District Not Recorded
The source did not name an office we could identify. These records remain unassigned rather than guessed.
Mexican National Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Transporting Woman to Engage in Commercial SexRead the Press Release
A 42-year-old citizen of Mexico has been ordered to prison after recruiting an 18-year-old victim from Mexico, abusing her, and forcing her to engage in commercial sex acts in Houston, Texas.
Clemente Melendez Gutierrez was sentenced today to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty in August to one count of transportation for the purposes of prostitution.
“The defendant preyed upon this vulnerable victim and used physical abuse to coerce her to travel to the United States to engage in commercial sex for his own financial gain,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This sentence reflects the severity of the defendant’s conduct, and the DOJ will relentlessly prosecute and hold accountable sex traffickers.”
“The damage inflicted by this defendant is immeasurable. Gutierrez subjected his victims to years of physical, mental, and sexual abuse in pursuit of his own personal profit,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Today’s sentence underscores our office’s steadfast pursuit of those who prey upon and exploit women for financial gain. Let it be known – human trafficking has no home in the Southern District of Texas.”
Melendez recruited the 18-year-old victim in 2007 using the false pretense of a romantic relationship. After meeting her in person in Mexico, he transported her away from her home, isolated her at his parents’ house, and told her that she was going to have to start working in commercial sex. When she refused, Melendez physically abused her—dragging her by the hair and punching and kicking her—then made her engage in commercial sex acts at a hotel in Mexico.
Several days later, Melendez had the victim smuggled across the U.S. border and traveled with her to Houston, Texas. After they arrived, he told the victim that she owed him thousands of dollars for her transportation and told her that she would have to work at a cantina and engage in commercial sex in the hidden back rooms of the cantina to repay her debt.
Melendez set a quota for how much money the victim had to make each night, and he was violent with her when she did not work enough or make enough money. Melendez had the victim work at multiple cantinas and other locations until she was finally able to get away from the defendant in 2013. Between 2005 and 2021, Melendez repeated this pattern of conduct multiple times with different women and girls.
The FBI Houston Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission investigated the case.
“Today’s sentence brings long-awaited, and overdue, justice for the victim who was subjected to years of abuse and exploitation at the hands of Melendez Gutierrez,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “Unfortunately, the physical, mental and emotional manipulation and trauma the victim suffered at the hands of this ‘suitor-turned-monster’ will remain with her forever. His long-awaited prison sentence reflects the tireless work and unwavering dedication of the investigators, victim specialists and prosecutors who, through the years, stood alongside the victim to ensure her voice was heard and her suffering acknowledged. While no prison sentence can erase the pain and trauma his victims endured, our hope is that today’s outcome represents accountability, justice and a step toward healing and hope.”
“With today’s sentence, we have removed a dangerous predator from the community who used physical and sexual abuse, threats of violence and psychological manipulation to groom and control his victims and force them to engage in commercial sex for his own profit,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “Working alongside our partners, we exposed his criminal scheme and helped ensure he was held fully accountable for his actions and the harm caused to the victims.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Valenti for the Southern District of Texas and Trial Attorneys Lindsey Roberson and Matthew Thiman of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
U.S. Arrests Five Fugitives Wanted by Germany for Massive Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The United States arrested five international fugitives at the request of the Federal Republic of Germany, which has charged the individuals for their roles in a network involving German payment service processors that defrauded thousands of victims of more than €300 million and created a shadow financial system in Germany. Pursuant to its treaty obligations, the United States located and arrested the fugitives in the Central District of California for ultimate extradition to Germany.
Four U.S. citizens residing in California — Medhat Mourid, of Woodland Hills, Andrew Garroni, of Los Angeles, Guy Mizrachi, of Agoura Hills, Ardeshir Akhavan, of Irvine — and Canadian National Tunde Benak, of Irvine, were arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service and made their initial appearances in federal court today.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California, and Director Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service made the announcement.
Germany alleges that the fugitives defrauded victims in violation of German law by creating millions of recurring, fraudulent debit or credit card charges from fictitious merchants. According to German authorities, the defendants orchestrated a scheme in which they deliberately kept monthly charges on credit cards to below €50, to avoid suspicion among victims about the nature of the charges. These charges were linked to fictitious companies using fictitious websites that were only accessible via direct links or URL’s.
The operators of the network then colluded with German payment service processors – including their executives and compliance officers – to process these payments. Former employees and executives of German payment processors are among those arrested yesterday. German authorities allege that this complex scheme resulted in the creation of a shadow financial system in Germany.
In the United States, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), the U.S. government’s central authority in criminal matters, worked closely with German officials and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California to provide legal guidance and coordinate the successful arrest of the U.S.-based defendants. OIA participated in coordination meetings related to the takedown and worked directly with the German prosecutor to ensure Germany met U.S. legal requirements to arrest these fugitives with a view toward extradition.
The U.S. Marshals Service for the Central District of California arrested the fugitives in the United States contemporaneously with arrests and/or searches in Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Cyprus, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Canada and Singapore.
Justice Department Announces Removal of Baltimore County from Sanctuary Jurisdiction List following Memorandum of Understanding with ICE to Collaborate on Immigration EnforcementRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced the removal of Baltimore County, Maryland, as a designated sanctuary jurisdiction after the County recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ICE to collaborate on immigration enforcement. This follows the Department publishing a list of sanctuary jurisdictions on August 5th, 2025, in accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14287.
The list initially included Baltimore County and has now been updated following work between the Administration and the County – the second removal since the list’s publishing. Following Baltimore County’s removal from the list, Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward released the following statement:
“Despite restrictions from state leadership, Baltimore County has shown a willingness to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. This is a small step toward restoring public safety and we appreciate the county’s commitment to updating its policies.”
Alabama Men Convicted of Sex Trafficking Multiple Women and GirlsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Following a 4-day trial, a federal jury in the Middle District of Alabama convicted Kimani Jones, 32, also known as “Statik,” of Montgomery, Alabama, and Tremayne Lambert, 50, also known as “Bayrock,” of Montgomery, Alabama, on multiple charges of sex trafficking several victims. Specifically, the jury found that Jones compelled seven victims, including two minors, to commit commercial sex acts between August 2016 and November 2020. The jury also found that Jones transported and caused to be transported two victims, including one minor, across state lines for prostitution purposes. The jury found Lambert guilty of sex trafficking one victim between August 2017 and February 2018 and two other victims between July 2019 and November 2020. Three additional co-defendants previously pleaded guilty for their respective roles in the sex trafficking enterprise.
“The defendants targeted vulnerable women and girls before using physical and sexual violence, along with threats of violence against them and others, to create a climate of fear that terrified the victims,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to vindicating the rights of human trafficking victims and enforcing the federal human trafficking laws, and this prosecution is a testament to the courageous young women who detailed the coercive scheme these defendants perpetrated for years on scores of women and girls.”
“These defendants exploited the vulnerabilities of women and young girls for their own profit, showing complete disregard for human dignity,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson. “Every victim deserves justice, and we will continue our efforts to ensure that those who prey on others are held accountable for their crimes.”
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Jones organized and led an extensive commercial sex operation. Jones rented hotel rooms where commercial sex acts occurred; provided food, clothing, and drugs to the victims; constructed advertisements for commercial sex that he then posted online to solicit customers; communicated with potential customers regarding the sex acts and prices involved for them; dictated in which cities the victims would live and engage in commercial sex acts, and set rules that he required the victims to follow, which included, for example, the minimal amount of money that they needed to earn per day. Jones did not have a lawful job during the years he ran his sex trafficking operation but instead subsisted off the earnings of the victims. Jones frequently flaunted the money that he made from the victims on social media.
The evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Jones used extensive violence against the victims and others in the victims’ presence. For instance, Jones grabbed one victim, who was a minor at the time, by the throat and dragged her for moving too slowly. Jones routinely struck women in the face, knocking out one victim’s teeth, breaking another’s jaw, and striking one so hard she urinated on herself. Jones also sexually assaulted the victims to assert his dominance and control over them, and threatened to hurt them and, in some instances, their family members, telling one victim that her son would not be able to play sports if his legs were broken. Jones, who has a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, also intimidated the victims by possessing, brandishing, and shooting firearms within the victims’ presence. He further manipulated the victims’ withdrawal from drugs, such as heroin and methamphetamine, to compel their continued commercial sex acts for his financial benefit.
Co-defendant Lambert, the biological father of Jones and who also has a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, facilitated his son’s coercive scheme by serving as a monitor of the victims and rule enforcer. Three other co-defendants previously pleaded guilty in connection with this case. Joseph Keon Bowe, 39, and Daryle Gardner, 32, each pleaded guilty to sex trafficking while Aleccia Scott, 29, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony.
Both defendants face a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
DHS-HSI, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Montgomery Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Ratz for the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Kate Alexander of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Ukrainian National Extradited from Ireland in Connection with Conti RansomwareRead the Press Release
Following his extradition from Ireland, a Ukrainian man had his initial appearance today in the Middle District of Tennessee on a 2023 indictment charging him with conspiracy to deploy Conti, a ransomware variant that infected victim computers and networks, encrypting their data.
According to court documents, from in or around 2020 and continuing until about June 2022, Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko, 43, of Cork, Ireland, conspired with others to deploy Conti ransomware to extort victims and steal their data. Court filings allege the conspirators hacked into victims’ computer networks, encrypted their data, and demanded a ransom to restore the victims’ access to their files and avoid public disclosure of the hacked information. The conspirators allegedly extorted more than $500,000 in cryptocurrency from two victims in the Middle District of Tennessee, and published information stolen from a third victim in that District.
Conti was used to attack more than 1,000 victims worldwide, including victims in the Middle District of Tennessee, approximately 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and approximately 31 foreign countries. The FBI estimates that, as of January 2022, Conti ransomware attacks resulted in at least $150 million in ransom payments. According to the FBI, in 2021, Conti ransomware was used to attack more critical infrastructure victims than any other ransomware variant. Court documents further allege that Lytvynenko controlled data stolen from numerous Conti victims and was involved in the ransom notes deployed on the victims’ systems.
At the request of the United States, An Garda Síochána—the Irish national police—arrested Lytvynenko in July 2023. An Irish court then detained him pending extradition proceedings which concluded this month. In addition to his involvement in Conti, filings allege that he engaged in cybercrime up until days before his arrest in Ireland in 2023.
“The defendant allegedly participated in a conspiracy to extort approximately $150 million in ransomware payments responsible for defrauding victims in almost every U.S. state and from over two dozen countries worldwide,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Ransomware is a significant threat to the safety, security, and prosperity of American citizens and business. The Department will continue to pursue ransomware actors all over the world in its efforts to hold them to account for the damage they have inflicted on victims.”
“We will continue to work diligently to hold ransomware actors accountable for their actions which victimize American businesses and harm Tennesseans,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “I commend the prosecutors and investigators who have worked hard and sought justice for years in this investigation, and we look forward to proving our case in court.”
“Lytvynenko conspired to deploy Conti ransomware against victims in the United States and across the globe, extorting millions in cryptocurrency and amassing a trove of stolen data,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “His extradition demonstrates the strength of our partnership with Irish law enforcement and the FBI’s commitment to counter cyber criminals who threaten American infrastructure. We urge every organization to remain vigilant and quickly report ransomware intrusions to your local FBI field office.”
Lytvynenko is charged with computer fraud conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison for the computer fraud conspiracy and 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conspiracy.
In September 2023, an indictment charging four other Conti conspirators was unsealed in the Middle District of Tennessee.
The FBI’s Nashville, San Diego, and El Paso field offices and the U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Sonia V. Jimenez of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Phillips of the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
The extradition was handled by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs with the cooperation of the Irish government and assistance from the U.S. Embassy in Ireland.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. CCIPS leads the Department of Justice’s fight against ransomware. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Arizona Leader of Violent Extremist Network ‘764’ Charged with Running a Child Exploitation Enterprise, Supporting Terrorists, Producing and Distributing Child Pornography, and Other CrimesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the District of Arizona has returned a 29-count superseding indictment against Baron Cain Martin, known online as “Convict” (among other monikers), 21, of Tucson, Arizona. The superseding indictment charges Martin with participating in a child exploitation enterprise, conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, conspiring to kill, kidnap or maim persons in a foreign country, producing child pornography (five counts), distributing child pornography (11 counts), coercing and enticing minors to engage in sexual activity (three counts), cyberstalking (three counts), animal crushing and distribution of animal crush videos, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Martin has been in federal custody since his arrest on federal charges on December 11, 2024.
“This man’s alleged crimes are unthinkably depraved and reflect the horrific danger of 764 — if convicted, he will face severe consequences as we work to dismantle this evil network,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I urge parents to remain vigilant about the threats their children face online.”
“Martin is charged with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, participating in a child exploitation enterprise, and producing child pornography, among many others,” said FBI Director Patel. “His actions as a leader of this criminal network were so atrocious and extreme that he is charged with supporting terrorism. It's alleged that Martin not only committed these crimes but wrote and posted a guide for others to use to identify, groom, and extort their own victims. The FBI will not stop until we find those who perpetrate these horrific crimes that prey on the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
“Martin stands accused of engaging in conduct specifically intended to inflict pain, spread fear, and destroy innocence,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “His alleged actions targeting children as part of the 764 online terror network are so depraved they defy comprehension. We will use every available tool to protect our children and ensure that those who perpetrate such acts of pure evil face the full force of justice.”
“The defendant’s alleged actions in this case are an assault on the basic foundations of human decency,” U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine stated. “While cowardly hiding his identity behind a screen and a moniker, Mr. Martin preyed upon vulnerable victims while promoting some of the sickest forms of human depravity. It is an honor for the dedicated men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Arizona to fight against this nihilistic violence by bringing the full weight of American justice against its proponents.”
According to court documents, Martin is a member and leader of “764,” a criminal organization of Nihilistic Violent Extremists (NVEs) operating within the United States and abroad. Those involved with the 764 network methodically target vulnerable, underage populations by using social media to encourage the possession, production, and sharing of extreme gore media and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Members of 764 seek to desensitize young people to violence and break down societal norms regarding violence. They normalize the possession, production, and sharing of explicit CSAM and gore material to corrupt and groom their victims toward future violence, gain notoriety among other members of the network, and spread fear for the purpose of accelerating chaos under the 764 ideology with an aim toward the disruption of society.
The superseding indictment alleges that, since approximately 2019, Martin, using his online moniker “Convict,” has been a participant and administrator in 764 chatrooms, has coerced multiple victims into creating child pornography, extortion videos, and animal crushing videos. Martin also wrote a detailed guide that was posted online detailing how to identify, groom, and extort vulnerable juveniles, and advised readers to target victims struggling with mental health.
The superseding indictment accuses Martin of providing material support to terrorists by providing himself as personnel, services, and expert advice or assistance to carry out a conspiracy to kill or maim a person in a foreign country. In furtherance of the conspiracy to provide material support, the superseding indictment alleges that in September 2022, Martin conspired with others to coerce and direct a victim living outside the United States to self-harm, self-maim, and self-kill.
In addition to the terrorism and conspiracy to kill or maim a person in a foreign country, the superseding indictment accuses Martin of using wire communications in a conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and of conspiring to commit wire fraud.
Martin is also accused of engaging in a child exploitation enterprise during which he produced and distributed child pornography. The superseding indictment also includes five separate counts of production of child pornography, eleven counts of distribution of child pornography, and three counts relating to the coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. In total, the superseding indictment alleges Martin victimized at least nine victims. Eight of Martin’s victims were minors at the time he committed the offenses and their ages were between the ages of 11 and 15 years old.
Martin is alleged to have also engaged in animal crushing and of distributing animal crush videos to 764 members. He is accused of cyberstalking three separate victims, two of whom were minors at the time of the offenses.
If convicted, Martin faces a penalty of up to life in prison for each count that accuses him of participating in a child exploitation enterprise, conspiracy to kill, kidnap or maim persons in a foreign country, and coercion and enticement of a child; 30 years in prison for each count of production of child pornography, and 15 years for providing material support to terrorists; up to 20 years in prison for cyberstalking resulting in permanent disfigurement or bodily injury and wire fraud conspiracy; and 10 years in prison for cyberstalking a minor and use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. Martin also faces mandatory minimum sentences of 20 years for the child exploitation enterprise, 15 years for production of child pornography, and 5 years for distribution of child pornography for each applicable count. Each offense also carries a fine of up to $250,000 and up to a lifetime of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liza Granoff and Kevin Schiff for the District of Arizona and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Justice Department remains vigilant against the threat of Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) networks, like 764, that operate within the United States and around the globe. NVEs often target vulnerable individuals, including minors, using social media platforms to share child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and gore material, and groom victims toward committing acts of violence. Victims are often extorted, coerced, compelled, and blackmailed into complying with NVE demands, including self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder. For more information on how to protect children and others, read about the online risks here: Parents, Caregivers, Teachers — FBI and the FBI’s March 2025 public service announcement.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department to Monitor Polling Sites in California, New JerseyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced that it will monitor polling sites in six jurisdictions ahead of the upcoming November 4, 2025, general election to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.
The Department, through the Civil Rights Division, enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The Department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities across the country.
“Transparency at the polls translates into faith in the electoral process, and this Department of Justice is committed to upholding the highest standards of election integrity,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will commit the resources necessary to ensure the American people get the fair, free, and transparent elections they deserve.”
“The Department of Justice will do everything necessary to protect the votes of eligible American citizens, ensuring our elections are safe and secure,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “Transparent election processes and election monitoring are critical tools for safeguarding our elections and ensuring public trust in the integrity of our elections.”
“Our democracy depends on free and fair elections,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “We will work tirelessly to uphold and protect the integrity of the election process.”
“Election protection means making sure every eligible voter can participate freely and every lawful vote is counted,” said Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba of the District of New Jersey. “Our office is committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to ensure transparency, security, and public confidence in the election process.”
At this time, the Department will monitor the following jurisdictions:
- Passaic County, New Jersey
- Kern County, California
- Riverside County, California
- Fresno County, California
- Orange County, California
- Los Angeles County, California
At Attorney General Pamela Bondi’s direction, this effort will be overseen by the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division under the leadership of Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. The Division will deploy Civil Rights personnel who will coordinate with U.S. Attorney’s Offices.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces various federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and the Civil Rights Acts.
This initiative is aimed at promoting transparency and an open flow of communication between poll observers and election monitors to ensure that elections proceed with a high degree of security.
From now and up to Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws.
If you would like to request election monitoring in a particular jurisdiction, please contact the Voting Section at [email protected], and the Civil Rights Division will determine whether monitoring is warranted.
The Justice Department Announces Agreement with University of VirginiaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Justice announced an agreement with the University of Virginia (“UVA”) that will protect UVA’s students, faculty, and employees from violations of federal civil rights laws, including from discrimination based on race, sex, or national origin.
As part of the agreement, the University of Virginia agrees to be bound by the Department of Justice’s “Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination,” ensuring that UVA does not engage in unlawful racial discrimination in its university programming, admissions, hiring, or other activities. UVA will provide relevant information and data to the Department of Justice on a quarterly basis through 2028. The President of UVA will personally certify each quarter that UVA is in compliance with the agreement. The Department will pause its pending investigations into the university’s admissions policies and other civil rights concerns. The United States shall treat UVA as eligible for future grants and awards. If UVA completes its planned reforms prohibiting DEI at the university, the Department will close its investigations against UVA.
“This notable agreement with the University of Virginia will protect students and faculty from unlawful discrimination, ensuring that equal opportunity and fairness are restored,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “We appreciate the progress that the university has made in combatting antisemitism and racial bias, and other American universities should be on alert that the Justice Department will ensure that our federal civil rights laws are enforced for every American, without exception.”
Mother and Daughter Charged with Forced LaborRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Luz Maria Peña Lopez, 55, and her daughter, Tatiana Correa Peña, 36, of Carolina, Puerto Rico, with forced labor and conspiracy to commit forced labor, announced Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico W. Stephen Muldrow. Peña Lopez was also charged with document servitude, and Peña Lopez’s husband, Enrique Gutierrez Rivera, 54, a municipal police officer in Carolina, Puerto Rico, was charged with misprision of a felony related to his knowledge, failure to report, and concealment of his co-defendants’ misuse of the victim’s Social Security benefits. The three defendants were placed under arrest early this morning.
According to the indictment, defendants Peña Lopez and Correa Peña used physical beatings, physical restraint, threats of violence, document servitude, isolation, denial of basic hygiene and medical care, and the provision of drugs and/or unprescribed medication to force the victim—an intellectually disabled adult woman—to panhandle for money, engage in criminal and fraudulent activities for their financial benefit, and perform domestic labor in their shared residence. Defendants Peña Lopez and Correa Peña also converted the victim’s monthly Social Security disability benefits for their own personal use.
“The Justice Department condemns the appalling abuse and forced labor inflicted on this disabled victim, as alleged in this indictment, and we are committed to ensuring the perpetrators face the full consequences of the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
The indictment specifically notes that as part of their coercive scheme to compel the victim’s labor, defendants Peña Lopez and Correa Peña threatened the victim with violence and death; physically beat the victim, sometimes using objects such as belts, broomsticks, and cables; restricted the victim’s ability to leave the residence by forcing her to sleep in a space formerly used to house goats and roosters, at times locking her inside overnight; and used the victim’s Social Security disability benefits for their own personal use, denying those funds to the victim for even basic hygiene items such as clothes, toothbrushes, deodorant, and sanitary pads.
The maximum penalty for the offense of forced labor is 20 years in federal prison. The maximum penalty for misprision of a felony is three years.
The case is being investigated by the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Alverez and Trial Attorney Jessica Arco of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Anyone who believes they may have relevant information to share about this case is asked to contact the FBI Field Office at 1-787-987-6500.
If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Adam Sleeper Takes Oath of Office as United States Attorney for the District of the Virgin IslandsRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Adam Sleeper was sworn in today to become United States Attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands. President Donald Trump announced Sleeper’s nomination on May 6, 2025, and the United States Senate confirmed him on October 7, 2025. Chief District Court Judge Robert Molloy administered the oath of office to United States Attorney Sleeper in a private ceremony.
Prior to taking office as United States Attorney, Sleeper was an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands. In that capacity, he served in numerous roles, to include line prosecutor, Appellate Chief, First Assistant United States Attorney, and Acting United States Attorney. Before joining the United States Attorney’s Office, he clerked for Judge Curtis Gómez of the District Court of the Virgin Islands and Judge Joel Carson III of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. He also worked as an associate in the Boston, Massachusetts office of an international law firm.
Sleeper received his J.D. cum laude from Cornell Law School and his B.A. cum laude from Connecticut College.U.S. Trustee Program Obtains More Than $392,000 in Penalties and Three-Year Suspension Against National Consumer Bankruptcy FirmRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) recently obtained a judgment against a nationwide consumer bankruptcy law firm imposing more than $392,000 in penalties and a three-year suspension based on the firm’s false and misleading disclosures in more than 200 bankruptcy cases.
On Sept. 17, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan entered summary judgment against Recovery Law Group APC (RLG). The court found that RLG intentionally violated provisions of the Bankruptcy Code and Bankruptcy Rules governing disclosure of attorney compensation and the practices of debt relief agencies. The court credited the USTP’s evidence of 220 cases filed in the district since 2020 in which RLG was responsible for untrue or misleading disclosures about its involvement or its fee-sharing arrangements with the attorneys it contracted with to represent its debtor clients.
Based on the fees RLG collected for 217 of those cases, the court imposed a civil penalty of $392,471. Additionally, the court suspended RLG from soliciting or filing bankruptcy cases in the Eastern District of Michigan for three years.
“Transparency and robust disclosure are essential in bankruptcy,” said Acting Director Ramona D. Elliott of the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees. “Professionals threaten the integrity of the system when they are opaque about their payment arrangements, misrepresent their services, and fail to help their vulnerable clients.”
The USTP’s enforcement action stemmed from a case involving a senior couple who contacted RLG seeking help with responding to collection efforts on a judgment against them. After the couple paid a fee of $1,835 to retain RLG, the firm assigned one of its Michigan-based attorneys, Sheena Majors, to file a chapter 7 bankruptcy petition for the couple. The mandatory form for disclosure of compensation and fee-sharing arrangements did not mention RLG, among other mistakes and misrepresentations.
Because of a litany of failures by RLG and Majors, the couple eventually lost their home and a substantial share of their home equity. RLG’s involvement came to light only when it was revealed by the couple during a hearing — which Majors failed to attend — in an unsuccessful effort to save the home. The couple and the chapter 7 trustee administering their bankruptcy case have a pending lawsuit against RLG, Majors, and two related defendants. The court has already found the defendants liable for malpractice, with damages still to be determined.
The USTP also prevailed in a separate enforcement action against RLG earlier this year. In April, the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia entered an order holding RLG and one of its affiliated attorneys, Thomas Watson, in contempt for providing deficient legal services and violating court orders. The court required the firm to pay $48,000 in sanctions and refund four chapter 7 debtors’ fees; suspended RLG from practicing in that district for two years; and disbarred Watson from practicing in the district.
The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 88 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust.
Two Companies and Three Executives Indicted for Fraudulently Selling Chinese Forklifts to U.S. Government as “Made in America” and Evading TariffsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Denver returned an indictment on August 21, 2025, charging two Denver-area companies and the companies’ top executives for defrauding the federal government on sales of forklifts and conspiring to avoid paying proper tariffs on forklifts imported into the United States.
According to court documents, Endless Sales Inc. (Endless), Octane Forklifts, Inc. (Octane), current executives Brian Firkins and Jeffrey Blasdel, and former executive J.R. Antczak allegedly conspired to import forklifts from China, disguise the Chinese origin of the forklifts, and then sell the forklifts to federal government agencies by fraudulently representing the forklifts as being manufactured in the United States. The indictment also alleges that Endless, Octane, Firkins, Blasdel, and Antczak conspired with an unnamed Chinese national and a Chinese manufacturer to create fake commercial invoices that fraudulently undervalued the cost of forklifts that Endless and Octane imported into the United States, thereby defrauding the government of over $1 million in applicable tariffs, duties, and fees. Firkins, Blasdel, and Antczak are each additionally charged with separate wire fraud charges, and Blasdel is also charged with making false statements to the government.
“Defrauding the United States to profit from goods made in adversarial nations like China undermines our economic and national security,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Justice Department is committed to protecting American taxpayer dollars, defending our national security against those who would undermine it, and holding accountable anyone who pursues illegal profits over our country.”
“Defendants fraudulently hid the origins of the products they sold the government and conspired to avoid paying tariffs,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force and its law enforcement partners will continue to prosecute and hold accountable those who seek to fraudulently obtain taxpayer funds.”
“Today’s indictments are the result of the collaboration among the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who seek to violate America’s trade laws to enrich themselves,” said Acting Inspector General Steve Stebbins of the Department of Defense. “DCIS remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of the DoD contracting process.”
“Federal contractors are expected to be honest in their dealings with the government,” said Deputy Inspector General Robert Erickson of the U.S. General Services Administration Office of Inspector General. “These indictments demonstrate our special agents’ commitment to pursue allegations of procurement fraud and protect the government’s supply chain.”
“My office is committed to protecting taxpayer dollars and the integrity of federal procurement,” said Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D of DHS OIG. “Octane Forklifts, Endless Sales, and their executives allegedly engaged in a brazen scheme to sell rebranded Chinese made forklifts to FEMA and the Department of Defense , all while falsely certifying their compliance with the Buy America Act. It is especially reprehensible that this alleged fraud involved a FEMA contract using disaster funds. I commend our law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, and DOJ’s Antitrust Division for their steadfast commitment to holding these individuals accountable.”
“This indictment reflects the commitment of the Air Force to uphold the integrity in public contracting and protect taxpayer dollars,” said Director Jason T. Hein, Office of Procurement Fraud Investigations, Office of Special Investigations, USAF. “Procurement fraud undermines trust in government and diverts resources from maintaining our national security and missions they’re meant to serve. We will continue to pursue accountability wherever public funds are at risk.”
“Intentionally violating the Buy America Act to defraud the US Government, isn’t just a legal issue, it is a demonstration of complete disregard for US law and the safety and security of our US military.” said Special Agent in Charge Derek Tilton of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division. “The US Army will not tolerate contract fraud and will vigorously pursue all available legal recourse.”
“This indictment demonstrates the VA OIG’s commitment to protecting taxpayer funds and ensuring companies who do business with the government are held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Heddell with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Western Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the integrity of VA’s programs and services.”
Firkins, Blasdel, Antczak, Endless, and Octane are charged with conspiring to commit wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. Firkins, Blasdel, and Antczak are similarly charged with individual counts of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. For the individuals, each count of conviction carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. For the corporations, the maximum penalty is a fine of $500,000. Firkins, Blasdel, Antczak, Endless and Octane are also charged with conspiring to enter goods into the United States by means of false or fraudulent statements. For the individuals, a count of conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. For the corporations, the maximum penalty is a fine of $500,000, or twice the gain derived from the offense, or twice the loss caused by the offense. Finally, Blasdel is charged with making false statements to the government, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated with the assistance of the United States Army Criminal Investigative Division, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigation, U.S. General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Defense Contract Audit Agency. The Westminster, Colorado, Police Department provided valuable assistance.
In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Religious Liberty Commission Hosts Third Hearing on Religious Liberty in Public EducationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the Religious Liberty Commission held its third hearing to discuss religious liberty issues in education from the perspectives of teachers and coaches, as well as religious liberty issues in school funding and educational choice, including testimony from school leaders, families, and experts impacted by religious liberty issues in school funding. The hearing’s objective was to understand the historic landscape of religious liberty in the educational setting, recognize present threats to religious liberty in education, and identify opportunities to secure religious liberty in this context for the future.
The hearing opened with a special panel on violence against people and communities of faith. The panel included testimony from friends of Charlie Kirk, who spoke of his commitment to faith and free speech and advocacy for religious liberty.
“Charlie Kirk was an American hero whose love for God, country, and family guided every step of his life,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our Religious Liberty Commission will continue to uphold his legacy of advocating for religious liberty, particularly at our educational institutions that too often seek to suppress free speech.”
“Physical violence and murder are the ultimate deprivations of religious liberty. We have seen a tragic rise in such violence targeted at communities and individuals of faith, including our friend Charlie Kirk,” said Commission Chairman Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. “This behavior is un-American and threatens every state in the nation. The Department of Justice Religious Liberty Commission stands with the Trump Administration in condemning it, finding the root cause of this violence, and doing everything possible to end it. We will not rest until we do.”
The hearing continued with scheduled programming on religious liberty issues in education, hearing from teachers, coaches, clergy, and other faith leaders on the grave challenges facing people and institutions of faith.
Chairman Patrick added: “In our hearing, we had heartbreaking testimony from great teachers and coaches who were bullied and threatened by the education system to choose between keeping their faith or keeping their jobs. Even after winning at the Supreme Court, the hateful attacks on them by the schools continued. No American should have to endure the grief and pain of being targeted by religious discrimination. Our Commissioners left with renewed conviction in the urgent need to restore First Amendment protections for our public and private schools and their staff.”
Panel on Violence against Faith Communities
Dr. Hutz Hertzberg: Chief Education Officer, Turning Point Education
Hutz Hertzberg has served as the Chief Education Officer for Turning Point Education since July 2022 and previously served as President of Christian Heritage Academy in Northfield, Illinois. Hutz’s organizational leadership experience includes serving as President of Christian Union, Director of the Orchard Network, and Executive Pastor of The Moody Church in Chicago. Hutz has also served for two decades in higher education administrative and faculty positions, including at Trinity International University, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Wheaton College, Judson University and the College of DuPage. Hutz is a licensed and ordained minister who served as a Chaplain in the United States Naval Reserve and continues to give leadership to the Protestant Chaplaincy at Chicago O’Hare and Midway Airports.
Eric Metaxas: Religious Liberty Commission Member
Writer, speaker, and radio host, Eric Metaxas has written dozens of books, including the national bestseller, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. The story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer was so beloved by readers that it was made into a major motion picture. Metaxas has testified before Congress on the global rise of anti-Semitism and been awarded the Canterbury Medal by the Becket Fund for Religious Freedom.
Pastor Jentezen Franklin: Religious Liberty Commission Advisory Board Member
Pastor Jentezen Franklin is the Senior Pastor of Free Chapel, a multi-campus church based in Gainesville, Georgia. He has written multiple books including the bestseller, Fasting: Opening the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with God.
Guest Speaker:
Dr. Larry Arnn: President, Hillsdale College
Dr. Arnn is the 12th president of Hillsdale College, where he is also a professor of politics and history. Dr. Arnn is on the board of directors of The Heritage Foundation, the Henry Salvatori Center of Claremont McKenna College, the Philadelphia Society, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, and the Claremont Institute.
Panel II: Teacher and Coach Perspectives
Coach Joe Kennedy: Former Bremerton High School (BHS) Football Coach
School officials at BHS suspended—and later fired—football coach Joe Kennedy because he prayed a brief, quiet prayer after football games. A lawsuit was filed against the school district, arguing that banning coaches from quietly praying, just because they can be seen by the public, is wrong and violates the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit sided with the school district. The case eventually landed in the U.S. Supreme Court. In January 2022, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case and has since ruled in favor of Coach Joe.
Monica Gill: History Teacher at Loudoun County High School
Monica took a stand against her school district’s secret gender transition policy – Policy 8040 – that required teachers to lie to parents about their child’s identity and force them to use pronouns requested by students, even if it meant denying their religious beliefs. ADF filed suit, and in December 2021, the school board agreed to a permanent injunction prohibiting retaliation against teachers who opposed the policy. In December 2023, the school board changed its position on the policy, and in July 2025, the Loudoun County Circuit Court officially recognized the change, allowing teachers to avoid using pronouns that violate their religious beliefs.
Marisol Arroyo-Castro: Connecticut Public School Teacher
While teaching in the New Britain School District, Marisol placed a crucifix by her desk along with other personal items, such as student artwork and a church calendar. In December 2024, school leadership abruptly told Marisol to remove the crucifix or be charged with insubordination. Marisol was later suspended without pay, placed on administrative leave, and involuntarily transferred to a non-teaching position for objecting. Attorneys have intervened on Marisol’s behalf in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.
Keisha Russell: Former special education teacher, constitutional lawyer with First Liberty Institute
Keisha Toni Russell is a constitutional lawyer with First Liberty Institute in Texas, a non-profit law firm that specializes in religious liberty litigation. Keisha graduated from Emory University School of Law and was a 2017 Emory University Graduating Woman of Excellence. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Keisha was a special education teacher in an elementary school in Atlanta, Georgia.
Panel III: Protecting the Religious Identity and Autonomy of Faith-Based Schools
Rabbi David Zwiebel: Executive Vice President of Agudath Israel of America, RLC Advisory Board member
Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel is the Executive Vice President of Agudath Israel of America, an American organization that represents Orthodox Jews. In 2020, he helped organize one of the largest gatherings of Orthodox Jews in U.S. history.
Fr. Robert Sirico: Pastor Emeritus, Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Parish
To preserve its Catholic identity, Sacred Heart requires students, parents, and teachers to sign a doctrine upholding catholic principles regarding marriage and sexuality. In 2024, Sacred Heart Academy joined parents in suing the state of Michigan in federal court demanding a reprieve from the state’s sweeping “anti-discrimination” law, after lawmakers amended the state’s Civil Rights Act to cover sexual orientation and gender identity without a general religious exemption.
Dr. Todd J. Williams: President, Cairn University
Cairn University, a small, private, Christian school in southeastern Pennsylvania, made a strategic institutional decision to eliminate its School of Social Work and all related degrees and programs due to multiple factors, including declining enrollment, revenue disparities, and issues related to the program’s accrediting body, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) deemed incompatible with the school’s religious and theological commitments. Following Cairn’s decision, CSWE posted a press release on its website and social-media platforms publicly criticizing the university.
John Bursch: Former Michigan Solicitor General, Senior Counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom
John Bursch is senior counsel and vice president of appellate advocacy with Alliance Defending Freedom. Bursch has argued 13 U.S. Supreme Court cases and three dozen state supreme court cases, and he has successfully litigated six matters with at least $1 billion at stake. A recent study concluded that among all frequent Supreme Court advocates who did not work for the federal government, he had the 3rd highest success rate for persuading justices to adopt his legal position. Bursch served as solicitor general for the state of Michigan from 2011-2013.
Panel IV: Faith-Based Schools and the State
Carroll Conley: Former Headmaster of Bangor Christian Schools, Executive Director of the Christian Civil League of Maine
In June 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that Maine cannot prevent parents from using the state’s publicly funded tuition assistance program to send kids to private religious schools. The case, Carson v. Makin, was brought by two families in rural Maine who did not have access to public schools. Maine banned parents from using the money to send their kids to schools that provide religious education. The families successfully challenged that rule, alleging it violated both the religion clauses and equal protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution.
Laura Wolk Slavis: Speaking on behalf of Chaya and Yoni Loffman
Chaya and Yoni Loffman were forced to discontinue speech therapy for their son because of requirements under California’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that prohibit funding from being used at religious private schools. Now, the Loffmans and other religious Jewish parents of students with disabilities are plaintiffs in a lawsuit, Loffman v. California Department of Education.
Jason Bedrick: Research Fellow in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, Author, Adjunct Scholar with the Cato Institute
Bedrick is a Research Fellow in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, where he focuses on policies that promote education freedom and choice, religious liberty, classical education, and restoring the primary role of families in education. His research on education policy has been published by numerous national and state-level think tanks and media publications.
Prof. Nicole Stelle Garnett: Professor of Law and Associate Dean for External Engagement at University of Notre Dame
Garnett’s teaching and research focuses on education law and policy, religious liberty, and topics related to property law. Garnett received her B.A. with distinction in Political Science from Stanford University and her J.D. from Yale Law School. After law school, she clerked for the Honorable Morris S. Arnold of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and for Associate Justice Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court of the United States. Before joining the law school faculty in 1999, she worked for two years as a staff attorney at the Institute for Justice, a non-profit public-interest law firm in Washington, D.C., where she helped to defend the constitutionality of the nation's first private-school-choice programs.
Closing Remarks:
Dr. Francis Beckwith: Professor of Philosophy and Church-State studies at Baylor University, RLC Advisory Board member
Dr. Beckwith teaches and publishes in the areas of religion, jurisprudence, politics, and ethics. A graduate of Fordham University (Ph.D. and M.A. in philosophy) and the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis (Master of Juridical Studies), he has published over 100 academic articles, book chapters, reviews, and reference entries.
Watch the hearing HERE.
The next hearing will be held in Dallas, Texas on November 17, and will consider religious liberty in the U.S. Military. Members of the public can learn more about registration at https://www.justice.gov/religious-liberty-commission/upcoming-hearings.
The Religious Liberty Commission was established by President Trump under Executive Order 14291 and is tasked with producing a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious liberty in America, increasing awareness of and celebrating America’s peaceful religious pluralism, highlighting current threats to religious liberty, and developing strategies to preserve and enhance protections for future generations.
Justice Department Sues New Orleans-Area Tax Preparation Business and Related Preparers to Stop Alleged Tax Preparation FraudRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a civil injunction suit today in federal court in New Orleans to bar Unnisha Paige, Rosetta Jones, Capriata Oatis, Keyante St. Cyr, Leah Smith, Laporscha Thompson, Deshira Horton, and India Toppins, who do business as Paige’s Income Tax Services (Paige Tax), from preparing tax returns for others and owning or operating a tax preparation business. The complaint also requests that the court require the defendants to disgorge the return preparation fees they obtained by preparing allegedly false or fraudulent tax returns.
According to the complaint, Paige franchises Paige Tax stores and is a full or partial owner of each franchise location. The complaint further alleges that Paige sells tax preparation software and provides training to individuals seeking to start their own tax preparation business. The complaint asks the court to bar Paige from selling or licensing a tax preparation business or franchise and tax preparation software.
The complaint alleges that the defendants, and those acting at their direction, prepare and file tax returns to falsely increase their customers’ refunds, and they profit through high and often undisclosed preparation fees — at the expense of their customers and the U.S. Treasury. According to the complaint, the defendants and those acting at their direction engage in misconduct, including:
- Falsely claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit
- Fabricating businesses and related business income and expenses reported on Forms Schedule C
- Claiming false fuel tax credits
- Claiming false child and dependent care credits
- Claiming fabricated COVID-19-related tax credits
The Tax Division reminds taxpayers that the IRS has information, tips and reminders on its site for choosing a tax preparer carefully (Choosing a Tax Professional and How to Choose a Tax Return Preparer) and has launched a free directory of credentialed federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers taxpayers tips to protect their identities and wallets when filing their taxes.
In addition, IRS Free File, a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $79,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronic federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free. The IRS has tips on how seniors and individuals with low to moderate income can get other help or guidance on tax return preparation, too.
In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained civil injunctions and criminal convictions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Justice Department Sues Missouri Housing Authority for Sexual Harassment of Public Housing Applicant by Former Executive DirectorRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it filed a lawsuit against Eddie Joe Hankins and the Housing Authority of the City of Bloomfield, Missouri, for sexually harassing a female housing applicant in violation of the Fair Housing Act. Hankins was the executive director of the Missouri Housing Authority from 2019 through 2022.
“There is no place in America for public officials who abuse their trust to coerce sexual acts from the people they are duty-bound to help, be it in public housing or other areas. We will hold them accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
The lawsuit, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, alleges that in 2021, a woman living with her three children applied for public housing. After her application was denied, the complaint alleges that she went to meet with Executive Director Hankins, who made unwanted sexual advances toward her. The suit also alleges that Hankins made sexual comments about the applicant’s appearance, conditioned housing for her family upon submission to his conduct, and that he refused to assist her with obtaining housing once she resisted his sexual advances. The lawsuit also alleges that the Housing Authority is vicariously liable for Hankins’ unlawful conduct.
The applicant filed a complaint against the Housing Authority and Hankins with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). After an investigation, HUD determined that the Housing Authority and Hankins discriminated against the applicant in violation of the Fair Housing Act and issued a charge of discrimination. After the applicant chose to have the matter decided in federal court, HUD referred the matter to the Department of Justice.
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate the applicant harmed by the alleged harassment and a court order barring future discrimination.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 50 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered nearly $16.2 million for victims of such harassment.
Justice Department Opens Investigation into Des Moines Public Schools for Race-Based Employment PracticesRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched an investigation into Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) to determine whether it engages in employment practices that discriminate based on race, color, and national origin in violation of Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964, as amended.
According to its website, Des Moines Public Schools requires that its teaching and learning staff match the student population in terms of “demographics and cultural responsivity.” DMPS also set specific quotas for “increas[ing] the number of teachers of color” in an affirmative action plan. Its staff retention strategy prioritizes “lift[ing] up voices of our People of Color” and “creat[ing] a safer environment for People of Color.” DMPS also operates the “3D Coalition” project, a recruitment and hiring program for “aspiring minority teachers.”
“DEI initiatives and race-based hiring preferences in our schools violate federal anti-discrimination laws and undermine educational priorities,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “School districts must cease these unlawful programs and restore merit-based employment practices for the benefit of both students and employees.”
You can read the notice letter here.
Justice Department Launches Title IV and Title VI Investigation into University of Nevada Las VegasRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched an investigation into the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) to determine whether the University has denied equal treatment of individuals based on race or national origin, in violation of Title IV and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“Publicly-funded universities are barred from discriminating based on race, national origin, or religion,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This Department of Justice is fiercely committed to holding institutions of higher learning accountable and ensuring that every student receives equal access to the opportunity and education to which they are legally entitled.”
The compliance review investigation will examine whether UNLV, a recipient of federal financial assistance, has engaged in discriminatory practices based on race, color, or national origin against its students. The investigation will be conducted pursuant to Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which authorizes the Department to address certain equal protection violations in public colleges, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits a recipient of federal funds from discriminating based on such protected characteristics. Institutions of higher education that are governed by Title IV and Title VI must protect students’ unfettered access to the school’s educational environment and opportunities, free from discrimination. The investigation will focus on the University’s response to antisemitism on campus.
Justice Department Files Complaint Against Social Media Company Iconic Hearts Holdings Inc. and Its CEO Hunter Rice Alleging Targeting of Children with Deceptive Practices in Violation of Federal LawRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), announces the filing of a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Iconic Hearts Holdings Inc. and its founder and CEO Hunter Rice for violations of the FTC Act, the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA), and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and its implementing regulations (COPPA) in connection with the social media messaging app known as Sendit.
“The Department of Justice is committed to preventing companies from using unfair and misleading business practices to profit off of American children,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work with the FTC to enforce federal consumer protection laws to protect young people from such conduct.”
In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the United States alleges that Defendants generated and sent millions of anonymous and often provocative, romantic, or sexual messages to users of the Sendit app, many of whom are children or teenagers. As alleged, Defendants, in violation of the FTC Act’s prohibition on unfair and deceptive business practices, falsely led users to believe the messages were from their social media contacts rather than the Sendit app itself, and that purchasing a “Diamond Membership” would reveal the senders’ identities. The Complaint also alleges Defendants violate COPPA by collecting personal information from app users who are children under the age of 13 while failing to provide notice to their parents or obtain verifiable parental consent. Additionally, as alleged, Defendants violate ROSCA by failing to clearly and conspicuously disclose the material terms of their Diamond Memberships, which automatically renew and cost as much as $9.99 per week.
Defendants allegedly generated tens of millions of dollars in revenue from Diamond Membership purchases. The complaint seeks civil penalties, restitution for consumers, and injunctive relief.
The United States is represented in this action by Trial Attorney Marcus P. Smith and Assistant Director Zachary A. Dietert of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch. Siobhan C. Amin, Miles D. Freeman, and John D. Jacobs represent the FTC.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
The claims made in a complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government must prove by a preponderance of the evidence.
Civil Rights Division Files the First Department of Justice Affirmative Lawsuit in Support of Gun OwnersRead the Press Release
The Civil Rights Division today filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department due to their pattern or practice of infringing the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens seeking concealed carry weapons (CCW) permits. This lawsuit is the first affirmative lawsuit in support of gun owners filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. On March 27, 2025, the Division initiated the first-of-its-kind Second Amendment investigation due to numerous complaints of unreasonable delays in CCW permitting decisions by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. After analysis of data and documents spanning over 8,000 CCW permit applications, the Division today filed suit seeking relief on behalf of law-abiding applicants.
“The Second Amendment protects the fundamental constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Los Angeles County may not like that right, but the Constitution does not allow them to infringe upon it. This Department of Justice will continue to fight for the Second Amendment.”
“The Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit seeks to stop Los Angeles County’s egregious pattern and practice of delaying law-abiding citizens from exercising their right to bear arms.”
“Citizens living in high-crime areas cannot afford to wait to protect themselves with firearms while Los Angeles County dithers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “The right to bear arms is among the founding principles of our nation. It can and must be upheld.”
Shortly after Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon was sworn in to lead the Civil Rights Division, numerous complaints received by the Division revealed inexplicable delays well beyond California statutory requirements and in violation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Almost two months after receiving notice of the Division’s investigation, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department provided data and documents that revealed only two approvals from over 8,000 applications, and that the Sheriff’s Department set out interviews to approve licenses as far as two years after receiving the completed application. The lawsuit is filed within the Federal Central District of California.
This investigation was conducted by attorneys at the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys within the Central District of California’s U.S. Attorney Office.
If you or someone you know has applied for a concealed carry permit in Los Angeles or any jurisdiction within the United States and have not received a reply or decision within four months after applying, please email [email protected]. The mailbox is actively monitored by attorneys assigned to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.
Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, and Japan Fair Trade Commission Meet in Washington to Continue Their Long History of EngagementRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, Chairman Andrew Ferguson of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Chairman Eiji Chatani of the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) met today in Washington, D.C., to continue the United States and Japan’s long history of engagement on competition issues affecting both countries. The meeting continues and underscores the strong relations between the United States and Japan reflected in the historic U.S.-Japan Framework Agreement now being implemented by the Trump Administration.
“The Japan Fair Trade Commission is one of our closest and most important international partners,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We are grateful to the JFTC for our long history of sharing best practices, discussing common challenges, and engagement on competition issues of interest to both of our countries. I would like to thank JFTC Chairman Chatani for traveling to Washington for today’s discussion. We look forward to continuing our close relationship with the JFTC in the future.”
“I want to thank Chairman Chatani and the Japan Fair Trade Commission for joining us in a productive and insightful discussion,” said FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson. “The friendship between the United States and Japan is among the most important for both countries, and these strong ties also apply to the longstanding relationship between the U.S. and Japanese competition agencies. I fully expect our collaboration will continue to produce substantial benefits for competition, consumers, and workers in both countries.”
“I am truly honored to participate in today’s bilateral meeting between the United States and Japan, a dialogue with a long and distinguished history,” said JFTC Chairman Eiji Chatani. “As competition authorities confront common challenges, it is vital that our leadership engage in direct and candid discussions. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to AAG Slater and Chairman Ferguson for their gracious hospitality. This productive meeting establishes a solid foundation for deepening cooperation between our nations, promoting mutual progress and sustained collaboration across multiple levels.”
The 1999 competition cooperation agreement between the Justice Department, FTC, and JFTC builds on the long-standing and close relationship between the Department and the JFTC, dating from the enactment of Japan’s Antimonopoly Law in 1947. The Department and the Federal Trade Commission have held regular antitrust consultations with the JFTC since the 1970s, the longest-running of the United States’ bilateral consultations with foreign antitrust authorities.
Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater and FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson meet with Chairman Eiji Chatani of the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC)Justice Department and USDA Coordinate to Protect Competition in Agricultural InputsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalizing a partnership to protect competition in key agricultural markets such as feed, fertilizer, fuel, seed, equipment, and other essential goods. This partnership strengthens longstanding coordination between the agencies with a particular focus on ensuring coordination with respect to ensuring farmers and ranchers have competitive access to agricultural inputs.
“Antitrust enforcement ensures free market competition for agricultural inputs, lowering costs for farmers and prices for consumers,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “America’s farmers deserve nothing less than the best the Antitrust Division and USDA can do to promote competitive markets that free them to feed America.”
The MOU signed on Sept. 26 by both agencies underscores their shared commitment to ensuring effective antitrust enforcement that promotes free market competition, lowering inputs costs and benefiting farmers, ranchers, and consumers. It creates channels for regular consultation and communication between the agencies to ensure effective coordination, where appropriate, to benefit efforts to promote competition. And it commits both agencies to designate personnel to facilitate communications between and among attorneys, economists, and technical experts.
Justice Department Sues Minnesota over Sanctuary PoliciesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Minnesota, the City of Minneapolis, the City of St. Paul, Hennepin County, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna S. Witt over the State’s, Cities’, and County’s sanctuary city policies that interfere with the federal government’s enforcement of its immigration laws.
Not only are the sanctuary city policies illegal under federal law, but, as alleged in the complaint, Minnesota’s, Minneapolis’, St. Paul’s, and Hennepin County’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities results in the release of dangerous criminals from police custody who would otherwise be subject to removal, including illegal aliens convicted of aggravated assault, burglary, and drug and human trafficking, onto the streets.
“Minnesota officials are jeopardizing the safety of their own citizens by allowing illegal aliens to circumvent the legal process,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will continue to bring litigation against any jurisdiction that uses sanctuary policies to defy federal law and undermine law enforcement.”
“Shielding illegal aliens from federal law enforcement is a blatant violation of the law that carries dangerous consequences,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Civil Division will continue to vigorously uphold the rule of law by holding sanctuary jurisdictions fully accountable.”
On her first day in office, Attorney General Bondi instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal immigration laws or impede lawful federal immigration operations. On August 5, 2025, Attorney General Bondi published a list of sanctuary jurisdictions, which included Minnesota, and vowed to bring litigation to end these policies nationwide. Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal sanctuary city policies across the country, including in Boston, New York City, Rochester, New York, New Jersey, Colorado, and Los Angeles. Recently, the Department announced a new Memorandum of Understanding to fully collaborate with Nevada on immigration enforcement, and the Mayor of Louisville revoked the city’s sanctuary policy after the Justice Department threatened legal action.
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Under the FACE Act Against Violent Protestors at Synagogue in West Orange, New JerseyRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department filed a civil complaint under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act against entities and individuals who targeted a synagogue in West Orange, New Jersey, during a November 2024 protest that escalated into violence.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, alleges that the defendants engaged in threats of force, intimidation, and violent conduct directed at congregants of the Congregation Ohr Torah synagogue. According to the complaint, the defendants’ actions were intended to interfere with the synagogue community’s right to freely exercise their religion, including gathering for a religious ceremony to honor the life of a deceased rabbi.
“No American should be harassed, targeted, or discriminated against for peacefully practicing their religion,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today's lawsuit underscores this Department of Justice's commitment to defending Jewish Americans — and all Americans of faith — from those who would threaten their right to worship.”
“This Justice Department will vigorously enforce the right of every American to worship in peace and without fear,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Those who target houses of worship and violate our federal laws protecting people of faith are on notice that they will face the consequences.”
The FACE Act, enacted in 1994, protects, among other things, the right to freely exercise religious beliefs at houses of worship. The Act makes it unlawful to use force, threats of force, or physical obstruction to intentionally injure, intimidate, or interfere with any person lawfully exercising their rights to seek or provide services or to worship. The Justice Department’s complaint seeks injunctive relief to prevent the defendants from engaging in future violations of the FACE Act at synagogues or obstructing worshipers from synagogues throughout New Jersey — the fullest reach of the District Court. If granted, that injunction will ensure that congregants of the West Orange synagogue may attend religious services without harassment, intimidation, or violence.
This case is being handled by the Civil Rights Division. The allegations in the complaint are civil allegations. The defendants are presumed not liable unless and until proven otherwise in court.
Members of the public may report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights Division at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
Civil Rights Division Fines Tech Company $200,000 for Discriminating Against U.S. Workers as Part of Settlement AgreementRead the Press Release
The United States Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced that it has secured a settlement agreement with TekisHub Consulting Services, LLC (TekisHub), a Delaware company that provides IT recruitment and staffing services, to address allegations that the company violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when it limited its recruitment of certain positions to only those with H-1B visas.
This settlement is the third since the Department of Justice re-launched its Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative to enforce the law against companies that illegally discriminate against American workers in favor of those with employment visas. Under the settlement, the company will pay $200,000 in civil penalties to the United States, undergo training, revise its employment policies, and not limit positions based on citizenship status unless there is a lawful reason.
“Recruitment companies cannot place unlawful restrictions based on citizenship status,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “U.S. workers are highly-skilled and deserve equal access to all American jobs.”
The public can call IER’s free hotline at 1-800-255-7688 for workers or at 1-800-255-8155 for employers (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired) for informal assistance between 9am and 5pm Eastern Time, Monday - Friday; sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email [email protected]; or visit www.justice.gov/ier.
Attorney General Bondi Issues Memo on Ending Political Violence Against ICERead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi released a memorandum to the FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, and Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys focused on ending political violence against ICE.
As noted in the memo, riots in Los Angeles and Portland reflect more than a 1000% increase in attacks on ICE officers since January 21, 2025, compared to the same period last year.
The memo instructs Department of Justice components to:
- Direct officers and agents to defend ICE facilities, specifically in Portland and Chicago.
- Add local law enforcement entities to a temporary ICE Protection Task Force alongside DOJ law enforcement components.
- Provide grant funding, training, and technical assistance to support federal, state, and local law enforcement protecting ICE.
Finally, the Department of Justice will “arrest and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law every person who aids, abets, or conspires to commit” crimes against ICE – including through “funding, coordination, or planning.”
Please read the full memo HERE.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Straw Purchase of Firearm for Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Nick Koborg, 26, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 26, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for making a false statement during a firearm purchase. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Koborg to 33 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Koborg’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On November 10, 2022, Koborg purchased a Glock semi-automatic pistol from Scheels in Omaha. To make the purchase, Koborg filled out paperwork and intentionally made the false representation that he was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm when in fact he knew that he was not the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm. After Koborg purchased the handgun, he provided it to a convicted felon who was legally prohibited from purchasing and possessing firearms. According to phone messages recovered pursuant to a search warrant, Koborg had agreed to purchase the firearm for the convicted felon in exchange for a “purchase fee.” The handgun, along with three others Koborg had purchased, was recovered in May 2023 when law enforcement agents executed search warrants tied to a drug trafficking investigation. At sentencing, Koborg was held responsible for buying the four handguns for other people, two for the convicted felon and two for another person involved in the drug distribution.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bellevue Police Department.
Monica Kindt Appointed as Acting U.S. Trustee for Indiana and Central and Southern Districts of IllinoisRead the Press Release
Monica Kindt has been appointed by Attorney General Pamela Bondi as the Acting U.S. Trustee for Indiana and the Central and Southern Districts of Illinois (Region 10). Kindt replaces Nancy J. Gargula, who is retiring after 23 years of distinguished service to the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP).
Kindt joined the USTP in 2009 as the Assistant U.S. Trustee in charge of the Cincinnati office, and she will remain in that position while overseeing Region 10. Kindt has also been serving as the USTP’s Acting Associate General Counsel for Consumer Practice since 2022. Additionally, Kindt has been a special assistant to the Deputy Director for Management, and she serves on a number of working groups addressing legal matters of nationwide concern or USTP operations. Before joining the USTP, Kindt was a partner at a Cincinnati law firm and served as a chapter 7 panel trustee.
Kindt received a bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College and a law degree from Florida Coastal School of Law.
The Executive Office for U.S. Trustees made the announcement.
The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors, and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 88 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust.
Member of Vast International Alien Smuggling Organization Extradited from MexicoRead the Press Release
A Mexican man made his initial appearance in court in Del Rio today after being extradited to Texas from Mexico to face charges relating to his role in an international alien smuggling organization.
In September 2023, a federal grand jury in the Western District of Texas returned an indictment against Efrain Zuniga-Garcia, 37, of Mexico, for conspiring to smuggle aliens from multiple countries into the United States for financial gain.
Beginning in November 2020 and continuing through September 2023, the defendant and others were part of a vast international alien smuggling organization (ASO) that illegally brought thousands of aliens from Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Columbia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Ecuador into the United States across the border with Mexico. The ASO operated stash houses in Monterrey, Mexico, and Piedras Negras, Mexico. A Pakistani smuggler based in Brazil originally contracted with aliens to enter the smuggling venture. In turn, this Brazilian-based smuggler worked with a San Antonio, Texas-based smuggler and Honduran national Enil Edil Mejia-Zuniga to facilitate travel of the aliens from South America to the United States. Mejia-Zuniga directed operations, as well as paid armed “coyotes,” load drivers, and stash house operators. According to court documents, Mejia-Zuniga admitted that the ASO smuggled between 2,500 to 3,000 aliens into the United States in just two years. Mejia-Zuniga stated the organization charged between $6,500 to $12,000 per alien, totaling approximately $16 to $30 million in financial gain.
Efrain Zuniga-Garcia operated the stash house in Monterrey and coordinated with other members of the ASO to transport aliens to the stash house and then into the U.S. illegally. The defendant worked with others to house aliens for a period, after which the aliens would meet foot guides, ‘coyotes’, who led them across the U.S.-Mexico border by crossing the Rio Grande River.
Zuniga-Garcia was arrested in Mexico in October 2024 at the request of the U.S. government. Zuniga-Garcia’s extradition was the result of extensive coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities.
Zuniga-Garcia is charged with one count of conspiracy to bring illegal aliens to the United States and three counts of bringing in illegal aliens for profit. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison. Zuniga-Garcia’s co-defendant, Monica Hernadez-Palma was extradited to the United States from Mexico in January 2025. She pleaded guilty to smuggling offenses in April 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced in November 2025. Defendant Mejia-Zuniga was sentenced in July 2025 to the statutory maximum of 120 months in prison.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting Special Agent in Charge Mark Lippa of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio Field Office made the announcement.
HSI Del Rio led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, and U.S. Border Patrol. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Zuniga-Garcia.
Trial Attorneys Jenna Reed and Bethany Allen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) are prosecuting the case.
The indictment and extradition are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) Program. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Colombia, Canada, and the Caribbean. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, the Northern District of New York, the District of Vermont, and the Southern District of Florida. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 415 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Announces Memorandum of Understanding with Nevada to Collaborate on Immigration EnforcementRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced a new Memorandum of Understanding with the State of Nevada to fully collaborate on immigration enforcement. This follows the Department publishing a list of sanctuary jurisdictions on August 5th, 2025, in accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14287.
The list initially included Nevada and has now been updated following work between the Department and the State of Nevada – the first removal since the list’s publishing. Following the release of the Memorandum of Understanding, Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the following statement:
“The Department of Justice is committed to eradicating sanctuary policies across America. We applaud Governor Lombardo and Nevada for taking necessary steps to fully comply with the Trump Administration’s immigration policy. This should serve as a reminder to other jurisdictions: come to the table and work with us instead of going to court.”
Read the full MOU here.
The Department of Justice Creates New Civil Division Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation BranchRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice has announced the creation of a new office within the Civil Division — the Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch — dedicated to safeguarding public health and safety through proactive enforcement and high-impact affirmative litigation.
“By consolidating the Civil Division’s affirmative litigation work into a highly specialized branch, the Department will strengthen its ability to hold powerful actors accountable, protect public health and safety, and enforce critical national policies,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This restructuring reflects the Department’s commitment to aggressively protecting consumers and advancing the interests of the United States.”
The new Branch will consist of two sections. The Enforcement Section will draw on the Department’s extensive experience bringing landmark cases under statutes such as the Controlled Substances Act, Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, Consumer Product Safety Act, Federal Trade Commission Act, Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, and Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act, to protect consumers — whether it be from unfair and deceptive trade practices of the largest technology companies in the world, defective consumer goods imported from China, or false and misleading claims about drugs and dietary supplements manufactured by pharmaceutical companies. The Affirmative Litigation Section will represent the United States by filing lawsuits against states, municipalities, and private entities that interfere with or obstruct federal policies, ensuring nationwide compliance with the U.S. Constitution and federal law.
The new Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch will strengthen the Civil Division’s ability to advance the Department’s enforcement priorities, including protecting women and children from pharmaceutical companies, health care providers, and medical associations profiting off of false and misleading claims related to so-called gender transition, and ending sanctuary jurisdiction laws, policies, and practices that impede federal immigration enforcement and make Americans less safe in their communities.
Pharmacy Owner and Pharmacists Sentenced for Pill Mill Scheme Involving Hundreds of Thousands of Opioid PillsRead the Press Release
A Texas pharmacy owner and three Texas pharmacists were sentenced today in Houston for unlawfully distributing more than half a million opioid pills and other commonly abused prescription drugs, including to individuals paid to pose as patients by black market drug traffickers.
“While I served as the Attorney General of Florida, addressing the opioid crisis was one of my top priorities and remains a top priority at the Department of Justice today,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The opioid crisis has taken hundreds of thousands of lives and destroyed countless American families. Our enforcement efforts aren’t limited to cartels and gangs: anyone in the medical profession who abuses their position of trust to deal deadly drugs will face severe consequences.”
“Billings and his co-conspirators brazenly operated a pill mill for years, selling dangerous narcotics to dealers through straw patients and fueling the opioid epidemic,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendants ignored their obligations as pharmacists to care for their patients and instead profited from the illicit sale of highly addictive drugs. The Criminal Division is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting the gatekeepers in the health care industry who abuse positions of trust for personal gain.”
“Pharmacies exist to heal the sick, not to fuel addiction and line the pockets of drug traffickers,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “These defendants betrayed their communities by turning a pharmacy into a pill mill, flooding our streets with over half a million opioid pills, and leaving a trail of addiction, abuse, and tragedy. DEA remains steadfast in its commitment to bring to justice those responsible for the country’s opioid crisis.”
Arthur Billings, 61, of Missouri City, a pharmacy owner and pharmacist, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison and a $2.6 million forfeiture order. On Aug. 26, 2022, Billings pleaded guilty to a four-year conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense hydrocodone and oxycodone and making false statements in an application for disability benefits. According to court documents, Billings was the owner, operator, and pharmacist-in-charge of Health Fit Pharmacy (Health Fit), a cash-only pill-mill pharmacy. In exchange for hundreds of dollars per prescription, Health Fit dispensed controlled substances to individuals sent by drug traffickers to pose as patients. The drug traffickers provided the funding for the pills then sold the drugs on the black market. The prescriptions used to obtain the drugs from Health Fit were often fraudulent, issued in the names of physicians whose identities were stolen. The pharmacy continued its illegal operation despite repeated warnings from the Texas State Board of Pharmacy, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Three of Billings’ co-conspirators, all of whom were Health Fit pharmacists in Houston, were also sentenced today.
Deanna Winfield-Gates, 56, was sentenced to six years in prison and a $60,000 forfeiture order. On Sept. 13, 2023, Winfield-Gates was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense hydrocodone and oxycodone. According to court documents, Winfield-Gates was a relief pharmacist at Health Fit who dispensed over a half million pills of addictive and dangerous drugs, including hydrocodone and oxycodone, among others, often in combination, knowing these controlled substances were likely to be diverted or abused.
Jeremy Branch, 38, was sentenced today to 22 months in prison and a $68,931.44 forfeiture order. On Aug. 29, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense hydrocodone and oxycodone. According to court documents, Branch was the pharmacist-in-charge at Health Fit for much of 2017.
Frank Cooper, 55, was sentenced to 20 months in prison and a $5,000 forfeiture order. On Aug. 22, 2022, Cooper pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense hydrocodone and oxycodone. According to court documents, Cooper was a relief pharmacist at Health Fit during the conspiracy.
The DEA investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Drew Pennebaker of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case, with support from Paralegal Specialist Meghan Malinowski.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. 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.
Justice Department Sues Six States for Failure to Provide Voter Registration RollsRead the Press Release
Today the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced the filing of federal lawsuits against six states — California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania — for failure to produce their statewide voter registration lists upon request.
“Clean voter rolls are the foundation of free and fair elections,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Every state has a responsibility to ensure that voter registration records are accurate, accessible, and secure — states that don’t fulfill that obligation will see this Department of Justice in court.”
“States are required to safeguard American elections by complying with our federal elections laws,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Clean voter rolls protect American citizens from voting fraud and abuse, and restore their confidence that their states’ elections are conducted properly, with integrity, and in compliance with the law.”
According to the lawsuits, the Attorney General is uniquely charged by Congress with the enforcement of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which were designed by Congress to ensure that states have proper and effective voter registration and voter list maintenance programs. The Attorney General also has the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (CRA) at her disposal to demand the production, inspection, and analysis of the statewide voter registration lists.
These lawsuits were filed on Sept. 25, 2025, in the federal districts of the respective states.
Attorney General Bondi, Director Patel Statements Regarding Indictment of Former FBI Director James ComeyRead the Press Release
Today, a federal grand jury has charged former FBI Director James Comey with serious crimes related to the disclosure of sensitive information.
The indictment alleges that Comey obstructed a congressional investigation into the disclosure of sensitive information in violation of 18 USC 1505.
The indictment also alleges that Comey made a false statement in violation of 18 USC 1001. Comey stated that he did not authorize someone at the FBI to be an anonymous source. According to the indictment that statement was false.
“No one is above the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.”
“Today, your FBI took another step in its promise of full accountability,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “For far too long, previous corrupt leadership and their enablers weaponized federal law enforcement, damaging once proud institutions and severely eroding public trust. Every day, we continue the fight to earn that trust back, and under my leadership, this FBI will confront the problem head-on. Nowhere was this politicization of law enforcement more blatant than during the Russiagate hoax, a disgraceful chapter in history we continue to investigate and expose. Everyone, especially those in positions of power, will be held to account - no matter their perch. No one is above the law.”
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Oklahoma Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering Checotah WomanRead the Press Release
David Deval Martin, 40, of McIntosh County, Oklahoma, was sentenced — for a second time — to life in prison for the vicious 2013 murder of a Checotah woman.
“The defendant in this case brutally murdered his victim in cold blood,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. “By retrying the case and securing a life sentence for the Defendant, the Department of Justice has demonstrated our commitment to seeking justice for the victims of violent crime in Indian Country.”
“The defendant’s heinous crime was deserving of the life sentence imposed by the Court,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “I am grateful for the thorough work of investigators and the skilled presentation of the evidence by colleagues from the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. Their collective efforts were vital in securing justice for the victim’s family.”
“Thanks to the work of the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and FBI Oklahoma City, this depraved and merciless killer has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in federal prison,” said Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “Today’s sentencing underscores the FBI’s dedication to working with our partners and achieving justice for victims of violent crimes in Indian Country.”
In 2016, Martin was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole after a state jury trial held in the District Court of McIntosh County, Oklahoma. On appeal, the Supreme Court of the United States required the Department of Justice to indict and prosecute Martin in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. A federal jury found Martin guilty on one count of murder in Indian Country in October 2024.
According to court documents, on Nov. 7, 2013, Martin viciously beat and stabbed the victim — whom he had previously dated — causing over 109 separate injuries to her head and neck. The medical examiner estimated that it would have taken Martin “20 to 30 [minutes] or longer” to inflict these wounds, and that the victim was alive, and likely conscious, for much of her own murder. Just hours before Martin killed the victim, he was seen threatening her at a local convenience store by pointing his fingers at her head in the shape of a gun.
At the scene of the crime, investigators recovered Martin’s DNA mixed with the victim’s own blood from the front door of the home, and Martin’s fingerprint on the handle of a metal rod used to beat the victim. Martin’s DNA was also recovered from the steering wheel of the victim’s abandoned car.
This case was investigated by the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Martin will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Trial Attorneys Jared A. Hernandez and Brian W. Lynch from the Department of VCRS represented the United States. This case represents the last indictment that has been a part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section McGirt project, in which the Criminal Division partnered with the Eastern District of Oklahoma to prosecute murder cases in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma.
Physician Sentenced to 14 Years for Illegal Distribution of Opioids and Health Care Fraud ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
A Pennsylvania doctor was sentenced today to 168 months in prison for orchestrating conspiracies to commit health care fraud, wire fraud, and unlawful distribution of controlled substances and money-laundering related offenses. He was also ordered to pay over $2 million in restitution and over $2 million in forfeiture.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Neil K. Anand, M.D., 48, of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, conspired to submit false and fraudulent claims to health plans provided by Medicare, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Independence Blue Cross (IBC), and Anthem, for “Goody Bags” of medically unnecessary prescription medications, which were dispensed to patients by in-house pharmacies owned by Anand. In total, Medicare, OPM, IBC, and Anthem paid over $2.4 million in reimbursements. To entice patients to take the unwanted Goody Bags, Anand also conspired to distribute oxycodone outside the usual course of medical practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. In furtherance of the conspiracy, unlicensed medical interns wrote prescriptions for controlled substances using blank prescriptions that were pre-signed by Anand. As part of the scheme, Anand prescribed 20,850 oxycodone tablets for nine different patients. After learning that he was under investigation, Anand concealed the proceeds of the fraud by transferring approximately $1.2 million into an account in the name of a relative and for the benefit of a minor relative.
In April 2025 Anand was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, three counts of health care fraud, one count of money laundering, four counts of unlawful monetary transactions, and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob, Patrick J. Campbell, and Arun Bodapati of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, 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.
Justice Department Expands Tribal Access Program to Improve the Exchange of Critical Data with Federally Recognized TribesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has selected six federally recognized Tribes to participate in the continued expansion of the Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information (TAP), a program that provides Tribal governments with means to access, enter, and exchange data with national crime information systems, including those maintained by the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division.
The announcement follows trips by senior Justice Department officials to Tribal Nations this year to hear from Tribal and federal law enforcement officials and Tribal leaders about the public safety challenges faced by Tribal communities.
“Criminals should have no doubt: Indian Country will not be a refuge for lawlessness,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Tribal Access Program gives Tribal law enforcement real-time access to crime data, arming them with the information necessary to identify criminals, track down predators, and deliver justice for victims. The Department stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Tribal officers to restore law and order to Indian Country, and those who target the vulnerable in Tribal communities will be found, prosecuted, and held accountable.”
With this expansion, TAP now supports 154 Tribes and more than 460 Tribal government agencies.
“TAP has been very helpful in our process for hiring Tribal Police Officers,” said Pueblo of Santa Clara Chief of Police Mitchell Maestas. “We have utilized its ability for fingerprint submissions and the results are provided very quickly. This is a tremendous help in completing the applications and getting them sent off and accurately returned in minutes instead of waiting for days or weeks for a return.”
TAP provides training as well as software and biometric/biographic kiosk workstations to process fingerprints, take mugshots, and submit information to FBI CJIS systems.
The Justice Department began TAP in 2015 in response to concerns raised by Tribal leaders about the need to have direct access to federal systems. Using TAP, Tribes have shared information about missing persons; registered convicted sex offenders; entered domestic violence orders of protection for nationwide enforcement; entered orders that prevent dangerous prohibited persons from obtaining firearms; run criminal histories; identified and arrested fugitives; entered bookings and convictions; and completed fingerprint-based record checks for non-criminal justice purposes such as screening employees or volunteers who work with children.
The following additional Tribes have been selected for participation in TAP:
- Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas
- Cayuga Nation (New York)
- Duckwater Shoshone Tribe
- Pueblo of Zia
- Seneca-Cayuga Nation (Oklahoma)
- Southern Ute Indian Tribe
TAP is managed by the Justice Department’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and the Office of Tribal Justice. It is funded by the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART), the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).
For more information on TAP, visit www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap.
Chairman of the Board of Puerto Rican Bank Pleads Guilty to Multimillion-Dollar Wire Fraud Conspiracy That Led to Bank’s CollapseRead the Press Release
The chairman of the board of Nodus International Bank (Nodus), a Puerto Rican international banking entity, pleaded guilty today for his role in leading a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $13.6 million from Nodus, which ultimately led to the bank’s failure in 2023.
“The defendant abused his position as Chairman of the board of directors to fraudulently divert funds from the bank that he had been entrusted to run, resulting in the bank’s collapse,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to investigating and prosecuting white-collar fraudsters, no matter how lofty their position, to ensure their crimes do not pay.”
“Banks hold a sacred trust — the savings, investments, and livelihoods of the communities they serve," said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. "Ramirez abused that trust, siphoning millions for personal gain and leaving behind collapse and loss. The Southern District of Florida will hold corporate leaders accountable when they turn financial institutions into vehicles of fraud. Our Office will continue to protect investors, safeguard the integrity of the banking system, and defend the rule of law.”
“The Chairman’s fraud brought down more than a bank — it undermined public trust," said Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami. "IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to use our financial expertise to protect the integrity of the U.S. financial system."
According to court documents, Juan Francisco Ramirez, 60, of Miami, Florida, conspired with others to siphon money from Nodus. Ramirez and a co-conspirator concealed from other Nodus board members and executives, and the bank’s regulator — the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of Puerto Rico (OCIF) — that certain investments or loans were for the benefit of Ramirez and a co-conspirator, in violation of Puerto Rican law and Nodus policy regarding insider transactions.
From 2017 to 2023, Ramirez conspired with others to invest more than $11 million of Nodus’s funds in a Miami-based lender so that it could loan those funds to Ramirez and a co-conspirator for their own benefit. Ramirez and his co-conspirators knew that these transactions were illegal and took steps to conceal their prohibited nature by having the bank make sham investments in the lending entity.
Further, between January 2018 and September 2021, Ramirez and a co-conspirator fraudulently induced Nodus’s board and comptroller to agree to, or facilitate, the purchase of at least 47 promissory notes totaling approximately $25.3 million from Miami-based finance company that Ramirez and the co-conspirator jointly owned. These promissory notes purported to fund loans to legitimate individuals or businesses, but in fact Ramirez and a co-conspirator used the loan proceeds for their own benefit, including to make personal investments in third-party companies, pay personal mortgages, or cover personal credit card expenses.
In early March 2023, OCIF notified Nodus of its intention to place the Bank into liquidation, and later that month Nodus agreed to enter into a voluntary liquidation. On April 28, 2023, knowing that the liquidation process would commence imminently and without authorization from OCIF, Ramirez and a co-conspirator caused Nodus to purchase from their Miami-based finance company a loan portfolio totaling approximately $26 million. Most of these loans were delinquent, nonperforming, and otherwise uncollateralized. Ramirez and a co-conspirator caused Nodus to accept the loan portfolio as payment of their Miami-based finance company’s debt arising from the 47 promissory notes that Nodus had purchased during 2018 to 2021. This resulted in a direct benefit to the finance company (and Ramirez and his co-conspirator) by relieving the finance company of its debt to the bank.
As part of his plea agreement, Ramirez agreed to forfeiture in the amount of at least $13.6 million, which represents the value of the proceeds he derived from the conspiracy.
Ramirez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date and faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Javier Urbina and Samir Paul of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), Bank Integrity Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Felipe Plechac-Diaz for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Marketer Sentenced for $11.5M Genetic Testing Fraud and Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
Robert Desselle, 47, was sentenced today in Tampa, Florida, to 57 months in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive health care kickbacks. Desselle pleaded guilty in February 2025. In addition, Desselle was ordered to pay $4.5 million in restitution and to forfeit $2.1 million of the criminal proceeds.
According to court documents, Desselle and his co-conspirators convinced Medicare beneficiaries to take genetic tests that they did not need. Desselle paid other marketers, who were not medical professionals, to recruit vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries at grocery stores, pharmacies, or car dealerships and persuade them to take the tests using deceptive methods. Desselle then bribed a telemedicine company to supply doctors’ orders for the tests. The orders and test kits were then sent to clinical laboratories who paid Desselle and his co-conspirators kickbacks in exchange for the referrals.
From June 2018 to December 2020, Desselle and his co-conspirators caused the laboratories to bill $11.5 million to Medicare. Medicare paid out $4.5 million on these claims. Desselle personally earned over $2.1 million from the scheme.
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) investigated the case.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank for HHS-OIG made the announcement.
Trial Attorney Charles D. Strauss of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. 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.
Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in Enbridge CaseRead the Press Release
Note: View statement of interest here.
The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and Civil Division last week filed a statement of interest in a case in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan between Enbridge Energy and the State of Michigan.
“The federal government already comprehensively regulates pipeline safety, but Michigan is trying to usurp the Department of Transportation’s statutory authority,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of ENRD. “President Trump has made clear that the United States will not tolerate state overreach that interferes with American energy dominance.”
In 2020, Michigan issued a notice terminating Enbridge’s easement for its Line 5 pipeline that traversed underground through the Straits of Mackinac between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Michigan issued the notice — which in effect is a safety standard — so it could shut down an international pipeline that provides significant energy to the United States.
The United States’ statement notes that the federal Pipeline Safety Act charges the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) with setting nationwide safety standards for interstate pipelines and related infrastructure. By imposing its own safety standards on an interstate (and international) pipeline, Michigan improperly encroached on PHMSA’s exclusive authority under the Pipeline Safety Act.
Additionally, the pipeline is subject to a treaty between the United States and Canada. The statement highlights that shutting down this international pipeline interferes with the United States’ exclusive authority in foreign affairs.
Chief of Staff and Senior General Counsel John Adams of ENRD filed the motion.
Enbridge v. Whitmer - United States SOI.pdfNew Hampshire Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Filing a False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A New Hampshire woman pleaded guilty yesterday to filing a false tax return.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Denise Thibodeau, of Berlin, owned and operated North Country Angels, a home health care business. Most of her clients were elderly individuals who needed frequent in-home health care assistance. To perform the work, Thibodeau hired caregivers and paid them using an under-the-table cash payroll. Specifically, Thibodeau required clients to pay her in checks made payable to cash. Thibodeau cashed the checks, kept a portion of the cash as her own income, and paid the remainder to the caregivers without withholding any Social Security, Medicare, or federal income taxes from the caregivers’ wages as required by law. She did this to conceal the wages paid to the caretakers and her own income.
On Thibodeau’s individual income tax returns, Thibodeau significantly underreported the income she and her business earned. For 2018-2020, for example, Thibodeau reported on her returns that the business earned a total of $35,000 in gross receipts when it actually earned nearly $1.7 million.
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2026. Thibodeau faces a maximum of three years in prison. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro of the Justice Department’s Tax Division is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Investigates Austin, Texas for Racially Discriminatory Employment PracticesRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched an investigation into the City of Austin, Texas, to determine whether it engages in employment practices that discriminate based on race, sex, color, and national origin in violation of Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964, as amended.
“The Department of Justice will not tolerate discriminatory race-based employment practices and DEI policies, in Austin or other cities,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Such practices are illegal and un-American, and we will vigorously protect equal opportunity and hold accountable those who seek to perpetuate vestiges of outlawed discrimination.”
According to its website, the City of Austin’s Office of Equity and Inclusion, Equity Division “works across all City departments . . . to build capacity and leadership in working from a racial equity lens.” The Equity Division publicly promotes City guidance that recommends delineating “clear racial equity expectations regarding hiring,” applying “stronger racial equity criteria to the design and execution of executive-level searches,” and using “racial equity tools” that are “designed to integrate explicit consideration of racial equity in decisions, including policies, practices, programs and budgets.”
You can read the notice letter here.
California Drug Dealer Sentenced to 55 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Anthony Kenneth Johnson, age 68, from Merced, California, was sentenced on September 17, 2025, in the District Court of Guam to 55 months imprisonment for Distribution of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The Court also ordered three years of supervised release following imprisonment, forfeiture of $1,000 in drug proceeds, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
On August 17, 2017, United States Postal Inspectors intercepted a package containing 23.09 grams of methamphetamine. After delivering the package under surveillance, the recipient, Kevin Mayberry, admitted to receiving the drugs and identified Johnson as the sender. At the time, Johnson was on supervised release after serving 244 months for a previous methamphetamine conspiracy conviction.
In March and April 2020, after a 20-month revocation of his supervised release, Johnson sent two more packages of methamphetamine to Mayberry. The first contained 7.99 grams, for which they agreed on a $250 payment. Postal Inspectors sent a money order to Johnson, which he cashed. The second package contained 25.53 grams. Johnson indicated he wanted $1,000 for the drugs, using the term “zip” for an ounce of methamphetamine. Postal Inspectors sent two money orders totaling $750, which Johnson cashed. In total, Johnson distributed 56.61 grams of methamphetamine, all with a purity of at least 80 percent.
Co-conspirator Kevin Mayberry previously pled guilty to Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride with Intent to Distribute and was sentenced to 110 Months in Federal Prison.
“Drug trafficking by offenders under post-conviction supervision will not be tolerated, regardless of the quantity involved,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “This investigation is another example of the benefits of multi-agency partners working together to keep our communities safe.”
“This sentence sends a message that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service will not allow the U.S. Mail to be used to distribute harmful narcotics in Guam or anywhere else.” said U.S. Postal Inspection Service San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Stephen Sherwood. “I would like to thank our partners on the task force including the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, the Guam Police Department, and the Guam Army National Guard Counterdrug Program for their valuable work keeping dangerous substances out of the mail and out of the community.”
This investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Guam Police Department, with prosecution handled by Assistant United States Attorney Devarup Rastogi in the District of Guam.
BofA Securities Inc. Resolves Criminal Investigation with Justice Department Pursuant to Part I of the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure PolicyRead the Press Release
BofA Securities, Inc. (BoAS) a North Carolina-based financial institution, has agreed to resolve a criminal investigation involving alleged market manipulation schemes by former BoAS employees pursuant to Part I of the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy (CEP). As part of the resolution, the Justice Department has declined to prosecute BoAS, and BoAS will disgorge approximately $1.96 million and contribute approximately $3.6 million to a victim compensation fund it will establish and administer.
The Justice Department’s investigation found evidence that from in or about November 2014 through approximately April 2020, two BoAS traders on the bank’s U.S. Treasuries desk separately engaged in schemes to manipulate the secondary (or “cash”) market, and one of those employees also engaged in a scheme to manipulate the futures market for U.S. Treasuries by entering spoof orders — that is, orders placed without the intent to execute them at the time they were placed. Collectively, these two former employees entered more than one thousand suspected spoof orders during the relevant time period. One of the traders, Tyler Forbes, pleaded guilty in April 2022 to manipulating U.S. Treasury securities prices.
In May 2025, the Justice Department revised the CEP to increase transparency and encourage voluntary self-disclosure. The Justice Department announced today that it resolved its investigation against BoAS after considering the factors set forth in the updated CEP, including (1) BoAS’s timely and voluntary self-disclosure of the misconduct; (2) BoAS’s full and proactive cooperation in this matter, including providing all known relevant facts about the misconduct; (3) the nature and seriousness of the offense; (4) BoAS’s timely and appropriate remediation, including the termination of the junior trader, an internal review of the trading of all traders on its U.S. Treasuries desk, an internal review of its compliance program and internal controls, a thorough and systematic root-cause analysis, significant investment in and improvements to its surveillance programs and parameters, enhancements to its broader compliance program, and the implementation of external testing of its internal controls; (5) the absence of aggravating circumstances; and (6) BoAS’s agreement to disgorge its gains and provide victim compensation.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia of the FBI New York Field Office; and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Criminal Investigations Group made the announcement. The FBI and USPIS are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Sara Hallmark and John J. Liolos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Two Florida Men Charged for $34.8M Fraud Scheme Targeting Medicare BeneficiariesRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed Friday charging two Florida men for their roles in a scheme to submit approximately $34.8 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary products. As part of the scheme, the defendants and their co-conspirators targeted thousands of Medicare beneficiaries and, through deceptive telemarketing, persuaded them to accept medical equipment that they did not need, such as orthotic braces and continuous glucose monitors.
“The defendants are alleged to have perpetuated a scheme that involved the submission of $34.8 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary medical equipment,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “That money, which came from American taxpayers, was intended to benefit Americans in need of medical care. Friday’s arrests send a clear message to those who would defraud our healthcare system: the public fisc is not your private purse, and we will aggressively prosecute those that steal from benefit programs.”
“Greed-fueled fraud schemes, like billing for medically unnecessary medical equipment, are a threat to both taxpayer-funded health care programs and patients alike,” stated Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working shoulder to shoulder with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to aggressively investigate such allegations to hold fraudsters fully accountable.”
“The harm done by these actors cannot be overstated,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division, “The FBI will continue to pursue those who seek to damage our healthcare system and defraud everyday Americans seeking aid."
According to court documents, Kenneth Charles Kessler III, 42, of Miami-Dade County, Florida, and Michael Andrew Gomez, 42, of Broward County, Florida, are charged in connection with their ownership and operation of seven durable medical equipment (DME) supply companies based in Florida. Kessler and Gomez are accused of paying illegal kickbacks and bribes to purported marketing companies that targeted thousands of Medicare beneficiaries with deceptive and aggressive telemarketing campaigns. The indictment alleges that these marketing companies obtained the beneficiaries’ personally identifiable information and arranged for purported telemedicine companies to generate doctors’ orders for unnecessary medical equipment. Kessler and Gomez allegedly used these doctors’ orders to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare through their network of DME companies.
Kessler and Gomez are both charged with conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud, two counts of health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and to offer and pay health care kickbacks, and two counts of offering and paying kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program. If convicted, Kessler and Gomez each face up to 65 years in prison. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the FBI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Aisha Schafer-Hylton and Owen Dunn of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Owner of Buckhead Brothel Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Jamika Weese, a/k/a Jae, was sentenced to federal prison for operating a brothel out of an Atlanta apartment from which she transported women to other states for commercial sex. Weese also fraudulently obtained nearly $70,000 worth of federal loans intended to assist legitimate businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Weese ran a prostitution ring, trafficked women, and lied to collect tens of thousands of dollars in federal loans,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Her conviction and sentence demonstrate that criminals who exploit vulnerable victims and rip off the government will be held accountable for their crimes.”
“This case represents why sex trafficking is such a high priority matter for the FBI and our law enforcement partners,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “Weese repeatedly took advantage of vulnerable victims, first in her sex trafficking operation, then as she fraudulently obtained funds designed to help those suffering during the pandemic. This case should resonate with those who might consider this reprehensible criminal conduct acceptable.”
“This sentencing underscores the commitment of Homeland Security Investigations to dismantling criminal networks that exploit vulnerable individuals for financial gain," said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama Steven N. Schrank. “Through collaborative efforts with our law enforcement partners, we were able to bring Ms. Weese to justice, ensuring accountability for her actions and protection for those she victimized. HSI will continue to prioritize investigations that target exploitation and fraud schemes that harm our communities and undermine public trust.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Before the Super Bowl in February 2019, the Metro Atlanta Child Exploitation Task Force and other law enforcement officers received reports that Weese was operating a commercial sex trafficking ring in the metro Atlanta area. The officers were told that Weese physically abused and even threatened at gunpoint some of the women who she forced to engage in sex work.
On June 28, 2019, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations coordinated with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office to conduct an undercover operation at a Buckhead apartment where Weese was operating a brothel. Law enforcement searched the apartment and seized evidence that confirmed Weese posted commercial sex advertisements online, directed women to receive clients at the apartment, and imposed a quota for their earnings, more than half of which Weese took for herself. From 2017 through 2019, Weese repeatedly arranged for the women to travel to other states (including Arizona, Colorado, South Carolina, Texas, and Florida) to engage in prostitution for her own financial benefit. Weese was arrested by local authorities but released the same day.
Later, the FBI learned that Weese fraudulently obtained a $48,900 Economic Injury and Disaster Loan and $20,000 Paycheck Protection Program loan in 2020 and 2021 after misrepresenting that she had earned her income from a cosmetics company. Weese was indicted and rearrested in 2023.
Weese, 42, of Atlanta, Ga., has been sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $69,000 and to register as a sex offender. On May 14, 2024, Wease pleaded guilty to one count of transporting an individual interstate for the purpose of prosecution and one count of wire fraud.This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office and Gwinnett County Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Laurel B. Milam and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Irina Khasin prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Oklahoma City Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime ViolationRead the Press Release
Braden Birdsong, 28, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Bernard M. Jones for the Western District of Oklahoma today and pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime violation.
According to filed plea documents and today’s court hearing, on Aug. 25, 2023, Birdsong, a white man, attacked D.G., a black man, while D.G. was cleaning the parking lot of the Oklahoma City restaurant at which he worked. Birdsong used racial slurs and other anti-black rhetoric as he punched D.G. in the head multiple times. D.G. suffered bodily injury because of the attack. As Birdsong admitted in court today, he assaulted D.G. because of D.G.’s race and color.
Birdsong faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for the hate crime violation. U.S. District Court Judge Jones will determine Birdsong’s final sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors at a later date. Birdsong will remain in federal custody pending the future sentencing hearing.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Special Agent in Charge Douglas M. Goodwater of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Barry for the Western District of Oklahoma and Trial Attorneys Laura Gilson and Taylor Payne of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Kentucky Man Found with More Than 10 Grams of Methamphetamine Sentenced to Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Joshua Sharp, age 43, from Louisville, Kentucky, was sentenced in the District Court of Guam on September 10, 2025 to five years in federal prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The Court also ordered three 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 6, 2023, Guam Superior Court deputy marshals arrested Sharp at a Dededo residence after he failed to appear for a Superior Court of Guam hearing. Sharp had extensive criminal history involving theft, drug possession, and drug trafficking crimes in Guam. When Sharp was being processed at the security holding area, he requested medical attention due to leg pain from a motorcycle accident. Before transporting Sharp to Guam Memorial Hospital, deputy marshals conducted a secondary full body strip search and found a sock near Sharp’s groin. The sock concealed 10 small zip lock bags containing 14.7 grams of 99% pure methamphetamine.
“Career criminal drug traffickers will attract the attention of federal law enforcement regardless of the quantities involved,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “We will continue to target repeat offenders in an effort to keep our communities safe.”
“Every arrest, every drug removed from our communities makes an impact. Methamphetamine is a persistent scourge on our nation, devastating lives,” said Brian M. Clark, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division, which oversees Guam. “DEA, alongside our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the safety and health of our island community.”
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Guam Superior Court Marshals.
First Assistant United States Attorney Marivic P. David prosecuted the case in the District of Guam.
Guam Man Sentenced for Flying Drone over Military InstallationRead the Press Release
Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Billy Cao Cruz, age 54, was sentenced on September 11, 2025, in the District Court of Guam to two months home confinement for Violation of National Defense Airspace, in violation of 49 U.S.C. §§ 46307 and 40103. The Court also ordered two years of supervised release and a mandatory $25 special assessment fee.
On February 1, 2025, Billy Cao Cruz uploaded a video to his YouTube channel, "Planet Guam," which depicted sensitive footage of a military installation in Guam. The video garnered close to 12,000 views before being taken down. Cruz was previously warned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about photographing military installations.
On April 16, 2025, FBI agents met with Cruz at his residence. During this meeting, Cruz admitted to continuing to operate a specific drone, citing its fewer restrictions and the absence of notification requirements to local airports. In using this specific drone, Cruz stated, "You get away with a lot of things." Following a discussion about the national security concerns raised by the FBI and military, Cruz removed the video from YouTube and expressed understanding the potential threats posed by foreign adversaries, who might use the footage to target United States military installations.
“Nearly all of the airspace over Guam is subject to flight restrictions by aircraft operators,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “These restrictions help ensure the safe operation of commercial, military, and private aircraft. As this case demonstrates, they also protect our national security, including the military personnel who keep our homeland safe. We encourage anyone with knowledge of this activity to contact the FBI at the earliest opportunity.”
“Defending the homeland is at the core of the FBI’s mission, and that includes safeguarding the security of our national defense installations,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “This was not the first time Mr. Cruz had been warned about operating a drone over a military site, and this case demonstrates the consequences drone operators face when they choose to ignore the law in this manner. The FBI will continue to investigate and hold accountable anyone who compromises the national security of the United States and its citizens.”
This investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Aviation Administration, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Leon Guerrero prosecuted this case in the District of Guam.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Ralph Daniel Clark Ricon, age 49, was sentenced on September 11, 2025, in the District Court of Guam to 33 months imprisonment for Possession of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride with Intent to Distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The Court also ordered three years of supervised release, 50 hours community service, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits. Ricon is a lawful permanent resident who also faces deportation because of this conviction.
On the evening of April 5, 2024, Guam International Airport Police officers initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Ricon. During the stop, the defendant claimed to be Rodrigo Clark Ricon. He appeared to be nervous, heavily sweating, and having difficulty speaking. He was unable to provide a valid driver's license, or any documents related to the vehicle. Ricon verbally consented to a search of his vehicle. Officers seized several bags containing 80.6 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, and drug packaging material. Following the search, DEA Task Force agents responded to the scene. After being advised of his rights, Ricon admitted to possessing the methamphetamine.
At the time of the traffic stop, there was an active arrest warrant for "Rodrigo Clark Ricon." The Department of Correction positively identified Ricon and determined he had two open Superior Court felony drug cases with warrants for failure to report and failure to appear.
“I applaud the relentless efforts of our local and federal law enforcement partners in combatting drug trafficking on island,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “This successful prosecution resulted in another repeat offender going to federal prison.”
“Methamphetamine remains a top killer in our country. This deadly drug is extremely potent, unrelenting, devastating families and crushing dreams. Each time we take a drug dealer off the streets; we make a difference,” said Brian M. Clark, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles Field Division, which oversees Guam. “Today’s sentencing should put drug distributors on notice. If you choose to push poison to line your pockets, you will be held accountable for your actions. DEA and law enforcement partners remain unwavering in our commitment to protect the health and safety of our island communities.”
This investigation was conducted the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Guam International Airport Authority Police.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devarup Rastogi in the District of Guam
Antitrust Division Contributes to Historic Efforts to Unleash Prosperity Through DeregulationRead the Press Release
Note: A previous version of this release stated "over 170". This has been corrected below to "over 125
Today, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice announces its collaboration with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to identify over 125 anticompetitive regulations in response to the President’s Executive Order on Reducing Anti-Competitive Regulatory Barriers. Under the leadership of President Trump, the Antitrust Division, in close coordination with the FTC and federal agencies, conducted a comprehensive, government-wide effort to identify and reform anticompetitive regulations that distort markets and stifle competition.
“In America we believe in free markets, not central planning by government regulators or powerful monopolists,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Lowering barriers to entry by removing anticompetitive regulations will free America’s innovators and entrepreneurs to do what they do best: drive America’s future success.”
The Executive Order recognized that federal regulations should not predetermine economic winners and losers, yet some regulations “operate to exclude new market entrants.” It tasked the Chairman of the FTC and the Attorney General to consult with the heads of agencies and to develop a consolidated list of regulations that warrant rescission or modification in light of their anti-competitive effects. The FTC and DOJ worked closely and effectively on this review, and today Chairman Ferguson submitted an extensive list of anti-competitive regulations to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.