District of New Jersey
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Florida Man Admits Role in $4.8 Million Health Care Fraud and Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Florida man today admitted his role in a health care fraud and kickback scheme that caused more than $4.8 million in losses to Medicare, United States Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Charles P. Kasbee, Jr., 48, of Palm Beach Shores, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark to an Information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From February 2019 to September 2019, Kasbee and his co-conspirators participated in a scheme to submit claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary cancer genetic screening (CGX) tests that were procured through a web of bribes and kickbacks. Kasbee utilized the services of marketing call centers, which employed deceptive telemarketing techniques to obtain Medicare beneficiaries’ personal and medical information. Then, Kasbee and others arranged for CGX testing kits to be sent to the identified beneficiaries. Once the CGX test kits were completed by the beneficiaries, the kits were shipped to a testing laboratory, which submitted claims for reimbursement to Medicare. Kasbee received kickback payments exceeding $1,200 for each CGX test resulting in Medicare reimbursement.
To conceal the scheme, Kasbee entered into contracts with his co-conspirators that falsely labeled kickback and bribe payments as “expenses.” Then, Kasbee and his co-conspirators created false invoices that disguised the true reasons for the kickback and bribe payments. Instead, Kasbee received payments based solely on the number of CGX tests that Medicare reimbursed, in violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute.
As a result of the health care fraud and kickback scheme, Kasbee and his co-conspirators caused a loss to Medicare of more than $4.8 million.
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for November 19, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Silvestro; and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri with the investigation leading to the charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett J. Schuman of the Health Care Fraud and Opioid Enforcement Unit.
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Defense counsel: Joshua S. Lowther, Esq., Atlanta, GA
kasbee.information.pdfEssex County Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man pled guilty on July 15, 2025, to multiple firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Kaiyir Green, 22, of Newark, New Jersey, pled guilty 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 observed Green attempting to enter the stolen vehicle. When law enforcement approached, Green fled and led law enforcement on an extended foot chase. Law enforcement eventually apprehended Green and they recovered from him a privately manufactured firearm (commonly referred to as a “ghost gun”) loaded with five rounds of ammunition. After Green was arrested, he made several phone calls from a recorded line at the detention center in which he directed others to go to his home and remove “everything” including a “black bag.” Law enforcement later observed an individual remove a black bag from Green’s home. A search of that bag revealed a firearm that had been modified with a switch rendering the firearm fully automatic. The fully automatic firearm was also loaded with one round of 9mm ammunition in a large capacity magazine. Law enforcement also recovered a 50-round capacity drum magazine.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited law enforcement members with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr.; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, and Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Chief Giacomo Sacca, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The charges of being a felon in possession of firearms and/or ammunition each carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of a firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of an unregistered firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.
Green’s sentencing is scheduled for November 25, 2025.
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.
green.indictment.pdfCamden County Man Admits Preparing False Tax Returns and Causing Tax Loss of More Than $16,000,000Read the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County tax preparer admitted to preparing false tax returns for his clients and causing more than $16,000,000 in tax losses, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today.
Michael Sigall, 55, of West Berlin, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to two counts of aiding or assisting the preparation of false tax returns.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2018 through 2024, Sigall operated an income tax return preparation business. During this period, he prepared and filed income tax returns for hundreds of clients that contained materially false statements relating to tax credits for residential energy improvements. As a result of these false and fictitious credits, Sigall’s clients received inflated refunds to which they would not have been entitled if Sigall had prepared accurate tax returns. The false tax returns prepared by Sigall caused a tax loss of more than $16,000,000.
Each count of aiding or assisting the preparation of false tax returns is punishable by a maximum of 3 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss or gain from the offense, whichever is greatest.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 2, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division.
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Defense counsel:
Rocco C. Cipparone, Jr., Haddon Heights, New Jersey
sigall.information.pdfCalifornia Man Indicted for Scheme to Defraud New Jersey Company of Millions of DollarsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A California man has been indicted for fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars from a victim company based in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Joseph Rodriguez, 70, of Irvine, California, is charged by indictment with three counts of wire fraud. Rodriguez was arrested yesterday and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Early in Santa Ana, California federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In January 2015, Rodriguez, through his company Old American Incorporated, entered into a factoring agreement with a New Jersey company (identified in the indictment as “Victim-1”) to obtain loans secured or collateralized by accounts receivable. Under the factoring agreement, in which a business sells its outstanding invoices to a third party for immediate cash, Old American retained control over customer relationships and debt collection and was required to pay back Victim-1 directly within 90 days.
From February 2023 through July 2023, Rodriguez submitted to Victim-1 fraudulent invoices for future accounts receivable that Rodriguez represented were owed to Old American. In fact, the customers listed in the invoices Rodriguez provided to Victim-1 did not owe any money to Old American for any outstanding invoices, and there were no accounts payable to turn over. Based on the fraudulent invoices, Victim-1 made millions of dollars of advance payments to Rodriguez, which he did not return.
Each of the wire fraud charges carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or loss to the victim, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Farhana C. Melo and Benjamin D. Bleiberg of the Economic Crimes 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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rodriguez.indictment.pdfNew York Man Admits Health Care Fraud Scheme for Submitting Falsified Prescriptions to Medicare and MedicaidRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man admitted his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid by submitting falsified prescriptions, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today.
Thomas Conzo, 49, of Staten Island, New York, pleaded guilty today, before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of health care fraud.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Defendant Thomas Conzo owned and operated Elite Pharmacy, a specialty pharmacy located in Linden, New Jersey. From August 2022 through March 2023, Conzo submitted hundreds of thousands of dollars of fraudulent claims for prescriptions to health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, on behalf of Elite Pharmacy. Conzo used the credentials of pharmacists who did not work at Elite Pharmacy or otherwise review, sign, or authorize those prescriptions.
The charge of health care fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross profit or loss caused by the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for December 4, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark; and special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney George Brandley of the Health Care Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Maria Noto, Esq.
conzo.information.pdfHudson County Man Indicted for Investment Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme Involving Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, NJ. – A New Jersey man was arraigned on wire fraud and money laundering charges for a scheme to defraud elderly and other victims by misappropriating funds that the victims were told would be invested on their behalf or otherwise used for their benefit, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Antonio Petrosino, a/k/a Anthony Petrosino, 60, of Union City, New Jersey, was arraigned on July 9, 2025, before Senior U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler. Petrosino was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 18, 2025, with five counts of wire fraud (Counts One through Five) and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity (Count Six). Petrosino was previously charged by complaint in January 2025 with one count of wire fraud and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From in or around January 2016 through in or around November 2024, Petrosino fraudulently induced the victims to transfer investment funds, mortgage payments, and other money to Petrosino. As part of the scheme to defraud, Petrosino held himself out to be a financial services professional to his victims and falsely led them to believe that he would invest the victims’ money in brokerage accounts and other investment products or otherwise use it for their benefit. To perpetuate his fraud, Petrosino provided one elderly victim with falsified investment statements that purported to show that she had hundreds of thousands of dollars deposited in various investment accounts in her name. Petrosino also made various statements to victims assuring them that their money had been invested or used as promised.
In reality, Petrosino failed to invest the victims’ funds or otherwise use victim monies for the victims’ benefit as promised. Instead, Petrosino misappropriated the money to pay for his personal expenses, including gambling, credit card payments, and rent on his luxury apartment unit. When confronted by victims about the status of the money they sent to Petrosino, Petrosino provided the victims and their family members false reassurances about the status of the victims’ funds to cover up his fraud. In total, Petrosino stole more than approximately $1 million from the victims.
The wire fraud charges each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The money laundering charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. All counts carry a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross amount of gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; special agents of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System - Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker; and the Wyckoff Police Department, under the direction of Chief David V. Murphy, with the investigation leading to Petrosino’s indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kozar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes 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 Thomas, Esq.
petrosino.indictment.pdfNew Jersey Real Estate Investor and Online Influencer Charged with Committing Multi-Million Dollar Investment Fraud Scheme, Laundering Drug Proceeds, and Bribing a New Jersey PoliticianRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a New Jersey real estate investor and influencer with committing a multi-million-dollar Ponzi-like investment fraud scheme, conspiring to launder drug proceeds, laundering money represented to be drug proceeds as part of a sting operation, and bribing a New Jersey politician, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today.
Cesar Humberto Pina, a/k/a “Flipping NJ,” 47, of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, was charged by criminal indictment with two counts of wire fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, two counts of money laundering, and one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. Pina’s initial appearance and arraignment on the indictment have not yet been scheduled.
“Cesar Pina is alleged to have misappropriated millions of dollars of peoples’ hard-earned money, laundered money for narcotics traffickers, and bribed a politician in furtherance of real estate projects. This multi-year torrent of criminal activity hurt investors around the United States, facilitated the scourge of narcotics trafficking, and undermined confidence in our public officials. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to root out these types of illicit activities that threaten our communities.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“Today’s indictment against Cesar Pina is due to the diligent work of the DEA and our law enforcement partners, when targeting those individuals who place greed and profit over the welfare of others,” stated DEA New Jersey Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz. “Rather than utilize his social media presence for the betterment of society, Mr. Humberto Pina chose to use it to expand his criminal activities. His actions, along with his willingness to launder money from drugs proceeds, is no different than those individuals flooding our streets with illicit and diverted narcotics, exasperating an already addictive and deadly opioid crisis. The DEA will continue to hold these people accountable.”
“Leveraging his social media prominence, it is alleged Cesar Pina provided services for narcotics traffickers, bribed a government official, and defrauded unsuspecting investors out of millions of dollars, all for personal gain,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office. “Today’s indictment is a reminder of IRS-CI’s commit to work alongside with our law enforcement partners to ensure bad actors are held accountable.”
“Under the guise of being an entrepreneur with his clients’ best interests at heart, Cesar Pina allegedly defrauded dozens of investors of millions of dollars. His alleged actions didn't stop at fraud but involved bribery, money laundering, and conspiring to launder illicit funds from the sale of drugs. The FBI and its partners will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that these criminals are brought to justice,” Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy stated.
“Investment fraud is simply a crime of greed,” stated Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Newark Field Office of the Philadelphia Division. “In this case, Cesar Pina allegedly solicited dozens of individuals to provide him with millions of dollars to purchase and invest in residential properties. However, instead of sharing the profits, he defrauded his investors in a Ponzi scheme. Postal Inspectors will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to combat financial fraud and protect the American people.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Pina partnered with a celebrity disc jockey and radio personality to conduct real estate seminars around the country. Through these seminars, self-promotional efforts, and other marketing strategies, Pina developed a significant social media following. Starting in at least 2017, Pina began accepting investments from individual investors for the alleged purchase, remodel, and sale of specific real estate properties in New Jersey and other states. To induce investors, Pina often promised 30% or higher returns on investments within 4 to 5 months. But instead of using investors’ funds as promised, Pina commingled and misappropriated investors’ money, including by using new investor funds to pay off prior investors in a Ponzi-like scheme and spending investor funds on unauthorized business and personal expenditures. Thus far, the investigation has revealed that Pina defrauded dozens of investors of millions of dollars.
Pina also conspired to launder illicit funds, including from the sale of controlled substances, for various individuals he knew were engaged in criminal activities. Pina further laundered money that an individual acting at the direction of law enforcement represented was drug proceeds as part of a sting operation.
In addition, Pina bribed a local official of Paterson, New Jersey in connection with real estate-related projects in Paterson. For example, Pina provided cash and other bribes to the official in exchange for official action, assistance, and influence in connection with Pina’s “Old School 5” development project, which had pending applications before the Paterson Zoning Board of Adjustment.
The charges of wire fraud each carry a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain that any persons derived from the offense or of any pecuniary loss sustained by any victims of the offense, whichever is greatest.
The charges of money laundering conspiracy and money laundering each carry a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater.
The charge of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain that any persons derived from the offense or of any pecuniary loss sustained by any victims of the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney; special agents and task force officers of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; and special agents and task force officers of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the Franklin Lakes Police Department for its assistance in the investigation.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Silane and Aaron Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit; Edeli Rivera and Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division; and Marko Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery 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: Gerald Krovatin, Esq., Newark, NJ
pina.indictment.pdfDominican National Who Absconded from New Jersey is Extradited to Face Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A citizen of the Dominican Republic was extradited to the United States this week on charges relating to his participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Ezequiel Brito, a/k/a “Jose Luis Portorreal Cruz,” 40, is charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. He made his initial appearance on July 2, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On or about June 17, 2021, Brito conspired to distribute, and possessed with intent to distribute, heroin and more than 400 grams of fentanyl. Brito was first arrested and charged by complaint on June 17, 2021, and was released on a $100,000 unsecured appearance bond. In or around September 2022, Brito absconded from pre-trial supervision and fled to the Dominican Republic.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl each carry a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, a mandatory term of 10 years’ imprisonment, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents and task force officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, with the investigation that led to the charges. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in the Dominican Republic to secure the arrest and extradition of Brito.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about OCDETFs, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
This investigation is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s OCDETFs and Project Safe Neighborhood.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly M. Lyons of the OCDETF/Narcotics 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 Thomas, Esq., Newark, New Jersey
brito.indictment.pdfNew York Man Charged with Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man has been charged for engaging in a scheme to defraud multiple lenders by using the personally identifiable information of a Hudson County man to submit fraudulent loan applications to obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars of loans, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Humza Khan, 28, of New York, New York, is charged by complaint with one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Khan appeared on July 2, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacey D. Adams in Newark federal court and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Around December 2020, Khan submitted loan applications to secure a $150,000 accounts receivable finance loan on behalf of a Florida-based specialty pharmacy in which Khan had a financial interest. Khan used the personal information of an elderly individual who lived in Hudson County, New Jersey—including their name and social security number—in the loan application without permission, in order to conceal that Khan was receiving the loan proceeds. Based on those fraudulent misrepresentations, the victim lenders provided Khan with approximately $150,000.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The aggravated identity theft count carries an additional consecutive mandatory minimum term of two years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark; and special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney George Brandley of the Health Care Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.
The charge 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: Zach Intrater, Esq. and Daniela Manzi, Esq.
khan.complaint.pdfAnother Member of the Marion Gardens Street Gang Sentenced to Multiple Life Sentences without the Possibility of ParoleRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Five more members of the Marion Gardens street gang were sentenced by the Honorable Michael E. Farbiarz for their roles in the racketeering enterprise, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
On July 2, 2025, Roger Pickett, a/k/a “Zy G,” 24, was sentenced to four consecutive terms of life imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy and three counts of murder in aid of racketeering, each stemming from a separate gang-related murder. He was also sentenced to an additional consecutive sentence of 50 years’ imprisonment, consisting of 20 years’ imprisonment for Hobbs Act robbery, and three ten-year terms of imprisonment for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
Also on July 2, 2025, Javon Williams, a/k/a “J45,” 28, was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy and Keith Anderson, a/k/a “Beef3,” 23, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy.
On July 1, 2025, Quaseame Wilson, a/k/a “Qua Gz,” 28, was sentenced to 195 months’ imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy, Hobbs Act robbery, and aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. On June 26, 2025, Anthony Rogers, a/k/a “MG,” 25, was sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy.
Earlier in June, three other members of the Marion Gardens street gang were sentenced for their roles in the racketeering conspiracy. On June 17, 2025, Myron Williams, a/k/a “Money,” a/k/a “Tunchi,” 31, of Newark was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy and murder in aid of racketeering, plus 240 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and 120 months’ imprisonment for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, with all sentences to run consecutively. Also on June 17, 2025, Jawaad Davis, 23, of Jersey City, was sentenced to 170 months’ imprisonment for his role in the Marion Gardens street gang, which included orchestrating a robbery that resulted in murder. Additionally, on June 5, 2025, Khalil Kelley, a/k/a “Billski,” 26, of Jersey City, was sentenced, to life imprisonment, plus a consecutive ten-year term of imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy, for his role in the Marion Gardens street gang and a gang-related murder.
Three other individuals who previously pled guilty before trial are pending sentencing. Each defendant will be sentenced before Judge Farbiarz in Newark as follows:
Naim Richardson, a/k/a “Ninicks”July 16, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.Andre Alomar, a/k/a “Dre8”July 24, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.Herbert ThomasOctober 1, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Myron Williams, Khalil Kelley, Roger Pickett, Jawaad Davis, Anthony Rogers, Quaseame Wilson, Andre Alomar, Keith Anderson, Javon Williams, and Naim Richardson are all members and associates of the neighborhood street gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex. Since 2013, they and their fellow gang members have committed numerous acts of violence, including three separate murders, on March 29, 2021, Nov. 20, 2021, and Nov. 1, 2022.
On March 29, 2021, Kelley and other gang members lured a rival gang member outside by sending him Instagram messages pretending to be the victim’s fellow gang member. When the victim opened the door to his residence, Kelley and another gang member brandished firearms, and the victim was shot multiple times in the chest, killing him. Pickett and Myron Williams then picked up Kelley and other gang members after they abandoned the murder vehicle in Newark.
On Nov. 20, 2021, Myron Williams, Pickett, and Richardson lured a rival gang member outside by sending him Instagram messages pretending to be the second victim’s fellow gang member. Williams and another gang member shot the victim when he opened the door to his residence.
On Nov. 1, 2022, Davis facilitated the murder of the third victim by coordinating a narcotics transaction with the victim and the victim’s associate. When the victim and his associate arrived at the Marion Gardens Housing Complex to complete the narcotics transaction, they were robbed of their narcotics supply. During the robbery, Pickett and Wilson held the victim and his associate at gunpoint. After a struggle ensued, Pickett shot and killed the victim while his associate fled. Pickett then fled the Marion Gardens Housing Complex with Wilson.
For months, investigators observed and documented hundreds of narcotics transactions in and around the Marion Gardens Housing Complex. The investigation likewise revealed that Herbert Thomas was a primary supplier of narcotics to the Marion Gardens street gang.
When each defendant was arrested on March 17, 2023, law enforcement seized contraband at several different locations, including heroin, fentanyl, crack cocaine, narcotics packaging materials, ammunition, bulletproof vests, and a loaded handgun.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited investigators of the Gang Intelligence Unit and the Homicide Unit of the Major Case Division of Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez, and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr., and investigators of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, with the investigation leading to the convictions. She also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, and the U.S. Marshals, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos, for their assistance.
This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of 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 Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.
The government is represented by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Maloy and Javon Henry, of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.
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Defense counsel:
Roger Pickett – Brandon Minde, Esq.
Keith Anderson – Eric Jaso, Esq. and Francesca Simone, Esq.Javon Williams – Joseph Rubino, Esq.
Bergen County Woman Indicted for Destruction of Evidence in Connection with Federal Investigation of Her Husband’s Real Estate Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An indictment was issued for Bergen County woman for destruction of records after destroying a cell phone as federal law enforcement officers attempted to execute a warrant to seize and search that phone, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Jennifer Iturralde Pina, 43, of Franklin Lakes was charged by indictment with one count of destruction of records in a federal investigation. Iturralde had previously been charged by complaint and had made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court on November 12, 2024.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Iturralde’s husband, Cesar Humberto Pina, a/k/a “Flipping NJ” (“Pina”), had been charged in October 2023 with wire fraud in connection with an alleged real estate investment fraud scheme. Iturralde was aware of that investigation and knew that it was ongoing. In late February 2024, Iturralde asked a friend to confront a witness to ask that witness to stop cooperating with federal investigators. Days later, Iturralde attempted to give her cell phone to that same friend for safekeeping, but that friend was unable to take the cell phone from her. Then, on March 5, 2024, as federal investigators knocked on Iturralde’s door with a warrant to seize and search her cell phone, Iturralde destroyed and hid the cell phone.
The charge of destruction of records 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 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.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen; and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn Silane and Aaron Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark and Marko Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit.
Charges against Pina remain pending. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment against Iturralde and the complaint against Pina are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Brian Neary, Esq., Hackensack, NJ
pina.indictment.pdfTwenty-Four Defendants Charged with Narcotics and Firearms Offenses for their Roles in a Drug Trafficking Organization Controlled by the Bloods Street GangRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Twenty-four people have been charged for their respective roles in a drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine in the Bradley Court Housing Complex in Newark, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Today’s charges and arrests are the result of a 14-month investigation led by the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with the Newark Police Department.
Shamon Freshley, a/k/a “Hitta,” 26, Orlando Pizarro, a/k/a “Lando,” 26, Zakir Jefferson, a/k/a “Gu,” a/k/a “Tank,” 26, Quayyon Johnson, a/k/a “Weeze,” 22, Melvin Faines, a/k/a “Spaz,” 34, Afrika Islam, a/k/a “Sexx,” 29, Shaheem Webb, a/k/a “YC,” 23, Eustace Weeks, a/k/a “Juxx,” 26, Ali Baker, a/k/a “Surf,” 34, Jose Ward, a/k/a “Hec,” 22, Brandon Sneed, a/k/a “Pops,” 31, Eric Banks, a/k/a “Lil Maneskii,” 19, Tauheed Carney, a/k/a “Bmunn,” 21, Tykee Stokes, a/k/a “Big,” 32, Shafeek Barker, a/k/a “Sha,” 28, Ibn Perry, a/k/a “Loop,” 38, Alvin Jones, a/k/a “Lucky,” 41, Kirk Mansook, a/k/a “Crow,” 39, Tyjanique Green, a/k/a “Ski,” 24, Jubar Hughes, a/k/a “Dudu,” 27, Daisean Williams, a/k/a “Khaos,” 22, Jason Wardlaw, a/k/a “Jayr,” 30, and Rana James a/k/a “Pooh,” 28, all of Essex County, New Jersey, were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.
Sebastian Pierrecent, a/k/a “Sosa,” 21, Quayyan Johnson, and Tauheed Carney are also each charged with possession of a machinegun. In addition, Pierrecent is charged with possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.
The defendants arrested today are scheduled to make initial court appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacey D. Adams in Newark federal court this afternoon. Four defendants were already in custody on state charges, one defendant was already in federal custody, and 5 defendants remain at large.
“For far too long, the Bloods have overtaken the Bradley Court Housing Complex — turning its courtyards and residential buildings into a hub for pumping deadly fentanyl into the city of Newark, while endangering the lives of the citizens who call this community home. This poison has ripped families apart and stolen countless lives. That stops today. These arrests affirm my office’s commitment to taking guns and drugs off the streets, and serves as a clear warning to anyone who considers engaging in violent activity. The defendants in this case, as in all criminal cases, are presumed innocent unless, and until proven guilty. However, everyone should understand that if you spread this poison or engage in this violent activity, we will use every resource necessary to find you, dismantle your operation, and prosecute you. ”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
The defendants are members or associates of Sex, Money, Murder (“SMM”), a Blood-affiliated criminal street gang that controls the drug trade in and around the Bradley Court Housing Complex (“Bradley Court”), among other areas. The subset of Sex, Money, Murder that operates in and around Bradley Court—which is located in the area of North Munn Avenue and Tremont Avenue in Newark—is also known as Munn Block, M-Blok, and Tombstone Gang (the “Enterprise”). Munn Block is closely aligned with another Blood-affiliated gang known as Voorhees, which operates in the area of Voorhees Street in Newark. Members and associates of this alliance refer to the alliance as “MunnHees.”
Members and associates of the Enterprise are known to use social media on a variety of platforms and mobile applications, including Instagram, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp to conduct the business of the Enterprise, communicate with one another, promote the Enterprise through sharing photographs and videos, and further the Enterprise’s goals. Specifically, the Enterprise uses the release and promotion of drill rap songs and music videos on social media to intimidate rival gang members, witnesses, and other members of the community, and to promote the Enterprise.
For over a year, law enforcement conducted extensive surveillance of the area, conducted numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, seized narcotics through enforcement action, and analyzed telephone records, all of which demonstrated extensive interactions between and among the charged defendants.
Pierrecent, Johnson, and Carney, are also charged with possession of a machine gun that was used in the June 17, 2025 shooting in rival gang territory near Mapes Avenue in Newark.
The defendants charged in the drug conspiracy face a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Pierrecent, Johnson, and Carney each face up to 10 years in prison for possession of the machinegun. Pierrecent faces up to 15 years in prison for possession of firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of HSI New York Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel; HSI Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy and police officers and detectives of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, under the direction of Acting Port Director Leon Hayward, Port of New York/Newark; members of the United Marshals Service, under the direction of U.S. Marshal for the District of New Jersey Juan Mattos; special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; detectives of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II; police officers and detectives of the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis L. Bindi; detectives of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone; and detectives of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, for their assistance with the investigation.
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 Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals, 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.
This investigation 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 case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Goldberg and Javon Henry of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense Counsel:
Zakir Jefferson: John McMahon, Esq.
Melvin Faines: Stephen Natoli, Esq.
Ali Baker: Michael Gilberti, Esq.
Jose Ward: Eric Jaso, Esq.
Brandon Sneed: Brandon Minde, Esq.
Tykee Stokes: Shawn Barnes, Esq.
Shafeek Barker: Charles McKenna, Esq.
Ibn Perry: Scott Krasny, Esq.
Tyjanique Green: Bruce Levy, Esq.
Daisean Williams: Raquel Rivera, Esq.
Sicklerville Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Commit Tax FraudRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Sicklerville, New Jersey, man was sentenced yesterday to 40 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the IRS by working with others to conceal cash wages paid to employees, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Chung “Alex” Lam, 46, of Sicklerville, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to defraud the United States. Judge Kiel imposed the sentence in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In 2018, Lam pleaded guilty in federal court to failing to pay over to the IRS payroll taxes. He received an 18-month prison sentence, which he served during parts of 2019 and 2020. Prior to serving that sentence and upon his release from custody, Lam conspired with the owners of various temporary staffing companies to defraud the IRS. The temporary staffing companies provided temporary workers to businesses. As part of their agreements with their customer businesses, the temporary staffing companies were responsible for collecting and paying over to the IRS the payroll taxes due and owing on the wages paid to the temporary workers.
Lam received checks that were payments to the staffing companies for labor provided by their employees. Between the first quarter of 2018 and the second quarter of 2023, Lam used a commercial check casher to negotiate more than $4,000,000 of such checks. Lam kept a portion of the cash for personal use and caused the rest of the cash to be provided to co-conspirators to pay the temporary workers in cash. As a result, payroll taxes were not collected or paid to the IRS. Lam also filed false individual income tax returns that omitted the income he earned from his role in the conspiracy. Lam admitted that the conspiracy caused a tax loss of approximately $628,351.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kiel sentenced Lam to 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
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: John B. Brennan, Esq.of Marlton, NJ
Pharmacy Owner Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison and Administrator Sentenced to 72 Months for their Respective Roles in a Health Care Fraud and Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – The co-owner and the administrator of a Union City, New Jersey pharmacy were sentenced for their respective roles in conspiracies to defraud pharmacy benefit managers (“PBMs”) and health care benefit providers, including Medicare and Medicaid, out of more than $65 million and to pay kickbacks and bribes to health care professionals and their staffs in exchange for referrals of prescriptions, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Husband and wife Samuel “Sam” Khaimov, 52, and Yana Shtindler, 48, both of Glen Head, New York, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp after previously pleading guilty.
Khaimov, the co-owner of the pharmacy, was sentenced to a total of 87 months in prison – 60 months for conspiring to commit health care fraud and 27 months for conspiring to violate the federal anti-kickback statute, with the sentences to run consecutively. Khaimov was also sentenced to separate three-year terms of supervised release to run concurrently.
Shtindler, the administrator of the pharmacy, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for conspiring to commit health care fraud, followed by three years of supervised release. Khaimov and Shtindler’s co-defendants, Ruben Sevumyants of Marlboro, New Jersey, and Alex Fleyshmakher of Morganville, New Jersey, have already pled guilty to counts in the Superseding Indictment and are pending sentencing.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Prime Aid Pharmacies – now closed – operated as “specialty pharmacies” out of locations in Union City, New Jersey and the Bronx, New York. As specialty pharmacies, they processed expensive medications used to treat various conditions, including Hepatitis C, Crohn’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Khaimov was a co-owner of Prime Aid Union City and the lead pharmacist of Prime Aid Bronx. Shtindler was Prime Aid Union City’s Administrator. Sevumyants was Prime Aid Union City’s operations manager. Alex Fleyshmakher worked at Prime Aid Union City and was an on-paper owner of Prime Aid Bronx. His father, Igor Fleyshmakher, a co-owner of Prime Aid Union City, pled guilty to separate federal charges.
Initially, the Prime Aid Pharmacies obtained retail network agreements with several PBMs, which allowed them to receive reimbursement payments for prescription medications, including specialty medications. PBMs acted as intermediaries on behalf of Medicare, Medicaid, and other health benefit providers, so when one of the Prime Aid Pharmacies received a prescription, the pharmacy would typically submit a claim for reimbursement to the PBM that represented the beneficiary’s drug plan.
Starting in 2009, in order to obtain a higher volume of prescriptions, Khaimov, Sevumyants, Alex Fleyshmakher, and other Prime Aid employees paid bribes to doctors and doctors’ employees to induce the doctors and their staffs to steer prescriptions to the Prime Aid Pharmacies. The bribes included payments by cash, check, and wire transfers, as well as expensive meals and other things of value. Another method of bribery involved paying an employee to work inside a doctor’s office.
Prime Aid Union City – at the direction of Sevumyants, Shtindler, and Khaimov – also engaged in the pervasive and fraudulent practice of billing health benefit providers and PBMs for medications that were never provided to patients. While Prime Aid generally provided medications for initial prescriptions it received, it systematically billed for refills for those same medications without ever dispensing them to patients. Indeed, according to the Superseding Indictment, from 2013 through 2017, Prime Aid Union City received at least $65,000,000 in reimbursement payments from Medicare, Medicaid, and private health benefit providers for medications that Prime Aid Union City not only failed to give patients, but that Prime Aid Union City also never even ordered or had in stock at the pharmacy.
Over time, PBMs conducted routine audits of Prime Aid Union City and discovered its practice of billing but not dispensing medications. In response to these audits, Shtindler instructed Prime Aid employees to falsify records submitted to the PMBs. In addition, Sevumyants, with Shtindler’s knowledge and approval, forged shipping records of a private commercial shipping company to make it appear as if medications were shipped to the patients when, in fact, they were not.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark; special agents of the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; the N.J. Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor, Medicaid Fraud Unit, under the direction of Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Tracy M. Thompson, and the N.J. Office of the State Comptroller, under the direction of Acting Comptroller Kevin Walsh, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron L. Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark and Martha K. Nye of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Trenton.
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Khaimov’s defense counsel: Jenny Kramer, Esq., New York, NY
Shtindler’s defense counsel: Lawrence Lustberg, Esq., Newark, NJ
Associates of Bounty Hunter Bloods Gang Indicted for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Five New Jersey men, including associates of a New Jersey gang associated with the Bounty Hunter Bloods criminal street gang were charged by a superseding indictment with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
The Indictment charges Carl Napier, a/k/a “Smash” (“Napier”), Hamir Wright, a/k/a “Lil Smash” (“Wright”), Alexis Tejada (“Tejada”), Jihad Bibbs, Sr. (“Bibbs”), and Jamie Archer-Monroe, a/k/a “Raziq” (“Archer-Monroe”), all of Somerset County and Middlesex County, New Jersey, with a racketeering conspiracy that included multiple murders, fraud schemes, and narcotics distribution. Napier and Bibbs are in federal custody on previously filed related federal charges. Tejada and Archer-Monroe were arrested and appeared in federal court in Newark before the Hon. Stacy Adams, U.SM.J. for initial appearances. Wright is in state custody on previously filed unrelated charges and will appear in federal court at a later date.
The charges are the result of a long-running investigation, coordinated between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, the New Brunswick Police Department, and the Franklin Township Police Department.
“There will be zero tolerance for violent crime and gang activity in the state of New Jersey. My office will continue to use all resources to find and prosecute those who instill fear in our citizens and undermine the safety of our communities. These criminals do not run our streets — the law does, and my office will enforce it without hesitation.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“The apprehension of these individuals is a momentous step towards making New Jersey safer, one day at a time. By freeing these communities from those who allegedly distribute drugs, firearms, and use violence as a means of coercion, the FBI continues its mission to combat violent crime,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Napier and Wright, each were allegedly associates of the Bounty Hunter Bloods, who operated under the umbrella of the neighborhood street gangs known as “Parkside” in Somerset and “The Ville” in New Brunswick. Some of the charged defendants are alleged to have also engaged in numerous violent acts on behalf of and for the benefit of the gang, including assaults, shootings, and murders, some of which targeted rival gang members. For example, on or about March 12, 2024, Napier and Wright, while with other gang members in New Brunswick, got into a confrontation regarding narcotics distribution with purported rival gang members and shot at them, killing Victim 1 and resulting in injury to Victim 2.
In addition to this violent act, the defendants, are alleged to have routinely distributed narcotics and trafficked firearms in and around the gang’s territory in both New Brunswick and Somerset.
This investigation 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).
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Stefanie Roddy, investigators of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, investigators of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor John McDonald, the New Brunswick Police Department, under the direction of Chief Vincent Sabo and the Franklin Township Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Quovella Mayweather, for the investigation leading to the charges. U.S. Attorney Habba and SAC Roddy would also like to thank the Central New Jersey Safe Streets Task Force, Woodbridge Police Department, Raritan Township Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Randolph, Deputy Chief of the District of New Jersey’s Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Nadel of the Office’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel:
Carl Napier- Steve Altman
Jihad Bibb, Sr.- Michael Policastro
Alexis Tejada- Joseph R. Rubino
Jamie Archer-Monroe- Stephen Dratch
napier.indictment.pdfSomerset Man Indicted for Fentanyl and Heroin Distribution Leading to the Death of a VictimRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Somerset County man with drug offenses including distribution of fentanyl and heroin that resulted in the death of a victim, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Thomas Kane Miller, 40, of Somerset, New Jersey was charged by criminal indictment with one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and a fentanyl precursor (4-ANPP), one count of distribution of fentanyl and heroin that resulted in the death of a victim, and two counts of distribution of fentanyl and heroin. Miller’s initial appearance and arraignment are scheduled for June 30, 2025, before Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court.
“The fentanyl epidemic has devastated communities across the country. Too many lives have been lost, too many families have been broken. This poison has no place on our streets. This office is unwavering in its pursuit of justice, and will relentlessly hold accountable anyone who traffics fentanyl or other deadly drugs in New Jersey — ensuring they face the full weight of the law for the destruction they cause. The District of New Jersey continues to emphasize opioid enforcement, including with its Fentanyl Precursor Interception Strike Force that seeks to stem the tide of chemical precursors and adulterants used to manufacture fentanyl, and bring to justice individuals who sell this poison on our streets.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“Today’s indictment against Thomas Miller reflects the determination the DEA and our law enforcement partners have in targeting those individuals who continue to poison our communities with fentanyl,” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. “Mr. Miller’s victim was more than just another statistic; it’s a life cut short by greed. The DEA is committed to holding these individuals accountable, especially when their actions result in the tragic loss of life.”
“This tragic loss of life is a stark reminder fentanyl-related deaths continue to plague our communities,” said Homeland Security Investigations New York acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso. “The lethal dangers posed by the illegal narcotics that traffickers are introducing to our communities cannot be overstated. This is why HSI New York, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, remains steadfast in our commitment to disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations that prioritize profit over American lives.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In October 2022, Miller distributed a mixture of fentanyl and heroin to an individual who died as a result of using the substance. Law enforcement located the deceased victim at a residence in Plainfield, New Jersey. Inside the residence were two wax folds containing fentanyl and heroin bearing a unique stamp which law enforcement linked to Miller. Shortly before the victim’s death, the victim and Miller were communicating about arranging to meet.
Approximately 10 days before the victim’s death, Miller was found in possession of multiple wax folds bearing the same unique stamp and containing fentanyl, heroin, and a fentanyl precursor. Miller also distributed fentanyl and heroin on two other occasions in December 2022 and January 2023, in Middlesex and Somerset Counties.
The count of drug distribution resulting in death carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment, a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of $1 million. The counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin, and distribution of fentanyl and heroin, each carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1 million.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the New York DEA Strike Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino, III, special agents of HSI New York, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, members of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor John P. McDonald, and members of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, with the investigation, leading to the charges.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The arrest was the result of an investigation by the New York Strike Force, a crime-fighting unit comprising federal, state and local law enforcement agencies supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud and Opioid 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: Timothy Donahue, Esq., Michael Alexander Thomas, Esq.
miller.indictment.pdfNational Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with over $14.6 Billion in Alleged FraudRead the Press Release
NEWARK - Today, United States Attorney Alina Habba announced criminal charges and civil settlements against 15 defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and private health insurers. The charges and settlements filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges and settlements filed in the District of New Jersey involve physicians and pharmacies submitting reimbursements for drugs, devices, and tests that patients didn’t need, pharmacies seeking reimbursement for drugs they never sold, and healthcare providers who received kickbacks to drive phony prescriptions.
“My Office, in lockstep with the Department’s nationwide Health Care Fraud Takedown, is cracking down on corrupt physicians, pharmacies, and healthcare providers who exploit Medicare and Medicaid with shameless kickback schemes, unnecessary prescriptions, and phony reimbursements for unneeded drugs, medical devices, and genetic tests – or drugs never even delivered. These predatory schemes prioritize profits over patients, and the District of New Jersey is fiercely committed to rooting out this fraud and ensuring those responsible face justice.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Habba are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.
The following individuals were charged and entered settlements in the District of New Jersey:
- Alan Vaughan, 56, of the United Kingdom, was charged with conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback statute in connection with a scheme to generate referrals for durable medical equipment and cancer genetic tests. As alleged in the indictment, Vaughan paid kickbacks to several marketers in exchange for personal health and insurance information about Medicare beneficiaries, transmitted that information to telemedicine companies, and then received kickbacks from genetic testing laboratories and durable medical equipment supply companies for each item of durable medical equipment and/or each cancer genetic test for which Medicare provided reimbursement. As further alleged, to conceal the scheme, Vaughan and his co-conspirators received millions of dollars in kickbacks through a shell company in New Zealand. As a result of the alleged scheme, Vaughan and his co-conspirators caused a loss to Medicare of more than $80 million. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett J. Schuman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
- Taejin Kim, 43, of River Vale, New Jersey, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to submit false and fraudulent claims to Amtrak’s health care plan for services that were never provided and were medically unnecessary. As alleged in the information, Kim, a licensed physical therapist, participated in a conspiracy to use Amtrak employees’ insurance information to submit false and fraudulent claims for services that were medically unnecessary and never provided to the Amtrak employees. Amtrak paid approximately $2,253,453 on these claims. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica R. Ecker and Katie M. Romano of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
- Nestor E. Jaime, 36, of Pine Brook, New Jersey, was charged by indictment with health care fraud in connection with a scheme to submit fraudulent prescription drug claims to Medicare. As alleged in the indictment, Jaime, a pharmacy owner, engaged in a scheme to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for a high-reimbursement medication that the pharmacy never dispensed and for which the pharmacy never received any prescriptions from the purported beneficiaries’ health care providers for the medication. Medicare paid Jaime’s pharmacy $2,505,754 for these false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
- Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (“NBIMC”), located in Newark, New Jersey, has agreed to pay the United States $250,000 to resolve allegations that from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2019, doctors working in NBIMC’s Heart Transplant Program failed to adequately disclose to patients and their family members material medical information about patients’ conditions. The United States contends that this conduct resulted in NBIMC performing medically unnecessary treatment on these patients. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
- Excel Pharmacy Inc., located in Jersey City, New Jersey, agreed to pay the United States and the State of New Jersey $3,000,000 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 that were never dispensed to beneficiaries. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kruti Dharia and Robert Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
- QuickRx LLC, an entity affiliated with Community Pharmacy, located in Elizabeth, New Jersey, agreed to pay the United States and the State of New Jersey $962,821 to resolve allegations that from January 7, 2015, through January 24, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kruti Dharia and Robert Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
- Raghu Ram Inc. d/b/a Camden Discount Pharmacy, located in Camden, New Jersey, agreed to pay the United States and the State of New Jersey $310,000 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 and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kruti Dharia and Robert Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
- Rachit Drug Inc., located in Newark, New Jersey, has agreed to pay the United States and the State of New Jersey $225,000 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 that were never dispensed to beneficiaries. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kruti Dharia and Robert Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
- Premier Dental Holdings, Inc. d/b/a Sonrava Health, Element Dental Partners Holdco, LLC, Element Dental Partners, LLC, Mid-Atlantic Dental Services Holdings LLC, and The Jersey Dental Group have agreed to pay the United States and the State of New Jersey $540,000 to resolve allegations that from January 1, 2021 through July 31, 2023, it submitted or caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program (“NJ FamilyCare”) for: (a) services that were performed by providers who were not credentialed with NJ FamilyCare or the applicable managed care organization, but billed for by using the National Provider Identifiers of dentists who did not perform the services but had the necessary credentials; or (b) services that were performed and billed by uncredentialed providers at the time the service was rendered. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
“The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said HHS-OIG Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”
“Today’s announcement provides insight into the complex and costly nature of the health care fraud threat. More importantly, this coordinated effort highlights the professionalism of the FBI and our partners to find, expose and hold accountable those practitioners, business owners and facilitators who took advantage of our system for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.
“Today’s actions represent the sheer dedication, professionalism, and commitment of our agents, joint partners, and U.S. Attorneys in holding accountable those who put greed ahead of patient care and basic ethics,” said Mike Waters, Special Agent In Charge of Amtrak’s Northeast Region. “We hope these actions serve as a deterrent for health care providers and others who choose to engage in such schemes, and we ask anyone who suspects or observes such fraud to report it to our fraud, waste, and abuse hotline.”
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle, District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle, District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
The District of New Jersey, in particular, worked with the Department’s Criminal and Civil Division and the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); FBI; and Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General.
A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Former Somerset County Man Charged with Making Violent Threats, including Threats to Kill a Federal JudgeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – Abhinaba Barthakur, a dual citizen of the United States and India, was charged in a six-count Indictment today for making violent threats to a United States District Court Judge in the District of New Jersey, two New Jersey Superior Court Judges, an elected official, and a Somerset County resident, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Barthakur, 58, formerly of Hillsborough Township, New Jersey, is charged in the Indictment with five counts of transmitting a threat in interstate or foreign commerce and one count of retaliating against a federal judge by threat.
“Let today’s Indictment serve as both a warning and a wake-up call. My office will act quickly and decisively against anyone who threatens a public official,” said U.S. Attorney Habba. “The conduct alleged in the Indictment is as heinous as it is troubling: threats to a federal judge, two state superior court judges, an elected official, and a private New Jersey resident. The conduct is not just reckless — it is a direct attack on our justice system. Targeting those who uphold the rule of law is an attack on every community they serve. This egregious behavior is unacceptable. And, as the charges make clear, no matter where you are, we will find you and hold you responsible.”
According to the allegations in the indictment:
In December 2018, Barthakur left the United States, and he has not returned.
On or about July 14, 2020, Barthakur called the office of a government official in the executive branch of the State of New Jersey (“Elected Official 1”), whose office was in Somerville, New Jersey. Barthakur left a voicemail message threatening to assault Elected Official 1, including removing Elected Official 1’s fingers.
On or about September 13, 2020 and September 22, 2020, Barthakur called the chambers of a New Jersey Superior Court Judge in the Somerset Vicinage Civil Division (“Judge 1”). Barthakur left voicemail messages threatening to assault Judge 1, including removing Judge 1’s fingers. During the September 13, 2020 call to Judge 1, Barthakur also threated to injure a New Jersey Superior Court Judge in the Somerset Vicinage Family Division (“Judge 2”), specifically threatening to injure Judge 2’s fingers.
On or about October 16, 2023, Barthakur called a resident of Somerset County (“Victim 1”). Barthakur left voicemail messages threatening to assault and murder Victim 1, including using a .22 caliber handgun to injure and kill Victim 1.
On November 26, 2024, Barthakur called the chambers of a United States District Court Judge, in the District of New Jersey (“Judge 3”), and threatened to assault and murder Judge 3, including using a .22 caliber handgun to injure and kill Judge 3. Barthakur threatened to assault and murder Judge 3 with intent to impede, intimidate, and interfere with Judge 3 while he or she was engaged in the performance of his or her official duties, and to retaliate against Judge 3 on account of the performance of his or her official duties.
Each charge of transmitting a threat in interstate or foreign commerce carries a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of five years. The charge of retaliating against a federal judge by threat carries a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of ten years. The charges each carry a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; deputy marshals of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Juan Mattos, Jr.; special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel; detectives and Assistant Prosecutors of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor John McDonald; members of the Hillsborough Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mike McMahon; and members of the Branchburg Police Department, under the direction of Chief Richard Buck, with the investigation that lead to the charges
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
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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barthakur.indictment.pdfTD Bank Insider Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes to Fraudulently Open More Than 100 Bank AccountsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former Florida-based employee of TD Bank, N.A. pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for fraudulently opening more than 100 bank accounts, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Jhonnatan Steven Rodriguez, a/k/a “Jorge,” 32, of Naples, Florida, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to a two-count Information charging him with one count of receipt of bribes by a bank employee and one count of making false bank entries. Rodriguez’s sentencing is scheduled for November 25, 2025.
According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in Court:
In late 2022, Rodriguez began opening bank accounts for unknown individuals in exchange for bribes of approximately $200 to $250 per account. During the scheme, Rodriguez accepted bribes in exchange for fraudulently opening approximately 140 bank accounts, some of which were used for fraud. In carrying out this bribery scheme, Rodriguez would often forge the purported customers’ signatures on account opening documents. To protect his identity, Rodriguez used the alias “Jorge” on a text messaging app to communicate with the individuals seeking bank accounts.
The charge of receipt of bribes by a bank employee carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of the greater of up to $1 million or three times the value of the thing given, offered, promised, solicited, demanded, accepted, or agreed to be accepted. The charge of making false bank entries carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents and task force officers of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents and task force officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Caribbean Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Miranda; and special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the Morristown Police Department for its assistance with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit in Newark and Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
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Defense counsel: Murdoch Walker, Esq. and Serguel Akiti, Esq.
rodriguez.information.pdfMiddlesex County Woman Admits to COVID-19 Relief Program FraudRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, woman admitted that she fraudulently obtained Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”), Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), and pandemic unemployment insurance benefits, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Damaris Valerio, a/k/a Damaris Tineo Abreu, 42, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch to an information charging her with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From April 2020 through December 2021, Valerio fraudulently obtained $194,212 in COVID-19 emergency relief funds, which included loans and cash advances meant for distressed small businesses under the EIDL program and PPP, and pandemic unemployment insurance benefits meant for unemployed workers, by submitting false and fraudulent applications inflating her business’s revenues, payroll expenses, and number of employees. After receiving the fraudulent funds, she diverted proceeds from the relief programs for her personal gain.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greater. The money laundering charge count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for October 28, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark; Special Agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, and special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General’s Boston-New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly, with the investigation leading to this guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin D. Bleiberg and Fatime Meka Cano of the Economic Crimes 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.
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Defense Counsel: John Russo, Esq, of New York.
valerio.information.pdfEssex County Man Charged in Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County resident was charged for his role in a bank fraud conspiracy, United States Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Isiah J. Jordan, 27, is charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre and was released on $100,000 bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Jordan was part of a multi-person scheme to steal checks from the mail and deposit those checks into bank accounts controlled by his co-conspirators. For example, in June 2023, Company-1 mailed out a business check for over $50,000. That check was stolen and altered by Jordan and his co-conspirators such that the payee information on the original check was changed so that the check could be deposited into an account controlled by the conspirators. Then in July 2023, after the stolen check cleared, Jordan and his co-conspirators withdrew the money from the account and split the proceeds.
Jordan and his coconspirators then continued to actively recruit other members to participate in and join the conspiracy. Specifically, they recruited individuals who had long-standing bank accounts to continue the scheme of depositing stolen checks and withdrawing the funds before the bank or the victims whose checks were stolen were aware of the illegal activity.
The bank fraud conspiracy and the bank fraud charges both carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey S. Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division and Thomas S. Kearney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division 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: John Yauch, New Jersey
jordan.complaint.pdfCompanies Pay $13 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Liability for Allegedly Receiving Improper Paycheck Protection Program LoansRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two Pennsylvania companies and one South Carolina company entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that the companies violated the False Claims Act by taking a total of five Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to which the companies were not entitled, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
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.
According to the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement:
Rema Tip Top of America, Inc. (“Rema”) is a holding company incorporated in Delaware with number of direct and indirect subsidiaries, including a wholly owned subsidiary based in New Jersey that specializes in automotive and industrial products (Rema Tip Top/North America “RNA”). From April 1, 2020 to October 31, 2021, C&J Welding & Construction (“C&J Welding”), a maintenance and construction company based in Pennsylvania, and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Rema, applied for one PPP loan and received $341,848.78 in loan forgiveness and interest. The United States paid an associated lender processing fee of $11,652.00. Industrial Services Group, Inc. (“ISG”) d/b/a/ Universal Blastco, an industrial corrosion control company based in South Carolina, and an indirect subsidiary of Rema, applied for two PPP loans and received $4,824,288.99 in loan forgiveness and interest. The United States paid associated lender processing fees of $87,828.50. NexGen Industrial Services, Inc. (“NexGen”), an oil, gas, mining, and pipeline construction services company based in Pennsylvania, and an indirect subsidiary of Rema, applied for two PPP loans and received $3,688,618.89 in loan forgiveness and interest. The United States paid associated lender processing fees of $109,529.40.
C&J Welding, ISG, and NexGen were ineligible to receive these PPP loans and loan forgiveness and knowingly failed to fully disclose their affiliates, including Rema, on their PPP loan applications. C&J Welding, ISG, and NexGen falsely certified eligibility for the PPP loans and loan forgiveness they received. Because of their affiliation with each other and with other entities, C&J Welding, ISG, and NexGen exceeded the employee or revenue-based eligibility limits for PPP loans and loan forgiveness and were therefore too large to qualify for the payouts they received.
In accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement, C&J Welding, ISG, and NexGen paid a total of $13 million plus interest. 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 $2.34 million as the share.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited the SBA’s Office of General Counsel for their assistance in this matter.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan J. Pappy of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark, with assistance from Christopher J. McClintock of the SBA.
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 United States ex rel. Scissors LLC v. Rema Tip Top of America, Inc., et al, Civil Action No. 23-20790.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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Counsel for C&J Welding, ISG, and NexGen: Eric W. Sitarchuk, Steven Strauss, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Counsel for Scissors LLC: Eric Jaso, Spiro Harrison & Nelson
rema.agreement.pdfSix Members of Interstate Burglary Crew Charged in Connection with Commercial Burglaries in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and DelawareRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Six people have been charged for conspiring to transport stolen property derived from burglarized consignment shops across multiple states, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Marco Honesty, 28, Richard Francis, 35, Dominique Hayes, 29, Deandre Dudley, 32, Ilon Coles-Melson, 21, and Marcus Gallmon, 21, residents of Washington, D.C. and Maryland, are each charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to sell and receive stolen property that had crossed state lines.
Honesty appeared on June 13, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark federal court and was detained. Hayes appeared on May 22, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacey D. Adams in Newark federal court and was detained. Coles-Melson appeared on April 11, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacey D. Adams in Newark federal court and was detained. Gallmon appeared on February 26, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte in Newark federal court and was later released on a $100,000 unsecured bond. Dudley appeared on February 20, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court and was released on a $100,000 unsecured bond. Francis appeared on February 5, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark federal court and was released on a $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The defendants are part of a commercial burglary ring that committed at least 18 burglaries in multiple states between March and November of 2024, including in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. On several dates, the defendants broke into the consignment shops in the middle of the night using sledgehammers and other objects, stole dozens of designer handbags and other items from each shop, and transported the stolen goods across state lines.
The charge of conspiracy to sell or receive stolen property carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of up to a $250,000 fine, or twice the amount of money involved in the offense, whichever is greater.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited officers of Homeland Security Investigations under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the New Jersey State Police, Delaware State Police, Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Philadelphia Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, Cape May Police Department, Cherry Hill Police Department, Colts Neck Police Department, Englewood Police Department, Guilderland Police Department, Haddonfield Police Department, Livingston Police Department, Manalapan Police Department, Margate Police Department, Millburn Police Department, Montclair Police Department, North Castle Police Department, Roxbury Police Department, Saratoga Springs Police Department, Springfield Police Department, Tenafly Police Department, Warren Police Department, and Watchung Police Department for their assistance.
Anyone who believes they may be a victim, or has information about the theft group or burglaries, is asked to call 1-866-DHS-2-ICE, or call a local field office.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly M. Lyons of the OCDETF/Narcotics 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:
Marco Honesty: Adrien Moncur, Esq., Paramus, New Jersey
Richard Francis: Timothy Donahue, Esq., Newark, New Jersey
Dominique Hayes: Bruce S. Rosen, Esq., Hackensack, New Jersey
Deandre Dudley: Charles McKenna, Esq., Morristown, New Jersey
Ilon Coles-Melson: Paul Condon, Esq., Jersey City, New Jersey
Marcus Gallmon: Charles Alvarez, Esq., Bloomfield, New Jersey
honesty.complaint.pdfGloucester County Man Convicted of Distributing Methamphetamine and FentanylRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester County man was found guilty by a jury on June 11, 2025, for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Ian Dudley, 39, of Williamstown, New Jersey, was convicted by a jury of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, contrary to 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a) and (b)(1)(C), in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846; and with six counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and/or fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A), and (b)(1)(C); before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court. Sentencing is scheduled for October 22, 2025.
According to the evidence presented at trial:
From June 2023 through October 2023, Dudley conspired with Joseph Watson and others to distribute crystal methamphetamine and fentanyl in Camden County and Gloucester County. During the course of the conspiracy, Dudley sold approximately 17.5 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and approximately one ounce of fentanyl to an undercover federal agent.
The counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and two of the counts of distribution of methamphetamine carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. Four of the counts for distribution of methamphetamine and/or fentanyl carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of L.C. Cheeks, Jr., with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph McFarlane and Josephine Park in Camden.
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- Gang Member Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison for Racketeering
Passaic County Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man pled guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Justin Pope, 38, of Clifton, New Jersey, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition.
According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in Court:
On July 12, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to a report of shots fired in a public parking lot in Clifton, New Jersey. A review of the surveillance footage from the area showed Pope and a female individual engaged in an altercation while inside of a vehicle. As the female individual exited the vehicle, Pope pointed a handgun and fired multiple shots at the victim at close range. Law enforcement subsequently recovered ammunition from the scene.
The following day, on July 13, 2023, law enforcement reviewed a video on a social media account depicting Pope firing a gun in the air in which he stated, “Can’t find me . . . Police. Y’all never gonna find me.” Law enforcement also recovered ammunition from the scene.
Pope was arrested a few hours later after he attempted to board a bus in New York City and brandished a firearm to bus employees. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement recovered a firearm from Pope, which was later identified as a privately made 9mm firearm with a large capacity magazine attached, which was loaded with one round of 9mm ammunition.
Pope had previously been convicted of aggravated assault in New Jersey in connection with the shooting of a child.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; officers of the Clifton Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas Rinaldi; officers of the Paterson Police Department, under Officer in Charge Patrick Murray; officers of the Passaic County Sheriff's Department under Sheriff Thomas Adamo; officers of the Passaic Police Department, under Chief Luis Guzman; and officers of New York City Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Edward Caban, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The charges of being a felon in possession of ammunition each carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Pope’s sentencing is scheduled for October 21, 2025.
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 Pope: Georgina Pallitto, Esq.
pope.indictment.pdfMexican National Sentenced to 110 Months for Trafficking Cocaine and Illegally Reentering the United States for a Third TimeRead the Press Release
Camden, N.J. – A Mexican national was sentenced to 110 months in prison for trafficking cocaine and illegally reentering the United States after previously sustaining an aggravated felony conviction, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Anastacio Santiago Chaparro, also known as Arnoldo Urquidez, 41, of Mexico, had previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel in Camden federal court to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and illegal reentry by a convicted felon.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On November 6, 2023, Santiago Chaparro was caught by law enforcement transporting a backpack that contained over 10 kilograms of cocaine. Santiago Chaparro admitted that the cocaine was intended for distribution. Additionally, Santiago Chaparro had been deported from the United States to Mexico three times and previously sustained a conviction for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, an aggravated felony.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kiel sentenced Santiago Chaparro to three years of supervised release and ordered Santiago Chaparro to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding his deportation proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel, and from the Drug Enforcement Administration New York, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chana Y. Zuckier of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering and Recovery Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Victor A. Afanador
Member of Marion Gardens Jersey City Street Gang Sentenced to Two Consecutive Life Sentences for Murders and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Today, Myron Williams, a/k/a “Money,” a/k/a “Tunchi,” 31, of Newark was sentenced before the Honorable Michael E. Farbiarz to life imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy, life imprisonment for murder in aid of racketeering, 240 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and 120 months’ imprisonment for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, with all sentences to run consecutively.
Williams’s co-defendant Khalil Kelley, a/k/a “Billski,” 26, of Jersey City, was previously sentenced on June 5, 2025, to life imprisonment, plus a consecutive ten-year term of imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy, for his role in the Marion Gardens street gang and a gang-related murder.
Also today, Jawaad Davis, 23, of Jersey City, was sentenced to 170 months’ imprisonment for his role in the Marion Gardens street gang, which included orchestrating a robbery that resulted in murder.
Eight other individuals are pending sentencing. Roger Pickett, a/k/a “Zy G,” 24, of Jersey City was convicted at trial along with Williams and Kelley. The remaining defendants—Herbert Thomas, 49, of Jersey City; Andre Alomar, a/k/a “Dre8,” 24, of Newark; Naim Richardson, a/k/a “Ninicks,” 32, of Jersey City; Anthony Rogers, a/k/a “MG,” 25, of Jersey City; Quaseame Wilson, a/k/a “Qua Gz,” 28, of Jersey City; Javon Williams, a/k/a “J45,” 28, of Jersey City; and Keith Anderson, a/k/a “Beef3,” 23, of Jersey City—all pled guilty before trial. Each defendant will be sentenced before Judge Farbiarz in Newark as follows:
Anthony Rogers, a/k/a “MG”June 26, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.Quaseame Wilson, a/k/a “Qua Gz”July 1, 2025, at 11:30 a.m.Andre Alomar, a/k/a “Dre8”July 1, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.Roger Pickett, a/k/a “Zy G”July 2, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.Keith Anderson, a/k/a “Beef3”July 2, 2025, at 11:30 a.m.Javon Williams, a/k/a “J45”July 2, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.Naim Richardson, a/k/a “Ninicks”July 16, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.Herbert ThomasOctober 1, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Myron Williams, Khalil Kelley, Roger Pickett, Jawaad Davis, Anthony Rogers, Quaseame Wilson, Andre Alomar, Keith Anderson, Javon Williams, and Naim Richardson are all members and associates of the neighborhood street gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex. Since 2013, they and their fellow gang members have committed numerous acts of violence, including three separate murders, on March 29, 2021, Nov. 20, 2021, and Nov. 1, 2022.
On March 29, 2021, Kelley and other gang members lured a rival gang member outside by sending him Instagram messages pretending to be the victim’s fellow gang member. When the victim opened the door to his residence, Kelley and another gang member brandished firearms, and the victim was shot multiple times in the chest, killing him. Pickett and Myron Williams then picked up Kelley and other gang members after they abandoned the murder vehicle in Newark.
On Nov. 20, 2021, Myron Williams, Pickett, and Richardson lured a rival gang member outside by sending him Instagram messages pretending to be the second victim’s fellow gang member. Williams and another gang member shot the victim when he opened the door to his residence.
On Nov. 1, 2022, Davis facilitated the murder of the third victim by coordinating a narcotics transaction with the victim and the victim’s associate. When the victim and his associate arrived at the Marion Gardens Housing Complex to complete the narcotics transaction, they were robbed of their narcotics supply. During the robbery, Pickett and Wilson held the victim and his associate at gunpoint. After a struggle ensued, Pickett shot and killed the victim while his associate fled. Pickett then fled the Marion Gardens Housing Complex with Wilson.
For months, investigators observed and documented hundreds of narcotics transactions in and around the Marion Gardens Housing Complex. The investigation likewise revealed that Herbert Thomas was a primary supplier of narcotics to the Marion Gardens street gang.
When each defendant was arrested on March 17, 2023, law enforcement seized contraband at several different locations, including heroin, fentanyl, crack cocaine, narcotics packaging materials, ammunition, bulletproof vests, and a loaded handgun.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited investigators of the Gang Intelligence Unit and the Homicide Unit of the Major Case Division of Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez, and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr., and investigators of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, with the investigation leading to the convictions. She also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, and the U.S. Marshals, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos, for their assistance.
This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of 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 Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI"), the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.
The government is represented by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Maloy and Javon Henry, of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.
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Defense counsel:
Myron Williams – William Strazza, Esq.
Jawaad Davis – Jason Orlando, Esq. and Tyler Newman, Esq.Khalil Kelley – Kevin Buchan, Esq. and James Seplowitz, Esq.
Four ICE Detainees Charged with Escaping Detention Facility at Delaney Hall in NewarkRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Four individuals being detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility were each charged by separate complaint for escaping from ICE custody, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Franklin Norberto Bautista Reyes, 20, of Honduras, Joan Sebastian Castaneda Lozada, 18, of Colombia, Andres Felipe Pineda Mogollon, 25, of Colombia, and Joel Enrrique Sandoval-Lopez, 22, of Honduras, were charged by four separate complaints with escape from the custody of an institution or officer.
According to documents filed in this case, each defendant was detained at Delaney Hall, a privately owned detention center in Newark, New Jersey, pending immigration removal proceedings. On or about June 12, 2025, the defendants fled the facility by breaking through an aluminum second-story wall, dropping mattresses through the opening in the wall to provide a landing place on which to jump, and utilizing bed sheets to cover barbed wire in order to climb over the fence.
Castaneda Lozada, Sandoval-Lopez, and Bautista Reyes have been apprehended. Castaneda Lozada and Sandoval-Lopez appeared in Court yesterday, and Bautista Reyes appeared in Court today, all before the Honorable Cathy L. Waldor, United States Magistrate Judge. Pineda Mogollon remains at large.
Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment and a $100,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; officers of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, under the direction of Acting Director Todd M. Lyons; and officers of Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Hardin of the Public Protection Task Force 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: Linda Foster, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender for Castaneda Lozada;
Patrick Joyce, Esq. for Sandoval-Lopez;
Stacy Biancamano, Esq. for Bautista Reyes
Former Hoboken Director of Health and Human Services Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Embezzlement, Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Pantaleo “Leo” Pellegrini, the former Hoboken Director of Health and Human Services and Director of the Department of Environmental Services, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for embezzling money from the City of Hoboken and filing a false tax return, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced
Pellegrini previously pleaded guilty to embezzlement and filing a false tax return before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
While working for the City of Hoboken, Pellegrini embezzled money from the City of Hoboken by diverting approximately $223,500 in payments intended for the City of Hoboken to bank accounts he controlled. Pellegrini also embezzled money from the City of Hoboken by submitting approximately $234,432.60 in his personal expenses, which the City of Hoboken unknowingly paid. Additionally, Pellegrini did not report the embezzled money on his personal tax returns, and thereby made and subscribed a false personal tax return and avoided approximately $119,972.60 in taxes due.
Pellegrini’s oversight responsibilities related to certain public recreational facilities, including soccer fields that could be reserved by both Hoboken and non-Hoboken residents for a fee paid to the City of Hoboken. Through this arrangement, the City of Hoboken Department of Parks, Recreation & Public Works sponsored a non-profit recreation soccer league open to Hoboken youth (the “Youth Soccer League”), which was funded by the City of Hoboken and participant fees. Also during the charged time period, an adult soccer league open to Hoboken and non-Hoboken residents (the “Adult Soccer League”) was in operation, which was funded from participant fees.
Pellegrini developed a scheme to divert the Adult Soccer League’s participant fee payments intended for the City of Hoboken to a business account on which he was a signatory which was registered to a soccer-related entity linked to him.
During the relevant time period, Pellegrini was also the Owner and President of a private travel soccer club. Pellegrini also submitted or caused the submission to the City of Hoboken invoices associated with his private soccer club, which Pellegrini falsely or fraudulently represented to the City of Hoboken as invoices eligible for reimbursement by the City of Hoboken. As a result, the City of Hoboken—at Pellegrini’s direction—unknowingly paid tens of thousands of dollars to the Pellegrini’s private soccer club vendors for its expenses, and also unknowingly paid tens of thousands of dollars directly to Pellegrini through his private soccer club.
Pellegrini used the embezzled funds on personal expenses including meals, entertainment, and gambling, allowing him to live far beyond his means. Moreover, Pellegrini intentionally did not disclose and report the income from the above-described embezzlement scheme, thereby causing his tax returns to understate a substantial amount of the income he received.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Farbiarz ordered restitution of $439,972.60 to the City of Hoboken, restitution of $119,464 to the Internal Revenue Service, and forfeiture of $439,972.60. Judge Farbiarz also ordered a term of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. McCarren and Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division.
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Defense Counsel:
John D. Lynch, Esq., Union City, NJ
Camden County Felon Admits to Conspiring to Distribute Cocaine and Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man admitted to conspiring to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Rasheed Amin, 46, of Voorhees, New Jersey, 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 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 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.
The cocaine conspiracy count carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. The illegal possession of a firearm count carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for November 13, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba 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 guilty plea. She also credited the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, 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
amin.information.pdfBergen County Man Admits to Committing over $600,000 COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey man admitted to fraudulently obtaining approximately $617,991 in federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”) and Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Malak Faltawws, aka “Mark Andrews,” 47, of Rutherford, New Jersey, plead guilty on June 10, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court to two-counts of an Indictment charging wire fraud and money laundering.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From March 2020 through November 2021, Faltawws fraudulently obtained approximately $617,991 of COVID-19 emergency relief funds, which included loans and cash advances meant for distressed small businesses under the EIDL and PPP programs, by submitting false and fraudulent applications, inflating his businesses’ revenue, payroll expenses, and number of employees. After receiving the fraudulent funds, he diverted the proceeds for his personal gain.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and the money laundering charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Each charge also carries a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for October 22, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan and investigators of the New Jersey Motor Vehicles Commission under the direction of Chief Administrator Latrecia Littles-Floyd with the investigation.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of the 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.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aja Espinosa of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
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 Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Defense counsel: Areeb Salim, Esq. and Shaiba Rather, Esq.
faltawws.indictment.pdfPassaic County Convicted Felon Admits to Trafficking Fentanyl and Heroin and Possessing Firearm in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey man admitted to possessing quantities of fentanyl and heroin he intended to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Luis Polanco, 35, of Wayne, New Jersey pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to an Indictment charging him with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Law enforcement investigated Polanco for his drug distribution in Passaic, New Jersey, including from his residence. Polanco was arrested after law enforcement searched his residence and vehicle, which revealed Polanco to be in possession of controlled substances that tested positive for more than 40 grams of fentanyl and more than 100 grams of heroin, as well as other paraphernalia used for packaging drugs. Law enforcement also recovered a 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun, 158 rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition and four rounds of .40 caliber ammunition.
The drug charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5 million. The felon in possession of a firearm charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. The possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison, which must be imposed consecutively to any other sentence imposed, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for October 21, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr., Newark Field Division, as well as the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, the Wayne Township Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Joseph Rooney, and the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of under the direction of Officer In Charge Patrick Murray, with the investigation leading to this guilty plea.
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. Attorney Michelle L. Goldman of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Jason F. Orlando, Esq.
polanco.indictment.pdfEssex County Convicted Felon Sentenced to 73 Months in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Possession of Firearms, including Two Assault RiflesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced on June 10, 2025, for his role in distributing cocaine, possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, and possessing three firearms, including two assault rifles with high-capacity magazines, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Azmar Carter, a/k/a “Bizzy,” 32, of East Orange, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to a superseding information charging him with two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In 2021, law enforcement began investigating a drug trafficking organization that operates primarily in and around Orange, New Jersey and distributes narcotics throughout Essex County. During the investigation, Carter distributed cocaine to law enforcement in May 2021 and in July 2021. Subsequently, on August 18, 2021, law enforcement searched Carter’s residence and car in East Orange, New Jersey and recovered the following items: one Draco AK 47 rifle; one Smith and Wesson AR rifle; one .40 caliber pistol; ninety-four rounds of associated ammunition; a distribution quantity of heroin and cocaine; and approximately $7,177.00.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Arleo sentenced Carter to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents and members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr.; members of the Orange Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Todd Warren, Chief Vincent Vitiello and Captain Brian Mooney; members of the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Giacomo Sacca and Police Director Earl J. Graves; members of the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis Bindi; member of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda and Chief of Police Sharonda Morris; and the Belleville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Minichini, with the investigation leading to the charges and arrests.
This case is part of Operation Orange, which is a part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which 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 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 U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Parole, Union County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, N.J. Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, the Orange Police Department and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Chief of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Christopher D. Adams, Esq.
Thirty Defendants Charged with Narcotics and Firearms Offenses in Connection with Newark Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
Newark, N.J. – U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced charges today against thirty people for their respective roles in a drug trafficking organization that sold large quantities of controlled substances – including fentanyl and crack cocaine – in the area of the Kretchmer Homes housing complex along Frelinghuysen Avenue in Newark.
Today’s charges and arrests are the result of a long-running wiretap investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with the Union County Prosecutor’s Office. The charges include conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 280 grams or more of cocaine base, and various firearm and substantive narcotics offenses. (See chart below).
The 17 defendants arrested today are scheduled to have their initial court appearances this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark federal court. 7 defendants were already in custody on state charges, one defendant was already in federal custody and previously appeared, and 4 defendants remain at large.
“These defendants are charged with operating a large-scale drug trafficking organization that poisoned our community with its distribution of massive quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine,” U.S. Attorney Alina Habba said. “Fentanyl remains the deadliest driver of overdose deaths in our nation, devastating families everyday. We will have zero tolerance for violent gangs terrorizing our communities, flooding our neighborhoods with drugs and violence. Let today’s arrests serve as a clear warning — if you bring violence into our state, we will find you, we will dismantle your networks, and we will bring you to justice.”
“This was a sweeping and surgical strike against a violent drug trafficking network that terrorized an elderly community with poison and fear. The scale of this takedown sends a loud and clear message: we will not allow gangs to hold neighborhoods hostage. I commend U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for her bold leadership and thank our partners at the DEA, ATF, FBI, and local law enforcement for their relentless pursuit of justice,” FBI Director Kash Patel stated.
“Over the past year, the Bloods gang has terrorized the Kretchmer Homes public housing complex in Newark, NJ, using violence and fear to operate their drug trafficking business. Thanks to the hard work of our DEA team and our law enforcement partners, we successfully targeted this drug trafficking organization that has plagued and poisoned our community with illicit narcotics. This operation, which resulted in the arrest of over two dozen individuals, removed numerous firearms, and approximately seven thousand grams of heroin and fentanyl from our streets. That’s enough fentanyl to kill up to 500,000 people,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz. “This wasn’t just a bust; it was a life-saving operation. As we know, fentanyl continues to be the leading cause of death in drug overdoses and poisonings. The DEA remains committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners, in targeting the drug cartels and those individuals responsible for pushing these deadly drugs into our neighborhoods. We will continue to hold them accountable.”
“ATF is committed to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, with unwavering determination and steadfast collaboration, to dismantle these drug trafficking organizations that threaten our communities,” said SAC L.C. Cheeks Jr. “Today’s arrests hold criminals accountable for drug-related activity and the related gun violence in our neighborhoods. We appreciate the dedication of our personnel and our partners who will continue to work tirelessly to protect and secure public safety.”
"When the FBI begins a street gang investigation, we go after the leaders of the enterprise to dismantle it from the top down. We allege these men wreaked havoc in Newark, selling illicit drugs and defending their lucrative turf by using violence and guns. But this case is about more than drugs and guns, it's about removing criminals from a community they have been terrorizing and leaving in their wake a trail of addiction and potential death for their customers. The FBI Newark Safe Streets Task Force and our partner agencies will not stop the work we are doing to rid Newark of violent offenders," said SAC Stefanie Roddy.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The defendants are members of a drug trafficking organization that operates an open-air narcotics market in and around the area of Kretchmer Homes – a public housing complex positioned along the 900 block of Frelinghuysen Avenue (the “Frelinghuysen DTO”). Many members of the Frelinghuysen DTO are affiliated with a neighborhood-based street gang, comprised largely of members and associates of the Bloods street gang, who pledge their allegiance, first and foremost, to the neighborhood surrounding the 900 block of Frelinghuysen Avenue.
Law enforcement used investigative techniques including, but not limited to, wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics by confidential informants and undercover law enforcement officers, telephone record analysis, and physical and fixed surveillance, among other lawful means of investigation. The investigation revealed that the Frelinghuysen DTO distributes large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine base in this public housing community. Moreover, the investigation revealed, through seizure of multiple firearms, that members of the Frelinghuysen DTO use firearms to protect their drug supply and proceeds.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents and task force officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr., detectives with the Newark Police, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, and the Essex County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sherriff Amir Jones, with the investigation leading to the charges in this case. She also thanked detectives with the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel, for their assistance with the 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, New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, 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.
This investigation 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 case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Thypin-Bermeo and Senior Trial Counsel Robert Frazer of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit.
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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DEFENDANTS
Defendant Name
Age
Charges
Potential Penalties
Anderson, Noah
33
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Broadnax, Nathaniel
42
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Coleman, Latisha
35
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Cooper, Edwin
23
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Hall, Farard
34
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Hargrove, Alquawi
30
21 U.S.C. § 846
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)
10 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Up to 15 years in prison
Harris, Ali
31
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Harrison, Dawan
34
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Harrison, Jaquay
36
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Hoover, Bernard
40
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Jenkins, Khyair
21
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Kalonji, Ajamu
60
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Latimore, Nigel
44
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Leaks, Shaquan
31
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Levett, Anthony
28
21 U.S.C. § 846
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)
10 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Up to 15 years in prison
Massenburg, Isaiah
31
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
McClean, Tauheed
38
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Morgan, Raheem
28
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Shell, Lamar
35
21 U.S.C. § 846
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)
10 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Up to 15 years in prison
Smith, Jamar
34
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Swinton, Jamaal
32
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Traynmam, Kaidean
28
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Tutler, Radee
41
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Woody, Timothy
47
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Wright, Mario
47
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Travis, Najee
28
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)Up to 15 years in prison
Reed, Nyerei
24
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)
21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C)
18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i)
Up to 15 years in prison
Up to 20 years in prison
5 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Martin, Dashawn
32
21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C)Up to 20 years in prison
Kennedy, Divine
25
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)
21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C)
18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i)
Up to 15 years in prison
Up to 20 years in prison
5 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Overstreet, Tysone
29
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)Up to 15 years in prison
Congresswoman Charged for Forcibly Impeding and Interfering with Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver was charged in a three-count indictment today for forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
According to the allegations in the indictment, McIver forcibly impeded and interfered with federal officers as they attempted to arrest an individual outside the Delaney Hall Federal Immigration Facility in Newark, New Jersey on May 9, 2025. McIver and two other members of Congress were present at the facility that day to conduct a congressional oversight inspection. The inspection coincided with an immigration protest rally. After the Congressional Delegation entered the secured area of the facility, the Mayor of Newark arrived and was given access to the secured area. A federal officer then informed the Mayor that he was not authorized to be in the facility’s secured area, and issued the Mayor multiple warnings that he would be arrested if he did not leave. McIver and other members of the Congressional Delegation overheard this conversation and challenged the officer, protesting the Mayor’s removal. When officers moved in to arrest the Mayor, McIver and others surrounded the Mayor and prevented the officers from handcuffing him.
After the Mayor was escorted outside the secured area, law enforcement officers made a second attempt to arrest him. At this time, someone in the crowd yelled “circle the mayor.” McIver then faced the Mayor and placed her arms around him in an effort to prevent HSI from completing the arrest. During her continued attempts to thwart the arrest, McIver slammed her forearm into the body of one law enforcement officer and also reached out and tried to restrain that officer by forcibly grabbing him. McIver also used each of her forearms to forcibly strike a second officer.
If convicted, McIver faces a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison on the forcible impeding and interfering charge set forth in Count One of the indictment. She faces a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison on the forcible impeding and interfering charge set forth in Count Two. She also faces a maximum penalty of 1 year in prison for Count Three.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McCarren of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Defense counsel: Paul Fishman, Esq. and Lee Cortes, Esq.
Repeat Offender Admits Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey man admitted to possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
John Mangan, 78, of Lanoka Harbor, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court today 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 October 29, 2024, agents with Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, executed a search warrant at Mangan’s residence in Lanoka Harbor and discovered an electronic device containing over 250 images of children being sexually abused. Mangan was previously convicted of sexual offenses involving minors, including: (i) a New Jersey conviction for sexual assault against a minor, for conduct that occurred while Mangan was a school principal; and (ii) a prior federal conviction for possession of child pornography.
Because Mangan has been previously convicted of certain qualifying offenses, the count of possession of child pornography carries an enhanced mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for October 21, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel, with the investigation leading to today’s 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 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 Matt Belgiovine of the Criminal Division in Trenton.
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Defense counsel: Suzanne Axel, Hackensack, New Jersey.
mangan.information.pdfPassaic County Lawyer Sentenced to 21 Months for Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $300,000 in Covid-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey attorney was sentenced to 21 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $300,000 in COVID-19 relief benefits, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Morton Chirnomas, 62, of Clifton, New Jersey previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to an Information charging him with wire fraud. Judge O’Hearn imposed the sentence in Camden federal Court. Chirnomas was also ordered to serve three years’ supervised release.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From May 2020 to September 2020, Chirnomas fraudulently obtained a $150,000 loan through the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans program. He also falsely obtained $200,000 in unemployment insurance benefits using the names and identities of other people without their authorization.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone; and special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime 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.
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Defense counsel: Saverio A. Viggiano, Newark, New Jersey
Nevada Woman Sentenced to 120 Months for $7 Million Advance Fee Ponzi Scheme and Obstructing the Government’s InvestigationRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Nevada woman was sentenced to 120 months in prison for orchestrating a $7 million advance fee Ponzi scheme and obstructing the government’s investigation, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Anna Kline, formerly Jordana Weber, 35, of Sparks, Nevada, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court to two counts of an Indictment charging her with wire fraud. Judge O’Hearn imposed the sentence in Camden federal Court. Kline was also ordered to serve three years’ supervised release and pay $3,403,000 in restitution.
According to the Indictment and documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Fraud Scheme
Between April 2017 and July 2019, Kline owned and operated several shell companies that falsely purported to offer lending services to customers, typically small business owners seeking high value loans, often in excess of $100 million. As part of the scheme, Kline required the victim borrowers to pay up to 5% of a potential total loan amount as a “fee” prior to the loan being funded.
After the victim’s “fee” was paid, Kline purported to conduct due diligence on the loans. During this period, Kline frequently gave victims bogus explanations for why the funding of their loan was delayed. It was also common for the victims to be provided with falsified or fraudulent documents, including bank statements that purported to show that the shell companies had sufficient money to fund the loan.
Throughout the scheme, Kline and her significant other, Jason Torres, used the “fees” paid by the victims for their daily living expenses, as well as for numerous lavish purchases, which included several luxury vehicles, high priced artwork, and vacations. The “fees” were also used to pay back previous victims of the fraud, in the manner of a traditional Ponzi scheme.
At least six victims transferred a total of approximately $7 million being transferred to bank accounts controlled by the Kline as a result of the scheme.
Kline’s Obstruction
Kline was arrested on charges related to the fraudulent advance fee scheme in July 2019. While released on bail on those charges, Kline, through her then-attorney, Attorney-1, provided the Government with a .pdf document that purported to be a portion of a Cellebrite report showing iMessages between Kline and Torres that appeared to show Torres making threats toward Kline and insinuating that Torres was primarily responsible for the fraudulent advance fee scheme.
A forensic review of the .pdf document Kline provided to the Government revealed that it had been falsified. Further investigation revealed that Kline presented the fake Cellebrite report to a Family Court in California as part of a custody dispute between Kline and Torres. During that hearing, Kline represented that the report had been generated by a forensic examiner named “Drew Andrews.” Investigation revealed that “Andrews” did not exist but was actually an alter-ego of Kline’s that Kline used to deceive the California Family Court, Attorney-1, and a forensic expert into believing that the fraudulent Cellebrite Report was legitimate.
In addition to the fraudulent Cellebrite report, Kline also provided the Government a computer that she claimed contained an iTunes backup that included the alleged text messages from Torres. A forensic review of the computer revealed that data on the computer, including the iTunes backup, had been manipulated. Specifically, certain time stamps on the computer had been changed to make it appear as if the iTunes backup and other files stored on the computer were created in April 2020, when the fictional “Andrews” purportedly ran the fraudulent Cellebrite Report.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel:
Michael Huff, Esq., Philadelphia, PA
Small Business Investment Company Agrees to Pay $1.5 MILLION to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Pennsylvania Small Business Investment Company (SBIC), its affiliate, and one of its portfolio companies have entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that the portfolio company violated the False Claims Act by taking a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to which the company was not entitled, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today.
According to the allegations in the complaint and the contentions of the United States contained in the settlement agreement:
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide emergency financial support to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses. Under appropriate circumstances, small businesses were eligible to receive these funds even if they were owned or had investment from SBICs. For the second draw of PPP loans, businesses in a single corporate group were limited to receiving a maximum of $4 million in PPP loans.
Argosy Investment Partners V, L.P. (“AIP V”) is an SBIC, and Argosy Investment Partners Parallel V, L.P. invests in parallel with AIP V. Among the portfolio companies in which they invested is AIP-ECS Holdings LLC (“AIP-ECS”). AIP-ECS applied for, received, and received forgiveness of a PPP loan for $1,205,352.00, even though AIP-ECS was ineligible for a loan of that size, because other companies in the portfolio had already received loans that, together with the loan AIP-ECS received, would take the corporate group over $4 million in total second draw PPP loans.
Argosy fully cooperated in the investigation and resolution of this matter. In accordance with the terms of the settlement, Argosy Investment Partners V, L.P., Argosy Investment Partners Parallel V, L.P., and/or AIP-ECS agree collectively to pay the United States $1.5 million.
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 $150,000 as his share in the recovery.
U.S. Attorney Habba credits special agents of the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Supervisory Criminal Investigator Angelo Palmeri in New York, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul W. Kaufman of the Healthcare Fraud 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.
The qui tam case is captioned United States of America ex rel. Zachary Holtzman v. Argosy Capital Company, LLC, et al., Civil Action No. 24-8318.
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Counsel for Argosy and AIP-ECS Holdings: Suzanne Jaffe Bloom, Benjamin Sokoly, Alan Roth, and Christopher Douglass, Winston & Strawn, New York, New York
Relator’s counsel: Darth Newman Esq., Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
argosy.agreement.pdfVenezuelan National Charged with Black Tar Heroin DistributionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Venezuelan man has been charged in connection with possessing with intent to distribute over two kilograms of black tar heroin, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Reinaldo Rafael Belisario Mendoza (“Mendoza”), 29, of Venezuela, was charged by complaint with one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. Mendoza appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court on May 29, 2025, and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In May 2025, law enforcement officials received information that Mendoza was engaged in narcotics trafficking in New Jersey. On May 28, 2025, Mendoza met with a prospective buyer to sell two kilograms of heroin that he had stored in the trunk of his vehicle. Mendoza drove to the sale with an adult and two minor family members in the car.
The heroin distribution count carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Division’s Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino, with the investigation leads to the arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker of the Criminal Division in Newark.
The charge 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: Adalgiza Nunez, Esq.
mendoza.complaint.pdfNew Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
NEWARK – A New Jersey man pleaded guilty today to tax evasion.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: for tax years 2015 and 2016, Matthew Tucci, of West Long Branch, filed tax returns that stated he owed more than $2 million in taxes for both years. Despite admitting that he owed those taxes, Tucci did not fully pay them when they were due. Instead, Tucci purchased real estate and engaged in a series of transactions designed to conceal his interest in those properties.
In 2017, the IRS sent notices to Tucci that he owed taxes, interest, and penalties for 2015 and 2016. After receiving these notices, Tucci transferred multiple properties to an entity owned by another individual, but he continued to exert control over at least two of them. Of the two properties Tucci continued to control, he sold one and refinanced the other. Tucci used the proceeds from these transactions to pay his personal expenses rather than his tax debts. In 2019, Tucci submitted documents to the IRS that falsely claimed that he had no connection to the entity that owned the 12 properties.
Tucci is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Catriona Coppler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Belgiovine for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.
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25-184
New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A New Jersey man pleaded guilty today to tax evasion.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: for tax years 2015 and 2016, Matthew Tucci, of West Long Branch, filed tax returns that stated he owed more than $2 million in taxes for both years. Despite admitting that he owed those taxes, Tucci did not fully pay them when they were due. Instead, Tucci purchased real estate and engaged in a series of transactions designed to conceal his interest in those properties.
In 2017, the IRS sent notices to Tucci that he owed taxes, interest, and penalties for 2015 and 2016. After receiving these notices, Tucci transferred multiple properties to an entity owned by another individual, but he continued to exert control over at least two of them. Of the two properties Tucci continued to control, he sold one and refinanced the other. Tucci used the proceeds from these transactions to pay his personal expenses rather than his tax debts. In 2019, Tucci submitted documents to the IRS that falsely claimed that he had no connection to the entity that owned the 12 properties.
Tucci is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 9. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Catriona Coppler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Belgiovine for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.
Middlesex County Man Sentenced to 27 Months for Defrauding South Koreans Through Bogus Commodities Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey man was sentenced to prison for defrauding victims in South Korea through a bogus investment scheme, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Mohammed Rahman, 64, of Iselin, New Jersey, was sentenced to 27 months in prison. Rahman previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Rahman controlled a company, Caltech Trading Corporation, through which he purported to buy and sell commodities. Rahman and other individuals in South Korea persuaded approximately 60 victims there to invest funds purportedly toward the purchase of $1 million of sugar from Brazil, which Caltech would then sell for a substantial profit. Rahman and his associates memorialized the investment terms in a fraudulent investment agreement that falsely promised the victim investors that they would receive a one hundred percent return on their investment. The victims relied on Rahman’s misrepresentations about how their funds would be used to purchase sugar. In reality, the funds were wired into Rahman’s bank account and used to pay his personal expenses, including his mortgage. Rahman also altered his bank account statement in an attempt to conceal the fact that he did not use the investors’ funds to purchase sugar.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Castner sentenced Rahman to two years of supervised release and to pay $1,393,200 in restitution to the victims. Judge Castner ordered forfeiture of $1,000,000, constituting proceeds derived from the conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan, and special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark, with the investigation. She also thanked the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker of the Health Care Fraud & Opioids Abuse Prevention Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Robert G. Stahl, Esq.
Texas Man Sentenced to 26 Months in Prison for Making Threats of Violence Against Employees of Sikh Nonprofit OrganizationRead the Press Release
A Dallas County, Texas man was sentenced to 26 months in prison for a federal hate crime and for making violent interstate threats against various individuals based on their religion, including the employees of a Sikh nonprofit organization located in New Jersey, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey announced today.
Bhushan Athale, 49, of Dallas, Texas had previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel in Camden federal court to interfering with federally protected activities through the threatened use of a dangerous weapon and one count of transmitting an interstate threat to injure another person.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, on Sept. 17, 2022, Athale called the main number of an organization that advocates for the civil rights of Sikh individuals within the United States, leaving numerous messages over several hours threatening to injure or kill these individuals with a razor and other very specific acts of violence.
On March 21, 2024, Athale again called the same Sikh organization and left two more voicemails. In these voicemails, Athale again used violent, sexual imagery to express his hatred toward Sikhs as well as Muslims.
“The Department of Justice has no tolerance for hate-fueled threats of violence in our country, and we appreciate the strong efforts of U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and her team in working with us to bring this perpetrator to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kiel sentenced Athale to three years of supervised release and warned Athale not to contact any of the victims of his offenses.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey credited the special agents of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Jason M. Richardson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden, New Jersey, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
Passaic County Man Admits to Conspiring to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Newark, N.J. – A Passaic County man admitted to distributing approximately 500 pills of fentanyl, United States Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Angelo Restituyo-Garcia, 34, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to one count of conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B).
According to the statements made in court and the documents filed in this case:
From in or about March of 2020 through May of 2020, Restituyo-Garcia conspired with others to distribute fentanyl. On May 1, 2020, Restituyo-Garcia delivered nearly 500 pills of compressed fentanyl totaling more than 50 grams for which he accepted $2,750 in payment.
The conspiracy charge and the possession with intent to distribute charge are both punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison and a maximum $5,000,000 fine. Each charge carries with it a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for October 1, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark, New Jersey as well as investigators with the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Prosecutor Camelia Valdes.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the Untied States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The 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: Adalgiza Nunez, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
restituyogarcia.information.pdfPassaic County Correctional Officer Admits Civil Rights Violation and Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice in Connection with an Assault of a Pretrial DetaineeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County Correctional Officer admitted his role in assaulting a pretrial detainee and conspiring to obstruct justice, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Sergeant Jose Gonzalez, 46, pleaded 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.
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, Sergeant Gonzalez admitted that he, along with Sergeant Donald Vinales, and 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,” Sergeant Gonzalez admitted that he and Sergeant 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, Sergeant 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, Sergeant Gonzalez, Sergeant Vinales, Officer 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.
Officer Bowden pleaded guilty on April 18, 2024, before Judge Farbiarz to an information charging him with conspiracy to obstruct justice and is awaiting sentencing.
Sergeant Vinales pleaded 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.
The charge of deprivation of rights under color of law carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and the charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Both charges carry a fine of up to $250,000. Gonzalez’s sentencing is scheduled for October 22, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly 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, Chief of the Narcotics/OCDETF 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
gonzalez.indictment.pdfFormer New Jersey Resident Sentenced to 72 Months for $4.7 Million ‘Up Front’ Fee SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Florida man who previously resided in New Jersey was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment for defrauding approximately 33 victims out of more than $4.7 million through an “upfront-fee” scheme that spanned nearly a decade, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
John Sabo, 71, formerly of Spring Lake, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From in or around November 2014 through at least in or around August 2023, Sabo fraudulently induced his multiple victims to collectively pay millions of dollars in “up-front” or advance fees to his company, Bankers Capital LLC, in exchange for the promise to provide various forms of collateral and/or secure millions of dollars in financing for each of the victims’ business projects. However, neither Sabo nor Bankers Capital possessed or had access to the financing and collateral that Sabo promised.
Instead of using the victims’ money as promised, Sabo diverted millions of dollars out of Bankers Capital, primarily for personal expenses, which included payments to Sabo’s creditors, and to pay back other victims of the scheme. Even after he was charged by complaint in November 2022 with engaging in the wire fraud scheme, Sabo continued to provide false assurances to victims that they would receive the promised collateral or financing. In total, Sabo’s scheme resulted in $4,788,325 in losses to victims.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp ordered Sabo to pay forfeiture and restitution to the victims of his scheme, each in the total amount of $4,788,325, and sentenced Sabo to 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Kozar and Carolyn Silane of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Michael Robertson, Esq.
sabo.information.pdfDallas, Texas Man Sentenced to 26 Months for Making Threats of Violence Against Employees of Sikh Nonprofit OrganizationRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Dallas County, Texas man was sentenced to 26 months in prison for a federal hate crime and for making violent interstate threats against various individuals based on their religion, including the employees of a Sikh nonprofit organization located in New Jersey, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey announced today.
Bhushan Athale, 49, of Dallas, Texas, had previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel in Camden federal court to interfering with federally protected activities through the threatened use of a dangerous weapon and one count of transmitting an interstate threat to injure another person.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Sept. 17, 2022, Athale called the main number of an organization that advocates for the civil rights of Sikh individuals within the United States, leaving numerous messages over several hours threatening to injure or kill these individuals with a razor and other very specific acts of violence.
On March 21, 2024, Athale again called the same Sikh organization and left two more voicemails. In these voicemails, Athale again used violent, sexual imagery to express his hatred toward Sikhs as well as Muslims.
“The Department of Justice has no tolerance for hate-fueled threats of violence in our country, and we appreciate the strong efforts of U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and her team in working with us to bring this perpetrator to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kiel sentenced Athale to three years of supervised release and warned Athale not to contact any of the victims of his offenses.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey credited the special agents of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, with the investigation
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Jason M. Richardson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden, New Jersey, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
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Defense Counsel: AFPD Maggie Moy
Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A New Jersey woman pleaded guilty to bank robbery, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Ciara Brascom, 38, of Newark, pleaded guilty to an information charging her with one count of bank robbery before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On July 28, 2024, Brascom entered a bank in Princeton and demanded cash from a bank teller, while holding what appeared to be a black handgun. During the robbery, Brascom threatened that she would use the gun if the bank’s alarm was activated. Brascom fled from the bank after taking approximately $60,500.
The charge in the information to which Brascom pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for October 6, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the Princeton Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Christopher Tash, and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey, for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard G. Shephard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
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Defense counsel: Andrea G. Aldana, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Trenton
brascom.information.pdf