District Not Recorded

A Texas tax return preparer was sentenced on October 7, 2026, to 14 months in prison for her role in conspiring to file false tax returns on behalf of clients.  

According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately February 2020 to October 2022, Sivagami Chidambaram conspired with a tax return preparation business owner and several of his employees to defraud the United States by filing tax returns for clients that contained false business expenses. These false expenses artificially reduced the taxes the clients owed to the IRS, which enabled them to receive refunds to which they were not entitled. Sometimes, Chidambaram added false business expenses on client returns by asking the client about work-from-home expenses, even though Chidambaram knew such expenses could not be claimed on their returns. In some instances, Chidambaram included false business expenses on clients’ tax returns before speaking with the client. In other instances, Chidambaram added false items to appease clients who demanded higher tax refunds. Chidambaram admitted to causing a tax loss to the United States exceeding $250,000 but less than $550,000.  

Three other tax return preparers – including a tax return preparation business owner and two of his employees – were sentenced to prison in July in relation to the same scheme. One tax return preparer who admitted to filing false tax returns for clients was sentenced to home confinement. 

Tax preparation business owner Mathews Chacko was previously sentenced to 50 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the IRS as part of the same scheme. Chacko admitted to causing a tax loss to the United States exceeding $3.5 million but less than $9.5 million. Tax preparers Anish Pillai, Subhala Suresh, and Mou Kundu were previously sentenced to 26 months’ imprisonment, 18 months’ imprisonment, and 18 months’ home confinement, respectively, after pleading guilty to aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return as part of the same scheme.  

Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons of the Western District of Texas made the announcement. 

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. 

Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Marissa R. Brodney and Trial Attorney Michael L. Jones of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section prosecuted the case. 

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

A federal grand jury in Dallas, Texas returned an indictment on September 22, 2026, charging four Texas residents with conspiracy to defraud the United States and other crimes for promoting an illegal tax shelter.

According to the indictment, Texas residents Duncan John MacDonald, Sarah Duren, Richard Ronald Cayce, and Thomas Weickgenant promoted and sold a fraudulent trust scheme that was used to shelter more than $1.5 billion of income, causing an estimated tax loss to the IRS of more than $200 million. The defendants allegedly sold clients the tax shelter for fees that often exceeded $100,000 by fraudulently telling clients that they could assign their income to sham trusts to defer paying taxes in perpetuity, all while continuing to enjoy the benefit and control over their assets and income. The defendants also allegedly encouraged some clients to backdate their trusts and file amended income tax returns claiming refunds for prior years’ taxes.

The indictment also alleges that Weickgenant, who allegedly filed false tax returns for tax shelter clients, obstructed IRS efforts to audit those clients. Weickgenant’s alleged obstruction included instructing clients not to speak with the IRS and encouraging at least one client not to comply with a U.S. District Court order to enforce an IRS summons. 

The indictment further alleges that MacDonald and Duren, common-law spouses, evaded income taxes on the millions they received in fees from selling the tax shelter. To do so, the couple allegedly concealed MacDonald’s ownership of the tax shelter business and lied to federal investigators. They also allegedly filed false tax returns, used trusts to conceal their receipt of income, and paid personal living expenses through trusts and nominee accounts held in the names of third parties. Allegedly, Cayce, who owned the distributorship licensing the trust tax shelter, likewise received millions of dollars in fees, which he failed to report on his income tax returns.

Additionally, according to the allegations, MacDonald fraudulently solicited $2 million from investors to purportedly purchase shares in a business promoting the tax shelter by allegedly developing digital trusts. Instead, MacDonald allegedly used the $2 million to purchase luxury goods for himself, including a Rolls Royce Ghost (pictured below top with MacDonald) and the downpayment for a yacht (pictured below bottom). At the time he received funds from investors, MacDonald allegedly was under a court-ordered injunction prohibiting him from selling securities not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The defendants are charged with the following offenses and, if convicted, face the following maximum prison sentences:

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan R. Raybould for the Northern District of Texas made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Assistant Deputy Chief William Montague and Trial Attorney Max Willner-Giwerc of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric B. Chen of the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

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

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

A Tennessee woman pleaded guilty today to preparing false tax returns for others and willfully failing to file her own tax returns. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, Lynette Hogue prepared and filed with the IRS false income tax returns for clients of the tax preparation business where she worked. These tax returns contained false and fraudulent items, which generated refunds the clients were not entitled to receive. Hogue also willfully failed to file her own tax returns, even though she earned substantial income from her tax return preparation business and was required by law to file. In total, Hogue’s conduct caused a loss to the IRS of $4.1 million. 

Hogue pleaded guilty to one count of willfully aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return and one count of willfully failing to file an individual tax return. She is scheduled to be sentenced on January 15, 2027, and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for aiding and assisting the filing of a false return and one year in prison for filing a false individual return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement. 

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. 

Trial Attorneys Isaiah Boyd III and Matthew C. Hicks of the Fraud Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carroll L. André III for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case. 

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

Two New Jersey brothers pleaded guilty in September to stealing more than $978,126 and $1,643,172, respectively, in tax refunds. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, in early 2023, Ronald Chrichlow, of Somerset, and Gordon Chrichlow, formerly of Carteret, each filed a false 2022 Form 1041, U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts, on behalf of their trusts. These Forms 1041 falsely reported that the trusts made tax payments to the IRS when they had not and claimed refunds of $978,126 and $1,643,172, respectively. Pursuant to these false filings, in March 2023, the IRS issued Ronald Chrichlow a U.S. Treasury check for $978,126 and Gordon Chrichlow a U.S. Treasury check for $1,643,172. With his proceeds, Gordon Chrichlow purchased a Porsche Taycan for approximately $117,364 and bought a house for approximately $686,258. 

In August 2023, the IRS assigned a revenue officer to collect the fraudulently obtained refunds. In response to IRS collection efforts, the Chrichlow brothers mailed to the IRS amended 2022 Forms 1041 for their trusts that removed the originally claimed tax payments. They also mailed 2022 Forms 1040-NR, U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return, on which they falsely claimed not to be residents of the United States and falsely claimed that their 2022 income was tax exempt pursuant to a tax treaty.  

The Chrichlow brothers also willfully failed to file their personal income tax returns in some years, despite earning income. Ronald Chrichlow earned $960,000 in income between 2021 and 2024, but did not file income tax returns between 2022 and 2024. For 2021, he filed a false tax return falsely reporting tax payments he did not make in order to claim a tax refund of $93,228 to which he was not entitled. Gordon Chrichlow willfully failed to file his 2021 through 2024 tax returns, despite earning more than $1.4 million in gross income in those years. 

The Chrichlow brothers also filed false COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications on behalf of their business entities in 2020 that reported false numbers of employees and false gross receipts, in order to receive loans and grants to which they were not entitled. 

Ronald and Gordon Chrichlow each pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds. Ronald Chrichlow is scheduled to be sentenced on January 12, 2027, and Gordon Chrichlow is scheduled to be sentenced on January 27, 2027. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division made the announcement. 

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the cases. 

Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Likhitha Butchireddygari of the Fraud Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the cases. 

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

A Minneapolis father and son pleaded guilty in October to conspiring to defraud the United States. The father also pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.  

According to documents and statements made in court, between June 2022 and October 2024, LaMar Javis Burgess and his son, LaMar Dazjar Burgess, of the Minneapolis area, prepared and filed false federal income tax returns for themselves and others claiming refund amounts they and the other taxpayers were not entitled to receive. The defendants prepared and filed false 2021 tax returns claiming refundable sick and family leave tax credits available to certain self-employed individuals unable to work due to COVID-19. They also prepared and filed false 2022 tax returns claiming certain refundable tax credits.  

During the conspiracy, LaMar Javis Burgess sought and obtained videos and instruction manuals educating himself on how to file false federal tax returns, including a guide titled “TurboTax Sauce The ‘Self-Employed’ Way.” He worked with his son and others to promote the tax fraud scheme. In exchange for filing false tax returns, he charged taxpayers a $10,000 fee from a portion of their tax refunds.  

Both the father and son solicited others to provide them with their names, addresses, Social Security numbers, photo identification and bank account information to enable them to prepare and file the false tax returns. The returns included employment and tax credit information they knew to be false. 

In total, the defendants prepared or filed at least 300 false and fraudulent federal tax returns claiming at least $9.2 million in refunds. 

During a search warrant executed at his home in Golden Valley, Minnesota, federal investigators found that LaMar Javis Burgess was in possession of a Glock model 19, 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. The handgun contained a loaded fifteen round magazine. An empty magazine, an extended high-capacity magazine, and a high-capacity drum magazine were also found on the closet shelves, and loose ammunition rounds were in a bag inside the closet. The handgun was a reported stolen firearm. Because LaMar Javis Burgess has certain prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. 

LaMar Javis Burgess is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison for conspiracy and fifteen years in prison for felon in possession of a firearm. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. LaMar Dazjar Burgess is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison for conspiracy. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota made the announcement. 

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI, HSI, ATF, Minneapolis Police Department, Fridley Police Department, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office and Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.  

Trial Attorney J. Parker Gochenour of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Kline of the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case. 

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

An indictment was unsealed today in the Northern District of Georgia charging two brothers and a third man with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, all arising out of a $74 million scheme to defraud the IRS through the filing of fraudulent tax returns.

The following is according to the indictment: from 2019 to the present, Gustavo Rojano Salazar, Gabriel Rojano Salazar and Andres Huerta Rendon, who all resided in the Atlanta area and were Mexican citizens, obtained Mexican identification documents in the names of third parties. They used these identification documents to obtain Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN) with the IRS.  An ITIN was a number issued by the IRS to an individual who was required to file a federal tax return, but who did not have or was not eligible to receive a Social Security number. The three co-conspirators directed the IRS to mail the ITIN letters to post office boxes they controlled. In total, the co-conspirators obtained a significant number of Mexican Identification cards and ITIN letters, as depicted in the photo below:

After receiving the ITIN information, the co-conspirators prepared and filed fraudulent tax returns in the names of the Mexican ITIN holders that included fabricated Forms W-2 reporting certain income and withholdings. Each of these returns resulted in refunds, which the co-conspirators directed to be mailed to the post office boxes they controlled. The co-conspirators then collected the resulting U.S. Treasury refund checks issued in the names of the Mexican ITIN holders and cashed them using a check cashing company. In total, the three co-conspirators and others cashed more than 16,000 U.S. Treasury tax refund checks worth over $74 million. Below is a photograph of cash from a photograph taken by one of the defendants:

Gustavo Rojano Salazar and Gabriel Rojano Salazar are also charged with knowingly making false statements on immigration forms submitted under penalties of perjury.

All three defendants face maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for each count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Gustavo Rojano Salazar and Gabriel Rojano Salazar also face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for each count of making false statements on immigration forms. 

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg of the Northern District of Georgia made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.

Senior Litigation Counsel Michael C. Boteler of the Fraud Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly K. Connors of the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.

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

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

A Parker, Colorado man pleaded guilty on October 2, 2026, to willfully failing to pay over employment taxes on behalf of the medical spa business he owned and operated.

The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Spencer Carrado owned and operated “Spectrum Med Spa,” also known as “SculptedMD,” a “medical spa” operating in various locations. Carrado exercised control over SculptedMD’s financial affairs. He also was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from his employees’ wages and paying those funds over to the IRS, as well as filing quarterly employment tax returns with the IRS. From the third quarter of 2020 through the fourth quarter of 2024, however, Carrado withheld taxes from his employees’ wages, but did not pay over those taxes to the IRS or file all required quarterly employment tax returns. In total, Carrado caused a tax loss to the United States exceeding $600,000.

Carrado pleaded guilty to one count of willful failure to account for and pay over trust fund taxes. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 11, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Stuart A. Wexler of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section is prosecuting the case.

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

A Maine man pleaded guilty on October 7, 2026, to filing false tax returns for himself and others and defrauding clients by diverting a portion of their refunds to himself without their authorization. 

According to court filings and statements made in court, Thierry Musese operated a tax preparation business out of an Auburn, Maine barbershop. For the 2021 and 2022 tax years, Musese prepared tax returns for clients that reported fabricated business losses, false fuel tax credits, and improper residential energy credits. These false items generated inflated refunds that the taxpayers were not entitled to receive. Additionally, Musese defrauded clients by diverting a portion of his clients’ tax refunds to himself without their knowledge or authorization. Musese continued preparing false returns even after the IRS revoked his electronic filing credentials. During this same period, Musese also filed false personal tax returns for himself. 

Musese pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, one count of filing a false tax return and one count of wire fraud. Musese faces up to three years in prison for each count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return and filing a false tax return and up to twenty years in prison for the count of wire fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. 

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Benson for the District of Maine made the announcement. Trial Attorney Likhitha Butchireddygari of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Green for the District of Maine are prosecuting the case.

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

A Kenyan national and Missouri businessman was sentenced on October 5, 2026, to 51 months in prison today for willfully failing to pay over employment taxes to the IRS on behalf of the company he owned and operated.

According to documents and statements made in court, Ephantus Mwangi, 48, a resident of Missouri, owned and operated True Payment Solutions, Inc., a Kansas-based business that sold credit-card processing services and card readers to merchants. Mwangi also owned True POS Solutions, Inc, a separate business that offered similar services. 

True Payment Solutions typically employed between 20 and 30 people at a time. Because Mwangi was responsible for all financial matters at the business, Mwangi was required by law to withhold Social Security, Medicare and federal income taxes from the wages of his employees and then pay over those funds to the IRS each quarter, as well as file quarterly employment tax returns with the IRS. From at least the third quarter of 2017 through at least the fourth quarter of 2018, however, Mwangi withheld employment taxes from his employees’ wages, but he willfully failed to pay over these taxes to the IRS or file employment tax returns. In total, Mwangi withheld $331,404.33 in taxes from his employees’ wages that he did not pay over to the IRS. 

Mwangi also willfully failed to pay over employment taxes due from True Payment Solutions. Instead, from 2016 to 2019, Mwangi transferred more than $1.5 million from the corporate bank accounts of True Payment Solutions and True POS Solutions Inc. to his personal bank accounts. During this time, he spent more than $200,000 on loan payments for various luxury vehicles, including a Hummer H2, a Cadillac Escalade, two Range Rovers, two Mercedes, and a Lexus. He also used these funds to rent an 11,000 sq. ft. mansion as a second home in San Antonio for $13,000 per month and to pay for private school tuition for his children. Additionally, between 2016 and 2019, Mwangi transferred a total of $763,000 in funds to “TRUE PAYMENT SOLUTIONS, EA LTD,” in Kenya, Africa. Mwangi also frequently visited a casino for 10 to 12 hours at a time. 

Mwangi also willfully failed to file individual income tax returns for the years 2017 and 2020, and he filed 2018 and 2019 individual income tax returns after the deadline had passed. Mwangi did not file corporate income tax returns for Mwangi also willfully failed to file individual income tax returns for the years 2017 and 2020, and he filed 2018 and 2019 individual income tax returns after the deadline had passed. For the years 2017 through 2019, Mwangi did not file corporate income tax returns for True Payment Solutions or True POS Solutions, Inc.

In total, Mwangi caused a tax loss to the U.S. government exceeding $1.5 million.

Mwangi was previously scheduled to be sentenced on April 27, 2026. He failed to appear in court on this date and remained a fugitive from justice for approximately six weeks, until he was arrested during a traffic stop. During the stop, Mwangi falsely identified himself to law enforcement by providing a false name and birth date. 

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Crabtree ordered Mwangi to serve 3 years of supervised release and pay $1,597,835.24 in restitution to the United States.

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser for the District of Kansas made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Texas State Police. 

Trial Attorney J. Parker Gochenour of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Huschka of the District of Kansas prosecuted the case.

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

Today, the Justice Department opened an investigation to determine whether Pennsauken, New Jersey deprives citizens of their right to bear arms through egregious and unjust delays in issuing firearm licenses. The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear firearms — including the right to carry firearms. The investigation focuses on the Pennsauken Township Police’s permitting system; the investigation does not support any armed obstruction of federal or local law enforcement.

“I have directed the Civil Rights Division, through our Second Amendment Section, to defend law-abiding citizens from local authorities who infringe on the right to safely carry legal firearms,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our investigation aims to discover if allegations of unconstitutional delays in firearm permitting are true, and if so, to fix it.”

It is a violation of the Second Amendment for government officials to delay issuing permits to purchase or carry firearms. In 2022, the Supreme Court held in New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n, Inc. v. Bruen that a state’s permitting process is put towards “abusive ends” when “lengthy wait times in processing license applications or exorbitant fees deny ordinary citizens their right to public carry.” Here, it is alleged that Pennsauken, through the Pennsauken Township Police Department, uses just such “abusive ends” to improperly limit Second Amendment rights.

The Civil Rights Division’s Second Amendment Section enforces the Second Amendment. If you believe your right to keep and bear arms is being infringed, please submit a complaint through www.justice.gov/crt/second-amendment-section.

A Florida man was sentenced on October 6, 2026, to 36 months in prison for filing a false tax return on behalf of a trust he controlled as part of a $4.2 million refund fraud scheme. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, McDonald Preval, of Miami, filed numerous false tax returns for himself and trusts he claimed to control. The trust tax returns reported that the trusts had earned significant income and made tax withholding payments to the IRS, purportedly entitling the trusts to large tax refunds. In fact, the trusts did not have the claimed income, and did not make payments in the amounts claimed on the returns, and therefore were not entitled to the refunds Preval claimed. He also filed tax returns for 2023 that did not include the income from his employment. The false tax returns Preval caused to be filed on behalf of purported trusts and himself collectively sought tax refunds totaling more than $4.2 million. Preval obtained more than $580,000 from his scheme, which he used to pay off the mortgage loan on his house and other personal expenses. 

Preval pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return. In addition to a term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga ordered Preval to pay $580,647 in restitution to the IRS and to serve one year of supervised release.

Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Kavitha Bondada of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section prosecuted the case.  

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

The Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division), along with the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, today announced a nationwide series of enforcement actions targeting tax fraud.

Between early September and today, the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country participated in the Department’s first-ever National Tax Enforcement Surge. The surge of nationwide resources resulted in prosecutorial actions against 76 defendants whose alleged and proven crimes intended an estimated loss of revenue to the federal government of more than $490,000,000.

“Every dollar stolen through tax fraud is a dollar taken from the American people,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “What we uncovered during this concentrated surge is only the tip of the iceberg. The Department of Justice is committed to expanding our investigations and exposing schemes designed to evade accountability, because there is no safe haven for fraudsters.”

“The Fraud Division is resolved to protect American taxpayers from criminal actors on every frontier of fraud, including tax fraudsters seeking to steal the wealth of America,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Over six weeks, the Fraud Division’s Tax Section, 35 U.S. Attorneys' Offices, and IRS Criminal Investigation took action against over 70 defendants who sought more than $490 million from the Treasury. Today’s results send a clear message to fraudsters: those who intentionally lie to steal the money of the American people should expect to answer for their conduct in federal court.”

“This enforcement surge delivered results for taxpayers,” said IRS CEO Frank J. Bisignano. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are working across government to go after fraud, hold bad actors accountable, and protect the integrity of our nation’s tax system.”

“If there was ever any question whether criminal tax enforcement remains a priority, today’s actions should dispel all doubt. These cases send an unmistakable message that individuals and businesses who deliberately cheat the tax system will be held accountable,” said Jarod Koopman, Chief of IRS Criminal Investigation and Chief Tax Compliance Officer. “The investigations announced today involve hundreds of millions in identified tax losses to the United States, funds that should have supported the programs and services Americans depend on every day. When taxpayers evade their legal obligations, the burden does not disappear, it is shifted to law-abiding Americans.”

The Department’s prosecutors returned 23 actions with new charges against 31 defendants. The estimated intended loss to the public fisc arising from the allegations against these defendants exceeds approximately $350,000,000. In addition to returning these new charges, the Fraud Division’s Tax Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices partook in around 39 other enforcement actions — trials, guilty pleas, and sentencings. These events affected another 45 defendants whose actions produced an estimated intended loss of nearly $140,000,000.

Notable Cases

1) United States v. Martin Navarrete (Indictment) – $2,800,000 – District of Maryland

According to the indictment, Navarrete, who served as sole owner and sole corporate officer of Navarrete Brothers Construction Inc. (NBC), exercised significant control and authority over NBC’s finances. Among his responsibilities, Navarrete was tasked with collecting trust-fund taxes, accounting for employment taxes by filing Forms 941 with the IRS and paying the IRS the trust-fund taxes for NBC’s employees.

From September 2020 through December 2025, Navarrete allegedly willfully failed to truthfully account for and pay over the trust-fund taxes owed to the IRS on behalf of NBC’s employees. Additionally, Navarrete willfully failed to file U.S. Corporate Income Tax Return and Individual Tax Return forms for calendar years 2020–2024. 

2) United States v. Sherita Booker (Information) – $11,806,165 – Northern District of Ohio

On Sept. 30, Sherita Booker, of Cleveland, was charged with aiding or assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent federal income tax returns. She allegedly prepared false returns and obtained large, fraudulent refunds for hundreds of clients, primarily using three programs: (1) COVID-19 sick leave credits for non-existent businesses and employees; (2) Refunds of purported fuel taxes paid for off-road (farm) use; and (3) Claims for refunds of taxes purportedly overpaid in previous years.

3) United States v. Marty Allen Linville (Sentencing)  – $2,595,679  – Western District of Arkansas

Since at least 2010, Marty Allen Linville, age 58, owned and operated Malco Inc., a trucking business located in De Queen, Arkansas, where he had employees and paid them wages. Linville provided his employees with Forms W-2 that reported withholdings paid to the IRS on their behalf. However, Linville did not separately file the Forms W-2 with the Social Security Administration or make the required tax deposits. More than one employee reported to Linville that their tax return refunds were frozen because no Form W-2 was on file with the IRS. Linville pled guilty to 2 counts of Willful Failure to Account for and Pay Over Trust Fund Taxes. Linville was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution, including penalties and interest, in the amount of $3.8 million.

4) United States vs. Duncan John MacDonald, Sarah Duren, Richard Ronald Cayce, and Thomas Weickgenant (Indictment) – $200,000,000 – Northern District of Texas

Four Texas residents charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and other crimes for promoting an illegal tax shelter. According to the indictment, the defendants promoted and sold a fraudulent trust scheme that was used to shelter more than $1.5 billion of income, causing an estimated tax loss to the IRS of more than $200 million. The defendants allegedly sold clients the tax shelter for fees that often exceeded $100,000 by fraudulently telling clients that they could assign their income to sham trusts to defer paying taxes in perpetuity, all while continuing to enjoy the benefit and control over their assets and income. The defendants also allegedly encouraged some clients to backdate their trusts and file amended income tax returns claiming refunds for prior years’ taxes.

5) United States v. Ephantus Mwangi (Sentencing) – $1,500,000 – District of Kansas

A Kenyan national and Missouri businessman was sentenced to 51 months in prison for willfully failing to pay over employment taxes to the IRS on behalf of the credit-card processing services companies he owned and operated. During this time, he spent more than $200,000 on loan payments for various luxury vehicles, including a Hummer H2, a Cadillac Escalade, two Range Rovers, two Mercedes, and a Lexus. He also willfully failed to file individual income tax returns for the years 2017 and 2020, and he filed 2018 and 2019 individual income tax returns after the deadline had passed.

6) United States v. Nelai Mitchell (Sentencing) – $13,800,000 – Eastern District of North Carolina

Nejlai Mitchell, an owner of a North Carolina tax return preparation business was sentenced to 60 months in prison for conspiring to prepare false returns claiming fraudulent refunds based on COVID-19 tax credits. From approximately April 2022 through May 2023, Mitchell and seven employees filed false tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on the paid sick and family leave credit, a credit passed by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. The conspiracy resulted in a total of approximately $23.9 million in fraudulent tax refund claims. The IRS paid out approximately $13,890,697 of that amount.

Five other return preparers were sentenced for their roles in the scheme. On Sept. 3, Tiffany Moody was sentenced to 26 months in prison. On July 8, Shaneen Ray was sentenced to 18 months in prison, Eyoubo McBurney was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and Sylvia Swindell was sentenced to 16 months in prison. On July 9, Katrena Stanback was sentenced to six months in prison.

7) United States v. Gustavo Rojano Salazar, Gabriel Rojano Salazar, and Andres Huerta Rendon (Indictment) – $74,000,000 – Northern District of Georgia

Two brothers and a third man were charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, all arising out of a $74 million scheme to defraud the IRS through the filing of fraudulent tax returns. According to the indictment, the three men, who are Mexican citizens, obtained Mexican identification documents in the names of third parties. They used these identification documents to obtain Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN) with the IRS used by an individual who was required to file a federal tax return, but who did not have or was not eligible to receive a Social Security number. After receiving the ITIN information, the co-conspirators prepared and filed fraudulent tax returns in the names of the Mexican ITIN holders. Each of these returns resulted in refunds, which the co-conspirators directed to be mailed to post office boxes they controlled. The co-conspirators then collected the resulting U.S. Treasury refund checks issued in the names of the Mexican ITIN holders and cashed them using a check cashing company. In total, the three co-conspirators and others cashed more than 16,000 U.S. Treasury tax refund checks worth over $74 million.

8) United States v. Pedro Cabrajal (Indictment) - $4,900,000 – District of New Jersey

New Jersey man charged with willful failure to account for and pay over employment taxes, tax evasion and willful failure to file income tax returns. According to the indictment, from 2012 to 2020, Pedro Carbajal, of Sparta, New Jersey, operated Option Staffing Services LLC, an employee-leasing business that was nominally owned by another individual. During this period, Carbajal allegedly did not file quarterly employment tax returns with the IRS or pay the required trust fund and unemployment taxes on behalf of his company’s employees. Carbajal allegedly failed to pay over a total of approximately $4.9 million in taxes to the IRS.

9) United States v. Jose Da Costa Gomez (Indictment) – No public loss announced – Southern District of Florida

Business owner charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, filing false tax returns with the IRS, wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud. According to the indictment, Da Costa Gomez was the owner of a series of businesses Da Costa Gomez and his family members allegedly used the companies’ funds to pay tens of millions of dollars of personal expenses and failed to report those payments as income to the Internal Revenue Service. Da Costa Gomez and others also allegedly evaded Florida sales and use taxes on purchases by having items shipped out of Florida and then surreptitiously bringing them back to the state or submitting false resale certificates to sellers.

10) United States v. John Labee (Indictment) – $6,900,000 – Western District of Texas

Defendant charged with conspiring to file false claims and filing false claims. From approximately October 2021 through July 2022, Labee and co-conspirator Andrea Dotson allegedly agreed to have Labee prepare and file false tax returns on behalf of Dotson’s business, Divine Grinde. Although Divine Grinde had minimal operations and no employees, Labee and Dotson allegedly conspired to file nine false tax returns that falsely claimed the Employee Retention Credit and the Sick and Family Leave Credit based on completely fabricated wage and tax figures. Dotson previously pleaded guilty on March 10, 2026, for her role in the offense. In total, Labee and Dotson’s fraudulent claims sought refunds of approximately $6.9 million, of which the IRS paid over $1.1 million. Dotson kept a portion of the tax refunds for herself and allegedly provided the remainder to Labee.

11) United States v. Pacifique Kashosi (Trial) – Loss to be determined at sentencing – District of Arizona

Phoenix tax preparer convicted at trial for aiding and assisting in the filing of false tax returns and filing false personal income tax returns. Kashosi prepared false tax returns for his clients that reported false Covid tax credits, false fuel credits and false business losses. The false tax returns claimed thousands of dollars in fraudulent refunds. In cases like this one, the intended loss is often millions of dollars and can result in significant prison time.

12) United States v. Marquis Al Bey (Guilty Plea) – $35,000,000 – District of Maryland

Marquis Al Bey, of Forney, Texas, pleaded guilty on Sept. 17, for his role in a tax refund fraud conspiracy that sought to obtain more than $35 million in fraudulent refunds through the filing of false tax returns. Bey prepared tax returns for clients, including clients located in Maryland, that sought large tax refunds that the individuals and entities listed on the returns were not entitled to receive. Bey charged clients for his tax return preparation services and, in some cases, required that clients agree to pay him a percentage of any resulting refund. As part of his plea, Bey admitted to preparing seven false returns between 2017 and 2021 for his co-defendant and another individual in Maryland that collectively sought more than $35 million from the Internal Revenue Service. Two of those returns resulted in the IRS issuing refunds totaling more than $10 million to Bey’s clients.

13) United States v. LaMar Dazjar Burgess and LaMar Javis Burgess (Guilty Pleas) – $9,200,000 – District of Minnesota

Father and son, LaMar Javis Burgess and son LaMar Dazjar Burgess, participated in a scheme to fraudulently obtain tax refunds by filing false income tax returns based primarily on COVID-related sick and family leave credits, fuel tax credits, and false withholdings. For tax years 2022 and 2023 Javis and his son prepared and/or filed at least 300 false income tax returns claiming at least $9.2 million in fraudulent refunds.

14) United States v. Ronald Chrichlow and Gordon Chrichlow (Guilty Pleas) – $978,126 and $1,643,172 – District of New Jersey

Two brothers plead guilty to stealing more than $978,126 and $1,643,172, respectively, in tax refunds. Ronald Chrichlow and Gordon Chrichlow both filed a false 2022 Form 1041, U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts, on behalf of their trusts. These Forms 1041 falsely reported that the trusts made tax payments to the IRS when they had not and claimed refunds as a result. In response to IRS collection efforts, the Chrichlow brothers mailed forms to the IRS on which they falsely claimed not to be residents of the United States and falsely claimed that their 2022 income was tax exempt pursuant to a tax treaty. The Chrichlow brothers also failed to file their personal income tax returns in some years, despite earning income and being legally obligated to file.

15) United States v. Lakeibia Fannin (Sentencing) – $1,400,000 – District of Nevada

Illinois woman sentenced to 13 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States by making false claims for refunds based on COVID-19 tax credits. Lakeibia Fannin conspired with others, including Candies Goode-McCoy, from June 2022 through November 2023 to file tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on false Employee Retention Credits and Sick and Family Leave Credits. Fannin and her businesses were not eligible to receive these refundable credits in the amounts claimed. In total, Fannin claimed more than $3.5 million in fraudulent refunds, of which more than $1.4 million were paid.

16) United States v. McDonald Preval (Sentencing) – $4,200,000 – Southern District of Florida

Florida man was sentenced to 36 months in prison for filing a false tax return on behalf of a trust he controlled as part of a $4.2 million refund fraud scheme.

McDonald Preval, of Miami, filed a number of false tax returns for himself and trusts he claimed to control. The trust tax returns reported that the trusts had earned significant income and made tax withholding payments to the IRS, purportedly entitling the trusts to large tax refunds. In fact, the trusts did not have the claimed income and did not make payments in the amounts claimed on the returns and therefore were not entitled to the refunds Preval claimed. He also filed tax returns for 2023 that did not include the income from his employment. The false tax returns Preval caused to be filed on behalf of purported trusts and himself collectively sought tax refunds totaling more than $4.2 million. Preval obtained more than $580,000 from his scheme, which he used to pay off the mortgage loan on his house and other personal expenses.

Federal Partners Represented at the 2026 Tax Fraud Surge Event

U.S. Attorney Partners (In-Person Attendance):

U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes for the District of Maryland

U.S. Attorney Kevin Holmes for the Western District of Arkansas

U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas

U.S. Attorney David Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio

IRS Partners (In-Person Attendance):

IRS CEO Frank Bisignano

IRS-CI Chief Jarod Koopman

IRS-CI Deputy Chief Gary Shapley

U.S. Attorneys’ Office Whose Districts Participated in the Tax Fraud Surge (35):

District of Alaska, District of Arizona, Western District of Arkansas, District of Colorado, Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Kansas, Eastern District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana, District of Maryland, District of Maine, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, District of Minnesota, Southern District of Mississippi, Western District of Missouri, Eastern District of North Carolina, District of New Jersey, District of Nevada, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Northern District of Ohio, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Eastern District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Northern District of West Virginia.

***

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

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

Note: B-roll and photos related to the enforcement actions can be obtained at: https://spaces.hightail.com/space/UACsRDqzHp

Transnational criminal scam networks operating from West Africa suffered major disruptions last week during a coordinated international “Joint Disruption Week,” an effort that produced arrests, seizures, and the largest-ever takedown of fraudulent social media accounts linked to scam centers in the region, announced the Department of Justice.

“Criminals beware: Law enforcement from around the world are working together, and with private industry, to find you, stop your schemes, and bring you to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division’s Cyber-Enabled Scam Initiative (CSI) was built for this brand of collaboration. The millions of bogus social media accounts taken down and dozens of arrests that took place as part of Joint Disruption Week are just the beginning. I want to thank the United Kingdom (UK)’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and its Director General, Graeme Biggar, for hosting this effort, as well as everyone who participated. I am especially grateful to the courageous law enforcement officers in Ghana and Nigeria who put themselves in harm’s way to seize evidence and arrest the criminals who prey on innocent people.”

“Transnational fraud demands a transnational response,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia, founder of the Scam Center Strike Force. “I have partnered with the NCA and the Crown Prosecutor for England and Wales to push forward cases on both sides of the Atlantic; criminals are not hindered by borders and neither are we. We will deploy our team wherever in the world transnational criminals target innocent victims.”

The “Joint Disruption Week” events mark the first coordinated effort focused specifically on West Africa, underscoring the growing global commitment to dismantling increasingly sophisticated transnational scam networks.

The operation included members of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Scam Center Strike Force under the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, FBI, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), the UK’s NCA, the Nigerian Joint Case Team on Cybercrimes, the Nigeria Police Force - National Cybercrime Center, Ghanaian Cyber Security Authority, and private sector partners.

Additional participants included law enforcement agencies from Australia, Canada, Ghana, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, along with INTERPOL and additional cybercrime units. Several tech giants also played a key role. The large-scale effort was hosted by the UK NCA in London.

“Thanks to brilliant partnership with the Department of Justice and the private sector, across multiple African countries, we arrested dozens of criminal actors, seized hundreds of devices, identified at least $11 million in potentially freezable funds, and truly saved lives,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This is what happens when law enforcement executes with precision across the interagency. We are demolishing Scam Centers across the globe and crushing a criminal industry preying on American citizens.”

“Fraud is a global problem and it takes partnership working across international boundaries to tackle it,” said Nick Sharp, Deputy Director of Fraud at the NCA. “Hosting such a rich and dedicated team of law enforcement and technology companies at NCA’s headquarters enabled us to utilize the power of partnerships and strike back at a significant set of criminals who inflict misery on thousands of victims of fraud. Fraudsters can operate from anywhere and will target victims both domestically and globally. The NCA will continue to work with international and private sector partners to tackle fraudsters working upstream, overseas and online. Collaborating in this way sends a clear signal to criminals that the combined capabilities of law enforcement and industry means that we will relentlessly pursue them and the infrastructure they rely on no matter where they operate.”

During the week beginning Oct. 6, investigators and industry partners exchanged real-time intelligence across jurisdictions, enabling rapid identification and disruption of scam centers in Nigeria, Ghana, and other African countries. Many of the targeted operations were tied to schemes victimizing individuals in the United States, UK, and other countries around the world.

Several private industry partners, including Meta, Adobe, Binance, Coinbase, Cyjax, Elliptic, Chainalysis, Flashpoint, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Silent Push, Starlink and TRM Labs collaborated with international law enforcement in the event, and voluntarily took action on their own networks to disrupt scammers using their platforms to perpetrate fraud. These companies reported to the Department that they “removed more than 3.7 million accounts, Pages and Groups targeting people in the U.S., UK and beyond, and shared leads on over 30 suspected scam centers with law enforcement, resulting in dozens of arrests, the rescue of trafficking victims, and cryptocurrency seizures. In total over $11 million dollars in potential freezable funds were identified by the private sector partners. Meta played a key role in coordinating the event and encouraging broad private sector participation to maximize scam compound disruption.

Among the key accomplishments:

A consortium of international law enforcement agencies made 28 arrests of individuals tied to the criminal scam operations, including:  

• In Ghana, in the Accra suburb of Sasaabi, authorities arrested 19 individuals and seized 303 electronic devices. In addition, authorities identified 117 victims of human trafficking that are now pending repatriation to Nigeria. An additional 89 victims of the scam were identified with an approximate loss of $8.3 million. During the last week of September alone, authorities made scores of arrests at six locations, identified 34 trafficking victims, and seized 129 electronic devices. The Ghana operation was led by the Ghana Cyber Security Authority, Ghana Police Service Criminal Investigation Department, National Security Service, with support from the NCA, FBI, and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
• In Nigeria, authorities arrested nine individuals during the enforcement period, and 53 electronic devices.
• The disrupted schemes included law enforcement impersonation scams, digital “arrest” extortion schemes, cryptocurrency investment fraud (also known as “pig butchering”), and a variety of other online fraud operations targeting global victims.

According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), investment scams were reported 72,984 times in 2025, with cryptocurrency investment fraud comprising 72 percent of that category. Reported losses from these scams rose from $3.96 billion in 2023 to $5.8 billion in 2024. Reported losses for investment scams with a cryptocurrency nexus rose 24 percent in 2025 to over $7.2 billion, according to IC3’s released 2025 annual report. Those figures, based largely on victim reports, are believed to significantly underrepresent actual losses, as many victims do not report to law enforcement. According to one government report, a conservative estimate of the annual value of funds stolen by scam syndicates worldwide approached $64 billion as of the end of 2023.

Strengthening Accountability for Transnational Scam Operations

Criminal scam centers operating in West Africa mirror those uncovered in Southeast Asia — highly organized enterprises that recruit workers, train them in social engineering, and deploy multi‑platform fraud campaigns targeting global victims. While technology companies can significantly disrupt online infrastructure used to perpetuate these schemes, true accountability requires sustained law enforcement action against the individuals and organizations behind them.

The FBI, The Scam Center Strike Force, and its international partners remain committed to advancing this model of public‑private collaboration and expanding global efforts to dismantle criminal networks responsible for online fraud.

On March 6, 2026, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the Administration to prioritize cybercrime, fraud, and predatory schemes draining American families of their life savings. Through the Executive Order, President Trump is unleashing every available tool to stop foreign-backed criminal networks that exploit vulnerable Americans through cyber-enabled fraud. The Criminal Division’s Cyber-Enabled Scam Initiative, Scam Center Strike Force under U.S. Attorney Pirro, and the Homeland Security Task Force National Coordination Center (NCC) are critical in executing the mission outlined in the President’s Order.

The Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, through its Cyber-Enabled Scam Initiative (CSI), works to disrupt and stop cyber-enabled criminal networks that prey on Americans. CSI brings together expert prosecutors from across the Division to accelerate the prosecution of cyber-enabled financial crimes, including investment and crypto scams, government imposter schemes, romance and inheritance scams, financially motivated sextortion, lottery and sweepstakes scams, and other predatory schemes. With nationwide jurisdiction and global reach, CSI leverages every available tool to dismantle criminal operations, pursue bad actors, recover criminal proceeds, and obtain justice for victims. The Criminal Division partners with U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country.

The Scam Center Strike Force was officially launched by U.S. Attorney Pirro in November 2025 to address the growing threat posed by Chinese organized crime syndicates operating scam centers, primarily in Southeast Asia. The Strike Force targets cryptocurrency investment fraud, cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering operations that have cost American victims billions of dollars. The Scam Center Strike Force has been joined in its work by the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, Justice Department’s Criminal Division, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, and HSI, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Alaska, Hawaii, Eastern North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Western Washington. The Strike Force works in collaboration with other federal agencies, including the Treasury and State Departments. The Strike Force works in strategic partnership with private industry and calls on all U.S. businesses to take more proactive steps to protect users from scam operations. 

The Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF)’s NCC, established by Executive Order, is responsible for coordinating Federal efforts to detect, disrupt, dismantle, and deter — including by involving the private sector as appropriate — cyber-enabled criminal activity conducted by foreign Transnational Criminal Organizations and associated networks that target U.S. persons, businesses, critical infrastructure, or public services.

A Texas man pleaded guilty on September 17, 2026, for his role in a tax refund fraud conspiracy that sought to obtain more than $35 million in fraudulent refunds through the filing of false tax returns. 

According to court documents, Marquis Al Bey, of Forney, Texas, owned and operated Creative Associates, Inc., a tax return preparation business that advertised that it was located in North Carolina. Through Creative Associates, Bey prepared tax returns for clients, including clients located in Maryland, that sought large tax refunds that the individuals and entities listed on the returns were not entitled to receive. Bey charged clients for his tax return preparation services and, in some cases, required that clients agree to pay him a percentage of any resulting refund.  

As part of his plea, Bey admitted to preparing seven false returns between 2017 and 2021 for his co-defendant and another individual in Maryland that collectively sought more than $35 million from the Internal Revenue Service. Two of those returns resulted in the IRS issuing refunds totaling more than $10 million to Bey’s clients.  Bey received a 10% share of these proceeds. Bey used a portion of these funds to purchase a home in Texas. 

In December 2023, a grand jury in Maryland returned a superseding indictment charging Bey and his codefendant with multiple offenses related to their refund fraud scheme, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, and theft of government funds.  

Bey’s sentencing is set for January 22, 2027. Bey faces up to five years in prison, as well as a term of supervised release and monetary penalties.  

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. As part of his plea, Bey has agreed to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $3,145,598.21. 

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division made the announcement. 

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. 

Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Emerson Gordon-Marvin of the National Fraud Enforcement Division are prosecuting this case. 

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

A federal grand jury in the Western District of Texas returned an indictment on September 15, 2026 charging John Labee of Austin, Texas, with conspiring to defraud the United States by making false claims for tax refunds. 

According to court documents, from approximately October 2021 through July 2022, Labee and co-conspirator Andrea Dotson allegedly agreed to have Labee prepare and file false tax returns on behalf of Dotson’s business, Divine Grinde. Although Divine Grinde had minimal operations and no employees, Labee and Dotson allegedly conspired to file nine false tax returns that falsely claimed the Employee Retention Credit and the Sick and Family Leave Credit based on completely fabricated wage and tax figures. Congress created the Employee Retention Credit and the Sick and Family Leave Credit to provide emergency financial assistance in connection with the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dotson previously pleaded guilty on March 10, 2026, for her role in the offense. 

In total, Labee and Dotson’s fraudulent claims sought refunds of approximately $6.9 million, of which the IRS paid over $1.1 million. Dotson kept a portion of the tax refunds for herself and allegedly provided the remainder to Labee. 

Labee is charged with conspiring to file false claims and filing false claims. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiring to file false claims and 5 years in prison for each count of filing false claims.  

Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons made the announcement. 

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. 

Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Marissa Brodney and Trial Attorney Caroline Pearson of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case. 

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

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

The owner of a North Carolina tax return preparation business was sentenced on October 1, 2026, to 60 months in prison for conspiring to prepare false returns claiming fraudulent refunds based on COVID-19 tax credits.  

According to court documents and statements made in court, Nejlai Mitchell owned and operated a tax return preparation business out of Lumberton, North Carolina, and Hope Mills, North Carolina. From approximately April 2022 through May 2023, Mitchell and seven employees filed false tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on the paid sick and family leave credit, a credit passed by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. The conspiracy resulted in a total of approximately $23.9 million in fraudulent tax refund claims. The IRS paid out approximately $13,890,697 of that amount. 

Five other return preparers have also been sentenced for their roles in the scheme. The co-conspirators prepared federal tax returns for clients that included materially false items. On September 3, 2026, Tiffany Moody was sentenced to 26 months in prison. On July 8, 2026, Shaneen Ray was sentenced to 18 months in prison, Eyoubo McBurney was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and Sylvia Swindell was sentenced to 16 months in prison. On July 9, 2026, Katrena Stanback was sentenced to six months in prison. 

Mitchell pleaded guilty to conspiracy and preparing and filing false tax returns. The tax return preparation business’s office manager, Whitnee Leach, pleaded guilty in May 2026 to participating in the same conspiracy and filing false tax returns. The remaining five defendants pleaded guilty to preparing and filing false tax returns for clients. Jeannie Negron pleaded guilty in August 2025 to the same charges.  

Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney W. Ellis Boyle of the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. 

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. 

Trial Attorney Caroline Pearson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes of the Eastern District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case. 

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

RALEIGH, N.C. - On Monday, October 5, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of NC held its 5th annual Economic Crimes Summit in Raleigh, North Carolina. 

This year’s summit had the privilege of Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (NFED) headlining as the keynote speaker. AAG McDonald and Boyle focused on national and local efforts to concentrate attention on the previously ignored massive fraud schemes across the country. As international governments and gangs, local and national criminal groups, and individual offenders continue to exploit government programs, financial systems, and vulnerable people, Americans face rising financial losses. As fraud grows in size and complexity, it causes headaches, ruins families, and can significantly disrupt small businesses.

“Our fraud mission is national in scope but local in execution,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “The strength of our enforcement efforts depends on the collaborative efforts of the partners found at this summit. I commend the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina for organizing this event and for fostering a community of dedicated individuals united in service to our country.”

“Fraud harms everyone. I’m a taxpayer. You’re a taxpayer. They are stealing our money, and the citizens we could help are feeling the pinch,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “They steal taxpayer dollars, undermine trust in public programs, and target some of our most vulnerable citizens in Eastern North Carolina. Our office is committed to holding these vultures and hyenas accountable and working with partners nationwide to protect the public. Know this: if you steal taxpayer dollars in the EDNC, we will find you, we will prosecute you, and a cold concrete federal prison box awaits you. Cheaters. Never. Win.”

To combat the ever-growing fraud epidemic, the Economic Crimes Summit brought together over 175 primary agency partners such as the FBI, IRS-CI, HSI, HHS, VA-OIG, SBI, SHP, USDA, Department of Insurance, along with many other state and local partners to network, learn from specific training, receive guidance on priorities, and support the ongoing implementation of the NFED. A wide range of state and federal agencies collaborate and cooperate to investigate economic crimes, and fraudsters against federal programs in the EDNC. 

The Summit highlighted the contributions to the work of the NFED. DOJ created NFED in early 2026 as a centralized unit to investigate and prosecute fraud against taxpayer dollars, federal programs, and other government-funded initiatives. President Donald J. Trump announced the creation of the NFED in January 2026, commissioning it with a broad mandate to enforce federal criminal and civil laws against fraud targeting federal programs, federally funded benefits, businesses, nonprofits, and private citizens. The NFED’s mission includes investigating and prosecuting fraud against taxpayer funds and programs, coordinating with agencies administering benefit programs, partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement, developing systems and processes for efficient fraud detection, and providing prosecutors and law enforcement with advanced tools and resources.

For too long, fraudster piggies fed at the trough of federal programs without any oversight. No more. Federal agencies across the country have renewed their robust authority to strengthen oversight, pursue investigations, improve coordination, and provide training to law enforcement and prosecutors so they can detect and stop fraudulent activity more quickly. However, law enforcement alone cannot solve this problem. American citizens play a crucial role in preventing fraud by staying alert and reporting suspicious activity. Simple steps—guard personal information, verify the identity of anyone requesting sensitive details, and regularly checking financial and medical statements—can stop scams before they explode. Communities also strengthen fraud prevention when they talk openly about common schemes, especially those targeting older adults. When people recognize red flags early and quickly report concerns to the proper authorities, they help protect public programs, safeguard taxpayer dollars, and prevent others from falling victim.

The EDNC U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue prioritizing cases that safeguard taxpayers, support victims, and reinforce integrity across federal programs. The EDNC thanks AAG McDonald for his attention to this matter and will pull out all stops to achieve the NFED mission. One diverted penny is too much. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement

A copy of this press release is located on our website. 

A federal grand jury in Greenbelt, Maryland returned an indictment today charging a Maryland man with failing to account for and pay over employment taxes withheld from the wages of his company’s employees and failing to file tax returns.  

According to the indictment, Martin Herrera Navarrete, of Glenn Dale, was the sole owner and sole corporate officer of Navarrete Brothers Construction, Inc., a commercial construction company. Navarrete was allegedly responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare, and income taxes from his employees’ wages and paying those withholdings over to the IRS. From the first quarter of 2008 through the last quarter of 2025, Navarrete allegedly failed to pay any of the withheld taxes to the IRS. In total, the indictment alleges that Navarrete failed to pay more than $3 million in taxes owed to the IRS during this period. Additionally, from 2020 through 2024, Navarrete allegedly failed to file his own personal tax returns and corporate tax returns.  

Navarrete is charged with failing to pay over and account for employment taxes, failing to file corporate tax returns, and failing to file personal tax returns. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of failing to account for and pay over employment taxes and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for each count of failing to file tax returns. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes of the District of Maryland made the announcement. 

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. 

Trial Attorney Catriona Coppler of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rosenthal of the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case. 

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

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

A Cape Cod man pleaded guilty today to a money laundering conspiracy for laundering proceeds in connection with a more than $6 million health care fraud scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Leo Anzivino Jr., 35, of Falmouth, Massachusetts, conspired with others to launder health care fraud proceeds. Specifically, Anzivino agreed to be the straw or nominee owner of Advanced Medical Supply Corp. (Advanced), located in Rochester, New Hampshire, even though his co-conspirators were in fact the beneficial owners and managers of Advanced. Advanced submitted more than $6 million in claims to Medicare for durable medical equipment (DME) — such as knee braces and back braces — that Medicare beneficiaries did not need and that doctors did not prescribe. Instead, Advanced supported these claims using fake orders from physicians who did not actually write or submit those orders. Medicare paid more than $3 million as a result of these false and fraudulent claims. 

Medicare beneficiaries returned boxes of DME to Advanced with notes stating that they had not ordered the products and alleging a fraud or scam, as depicted below.

Anzivino helped hide his co-conspirator’s involvement with Advanced by being listed as the owner of Advanced on the Medicare enrollment paperwork. He also submitted false and fraudulent bank account opening documents to a bank in New Hampshire, falsely certifying that he was the sole owner of 25 percent or more of the equity interests of Advanced when others, including a co-conspirator, were Advanced’s true owners.

Anzivino then laundered the fraud proceeds by, at his co-conspirator’s direction, seeking to transfer more than $1 million from the Advanced bank account in New Hampshire to companies that were affiliated with the co-conspirator. When told by a bank employee that the bank had not reached a level of confidence that the other companies were legitimate, and that Anzivino should do his own research into these companies, Anzivino instead opened a bank account at another bank with branches in Massachusetts.

In addition, Anzivino learned that Advanced’s ability to bill Medicare would be revoked for various deficiencies, including an inability to verify proof of his ownership of Advanced. Anzivino then sent messages to another individual discussing that revocation, explaining that “All the ppl who gave me money are going to come back for it now my shits revoked,” stating that his co-conspirator “still wants me to wire him money,” and claiming that “I ain’t wiring shit.” Despite this, over the next five weeks, Anzivino proceeded to wire $1,494,938.09 across three separate transactions, each in excess of $10,000.

In 2024, the government seized approximately $353,768.29 in assets tied to the alleged scheme from Advanced’s bank account.

Anzivino pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy. He is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 21, 2027 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan for the District of New Hampshire; Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks of the FBI Boston Field Office made the announcement.

HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case with valuable assistance from IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Department of War Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Services.

Trial Attorneys John Howard and Tiffany Wynn of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Health Care Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Hunter and Matthew Vicinanzo for the District of New Hampshire are prosecuting the case. 

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

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

CVS Pharmacy Inc., a Rhode Island-based pharmacy chain, and its related corporate entities (collectively, CVS) have agreed to pay $315 million to resolve allegations that, from October 17, 2013 through December 2, 2025, CVS illegally filled prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), and then sought payment for many of those invalid prescriptions from Medicare and other federal healthcare programs in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). 

“Not only does this settlement hold bad actors accountable for their fraudulent activities, but Americans are safer because of it,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “Today’s settlement is a significant milestone in the Justice Department’s efforts to combat the opioid epidemic by cracking down on pharmacies who unlawfully fulfill prescriptions for controlled substances.”

“Today’s settlement requires CVS to implement additional safeguards to ensure that prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances are dispensed only when medically appropriate,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The remedial measures in this agreement — including proactive monitoring of opioid prescribing patterns — will provide critical protections for patients and federal healthcare programs. The Department of Justice will continue to take steps to prevent the unlawful dispensing of opioids.”

“The opioid epidemic has affected families and communities across Rhode Island and throughout the nation,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles C. Calenda for the District of Rhode Island. “Pharmacies that dispense controlled substances must maintain effective compliance systems to identify and respond to warning signs that prescriptions may be unlawful or medically unnecessary. This settlement demonstrates the importance of those obligations and the consequences of failing to implement safeguards designed to prevent the improper dispensing of controlled substances.”

The settlement resolves allegations in the government’s complaint, which the United States filed on Dec. 13, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, that CVS knowingly filled prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, were not valid, and/or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice. The United States alleged that CVS dispensed prescriptions for dangerous and excessive quantities of opioids, opioid prescriptions filled too early, and “trinity” prescriptions, a dangerous and abused combination of an opioid, a benzodiazepine, and a muscle relaxant. CVS also allegedly filled prescriptions for controlled substances from “pill mill” prescribers who issued large numbers of controlled substance prescriptions without any medical purpose. Further, the United States alleged that CVS pharmacists filled these prescriptions despite clear red flags indicating that there was a high likelihood that the prescriptions lacked a legitimate medical purpose, were not valid, or were not issued in the course of professional practice. Many of these prescriptions were ultimately billed to and reimbursed by federal healthcare programs.

The complaint further alleged that CVS’s violations stemmed from corporate-imposed performance metrics, incentive compensation, and staffing policies that prioritized corporate profits over patient safety. CVS failed to employ enough pharmacists to serve patients, comply with CVS’s legal obligations, and meet corporate performance metrics. In addition, CVS’s policies allegedly prevented pharmacists from warning one another about certain problematic prescribers.

In addition to the monetary payment announced today, CVS has entered into a memorandum of agreement with DEA to address its future obligations in dispensing controlled substances. This agreement requires CVS to establish a hotline for both employees and the public to report suspected illegal dispensing of controlled substances, proactively monitor the dispensing patterns of its pharmacies to identify and address potentially illegal dispensing, and establish a process to evaluate prescribers suspected of illegal prescribing.

“This settlement agreement highlights DEA’s commitment to protecting the health and safety of Americans while holding CVS accountable for dispensing unlawful prescriptions and endangering the public,” said DEA Assistant Administrator Cheri Oz. “DEA is unwavering in its commitment to protect public health and ensuring pharmacies adhere to the highest standards of responsible dispensing. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and the healthcare community to prevent the misuse of controlled substances, and we will hold those who jeopardize the safety of our citizens accountable.”

“Behind every unlawful prescription is a patient who could be put in harm’s way,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG). “The allegations in this case point to warning signs that should never be overlooked. HHS OIG will not tolerate conduct that jeopardizes lives, and we will continue to pursue those who betray the trust placed in them.”

The civil settlement resolves a civil lawsuit filed by Hillary Estright, a former CVS employee, under the whistleblower provision of the FCA, which authorizes private parties to sue on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery.  It also permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it did here. The amount to be recovered by the private whistleblower has not yet been determined.  The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Hillary Estright v. CVS Health Corporation, et al., No. 22-cv-00222 (D.R.I.).

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

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch, along with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Rhode Island, Eastern District of Virginia, Eastern District of Texas, and District of Hawaii. The DEA’s Office of Diversion Control, Los Angeles Field Division, Richmond District Office, and Office of Chief Counsel led this case with substantial assistance from Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

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

The United States is represented in this matter by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Division Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section (Assistant Director Natalie Waites and Trial Attorneys Claire Norsetter and Megan Engel) and Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch (Deputy Director Lisa Hsiao and Trial Attorneys Kathleen Brunson and Katherine Ho), as well as from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Rhode Island (Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachna Vyas), Eastern District of Virginia (Assistant U.S. Attorney John Beerbower), Eastern District of Texas (Assistant U.S. Attorney James Gillingham), and District of Hawaii (Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy J. Weinstein).

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

Note: Find the CSA agreement here and the FCA agreement here.

Note: This press release has been updated from a previous version.

Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Michael Joseph Salas, age 42, from Barrigada, Guam was sentenced in the U.S. District Court of Guam to 120 months imprisonment for Distribution of 50 or More Grams of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The Court also ordered five years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.

On February 11, 2025, Salas agreed to sell three ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. Salas had the informant drive him to a location to meet up with his source of supply.  After receiving $3,300 from the informant, Salas met with his source and returned with a bag of methamphetamine. Upon returning to his residence, Salas packaged three ounces of the drug for the informant and kept an unknown quantity for himself.  Salas previously sold one ounce of methamphetamine to the informant for $1,200. Federal agents executed a search warrant at the residence in March 2025. It resulted in the seizure of 34.22 additional grams of methamphetamine.

Salas has criminal convictions for possession of an unregistered firearm, second degree and third degree theft by receiving stolen property, and second degree promotion of major prison contraband.

“Repeat offenders who traffic drugs are prime targets for federal law enforcement,” stated United States Attorney Anderson.  “They will face mandatory minimum sentences in federal court. Those sentences will be served at a Bureau of Prisons facility on the mainland, far from Guam. We will continue to aggressively prosecute those associated with this illicit activity.”

“Methamphetamine continues to ravage communities across the United States, extending beyond the mainland to Hawaii and territories such as Guam. Its trail of devastation leaves no corner untouched. Today’s sentencing proves to drug traffickers that they are not beyond the reach of the law," said David S. Olesky, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division, which covers Guam.  "We will track them down and bring them to justice.  DEA stands united with our federal partners to safeguard American lives.”

This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Devarup Rastogi prosecuted this case in the District of Guam.

An Austin couple were charged today with running websites that purported to sell fake identification documents and evading the payment of their federal income taxes. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, Jerrod Lochmiller and Christina Linden allegedly owned and operated several websites that purported to sell fraudulent identification documents (“Fake IDs”), including driver’s licenses and identification cards. They also allegedly owned and operated websites that purported to provide Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services. Lochmiller and Linden operated their websites in the names of aliases and nominees.  In order to obtain clients, Linden and Lochmiller hired SEO services to improve the Fake ID websites’ visibility in search engine results and created websites that reviewed and recommended their Fake ID websites.  To conceal the source of their income, Linden and Lochmiller allegedly primarily received payment from customers via cryptocurrency and then transferred the cryptocurrency through multiple addresses before ultimately moving the cryptocurrency to exchange accounts in their names. Lochmiller and Linden then allegedly converted the cryptocurrency into U.S. dollars, and deposited the money into their bank accounts. Clients who purchased the Fake IDs allegedly did not receive the Fake IDs. 

Between 2017 and 2024, Lochmiller and Linden allegedly received over $6 million in mostly cryptocurrency income from their Fake ID and SEO websites.  During that same time period, Lochmiller and Linden allegedly did not file any federal income tax returns and allegedly failed to report their income to the IRS.  

Linden and Lochmiller face a maximum penalty of twenty years for the conspiracy to commit wire fraud and the wire fraud charges, five years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the IRS, six years in prison for tax evasion, and one year in prison for willfully failing to file a tax return.   

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division made the announcement. 

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. 

Senior Litigation Counsel Michael C. Boteler and Trial Attorney Michael Jones of the National Fraud Enforcement Division prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Buie of the Western District of Texas. 

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

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

Today the Justice Department announced charges involving 16 individuals, including an illegal alien, in connection with illegal voting, fraudulent voter registration, and related election crimes across the country. The cases include voting by aliens in federal elections, false claims of U.S. citizenship in order to register to vote or to vote, voting on behalf the deceased, voting multiple times in the same election, false statements on citizenship applications, and unlawful procurement of citizenship.

Case details are as follows:

District of New Mexico

Patrick Perea, 62, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of fraudulent voting. Perea attempted to cast his deceased wife’s absentee ballot in the November 2024 general election by submitting it to the Bureau of Elections of the Bernalillo County Clerk’s Office in Albuquerque.

Eastern District of Pennsylvania

An illegal alien and three aliens have been charged with voting by an alien.

• Hacina Saadi, 48, an illegal alien from France, has been charged by information with voting by an alien during the 2024 election.
• Pakistani national Jamil Ahmad, 50, a lawful permanent resident, has been charged by information with voting by an alien during the 2024 election.
• Pakistani national Nighat Jamil, 47, a lawful permanent resident, has been charged by information with voting by an alien during the 2024 election.
• Portuguese national Paulo Silva, 54, a lawful permanent resident, has been charged by information with voting by an alien during the 2024 election.

Southern District of Alabama

Two aliens have been charged with voting as an alien.

• Peruvian national Silvia Delgado Phelps, 78, a lawful permanent resident, has been charged by criminal complaint with voting as an alien. Phelps allegedly voted in multiple elections in Baldwin County, Alabama, despite not being a U.S. citizen. 
• Jamaican national Staciann Pollion Davis, 42, a lawful permanent resident, has been charged by criminal complaint with voting as an alien. Davis allegedly voted in the November 2024 general election in Clarke County, Alabama, despite not being a U.S. citizen.

Northern District of Alabama

Forrest Scott Woody, 68, of Hendersonville, North Carolina, has been charged with illegally voting more than once. According to the indictment, Woody voted twice in the 2024 general election. In particular, he voted in Calhoun County, Alabama, after having already voted in the same election in Henderson County, North Carolina. 

Western District of Missouri

Cuban national Andre’s Garcia, 64, a lawful permanent resident, has been charged with two counts of illegally voting in federal elections in November 2022 and November 2024. Garcia knew he was not a U.S. citizen but nevertheless claimed to be one when registering to vote in 2004 and again in 2013. Garcia has allegedly voted regularly for the last 20 years in at least 15 elections, including at least 13 federal elections.

District of Idaho

Canadian national Stanley Walton, 82, a lawful permanent resident, has been charged with unlawfully voting in the 2022 general election. Walton allegedly voted even though he was not a U.S. citizen.

District of New Jersey

Lizabeth Almonte Rosa, 24, a naturalized U.S. citizen from the Dominican Republic, has been charged by criminal complaint with voting by an alien in a federal election and unlawfully procuring citizenship. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Rosa was not a citizen when she was registered to vote.

Southern District of Ohio

British national Cary Ann Patterson, 59, a lawful permanent resident, has been charged with illegally voting in a federal election as an alien. The complaint alleges that Patterson voted in November 2024. According to court documents, in 2005, the Gallia County Board of Elections received a voter registration card for Patterson in which “Yes” was marked in response to the question, “Are you a U.S. citizen?” Based on Gallia County Board of Elections records, Patterson allegedly voted in at least 10 elections as an alien.

Northern District of Ohio

Two aliens have been charged with unlawfully voting in a federal election.

• Pakistani national Arshed Zuberi, 69, a lawful permanent resident, has been charged by criminal complaint with illegally voting in a federal election as an alien. He allegedly registered to vote in September 2015 and August 2016. On voter registration forms, Zuberi’s signature appears next to the declaration “I declare under penalty of election falsification I am a citizen of the United States.” Voting records from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections show that he voted in at least six elections.
• Filipino national Eliza M. Moss, 63, a lawful permanent resident, has been charged by criminal complaint with unlawfully voting in a federal election as an alien. According to voting records, Moss registered to vote in September 2004 and in February 2023. On voter registration forms, her signature appears next to the declaration “I declare under penalty of election falsification I am a citizen of the United States.” Moss allegedly voted in several primary and general elections. According to the criminal complaint, Moss told investigators that the person who helped fill out her registration told her that she could vote despite not being a citizen.

District of Hawaii

Polish national Dawid Nalepa, 45, has been charged by information with unlawfully voting as an alien. Nepela came to the United States in or around 2020 through the Visa Waiver Program, which he overstayed before applying for permanent resident status. Nalepa was not a U.S. citizen when he allegedly cast a vote in the November 2024, general election. Nalepa understood he was not a citizen at the time he cast his ballot.

Western District of Kentucky

Canadian national Sandra Madeline Watson, 59, a lawful permanent resident, has been charged with illegal voting by an alien in a federal election. Watson allegedly voted in an election held for the purpose of electing a candidate for the office of the President, Vice President, member of the Senate, or member of the House of Representatives, knowing she was not a U.S. citizen.

A complaint, indictment, and information merely contain accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Note: A copy of the 2021 indictment can be found here and a copy of the 2019 indictment can be found here.

A Colombian national charged in two separate federal indictments involving the alleged laundering of more than $2 billion in connection with Venezuelan government bribery schemes will make his initial appearance on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 13, in the Southern District of Florida to face federal prosecution.

According to court documents, Alvaro Pulido Vargas, also known as “German Enrique Rubio Salas,” 62, of Colombia, was indicted in 2019 and again in 2021 for his alleged involvement in separate schemes to launder proceeds of bribery and fraud involving Venezuelan government officials of the Nicolás Maduro regime. Prior to these alleged offenses, Pulido Vargas had a prolific history of drug trafficking, including a 1997 conviction in Italy under the alias of German Enrique Rubio Salas.

“Alvaro Pulido Vargas is no longer a fugitive from justice,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Pulido is charged in two separate, significant money laundering schemes, both using the U.S. financial system to hide the profits from his bribery and greed off the backs of the Venezuelan people. The message to anyone who brings their foreign bribery or money laundering schemes inside our borders: the U.S. Justice Department will pursue these schemes and prosecute those who perpetrate them.”

“Alvaro Pulido Vargas was charged years ago with participating in massive money laundering and bribery schemes tied to the Maduro regime,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The allegations describe a profound betrayal of the Venezuelan people; corrupting government programs intended to provide critical food, medicine, and housing for personal enrichment. Today, because of the persistence and coordination of our federal law enforcement and international partners, Pulido Vargas is in the Southern District of Florida to face those charges. Those accused of exploiting the American financial system should understand that distance, borders, and time will not shield them from the reach of the American legal system. We will continue working with our partners at home and abroad to bring defendants before an American court to answer for the charges against them.”

“Alvaro Pulido Vargas is accused of moving vast amounts of illicit money through a corrupt network that exploited the Venezuelan people and abused the U.S. financial system,” said said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Terrance Cole. “For years, DEA and our HSTF partners have pursued Pulido Vargas across borders. Today, that pursuit has brought him to the Southern District of Florida. Those who finance criminal networks and believe money, influence, or international borders will shield them from U.S. justice are mistaken. DEA will relentlessly pursue the people and financial networks that fuel corruption, money laundering, and transnational crime threatening the United States and our partners.”

“Today’s arrest demonstrates that HSI and our Homeland Security Task Force partners will relentlessly pursue the illicit financial networks that enable corruption, transnational criminal activity, and the exploitation of vulnerable populations,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon. “Working with our domestic and international law enforcement partners, HSI will continue to follow the money, disrupt complex money-laundering schemes, and hold accountable those who allegedly use the U.S. financial system to conceal criminal proceeds.”

The 2021 Indictment

In October 2021, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Pulido Vargas and four co-defendants with laundering proceeds from an alleged bribery scheme involving approximately $1.6 billion in Venezuelan government contracts to provide food and medicine.

According to the Indictment, from approximately July 2015 through at least 2020, Pulido Vargas and his co-conspirators secured lucrative government contracts through the Comité Local de Abastecimiento y Producción (CLAP)—a Venezuelan government-controlled program intended to provide food and medicine to the Venezuelan people—by paying bribes to Venezuelan officials.

The defendants allegedly inflated the costs of the contracts to fund the bribes and enrich themselves. They also allegedly laundered proceeds through bank accounts in Antigua, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and elsewhere.

As a result of the scheme, Pulido Vargas and his co-conspirators allegedly received approximately $1.6 billion from the Venezuelan government and transferred approximately $180 million through or to the United States, including bank accounts in the Southern District of Florida.

Pulido Vargas is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and four counts of money laundering, each carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

The 2019 Indictment

In a separate case, Pulido Vargas and Alex Nain Saab Moran — a Maduro regime ally — were indicted in July 2019 for allegedly laundering approximately $350 million in connection with a bribery scheme involving Venezuela’s government-controlled currency exchange system.

According to the Indictment, from approximately November 2011 and through at least September 2015, Pulido Vargas and Saab Moran conspired with others to launder proceeds of an illegal bribery scheme through bank accounts in the United States.

Pulido Vargas and Saab Moran allegedly obtained a contract with the Venezuelan government to construct low-income housing units. They subsequently exploited Venezuela’s government-controlled exchange rate by submitting false and fraudulent import documents for goods and materials that were never imported into Venezuela and bribing Venezuelan government officials to approve those documents.

To conceal the illicit proceeds, Pulido Vargas and Saab Moran allegedly wired money related to the scheme to bank accounts in the Southern District of Florida and transferred approximately $350 million out of Venezuela through the United States and into overseas accounts they owned or controlled.

Pulido Vargas is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and seven counts of money laundering in connection with this scheme.

The DEA Miami Field Division, FBI Miami, and HSI Miami are investigating these cases.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Monique Botero for the Southern District of Florida and Deputy Chief Joseph Palazzo of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the cases, together with Assistant Chief Katherine Raut of the Criminal Division’s White Collar and Corporate Enforcement Section.

This arrest and prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Miami comprises of agents and officers from the DEA Miami Field Division, FBI Miami, and HSI Miami with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Miami.

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

An Oklahoma business owner and chiropractor was sentenced yesterday to 14 years in prison for his role in a years-long scheme that attempted to bilk Medicare, TRICARE, and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) out of over $30 million for orthotics braces, continuous glucose monitors, and other durable medical equipment (DME) that beneficiaries did not want or need.  

“Yesterday's 14-year sentence shows that health care fraud does not pay,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Department of Justice's National Fraud Enforcement Division. “The Department is committed to bringing to justice those who corrupt our health care system by paying illegal kickbacks, submitting false claims, deceiving programs that serve our seniors, service members, and veterans, and treating sensitive patient information like a commodity to be bought and sold.”

“Fraud against federal health care programs is a direct attack on the public’s trust and on the vulnerable individuals these programs are meant to protect, and the jury’s verdict and sentencing of Mark Loftis demonstrate that schemes of this kind will be met with decisive action and significant consequences,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “HHS-OIG will not hesitate to investigate and dismantle criminal conduct wherever it threatens the integrity of federal programs, and this case reflects the unwavering commitment of our agency and our law-enforcement partners to safeguard taxpayer dollars and ensure that those who defraud the government are held fully accountable.”

“Healthcare fraud drains millions of dollars from federally funded programs, and we all pay the price,” said Special Agent in Charge Rodney Crawford of the FBI Tampa Field Office. “Today’s sentence underscores the FBI’s steadfast commitment to aggressively pursuing those who engage in kickback schemes and other fraudulent practices.”

“As the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is committed to safeguarding the integrity of the TRICARE program,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Nakia M. Alexander of the DCIS Southeast Field Office. “This investigation is an example of a healthcare fraud scheme that directly affected American service members and their families. I applaud the collaborative work of the investigative agencies and the Department of Justice that led to today’s sentencing.”

“Fraud schemes targeting VA programs and services compromise their integrity and divert funds from veterans who rely on these benefits,” said Inspector General Cheryl L. Mason, Department of Veterans Affairs. “The VA OIG works every day with our law enforcement partners to identify fraudsters and hold them accountable.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dr. Mark Loftis, 39, of Cushing, Oklahoma, and his co-conspirators did not disclose to Medicare the ownership and management of the DME company Back Pain Home Supplies LLC dba EZ Medical Supply. Loftis and his co-conspirators hid from Medicare that unenrolled entities were billing claims through the DME company. Lofits paid over a million dollars in illegal kickbacks, including through a shell marketing company, to marketers, purported telemedicine companies, and a call center that persuaded elderly and disabled Americans to disclose their personal information and receive DME they did not need. Loftis and his co-conspirators also purchased sham doctors’ orders for orthotic braces, continuous glucose monitors, and DME that were generated by telemedicine doctors and nurse practitioners who never examined, and often never spoke to, the beneficiaries. Loftis and his co-conspirators submitted over $30 million in false and fraudulent claims and were paid over $8 million. Loftis and his co-conspirators frequently billed for multiple orthotic braces at a time, including in one example eight braces for a single beneficiary.

After a 12-day jury trial ending in July 2026, Loftis was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. In addition to the prison sentence, Loftis was ordered to pay over $8 million in restitution and to forfeit over $560,000.  

HHS-OIG, FBI, DCIS, and VA-OIG investigated the case.

Assistant Deputy Chief Catherine Wagner and Trial Attorney Raymond Beckering III of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Health Care Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

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

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

The Department of Justice today announced updated emergency scheduling actions targeting 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and three potent opioid substances related to 7-OH: mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MGPI), MGM-15, and MGM-16.

“Dangerous and addictive opioids do not belong behind convenience store counters,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Our nation’s children and communities deserve protection from harmful substances like 7-OH and other powerful synthetic drugs. The actions taken by the Department of Justice today reflect our commitment to keeping Americans safe and holding drug traffickers accountable.”

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is issuing two new Notices of Intent based on new scientific information and recommendations provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The updated HHS analysis supports a revised threshold approach for 7-OH and MGPI designed to distinguish products containing trace amounts of these substances from formulations that have been intentionally enhanced or concentrated.

The two Notices of Intent address:

• MGM-15 and MGM-16: DEA will reissue the Notice of Intent without changing the current scheduling approach for these substances.
• 7-OH and MGPI: DEA will issue a new Notice of Intent incorporating HHS' updated scientific recommendation for concentration and ratio thresholds applicable to both substances.

HHS recommended that 7-OH and MGPI be subject to Schedule I control when either substance alone, or their combined amount when both are present, exceeds 1 milligram per gram in solid products or 1 milligram per milliliter in liquid products, or when the ratio of mitragynine to 7-OH, MGPI, or their combined amount is less than 100 to 1. HHS recommended this approach to better distinguish products intentionally enhanced or concentrated in these opioid substances from products whose alkaloid composition is more consistent with botanical kratom.

The updated HHS analysis confirms that 7-OH occurs naturally in botanical kratom at relatively low levels and identifies additional scientific information suggesting MGPI may also occur at trace levels in some botanical or kratom-derived products. HHS noted that the science concerning the presence of MGPI continues to develop but recommended applying a threshold approach to both 7-OH and MGPI.

DEA temporarily placed MGPI, MGM-15, and MGM-16 into Schedule I on August 26, 2026. Those controls will remain in effect during the new 30-day Notice of Intent period and until DEA issues a new temporary scheduling order.

For 7-OH, DEA had not yet issued a temporary scheduling order. DEA will reissue a new Notice of Intent reflecting HHS’ updated scientific recommendation.

The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following statement today in connection with the closing of the Antitrust Division’s investigation into Arrive AS’s (Arrive) proposed acquisition of Passport Labs Inc. (Passport):

“The Antitrust Division is committed to protecting competition while also preserving the Department’s finite resources,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “A phased approach to merger review serves those objectives. The Antitrust Division conducted a targeted review of the proposed transaction and has decided to close the investigation.”

On March 4, Arrive announced its intent to acquire Passport. Both firms offer mobile parking payment solutions (MPPs), among other products and services. Municipalities across the United States procure one or more MPPs to allow their citizens to pay for municipal parking, particularly on-street parking, using their phones rather than meters or kiosks. The Antitrust Division opened an investigation and issued Second Requests to the companies. 

Based on the particular facts surrounding Arrive and Passport’s proposed merger, the Antitrust Division and the merging parties entered into a timing agreement that prioritized the production of evidence related to MPP competition. The Antitrust Division used this and other material to more expeditiously reach a conclusion about the likely competitive effects of the transaction. 

Over the past five months, the Antitrust Division conducted a thorough investigation, reviewing documents from the parties and numerous third parties, analyzing data, and interviewing industry participants, including many municipalities. In particular, the Antitrust Division analyzed whether the proposed merger may result in a substantial reduction in competition for MPPs.

The Antitrust Division concluded that a substantial reduction in competition was unlikely given current competitive dynamics in this industry. For example, smaller vendors outside of Arrive, Passport, and PayByPhone have recently won municipal contracts, suggesting a number of viable alternatives exist outside Arrive and Passport. Moreover, Passport has declined to bid for or has lost some recent notable MPP contracts.

Given the facts surrounding this investigation, the Antitrust Division anticipates that municipalities are likely to continue to have meaningful MPP alternatives in the current environment, including PayByPhone, in the event the merged firm attempts to exercise market power.  

Following this review, the Antitrust Division decided that its investigation could be closed.

A federal jury in St. Paul convicted a Minnesota woman yesterday for executing a scheme to steal $3.6 million from the now-defunct Minnesota Medicaid Housing Stabilization Services (HSS) Program.

“The Fraud Division has arrived in Minnesota — and we are here to stay,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “The jury’s guilty verdict in this case sends a clear message that those who steal from programs meant to help our most vulnerable will be held accountable. As proven at trial, Meadows falsified records to enrich herself while preventing critical services from reaching those in need. Her fraud scheme — and others like it — forced Minnesota’s Housing Stabilization Services Program to shut down entirely after costs of the program outran estimates by four thousand percent. I commend the dedicated prosecutors, agents, and support staff who worked tirelessly to deliver justice in this case.” 

“The defendant chose to defraud millions from a program meant to help vulnerable Minnesotans,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota. “My office is committed to prosecuting those who steal from the American taxpayer.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sharmaine Meadows, 45, of Lake Elmo, Minnesota, orchestrated a scheme to bill the HSS Program for housing services that were meant to transition the unhoused and assist them in sustaining that housing. Instead, these services were not actually provided. The HSS Program permitted providers to bill up to 150 hours for transitional services and 150 hours for sustaining services per eligible Medicaid beneficiary. Meadows routinely emphasized to her employees that they were required to maximize the billings to that 150-hour cap, even if the hours of services were never provided.

The evidence presented at trial also proved that Meadows and her company billed the HSS Program for in-person hours supposedly provided by employees who were in other states, like Illinois, and in other countries, like the Philippines, where the defendant paid only $6.00 per hour and explicitly offered no benefits. 

She also submitted claims for services that could not have been provided because beneficiaries were in the hospital. And through data analysis, evidence showed that Meadows billed as if her employees were working more than 20 hours per day, every day, for weeks.

At the same time, Medicaid beneficiaries testified that they received little to no services from Meadows’ company. These beneficiaries testified that they were routinely told by Meadows’ employees that despite having received no assistance, they had run out of available hours in the HSS Program. 

As a result of the fraud scheme, the HSS Program paid Meadows’ company over $3.6 million between 2020 and 2025 into accounts that Meadows exclusively controlled.  

The jury convicted Meadows of three counts of health care fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s Fraud Division; U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota; Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ethridge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Chicago Field Office, made the announcement

FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS-CI investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Brant Cook and Emily Reeder-Ricchetti of the Fraud Division’s Health Care Fraud Section, with the assistance of Health Care Fraud Section Trial Attorney Jody King and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Murphy for the District of Minnesota, are prosecuting the case.

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

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

The Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) yesterday filed motions for summary judgment in four cases defending challenges to a rule rescinding the regulatory definition of “harm” in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) regulations implementing the Endangered Species Act (ESA). These cases, in the Northern District of California and the District of South Carolina, are the first in a series of similar challenges across the country to reach this stage of litigation.

“Regulatory overreach burdens American families and businesses, and these now-rescinded Endangered Species Act regulations are a prime example,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of ENRD. “The Department of Justice will continue vigorously defending President Trump’s efforts to uphold the Act as written and protect economic growth.”

According to the filings, what is at issue in all four cases is whether the ESA’s restriction on “take” of listed species requires an intentional, purposeful act directed against a particular animal. In the ESA, Congress defined “take” to include 10 verbs centered on intentional actions against individual animals, like hunt, shoot, wound, kill, and trap. But the FWS and NMFS interpreted one of those verbs, “harm,” in a way that allowed them to regulate actions that modify a species’ habitat. 

The filings go on to say that the Supreme Court’s since-overruled Chevron doctrine deferred to certain agency interpretations of statutes, which led to the court’s decision to uphold the prior regulatory definitions of “harm” in the ESA. A dissent to that decision stated how the ESA’s plain language, structure, and history cut against such an overly broad reading. After the Supreme Court’s rejection of Chevron deference in its decision in Loper Bright Enterprises, the FWS and NMFS should interpret the statute according to its plain terms — which adopts the reasoning of that prior dissent — and decide to rescind the regulatory definitions of “harm” to return to the statutory text as written.

Attorneys from ENRD’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section and Natural Resources Section are handling the matters.

Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the City and County of Denver, Mayor Michael C. Johnston, City Attorney Michiko Ando Brown, and Police Chief Ronald Thomas, challenging their unconstitutional attempt to regulate federal law enforcement officers by prohibiting them from wearing masks and by requiring identification in the manner prescribed by D.R.M.C. §§ 28-300–28-303.

Not only does this law represent an illegal attempt to regulate the Federal Government, but, as alleged in the complaint, the law threatens the safety of federal officers who are already facing an unprecedented wave of harassment, doxxing, and even violence. Threatening officers with prosecution for simply protecting their identities and their families chills the enforcement of federal law and compromises sensitive law enforcement operations.

“Under the U.S. Constitution, the Supremacy Clause makes clear that states and localities do not have the authority to regulate the Federal Government,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “And they certainly cannot enact laws that place the safety of federal law enforcement at risk and undermine federal operations. We will never tolerate the doxxing or harassment of federal officers, or any law like those in Denver that enable violent behavior against federal law enforcement officers and their families.”

“The Denver masking and identification ordinance directly regulates federal law enforcement operations and threatens severe consequences for officers and public safety alike,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Federal Government gets to decide which equipment federal officers may or may not wear when performing their official duties.”

Attorney General Blanche has instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal laws or impede lawful federal operations. Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal policies designed to thwart federal law enforcement across the country, including in Maryland, New York, Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey, California, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee. Through this filing, the Department reaffirms that federal law enforcement operations cannot be compromised by state or local measures that violate federal law.

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division (the Fraud Division) today released Directive 26-13, outlining the Division’s comprehensive approach in the fight against fraud.

Expanding on earlier guidance regarding the Division’s priorities (available here) and corporate enforcement policy (available here), Directive 26-13 sets out the Division’s prosecutorial methodology for investigating, disrupting, and prosecuting fraud. This directive marks a significant operational shift, requiring the Division’s prosecutors to attack fraud from all angles using the Division’s tax, securities fraud, consumer fraud, and cybercrime authorities.

This directive also requires Division prosecutors to deploy early, pre‑indictment asset seizures and digital‑infrastructure takedowns to halt fraud schemes and freeze assets in real time. Finally, this directive urges Division prosecutors to develop practice cooperators, zealously prosecute corporate bad actors, seek arrest and detention in appropriate cases, and deliver fulsome advocacy at sentencing. This new, comprehensive approach will drive the Division forward in its mission to preempt, disrupt, and dismantle fraudulent networks before they can inflict widespread harm.

Read the full memo here.

The Fraud Division has a clear mission: to prosecute fraud in the United States, no matter its size or complexity. This mission is critical to restoring public confidence in the federal government’s ability to responsibly steward taxpayer dollars. The Government Accountability Office recently estimated that the federal government loses between $233 billion to $521 billion annually to fraud — with other models showing even higher annual losses. Accordingly, Fraud Division personnel will work tirelessly to bring to justice individuals and corporations who have defrauded the public fisc, and threaten the health, safety, security, and prosperity of Americans.

The public may contact the Corporate Enforcement Section with information about corporate fraud at [email protected].

Today, the Department of Justice Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced the first stop of the American Tour Against Hate will be in Southfield, Michigan on Wednesday, October 14. The Task Force’s national campaign reflects the Trump Administration’s steadfast commitment to eradicating antisemitism across the country. The Department of Justice, as the agency responsible for enforcing the nation’s civil rights laws, is carrying out the President’s mission. For more information and to register, please visit www.mizoa.org/events

The Tour is a first-of-its-kind federal initiative, bringing government resources and officials directly to local communities experiencing hate and discrimination.

“President Trump has made clear that this Administration will not tolerate antisemitism, and the Department of Justice is committed to implementing that directive,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This national tour is an important step in ensuring communities across the country know the federal government stands ready to work with them to confront antisemitic threats, protect public safety, and uphold civil rights.”

"No American should live in fear of unjust discrimination or violence,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward, Jr. “The Department of Justice is working tirelessly to protect and defend all Americans’ right to freedom of speech and free exercise of religion. This event is sure to be a powerful evening.” 

"I am grateful to the President for the honor of leading this Task Force and Tour,” said Leo Terrell, Chair of the Department of Justice Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism. “We are spearheading the fight against hate and prejudice wherever it appears across the country. Particularly on a day that was so painful for so many Jewish men and women around the world, we are proud to announce this event and look forward to gathering with many of you in Michigan.”

You can follow @thejusticedept and @leoterrelldoj for more updates. 

If you have been discriminated against, you can file a complaint with the Civil Rights Division at www.civilrights.justice.gov.

President Trump’s Executive Order on additional measures to combat antisemitism can be found at www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/additional-measures-to-combat-anti-semitism/.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced yesterday to four years and nine months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, after law enforcement conducted three controlled purchases of cocaine from Jamaro Lamont Fields, 37, on April 23, 2025, Portsmouth Police searched Fields’ residence. Detectives located ammunition, scales, cutting agents, and packaging material in the residence and recovered 11 grams of fentanyl from Fields’ person. From Fields’ vehicle, investigators recovered 14 grams of fentanyl, 12 grams of cocaine, and a handgun.

Fields was convicted in 2013 of aggravated sexual battery against a 6-year-old victim and in 2024 for failing to register as a sex offender. As a previously convicted felon, Fields cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hannah E. Wirt and Nikolas Nelson prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-49.

Yesterday, a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted a Florida man who was the Vice President of a testing laboratory and owned and operated a separate marketing company for his role in a fraud scheme that took advantage of patients who wanted COVID-19 tests during the pandemic and were instead given additional blood tests they did not want or need, for which Medicare was billed for over $15 million.

“The defendant took advantage of patients desperate for COVID-19 tests at the height of the pandemic to bill Medicare for unnecessary blood tests,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Such egregious conduct in the face of a global pandemic cannot stand and will be prosecuted. The Fraud Division remains committed to holding the perpetrators of such schemes accountable.”

“This case highlights a troubling scheme that took advantage of vulnerable patients who sought COVID‑19 testing during a national public health crisis, only to be subjected to additional and unnecessary blood tests intended to increase profits,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “By placing personal gain above the well‑being of elderly individuals, the defendant violated their trust and threatened the integrity of our health care system. HHS‑OIG remains steadfast in its mission to protect public health and ensure that individuals who abuse federal health care programs and the people they serve are held fully accountable.”

“This guilty verdict holds Joseph Rodriguez accountable for his role in a scheme that exploited patients and fraudulently billed Medicare for millions of dollars," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles. “The jury’s verdict reflects the strength of the evidence and underscores that those who seek to profit through fraudulent schemes will be held accountable. The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting patients, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, and pursuing those who defraud federal health care programs.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Joseph Rodriguez, 58, of Coral Springs, perpetrated a scheme that exploited elderly patients at residence country clubs in the West Palm Beach area who were desperate for COVID-19 nasal swab and blood antibody tests. When those patients signed up to receive just swab and antibody tests at drive-through testing events at their residence clubs organized by Rodriguez through his marketing company, Phoenix Health, they were, in addition to the COVID-19 tests they wanted, subjected to tens or even hundreds of unnecessary blood tests that they did not want or need, and that no doctor ordered as required. These tests, which ranged from hormone tests to heavy metal tests for arsenic, mercury, and cadmium, were then billed to Medicare as if they were medically necessary and ordered by a treating physician.

Rodriguez marketed these drive-through COVID-19 events to the residence country clubs, set up the testing events, directed his staff to draw extra blood for the unnecessary tests, and caused a doctor’s name to be fraudulently listed on the claims submitted to Medicare. As a result of these claims — for tests conducted at nine different clubs over approximately four months involving almost two thousand patients — Medicare was billed more than $15 million and paid over $500,000. Evidence at trial included patient complaints sent to Rodriguez, complaints from one of the doctors who supposedly ordered such tests wondering why Medicare had been billed thousands of dollars for blood tests in the doctor’s name, and managers from the residence country clubs asking Rodriguez why these extra blood tests were being done on their club members when all they wanted were COVID-19 tests.

The jury convicted Rodriguez of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and six substantive counts of health care fraud. Rodriguez faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled by the Court at a later date in January 2027. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

FBI and HHS-OIG are investigated the case.

Assistant Deputy Chief James V. Hayes and Trial Attorney Claire Horrell of the Fraud Division’s Health Care Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

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

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

The Department of Justice announced that it has begun the third phase of the remission compensation process to provide recovery for Western Union fraud victims. 

In 2017, Western Union entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Department of Justice and agreed to forfeit $586 million. The Department of Justice previously distributed over $436.9 million to more than 180,000 victims. Because additional forfeited funds remain available in this case, the Department of Justice has reopened the petition process to potential victims who did not previously submit a petition for remission.

“The Department is pleased to announce the third and final phase of the Western Union remission process,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Thousands of victims have already obtained over $430 million in compensation in the first two phases, and this third phase represents the Criminal Division’s continued dedication to taking the profit out of crime and compensating victims of fraud.” 

“This additional $3.4 million in remission to 1,294 victims and the opening of the Victim Portal represents the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s commitment to ensuring all victims of consumer fraud are protected,” said Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Philadelphia Division. “We are proud of our efforts recovering over $400 million for victims of this fraud, and we thank our partners for their contributions to this cooperative effort.”

Victims of fraud who sent a money transfer through Western Union between Jan. 1, 2004, and March 9, 2020, can file a petition for remission and receive compensation for their fraud losses. Individuals who believe they may be victims may file a petition online or may obtain a petition form online at www.westernunionremissionphase3.com/. The deadline to file a petition for remission is Dec. 31. More information regarding the remission process, including eligibility criteria, updates, and frequently asked questions, is available at www.westernunionremissionphase3.com/ or by calling 1-833-419-4677. 

Pursuant to the DPA, Western Union acknowledged responsibility for its criminal conduct, which included violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and aiding and abetting wire fraud, and agreed to forfeit $586 million. This money has been made available to compensate victims of an international consumer fraud scheme. Western Union simultaneously resolved a parallel civil investigation with the Federal Trade Commission.

According to court documents, fraudsters targeted consumers, including seniors, through multiple scams and convinced their victims to send money through Western Union. Three specific scams directed towards seniors included the so-called grandparent scam, where the fraudster would pose as the victim’s relative in purported need of immediate money to avoid personal harm; lottery or sweepstakes scams, where the fraudster would tell the victim that he or she had won a large cash prize but had to pay fees, such as taxes, to claim the prize; and romance scams, where the fraudster would pose as an online love interest and request funds for a visit or for another purpose.

Certain owners, operators, or employees of Western Union locations were complicit in the scheme. Western Union aided and abetted the scheme by failing to suspend or terminate complicit agents and by allowing them to continue to process fraud-induced monetary transactions. Western Union fulfilled its obligations under the DPA, and the court granted the motion to dismiss the criminal information against Western Union in 2020.

The Department of Justice, through the Asset Forfeiture Program, works diligently to restore lost funds to victims of crime and acknowledges the significant assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Philadelphia Division’s Harrisburg Office in the victim compensation process and in conducting the criminal fraud investigation. Since fiscal year 2000, the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF), which has overseen the remission process, has successfully used its specialized expertise to return more than $13 billion in forfeited assets to victims of crime. 

The victim compensation payments in this case would not have been possible without the extraordinary efforts of MNF and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the Central District of California, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the Southern District of Florida. The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Reserve Board, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Inspector General, and the Department of the Treasury Office of Inspector General provided valuable assistance. The FTC conducted the civil fraud investigation. MNF Attorney Advisor Brittany R. Van Camp with the section’s Program Management and Training Unit is leading the remission process.

Verita Global LLC (formerly known as Gilardi & Co. LLC) is serving as the remission administrator in this matter. Verita Global LLC and the Department of Justice will not ask for any payment to participate in this remission process.

Neither the Remission Administrator nor the Department of Justice will ask for any payment to participate in this remission process. Please be cautious of any individual or organization claiming to represent the Remission Administrator or the federal government in this matter. If you are a victim, any communications will come directly from the Remission Administrator or from government representatives with whom you have already had contact.

PSA: FBI Warns of the Impersonation of Law Enforcement and Government Officials: www.ic3.gov/PSA/2025/PSA250418

How To Avoid a Government Impersonation Scam: consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-government-impersonation-scam 

For more information on how to protect yourself from fraud, please visit www.uspis.gov or www.consumer.ftc.gov.

Attorney General Todd Blanche and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins have agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), building on the joint progress of the Department of Justice and Department of Agriculture to strengthen competition for agricultural inputs.  Under the MOU, the agencies will expand their strong cooperation with respect to food and agricultural inputs, such as feed, fertilizer, fuel, seed, equipment, pesticides, among other essential goods.

The Justice Department is committed to vigorously investigating and bringing appropriate action to stop anticompetitive conduct that harms American famers and families. The new MOU deepens the Justice Department’s close partnership with the USDA to protect American farmers from unlawful conduct and to promote a more affordable and resilient food supply chain.

The new MOU, signed by Attorney General Blanche and Secretary Rollins on Oct. 5, reflects the high priority of agricultural input competition to both agencies.  The MOU amends and restates a prior working-level MOU entered into by the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division in September 2025.

Anyone with information about anticompetitive conduct in agricultural industries or any other violations of the antitrust laws is encouraged to contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or [email protected]. Information about anticompetitive practices in livestock and poultry markets can also be submitted to the USDA’s and Justice Department’s Agricultural Markets Enforcement Partnership at www.farmerfairness.gov.

Today, the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group issued a report detailing how Biden Administration officials at the Department of Justice explored avenues to prosecute parents and protestors who spoke to school boards and school officials during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Today’s report focuses on the production and circulation of an October 4, 2021 memorandum sent from Attorney General Merrick Garland to the Director of the FBI, the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, the Director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and United States Attorneys.

On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14147 to eliminate the political weaponization of federal agencies. To many Americans, Attorney General Garland’s memo embodied the misuse and weaponization of government power. This report fulfills the February 2, 2025 directive from Attorney General Pam Bondi to review the Memo and the report ordered by the President in EO 14147.

The report details how, despite being presented with very little evidence of actual violence or violent threats against school administrators and at school board meetings, Garland arrived at a memo which claimed, “in recent months, there has been a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence.”

The Working Group’s report makes clear that the ideological inspiration for the October 4, 2021 memo was a September 29, 2021 letter from the National School Boards Association to President Joe Biden in which the organization urged the federal government to consider that “these heinous actions” “could be equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes.”

The Working Group officially acknowledges what many Americans already assumed: that as Biden Administration actions chilled the exercise of parental and free speech rights, parents who lawfully exercised their parental rights and freedom of speech were often targeted by members of the educational establishment.

Among the most egregious findings, exhibits show that individuals in the Biden White House and Attorney General Garland’s advisors wanted to involve federal law enforcement and prosecutors in matters involving parents and school boards. Further, the Memo established a task force to find federal enforcement options for investigating and prosecuting parents and the FBI opened 25 “Guardian assessments” on parents. One FBI whistleblower disclosed that a mother was investigated because she “is a gun owner” and belonged to a “right-wing mom’s group.”

After thoroughly reviewing internal communications and investigative records, the Working Group found that more than a dozen DOJ and FBI personnel raised concerns with the Memo and its directive, including:

• “Stupid, stupid, stupid”
• “they might as well rename the damn thing the Anti-MAGA Task Force”
• “ridiculous,” 
• “challenging from a First Amendment perspective”
• “potentially dangerous ground”
• “horrible”
• “confusing”
• “look[s] political”    
• “a partisan exercise aimed at those who do not support the Administration”
• Would “tarnish reputation as an apolitical law enforcer”  
• “very messy and political”
• “nothing remotely federal”

Despite internal pushback, emails show Attorney General Garland issued the Memo, influenced by White House officials. The Working Group confirms the Memo was the product of pressure exerted by the White House and wrongly weaponized the Department of Justice against parents.

The Trump Administration and Attorney General Todd Blanche have made securing parental and First Amendment rights a top priority. In addition to the investigative Report, the Department of Justice is taking the following steps:

1. Parents and other participants at school board meetings who became the subject or target of an FBI Guardian assessment as a result of the Garland Memorandum will be offered the opportunity to review the Guardian.
2. A disclaimer will be added to Guardian assessments associated with the Garland Memorandum. The majority of these Guardian assessments have been closed or discontinued, but this disclaimer will note that the Garland Memorandum raised serious constitutional concerns, and so any Guardian assessment resulting from it should be read with caution.
3. The Department will review the files of anyone who was investigated under the Garland Memorandum to determine if their constitutional rights were violated. To the extent such a violation is found, the Department will issue a formal apology and institute internal controls as necessary to prevent repeating the violation.
4. Through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the Department is partnering with the National Association of School Resource Officers and awarding them $1.5 million to develop and deliver a series of training and technical assistance directly to our nation’s school resource officers. The goal of this grant is to increase the organization’s capacity to inform school employees regarding the rights of parents in our primary and secondary educational system.
5. Through the Office of Justice Programs, the Department is prioritizing additional funding to provide resources and training to schoolteachers and staff about the First Amendment rights of parents and the rights of parents to direct and guide the upbringing and education of their children.

This report follows letters sent earlier today by Department of Justice and Department of Education leadership to all 50 state attorneys general on parental rights. The letters can be viewed here.

The Justice Department remains committed to defending Constitutionally protected civil liberties, especially the First Amendment rights of all Americans. Individuals with concerns about unconstitutional conduct are encouraged to come forward; the Department will evaluate such matters without fear or favor.

Read the full report here.

Today, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a joint letter to all state Attorneys General reaffirming the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting parental rights. The letter puts Attorneys General on notice that under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), parents have the right to know and be informed of the most sensitive and personal information pertaining to their children. ED and DOJ also announced a new enforcement action against the Los Angeles Unified School District in California (LAUSD) for policies that require staff to keep sensitive information hidden from parents. 

The Trump Administration’s message is clear: the era of silencing, harassing, and targeting parents is over, and their rights under federal law are non-negotiable. Five years ago, the Biden Administration weaponized the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate parents who attended school board meetings, including setting up a dedicated snitch-line. The infamous October 4th memorandum came after the Biden White House coordinated with the National School Boards Association to label parents as “domestic terrorists.” Today’s letter and enforcement action also come on the same day the DOJ’s Weaponization Working Group released its report exposing the memorandum’s creation.

“Parents are children’s natural providers and protectors,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. “The Biden-Harris DOJ labeled concerned parents as threats for exercising their right to know what was happening at their kids’ schools. This Civil Rights Division stands with parents, and we will continue to partner with the Department of Education to enforce parents’ rights under federal law.”

“Under the Biden Administration, parents were the enemy. They were labeled as terrorists, targeted, and investigated by a government weaponized against them,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “That era is over. The Trump Administration is acting with unprecedented energy and purpose to restore parents’ natural rights as the primary protectors of their children. The Department of Education is committed to fully enforcing FERPA and PPRA. We are grateful to the Department of Justice for partnering with us to hold rogue schools accountable, including the Los Angeles Unified School District, and urge all state Attorneys General to work with us in upholding the letter of the law.” 

Additionally, ED partnered with DOJ to take enforcement action against LAUSD for policies that violate FERPA and PPRA. These policies direct district employees to “privately ask the student how they want to be referred to when communicating with parents/legal guardians” and to keep a students’ self-professed “gender identity” “private” or “confidential,” including from parents. LAUSD’s parental secrecy policies have allowed students to make life-altering decisions in secret, unbeknownst to their parents.

Compare this to the Biden Administration that opened several investigations into parents, some of which were led by the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division and Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate. One FBI field office interviewed a mother because she was a member of Moms for Liberty, which it disparaged as a “right wing mom’s group.” Another FBI tip launched an investigation into a father opposed to mask mandates because he “fit the profile of an insurrectionist.”

Read a copy of the letter here.

Background:

FERPA and PPRA are federal privacy laws enforced by the Department's SPPO. FERPA protects the privacy of students’ education records and safeguards parents’ rights to access their children’s education records, seek amendments to those records, and exercise control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information. PPRA requires schools to provide notification and attain written parental consent when conducting surveys, analyses, or evaluations asking students for certain sensitive and private information such as sex behaviors and attitudes, religious beliefs, mental and psychological problems.  

These statutory obligations were emphasized and clarified in the SPPO’s recent Dear Colleague Letters issued in March 2025 and August 2026. 

In June 2026, the Department partnered with DOJ to provide more responsive and coordinated enforcement of our nation’s parental and civil rights laws with the goal of continuing investigations uninterrupted while also cutting red tape and expediting enforcement.

The Department of Justice announced today that it has filed denaturalization actions in multiple U.S. district courts against 40 individuals accused of serious offenses, including acting as an agent for a foreign government, committing voluntary manslaughter, and aggravated sodomy against a special‑needs man. Filed between Aug. 21 and Oct. 2, 2026, these complaints represent the largest volume of complaints submitted in a single period under the Trump administration.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and certificate of naturalization canceled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.

“Today’s announcement marks the largest denaturalization effort in modern history,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “From an individual convicted of espionage to others convicted of sexual offenses against minors, these defendants concealed critical facts from the U.S. government and represent serious criminal offenders. Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice will continue to employ the denaturalization process to maintain our national security and protect the American people.”

“Every single one of these individuals lied their way into U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This administration will continue to pursue the largest denaturalization effort in department history to restore trust and integrity in U.S. citizenship. Our message is clear: the United States will not tolerate deception in the naturalization process.”

1. Yusmary Shirley Duran Mejia (Colombia/Age 47): On Aug. 31, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Yusmary Shirley Duran Mejia, a resident of Hialeah, Florida, because she committed immigration fraud in her naturalization proceedings. Duran Mejia entered the United States in 2007 and naturalized in 2018. In 2019, she was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.  In criminal proceedings she admitted that she became involved in the illegal enterprise before she became a citizen. In 2020, she was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956, for her efforts in concealing proceeds from unlawful activity. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Duran Mejia’s naturalization because her criminal acts and her false testimony in naturalization proceedings rendered her unable to demonstrate the required good moral character for naturalization and because she procured her naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (Southern District of Florida).
2. Iain Lumsden (United Kingdom/Age 50): On Aug. 31, the Department of Justice filed a case in the District of Colorado seeking the denaturalization Iain Lumsden. On or about Feb. 26, 2020, Mr. Lumsden knowingly transported the visual depiction in a computer file, which involved the visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. On Aug. 11, 2020, the Defendant admitted to law enforcement that he first viewed child pornography five to ten years before Aug. 11, 2020, and admitted to conducting searches for child pornography prior to naturalizing. On Dec. 2, 2020, Mr. Lumsden was charged with one count of Transportation of Child Pornography under 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(1), 2252(b)(1). On Aug. 27, 2021, Mr. Lumsden entered a plea of guilty to Transportation of Child Pornography under 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(1), 2252(b)(1) and he was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison.  During the naturalization process Mr. Lumsden represented under penalty of perjury that: (1) that he had not committed crimes for which he had not been arrested; and (2) he never provided false, fraudulent or misleading information to a U.S. Government official. Neither were true. (District of Colorado).
3. Gume Roberto Garza (Mexico/Age 59): On Aug. 28, the United States brought a denaturalization action in the Southern District of Texas against Gume Roberto Garza, also known as Gumercindo Garza Perez, also known as Gerardo Vasquez, also known as Gerardo Vazquez, who misrepresented his identity and concealed his criminal history to secure citizenship. Prior to the naturalization process, Garza entered the United States illegally and secured and retained a Texas driver's license bearing the name, social security number, and date of birth belonging to United States citizen Gerardo Vazquez. Garza, posing as Gerardo Vazquez, was arrested on multiple occasions for drug offenses. When he applied to naturalize in 2010, Garza concealed his use of an alias and prior criminal history. In 2013, Garza pleaded guilty to making a false under-oath statement in a naturalization matter in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1015(a). As Garza should not have been naturalized, the United States filed a complaint to revoke his illegally-obtained citizenship. (Southern District of Texas).
4. Ramiro Escot Esparza (Mexico/Age 60): On Aug. 27, the United States brought a denaturalization action against Ramiro Escot Esparza in the Central District of California for illegally obtaining United States citizenship. Escot Esparza became a permanent resident in 1990 and applied for citizenship in 2008. However, Escot Esparza concealed that he had engaged in multiple acts of sexual misconduct against a minor victim in his application and during his citizenship interview in 2009. Just months after obtaining citizenship, Escot Esparza pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse of a minor victim. By concealing his multiple acts of sexual abuse of a minor during his citizenship application process, Escot Esparza is subject to revocation of his naturalized citizenship. (Central District of California).
5. Javier Marrero-Pando (Cuba/Age 60): On Aug. 31, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Middle District of Georgia seeking the denaturalization of Javier Marrero-Pando, a resident of Athens, Georgia, because he failed to disclose during his naturalization proceedings that he had committed aggravated sodomy against a special needs man. In June 2022, he was convicted by guilty plea for aggravated sodomy.  During his plea hearing, Mr. Marrero-Pando admitted that, in May 2020, he forced the victim to perform sexual acts against the victim’s will. For that offense, he was sentenced to life in prison, with all but 15 years suspended. At his naturalization interview in October 2020, Mr. Marrero-Pando falsely stated under oath that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested, inducing immigration authorities to grant his naturalization application. The United States filed a three-count complaint against Mr. Marrero-Pando seeking his denaturalization due to his illegal procurement of naturalization, lack of good moral character, and false statements in his naturalization proceedings. (Middle District of Georgia).
6. Ahmad Bahar Khattak (Pakistan/Age 69): On Aug. 21, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Virginia to revoke the naturalized U.S. citizenship of Ahmad Bahar Khattak, also known as Bahar Ahmad and Said Umar Khan. The complaint alleges seven distinct counts seeking the revocation of his U.S. citizenship, asserting that his naturalization was illegally procured due to pre-existing removal proceedings, a lack of lawful permanent resident status, jurisdictional defects, statutory inadmissibility, a failure to demonstrate the requisite good moral character through criminal acts and false testimony under oath, and the willful concealment of material facts regarding his dual identity and prior deportation history. Ahmad Bahar Khattak illegally procured his naturalization and willfully concealed material facts by engaging in a multi-decade fraudulent scheme utilizing dual identities to evade deportation and secure immigration benefits. Specifically, after an Immigration Judge ordered Ahmad Bahar Khattak excluded in absentia in 1994 under the alias of Said Umar Khan, he concurrently applied for immigration benefits and ultimately naturalized on Mar. 20, 2008, under the identity of Bahar Ahmad without disclosing his prior exclusion order. Following his naturalization, he continued his deceptive conduct by leveraging his unlawfully acquired status to obtain U.S. passports and sponsor family members for immigration benefits. In light of the foregoing factual premises, the United States is moving to revoke his citizenship and Certificate of Naturalization. (Eastern District of Virginia).
7. Ahmed Khan (Pakistan/Age 73): On Sept. 4, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Southern District of Ohio seeking the denaturalization of Ahmed Khan, based on marriage fraud. After arriving in the United States from Pakistan in 1999, Khan secured a bogus death certificate for his still-living Pakistani wife and then married a U.S. citizen. Relying on that bigamous marriage, Khan obtained permanent residence in 2002 by falsely representing both the death of his Pakistani wife and that he did not plan to practice polygamy in the United States.  His misrepresentations at the start of his immigration journey made him inadmissible and ultimately ineligible for U.S. citizenship.  Khan nevertheless unlawfully naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2008 by failing to disclose his ongoing marriage to his Pakistani wife; providing false testimony during his naturalization interview; committing unlawful acts, including immigration fraud, that adversely reflected on his moral character; and willfully misrepresenting material facts about his marriage history and other matters throughout his naturalization proceedings. (Southern District of Ohio).
8. Balwinder Singh (India/Age 55): On Sept. 8, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of California seeking the denaturalization of Balwinder Singh for using a fraudulent identity to gain admission to and naturalization in the United States. In 1992, Singh submitted an immigration application under the identity of Balwinder Singh. In 2003, Singh sought and received permanent resident status under a second identity. Fingerprints establish that Singh submitted both applications. In 2009, Singh naturalized under his second identity. The complaint alleges seven counts for his numerous misrepresentations and unlawful acts that adversely reflect his moral character. (Eastern District of California).
9. Jose Ramiro Montiel Carrasco (Mexico/Age 57): On Sept. 14, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Middle District of Florida, seeking the denaturalization of Jose Ramiro Montiel Carrasco, who sexually abused a minor and committed incest before he naturalized. Motiel Carrasco failed to disclose his crimes throughout his naturalization. After he naturalized, Montiel Carrasco was convicted in Florida state court for sexual battery and incest and respectively sentenced to concurrent terms of 8 and 5 years’ imprisonment.  Montiel Carrasco began his abhorrent acts of sexual abuse in or about 2000, when his victim was fourteen or fifteen years old.  Throughout his naturalization proceedings, Montiel Carrasco failed to disclose material facts, including his unlawful acts, and he provided false testimony under oath.  Accordingly, the United States seeks to denaturalize Montiel Carrasco on the basis that he illegally procured United States citizenship, namely, he lacked the requisite good moral character for naturalization, and because he willfully misrepresented material facts during his naturalization proceedings. (Middle District of Florida).
10. Arnel Dacumos Tabafunda (Philippines/Age 47): On Sept. 15, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Central District of California seeking the denaturalization of Arnel Dacumos Tabafunda, based on sexual abuse of a child that Tabafunda failed to report during his naturalization proceedings. Before he naturalized as a U.S. citizen, Tabafunda began sexually abusing a child under the age of thirteen. By concealing his crimes during his naturalization process, Tabafunda became a U.S. citizen in September 2005.  After he naturalized, a jury found him guilty of two counts of committing lewd or lascivious acts upon a child under the age of fourteen years, in violation of Cal. Penal Code § 288(a), and he was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment.  Tabafunda was in a position of trust with the victim, and he abused that trust through his repeated acts of sexual abuse from February 2005 through November 2005.  Accordingly, Tabafunda illegally procured his naturalization because he committed his sexual abuse crimes during a period in which he was required to demonstrate good moral character to naturalize.  He also procured his naturalization by willfully concealing the material fact of his criminal conduct when his naturalization application required him to disclose it. (Central District of California).
11. Syed Mashood Ul Haque (Pakistan/Age 66): On Sept. 16, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Syed Ul Haque because he used dual identities to violate U.S. immigration law. Ul Haque entered the United States on a tourist visa in 1993 under his current identity, then overstayed this visa. In 1994, Ul Haque used the identity “Mashud Ahmad” to apply for asylum. When the government denied his asylum application, he failed to appear for his immigration hearing and evaded lawful deportation. After remaining illegally in the United States for decades, Ul Haque used his current identity to take advantage of a family-based immigration petition and become a permanent resident in 2005. Ul Haque later naturalized as a U.S. citizen. The United States seeks Ul Haque’s denaturalization because he was never lawfully admitted as a permanent resident due to his prior deportation order under a fraudulent identity, and he concealed this throughout his naturalization process. (Southern District of Florida).
12. Douglas Chukwuka Eze (Citizenship Unknown/Adult, Age Unknown). On Aug. 10, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the District of Maryland seeking the denaturalization of Douglas Chukwuka Eze, also known as Anthony Chux Ezehez, because he committed immigration fraud in his naturalization proceedings. In 2023, Eze was convicted of two counts of False Swearing in Immigration Matter, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1546, based on his admission that, in the 1990’s, he stole a birth certificate belonging to Spencer Douglas Callaghan and used Mr. Callaghan’s identity to obtain immigration benefits. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Eze’s naturalization because he procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations, he illegally procured his lawful permanent resident status by misrepresenting his identity and criminal history, and he provided false testimony when he lied under penalty of perjury in his naturalization proceedings. (District of Maryland).
13. Gilberto Barraza (Mexico/Age 58): On Sept. 18, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the District of Arizona seeking the denaturalization of Gilberto Barraza because he fraudulently claimed to be a U.S. citizen when he was not. Barraza entered the United States illegally in 1987 and applied for a U.S. passport in 1992, falsely claiming to have been born in the United States. In support, he submitted a forged California birth certificate. Later, he married a U.S. citizen and used this marriage to become a permanent resident of the United States, eventually becoming a U.S. citizen in 2008 by concealing and lying about his passport fraud. The United States seeks Barraza’s denaturalization because he was not lawfully admitted for permanent residence and made numerous material misstatements to obtain his U.S. citizenship. (District of Arizona).
14. Ifeolu Samuel Akingbemisilu (Sierra Leone/Age 58): On Sept. 18, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Northern District of Georgia seeking the denaturalization of Ifeolu Samuel Akingbemisilu, also known as John Samuel, Sylvester Akingbemisilu, and Anthony Davies, because he committed immigration fraud. Before he became a citizen in 2008, Akingbemisilu entered the United States and was ordered removed under the name Anthony Davies. He reentered using a fraudulent British passport under the name John Samuel and married a U.S. citizen, which he used to adjust status to permanent resident. During naturalization proceedings, he changed his name to Ifelou Samuel Akingbemisilu and became a U.S. citizen. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Akingbemisilu’s naturalization because he did not lawfully adjust status, did not have the required good moral character for naturalization, and procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (Northern District of Georgia).
15. Norma Patricia Esparza (Mexico/Age 52): On Sept. 22, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Central District of California, seeking the denaturalization of Norma Patricia Esparza, who committed voluntary manslaughter before she naturalized and failed to disclose her crimes throughout his naturalization. After she naturalized, Esparza was convicted in California state court and was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment. Throughout her naturalization proceedings, Esparza failed to disclose material facts, including her unlawful acts, and she provided false testimony under oath.  Accordingly, the United States seeks to denaturalize Esparza on the basis that she illegally procured United States citizenship, namely, she lacked the requisite good moral character for naturalization, and because she willfully misrepresented material facts during her naturalization proceedings.  (Central District of California).
16. Johyce Martinez (Venezuela/Age 52): On Sept. 22, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the District of Columbia seeking the denaturalization of Johyce Martinez, also known as Johyce Noreidis Sanchez, Raida Martinez, and Raida Martinez Riveron, because she committed immigration fraud. Martinez is a native of Venezuela who entered the United States in 2006 using a fraudulent Cuban birth registration. She was unlawfully granted permanent residence under the Cuban Adjustment Act and maintained the fraudulent Cuban identity when, in 2013, she naturalized as a U.S. citizen. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Martinez’s naturalization because she did not lawfully adjust status, did not have the required good moral character for naturalization, and procured her naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (District of Columbia).
17. Varis Jan Safi (Afghanistan/Age 55): On Sept. 24, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of New York seeking the denaturalization of Varis Jan Safi, also known as Tariq Mehmood, a resident of Valley Stream, New York because he illegally procured his naturalization and willfully misrepresented and concealed material facts to the USCIS during his naturalization process. Mr. Safi entered the United States in 1995 under the name of Tariq Mehmood using a forged Pakistani passport. When discovered, he confessed to be an Afghan national and was placed in exclusion proceedings. An immigration judge ordered him excluded from the United States in 1995. Instead of obeying the judge ordered and departing the United States, Mr. Safi fabricated a new identity, married a U.S. Citizens and used this marriage to adjust his status. Mr. Safi never disclosed his multiple identities or simultaneous applications for immigration benefits, among other disqualifying behaviors and unlawful acts when under oath at his naturalization interview. The United States alleges that the court should issue and order revoking Mr. Safi’s naturalization and cancels his Certificate of Naturalization because he was ineligible to naturalize when he did, and because he made multiple false statement and misrepresentations in his naturalization proceedings. (Eastern District of New York).
18. Walid Abdelnabbi Hassan Osman (Egypt/Age 62): On Sept. 23, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Virginia seeking the denaturalization of Walid Osman because he committed visa fraud prior to becoming a U.S. citizen. In 2001, Osman entered the United States on a tourist visa before extending his stay and pursuing a fraudulent H-1B position with a company run by his family member that provided no meaningful employment to him. Instead, Osman worked as a taxi driver and enjoyed H-1B status in the United States until 2007. He became a permanent resident in 2009 through his spouse’s diversity visa and eventually naturalized as a U.S. citizen. The United States seeks Osman’s denaturalization because he was not lawfully admitted as a permanent resident due to his visa fraud, and he provided false testimony and made material representations about his fraudulent work history throughout his naturalization process. (Eastern District of Virginia).
19. Nadia Hassan Mohamed Ali (Egypt/Age 58): On Sept. 23, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Virginia seeking the denaturalization of Nadia Hassan Mohamed Ali because she committed visa fraud prior to becoming a U.S. citizen. In 2001 and 2004, Ali sponsored a member of her family to work in H-1B status as an accountant for her company. However, this company conducted no business and provided no meaningful employment to the family member. Ali fraudulently filed work petitions for the purpose of allowing the family member to remain in the United States. The United States seeks Ali’s denaturalization because she committed fraud crimes in her H-1B petitions and in her application for U.S. citizenship. Throughout her naturalization process, Ali provided false testimony and material misrepresentations about her work history and sponsoring her family member. (Eastern District of Virginia).
20. Beatrice Chioma Nwaoha Ashamole (Nigeria/Age 54): On Sept. 25, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the District of Maryland seeking the denaturalization of Beatrice Chioma Nwaoha Ashamole because throughout her naturalization proceedings, she did not disclose prior aliases, prior arrests, a prior immigration benefits application, or prior exclusions and deportations, despite the application asking for such information. The United Sates is charging her with illegally procuring her naturalization through fraud and false testimony. (District of Maryland).
21. Anita Moanjeh Atem (Cameroon/Age 48): On Sept. 25, the Department of Justice filed a case in the District of Maryland seeking the denaturalization of Anita Moanjeh Atem, a native of Cameroon.  Ms. Atem naturalized in 2009 by hiding from the Government that from 2004 to 2007, she had sexually abused a minor, a family and household member and over whom Ms. Atem had permanent or temporary care and custody and responsibility. Ms. Atem was convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in violation of Maryland Criminal Code 3-602.  Accordingly, the United States filed a three-count complaint against Ms. Atem seeking her denaturalization, including claims that she lacked the requisite good moral character to naturalize and made willful misrepresentations to, and concealed material facts from, immigration authorities. (District of Maryland).
22. Dibya Bhattarai (Nepal/Age 40): On Sept. 25, the Department of Justice brought a denaturalization action against Dibya Bhattarai in the Northern District of Texas. Bhattarai illegally secured citizenship by misrepresenting her criminal history throughout the naturalization process.  When she applied to naturalize in 2008, Bhattarai claimed that she had not committed any crime for which she had not yet been arrested. She later repeated that claim orally and under oath during her naturalization interview. Based on Bhattarai’s written application and testimony at her interview, she was approved for naturalization and naturalized in September 2008.  In March 2016, however, Bhattarai pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with immigration documents — a conspiracy that began in June 2007, over a year before her naturalization interview. The United States filed a complaint against Bhattarai seeking to revoke Bhattarai’s naturalized citizenship because of her lack of good moral character and her willful misrepresentation and concealment of her criminal conduct while seeking U.S. citizenship. (Northern District of Texas).
23. Syed Furqan Ali (Pakistan/Age 74): On Sept. 28, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Southern District of Texas seeking the denaturalization of Syed Furqan Ali after he entered into a fraudulent marriage to obtain U.S. citizenship unlawfully. In 1993, Ali sought naturalization based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen while still married to his first wife, a citizen of Pakistan. In fact, Ali had fabricated his divorce and former wife’s death to gain admission to the United States. The complaint against Ali alleges five counts that includes his unlawful adjustment as a permanent resident and false testimony at his naturalization interview that he was divorced and legally married to his second wife at the time of his admission into the United States. (Southern District of Texas).
24. Raul Cisneros (Mexico/Age 76): On Sept. 28, the Department of Justice filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the Southern District of California against Raul Cisneros, a native of Mexico. Cisneros received his naturalization based on his representation in his naturalization application that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested.  In fact, prior to his naturalization application, Cisneros committed acts constituting lewd and lascivious acts on a minor in violation of California Penal Code § 288(a). After obtaining citizenship, Cisneros was convicted pursuant to his guilty plea of two felony counts in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, North County Division, and sentenced to six years’ imprisonment. (Southern District of California).
25. Juan Jose Egusquiza-Vasquez (Age 36/Peru): On Sept. 28, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Southern District of Indiana seeking the denaturalization of Juan Jose Egusquiza-Vasquez who was admitted to the United States in November 2000 and subsequently obtained permanent residence. When Egusquiza-Vasquez applied for naturalization in October 2010, he stated in his application that he had never committed a crime or offense for which he had not been arrested. His application was approved and he naturalized in May 2011. In November 2013, however, Egusquiza-Vasquez pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual battery involving a minor in violation of Indiana Code § 35-42-4-8(a)(1)(A), that occurred in March and April 2008, prior to his application for naturalization. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment for his crime. On Sept. 28 the United States brought a denaturalization action against Egusquiza-Vasquez for willfully misrepresenting and concealing his criminal conduct during the naturalization process and providing false information under penalty of perjury for the purpose of obtaining an immigration benefit, namely naturalization. (Southern District of Indiana).
26. Arnouse Merlien (Haiti/Age 48): On Sept. 28, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Arnouse Merlien, a resident of West Palm Beach, Florida, because she committed tax fraud during her naturalization proceedings. Ms. Merlien naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2016. In 2018, in the Northern District of Georgia, Ms. Merlien was charged with, and convicted of Conspiracy to Defraud the Government with Respect to Claims. In the years leading up to her naturalization, Ms. Merlien participated in a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government by submitting fraudulent claims for income tax refunds with the IRS. The United States seeks the denaturalization of Ms. Merlien in a three-count complaint alleging she illegally procured her naturalization because of her conviction for tax fraud, her false testimony in naturalization proceedings, which demonstrates she did not have the requisite good moral character needed for naturalization, and because she procured her naturalization by concealment of material facts or by willful misrepresentation. (Southern District of Florida).
27. Francis Darko Asamoah (Ghana/Age 56): On Sept. 30, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Virginia seeking the denaturalization of Francis Darko Asamoah, a resident of Woodbridge, Virginia, because he lied on his naturalization application regarding if he had children, to shield inquiry into the legitimacy of his marriage to a U.S. citizen. Mr. Asamoah naturalized in 2013. Mr. Asamoah was married to a U.S. citizen prior to his naturalization, and whom he gained permanent residence through. During his naturalization interview in 2013, Mr. Asamoah testified under oath that he had no children. However, a Virginia Certificate of Live Birth, listed Mr. Asamoah as the father to a child born in July 2011. The mother of the child was not his U.S. citizen spouse. Shortly after naturalization, Mr. Asamoah divorced his U.S. citizen spouse. In subsequent immigration filings after naturalization, Mr. Asamoah acknowledged the existence of the child born in July 2011. Mr. Asamoah’s false testimony during his naturalization proceedings prevented immigration authorities from investigating the bona fides of the marriage to his U.S. citizen spouse. (Eastern District of Virginia).
28. Ralph Nabavi (Iran/Ager 69): On Sept. 30, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Ralph Nabavi, a resident of Miami, Florida, because he unlawfully evaded paying federal income taxes before he became a U.S. citizen in 2014. In 2019, he was charged with tax evasion for underreporting at least $12.5 million dollars in income and underpaying $3.5 million in federal income taxes. Nabavi admitted when he pleaded guilty that he began transferring funds from his business to personal accounts to avoid paying income taxes beginning in 2013 before he naturalized in 2014, though the evidence indicates that he began at least as early as 2012. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Nabavi’s naturalization because his criminal act and false testimony in naturalization proceedings rendered him unable to demonstrate the required good moral character for naturalization and because he procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (Southern District of Florida).
29. Gracia de Rodriguez (Mexico/Age 52): On Sept. 30, the Justice Department filed a complaint in the District of Arizona seeking the denaturalization of Consuela Gracia de Rodriguez, a native of Mexico. Over a nearly twenty‑year period, Gracia de Rodriguez lied to U.S. government officials about her spouse’s identity and citizenship, falsely claiming that he was a U.S. citizen to obtain immigration benefits, U.S. citizenship, and a U.S. passport. On June 24, 2019, Gracia de Rodriguez pleaded guilty to passport fraud in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. In her criminal proceedings, Gracia de Rodriguez admitted that she procured her U.S. passport through fraudulent procurement of her naturalization. Specifically, she admitted that her spouse was a Mexican citizen, not a U.S. citizen, whom she married in Mexico. She further admitted that she and her spouse later illegally entered the United States, where her spouse proceeded to steal the identity of a U.S. citizen. She admitted that she knowingly and willfully married her spouse a second time in the United States under his stolen identity and then used her spouse’s stolen identity to adjust her status to that of a lawful permanent resident and later to naturalize. (District of Arizona).
30. Jinchao Wei (China/Age 26): On Sept. 30, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Southern District of California seeking the denaturalization of Jinchao Wei because he conducted espionage on behalf of the Chinese government. Jinchao Wei, a native of China, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2021, just before his twenty-first birthday. But by February 2022, he had begun conspiring to sell military secrets to China. By concealing his crimes, he obtained U.S. citizenship just two months later in May 2022, through a law intended to expedite the naturalization of individuals serving honorably in the U.S. armed forces. After his espionage scheme was discovered, he was arrested and convicted in August 2025 of conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage, and unlawful export of technical data related to defense articles. He was sentenced to 200 months in prison and discharged from the Navy. The denaturalization complaint against Wei alleges that he illegally procured his naturalization, procured it through fraudulent concealment or material misrepresentations during his naturalization proceedings, and failed to serve honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces for five years before being separated under other-than-honorable conditions. (Southern District of California).
31. Jose Villarreal Ortiz (Mexico/Age 49): On Oct. 1, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Jose Villarreal Ortiz, a native of Mexico. Mr. Villarreal was admitted to permanent resident status as the child of a U.S. citizen based on a false claim that his aunt (a naturalized U.S. citizen) was his mother and that he had remained in Mexico until 1996, when in fact he had been in the United States illegally for nearly a decade. When it came time to naturalize, Mr. Villarreal falsely claimed that his parent was a U.S. citizen, that he had never lied to U.S. officials to gain admission or entry, and that he had never provided false or misleading information to government officials. As a result, Mr. Villarreal was naturalized. The United States is seeking to revoke Mr. Villarreal’s citizenship because he was not lawfully admitted for permanent residence, because he procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and/or willful misrepresentations, and because his false testimony and misrepresentations meant that he lacked the good moral character necessary to naturalize. (Southern District of Florida).
32. Sorsamkhan Som (Cambodia/Age 67): On Oct. 1, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Southern District of Texas seeking the denaturalization of Sorsamkhan Som after he entered into a fraudulent marriage to obtain U.S. citizenship unlawfully. In 2009, Som sought naturalization based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen while still married to his first wife, a citizen of Cambodia. In fact, Som fabricated his divorce to gain admission to the United States. The complaint against Som alleges five counts that includes his unlawful adjustment as a permanent resident and false testimony at his naturalization interview that he was divorced and legally married to his second wife at the time of his admission into the United States. (Southern District of Texas).
33. Lazaro Trujillo Viton (Age 40/Cuba): On Oct. 1, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the District of Columbia seeking the denaturalization of Lazaro Eduardo Trujillo Viton.  Trujillo, a native of Cuba, concealed throughout the naturalization process that he was involved in a conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and that he himself submitted fraudulent Medicare claims for reimbursement, for which he was convicted after naturalization. Because Trujillo committed these crimes prior to naturalization and continuing through naturalization and concealed his involvement therein, he obtained naturalization through a concealment or willful misrepresentation of a material fact, he provided false testimony disqualifying him from citizenship, and his crimes of moral turpitude and other unlawful acts meant that he lacked the good moral character necessary to naturalize. The United States is therefore seeking to revoke Trujillo’s naturalized citizenship. (District of the District of Columbia).
34. Dexter Anson (Ghana/Age 72):  On Oct. 1, the United States filed a complaint in the District of Connecticut seeking the denaturalization of Dexter Anson because he failed to disclose in his diversity visa application and subsequent naturalization proceedings that he applied for immigration benefits and was ordered deported under his prior identity.  He is charged with illegal procurement of his naturalization, and procurement of naturalization by willfully misrepresenting or concealing material facts in his naturalization proceedings. Anson illegally procured naturalization because he was not lawfully admitted for permanent residence based on being ineligible for a diversity visa as he applied for immigration benefits by fraud and misrepresentation under George Opoku.  He illegally procured naturalization because he could not have established the requisite good moral character to naturalize where, prior to naturalizing, he engaged in unlawful acts adversely reflecting on his moral character, including violating three federal statutes criminalizing providing false information to the Government. He also provided false testimony at his naturalization interview when he failed to disclose his prior deportation proceedings and deportation order under George Opoku. Anson also willfully misrepresented or concealed material facts, including the use of another name and a deportation order in that name, throughout the naturalization process. (District of Connecticut).
35. Andrew Coldicutt (Canada/Age 46): On Oct. 1, the Department of Justice filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the Southern District of California against Andrew Coldicutt, a native of Canada. Coldicutt received his naturalization based on his misrepresentations in his naturalization application and interviews that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested and that he had never provided false or misleading information to a U.S. government official. In fact, prior to his naturalization application, Coldicutt had engaged in stock fraud schemes, including a pump-and-dump scheme and a gypsy swap, that involved filing false securities registration forms and wire fraud and that resulted in an FBI investigation against him. After he obtained citizenship, a jury convicted Coldicutt of securities fraud in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 77q, 77x; making false securities registration statements in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 77g, 77x; and wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 in the Southern District of California. Accordingly, the Department of Justice is pursuing revocation of Coldicutt’s naturalization for both illegal procurement (failure to show good moral character due to unlawful acts and false testimony) and concealment of material facts or willful misrepresentations relating to that conduct. (Southern District of California).
36. Ping Li (China: Age 61): On Oct. 1, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Middle District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Ping Li because he conspired to act as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 and 951(a). From at least as early as 2012, Mr. Li worked at the direction of officers of the Ministry of State Security (“MSS”) of the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) to obtain information of interest to the PRC government, including information concerning Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy advocates, members of the Falun Gong religious movement, and U.S.-based non-governmental organizations, and to report that information to the MSS. Mr. Li also provided the MSS with sensitive information obtained from his employers, a major U.S. telecommunications company and an international information technology company. On August 19, 2024, Mr. Li plead guilty to acting as an agent of the PRC, without prior notification to the Attorney General. Mr. Li’s conduct is prima facie evidence that he was not attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States and was not well-disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States at the time of his naturalization. The United States therefore has filed a single-count complaint seeking to revoke his naturalized citizenship. (People’s Republic of China).
37. Hernan Garcia Toledo (Mexico/Age 52): On Oct. 2, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Eastern District of California seeking the denaturalization of Hernan Garcia Toledo.  Mr. Garcia is a native of Mexico who falsely represented throughout his naturalization proceedings that he had never been arrested nor convicted of any crimes.  He failed to disclose on his naturalization application and during his naturalization interview that he had previously been arrested and convicted of two crimes: carrying a concealed weapon, CPC § 12025(a)(1), and carrying a loaded firearm, CPC § 12031(a)(1).  After his naturalization interview but prior to naturalization, he was arrested and charged with two additional firearms-related offenses yet failed to disclose those arrests and pending charges during his oath of naturalization. After Mr. Garcia naturalized, he was convicted of a firearms offense.  Accordingly, the Department of Justice is pursuing revocation of Mr.  Garcia’s naturalization for both illegal procurement (failure to show good moral character due to unlawful acts and false testimony) and concealment of material facts or willful misrepresentations relating to that conduct.  (Eastern District of California).
38. Semiu Olaiye Ijelu (Nigeria/Age 58): On Oct. 2, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Northern District of Georgia seeking the denaturalization of Semiu Olaiye Ijelu, also known as Samiu O. Ijelu and Olaiya S. Ijely, because he committed immigration fraud in naturalization proceedings. Before he became a citizen, Ijelu sought immigration benefits under two separate identities and was ordered removed. Instead of departing the United States, he married a U.S. citizen, which he used to adjust status to permanent resident, and naturalized in 2009. During naturalization proceedings he did not disclose the other identities or the final removal order. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Ijelu’s naturalization because he did not lawfully adjust status, did not have the required good moral character for naturalization, and procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (Northern District of Georgia).
39. Ramon Navarro (Philippines/Age 68): On Oct. 2, the Department of Justice of Justice filed a case in the Eastern District of California seeking the denaturalization of Ramon Navarro for entering into a fraudulent marriage to obtain citizenship. Navarro entered into a fraudulent marriage to gain lawful permanent resident status and then used that fraudulent status and lied to immigration officials to obtain citizenship. The complaint alleges four counts based on his fraudulent marriage and his various representations that adversely reflected his moral character.  (Eastern District of California).
40. Assad Jhon Ramin (Afghanistan: Age 57 or 58): On Oct. 2 the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania seeking the denaturalization of Assad Jhon Ramim because Mr. Ramim perpetrated an identity fraud spanning almost thirty years. Mr. Ramim sought and obtained a series of immigration benefits, culminating in citizenship, claiming he was Ahmad Shah Kohistany. As part of his naturalization process, he changed his name from Ahmed Shah Kohistani to Assad Jhon Ramim. In fact, Assad Jhon Ramim was his real name all along, and it was never Ahmad Shah Kohistani. Mr. Ramim fraudulently stole the identity of another Afghan national without that individual’s knowledge or consent. Mr. Ramim’s actions and conduct statutorily barred him from becoming a U.S. citizen and render his naturalization illegally procured and procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation. The United States therefore has filed a four-count complaint seeking to revoke his naturalized citizenship based on his fraud and misrepresentations. (Eastern District of Pennsylvania).

These complaints were filed in the Central District of California, District of Arizona, District of Colorado, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Maryland, Eastern District of California, Eastern District of New York, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Eastern District of Virginia, Middle District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, Northern District of Georgia, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of California, Southern District of Florida, Southern District of Indiana, Southern District of Ohio, and Southern District of Texas.

The claims made in the complaints are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

The Department of Justice announced today that it has filed denaturalization actions in multiple U.S. district courts against 40 individuals accused of serious offenses, including acting as an agent for a foreign government, committing voluntary manslaughter, and aggravated sodomy against a special‑needs man. Filed between Aug. 21 and Oct. 2, 2026, these complaints represent the largest volume of complaints submitted in a single period under the Trump administration.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and certificate of naturalization canceled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.

“Today’s announcement marks the largest denaturalization effort in modern history,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “From an individual convicted of espionage to others convicted of sexual offenses against minors, these defendants concealed critical facts from the U.S. government and represent serious criminal offenders. Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice will continue to employ the denaturalization process to maintain our national security and protect the American people.”

“Every single one of these individuals lied their way into U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This administration will continue to pursue the largest denaturalization effort in department history to restore trust and integrity in U.S. citizenship. Our message is clear: the United States will not tolerate deception in the naturalization process.”

1. Yusmary Shirley Duran Mejia (Colombia/Age 47): On Aug. 31, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Yusmary Shirley Duran Mejia, a resident of Hialeah, Florida, because she committed immigration fraud in her naturalization proceedings. Duran Mejia entered the United States in 2007 and naturalized in 2018. In 2019, she was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.  In criminal proceedings she admitted that she became involved in the illegal enterprise before she became a citizen. In 2020, she was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956, for her efforts in concealing proceeds from unlawful activity. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Duran Mejia’s naturalization because her criminal acts and her false testimony in naturalization proceedings rendered her unable to demonstrate the required good moral character for naturalization and because she procured her naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (Southern District of Florida).
2. Iain Lumsden (United Kingdom/Age 50): On Aug. 31, the Department of Justice filed a case in the District of Colorado seeking the denaturalization Iain Lumsden. On or about Feb. 26, 2020, Mr. Lumsden knowingly transported the visual depiction in a computer file, which involved the visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. On Aug. 11, 2020, the Defendant admitted to law enforcement that he first viewed child pornography five to ten years before Aug. 11, 2020, and admitted to conducting searches for child pornography prior to naturalizing. On Dec. 2, 2020, Mr. Lumsden was charged with one count of Transportation of Child Pornography under 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(1), 2252(b)(1). On Aug. 27, 2021, Mr. Lumsden entered a plea of guilty to Transportation of Child Pornography under 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(1), 2252(b)(1) and he was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison.  During the naturalization process Mr. Lumsden represented under penalty of perjury that: (1) that he had not committed crimes for which he had not been arrested; and (2) he never provided false, fraudulent or misleading information to a U.S. Government official. Neither were true. (District of Colorado).
3. Gume Roberto Garza (Mexico/Age 59): On Aug. 28, the United States brought a denaturalization action in the Southern District of Texas against Gume Roberto Garza, also known as Gumercindo Garza Perez, also known as Gerardo Vasquez, also known as Gerardo Vazquez, who misrepresented his identity and concealed his criminal history to secure citizenship. Prior to the naturalization process, Garza entered the United States illegally and secured and retained a Texas driver's license bearing the name, social security number, and date of birth belonging to United States citizen Gerardo Vazquez. Garza, posing as Gerardo Vazquez, was arrested on multiple occasions for drug offenses. When he applied to naturalize in 2010, Garza concealed his use of an alias and prior criminal history. In 2013, Garza pleaded guilty to making a false under-oath statement in a naturalization matter in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1015(a). As Garza should not have been naturalized, the United States filed a complaint to revoke his illegally-obtained citizenship. (Southern District of Texas).
4. Ramiro Escot Esparza (Mexico/Age 60): On Aug. 27, the United States brought a denaturalization action against Ramiro Escot Esparza in the Central District of California for illegally obtaining United States citizenship. Escot Esparza became a permanent resident in 1990 and applied for citizenship in 2008. However, Escot Esparza concealed that he had engaged in multiple acts of sexual misconduct against a minor victim in his application and during his citizenship interview in 2009. Just months after obtaining citizenship, Escot Esparza pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse of a minor victim. By concealing his multiple acts of sexual abuse of a minor during his citizenship application process, Escot Esparza is subject to revocation of his naturalized citizenship. (Central District of California).
5. Javier Marrero-Pando (Cuba/Age 60): On Aug. 31, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Middle District of Georgia seeking the denaturalization of Javier Marrero-Pando, a resident of Athens, Georgia, because he failed to disclose during his naturalization proceedings that he had committed aggravated sodomy against a special needs man. In June 2022, he was convicted by guilty plea for aggravated sodomy.  During his plea hearing, Mr. Marrero-Pando admitted that, in May 2020, he forced the victim to perform sexual acts against the victim’s will. For that offense, he was sentenced to life in prison, with all but 15 years suspended. At his naturalization interview in October 2020, Mr. Marrero-Pando falsely stated under oath that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested, inducing immigration authorities to grant his naturalization application. The United States filed a three-count complaint against Mr. Marrero-Pando seeking his denaturalization due to his illegal procurement of naturalization, lack of good moral character, and false statements in his naturalization proceedings. (Middle District of Georgia).
6. Ahmad Bahar Khattak (Pakistan/Age 69): On Aug. 21, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Virginia to revoke the naturalized U.S. citizenship of Ahmad Bahar Khattak, also known as Bahar Ahmad and Said Umar Khan. The complaint alleges seven distinct counts seeking the revocation of his U.S. citizenship, asserting that his naturalization was illegally procured due to pre-existing removal proceedings, a lack of lawful permanent resident status, jurisdictional defects, statutory inadmissibility, a failure to demonstrate the requisite good moral character through criminal acts and false testimony under oath, and the willful concealment of material facts regarding his dual identity and prior deportation history. Ahmad Bahar Khattak illegally procured his naturalization and willfully concealed material facts by engaging in a multi-decade fraudulent scheme utilizing dual identities to evade deportation and secure immigration benefits. Specifically, after an Immigration Judge ordered Ahmad Bahar Khattak excluded in absentia in 1994 under the alias of Said Umar Khan, he concurrently applied for immigration benefits and ultimately naturalized on Mar. 20, 2008, under the identity of Bahar Ahmad without disclosing his prior exclusion order. Following his naturalization, he continued his deceptive conduct by leveraging his unlawfully acquired status to obtain U.S. passports and sponsor family members for immigration benefits. In light of the foregoing factual premises, the United States is moving to revoke his citizenship and Certificate of Naturalization. (Eastern District of Virginia).
7. Ahmed Khan (Pakistan/Age 73): On Sept. 4, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Southern District of Ohio seeking the denaturalization of Ahmed Khan, based on marriage fraud. After arriving in the United States from Pakistan in 1999, Khan secured a bogus death certificate for his still-living Pakistani wife and then married a U.S. citizen. Relying on that bigamous marriage, Khan obtained permanent residence in 2002 by falsely representing both the death of his Pakistani wife and that he did not plan to practice polygamy in the United States.  His misrepresentations at the start of his immigration journey made him inadmissible and ultimately ineligible for U.S. citizenship.  Khan nevertheless unlawfully naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2008 by failing to disclose his ongoing marriage to his Pakistani wife; providing false testimony during his naturalization interview; committing unlawful acts, including immigration fraud, that adversely reflected on his moral character; and willfully misrepresenting material facts about his marriage history and other matters throughout his naturalization proceedings. (Southern District of Ohio).
8. Balwinder Singh (India/Age 55): On Sept. 8, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of California seeking the denaturalization of Balwinder Singh for using a fraudulent identity to gain admission to and naturalization in the United States. In 1992, Singh submitted an immigration application under the identity of Balwinder Singh. In 2003, Singh sought and received permanent resident status under a second identity. Fingerprints establish that Singh submitted both applications. In 2009, Singh naturalized under his second identity. The complaint alleges seven counts for his numerous misrepresentations and unlawful acts that adversely reflect his moral character. (Eastern District of California).
9. Jose Ramiro Montiel Carrasco (Mexico/Age 57): On Sept. 14, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Middle District of Florida, seeking the denaturalization of Jose Ramiro Montiel Carrasco, who sexually abused a minor and committed incest before he naturalized. Motiel Carrasco failed to disclose his crimes throughout his naturalization. After he naturalized, Montiel Carrasco was convicted in Florida state court for sexual battery and incest and respectively sentenced to concurrent terms of 8 and 5 years’ imprisonment.  Montiel Carrasco began his abhorrent acts of sexual abuse in or about 2000, when his victim was fourteen or fifteen years old.  Throughout his naturalization proceedings, Montiel Carrasco failed to disclose material facts, including his unlawful acts, and he provided false testimony under oath.  Accordingly, the United States seeks to denaturalize Montiel Carrasco on the basis that he illegally procured United States citizenship, namely, he lacked the requisite good moral character for naturalization, and because he willfully misrepresented material facts during his naturalization proceedings. (Middle District of Florida).
10. Arnel Dacumos Tabafunda (Philippines/Age 47): On Sept. 15, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Central District of California seeking the denaturalization of Arnel Dacumos Tabafunda, based on sexual abuse of a child that Tabafunda failed to report during his naturalization proceedings. Before he naturalized as a U.S. citizen, Tabafunda began sexually abusing a child under the age of thirteen. By concealing his crimes during his naturalization process, Tabafunda became a U.S. citizen in September 2005.  After he naturalized, a jury found him guilty of two counts of committing lewd or lascivious acts upon a child under the age of fourteen years, in violation of Cal. Penal Code § 288(a), and he was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment.  Tabafunda was in a position of trust with the victim, and he abused that trust through his repeated acts of sexual abuse from February 2005 through November 2005.  Accordingly, Tabafunda illegally procured his naturalization because he committed his sexual abuse crimes during a period in which he was required to demonstrate good moral character to naturalize.  He also procured his naturalization by willfully concealing the material fact of his criminal conduct when his naturalization application required him to disclose it. (Central District of California).
11. Syed Mashood Ul Haque (Pakistan/Age 66): On Sept. 16, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Syed Ul Haque because he used dual identities to violate U.S. immigration law. Ul Haque entered the United States on a tourist visa in 1993 under his current identity, then overstayed this visa. In 1994, Ul Haque used the identity “Mashud Ahmad” to apply for asylum. When the government denied his asylum application, he failed to appear for his immigration hearing and evaded lawful deportation. After remaining illegally in the United States for decades, Ul Haque used his current identity to take advantage of a family-based immigration petition and become a permanent resident in 2005. Ul Haque later naturalized as a U.S. citizen. The United States seeks Ul Haque’s denaturalization because he was never lawfully admitted as a permanent resident due to his prior deportation order under a fraudulent identity, and he concealed this throughout his naturalization process. (Southern District of Florida).
12. Douglas Chukwuka Eze (Citizenship Unknown/Adult, Age Unknown). On Aug. 10, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the District of Maryland seeking the denaturalization of Douglas Chukwuka Eze, also known as Anthony Chux Ezehez, because he committed immigration fraud in his naturalization proceedings. In 2023, Eze was convicted of two counts of False Swearing in Immigration Matter, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1546, based on his admission that, in the 1990’s, he stole a birth certificate belonging to Spencer Douglas Callaghan and used Mr. Callaghan’s identity to obtain immigration benefits. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Eze’s naturalization because he procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations, he illegally procured his lawful permanent resident status by misrepresenting his identity and criminal history, and he provided false testimony when he lied under penalty of perjury in his naturalization proceedings. (District of Maryland).
13. Gilberto Barraza (Mexico/Age 58): On Sept. 18, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the District of Arizona seeking the denaturalization of Gilberto Barraza because he fraudulently claimed to be a U.S. citizen when he was not. Barraza entered the United States illegally in 1987 and applied for a U.S. passport in 1992, falsely claiming to have been born in the United States. In support, he submitted a forged California birth certificate. Later, he married a U.S. citizen and used this marriage to become a permanent resident of the United States, eventually becoming a U.S. citizen in 2008 by concealing and lying about his passport fraud. The United States seeks Barraza’s denaturalization because he was not lawfully admitted for permanent residence and made numerous material misstatements to obtain his U.S. citizenship. (District of Arizona).
14. Ifeolu Samuel Akingbemisilu (Sierra Leone/Age 58): On Sept. 18, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Northern District of Georgia seeking the denaturalization of Ifeolu Samuel Akingbemisilu, also known as John Samuel, Sylvester Akingbemisilu, and Anthony Davies, because he committed immigration fraud. Before he became a citizen in 2008, Akingbemisilu entered the United States and was ordered removed under the name Anthony Davies. He reentered using a fraudulent British passport under the name John Samuel and married a U.S. citizen, which he used to adjust status to permanent resident. During naturalization proceedings, he changed his name to Ifelou Samuel Akingbemisilu and became a U.S. citizen. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Akingbemisilu’s naturalization because he did not lawfully adjust status, did not have the required good moral character for naturalization, and procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (Northern District of Georgia).
15. Norma Patricia Esparza (Mexico/Age 52): On Sept. 22, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Central District of California, seeking the denaturalization of Norma Patricia Esparza, who committed voluntary manslaughter before she naturalized and failed to disclose her crimes throughout his naturalization. After she naturalized, Esparza was convicted in California state court and was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment. Throughout her naturalization proceedings, Esparza failed to disclose material facts, including her unlawful acts, and she provided false testimony under oath.  Accordingly, the United States seeks to denaturalize Esparza on the basis that she illegally procured United States citizenship, namely, she lacked the requisite good moral character for naturalization, and because she willfully misrepresented material facts during her naturalization proceedings.  (Central District of California).
16. Johyce Martinez (Venezuela/Age 52): On Sept. 22, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the District of Columbia seeking the denaturalization of Johyce Martinez, also known as Johyce Noreidis Sanchez, Raida Martinez, and Raida Martinez Riveron, because she committed immigration fraud. Martinez is a native of Venezuela who entered the United States in 2006 using a fraudulent Cuban birth registration. She was unlawfully granted permanent residence under the Cuban Adjustment Act and maintained the fraudulent Cuban identity when, in 2013, she naturalized as a U.S. citizen. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Martinez’s naturalization because she did not lawfully adjust status, did not have the required good moral character for naturalization, and procured her naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (District of Columbia).
17. Varis Jan Safi (Afghanistan/Age 55): On Sept. 24, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of New York seeking the denaturalization of Varis Jan Safi, also known as Tariq Mehmood, a resident of Valley Stream, New York because he illegally procured his naturalization and willfully misrepresented and concealed material facts to the USCIS during his naturalization process. Mr. Safi entered the United States in 1995 under the name of Tariq Mehmood using a forged Pakistani passport. When discovered, he confessed to be an Afghan national and was placed in exclusion proceedings. An immigration judge ordered him excluded from the United States in 1995. Instead of obeying the judge ordered and departing the United States, Mr. Safi fabricated a new identity, married a U.S. Citizens and used this marriage to adjust his status. Mr. Safi never disclosed his multiple identities or simultaneous applications for immigration benefits, among other disqualifying behaviors and unlawful acts when under oath at his naturalization interview. The United States alleges that the court should issue and order revoking Mr. Safi’s naturalization and cancels his Certificate of Naturalization because he was ineligible to naturalize when he did, and because he made multiple false statement and misrepresentations in his naturalization proceedings. (Eastern District of New York).
18. Walid Abdelnabbi Hassan Osman (Egypt/Age 62): On Sept. 23, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Virginia seeking the denaturalization of Walid Osman because he committed visa fraud prior to becoming a U.S. citizen. In 2001, Osman entered the United States on a tourist visa before extending his stay and pursuing a fraudulent H-1B position with a company run by his family member that provided no meaningful employment to him. Instead, Osman worked as a taxi driver and enjoyed H-1B status in the United States until 2007. He became a permanent resident in 2009 through his spouse’s diversity visa and eventually naturalized as a U.S. citizen. The United States seeks Osman’s denaturalization because he was not lawfully admitted as a permanent resident due to his visa fraud, and he provided false testimony and made material representations about his fraudulent work history throughout his naturalization process. (Eastern District of Virginia).
19. Nadia Hassan Mohamed Ali (Egypt/Age 58): On Sept. 23, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Virginia seeking the denaturalization of Nadia Hassan Mohamed Ali because she committed visa fraud prior to becoming a U.S. citizen. In 2001 and 2004, Ali sponsored a member of her family to work in H-1B status as an accountant for her company. However, this company conducted no business and provided no meaningful employment to the family member. Ali fraudulently filed work petitions for the purpose of allowing the family member to remain in the United States. The United States seeks Ali’s denaturalization because she committed fraud crimes in her H-1B petitions and in her application for U.S. citizenship. Throughout her naturalization process, Ali provided false testimony and material misrepresentations about her work history and sponsoring her family member. (Eastern District of Virginia).
20. Beatrice Chioma Nwaoha Ashamole (Nigeria/Age 54): On Sept. 25, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the District of Maryland seeking the denaturalization of Beatrice Chioma Nwaoha Ashamole because throughout her naturalization proceedings, she did not disclose prior aliases, prior arrests, a prior immigration benefits application, or prior exclusions and deportations, despite the application asking for such information. The United Sates is charging her with illegally procuring her naturalization through fraud and false testimony. (District of Maryland).
21. Anita Moanjeh Atem (Cameroon/Age 48): On Sept. 25, the Department of Justice filed a case in the District of Maryland seeking the denaturalization of Anita Moanjeh Atem, a native of Cameroon.  Ms. Atem naturalized in 2009 by hiding from the Government that from 2004 to 2007, she had sexually abused a minor, a family and household member and over whom Ms. Atem had permanent or temporary care and custody and responsibility. Ms. Atem was convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in violation of Maryland Criminal Code 3-602.  Accordingly, the United States filed a three-count complaint against Ms. Atem seeking her denaturalization, including claims that she lacked the requisite good moral character to naturalize and made willful misrepresentations to, and concealed material facts from, immigration authorities. (District of Maryland).
22. Dibya Bhattarai (Nepal/Age 40): On Sept. 25, the Department of Justice brought a denaturalization action against Dibya Bhattarai in the Northern District of Texas. Bhattarai illegally secured citizenship by misrepresenting her criminal history throughout the naturalization process.  When she applied to naturalize in 2008, Bhattarai claimed that she had not committed any crime for which she had not yet been arrested. She later repeated that claim orally and under oath during her naturalization interview. Based on Bhattarai’s written application and testimony at her interview, she was approved for naturalization and naturalized in September 2008.  In March 2016, however, Bhattarai pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with immigration documents — a conspiracy that began in June 2007, over a year before her naturalization interview. The United States filed a complaint against Bhattarai seeking to revoke Bhattarai’s naturalized citizenship because of her lack of good moral character and her willful misrepresentation and concealment of her criminal conduct while seeking U.S. citizenship. (Northern District of Texas).
23. Syed Furqan Ali (Pakistan/Age 74): On Sept. 28, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Southern District of Texas seeking the denaturalization of Syed Furqan Ali after he entered into a fraudulent marriage to obtain U.S. citizenship unlawfully. In 1993, Ali sought naturalization based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen while still married to his first wife, a citizen of Pakistan. In fact, Ali had fabricated his divorce and former wife’s death to gain admission to the United States. The complaint against Ali alleges five counts that includes his unlawful adjustment as a permanent resident and false testimony at his naturalization interview that he was divorced and legally married to his second wife at the time of his admission into the United States. (Southern District of Texas).
24. Raul Cisneros (Mexico/Age 76): On Sept. 28, the Department of Justice filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the Southern District of California against Raul Cisneros, a native of Mexico. Cisneros received his naturalization based on his representation in his naturalization application that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested.  In fact, prior to his naturalization application, Cisneros committed acts constituting lewd and lascivious acts on a minor in violation of California Penal Code § 288(a). After obtaining citizenship, Cisneros was convicted pursuant to his guilty plea of two felony counts in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, North County Division, and sentenced to six years’ imprisonment. (Southern District of California).
25. Juan Jose Egusquiza-Vasquez (Age 36/Peru): On Sept. 28, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Southern District of Indiana seeking the denaturalization of Juan Jose Egusquiza-Vasquez who was admitted to the United States in November 2000 and subsequently obtained permanent residence. When Egusquiza-Vasquez applied for naturalization in October 2010, he stated in his application that he had never committed a crime or offense for which he had not been arrested. His application was approved and he naturalized in May 2011. In November 2013, however, Egusquiza-Vasquez pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual battery involving a minor in violation of Indiana Code § 35-42-4-8(a)(1)(A), that occurred in March and April 2008, prior to his application for naturalization. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment for his crime. On Sept. 28 the United States brought a denaturalization action against Egusquiza-Vasquez for willfully misrepresenting and concealing his criminal conduct during the naturalization process and providing false information under penalty of perjury for the purpose of obtaining an immigration benefit, namely naturalization. (Southern District of Indiana).
26. Arnouse Merlien (Haiti/Age 48): On Sept. 28, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Arnouse Merlien, a resident of West Palm Beach, Florida, because she committed tax fraud during her naturalization proceedings. Ms. Merlien naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2016. In 2018, in the Northern District of Georgia, Ms. Merlien was charged with, and convicted of Conspiracy to Defraud the Government with Respect to Claims. In the years leading up to her naturalization, Ms. Merlien participated in a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government by submitting fraudulent claims for income tax refunds with the IRS. The United States seeks the denaturalization of Ms. Merlien in a three-count complaint alleging she illegally procured her naturalization because of her conviction for tax fraud, her false testimony in naturalization proceedings, which demonstrates she did not have the requisite good moral character needed for naturalization, and because she procured her naturalization by concealment of material facts or by willful misrepresentation. (Southern District of Florida).
27. Francis Darko Asamoah (Ghana/Age 56): On Sept. 30, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Virginia seeking the denaturalization of Francis Darko Asamoah, a resident of Woodbridge, Virginia, because he lied on his naturalization application regarding if he had children, to shield inquiry into the legitimacy of his marriage to a U.S. citizen. Mr. Asamoah naturalized in 2013. Mr. Asamoah was married to a U.S. citizen prior to his naturalization, and whom he gained permanent residence through. During his naturalization interview in 2013, Mr. Asamoah testified under oath that he had no children. However, a Virginia Certificate of Live Birth, listed Mr. Asamoah as the father to a child born in July 2011. The mother of the child was not his U.S. citizen spouse. Shortly after naturalization, Mr. Asamoah divorced his U.S. citizen spouse. In subsequent immigration filings after naturalization, Mr. Asamoah acknowledged the existence of the child born in July 2011. Mr. Asamoah’s false testimony during his naturalization proceedings prevented immigration authorities from investigating the bona fides of the marriage to his U.S. citizen spouse. (Eastern District of Virginia).
28. Ralph Nabavi (Iran/Ager 69): On Sept. 30, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Ralph Nabavi, a resident of Miami, Florida, because he unlawfully evaded paying federal income taxes before he became a U.S. citizen in 2014. In 2019, he was charged with tax evasion for underreporting at least $12.5 million dollars in income and underpaying $3.5 million in federal income taxes. Nabavi admitted when he pleaded guilty that he began transferring funds from his business to personal accounts to avoid paying income taxes beginning in 2013 before he naturalized in 2014, though the evidence indicates that he began at least as early as 2012. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Nabavi’s naturalization because his criminal act and false testimony in naturalization proceedings rendered him unable to demonstrate the required good moral character for naturalization and because he procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (Southern District of Florida).
29. Gracia de Rodriguez (Mexico/Age 52): On Sept. 30, the Justice Department filed a complaint in the District of Arizona seeking the denaturalization of Consuela Gracia de Rodriguez, a native of Mexico. Over a nearly twenty‑year period, Gracia de Rodriguez lied to U.S. government officials about her spouse’s identity and citizenship, falsely claiming that he was a U.S. citizen to obtain immigration benefits, U.S. citizenship, and a U.S. passport. On June 24, 2019, Gracia de Rodriguez pleaded guilty to passport fraud in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. In her criminal proceedings, Gracia de Rodriguez admitted that she procured her U.S. passport through fraudulent procurement of her naturalization. Specifically, she admitted that her spouse was a Mexican citizen, not a U.S. citizen, whom she married in Mexico. She further admitted that she and her spouse later illegally entered the United States, where her spouse proceeded to steal the identity of a U.S. citizen. She admitted that she knowingly and willfully married her spouse a second time in the United States under his stolen identity and then used her spouse’s stolen identity to adjust her status to that of a lawful permanent resident and later to naturalize. (District of Arizona).
30. Jinchao Wei (China/Age 26): On Sept. 30, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Southern District of California seeking the denaturalization of Jinchao Wei because he conducted espionage on behalf of the Chinese government. Jinchao Wei, a native of China, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2021, just before his twenty-first birthday. But by February 2022, he had begun conspiring to sell military secrets to China. By concealing his crimes, he obtained U.S. citizenship just two months later in May 2022, through a law intended to expedite the naturalization of individuals serving honorably in the U.S. armed forces. After his espionage scheme was discovered, he was arrested and convicted in August 2025 of conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage, and unlawful export of technical data related to defense articles. He was sentenced to 200 months in prison and discharged from the Navy. The denaturalization complaint against Wei alleges that he illegally procured his naturalization, procured it through fraudulent concealment or material misrepresentations during his naturalization proceedings, and failed to serve honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces for five years before being separated under other-than-honorable conditions. (Southern District of California).
31. Jose Villarreal Ortiz (Mexico/Age 49): On Oct. 1, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Jose Villarreal Ortiz, a native of Mexico. Mr. Villarreal was admitted to permanent resident status as the child of a U.S. citizen based on a false claim that his aunt (a naturalized U.S. citizen) was his mother and that he had remained in Mexico until 1996, when in fact he had been in the United States illegally for nearly a decade. When it came time to naturalize, Mr. Villarreal falsely claimed that his parent was a U.S. citizen, that he had never lied to U.S. officials to gain admission or entry, and that he had never provided false or misleading information to government officials. As a result, Mr. Villarreal was naturalized. The United States is seeking to revoke Mr. Villarreal’s citizenship because he was not lawfully admitted for permanent residence, because he procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and/or willful misrepresentations, and because his false testimony and misrepresentations meant that he lacked the good moral character necessary to naturalize. (Southern District of Florida).
32. Sorsamkhan Som (Cambodia/Age 67): On Oct. 1, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Southern District of Texas seeking the denaturalization of Sorsamkhan Som after he entered into a fraudulent marriage to obtain U.S. citizenship unlawfully. In 2009, Som sought naturalization based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen while still married to his first wife, a citizen of Cambodia. In fact, Som fabricated his divorce to gain admission to the United States. The complaint against Som alleges five counts that includes his unlawful adjustment as a permanent resident and false testimony at his naturalization interview that he was divorced and legally married to his second wife at the time of his admission into the United States. (Southern District of Texas).
33. Lazaro Trujillo Viton (Age 40/Cuba): On Oct. 1, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the District of Columbia seeking the denaturalization of Lazaro Eduardo Trujillo Viton.  Trujillo, a native of Cuba, concealed throughout the naturalization process that he was involved in a conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and that he himself submitted fraudulent Medicare claims for reimbursement, for which he was convicted after naturalization. Because Trujillo committed these crimes prior to naturalization and continuing through naturalization and concealed his involvement therein, he obtained naturalization through a concealment or willful misrepresentation of a material fact, he provided false testimony disqualifying him from citizenship, and his crimes of moral turpitude and other unlawful acts meant that he lacked the good moral character necessary to naturalize. The United States is therefore seeking to revoke Trujillo’s naturalized citizenship. (District of the District of Columbia).
34. Dexter Anson (Ghana/Age 72):  On Oct. 1, the United States filed a complaint in the District of Connecticut seeking the denaturalization of Dexter Anson because he failed to disclose in his diversity visa application and subsequent naturalization proceedings that he applied for immigration benefits and was ordered deported under his prior identity.  He is charged with illegal procurement of his naturalization, and procurement of naturalization by willfully misrepresenting or concealing material facts in his naturalization proceedings. Anson illegally procured naturalization because he was not lawfully admitted for permanent residence based on being ineligible for a diversity visa as he applied for immigration benefits by fraud and misrepresentation under George Opoku.  He illegally procured naturalization because he could not have established the requisite good moral character to naturalize where, prior to naturalizing, he engaged in unlawful acts adversely reflecting on his moral character, including violating three federal statutes criminalizing providing false information to the Government. He also provided false testimony at his naturalization interview when he failed to disclose his prior deportation proceedings and deportation order under George Opoku. Anson also willfully misrepresented or concealed material facts, including the use of another name and a deportation order in that name, throughout the naturalization process. (District of Connecticut).
35. Andrew Coldicutt (Canada/Age 46): On Oct. 1, the Department of Justice filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the Southern District of California against Andrew Coldicutt, a native of Canada. Coldicutt received his naturalization based on his misrepresentations in his naturalization application and interviews that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested and that he had never provided false or misleading information to a U.S. government official. In fact, prior to his naturalization application, Coldicutt had engaged in stock fraud schemes, including a pump-and-dump scheme and a gypsy swap, that involved filing false securities registration forms and wire fraud and that resulted in an FBI investigation against him. After he obtained citizenship, a jury convicted Coldicutt of securities fraud in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 77q, 77x; making false securities registration statements in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 77g, 77x; and wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 in the Southern District of California. Accordingly, the Department of Justice is pursuing revocation of Coldicutt’s naturalization for both illegal procurement (failure to show good moral character due to unlawful acts and false testimony) and concealment of material facts or willful misrepresentations relating to that conduct. (Southern District of California).
36. Ping Li (China: Age 61): On Oct. 1, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Middle District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Ping Li because he conspired to act as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 and 951(a). From at least as early as 2012, Mr. Li worked at the direction of officers of the Ministry of State Security (“MSS”) of the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) to obtain information of interest to the PRC government, including information concerning Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy advocates, members of the Falun Gong religious movement, and U.S.-based non-governmental organizations, and to report that information to the MSS. Mr. Li also provided the MSS with sensitive information obtained from his employers, a major U.S. telecommunications company and an international information technology company. On August 19, 2024, Mr. Li plead guilty to acting as an agent of the PRC, without prior notification to the Attorney General. Mr. Li’s conduct is prima facie evidence that he was not attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States and was not well-disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States at the time of his naturalization. The United States therefore has filed a single-count complaint seeking to revoke his naturalized citizenship. (People’s Republic of China).
37. Hernan Garcia Toledo (Mexico/Age 52): On Oct. 2, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Eastern District of California seeking the denaturalization of Hernan Garcia Toledo.  Mr. Garcia is a native of Mexico who falsely represented throughout his naturalization proceedings that he had never been arrested nor convicted of any crimes.  He failed to disclose on his naturalization application and during his naturalization interview that he had previously been arrested and convicted of two crimes: carrying a concealed weapon, CPC § 12025(a)(1), and carrying a loaded firearm, CPC § 12031(a)(1).  After his naturalization interview but prior to naturalization, he was arrested and charged with two additional firearms-related offenses yet failed to disclose those arrests and pending charges during his oath of naturalization. After Mr. Garcia naturalized, he was convicted of a firearms offense.  Accordingly, the Department of Justice is pursuing revocation of Mr.  Garcia’s naturalization for both illegal procurement (failure to show good moral character due to unlawful acts and false testimony) and concealment of material facts or willful misrepresentations relating to that conduct.  (Eastern District of California).
38. Semiu Olaiye Ijelu (Nigeria/Age 58): On Oct. 2, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Northern District of Georgia seeking the denaturalization of Semiu Olaiye Ijelu, also known as Samiu O. Ijelu and Olaiya S. Ijely, because he committed immigration fraud in naturalization proceedings. Before he became a citizen, Ijelu sought immigration benefits under two separate identities and was ordered removed. Instead of departing the United States, he married a U.S. citizen, which he used to adjust status to permanent resident, and naturalized in 2009. During naturalization proceedings he did not disclose the other identities or the final removal order. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Ijelu’s naturalization because he did not lawfully adjust status, did not have the required good moral character for naturalization, and procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (Northern District of Georgia).
39. Ramon Navarro (Philippines/Age 68): On Oct. 2, the Department of Justice of Justice filed a case in the Eastern District of California seeking the denaturalization of Ramon Navarro for entering into a fraudulent marriage to obtain citizenship. Navarro entered into a fraudulent marriage to gain lawful permanent resident status and then used that fraudulent status and lied to immigration officials to obtain citizenship. The complaint alleges four counts based on his fraudulent marriage and his various representations that adversely reflected his moral character.  (Eastern District of California).
40. Assad Jhon Ramin (Afghanistan: Age 57 or 58): On Oct. 2 the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania seeking the denaturalization of Assad Jhon Ramim because Mr. Ramim perpetrated an identity fraud spanning almost thirty years. Mr. Ramim sought and obtained a series of immigration benefits, culminating in citizenship, claiming he was Ahmad Shah Kohistany. As part of his naturalization process, he changed his name from Ahmed Shah Kohistani to Assad Jhon Ramim. In fact, Assad Jhon Ramim was his real name all along, and it was never Ahmad Shah Kohistani. Mr. Ramim fraudulently stole the identity of another Afghan national without that individual’s knowledge or consent. Mr. Ramim’s actions and conduct statutorily barred him from becoming a U.S. citizen and render his naturalization illegally procured and procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation. The United States therefore has filed a four-count complaint seeking to revoke his naturalized citizenship based on his fraud and misrepresentations. (Eastern District of Pennsylvania).

These complaints were filed in the Central District of California, District of Arizona, District of Colorado, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Maryland, Eastern District of California, Eastern District of New York, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Eastern District of Virginia, Middle District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, Northern District of Georgia, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of California, Southern District of Florida, Southern District of Indiana, Southern District of Ohio, and Southern District of Texas.

The claims made in the complaints are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

Today, the Justice Department announced charges involving 16 aliens in connection with illegal voting, fraudulent voter registration, and related election crimes across the country. The cases include voting by aliens in federal elections, false claims of U.S. citizenship to register or vote, and false statements on citizenship applications. 

Case details are as follows:

Middle District of Florida 

Two aliens were charged for illegally voting in a federal election.  

• Italian national Andrea Catanese, 60, a lawful permanent resident, has been charged by federal indictment with voting by an alien, attempting to procure naturalization unlawfully, and making a false statement related to naturalization. Catanese allegedly voted in the 2024 general election, falsely stated he had never voted in a federal election on an Application for Naturalization, and then made the same false statement to an immigration official who was reviewing the application.

• Bahamian national Terrance Patrick Evans, 37, a lawful permanent resident, has been charged by information with one count of voting by an alien. According to the information, Evans voted in the 2024 federal general election despite knowing that he was not a citizen of the United States.  

Eastern District of Louisiana 

Three aliens were indicted for illegally voting in a federal election.

• Cuban national Pedro Pablo Ruiz, 68, a lawful permanent resident, has been indicted for illegal voting in a federal election. According to the indictment, Ruiz cast a ballot in the 2024 general election.

• Mexican national Zianya Yllaly Zamorano, 34, a lawful permanent resident has been indicted for illegal voting in an election. According to the indictment, Zamorano cast a ballot in the 2024 general election. 

• Nicaraguan national Dudley Francisco Zeledon, 56, a lawful permanent resident has been charged in a two-count indictment for illegal voting in an election. According to the indictment, Zeldon cast a ballot in the 2024 primary and general elections. 

Eastern District of Wisconsin 

North Macedonian national Sara Luma, 30, a lawful permanent resident has been charged with Unlawfully Voting as a Non-Citizen. Luma allegedly voted in the 2024 general election. The criminal complaint further alleges Luma registered to vote on the same day as the election and signed the Wisconsin Voter Registration Application form falsely certifying that she was a citizen of the United States. Luma was interviewed by a federal law enforcement agent and admitted to registering and voting on Nov. 5, 2024.

District of Minnesota 

Ten aliens have been charged in Minnesota for voter fraud.

• Liberian national Bhator Konah Bryant, 61, a lawful permanent resident has been charged on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote. She is alleged to have falsely claimed United States citizenship when registering to vote on Oct. 18, 2024. 

• Lithuanian national Edvile Vaidoto Edmunds, 59, a lawful permanent resident has been charged on one count of voting by alien. She is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota on Nov. 8, 2022. 

• Ghanaian national Joshua Frederick Kofi Edzie, 63, a lawful permanent resident has been charged on two counts of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota on Aug. 11, and falsely claimed United States citizenship to vote on Oct. 23, 2024, and Aug. 11, 2026.

• Liberian national Alan Barbu Kargbo, 48, a lawful permanent resident has been charged on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed U.S. citizenship in order to vote on Nov. 5, 2024. 

• German national Paul Kras, 78, a lawful permanent resident has been charged on one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota on Nov. 5, 2024. 
• Bosnian national Fadil Rasim Ozegovic, 58, a lawful permanent resident has been charged on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on Nov. 5, 2024.

• Brazilian national Aparecido Donizetti Padovan, 62, a lawful permanent resident has been charged on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on Nov. 5, 2024. 

• Liberian national Chris Adam Pettiquoi, 43, a lawful permanent resident has been charged on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on Nov. 5, 2024. 
• Canadian national Christian Liam Schenk, 47, a lawful permanent resident has been charged on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on Nov. 5, 2024. 
• South African national Hester Sophia Weihmann, 69, a lawful permanent resident has been charged on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. She is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on Nov. 5, 2024.

A complaint, indictment, and information merely contain accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) last week received a favorable decision regarding its statement of interest filing in a Colorado case. ENRD also filed an amicus brief opposing a natural gas ban by a Chicago-area municipality.

At issue in both cases is the ability of American families and businesses to continue relying on federally regulated gas stoves, furnaces, water heaters, dryers, and other appliances. In recent years, a growing patchwork of state and local regulations concerning the energy use and efficiency of appliances threatens to undermine those national standards.

“These efforts to support consumer choice and cut energy costs deliver on the President’s commitment to unleash American energy and protect consumer choice,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of ENRD.  “The Department of Justice will continue prioritizing the fight against radical state and local overreach.”

Colorado Statement of Interest

The U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado last week allowed to advance a challenge to certain Colorado and Denver regulations, holding as plausible that the measures are preempted by the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). Earlier last month, ENRD filed a statement of interest in the case which expressed support for the challenge against the Colorado and Denver provisions. The court agreed with ENRD’s argument that if municipalities try to set building-wide energy use targets — which are largely a result of how much energy appliances in the building use — such efforts have an “impermissible connection with” the energy use and efficiency of appliances that federal standards already regulate.

Seventh Circuit Amicus Brief

ENRD filed an amicus brief last week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit advancing arguments against a natural gas ban by the Village of Oak Park, Illinois. Plaintiffs challenged Oak Park’s “Climate Ready Oak Park” as being preempted by the EPCA. The brief by ENRD argues that “EPCA’s broad preemption provision bars local measures, like Oak Park’s, that prohibit products subject to a federal energy conservation standard from using a type of energy or that impose specific requirements concerning appliances’ energy use or efficiency.” 

These developments reflect the latest action from ENRD and the Justice Department fighting back against state and local gas bans. Earlier this year, the department sued a New Jersey Township and successfully sued two California cities, for similar natural gas bans. 

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Charles Roberts of ENRD handled both filings.

Jael Watts, 45, of Alloway, New Jersey, and Luis Pino-Copete, 42, of Bogota, Colombia, were convicted by a jury of orchestrating a sweeping nationwide scheme to steal millions of dollars in federal program funds administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), designed to benefit elderly, disabled, and homeless Americans. This action is a part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

“These convictions send a clear message that those who exploit federal programs for personal gain will be held fully accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Department of Justice’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “The defendants fabricated payrolls and client lists, even using the identities of deceased individuals, to siphon millions meant for the most vulnerable Americans. I commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York and our federal and state partners for their relentless pursuit of justice in this case.”

“These two defendants traded their Tuscan spa robes for his and hers orange jumpsuits,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone for the Northern District of New York. “I commend the hawkish work of OSC and our federal partners and thank my Assistant U.S. Attorneys for their tireless work in delivering these fraudsters justice. Had they been referred to state or local authorities for prosecution due to the irresponsible no bail laws here in NYS these two could have fled to Colombia.”

As proven at trial, Watts and Pino-Copete operated a shell company called Pearl Transit Corporation, headquartered in New Jersey, which purported to employ drivers all over the United States who gave rides to the elderly and disabled and engaged in street outreach for homeless Americans.  In reality, Pearl Transit employed no such drivers and performed no such services.  Rather, over the time-period of July 2019 through October 2025, Watts devised and executed a scheme to defraud numerous state and local administrators of federal pass-through funds designed to help the needy, including the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)’s Section 5310 Program and HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), some of which were funded during the COVID pandemic by the CARES Act, by submitting false employment and customer information using stolen identities of real people, purporting to establish that Pearl Transit had provided rides to the elderly, disabled, and homeless. Some of the individuals listed as Pearl Transit’s recipients were deceased at the times they purportedly received rides from Pearl Transit, and some of the purported drivers were individuals who did not have driver licenses and have never driven a car in their life (one had a learner’s permit at the time the defendants claimed she drove for Pearl Transit). Over the relevant period, the defendants sought reimbursement of over $13 million in federal funds through false claims and submissions. Proof at trial established that the defendants lived a lavish lifestyle off of the over $1.6 million in federal funds they fraudulently obtained as part of the scheme:

• $529,500 in CDBG funds from Gwinnett County, Georgia;
• $429,885 in Section 5310 funds from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority;
• $283,000 in ESG funds from Kern County, California; and
• $379,149 in Section 5310 funds from the City of Raleigh, North Carolina.

Watts married Pino-Copete in Colombia in 2023, and Pino-Copete joined the fraud scheme shortly thereafter in January 2024. In January 2025, he entered the United States on a visa issued in December 2024, and his role in the crimes progressed after Watts was initially charged by complaint with wire fraud in connection with the scheme in July 2025. The defendants are pictured below conspiring to submit false documents in an effort to obtain $50,000 in federal funds from the City of San Bernadino, California while Watts was detained on the wire fraud complaint at the Albany County Correctional Facility in September 2025.

“When criminals use funds meant for our most vulnerable on lavish lifestyles, they must face the consequences,” said Assistant Secretary Ronnie Kurtz of HUD Community Planning and Development. “Fraudsters have been stealing funds from Georgia to California, but thanks to the work of the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, we are standing up for taxpayer dollars and creating real accountability. At HUD, we are putting an end to the status quo to stop the fraud before it happens. If you receive even one tax dollar, we expect results.”

“Fraudsters who target federal transportation programs steal directly from the vulnerable communities these funds are meant to serve,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian C. Gallagher of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeastern Region. “The convictions demonstrate that together with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners we will move swiftly and decisively to protect taxpayer dollars and hold accountable anyone who attempts to exploit these critical transportation resources.”

“Jael Watts and Luis Pino-Copete’s selfish actions diverted more than $1.5 million in federal funds to support their lavish lifestyle while depriving elderly, disabled, and homeless Americans of resources intended to benefit them. Those entrusted with overseeing HUD funds have a responsibility to protect those resources and ensure they reach the vulnerable communities they were intended to serve,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn A. Rice of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Northeast Region.  “This is not a victimless crime. Every dollar they stole could have been used to help vulnerable Americans. HUD OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who abuse positions of trust and jeopardize critical federal programs.”

“Watts and Pino orchestrated a nationwide scheme to defraud the public,” said New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. “Thanks to the vigilance of my office and our work with our federal law enforcement partners, they will be held accountable for their crimes. I thank the United States Attorney’s and federal Department of Transportation Inspector General's office for their partnership and excellent work allowing justice be served.”

The investigation was spearheaded jointly by federal and state investigators. It began in late 2024 when Watts submitted claims for reimbursement of nearly $750,000 through the Section 5310 Program to the New York State DOT on behalf of Pearl Transit.  The Office of the New York State Comptroller (“OSC”) found the invoices suspicious and initiated an audit.  In response to the audit, Watts and Pino-Copete generated numerous false documents using stolen identities of real people in an effort to convince New York State that Pearl Transit had actually performed the services it sought reimbursement for.  OSC quickly brought in DOT-OIG, which swiftly referred the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2025.  The resulting joint federal and state investigation, joined by HUD-OIG, uncovered a multi-year nationwide scheme perpetrated by Watts to steal federal program funds perpetrated against administrators of these federal programs all over the country (including Georgia, North Carolina, California, and New York).  Following Watts’ arrest in July 2025 and the search of her cell phone and computer, investigators uncovered Pino-Copete’s role in the crimes and he was initially charged for his role in the scheme in December 2025 and detained pending trial.

Searches of the defendants’ cell phones uncovered scores of communications between the defendants about creating fake documentation to respond to OSC’s audit requests.  Watts declared, “one has to be committed to this type of work . . . and I am committed,” and boasted, “they are not smart . . . we are much smarter.”  An exhaustive review of the defendants’ numerous bank accounts showed that the over $1.5 million they fraudulently obtained just from Georgia, North Carolina, and California was spent entirely on a lavish lifestyle, including over $100,000 spent on Porsche rentals, over $100,000 spent at Loro Piana in Manhattan (an Italian luxury clothing brand where women’s jackets can cost $9,500 and purses can cost $4,500), and a nearly year-long travel spree in 2024 that ranged from Colombia, to Aruba, and four months in Europe. Selfies the defendants took while spending fraud proceeds in Europe at a Tuscan spa and touring the BMW plant that were offered at trial are pictured below.

In another aspect of the scheme, the defendants sought CDBG reimbursements by claiming they provided free dental prostheses to homeless individuals.  In reality, the defendants printed dentures at their home with an unsanitary 3-D printer and charged homeless individuals fees for scanning their mouths and fitting the dentures.  Pino-Copete is pictured below showing off cash he obtained from a homeless dental client at a flea market in Maryland to Jael Watts on a video call while she was incarcerated at the Albany County Correctional Facility.

Following a multi-week jury trial in Utica, the jury found Watts and Pino-Copete guilty of all crimes charged in a third superseding indictment handed up earlier this month: Watts was convicted of one count of false statement, one count of aggravated identity theft, five counts of wire fraud; and Watts and Pino-Copete were convicted of one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of false document, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

At sentencing before U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Brindisi currently scheduled for January 21, 2027, Watts and Pino-Copete face a mandatory minimum of two years in prison, a maximum of twenty years in prison, fines of up to $250,000, and supervised release terms of up to three years.  Watts and Pino-Copete also face a restitution order of at least $1.9 million. In addition, Pino-Copete, who is not a U.S. citizen, faces removal and deportation following completion of any term of imprisonment.

DOT-OIG, HUD-OIG, and the OSC are investigating the case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark, Joshua R. Rosenthal, and Michael J. Whalen for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.

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

CASPER, Wyo. — U.S. Attorney Darin Smith announced today the final federal sentences for seven individuals involved in a major drug trafficking organization that flooded Wyoming communities with methamphetamine. Denny Jason Shrove, 48, of Rawlins, Wyoming, was sentenced to 216 months (18 years) in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for the distribution of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), launched a sweeping campaign against a major drug trafficking organization spanning multiple counties in Wyoming and Colorado. Agents identified Shrove as the lead distributor in Wyoming.

Shrove and his co-conspirators worked together to transport narcotics from Colorado and distribute them across Natrona, Carbon, Campbell, Laramie, and Albany counties in Wyoming. The investigation revealed that Shrove alone was responsible for distributing at least 23 pounds of methamphetamine in Wyoming. Shrove was arrested on Jan. 23, 2026, and remained in continual custody until he pleaded guilty.

"The trafficking of highly addictive poisons like methamphetamine has no place in Wyoming," said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith. "By holding this key distributor accountable, we send a clear message: Do the crime, and you’ll do the time."

Six of Shrove's federal co-conspirators were also sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl in Casper for their roles in the conspiracy.

Alysha Dahl and Bryan Hackleman were each sentenced to 151 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Cainen Taylor received a sentence of 140 months in prison, followed by 8 years of supervised release. Nicole Phipps was sentenced to 133 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Gregory McCoy was sentenced to 132 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Jonathan Burton was sentenced to 100 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

Dozens of other individuals linked to the organization have been charged through state court.

The case was investigated by the Wyoming DCI with the assistance of the DEA, HSI, and multiple state and local agencies in Colorado and Wyoming. Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the cases.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

A federal jury in the Western District of Michigan convicted Jonathan Decker, 46, of Rockford, Michigan, for distributing over 2 million pills of Adderall and other stimulants over the Done ADHD platform. Decker provided prescriptions for methamphetamine and amphetamines to patients without examining them, including to patients with substance use disorders and with significant mental health diagnoses, symptoms of which were exacerbated by the drugs Decker prescribed. Decker was paid more than $1 million for his prescriptions.

“The Fraud Division is providing full-spectrum accountability for drug dealers who cloak their activities in online telemedicine platforms,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “With this conviction — the eleventh in this landmark prosecution — we reaffirm that the Fraud Division will hold fully accountable anyone, whether in a boardroom or a doctor’s office, who abuses their medical license and novel technologies to flood communities with dangerous drugs and put vulnerable patients at risk.”

“Dr. Decker’s reckless abuse of his medical license put vulnerable patients at risk and fueled dangerous drug abuse,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate such conduct — we will aggressively pursue and dismantle schemes that threaten public health and ensure those responsible face swift justice.”

Decker is now the 11th defendant convicted of participating in a $100 million dollar drug distribution and health care fraud scheme perpetrated by officers and employees of California-based digital health company Done Global, Inc.  The convicted defendants include Done Global’s CEO Ruthia He and Clinical President David Brody, who were ordered to forfeit over $90 million in company revenues and respectively sentenced to 72 months and 24 months in prison, as well as six other licensed prescribers and two other senior corporate employees.  In addition to these 11 convictions, Done Global is presently charged with conspiracies to illegally distribute controlled substances, commit health care fraud, and obstruct justice.

The members of the conspiracy leveraged Done’s technological platform to illegally distribute over 37 million pills of Adderall to paying subscribers in all fifty states, all in service of CEO Ruthia He’s ultimate goal to build a company with an over $1 billion valuation.  Members of the conspiracy targeted subscribers by paying over $40 million in social media advertisements designed to deceive viewers into believing that they had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), rather than a host of other conditions that can impact an individual’s attention and mood. Done Global advertised its services presenting easy access to plentiful pills.

“A medical license is a public trust, not a tool for flooding communities with dangerous controlled stimulants and exploiting vulnerable patients for profit,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Pete Gizas of HSI New York. “This conviction brings accountability to a doctor who placed his own greed above patient safety and the law. As a co-leader of the Homeland Security Task Force New York, HSI New York contributed critical investigative expertise to exposing this conspiracy, and we will remain at the forefront of dismantling schemes that exploit health care systems, endanger vulnerable people and threaten the safety of our communities.”

“The evidence in this case revealed a shocking disregard for patient safety and the law,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis Jr. of IRS-CI New York. “Jonathan Decker used his medical license as a license to profit, fueling addiction and putting vulnerable individuals at risk — all for personal gain. Our special agents followed the money, exposed the scheme, and worked relentlessly with our law enforcement partners to bring this defendant to justice. We will continue to pursue those who put greed above public health.”

Done providers including Decker then prescribed addictive stimulants to paying subscribers in order to keep them as members of the Done platform, even when warned that members were suffering from Adderall psychosis, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions that were worsened by stimulant prescriptions. For instance, Decker prescribed methamphetamine to a patient with an active substance use disorder. This patient actively sought the methamphetamine prescription from him, and after she received the prescription she described for Decker that pharmacy after pharmacy had refused to fill the prescription. Decker also prescribed Adderall to a patient he knew to have been diagnosed with schizophrenia. After the patient’s mother messaged Decker and Done informing them of the schizophrenia diagnosis and explaining that Adderall exacerbated her psychotic symptoms, Decker still prescribed Adderall.

When pharmacies began refusing to fill any of Decker’s stimulant prescriptions, Decker speculated that “running a meth lab seems like a pretty good idea.”

Decker recruited other medical professionals to the conspiracy through text messages in which he described his prescribing practices:

Decker earned thousands of dollars in referral bonuses for luring other medical professionals into the scheme.

The jury convicted Decker of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and six counts of distribution of controlled substances. A sentencing date has not been set. Decker faces a maximum penalty of 140 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Sara D. Woodward and Ryan K. Elsey of the Fraud Division’s Health Care Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

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

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

Two Minnesota men pleaded guilty to defrauding Minnesota’s Housing Stabilization Services (HSS) program out of more than $500,000 by submitting fraudulent claims for services that were never provided. This case is part of the ongoing collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota and the Health Care Fraud Strike Force to combat prolific fraud on government programs in Minnesota.  

“This case is a stark reminder that fraud against public programs is not just a crime against government — it is a betrayal of the most vulnerable among us,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “By diverting resources meant for the elderly, mentally ill, and those suffering from substance abuse, the defendant undermined trust and jeopardized essential services. This guilty plea demonstrates our unwavering resolve to pursue justice, restore integrity, and ensure that taxpayer dollars are used to uplift — not exploit — our communities.”

“My office is committed to maintaining the integrity of public programs. The defendants’ guilty pleas bring us closer to obtaining accountability for the American taxpayer,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota.

“These guilty pleas are the result of a continued, coordinated effort to stop the fraud plaguing our social services and healthcare benefits systems,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “These programs are meant to provide critical services to those most in need, not to line the pockets of fraudsters. The FBI and our partners remain steadfastly committed to rooting out these frauds and defending the resources of the American taxpayer.”

“I want to emphasize that protecting programs designed to support vulnerable communities is a top priority for IRS Criminal Investigation,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Kuszynski of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Chicago Field Office. “The deliberate submission of fraudulent claims undermines the trust placed in these vital services and diverts resources from those who truly need them. These guilty pleas demonstrate our unwavering resolve to pursue those who exploit public programs for personal gain. We will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure accountability and safeguard taxpayer dollars.”

According to court documents, Hassan Ahmed Hussein, 29, and Ahmed Abdirashid Mohamed, 28, both of the Twin Cities area, enrolled Pristine Health LLC as a Medicaid provider, promising to help people with disabilities — including seniors and people suffering from mental illnesses and substance use disorders — find and maintain housing through the State’s now-defunct HSS program. Instead, Hussein and Mohamed submitted HSS claims to Medicaid for services that were never provided and significantly inflated the claims for higher reimbursement. Pristine Health enrolled approximately 90 Medicaid beneficiaries for HSS, including some who never agreed to receive the services. In total, Pristine Health billed Minnesota Medicaid more than $820,000.

Hussein entered a guilty plea on September 24, 2026, and Mohamed entered a guilty plea on October 1, 2026. Both pleaded to one count of wire fraud and face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing dates will be set by the Court at a later date.

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s Fraud Division; U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota; Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ethridge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Chicago Field Office, made the announcement

FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS-CI investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Raymond E. Beckering III of the Fraud Division’s Health Care Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Murphy for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.

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

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

Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the University of Delaware for violating federal law by prioritizing the needs of illegal aliens over U.S. citizens in defiance of Congress’s commands. The Department is challenging the University of Delaware’s policy which grants in-state tuition for illegal aliens while denying reduced tuition to U.S. citizens. This policy unconstitutionally discriminates against U.S. citizens who are not afforded the same reduced tuition rate, which is in direct conflict with federal law.

“This Department of Justice’s efforts will not cease until we have challenged every state law or university policy that gives preferential treatment to illegal aliens over our Nation’s own citizens,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “Congress long ago made clear that states cannot give reduced tuition to illegal aliens not available to all Americans. When a state Attorney General allows her own state to violate federal law, this department must step in to enforce it.”

“This is a simple matter of federal law: colleges cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This Department of Justice will not tolerate American students being treated like second-class citizens in their own country.”

In the complaint, the United States seeks to enjoin the University of Delaware from enforcing its policy that provides aliens who reside in Delaware with in-state tuition rates, regardless of whether those aliens are lawfully present in the United States. Additionally, the complaint seeks to enjoin the University of Delaware from enacting any new tuition policies that favor illegal aliens over U.S. citizens.

Today’s lawsuit brings the Department’s total to 26 lawsuits challenging in-state tuition for illegal aliens. Under the leadership of Attorney General Todd Blanche, the Department’s efforts have delivered numerous wins for the American people, as six lawsuits in Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Illinois, and Kansas have resulted in favorable orders permanently enjoining and declaring unconstitutional similar laws which gave reduced tuition to illegal aliens including an order from the Fifth Circuit.

Lawsuits against other states that are also violating federal law by putting illegal aliens ahead of U.S. citizens are pending across the country including Minnesota, Virginia, California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, Colorado, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, the District of Columbia, Arkansas, and Utah.

For more information about the Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch and its affirmative litigation efforts visit www.justice.gov/civil/enforcement-affirmative-litigation-branch.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected all petitions for rehearing in cases challenging a land exchange that is necessary for the Resolution Copper project in Arizona. The order leaves in place the March 13 decision by the court’s panel, which allowed the federal government to proceed with a congressionally mandated land exchange crucial to advancing development of one of the largest known copper deposits in the world.

“Copper is crucial for our nation’s electrical grid, national defense, energy technologies, and advanced manufacturing,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resource Division (ENRD). “This project will assist in developing a continuous domestic copper supply, which will support national security objectives and strengthen the U.S. economy. The exchange has resulted in federal ownership of more than 5,400 acres of ecologically and culturally significant land in Arizona.”

In rejecting the plaintiffs’ numerous claims, the Ninth Circuit has now declined to reconsider the decision of its panel. This ruling is another major step toward ensuring the United States can meet growing demand for critical minerals.

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Robert Stander of ENRD argued the appeal. ENRD’s Appellate Section handled the matter on appeal, and ENRD’s Natural Resources Section handled this matter in the District Court.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today investigative findings that the University of California-Los Angeles School of Law (UCLA Law) discriminated against white and Asian students in granting admission to its 2023, 2024, and 2025 incoming classes. UCLA Law’s discriminatory conduct violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race or color, and the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (SFFA), which banned race discrimination in admissions.

“Like many of its peer institutions, UCLA Law School runs a two-tiered admissions system whose academic bar for acceptance shifts up or down depending on the color of your skin,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The use of race as a thumb on the scale that helps or disadvantages any student is illegal. The Department will continue to enforce equal treatment under the law everywhere — including in our nation’s law schools.”

The Department’s investigation found that post-SFFA, UCLA Law’s application includes personal statements and essay prompts, which are designed to elicit information about race. And UCLA Law’s admissions staff instructed prospective applicants how to reveal their race in these sections of the application—during race-based recruitment efforts, such as its annual “Diversity Admissions Open House”.

The Department’s analysis revealed that UCLA Law rejected white and Asian applicants who had the same LSAT scores as admitted black and Hispanic applicants. Plainly, lower-scoring white and Asian applicants would have been admitted by UCLA Law if they were black or Hispanic. Further, in 2024 and 2025 (combined), half of the admitted black applicants had LSAT scores that were at or below 90% of the admitted white applicants.

As recipients of federal financial assistance, law schools are subject to federal non-discrimination laws. The Department will continue to investigate their compliance with Title VI, as interpreted by SFFA’s prohibition on race-conscious admissions. Where a violation has been found, the Department will engage in settlement negotiations to ensure the school’s admissions practices are brought into compliance. If those efforts fail, the Department will file suit.

Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/. 

NOTE: Read the Department’s Findings Letter here.

Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the State of Maryland, Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, challenging their unconstitutional attempt to regulate federal law enforcement officers by prohibiting federal officers from wearing masks and requiring they provide identification in the manner prescribed by Md. Code Ann., Pub. Safety §§ 3-207, 3-535, 3-536, Prince George’s Co., Md Code § 18-124, and Montgomery Co., Md. Code § 35-13E.

Not only are these laws illegal attempts to regulate the federal government, but, as alleged in the complaint, the laws threaten the safety of federal officers who have faced an unprecedent wave of harassment, doxing, and even violence. Threatening officers with prosecution for simply protecting their identities and their families also chills the enforcement of federal law and compromises sensitive law enforcement operations.

“Under the U.S. Constitution, the Supremacy Clause provides that states and localities do not have the authority to regulate the Federal Government,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “And they certainly cannot enact laws that place the safety of federal law enforcement at risk and undermine federal operations. We will never tolerate the doxxing or harassment of federal officers, or any law like those in Maryland that enables violent behavior against federal law enforcement officers and their families.”

“These Maryland state and local laws are a direct regulation of federal law enforcement operations and threaten severe consequences for officers and public safety alike,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Federal Government, not state and local governments, gets to decide which equipment federal officers may or may not wear when performing their official duties.”

Attorney General Blanche has instructed  the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal laws or impede lawful federal operations. Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal policies designed to thwart federal law enforcement across the country, including in New York, Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey, California, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee. The United States has secured preliminary relief from each court to have ruled on mask ban / ID requirements so far.

Note: The complaint can be viewed here.