense, whichever is greater.

The DEA, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and FDIC-OIG investigated the case. The department also thanks the Morristown Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington for their assistance with the investigation.

Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.

The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

A New Jersey man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison following his conviction for drug trafficking conspiracy and international promotional money laundering conspiracy.

According to court documents and statements made in court, William Panzera, 53, of North Haledon, was a member of a drug trafficking organization responsible for the importation and distribution of hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl analogues. Panzera and other members of the conspiracy agreed to import and distribute controlled substances and analogues, including fentanyl analogues, MDMA, methylone and ketamine. The co-conspirators placed orders with a source in China and agreed to distribute, and did distribute, the controlled substances and analogues in New Jersey, both in bulk and in the form of counterfeit pharmaceutical pills that actually contained fentanyl analogues. In total, they imported over a metric ton of fentanyl-related substances and other drugs into the United States. They also sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to China using wire transfers and Bitcoin to pay for the drugs.

Panzera was convicted at trial in January 2025. Eight other defendants have previously pleaded guilty in related cases.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey made the announcement.

The Newark Field Division of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led the investigation, with assistance from HSI in Philadelphia, the FBI Newark Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Newark Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection in New Jersey, New York and Kentucky, the Newark Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief Stephen Sola of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Hasapidis-Sferra for the District of New Jersey. Financial Investigator Kathryn Montemorra of MNF supported the investigation.

NEWARK, N.J. –  On January 13 and January 14, 2026, the last two defendants in the Stephen Crane Village drug trafficking case – the enforcer who murdered one of their own and the main drug supplier – were sentenced to 540- and 211-months’ imprisonment, respectively, for their roles in the organization, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

In January 2025, following a three-week trial before U.S. District Court Judge Julien X. Neals in Newark federal court, Michael Mayse, 39, and Gary Shahid, 67, both of Newark, were convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy and related drug and firearms offenses.  Mayse was also convicted of murder in relation to the drug trafficking conspiracy.

“These sentences hold accountable two senior members of a violent drug trafficking organization that ruled Stephen Crane Village through fear, violence, and murder. They deliver justice for the family of a young man whose life was senselessly taken and underscore this Office’s commitment to attacking violent crime wherever it exists.  We will continue to protect the people of New Jersey by aggressively pursuing violent criminals and removing them from our streets.”

- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial:

Stephen Crane Village is a public housing complex near Branch Brook Park, on the border of Newark, New Jersey and Belleville, New Jersey. Stephen Crane Village was the site of an open-air drug market controlled by a violent drug trafficking organization (DTO) from at least February 2019 through February 2020.

Through numerous controlled drug purchases, recorded telephone calls and text messages, physical surveillance, electronic surveillance, and analysis of telephone call detail records, law enforcement determined that the members of the DTO conspired to distribute narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base, at Stephen Crane Village.

The DTO used a stash apartment to package and store drugs for distribution. The DTO sold significant quantities of drugs to confidential sources and an undercover agent. In the early morning of December 15, 2019, Mayse entered the DTO’s stash apartment and murdered a 21-year-old member of the DTO over a drug debt.

On January 13, 2026, the Court sentenced Shahid to 151 months’ imprisonment for the drug trafficking conspiracy and drug trafficking offenses, to run concurrent to 60 months for his possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon, and consecutive to an additional 60 months’ imprisonment for his possession of a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking, for a cumulative sentence of 211 months in prison.

On January 14, 2026, the Court sentenced Mayse to 480 months’ imprisonment for the drug trafficking conspiracy and the murder, to run concurrent to 240 months for his distribution and possession with intent to distribute drugs, to run concurrent to 120 months for his possession of two firearms as a previously convicted felon, and consecutive to an additional 60 months’ imprisonment for his possession of another firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking, for a cumulative sentence of 540 months in prison.

Co-defendants Jose Lora, Dayquan Jordan, Ricky Terrell, Charles Mells, Raquan Rawls, Nasir Williams, Quadir Hatcher, Tyree Purkett, James Wicker, and Dayana Valderrama – all members or associates of the DTO – all previously pleaded guilty in federal court to crimes related to their respective roles.

Special Counsel Lamparello credited special agents and task force officers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr.; special agents and task force officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and Chief Mitchell G. McGuire; the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Director Emanuel Miranda; and the Belleville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Minichini.  He also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance with this case.

The investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, the DHS/HSI, the USMS, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the Criminal Division in Trenton and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Goldberg, Chief of the Narcotics and International Trafficking Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel:

Thomas Ambrosio, Esq., for Gary Shahid

Joel Silberman, Esq., and Keith Oliver, Esq., for Michael Mayse

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Texas man was sentenced on January 15, 2026, to five years in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in a romance fraud scam in which he received money from elderly victims, including from New Jersey, and then transferred the money abroad, primarily to Ghana, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced. The man’s romantic partner was sentenced on January 7, 2026, to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release for her role in the scheme as an unlicensed money transmitter in accepting and transmitting some of the funds for profit.

Felix Clark, a/k/a “Joseph Moore,” a/k/a “Stanley Smith,” 37, of Royse City, Texas, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release by Hon. Renée Marie Bumb, Chief, U.S. District Judge, in federal court in Camden. Clark previously pleaded guilty on May 6, 2025, to a two-count Information, charging conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with the romance fraud scam. At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Bumb remanded Clark to the custody of the U.S. Marshal to begin serving his sentence.

On January 7, Chief Judge Bumb sentenced Clark’s romantic partner, Esther Amppiaw, 34, of Royse City, Texas, to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release. On May 23, 2025, Amppiaw pleaded guilty to a one-count Information charging her with operating an unlicensed money transmitter business. Amppiaw will report to serve her sentence on a later date.                     

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From at least as early as October 2021 through September 2022, while a resident of Delray Beach, Florida, Clark conspired and agreed to receive the proceeds of fraud perpetrated by a co-conspirator in Ghana and transfer proceeds overseas. During the conspiracy, one or more of Clark’s co-conspirators went onto online dating sites and, using fake names, pretended to be romantically interested in elderly victims, including stating that they wanted to marry them. Many of the victims had recently lost their spouses.

The co-conspirators used electronic messages and emails to con victims into sending money—for instance, claiming that there was a large amount of gold in Ghana, but in order to get it, the victim had to pay taxes, fees, or other sums. The co-conspirators directed victims to send money to Clark and others acting at his direction, including Amppiaw. Clark used fake names, including “Joseph Moore” and “Stanley Smith”—as well as financial accounts in those fake names—to transfer the victims’ funds.

During his guilty plea hearing, Clark admitted responsibility for $501,071 in victim losses. He also admitted that after law enforcement executed a search warrant at his home, he attempted to obstruct justice by arranging for a falsified death certificate and funeral notice to be submitted to the United States, falsely claiming the death of a family member in order to obtain a passport that had been lawfully seized and to which he was not legally entitled.

Amppiaw admitted that she operated an unlicensed money transmitting business from January 2022 through June 2023, while a resident of Delray Beach, Florida. Amppiaw also admitted that she knowingly received checks, money orders, and electronic payments totaling $317,290 from individuals she did not know, and that she knowingly transmitted most of the funds to other individuals, including at least one recipient in New Jersey and also to recipients overseas, including Ghana. During that time, Amppiaw lied in four separate conversations with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (in her interview for U.S. citizenship), federal law enforcement, and her bank about the nature and amounts of her financial transaction activity.

Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello credited agents of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, with the investigation leading to the sentencings.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa T. Wiygul of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.

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Defense Counsel:

Felix Clark: Jeremy McLymont, Esq., Miami, Florida

Esther Amppiaw: James Maguire, Esq., AFPD, Camden, New Jersey

NEWARK, NJ – A Delaware corporation with a place of business in Fairfield, New Jersey entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by applying for and receiving a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for which the company was not eligible, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

According to the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement:

Protech Powder Coatings, Inc. (“Protech Powder”) is a Delaware corporation with a place of business in Fairfield, New Jersey. Protech Powder is a subsidiary of the Protech Group, a Canadian company that manufactures and distributes paints, powder coatings, and specialty materials. During the period of March 12, 2021 to January 14, 2022, Protech Powder applied for and received PPP loan and loan forgiveness totaling $2,016,888 (including interest).

The United States contends that Protech Powder falsely certified eligibility to receive this second-draw PPP loan and loan forgiveness totaling $2,016,888 (including interest). The United States contends that Protech Powder knowingly made false statements, or caused false statements to be made, when it certified in its PPP loan application that it was eligible for a loan. At the time of its loan application, the United States contends that Protech Powder was not eligible to participate in the PPP because, inclusive of affiliates’ employees, Protech Powder exceeded applicable size standards. In addition, because of Protech Powder’s false statements on its loan application, the United States paid $60,000 in lender processing fees associated with the second-draw loan for which Protech Powder was ineligible.

In accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement, Protech Powder paid the United States $2,907,643. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. In this matter, the relator is receiving $290,764 as the share in the recovery.

Congress created the PPP in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the PPP, eligible businesses could receive forgivable loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Regulations provide various eligibility requirements for the PPP, including limitations on the number of employees and revenue size limits. In their loan applications, borrowers were required to certify that they were eligible for the PPP and that the information they provided was accurate.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited the SBA’s Office of General Counsel for their assistance in this matter.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan J. Pappy of the Health Care Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark represents the government.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

The qui tam case is captioned US ex rel. GNGH2, Inc. v Protech Powder Coatings, Inc., 24-cv-08805 (D.N.J.).

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

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Counsel for Protech Powder Coatings, Inc.: Mark A. Rush, K&L Gates LLP

Relator’s counsel: David Abrams, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – Four pharmacies located in West New York, Bayonne, Union City, and Jersey City have agreed to pay $4,325,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing federal health care programs for medications never dispensed, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced today.

According to the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreements, inventory records showed that the below pharmacies did not purchase enough medications from wholesalers to fill the prescriptions billed to the federal health care programs.

• Pan American Inc. agreed to pay $3,100,000 to resolve allegations that from January 2, 2015 through January 25, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs  Pan American never dispensed to beneficiaries.
• St. Mina and St. Moses Pharmacy d/b/a Well Care Pharmacy agreed to pay $490,000 to resolve allegations that from May 31, 2016 through March 1, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program for drugs the pharmacies never dispensed to beneficiaries.
• Farmacia Latina Corp. agreed to pay $375,000 to resolve allegations that from January 2, 2015 through January 24, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program for drugs Farmacia Latina never dispensed to beneficiaries.
• Perfect Care Pharmacy LLC agreed to pay $360,000 to resolve allegations that from January 2, 2015 through January 25, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program for drugs Perfect Care never dispensed to beneficiaries.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kruti Dharia and Robert Toll of the Health Care Fraud & Opioids Enforcement Unit.

The government’s pursuit of these matters 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).

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

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NEWARK, N.J. – A Jordanian man who was residing in the Republic of Georgia admitted his role as an “access broker” who sold unauthorized access to computer networks of at least 50 victim companies, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Feras Khalil Ahmad Albashiti, a/k/a “r1z,” a/k/a “Feras Bashiti,” and a/k/a “Firas Bashiti, 40, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court today to an information charging Albashiti with fraud and related activity in connection with access credentials.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In May 2023, law enforcement officers were investigating an online forum where malware and malicious code was being offered for sale. Albashiti controlled an online moniker named “r1z” and used it in the online forum.  On May 19, 2023, Albashiti sold to an undercover law enforcement officer unauthorized access to the networks of at least 50 victim companies in exchange for cryptocurrency.

The charge of fraud and related activity in connection with access devices carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross amount of gains or losses resulting from the offense. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs secured the July 2024 extradition from Georgia of Albashiti.  Sentencing is scheduled for May 11, 2026.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents and members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Deputy Chief of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

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Defense Counsel: Rahul Agarwal, Esq.

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 133 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and possessing a firearm, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Rasheed Amin, 47, of Voorhees, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On multiple occasions in 2024, Amin flew from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to various cities in the western United States to obtain cocaine for further distribution.  Amin then mailed parcels containing the cocaine to his Voorhees residence and other addresses in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York.  On October 29, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Amin’s Voorhees residence and recovered several kilograms of cocaine, as well as a loaded firearm.  Amin—a previously-convicted felon—admitted to possessing the cocaine and the firearm recovered from his residence.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited inspectors and task force officers of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.  He also credited the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gabriel Rodriguez, and the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Ostermueller, for their assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.

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Defense counsel: Ikram Ally, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender.

TRENTON, N.J. – A Mexican national admitted to distribution of controlled substances and illegal firearm possession, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced today.

Hector Riano-Corcuera, 33, a citizen and national of Mexico and most recently of East Brunswick, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi to a two-count Information charging him with distribution of controlled substances and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Riano-Corcuera had been previously charged by complaint with these offenses on June 27, 2025.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On or about June 26, 2025, law enforcement officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Riano-Corcuera after he sold approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine to another individual. Prior to the arrest, Riano-Corcuera fled on foot from the officers before being caught. Once apprehended, officers recovered a loaded Sig Sauer 9mm firearm from a bag that Riano-Corcuera had been wearing. Law enforcement then executed a search of Riano-Corcuera’s residence, where they recovered additional quantities of cocaine, two semiautomatic rifles, three handguns, and a variety of firearm ammunition.

The cocaine distribution charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10 million. The unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for May 13, 2026.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda Thorne-James in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. He also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge­­­­ Stefanie Roddy in Newark, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark, IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Linda Estremera, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Bradley D. Billhimer, the Asbury Park Police Department, under the direction of Deputy Chief of Police Guy Thompson, the East Brunswick Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Frank LoSacco, the Lakewood Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Gregory H. Meyer, the Manchester Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Antonio Ellis, the Middletown Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police R. Craig Weber, the Neptune Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Anthony Gualario, the Ocean Gate Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Kuchta, and the Spotswood Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Philip Corbisiero, for their assistance in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

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Defense counsel: Andrea Aldana, Esq., Federal Public Defenders.

TRENTON, N.J. – A Hunterdon County man was arraigned after being indicted on a charge of possessing videos and images of child sexual abuse, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

David Tuytjens, 70, of Tewksbury Township, New Jersey, was charged in a one-count Indictment with possession of child pornography. Yesterday, he was arraigned before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court and entered a plea of not guilty. Tuytjens was initially charged by complaint on the same offense in April 2025.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In December 2024, officers from the New Jersey State Parole Board visited Tuytjens’ residence and discovered various electronic devices, including a 64 gigabyte MicroSD storage card inside of a laptop. Officers conducted their visit because Tuytjens is prohibited from possessing, among other things, Internet-capable devices as an individual under Community Supervision for Life due to a prior State conviction for aggravated sexual assault. An examination of the storage card contents revealed at least 800 images and 30 video files containing child sexual abuse materials (“CSAM”). A review of the CSAM has revealed images depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, images portraying sadistic or masochistic conduct, and sexual abuse or exploitation of an infant or toddler.

Due to Tuytjens’ prior convictions, including a federal conviction for possession of child pornography, the charge of possession of child pornography carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. The charge also carries with it a maximum $250,000 fine.

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in the Newark Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, the New Jersey State Parole Board, under the direction of Chairman Samuel J. Plumeri, Jr., and the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson, with the investigation leading to the indictment.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

The charge contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel: Carlos Diaz-Cobo, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – Three men were charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud connected to theft of mail from collection boxes and postal vehicles across Northern New Jersey, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced today.

Jeffrey Bennett, a/k/a “Bizz,” a/k/a “Riley Smith,” 31, of Irvington and Rahway, New Jersey, Aquil Hubbard, 31, of Middlesex and Newark, New Jersey, and Tashon Ragan, a/k/a “Ta,” 26, of Union, New Jersey, were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.  Bennett, Hubbard, and Ragan made their initial appearances in court before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court.  They were detained pending further proceedings.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:

From December 2024 to December 2025, Bennett, Hubbard, and Ragan conspired to steal mail and packages from United States Postal Service mail collection boxes and postal vehicles.  The conspirators sought checks, financial instruments, and other items of value from the mail.  The conspirators altered checks and attempted to deposit them at various financial institutions in New Jersey, and they used social media to recruit account holders at various financial institutions to further the goals of the conspiracy.  Investigators connected Bennett, Hubbard, and Ragan to a series of smash-and-grab burglaries of United States Postal Service vehicles across Northern New Jersey.  In those incidents, members of the conspiracy either smashed windows of postal vehicles or opened unlocked vehicle doors and stole trays of mail, often in broad daylight while postal workers were out delivering mail.

The charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000 or twice the gross gain to the defendant or loss to a person other than the defendant, whichever is greater.

Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello credited postal inspectors of the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to the charges.  He also thanked postal inspectors of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, and agents and investigators from the United States Secret Service, Newark Field Office, as well as law enforcement officers from the Bernards Police Department, Belleville Police Department, Chatham Borough Police Department, Clifton Police Department, East Hanover Police Department, Maplewood Police Department, Middlesex Police Department, Metuchen Police Department, Nutley Police Department, Parsippany Police Department, Rahway Police Department, Roseland Police Department, and Union Police Department.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael K. O’Leary of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel for Bennett: Laura Sayler, Esq. Assistant Federal Public Defender

Defense counsel for Hubbard: Perry Primavera, Esq.

Defense counsel for Ragan: Adam Elewa, Esq.

NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury returned separate Indictments charging two Bergen County men with illegally voting in a federal election and making false statements while applying for United States citizenship, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

According to the Indictments, which were returned on December 22, 2025, both Muhammad Muzammal, 37, and Muhammad Shakeel, 62, were non-citizens at the time they registered to vote in New Jersey. However, on their registration forms, both men falsely certified and attested that they were United States citizens. After their applications to register were approved, each of the men, still without United States citizenship, cast ballots in the in the November 2020 general election, which included the election for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States. In order to register to vote and vote in federal elections, a person must be a United States citizen.

The Indictments also allege that after they illegally voted in a federal election, Muhammad Muzammal and Muhammad Shakeel each applied to become United States citizens by submitting applications for naturalization (an “N-400”).  An N-400 requires the applicant to swear under penalty of perjury that the information they provide in their application is complete, true, and correct.  In their respective N-400s, both men falsely claimed that they had never registered to vote or voted in any Federal, state, or local elections.

After they submitted their N-400s, both men were interviewed by an Immigration Services Officer who placed them under oath and questioned them about the answers that the men provided in their respective N-400s.  During those interviews, both Muhammad Muzammal and Muhammad Shakeel again falsely asserted that they had never voted in any Federal, state, or local elections.

Muhammad Shakeel, will make his initial appearance before a Magistrate in federal District Court in Trenton on January 21, 2026, and his case has been assigned to District Judge Georgette Castner. Muhammad Muzammal, whose case has been assigned to District Judge Karen M. Williams, will make his initial appearance in federal District Court in Camden on a date to be determined.

If convicted, the defendants face the following maximum sentences:

Count

Offense

Maximum Penalties

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy; and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, under the direction of District Director John Thompson, with the investigations.

This case was brought under the United States Attorney’s Office’s Election Integrity Task Force, a coalition of federal law enforcement partners focused on preserving and protecting the integrity of elections conducted in the District of New Jersey.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McCarren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division.

The charges and allegations contained in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.                                                  

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Defense counsel:

Rizwan M. Khalid, Esq., (for Muhammad Muzammal and Muhammad Shakeel)

CAMDEN — A New Jersey man was sentenced yesterday to 14 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for promoting child sexual abuse material on the dark web.

According to court documents, between Oct. 18, 2020, and Jan. 20, 2023, Declan Golden, 39, of Middletown Township, New Jersey, accessed and engaged with a website on the Tor network known to encourage its users to post and trade child sexual abuse material. While on this website, Golden created numerous posts related to voyeurism and the sexual exploitation of children while encouraging other users to share images with him. Golden also posted links for users to access images of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct and statements about using a spycam on girls in the shower and on the toilet. A search of his devices revealed many videos and image files of child sexual abuse material, including depictions of prepubescent children engaged in sexual acts. In an interview with law enforcement, Golden admitted to viewing child sexual abuse material beginning in 2014.

Golden pleaded guilty in May 2025 to the charge of promoting material containing child pornography involving a prepubescent minor in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello for the Criminal and Special Prosecutions Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy of the FBI Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit (CEOU). The Department also thanks the Middletown Police Department for its assistance with the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Fell for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Anglica Carrasco of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case.

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

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A New Jersey man was sentenced yesterday to 14 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for promoting child sexual abuse material on the dark web.

According to court documents, between Oct. 18, 2020, and Jan. 20, 2023, Declan Golden, 39, of Middletown Township, New Jersey, accessed and engaged with a website on the Tor network known to encourage its users to post and trade child sexual abuse material. While on this website, Golden created numerous posts related to voyeurism and the sexual exploitation of children while encouraging other users to share images with him. Golden also posted links for users to access images of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct and statements about using a spycam on girls in the shower and on the toilet. A search of his devices revealed many videos and image files of child sexual abuse material, including depictions of prepubescent children engaged in sexual acts. In an interview with law enforcement, Golden admitted to viewing child sexual abuse material beginning in 2014.

Golden pleaded guilty in May 2025 to the charge of promoting material containing child pornography involving a prepubescent minor in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello for the Criminal and Special Prosecutions Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, and Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy of the FBI Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit (CEOU). The Department also thanks the Middletown Police Department for its assistance with the investigation.

Trial Attorney Anglica Carrasco of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Fell for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.

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

NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey doctor was charged in a 58-count indictment with distributing opioids without a legitimate medical purpose, maintaining a drug-involved premises, and defrauding New Jersey Medicaid by billing for visits that never happened, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced today.

Ritesh Kalra, 52, of Secaucus, New Jersey, was previously charged by criminal complaint in July 2025, and now stands charged by indictment with additional offenses, including 36 counts of distributing opioids outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, and 21 counts of health care fraud. Kalra appeared for an arraignment and initial appearance on the indictment today before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal.

“The additional charges against Dr. Kalra demonstrate that our Office will continue to pursue justice for victims of the opioid epidemic in New Jersey by prosecuting doctors who, as alleged, use their positions of trust to fuel addiction and exploit vulnerable patients. Physicians who defraud New Jersey’s Medicaid Program for their own personal gain will be held accountable.”

- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello

“Doctors know the devastation opioid addiction can wreak when left unchecked. Allegedly, Dr. Kalra used his position of power for financial gain, fabricating fake appointments, and in some cases, demanding sexual favors in return for prescriptions. The FBI and its partners work tirelessly against such abuses of power, to ensure the abuser is no longer able to victimize patients. This indictment serves as a warning to others that a prescription pad is not a license to destroy lives,” stated FBI-Newark Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:

Dr. Kalra, an internist in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, allegedly operated a pill mill out of his medical office, where he routinely prescribed high-dose opioids—including oxycodone and promethazine with codeine—to patients without a legitimate medical purpose.  Between January 2019 and February 2025, Kalra issued more than 31,000 prescriptions for oxycodone, including days when he wrote upwards of 50 prescriptions.  Several of Kalra’s former employees reported that female patients complained that Kalra touched them sexually and demanded sexual favors of them in exchange for opioids. One patient described being sexually assaulted by Kalra on multiple occasions, including forced anal sex during clinical appointments.  Another patient continued to receive opioid prescriptions from Kalra when the patient was incarcerated at Essex County Correctional Facility and had no contact with Dr. Kalra.

Kalra also allegedly billed for in-person office visits that never occurred.  As part of the health care fraud scheme, Kalra’s electronic medical records allegedly contained false progress notes listing fabricated dates of service, and included examination notes that were generally identical from visit to visit and did not record vital signs.

Each of the 36 distribution counts carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The charge of maintaining a drug-involved premises carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.  Each of the 21 health care fraud counts is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross profit or loss caused by the offense, whichever is greatest.

Individuals who believe they may be victims of Dr. Kalra or have information about this case may contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or by email at [email protected].

Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello credited the following law enforcement organizations with the investigation leading to today’s charges: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda Thorne-James; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly; the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General Division of Criminal Justice; and the Fair Lawn Police Department.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano, Chief of the General Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker of the Health Care Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel:  Michael Baldassare, Esq., and Jennifer Mara, Esq.